Book 7 Chap 9 – Despicable Fiend
Xiang Shaolong arrived at Zhao Ya’s main hall, which he first came when newly arrived. Those decorations and trinkets were still placed on the shelves like before, but his state of mind has changed totally.
Why didn’t she invite him to that quiet and elegant little building at the garden, allowing Li Yuan that favor but treating him so shabbily. If that’s the case she might as well not ask him to come so early.
Character aside, Li Yuan is indeed the dream man in a woman’s bedchamber and even Ji Yanran was once impressed by his poetic skills. A pity he is of such character.
Just as he was deep in thought, Lady Ya arrived. Her ladies-in-waiting took their leave after paying their respects.
Xiang Shaolong was secretly wondering why Xiaozhao and the rest of the maids were missing. Lady Ya came to sit down next to him and said, “Mister Dong is so nice to agree to come earlier, your presence brings glamour to my humble abode.”
Xiang Shaolong looked towards her. This mature beauty is glowing, a look of flirtatiousness between her eyes, her body soft and dainty and extremely alluring.
The more beautiful and enchanting she is, the angrier he felt, guessing that she must have enjoyed Li Yuan’s care, that’s why she has returned to her flirtatious behavior.
He said roughly, “Lady’s residence is even better than the residences of those Princes and Marquis, so how can I bring more glamour.”
Zhao Ya’s dainty brows frowned on hearing this. How can there be anyone who takes such polite talk to be the truth and although she felt a little displeased she did not flare up so easily like she did in the past. Of course this is because right now her heart is still filled with Li Yuan’s loving so she did not take it to heart as she replied, “How is the progress of your farm at the Hidden Army Valley?”
Xiang Shaolong was taken aback. An astute person like him, on seeing Zhao ya’s mannerisms, already knows that Li Yuan has successfully obtained her heart, to the point that she has temporarily forgotten about ‘Xiang Shaolong’. That’s why she has regained her lost sophistication.
This should be something worth being happy about, at least Zhao Ya won’t be harassing him now that her heart is with someone else. However, he still feels very unpleasant, and wants to hurt her and see her upset.
He suppressed this urge and asked with a smile, “Let’s not talk about business today. Why does Lady want me to come earlier?” This time it was Zhao Ya’s turn to become speechless.
Of course she’s doing this because she has a slight interest in this horse fanatic, but right now Li Yuan has suddenly barged into the picture and taken her heart, at least for now, so she no longer has the earlier feelings of lust.
She sent someone to pick up Xiang Shaolong earlier because deep in her heart she thirsts to be with him. This Dong Kuang has an unusual aura of being rough and at the same time filled with philosophical thoughts, overbearing yet gentle and when combined, gave her a refreshing yet exciting feel. When with him, she never knows what he will say next or if he will do anything surprising. And his attitude towards her blows hot and cold, as if he doesn’t care about her but yet as if he is very interested in her. In short, with him around, she has no time to think of anything else.
This is a feeling that Li Yuan is unable to give her.
While she was enjoying herself with Li Yuan, she can’t help but pretend that he is Xiang Shaolong but with this unrefined man who bears a little resemblance to Xiang Shaolong, can make her forget everything instead.
What would it be like to be intimate with him?
Once she thought of this, she shocked even herself and secretly reprimanded herself. Why is it that after seeing him, her original strong memory of Li Yuan immediately faded?
Xiang Shaolong saw her hesitant look and his fury soared and he stood up immediately. Zhao Ya was startled and lifted her head to look at him quizzically.
Xiang Shaolong said in a serious tone, “Has Lady fallen for that fellow Li Yuan, that’s why you’ve become so cold towards me?”
Zhao ya’s delicate body trembled as she exclaimed, “Ah! No!” By now she cannot guess at all how the other person managed to say out what is in her heart so accurately.
Xiang Shaolong smiled, “That’s all right, but if what Li Yuan stole was my precious horse, then I will never let him off.” He stretched lazily and with a laugh, said, “I better take a walk around the streets, I’ll come back later to join in the feast so that we need not sit in awkward silence wondering what we should talk about.”
Zhao Ya was totally lost as she stood up and pouted, “Mister Dong! Can’t you show me some consideration? Am I incomparable to a horse in your mind?” Once she said that, she knows she has made a freudian slip because won’t that mean that she is regarding herself as his horse? Xiang Shaolong looked at her nonchalantly but was secretly gloating. He turned around and started walking towards the door and said offhandedly, “That fellow kept pitting himself against me. Fine! Then let me do something and snatch Ji Yanran over, that will give him a taste of having his beloved taken by others.”
Zhao Ya wanted to run after him but stopped when she heard the 3 words Ji Yanran.
But she dare not laugh at him, because his words revealed a great confidence, making one feel that once he says something, he’ll definitely accomplish it.
By the time Xiang Shaolong disappeared outside the door, she was still thinking about the 4 words ‘beloved taken by others.
Hai! The fresh and interesting terms he used can be comparable to Xiang Shaolong. Suddenly, she knows why Li Yuan still cannot totally replace Xiang Shaolong.
Once she thought of this, her mood dimmed and she refuses to think further.
Walking alone at the streets of Handan, Xiang Shaolong thought of the wars that will occur after Xiaopan ascend the throne and can’t help but feel melancholy.
This vast land, after hundreds of years of war has finally come to a point in history that they must rejoin after being separated for so long and him as an ‘outsider’ had a hand in this change. If he did not come here, does it mean all these would not have happened? No matter how intelligent he is compared to others, this is one question that can give him a headache just thinking about it.
“Brother Dong!” He heard the call and was first at a loss for he momentarily forgot that he is supposed to be Dong Kuang. He turned around after recollecting his thoughts.
It turned out to be the Marquis of Pingshan, Han Chuang with 7 to 8 personal guards whom one can tell at a glance that they are highly skilled. All of them looked energetic and were stoutly built. Although they were not as tall as Xiang Shaolong, they still looked imposing.
Xiang Shaolong exclaimed in surprise, “I thought I was the only one who loves a stroll, I did not expect Marquis of Pingshan to enjoy this too.”
Han Chuang’s expression was serious and he did not reply immediately. Only when he came up next to him did he grab his arm warmly and said as they walked along, “Come! My guesthouse is just around the corner, we’ll speak at my place.”
Xiang Shaolong was surprised by the sudden warmth for he did not expect his attitude to suddenly turn 180 degrees from his original frosty behavior.
He can’t help but follow him back to the guesthouse and even after he sat down in the hall, the 10 over swordsmen still stood around them and did not leave, making the atmosphere extremely serious. It seems like secret society bosses out for negotiation.
Han Chuang dispensed with the usual polite talk or serving drinks and said solemnly, “D.amn that Li Yuan, not giving both of us any face at all. He publicly shaved off my eyebrow, how extremely hateful.”
Xiang Shaolong suddenly understood. So he has been sending people to keep an eye on Zhao Ya and saw that Li Yuan has gone to look for her and stayed for a length of time which is sufficient for them to do a lot of things before leaving. He was therefore livid and is now regarding him, the other love rival, to be on his side as well. However, it can be said that Han Chuang felt that regardless of looks, status or power, he surpasses Xiang Shaolong so he does not regard him as a strong foe but as for Li Yuan, it’s another matter.
From this he can see that Han Chuang is serious about Zhao Ya, to the extent that he’ll like to bring her back to Han so that he can enjoy her freely at home but his dream is not shattered by Li Yuan.
He could not find anything to say in response in such short notice. Han Chuang’s eyes gleamed fiercely as he said, “Why is it that Brother Dong slipped out so quickly?”
Xiang Shaolong secretly thought that he must be on his way to look for Zhao Ya to ask for an explanation when he saw him walking out, therefore he changed his mind and went after him to drag him home.
He gave a cold snort and said, “What I cannot stand the most is being treated coldly and rudely. If I don’t leave, what else can I do there, da.mn his grandmother!”
Han Chuang shared the same thoughts and snorted, “I, the Marquis of Pingshan, has seen many people in my life, bit I’ve never seen such a conceited fellow. Who does he think he is? It’s all because of his sister’s connection. I really don’t understand why Lord Chunshen thinks so highly of him. If Li Yanyan can’t give birth to a son, let’s see how smug he can be.”
Until now Xiang Shaolong has no idea why he was pulled here. A person like him with such a high status, there’s really no need for him to find someone like him just to pour out his complaints.
Han Chuang’s expression looks clouded as he said angrily, “In order not to offend the Chus and affect the grand plan for cooperation, I am already controlling myself not to fight with him over Learned Lady Ji, but he won’t even let off Zhao Ya. No wonder ever since he came, that s.lut Zhao Ya started ignoring me.”
Only now did Xiang Shaolong understand how deeply Han Chuang is mesmerized by Zhao Ya so he sighed, “There are many beauties in the world, why don’t Marquis just ignore her. That’s why I prefer rearing horses. If you treat a horse well, they will treat you well without any other thoughts, unlike women and conniving people who are hard to keep.”
Han Chuang was silent for a moment before he actually laughed and slapped his shoulder, saying, “It’s really interested talking to you, but I must get back at him. Li Yuan was such a brag, I’d like to see how formidable his sword skills are.”
Xiang Shaolong was startled and exclaimed, “Marquis, you’re not thinking of personally dueling tomorrow?”
The corners of Han Chuang’s lips curved up into a sinister smile, his eyes turning icy as he lowered his voice and said, “Why would I do such a silly thing. I’ve already made preparations, even if Li Yuan is taught a lesson, he won’t be able to know that I was behind it.”
Xiang Shaolong knows that people like him who use underhand methods will never reveal all the details, and seeing that he is willing to tell what his plans are, it’s obvious that he’s already regarding him as one of them. He pretended to pander to him and said, “People who offend you are really fools.”
Han Chuang suddenly leaned back against the chair and said feebly, “We have long given up on the Chus. All along, the three of us have been fighting hard against Qin and they are always tripping us up from the back. Who can guarantee that Li Yuan won’t inform the Qins of our intention to cooperate and by that time if the Qins decide to strike first, the first to be attacked will be my country. Hai! I really do not understand why the King of Zhao would pander to him so much?”
He looked at him and asked, “Does Brother Dong know why King Xiaocheng has suddenly become so cold towards you and did not even invite you to the feast last night?”
Xiang Shaolong pretended to look angry and nodded his head, “Isn’t it all because of that fellow Li Yuan!”
Han Chuang actually slapped his back like they’re old friends and said, “If this place is not for you, there will always be other places who will welcome you. Our doors will always be opened to welcome Mister Dong. If you want to deal with Li Yuan, I can be your back-up.”
Xiang Shaolong was secretly laughing, for this is his aim in trying to pull him to his side, which is to make use of him to deal with Li Yuan. He pretended to be grateful and said, “I will remember Marquis’s words.”
Han Chuang sulked, “I think Yanran will ultimately fall into his hands. If we can snatch this beauty from his hands, it will make him feel even worse than killing him.”
Xiang Shaolong sighed, “Learned Lady Ji is not that easy to win, I don’t think that Li Yuan will succeed.”
Han Chuang smiled sinisterly, “If you want to make a woman yield, there are a lot of ways. For example letting her try a little aphrodisiac, that will make sure she throws herself at you. It’s definitely not easy to find a chance to be along with Ji Yanran but she seems to be impressed with Brother Dong’s skills with rearing horses, so maybe… heh! Do you understand my meaning!”
Xiang Shaologn was secretly livid, thinking that he is really despicable for this would not only harm Ji Yanran but also himself. Of course! That is only if he is the real Dong Kuang.
A learned lady like Ji Yanran who has the respect and admiration of everyone in the world, if anyone were to do such a beastly thing to her, then won’t he end up being the enemy of everyone? It’ll be a surprise if Han Chuang is willing to take him in at that time.
Just looking at the plan of making use of him to kill others, he can see how evil hearted this Han Chuang is.
Now he’s beginning to understand why the 6 states will ultimately be destroyed by Qin. With a person like Han Chuang in an important official position, representing his country to come to Handan to have the secret discussion to deal with Qin, instead of tending to business, he is spending his efforts on his jealousy.
For now he has seen that the 4 states Han, Wei, Zhao and Chu are all filled with manipulative people and cannot be used by great men like Li Mu, Lian Po and Lord Xinling. He wonders how the situation is like in Yan and Qi.
Han Chuang gave a hand signal and someone immediately sent in a small bottle. Han Chuang stuffed it into Xiang Shaolong’s hands and said with the most sincere expression, “I am counting on Mister to help me get my back at him. Women are very strange, no matter how fiercely they protect their chastity, but once you get her body, most will become very meek towards you. Ji Yanran is a woman so she is no exception either! Heh! I’m really envious of Brother Dong!”
Xiang Shaolong was secretly cursing but he asked about the instructions to use the thing and stuffed the small bottle into his clothes and said, “I still have to see what the situation is like. Hai! I’m really not that interested in women. How can women be compared to horses?”
Han Chuang persuaded him again and after saying a lot of good words, went with him to Lady Ya’s residence for the feast.
Xiang Shaolong waited for Han Chuang to enter the residence first. He strolled outside for a while and strutted into the residence slightly later.
The square outside the main building was filled with carriages. After Zhao Da brought him into the residence, he said quietly, “After you left just now, Lady sat there looking very miserable for a long time. She even refused to see Guo Kai when he came. Master Dong is indeed good.”
Xiang Shaolong knows that he still has not given up hope that he will reconcile with Zhao Ya but how can spilt milk be recollected.
The feast is being held at an elegant looking square room in the side of the main building. The layout is the same as what the Guo family used the other night, a huge round table placed at the center of the hall with more than 10 seats around it.
All those who attended the feast at the Guo family were here, including that pretty Miss Guo.
Xiang Shaolong thought that after that night, Guo Xiu’er would refuse to see Li Yuan but now it seems that she’s behaving as if nothing is wrong.
Besides these people, there are 4 more persons.
The first is of course Ji Yanran, as well as Zhao Zhi and Guo Kai and a 40 odd year old man who was dressed splendidly with an imposing aura. However his eyes kept flitting around, giving one the feeling that he is someone who likes to plot.
It was not yet time to start the feast so the 8 folding doors at the side of the hall were all opened and they could all see the huge garden outside filled with flowers and trees, with a dozen odd lanterns hanging from the branches, illuminating the whole garden into a colorful array, giving it a dreamy feel.
Xiang Shaolong was the last guest to arrive and most of the people are already in the garden admiring the lanterns leaving only Zhao Mu, Guo Zhong, Le Cheng, Zhao Ba and that anonymous man talking in the hall.
Zhao Mu saw Xiang Shaolong and chortled, “Why is Mister Dong late, I must punish you later and make you drink up 3 cups of wine. Come! Meet Mister Ji Zhong.”
Xiang Shaolong was secretly startled, so this is the special envoy representing Lord Dongzhou to unify the 6 states to deal with Qin, and he hurriedly rushed over.
Xiang Shaolong smiled and said, “The horses told me!” He then chortled and said, “I’m hungry!”