Chapter 7: A wish comes true

The girls in the room were horrified and disgusted when they saw Yang Huaijiang going crazy. They looked up and saw Xue Xiyang outside. They quickly ran out and hid behind him, begging him repeatedly: "Master Xue, please kick him out! He's crazy!"

Xue Xiyang waved at them soothingly and asked them to go away first.

The girls hurried downstairs, and there was a clanging and banging noise inside the house. The drunken Yang Huaijiang swept the wine pot and dishes off the table, muttering curses: "Damn it, you have the appearance of a fairy, but the heart of a snake and scorpion! One day... I will hold you, the county lady, in my hands and play with you however I want!"

Xue Xiyang glanced at his whip-bruised and bloody face, sneered, then withdrew his gaze and turned away with disdain, walking down the stairs.

The madam was waiting at the bottom of the stairs and asked him cautiously, "Mr. Xue, what do you think of this man..."

"Don't be afraid, he's just a street urchin. He probably bet everything he had on the gambling den and now he's bankrupt. He has nowhere to vent his anger, so he's drunk and cursing."

The madam breathed a sigh of relief and asked, "Isn't he some royal relative?"

"No. I know all the officials and their sons and nephews in the capital, big and small, and there is definitely no such person."

Upon receiving a positive answer, the madam immediately raised her eyebrows and shouted, "Niu Da, Niu Er, grab your weapons and beat that bastard out!"

The two burly guards behind her responded, immediately picked up sticks, and rushed forward to teach Yang Huaijiang a lesson.

Unexpectedly, just as they reached the stairs to the second floor, Niu Da and Niu Er were stunned again. They looked at each other for a long time, then hurriedly retreated with their weapons.

The madam frowned and looked upwards: "Why don't you do it?"

"A guest went in to talk to him, and there were two sword-wielding attendants guarding the door."

A long-servant carrying a knife in the capital must be someone of some importance. The madam looked at Xue Xiyang with resentment: "Mr. Xue, look at this..."

Xue Xiyang thought for a moment and motioned her to wait. He went back upstairs, spread out the music score in his hand and looked at it, pretending to walk past Yang Huaijiang's room casually.

The window was ajar, and he heard hushed chatter coming from inside: "Young Master Yang, are you regretting this now? When the Ministry of Rites wanted to choose a husband for the Princess of Lingling, I heard that you were the first person they thought of. Why didn't you seize the opportunity back then?"

Yang Huaijiang cursed loudly, "There were no people left in the Changhua Palace. And then I heard... I heard that the Lingling County Lady was disfigured and a she-devil... She had a bunch of young men in her backyard, all forced by the court to apply for the imperial selection. How could I, how could I be interested in her... someone like her?"

"What a shame, what a shame! The rumors are wrong. This Lingling County Lady is not only beautiful, but also deeply favored by the Emperor and Empress. If you could marry her, what more could you ask for in your life? Don't you think so, Young Master Yang?"

Yang Huaijiang finally came to his senses, stared at him and asked, "Who are you? Why are you here to meddle in my affairs?"

"Don't worry about who I am. I just happened to meet Young Master Yang here today. It's fate, so I came to comfort Young Master Yang." The other person spoke in a sarcastic tone, and it was unclear whether he was mocking or sympathizing. "Young Master Yang, the Lingling County Lady now has nine young masters in her backyard. I heard that they are all eyeing her covetously, like wolves looking for meat, and they are all eager to fight. Look at them. If you want family background, there is Cui Fufeng from the Cui family of Boling; if you want wealth, there is Jin Tang, the son of Chang'an's richest man; if you want looks, there is Yan Penglai, who is unparalleled in the world; if you want friendship, there is Shi Jingning, the county lady's childhood sweetheart; if you want to trace your ancestral style, there is Ji Linyou, the son of a general... Even if you want an obedient and cute little young master, there is the child prodigy Shangluo, and you--"

As he spoke, the man looked Yang Huaijiang up and down and asked in a drawn-out tone, "How could I have surpassed all these people to pluck this famous flower of Chang'an?"

Xue Xiyang listened and hummed in dissatisfaction: "They can't recognize Mount Tai with their eyes. How can I, Xue Xiyang, the knowledgeable and interesting Taiyue Cheng, not be as good as them?"

The sword-wielding attendant guarding the door heard the noise and immediately looked towards him.

Xue Xiyang smiled lightly, holding the music score as if nothing had happened, and walked along the corridor.

He was dressed in a brocade robe with a mud-gold begonia pattern. His appearance was so beautiful that it was almost enchanting, and his radiance was awe-inspiring. He was a perfect match for this kind of place of entertainment, and it was obvious at first glance that he was a regular here.

Seeing that there was nothing unusual, the attendants turned their eyes away and carefully closed the half-open window.

Xue Xiyang lowered his eyes to look at the music score, and only caught a glimpse of a pair of hands through the crack of the door, pushing a box to the opposite side.

He heard the man lower his voice and said to Yang Huaijiang: "Don't worry, Mr. Yang, this thing will definitely help you fulfill your wish."

Xue Xiyang turned around the corridor and walked briskly towards another pavilion.

He looked at the scheming eaves before him, his usual smile still on his lips. However, this smile and the cheerful laughter from the music could not dilute the coldness in his eyes.

He was the Minister of Music, and since birth he had been adept at distinguishing voices, possessing a pair of excellent ears. He only needed to hear the voices of the powerful people in Chang'an once and he would remember who they were.

He had heard that voice before.

The last time I heard this voice was when I was next to the prince.

He is from the East Palace.

Qian Deng felt uncomfortable with the fact that she had scolded her aunt's son before even meeting her. After hesitating for a moment, she changed into her casual plain clothes and slowly walked to the west courtyard with her maid.

As soon as I entered the courtyard, I heard a conversation. Lady Dingxiang was sitting in the hall, talking to Cui Fufeng next to her.

Through the open doorway, Lady Dingxiang saw Qiandeng approaching. Her face lit up with joy as she eagerly stood up to greet her: "Dengdeng, I'm glad to finally see you... In the blink of an eye, you've grown so big!"

After all, they are cousins ​​who grew up together, and Lady Dingxiang's figure and demeanor are somewhat similar to her mother's.

Seeing that she was still calling her like she did when she was little, Qian Deng couldn't help but feel sad. She held her outstretched hand and said, "Aunt, you have come all the way here. I hope you can forgive me for not being able to come and meet you."

Lady Dingxiang held her hand, tears welling in her eyes: "You little girl, the Emperor and Empress summoned you out of their care. Your aunt is overjoyed, how could she blame you?"

The two held hands and sat down inside. Seeing Qiandeng looking at him, Cui Fufeng smiled and explained, "My mother is from the eldest branch of the Yang family in Hongnong. Knowing that my aunt had come to Beijing to help manage the affairs of the palace, she prepared a small gift and asked me to deliver it."

They were all relatives. On her side, she was my aunt, and on his side, he was my aunt—although they were not clan relatives, they were still related.

Madam Dingxiang held Qiandeng by the hand, looking her up and down, and sighed, "Dengdeng, you are still the same as when you were little... It's a pity that your aunt and you haven't seen each other for many years, and now that we meet again, it's like this."

Qiandeng's eyes were warm, and she raised her hand to wipe away the tears from the corners of her eyes, but she felt a lump in her throat and couldn't speak.

Madam Dingxiang's gaze lingered for a moment on the scar above her brow. She stroked her shoulder with relief and said, "I was worried when I heard you were disfigured, but it turns out it's just a small scar. Don't be afraid."

As she spoke, she turned around and instructed Madam Ge, who was accompanying her: "Quickly call the young master over, so we can have dinner together as relatives. Deng Deng, it's been years since you last saw Huai Jiang. We relatives should be more affectionate. You used to play together when you were little."