Despite this, Su Qing still gently broke free from Cang Xuan's hand and took a step back, showing his respect for the other.
"So, Your Highness the Prince entered the court as an official and ascended to the position of the Chief Grand Secretary of the Grand Secretariat with the help of the divination. Is your purpose to find Concubine Shu? Do you think that the Wang family is related to Concubine Shu's whereabouts?"
After learning Cang Xuan's identity, Su Qing's mind became clearer, and he also guessed the feud between Cang Xuan and the Wang family.
"You're right," Cang Xuan replied. "My master once told me that after he rescued my mother from the burning Palace of Gloomy Calm, he intended to take her back to the Taoist temple. But my mother sneaked away the next day and hid herself. Soon after, someone set their eyes on my master."
"Fearing that my mother's whereabouts might be exposed, my master completely cut off contact with her. The next time I got news about my mother was when I was abandoned at the foot of the mountain. This shows that my mother had been on the run from the pursuers. She disappeared after leaving me there."
"But how could a person disappear without a trace?" Cang Xuan continued. "So, I boldly guess that my mother is still alive. She's just in trouble and waiting for me to rescue her."
Actually, Cang Xuan also knew that after all these years, as he had grown up, his mother might have already passed away.
Even a tough man like Su Qing was deeply touched by the story. Looking at Cang Xuan, there was a hint of pity in his eyes that he didn't even notice.
What a poor child.
"What about the 'baleful star'?" Su Qing asked hesitantly.
Cang Xuan's eyes turned cold. "Some time ago, the Wang family sent a caravan to Chenzhou on a business trip. It took them a month to go there and back. The caravan retrieved a red - fox fur for that woman and presented it to her."
Su Qing remembered that he had intercepted a caravan from the Wang family at the city gate that day.
"But I checked the goods carefully that day. There was nothing wrong with them," Su Qing said.
Cang Xuan sneered. "There was, of course, nothing wrong with them on the surface, because the secret was hidden inside the fur."
Saying this, he took out a small brocade pouch from his sleeve and took out a piece of leather. When he unfolded it, Su Qing noticed that the tips of his fingers were pale and trembling slightly.
Taking the leather, Su Qing was surprised. "This looks like human skin."
Cang Xuan closed his eyes tightly, took a deep breath, and forced himself to calm down, not to show his violent side in front of Su Qing.
"This human skin was sealed inside the fox fur with wax. There was no sign of anything wrong on the surface. Only when the leather was roasted with fire and the wax melted would the secret hidden inside be revealed," Cang Xuan explained.
Regardless of whether this human skin belonged to Shu Moyun, who had been missing for many years, it was extremely cruel of Queen Wang to have someone skin a person and bring the skin back to the palace for her to admire.
"What a vicious woman!" Su Qing couldn't help but angrily say. "I never thought such a person would become the queen! The Wang family has ambitious plans. If they are not eliminated, there will surely be chaos in the Great Chu!"
"Uncle Su, you must have noticed that whether it's the Capital Garrison Army, the City Patrol Guards, or even the petty constables in the yamen, they are all involved with the forces of the great noble families. It's extremely difficult to find out my mother's whereabouts."
"Giving the Capital Garrison Army to you is my sincerity in seeking cooperation with you. His Majesty has given you a three - month deadline. But I hope," Cang Xuan smiled, "that the Capital Garrison Army, the Imperial Guard, and the City Patrol Guards will all be under the control of the Su family from Mobei."
"Uncle Su, I'll ask you one more time. Are you willing to be a 'treasonous official and traitor' with me?" Cang Xuan's smile seemed a bit crazy.
When Su Qing was appointed as the commander of the Capital Garrison Army by the emperor on Yandang Mountain, he had actually already boarded Cang Xuan's "ship of no return".
If Su Qing was unwilling to help, then the Capital Garrison Army would be Cang Xuan's apology for tricking the Su family from Mobei.
Either way, Cang Xuan wouldn't lose.
After all, he was the one holding the reins in this game of chess.
Su Qing took a deep breath and said, "Whether you admit it or not, your mother, Concubine Shu, should have been the emperor's wife, and you should have been the emperor's legitimate son. Helping you is to uphold the legitimate line. It doesn't go against my principles, let alone make me a 'treasonous official and traitor'."
"In that case, Uncle Su, I'll use tea in place of wine to toast you," Cang Xuan said with a meaningful smile to Su Qing.
Su Qing also raised his cup, motioned to Cang Xuan from afar, and then tilted his head back to drink the tea in one gulp.
From then on, the two of them were truly in alliance.
"What about Yuanbao?" Su Qing frowned, looking worried.
He had come today with the intention of finding a master for Yuanbao. But after learning Cang Xuan's identity, this request seemed inappropriate.
This was the emperor's real legitimate eldest son. How could he ask Cang Xuan to be Yuanbao's master?
Fortunately, Cang Xuan said, "I don't have a teacher - disciple bond with her. I'm afraid I can't accept her as my disciple as you wish, Uncle Su."
Su Qing heaved a sigh of relief. "That's good, that's good."
"However," Cang Xuan continued, "there is not just one way to solve the problem of her celestial eyes."
Concerned about his daughter, Su Qing quickly asked, "What way?"
Looking at Su Qing's expectant eyes, Cang Xuan remembered what the old monk Kong Wen had told him. Apart from finding a master, another way to solve the problem was... to marry the most noble person in the world and become the worthy "Phoenix Star".
He would never allow her to marry the emperor, nor would he let her become the wife of the current crown prince and be ruined by that lecher.
If she had to marry, she could only marry him.
For this purpose, he didn't mind becoming the most noble person in the world.
But if he told Su Qing this now, he was afraid that Su Qing would be on guard against him. He could only plan for it slowly.
Squinting his eyes slightly, Cang Xuan's smile deepened. "I plan to recognize you as my adoptive father. From now on, she will be my younger sister. I will do my best to protect her as her older brother."
Su Qing was greatly shocked. If Cang Xuan recognized him as his adoptive father, wouldn't his status be on par with the emperor's? He instinctively wanted to refuse.
But thinking of Cang Xuan's pitiful background and the experiences of his mother and son, he couldn't help but soften his heart.
Forget it. Since Cang Xuan himself had no objections, why was he being so awkward?
Moreover, it was quite satisfying to secretly take advantage of the emperor.
Who asked the emperor to deprive him of his military power? Hehe.
"Okay, I'll recognize you as my adopted son!" Su Qing immediately clapped his hands cheerfully.
"However, becoming adoptive father and son is no small matter. Come to the Duke Yong's Mansion tomorrow. We'll go through the formalities of the betrothal gifts. I'll also introduce you to your adoptive mother, adoptive elder brothers, and younger brothers."
"Okay," Cang Xuan said with a smile. "I'll prepare generous gifts for my adoptive mother, adoptive elder brothers, younger brothers, and younger sister Yuanbao."
He said meaningfully, "It's also time to solve the problem of younger sister Yuanbao's eyes."