Chapter 151: Dense Clouds, No Rain
When he left the Li residence, the sky was still clear and cloudless. The golden light was about to flood the entire city of Bianjing. Wuqing had just said goodbye when he saw the stone-paved official road flowing with a halo of light, seemingly without end, and the sky was a clear and sunny blue.
Li Xunhuan came to see him off. He should have been a spirited young scholar, but his flirtatious air had faded somewhat, and he had become more and more composed. Fortunately, his kind nature remained, and even when things weren't going well, he could still talk and laugh freely: "The weather has been good for several days in a row. The summer in Bianjing is really comfortable, even more so than Li Garden."
With his hands resting on the armrests of his wheelchair, he slightly raised his head to look at the sky. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, not even a speck of white, clearly indicating that there would be several more days of clear skies. People say that a happy scene brings joy, but you couldn't see any of that on his face. He was like a piece of jade, with a deep and still mind: "After the heavy rain a few days ago, the weather should be getting better."
Unexpectedly, Wuqing mentioned that rain. Li Xunhuan's expression paused slightly, then quickly changed to a fleeting look, so that Wuqing wouldn't notice. Hearing the rain reminded him of Lin Shiyin and the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion. He shouldn't have any stance on the power struggles in the martial arts world, but for Lin Shiyin's sake, he always tried his best to conceal it.
Li Xunhuan laughed again and said, "Of course, if it kept raining like that, the earth wouldn't be able to withstand it anywhere. It's better like this now."
Is that alright? It's heartless and hard to accept.
Like the torrential rain pouring down the Yellow River, it perfectly fulfilled the saying "the storm is brewing and the wind fills the tower." The storm also paved the way for the upheaval in the imperial court. After the storm suddenly stopped, the death of Fu Zongshu began, and then the storm swept through and continued to rage until this day.
The sudden and abrupt death dragged in more people than expected. Li Taifu, who had not been involved in politics for many years, suddenly turned against Cai Jing because of family hatred, which completely set the tone for this event. The court today can no longer be described as "utter chaos".
Cai Jing, the Divine Marquis's Mansion, Grand Tutor Li, and the Six Doors—all four factions are trying to uncover the true cause of Fu Zongshu's death. Cai Jing and the Divine Marquis's Mansion are doing everything they can to slow down the other's progress, preventing them from uncovering the truth before them. Grand Tutor Li points directly at Cai Jing, seemingly the one who knows the most about the truth. However, his deep scheming and unpredictable thoughts, coupled with his astonishing moves, leave Cai Jing in a sorry state, and even Zhuge Zhengwo unable to glean any information.
Furthermore, Fu Zongshu's former cronies were all in a state of fear, and many of their enemies were also making moves, with factional strife on the verge of erupting. The court was turned into a battleground for verbal attacks, and the atmosphere was even more chaotic than before. Not to mention, the position vacated after Fu Zongshu's death, the "flesh" left behind, was coveted by everyone.
This situation is nothing short of a cataclysmic downpour, even more devastating than a torrential rain. If it gets out of control, wouldn't it shake the very foundations of the nation? In that case, it would be better if the rain had never stopped.
Wuqing simply nodded at Li Xunhuan's words, changed the subject, and returned to the original purpose of his visit: "I apologize for disturbing you today, Grand Tutor Li, with matters concerning the recent death of a high-ranking official. It is of great importance that I could not come to visit you."
Grand Tutor Li didn't openly get involved in this matter, and all his behind-the-scenes actions remained speculation, so he couldn't speak frankly about his ruthlessness. Li Xunhuan, on the other hand, was completely clear-headed. His grandfather, father, and elder brother knew he wasn't interested in court affairs, so they never told him about such things, hoping he would know less and live a more comfortable life. However, he could keenly sense the changes happening in the shadows, and then pretended not to hear, hoping to put their minds at ease.
Therefore, he naturally understood Wuqing's current intention, but he pretended not to understand and said, "Grandfather has not cared about these matters for many years, and you have made Constable Sheng make a wasted trip. Please rest assured, Constable Sheng, if I find anything, I will definitely go to the Divine Marquis's Mansion again in person. This time I will go through the main gate and never go through the back gate again."
This was a lighthearted jab at his own serious injuries, intended to make the atmosphere more humorous. He replied ruthlessly, "If Young Master Li wishes to come, the Divine Marquis's Mansion is always ready to welcome you."
After saying a few more words, he, not one to talk much, bid farewell to Li Xunhuan once again.
The further away from the Li residence, the heavier the thoughts in my heart became. Grand Tutor Li was not a villain like Cai Jing, but a true upright and noble man, the head of the civil officials. Even though the truth about Fu Zongshu was shrouded in mystery, Wuqing had come to visit with reverence. Now, having received no news and unable to discern Grand Tutor Li's true attitude towards Cai Jing, I could only lament that I was ultimately no match for him. I would discuss this further upon returning to the Divine Marquis's residence.
Aside from matters of the court, Wuqing had other things on his mind. Heaven and earth reflected each other; chaos was already rampant in the heavens, and the earth would certainly not be at peace either. In the next few days, no one had time to deal with the Jianghu forces in Bianjing. They hadn't even made a move yet, which was enough to cause concern.
The longer they remain silent, the more impressive their actions will be when they finally make a move. Wuqing understood this principle all too well.
He knew that Liufenbantang was involved in the incident of the Prince of Nan's injury and coma (the Prince's injury should have been a major event that shook the court, but due to the death of Fu Zongshu, no one had the mind to care about it anymore), and was powerless to do so. It had only recently cleared itself of trouble. Jinfeng Xiyulou was also inactive because of Xie Huailing's serious illness. She was like Su Mengzhen's second Red Sleeve Blade. Jinfeng Xiyulou would not make any big moves until she could offer advice and take charge of everything.
Now, Six and a Half Hall has dealt with the risk of being dragged into the mess, Xie Huailing's illness is improving day by day, and a new deputy leader has taken over, so mysterious that even Wuqing only knows that his surname is Bai. In this situation, every day that is quiet, the momentum increases rapidly, and the sky over Bianjing is already covered with dark clouds, unable to see even a ray of sunlight.
When will the rain fall? The court is in such a state of chaos that it has no energy left to spare. How heavy will the rain be? When it really starts to fall, what will it do to Bianjing? How many days will it take to wash away the blood in the Bian River?
If possible, I, Wuqing, do not want to know.
He was determined to find time to visit the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion again. If he wasn't mistaken, the time Xie Huailing recovered would coincide with the battle between the Golden Wind and Fine Rain Pavilion and the Six and a Half Hall. The more he heard about this person, the more alarmed he became. In the case of Li Xunhuan's assassination, Wuqing had already gained some understanding of her intelligence, which further confirmed her brilliance. If she were to stir up trouble in Bianjing…
Look at this cloudless sky, a vast expanse of blue—how many more days can this last?
.
The visitor has gone far away, and the sound has melted into the gaps in the sunlight, fading into the distance. He is unaware of what has happened behind him.
Two beautiful figures floated to a stop on the other side of the street. One of them was more aloof. Despite having an incomparably beautiful face, she resembled ice and refused to show any kindness. She looked towards the departing figure and asked, "Who was that?"
The other one seemed more approachable, but it was just a difference between indifference and coldness. It was as if she was born unable to smile, and of course, she had no other expression. Tianxian Qingzi was also calm: "The chief constable of the Divine Marquis's Mansion, you haven't met him, have you? He's quite formidable."
The first figure—Bai Feifei—became interested. Xie Huailing was sure that anyone she praised was not someone who was just seeking fame and fortune. She had also long heard of the Four Great Constables: "How powerful is he? What kind of martial arts does he specialize in?"
"You should ask Su Mengzhen about this. They're close, and he might have even secretly cursed at me a couple of times," Xie Huailing said calmly, answering only according to her own heart. "As for me, all I know is that he's good-looking. It's a real loss that he's still on the wrong path as a constable."
"..." Bai Feifei had nothing to say, taking it as a few seconds of her life being wasted.
But this was someone she absolutely had to get to know and someone she would inevitably have to deal with, so she asked, "Is he, as the rumors say, physically disabled and unable to walk?"
Xie Huailing was listless. She admitted that she was like a corpse, and standing in the summer sun was completely unsuitable for her: "Ah, is that considered a defect? Wouldn't it be a plus for him?"
"..." Bai Feifei wasted a few more seconds of her life.
She sharply criticized: "Are you out of your mind from the sun or are you just about to die from it? Ignore other people's faces before answering me!"
Xie Huailing was taken aback, her face paling, and she asked in bewilderment, "Isn't it true that people can't ignore your face when you look like that?"
It's really awful that this isn't the Golden Breeze and Fine Rain Pavilion; she couldn't even hit Xie Huailing immediately, which caused Bai Feifei immense pain.
Not only could she not, she also had to take this person over the wall into the Li residence, and secretly lead her to find Grand Tutor Li. She also had to be considerate of her feelings and use gentle force, not like throwing a sack of potatoes. This is what happens when you make the wrong friends. Once you make a friend like this, your life is over.
"Don't be angry." Xie Huailing walked along the secluded path in Li Garden. "How about this, I admit my brain got sunburned, will that make you feel better?"
Bai Feifei's words were concise and to the point; I really wanted to roll my eyes at her: "Get out of here."
"How about this then?" Xie Huailing continued, "I'll take you back to ask Su Mengzhen in person. If he doesn't tell me, I have my own ways. If you want to hear some heartless gossip, I have a brilliant plan. Oh, by the way, after I finish talking and take you back, you're going to see Lei Mei, right?"
Bai Feifei rarely sympathizes with anyone, but Su Mengzhen is the first. She and Su Mengzhen are currently in a state of mutual sympathy, and perhaps sooner or later they will develop a comradeship, or worse, a friendship born of illness. Between these two people who have absolutely no common language or emotional foundation, Xie Huailing has indeed played a very important role.
Her expression was indescribable as she replied, "Yes, what do you want to do?"
Xie Huailing said, "It's not that I want to do anything, it's important. I think when you go back, you should go and cause some trouble for Lei Gun. There should always be a few signs before it starts, so let's not be polite and let him see you. Of course, don't rip his head off right now, it's more like ripping off a hairpin than tearing off his head."
She added, "It's okay to make a big scene, that way those who want mediation can come earlier and resolve the issue sooner."
Bai Feifei hummed in agreement. It wasn't difficult for her; she had wanted to do something pretty for a while now.
They arrived at the study. The aroma of tea seemed to be detectable with a light sniff. Bai Feifei took a step back, since only Xie Huailing wanted to go in. She watched as this carefree fellow, who had only managed one sentence out of every five or six he spoke earlier, instantly transformed into a reserved and calm man the moment he knocked on the door. His scholarly air emanated from him, and his dignified and refined demeanor surpassed even Lin Shiyin's performance. He was determined to be the type of person most favored by the old civil officials.
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