Masquerade in Bridal Attire and Marry the Prince

112. Making New Friends

Translator: asassin

A conversation between the intelligent wasn’t always straightforward. Before Chang Guangqing continued, Du Chuxuan already understood his meaning. He concluded that Chang Guangqing, in pursuit of the case, never thought a girl would get involved, who was either connected to it or was one of the predators.

The burly guy wasn’t stupid. By now, he started to realize something wasn’t right. Turning around, he wanted to speak to the girl to make sure it wasn’t what he thought it was when he was pushed away hard by a blow.

Du Chuxuan didn’t expect such a sudden attack from the girl. He merely had the time to catch the guy. When he looked up again, only a wisp of smoke remained where the girl stood a second ago.

“I know it will end up like this,” said Chang Guangqing as he played with the jade pendant. “Every time I get to the critical point, I meet all kinds of obstacles. I wonder whether it is because those behind the scenes are too good or their plan is too perfect.” He sighed slightly.

“Well, go back to your work now. Nothing to see here. Be extra careful if you have girls at home. Xiang Yang won’t be safe in the coming months.” Seeing the crowd remained, Chang Guangqing waved his hand impatiently, driving them away.

Angry at the big guy that Du Chuxuan just saved, who was vomiting blood, he kicked and mocked, “What? Killed by a single blow? If you’re so weak, why did you try to save a girl like you were some hero?”

Du Chuxuan ignored his mean remark. Though he didn’t agree with the burly guy’s rash action, he couldn’t bring himself to watch him die like this. He gestured and Luo Yi walked over. “Take him to the clinic. I believe he can take care of himself from there.”

That meant he didn’t care what would happen to the guy afterwards. Chang Guangqing showed a hint of approval towards Du Chuxuan’s decisiveness. Nowadays, few could act as rationally as he did. However, one thing he didn’t know was that Du Chuxuan was only rational when Yuxing Tianrui wasn’t involved.

After Luo Yi took the man to the clinic, Du Chuxuan and Yuxing Tianrui followed Chang Guangqing and headed for Virtue Building.

Virtue Building was a tourist attraction in Xiang Yang. Many scholars enjoyed visiting it and wrote poems by the river. It was a good place to mingle with cognoscenti of the literary world.

Due to Chang Guangqing’s position, he asked for a room with the best view as well as privacy, where nobody could hear what was said inside.

“May I know your name?” Chang Guangqing asked. He knew Yuxing Tianrui wasn’t a guard or servant since he walked next to Du Chuxuan all this time.

Du Chuxuan laughed. “This is Luo Tianrui, my sworn brother. He doesn’t talk much which might make him seem a bit cold, but he has the best personality.”

Chang Guangqing didn’t reply for though Du Chuxuan said it like that, it still took time to know what kind of person Luo Tianrui was.

Since he was determined to make friends with Du Chuxuan, he didn’t mind to have one more as long as Luo Tianrui wasn’t a nuisance.

“You aren’t from around here. Judging from your accents, I’d say you are from the capital. You are here for the Wulin Assembly, aren’t you?”

“Bingo. Now, over half of the people here come for the assembly. Everyone will want to participate if he gets the news, right?” Du Chuxuan waved his folding fan in a brighter mood as if he was very happy about something.

Chang Guangqing measured the two. He could tell they were important from their expensive outfits. In Wulin, there were a lot of important people. Yet only those of a Sect or at a very high position had such bearings.

Du Chuxuan asked as Chang observed them two, “Come to think of it, Guangqing, you have nothing to do with Wulin. Besides, your father is an official. Aren’t you afraid the emperor will punish you for getting too close with those in Wulin?” That was out in the open, so he didn’t think it necessary to avoid the topic.

Chang Guangqing, slightly surprised by his question, spoke, “It’s a long story, Brother Luo.” Cupping his hands towards the two, he continued, “Though His Majesty doesn’t like Wulin, it is a part of Shenglan, after all. Therefore, my father always suggests that Wulin should be left alone instead of being strangled. Now that its existence is inevitable, it is more useful to learn about it rather than avoid it.”

Now, Du Chuxuan’s opinion of him was higher for he didn’t try to hide the truth. However, whether it was Commissioner Chang’s idea or a task that the emperor assigned him, he didn’t know. At least for now, it had nothing to do with Yuxing Tianrui or him.

It was just the first meeting so the two parties didn’t dive in for more information after a brief exchange. Afterwards, they simply talked about past and future by the river.

Du Chuxuan and Chang Guangqing felt they had known each other all along. If they weren’t restrained by their positions, they would have been best friends and sworn brothers.

“Chang Guangqing isn’t like what the rumors claim at all.”

Before arriving in Xiang Yang, Du Chuxuan had information about the situation here from Luo Yi, some of which mentioned Chang Guangqing. Now it turned out that the information wasn’t 100% correct.

Yuxing Tianrui nodded slightly. “I think father has passed the message along. Commissioner Chang is his man here.”

He remembered Commissioner Chang was banished here years ago for he enraged the emperor. Now, in hindsight, the emperor might have done that as a step of his plan, for he had seen Commissioner Chang as his right-hand man before he banished him. That Commissioner Chang hadn’t got a promotion after all he had achieved in Xiang Yang partly explained that.

“Father doesn’t trust the Third Prince?” Du Chuxuan said, slightly surprised.

Hadn’t father sent the Third Prince over? They had traveled at top speed just to avoid him.

Why did father need another person here while he had already sent someone here?

Yuxing Tianrui shook his head. “Third brother just returned. Father doesn’t know what he’s capable of, that’s one. Besides, with Wulin involved, if the problem is solved, it means a lot of power. I think father is afraid third brother will have selfish ideas.”

The position made the man an emperor first. Then, he was a father. Even though it was his own blood, it wasn’t the one he thought highly of. He meant to use this son of his more than expecting great things from him.