I became the God Brother of the Regent King after Transmigration!-Chapter 393 - 306: Incense

Inside the Qianyuan Hall, the bloodstains were cleaned away, and the bloody smell was purged, replaced with a fresh and delightful Sweet Pine Fragrance.

This scent was not as rich and gentle as ambergris, but it carried a faint sweetness and warmth, causing Rong Jing to fall into a slight confusion.

The fragrance was somewhat familiar.

Soon, Rong Jing remembered where this scent came from.

When he was still the Crown Prince, after proposing to the Su Family, he often visited Su Zhixue. Once, a maid beside Su Zhixue brought a pot of Sweet Pine Fragrance, saying it was a token from her lady for His Highness.

To express his fondness, he kept the incense burner and the fragrance in the Eastern Palace for a long time.

Rong Jing felt a stirring in his heart, suddenly realizing the scent in his nose did not match what was in his memory, he frowned and called for the little eunuch: "What is with this incense?"

The little eunuch walked in trembling, with a timid demeanor, causing Rong Jing to narrow his eyes, which were red with blood, filled with murderous intent.

The little eunuch seemed to be intimidated by that look, recalling Zhang Fengcai’s earlier miserable state, he knelt with a plop, saying the Sweet Pine Fragrance was concocted by a concubine skilled in fragrant spices from the harem, intending to remind the Emperor of his days in the Eastern Palace. After she prepared it, she spent a great deal of money bribing him to present it to His Majesty.

Rong Jing sneered, he knew this was the case.

It seemed he hadn’t visited the harem for a long time, he could hardly remember those women’s faces, only when he heard the name, he faintly recalled that concubine was indeed a former Crown Prince’s consort from the Eastern Palace, probably she thought he liked this scent because she accidentally smelled it before.

Just... why does this scent differ from the Sweet Pine Fragrance that Su Zhixue gave him in his memory?

Rong Jing looked at the kneeling little eunuch and asked: "What’s your name?"

"To report to Your Majesty, this servant, this servant is Zhang Shi, my godfather calls me Little Stone... Your Majesty, this servant knows I’ve done wrong, I will never dare to accept tributes from concubines again, please spare my life."

The little eunuch cried with snot all over his face, seemingly extremely afraid that what happened to Zhang Fengcai earlier, losing an arm, would also happen to him.

The Emperor’s moods were unpredictable, and he had messed up, who knew what punishment he would face?

Rong Jing twitched his mouth, staring at the snot and tears on the little eunuch’s face, thinking about how many godsons Zhang Fengcai had taken. Besides being somewhat pretty, what’s the use of keeping this idiot around, for the New Year?

"Get up, don’t dirty my floor."

"Yes..." Zhang Shi trembled like a sieve as he got up.

Rong Jing had calmed down, his beautiful peach blossom eyes slightly narrowed, his thin lips slightly curled:

"Are you very afraid of me, am I that terrifying?"

Zhang Shi started speaking incoherently: "Your, Your Majesty is as majestic as a god, this servant feels reverence, not daring to look at your sacred visage..."

Rong Jing twirled the ring in his hand, raising his eyebrows, he removed the ring from his thumb and tossed it in front of Zhang Shi.

With Zhang Shi’s face as a cushion, the ring hit the ground with a clear, crisp sound, but it didn’t break.

The ring hitting his face did cause some pain, Zhang Shi couldn’t help but let out a cry.

It’s over,

His Majesty will definitely kill me!

Zhang Shi shut his mouth tightly, his eyes trembling, clearly terrified to the extreme.

Just when he thought the Emperor was about to stab him to death, Rong Jing spoke:

"It’s your reward."

These three words sounded like heavenly music to Zhang Shi’s ears.

"Wha, what?" He dared not believe it and looked up, meeting Rong Jing’s enchantingly beautiful peach blossom eyes, those eyes... Zhang Shi once again lowered his head in fear.

Rong Jing yawned: "Pretending to be stupid should have its limits, or it turns into real stupidity."

Upon hearing these words, Zhang Shi felt as if he were in an ice cave, the fear on his face promptly subsided, his body stopped trembling, not daring to speak further.

Rong Jing thought, Zhang Fengcai probably... doesn’t have much time left.

But after following him for so many years, with no merits, he had endured hardships, perhaps he should promote his godson to allow him a peaceful old age.

"This is your reward, I want you to investigate something for me."

Zhang Shi hurriedly kowtowed: "Your Majesty’s command, this servant will go through hell and high water, without hesitation!"

A flash of eerie light passed through Rong Jing’s eyes, as he looked at the Piyao Incense Burner slowly burning in the center of the hall and softly said:

"I don’t need you to go through hell and high water, nor do I need you to risk your life, I need you to go to the secret mansion and find the Sweet Pine Fragrance sent to me by the Empress, and see if there’s any left, then with that, that..."

"Your Majesty, it is Concubine Chen," Zhang Shi replied cleverly.

Rong Jing nodded, "Yes, compare it with the Sweet Pine Fragrance of Concubine Chen and see if there are any differences."

"I understand," Zhang Shi answered, sweat dripping from his forehead.

Rong Jing continued, "There is no rush in this matter. I don’t want anyone to know, including Zhang Fengcai and the guards of the secret mansion... You find a way to retrieve it on your own, and handle the fragrance on your own as well."

The secret mansion was where Rong Jing lived before ascending to the throne, and it had previously been the Eastern Palace. It was now guarded by specialized guards. As for the fragrance, even he didn’t know how much was left; perhaps it had already been used up.

Zhang Shi, however, was so excited that he kowtowed, picking up the ring from the ground and carefully putting it into his bosom.

Inside, he was shocked and overjoyed. He knew that this matter was not really significant; after all, it’s all Sweet Pine Fragrance, how different could it be? And the reason the Emperor had sought him out, forbidding him from seeking any help, not even from his godfather... was because the Emperor wanted to nurture him!

His Majesty wanted to use this matter to see his ability in handling affairs.

He must seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, not only to find out the truth but to handle it beautifully!

"I understand, Your Majesty. I will handle it immediately." Zhang Shi’s words could barely hide his excitement.

Rong Jing looked at the figure kneeling on the ground and suddenly remembered a time when Zhang Fengcai also knelt before him like this.

Hmm,

And then he had him kill his own godfather.

"Begone."

Zhang Shi withdrew, and the Qianyuan Hall was once more shrouded in silence and darkness.

When Rong Huan was alive, the Qianyuan Hall was very bright, with no fewer than a dozen lamps burning day and night, making the hall as bright as day.

When he ascended the throne, however, he ordered the removal of nine palace lamps, making the hall dim and heavy.

Every minister who came to discuss state affairs would be unconsciously affected by this oppressive atmosphere, becoming fearful and uneasy, making it easier for him to spot any flaws.

He knew that he was not as intelligent as Rong Heng and Rong Jue... Therefore, he did not overlook any small detail, guarding his throne cautiously.

But he himself, spending much time here, also felt somewhat lonely.

Rong Jing recalled the voices of Song Zhi and Rong Miaoyan talking outside the hall earlier, his eyes darkening slightly.

It was awkward; Rong Jing’s train of thought was completely different from normal people like Rong Miaoyan and others.

Therefore, he did not think of having a daughter who was talented and prudent in serving as an official after losing Rong Qijun and Rong Qichun, and if not for her gender, seemed more suitable to rule... Dayan.

"Could Ning An be here for Xie Yun? While studying, she always called Xie Yun ’Brother Jingqi’. However, she seems to still be fond of that boy from the Gu Family. What’s so good about him to warrant her affection?"

Rong Jing mumbled to himself, momentarily like an ordinary father, then fell into turmoil.

Thinking of Gu Lan, he thought of the war in Yinzhou, and then of Rong Heng.

The torment his two foolish sons caused him left a flicker of blood in Rong Jing’s eyes, and he took a deep breath, recalling Rong Heng’s adorable childhood, his gaze softened as he murmured:

"Ah yes, there’s still Wu, I haven’t forgotten..."

"Achoo!"

At that moment, at the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, Rong Heng was studying a scar-removal formula when he suddenly sneezed enormously.

The freshly prepared medicine powder was blown away by him just like that, and it covered the face of the tense Geng Tao beside him.

With Imperial Physicians and Wei Lan at the Imperial Hospital, the constant chatter made it impossible for Xie Yun to have peace, so Geng Tao requested to leave the palace and came to the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion seeking Gu Lan for a scar-removing medicine for Xie Yun.

Rong Heng sneered, "I have a medicine that can definitely remove scars, but it hurts a lot when applied."

Geng Tao thought, how could such an Immortal-like man be afraid of pain?

So, Rong Heng volunteered to start preparing the medicine...

"Sorry, I’ll make another batch." Rong Heng, seeing the medicine powder blown away by his own sneeze, quickly apologized with a guilty conscience.

Gu Lan said from the side, "Brother Hang, if you don’t want to make medicine for Xie Yun, just say so. It’s fine; I actually already have a finished Scar Healing Gel."

Geng Tao: "Young Master, if you have the finished product, why not just give it to this servant?"

Gu Lan: "Uh..."