The most dissolute couple in the capital

When Wang Chengyuan came out of the Liang Prince's Mansion, it was already dark.

He sat in the carriage, his eyes slightly closed, his fingers tapping the carriage wall intermittently.

He Li, that lad, married a female official of the Prince of Yan.

interesting.

It seems Lord He thinks highly of the Prince of Yan.

Wang Chengyuan's lips curled up slightly, it was hard to tell whether it was sarcasm or envy.

Although He Li was stupid, stupid people sometimes have good fortune. When he was stupid to a certain extent, even his father couldn't do anything about him and could only go along with his wishes.

And what about yourself?

The carriage stopped at the main gate of the Prince's Mansion. Wang Chengyuan casually tossed the priceless cloud fox cloak to his confidant and walked straight to his own courtyard.

On the other side, a servant hurriedly came forward and whispered, "Young master, the master and madam are waiting for you in the main courtyard."

Wang Chengyuan paused, his narrow, almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly, and a mocking smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He looked up at the Wang family's layered eaves, brightly lit, solemn and dignified, like an exquisite tomb.

"Let's go."

Upon entering the main hall, Grand Historian Wang Si sat upright in a rosewood armchair, his face ashen.

Madam Wang, the stepmother, sat on the other side, holding a string of sandalwood prayer beads in her hand, with a perfectly appropriate kind smile on her face.

"Father, Mother," Wang Chengyuan drawled, casually cupped his hands in greeting, found a chair to sit down, and picked up a teacup from the table, lifting the lid.

Madam Wang spoke first, her voice gentle: "Chengyuan is back? I heard His Highness Prince Liang is hosting a banquet today?"

"Yes." Wang Chengyuan glanced at the color of the tea and then pushed the teacup away with disdain: "You even bring out such aged Lao Jun Mei to serve guests? Does our Wang family not even have the money to buy new tea? If you two are really struggling to make ends meet, just say the word and I'll have the Liang Prince's accountant spare some loose change."

"Insolence!" Wang Si slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups clang loudly. "You unfilial son, you just had a few drinks outside and dare to come home and cause trouble!"

Madam Wang stopped twirling her prayer beads at the opportune moment and sighed softly, "My lord, please calm down. Yuan'er is still young, and it's understandable that he's a bit impulsive. However... I heard today that the second young master of the He family of the Prefect of the Capital has already been engaged. Yuan'er's marriage really can't be delayed any longer."

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengyuan couldn't help but chuckle.

Wang Si had long since given up on his youngest son. He took a deep breath and said, "His Highness Prince Liang is getting married soon, and He Li is also engaged. All your friends have found their partners. What about you?"

Madam Wang chimed in at the opportune moment: "Chengyuan, your father isn't trying to make things difficult for you. You're not young anymore. In the whole capital, which young master is still unmarried at twenty-four? If word gets out, people will think our Wang family is mistreating you."

Harsh treatment.

It was particularly ironic that the word came from Madam Wang's mouth.

"Who does the father want his son to marry?" he asked.

Wang Si said, "The third daughter of the Lu family of Fanyang is eighteen years old this year. She is well-educated and reasonable, and her father is currently a senior official in the Ministry of Personnel. Your elder brother has already sounded out the Lu family that they are interested."

Lu family of Fanyang.

The maternal clan of the Second Prince Li Han.

Wang Chengyuan suddenly chuckled.

Wang Si frowned: "What are you laughing at?"

"It's nothing." Wang Chengyuan's smile faded. "Father, I don't want to get married."

The atmosphere in the hall suddenly turned cold.

Madam Wang stopped spinning the prayer beads in her hand. She looked at Wang Si, then at Wang Chengyuan, her face still bearing that polite smile.

Wang Si's voice turned cold: "Nonsense. You don't want to get married? Who do you think you are? You're a member of the Wang family of Taiyuan; how dare you make decisions about your marriage?"

Wang Chengyuan's voice was also calm, "My son just doesn't want to get married."

"You worthless brat! Men have their roles, women have their places. You were born into the Wang family of Taiyuan, so you must shoulder the responsibilities of a noble family! The Wang family has nurtured you for many years; this is not up to you!"

Cultivation.

Wang Chengyuan sneered: "When Father speaks of cultivation, does he mean the tutors we hired when I was young, or what happened after I passed the imperial examination at the age of fourteen?"

Madam Wang's smile froze for a moment, but she quickly recovered and said in a low voice, "Chengyuan, what are you saying? What about being fourteen?"

Wang Chengyuan didn't look at her, he only looked at Wang Si.

Wang Si's expression shifted several times before he finally said in a deep voice, "The past is the past. Your mother has been gone for many years, yet you still bring it up. How long are you going to keep making a fuss about it?"

"Yes, it's all in the past. She's gone, what can be done?"

"Wang Chengyuan!" Wang Si roared.

"Father, I passed the imperial examination at the age of fourteen and became a scholar. You said I was exceptionally intelligent and would surely bring honor to our family. But why did my mother fall seriously ill and die a month later?"

He paused, then shifted his gaze to Madam Wang's face.

Madam Wang's lips trembled slightly, but she stubbornly refused to speak.

"The doctor said it was an acute illness, and it came on very suddenly," Wang Chengyuan continued. "But I remember my mother was in excellent health before that; she could embroider for two hours every day. In just one month, she went from being perfectly healthy to being bedridden?"

"Enough!" Wang Si stood up abruptly. "Who are you accusing?"

"How dare I?" Wang Chengyuan glanced at Madam Wang with a mocking look. "Father, think about it. If I were to live up to expectations and pass the imperial examinations, become a Juren, a Jinshi, and enter the imperial court, what would happen to my elder brother? What would happen to my elder brother's sons? What would happen to Madam Wang? I'm afraid some of you wouldn't be able to sleep at night."

He chuckled, a hint of sarcasm in his voice: "So, for the sake of my whole family, I willingly wallow in debauchery, becoming a playboy and indulging in a life of pleasure. That way, everyone's at ease, isn't that right?"

Madam Wang finally couldn't hold back any longer. She stood up, her voice shrill: "Chengyuan! What do you mean by that? I've never been harsh with you, and your mother's illness..."

"Mother, please don't get agitated." Wang Chengyuan's tone softened again. "I didn't say it was you."

Madam Wang choked and couldn't speak.

Wang Si took a few heavy breaths, then swayed as he sat back down in his chair, his chest heaving violently.

"What do you want me to say?" Wang Si's voice suddenly sounded much older. "About your mother... I investigated back then, but I found nothing. Whether you believe it or not, I have a clear conscience. But you can't ruin your life because of this."

Wang Chengyuan looked at his father quietly without saying a word.

"You're getting married for your own sake." Wang Si took a breath and softened his tone. "You need a home, someone to take care of you. If you don't like the Lu family's daughter, your father can look for someone else..."

Wang Chengyuan shook his head. "Father, no thanks."

Wang Si finally backed down, leaning back in his chair and closing his eyes, saying, "You must get married this year. If you don't want to marry into a wealthy family, I can choose a woman from a poor family for you. But the marriage is a must."

Seeing that Wang Chengyuan remained unmoved, Wang Si suddenly stood up straight and said sternly, "This Wang family is not for you to decide! If you dare to refuse again, even if I tie you up hand and foot on your wedding day, you will still have to perform the wedding ceremony!"

Upon hearing this, Wang Chengyuan was not angry at all; instead, he burst out laughing.

He raised his head with a smile, but his narrow, almond-shaped eyes held no warmth whatsoever.

"Father, you have such a spirit. Then I'll trouble you, Father, to use the thickest steel chains to bind your son for life. Don't loosen them even when you're eating or sleeping."

He put down his teacup, the porcelain clinking against the table with a crisp sound.

"After all, this unfilial son has been living a muddled life all these years, learning nothing but accumulating some ill-gotten gains. If one day his father lets his guard down and his son gains his freedom..."

Wang Chengyuan leaned slightly forward, his tone light and cheerful: "According to the laws of Da Ning, anyone who privately possesses armor is considered an accomplice in rebellion and, according to the law, should have their entire family executed. I've long wanted to pull off a big heist and do my part for the Wang family of Taiyuan. When the time comes, I'll gather all the weapons, lead my men straight to the gates of Chang'an, and make sure it's swift and decisive, leaving the Emperor no chance of survival."

In the deathly silence of the hall, Madam Wang's face turned deathly pale, and even the Buddhist prayer beads in her hand fell to the ground with a "clatter".

Wang Chengyuan seemed oblivious to his stepmother's fear, his smile growing even brighter: "When we go to the underworld, all of us in the Wang family, hundreds of people, including my eldest brother and sister-in-law, and my wife... we'll all gather on the execution platform and have a good reunion. Father, what do you say?"

Wang Si's expression changed drastically. His lips trembled, his finger pointed shakily at Wang Chengyuan, and a hoarse, indistinct sound escaped his throat: "You...you unfilial son..."

Then, his eyes rolled upwards, and he fell straight backwards.

"Master!" Madam Wang screamed.

"master!"

"Quickly, call a doctor!"

"Go and fetch the eldest young master!"

The maids and servants swarmed in, and the main courtyard instantly descended into chaos.

Wang Chengyuan stood amidst the mess, coldly watching this farce unfold.

He dusted off non-existent dust from his sleeves, turned and strode across the threshold, leaving the chaotic scene of war far behind.