Was this a coincidence?

Were there really such coincidences in the world?

Perhaps there were, but Xiao Xun didn’t believe it.

“The Xie family has always been silent and unassuming. Who would have thought they’d even set their sights on Chu Ling, whom no one pays attention to,” he sighed, looking at Ning Kun sitting across from him with a smile. “The Xie family could exchange notes with Father—their thinking is exactly the same, both wanting to form marriage ties with Chu Ling.”

Ning Kun said helplessly: “Your Highness, please don’t make fun of the Prince.”

He also didn’t find this matter amusing.

“The Xie family has even set their sights on someone like Chu Ling. This shows how many moves they’re making behind the scenes. The Xie family hides behind the Crown Prince, conceals itself under the Yang family’s prestige, silently making connections and winning people’s hearts. What excellent scheming.”

Xiao Xun smiled slightly: “It’s normal for the Xie family to scheme like this. Would the Xie family really be willing to remain beneath the Yang family forever?”

His fingers lightly caressed the table surface as he recalled the scene of seeing Chu Zhao and that postal courier.

A postal courier wasn’t normally within his notice, but thinking back now, the originally blurry courier became clear—a tall, thin youth wearing a worn military robe, with bright features beneath a thick hat and scarf.

He asked with interest: “When did Miss Chu learn that this postal courier was a son of the Xie family?”

Ning Kun hadn’t witnessed the scene of Miss Chu and Young Master Xie together. The matter of the Xie family son working as a postal courier had just been discovered through inquiries.

“Xie Yanlai is an illegitimate son who was only acknowledged by the Xie family at age ten—but let’s set that aside for now. After growing up, he was assigned to the Imperial Guard Battalion, but because he was unruly and caused trouble, he was punished by being sent to the postal courier battalion. There happened to be a mission to the border commandery, so he coincidentally encountered Miss Chu on the road.” Ning Kun recounted the events, emphasizing the words “happened” and “coincidentally.” “From this perspective, the Xie family had planned this in advance, but Miss Chu definitely didn’t know about it.”

Tie Ying nodded from the side: “When I was making inquiries at the postal courier battalion, I saw a courier who was very excited and said something like, ‘Miss Chu finally found A’Jiu’—that Xie family son used the alias A’Jiu. From this we can see that Miss Chu only just learned this postal courier’s identity.”

Ning Kun sneered: “The Xie family is shameless. If this Xie family son had revealed his identity from the start, Miss Chu would naturally have been on guard against him. By pretending to be a postal courier to approach her, waiting until Miss Chu’s feelings were deeply rooted, then revealing his identity—with Miss Chu deeply entangled, Chu Ling would be helpless too.”

Tie Ying scoffed: “Your Highness, you didn’t see what the two of them were like on the street. Miss Chu was shouting loudly, blocking the Xie family’s people from beating this Xie Yanlai, cursing Young Master Xie the Third as someone who fishes for fame and reputation—”

Xiao Xun laughed heartily: “Well cursed! Young Master Xie the Third is indeed someone who fishes for fame and reputation.”

Tie Ying added: “Miss Chu’s attitude toward the Xie family people at that time was even more disrespectful than her attitude toward Your Highness.”

Fifty steps versus a hundred steps—this was somewhat less amusing. Xiao Xun coughed lightly and said: “Then we’ll see whether Miss Chu’s attitude toward the Xie family is genuine or fake.”

As things currently stood, Miss Chu’s unfavorable attitude toward him was genuine.

As for this, Tie Ying understood the Prince’s meaning and said thoughtfully: “On the street, some were saying Miss Chu deliberately provoked Young Master Xie the Third, intending to make his acquaintance, because Young Master Xie the Third indeed invited her to the Xie residence, and personally escorted Miss Chu out. Many people saw it.”

“Young Master Xie the Third invited someone in, then escorted her out, harmoniously and calmly, and gained himself a good reputation once again,” Ning Kun said. “Everyone is saying he treats the worthy with humility, and even faced a young woman’s slanderous words with sincere explanations.”

For a time, everyone on the street was singing his praises.

The Xie family son had caused such a huge incident, yet in the end it actually added glory to Young Master Xie the Third. This was truly inexplicable!

“This Xie family really knows how to conduct themselves,” Ning Kun said coldly.

Xiao Xun was quite impressed. He naturally knew of Young Master Xie the Third’s reputation. Previously he had been in Zhongshan Commandery while Young Master Xie the Third was in Dongyang, and the two had never met. Now that he had come to the capital, although they still hadn’t met face to face, being able to observe Young Master Xie the Third’s actions at close range, he was indeed extraordinary.

“Of course they know how to conduct themselves,” he said. “Otherwise, the Xie family wouldn’t have reached their current position.”

Ning Kun was silent for a moment, then suddenly said: “There’s one more matter. The Prince says Your Highness need not expend any more effort on Miss Chu.”

Xiao Xun was somewhat surprised: “Why has Father changed his mind?” Then he smiled again. “Could it be he fears the Xie family?” He shook his head with feigned sorrow. “How can Father do this? For the sake of my happiness, he cannot easily admit defeat.”

Ning Kun chided: “Prince, you’re making fun of the Prince again.”

Xiao Xun laughed: “Uncle Kun, you’re too boring. If Father were in front of me right now, we’d be teasing each other and having such a wonderful time.”

This was how he and Father got along happily and easily. Father never put on airs in front of him.

“I’ve never enjoyed a father’s love, and I don’t know how to be a father either.” Prince Zhongshan would pat his plump belly and laugh cheerfully. “So let’s just do whatever makes us happy.”

Thinking of Father, Xiao Xun looked at the flickering candlelight, his smile deepening.

Ning Kun also smiled: “Your Highness can do anything in front of the Prince, but not in front of us.”

Xiao Xun’s feeling toward Prince Zhongshan was love, while their feeling toward Prince Zhongshan was respect.

“I understand,” Xiao Xun said with a smile, then asked, “Why did Father change his mind? Although Miss Chu saw through my heroic rescue and even stuffed a maidservant at me to shut me up—”

Speaking of what this girl had done, he couldn’t help laughing again.

“But in the capital, with the Wangchun Garden literary gathering about to begin, Miss Chu and I will have many opportunities to meet.”

“Father shouldn’t pity me for being disliked and rejected. This kind of rare spectacle—Father should happily watch the excitement.”

Being humiliated by a woman wasn’t such a big deal. Getting angry like the Third Prince was both laughable and incompetent. For a man, being humiliated by a woman, then making her submit—that was true revenge.

Ning Kun smiled: “The Prince naturally knows Your Highness won’t mind, but the problem now is this young lady.”

He glanced at the deep darkness outside the door.

“This young lady is no longer unknown and ignored. She has become famous in the capital. Everyone is talking about her.”

He withdrew his gaze and looked at Xiao Xun.

“Talking about her naturally leads to talking about her father. After more than ten years of silence, General Chu Ling has once again become a topic of discussion in the capital.”

“General Chu Ling, now the focus of everyone’s attention—we can no longer approach him. Otherwise the Emperor will become suspicious, and the Prince and Your Highness will be in danger.”

Xiao Xun naturally knew how wary the Emperor was of father and son.

“Who would have thought this girl would become famous from this battle,” he said after a moment of silence, looking at Tie Ying and asking, “Are there only two types of rumors on the street now? One is that Miss Chu wanted to get close to Young Master Xie the Third, and the other is that Young Master Xie the Third is humble and courteous and didn’t hold Miss Chu’s insults against him?”

Tie Ying nodded.

Xiao Xun smiled: “Then how can that be acceptable? Miss Chu and Young Master Xie met, became acquainted, and grew to know each other. Young Master Xie abandoned the Liang family’s daughter for Miss Chu’s sake. Miss Chu used her body to block the whip punishment for Young Master Xie’s sake. This kind of devotion is also a beautiful tale that should be known throughout the world.”

He had to retreat due to concerns, but the Xie family shouldn’t expect to profit quietly either. If you’ve done something, don’t expect to still have a good reputation. It’s not that easy.