บท 86: Madam Yang Deserves Better
They both talked some more. And ended up enjoying each other's company. At first Zhao Xing was a bit uncomfortable as she tried to make sure she didn't accidently reveal her identity. But the more she spoke with Gu Anxi the more comfortable she felt. It was like she had it in her to make people be at ease around her. Madam Yang should be around nineteen that year, that would mean she was two years older than her.
While they enjoyed their afternoon, General Yang busied himself by pestering the Crown Prince the moment they entered his study.
"Eh Brother Zhengyang, I didn't know you liked this type, your taste is really…special." General Yang commented.
Zhang Zhengyang didn't mind him and took a seat. "If there's anything you want to tell me say it quickly."
General Yang put up a wronged look, as if he had been bullied, "Brother Yang, how can you treat me like this? I especially came here to visit you and you're acting so cold."
Zhang Zhengyang stared intently at him with eyes that could kill. He really didn't know how this guy got into the military, become so successful with that un-general-like attitude of his. He was never serious. It really puzzled him, and made him rethink how this world works.
Seeing the Crown Prince's glare, General Yang coughed and sat in front of him, with a fawning smile. "Brother Zhengyang."
His voice made the Crown Prince shiver in disgust. "Quickly say it!"
"Alright, alright. It's nothing much, I could have sent someone to tell you, but the madam gave me such a good opportunity, I can't misuse it."
Zhang Zhengyang looked unimpressed. But General Yang looked exited. "You always told me to stay in the side lines and do nothing right? Just be an observer, that I would only destroy things rather than help build things, right?" He waited for the Crown Prince response, but received none in return, instead he could feel the other party was getting impatient and would lose their temper in the next minute. To save his precious life he have to skip his well planned introduction, and get straight to the point.
"Cough. The other day, I ran into the third prince and the fourth Prince."
Zhang Zhengyang's brows creased. Though he didn't really care about this brother of his, because of his unlikeable character as well as his rotten reputation, he knew that his third brother rarely showed himself in public. They would only see each other on special occasions sometimes he would even refuse to attend. He almost never showed up in court. He knew, among the many sons, Imperial Father was most ashamed of the third prince. But because he was the son of his most beloved late consort, he felt too guilty to do anything to him, and left him to himself.
Since it always seemed like this person didn't exist how was it so easy to run into him?
Zhang Zhengyang looked up at General Yang who was silently observing his expression. "Where did you meet him?"
"Hai! Where else? The brothel of course!"
Hearing this Zhang Zhengyang chuckled. "Brother Yang is really something."
General Yang immediately caught the meaning behind his words and exclaimed, "I was only passing by!"
Zhang Zhangyang scoffed, "If it were in the provinces in the north I could believe that, because places like these were easy to find. But here in the capital, these places, even if you said you were passing by people wouldn't believe it."
General Yang pouted and didn't defend himself any longer.
Zhang Zhengyang didn't have the energy to educate his friend on moral conduct. He would be happy if this pest of a general could stay away from him in the future. As he had said, he was more prone to destroy than build. Maybe that was one of the odd reasons he became such a warlord.
General Yang quickly changed the subject, just in case someone started to give him lectures. "This third prince when I met him, he looked to be his normal self, with women going after him here and there. As for the Fourth Prince, with his personality, not many people dared approach him..."
He thought about the bit of information he had just received. "The Third prince, the Fourth prince…and a brothel." He chuckled, "Interesting."
"Brother Zhengyang?"
"The third prince is said to never leave his manor. All his women live with him. I remembered it was second sister that casually asked him once and he said he feared the crowd, so he refused to go out. Whatever he did, it was within his manor, this was also one of the reasons why Imperial Father closed an eye on his matter."
General Yang also became serious as he thought the same thing. "But he seemed quite familiar with the place, besides, such a person, would he really stay inside and not go out at all?"
"That isn't the question, the question is why would he tell such a lie? It wasn't like second sister didn't know about third brother's character, there was no need to hide it."
Hearing this General Yang's body went cold. The third prince was shameless, why would he need to tell such a lie? Except if he was hiding something.
"Crown Prince…"
Zhang Zhengyang remembered that day, they had all been present, as many as could be there. Their second sister was getting married in a few days. And she had arranged a small meeting for all of the siblings. If he wasn't lying for her, then he was lying because of the rest of the princes.
Now that he has been seen with the fourth prince, they would have to be weary of him in the future.
The Crown Prince smiled at his friend, "General, what do you think?"
General Yang rubbed his chin in deep thought. "Everyone is fooling everyone else. Only, I don't see any reason why the third prince and the fourth prince would become close. What benefits would the third prince have from collaborating with the fourth prince? Unlike Crown Prince and the ninth prince who grew up together and share a deep bound together, it's really unlikely"
Zhang Zhengyang sighed there were many ways to make others work for you. It's just that he could only make wild guesses and had no real answers. He would really need Zhao Xing's clairvoyant to discover the truth. But she hasn't reported about any visions recently. Did the poison affect her?
"I should probably find myself a priest." He mumbled to himself. Those who had powers like these were weird creatures to him, that probably needed to be raised in a particular way to be able to use their abilities.
Unfortunately, no matter how much his people searched they hadn't found a trace of his master. He wondered where the old man had disappeared to this time.
"Eh, Brother Zhengyang, that aside, did you really fall for Miss Zhao at first sight? Imagine, the brave beauty came and saved the helpless prince. How romantic!"
Zhang Zhengyang. "…"
'What helpless prince? Can't you ever talk seriously in your life?'
"Sister Xing, I'll come visit you another day." Madam Yang said as she affectionately held Zhao Xing's hands. They stood at the gates, Zhao Xing had come to see her off.
Zhao Xing nodded, "I should also make time and visit Sister Anxi."
Madam Yang nodded with a bright smile. The turned to her husband who was waiting in front of the carriage.
Zhao Xing waved as she watched them leave. She suddenly felt sad for Madam Yang. Just now she had seen the cool look on General Yang's face, he didn't talk much to her, and had left just like that. After spending this afternoon with Madam Yang, Zhao Xing thought she was very sweet. And wondered why that husband of hers hadn't fallen in love with her yet. Even if he wanted to mourn his late wife-to-be he couldn't bully her like this. She had clearly seen that way he acted. And they were outside! She could only imagine the way she was treated inside the General's manor. Thinking about it her heart boiled. Before it was fun to read stories with this particular plot, but now that she had a friend that was experiencing such a life, she couldn't help but feel sad for her.
Such a nice lady like Madam Yang deserved better!
She suddenly disliked General Yang. She would find opportunities to give him a hard time whenever they met in the future, and avenge her new found friend.
She turned to her servants, "Some people are really hateful!"
Nuo Nuo and Lan'er: "…?"
'I thought Grand Tutor liked Madam Yang?'
Meanwhile in a secluded courtyard.
"I told you that we could always discuss here at my place, but you still insisted on going out."
"It's not like third brother is always inside anyway." Said a man sitting by the third prince. "It's always safer to talk outside, if we're ever caught there would be thousands of excuses to evade unwanted troubles, but here, what excuse could we give?"
The third Prince smile, "It's still fourth brother that is more considerate."
"Don't worry, they won't easily find out about us."
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