Chapter 72 I'm All Ears
"Aunt Yao said that the ghost ball has been found, but it is not convenient to get it back for the time being. She asked me to tell the adults to delay it for a few days if possible." Tang Ying explained her purpose to Fu Chen as they walked.
Fu Chen: "If Aunt Yao didn't send you on this trip, would you plan not to come to see me recently?"
"How can that be possible?" Tang Ying stepped back and stared at his hands: "Sir, just talk, don't use your hands, right?"
However, Master Fu was used to being arbitrary and once he made up his mind, it was very difficult for him to turn back. He withdrew his hand with regret: "Your hair is messy, I was kind enough to fix it for you, you really don't know how to appreciate kindness."
Tang Ying hesitated: "Really?"
"Could it be fake?" Lord Fu's stern face was quite intimidating.
Tang Ying suspected that her hair was messed up when he held her tightly in his arms just now, so she stood five steps away and fixed it herself. She didn't think it was wrong: "Your Excellency teased your subordinates like this, aren't you afraid of being laughed at if you tell others about it?"
Lord Fu was quite regretful: the little girl was too vigilant!
The two arrived at the reception room shared by the two departments of the office and found that the Ninth Princess and Prince Zhao were sitting at the host and guest seats respectively, chatting animatedly. Lord Shen was sitting at the last seat, yawning out of boredom.
When he saw Fu Chen's eyes shining, he jumped up from his seat: "Master Fu is here, come here quickly--" and winked at Tang Ying as a greeting.
The ninth princess Yuan Shu was as excited as he was. She hadn't seen Fu Chen for a long time.
Last time at the Second Prince's Mansion, Yuan Lang told her about the Shadow Department of the Forbidden Cavalry Division. She was so scared at the time that she went back and hid away from the office for several days. Only to find out that the Feng Department was still functioning in an orderly manner without her. She was so shocked that she didn't want to come anymore. Two days ago, she even yelled to Yuan Lang that she wanted to quit the Feng Department, but was scolded by Yuan Lang instead.
"You were the one who clamored to join the Forbidden Cavalry Division, and now you are the one who clamors to quit. Can't you be a little more mature?"
Princess Yuan Shu said weakly: "...But now that I know that I am being used as a dispensable puppet, should I continue to be such a fool?"
"Even if you are a puppet, you have to act like a puppet, so that father and the people in the Shadow Department can rest assured!" He knew Yuan Shu's character too well and knew that she would not listen to any great principles, so he came up with another idea: "Besides, why did you join the Forbidden Cavalry Division in the first place?"
Yuan Shu: "...for Fu Chen."
Yuan Lang: "Since you entered the Imperial Cavalry Division for Fu Chen, no one expected you to have the talent of the Grand Princess. Everyone knows that you went there for Fu Chen, but you gave up before you achieved your goal. Don't you want to marry Fu Chen anymore?"
Yuan Shu asked herself and couldn't bear the thought of giving up the idea of flying together with Fu Chen: "Royal brother is right, I can't leave the Forbidden Cavalry Division now, otherwise other little demons will get the advantage!" Especially that little bitch Zhang Ying. It is said that she has been going in and out with Fu Chen recently, and they are almost inseparable.
Yuan Lang said with relief: "This is my good sister! What's more, if you have any difficulties, don't you still have me, your brother? If you have any problems in the future, just look for me." He also specially sent a strong and solid maid: "Her name is Chun Xing, she has practiced martial arts, and she will stay by your side and serve you in the future. You can use her to run errands and do things for you!"
Yuan Shu learned from the last lesson and realized that the maids around her were all show-offs, so she asked Chun Xing to compete with them twice. As a result, none of A Rong and the others could win and were beaten by Chun Xing instead. They immediately admired their brother and began to rely on Chun Xing, taking her with them whenever they went out.
The Ninth Princess regrouped and bumped into Prince Zhao as soon as she stepped into the Forbidden Cavalry Division.
Zhao Ji had been dragged out by Shen Qian to spend days in a life of debauchery. He was finally caught by the King of Nanyue when he was sober and urged to ask about the progress of the theft case at the Forbidden Cavalry Division. Seeing the Ninth Princess from a distance, he whispered, "Brother Shen, that girl is innocent and pretty." He seemed to be interested.
Shen Qian thought of his childhood friend's misery from being pestered, and said sarcastically, "She is His Majesty's favorite Ninth Princess, but I'm afraid the prince can't afford her!"
Zhao Ji was like a cat that smelled meat: "Is the Ninth Princess married?"
Shen Qian: "...Of course not."
So Lord Shen greeted the Ninth Princess and naturally introduced the two to each other.
Prince Zhao's way of coaxing women is first-rate: "...Only the Southern Qi could give birth to a daughter as beautiful as the princess. When I first saw her, I was so shocked that I didn't dare to come over. I thought she was a fairy from heaven who had come down to earth!"
Yuan Shu had never been praised so directly by a young and handsome man before. What's more, the man she liked, Fu Chen, was an ice cube. Apart from keeping her cool anytime and anywhere, he had never praised her once.
"Prince Zhao, you are too kind." A faint blush appeared on her face, and in her heart she felt that this Prince Zhao from South Vietnam was good at speaking and knowing what was going on.
Zhao Ji said seriously: "What I said is true, from the bottom of my heart! My father often scolds me for staying in Nanyue for too long and being short-sighted. I am not convinced and always feel that my father is exaggerating. Since coming to Kyoto, I have gained a lot of knowledge." So they went inside to chat.
Princess Yuan Shu hadn't seen Fu Chen for many days, and her greedy eyes swept over his face: "Sir Fu, please take a seat." When she saw Tang Ying behind him, she glared at her fiercely, probably because she thought she was redundant and followed him.
Zhao Ji was well versed in the relationships between men and women. He was originally having a good chat with the Ninth Princess, but when she saw Fu Chen coming, the little princess became a little distracted. Her eyes were filled with the gleam of girlish admiration, and she was calculating rapidly in her mind.
He said, "Master Fu, my things have been missing for a few days, and I have been unable to sleep or eat, so I wanted to ask if you have found any clues."
Shen Qian yawned: ...Are you so busy living a life of debauchery that you don't have time to sleep?
Fu Chen greeted the Ninth Princess and Prince Zhao and sat down. Tang Ying took the opportunity to sit down below him and listened to his explanation: "Prince, you don't know, the thief has committed suicide in prison. We haven't tracked down the whereabouts of your lost property yet, but we have a clue. Maybe we can find the lost property in a few days. Prince Zhao, please be patient."
Although Yinlan was poisoned, it involved internal affairs of the Forbidden Cavalry Division, so it could only be announced to the outside world that it was suicide.
Zhao Ji went on to talk about the value of the lost property and how sad he had been several times since the loss. This prompted the Ninth Princess to ask him about it. He then told her that after he came to the capital, he heard that there was a female entertainer with outstanding musical skills, so he went to appreciate her skills and be influenced by art. However, he accidentally lost his mother's things and had no choice but to report the case.
The Ninth Princess didn't know about these things at first. This was the first time she heard that Prince Zhao actually loved music so much. The pride that came from the royal family emerged: "What good piano music is there among the people? Prince, you have come to the wrong place. If you want to talk about superb piano skills, you have to be a musician in the palace. When it's Father's birthday, there will be a musician performing. I guarantee that you will be able to enjoy the music."
Zhao Ji sounded very grateful: "Thank you, Princess, for telling me. I will be all ears when the time comes!"
Tang Ying lowered her head silently and almost burst out laughing.
——Your innocent princess, what Prince Zhao is pursuing is not the elegant sound of the piano!
Lord Shen probably had the same idea as her. He stood up, trying not to laugh. "Since there is no result for a while, why don't we go back first?" He looked at the sun outside. "It's time for dinner. Sir Fu, do you want to come and have a simple meal together?"
Prince Zhao was very tactful and stood up immediately: "Why don't you treat us as a token of your appreciation? It is because of your negligence that Master Fu has been so busy for so many days."
Fu Chen glanced at Tang Ying and saw that she looked eager to eat. He was unusually nice to her and said, "Thank you very much, Your Highness."
Princess Yuan Shu had just met with Fu Chen, and before they had even had a cup of tea, she hadn't expected him to leave. Her expression darkened, and Prince Zhao noticed it. He warmly invited her, "Princess, it would be my honor if you could go with us!"
"You're welcome, Prince." Yuan Shu responded with a bright smile.
Shen Qian: ...
When Prince Zhao invited guests, the place suggested by Lord Shen was Zuixian Tower, which is as famous as Yanyue Tower.
Zuixianlou is most famous for its home-brewed wines, which attract many drinkers.
When they came over, the Ninth Princess was riding in a carriage, and the others were riding horses. She lifted the curtain and saw Fu Chen and Zhang Ying both riding horses. She was very unhappy: "Chun Xing, find a chance test that girl's skills later... It would be even better if you can beat her up."
She hated other women getting close to Fu Chen. In the past, Master Fu was not interested in women, and she was only angry a few times, and at most she was angry that he treated her coldly. But now Master Fu suddenly became close to other women, which made her unbearable.
Chun Xing stared at Tang Ying's back, and remembering her master's order, she made an excuse tactfully: "Princess, if I beat Zhang Ying, will Master Fu be angry when he finds out?"
The Ninth Princess was stunned for a moment, then got off the carriage unhappily: "She is lucky!"
Prince Zhao spent money like water, ordering a table full of signature dishes and two jars of wine.
He stood up and drank, and said sincerely: "In fact, you may not know that my mother is from Southern Qi. She returned to Southern Qi alone when I was very young. Although this is my first time in Southern Qi, I regard Southern Qi as my second home in my heart. The lost things are what my mother left behind when she left. If I can't find the things, it would be good to find my mother..."
The Ninth Princess Yuan Shu could not help but be moved by him, and almost took on the responsibility: "Don't be sad, Prince. With the Forbidden Cavalry Division, both the things and the Prince's mother can be found." She looked at Fu Chen with a pair of affectionate eyes, and asked nervously: "Commander Fu, the Forbidden Cavalry Division will definitely be able to help Prince Zhao, right?"
Fu Chen: "May I ask, Prince Zhao, do you have a portrait of your mother?"
The Ninth Princess was so excited that she almost cheered out loud - after so long, Lord Fu finally responded to her, although it was for someone else's business.
The next second her smile froze on her face.
Lord Fu picked up a piece of fish and put it into Zhang Ying's bowl. The other party looked up at him and avoided her gaze.
Yuan Shu: Little bitch!
Prince Zhao drank it all in one gulp and said, "I offer a toast to everyone. Please feel free to drink as you please. My father always carries a small portrait of my mother with him. I will go and get it with Master Fu after dinner."
He invited everyone to eat, and even picked up a piece of fish for the Ninth Princess: "The fish here is very delicious, Princess, please try it."
Yuan Shu: I’m full even without eating!
