Chapter 33: Elder Hao Yue

At the same time, two ordinary appearing middle aged men followed behind the four people. They wore extremely common looking clothes, and they appeared to be regular bodyguards.

But Chu Mo was reminded of what Nuo Yi had said before. Elder Hao Yue has two Yuan Closure guards always at his side. He thought……it must be these two.

Chu Mo had an eye-opening experience looking at Elder Hao Yue and his sons’ appearances.

He had only encountered rough men on the grassland. Although Nuo Yi is extremely beautiful, but she wears grassland style clothing with lots of ornaments hanging down.

She jingled as she walked.

[TL: This grassland arc seems largely themed after mongolia. The grassland style clothing probably looks something like this.]

Chu Mo imagined all the grassland people to be like this.

But Chu Mo felt mistaken after looking at Elder Hao Yue and the three sons. It was a feeling like returning to Da Xia.

Chu Mo looked over at Pang Zhongyuan. Sure enough, an unnatural look flashed across Pang Zhongyuan’s face after Elder Hao Yue walked in. But soon after it returned to normal. Pang Zhongyuan laughed and stood up, and he very respectfully looked at Elder Hao Yue.

Nuo Yi and Lee booth stood up, smiled, and greeted Elder Hao Yue.

Princess Bao Lian was the last to stand up. Furthermore, her tone was very plain, completely unlike addressing one’s own husband. She plainly said as she saw Elder Hao Yue walk over: “Why did you come?”

Elder Hao Yue slightly smiled, then nodded to Pang Zhongyuan at the side: “Mister Pang, we meet again!”

Pang Zhongyuan faced Elder Hao Yue and saluted: “Pang humbly meets Elder Hao Yue!”

“Haha, don’t be so polite. We are all old friends!” Elder Hao Yue frankly laughed. This time he looked at Princess Bao Lian with a doting face: “Our niece and nephew have arrived. I cannot come and have a look?”

Continuing on, Hao Yue turned to the three young men behind him: “Are you going to greet princess and the third prince?”

Although Wang Court doesn’t have as many rules as Da Qi and Da Xia, but the seniority rules are the same.

The three young men’s faces didn’t appear unwilling. They all wore a smile and gave respects to Nuo Yi and brother Lee. Nuo Yi and brother Lee also smiled courteously. The atmosphere was very harmonious.

Chu Mo’s sense of danger towards Elder Hao Yue increased several times. By only looking at the scene, it was completely different than the ice-cold manner described earlier to him by Ba Duo.

“Don’t tell me Ba Duo acted on his own, using that attitude towards Nuo Yi?”

It is obviously impossible!

Then it can only be said, Elder Hao Yue……his shrewdness is too deep. He can disguise himself extremely well.

His three sons weren’t the slightest bit different!

But Nuo Yi and brother Lee……are not being outdone.

This made Chu Mo somewhat sorrowed inside. Sure enough, children born in this kind of family have the ability to put on a performance. They can feign their true feelings in the blink of an eye.

Elder Hao Yue’s appearance made the atmosphere of the banquet hall much more depressing. But Elder Hao Yue was totally unaware. He called people to prepare a new table, and he cheerfully drank wine with Pang Zhongyuan.

Elder Hao raised a cup up and toasted the horsemen that protected Nuo Yi along the road.

“Thank you all for protecting the princess and prince along the road. You all suffered!” Elder Hao Yue stood up while holding a bowl: “This bowl of wine, I drink first!”

The group of horsemen were all cultured men. Seeing Elder Hao Yue like this, they all stood up one by one, and they finished their bowls of wine.

“You are all good men of the grasslands, hot-blooded strong men! Don’t be tense because I am here. Treat it like your own home! Make yourselves at ease!” Elder Hao Yue showed the empty bowl to everyone, then sat down smiling.

The banquet hall’s atmosphere gradually returned to the previous warmness.

Chu Mo yet felt a burst of cold inside. He squinted and observed the expressions of Nuo Yi, Pang Zhongyuan, and Princess Bao Lian.

Obviously those several people are all extremely clever. The depths of their pupils were all extremely ice-cold and angry.

‘This Elder Hao Yue, although he is the lord here and receiving everyone, and he isn’t doing anything wrong. But, His words and his manner is clearly to give a sign to everyone……’ Chu Mo secretly thought: ‘He right now……thinks himself this grassland’s king!’

‘Furthermore, he hasn’t once mentioned the former king and queen after entering……’

‘The former king and queen were always good to Elder Hao Yue. This person……truly ice-cold.’

Before, he was truly underestimated by some!

Chu Mo thought of the things recorded in the secret letter on the body of the Da Qi special envoy. Chu Mu had a startling thought all of the sudden: ‘In that secret letter, there were three or four people. They were all of Elder Hao Yue’s clan……’

Chu Mo originally believe Elder wouldn’t know about it. But today’s performance showed such a shrewd person. There’s no way Elder Hao Yue didn’t know about this affair.

‘Don’t tell me……Elder Hao Yue is the most secret and ferocious chess piece of Da Qi in the grasslands?’

Although it is only a guess, but Chu Mo was still startled by this possibility. Grandfather once said in the past: ‘High level chess matches and competitions are full of intelligence and hidden schemes. Common people even until death……they are all completely unaware of what happened.’

Only when all the cards are revealed will you finally know the complete truth. Even sometimes, all the cards are revealed, but you still won’t see the truth!

‘Looks like I have to look again at the contents of that letter after I return.’ Chu Mo thought to himself.

The banquet continued on until very late before finally finishing. Elder Hao Yue’s group of men didn’t stay there for the night, but rather they directly took their people and left.

Not long after a person guided Chu Mo to his room, Pang Zhongyuan dropped in for a visit.

Pang Zhongyuan drank a lot of alcohol tonite, and he looked somewhat intoxicated. He first gave an apology upon seeing Chu Mo: “I’m sorry. Tonight noble son Lin suffered an offense. Ordinarily……noble son Lin should sit at the head table!”

Chu Mo waved his hand: “Didn’t we speak about it before. My status cannot be revealed. Otherwise, the plan will be unable to unfold later on.”

Pang Zhongyuan waved his hand, and somewhat bitterly said: “The plan……i’m afraid there is a change!”

“How?” Chu Mo looked at Pang Zhongyuan, slightly wrinkling his brow.

Pang Zhongyuan drank some water, then he said in a low voice: “Elder Hao Yue……is an enormous problem!”

“Ah?” Chu Mo looked at Pang Zhongyuan, this conjecture he already knew from tonight, but what method did Pang Zhongyuan use to infer.

“Just now when drinking wine, I intentionally tested out Elder Hao Yue’s three sons. The three men……the oldest is a smiling tiger. His schemes are very deep! The second was almost completely silent the whole night. Only the third, the self proclaimed romantic and somewhat careless is the least scheming.”

“Because of this, the third is the easiest to deal with among those three sons.”

Pang Zhongyuan spoke somewhat long-winded because he drank a lot of wine. Chu Mo didn’t rush him, and patiently listened.

“I became aware from the third son’s words. The obstruction from Ba Duo today wasn’t inspired by Elder Hao Yue. It came from the eldest son, Hao Yue GeMu!”

“This matter made Elder Hao Yue furious. He ruthlessly scolded Hao Yue Gemu.”

Pang Zhongyuan’s intoxicated face revealed a cold smile: “That boy Hao Yue Geshui only spoke half a sentence, but how could it escape my sight?”

“This matter isn’t inspired by Elder Hao Yue, then, Elder Hao Yue became extremely angry because of Hao Yue Gemu’s actions. Inside of this……there is certainly a problem!”

“Because he isn’t Bao Lian! He doesn’t like Nuo Yi and brother Lee!”

“His anger, he is only afraid Hao Yue Gemu’s actions would give rise to our suspicions!”

“Therefore, he brought the three sons to the banquet and made an appearance. And everyone appeared like close relatives. They didn’t once mention the matter about the Wang Court…….this, is clearly to put us in paralysis!”

“Only his sons are still somewhat soft. How could their happy performance escape my sight?”

Pang Zhongyuan coldly smiled: “First he scolds Hao Yue Gemu, then he personally joins the banquet. This is fundamentally not Elder Hao Yue’s original nature! I understand him. There is only one reason for this! This guy, he schemes to expand. He wants to become the king of this grassland!”

“Are you saying……he defected to Da Qi?” Chu Mo asked.

“Defected to Da Qi?” Pang Zhongyuan shook his head: “This possibility, perhaps there’s a chance, but very little. Given that he had a relationship with Da Qi, it would only be for mutual benefit. This person is arrogant to the bone. He wouldn’t likely throw in with Da Qi.”

Chu Mo thought a moment, then he asked a probing question: “Then……could Elder Hao Yue’s subordinates have chess pieces of Da Qi?”

Pang Zhongyuan’s brow wrinkled, and he used his hands to massage his temples: “This probability……it is possible.”

“Then……our prior plan?” Chu Mo looked at Pang Zhonyuan: “Should it be temporarily postponed?”

“You also saw the circumstances. It is much more complex than we thought. We need to see clearly…….therefore, that plan should be temporarily postponed. This wrongs noble son Lin, to say here for some time.” Pang Zhongyuan spoke very apologetically.

“It doesn’t matter. Anyhow, I don’t have any urgent matters.” Chu Mo softly spoke: “Ought to be cautious!”

Princess Bao Lian and Nuo Yi also discussed this matter in their own room.

“Auntie, why do I feel uncle isn’t right?” Nuo Yi leaned on the bedside, also a little bit tipsy. She didn’t drink a lot, but it was over a short time period. Those three brothers didn’t pour for her, but they all drank a lot with her.

“He obviously isn’t right!” Princess Bao Lian coldly smiled: “He has become strange after your father fell. First he asked me, Brothers Jin and Yin did such a heinous act, should they be killed?”

“What did you say auntie?” Nuo Yi asked.

“I obviously said they should die!” Princess Bao Lian said, then sighed: “Those two children, I saw them grow up. They weren’t bad when they were little. I never thought they would actually do something so despicable after growing up.”

“Your uncle also asked me, If I kill brother Jin and Yin, who would the Wang Court’s throne go to?”

Princess Bao Lian coldly smiled: “I clearly understood his meaning as soon as I heard him. I told him, the Wang Court has always continued on through the King’s line. Brothers Jin and Yin died, is there not still brother Lee?”

“He said brother Lee is young, and he cannot lead the masses. I told him, brother Lee is young, but there is still Nuo Yi! It’s not like the grasslands have never had a queen!”

Nuo Yi shook her head: “I certainly wouldn’t be good……”

“Why wouldn’t you be good?” Princess Bao Lian pulled Nuo Yi’s hand: “Your nature is the most like mine. Both energetic, daring to think and act, and you are smarter than me. Why would you not be good?”

“It is too early for this situation……” Nuo Yi somewhat hopelessly said: “If uncle truly has that idea, who could stop him in the whole grassland?”

Princess Bao Lian sighed, hesitated, then softly said: “You know, the death of your father in mother, in fact……there is a direct relationship with him!”