Chapter 9 His Majesty's Aggression
"Miss Song." The man stepped forward and seemed to consider for a long time before speaking to His Majesty, "Mr. Chen."
Chan Zhen didn't know how he recognized her through the curtain, but since he had been recognized, she admitted it openly and bowed to him: "Master Ye."
The person who came was Ye Qingtang, the eldest son of Prefect Ye.
Chen Dingyao's eyes darkened slightly. This person was quite shrewd, not directly pointing out their identities on the street. But knowing their identities, he greeted Chan Zhen first, even recognizing him through the veil. These thoughts...
"Chanzhen, who is this young man?" He turned around and asked, with a smile on his face but not in his eyes.
Chan Zhen always felt that His Majesty's smile was quite dangerous, so he explained with a stiff upper lip: "This is the eldest son of the Ye Taishou residence."
"So you're Ye Qing's beloved son." Chen Dingyao looked at him with a half-smile, "You're truly a young talent."
Ye Qingtang was not a dull person, so he could naturally hear that His Majesty's attitude towards him was not friendly, but he did not think much about it. After all, he had always heard that His Majesty had an unpredictable personality.
He simply replied in a deep voice, "Young Master, you are too kind. Qingtang had no intention of disturbing you and Miss Song, but seeing that you were not accompanied by any guards, I was quite worried and stopped for a moment. I beg your forgiveness."
"Really?" Chen Dingyao's eyes were sharp. "Is this why Master Ye stopped? Ha, then I have to praise you for your loyalty to the emperor and your patriotism."
Ye Qingtang was bearing immense pressure from him, but his voice remained calm. "Young Master Chen's safety is of paramount importance, so Qingtang has to pay close attention. If there is any disturbance, Qingtang will leave and will not reveal any of Young Master Chen's whereabouts to anyone else. Young Master, rest assured."
After hearing his words, Chen Dingyao laughed out loud.
"How could I be one of those petty-minded people? Qingtang is devoted to the king. If everyone around me were as loyal and virtuous as you, I would have fewer worries."
"There are so many talented people around the young master, Qingtang really can't take on the responsibility." Ye Qingtang truly felt the emperor's mood swings. Although the emperor seemed happy now, the pressure on him did not ease at all, making him dare not relax at all.
Chan Zhen watched the conversation between the two silently from the side, unable to get a word in. He just felt that the harmony between the king and his subject was worthy of being passed down as a good story, but when he savored it carefully, it was as if he had experienced several sword fights.
One is His Majesty, and the other is the eldest son of the prefect's mansion. She cannot afford to offend either of them, and they have nothing to do with her, so she might as well just be an outsider.
But someone just wanted to drag her into the game.
"Qingtang, why are you so modest?" Chen Dingyao narrowed his eyes slightly. He had a pair of phoenix eyes, but they didn't look as sentimental as a woman's. Instead, they were so sharp that people dared not look directly at them. "Meeting is fate. It has been a long time since I have spoken with a young talent like you. Why don't we find a restaurant and sit down so that I can get a closer look at the people's lives and customs in Jiangnan."
Then, he turned around and saw Zen Zhen, who looked as if he had nothing to do with the matter, with his eyes not even fixed on him. He felt a little angry, but his voice became gentler. "Zen Zhen, you must be tired after walking for a long time. Why don't you sit down and rest for a while?"
Zenzhen felt his arm clasped around his waist, feeling speechless. His Majesty was always like this, speaking in a negotiating tone but never giving anyone the chance to refuse.
"I'll listen to you." His Majesty was holding her so tightly, where else could she go on her own?
Chen Dingyao glanced at Ye Qingtang and saw that his body had indeed stiffened a little when Chan Zhen spoke. A hint of coldness flashed in his eyes. Sure enough, this guy had some intentions towards Chan Zhen.
"Then please lead the way, Qingtang." Although he had murderous intentions in his heart, he did not show any trace of it on his face, and still maintained a dignified and gentle appearance in front of Chan Zhen.
Ye Qingtang clenched his fists and tried his best not to reveal any inappropriate thoughts in front of His Majesty.
"Qingtang obeys the order."
The three of them found a restaurant and sat down in a private room by the window.
Looking out the window, the vibrant streets unfolded before his eyes, like a scroll slowly unfolding before his eyes. Chan Zhen suddenly became curious. He wondered what the emperor saw. Standing so high up, the view must be even more magnificent and far-reaching, right?
"Chanzhen?" A cup of hot tea was suddenly handed to him. Emerald green tea leaves drifted leisurely in the clear broth, and the snow-white tea foam resembled pear blossoms, emitting a refreshing fragrance. Chanzhen looked up and met His Majesty's gentle gaze, appearing a little hazy in the slowly rising heat.
She gladly accepted it: "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"Although it's not as good as the imperial tea, it's fine for quenching thirst." Chen Dingyao took a sip and put it down. "What do you think, Qingtang?"
Ye Qingtang sat down without making any further movement. He only responded after hearing his question, "Your Majesty is a descendant of the royal family. Such vulgar things are naturally unworthy of your Majesty's status."
"Is that so?" Chen Dingyao slowly played with another empty teacup in his hand, speaking in a leisurely voice, "Vulgar things are unworthy of my status. So if there is a vulgar person who covets my things, what do you think Qingtang will do?"
Ye Qingtang suddenly broke out in a cold sweat, forcing himself to remain calm: "Your Majesty, you are overthinking. I would like to ask, who in this world would dare to covet your Majesty's things?"
"Haha." Chen Dingyao laughed, his eyes full of amusement. "There are many brave people in this world."
He flicked his finger lightly, and the teacup he was playing with landed steadily on the table. "Has Qingtang married yet?"
Ye Qingtang felt an invisible pressure coming towards him. He lowered his head and did not dare to look at Miss Song who was standing beside His Majesty.
"Your Majesty, Qingtang has not yet married."
"Oh? Why is that?" Chen Dingyao seemed curious. "Qingtang is a talented young man, born in a prefectural government, so why is he still unmarried?"
Ye Qingtang folded his arms, "In the past, General Huo Qubing once said, 'How can I start a family if the Xiongnu hasn't been defeated?' Since I was young, Qingtang has been determined to learn from General Huo and will never get married until I pass the imperial examination."
"Ye Qing actually let you go?" Chen Dingyao seemed to accept his words, and there was a hint of sigh in his tone. "The General of the Cavalry was ambitious in his youth. At such a young age, he defeated the Xiongnu and won great military exploits. It is truly admirable. Unfortunately, he died young due to illness. The fact that he did not have any offspring became a concern for Emperor Wu in his later years. I don't wish the same for my subjects. How about I arrange a marriage for you?"
"Your Majesty!" Ye Qingtang could no longer maintain his composure, and his voice changed tone.
Chen Dingyao slowly raised his eyes, "Is there anything that Qingtang is dissatisfied with?"
Although his voice was soft, it contained an authority that could not be disobeyed, causing Ye Qingtang to break out in a cold sweat and unable to utter another word.
The atmosphere in the box was deadlocked for a while, and it was finally Zen Zhen who broke the deadlock.
"Your Majesty, I have brewed a cup of tea for you, would you like to try it?" Chan Zhen held the cup in both hands, raised it in front of him like a treasure, and smiled at him with curved eyes.
Chen Dingyao was interrupted by her and shook his head helplessly: "Chen Zhen, you really are..."
Chan Zhendang didn't notice anything unusual, but simply frowned. "I spent a lot of effort to brew this cup of tea, Your Majesty, won't you try it? Do you think I'm disgusted with my craftsmanship? Well, I grew up in the countryside, and I can't compare to the craftsmanship of your palace."
Her expression remained calm, as usual, but her palms were sweating with nervousness, fearing His Majesty would see through her intentions. But Master Ye had helped her before, and she couldn't help but repay him. It was the first time she'd seen Master Ye so flustered and unmannerly, and she wondered what had gotten into His Majesty to be so irritated with him.
Chen Dingyao had been with her for many years in his previous life and was well aware of her various little habits, not to mention that she had no idea how to hide them. He saw that Chan Zhen wanted to help Ye Qingtang but didn't say it directly. He simply took the teacup from her hand and said, "When have I ever disliked you? Chan Zhen, please don't wrong me."
Chan Zhen tried her best to appear calm and said with a smile, "I have always known that Your Majesty is the most wise and powerful."
"Oh?" Chen Dingyao looked at her erratic eyes and suppressed a smile in his heart, "Then tell me, Zen Zhen, where is my wisdom and might?"
Zen Zhen racked his brains, his brows furrowed in thought. "Your Majesty... Your Majesty is very sympathetic to the people's livelihood and even cares about the people's marriages."
She raised her eyes and glanced at His Majesty secretly, and saw that he was sipping the tea she handed him with his brows lowered, and seemed not to realize that she was lying. She breathed a sigh of relief and dared to say the rest of the words.
"However, I believe that marriage is no joke and requires the consent of the parties involved. Otherwise, getting involved in the wrong marriage will only lead to setbacks."
"Hmm." Chen Dingyao finished his tea, gently placed the cup on the table, and said in agreement, "What Chanzhen said makes sense. I appreciate your advice."
Hearing this, Ye Qingtang finally felt relieved. He figured His Majesty wouldn't insist on arranging a marriage for him anymore. He also wanted to thank Miss Song. Judging from His Majesty's attitude, he seemed to be very fond of her...
Chan Zhen couldn't help but secretly rejoice. She had finally helped Young Master Ye out of his predicament. She hadn't expected His Majesty to be so easy to talk to. Her eyes narrowed with joy. "Young Master Ye is still young, so there's no rush for marriage. Perhaps after he passes the imperial examination, he'll meet the person he truly desires and find a happy marriage."
After hearing her words, Chen Dingyao's subtle sense of unease finally dissipated. Ye Qingtang had some intentions towards Chan Zhen, but Chan Zhen had never taken him seriously.
"As Chan Zhen said, marriage requires the consent of the parties involved. So what does Chan Zhen think about his own marriage?" Chen Dingyao finally took this opportunity to ask the question he wanted to know most.
In this life, is Zenzhen willing to be his woman?
Chan Zhen's smile froze slightly, and under His Majesty's intense gaze, she slowly lowered her head, "Of course I am willing."
Lie. For the first time, Chen Dingyao hated himself for being so familiar with her habits, for being able to see through her guilty conscience at a glance, making it impossible for him to even deceive himself that she was willing.
He slowly clenched the teacup in his hand. Even though his heart was in turmoil, his face remained calm and cheerful.
"Zen is best when it is truly willing to do so."
Even if he didn't want to, he couldn't let go of her.
Chanzhen suddenly lost the mood to wander around and enjoy the scenery. Even after leaving the yard, she still did not feel much freedom next to His Majesty.
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