Chapter 59: Finding Another Way Out

The Yuanyang Tower was closed, and many powerful people in Beijing were confused.
The Imperial Cavalry Division has always only handled cases involving officials. Could it be that Yuanyang Tower is related to some powerful person?
The Southern Qi Dynasty had always prohibited officials from competing with the people for profit, but it could not resist everyone's yearning for wealth. The wife's dowry shop, the shop opened in the name of the family manager, or the merchants entrusted to the door, all received a lot of tribute every year... In short, there are thousands of ways to make money, as long as you don't act wildly on the official road and be caught by the censor and scolded in the court. The narrow paths are all magical, and it all depends on your ability.
In just three days, many people came to the Forbidden Cavalry Division to inquire about the matter in a roundabout way. No one knew how many bad things they had done in the past and they were afraid that they would be exposed by the girls in Yuanyang Tower.
The Fourth Prince has been to the Ministry of Justice less often recently, but has been going to the Forbidden Cavalry Department every day, waiting for Chunniang's interrogation and tracking down the whereabouts of the Heart-to-Heart Ball. Surprisingly, many people have come to his door. The steward of the mansion came to report that the mansion has been deserted for too long and has never encountered such a grand occasion. He was about to speak in a floating manner: "Your Highness, our mansion is about to get busy. Several groups of people have come to the door. The kitchen is too busy to make tea and snacks. I am going to send someone out to buy..."
It sounded like he was sincerely trying to help the Fourth Prince with his interpersonal relationships in the capital, but he was unexpectedly scolded by Yuan Jian: "Nonsense! Call the people back, close the door and refuse visitors, and say that the prince is still in the Forbidden Cavalry Department and has not returned yet, so you have no say."
Manager: “…” He was about to persuade him again when he was kicked out by Xiao Luzi.
"Don't you understand what Your Highness said? Do you want Your Highness to repeat it again?"
The steward left in confusion.
The Fu family has no such worries.
Lord Fu's cold face can keep guests away. Except for the Second Prince who shamelessly approached him, no one else can stand Lord Fu's cold face.
When the second prince came over, Tang Ying was putting the saddle on Teng Yun. Fu Yingjun, who was standing by, watched from across the fence and snorted at her from time to time, seeming to be very dissatisfied.
She wanted to set up a saddle on this goods.
Fu Yingjun was so bold that he stretched out his horse face and tried to get close to her face, not knowing whether he wanted to lick it or rub it.
"Go away!" Tang Ying slapped its horse face, amused by it: "Don't try to please me, I still have to beat you up!"
“Ahem—”
Tang Ying recognized Fu Chen's voice without having to look back.
"My lord, why do you keep such a bastard? You can't ride it to hunt, and you have to serve it with good food and drink every day. It gets angry when it doesn't meet your expectations. Why not kill it and stew it for meat?" She scolded while laughing, but stroked Fu Yingjun's mane lovingly.
"You're right." Fu Chen took the saddle himself, but he didn't expect Fu Yingjun to jump even harder and get angry and want to kick Fu Chen.
Tang Ying laughed loudly in the stable. Seeing that Lord Fu was trapped in a corner by a horse, she raised her fist and shook it in front of Fu Yingjun twice, and then he walked away obediently.
Fu Chen: "...Thank you!"
His eyes flickered, and he began to think about a question - Tang Ying, who had been in the military camp for a long time, seemed to have a strong sense of responsibility. With her ability to organize that group of beggars, it seemed that... she had a strong sense of protecting the weak.
Fu Yingjun refused to get on the saddle, so the two had to sit next to each other.
Teng Yun was very docile in front of Tang Ying. Tang Ying put on the saddle and hugged Teng Yun's neck affectionately. She seemed happy about this rare leisure time: "Teng Yun, shall we go out for a walk?"
"It seems that Tengyun is much better now!" The second prince's voice came from far away and soon arrived in front of him.
Fu Chen straightened up and said, "This servant is really ignorant. No one came to report to His Highness when he came?"
The gatekeeper who followed closely behind the Second Prince also had a bitter look on his face - the Second Prince knocked on the door without waiting for him to report, nor did he want to go to the front hall, but came directly to the stable, and his steps were so hurried that he had to jog to catch up with him.
"My Lord, it's all my fault."
Tang Ying was also surprised - should busy cultivating feelings with his bride, Miss Tang, at home? Why did he go to the Fu Mansion for no reason?
"Your Highness, is there something wrong?"
Yuan Lang heard Fu Chen and Tang Ying laughing from afar, and his heart sank.
Everyone in the capital knew that Fu Chen was rude to others and kept his distance from young ladies. Except for being respectful in front of His Majesty and the Crown Prince, most of the time he acted as if he wanted to keep strangers away. He even kept his distance from the favor of the princess. This was how he won the trust of His Majesty the Southern Qi.
He had no idea how many little calculations he had in mind, but he remained calm on the surface, and put on his most gentle and polite smile: "I haven't seen Tengyun for a long time, so I came to see it. I didn't expect to run into you guys going out, you don't mind having me with you, right?"
Fu Chen didn't expect that his plan to go horseback riding with Tang Ying during his free time would end up being a threesome.
The Second Prince seemed to have no awareness of disturbing other people's free time. When he saw Tang Ying climb onto the horse, he stared at her intently. It was not until Fu Chen kicked the horse's belly that he came to his senses and hurriedly mounted the horse.
Fu Yingjun refused to let anyone ride on him. Besides, he hadn't been out for a walk for a long time, so he was quite well behaved in the city. He followed Tengyun and walked honestly on the road. When he saw many pedestrians, he just snorted with dissatisfaction. After leaving the city, he rushed forward happily.
Tang Ying followed closely behind on Teng Yun. The cold winter wind blew up her high ponytail, and only her slender waist could be seen from behind. As Teng Yun galloped, the frail person seemed like she would be thrown off the horse at any time, but if you watched for a long time you would find that she was just sitting loosely on the horse, as if she was playing. In fact, her riding skills were quite good, like a leaf that had fallen on the horse's back, rising and falling with the horse's gallop.
Fu Chen and the second prince rode side by side, following Tang Ying from a distance. After walking for several miles, Yuan Lang was the first to break the silence between the two.
"Master Fu, I would like to ask you to help me find someone."
"Your Highness should know that the Imperial Cavalry Department never accepts private matters. If Your Highness can persuade His Majesty, I will do my best."
The second prince said slowly, "Originally, this matter could be approved by my father, but I am afraid that there will be too many twists and turns." He poured out the words without waiting for Fu Chen to ask, "Master Fu should have heard that I asked my father for permission to grant the marriage, but something happened two days ago that made me a little worried. Miss Tang had a maid named A Lian, who had an affair with the palace guard Feng Kui. It was originally a happy event, but when the two of them were in love, the maid accidentally let it slip that the Miss Tang in my palace was a fake."
Fu Chen's eyes swept across Yuan Lang like a blade. After all, he was trained in the Imperial Cavalry Division, so he could still keep his composure: "Since that servant said Miss Tang was fake, didn't she tell the guards in His Highness's mansion where the real Miss was?"
Yuan Lang never missed the expression on Fu Chen's face. Feeling his expression change, his heart sank to the bottom - could it be that Fu Chen already knew Tang Ying's true identity?
The relationship between the two is so close?
He was angry in his heart, but his face showed a bit of sorrow: "The maid said that when the city was broken, Miss Tang got separated from them, and she did not show up after the battle, so they guessed that Miss had been buried in Baicheng. Feng Kui did not dare to hide it and came to report it to me. This made me very worried, and I don’t know whether what the maid said is true or not, so I want to ask Master Fu to help verify it." He said indignantly: "There are people pretending to be the orphans of loyal heroes. The world is really going downhill and people’s hearts are not as good as they used to be!"
Fu Chen held the reins of the horse, and for a moment he suspected that Yuan Lang had already known that Tang Ying, who used the alias Zhang Ying, was the real Miss Tang. Perhaps Teng Yun was close to her, which made Yuan Lang suspicious.
But perhaps he did not have solid evidence, so he made the test.
"What Your Highness said is really surprising. When Your Highness met Miss Tang in Baicheng, didn't you ask someone to verify it?"
Yuan Lang smiled bitterly, "I did send people to investigate in Baicheng, but the real Miss Tang...she rarely appeared in front of people, and the servants of the Tang Mansion were all buried in Baicheng, except for her maid A Lian. It was impossible to investigate in the chaos, so I thought no one would dare to pretend to be Miss Tang, so I brought her back."
In fact, the information Feng Kui got from A Lian finally solved his doubts of several months.
Fu Chen said calmly: "What your Highness said is really shocking. There is such a woman who doesn't know how to live or die. In this case, before the truth is found out, your Highness can't ask His Majesty to grant the marriage. It's better to report to His Majesty first and don't grant the marriage easily. At least we have to find out the truth of the matter, right?"
Yuan Lang said sternly, "How can that be possible? I asked to marry Miss Tang not for her appearance and character, but to take care of the orphans of the loyal and brave. Since I have already asked my father to grant the marriage, how can I change my mind so easily?"
"If Miss Tang is really missing, or if she shows up but doesn't want this marriage, what will Your Highness do?"
Yuan Lang chuckled with an indescribable certainty: "What are you talking about, Lord Fu? Am I not worthy of her?" He looked straight ahead and exhaled lightly. A cloud of white mist rose in front of his eyes, blurring his facial features. However, Fu Chen could hear the royal dignity and pride in his words.
There had been a snowfall in Yuanyang Tower for two days in a row and it only stopped yesterday. It was freezing cold outside the city. At this moment, the area outside the city was vast and empty, and only the three of them had nothing better to do, so they went out of the city to stroll their horses.
"Marriage is a serious matter, how can it be treated as a joke?" Fu Chen did not want to get entangled with him, so he squeezed his legs against the horse's belly and rushed out.
The two of them caught up with Tang Ying, who had already slowed down her horse. She smiled from afar and said, "Your Highness and the Lord seem to be having a good conversation. I wonder what they are talking about?"
Fu Chen: Damn, we were having a great conversation!
Yuan Lang: Only a fool would have such a pleasant conversation with a guy named Fu!
Both of them had the same idea in their minds, but they were not prepared to quarrel in front of Tang Ying.
Fu Chen took off his black fox fur cloak, rode closer in front of Yuan Lang, and put it on Tang Ying, saying in a very intimate tone, "I told you to wear more clothes before you left, but you refused to listen."
Tang Ying: “…” Sir, you really can lie without batting an eyelid. I have never heard this sentence from you before.
But seeing that Sir Fu was quite a gentleman, she behaved well and did not say anything back.
To Yuan Lang, these words had a very different meaning.
His expression changed slightly, and he forced a smile and said, "This prince didn't know that Miss Zhang and Master Fu had such a close relationship."
"Is there?" Tang Ying tightened her black fox fur cloak around her body, feeling as if there was something fishy going on here.
Fu Chen didn't know what medicine he had taken wrong today, and he showed it to Yuan Lang: "Nothing? That night in Yuanyang Tower..."
"Stop talking!" Tang Ying wanted to surrender.
Lord Fu is too petty. She just fell asleep accidentally. Is it worth him making a fuss about it?
Yuan Lang could no longer hold back his smile: "I never thought that the rumors were unbelievable. They all said that Master Fu was not interested in women, but it turned out that they were all lies?"
Tang Ying was about to explain, but she caught a glimpse of Fu Chen winking at her. She went over it in her mind before she realized what Lord Fu meant - it turned out that Princess Yuan Shu had been pestering Lord Fu for a long time, and the Second Prince, as an older brother, seemed to be quite supportive of his sister's behavior. It was no wonder that Lord Fu treated her more intimately when he saw the Second Prince. It turned out that he was using her as a shield again?
She nodded with a smile: "Yes, yes, rumors outside are the most unreliable, Second Prince must not take them seriously!" Your sister has been pestering Fu Chen, and when she heard that he was fooling around outside, she should have given up now, right?
Fu Chen's lips curled up, a smile flowed in his eyes, and he glanced at Tang Ying.
Tang Ying: Lord Fu, do you approve of what I did?
The second prince was so upset that he could hardly speak.
He took a deep breath to calm down, and Tang Ying poured a basin of ice water on his head again.
She smiled and said, "There is something I still need to tell His Highness the Second Prince. I heard that His Highness sent people to deliver food and drink to my brothers for several days and also inquired about my whereabouts. So I thought I would tell His Highness when I have time to save him the trouble."
Yuan Lang didn't understand what she meant at first, but when he heard "send food and drink for several days ", he pointed at her in surprise: "You...you are Zhang Er? The beggar Zhang Er?"
"Yes." Tang Ying knew that these people would dig her out sooner or later, so she might as well admit her identity straight out.
Yuan Lang's shoulders slumped dejectedly... As expected, he almost recognized Yan Yuelou that day. This thought popped into his mind at that time, but he felt that he was overthinking.
※※※
Yao Niang was summoned to the Grand Princess's Mansion three days ago.
Yuan Heng got straight to the point and asked her directly: "Is Zhang Er a member of the Shadow Guard?"
Yao Niang smiled slightly and did not deny: "The princess knows?"
Yuan Heng was furious: "Since you knew, why didn't you tell me, and let me and Yan'er suffer a great loss in the Golden Palace?"
Yao Niang said calmly, "The first priority for the people of the Imperial Cavalry Department is to keep secrets. Your Highness knew this when she was in charge of the Imperial Cavalry Department. I have to be loyal to Your Majesty, but I also have to remember the kindness of my former master. So, may I ask Princess, should I be loyal to Your Majesty first or remember the kindness of my former master first? Please teach me, Princess!"
Yuan Heng was so angry that veins on his forehead were throbbing, his head was buzzing, and he wanted to slap her in the face - was she turning against her old master for a man?
The eldest princess had been ordering servants around since she was a child, and was used to being superior to others. She never thought that the servants' feelings needed to be taken into consideration, but rather that servants should be unconditionally loyal. She had suspected that Yao Niang was resentful of her before, but she had no evidence, and with Yun Niang's persuasion, she felt that this servant was still useful - and if she hadn't taken action without regrets and pushed Yao Niang to the position of the head of the Shadow Department, she might have died long ago with her head full of stupid thoughts of love.
From this it can be seen that she, as a master, treated her servant very kindly, giving her official position and power, as well as endless wealth and glory. Even if Yao Niang had married a man, she might not have been as prosperous as she is now.
"Do I need to teach you how to do it?" Yuan Heng thought to himself: I'll give you one more chance.
Yao Niang knelt down and said with gratitude: "The princess has been so kind to me that I will never be able to repay her in my lifetime! But..." She changed the subject and faced Yuan Heng's sudden change of expression, and said in panic: "But I only manage half of the people in the Shadow Department. The other half is not under my control, and I... can't interfere."
"Zhang Er is Gan Jun's subordinate?" Yuan Heng asked in a lost voice.
If Zhang Er is Gan Jun's subordinate, then it means that perhaps this is not an accidental incident, but His Majesty's intention to deal with Huan Yanbo as a warning to her?
Yuan Heng had been "recuperating" in the mansion for half a year. She thought she had been well-behaved and had done everything according to the emperor's orders. She handed over the Huangzi Department to the idiot Yuan Shu. She had thought that the emperor might be suspicious, but she had not expected that the suspicion would be so deep that he would use her most beloved son to suppress her.
"Your Majesty, why is he like this?"
Yuan Heng stood up by holding the armrest of the chair, and felt cold sweat on his back and shivering.
She said, "Yunniang, I'm cold."
Yunniang was serving him closely, and just now she had just stayed out of the house and stood guard at the door to prevent any maid from barging in.
She lifted the curtain and came in to help the eldest princess put on another piece of clothing.
“Master!” Yao Niang bowed her head to the ground, a cold smile on her lips, but her voice was full of sorrow, as if Princess Yuanheng was defending her: “Master, you have worked so hard for Your Majesty, and now that you have left the Imperial Cavalry Division… I am heartbroken for you, but I can’t do anything about it. I beg you to forgive me!”
Yuan Heng breathed a sigh of relief and thought: So Yao Niang didn't betray me?
In fact, whether Yao Niang was loyal to her or betrayed her, it did not affect the overall situation. What really made her disheartened was His Majesty's suspicion of her.
The Imperial Cavalry Division holds the emperor's secrets, and even though she is the emperor's sister and has a blood relationship with him, she unexpectedly cannot gain Yuan Yu's complete trust.
"You can go back now. If there is any movement in the future, please inform me."
"Master, take care of yourself!" Yao Niang bowed and left.
Yunniang watched her leaving back, deep in thought.
"Master, Yao Niang..." She always felt that this sister who grew up with her had changed a little, but she couldn't tell where the change was. Or maybe everyone's position was different over the years, and she was worrying too much.
"Mrs. Yao wouldn't dare to do anything." The eldest princess sat back and rubbed her forehead twice. "Now it seems that if your majesty's doubts cannot be dispelled, I can only find another way."
If you don't support the current emperor, you can only bet on the next emperor.
Otherwise, by the time the next emperor ascends the throne, she will have grown old, and the thin family ties within the royal family may not be enough to maintain Huan Yanbo's wealthy and prosperous future.
As a mother, she is always thinking about her son and wants to give him her all. It's a pity that her son is not up to the standard.
Yunniang hesitated to speak: "What about Xinniang..."
"Wait a minute. Since Yao Niang is still behaving herself, there is no need to use that incident to pressure her for the time being."
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