Chapter 203 What are his intentions?!

Inside the residence of the Marquis of Dingyuan.

It was nearly dawn, and many people in the Xiao residence had gotten up early, making quite a commotion.

The cooks in the kitchen were busy preparing dishes, while the apprentices washed vegetables and tended the pots—a lively and bustling scene.

The maids in each household were helping the master and mistress wash up and get dressed.

The servants took advantage of the rainy day to clean the courtyard walls and the corners of the pavilions.

The front yard is the busiest.

Several grooms had prepared the carriages early on, ready to take the officials who worked at the yamen to their due date.

The butler and doorman would record the purpose of the visitors who were waiting at the door early in the morning, or receive visiting cards and send them to the various houses in the backyard.

However, in the quiet house in the middle courtyard, the old master dismissed everyone around him.

Not only did he not allow the servants who were supposed to help him dress and wash to come in, he also specifically ordered several armored soldiers to guard the area around him, and no one was allowed to step within ten feet.

This caused most of the Xiao family members who were walking around the central courtyard early in the morning to have doubts, and they even guessed that something big must have happened in the mansion.

But all the whispering and speculation is just that—speculation.

They all knew that even if they went up to ask, they wouldn't get any information.

Those armored guards would never reveal a single detail.

But what is the reality?

Wang Lixing, Liu Si'er, and others who were assigned to guard outside the quiet house were indeed completely unaware of the situation.

They had only received a notice from the guards a quarter of an hour earlier.

At that moment, a soldier in the corner whispered, "Brother Xing, something feels off today."

"I always feel a chill down my spine."

Wang Lixing glanced at him out of the corner of his eye and scolded him in a low voice, "Stand still."

"Don't you even look where you are?"

The armored soldier reluctantly shut his mouth, his head unconsciously turning to glance at the quiet house, muttering to himself.

I still feel that the atmosphere at the Marquis's residence is strange today, but I can't quite put my finger on what's wrong.

Liu Si'er, who was standing nearby, heard the conversation between the two and naturally had some guesses in his mind.

Before leaving yesterday, Ge Laosan revealed that he was going to do something big, and specifically instructed him to keep a low profile and be cautious, and not to reveal any flaws.

Such words, coupled with the old Marquis's unusual behavior, made it hard for him not to have some doubts.

What exactly is Ge Laosan plotting?

What news did the old Marquis receive?

And who is the person who is with the old Marquis at this moment?

The Xiao family's secret guards? Or someone else?

Liu Si'er had no idea, and he became quite tense, his already serious face becoming even more solemn.

Inside the house behind him, the old man was even more serious than him.

After listening to Xiao Jinghong's story, the old man stared at the young man lying on the ground.

His brows were furrowed, and his eyes were serious.

He certainly knew Liu Wen.

But he never expected that Liu Wen would dare to covet the summer grain of the three towns.

Seeing his strange expression, Xiao Jinghong asked, "Grandpa, have you seen him?"

The old man hummed in agreement, his gaze still fixed on Liu Wendao:

"The second son of the eldest branch of the Liu family in Jingzhou."

“Just two days ago, he came to visit me and even proposed marriage, wanting to marry your eldest sister.”

Xiao Jinghong frowned slightly. "Grandpa didn't agree?"

The old man nodded, his expression paused slightly, and he looked at her, saying, "You suspect that he might harbor resentment because of this?"

"My granddaughter isn't sure, but judging from the timeline, it's possible."

"Time? What else do you know?"

Xiao Jinghong nodded, took out a bloodstained envelope from his pocket, and placed it in front of the old man with slight hesitation.

But when the old man picked up the letter, she couldn't help but speak:

"Grandpa, would you like your granddaughter to read it to you?"

Upon hearing this, the old man paused, a vague guess forming in his mind. He couldn't help but smile and ask, "What is it?"

Are you worried that I won't be able to handle the content above and will fall ill again?

"Your granddaughter wouldn't dare, it's just..."

Before Xiao Jinghong could finish speaking, the old man had already opened the letter, saying, "Don't worry."

"The burning of the summer grain in Tiebi Town and the secret schemes of the Liu family in Jingzhou couldn't make me fall ill, let alone a small letter?"

"This old man...this old man..."

When the old man saw the contents of the letter, he suddenly couldn't continue speaking.

His eyes widened, the wrinkles on his aged face twitched slightly, and even his lips trembled.

He was clearly furious.

Xiao Jinghong felt a pang of pity.

However, they also knew that if they wanted to investigate and deal with Xiao Dongchen, they had to let the old master know.

As expected.

When the old man saw the signature and date at the end, he slammed the letter on the table.

Bang!

"This beast!"

"How dare he commit such a heinous act?"

"Just for the position of family head and the title of marquis, he's willing to plunge the entire Xiao family into chaos?"

"He doesn't realize that such actions are tantamount to digging his own grave; how foolish!"

"Utterly foolish!"

The old man angrily rebuked Xiao Dongchen while slamming his fist on the table, his face flushed red, even his eyes were red.

He only stopped shouting when he started coughing.

Upon seeing this, Xiao Jinghong quickly stepped forward and used his true essence to regulate the qi within his body.

"Grandpa, please don't be angry. Your health is the most important thing."

"Your granddaughter will call the doctor for you first..."

Before she could finish speaking, the old man waved his hand, leaned weakly back in his chair, and said, panting heavily:

"No need, no need, I... I'm not going to die yet."

Xiao Jinghong naturally wouldn't believe that, and remained standing beside him, ready to protect his heart meridian at any time.

There was a long silence.

The old man had calmed down a little, but his face looked even older.

It seemed like he aged several years in the blink of an eye.

But the old man was oblivious, his eyes fixed on Liu Wen's corpse, his hand unconsciously clenching the incriminating evidence against Xiao Dongchen.

What's your opinion on this?

Upon hearing this, Xiao Jinghong glanced at the old man and could roughly guess what he was thinking.

The Liu family of Jingzhou is one thing.

Liu Wen died outside Tiebi Town, and there are letters to prove it, which is enough to establish his guilt.

Even if the Liu family is unaware, the Xiao family has ways to make them pay the price.

Mingyue Tower goes without saying.

They were originally evil and wicked people in the martial arts world, and they were used to being vicious and ruthless. All it would take was an opportunity to wipe them all out.

Therefore, the only one who can give the old master a headache right now is Xiao Dongchen, or rather, the second wife.

Xiao Jinghong, having considered these things, did not intend to beat around the bush and spoke directly:

"Xiao Dongchen's name was removed from the family genealogy and sent to the authorities."

"The court of punishment will no longer be presided over by the second branch of the family, but will be transferred to the third branch or taken over by the first branch of the family."

At this point, Xiao Jinghong paused, his tone becoming slightly more serious: "Also, arrange for Second Grandfather to leave the Marquis's residence. If you agree, it would be best to have him leave Shu Prefecture."

This time, she not only intends to deal with Xiao Dongchen, but also has no intention of leaving any room for the second branch of the family.

If it weren't for the old master's sake, she would have even wanted to drive the entire second branch of the family out of Shuzhou, treating them as distant relatives of the Xiao family.

This includes Xiao Ziqi, who served in the Shu Prefecture Commandery, and Xiao Qiuyun, who married into the Guangyue Prefecture.

After hearing this, the old man's cloudy eyes couldn't help but reveal a hint of sadness.

There was a general feeling of anger at their lack of ambition and a sense that good intentions had been wasted.

At the same time, he also began to reflect on some of the things that had happened over the years.

Several deceased elders gave their advice: "Brothers need to be of one mind," and "As the Marquis of Dingyuan, you should take care of your family and brothers and shoulder all the responsibilities."

This refers to what the second wife has done over the years.

There are also changes after the criminal justice court came under the control of the second branch.

A moment of silence.

The old man sighed wearily, "The second branch of the family... let's do as you say."

Then he pointed at Liu Wen and asked, "Where is the Liu family?"

Xiao Jinghong's expression turned slightly cold: "Confiscate their property and exterminate their entire clan!"

Although she knew that such an outcome was unlikely, the Liu family's actions were tantamount to treason.

Upon hearing this, the old man slowly shook his head and said, "The Liu family is currently enjoying great favor from the emperor, so it's difficult."

"However, the Liu family will eventually have to give something back."

His tone turned colder, and he snorted, "Perhaps I'll have to make a trip to the Provincial Administration Commission myself."

Xiao Jinghong was well aware of his intentions.

The Xiao family is in the right in this matter, and even if they can't kill the Liu family, they won't let them get away with it.

The losses of summer grain in Tiebi Town, the grain taxes of the Provincial Administration Commission, and so on, all need to be borne by the Liu family of Jingzhou.

Thinking about all this, Xiao Jinghong said, "I'll listen to you."

She paused for a moment, then asked, "What should be done with Li Changqing?"

The old man glanced at her, forced a smile, and said:

"Now that you are in charge of the Dingyuan Army, you should be in charge of all affairs."

Xiao Jinghong nodded and said no more.

Seeing that the important matter had been discussed.

Old Master Xiao relaxed a little, looked at Liu Wen's body on the ground, and sighed:

"Actually, there's something else, which now that I think about it, should be related to what happened last night: the bodyguard Xiao Jing..."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Jinghong suddenly raised his hand to interrupt him, saying, "Someone's coming."

The next moment, the two saw a middle-aged man dressed in black coming in the rain.

When the old man saw his appearance clearly, a slight smile appeared on his face, and he couldn't help but stand up and say, "Xiao Jing?"

The middle-aged man ignored him and rushed over, kneeling heavily on the ground. He said anxiously, "My lord, Mingyue Tower is trying to burn down the summer grain crops of the three towns!"

"I hope Your Excellency will inform the three generals as soon as possible to prepare for battle!"

"..."

Even though they had just gone through a major event, Xiao Jinghong and the old man couldn't help but smile at the dramatic turn of events before them.

Seeing the smiles on their faces, the middle-aged man, Xiao Jing, became even more anxious:

"My lord, general, this is a matter of great importance. If we delay, everything will be over."

Seeing this, the old man could only wave his hand, signaling him to calm down.

Then Xiao Jinghong recounted the story again, which finally dispelled Xiao Jing's concerns.

Seeing this, Xiao Jing was relieved, but also felt ashamed and said:

"Your subordinate is incompetent and failed to inform the Marquis in time. I beg the Marquis to punish me."

The old man smiled and comforted her, "It's not your fault. You were seriously injured that night, after all..."

Before he could finish speaking, the old man looked him over and exclaimed:

"Are you healed?"

Xiao Jing belatedly touched his chest, and said uncertainly, "It should be..."

Seemingly remembering something, he exclaimed in surprise, "That person? He's actually a renowned physician?"

"who?"

Xiao Jing then recounted what had happened that night.

"...After I learned of that news, I was chased and seriously injured by a group of evil demons and heretics, until I fell into the hands of the Chief Justice and lost consciousness."

"When I woke up, I vaguely heard people talking beside me, as if they were talking about something like where the 30,000 taels of gold notes were."

"Oh right, he also said a few words to me at the end."

The old man exchanged a glance with Xiao Jinghong and asked, "What did you say?"

After thinking it over, Xiao Jing's face suddenly showed a strange expression.

He looked at the old man and hesitated, then said:

"That man said he had no ill intentions toward the Xiao family; on the contrary, they were on the same side."

"But to prevent those people from resorting to desperate measures, he cannot let you know for the time being, Lord Marquis."

After Xiao Jing finished speaking, he suddenly thought of his current situation, couldn't help but swallow hard, and stammered:

"He also said that once I wake up, this matter will be over..."

Based on what he had just heard about the summer grain harvest in the three towns, what the man had said had clearly come true.

But... how could that be...?

It wasn't just him.

At this moment, both the old master and Xiao Jinghong had a somewhat solemn expression on their faces, probably sharing the same thoughts as Xiao Jing.

a long time.

The old man laughed.

"Now it seems that we are no different from the Liu family and Xiao Dongchen. We have all been used as pawns."

"That person not only received advance notice and planned everything in advance, but also sabotaged the whole thing and presented all the masterminds and their evidence to us."

"We not only failed to figure things out, but we also somehow managed to resolve everything perfectly in a muddled way."

"And with minimal cost, the greatest benefits were obtained!"

Finally, the old man couldn't help but slam his fist on the table and curse:

"But what did he mean by that?!"

"What do you mean by letting me know in advance will drive those people to desperation?"

"Am I really that worthless in his eyes? Huh?"

Don't blame the old man for being angry.

The things that person did certainly helped the Xiao family a lot.

However, the Xiao family was not only the last to know about the whole thing, but also the biggest beneficiary.

They practically got a freebie.

"Does he think we're too stupid? Or does he think he's so capable?"

"Damn it, in all my years of military campaigns, this is the first time I've ever been looked down upon like this!"

Xiao Jinghong wanted to laugh, but couldn't.

Looking at the whole affair, besides informing the three town commanders in advance to take precautions, the only thing she could boast about was killing Black Fang and others.

The others, whether it was Liu Wen, Xiao Dongchen, the Liu family, Mingyue Tower, etc., were all offered to them by that person.

Just as the old man said, the Xiao family reaped all the benefits without doing much.

Thinking of this, Xiao Jinghong looked at Xiao Jing, who had a look of astonishment on his face, and asked, "What are the characteristics of that person? Or what makes them easy to identify?"

"He has helped us so much, it would be impolite of us not to show our appreciation."

Upon hearing this, the old man nodded, then snorted with an unfriendly expression, "Jinghong is right, our Xiao family should indeed thank him."

"So Xiao Jing, think carefully and see if you can find that person so that I can pay him a visit."

He wanted to see what kind of superhuman that person was, that he didn't take him seriously at all.

Xiao Jing was slightly taken aback. After recalling carefully for a moment, he suddenly widened his eyes and said, "I have indeed made a discovery."

"Does Your Excellency still remember the time when I obstructed the investigation into Liu Jing's death by the Ministry of Justice?"

"Yes, that's true. I remember it."

"The voice of the person who killed the old man that night was very similar to that of the person who saved my subordinate the day before yesterday."

"Thinking about it carefully, it should be the same person."

The old man snorted upon hearing this, "Indeed, it's the same style—helping in secret, without leaving a name."

"Very well, very well. Now I'm even more eager to know who he is."

Xiao Jinghong knew perfectly well that the old man wasn't really angry, but just a little embarrassed and annoyed.

In fact, she has similar thoughts now.

However, besides feeling embarrassed and annoyed, she was mostly relieved.

If it weren't for that person's help, the Xiao family would probably be in complete chaos by now.

The outcome will only be much worse than it is now.

Thinking it over, Xiao Jinghong said thoughtfully, "Finding him isn't that difficult."

The old man perked up. "Oh? Tell me about it."

"The people who informed the granddaughter earlier were 'Knife Madman' Liu Lang and Granny Shan's granddaughter Pei Guanli. At least one of them knew about it and should know the identity of that person."

"Then let's find them and ask them. It's not good to let that person do so much work for nothing."

Xiao Jinghong hummed in agreement, then continued, "But now that I think about it, that person was indeed formidable."

"Besides those schemes, he is also a master of medicine and has two subordinates who have achieved mastery of martial arts."

"Even Jinghong, who had traveled the world with his master, rarely encountered such a person."

In her view, the gunmen outside Ironwall Town, like Liu Lang, were all that man's henchmen.

After all, it's much harder for a medical master to also cultivate martial arts than for her to combine swordsmanship and spearmanship.

Upon hearing this, the old man's expression softened, and he nodded, saying, "If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have been able to do so many things without us noticing."

He paused, then sighed and said, "But once we find him, we should treat him with courtesy."

"If we can use this as an asset, it will benefit you, me, the Xiao family, and the Dingyuan Army."

Xiao Jinghong nodded, "Granddaughter understands."

After exchanging information,

The old man glanced at the sky outside, a hint of coldness returning to his face, and gave the order:

"It's getting late. Let's take Xiao Dongchen first. Remember to find the 300,000 taels of silver as well, so as to make up for the summer grain loss in Tiebi Town."

"After I finish dealing with my family matters, I will send Liu Hong his good nephew."

"In short, we must resolve everything before the Emperor receives the news!"

"Granddaughter will go right away..."

After Xiao Jinghong left, the old master looked at Xiao Jing and pondered:

"Tell me, who should take over the disciplinary hall next?"

Xiao Jing hesitated for a moment, then bowed and said, "My lord, there is something I am not sure if I should say."

"Please feel free to speak."

"My lord, the Marquis's mansion is now beset by internal and external troubles. We should use severe measures to ensure the safety of the inner quarters."

"Therefore, I believe that the punishment hall should be handed over to someone from the eldest son's family."

The old man understood and stood up, saying, "Then let Xuan Shuo take over for now."

He does care about old friendships, but he won't care about fools.

Especially those fools who betrayed the Xiao family for short-term gains.

...

The heavy rain continued as noon approached.

Amidst the clattering and crackling sounds, Chen Yi, dressed in a blue long robe and holding an oil-paper umbrella, calmly returned to the Xiao family.

Upon arriving at the front yard, he immediately recognized the expressions on the faces of the armored guards and knew that the old master and Xiao Jinghong had already made their move.

This was not unexpected for him.

While pondering these thoughts, Chen Yi pretended to be completely unaware, and leisurely walked through the front yard towards Chunhe Garden.

During this time, when he saw the situation outside the quiet house, he greeted Wang Lixing, Liu Si'er and others.

Just.

Liu Si'er and the others were not in a good mood, and their responses were mostly perfunctory.

Chen Yi didn't care, and he wouldn't go over to ask why, so as not to get involved in any trouble.

However, when he arrived at the backyard, he was not so relaxed.

From afar, he saw a tall, slender figure standing outside the Spring Lotus Garden.

The figure was dressed in red, with a long sword hanging at her waist, and a silver mask beneath her high ponytail.

Those eyes, like autumn waves, were staring at them without blinking.

—Who else could it be but his wife, Xiao Jinghong?

Chen Yi secretly raised an eyebrow and couldn't help but mutter a few words like, "Xiao Jinghong must be very busy, why is he here?"

Despite his confusion, he kept walking and walked quickly towards them with a smile.

"Madam, when did you return?"

Xiao Jinghong's eyes flickered slightly, indicating that he was in a good mood.

"This morning."

"Unfortunately, I was invited to discuss the pharmacy with someone at Quchi last night, and I got back late."

"It's alright."

Chen Yi smiled and asked casually, "Madam, you're probably going to spend the Mid-Autumn Festival at home this time, right?"

Xiao Jinghong paused, then lowered his head slightly and said, "I still have a few things to do, but I will try my best to finish them before the Mid-Autumn Festival."

"I see..."

Chen Yi knew in his heart that there must be more to what happened last night, so he smiled and said:

"Then don't forget to inform the old master that recently, both Duke Zhang and Mr. Sun have passed away. The old master probably wants to make things lively during the Mid-Autumn Festival."

"And what about my eldest sister..."

As Chen Yi led Xiao Jinghong into the Spring Lotus Garden, he chattered on about the interesting things that had happened recently.

When the two arrived outside the wooden building, they were about to part ways.

Then Xiao Jinghong asked:

"My lord, did Pei Guanli show any unusual behavior in the days before she left?"

Chen Yi's heart skipped a beat.

Will Tiger Girl give herself away?

(End of this chapter)