Chapter 179 - It's Rare to be Confused
“Unfilial son! Unfilial son!” After State Protector received the news that his son had been captured, he could not help but smash all the porcelain in the room.
The guilt he felt because of State Protector's Wife's injury was long gone by Zhao Sanlang's series of actions.
“Who captured her? Don't they know whose son Qi-er is? Do they still take me seriously?” State Protector was furious. He knew that ever since the emperor took away his family's hereditary title, his prestige as State Protector had fallen.
But no matter what, he was still State Duke who held military power. Could it be that even a small government official could climb over his head and do whatever he wanted?
“Master, I heard that Crown Princess was present. You also know that he and… Young Master San are very close. Those small government officials naturally cannot not listen to him.”
“It's him again!” State Protector clenched his fists tightly. He did not have any ill feelings towards Tang Yue. After all, he had prescribed a prescription for himself. It had worked.
However, he had always believed that the reason why Zhao Xian had walked step by step to the extent of betraying his family was all because of him. Ever since he got to know him, Zhao Sanlang had become even more rebellious.
Tang Yue did not know that his father had treated him as his enemy. He had sent someone to send Zhao Sanlang back to his residence, and he had gone home as well. As for the fight between him and Zhao Qi, that was merely because the two of them were angry and had a fight. Who would really dare to condemn him?
Even if State Protector wanted to punish Zhao Sanlang, he would have to see if all the officials and civilians in the court would agree to it.
The family matters of State Protector Prefecture had caused a huge commotion, and the court had some complaints about this. The crime of pampering a concubine and destroying a wife was not so easy to get rid of.
When they returned home, Crown Prince Zhao had already returned and was sitting down. At first glance, Tang Yue thought he had seen wrongly. He rubbed his eyes and carefully observed for a long time before he confirmed that the man who played the zither and played the zither in the grass was undoubtedly his family.
The sound of the guqin lingered in the air. It was very lively. It was a pity that Tang Yue did not have any musical cells. Apart from feeling that he played well, he could not make a judgment.
Wait a minute. When Crown Prince Zhao came to an end, he walked forward with a smile and clapped his hands in praise. “Your Highness knows how to play the zither. You really know both martial arts and martial arts!” How did this man grow his head? He was so capable when he was a teenager. How could ordinary humans like him live?
Crown Prince Zhao placed the guqin on his knees aside and patted the seat beside him, indicating for Tang Yue to sit down and talk.
Tang Yue naturally did not refuse. After sitting down, he took the ancient zither and fiddled with it twice. The sound could not be heard and the tune could not be adjusted. It was very ear-piercing.
“You want to learn the guqin?” Crown Prince Zhao asked expressionlessly.
“Ah,” Tang Yue said. “How can I? I don't know anything about these things, and I'm not interested in learning them.” Although he knew how to play the piano very well, he still felt that this art was too feminine. It belonged to the category of women.
Crown Prince Zhao's face turned darker when he heard that he didn't want to learn it. He always went to the front yard. If he didn't want to learn the guqin, wouldn't that mean that he was going for that person?
He went straight to the point and asked, “Didn't you keep that musician here to let him teach you how to play the guqin?”
Tang Yue then remembered this and his eyes moved. He did not speak to him in an official tone. “Of course not. I just feel that he is very suspicious, so I want him to stay and see.”
“Suspicious?” Crown Prince Zhao did not know where this feeling came from, but at least he felt a little better.
Tang Yue whispered into his ear, “Don't you think so? I bumped into you on the road and let you save me. It would be fine if you looked normal, but you are a beauty. You have a different identity, so I will naturally think in the worst direction.”
Crown Prince Zhao's lips curled up. “But I have asked someone to check his identity. There is nothing suspicious about his identity.”
“Are you stupid? If he deliberately approached you, how could he let you easily find out? The more suspicious he is, the more suspicious he is.”
Not only did Crown Prince Zhao not get angry when he was called stupid, he even felt comfortable all over his body and actually smiled rarely.
It had been a while since he treated Tang Yue well, but his expression was usually not rich. Tang Yue pretended that he did not see anything. He ate what he needed to eat and slept what he needed to sleep. He left Crown Prince Zhao alone and sulked.
“Then do you think he came for me?”
“Could it be that he is here for me? No?” Tang Yue pointed at himself and snorted. “I knew it. With your identity, there must be a lot of rotten peach blossoms coming at you. I've been prepared for all kinds of situations.”
“Oh? Then how are you going to deal with it? Do you plan to spend every day with him and wait for him to give himself away?” Crown Prince Zhao felt that he was too naive. He was actually angry because of a person he did not know. If he had known that Tang Yue was so stupid, why would he make things difficult for him?
“Of course, it's not just that. I'm going to create some opportunities for him to meet you. If he is here for you, he will definitely take action. Don't you want to know who sent him?”
“No!” Crown Prince Zhao answered without thinking. He knew very well what kind of person would act against him. He did not need to sacrifice his face to verify it.
“Not curious at all?”
Crown Prince Zhao rolled his eyes. “Since you know he has ulterior motives, why should you keep him in the manor? Let's get rid of him. Even if he continues to attack, he will think of other ways. Keep him. Isn't it a waste of time to give him a chance to stir up trouble?”
“But without this, there will be another one. Rather than guessing next time, it would be better to catch a ready-made one. This is much easier to control than the enemy hiding in the dark.”
Crown Prince Zhao admitted that what he said was reasonable, but he did not need to use this method to understand his opponent. The reason he married Tang Yue back was not to let him participate in these conspiracies.
“Don't worry about this. Your talent isn't here. This brain of yours should just pretend to be something else useful.” Crown Prince Zhao poked his head and said with a smile, “Asking a godly doctor to seduce his opponent is a waste of talent.”
Tang Yue's mouth twitched when he heard the word “seduction.” How could he seduce someone with his looks? Who was trying to seduce whom?
“Your… Your Highness…” The butler ran in with a face full of joy, “Your Highness, General Hu has returned to the city. I heard that he has brought the latest news of North Yue seeking peace.”
“Hu Jinpeng?” Tang Yue stood up excitedly. He had not seen this person for more than half a year. Ever since he was sent to the border to replace Crown Prince Zhao, the two of them had lost contact. He had not even been able to attend his wedding with Crown Prince Zhao.
Crown Prince Zhao was also happy. The North Yue sought peace. There was no war at the border for now, so Hu Jinpeng was able to return. “Send someone to invite him to the prefecture for a chat. Ask the kitchen to prepare more dishes that my cousins like to eat.”
“Yes, this old servant will arrange it now.” The butler smiled and agreed. This Hu Jinpeng. Hu Jinpeng was the most capable assistant of his master, and he was the son of the Duke of An, the cousin of His Highness. Their relationship was much more stable than the others.
Tang Yue was happy for a while and asked with a smile, “Last time you lost County Princess Liyang's face, I don't know if she will complain when she goes back.”
“So what if she did? Could it be that North Yue will send troops because of this?” The princess of the royal family was noble and noble, but in the face of a big situation, she was not worth mentioning at all.
Tang Yue smiled and did not think about that troublesome princess, “I will go and make a menu. Brother Hu finally came back, we have to treat him well.”
When the sun set and it was almost time for dinner, Hu Jinpeng hurried over. He did not have the time to change his military attire.
“Your Highness, please forgive me. I was kept by the king in the palace for a while, so I came late.” Hu Jinpeng confessed as soon as he arrived. He then winked at Tang Yue.
“Don't play games. Come and sit.” Tang Yue waved at him and left a seat beside him.
If it was anyone else, he would not dare to do so. However, Hu Jinpeng's relationship with the Crown Prince's Palace was not just a hierarchy. It didn't matter even if it was just a casual one.
Crown Prince Zhao gestured for him to sit down as well. He then ordered people to serve the dishes. Before the dishes arrived, the wine had already been poured.
Hu Jinpeng first toasted the two of them as a way to make up for the wedding banquet. Tang Yue finished the cup and pulled him to ask, “Tell me, what new content did the North Yue peace talks come up with?”
“Haha… young dandy, don't be nervous. Did you get jealous because you heard that the princess of North Yue is going to marry Crown Prince?”
Crown Prince Zhao pursed his lips and smiled without saying anything. Tang Yue snorted twice. “She has to marry him.”
Hu Jinpeng had heard a lot of rumors along the way, but he believed in Crown Prince Zhao's character and persistence. Even if he wanted to marry, he would never marry a princess of North Yue.
He knew better than anyone else about Crown Prince Zhao's hatred for North Yue.
“This time, North Yue has sent another messenger. He happened to be traveling with me along the way. I heard from him that North Yue still wants to marry His Highness, but those betrothal gifts can be waived. We can just marry according to the normal marriage.”
Tang Yue said faintly, “Will a normal family marry another legitimate wife? Even if they want to enter, they are still concubines.”
It was impossible for a dignified princess of North Yue to enter the family as a concubine. There was no way this marriage could be successful.
“Other than that?” Crown Prince Zhao asked. North Yue had always thought highly of themselves. It was impossible for such a cheap thing to happen.
As expected, Hu Jinpeng said with a gloomy face, “The king of North Yue has also made a request. Once the North and South sign the peace agreement, there will be at least a thousand men in South Jin each year for the next five years.”
“Marriage?” Crown Prince Zhao frowned. Marriage was always a taboo. Only small families did not care about this. Nobles did not allow marriage between the two families.
Did the North Yue King propose this just to gradually dissolve the hatred and estrangement between North and South?
Tang Yue also thought so. In history, there were indeed people who used intermarriage to achieve political goals. The requirements of the North Yue were not out of line, but it was hard to say who would get more benefits.
“Why do I feel like we are taking advantage of the situation by marrying Nan Bei?”
Crown Prince Zhao and Hu Jinpeng looked at each other. The latter explained, “It may seem like we are taking advantage of each other, but in fact, after many years of war, the ratio of men and women is not harmonious. There are many men and women. The North Yue can marry a woman they can't marry into the South Jin, but they can still give birth to their children. How can they be at a disadvantage?”
“That's true. There are fewer men and more women. This way, the status of men will rise sharply. If North Yue messes with them again, women will probably be like commodities in the long run. They will be able to buy and sell as they wish.”
“Good plan. However, Royal Father will not agree to it.” Crown Prince Zhao was confident in this.
“Does that mean we won't be able to negotiate this time?” Tang Yue narrowed his eyes and asked, “Why do we need them to make requests every time? We can also make requests. Otherwise, everyone in the world would think that South Jin doesn't want peace.”
Crown Prince Zhao and Hu Jinpeng laughed at the same time, “That's right. young dandy was right. After this, there should be someone in the court who brought it up. The peace talks can't be discussed overnight. We can't rush it.”
“This kind of matter isn't won by the person who first raised the conditions. In the end, it just depends on which side is more tolerant and which side is more eager to negotiate.”
Putting aside the serious matters, Hu Jinpeng wolfed down the food. After the meal, he said, “Ever since I tasted Tang Xiaolang's cooking, the food outside is really hard to swallow. Now that I'm back, I can finally reward the roundworms in my stomach.”
Tang Yue teased him, “I didn't see you thin. You must have a small meal, right?”
Hu Jinpeng coughed. He glanced at Crown Prince Zhao's side profile and replied, “Occasionally, I would catch a wild game and give it to my teeth.”
This kind of thing was also against military orders during wartime. However, there had been no war recently, so everyone was more relaxed after they had some free time.
Crown Prince Zhao did not blame him for anything. When he saw Tang Yue look sleepy and chase him to bed, he and Hu Jinpeng went to the study room.
“Your Highness, I have confirmed young dandy's identity. He is indeed Yueyang Marquis's son.” Before Hu Jinpeng went to the border, Crown Prince Zhao asked him to investigate Tang Yue's identity in secret.
He nodded. His expression did not change. Although this matter was strange, he had already made friends with Tang Yue, so he did not want to continue investigating.
He had some vague guesses, but he also felt that it was unbelievable. He decided not to think about it and not investigate it. It was a rare opportunity for him to be confused.
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