Is this a coincidence?
Could such coincidences exist in this world?
Perhaps they do, but Xiao Xun didn’t believe it.
“The Xie family has always kept a low profile, but I never expected they’d even set their sights on someone as overlooked as Chu Ling,” he remarked, glancing at Ning Kun, who sat across from him, with a faint smile. “The Xie family should compare notes with my father—they share the same idea of seeking a marital alliance with Chu Ling.”
Ning Kun sighed helplessly. “Your Highness, please don’t jest about the prince.”
He didn’t find the matter amusing either.
“The fact that the Xie family is even targeting someone like Chu Ling shows how much they’ve been scheming behind the scenes. Hiding behind the Crown Prince, shielded by the Yang family’s influence, they’ve been quietly building connections and winning hearts. What a clever strategy.”
Xiao Xun chuckled. “It’s only natural for the Xie family to scheme like this. Do you think they’d willingly remain subordinate to the Yang family forever?”
His fingers lightly traced the surface of the table as he recalled the scene of Chu Zhao and that courier.
A courier hadn’t initially caught his attention, but now, thinking back, the once-blurred figure of the courier grew clearer—a tall, lean youth in tattered military attire, with striking features visible beneath a thick hat and scarf.
He asked with interest, “When did Miss Chu find out this courier was a son of the Xie family?”
Ning Kun hadn’t witnessed Miss Chu and the Xie scion together, and the information about the Xie son serving as a courier had only just been uncovered.
“Xie Yanlai is an illegitimate child, only acknowledged by the Xie family at the age of ten—but let’s set that aside for now. After he grew up, he was assigned to the Imperial Guard Camp, but due to his unruly and troublesome nature, he was punished and sent to the Courier Soldier Camp. Coincidentally, he was assigned a mission to the Border Commandery and happened to meet Miss Chu along the way,” Ning Kun explained, emphasizing the words “coincidentally” and “happened.” “From this, it seems the Xie family had planned this long ago, but Miss Chu was undoubtedly unaware.”
Tie Ying, standing nearby, nodded. “While I was inquiring at the Courier Soldier Camp, I saw a courier who was quite agitated and exclaimed, ‘Miss Chu has finally found A Jiu!’—that Xie scion was using the alias A Jiu. This shows Miss Chu only recently discovered the courier’s true identity.”
Ning Kun sneered. “The Xie family is shameless. If that Xie son had revealed his identity from the start, Miss Chu would surely have been wary of him. By posing as a courier to get close to her, waiting until she was deeply attached before exposing his identity, they’ve trapped her. By then, even Chu Ling would be powerless to intervene.”
Tie Ying snorted. “Your Highness, you didn’t see the two of them on the street. Miss Chu was shouting and blocking the Xie family from beating Xie Yanlai, cursing Young Master Xie the Third as a fame-seeking fraud—”
Xiao Xun burst into laughter. “Well-deserved curses. Young Master Xie the Third is indeed a fame-seeking fraud.”
Tie Ying added, “Miss Chu’s attitude toward the Xie family was even more disrespectful than her attitude toward Your Highness.”
Fifty steps, a hundred steps—this comparison was no longer amusing. Xiao Xun cleared his throat lightly and said, “Then we’ll have to see whether Miss Chu’s attitude toward the Xie family is genuine or feigned.”
From what had been observed so far, her hostility toward him was undoubtedly real.
Understanding the Heir Apparent’s implication, Tie Ying mused thoughtfully, “There were rumors on the street that Miss Chu deliberately provoked Young Master Xie the Third to curry favor, especially since Young Master Xie the Third indeed invited her to the Xie residence and personally escorted her out. Many people witnessed it.”"Young Master Xie the Third invited the person in, then saw them out—harmonious and composed—earning himself a fine reputation in the process," Ning Kun remarked. "Everyone is praising him for treating scholars with courtesy and humbly addressing even a young lady's slanderous remarks with a sincere face-to-face explanation."
For a time, the entire street was abuzz with admiration.
That a member of the Xie family could stir up such a major scandal, only to end up enhancing Young Master Xie the Third's prestige, was utterly baffling!
"The Xie family truly knows how to handle people," Ning Kun said coldly.
Xiao Xun, however, was deeply impressed. He had naturally heard of Young Master Xie the Third's reputation. Previously, while Xiao Xun was in Zhongshan Commandery, Young Master Xie the Third was in Dongyang—the two had never met. Now, having arrived in the capital, though they still hadn't crossed paths, witnessing Young Master Xie the Third's conduct up close proved it was indeed extraordinary.
"Of course they know how to handle people," he said. "Otherwise, the Xie family wouldn't have achieved what they have today."
Ning Kun fell silent for a moment before suddenly adding, "There's one more thing. The Prince said that Your Highness need not trouble yourself over Miss Chu any longer."
Xiao Xun was somewhat surprised. "Why has Father changed his mind?" He then chuckled, "Could it be he's afraid of the Xie family?" Shaking his head in feigned sorrow, he continued, "How could Father do this? For the sake of my happiness, he shouldn't give up so easily."
Ning Kun chided him, "Heir Apparent, you're mocking the Prince again."
Xiao Xun laughed. "Uncle Kun, you're too serious. If Father were here right now, you have no idea how much we'd be teasing each other happily."
This was how he and his father got along—joyful and relaxed. The Prince never put on airs around him.
"I've never experienced fatherly love myself, nor do I know how to be a father," Prince Zhongshan had once said, patting his round belly with a hearty laugh. "So let's just do whatever makes us happy."
Thinking of his father, Xiao Xun gazed at the flickering candle flame, his smile growing even warmer.
Ning Kun also smiled. "Your Highness may act however you wish before the Prince, but not in front of us."
Xiao Xun's feelings for Prince Zhongshan were of love; theirs were of reverence.
"I understand," Xiao Xun said with a laugh, then asked, "But why has Father changed his mind? Even though Miss Chu saw through my 'hero saving the beauty' act and even shoved a maidservant at me to shut me up—"
Recalling what the girl had done, he couldn't help but laugh again.
"But here in the capital, with the Hope Spring Garden Literary Gathering about to begin, Miss Chu and I will have plenty of opportunities to meet."
"Father shouldn't pity me for being rejected and scorned. A rare scene like this—he ought to enjoy the spectacle happily."
Being humiliated by a woman was no great matter. Getting angry like the Third Prince did was both ridiculous and incompetent. For a true man, the real revenge lay in being humiliated by a woman and then making her submit.
Ning Kun smiled. "The Prince naturally knows Your Highness wouldn't mind, but the issue now is this young lady."
He glanced toward the door, into the thick darkness of the night.
"This young lady is no longer unknown and unnoticed. She has become famous in the capital; everyone is talking about her."
He turned his gaze back to Xiao Xun.
"And when they talk about her, they inevitably talk about her father. After lying low for over a decade, Garrison General Chu Ling has once again become a topic of conversation in the capital."
"With all eyes on Garrison General Chu Ling, we can no longer approach him. Otherwise, His Majesty would grow suspicious, and both the Heir Apparent and the Prince would be in danger."
How wary the Emperor was of them, father and son, Xiao Xun knew all too well."I never expected this girl to become famous through this single battle." He remained silent for a moment, then looked at Tie Ying and asked, "Are there only two rumors circulating on the streets now? One is that Miss Chu tried to get close to Young Master Xie the Third, and the other is that Young Master Xie the Third is modest and polite, not holding Miss Chu's insults against her?"
Tie Ying nodded.
Xiao Xun smiled: "That won't do. The story of how Miss Chu and the Xie family's young master met, got to know each other, and understood each other deeply - how the Xie young master abandoned the Liang family's daughter for Miss Chu, and how Miss Chu endured the whip punishment for the Xie young master - such deep affection should be a beautiful tale known throughout the land."
Since I had to withdraw due to caution, your Xie family shouldn't think you can quietly reap the benefits. Having done such things yet still wanting to maintain a good reputation - it's not that easy.
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