The Ugly Prince

Chapter 7.2

He didn't even notice that his fourth highness was crying.

“I know I'm useless ……”

“I didn't know …
how to protect you …”

“I tried hard, but …
my mother didn't even want to look at me”

“What's the use of me being a prince …
it's worse than being a palace maid under the unloved concubine.”

“They all hated me, rejected me, even tortured me, now even you don't want me …
“

Hearing that, Zhang Ping finally couldn't help but speak “This slave didn't, not want you!” .

“I don't want a slave, I want a big brother!” The child's cry grew louder and became less disguised. Wooahh wooahh he sobbed and cried, his little body shrinking into a ball.

“I want my big brother, I want my big brother, you return my big brother …
wuuwuu! “

Zhang Ping endured.

The child seemed to want to cry out all the grievances he has suffered so far, Cry to the top of his lungs

Gradually, the child's cries changed from loud to quiet, and became huffing and puffing.

Crying and crying,The child suddenly rolled to the wall and hit the wall with his head

“Dong dong!”

“My big brother is gone …
My big brother also thinks I am ugly and doesn't want me anymore …”

Zhang Ping couldn't bear it anymore, cursed himself and grabbed the child, and hugged him tightly into his arms.

“Who says I don't want you! I couldn't even joke with you to scare you! You're the one who smashed my head so hard the other day, you almost gave me a spike.
Say, You were you so ruthless, I never saw you like that normally …” Zhang Ping pressed the shouting “I should not” that he was screaming inside his heart.

“Wuuwuu! Big brother, big brother! Zhang Ping Zhang Ping! ” The boy clings on to him tightly with his hands and feet, howling dryly when his eyes could not cry anymore.

“All right, All right, its late night careful people might hear you.
Be good, don't cry.” The fifteen years old Zhang Ping was again heartbroken and felt his heart warming, Hugging the tiny fourth prince and coaxing him gently.

“Shh, don't cry, be good.”

The child gradually stopped whimpering, and lay in his arms, huffing and puffing.

Zhang Ping patted him lightly, and tasted a hint of sweetness in his mouth.

The child turned his head just in time to see him hissing in pain.

“……what happened?”

“The flesh in the mouth is rotten and it hurts” Zhang Ping really hurt, covering his mouth and waiting for the pain to pass.

“Let me see.” The kid picks with his hand.

Zhang Ping didn't try to cover it up, and let the child's hand open his mouth.

“Hiss! Gently, gently”

The child opens off to the side so that the candlelight can shine a little more clearly.

“What's wrong with your throat? Why is your voice so hoarse? You said you're not healed, where else are you hurt?” The child pursed his lips hard, forcing himself not to cry.

“Nothing, it's all right.
I was also blessed by misfortune, and I got another level of internal power.
Haha! As for the voice …
maybe my throat got hurt.”1

Zhang Ping didn't want the child to worry, so he said it lightly.
In his heart, he's cursing those eunuchs of the inner palace division.
Oh fuck, they're all twisted and sick bastard! His parents were right, this palace is a man-eater's den.

The child lowered his head, his small fist clenched tightly, and his body trembled slightly.
How can it be okay? He saw it all!

“Really.
I'm really okay.”

The child held him tight.

“I'll be stronger.
You wait for me to avenge you” The child said seriously, while making a poisonous vow in his heart.

Zhang Ping is happy, no matter what the future holds, it is always good for the child to have this type of mindset.

“Yes!, you fight and be stronger, for me and for yourself, we can't always let people step under the shoes, right? We can't always let people step on us under their shoes, right? You better be strong enough to become emperor, then we won't be afraid of anyone.
If you don't want to be bullied, you have to be the best in the world! ! ” Zhang Ping began to fantasize.

“You see how powerful your father is, Whoever he wants to live, let live; whoever he wants to die, lets die;This palace includes the queens, concubine, and prince, who are favored and who are not favored, and who can live a good life or not, isn't it all depends on his wish”

“If you really become an emperor, don't talk about revenge, even the ugly can be called beautiful.
At that time, no one in the world would dare to say that you are ugly, and they will also say that you were born with different appearance because you are a real dragon.
Ha-ha! “

The more Zhang Ping said, the more it felt right, “I know, the goals I set for you in the first place was simply wrong.
I shouldn't have planned to train you to become the second-best martial art master in the world, I should train you to be the next emperor with the second-best martial arts in the world that's right! “

The child listened and asked him seriously: “The emperor is more powerful than the general?”

“Of course.” Zhang Ping replied without hesitation.
“The general is also great, but if the emperor wanted to kill him, we just a flick of finger he could kill him”

The child nodded.
“Okay, then I will be emperor in the future.”

“Good, good, courageous! It's worthy of my fancy.
But don't tell anyone else, or we will be snapped off before you could be emperor.
Heh …
HISS!”

Zhang Ping set up a new goal in life,  he suddenly felt full of enthusiasm, plus the child's bold words* made him feel happy.
He couldn't help but open his mouth to laugh, but before his mouth opened, he was so painful that he covered his mouth with pain and held the child on the bed and rolled around.
He talked too much.1

The wind is blowing, and the locust tree leaves have all fallen, and it seems that it is going to snow heavily.

Zhang Ping missed his first New Year's Day in the palace because of his recuperation of injuries.
With the arrival of the new year, Huangfu Jie's status finally improved.

The biggest reason why there would be such a change was when Emperor Sheng had spoken to the princes in the library to be close to each other as brothers.
And at the annual banquet, Emperor Sheng brought it up again.
This time it was in front of all the concubines, princes and princesses present.

Although the Xian Fei and the Fourth Prince were not invited to the annual banquet, the attitude of other princes towards Huangfu Jie changed from bright to dark, at least on the surface, Huangfu Jie didn't suffer anymore obvious bullying.

 

“Oh, isn't this the same Zhang Gonggong who couldn't die? I heard that you have offended his royal highness the grand prince and been beaten into a fool, was that true? “

Zhang Ping buried his head and walked behind carrying Huangfu Jie's book bag behind him.

Huangfu Jie looked back.

The palace maid who mocked Zhang Ping didn't seem to have any regard for him as a prince at all, Seeing that he was only a little fortunate than her, she started teasing Zhang Ping behind him.

Seeing that Huangfu Jie had already walked to the courtyard gate, he doesn't seem to care what happens to Zhang Ping.
Immediately, the other palace slaves also gathered around.

“Hey, Zhang Ping, did you really become stupid? So when are you going to pay me the money you owe me? “

“Haha, yes, yes, you owe me a lot of money too.
When will you pay me back?”

“Zhang Ping, look at me.
I'm Liu Shun, don't you recognize me?” There was also concern interspersed with the sound of playful laughter

Zhang Ping raised his head and giggling foolishly, “Hehehe”

“Oh crap, he's really beaten silly.”

“You all don't mess around, okay, he's pathetic enough.”

“It's good that he is stupid, following our fourth prince.
If he is not stupid, he would be scared “

“Shh, Loulan, please lower your voice a little, be careful Hongxiu Daren might hear”

“Hmph, fear nothing.
Hongxiu Daren wouldn't say anything even if she hears it.
A fool with an Ugly 8 (八) monster, is it not right? Hey, Zhang Ping, kowtow to your aunt and she'll let you go.

“Loulan, don't do this.”

“What's the matter, you classless little eunuch also dare to control me? So what if Zhang Ping's is serving the prince, he is merely a classless little eunuch like you, I'm Loulan a dignified 6th rank officer of the royal bed-chamber, can't I get him to kneel for me? “

Zhang Ping smiled as Luolan, the palace maid, as he carried the book bag

“What are you smiling! Get down on your knees!”

“Yes, yes.
The slave greets his madam consort, and the slave wishes madam consort good health” Zhang Ping bowed without any objection.

“Do you want to die, what are you talking about! get up get up, go go go, really boring” The palace maid Loulan said it was boring, but anyone with a clear eye could see a smug smile on her face.

“Zhang Ping, what are you waiting* there!” Huangfu Jie finally opened his mouth and called out.1

The crowd listened to the fourth prince's words, and it was no longer good to tease Zhangping blatantly, all scattered

Zhang Ping rose from the ground and ran back to Huangfu Jie with a panicked face.。

The small courtyard door opens and closes.

Seeing Huangfu Jie's gloomy and sullen face, Zhang Ping said, “Don't be angry, there is nothing to be angry about.
She's higher than me, that's a fact.
But why would she dare to ignore you, the prince, even if she's a small court slave ? Have you ever thought about it? “

Huangfu Jie didn't nod or shake his head.

Zhang Ping thought that he should understand why, but still said, “Because in her heart, you have only a false name but no real prestige.
If you want to become a real prince, you have to establish prestige, but before you become stronger, learn not to be afraid first.
You can only talk about standing tall if you let go of your fear of them.

 

“You have to remember that you are the prince.
In this palace, besides the emperor, the empress*, and your three elder brothers, you are the greatest.
You do not need to be afraid of anyone, including your mother and Hongxiu.”

“Don't look at how the palace slaves bluff in front of you.
In fact, they were also very afraid in their heart.
Because they are afraid, because they know they are small, that's why they look for opportunities whenever possible, hoping to get balance from you, the unloved prince.
Once you pose the majesty of a prince, I can guarantee that none of them dares to ride on your head again.
“

“Come, my highness, hold up your chest and show me.”

The little chest immediately stood tall.

On the 15th Lantern Festival, Zhang Ping used the small kitchen in the courtyard to make a bowl of longevity noodles for the child.

The child didn't understand.
He picked at the noodles to find just one long one and is about to cut it off.

“Wait wait ” Zhang Ping hurriedly stopped it “This is longevity noodles.
You have to eat from beginning to end, and you can't break it in the middle.”

“Longevity noodle? Who has birthday today?” The child wondered.

“Noone has a birthday today, because I didn't make it last year, so today is the day to make up for it on this small perfect day and wish you a smooth year”

“So this is for me?”

“Yeah.” Have the kid never really eaten longevity noodles?

“Are we supposed to eat noodles on our birthdays?”

“Hum”

“Then why …” I have never eaten before.
The child did not continue to talk, his face became darker.

“Maybe there's no such rule in the palace.
It's our custom back there to eat noodles.
Come on, eat it, have a taste of your big brother's craft, I'll make it for you year after year if you like it.
If you don't like it, we'll change it with something else.
” Zhang Ping smiled and diverted the child's attention.

No, they also eat birthday noodles in the palace, and the child has heard other princes mention it, and he also heard them compare the gifts their emperor father gave them on their birthdays.
These memories have been pressed to the back of his mind, as he felt a throbbing pain in his heart every time he thought about them.
He didn't like the feeling, so he forbade himself to think about it.

Today, someone finally remembered his birthday and gave him a bowl of longevity noodles.
Although it's not his birthday today, it means that someone has finally taken him to heart.
So can he expect little more?

“The first time someone gave me my birthday.” The child lowered his head.

Well, I guessed it.

“Father Emperor always gave them gifts when it was my elder royal brothers and younger royal brothers birthday.
There were exquisite jade balls, ponies, jade pendants, corals, parrots, swords, bows and arrows, and four treasures of the study and many more.
But I never got it.
The child's head was lowered even lower.1

Zhang Ping opened his mouth, when did this little ghost learn to play the tactic of wretched soldiers? I'm too embarrassed to laugh.
The child's purpose is so obvious that he can't bear it.

Allright allright, I know you are the most pitiful prince in the world.
Come on, eat the noodles.”

The child didn't get angry either, raising his face, his deep eyes shining with expectation.

“What's after eating the noodle?”

“You eat first, you should not break it” Zhang Ping found that the kid had become more sociable than before.
When he thinks the credit goes to himself, he could not help but be a little pleased with himself.

“How to eat this? It's so long, how can it fit in the mouth?” The child looked at the noodle bowl and got a headache.

Zhang Ping laughed, thinking that he knew that, this little poor boy, had never eaten this stuff, after all, it was not in vain that he spent a silver or two to buy a lump of noodle dough with the people of the imperial kitchen.
They'll sell him a small dough for a couple of silver! They are so fuckin shaddy!

The child found it interesting and immediately picked up the chopsticks to try.
He took a big slurp and finished the noodles after a while, not really letting them break in between.
Of course, it had something to do with the fact that Zhang Ping had deliberately rolled the noodles to a thicker shape.

“The noodles are long and life is long.
Today, during this Lantern Festival, I wish you a long life, a safe life, and a happy life.” Zhang Ping said auspiciously, as he took his long life lock from the neck and put it on the child.

“I'm a poor man with nothing to give you, this is for you.
This is something I've worn since birth, and according to custom, I should have worn it until the day I have a baby, melted down a new one and passed it on.
But now that I am a eunuch, I'm sure having a child is hopeless.
This long life lock is given to you, which means that my Zhang Ping's life has also been passed on to you.
“

“In our hometown, giving someone a long-life lock is said to help them prevent a great disaster.
You keep it well and replace it later when you have something better.” Zhang Ping helped the child to tidy up his lapel, and said in a rare straight face.

The child put his hand on his chest and touch it again and again

Zhang Ping laughed, “it's not something of value.
It's made of brass.
Don't you think that it's made of gold.”

The child suddenly got out of his chair and walked over to Zhang Ping, opening his arms wide.

Zhang Ping by habit naturally holds the child onto his lap.。

The child didn't say a word either, pulling the long-life lock out of his clothes and playing with it in his hands.

Zhang Ping hugged him just like that and casually told him things he thought he should pay attention to.

“In order to live a long life and prosperous life, beside pretending to be clumsy in front of those who are necessary, one must also pay attention to their mutual interests.
You see that the second prince doesn't know martial arts, but he can still compete with the great prince.
Why is that? Because your second royal brother knows how to win people's hearts and kill people with a borrowed knife. At a young age he can grasp each prince's stake clearly.
You should learn more from your second brother in the future.
“

” Hmm.
“

The child reminds himself: a fox is better than a jackal, because he can kill with a borrowed knife.

Seeing him nod, Zhang Ping joyfully stroked his tiny head.
No wonder his mother likes to catch their brother so much to pass on knowledge, it turns out that teaching others feels really good.