Chapter 829: Chapter 491: Your Grace, Please Behave Yourself!
“You’re leaving?”
After pondering for a moment, Noble Consort Yang spoke.
For some reason, upon seeing Chen Yuan, that inexplicable feeling in her heart arose again, as if they were incredibly close.
Chen Yuan nodded, not feeling surprised, and said:
“Leaving tomorrow, to take the position of Golden Envoy in Liangzhou.”
“Congratulations, reaching such a high position at this young age. In the future, your prospects will surely be unimaginable, and our mother and son might truly have to rely on you.”
Noble Consort Yang’s family’s influence was insufficient to help Sima Ke much, especially after Yang Hucheng was exiled to the distant borders, weakening significantly.
The family had no promising descendants.
“That will have to be discussed later.”
Chen Yuan did not make any promises to her; he was always extremely wary of Sima Ke and his mother. Even though he had used certain means to influence Noble Consort Yang’s mindset, he never considered her one of his own.
To him, she was merely a pawn that could be discarded at any time.
Similarly, he believed Sima Ke must think the same. Despite his honest appearance, who could truly know what was on his mind?
Noble Consort Yang walked up to Chen Yuan, her heart trembling at his calm eyes, but she forced herself to stay composed and said solemnly, “I still say this: as long as you can help Ke’er ascend to the position of Crown Prince, you can have whatever you want.”
Chen Yuan’s lips curved slightly, seemingly with disdain:
“Your Highness, please have some self-respect. All I wish for is to loyally serve the country. What bad intentions could I have? Moreover, does Your Highness think I lack women?”
He would not be manipulated by a mere woman.
Women are nothing but beautiful skeletons.
“Really?”
Noble Consort Yang placed her delicate hand on Chen Yuan’s shoulder and leaned in to whisper:
“Can those ordinary women compare to me? Besides, I’ve heard the Green Envoy has unusual tastes, don’t you want to taste what it’s like with the Emperor’s woman?”
She didn’t know why she said such shameful words, but looking at Chen Yuan’s calm gaze, the words just slipped out.
As a woman, she couldn’t allow a man to disregard her.
Chen Yuan squinted his eyes, about to say something when suddenly, there was a knock at the door from the old steward outside:
“Master, the Fourth Prince has come to visit.”
Hearing this, Noble Consort Yang’s eyes widened in shock, immediately withdrawing her hand, a bit flustered. She absolutely couldn’t let Ke’er find her here.
Otherwise, she truly wouldn’t be able to face him in the future.
Especially after scolding him during the noon for his words; if he found out his mother was at the Chen Residence, anyone with a bit of sense would wonder what to think.
“Is there a place to hide here? I can’t let Ke’er discover me.” Noble Consort Yang anxiously looked at Chen Yuan and said.
“There’s nowhere to hide here, Your Highness, so you should leave quickly while the Fourth Prince hasn’t arrived yet.” Chen Yuan said with a smile to Noble Consort Yang.
Noble Consort Yang glanced around the room; indeed, there was nowhere to hide in this study. Just as she was about to open the door to leave, Sima Ke’s voice came from outside:
“I heard the Green Envoy has been promoted, so Ke’er came to see him off.”
Hearing this familiar voice, Noble Consort Yang’s face showed even more panic, her gaze quickly turning to Chen Yuan, hoping he could come up with a solution.
Chen Yuan’s eyes flickered, and he spoke softly:
“Your Highness should humble yourself and hide under the table.”
As he spoke, he pointed underneath.
“But this…”
Noble Consort Yang looked at the empty table, a bit puzzled. It couldn’t hide much, but Chen Yuan gave a mysterious smile, grabbed the curtain beside him, and spread it over the table.
Noble Consort Yang hesitated for a moment, then turned to glance at Sima Ke outside, steeled her resolve, and crawled under the table. Since the table was too small, she was curled up entirely next to Chen Yuan, closing her eyes and praying Ke’er wouldn’t discover her.
Chen Yuan casually waved his hand, concealing some of Noble Consort Yang’s Qi.
Sima Ke, who was outside, felt unsettled as the room remained silent for a long time, but finally heard Chen Yuan’s voice:
“Your Highness, please come in.”
Sima Ke immediately smiled and said:
“Alright.”
Then, he pushed open the door to the study and walked in with a calm expression.
“You have come at the right time, Your Highness.”
Chen Yuan did not stand up to greet him, simply looked at him and said calmly.
“Oh? What does the Green Envoy mean by that?”
Sima Ke asked, somewhat confused.
What does he mean, the right time?
“Tomorrow, I shall leave the Capital,”
Chen Yuan didn’t give him a chance to overthink, directly stating.
Sima Ke was taken aback:
“Why is the Green Envoy leaving so quickly? Is something the matter?”
Chen Yuan shook his head:
“There’s nothing for me to do in the Capital; why should I stay longer?”
“Indeed.”
Sima Ke forced a smile, his emotions complex. On the one hand, he hoped Chen Yuan’s promotion could help him in the future; on the other, he wished he would stay to assist during these most challenging times.
He also worried if Chen Yuan stayed too long in Liangzhou, he’d get too involved with Sima Qian or Sima You. According to what he knew, both Sima Ke and Sima You kept many beauties by their sides.
If…
“Why did Your Highness choose this time to visit? Is there something you wish to say?” Chen Yuan glanced at Sima Ke and directly asked his intentions.
Now that it was getting dark, even for farewells, one would typically choose a good time during the day. This late at night, first his mother secretly leaving the palace, then his son’s subsequent visit, was bound to make him think a lot.