Chapter 517.2: Betrayal? Selecting the Better Tree! Retesting? (2)
Facing Jin Qinwang, Su Ming Zhang didn’t dare to continue asking. As such, he could only angrily leave. The matters afterwards still need for him to mull over. Just, as he pondered, he just faced a problem. Exactly should he do his best? Or even better?
After Su Ming Zhang left, Jing Wan walked out from the side room, looking towards the doorway, somewhat in thought, “Ah Yuan, say, what will this Su Ming Zhang do?”
“Regardless of what is done, the outcome is all the same, so there’s no difference.”
Jing Wan immediately understood inside. Sure enough, it was mainly because the Su family schemed against the Fu family, thus involving ‘her’. As long as a certain someone has this debt partly counted on the Su family’s head, then it’s impossible for Su Ming Zhang to return to his original position, at most just letting them preserve their life. And in the future, when seizing the home, it was just leaving a bit more money for the Su family. Perhaps, for Su Ming Zhang, this was already enough. Having gone through several long months of hardship, presumably for him, it was a kind of rare and profound experience. That noble and aloof nature born from a wealthy nest was more or less already erased. But, for the others of the Su family, this wasn’t necessarily the same. After all, Noble Consort Su was the most favored in the imperial harem for more than twenty years. The Su family similarly rose with the tides. Although they can’t compare with the other influential noble families, but the riches and honor inside, afraid not many can compare. As such, to suddenly become ordinary commoners, that kind of disparity, for those that lack the mental fortitude, perhaps will all be driven insane. When time comes, it was just blaming the heavens and resenting others, mutually criticizing. Originally what appears to be just some insignificant shortcomings, for instance, greed for money, at this time, it will just get limitlessly magnified.
That kind of scene practically can be imagined.
That’s why, regardless of what Su Ming Zhang will do, the Su family was destined to not have a good time.
Because they won’t know, true poverty actually originated from the heart.
“Just, I feel, if really having the ability, there’s also no harm in using.” As the saying goes, society was like blocks of bricks, moving to wherever it’s needed. Having manpower, but not using, how wasteful.
“Just working but not giving benefits? En, this husband understand.”
Understand what? Was this her meaning? Don’t talk nonsense.
Su Ming Zhang inherently was also a ruthless person. When having the resolve inside, he just no longer dragged along in mud.
Thus, the anxiously waiting Rui Qinwang finally awaited this great general under him.
historical
Rui Qinwang wore a gentle and elegant wise-respecting skin on the surface all year round. Furthermore, Su Ming Zhang was also his older cousin, so he naturally treated him a little differently. At this time, he completely put down his status, just like his own brother, asking his wellbeing, expressing various worries.
For Su Ming Zhang, this appearance of Rui Qinwang’s, he was long accustomed to. In the past, he didn’t think anything of it, but looking at it now, his thoughts inside nevertheless have strangely changed a little. Just using this kind of mask to win over the people below, compared to Jin Qinwang, it felt not just a level lower. Regardless whether it was his means or ability, seemingly on this bit, there was just a huge disparity.
“Ming Zhang, these last few months, letting you suffer hardships and getting wronged, it’s all this prince’s fault. This prince wasn’t capable enough, unable to protect you. This prince truly is too ashamed.” Rui Qinwang appeared extremely guilty, seemingly just short of having his own heart ripped out to show his sincerity.
Su Ming Zhang just had one word left inside, and that was just: ‘overboard’. That’s right, Rui Qinwang, as a titled prince, wielding power in hand, having many supporters and powerful backing behind him, a true dragon among men, should ought to be placed high above. Even if having respect for the wise, there should still be a limit. But right now, this limit already exceeded.
Having cast himself under a new master, his mentality has completely changed. That’s why, when facing Rui Qinwang once again, there was always a contrast. Afterwards, it was picking out the numerous shortcomings.
What kind of person was Su Ming Zhang? Someone that has been immersed in officialdom for many years. Although he probably still can’t compare with certain old foxes, but he was indeed someone adept in this field. In his thirty plus years of life, the only thing that went wrong was probably just meeting that woman that made him fall to this point. Even though, that was probably someone else’s scheme, but he indeed fell for it because of that face. Otherwise, his true feelings wouldn’t have been exposed that easily.
However, acting out a play of ‘ruler and subject in harmony’ with Rui Qinwang at this time was still without any difficulty.
If Rui Qinwang can pretend to be caring and considerate towards the people below, then he can just act as if he can offer up his life for his superior.
Rui Qinwang perhaps was mostly putting on an act, but he didn’t have any ulterior motives either. However, for Su Ming Zhang, it wasn’t the same. From the inside to the outside, he was all acting, not having the slightest bit of truth. At the same time, he was also secretly sounding out Rui Qinwang.
Su Ming Zhang wanted to know whether or not him going to look for Jin Qinwang got found out by Rui Qinwang.
And the result of this test, Su Ming Zhang was still satisfied with. He for the most part can be certain that Rui Qinwang knew nothing at all. Carefully thinking it over, it seemingly wasn’t hard to understand either. After all, Rui Qinwang has always been careful and cautious. Moreover, towards him, he very much trusted. If the people he sent were unable to approach him, then he certainly would have them all withdrawn, and not leave them to monitor him, just fearing that it would be discovered by others, and from there, detect the relationship between them. That way, not only would it damage their interest, destroying the stage that has been setup with great difficulty, it might even implicate him.
On the contrary, if Rui Qinwang had detected, based on Su Ming Zhang’s understanding towards him, it was impossible for him to contain himself to this degree. Rui Qinwang didn’t have that deep of a cultivation. What was Rui Qinwang like inherently? It was just appearing magnanimous, but in reality, narrow-minded and petty, unable to tolerate betrayal, not much better than Kang Qinwang.
But, didn’t this also just happen to prove that Jin Qinwang perhaps really was omnipotent, having everything concealed perfectly.
Regarding the northwest, Rui Qinwang didn’t know much. That’s why, he needed to learn the specifics from Su Ming Zhang, so that he can make the next move. And for Su Ming Zhang, towards the inside information, he still wasn’t considered very clear. From the beginning to the end, he was all kept in the dark, completely unaware in all aspects. However, after learning certain things, based on his IQ, some things, he was still able to deduce. Just, the result of his deduction, right now, he naturally can’t tell Rui Qinwang.
Su Ming Zhang managed to fool Rui Qinwang with information that was three-part fake and seven-part real, and afterwards, he obtained some pretty good news from Rui Qinwang. But, just this was still far from enough to use as his ‘entrance fee’, so he still needed to think of another way. However, after discussing official business, he naturally needed to ask about his personal matters, such as his family——–this concern was real. Afterwards, it was just asking about Rui Wangfei as well as the newborn Rui Qinwang heir.
While mentioning that child, Su Ming Zhang clearly detected an abnormal expression flash across Rui Qinwang’s face. Very good, no need to say anything. Just based on this bit, he already knew, the current Rui Qinwang heir wasn’t Rui Wangfei’s child. Sure enough, it still came to this step. Muddying the imperial bloodline, once exposed, it will certainly incur his Majesty’s thundering fury. In addition to the various matters previously, his Majesty’s good feelings towards Rui Qinwang have already reduced by a lot. To then have such a matter appear, it was obvious, it will inevitably be a heavy blow to Rui Qinwang as well as Noble Consort Su. Perhaps, they will from then on fall, unable to rise again. As such, a powerful contender for the throne will just be ousted.
But, using this matter as his ‘entrance fee’, he still needed to carefully think over. After all, stealing the phoenix and switching out the dragon, the Su family was aware, perhaps even participating in it.
Wait. Su Ming Zhang suddenly thought of a problem, and that was just the person that originally poisoned Rui Qinwang, could it be Jin Qinwang? If everything was all Jin Qinwang manipulating behind the scenes, then this matter, he should also know about, so there was no point in concealing. Moreover, since it was infertility powder, then the child born, even if real, can still be turned into a fake. No matter who, all would do this. Su Ming Zhang once again hesitated inside, his heart wavering.
“Ming Zhang, what are you thinking about?”
Su Ming Zhang shook his head, “Nothing, just thinking of the present state of affairs, don’t know when it can finally end. War, after all, isn’t what this subject is adept in, just feeling a little tired.” Aptly appearing weaker, exposing one’s own weak point, sometimes, wasn’t anything bad.
Rui Qinwang momentarily fell silent, and then suddenly said with a smile, “It will eventually end one day, and the outcome is also clear and obvious.”
———Clearly, you will lose miserably.
“Speaking of which, what’s going on between you and Fu Yun Ting? His attitude towards you, isn’t it a bit ‘too good’? If he genuinely wants to support you, it’s impossible for him to completely ignore your current situation, but if he intends to harm you, what could be the reason? You should know, this person, one absolutely can’t be involved with.”
———Support? He was just a nobody, what’s there worth supporting? It was nothing more than just him finding out his real identity, while also working for Jin Qinwang, so naturally did everything to screw him over. On the surface, Su Ming Zhang was also very helpless, “This subject doesn’t know either. Probably when back at the northwest, ‘certain matters’ were too excessive, thus getting found out by him. This kind of thing, as the main commander, probably all won’t like.”