Some people are born politicians. The two individuals' viewpoints differed significantly from any advisors he had encountered before, striking him as both novel and reasonable.
He couldn't help but engage in further discussion with them, feeling a sense of regret that they hadn't met sooner. No wonder his son always spoke so highly of them; they were truly reclusive great scholars. He suddenly felt that his own advisors were in no way comparable to these two, and he had an urge to poach them from his son.
They conversed cordially, and by the time dusk began to fall, they were finally leaving King Yang's study. King Yang personally escorted them to the courtyard entrance. Wu Caiwei looked up and saw He Sheng. The others, aware of the rift between mother and son, tactfully excused themselves.
Seeing this, He Sheng quickly stepped forward, approaching his mother. He said somewhat fawningly, "Mother, how have you been these past few days? Are you still angry with your son?"
"It's not quite anger at you. I've been rather busy lately and had forgotten about it. People don't seek you out unless they need something. Tell me, what is the real reason you've come to find me today?" Wu Caiwei, who had initially thought her son was somewhat sensible, had seen through him after this period. He appeared sharp on the surface, but in reality, he was indecisive when faced with matters, unable to consider the long term.
He Sheng scratched his head sheepishly, smiling awkwardly. "I'm glad you're not angry, Mother. You've been very busy lately, and I've been overlooked. I've been here for so long, idle at home with nothing to do. Xia He suggested I come to you to see if you could arrange something for me to do."
"Have you learned all the martial arts I taught you? If you think you've learned well, you can come find me, and we can spar." In the capital, Yang Hanye had the final say, and he could arrange his son wherever he pleased. But now that they were in King Yang's fiefdom, this was King Yang's domain. He hadn't even seen Yang Hanye trying to appease his father. King Yang had many sons, and even if he was the heir apparent, the first in line, it wasn't guaranteed that King Yang would leave all his resources to him. She didn't want her son to get caught up in any trouble before she had a clear understanding of the situation.
He Sheng fell silent upon hearing this. Even if he believed his current martial arts skills were not weak, he recalled that generals who had practiced martial arts had said they couldn't withstand even one move from his mother. Although he felt a bit hurt and disappointed, he didn't feel ashamed. He had heard that even the great generals under King Li were no match for her, let alone himself. He would never dare to spar with her. After listening to his mother's words, he could only quietly acknowledge them and leave dejectedly.
Seeing him return to the courtyard and practice martial arts as a way to vent his frustrations, Xia He guessed that he had met with a cold reception from his mother. She felt a sense of "I knew it." She had advised her husband not to associate too closely with Zhang Dashan and the others, but he always said they were his biological father and that he couldn't stand by and watch him suffer. Back then, they had arrived with nothing, not even a grain of rice, and he hadn't worried about how they would survive. Now, he was worried about others. What a foolish person.
She then shook her head, a wry smile on her lips. Regardless, her husband's luck was truly good. On their escape, his mother had looked after him, and he hadn't suffered much. When she herself had come from the north, if she had been as soft-hearted as her husband, she would never have reached this place, nor would she have survived.
One day, Wu Caiwei and Chen Renjie were strolling through the streets, looking at this and that. From a distance, they saw Yang Hanye entangled with a woman. They exchanged a glance and confirmed they weren't mistaken. With a touch of curiosity, they walked closer.
In the short distance of a few dozen steps, they were already surrounded by onlookers. Before they even got close, they heard Yang Hanye exclaim in exasperation, "What? You want me to take responsibility? I'm telling you, I have a fiancée. If you continue to pester me like this, it will damage your reputation."
"You saved me from the water in front of so many people that day. I was unconscious at the time, but we already had physical contact. If I don't marry you, who else can I marry?" The woman looked at him with a wronged expression, her eyes glistening with tears, as if she would burst into tears if he said anything more to refuse.
Yang Hanye looked at her speechlessly. If he had known that doing a good deed would be so troublesome, he would have brought more attendants with him. That way, he wouldn't have found himself alone and had to jump into the water to save someone. He had left without a word, thinking the matter would end there. He never expected to be stopped on the street today by someone who, as if afraid he would escape, tightly grasped his sleeve. He looked at her for a long time, unable to recall where he had met her before.
He hadn't expected the woman to demand responsibility from him at every turn. Although his fiancée was not the woman he ideally wanted, he yearned for the relationship between Wu Caiwei and Chen Renjie. He knew that with his lawful wife not yet married, he couldn't casually take a concubine, and he absolutely refused.
The other party recounted the events of that day. It was then that he carefully observed the woman before him. So, it was her. Her eyes had been closed that day, and he had only thought her very delicate. But today, she appeared lively before him, her large eyes darting around, clearly a mischievous woman with a hint of cunning.
Seeing that he remained silent, the woman prepared to be obstinate. "Although I haven't met you, my maid has. The moment she saw you, she recognized you. Don't even think about denying it."
Yang Hanye felt speechless watching the crowd point and whisper. Today's events would surely reach the Liu family, and she would hear about it. He wondered what she would think of him.
Originally, Wu Caiwei didn't want to interfere in such matters, but since she was bound to Yang Hanye, she stepped forward. Smiling, she looked at the young lady and said, "This young gentleman has a fiancée, and they have been childhood sweethearts. It's impossible for them to break off the engagement. He saved you out of kindness that day, and it was under special circumstances. There was no intentional offense, and everyone took it in stride. If you continue to pester him, given his family background, you can only become his concubine. Why do that?"
"Become his concubine? That's impossible! My father is the foremost general under the King. How could I possibly become his concubine? You say his status is noble, but can it be higher than that of the heir apparent? If he had an identity as high as the heir apparent, I would accept being his concubine. But look at him, his clothing is plain, and he doesn't even have a guard. How could he be from a wealthy family? I can only say his family is reasonably well-off. Marrying him would be a great advantage for him, yet he's being so reluctant. This young lady also has pride." The woman said angrily. The incident had already passed, but when her maid pointed out Yang Hanye, her heart fluttered, and she didn't want to let go. She could only find this excuse to stop him. She hadn't expected him to remain unmoved even after she had said so much. Su Dan Novel Network
Wu Caiwei looked at her speechlessly, feeling deep sympathy.