Chapter 313 Aren't you men all the same, never giving up until you hit a brick wall?

Everyone looked at Zhan Xingzhuo with strange eyes.

Yao Qingling's behavior over the past year has been absurd. He has gained attention, but his reputation among the common people and the powerful is polarized.

These people, naturally members of the powerful elite, also had grievances against Yao Qingling.

Her scandalous affairs are known throughout the land, and now she's even seduced Prince Xin?!

Tao Weixian said, "Fortunately, Brother Xingzhuo and Yao Qingling divorced long ago. Otherwise, wouldn't Xingzhuo be a laughingstock now? Other men are one thing, but that's Prince Xin. What is she trying to do?"

Everyone immediately recalled the rumors that Yao Qingling was a snob. Back then, she looked down on Zhan Xingzhuo for being useless and forced him to pawn a jade pendant, making him a laughingstock. Now that he had power, Yao Qingling felt that getting involved with him would hurt her self-esteem and make her a laughingstock for being blind.

Therefore, it was reasonable for her to target Prince Xin.

He is a prince, and therefore has power. Moreover, he is a member of the royal family, of royal blood, making his power even purer and more superior. Unless it is a serious crime like treason, he cannot be easily brought down.

Prince Xin was rich and had fiefdoms; with just those fiefdoms, he could possess countless treasures of gold and silver.

Prince Xin was a combination of money and power, yet he did not participate in court affairs and was free from the burden of vying for power. Compared to princes and ministers, he was remarkably stable. Even during the most turbulent periods, he was able to weather them safely.

Yao Qingling's choice of him proves that she has good judgment, and that her separation from Zhan Xingzhuo was the right decision.

“Hehe, but… our Prince has a Princess. Although their relationship is so-so, they’ve been together for so many years. The Princess comes from the He family of Chaisang, and the power behind her is far beyond what Yao Qingling can match. If you anger the He family, Yao Qingling won’t even know how she died,” Shao Wenchu ​​said.

He added, "Although Yao Qingling is young, that's all she has to offer. She's already given birth, and given her relationship with Xing Zhuo, how could Prince Xin possibly be interested in her? Even for the sake of brotherhood, he can't accept Yao Qingling, can he?"

He glanced at Zhou Zhining and thought that in terms of appearance, Yao Qingling was far inferior to Zhou Zhining. As for talent, she was even further behind. She was good at business, but she spent her days associating with lowly peddlers and laborers, which was really not respectable.

Prince Xin doesn't even fancy Zhou Zhining, who is right in front of him, so how could he possibly want a woman like Yao Qingling who is the subject of so much gossip?

Tao Weixian smiled and said, "Brother Wenchu, you don't know this. A cautious man like you would naturally not dare to touch a woman with so much controversy surrounding her. But our Prince Xin..."

He thought about Prince Xin's womanizing ways and smiled lewdly and ambiguously: "Yao Qingling is a fish covered in fishy smells, and our Prince Xin is a playful cat. Why can't we have some fun with her? It's not like we're going to take her as a concubine, let alone marry her as a princess. I think Yao Qingling doesn't want to be a princess either; she just wants some benefits."

The joy of mature women lies in their understanding of romance and lovemaking, without expecting or demanding promises from men; they only want the benefits.

The Yao family's resources are too meager; the current Marquis of Zhongyong is just a baby who can't even lie down, and they rely entirely on Yao Qingling for support. How can she not curry favor with a few powerful figures?

Although she had curried favor with the Empress, that was within the palace, and she dared not disturb her unless it was a matter of great importance. It was perfectly reasonable for her to want to curry favor with Prince Xin, the second powerful figure she desired to ingratiate herself with.

For Prince Xin, Yao Qingling was a novel and fun plaything, unlike any woman he had ever been with before.

If they both want something, why can't they just agree on it?

As Tao Weixian spoke eloquently, he failed to notice Zhan Xingzhuo's increasingly dark expression.

He gritted his teeth and asked Zhou Zhining, "Are you sure Yao Qingling is at Jinmantang?"

Zhou Zhining said, "I just said it's possible."

Zhan Xingzhuo turned and left.

Shao Wen-chu stepped forward to stop him: "You want to go to Jin Mantang? Xing Zhuo, you need to think this through."

He frowned. "If we ruin Prince Xin's plans, are you going to fall out with him over something like this?"

Zhan Xingzhuo's face darkened: "Get out of the way!"

Yao Qingling must be crazy!

Zhan Xingzhuo did not believe Zhou Zhining's story of "secretly crossing the Chencang River," nor did he believe that Yao Qingling would get together with him for the small amount of benefits in the hands of Prince Xin.

Zhan Xingzhuo suspected that Prince Xin used that painting to lure Yao Qingling there!

Given Yao Qingling's personality, who knows what she might do!

Tao Weixian watched from the sidelines, glancing at Zhou Zhining.

Zhan Xingzhuo's anxious expression clearly showed that he still cared a lot about Yao Qingling.

Then Zhou Zhining must be heartbroken.

Tao Weixian said, "Brother Xingzhuo, why are you in such a hurry? Don't you really want your child to be recognized by the family? Yao Qingling has done something outrageous and ruined her reputation. Even if the Empress wants to favor her, she has to consider public opinion and the reputation of your Duke's Mansion."

“When that time comes, you can step in and demand that the child be taken back to the Zhan family. No matter how much Yao Qingling resists, it will be useless.”

Zhan Xingzhuo ignored them completely, shoved Shao Wenchu ​​aside, and strode out with a dark face.

Zhou Zhining watched his hurried figure, feeling both sad and happy.

Sadly, Yao Qingling's place in his heart seemed unshakeable. Whenever he heard that Yao Qingling was having an affair with another man, he lost his temper and acted recklessly. This showed that his possessiveness towards Yao Qingling was growing stronger.

She was happy. She was happy because Yao Qingling, now in Prince Xin's hands, was probably no longer innocent. She herself was a woman of questionable character, and Prince Xin coveted her; how could they not fall in love? Only Zhan Xingzhuo believed that Yao Qingling still harbored some feelings for him.

How clean could Yao Qingling be? If she were clean, she wouldn't have kept male lovers. Zhou Zhining wondered how much affection Zhan Xingzhuo would still have for Yao Qingling when he saw the sordid scene of Yao Qingling with Prince Xin.

hehe……

Zhou Zhining's smile was vicious, sorrowful, and disdainful.

She resolutely turned her gaze away and walked in another direction.

Shao Wen-Chu was puzzled and chased after her: "Hey, why didn't you call Zhan Xing-Zhuo back?"

Zhou Zhining sneered: "If I wanted to call him back, why would I need to tell him?"

Shao Wen-Chu: "You did this on purpose? Why?"

He was worried that Zhan Xingzhuo and Xin Wang might turn against each other over a woman. Wasn't Zhou Zhining worried too? What was she after?

Zhou Zhining said, "Because I want Zhan Xingzhuo to belong entirely to me."

She glanced at Shao Wenchou: "Aren't you men all the same, never giving up until you hit a brick wall?"

Shao Wen-Chu: "..."

Zhan Xingzhuo rode at top speed and arrived at Jin Mantang as quickly as possible.

When the gatekeeper of Jinmantang saw Zhan Xingzhuo arrive, he smiled and said, "Minister Zhan, Jinmantang is closed today."

Zhan Xingzhuo: "Step aside, I have important matters to discuss with the Prince."

"Minister Zhan, if you are looking for the Prince, you should go to the Prince's residence. He is currently hosting a banquet there."

Zhan Xingzhuo was furious: "I came from the Prince's residence and know that the Prince is here. If this delays things, can you take responsibility?"

The doorman hesitated.

He couldn't bear the responsibility for the affairs of important people; he was afraid that if things went wrong, they would turn around and chop his head off.

"Then, Vice Minister, please wait a moment." The gatekeeper was about to go in to announce their arrival when the door opened from the inside.

Bu Fang came out, bowed to Zhan Xingzhuo, and said, "Minister Zhan, His Highness is currently hosting an important banquet for guests. If you have any urgent matters to discuss, you may inform me, and I will then relay them to His Highness."

Zhan Xingzhuo's face was as dark as ink.

He took a step forward, closing in on Bu Fang: "Who is the important guest invited by the Prince?"