Chapter 508: Catching up on old times

Yuwen Ang shook all over, the previous resentment instantly replaced by sharp vigilance. He turned his head abruptly toward the doorway, his pupils shrank, and he blurted out: "Who!"

After the words fell, his brows knitted tightly, and he listened intently, a strange sense of familiarity rising in his heart.

The tone of that voice was flat, yet carried a condescending ease. The inflection of the tail tone and the pauses in the words all sounded as if he had heard them countless times, lingering in his ears and refusing to go away.

"This voice... why is it so familiar?" He muttered to himself.

Immediately, he realized who the visitor was.

The next moment, the study door was pushed open from the outside, and the cold fog surged in, wrapped in a biting chill.

A tall figure stepped over the threshold quickly. The dark brocade robe shimmered with a dull luster in the morning light, the collar and cuffs embroidered with fine silver cloud patterns, and the white fox fur cloak on the outside was fluffy and soft, with a circle of snow-white fox fur hanging from the edges.

The visitor was followed by two guards, a man and a woman.

Yuwen Ang stared intently. When he saw the visitor's face clearly, his heart sank.

Those heroic and handsome brows, the posture as straight as a pine, and that smile that was not a smile, hiding the vicious corners of his lips—who else could it be but Chen Yan!

"Prince Qiao, you were just muttering about this office..." Chen Yan paced forward, the hem of his fox fur cloak sweeping over the broken porcelain on the ground, making a slight sound, his tone carrying a touch of teasing, "How is it that all of a sudden, you can't even recognize the voice of this office?"

Yuwen Ang stared at him fixedly, the anger and hatred in his chest surging again, but it was forcibly suppressed, only turning into a sarcastic mockery: "Chen Yan! It really is you!"

Shangguan Suqing, who was on the side, also stared blankly at the visitor, her gaze lingering on his heroic face and straight posture for a long time, a stormy sea rising in her heart.

Although she had long heard of the prestige of the Duke of Wei, Chen Yan, she had never seen him with her own eyes. Only after seeing him today did she know that the rumors were not false.

That face was so handsome it was startling, and his aura was extremely gentle, making it hard to associate him with being fierce and vicious.

She held her breath instinctively, exclaiming in disbelief in her heart: "Chen... is he Lord Chen Yan?"

Hearing this, the smile in Chen Yan's eyes deepened, and a playful arc hooked at the corners of his lips, his voice clear but carrying a touch of teasing: "Of course it is this office."

He walked slowly to the desk, his gaze sweeping over Yuwen Ang's tense side face, and he arched his brows as if asking knowingly, "Prince Qiao, this expression—could it be that you don't welcome this office?"

Yuwen Ang stared at him fixedly, his teeth clenched, his cheeks bulging slightly, almost biting his teeth to pieces.

The anger in his chest burned fiercely, but it was forcibly suppressed.

He took a deep breath, squeezed a fake smile on his face that was uglier than crying, and his tone was sarcastic to the extreme: "How could that be! Your Excellency the Duke visiting my humble abode is truly making it shine, and this King is too happy to be happy!"

He changed the subject, his eyes full of vigilance and mockery: "I don't know why the Duke, who is busy with official business, has time to come to my place, where I have been stripped of my title and am like a commoner. What is your business?"

Chen Yan smiled indifferently, raised his left and right hands.

Only to see his left hand carrying a roast chicken wrapped in oil paper, the oil light seeping through the paper layer, carrying a faint scent of brine.

His right hand was carrying a celadon wine pot, the pot body clean, and one could faintly see the wine liquid shaking inside.

Chen Yan weighed the things in his hands lightly, smiled gently, and said calmly: "This office heard that Your Highness has been feeling unwell recently, so I specifically brought a freshly baked roast chicken and a pot of aged shao wine to visit Your Highness."

Immediately, he placed the roast chicken and wine pot on the desk. The scent of brine and wine instantly permeated, dispelling the cold and hostility in the study, and he asked with a smile: "I wonder if Your Highness will do me the honor of having a drink with this office?"

Hearing this, Yuwen Ang's pupils shrank slightly, obviously somewhat surprised.

After pondering for only a moment, without any hesitation, his Adam's apple rolled, and he agreed directly: "Okay!"

The voice was crisp and neat, without any dragging.

He wanted to see what kind of medicine Chen Yan, this black-hearted thing, was selling in his gourd, and what kind of tricks he was playing.

Moreover, there was no room for refusal...

After all, outside this large Qiao Prince's mansion, there were all plainclothes (Embroidered Attire Envoys).

Shangguan Suqing's heart tightened when she heard this, her face full of worry, and she couldn't help but cry out instinctively: "Your Highness!"

She looked at Yuwen Ang with anxious eyes, her fingertips gripped until they turned white.

Who knows if there is any trick in this wine and meat? How could Your Highness agree so easily?

Yuwen Ang waved his hand, signaling that there was no need to say more, and comforted: "It's okay."

He turned to look at Chen Yan, a sharp edge flashing in his eyes, and a sarcastic smile hooked at the corners of his lips, asking slowly: "Chen, the Great Zhuguo, no matter how much you disregard the law, you wouldn't personally run to this place of confinement and take this King's life, right?"

"If it spreads out, wouldn't it ruin your reputation, right?"

Chen Yan nodded, agreeing without hesitation, his tone not revealing half a ripple: "Of course."

His gaze met Yuwen Ang's calmly, as if he hadn't heard the sarcasm in his words at all.

Seeing this, Yuwen Ang said to the Princess: "You go down and rest first. With the Great Zhuguo Chen accompanying me here, nothing will happen."

He paused and continued: "Don't disturb this King and the Great Zhuguo Chen 'catching up on old times'."

Shangguan Suqing's brows knitted, her face full of entanglement.

She was worried about the safety of the Prince, but dared not disobey his meaning.

After hesitating for a moment, she finally bowed and replied: "Yes..."

Having said that, she looked at Yuwen Ang deeply, scanned Chen Yan vigilantly, and then retreated lightly with the maid.

Chen Yan sat down unceremoniously, draping the fox fur cloak casually on the back of the chair.

He picked up the celadon wine pot and poured wine slowly into two empty wine cups. The amber wine liquid flowed along the mouth of the pot, making a crisp sound, and the wine fragrance became increasingly rich.

After pouring the wine, he reached out and tore a shiny chicken leg from the oil-paper package, handed it to Yuwen Ang, and said with a touch of casual laughter: "Come and try this roast chicken from Zhang's shop in the west of the city. It's freshly baked, the skin is crispy and the meat is tender, and the taste is not bad."

Yuwen Ang took the chicken leg. His fingertips touched the warmth and oiliness of the oil paper, and his stomach had long been hooked by the brine fragrance and was growling.

He didn't pretend to be reserved anymore, opened his mouth and took a big bite. The crispy chicken skin cracked between his teeth, the tender meat juice instantly burst out, and the rich brine mixed with the meat fragrance spread on the tip of his tongue.

After gnawing most of the chicken leg, he threw the bone on the corner of the desk, picked up the porcelain bowl filled with shao wine in front of him, and took a big gulp.

The spicy wine liquid slid down his throat, carrying a burning warmth, burning all the way to his chest and abdomen, dispelling the chill of deep winter and the congestion of the past few days.

Immediately, he exhaled a breath of wine happily, a little water light appearing in his eyes, and he sighed sincerely: "Good wine!"

Putting down the wine bowl, he looked up at Chen Yan, a playful smile hooking at the corners of his lips, his tone carrying a touch of inquiry and mockery: "This King thought that you, Zhuguo Chen, would just buy some inferior turbid wine to fob off this fallen royal family member?"

Hearing this, Chen Yan blinked. His face was still that calm appearance, and he retorted flatly: "How could that be!"

He put down the wine pot in his hand, his gaze falling on Yuwen Ang's face, and he said word by word, "Even if you have been stripped of your royal title and demoted to a commoner, aren't you still the bloodline of the Founding Emperor and the younger brother of the Son of Heaven, Prince Qiao?"

"No matter how ignorant this office is, I wouldn't neglect the son and grandson of the dragon."

These words were like a soft knife, poking Yuwen Ang until he was speechless.

His cheeks flushed slightly, and just as he was about to refute, he was blocked by the logic in the other party's words and could only squeeze out one word: "You...!"

He took a deep breath, forcibly suppressed the unhappiness in his heart, picked up the wine bowl and took another sip, using the wine's strength to calm his emotions.

After a while, he looked up again, his tone becoming increasingly sarcastic: "It turns out that Zhuguo Chen is not only ruthless in his methods, but even his tongue is so sharp, which really makes this King look at you with new eyes!"

"There are only the two of us left here, so Zhuguo Chen doesn't need to beat around the bush anymore. Just say it directly, what is your intention?"

Chen Yan picked up the wine bowl in front of him and took a shallow sip, his expression still calm: "Prince Qiao is truly quick-spoken and doesn't drag his feet at all."

"This office originally prepared to do some foreshadowing..."

Yuwen Ang tapped the desk with his fingertips, the wine liquid splashing small water flowers, his tone carrying impatient urging: "Get straight to the point!"

Immediately, he picked up the wine bowl and took another sip, his vigilance not decreasing, but instead carrying a touch of curiosity, and he arched his brows and asked: "I am also really curious, in your place, Zhuguo Chen, what kind of utilization value does a waste royal family member who has been stripped of his title and confined to his mansion have, that is worth your personal trip?"

Hearing this, Chen Yan slowly put down the wine bowl. The casualness on his face completely converged, his expression became solemn, and his gaze was as sharp as an eagle, locking onto Yuwen Ang tightly: "Qi State spies have sneaked into Chang'an, planning in secret, and are brewing a conspiracy to subvert Great Zhou."

He paused and continued: "The Grand Tutor ordered this office to investigate this matter thoroughly and crush their ambitions, and you, Prince Qiao, are an extremely key link in the layout of this office!"

"Hahahaha!"

Yuwen Ang seemed to have heard the most absurd joke in the world. He slapped the desk and laughed wildly, laughing until he leaned forward and backward, his shoulders trembling, and the wine he had just drunk almost choked out.

After laughing for a long time, he gradually restrained his laughter. There was still water light from laughing in the corners of his eyes, but it was full of mockery and ridicule.

He reached out and pointed at Chen Yan, his fingertips turning slightly white from force, his tone playful and carrying bone-deep hatred: "Chen Yan, oh Chen Yan, why don't you listen to what kind of nonsense you are talking about?"

He paused, the smile suddenly converged, his eyes surging with anger and unwillingness, and his voice suddenly raised, "You tell this King, how did I, Yuwen Ang, fall into such a situation?!"

Is this from drinking too much?

What kind of nonsense is he talking about?

Hearing this, Chen Yan hooked a faint smile at the corners of his lips, his eyes carrying a touch of frank playfulness, and he opened his mouth righteously: "Naturally, it was sent in by this office with my own hands!"

That tone was as flat as if he were talking about a trivial matter, without half a concealment or guilt.

Yuwen Ang was laughed at by his appearance of taking it for granted, his face full of sarcastic mockery: "So you also know it in your heart!"

Before the words fell, the smile on his face instantly converged, his teeth clenched, his eyes surging with monstrous anger, and he questioned sharply: "Then why should this King help you?!"

He raised his hand violently and pointed to the half-roast chicken left on the table, and the shao wine that was still steaming, his tone full of sarcastic sneers, "Just rely on this broken roast chicken that fills the stomach, or this broken shao wine that relieves boredom?"

Chen Yan was still calm and confident, as if he hadn't been affected by his anger at all, just arched his brows lightly, his tone meaningful: "Prince Qiao, there is nothing absolute in this world."

He paused, his gaze locked onto Yuwen Ang tightly, word by word: "You will help."

"You are so confident?" Yuwen Ang arched his brows and asked back, his eyes full of disdain, "Chen Yan, don't you think you have grasped this King's soft rib?"

"Tell you, this King has nothing now, and has long had nothing to lose!"

Chen Yan smiled unhurriedly, did not answer directly, but slowly raised his hand and took out something wrapped in bright yellow brocade from his bosom.

The brocade was embroidered with fine dragon patterns.

He pinched a corner of the brocade with his fingertips and shook it lightly: "Why don't you, Prince Qiao, take a look at this thing first?"

Yuwen Ang didn't take it seriously at first, curled his lips, his tone carrying a touch of perfunctory: "What thing? Is it worth the Great Zhuguo Chen being so mysterious?"

But when Chen Yan slowly unfolded the brocade, revealing the neatly folded bright yellow scroll inside, Yuwen Ang's gaze suddenly solidified.

He leaned forward instinctively, his pupils gradually dilated. When he saw the scroll clearly, his whole body froze in place, his eyes stared straight, and the disdain and anger on his face were instantly replaced by shock. He exclaimed in surprise: "This... this is... an edict?!"

——

PS: Wanfeng worked hard today, livered 7,600 words, equivalent to the update volume of four chapters. Asking for a free little gift? (ゝω???) ===== CHAPTER 509 =====