Chapter 301: Hermit Not Hidden

"... Wang Yang's handwriting is easy to recognize. If the Prince doesn't believe it, bring his writing and compare it."

Wang Tai looked at the "testimonies" being gradually deformed by the Prince of Badong, smiled in his heart, and said nothing more.

"Just these?"

The Prince of Badong threw the testimony aside, the gloomy anger in his eyes already hidden for the most part, his tone extremely contemptuous.

This testimony was about the Prince of Badong's "taboo" words at the banquet. In addition to the words he truly said, such as scolding the Dianqian and regretting the division of Jingzhou, he also added a few fabricated words. For example, the testimony wrote that the Prince of Badong asked Wang Yang to sit beside him and personally said to Wang Yang that with his bravery, "if it were in troubled times, he would not lose to Liu Bei and Sun Quan" and so on.

Wang Tai also knew that this testimony was lacking in heat. Originally, in the original plan, after Wang Yang and the Prince of Badong rode back, Wang Yang would have to write another one. This kind of conversation between the two in private had more room for compilation, and with Wang Yan as a paving, layer by layer, the credibility would be higher. But he didn't expect to be played by Wang Yang, so this second testimony was never written. Now that Wang Yang was dead, there was no chance to make up for it, so he had to make do with it. Fortunately, there were other corroborations that could make up for it.

Wang Tai pretended to be honest and said: "I only received these."

As for the ones not received, think about it yourself.

"The first two pieces of paper are what I said, and I said them in public, so I was not afraid of people knowing. As for the last few sentences, I didn't say them, they are fabricated. It is clear that they are framing me. But it doesn't matter, I have been framed less? Let them compile it! If I compare myself to Sun and Liu, so what? Since you want to frame me, then compile some more powerful words! For example, I watched the stars at night and saw the Ziwei dim, the Emperor star shifted, etc... Such painless words, what is the meaning?"

The Prince of Badong smiled indifferently.

Wang Tai was startled when he heard the Prince of Badong say the part about the Emperor star shifting, thinking that this Prince of Badong was really crazy, daring to say such words casually...

However, he didn't show half of it on his face, as if he hadn't heard the Prince of Badong's crazy words at all, and sighed deeply:

"The Prince's mind is bright, like the

The Prince of Badong waved his hand with an air of indifference:

"Forget it, the people are already dead, why bring these things up? In life, one should be a bit more kind-hearted."

As he spoke, he looked at Wang Tai with a smile that was not quite a smile.

Wang Tai ignored the suspicion that the Prince of Badong was being sarcastic and bowed with a look of admiration:

"Your Highness's clarity of mind and generosity toward others are truly beyond the reach of ordinary people! To still be able to harbor compassion for those who framed you—this level of magnanimity is truly—"

"There is no need for polite pleasantries. Mr. Wang has been in Jingzhou for so long, acting as a lofty hermit, hanging up his carriage and refusing guests, closing his doors and never easily moving a single step. Today you suddenly visit and bring this 'gift' for me; surely you aren't just here to praise me. Is there something you wish to say to me?"

Wang Tai smiled: "What lofty hermit? Your Highness, please do not mock me. I am merely greedy for the water and soil of Jingzhou that nourishes people, hiding in my courtyard to steal a bit of peace. Originally, as an idle person, I should not have come to disturb Your Highness's peace, but I was entrusted by someone and had no choice but to do so. If Your Highness has anything to ask, please feel free to do so; as long as it is something I can answer, I will certainly inform you."

The Prince of Badong narrowed his tiger-like eyes:

"Entrusted by someone? Who entrusted you?"

Wang Tai bowed apologetically:

"This is precisely what I cannot answer, but Your Highness will naturally know in the future. The person who entrusted me has absolutely no malice toward Your Highness; on the contrary, they wish to help Your Highness and prevent you from being framed by villains."

The Prince of Badong tilted his head and stared at Wang Tai, laughing eerily.

If an ordinary person were stared at and laughed at like this, they would inevitably feel uncomfortable. If it were his subordinates who understood the Prince of Badong, they would feel even more terrified. But Wang Tai remained calm and composed throughout, appearing completely at ease.

"Where did this thing come from?"

The Prince of Badong withdrew his gaze and tapped his finger on the testimony.

"This item was intercepted on the way to being submitted to the Donggong."

Upon hearing the words 'Donggong', a burst of ferocity suddenly erupted in the Prince of Badong's eyes, as sharp as a sword drawn from its scabbard. But in an instant, the sharpness vanished into his eyes, leaving only the sword tassel swaying lightly in the wind. A faint smile appeared on his lips, and he said sarcastically:

"So it was to be handed to the Imperial Brother. Then I am relieved. The Imperial Brother has always been mindful of his siblings and loves his brothers; he will certainly not believe such crude, framed words."

Wang Tai had no choice but to continue the act: "Although His Highness the Crown Prince does not believe it, there are inevitably villains around him who will take the opportunity to slander—"

"Who are the villains?" the Prince of Badong asked immediately.

Wang Tai choked, thinking to himself that this Prince of Badong was indeed eccentric, knowing full well there were things I could not say explicitly, yet deliberately acting strangely to ask. He

paused and said:

"Like weeds in a garden, who can identify their form before they sprout? The reason villains can cause harm is precisely because they are formless and faceless. Although the Crown Prince is discerning, the clamor of the masses can melt gold, and repeated slander can destroy bones. If three people say there is a tiger in the market, even a loving mother cannot help but believe it. If there are base people acting in secret, even if the Crown Prince is wise, he will inevitably be deceived."

The Prince of Badong pointed at Wang Tai with a smile:

"Mr. Wang's reaction is very quick; you are worthy of the Langya Wang clan, as sharp as your 'virtuous cousin'."

Virtuous cousin???

Wang Tai was stunned for a moment before realizing this referred to Wang Yang, and he felt a nameless fire surge in his heart. He suppressed his anger and said with 'heartfelt pain':

"That cousin of mine indeed has great talent, but he lacks integrity and has poor character. Although I noticed his frivolity early on, due to our distant kinship, we did not interact much, and it was not convenient for me to reprimand him deeply. Who would have thought he would be so rebellious and reckless, using Your Highness's closeness and trust to carry out such a slanderous and treacherous scheme! That a person could be so wild and dangerous is truly shocking! His baseness and filth are hair-raising! Although I am a distant relative, I feel I have lost all face. Fortunately, this letter was intercepted in advance; otherwise, what face would I have to see Your Highness today? He has now met an untimely death, which is because his virtue did not match his talent, bringing this disaster upon himself—"

Just as Wang Tai was enjoying the smear campaign, he heard the Prince of Badong interject:

"That's not right, is it? How did I hear that you highly praised your cousin as a 'young talent', a 'scholar of the age', and a 'vessel for a prime minister'? And you said things like, 'Like an orchid growing in a valley, though no one is there, it still gives off fragrance,' and 'In terms of talent and learning, he is a first-class figure,' and 'When the day comes for him to enter the capital, he will surely be like Lu Ji entering Luoyang, shaking the capital with his fame'..."

Wang Tai's face stiffened as he listened.

These words were originally things he had casually bluffed with when he first met Wang Yang, but after Wang Yang went on his mission, these phrases somehow spread as if they had grown wings, accompanied by all sorts of stories, told so vividly! Like, 'A guest asked Wang Tai, which of the Wang clan's children is the best? Tai said, the various young men are like stars, only A-Yang is like the mid-autumn moon. The guest asked what that meant, and Tai said: Although the stars are numerous, each has its own field; the autumn moon shines alone, and all things are illuminated.' Or, 'Wang Tai and Wang Yang met at the river pavilion. Tai saw Yang coming from afar, in white robes with a folding fan, standing alone on the bow of the boat, and immediately covered his eyes with his hand. Those around him were puzzled and asked why, and Tai said: "Young Master Wang's radiance is blinding, like the morning glow rising; looking directly at him dazzles the eyes, so I have no choice but to avoid it,"' and so on.

And after Wang Yang died, these stories spread even more wildly, true and false mixed together, making it impossible to deny them! Besides, even if he denied them, what would be the point? Now the entire city of Jingzhou knows that he has "a discerning eye for talent, a thirst for talent, promotes harmony within the clan, and encourages the younger generation." There are even many scholars who have personally testified, praising Wang Yang's filial piety and fraternal love, saying that he was so worried about his cousin's health that he not only often visited him but also specifically studied acupuncture to treat his cousin's illness, moving his cousin to tears on the spot!

Wang Tai felt like he had been cursed; this was definitely arranged by that shameless little beast Wang Yang to bind himself to him and solidify his identity! He even specifically waited until he left Jingzhou to spread it, appearing as if he were uninvolved. But the little beast calculated everything except that he would lose his own life. If he's dead, what's the use of solidifying the identity? It's just that he didn't expect these words to have reached the ears of the Prince of Badong. The little beast truly deserved to die...

Wang Tai said awkwardly: "Market rumors are mostly not to be believed. This child has talent but lacks virtue. At first, I was also deceived by appearances, seeing only his talent and not noticing his treachery. Later, as I gradually felt his heart was not upright, I deliberately distanced myself..."

The corners of the Prince of Badong's mouth curled into a playful smile:

"Distanced yourself? I heard that before Wang Yang went on his mission, you were still gathering at the Xiangxue Tower, looking like brothers with deep affection."

That night at Xiangxue Tower was one of the few "darkest moments" in Wang Tai's life that he could not bear to look back on. Before the news of the mission's disaster arrived, how many times in the middle of the night did he wake up from dreams, thinking of this incident and wishing he could pinch his own thigh, regretting that he had gone to eat a meal. If he were given another choice, he would rather flee Jingzhou City than go to Xiangxue Tower for the appointment! Not only was he extremely humiliated by being lowered in seniority, forced to become brothers with the little beast! But he also inexplicably acted as Wang Yang's "guarantor" within the clan in front of his fifth uncle!

Fortunately, both of them were dead; otherwise, wouldn't he have been dragged into the water? How could outsiders know what happened at the Xiangxue Tower banquet? It must have been spread by this little beast again! This little beast is truly hateful, his ghost still lingering even after death...

Wang Tai felt that the Prince of Badong calling them brothers one after another was deliberately trying to disgust him. Otherwise, even if Wang Yang had raised his seniority, he was a legitimate descendant of the Langya Wang clan; was Wang Yang even worthy of calling him brother?

Wang Tai said with a "shameful smile":

"Although we share the same surname, our kinship is very distant, and we haven't met more than a few times in total. It really cannot be called deep brotherly affection. It was just socializing at the banquet, unable to avoid the customs, and inevitably saying some superficial, polite words. It was just casual talk and should not be taken seriously."

The Prince of Badong leaned back, poured himself a glass of wine, his gaze falling on Wang Tai, and said unhurriedly:

"Really? I thought you brothers were of one mind, plotting against me together!"

Wang Tai immediately said with a serious expression:

"How is that possible? If I were plotting against Your Highness, I wouldn't have brought this thing today. Wang Yang and I are not the same kind of people. Wang Yang often went to a restaurant called Ruyilou, where there is a secret passage leading directly to the back alley. The back alley is enclosed, and a courtyard is hidden inside; Your Highness can go and check. I suspect that Wang Yang was conspiring with people there! In addition, Wang Yang had frequent dealings with the daughter of Chancellor Lady Xie, and the daughter of Chancellor Lady Xie and the daughter of the Marquis of Xichang are bosom friends. The Marquis of Xichang is a man of the Donggong, and Wang Yang's testimony is addressed to the Donggong. Whose man Wang Yang is, isn't it very obvious?"