TCN: Mei Gongqing

Chapter 176

A middle-age adviser took a step forward to stand behind Wang Hong, somberly saying: "You mustn't heed his words, my lord. Murong Ke is a wily one and he has come prepared. You cannot put yourself at risk for a woman."

As soon as he finished, another adviser came forward. He raised his clasped hands to say, "That's very correct. My lord, the Grand Chamberlain is just a woman. It has no effect on your reputation whether you save her or not."

The third adviser likewise asserted, "That's exactly correct, you must never fall for his trick."

"No matter what, the Grand Chamberlain is only a woman."

"I beg you to reconsider. Murong Ke is not easy to deal with. He is trying to corner you. It's not worth it to risk everything for a woman... People have high expectations of you, if they find out that you ignore your own safety for a woman, I am afraid that they will lose faith in you."

The last person had gone straight to crux of the problem.

In recent time, their master's liaison with Ah Rong of the Chen House had become a subject of mockery among the nobility. He was committing all sorts of absurdity for a woman, and the most laughable of all was that she didn't appreciate any of it.

There was no shortage of beautiful women in the kingdom. What kind of man was Qilang of the Wang House that he would need to cling onto a woman like this? If he couldn't have her, then he could kill her. It was what someone of his standing should do.

But good for him, he disappointed everyone by putting himself in a dilemma for a mere woman. He could neither have her nor let her go. Not only could he not bring himself to kill her, he went as far as behaving like quarreling children alongside His Majesty. It was utterly ridiculous and wholly unimaginable.

One could even hear the minstrel Yueji sing on stage that 'Wang Qilang is a lovesick puppy,' and the noble children took every chance to make fun of him for it. The biggest topic in Jiankang this year had to be that Qilang of the Wang House was despairing over an amorous nun he could not have.

If their master stopped here, then proper propaganda was all they needed to prevent people from criticizing him for running without a fight.

Wang Hong did not make a single movement throughout his advisers' eloquent persuasion.

Not until everyone had talked his mouth dry did he gracefully get up. Although he had been pale ever since knowing of Chen Rong's disappearance, he had remained collected and calm. Even now as he got up, his action was neither rattled nor panicked.

This fact did little to put his advisers at ease. They knew that their master was the classic exemplar of the phrase 'face unchanged even as Mount Tai collapses.' His own mother had not seen him discomposed in his childhood. If not for these reasons, he wouldn't have earned so many people's high regard and expectation.

To the advisers, his impassive face was the most unnerving of all.

After unhurriedly standing up, Wang Hong turned and smiled at his five nervous advisers: "It's time for bed."

He then flapped his sleeve and walked away.

Staring after him until he had vanished from sight, an adviser squeaked, "Did his lordship listen to anything we said?"

"I don't know," another shook his head.

"His lordship has the bearings of a savant. He is thus capricious and does not consider his family's reputation. It worries me so."

"His disposition won't let him sit this one out. We can only wait to see his next move... If anything, what we can do is prevent him from personally risking his life in the rescue. If necessary, we will resort to extraordinary means."