Seeing Xiao Jingcheng's expression, Li Zhao pressed down the corners of his lips that were about to curl up.
This young man's temper after regaining his memory was truly overbearing and his mouth as hard as a rock. But now it seemed he wasn't completely hopeless.
It would be good to take this opportunity to tame his temper.
After Ye Wanmian picked up all the rice on the ground, she carefully peeled off the dusty parts, divided it equally between Li Zhao and Qi Wen, kept some for herself, and put the rest in a broken pottery piece, planning to take it to the neighbors the next day to feed the chickens.
Qi Wen wasn't very good at cooking. This meal tasted insipid to Xiao Jingcheng. But after what had just happened, even though he felt a bit uncomfortable, he didn't say anything more.
He didn't know if it was just a psychological effect, but he always felt a faint pain in his stomach. But when he tried to feel it carefully, the feeling disappeared.
Normally, with his status, he shouldn't have dined with them at the same table. Moreover, in the past, there were always guards by his side to taste the food for poison. He would only put the food into his mouth after the guards had checked every dish.
His gaze turned to Ye Wanmian, Li Zhao, and Qi Wen beside him, who were eating with relish. For some reason, he felt an unusual sense of peace.
Compared to the depressing and quiet Eastern Palace and the dangerous Ningzhou, this small courtyard in front of him was full of a sense of security.
Night had completely fallen. A lamp was lit in the yard. The warm yellow light illuminated the surroundings. The quiet town exuded a sense of leisure and tranquility.
Ye Wanmian cleared the dishes on the table and got up to wash them. Dahuang closely followed her and lay beside her to accompany her.
Qi Wen went to the stove to start a fire and boil water so that they could use it at night.
For a moment, only Xiao Jingcheng and Li Zhao were left beside the stone table.
Li Zhao didn't speak, so Xiao Jingcheng also remained silent.
"Coocoo", a bird call came from the tree branch. A bird flew from somewhere and landed on the persimmon tree nearby.
Xiao Jingcheng looked up at the dense branches above his head, then at Li Zhao's outstanding face. His eyes squinted slightly and he said:
"I didn't expect Uncle Li to have experienced the great chaos nineteen years ago."
Nineteen years ago, Xiao Jingcheng was only three years old.
It was said that people didn't remember things before the age of four, but he clearly remembered that one day he was taken away by his nanny and hidden in a dark cellar.
It was very noisy outside. There were cries and shouts of killing everywhere. The cellar was small and stuffy. He felt very uncomfortable staying there. While the nanny was sleeping, he secretly left the cellar.
After going out, he was scared. There were corpses everywhere outside. The air was filled with a strong smell of blood. He couldn't help but vomit on a charred wooden stake.
This commotion attracted the Chu soldiers who were still nearby. When they found him, they immediately got excited. Shouting "We've found him" on one hand, they rushed towards him with their swords on the other.
The nanny found that he was gone and hurriedly came out of the cellar to look for him. She happened to see this scene.
In order to protect him, the nanny was beheaded by a Chu soldier. Blood and brains splashed all over him. Just as he was about to be caught by the Chu soldiers, an arrow pierced the chest of a Chu soldier. Uncle Huang Xiao Tianchi arrived in time and saved him.
He was transferred by Uncle Huang to another manor and hidden in another cellar. Uncle Huang told him that they were going to play a game of hide-and-seek. He had to wait until Uncle Huang came to find him before he could come out.
He waited and waited. In the end, he didn't wait for Uncle Huang, but his father, the current Emperor Sheng, Xiao Tianye.
After his father took him out of the cellar, many people knelt down and called his father "Your Majesty" and him "Crown Prince".
Just like that, the world changed hands.
Later, he found out that Uncle Huang didn't come to look for him not because he broke his promise, but because he was seriously injured in the great battle with the Chu army and was on the verge of death. It took all the doctors' efforts to save him.
If he hadn't been injured, it should have been Uncle Huang who was called "Your Majesty".
If Li Zhao had experienced that great chaos, it could explain why his attitude towards him wasn't as respectful as others'.
In a troubled world, heroes emerged in the struggle for power. If it wasn't the Xiao family, someone else would have sat on that throne.
Li Zhao seemed to see through his thoughts. He said indifferently:
"It's nothing unusual. I'm a coward who cherishes his life, so I've survived until now."
Xiao Jingcheng said: "But from Uncle Li's appearance and temperament, you don't seem like an ordinary commoner. You're more like someone from a famous family."
Li Zhao didn't care: "What famous family? I've just read a few more days of books and have more knowledge in my head than others."
This statement clearly showed that he didn't want to communicate with Xiao Jingcheng too much.
Xiao Jingcheng snorted coldly in his heart: "You're not her uncle."
"The way you look at her, the care and protection you give her, isn't what an uncle should have."
Li Zhao was stunned. He subconsciously glanced at Ye Wanmian. His hand hidden in his sleeve tightened. He spoke bluntly:
"Whether I am or not has nothing to do with Your Highness. Your Highness only needs to know that no matter what, I'll protect her and won't let her get hurt at all."
A sharp look no less than that of Emperor Sheng was cast on Xiao Jingcheng: "Instead of focusing on others, Your Highness should reflect on your own actions."
"Your Highness is the Crown Prince, but you don't have the tolerance of a Crown Prince. You even took cruel actions against your savior, thus wasting all that Mu Jin has done for Your Highness."
Seeing that Xiao Jingcheng was about to get angry subconsciously, Li Zhao blocked him with a single sentence:
"Your Highness, do you know that Prince Xuan came to the medical clinic to inquire about news some time ago? If Mu Jin was really a scheming person, with the friendship between her and Prince Xuan, wouldn't it be better for her to hand you over in exchange for a better future than it is now?"
"But how did Your Highness treat her? Didn't Your Highness's several teachers teach you that no matter what, you shouldn't take actions against a woman?"
Li Zhao's scolding was merciless.
In front of Xiao Jingcheng's eyes, the image of Ye Wanmian with a pained face as he pinched her neck emerged.
He subconsciously rubbed his fingers. He thought in his heart that he might have been too rough with her this morning...
Of course, he knew that taking actions against a woman wasn't what a gentleman should do, but he couldn't be entirely blamed for it.
His memory stopped at the moment when he fell off the cliff. Before that, he had experienced many near-death situations to avoid the killers. When he woke up, he found himself in a strange place. Naturally, he suspected that she had some connection with those killers.
Taking actions against her was an instinct for self - protection, regardless of like or dislike.
But even though he knew it was inappropriate, the environment he grew up in and his experiences over the years made it impossible for him to lower his head and show weakness.
Of course, Li Zhao didn't need to listen to his confession. He deliberately said:
"Now, Prince Mu is sending Your Highness's 'corpse' back to the capital, and the news of Your Highness's death has spread all over the country. The whole nation is mourning for Your Highness."
"Since Your Highness has woken up, you'd better think of a way to break this situation and leave Dongli Town as soon as possible to take back what belongs to you. Otherwise, Your Highness will have to be a 'dead man' forever."