Setting up Song Yan alone could turn the joyous occasions of the Song, Cui, and Wang families into funerals, and might even cause all three parties to tear each other apart—yet in Yang Qing’s eyes, this was still only the minor path. The major path he spoke of was to completely destroy Cui Yingshu’s future prospects. Cui Yingshu was in some ways another Ye Jingkuan—his position before the Grand Prince was probably comparable to Ye Jingkuan’s. Both had families with deep foundations, both had wives who were the Grand Prince’s aunts, both were close to the Grand Prince, and both were ambitious with clear heads.
Such a powerful ally—if destroyed in their hands in one stroke, what an advantage it would be for Prince Dongping. Even if the assassination attempt on His Highness the Grand Prince at Huangjue Temple failed, for the sake of this benefit, Prince Dongping and Fan Liangdi could never turn against them again. Yang Qing was indeed as he claimed—skilled at strategizing the major path.
Old Master Chen’s heart surged with excitement. He nearly leaped up to cry out in approval. He stared at Yang Qing for a long, long while, thousands of thoughts flashing through his mind. After a considerable time, he rose and circled around the desk to Yang Qing’s side, personally helping Yang Qing to his feet with both hands, asking him, “I’ve heard that your elderly parents in your hometown have already passed away?”
A trace of sadness flashed through Yang Qing’s eyes, though it lasted only a moment. He raised his eyes to look at Old Master Chen and softly confirmed, “Indeed. I must thank Teacher for being willing to provide funds back then, allowing me to properly bury my parents and not make their funeral affairs too shabby.”
Old Master Chen now felt extremely fortunate that he had always been willing to spend silver on his advisors and could be considered Yang Qing’s benefactor. Yang Qing had repeatedly failed the examinations and was at the end of his rope at the time. The newly appointed impoverished Hanlin scholar Fang Xiaoru simply couldn’t support him. Fortunately, while valuing Fang Xiaoru, he had incidentally bestowed some silver on this friend as well, forging today’s fortunate connection. However, thinking of Fang Xiaoru, Old Master Chen’s heart couldn’t help but grow cold again. In the end, Fang Xiaoru had turned and bitten him, nearly preventing his recovery. Now when he wanted to recover, he was relying on Yang Qing, whom Fang Xiaoru had recommended. Life’s circumstances were truly extraordinarily marvelous.
He looked at Yang Qing sincerely, speaking to him heart to heart, “Ah Qing, you know my family’s situation. I won’t hide it from you—my second son is not capable, and my eldest grandson also has limited vision. I often worry that the family has no successors.”
Yang Qing looked at Old Master Chen with a solemn expression, as if he already knew what he wanted to say, his face both shocked and confused.
Old Master Chen struck while the iron was hot, immediately continuing, “Since that’s the case, would you be willing to acknowledge me as your adoptive father?”
The practice of acknowledging adoptive fathers was currently popular. The former Xingfu had nineteen adopted sons, all of whom would carry his coffin and smash the mourning pot for him in the future. After Yang Qing recovered from his shock, he quickly waved his hands, “How could this be appropriate? Teacher, you give me too much honor.”
Old Master Chen shook his head with extreme seriousness, “How is this giving you too much honor? This is Teacher getting a great bargain by being first to act. With talent like yours, wherever you go you will have your day of success. Just based on how you’ve endured with me all these years and remain utterly devoted to me now, however I treat you would not be excessive. Now I only fear you might feel wronged. If your parents were still alive, I know you would absolutely refuse, but since your honored father and mother have both passed away, this old man will presume upon his age to ask shamelessly.”
Yang Qing was talented, and even if he weren’t, just based on the scheme he had devised this time, Old Master Chen would be willing to support him for life. Having someone with such a mind, if he could also be bound by clan ritual, would bring endless benefits in the future.
This was indeed a method that would reassure both parties and bind their relationship even more tightly, yet Yang Qing unhesitatingly stepped back and refused, and his words of refusal were quite pleasant to hear as well.
However, Old Master Chen could become Second Assistant precisely because he was someone who always thought deeply. People who thought deeply inevitably thought even more when encountering such matters. After the affair with Fang Xiaoru, he no longer dared trust people easily. Even though Yang Qing had indeed been utterly loyal to him all these years, there was still something lacking. Old Master Chen pondered considerably in his heart before finally smiling a moment later, “Since you’re unwilling to be my son, why not become my granddaughter’s husband instead?”
Yang Qing immediately perceived his teacher’s intention and was dumbstruck, “How could this be appropriate?”
Old Master Chen had already made up his mind in an instant and laughed, “How would it be inappropriate? You’re not young anymore either. Since your first wife passed away, you haven’t remarried. All these years alone—can such days be easy? You should remarry someone in any case, to comfort the spirits of your parents in heaven.”
The Chen family had few girls, and those of marriageable age could be counted on one hand. Old Master Chen thought like lightning in his mind and decided to offer up Chen Mingqing, but just as the words were about to leave his mouth, he hesitantly held his tongue again.
Chen Mingqing’s status was now somewhat awkward. If he shoved Chen Mingqing at Yang Qing like this, Chen Mingqing would likely resent it—she had already become estranged from the Chen family because of Third Master Chen and Third Madam Chen’s deaths. If she married over and something else arose, it would instead be undesirable. Old Master Chen stroked his beard and thought for a moment, his words pivoting swiftly, “Moreover, a son-in-law is considered half a son. With Ah Qing doing so much for me, if in the future we unite our families through marriage, wouldn’t that be even better?”
For an advisor to become the master’s son-in-law was truly extremely rare. Yang Qing hesitated for a moment before bowing and agreeing, “Since that’s the case, this student thanks Teacher for his great kindness.”
That very evening, Old Master Chen returned and mentioned this matter to Old Madam Chen. Even with her black heart, Old Madam Chen had never considered casually matching Chen Mingqing to someone over twenty years her senior to be a replacement wife. Hearing this, she was startled, until Old Master Chen said he had changed his mind, and only then did she react, “Since Mingqing won’t do, and Mingyu won’t do either, then what does Old Master mean—who should go?” She already vaguely had a bad premonition. The Chen family didn’t have many girls, and they could all be counted.
The marriageable girls in the Chen family could indeed be counted. Old Master Chen pondered for a long while. Yang Qing was a reliable person, and part of his agreement was because he knew the Chen family planned to support Chen Mingyu as the Prince’s Consort, meaning he would then be Prince Dongping’s brother-in-law. Since they were making such efforts to win him over, naturally the candidate couldn’t be chosen carelessly to fool him.
Old Master Chen thought it over and finally made up his mind, “Why not settle on Mingxin then.”
Chen Mingxin was the legitimate daughter of the second branch, only a year younger than Chen Mingqing. She had already begun discussing marriage prospects in the capital. Old Madam Chen’s eyes widened as she instinctively objected, “How can this work?!”
After all, she was her own son’s biological daughter. Though Old Madam Chen didn’t value Chen Mingxin as much as Chen Mingyu, she was still fond of her. Now hearing Old Master Chen say he wanted to match her to an advisor, she instinctively felt Old Master Chen had lost his mind.