Chapter 515: Extremely Envious (Part 2) [Requesting Monthly Tickets]
She thought she understood Qi Shan, but this guy always managed to give her "unusual surprises," repeatedly lowering the bar for her morals. To be honest, he's truly something else!
Last time, she pretended to be Jiang Sheng's wife and betrayed him.
This time she's even more blatant, directly transforming into a love con artist to deceive the innocent heart of a naive young man? On second thought, someone who can draw erotic pictures with the effect of remotely igniting passion is indeed unlikely to have any morals. Shen Tang's expression was almost a complete mess.
"Yuanliang... seduced your son?"
Shen Tang's words were startling.
The onlookers: "..."
My attention was completely drawn to her.
"Courage, or is it the lord's courage? He actually asked that question!"
Xun Zhen's face flushed instantly as he moved closer to the bitter melon juice.
Qi Shan glared at her, her eyes filled with hostility.
Unfortunately, the current Shen Tang is not the same Shen Tang as before. His threat is like a tickle, negligible.
"Seduce... no, not really, because my son was younger than you are now back then." Xun Zhen took a while to compose himself. He had almost been stumped by Shen Tang's question. He continued, "If that were the case, he, Qi Yuanliang... humph!"
What's left unsaid, those who understand will understand.
If Qi Shan had truly harmed his son, Xun Zhen would have been unable to tolerate it and would have drawn his sword to fight the scoundrel to the death long ago. Of course, the despicable things Qi Shan actually did were no better.
Shen Tang nodded and said, "And then?"
"...Because my son is the only flesh and blood of Zhen and his deceased wife... He was born into hardship and was weak as a child, so he was spoiled and became somewhat naive and ignorant of the world... How could he know how treacherous people's hearts can be?" Speaking of this troublesome son, Xun Zhen felt both love and anger and helplessness.
He and his deceased wife were childhood sweethearts.
They were companions in childhood and lovers in their youth.
The couple had a deep and loving relationship, supporting each other for many years. Their only regret was that his wife had been caught up in a fierce power struggle within the household when she was young, accidentally ingesting something harmful that left her weak, sickly, and unable to conceive easily. This child was conceived unexpectedly many years after their marriage.
The couple were overjoyed, regarding it as a gift from heaven.
After a grueling ordeal, they managed to save the baby, but suffered a difficult childbirth and nearly lost both mother and child. The couple poured their hearts and souls into raising the child, carefully caring for him and watching him grow up, stumbling and faltering, year after year. The effort they put in was unimaginable to outsiders.
My wife's health was not good to begin with.
He poured his heart and soul into his work, only to have it all taken away by a cold.
Xun Zhen could only suppress his grief over the loss of his wife and focus all his attention on his son. To ensure his only son grew up healthily, he wished he could keep the child by his side every day, while also strictly guarding against and eliminating any factors that could cause the child's death!
However, the relatively closed upbringing and the father's strict parenting style still brought serious aftereffects.
When his son was young, he was easy to fool, but as he got older, he became increasingly difficult to manage. He was going through a tumultuous rebellious phase, and then he encountered the scheming Qi Yuanliang. The combined effect of the two was nothing short of a disaster! Shen Tang summarized the conflicts between father and son.
Roughly speaking—
Xun, the old father, Zhen, Erkang's hand: [Son, it's dangerous outside, never leave your father's sight!]
Xun, in his rebellious phase, had a son who stubbornly refused, holding his head high and engaging in non-violent non-cooperation: "No! No! No! I want the sky's the limit, the sea's the freedom to leap! To right all injustices and kill all those who deserve to die!"
Gu Chi: "...Pfft."
Someone cast a glance his way, and he forced a smile, explaining, "I suddenly thought of something funny."
Everyone: "..."
After a routine argument between father and son, Xun Zhen's son, in a fit of anger, rode his horse out of the city to hunt and clear his head. He happened to encounter Qi Shan, a young girl in distress who was being chased. The boy, who longed for the chivalrous spirit of wandering the world with a sword and speaking out against injustice, was immediately overcome by a surge of righteousness and rescued the girl. "To see it through to the end," he even helped hide Qi Shan.
If Qi Shan wanted to, he could easily win over anyone's favorability—except for his enemies. How could an inexperienced young man resist? In just a few days, he would consider him a confidant, believe his deceitful words, and voluntarily confide his inner turmoil.
For example, the strict discipline of her father, Xun Zhen...
For example, the frustration of being confined to a small, limited space...
For example, his father Xun Zhen always looked down on his abilities...
He is a grown man, born into this world to achieve unparalleled feats. Whether it's fighting on the battlefield or assisting a wise ruler in establishing merit... he's not being controlled by his father in every way, with even his food and drink strictly restricted. He's not an unweaned infant!
He knows his own body best.
He is perfectly healthy now!
He's at least a brave and courageous martial artist, isn't he?
Seeing the boy's distress, Qi Shan felt compassion and gradually opened her heart, telling him many things—the rolling green mountains under the misty rain, the vast and boundless blue sea and sky. She used her brush to depict the mountains dancing like silver snakes and the lone smoke rising from the desert. All of this was a magnificent landscape that the boy had never seen before, and it was a new world that he was eager to break free from and yearn to enter.
“Offering favors for no reason…” Shen Tang muttered upon hearing this. Based on her understanding of Qi Shan, the other party would not put effort into things or people that were not beneficial. The fact that she went to great lengths to get closer to the young man meant that she must have other motives. “He’s either a villain or a thief.”
Xun Zhen's face darkened: "That's exactly right."
Qi Shan: "..."
Whose side is his lord on?
With his abilities, if he wanted to escape—the enemy wouldn't even be able to catch a glimpse of him, let alone chase him. It was all just a play, ostensibly a "righteous young man rescuing a girl in distress," but actually a scheme targeting Xun Zhen.
At that time, Xun Zhen devoted all his energy to his son, and he had no time to worry about the setbacks in his official career.
He was, after all, a scholar with a literary heart.
Even with many limitations, finding a job is not difficult.
At that time, his official position was not high; he was barely a local official. No matter how fiercely the power struggles among the superiors were fought, he had no intention of interfering. Naturally, the area where he served was not important, except that there was an important town nearby.
This place is a strategic location that military strategists must contend for.
He was also a thorn in the side of one of Qishan's lords.
Given their insufficient forces, in order to successfully seize this prize, they needed to manage the support troops from nearby counties and towns. Qi Shan, with his sharp eyes, disregarded other places but focused solely on Xun Zhen, believing him to be a potential threat.
To ensure everything goes smoothly, we must find a way to restrain Xun Zhen so that he has no time to send troops to support them on the day they raise their army.
then--
As the above incident occurred.
Qi Shan did not confront Xun Zhen directly.
He started with Xun Zhen's most beloved son.
She acted as a confidante, stirring up conflict between the rebellious teenager and his father, and even encouraged him to run away from home to see the wider world. Xun Zhen reacted quickly, noticing her son's strange behavior and immediately coming to arrest him.
The boy was almost moved by his father's words.
At this moment, Qi Shan pulled off a bizarre move.
He faked his death, using the "golden cicada shedding its shell" technique to incite conflict between father and son, causing misunderstandings between them. The boy never imagined his father would be so tyrannical, harming innocent people to control him!
In an instant, the intense feeling of suffocation made him tremble all over.
Xun Zhen saw through the situation and tried to explain, but his son simply wouldn't listen, injured the servants who tried to stop him, and ran away.
Just then, the important town was attacked.
Xun Zhen had not received any prior warning.
Why haven't I received it?
Because his eldest son had been deceived by Qi Shan! Qi Yuanliang tricked the boy, telling him that if he wanted to escape, he needed to create chaos, and what could be more chaotic than a fire? To buy time, it would be best to cause a ruckus before lighting the fire…
The best place to cause a scene would be to distract Xun Zhen, so the eldest son immediately thought of Xun Zhen's office and study.
_(:з)∠)_
A clever feint attack unfolded: Xun Zhen's eldest son ran away from home, and a key town was lost. Troops were stationed in various nearby areas; Xun Zhen's forces were the last to deploy, but arrived the first. Although they fought bravely, the tide had turned, and they lacked a solid foundation…
If one does not resign and resign, one will be made a scapegoat.
He simply resigned from his official post and went to find his son.
By the way—
We must find Qi Yuanliang!
He could see the two armies clearly on the battlefield.
The scholar in the Confucian robe had the same aura as the girl in distress; they were clearly the same person. This was all a conspiracy!
Shen Tang: ""...
The rest of the group: "..."
They all turned to look at Qi Yuanliang.
Qi Shan frankly replied, "That's roughly it."
There was no hint of guilt whatsoever.
Even when he was in the wrong, he was still brazen: "What does it have to do with me if Xun Hanzhang can't raise his son well? He's just a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy, innocent and naive, unaware of the ways of the world. Even if he doesn't fall for my tricks, he'll fall into the next trap. Don't you think that makes sense?"
Enraged, Xun Zhen drew his sword in a flash.
Anger surged within him, and his eyes blazed with fury.
"Say it again?"
Qi Shan's face darkened as he said, "My lord was only twelve years old when he participated in the Battle of Xiaocheng. I understand your feelings as a father, but what good is it to keep your child so tightly confined? Your son harbors a deep resentment towards you; even without me, he would have left."
To put it bluntly, it's a conflict between father and son.
He only used it for a short time.
If the conflict doesn't exist, he can't instigate it.
Shen Tang, who was inexplicably mentioned, was left bewildered: "???"
Xun Zhen said anxiously, "...He is physically weak, and there is chaos and war outside. What if something happens to him..."
He couldn't even remember how many times his son had a fever when he was young. At first, he and his deceased wife took turns staying by his bedside, taking care of him day and night. Later, he stayed by his side alone through the long nights, from darkness to day, until his body temperature returned to normal before he dared to relax.
How could Qishan understand this feeling?
He feared even more that his son might perish in a corner he couldn't see! That corner might be the land he had once trod, or a lonely grave he had passed by without noticing. His soul, with nowhere to rest, would sleep eternally in a foreign land far from his homeland.
Xun Zhen knew in his heart that his son's rebellious departure from home was largely due to his overprotective nature. After that incident, he reflected for a long time, realizing that the fledgling eagle must eventually spread its wings and fly.
At least, I should know his whereabouts.
The current situation is—
The rebellious eldest son, unable to forgive his elderly father for accidentally killing his innocent and close older sister, deliberately avoids him. In an era where a letter from home is worth a fortune and "meeting an old friend in a foreign land" is considered one of the four great joys of life, finding someone is like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Qi Shan pouted: "Nothing serious is going to happen to me..."
Xun Zhen put down his sword and asked, "What do you mean?"
Qi Shan said, "I met him more than two years ago."
Xun Zhen pressed further, "Where?"
"A secluded teahouse at a remote post station."
That was a little over a month before I met Shen Tang.
At that time, Qi Shan and the young man were in opposite states of mind. The former was lost and unsure of what the future held, while the latter indulged in drinking and singing, his life less refined than before but imbued with a sense of carefree abandon and boldness. The young man did not recognize Qi Shan, but simply found the scholar to be approachable.
The two had a very pleasant conversation.
Qi Shan managed to extract a lot of information from the other party.
Hearing that he was doing well, I decided not to bother him any further.
Xun Zhen hurriedly asked, "How is he?"
Qi Shan said, "It has grown quite a bit longer."
What wasn't mentioned was that the young man... no, he should be called a young adult, had a bandit-like air about him, leading a group of henchmen who specialized in robbing the rich to help the poor, putting his initial promise into practice. However, looking at the official seal hanging at his waist, it wasn't entirely certain.
Xun Zhen asked, "Which post station?"
Qi Shan shook her head: "How could I possibly remember that clearly?"
He wasn't lying.
He really didn't know the exact location of that post station.
At that time, he had also caused the death of a two-faced lord, and the backlash from his scholarly ways was severe. His health deteriorated rapidly, and he needed to rest for two days after traveling for a day: "At that time, my mind was in a daze, and since I happened to be in a familiar place nearby, I thought of revisiting it..."
Lost in the woods, they stumbled upon a rest stop by chance.
Meeting Xun Zhen's son was purely coincidental.
They talked for a while and then parted ways.
He didn't know where the other person worked.
"old haunt?"
“An unnamed valley.” Qi Shan paused, then glanced at Chen Tang. “It used to be the territory of Gong Xi Chou’s clan, but it was abandoned after the clan was wiped out. Now it’s a desolate valley. I suppose your son is a captain from somewhere nearby.”
Upon hearing the news of her son's whereabouts, Xun Zhen's anger subsided considerably, replaced by worry, which was exposed by Qi Shan.
"Are you going to look for him?"
After hesitating for a moment, Xun Zhen shook his head: "No."
Some eagles that have left the nest and soared through the sky, accustomed to the vast expanse, would be willing to return to their eagle parents and be disciplined.
Xun Zhen wasn't sure he could resist the urge to ignore it.
That's enough, that's enough.
Let him fly away.
Thinking of this, another idea came to mind.
If the opportunity arises in the future, and the lord expands his territory to that rebellious son's doorstep, this old father wouldn't mind rolling up his sleeves and teaching his son a lesson. Fei, fei, fei, have you made a name for yourself yet? Running away from home at the slightest disagreement—
Do you know how worried he is?
Qi Shan: "..."
After finishing her melon, Shen Tang secretly breathed a sigh of relief, but privately asked Qi Shan, "Yuanliang, is Hanzhang's son really still alive?"
Qi Shan chuckled and said, "Does my lord think that I fabricated a lie to appease Xun Hanzhang?"
Shen Tang replied earnestly, "I do have that concern."
"What if it's fabricated?"
Shen Tang lowered her eyes: "I will keep it a secret for you."
After that, we still have to clean up the mess.
She wouldn't say how she would handle the aftermath.
“This is not the behavior of a gentleman,” Qi Shan sighed. “My lord, you should act as a gentleman revered by all. Xun Hanzhang is a capable man… Shan didn’t lie, the child is indeed still alive, but he’s a bit deformed. If Xun Hanzhang knew…”
Qi Shan didn't hide anything from Shen Tang and told her everything.
Shen Tang: "..."
Any father would get high blood pressure if he knew his son was behaving like a bandit and robbing others.
She hesitated for a moment: "Even so, we should still send someone to make contact, even just a letter home would be helpful..."
A letter from a son can be far more effective in winning people's hearts than countless treasures of gold and silver.
Qi Shan understood her intention and hummed in agreement.
——————
At the teahouse where we were resting, a merchant at the next table slapped his hand on the wooden table.
ヾ(ω`)o
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P.S.: I'm having my glucose tolerance test tomorrow. It seems there's a family history of diabetes on my mom's side; my grandma passed away last year from complications of diabetes. My mom's blood sugar also needs constant control, and she has to be careful with her diet… Following the doctor's advice, I'm not drinking water after 9 pm, and I'm feeling really thirsty and a little panicked _(:з」∠)_
(End of this chapter)
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