Cao Dejiang only felt that today, Xiao Yan seemed particularly approachable, even joking around. He chuckled and was guided by Tang Ning to take a seat.
Only Fu Laiqing felt a chill running down his back, half of his buttocks near the edge of the chair. He placed his hands on his knees, sitting upright, looking especially well-behaved.
Cao Dejiang misunderstood and thought Fu Laiqing was nervous because he saw the young woman he admired. He silently thought, "What a disappointment."
"I heard about last night's events. The rumors outside are quite alarming. Is the County Princess and the Princess Consort of Cheng all right?" Cao Dejiang asked with concern.
Tang Ning softly replied, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Cao. My aunt and I are both well."
The fact that the Princess Consort of Cheng was pregnant was known only by those within the Cheng family. She had recently miscarried, and Tang Ning didn’t want to spread the news further. She told Cao Dejiang, "The Cheng family sent several messages earlier, saying the old dowager was seriously ill, urging my aunt to return and attend to her. Who would have thought that the Prince of Cheng was so malicious, actually causing the old dowager’s death and framing my aunt for it, even trying to silence her."
"Fortunately, I was worried about my aunt's safety and asked my older brother to accompany me. We happened to encounter the Second Prince and Lord Wu, who were heading to the capital to request troops due to a murder case. Otherwise, last night, my aunt, older brother, and I would have fallen into the Prince of Cheng's hands."
This was the consistent story they had shared with outsiders, and it was implicitly approved by the Emperor.
The Second Prince’s revelation the previous night had made the Emperor feel protective toward this son, and by extension, he tacitly accepted the coincidence of the Second Prince encountering the Cheng family’s matters.
Cao Dejiang's expression remained unchanged, pretending not to notice the gaps in her story. "That indeed sounds perilous."
Fu Laiqing, however, was deeply moved, listening with shock and fear. "How could the Prince of Cheng be so malicious? The old dowager was his biological mother! He actually used her life to plot against the Princess Consort. Luckily, the Second Prince and Lord Wenxin happened to rush over. If anything had happened to you, we wouldn’t even know how many crimes he would have framed you for."
"Indeed, Heaven sees all, and good deeds are rewarded. The County Princess and Director Xiao are good people, and that’s why Lord Wenxin and the others helped."
Tang Ning looked at Fu Laiqing, realizing he truly believed in the coincidence of Lord Wenxin's arrival, and couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.
She had thought that Fu Laiqing was a bit simple when she last saw him, but now it seemed he was even more naive than she had imagined. Everyone knew the story was just a polite excuse, yet he believed it wholeheartedly.
People in the court were all clever, even the young men she had seen in the past were mostly deep thinkers. Someone like him was quite rare.
When Fu Laiqing looked back at her, Tang Ning quickly stifled her laughter with a light cough, though the smile at the corner of her mouth lingered. Fu Laiqing, who had been somewhat shy, now found himself blushing, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly and smiling awkwardly.
Xiao Yan: "…"
With a sharp crack, the cup in his hand split open.
"Brother?"
Tang Ning turned around to see tea spilling over onto Xiao Yan’s hand, and without thinking about Fu Laiqing, she quickly reached out to grab the cup.
Xiao Yan shifted slightly, placing the two halves of the cup on the table. "These cups are no good. Have someone replace them later."
Tang Ning looked at the broken cup and frowned. "They really need to be replaced. How could they crack from just pouring water?" She quickly handed Xiao Yan a cloth, noticing his palm was a bit red. She became anxious. "It looks like it’s burned. I’ll go fetch some cool water."
She hurriedly stood and rushed out, while Xiao Yan sat there, covering the burnt area with the cloth, his expression nonchalant as he glanced at the two people in the room.
"My little girl is quite hasty. Apologies."
Cao Dejiang didn’t think too much about it, but Fu Laiqing, seeing the broken tea cups on the table and the vague, almost imperceptible look from Xiao Yan directed at him, felt his face stiffen, unsure of what to do.
His future brother-in-law seemed like he wanted to kill him.
Tang Ning returned hurriedly with cool water and placed it in front of Xiao Yan, soaking his hand. She watched as the redness began to subside and let out a sigh of relief.
Xiao Yan, seeing her anxious expression, spoke softly, "It’s nothing. I used to get burned all the time when I first entered the palace. I’m tough, I’ve gotten used to it."
Tang Ning’s heart clenched. "You shouldn’t get used to such things. I’ll go find Sister Qin and get some burn ointment."
She pressed down on Xiao Yan’s hand, which he was trying to pull out of the water. "Just soak it a little longer, to prevent blisters."
Xiao Yan could only comply with her, rolling up his sleeves and keeping his hand in the water. Meanwhile, he looked up at Cao Dejiang and asked, "Lord Cao, earlier you mentioned that the deputy headmaster of the academy Tang Ning asked you to look for has some leads? Who is this talented person?"
Cao Dejiang replied, "His name may not be familiar to many, but his talents are outstanding. The most important thing is that he doesn’t care for fame or fortune and is clear about his principles. If the County Princess is able to invite him into the academy, she need not worry that he will turn against you for personal gain."
Tang Ning became intrigued. "What is his surname?"
"His name is Shi Chang'an."
Shi Chang'an...
Tang Ning murmured the name, feeling unfamiliar with it. She glanced at Xiao Yan, who also shook his head. "I’ve never heard of him."
"Of course, Director Xiao hasn’t heard of him. But he has a senior brother you might know, named Xiahou Ling," Cao Dejiang said.
Xiao Yan paused for a moment. "The National Master of the Bei Ling Dynasty?"
"Yes, that’s him."
Xiao Yan became alert, noticing Tang Ning’s confused expression. He began to explain, "Bei Ling was originally a nomadic tribe near the Great Wei Empire. There were dozens of tribes, each ruling itself. But about thirteen years ago, the tribe called Zong Yan produced a powerful khan, who was assisted by a military strategist named Xiahou, and within five or six years, they managed to control more than half of Bei Ling."
"Is this strategist Xiahou Ling?" Tang Ning asked.
Xiao Yan nodded. "This person is said to have extraordinary talents, especially in military strategy. He holds a very high position in Bei Ling. After the khan established the dynasty, he made him the National Master of Bei Ling, second only to the khan. However, I’ve never heard that he had a junior brother."
Cao Dejiang said, "I learned this by chance. Xiahou Ling is originally from the South Qi Kingdom, and Shi Chang'an was his fellow disciple. However, Shi Chang'an broke the sect’s taboo and defected, later killing all the people in his sect. Shi Chang'an nearly died at his hands."
"Shi Chang'an once joined the northern border army, hoping to take advantage of the friction between the Great Wei and Bei Ling to seek revenge on Xiahou Ling, but his plan failed, and he almost died in the northern border."
"I happened to save him back then, and that’s how I learned about the grudge between him and Xiahou Ling. Over the years, Shi Chang'an has attempted to go to Bei Ling several times, but each time he returned empty-handed. Two years ago, he lost an arm in Bei Ling's capital."
"After that, he probably gave up on the idea and has never gone back.
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You can read ahead to chapterr 234 (100+ extra chapters) here
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