Shen Fa followed the instructions, taking a large bite of meat and a big swallow of wine, and finally picking up a chopstick full of finely shredded pickled vegetables to chew on. Suddenly, he exhaled a long breath of alcohol, "That’s the stuff, truly satisfying!"
Fang Ke, with a keen sense of timing, picked up the wine jug to refill Shen Fa’s cup, and finally poured himself another one, secretly taking a sip.
Shen Fa acted as if he hadn’t seen Fang Ke’s little movement, leaned back in his chair, and said indifferently, "The eldest princess has also come."
R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freewebnovёl.ƈom Only.
Fang Ke, unconcerned, grabbed a large chopstick-load of meat, "Where did the eldest princess go to?"
Shen Fa: "Chaimen Street."
"Pfft."
Fang Ke turned his head and spat out the meat in his mouth in another direction, "What did you say?"
Shen Fa picked up his wine cup and took a drink, "Are you deaf?"
Fang Ke put down his chopsticks, stood up with a mix of shock and helpless laughter, saying, "She’s coming here? Aren’t you afraid..."
He did not complete his sentence, but both men were clear in their minds: ’Aren’t you afraid that guy will come back to the capital and beat you up again?’
Shen Fa’s eyelids twitched, and after a long silence, he helplessly spread his hands, "Do you think I want to do this? If I don’t, the Emperor and that guy will clash again!"
Fang Ke was puzzled, "Why? Lord Yang doesn’t even return home, he’s gone as far as Dongying, can’t even come back for the New Year, what grudge or grievance must he have to pick another fight? Could it be that you want to push him so far that..."
He couldn’t continue, but his unspoken words were still understood by Shen Fa: ’Could it be that you want to drive him so far that he raises a banner in rebellion to feel content?’
"Ah..."
Shen Fa sighed softly and gesturing with his hand, he pressed down in the air, "It’s a long story. When it’s time for you to know, you will naturally understand why. Now is not the time to discuss this matter. Right now, we need to think about how to matchmake Yang Ge and the eldest princess."
Fang Ke’s eyebrows knitted together, his complexion changing unpredictably for a long time before he finally spoke with a wry smile, "My lord, I was personally groomed by you. You have given me life anew, and I have nothing to hide nor go round in circles about."
"To me, this task seems nearly impossible. Lord Yang is smarter than you think. Take Miss Xie of the Xie Family, for example. Although Lord Yang wasn’t aware of her identity initially, he knew from the first sight that she was no ordinary person. Her maid tried shamelessly to get close to Lord Yang every day, yet she couldn’t even enter Lord Yang’s house. Now you’ve brought the eldest princess here. Can you hide her royal aura from Lord Yang’s eyes?"
"Especially since you have used the same tactic before..."
"Based on my understanding of Lord Yang, if you insist on doing this, it’s very likely that when he returns home, opens the door, and sees her, he would head straight to the capital to look for you."
Shen Fa’s eyelids twitched again, but then he banged on the table, setting his face sternly, "I’m well aware of how difficult this is, but it is precisely because of the difficulty that I need you to come up with a solution for me. If it were easy, what use would I have for you? Why would I need you at the Right Bureau?"
"Anyway, I don’t care, you’ve been with that guy the longest, you must think of a way for me to work this out. It must be flawless, bring that guy and the princess together, and ensure that he won’t come after me in the future..."
"Don’t start feeling wronged now. This is already a last resort. Do you actually think you can come up with a better idea than mine?"
"Even if it’s the worst plan, it’s still better than just watching that guy pick another fight with the court, right?"
"Do you actually want to come to blows with that guy?"
Fang Ke, at a loss for words and with a heavy heart, snatched back his wine jug and took a big gulp, emptying most of it in one go before asking, "My lord, where is the eldest princess staying?"
Shen Fa, perplexed by the question, answered, "Didn’t I already tell you? Chaimen Street, at Yang Ge’s place. We’ve been training the eldest princess, creating a desperate refugee identity for her. Isn’t that guy known for his kind heart, unable to bear seeing people desolate, starving, and shivering..."
Fang Ke, without a word, vigorously rubbed his forehead, stood up and said, "My lord, let’s go now. We should still make it to Lord Yang’s house in time!"
Shen Fa followed stand up skeptically, "Go for what?"
Fang Ke: "To get the eldest princess out, everything in that house, outsiders should not touch... Who was the last person that touched something in that house? I don’t think I need to remind you, do I?"
Shen Fa felt a chill up his spine and subconsciously shrank his neck, then also voiced his worry in a low tone, "What should we do? We don’t have much time, we can’t proceed cautiously!"
Fang Ke inwardly sighed, speaking somewhat listlessly, "My lord, you’re just a bit too anxious. Otherwise, with your wisdom, how could you not realize that the crux of the matter is not Chaimen Street, but... here!"
He pointed to the ground in front of Shen Fa.
Shen Fa was stunned for a moment, then a spark suddenly flashed through his mind, and his previously stagnant thoughts came to life.
He slapped Fang Ke’s shoulder with a heavy hand, exclaiming with unexpected joy, "Good lad, I have not groomed the wrong person. The position of a thousand-household officer at the Right Bureau is yours, that’s a promise!"
The long-aspired chance to move from vice thousand-household officer to a full one was right in front of him, but at that moment, Fang Ke’s mind was filled with the image of Yang Ge swinging his legs to gallop at breakneck speed towards the capital.
He knew that if this matter were exposed, a brutal beating was inescapable...
At the thought, he couldn’t help but shiver, cupping his fists, "If you trust me, my lord, leave this matter to me!"
Shen Fa: "I do trust you, I do. You were once my close aide, and you’re the trusted confidant of Lord Yang. If I can’t trust you with this matter, whom else can I trust?"
Fang Ke: ’Then I really owe you one!’