h.e.l.lo lovely people! In celebration of my friend’s (happyhappysad) first post on this blog, I am posting Chapter 36 early. If you check on the translations page, you can see which days the story will posted. Right now, it is set to update on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday! As an added bonus, if my friend’s post get’s 3 comments by Friday, I will post an additional chapter for Golden Age Legitimate Fei on Friday! That’ll be 5 chapters this week! Here is a link to her post : . You can also find it under her page.
Prince Ding's Manor
"My Prince, the Feng's family Third Young Master has arrived."
Upon hearing the guards report, Mo Xiu Yao placed aside the brush in his hand and frowned: "Let him enter."
A moment later, Feng Chi Yao, with a frivolous and playboy appearance, stepped through the door and entered the study. He grinned and said: "Your wedding has almost arrived, how could you still sit here?"
Mo Xiu Yao did not look at him. "Why are you here?" He said. "You should know that our a.s.sociation is not a good thing. "
Feng Chi Yao shrugged helplessly. "It's not as if I wanted to. Someone is looking for you. The door to your Prince Ding's Manor is too tall and they had to come find me."
My Xiu Yao paused and pondered a moment. He lifted his head and said: "Xu Qing Chen."
"Prince Ding is sure well-informed, the rumors do you justice." The sound of laughter drifted in from outside the door. Xu Qing Chen gracefully strode forth in a white outfit.
The study suddenly held three outstanding men of different characteristics, causing the room to be stifled.
Mo Xiu Yao looked at Xu Qing Chen solemnly. He sighed and said: "I have caused Eldest Xu Scholar much trouble."
"Even if it were not you and someone else, father would still make this trip to the capital." Xu Qing Chen nodded, very satisfied. "It should be understood that Li-er….is the only daughter of our Xu family."
Feng Zhi Yao furrowed his brows and found a place to sit. He looked at Mo Xiu Yao. He had already said so, the future Princess Consort Ding had a very strong support.
Obviously, Xu Qing Chen did not want to put on airs. He picked an empty seat and measured Mo Xiu Yao: "It's hard to believe that the young general, brilliant and dazzling, that year could now become so…elegant."
That year, Xu Qing Chen had become famous. Coincidentally, it was also when Mo Xiu Yao was at the height of his reputation. The two also had some sort friendship. It was just that one was martial artists and one was a scholar. The distance like day and night and so the relationship was not very intimate.
Mo Xiu Yao looked down. He helplessly chuckled: "A disabled person. Brother Xu saying these things, are you trying to expose someone's scar?"
"If the Prince can't even accept his own situation, based on what does he expect our Xu family to give him Li-er?" Xu Qing Chen smiled. "Moreover, this person doesn't see that the Prince is that pitiful."
Mo Xiu Yao looked up. His eyes had a touch of indifference. "If I felt miserable, would Brother Xu not say anything?"
Feng Zhi Yao looked, wide-eyed, at the two people. "I say, are the two of you going to keep talking about such meaningless things?"
Xu Qing Chen, feeling apologetic, chuckled and said: "Alright, it was I that was rude. But his Highness should understand the feeling of an older brother who has to immediately send his sister off to get married, right?"
Mo Xiu Yao could only laugh helplessly. "In fact, Xiu Yao feels rather strange… How is it that the Xu family is willing to hand Young Miss Ye to Prince Ding's Manor?"
Xu Qing Chen looked at Feng Zhi Yao. Feng Zhi Yao lazily returned the look and chuckled. Xu Qing Chen was very clear that Feng Zhi Yao was someone Mo Xiu Yao trusted. Though he didn't understand why Mo Xiu Yao would trust a child of the Feng family, who was obviously loyal to the emperor. Xu Qing Chen did not intend to question the reason.
"The emperor would not let us have that freedom." Xu Qing Chen said. "Prince Li was also not a good choice, coincidentally he did not enter Li-er's eyes. Even better, it was the Emperor who had dissolved the engagement; so why would we not agree? However, the Emperor pays close attention to Li-er's marriage and compared to Prince Li, whether it was I or father, we have more faith in Prince Ding."
Feng Zhi Yao's eyebrows twitched: "Prince Li is the number one choice for marriage for all of the maidens within the capital."
Xu Qing Chen ignored his words. "This doesn't change the facts. He is an idiot."
Prince Li is an idiot? Obviously, that's not true. But, Xu Family's eldest son did not think this way. So, Feng Zhi Yao could only give him the look: you are too great.
"The Emperor does not intend to let the Xu family go? Tying the Xu Family and Prince Ding's Manor together, he intends to swallow us whole. Isn't the appet.i.te of that person in the palace a bit too big?" Mo Xiu Yao lightly asked after a moment.
In the study, the temperature cooled. Feng Zhi Yao restrained his usually frivolous and playboy appearance, frowned, and looked at Mo Xiu Yao.
"Haha… His Highness' eyesight sure is meticulous." Xu Qing Chen chuckled. His long fingers lightly knocked on the arm of the chair. His speech was boundlessly elegant. "The Emperor a.s.sumes that the power of the Xu family and Prince Ding's Manor have dwindled. If he moves, it's difficult to hit the gra.s.s without alerting the snake. It would be better…to use a net to catch us all. After all, the Xu family holds Lishan College, the best in all of Great Chu. Whether the government official is high or low, at least half come from Lishan College. You say, the Emperor is such a mighty and indomitable figure, how could he be rest a.s.sured?"
He doesn't know why, but Feng Zhi Yao felt that the words 'mighty and indomitable' was not meant as a compliment, but more like a joke.
Mo Xiu Yao nodded: "Prince Ding's Manor did indeed suffer a big loss. No wonder the emperor has such confidence."
Xu Qing Chen chuckled: "I could not believe that the emperor had so much confidence. Otherwise, these past years… how is it that Prince Ding's Manor is still in existence?"
Prince Ding's Manor could be seen as a thorn in the Emperor's side. In the past, a great upheaval happened in Prince Ding's Manor. If it were not for this man in front persisting, his entire body filled with sickness and aches, taking on the tides and winds. Afraid that today, Prince Ding's Manor would only be a memory in the mind's of the common people.
Feng Zhi Yao looked at the two similarly elegant men in front and could not endure, shivering. Taking the two families you are afraid of most and turning the two into in-laws, does the emperor hate his empire that much?
"I say… Can the two of you discuss a topic that is more accepting to a common person?" Feng Zhi Yao was just a young master that liked to eat and play. Why are they discussing something that could potentially make someone face foreclosure or cause the death of nine generations?
Xu Qing Chen nodded and considerately changed his wording: "I feel that his Highness' marriage with Li-er will have some changes. Of course, since the Xu family have not been in the capital for some time, we might be a bit powerless. For everything, we will have to bother the Prince. Let's consider it…his Highness' sincerity."
Mo Xiu Yao nodded. "Thank you, Brother Xu, for the reminder. This Prince understands what to do."
Hearing this, Xu Qing Chen stands, satisfied. "Since this is the case, I will take my leave. If free, I will return."
Mo Xiu Yao nodded. The tips of his finger knocked a few times on his wheelchair. A teenage boy, wearing plain clothes, appeared at the door. "My Prince."
"Send Young Master Xu off."
Xu Qing Chen's eyebrows lightly jumped. Not speaking much, he followed the teenager out.
In the study, there were only two people. Feng Zhi Yao's looked at his good friend puzzled. "Ah Yao, why do I feel that this Xu Qing Chen is not like what the rumors described?"
"Feng family's Third Young Master, you… Are you the same inside and outside?"
Feng Zhi Yao ponders silently: in this world, who doesn't wear a few masks to live?
"What does Xu Qing Chen intend? Does that person in the palace really intend to sweep clean the Xu family and Prince Ding's Manor?" Feng Zhi Yao asked.
"The Xu family are the number one scholars in the Great Chu; Prince Ding's Manor holds the military power. It really is a thorn in his eye."
"Does he need to pull both families to one place? Isn't he scared that the two of you will collaborate and pull him down from up high?" Is he too confident? Or has the emperor hid a great killing intent?
Mo Xiu Yao weakly laughed. "The Xu family are not treasonous. He just needs to wait for bad fortune to fall upon Prince Ding's Manor and drag the Xu family along. His mind is quite clear. If there is still Mister Qing Yun, the Xu family will not betray Great Chu. Even if we become in-laws, the Xu family will not be able to help Prince Ding's Manor much."
Feng Zhi Yao shrugged. He secretly thought that Xu Qing Chen did not seem to be some loyal subject ready to lay down his life for his country.
"Find people to watch Mo Jing Li." Mo Xiu Yao picked up his brushed and finished the painting.
Feng Zhi Yao reluctantly swung his fan. "Mo Jing Li is currently very busy. Who do you think spread those rumors?" When he heard the gossip around the marketplace, Feng Zhi Yao felt that Mo Jing Li had not burned good incense this year. That was how he came across such bad luck.
Mo Xiu Yao did not look up. "Xu family, Murong House, Duke of the First Rank Hua's Manor, Liu House, Imperial Censor, Chu Xiang Pavilion, and… this Prince."
Feng Zhi Yao was speechless. Well, he should not have asked. Offended so many people, if Mo Jing Li didn't get bad luck, who would?