Chapter 176: Young Lord Zhu’s Questioning
“At that time, the startled horse galloped away like the wind straight toward the Emperor.”
“Embroidered Uniform Guard Jiao threw Miss Yang off the horse.”
“Right in front of the Emperor.”
“Miss Yang cried in terror, the Emperor stepped forward to comfort her, and thus…”
“Treasonous! What are you saying!”
“Officer, we’re innocent! We’re talking about how His Majesty nearly encountered the startled horse.”
“We’re talking about how His Majesty is magnanimous and kind—”
In a restaurant teahouse, several people sat around a desk in a private room, whispering and laughing, winking at each other. They had just said a few words when bailiffs rushed in from outside and seized the speakers.
Chai Yuan stood coldly watching from the third-floor railing as a group of people were dragged out by the bailiffs, but the restaurant did not quiet down. The other customers gathered even more closely, whispering and discussing.
Chai Yuan slapped the railing and turned into the private room.
“Third Master Chai, these are the rumors that suddenly started circulating in the city these past two days.” A retainer said gravely, then gave Chai Yuan a strange look…
It’s a rumor, right.
Chai Yuan understood the retainer’s look. Not everyone in Marquis Yichun’s Mansion knew the old matters between the Emperor and Miss Yang. Clearly, this retainer believed the rumor too.
“Go investigate for me. Find out which petty person is spreading such rumors behind the scenes.” Chai Yuan ordered.
If it’s a rumor, then it’s truly malicious. The retainers nodded one after another. Besides his original wife from the Chai Clan, and supporting the weak Li Family daughter, the Emperor had only three beauties offered by noble families since his ascension to the throne. He had never widely selected concubines. In the eyes of the civilians, he was a frugal, magnanimous, and clear-headed ruler not obsessed with women.
Of course, it wouldn’t be excessive for the Emperor to take a liking to a beauty, but this beauty was the Princess’s lady-in-waiting and the Libationer’s disciple. This was simply…
Too unspeakable.
What was ruined was not only the Emperor’s reputation, but also the Princess’s. The companion reader young lady specially selected by the Emperor to win over the pure and noble families became a joke, and the students of the National Academy would also harbor resentment toward the Emperor.
“Their intentions are so vicious.”
“This is treasonous!”
“This is rebellion!”
“I didn’t expect so many treasonous people hiding in the Capital City.”
“Weren’t the Sun clan remnants still committing murders in the Capital City at midnight before?”
Listening to the retainers’ discussion, Chai Yuan’s face was irritable: “Anyway, all of you go investigate for me. Tell Jingzhao Prefecture to arrest all these people spreading the rumors and discussions.”
The retainers acknowledged and retreated.
The room quieted down, and Chai Yuan’s face was no longer so irritable.
This isn’t someone rebelling; this is forcing the Emperor to acknowledge a daughter.
If he wants to prove to the world it’s not lusting after a beauty, then it can only be a father and daughter reunion.
What a shameless tactic!
Chai Yuan grabbed the teacup and smashed it on the ground, sneering.
This must be the Emperor’s own doing!
Is this forcing their Chai Clan? Ridiculous. No way.
Chai Yuan stepped on the shattered porcelain pieces, pulled open the door, and strode out. Just as he was about to turn the corner, someone came up the stairs and nearly collided with him unexpectedly.
“Blind thing!”
Chai Yuan’s servant raised his foot to kick.
But the person opposite did not get kicked down the stairs. Instead, with a bang, Chai Yuan’s servant fell backward onto the corridor.
“Insolent.” A male voice said calmly.
Treating the servant’s kick as if he couldn’t see Chai Yuan, he flew into a rage and shouted: “What are you doing!”
His gaze then turned to the person coming up the stairs, and his face grew even darker.
The young man standing at the stairwell was tall and straight, frowning at him.
“Young Lord Zhu.” Chai Yuan said coldly, “So imposing. You hit my daughter before; is this another attempt to hit me?”
Zhu Yunxiao did not answer him, only calmly raised his hand in salute: “Third Master Chai.”
No time to deal with him now. Chai Yuan flicked his sleeve and cursed the servant: “You dog, get up quickly.”
Though cursing the servant, his gaze was on Zhu Yunxiao.
Zhu Yunxiao’s expression remained the same, not stepping aside: “Third Master Chai, I have a question for you.”
Chai Yuan chuckled twice: “Zhu Yunxiao, I invited you to visit before but you didn’t come. What is there left for us to say now.”
Back then, his daughter had seen Zhu Yunxiao playing polo during the spring outing and taken a great liking to him. Since his daughter liked him, naturally he had to get him. But when he expressed the intention to arrange a marriage, this ungrateful Zhu Yunxiao actually refused.
What? Coming to talk to him now—was it regret? Too late!
Zhu Yunxiao took a step forward and asked: “Third Master Chai, is the rumor about Miss Yang something you did? I know Miss Chai has a grudge with Miss Yang, but this goes too far. I was present both times Miss Chai and Miss Yang had conflict, and during the startled horse incident. I can testify that Miss Yang absolutely did not intentionally conflict with Miss Chai…”
Chai Yuan’s expression went from cold laugh to arrogance to astonishment, and finally to great anger.
“Zhu Yunxiao, what makes you think you can meddle in this!”
He raised his foot and kicked.
Chai Clan’s servants, Zhu Yunxiao could kick over, but facing Chai Yuan, the junior with lower rank could not retaliate.
With a bang, Zhu Yunxiao tumbled down the stairs.
The civilians who had quietly gathered upstairs and downstairs to watch the excitement let out cries of alarm.
……
…….
“Wan’er said it before: at the restaurant, this Zhu Yunxiao hit her for Miss Yang!”
In Marquis Yichun’s study, Chai Yuan, still not venting his anger after kicking Zhu Yunxiao away at the restaurant, paced furiously.
“Hilarious. Isn’t he infatuated with the Jiang Family daughter?”
“What? Now he’s taken a liking to this Miss Yang? He’s even going mad at me for her?”
Marquis Yichun was calm and said: “Now the streets are starting to say that the Emperor has taken a liking to Miss Yang again. It was Miss Chai who, unable to stomach the Emperor not punishing Miss Yang, deliberately spread the rumor. Then they will say how Young Lord Zhu flew into a rage for the beauty…”
He smiled at Chai Yuan as he spoke.
“Young Lord Zhu isn’t flying into a rage for the beauty here; he’s resolving His Majesty’s troubles.”
The Emperor taking a liking to a beauty turned into a dispute between young man and woman, so it was no big deal.
Chai Yuan thought for a moment and spat: “Zhu Yunxiao, that dog spawn, just like his father, good at opportunism.”
Resolving the Emperor’s worries by stepping on their Chai Clan—he still deserved death.
“Zhu Yunxiao.” Marquis Yichun murmured the name, nodded, “The timing is indeed perfect. Since that’s the case, I’ll give him another great opportunity.”
Chai Yuan was puzzled. Why?
This Zhu Yunxiao who didn’t take Marquis Yichun’s Mansion seriously, and his father was still giving him an opportunity?
And what opportunity?
“He didn’t disregard me; he disregarded the marriage arrangement with Wan’er.”
When Zhu Yunxiao refused back then, he said: Marquis, our marriage arrangement is of no benefit to either of us.
The undisguised calculating face of Zhu Yunxiao seemed to echo before his eyes. Marquis Yichun smiled: “Then now I’ll propose a marriage arrangement that’s beneficial to both of us.”
……
……
“Master, the rumors on the street have changed again.”
In the pawn shop, the shopkeeper walked into the inner room and said to the old man sitting and drinking tea.
“Changed to Miss Chai retaliating against Miss Yang, and Zhu Yunxiao stepping in to protect the beauty.”
The old man laughed heartily and sipped his tea delightedly: “Who made a move this time? The Emperor?”
When he heard that the streets suddenly spread that the Emperor had taken a liking to Miss Yang, so he had stayed in the temporary palace, traveling with imperial protocol, the old man was astonished and amused. This move was brilliant—it was forcing the Emperor to reveal Miss Yang’s true identity.
It should be Young Prince Mo who did it.
But it had just started circulating and today Zhu Yunxiao stole the spotlight again.
“The Heir of Duke Yongwu has also had several interactions with this Miss Yang.” The shopkeeper said, “I don’t know if it’s the Emperor’s arrangement or Young Lord Zhu’s own initiative…”
Own initiative? Young Lord Zhu taken a liking to this Miss Yang? The old man set down his teacup: “In these days, has any young man appeared around Miss Yang?”
According to speculation, the little prince of the previous dynasty should use marriage with Miss Yang to return to the Imperial Family and seize power, but for marriage, there naturally needed to be mutual affection and constant companionship…
The shopkeeper’s face was a bit strange: “In these days, the only young man around Miss Yang has been Young Master A Jiao.”
Speaking of which, wasn’t Young Master A Jiao a bit too good to this Miss Yang? Previously protecting her on the street at night, and this time blocking an arrow for Miss Yang…
This kind of risking life to help, sharing life and death—wasn’t that what the little prince who desperately wanted to marry Miss Yang should be doing?
Why was the Young Master joining in on the fun?
