Chapter 1021: Chapter 555: The Pressured Noble Consort Yang and Lady Xu “Is there anything happening in Tangshan?” Ouyang Zhi nonchalantly glanced at Sima Ke and slowly shook his head: “No, nothing at all. Everything is peaceful, but several of the lords and… mother, miss Chen Yuan very much.” “Hmm, there will be opportunities in the future.” As long as nothing is happening, that’s good. For him now, the foundation in Tangshan isn’t as important anymore, but since it’s the place where he rose, there’s still some sentimentality attached to it. Listening to the brief conversation between Ouyang Zhi and Chen Yuan, Sima Ke was initially confused, but after a bit of thought, a look of realization flashed across his eyes, understanding who Ouyang Zhi was. He had previously investigated some of Chen Yuan’s past and knew that he had a property in Tangshan and was supporting a woman, Madam Xu, who was once the greatest beauty in Shuzhou. And Ouyang Zhi was the son of Madam Xu. No wonder he was so close before. So… they turned out to be kindred spirits… Thinking of this, when Sima Ke looked at Ouyang Zhi again, he felt somewhat unnatural and uncomfortable all over, yet strangely he couldn’t bring himself to dislike the person. He could only sigh inwardly, guessing that under the heavens, only this person shared the same fate as him. It was just unknown whether the union of Chen Yuan and Madam Xu was facilitated by this person. If it was true, then they might indeed have had the same thoughts at one point. As he thought about it, Sima Ke couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. It’s said that Madam Xu was as beautiful as a flower, in her prime, while his mother consort was obviously a bit older. If they were to vie for favor, it seemed she was at a disadvantage. The only thing she had to show was her status as a Noble Consort. Perhaps, only when the princess marries into the Chen Family and becomes the main wife, could he rise above and become Chen Yuan’s most supported… hmm… friend. “Your Highness, you came here to discuss the matter of establishing the Crown Prince, didn’t you?” After talking with Ouyang Zhi, Chen Yuan immediately turned to Sima Ke. “Chen, you have extraordinary foresight. Indeed, I came here for this matter. Father hopes I can train for a period at the Heavenly Patrol Bureau headquarters, and I still need Chen’s full support. Hmm… When I came, Mother Consort also said to thank Chen for his help someday.” As he spoke, he glanced at Ouyang Zhi, his gaze making Ouyang Zhi feel a bit uneasy. Was there a hint of vying for favor? With his thoughts scattered, Ouyang Zhi considered his father Chen Yuan’s temperament, faintly making a bold guess, and immediately took a deep breath. Impossible! Impossible! Ouyang Zhi immediately dismissed the thought, telling himself he was overthinking. No, even if it was true, he shouldn’t think further about it. When he realized the relationship between Ouyang Zhi and Chen Yuan was similar to his, he didn’t bother to completely hide his thoughts, since he wouldn’t grasp the twists and turns anyway. Unbeknownst to him, even Ouyang Zhi, with an unusual liking for the unique, had suspicions. “What’s wrong with you?” Seeing Ouyang Zhi seemed a bit off, Chen Yuan furrowed his brows. “Nothing, nothing, just thinking about some things,” Ouyang Zhi quickly waved his hand dismissively. Chen Yuan looked at him intently, then turned to respond to Sima Ke’s statement: Get full chapters from novelFirｅ.net “Hmm, I will certainly assist you with this matter, also convey my regards to the Noble Consort.” He had experienced their gratitude before. A verbal thank you wasn’t just a verbal thank you. “Thank you, Brother Chen.” Sima Ke smiled slightly, thinking he indeed found Chen Yuan’s weak spot. It’s a pity he only had one mother consort… After stating their purpose, Chen Yuan asked for tea to be served while they chatted leisurely. Sima Ke tactfully mentioned the events at a family banquet the other day, to see Chen Yuan’s thoughts, after all, when he heard of it previously, his reaction wasn’t big, even a bit resistant. But this time the Emperor intended it, could it be Chen Yuan would still defy the order? Unexpectedly, Chen Yuan remained indifferent without any joy or displeasure, arousing his curiosity. He couldn’t grasp Chen Yuan’s intentions at all. In fact, Chen Yuan was unwilling to discuss this matter further with him. He had already refused Zhang Yantong there, and the Emperor must be aware; saying more to Sima Ke was useless. Under normal circumstances, if Noble Consort Yang and Princess Pingyang could attend to him together, he naturally wouldn’t refuse, feeling it a reward for his virtuous and kind life. But after learning Jingtai’s thoughts towards him, his fantasy of a mother-daughter duo faded quite a bit; he wouldn’t risk his future. If Jingtai was truly set on suppressing him, he would find ways to promptly relocate from the capital. Being suppressed here was pointless. After some casual conversation, Sima Ke took his leave, while Ouyang Zhi stayed at the residence to rest. After Sima Ke, the outsider, left, Ouyang Zhi no longer concealed and reported the recent happenings in Tangshan and Southern Shuzhou to Chen Yuan. At the same time, he handed Chen Yuan a letter penned by Madam Xu. After reading it, Chen Yuan merely smiled. The development in Tangshan was proceeding steadily; more martial artists from Jianghu were being recruited, with increasing quality, and the first batch of exotic warhorses from Liangzhou had arrived. Chen Yuan’s influence was expanding. At the end of the letter, Madam Xu expressed her longing for Chen Yuan. Overall, it was similar to the Noble Consort before. When pushed to the limit, he’d think of Cao Bin. She hoped Chen Yuan would return soon to treat her discomfort, ideally with a few needles to reduce fever…