Thousand Miles of Bright Moonlight

Chapter 165 - Recruitment

Yao Ying looked at him calmly: "Young Master Yang, the Central Plains is in chaos and the Western Regions have been isolated for many years. How many people like you are there who never forget their homeland and look forward to returning eastward?"

Yang Qian clenched his fists and said, "There are many people like me! As long as I call, they are all willing to serve the princess!"

Yao Ying shook her head, "Young Master is a hero, Yao Ying admires, but not everyone can disregard life and death like Young Master. Most people are preoccupied with seeking wealth and glory, stability in this world. Currently, Great Wei cannot deploy troops to the west, and Gaochang is unable to confront the Northern Rong. It is reasonable for them to betray me."

She had anticipated that someone would betray her and had made arrangements in advance.

This meeting was a test. Who could be trusted, who could be used, and who must be kept at a distance-all were already calculated in her mind.

"Princess need not to excuse them. They may fear for their lives and refuse to come to the market to see the princess, but they should not betray the princess after swearing allegiance! This is absolutely unreasonable!"

Yang Qian sneered, "How could I, a descendant of the Hexi, do such a despicable deed?!"

When Yang Qian was young, he was unruly, arrogant and unrestrained. Everyone said that he was a dandy. Who could have imagined that this young man who once roamed carefreely, riding his horse leisurely, and reveling in the midst of beauties, had such a resolute and proud spirit?

She looked at the man in front of her, and her eyes couldn't help but soften a little when she thought that he died of despair after going through so many hardships, and finally turned into a withered skeleton in the quicksand.

"It is precisely because there are so many villains that a sincere hero like the Young Master is even more valuable."

Yao Ying spoke earnestly, her eyes shining brightly as she fixed her gaze on Yang Qian.

Yang Qian heard her sincerity and was startled. His expression was awkward and he avoided her sight. His back was so stiff as he pressed against the carriage door. A hint of coyness flashed across his still angry face, and he whispered: " The princess said something serious."

Yao Ying smiled.

Yang Qian felt so awkward that he didn't know where to put himself. He sat in silence for a while, then suddenly raised his head, with a loud thud, the back of his head hit the roof of the carriage.

He didn't mind the pain and frowned, "Princess, do you really intend to leave it at that? What if one of them sends the informant letter?"

Yao Ying pointed to those parchments, "Young Master Yang, I came from the Central Plains, and don't know much about the distinguished families in Hexi who live in Gaochang. Young Master should know all the people who accused me, they are all the offspring of the Hexi officials related to each other by marriage. Among them is your clan uncle. Young Master, if I were to kill them for my own safety, how would their families look at me?"

Yang Qian's anger gradually dissipated, looking dispirited and despondent, he said, "Killing them, these powerful clans will surely hold a grudge against the princess."

For the noble and powerful families, family interests come before everything else. The princess is just an outsider, while the clan members are the ones who share the same bloodline and endure hardships together. Even if they do not approve of a family member's despicable act of exposing the princess, they would still choose to protect their own.