Luck Reliant Beauty – CH 186

Chapter 186: Interrogation

Jiang Mi glanced back at Chai Zongxun with a half smile, half mockery, and said languidly, “Your Highness is truly clever.

She actually admitted it directly.

Just then, Chai Zongxun noticed that Jiang Mi’s belt was slightly wrinkled at the back, clearly indicating that she had loosened it and then hastily adjusted her clothes… No wonder this woman lingered outside for so long; she had been out having a good time.

Chai Zongxun could not help but say, “Madam certainly has a lot of leisure time.”

Jiang Mi, of course, had no idea what he was thinking. Seeing Cui Zi Xuan looking at her, Jiang Mi glared at him fiercely. Then, she turned to Chai Zongxun and said with a half smile, “Your Highness, have you not heard that women also have their prime years?”

This was practically lewd talk. Chai Zongxun laughed and said, “I advise Madam to take it easy.” When he turned away, his face had darkened. Returning to his seat, Chai Zongxun remarked with a hint of disgust, “This Lady Yang is indeed a wanton woman.” He then pointed to the third and fifth beauties separated by a screen in the hall and ordered, “Bring those two beauties to me tonight; I wish to favor them.”

Originally, his plan for the evening was to take Lady Yang, but she had truly disgusted him. Chai Zongxun felt he needed to indulge in the company of a few pure and virtuous young ladies to cleanse his mind, hence this order.

Upon receiving his words, two eunuchs bowed behind him and replied, “Your Highness, rest assured, we will immediately go and speak to their Clan.” In a flash, the two eunuchs silently withdrew.

Chai Zongxun turned and glanced again at the two shy, graceful young women, sighing with satisfaction, “I do indeed prefer women who are clean and dignified.”

Upon hearing this, the guards and eunuchs standing behind him quickly bowed and smiled obsequiously.

Meanwhile, Jiang Mi knew at a glance that Chai Zongxun was temporarily uninterested in her. She breathed a satisfied sigh of relief.

Just then, a noblewoman walked gracefully towards her.

Before Jiang Mi could react, the noblewoman gestured for her to sit beside her. Then, the noblewoman whispered, “Madam resembles an old friend of mine.”

This noblewoman was none other than Yu Man, the consort of Prince Kang of Later Shu!

In fact, ever since seeing Yu Man, Jiang Mi had been itching to reconnect. She had wanted to find an opportunity to chat with this old friend several times. Being far from home, to be reunited with someone she thought she would never see again was such a blessing! Besides, Jiang Mi had been away from Later Shu for so long and was very curious about the current situation of some of her old friends.

Therefore, upon seeing Yu Man, Jiang Mi smiled sincerely.

Lady Yang’s face naturally exuded arrogance, but this genuine smile was like a peony in bloom, incomparably beautiful. For a moment, many men who were paying attention to her were stunned. Especially Cui Zi Xuan, whose gaze towards Jiang Mi deepened even further.

Jiang Mi, oblivious to all this, smiled at Yu Man and said, “Oh, is this one of Princess Consort’s old friends who resembles me?”

Yu Man sighed softly and said slowly, “Her name is Jiang Mi. She was originally married to the Cui Clan of Boling’s Cui Zi Xuan, but now she…” Yu Man trailed off, her voice tinged with bitterness, “The most frightening thing in this world is the impermanence of life. Everyone says Lady Jiang is a blessed person, and I truly hope that her good fortune is still intact.”

Jiang Mi paused, then said softly, “Just as Princess Consort said, since she’s a blessed person, she’s naturally peaceful and happy now.”

Upon hearing Jiang Mi’s words, Yu Man… She quickly replied, “Thank you for your kind words, Madam.”

Jiang Mi smiled and asked curiously, “I once spent some time in Shu and know the situation there quite well. Could you tell me about the Shu State now, Princess Consort?”

Yu Man smiled and said, “Everything in the Shu State is good. Compared to the frequent wars and famines in the Central Plains, Shu has always enjoyed favorable weather and peaceful lives. Living there, one has no idea that the outside world is in chaos.”

Jiang Mi deeply understood this. She nodded and sighed softly, “Yes, Shu is extremely good in this respect.”

Yu Man was even happier to hear her praise her homeland. She continued, “Our Majesty, though not quite extraordinary, is still a wise Lord. However, he currently favors a young Lady Huarui. Fortunately, our young Lady Huarui is of good character. Although His Majesty favors her, he would not do anything improper.”

Jiang Mi nodded. She then asked, “What about Princess Consort’s friends? I imagine Shu State is prosperous and its people are happy; Princess Consort’s friends and the noble ladies of Shu Capital must also have married well and be living peaceful lives, right?”

Yu Man nodded quickly, saying softly, “Of course, everyone has married well.”

Jiang Mi asked curiously, “Are there not any who did not marry well or married into other states?”

Yu Man chuckled at this question, casually saying, “I have an old friend whose father and brothers were both generals. She was originally deeply favored by the Emperor, but for some reason, her father and brothers insisted on marrying her off to Later Zhou.”

“Married to Later Zhou?” Jiang Mi asked in surprise. “That’s quite interesting. Who is the Princess Consort’s friend?”

“Her surname is Fan, and her name is Fan Yuxiu.” Just as she said, Fan Yuxiu, upon hearing her name, Yu Man immediately laughed, “Saying that name is a bit redundant.” She continued, “Fan Yuxiu is over twenty this year, but for some reason, her father and brothers are delaying her marriage. I heard this time they’ve taken a liking to some general from Later Zhou.”

Jiang Mi frowned, asking curiously, “Won’t her father and brothers offend your His Majesty by doing this?”

Yu Man sighed, “Yes, the Fan family has been declining year by year. Now the news of their plan to marry their daughter off to Later Zhou is widely known. I wonder what they’ve been up to in the last six months.”

Jiang Mi quickly interrupted her lament, asking, “Are there other people doing this? I wonder how Princess Consort’s other close friends are doing?”

At this moment, Yu Man secretly thought to herself, “This Lady Yang not only occasionally seemed vaguely familiar in her demeanor and mannerisms, but she also seemed genuinely interested in certain matters concerning Later Shu.”

She paused for a moment, then casually replied, “I also have a good friend surnamed Zheng who married into Southern Tang.” She immediately stopped speaking, clearly not wanting to continue.

Jiang Mi was taken aback, immediately thinking, “A good friend surnamed Zheng? Is it Zheng Wen? Zheng Wen was once infatuated with Prince Kang but was almost deceived. She also seemed to be disliked at home. Now Yu Man had married Prince Kang, while she had married far away into Southern Tang. Could something have happened?”

However, since she was now only Lady Yang, she could not directly ask about the specific reasons.

Next, Yu Man and Jiang Mi chatted for a while longer.

After a while, she returned to Prince Kang and sat down beside him.

Prince Kang turned his head slightly and asked her, “What did you and Lady Yang talk about?”

Yu Man, who had been lost in thought, paused for a moment before replying, “Nothing much, just some interesting stories about the situation in Shu and her business dealings.”

Prince Kang said in a low voice, “This Lady Yang is a world-renowned merchant, possessing wealth comparable to that of the Shu State. You should befriend her. If possible, it would be even better if she could marry into the Shu State.” He did not directly say that he wanted Lady Yang to marry him.

Yu Man sneered inwardly, thinking bitterly, “This husband of mine always has a knack for dealing with women and always tries to get closer to them through that means.” On the other hand, if it were not for his ability to please Lady Huarui, with his fallen mother, how could they have achieved their current glory? She replied gently, “Yes, I will try to persuade her.”

Prince Kang patted her hand with satisfaction and said gratefully, “You are so kind.” Then he added, “You see, I knew you did not like Zheng Wen, so I arranged for her to be married off to that old good-for-nothing in Southern Tang. Ah’Man, if you can persuade Lady Yang to come to Shu, I will definitely thank you properly in the future.”

Yu Man pursed her lips, then smiled sweetly and said, “Why do you say such things, Your Highness? We are husband and wife; Your Highness’s great cause is my great cause.”

Prince Kang liked to hear this, and he laughed heartily, reaching out to grasp Yu Man’s hand tightly.

Inside the hall, the drums and music had reached their most lively moment. After sipping her tea for a while, Jiang Mi heard Chai Zongxun laugh heartily and suddenly turn to Prince Li Wu of the Southern Tang Dynasty, saying, “I’ve heard that Your Highness is still unmarried?”

Southern Tang was one of the most powerful states in the world, and Li Wu, as its most renowned prince and general in recent years, was extremely famous. Moreover, it was said that the current prince of Southern Tang was quite incompetent, and Li Wu’s popularity in the Southern Tang court and among the people had surpassed that prince’s; perhaps he would suddenly become the next emperor of Southern Tang at any time.

Upon hearing Crown Prince Chai Zongxun inquire about his marriage, Li Wu leaned back, his tall frame slightly bent, and replied in a deep, hoarse voice, “I’ve simply been too busy.”

In this world, who did not have time to marry? Everyone in the hall laughed. Chai Zongxun chuckled, “In my opinion, Your Highness is not too busy but rather has someone he loves and is finding it difficult to choose?”

Strangely enough, although Chai Zongxun’s words were clearly casual, Li Wu’s handsome face seemed to have been unexpectedly struck by lightning, his expression changing. He glanced at Cui Zi Xuan seemingly casually and replied indifferently, “Aren’t all women the same? What’s so difficult about choosing?” Then, as if thinking of something, he added, “It’s just that most things in this world are rather uninteresting.”

Chai Zongxun laughed again, looking at Li Wu and saying meaningfully, “I, Crown Prince of Later Zhou, still have many good young ladies.”

Everyone present was shrewd. Upon hearing Chai Zongxun’s words, many dignitaries looked up at him, each secretly thinking, “Could it be that His Majesty intends to arrange a marriage alliance with Southern Tang?”

Li Wu also understood Chai Zongxun’s implied meaning; he merely forced a smile. His gaze fixed on Cui Zi Xuan, Li Wu slowly said, “I think that if the Crown Prince is interested, perhaps he could act as a matchmaker for Young Master Cui.” He then added, “I’ve heard that the Crown Prince’s younger sister is very fond of Young Master Cui; why not grant them their wish?”