20demayo Chapter 68: We need to get all the old guys rolled up!
Chapter 68: We need to get all the old guys rolled up!
Just then, Gao Cheng suddenly spoke up calmly, "Second Brother, you are drunk."
"Someone...someone not..."
Upon hearing this, Gao Yang still wanted to retort.
But as soon as he started to speak, he was met with Gao Cheng's indifferent eyes. The gaze was not particularly sharp, but it made him suddenly realize what was happening and became more alert.
He seemed to realize something, quickly gave an embarrassed smile, obediently put down his wine cup, and sat back down properly.
Upon seeing this, Gao Cheng said no more.
He immediately rose and bowed to Li Xizong, saying, "Gentlemen, I have troubled you greatly today. Now that the matter is settled, my second son and I shall return to our residence. Another day, I will host a small feast at the Governor's Mansion, and we shall drink to our hearts' content."
"In that case, we will escort the Crown Prince."
Upon hearing this, no one tried to stop them; instead, they all rose to see them off.
Upon reaching the gate, Gao Cheng waved his hand and said, "Gentlemen, please stay. There's no need to see me off."
Having said that, he led Gao Yang onto the carriage and ordered Liu Taozhi to set off.
Before long, the carriage rumbled away from the Li residence and entered the streets of Ye City.
A breeze slipped in through the gaps in the carriage curtains, carrying the slight dryness of early summer.
Gao Yang leaned against the car wall, his eyes closed, his breathing even, as if he were truly drunk.
Gao Cheng ignored him, closed his eyes to rest, and pondered the upcoming situation in his mind.
Now, the Four Nobles are already trapped and no longer a threat; a consensus has also been reached with the powerful families of Hebei, and their scions will soon arrive in Ye.
His long-planned reform strategy can finally be put on the agenda.
However, before that, he might have to go to the palace again to meet Yuan Shanjian and obtain the emperor's edict.
After all, these days, many things require a proper and legitimate basis, and procedures cannot be disrupted.
Just as he was pondering this, a voice suddenly came from beside him: "Brother."
Upon hearing the sound, Gao Cheng subconsciously opened his eyes, only to see Gao Yang, who had been drunk and dazed just moments before, now staring at him with clear eyes, showing no signs of drunkenness whatsoever.
He paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and said, "Are you faking being drunk?"
Gao Yang chuckled, revealing two rows of white teeth: "Given the situation today, if I don't feign drunkenness, those old men will take turns pouring drinks for me. If I really do get drunk, wouldn't I make a fool of myself?"
Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng couldn't help but chuckle.
This ugly younger brother is quite quick-witted; I suspect that the so-called mental illness and drunken violence in history were just pretexts.
However, at this moment, he was too lazy to investigate further. Seeing that he wasn't really drunk, he closed his eyes again and prepared to continue his calculations.
Unexpectedly, Gao Yang couldn't contain himself when he saw him like this.
He immediately leaned over and asked, "Brother, now that our family has arrived, may we take action against the Four Nobles?"
Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng couldn't help but raise a slight brow.
She immediately opened her eyes, looked at his impatient appearance, and a playful smile appeared on her lips: "Why the rush? Are you afraid that things might go wrong if you wait too long? Or are you already eager to welcome your Lady Li into your bedchamber?"
Gao Yang blushed at his question and quickly retorted, "I'm truly worried that that old scoundrel might resort to desperate measures and cause further trouble. Eliminating this treacherous official as soon as possible will allow for the implementation of new policies!"
"Oh, I knew it?"
Unexpectedly, Gao Cheng simply dragged out his words, looking at him with a half-smile.
Under his all-knowing gaze, Gao Yang finally succumbed, chuckling, "Alright, I was indeed impatient. My grandmother... is truly a perfect match. As the poem says, 'A fair maiden is the object of a gentleman's desire,' brother..."
"Hahaha~"
Before Gao Yang could finish speaking, Gao Cheng burst into laughter.
Gao Yang's laughter made him even more embarrassed.
However, after laughing, Gao Cheng still patted his shoulder and winked, saying, "Don't worry, the affairs of Ye and your wedding are not interfering with each other. After all, the wedding must be decided after consulting with your father and mother."
"After returning home, I immediately wrote to Jinyang, explaining the matter in detail. Once Ye City is pacified, my father and mother's reply should arrive soon."
"At that time, I can take advantage of your wedding to announce the alliance between the Hebei aristocratic families and the Gao family. This will encourage all the elders under my father's command to strive harder, so that they will not rely on their seniority and think that their achievements are unparalleled and that no one can replace them."
Gao Yang was taken aback upon hearing this.
But a moment later, he couldn't help but exclaim with joy, "So it turns out my brother had already planned this all along! Why didn't you say so sooner, leaving me with nothing but worry?"
But before he could even feel excited, he belatedly realized that something was wrong.
Immediately, his smile froze, and he asked softly, "Brother, if that's the case, then will my marriage also serve as a tool for you to weigh the political situation?"
Gao Cheng raised an eyebrow and asked in return, "What, do you have an objection?"
"I......"
Upon hearing this, Gao Yang immediately twitched the corners of his mouth.
However, looking at Gao Cheng's ambiguous smile, she didn't dare to say anything, but only complained in a low voice: "Brother is really...heartless. He plans everything, and since he came to Ye, he has rarely shown any gentleness."
After hearing Gao Yang's complaints, Gao Cheng couldn't help but twitch his lips and said irritably, "If I were too mild-mannered, you would have been devoured by the likes of Sima Ziru a few days ago. How could you still be here wagging your tongue?"
Having said that, she ignored him and continued to close her eyes and ponder.
When Gao Yang saw that he was not speaking, he also pursed his lips and said nothing more. After a while, his resentment turned into joy, and he secretly praised Gao Cheng in his heart.
My brother has indeed changed a lot these days.
However, compared to his previous brother, who, though humane, always took pleasure in bullying him, he still preferred his current brother.
At the very least, although his brother is still sharp-tongued, his actions show that he values him and has never diminished his efforts to cultivate him.
While the two remained silent, the carriage arrived at the gate of the Governor's Mansion.
Upon hearing Liu Taozhi's reminder, Gao Cheng immediately got out of the car and strode towards the study.
However, he hadn't taken more than a few steps when he felt someone tugging at his clothes. He turned around and saw Gao Yang staring at him longingly, his eyes full of yearning.
Gao Cheng raised an eyebrow slightly, and asked in surprise, "Why are you following me?"
Gao Yang blinked pitifully and whispered a reminder: "Brother, don't forget to write letters for Father and Mother."
Upon hearing this, and seeing his pleading look like a puppy, Gao Cheng couldn't help but burst out laughing.
He immediately waved his hand and nodded, saying, "I know, I know, I will never forget you. Just wait patiently for Xun."
Hearing Gao Cheng's assurance, Gao Yang reluctantly let go, leaving with several glances back at each step.
Gao Cheng shrugged helplessly again before turning and heading straight to his study.
After entering the study, he ordered someone to bring him pen, ink, paper, and inkstone. After hesitating for a moment, he finally decided to write down the ins and outs of the marriage arrangement first.
He quickly blew the ink off the paper, put it in an envelope, and called out towards the door, "Wang Hong, come in."
Wang Hong entered in response, cupped his hands in greeting, and asked, "What does the Crown Prince wish to say?"
Gao Cheng handed him the letter and casually instructed, "Go to Jinyang personally and present this letter to the King. Also, recount in detail all the recent events in Ye, making sure not to omit even the slightest detail. Do you understand?"
"only!"
Upon hearing this, Wang Hong did not ask any further questions.
Upon receiving the order, he took the letter with both hands, turned around, and quickly left.