Chapter 391: The Yang Clans Secret

Chapter 391: The Yang Clan's Secret

The members of the Yang Clan dispersed upon the imperial noble consort’s command. Yang Jingxiu did in fact need to attend to the other guests, such as those from Wang Clan, and it was inappropriate to remain with the imperial noble consort for too long. In fact, Yang Jingxiu still did not understand why she had even come. He had been trying to probe subtly, but Huangfu Qing skillfully avoided revealing her true intentions.

Yang Jingxiu was utterly confused, assuming it was some sort of hint from the emperor.

Is the emperor trying to convey something to the world?

He felt it would be beneficial to discuss this with Wang Daozhong for some insights.

Yang Jingxiu left some of the smarter maids and servants, withdrew all the men, and provided ample comfort for the imperial noble consort before taking his leave.

Huangfu Qing did not care about his thoughts and comfortably sat on the mahogany chair, sipping tea while she enjoyed the sight of the nervous young girl before her.

Using her identity as Vermillion Bird, she could give Xia Chichi a difficult time, and using her identity as the imperial noble consort, she could control the girl from the Cui Clan and annoy Tang Wanzhuang.

Who else can compare to me?

If this were the era of the Three Kingdoms recorded in history, then I would undoubtedly be the strongest, Cao Wei.

There’s a female version of Zhuge Liang who just emerged from Jingxiang... But right now, she’s in a state far from Zhuge Liang’s brilliance, making her hardly worth fighting against.

As for Cui Yuanyang... It’s a pity that this isn’t Hefei, but it’s not very far either... Regardless, from now on, Zhao Changhe’s courtyard shall be your Hefei. Don’t even think about entering![1]

Huangfu Qing had completely missed that this place was not far from Chibi[2] either. She nearly crossed her legs in leisure as she said, “Your name is Yangyang, right?”

Cui Yuanyang really did not understand the situation with the imperial noble consort. No matter how prestigious or powerful the Cui Clan was, they had to abide by the rules, so she answered honestly, “Your Highness, Yangyang is my nickname. My actual name is Yuanyang.”

“Girls usually aren’t given generational names, but your father included you in the Yuan generation. This shows that he has high expectations for you, implying that women can be as capable as men.”

“Perhaps. My father does dote on me a lot,” Cui Yuanyang said, scratching her head.

“Following that logic, the Cui Clan probably wants a capable son-in-law, right?” Huangfu Qing continued to lead her. “Isn’t hanging onto a man in front of everyone inappropriate?”

Cui Yuanyang: “?”

What is it to you... wait.

Hiss... This is the imperial noble consort. If Big Brother Zhao really is a prince, then she would be his stepmother. Is she here to express the emperor’s thoughts? If that’s the case, then this is a serious problem...

Cui Yuanyang’s face turned pale. “Your Highness... um...”

“Also, as far as I know, your birthday is at the end of the year, so there’s still half a year before you are officially an adult, right?”

“Actually, I was considered an adult by the end of last year.”

What do you mean by “considered”? That... isn’t exactly enough, is it?

Huangfu Qing stopped her at this point, “His Majesty is very concerned about this marriage.”

This time, Cui Yuanyang really became restless. She was thinking that she might need to go back and discuss this with her father. If the emperor was truly paying attention to this matter, it seemed that it had gotten a lot more complicated than it had initially been, and she could not figure it all out on her own.

“It’s already getting dark. You may go back and rest.” Huangfu Qing, satisfied, lifted her teacup to see Cui Yuanyang off. As she sent her off, she offered her some sincere advice, “Don’t be too impulsive in everything you do. You must always keep the reputation of the Cui Clan in mind.”

Zhao Changhe did not address this but instead said, “Brother Yang, there’s no need to keep probing my intentions. In fact, how I view the world may not be of much concern to the Yang Clan. I believe that what the Yang Clan truly cares about is how it was once on par with the Cui and Wang Clans, yet its presence now is no longer as strong. Even you are quite reserved, unlike the spirited Wang Zaholing and Cui Yuanyong.”

Yang Bugui’s smile faded.

Zhao Changhe continued, “No matter how much you look down on the bravery of ordinary people, the Ranking of Troubled Times shows that it is not without merit. The Yang Clan has not produced anyone in the Ranking of Heaven for generations. Does this not show decline?”

Yang Bugui said slowly, “Brother Zhao, what are you trying to point out by exposing our scars?”

Zhao Changhe said, “For the Yang Clan to be among the top, its heritage is obviously no weaker than that of the Cui or Wang Clans, yet it has begun to decline. I doubt this is because your talents are lacking.”

Yang Bugui replied flatly, “Our talents are indeed mediocre, incomparable to the geniuses of the Cui and Wang Clans.”

“Why hide it from me?” Zhao Changhe said decisively, “Something must have gone wrong with the Yang Clan, and the Four Idols Cult must have noticed this, which is why they felt that they could negotiate cooperation with you. In this case, why not discuss it with me? They might not be able to solve it, but I might.”

After a pause, he suddenly added, “The Yang Clan has never held such a grand birthday banquet before, so I suspect that this banquet is somewhat related to this matter.”

Yang Bugui stared at Zhao Changhe for a long while, then suddenly smiled. “I’ll convey your thoughts to my father. Enjoy your time here until the banquet in two days.”

With that, he stood up, bowed, and took his leave.

Zhao Changhe saw him out, then turned to look at Tang Wanzhuang’s closed courtyard door. He believed that she must have been listening to the conversation, and he wondered what she thought of it.

With Huangfu Qing and Yangyang confronting each other today, I wonder if this master of mine is taking it... My pursuit of her is only halfway through, and with things like this, will it all fall apart?

Zhao Changhe felt a headache coming and knocked on the door, wanting to chat with her a bit. But there was no response.

Zhao Changhe touched his chin and thought for a moment, returned to his courtyard, and directly climbed over the wall.

I’m not going to let a mere wall stop me...

Just when he poked his head over the wall, Baoqin, with a broom in hand, leaped up and swung it at him, yelling, “Lecher! I knew you’d try to climb over the wall. I’ve been waiting for you all this time!”

Tang Wanzhuang was sitting in the yard reading a book, not even lifting her head. “Such sneaky behavior is disgraceful to your master. Go back and copy the Divine Farmer’s Classic a hundred times and reflect on your actions.”

Zhao Changhe, not daring to fight Baoqin, quickly ducked back, muttering to himself that he was in trouble.

She’s really angry. She must be wondering what relation I have with Huangfu Qing when nothing should have happened between us. Is there really a need to compete with other women for attention?

It’s over... What do I do?

Just then, a flash of red appeared at his own door, and Huangfu Qing jumped over, her eyes full of charm. “I told you last time, if we meet again, if you don’t eat me, I’ll eat you.”

Tang Wanzhuang, who was reading a book next door, perked up her ears.

Soon, a seductive voice said, “Sneaking around with the imperial noble consort behind the First Seat’s back—exciting, isn’t it?”

Tang Wanzhuang’s cold voice drifted under the moonlight. “Witch, how dare you?!”

1. This is a reference to the Battle of Hefei during the Three Kingdoms era. Huangfu Qing is likening herself to Cao Cao while likening Cui Yuanyang to Sun Quan. The battle was a defeat for Sun Quan, who failed in his siege of Cao Cao’s stronghold Hefei. ☜

2. This is a reference to the Battle of Chibi, also known as the Battle of Red Cliffs, during the Three Kingdoms era. Cao Cao lost this battle. ☜