Chapter 832: Chapter 492: Taking Office in Liangzhou!
Zhang Yantong pondered for a moment and then spoke.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Do you still need to hide it in front of your father? Haven’t you been infatuated with that kid Chen Yuan for a long time?”
“Father, don’t talk nonsense.”
Zhang’s second sister’s face flashed with a hint of embarrassment.
“Wanshu, you’ve already made it obvious, can your father pretend not to see? Didn’t you already put that Divine Talisman in the sachet and gave it to Chen Yuan?”
“Father, you… you are spying on me?”
Zhang Wanshu was somewhat dissatisfied.
“It’s for your own good.”
Zhang’s second sister snorted lightly, turned her head away and no longer looked at him.
“Chen Yuan is indeed an exceptional talent, but in truth, he is not a good match for you,” Zhang Yantong knew this was somewhat cruel, but he said it calmly.
“What do you mean, father?”
Zhang’s second sister looked a bit puzzled.
“Chen Yuan’s talent is unparalleled, and no one in the world can match it, but precisely because of this, he can’t be considered a good match. His character is passable, but your father can see that his desire for power is strong. Although he can’t be said to be someone who would abandon everything for profit, he would definitely abandon most of it!”
“Such a person often has high aspirations and would not be bound by romance; for you, actually…”
“A good man should have ambitions beyond! If Chen Yuan were really bound by romance, I guess I wouldn’t look up to him either,” Zhang Wanshu immediately retorted.
Seeing the expression in his daughter’s eyes, Zhang Yantong frowned but decided to say something to make her give up:
“Do you know about the recent rumors regarding Chen Yuan and Princess Pingyang?”
“Isn’t this just a rumor?”
Zhang’s second sister asked.
But Zhang Yantong smiled mysteriously:
“Rumor? Have you ever wondered where this ‘rumor’ came from? It can’t just arise from nothing, right?”
“What do you mean, father?”
Zhang Wanshu frowned.
“Yes, this rumor, in your father’s opinion, was instigated by His Majesty, facing a genius like Chen Yuan, a future True Monarch candidate, how could the emperor not try to win him over?
And to tie such a person down, nothing would be better than letting the princess marry him, forming a family alliance, maybe even other methods would be used.”
Zhang Yantong’s gaze was serious as he continued:
“The emperor has a cold-hearted nature and extraordinary means, he would definitely use Chen Yuan as a sharp sword against some of the court’s decline.
I’ve been thinking about it these past few days and feel that Chen Yuan’s swift rise to the position of Golden Envoy in Liangzhou is probably at the behest of the emperor,
If Chen Yuan performs well in Liangzhou, he would definitely find a way to grant him marriage as reward for his merit, and even if he doesn’t do well, he would think of other ways,
In short, to compete with the emperor for talent, to compete with the princess for a husband, Wanshu, do you think you can do it? Do you think the Zhang Family has the strength to oppose the Royal Family?”
Although this was somewhat cruel, Zhang Yantong felt it was better to tell her sooner.
Although previous notions were just some of his guesses, he felt that these guesses were extremely likely to come true.
After listening, Zhang’s second sister opened her mouth, remained silent for a long time:
“I understand.”
She had no confidence in competing with the princess for a husband, and opposing the Royal Family was not her desire either, because it would bring disaster to the Zhang Family.
Seeing the disappointed look in his daughter’s eyes, Zhang Yantong felt somewhat reluctant, speaking in a deep voice:
“This is just the most important reason, but there are other reasons.”
“What?”
“Although Chen Yuan claims to be uninterested in women, he is not alone. As far as I know, he keeps quite a few women,
the one from Tangshan Prefecture is just one of them, even without the princess and the emperor, do you want to be lesser, Wanshu?”
The many women were indeed a kind lie from Zhang Yantong, he just didn’t want to see his daughter become crestfallen for Chen Yuan, he indeed valued Chen Yuan, seeing him as a future strongman.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sat by while Wanshu gifted the Divine Talisman to Chen Yuan.
But strategy is strategy, unrelated to family.
Zhang Wanshu looked up at Zhang Yantong, nodded, and said no more.
She believed the previous words, but if it was said that Chen Yuan had many women, she completely did not believe it, Zhang Xuan had been in communication with her for a long time, already knowing some things about Chen Yuan.
The most related women to Chen Yuan were only two, and neither posed any major threat, Shen Yanshu had already parted and entered Goddess Palace for cultivation.
Lady Xu was too old, at most she could only be a concubine.
In comparison, Chen Yuan was already quite restrained.
The nobles in the Capital, who among them were not with multiple wives and concubines?
Even her father didn’t have only one woman, under such customs, Zhang’s second sister felt two women were not a problem.
As for being devoted to one, these were so few, that she did not hope for it.
Just looking at the fish in the lake, she said silently:
“You fellow, why be so excellent? Can’t you be mediocre?”
…
…
“No.”
Inside Chunhua Palace, Noble Consort Yang directly rejected the items in the maid’s hands.
“Lady, these are the chosen jade bamboos carefully selected from the treasury by your maid, can you specify some requirements so the maids can find it?”
The maid knelt on the ground and spoke softly.
Noble Consort Yang’s eyes flickered, and after a long time, she said:
“These jade bamboos are too thin, not good for play, Qing’er, you… go find a bigger one for me.”