Volume 3 Chapter 31
Sorrows Hidden In The Snow, Fu Xiang's Concerns
"Traitor! You Dare?!" The speaker was Song Ou who had woken up and got thrown into the group with the dukes and whatnot and ministers. Brother Bastard had been awake for a long time. Seeing his fiancée in a pinch, he naturally got angry: "Your majesty, you are a noble prince of royal lineage. Why would you listen to the nonsense of these barbarians from the pugilistic world?" After Long Zaitian separated the boundary between people from the pugilistic world and the imperial court's warriors, Fu Xiang was most worried about this. He was angry but he kept it inside and didn't show it on his face. He chuckled coldly and said: "I was wondering who it was. Turns out it's the Song family's eldest son. Your majesty, Young Master Song here comes from one of the seven white champion princes' families. He is very trusted by Emperor Yuan Sheng, so I do not think he will help us."
The purpose behind his words was to remove his position from the orange prince's mind.
In reality, Fu Xiang didn't have to go out of his way to say that since the orange prince had always looked down on Song Ou.
Song Ou and the orange prince do share somewhat similar backgrounds. They both come from families of high-standing which affected their fate. The difference between them was that the orange prince possessed an ambition and talents on par with his background, while Song Ou was just a good-for-nothing.
The orange prince's experiences allowed him to understand that while Song Ou was the eldest son of the Song family, he was just an abandoned pawn as well. Even if he did need to garner the support of the Song family once his rule was established, Song Ou was still unneeded. Given the orange prince's status, there was no need for him to ingratiate himself with Song Ou. That would only be lowering himself. If the Song family knew how to behave, they would send someone important to congratulate him. That's how an emperor was meant to communicate with the seven champion white princes. A strategy like ingratiating yourself with someone to form connections was something only people of the pugilistic world like Fu Xiang would think of. It's natural for him to think that in fact. He overlooked the fact that if the orange prince were to ascend the throne, then he would be the emperor. There's no emperor who would call on his ministers and ask to shake their hands. Having been in the pugilistic world for so long, there was no way Fu Xiang could comprehend the orange prince's thinking. So what Fu Xiang said was just unnecessary drivel.
Not getting any response from the orange prince, Song Ou started to panic: If Yiren were to become a courtesan, I would be too disgraced to show my face again! I won't be able to face anyone in Jiang Nan's martial world even if I am from the Song family!
"Your majesty, we can negotiate as long as you spare Yiren. I do not need anything. I just wish for Yiren to be okay."
Fu Xiang laughed and said: "You think you can get his majesty to change his mind with a word from you?" His tone sounded bland, but his deep desires virtually seeped into his tone. It was like you could detect him saying "make her a courtesan! Courtesan! Courtesan!".
"It does not matter what it is! As long as my Song family can meet your demand, you just have to say the word."
"You?" The orange prince sneered and responded: "What can you provide me? Even your fiancée that you have yet to marry can push you around. I don't think the Song family would even be willing to pay twenty taels to rescue you if I were to butcher you. Negotiate with you? What are we going to discuss, how to be a slave to your wife? Get lost!"
After he finished speaking, he kicked Song Ou aside. Though Song Ou wasn't poisoned by Thorn-tears, Fu Xiang personally sealed his meridians so he had no way of using any of his internal strength. As a matter of fact, he was worse off than Shen Yiren and everyone else. He almost passed out from the kick to his temple he received from the orange prince. He lay there on the ground without enough energy to even turn around.
"If I'm coming to discuss something, I'm going to discuss it with someone important." The orange prince let go of Shen Yiren's hair. Shen Yiren's hair fell down like clouds parting, which gave off an eloquent aura.
The orange prince bluntly said: "Shen Yiren, don't be impervious to an obvious situation. After I ascend the throne, you will still be Liu Shan Men's vice-captain."
The orange prince didn't actually consider making Shen Yiren be a courtesan. He was just enraged and in the moment. He needs many helpers once he ascends. The three offices are integral parts of the warrior-system that has existed for a hundred years. It's a deep-rooted tradition that can't be meddled with without careful deliberation. The orange prince can delegate different individuals, but he can't get rid of them entirely.
The Shen family has been officials for generations. They are the descendants of Liu Shan Men's patriarch, Flying Fish. They have always been the captain of Liu Shan Men. Though Shen Yiren's father wasn't as talented as Yan Shisan, he was still an established figure in the imperial court. The potential of those who remember the favour are not to be underestimated, even if they only remember ten-percent.
Furthermore, though there are few members at Liu Shan Men's office in the capital, if all of their constables spread out around the land were to come together, they would give their opponent a real headache. Forcing Liu Shan Men to revolt for a moment of joy wouldn't be to their benefit. The orange prince is good with war-strategies, so after careful deliberation, he came to grips with the pros and cons.
But it was hard for him to back down now because he said all that. As such, he now had to think of a way to back down without looking bad now.
"You sure?" Shen Yiren wrestled with the pain she felt and slowly sat up. She looked at the orange prince with a sharp glare and an aura of justice came up to her eyebrows: "If I am the captain of Liu Shan Men, the first thing I do will be to arrest you traitors and bring you before his highness."
With such decisive words, the deal was sealed. There was no turning back now. The orange prince was enraged by what he heard while Fu Xiang was gleeful.
He looked at Long Zaitian vengefully and then back at Shen Yiren's beauty. His original plan was to steal Shen Yiren away for himself once she became a courtesan. Hearing Shen Yiren butt-heads like that with the orange prince, he believed ninety-percent of the plan was successful.
Long Zaitian suddenly coughed and said: "Your majesty, I have something to say."
When the orange prince saw how Long Zaitian wanted to speak, he suddenly recalled that he already gifted Shen Yiren to him.
Fu Xiang knew he wanted to speak so he took initiative to strike pre-emptively: "General Long, I hope you are not going to ask his majesty to spare Shen Yiren. His majesty cannot go back on his words so easily." This is called "learn and apply". Now shut the hell up.
Long Zaitian however, ignored him and laughed. He pointed to the dark sky and said: "Your majesty, look. Look at the signs the heavens have sent. It is snowing so heavily and the sky is cloudless. What does that make you think of, your majesty?"
The orange prince's attention got taken in by him thereby forgetting the rude things Shen Yiren said.
"What about it? Isn't it just snow?"
When it comes down to it, it's my grand general that respects me. The orange prince forced himself to suppress his anger and he asked Long Zaitian: "Minister Long, what are you trying to say about this snow?"
"The meaning is noteworthy." Long Zaitian revealed a mysterious smile, "Today is the day you achieve your ambition and the heavens chose today to snow, creating a cloudless sky. Have you realised something, your majesty? It is sign of change the heavens have sent to respond to you, your majesty."
"Oh? Hehehe, I'm not that lucky, hahaha. Man, changes in the weather are normal. It's no big deal. It's just a coincidence." He was modest for a couple of sentences, but then he was somewhat perturbed, so he asked: "Minister Long, would you agree?"
"Of course it is not a coincidence. Think about it, your majesty. What day is it today?"
"What day?"
"It is three days before winter starts. Winter has yet to come so logically speaking, how would there be snow today? The heavens made it snow before the date which makes it a good omen!"
"Oh? Ahahaha. You're right. You're right! It certainly is a good omen!"
The two of them exchanged glances and then laughed loudly which led to Fu Xiang face-palming himself: God, these two retards……
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