bookcurios Chapter 247 First Hearing Chu Ning'an
Chapter 247 First Hearing Chu Ning'an
The clinic in the capital was being renovated, and the workshop in Pinggu was being planned. Everything was proceeding in full swing according to Ru Yue's plan. Both places seemed very busy, but Ru Yue was extremely bored at this time.
She and Fengying shuttled between the restaurants and teahouses in the capital every day, listening to the rumors from the mouths of the common people.
As the days passed, they heard more and more stories, and Ru Yue gradually gained a more comprehensive and intuitive understanding of the major families in the capital. This information spread from the people was far more vivid and lively than the genealogies of the capital's aristocratic families provided by the Shadow Gate.
On this day, the weather was fine and the weather was nice. Ru Yue and Feng Ying were sitting in Qinxiang Garden, a well-known teahouse in the capital, drinking tea leisurely as usual.
The past few days have been repeating the same thing, listening to the same gossip. No matter how interesting the topic is, it is inevitable that these two young girls will feel a little uninterested at this moment.
Just as the two of them were sitting in silence, suddenly, a loud noise was heard.
Suddenly someone shouted, "Look! Look! The entire Wu'an Marquis family is heading to the Huguo Temple to pray for the prince who has been missing for three years!" These words were like a thunderclap that shook the world, ringing suddenly in Ru Yue's ears.
In an instant, she, who had been listless, suddenly became energetic and full of life. She hurriedly put down the teacup in her hand, raised her head hastily, and looked out the window with her beautiful eyes, wanting to see what was going on.
At this moment, a long motorcade was slowly passing by downstairs, like a winding dragon, attracting everyone's attention. A young man of seventeen or eighteen years old, riding a tall and mighty horse, was seen walking at the front of the motorcade with a heroic demeanor.
When he passed by the teahouse, Ru Yue, who was sitting by the window, happened to catch this scene, but she only saw his back and a blurry silhouette of his profile.
Judging from his figure, this young man seemed to be around the same age as Chu Ning'an. Thinking of this, Ru Yue secretly wondered: Could this person be Chu Ning'an's half-brother? Thinking about it this way, it seemed quite logical.
Looking behind the young man, there were more than ten guards following closely. Although they wore soft armor and held sharp blades, in the standard attire of imperial guards, Ru Yue was keenly aware that they exuded a chilling aura.
This kind of aura could only be possessed by those who had truly fought on the battlefield and experienced life-and-death battles. Clearly, they were no ordinary guards in a marquis's mansion. Clearly, this Marquis Wu'an was no ordinary man.
In the center of the team, five or six beautifully decorated carriages were marching in sequence.
On the shaft of each carriage, in addition to the coachman who is responsible for driving, there is also a maid accompanying him.
The maids were also very well dressed, no less stylish than the masters of the houses of ordinary petty officials. This alone showed that the Marquis of Wu'an had made extremely meticulous arrangements for this trip.
At the very back, a pair of guards, each consisting of a dozen men, followed closely behind. Their steps were in unison, their movements precise and precise, their weapons gleaming with cold light. The entire team looked awe-inspiring and imposing, drawing the attention of passersby.
"Hey! The Wu'an Marquis Mansion really cares too much about the lost prince! Every now and then they go to burn incense and pray for the unlucky and unlucky prince!" A shrill voice shouted in the teahouse.
"Care about it? Humph! If you really care about it so much, how could you lose a child who is only fourteen or fifteen years old? I think you are just trying to fool you bunch of fools who know nothing!" Immediately afterwards, a rough voice rang out in the teahouse like thunder.
"Oh! Blind Tang, could it be that you, Mr. Tang, have heard some new news? Stop keeping us in suspense and tell us about it right away!" A slightly joking voice came from the center of the lobby.
The man called Blind Tang shook his head and said with disdain, "What new news do you want? Use your brains to think about it carefully. A young man of fourteen or fifteen years old is old enough to get married and start a family. If he is still alive and kicking, can he not even find his own door?"
"What? According to you... the prince of the Marquis of Wu'an is already... no longer alive?" The originally joking voice suddenly lowered to a very low voice at the end, as if afraid of being heard by others.
Instantly, the noise and chatter around them died down considerably, as if everyone pricked up their ears, eagerly waiting for these two to spill some more juicy gossip to lighten the mood. The entire teahouse was enveloped in an eerie and tense atmosphere.
However, what was surprising was that Blind Tang did not make any sound at all, as if the words he had said before were just to ridicule everyone's ignorance.
At this moment, the joking voice suddenly rang out: "Waiter, you'd better be quick and bring Mr. Tang a pot of the best tea!" Although the voice sounded much more serious than before, the eagerness to find out the gossip in it could not be concealed in any way.
There was only a clear and loud response: "Okay!" The young waiter responded with a smile on his face and quick hands and feet, "I will bring you a pot of Queshe tea before the Qingming Festival right away. Please enjoy it slowly, sir." As soon as the words fell, the whole teahouse fell into a brief silence.
After a while, the teahouse, which had been quiet, returned to its former bustle and bustle. However, the voice that had just been full of joking had changed its location and sat directly at the table where Blind Tang was sitting.
Ru Yue and Feng Ying were originally seated by the window, just one table away from Blind Tang. This seating arrangement was perfect for observing others and listening to conversations.
Ru Yue carefully moved the stool under her back a little, then turned her body slightly to the side and began to look carefully with a focused and sharp gaze.
The man called Blind Tang happened to be facing her direction. He was wearing a half-new, half-worn brown cross-collared gown that hung loosely on his extremely thin body, as if a gust of wind could blow him down.
Looking at his face again, it was as pale as paper, as if he had just experienced a serious illness and had not yet fully recovered. He looked extremely haggard and weak.
Even so, when Ru Yue's gaze fell on his eyes, she couldn't help but feel a shock in her heart. Although those eyes were half-closed at the moment, a gleam of brilliance would occasionally flash through them, making it impossible to ignore.
With a woman's keen intuition, Ru Yue knew very well that this man was not really blind, and his eyes might be hiding something extraordinary!
As for the man jokingly speaking, his back was facing Ru Yue, making it difficult for her to see his features. However, judging from his back, his large, navy blue robe barely concealed the bulging flesh, obscuring nearly half of Ru Yue's view. Without a doubt, this guy was a complete and utterly obese man!
At this time, the fat man asked in a voice full of excitement and curiosity, "Hey, what's the latest news in the Wu'an Marquis Mansion? Mr. Tang, please tell us about it!"
Hearing this, Blind Tang slowly picked up the cup of fresh tea beside him and took a sip. Then, he closed his eyes, tilted his head back slightly, and wore an expression of ecstasy and enjoyment, as if he were savoring the world's finest wine. After a long moment, he slowly opened his eyes, as if sobering from a drunken stupor, and let out a soft chuckle.
"Then the Marquis of Wu'an's son should be eighteen years old this year! He has been missing for three whole years. If he were still alive, wouldn't he want to come home?" As Blind Tang spoke, he calmly picked up the teacup and took a sip, then slowly put the cup down and continued, "In my opinion, Chu Ning'an is most likely no longer in this world!" As soon as he said this, it was as if a blockbuster bomb was dropped in the hearts of everyone present, causing an uproar in an instant.
However, Blind Tang acted as if he hadn't heard anything and continued to talk to himself, "Have you all forgotten Madam Chu's last words before she died?"
This sentence was like a sharp sword, piercing the fat man's heart. The fat man's face turned pale, and his lips trembled slightly. He wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't utter a word. The whole person fell into a dead silence like a deflated ball.
At this moment, everyone's attention was drawn to the two people at the table, as if they were all familiar with the mysterious Mrs. Chu's last words. The whole scene was so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the next words.
After a long while, the fat man finally came back to his senses and stammered, "This... isn't there still two years before the kid's coming of age ceremony... Maybe, maybe he is just trapped somewhere and can't get out for the time being..." Although he tried hard to prove that Prince Chu was still alive, his tone was obviously lacking in confidence.
At this moment, Blind Tang suddenly leaned close to the fat man's ear and said in a deliberately low voice: "Hehe, I heard that the current emperor intends to let Marquis Wu'an re-appoint the prince. After all, this title can't remain vacant forever. But who knew that Marquis Wu'an was so ungrateful that he directly rejected the emperor's kindness. Not only that, he also said that if he still can't find his legitimate son in two years, he will return this hereditary title to the court intact after he retires and returns home!" After speaking, Blind Tang looked around seriously, as if he was afraid that someone would eavesdrop on his confidential remarks.
"No way! How is this possible? That's a title, and you just say you don't want it?" The fat man stared with a pair of big eyes like copper bells, his face full of disbelief, and his mouth opened so wide that it seemed as if an egg could be stuffed in.
He shook his head vigorously and muttered, "This is simply unbelievable. Who would be so stupid? To give up such a good title..."
After a brief pause, the fat man seemed to suddenly think of something and continued, "If that's the case, then what are those people in Wu'an Marquis' Mansion doing? Do they think that burning incense and praying to Buddha will bring the dead back to life? Even if they can really come back to life, according to the will, shouldn't the title still be inherited by that prince? What does this living person have to do with it?"
At this time, Blind Tang, who was sitting next to him, slowly picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea. However, as soon as he swallowed the tea, he frowned slightly, and his face showed an extremely unhappy expression, as if he was very dissatisfied with the taste of the tea.
He casually placed the cup on the table and refilled his own cup. This time, he carefully sniffed the tea before taking a small sip. As the tea slowly slid down his throat, his tense expression finally relaxed, and he seemed to be in a much better mood.
Blind Tang shifted his body, leaning his head closer. He deliberately put on a mysterious look and lowered his voice, saying, "You still haven't figured out what's going on here? The current emperor specifically instructed Marquis Wu'an to re-establish the crown prince. The profound meaning behind this is not simple! What does it mean?"
When it came to the key point, Blind Tang suddenly stopped talking, a barely perceptible smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he looked at the anxious fat man opposite him with a playful look.
"Oh! Brother Tang, please tell me faster! Stop keeping me in suspense. It's driving me crazy!" The fat man could no longer contain his inner anxiety and started yelling at the top of his voice.
His rough and urgent voice echoed in the room, shaking the beams so much that they seemed to tremble slightly.
"Don't you understand?" Blind Tang narrowed his cloudy yet gleaming eyes, a meaningful smile playing on his lips as he spoke slowly, "As long as we can serve Marquis Wu'an well, and he opens up just a little, then the position of Crown Prince will be as easy as taking something out of a bag. It will fall into our pockets easily."
His words were like a revelation, instantly awakening everyone present. For a moment, discussions broke out, people whispered to each other, and sighed.
"And more! Think about it, that mansion has been announcing in such a high-profile manner every now and then that they want to pray for the previous prince, burning incense and worshiping Buddha, and kneeling on the ground to pray. Who knows what they are praying for? Hehehe..." Having said that, Blind Tang deliberately paused, with a cunning look on his face.
Seeing everyone's puzzled expressions, he lowered his voice and continued, "Actually, by doing this, they can, firstly, perform well in front of Marquis Wu'an and win his favor; secondly, they can gain a reputation as virtuous and kind in the eyes of the people in the capital. This strategy kills two birds with one stone, isn't it the best of both worlds? Why not do it?"
As soon as he finished speaking, everyone present suddenly understood and was filled with admiration for Blind Tang's brilliant remarks. They all praised him, saying that Blind Tang had a sharp vision and unique insights, which were truly brilliant.
At this moment, Ru Yue couldn't help but be drawn to it. She looked downstairs again and saw that the Wu'an Marquis Mansion's motorcade had long since disappeared without a trace. The streets, which had been a little deserted due to the passing of the motorcade, had now returned to their former bustle and liveliness.
Her gaze involuntarily shifted to Blind Tang, who sat across the table from her. She thought to herself, "This guy looks ordinary, but I didn't expect him to have such profound insight and a sharp mind. His remarks today have truly impressed me. He must be quite capable, for he's so insightful."