Lao Fan glared at Su Tianrui fiercely and wrested his arm out of his grasp, his mustache bristling. "You’re no good either! All three of you are no good, one rotten to the core, another dumb as a dazed rabbit, and you, you’re just a little fox! Just like your father!"
"Hehe," Su Tianrui knew that Lao Fan was angry because Xia Zheng had abandoned him and left him be, so he vented his anger on them as well. With a twinkle in his eye, he clapped his hands and nodded repeatedly, "Exactly! Xia Zheng, that rascal! Who knows what bewitched him to neglect even Elder Zhen himself! He really deserves a beating! Elder, rest assured, the next time I see him, I won’t let him get away with it. I’ll definitely pull down his pants and give him a good thrashing to blow off your steam!"
Lao Fan’s anger somewhat subsided, and he cast a dismissive glance at Zhao Hongde nearby, "You, just foolishly defending him."
Su Tianrui nudged Zhao Hongde with his elbow and gave him a meaningful look, signaling him to speak ill of Xia Zheng in front of Old Master Zhen. Despite his foul mood, the old man was prone to sentimentality, and agreeing with him would surely calm his nerves.
But Zhao Hongde made a pained expression; he truly couldn’t bring himself to speak ill of Xia Zheng. Let alone Xia Zheng, he had never even complained about Second Prince Zhao Hongsheng, who had bullied him since childhood.
With a sigh of frustration, Su Tianrui thought, what could he expect from this guy?
Lao Fan saw right through their tacit communication. He couldn’t help but sigh about Zhao Hongde. The Emperor had six sons, the Empress’s oldest had died young, leaving only these five. With the legitimate son deceased, the Crown Prince had to be virtuous. The Fourth and Fifth Princes, with unremarkable maternal families and subpar capabilities of their own, were never favored and were out of consideration for succession. The Sixth Prince was clever, but at just seven years of age, he was too young and indifferent to the throne. Furthermore, the Sixth Prince’s mother and the mothers of the Third Prince and Princess Anle had been handkerchief friends since childhood, so he would not get involved in the struggle for the throne.
Thus, now, it came down to only the Second Prince and the present Third Prince. Second Prince Zhao Hongsheng was as his name suggested, overbearing and arrogant. If he were to become Emperor, it would be tough to pursue a benevolent rule. The Third Prince, on the other hand, was compassionate and loved the people, never striving or scrambling for anything, instead always considering the citizens’ welfare. Such a man was most suitable for the Emperor in this peaceful and prosperous era. However, his character was far too meek.
Lao Fan shook his head in wonder, how could Xia Zheng’s father, the Great General who was decisive in battle and fought through bloodshed, have such a soft-natured nephew?
Reflecting on these matters naturally brought Lao Fan back to the incident of his own forced departure from the palace, stirring up a wave of irritation within him.
He stomped Xia Zheng’s pillow, channeling all his anger towards Xia Zheng.
Something seemed to strike Su Tianrui, who approached Lao Fan with a grin, "Old Master Zhen, what urgent matter could Xia Zheng possibly have that he left without caring for you, rushing off in the middle of the night? With the Capital city just a day or two away, why such an unbearable rush?"
In Lao Fan’s mind, the image of a certain young girl’s sly smiling face when setting people up and her fierce scowl when fighting involuntarily emerged, he snorted, "What else could it be? Isn’t it just his tavern?"
The girl he initially thought of suddenly turned into a tavern.
"Really?" Su Tianrui wasn’t so easily fooled and knew there was more to the story by Lao Fan’s hesitation.
Seeing Su Tianrui’s probing look, Lao Fan suddenly remembered that this fellow had a sister. If these people were to come together, who knew what interesting things might happen?