Chapter 688 – The “Father-Son” Soy Sauce Squad (Part 5)
Yang Si looked at Feng Zhen, unable to hold back a sigh at his disheartened expression.
Did he not understand their lord’s temperament?
He suppressed a chuckle, “The facts are right in front of you! Why won’t you just accept your fate?”
“I feel like I can still save this…”
Feng Zhen mimicked Jiang Pengji’s previous words, flopping around like a dried fish.
Yang Si couldn’t find anything funny about the situation anymore.
No matter how much he wanted to save the situation, the truth remained: their lord was a woman, not a man.
“I advise you to just face reality… our lord has a temper that can’t stand any nonsense. It’s too late to think about switching allegiance,” Yang Si turned to Feng Zhen and reminded him, “…You’ve always been a playboy, that was fine back when we didn’t know the true gender of our lord, but now… it’s a different story. She’s been raised as a man, but in the end, she’s still not one…”
If news suddenly broke that Jiang Pengji was a woman, no matter how carefree they were, they couldn’t easily accept it.
The news would be too shocking.
However, Jiang Pengji had already given them a heads-up and enough time to adjust, so the impact wasn’t as severe.
Both Feng Zhen and Yang Si weren’t the type to dwell on trifles.
On the contrary, both were adaptable due to their personalities.
They didn’t struggle to accept reality; they just thought the truth was a bit too much to handle.
But still, they had chosen their lord, so they would support her to the end!
Listening to Yang Si, Feng Zhen felt increasingly uneasy—there was more to his words than met the eye!
“Yang Jingrong, what do you mean by that?”
Yang Si huffed, “I mean no harm, just reminding you to be mindful of your behavior. Take your earlier conversation with our lord, for instance—it was quite inappropriate. Feng Zhen, think about how you spoke with her. If she were a man, teasing a bit wouldn’t matter, and no one would bat an eye. But now that we know she’s a woman, you should be aware and avoid being too casual. Our lord is still young and her temperament is unpredictable; don’t lead her astray…”
Feng Zhen’s face had an expression of shock, eyes locked on Yang Si with a glimmer of sympathy.
Caring for the daft is our shared responsibility.
Feng Zhen pouted, “Yang Jingrong, that’s quite an unfair accusation. Do you think a guy who knows all the brothel lingo, is adept at flirting with the flower gals, drinks like a fish, and can serenade on cue is any kind of refined example? He’s already gone off the beaten track! Even if I did influence him, it’s our lord who led the pure and innocent me astray, not the other way around. If we’re talking about behavior, I’m better than her.”
He could be reckless, but he wouldn’t let Yang Si pin that on him.
His personal life might be messy, but he wasn’t entirely without morals.
Did he guide their lord’s flamboyant behavior?
Did the person saying this not feel even a twinge of guilt?
Yang Si scoffed, eyes narrowing with obvious skepticism.
Feng Zhen was boiling with anger; he was of a similar age to Yang Si, both peering into the realm of the young adults, yet now being lectured like a child. A spark ignited in him, “Yang Jingrong, do you think you’re raising a daughter? Our lord acts like that; she needs no teaching from me!”
As Yang Si prepared to retort, Feng Zhen spoke rapidly, “And don’t argue with me. Based on what I know about our lord, if you keep emphasizing the hurry to avoid scandal, she’ll only get annoyed. You know how the top ranks feel, and you should understand the nuances—don’t let this taboo slip by. To put it plainly, whether our lord is a man or a woman doesn’t matter much to us. Don’t go off the deep end…”
Still a single dog himself, how could Yang Si take on a fatherly role on behalf of their lord? Had he lost his mind?
In reality, Yang Si simply wanted Feng Zhen to tone down his antics, but this guy just flipped the script on him.
Yang Si felt the urge to hit something.
“Grasping at straws!” he shot an irritable glance at Feng Zhen, “You think I don’t know about those taboos? I’m not telling you to become distant with our lord or make her upset. I’m just considering her reputation. Do you understand my good intentions? You, the scoundrel, don’t care about reputation—are you really going to let our lord’s legacy be tarnished in the future? Where’s the decorum in that?”
Yang Si was beside himself with frustration.
He really wanted to pin Feng Zhen down in the snow and have a proper talk.
Feng Zhen scoffed.
Reputation? He hadn’t cared for that, and neither did their lord, who was practical and indifferent to empty fame.
Seeing his stubbornness, Yang Si felt a mix of anger and amusement, “Did you waste all those years of study? Back when Emperor Xia trusted Duke Xu, their bond was deep and moving, a fine tale, but look at how those wretched unofficial histories portray it! Countless tales have been fabricated, slandering their relationship in the most horrid ways. The Xu family from Zhejiang has been criticized; do you think you’ve never heard about their rumored royal blood? Emperor Xia was a formidable man, and the duke was an exceptional woman, yet they were still gossiped about. And now with our lord being female, it’s only going to be worse for those of us who are male!”
“You don’t want to add another scandalous tale to history, do you? So go ahead and be reckless! But just don’t drag our lord into the mud with you. If you don’t understand that, then I’ll stop talking.”
Feng Zhen was left speechless.
He and Yang Si were both easygoing fellows, yet very different.
Feng Zhen was entirely self-indulgent, disregarding reputation and appearance.
Yang Si, on the other hand, was more reserved, keeping his debauchery hidden beneath a serious facade.
“Who can control what the world says?”
Feng Zhen felt a little uneasy, lacking confidence.
Yang Si replied, “I may not control the world’s words, but I can monitor your actions and words, keeping a watchful eye on you at all times.”
Feng Zhen drooped like a frostbitten eggplant, despondent.
Who would have thought he’d end up on a team with Yang Si?
Had he known, he would have preferred teaming up with Feng Jin or Wei Ci; at least they were refined young nobles and easier to deal with.
“What do you think others will feel when they learn this news? Will they be surprised?”
Yang Si answered, “I don’t know about surprise, but shock is guaranteed.”
Their lord, towering and unmatched, suddenly became a delicate girl overnight.
Who could handle such a drastic change?
With two strategists tasked with setting up camp, Jiang Pengji lounged about as the carefree steward.
She sat across from Liu Zhi, brewing tea and savoring wine, exchanging questions and answers to understand the coalition forces.
As their dialogue deepened, the audience in the live stream began to grasp the scope of this alliance.
The more they learned, the more disheartened they grew.
【Silent and Reserved Huang Shaotian】: What a pity, I thought the streamer would truly shine this time and grab the title of alliance leader.
This comment echoed the sentiments of the majority of the audience, who had prepped their seats to see the streamer carry the day.
And the result?
The streamer casually announced she’d be taking a break and was now spectating from the sidelines while a bunch of pretty boys fought fiercely.
Among the crowd of lazy viewers, some were more rational, at least they were here watching the stream with their brains on.
