kingnovel Chapter 120 The Schemes of Mother and Son
Chapter 120 The Schemes of Mother and Son
After speaking, Yang Cheng felt as if all his strength had been drained away. He slumped limply into the carved pear wood chair like a deflated balloon, utterly devoid of the energy and interest to speak. His eyes were empty and lifeless, staring blankly ahead, as if in that instant, the merciless sculptor of time had carved over a decade of cruel marks upon him, making him appear aged and utterly exhausted.
Just then, in the blink of an eye, a dark figure swept in through the door like a violent whirlwind. Upon closer inspection, it was Yang Tian, that troublesome brat. His face was beaming with joy, and he was so excited he was waving his arms and legs, shouting incessantly, "Dad, Mom said you went to seek justice for me today! What happened? Did the Emperor severely punish that wretched fellow?"
Yang Cheng was already extremely depressed, and upon hearing Yang Tian's arrogant words, his anger erupted like a volcano. He abruptly stood up, his eyes wide with rage, his face flushed red, like an enraged lion pouncing on Yang Tian. As he lunged, he cursed, "You bastard! You're driving me crazy! You're always causing trouble for me. I let the little squabbles slide before, but this time you've caused such a huge mess, making me lose the official position I worked so hard for all my life! Now you're all relaxed, loafing around all day, good-for-nothing! I'll teach you a lesson today, I'll break your legs!"
Madam Yang watched helplessly as Yang Cheng attacked without mercy, his movements as swift as lightning, rushing forward like a whirlwind. Her face contorted with anger, she scolded him in a sharp voice, "Stop hitting him! Do you really want to beat our own son to death? Even if you did kill him today, would it get you back to your former position? It's all your fault for being so incompetent! If you had even a little ability, when you first learned that our son was flirting with the incomparably noble princess, you should have racked your brains and tried every means to marry her! Then you would be a proper father-in-law of a princess! You wouldn't have ended up being dismissed from your post! Ultimately, it's all because you're useless; who else can you blame? Don't take your anger out on my precious son!"
Upon hearing these words, Yang Cheng's already raging anger burned even more fiercely, as if doused with hot oil. His face instantly turned extremely gloomy, his brows furrowed tightly, and the veins on his forehead bulged, resembling ferocious earthworms writhing wildly beneath his skin.
Immediately afterward, Yang Cheng whirled around, his once handsome face now contorted with rage. His expression was vicious, his eyes wide and bulging like copper bells, the fury radiating from them seeming capable of incinerating anyone before him. He stared intently at Madam Yang, his fierce gaze like two razor-sharp swords piercing straight into her heart.
Then, Yang Cheng could no longer suppress the surging anger in his heart. He opened his mouth and shouted angrily, "What a spoiled mother! If it weren't for your constant indulgence and pampering of him, how could he have degenerated into such a morally corrupt and misbehaving person? It's all your fault!" Every word was filled with endless resentment and blame, and echoed in the air for a long time.
The words had barely left his mouth when Yang Cheng, his hair standing on end in fury, raised his arm and swung it forcefully. His wide sleeves traced a sharp arc in the air, creating a whistling sound, as if a powerful whirlwind had suddenly risen from the ground. Then, without hesitation, he turned and strode forward at breakneck speed. His steps were firm and powerful, each step landing with a dull thud, like a heavy hammer striking the ground.
In the blink of an eye, Yang Cheng had already walked a long way, leaving everyone with only his receding, angry back. Behind him was a scene of utter chaos—tables and chairs were overturned, and various debris was scattered on the ground, as if a fierce battle had just taken place. However, Madam Yang remained standing there, stunned and incredulous, as if frozen in place, completely unable to move.
As for Yang Tian, when he heard his father's stern rebuke, it felt as if a deafening bolt of lightning had struck him from the depths of his soul, freezing him in place. His eyes widened, his mouth gaped open, but he couldn't utter a sound; his body was as stiff as a wooden or clay sculpture, utterly lifeless. At that moment, time seemed to stand still, and the only sound in the world was the faint throbbing of his heart, which had almost stopped beating in extreme shock and fear… He stared wide-eyed at Yang Cheng's receding figure until it disappeared from sight, only then snapping out of his daze.
"Mother..." Yang Tian's voice trembled, filled with confusion and panic, "What did my father mean by what he just said? Why did he say that I killed him? When did I ever harm him? And why is he so angry today?"
Madam Yang gently took Yang Tian's hand and slowly walked to a chair to sit down. She sighed deeply and said in a heavy tone, "Tian'er, when your father came back just now, he said that he... has been dismissed from his post."
Upon hearing this, Yang Tian's face immediately showed an expression of utter astonishment, his mouth agape, almost wide enough to fit an egg. He cried out in disbelief, "Dismissed from office? This... how is this possible! How could my father be dismissed from office! Is it because of what happened yesterday?"
Madam Yang nodded gravely, confirming the suspicion Yang Tian least wanted to believe. Yang Tian frowned, muttering to himself with deep suspicion, "How could this be? I've done this kind of thing plenty of times before, and everything always turned out fine. Why has it become so serious this time?"
Madam Yang looked distressed and sighed, "That's because in the past, no matter how arrogant and domineering you were, no one dared to confront you. After all, your cousin is a prince of high status! Therefore, no matter what mistakes you made, as long as no one reported them, it didn't matter. However, this time it's completely different. You actually offended the princess. Your father didn't know the truth and thought it was about you and Fan Junyu, so he went to ask the emperor to uphold justice. As a result... alas."
Yang Tian suddenly realized what was happening and exclaimed, "So the girl I flirted with yesterday was that mysterious and unpredictable eldest princess!" Madam Yang nodded slightly, saying with heartache, "Yes, how dare you bully someone's precious daughter! It's a miracle the Emperor didn't take your father's life."
Yang Tian suddenly realized, "So that's how it is! No wonder all my efforts to send people to investigate have been in vain. It turns out she is the eldest princess." Upon hearing this, Madam Yang was shocked and asked in a trembling voice, "What? You actually harbor ill intentions towards the princess? Don't you value your life?"
Upon hearing this, Yang Tian didn't seem to care at all. Instead, a slight, almost imperceptible, sly smile appeared on his lips as he softly said, "Oh dear, Mother, you see, your son is all grown up now, and it's time to talk about marriage!" Madam Yang, hearing this, looked suspicious and asked, "Son, what do you mean by this? Why are you suddenly bringing up marriage?"
Yang Tian calmly continued, "Mother, why don't you think about this carefully? If I were fortunate enough to marry the incomparably noble eldest princess, our family would truly be related to the Emperor by marriage! In that case, would Father still need to worry all day about not getting rich and powerful?" Upon hearing this, Madam Yang frowned slightly and immediately retorted, "But the eldest princess is already engaged to Fan Junyu. How can you possibly marry her as you wish?"
However, Yang Tian seemed confident and spoke up again nonchalantly: "Mother, what if Fan Junyu unfortunately encounters an accident and dies? Wouldn't their so-called marriage agreement instantly become a useless piece of paper? At that time, we only need to use a little trick to give the eldest princess a bad reputation for being a jinx to her husbands. Tell me, which man in the world would dare to take that risk to marry her? And when the time is right, we can go to the princess's door to propose marriage. She will surely be grateful to us! Not only the eldest princess herself, but even the emperor will probably be very grateful to our family!"
Yang Tian continued, "Mother, think about it carefully. If I could marry the eldest princess, our relationship with the emperor would be even stronger. At that time, would my father still worry about not having wealth and honor?" Madam Yang retorted, "But the eldest princess is already engaged to Fan Junyu. How can you possibly marry her as you wish?"
Yang Tian continued dismissively, "What if Fan Junyu dies? Wouldn't their marriage contract be worthless then? If we then label the princess as a jinx, who would dare to marry her? When we propose again, wouldn't she be incredibly grateful to us? Not only her, but even the Emperor would be moved to tears of gratitude."
Madam Yang's already somewhat haggard face was now shrouded in heavy sorrow. She sighed deeply, "Killing Fan Junyu is harder than climbing to heaven!" Her words were full of helplessness and anxiety.
However, Yang Tian seemed completely unconcerned. A slight smile appeared on his lips as he said in a relaxed, even nonchalant tone, "Mother, why are you so worried? What's so difficult about it? Don't forget we still have my 'good' cousin."
Hearing this, Madam Yang became skeptical. She frowned and asked suspiciously, "Tian'er, your father has lost his official position. He's like a ferocious tiger with its teeth pulled out. He can barely protect himself, so how could he possibly help him? Besides, even if we could find your cousin to help, it's uncertain whether he would be willing to lend a hand."
Faced with Madam Yang's barrage of questions and concerns, Yang Tian remained calm and composed. He stood firmly in place, his hands naturally behind his back, his chest slightly puffed out, exuding a powerful and confident aura. Throughout, a confident and self-assured smile remained radiant on his handsome face. This smile seemed frozen in time, unchanging regardless of the surrounding circumstances. It was as if, to him, all the thorny problems and difficulties before him were merely insignificant, trivial troubles. The course of the world's affairs was already firmly in his grasp, like pieces on a chessboard.
“Mother, please don’t worry about this at all!” Yang Tian said calmly and composedly. His voice was deep and powerful, containing an irresistible and resolute strength that made people take every word he said very seriously. "As long as we steadfastly implement the established plan step by step, and find a suitable opportunity to have a good talk with that person, explaining in detail that if I can successfully marry He Mingning, this incomparably noble woman, then his success rate in ascending to the supreme throne, which symbolizes absolute power, will be greatly increased. This enhancement is like adding a pair of strong and powerful wings to an extremely fierce tiger, making him even more powerful and advantageous in the struggle for the throne. Think about it, He Mingning is the younger sister of the Crown Prince, who is currently the most beloved son of the Emperor. With her illustrious status and high position, even if she is only used as a hostage to restrain enemies or to gain benefits in the future, she will undoubtedly become a crucial and decisive piece in the entire game."