"The Fourth Young Master looks quite well today; there must be some good news in the household." Chen Qian deliberately steered Fang Yu towards Fang Ting's marriage, hoping to use this as leverage. He smiled and said, "Could it be that the Marquis has arranged a marriage for the Fourth Young Master?"
Fang Yu smiled and waved his hand, saying, "That's not true." As if remembering something, he added, "My second brother is getting married soon."
The fact that his second brother had betrothed the ninth daughter of the Marquis of Nan'an was no secret within the Marquis of Dingbei's household; all that was missing was for the two families to formally agree to the engagement and make it public. Therefore, Fang Yu casually mentioned it without thinking there was anything wrong with it.
"Oh? It's Young Master Fang?" Chen Qian feigned surprise. "I wonder which lucky girl is fortunate enough to marry Young Master Fang?"
Fang Yu could no longer guess that Chen Qian had ulterior motives. He simply assumed that Chen Qian was curious or deliberately looking for topics to talk about to build a closer relationship. Therefore, he told him everything without reservation. At the end, he even joked, "I heard that the An family's daughter is extremely beautiful, and my second brother took a liking to her at first sight."
Chen Qian's hand, which was still holding the teacup, suddenly clenched tightly.
"This is truly a perfect match, a talented man and a beautiful woman." Chen Qian was filled with hatred and jealousy, but on the surface he still smiled calmly: "It is truly a wonderful marriage."
Fang Yu smiled and nodded.
"The young lady from the Marquis of Nan'an's mansion?" Chen Qian suddenly looked thoughtful, and asked with some confusion, "Is it the Marquis of Nan'an's mansion, where the heir apparent of Prince Yi's mansion is married?"
“That’s right.” Fang Yu glanced at Chen Qian and asked curiously, “Brother Chen, why do you ask that?”
Chen Qian put down his teacup, glanced at Fang Yu with feigned difficulty, and hesitated as if he wanted to say something but didn't.
“I don’t consider Brother Chen an outsider. Brother Chen, please speak your mind.” Fang Yu’s curiosity was piqued, and he gestured for him to continue. “I guarantee that what we say today will only be known to you and me, the two brothers.”
Even so, Chen Qian pretended to hesitate for a long time before slowly speaking.
“First, my mother was on good terms with Consort Li.” Chen Qian’s half-hearted revelation seemed to make him more convincing. He said, “At the time, I heard Consort Li mention that the Crown Prince’s wife had brought her most beautiful half-sister into the Prince Yi’s residence, which seemed to be after Consort Li’s niece gave birth to the eldest son. The Crown Prince’s wife was afraid that her position would be threatened, so she brought her half-sister into the residence to help her secure the Emperor’s favor.”
Chen Qian's words undoubtedly confirmed the rumors from that day.
Fang Yu's expression immediately turned serious.
"It's just Consort Li's side of the story. I only said these things because I was too familiar with the Fourth Young Master." Chen Qian seemed to suddenly remember something, looking as if he regretted his words. "If this affects the marriage between the Second Young Master and the Ninth Miss, then it is my fault."
Although Chen Qian didn't mention which girl went to Prince Yi's mansion, he did say that it "affected the marriage between the Second Young Master and the Ninth Miss," so that person was probably An Jiu!
Chen Qian had no real power base in the capital. The fact that he could mention An Jiu must mean that his mother had actually heard the news from Consort Li.
Could those rumors be true? Fang Yu immediately became wary.
"Brother Chen meant well, how could I have misunderstood you?" Fang Yu smiled and said, "It's just that rumors shouldn't be taken at face value."
Even when you're out in the world, you still need to maintain your family's reputation.
Seeing Fang Yu's expression, Chen Qian knew that Fang Yu mostly believed him. The seed of doubt had been planted; it would soon take root, sprout, and flourish under the right circumstances.
"What you said, Fourth Young Master, is true. It was only because we hit it off immediately that I spoke carelessly. Please don't take it to heart." Chen Qian took a step back, stood up, bowed to Fang Yu, and said sincerely, "I misspoke. I am truly sorry."
Fang Yu quickly got up and helped him up.
"Brother Chen didn't treat me like an outsider, that's why he said those things, how could I hold it against him?" Fang Yu only thought Chen Qian was a straightforward person, and he unintentionally lowered his guard against him. It was an open secret among the aristocratic families in the capital that Consort Li had been sent away from the Prince Yi's residence for making a mistake. Chen Qian's frankness in mentioning that his family had used Consort Li's connections was enough to prove that he wasn't hiding anything.
Fang Yu then started talking.
"My aunt was talking about it the other day. She said she was my second brother's biological aunt and wanted to have my second brother's marriage fortune told privately." Fang Yu said it casually without thinking much. After he finished speaking, he realized that something was wrong and quickly added, "The fortune sticks at Minguo Temple are very accurate. Brother Chen can also try it."
Fang Yu wanted to cover up what he had blurted out, but instead he provided Chen Qian with the information he wanted.
Chen Qian felt a surge of joy in his heart. He suppressed his excitement and showed no sign of it on his face. He nodded readily and said, "My mother believes in these things very much. Thank you, Fourth Young Master. We will definitely go another day."
Fang Yu breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Chen Qian's attention didn't seem to be on his second brother.
A waiter announced from the doorway of the private room that the dishes were to be served. The two fell silent for a moment, and after the food and drinks were all served, they chatted about romance and antiques. Chen Qian, wanting to get closer to Fang Yu, had made ample preparations beforehand.
After a conversation, Fang Yu felt that he and Chen Qian were very compatible and immediately regarded each other as close friends.
After the two had eaten and drunk their fill, they parted ways outside Zhenwei Pavilion and agreed to meet again another day.
Chen Qian called Changqing to his side.
“These days, have people keep watch at Minguo Temple. If they see anyone from the Dingbei Marquis’s residence, find a way to relay those words to Aunt Fangting.” Chen Qian’s voice was calm and even, but a ruthless glint would occasionally flash in his eyes. “Give more silver to the fortune tellers and have them do you a favor.”
"And there are rumors about An Jiu—" Chen Qian said calmly, "We need to find a way to spread them in the capital. Aren't those two distant relatives of Consort Li still loafing around outside? If there's anything, we can just pin it on them. Anyway, Consort Li and her niece did have that intention back then, so it's not like we've disgraced them."
Changqing agreed to everything.
“You should especially remember that the people around Fang Ting are particularly crucial.” Chen Qian’s eyes gleamed, and his voice carried a hint of cruelty. “Among those junior scholars, aren’t there two who can be bribed? Aren’t there two whose families are struggling? It’s just a matter of throwing money at them. My Chen family has plenty of money.”
"Bribe two of them to spread the rumors among these junior officials. I want to see if the Second Young Master Fang will remain as steadfast as before, having already tarnished his reputation before even officially entering officialdom!"
Seeing his master getting increasingly harsh, Changqing couldn't help but say, "Master, isn't it a bit inappropriate to involve the Prince Yi's mansion in this? After all, what if the Prince Yi's heir were to pursue this matter..."
Chen Qian, however, didn't take it to heart. "For a man, it's just a romantic affair, what's the big deal?"
Seeing that he was confident, Changqing had no choice but to comply.
"Be careful, don't let anyone notice." Chen Qian added worriedly, "Our people can't show themselves, so just pay someone to do it. We're not short of money."
After giving Changqing his instructions, Chen Qian waved him away, leaving himself alone in the study.
Today's meeting with Fang Yu went exceptionally smoothly, bringing Chen Qian quite a few unexpected surprises.
He closed his eyelids slightly, and the image of the little girl's delicate face and graceful figure quickly appeared before his eyes.
A smile appeared on Chen Qian's lips.
The day he can marry her is not far off. Even if she suffers some grievances now, he will cherish her even more and treat her better in the future, giving her a life of luxury and endless money, which will be his compensation!
Even if you enter the Hanlin Academy, how much money can you really make? It's just a prestigious reputation!