Chà Chà Novel

“What is it?” Xie Yun asked.

“Nothing. I just remembered there are a few things I forgot to ask Miss Qi.”

Song Liang smiled, then turned and walked over to Qi Yunzhang.

“The person you’re looking for is named Li Huai?”

Hope lit her face. “Yes. Does Your Majesty know him?”

Song Liang smiled without answering.

“Why are you looking for him? Who is he to you?”

“Your Majesty misunderstands. He’s no relation of mine. In fact, I’m not the one looking for him. It’s…”

Qi Yunzhang hesitated.

“Two friends of mine are looking for him.”

“Two friends.”

Song Liang repeated the words, then asked with a smiling squint, “Do you also enjoy rescuing people you happen to find by the roadside, Miss Qi?”

Qi Yunzhang started. Meeting Song Liang’s smiling face, she felt an inexplicable flicker of fear and instinctively stepped back.

That step startled the others. Cen Huan glanced at Song Liang but could make nothing of it. Standing behind his prince, he could only tell that Song Liang seemed to be smiling; he could not see the expression in his eyes. The same was true of Ruan Chong, leaving both men puzzled.

Though Xie Yun stood close by, his vision had not yet recovered enough to make out the expression on the face beside him.

Only Rong Jing, standing behind Qi Yunzhang, saw it clearly. He froze. For an instant, there had been killing intent in Song Liang’s eyes.

But it vanished so quickly that he almost thought he had imagined it.

“…How did Your Majesty know I rescued those two friends by the roadside?” Qi Yunzhang asked quietly.

“A guess.” Song Liang’s smile did not change. “Your martial brother likes rescuing people by the roadside too, after all.”

Qi Yunzhang’s fear faded, and she smiled.

“It’s our master’s teaching. A physician should use their skills to help those in need. We needn’t travel a thousand miles to save someone, but we must never stand by and let someone die.”

“Then why did you travel a thousand miles to save someone here?”

Qi Yunzhang sighed and cast a helpless glance at Xie Yun.

“What can I do? I’m the only person in the world who can save him.”

“…”

Song Liang watched her with a smile for a moment.

“Then I’ll have to trouble you, Miss Qi.”

The way he thanked her as though he had every right to speak on Xie Yun’s behalf left everyone momentarily speechless. Song Liang paid them no mind. Taking Xie Yun’s hand, he continued on.

3085: 【You’re not going to kill her?】

Song Liang: 【You heard her. She’s the only one who can save Xie Yun.】

3085: 【What if she knows something else? And those two people she rescued—】

【You said it yourself. When a mission-taker changes the main plot too much, the small world forcibly corrects it. The power of the plot—in other words, Heaven’s will. Heaven wants everything to return to the original storyline.】

Song Liang lifted his chin and gazed at the sky.

【I’m defying Heaven itself.】

3085 had no answer.

“What are you looking at?” the man beside him asked.

“Heaven.”

Song Liang stopped and rested his chin on Xie Yun’s shoulder. Studying his profile, he asked, “Do you believe I can beat it?”

Xie Yun turned toward him. He could make out only Song Liang’s outline, yet he could imagine the ambition and competitive hunger in his eyes.

“Even Heaven is something you have to defeat.”

His tone was matter-of-fact, as though he had summed up Song Liang’s entire character. Song Liang could not help laughing.

“You’re adorable.”

Xie Yun: “…”

“Oh? Are you blushing?”

“…”

Xie Yun strode ahead. Song Liang hurried after him, his gaze passing over several men kneeling nearby. They were all familiar faces from the day of the hunt, all sons of prominent princes and nobles in Yanjing.

In all of Great Yao, only the man beside him could make them kneel without daring to rise.

“What happened to those men over there? How did they offend you?”

“Insolent remarks.”

“Oh,” Song Liang said, assuming the young men had once again been caught speaking ill of Xie Yun behind his back and were being punished for it.

“Wait for me.”

He released Xie Yun’s hand and walked over to the kneeling men with Liang Fei. Squatting before them, he asked with a cheerful smile, “Tell me, how did you offend our Prince Regent?”

They looked up and addressed him as Your Majesty, only to catch sight of Xie Yun standing nearby. They immediately began trembling again, stammering without daring to say anything. After all, the person they had been discussing was now right in front of them.

Song Liang patted the shoulder of the young man whose forehead bore a bloody graze from the arrow.

“I went to the Western Hills this morning and hunted down a treasure,” he said gently. “Can you guess what it was?”

“…This subject does not know.”

“A white deer. The first prize in this year’s hunt—and with it, the lives of the entire Jiang and Yang clans, which your families have been so eager to save. None of you managed to claim it. I did.”

Song Liang smiled warmly at them.

“Once we return to the palace, I’ll invite you to watch when I have their heads cut off.”

The moment he finished speaking, the young man fainted.

Song Liang’s lips curved. He rose and returned to Xie Yun.

After Qi Yunzhang assured him that Xie Yun could travel by carriage, Song Liang announced their return to the capital that very noon. The princes and nobles, who had spent days in fearful suspense, secretly breathed sighs of relief. Apparently, the young emperor did not intend to silence them all here.

The Grand Empress Dowager, the Golden Plume Guard’s left and right commanders, and the others were personally “escorted” by the Xiaoyi Guard. Everyone else would return as they had come. Those who had fainted from fright were bundled into carriages alongside the gravely wounded.

The Grand Empress Dowager did eventually learn that His Majesty had shot an arrow through the Marquis of Wuying’s chest, nearly killing him. She said nothing, merely asking whether he would survive. Once assured that he would, she made no further inquiries.

Helan Ze, however, sought Song Liang out before their departure and specifically asked him not to kill the Grand Empress Dowager. Song Liang agreed without a second thought, leaving Helan Ze stunned. Anyone could see that sparing her now would invite endless trouble later.

So he asked why.

Wearing his signature smile, Song Liang returned the question. “What do you think?”

He’s doing it for me, Helan Ze thought.

He was somewhat surprised. He no longer believed the man before him was the foolish, ignorant little beggar who could not even read. After the upheaval at Zhaoyang Palace and the assassination attempt in the Western Hills, he had realized that this man’s methods and abilities were no less formidable than his own. He had underestimated him because he was a beggar, sending him into the palace without first securing any hold over him. Now the man commanded his own guards and possessed enough power to stand as Helan Ze’s equal.

He had expected his request to be refused. No one could resist power, after all, and the Grand Empress Dowager was a genuine obstacle—even a grave threat. Yet Song Liang had agreed, a decision entirely at odds with his usual ruthlessness.

One moment, Helan Ze suspected some hidden scheme. The next, he wondered whether the man truly loved him and had agreed for that reason.

When he remained silent, Song Liang spoke first.

“I know the Grand Empress Dowager is the one backing your Juxian Tower.”

Helan Ze’s brows drew together. He disliked the feeling of being indebted to someone, especially a little beggar he had picked up himself. Instinctively, he added, “The Grand Empress Dowager is ultimately on your side. Xie Yun is the real threat. Keeping her alive will help you hold him in check.”

Song Liang regarded him with an ambiguous smile.

“Since you care so much about my interests, why didn’t you help Xuan Seven when he took the Grand Empress Dowager hostage?”

Helan Ze’s expression stiffened.

“Xuan Seven told me you were standing just outside the crowd. He looked at you twice, but you neither acknowledged him nor helped.”

“…”

Helan Ze’s face darkened, anger creeping into his voice.

“You dare question me? You knew beforehand that the Grand Empress Dowager would move against you during this trip. You arranged everything without telling me a word. How did you expect me to help?”

Song Liang smiled without agreeing or disagreeing and turned toward his carriage. Then, remembering something, he added, “Oh, the boy has a new name. He thought Xuan Seven was too unlucky, so I named him Song Chuyang. Do remember to use the right name from now on.”

“Stop!”

Helan Ze reached out to block him. Before he could even touch his clothes, a sword barred his way. The blade remained sheathed, its scabbard plain and unadorned. The hand holding it, however, was steady, its long, powerful fingers strikingly noticeable.

He frowned and looked over. The man was a stranger, with a face so ordinary it would disappear in a crowd. Yet he was tall and carried himself with a cool, graceful bearing that seemed entirely at odds with his features.

“A human-skin mask?” Helan Ze asked.

Rong Jing ignored him. He recognized the man before him, but they were not close. The Prince of Duan’s heir excelled in letters, while Rong Jing excelled in arms. Their only connection was probably having been named among the Four Young Masters of Yanjing.

“The people of Yanjing praise you as a man of virtue and talent, a true gentleman. Having met you today, I find you rather less impressive.”

Helan Ze’s expression darkened.

“What did you say?”

Rong Jing gave him an indifferent glance, turned, and climbed into Song Liang’s carriage.

Helan Ze stood there, his face grim. He had met all of Li Huai’s personal guards and investigated their backgrounds. He had never seen this man before the trip to the Western Hills, so they must have met after the fall from the cliff.

But that had been only a day and a night ago. Li Huai already trusted him enough to let him into his carriage? Was he not afraid the man might be an assassin sent by someone?

Inside, Song Liang watched Rong Jing enter and asked, “Had you two met before?”

Rong Jing frowned slightly. “Yes, but we’re not close.”

Song Liang understood. That matched the plot he knew. Though both men were related to the imperial family, their paths differed, and there had been little friendship between them. Their real involvement had begun only after Rong Jing returned to Yanjing to investigate his family’s case in the original story. Now, however, that part of the plot was clearly no longer going to happen.

Thinking of their love and hatred, their willingness to live and die for each other in the original, then looking at Rong Jing’s faintly furrowed brow, Song Liang felt a peculiar sense of irony.

“Forgive the personal question, but do you like men?”

Rong Jing paused.

“No.”

Song Liang smiled and asked nothing more.

Outside the carriage, Xu Qingye had heard every word.

“…”

Once they returned to the capital, would the Prince Regent summon Brother Jing for questioning too? He would ask what they had discussed, and Brother Jing would answer just as Xu Qingye had: His Majesty had asked whether he preferred men. Then the Prince Regent would wear that terrifying expression again. Would Brother Jing be frightened?

Honestly, His Majesty already had the Prince Regent. Why did he keep going around asking other men whether they liked men? The Prince Regent really would kill someone.

【Ding!】

【Current Tyranny Score: 13 (Debauchery Score: 12)】

Inside the carriage, Song Liang: “…”

Damn Xu Qingye.