CHAPTER 1461: CHAPTER 1409: HONESTLY, EVERYONE’S CURIOUS

[Even if it is false, if it can deceive me for a lifetime, I will assist you. For me, only your actions can make me understand. It’s just that your strength is insufficient. When kindness with good motives is called false, it’s only because you cannot carry it out with enough power.] Chen Xi thought silently.

At some point, some people began to take others’ goodwill for granted, and when others could no longer help and withdrew, they would chase after to scold them.

Similarly, at some point, doing bad deeds all one’s life, but realizing it at the end, doing one good thing, will receive great praise, as if everything before is forgiven. Perhaps being a good person is truly difficult.

There’s a saying, a good person does good to the end, and becomes a true good person. But if not to the end, not only does one not become a good person, but also tarnishes one’s reputation. No one will appreciate the difficulty others face while helping you.

There is no transition between good and evil; good is good, evil is evil. Some look at the result, some look at the motive. Only actions cannot truly reveal good or evil.

After learning from Chen Liang about some aristocratic family representatives, Chen Xi finally met the head of the Tang Family, Tang Mao, who is the father of the Tang Consort.

After Sun Ce took over Yangzhou, Tang Mao felt that Yangzhou was no longer safe, so he returned to Yingchuan and withdrew from officialdom. Although the Tang Family wasn’t considered a noble family, during the peak of the Han Dynasty, being able to marry into the royal family as a legitimate consort was not something any ordinary family could achieve.

"Master Tang, if there’s no pressing matter after the banquet, could you stay for a moment or two?" Chen Xi raised his wine goblet and asked Tang Mao after clinking glasses.

"I would not dare refuse Marquis Chen’s invitation." Tang Mao said with a smile.

After exchanging just a sentence or two with Tang Mao, Chen Xi moved aside and returned to the main seat, while Tang Mao slightly frowned in thought upon Chen Xi’s departure. Their families didn’t have close relations, which gave Tang Mao something to ponder.

The banquet ended when the moon reached its zenith. After drinking a bowl of sobering tea, Chen Xi suppressed the effects of the alcohol with his spiritual capacity, regained his clear mind, and went to the back hall of Chen Liang’s residence, where Tang Mao had been waiting for a while.

"Master Tang, I hope you can forgive me for keeping you here at this late hour." Chen Xi said with a salute.

"Marquis Chen, no need for formalities." Tang Mao replied calmly. This short period had allowed him to almost sort out the situation. Given their current circumstances, the only person worthy of Chen Xi’s attention was his daughter, the Tang Consort.

"Speaking of which, I was supposed to visit the Tang Family with a post tomorrow and then arrange a visit. However, due to urgent military matters, I had to be discourteous." Chen Xi sighed.

To be honest, the reason Chen Xi didn’t send a post and visit immediately was that if he immediately visited the Tang Family upon arriving in Yangzhai, it would likely cause gossip. After all, Tang Mao had always wanted the Tang Consort to remarry, and if Chen Xi immediately made a formal visit to the Tang Family, it would be somewhat...

"Military affairs are of utmost importance; there’s no rudeness in it." Tang Mao said with a mild tone, but he was turning it over in his mind. [Chen Zichuan is indeed a very suitable option, but whether the girl is willing is another matter.]

"Then let me be frank." Chen Xi said with a couple of awkward chuckles.

"If it concerns the Tang Consort, I ask that Marquis Chen speak to her directly." Tang Mao interrupted, not mentioning his daughter, immediately making Chen Xi feel awkward.

Tang Mao looked at Chen Xi’s expression with interest. Truthfully, if his daughter was willing, Tang Mao would not object. The Tang Consort was only twenty-four and should not waste her vibrant youth on a dead man, even if that dead man was once an emperor.

Unfortunately for Tang Mao, his daughter had no intention of remarrying. Although there is a bit of difficulty in remarrying after marrying the Young Emperor, frankly speaking, as long as his daughter nodded, Tang Mao could still manage this matter.

After several attempts, his daughter became unwilling to respond to him, and Tang Mao developed a desire to explore the matter, which led him to have the Inner Palace investigated.

However, since Li Ru was indeed too thorough in his actions and Jia Xu was a figure hidden behind the scenes that Tang Mao couldn’t possibly discover, in the end, Tang Mao found nothing.

Of course, if Tang Mao had discovered that the Young Emperor had asked the Tang Consort to remain chaste before his death, Tang Mao might have had the urge to dig up the Young Emperor from Luoyang. How could you mistreat someone like that? Even the Empress Dowager was allowed to have a consort, the Tang Consort was only eighteen at the time, what were they thinking?

Still, it was due to this deliberate investigation that Tang Mao became aware of the underlying issues. Theoretically speaking, the Tang Consort couldn’t have left Luoyang, and regardless of the Tang Consort’s pregnancy at the time, once the Young Emperor died, Luoyang fell into chaos, and the Tang Consort was with the Young Emperor at his death.

Logically speaking, having committed regicide, who would care about a quasi-empress? Just look how later, even Cao Cao didn’t commit regicide, yet killing a queen didn’t make him bat an eye. How could it be possible for someone to kill an emperor but let the legitimate consort go in such a strange situation?

However, Jia Xu’s methods were beyond Tang Mao’s understanding. Nevertheless, all of Tang Mao’s investigations bore no fruit, and when he asked the Tang Consort, she was unwilling to speak, so the matter was left unresolved.

Hence, from Tang Mao’s perspective, if someone was willing to marry his daughter, it would be excellent. As long as they were willing to treat his daughter well, Tang Mao wouldn’t care too much about their background. Unfortunately, on one hand, the Tang Consort wasn’t keen on marriage, and on the other, no one dared to marry her.

Therefore, seeing Chen Xi’s interest, Tang Mao felt a sense of happiness. Perhaps it would work out, and although he didn’t mind background so much anymore, having someone of equal status would be ideal.

"Uh, then I won’t trouble you, Master Tang. At the Si hour tomorrow, I will bring Jian’er to visit." Chen Xi shifted his tone, somewhat understanding Tang Mao’s thoughts, and said with a chuckle.

After all, Fan Jian is from the Fan Family, and as the legitmate daughter of the family head, she is also from Yingchuan. She will inevitably encounter the Tang Consort. Chen Xi had also inquired and confirmed that although they weren’t particularly close, the number of legitimate daughters from the Aristocratic Families of Yingchuan was limited, and those of the same age tended to have some interactions.

Tang Mao could understand the implied meaning in these words, naturally realizing that he had misunderstood earlier, feeling slightly embarrassed.

"In fact, it’s primarily because someone asked me to convey a message to the Tang Consort. However, some matters cannot be communicated through the family head, considering the numerous confidential aspects involved. Therefore, I must meet the Tang Consort in person, I ask for your understanding." Chen Xi also noticed Tang Mao’s embarrassment; bringing Fan Jian along was merely a pretext. Truthfully, he was quite curious himself.

Tang Mao slightly furrowed his brows, realizing there were many issues regarding the Tang Consort leaving the palace. After all, under the circumstance of regicide, preserving the Young Emperor’s legitimate consort already signified many implications.

More importantly, when the Tang Consort returned, she was clean and unharmed, except for being a little sorrowful. Subsequently, she gave birth to Liu Min the following year.