novelraw Chapter 1983 The Search
Chapter 1983 The Search
Chapter 1983 The Search
Li Shengxuan stared intently at Fang Zilan, "You just need to manage the affairs of the government office. Next month, the Di Rong tribe will send envoys to the capital, and Prince Rong'an will also be bringing the princess to the capital. There must be no mistakes inside or outside the government office."
Fang Zilan's expression hardened. The Di and Rong tribes paid tribute annually and sent envoys to the capital every April; this was not unusual. But why was Prince Rong'an coming to the capital? And with the princess…
As if seeing through her doubts, Zhuge Yu explained, "Princess Rong'an is of marriageable age. Before the new year, the Empress Dowager had already promised that Prince Rong'an could come to the capital to choose a husband. Although the situation in the capital has changed in just a few months, the marriage of a member of the imperial family cannot be taken lightly."
"I see." Fang Zilan muttered to herself. The government office was in charge of affairs in the southeast, and besides officials of all ranks, the person she dealt with most was Prince Rong'an.
Since the chaos at Mushan Pass and the plague, Prince Rong'an has become much more law-abiding and polite when dealing with the government, concealing his cold and cruel heart and his despicable methods very well.
As for the Ghost Gate, it seems they haven't had any further contact with Prince Rong'an. However, Fang Zilan is perfectly aware that Ji Ningtian simply hasn't let her discover it. After all, how could he easily abandon such a powerful pawn as Prince Rong'an?
Seeing that Fang Zilan seemed to be deep in thought, Li Shengxuan said calmly, "Since you have a plan, then I am relieved."
Knowing what's going on? Fang Zilan couldn't help but smile bitterly to herself. The last time she met Prince Rong'an, she said that it would be either him or her in the future. She never expected that less than two years later, they would meet again.
Someone said, "Let alone the second young master of the Zhuge family, we've only met the young master of the Wei family once, haven't we? It's really hard to invite His Majesty's favorites."
The Wei family? Fang Zilan subconsciously looked at Zhuge Yu, but saw that his expression had become somewhat indifferent, and she could not tell what he was looking at.
She hesitated for a moment and was about to step inside when she heard, "Lord Fang, Young Master Zhuge, you two have finally arrived."
The two turned around and saw that the speaker was Li Qiyou. However, the person standing next to him was Wei Mao.
"I took the opportunity to come and have a look today; it's not appropriate to always have His Highness invite me," Fang Zilan said with a slight smile, her words polite yet distant.
Knowing he had fooled Fang Zilan, Li Qiyou could only force a smile to save face.
Wei Mao raised an eyebrow in a cheerful mood. "Lord Fang, Young Master Zhuge, we meet again."
Zhuge Yu's expression was indifferent, and his voice deepened, "What brings Lord Wei here?"
“My good-for-nothing nephew caught a cold and is bedridden, so I, as his uncle, have to take his place,” Wei Mao said casually. Zhuge Yu snorted and didn’t reply, making the scene somewhat awkward.
Li Qiyou was caught in a dilemma, so he forced himself to smooth things over by saying, "Since everyone is here, let's go inside the hall and talk about it."
"Alright." Fang Zilan strode into the palace gate first, followed by Zhuge Yu, who ignored the two people standing in the courtyard.
Having made a fool of himself, Li Qiyou stopped talking and entered the Lotus Palace with Wei Mao.
After Fang Zilan and Zhuge Yu entered the hall, the once noisy hall suddenly fell silent. The young masters of various noble families looked at each other, some with shock, some with astonishment, and most with wariness.
It wasn't until Pei Xiaozhe stepped out and broke the deadlock that their expressions gradually returned to normal, but they still couldn't stop whispering among themselves.
Pei Xiaozhe walked up to the two men with a graceful demeanor. "Lord Fang, Young Master Zhuge, it's been a long time. How have you both been?"
"Thanks to Lord Pei's help, everything is fine." Fang Zilan smiled, her words no longer just superficial politeness. Zhuge Yu also nodded politely, "Thank you for your concern, Lord Pei."
They had just greeted Pei Xiaozhe when Li Qiyou and Wei Mao walked in, and the hall immediately fell silent.
After Li Qiyou explained Wei Mao's purpose, the hall erupted in an uproar.
No one expected that Lord Wei Mao, who commands a large army to protect the capital, would also come to rehearse a New Year's opera.
"What rare things are happening this year? Not only is Lady Fang, a woman, taking the stage, but even Lord Wei is rehearsing a village opera?"
"Yes, it's understandable that Lord Fang is new here, but Lord Wei, with his status, is also here to rehearse a village opera."
"The newly rich are in the limelight, incredibly popular. With His Majesty's favorites like Lord Wei and Lord Fang here, we're practically nothing in the village opera..."
What started as whispering among the young noblemen has escalated into them pointing fingers and making pronouncements as if no one else is around.
Standing in the center of the crowd, Li Qiyou heard everything that was said around him clearly, and his face turned pale and then purple.
Just as he was about to say something to break the ice, Fang Zilan raised her voice and said, "Since you all have time to gossip, then you must have already rehearsed. Why don't you tell me how this village opera is rehearsed?"
She spoke each word with neither arrogance nor servility, yet it carried an inexplicable air of indifference, as if she were the one watching the spectacle.
For a moment, her words silenced all other sounds in the hall. Everyone felt a chill and dared not speak again.
Then she turned to Li Qiyou and said, "Your Highness, what do you say?"
Li Qiyou knew that his ability to preside over the situation was solely due to his status as a member of the royal family, and that many present were not convinced of his authority. Now that Fang Zilan had given him a way out, he naturally had to accept it and couldn't refuse her request, putting himself in a difficult position.
He immediately said loudly, "What Lord Fang said is true. The rehearsal of the village opera is not something that can be done in a day. Everyone should put more thought and effort into the village opera."
However, no sooner had he finished speaking than a voice sneered, "Your Highness makes it sound so easy."
Upon hearing this, the people around quickly made way for the owner of the voice, a young man with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a rugged appearance.
He walked straight up to the crowd, his brows furrowed indignation, and said, "The New Year's opera is about exorcising demons and warding off evil. However, every day during rehearsals, the actor who plays the demon, Lord Fang, is not here. How are we supposed to rehearse well?"
Fang Zilan chuckled softly, "I never imagined I was this important."
The teasing tone in her voice was obvious, causing the young man's ears to turn red. "Lord Fang, I'm talking about serious matters, you..."
“I know,” Fang Zilan interrupted him seemingly unintentionally. “That’s why I’m here. Do you have any other opinions? If not, let’s start rehearsing right away. I have a lot of things to do at home, so I might not be able to come tomorrow.”
Fang Zilan's self-righteous demeanor left the young man speechless. He stared blankly as she turned to the crowd and said, "And you all, if you have nothing to do, hurry up and start rehearsing. It's almost the end of the year and everyone is very busy. It's not easy for everyone to get together and exchange feelings, and I understand that. But where do you all find the time to watch the show?"