Declaring sovereignty
"Brother Jiang is back!" A sharp-eyed child shouted first, and like a drop of water falling into boiling oil, the whole town seemed to come alive instantly!
"It really is Mr. Jiang!"
"Sir, is your injury fully healed?"
"Mr. Jiang! Look at the new kite I made!"
...
The boys who were playing football on the open ground by the roadside didn't even bother to pick up the ball and rushed over cheering.
Without any hesitation, she buried her face in Jiang Manyan's arms, her little hands, covered in mud and grass, tightly hugging his waist, her little face tilted up, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him.
Jiang Manyan staggered slightly from the impact (her shoulder injury hadn't healed), but she didn't care at all. A bright and gentle smile, unlike anything Qin Lingfeng had ever seen before, bloomed on her face.
He gently patted each child's head, his voice soft: "Slow down, slow down, I'm back safe and sound, aren't I? New kite? Let me see it later."
The roadside vendors greeted him with smiles: "Mr. Jiang, these are freshly picked melons, they're very sweet, would you like one?"
"Sir, my wife made your favorite rice cakes. She'll bring them to you later!"
There were even young girls hiding behind big trees on street corners, blushing, secretly placing a bunch of freshly picked wildflowers on the stone steps along Jiang Manyan's usual route, and then running away quickly...
...
Jiang Manyan responded to each question in a friendly and natural manner, without the slightest airs.
He was like a magnet, naturally attracting everyone's love and attention.
This affection goes far beyond reverence for a leader; it carries with it a heartfelt intimacy and trust.
Qin Lingfeng followed half a step behind him, taking in everything.
A complex emotion welled up within him—a sincere admiration for Jiang Manyan's ability to win such popular support.
He admired this idyllic land, but more than that, he felt an intense possessiveness that even he hadn't anticipated.
The children who rushed into Jiang Manyan's arms, the blushing young men and women...
The way they looked at Jiang Manyan, with such pure affection and admiration, was incredibly irritating to him.
His Jiang Manyan should only look at him.
Thus, the eldest son of Qin began his subtle "declaration of sovereignty."
As another child rushed towards them, Qin Lingfeng stepped forward at just the right moment, seemingly unintentionally offering Jiang Manyan a helping hand, but in reality, he prevented the child from making an overly enthusiastic collision.
He added gently, "Be careful, your brother Jiang still has an injury on his shoulder."
His voice wasn't loud, but it was enough for everyone around to hear. The natural concern and closeness he conveyed made it seem as if he were the person closest to Jiang Manyan...
...
Although the Jiang residence lacked the extravagance of a nobleman's mansion, it was exquisite and unique, just like its owner.
Qin Lingfeng moved into the house closest to Jiang Manyan.
Their interaction was no different from that at Qin Lingfeng's villa, yet even more intimate.
The only difference was that the people here were too enthusiastic towards Jiang Manyan when she showed him around the local customs and culture of the three towns.
There were always girls blushing as they offered him fruit or handkerchiefs. At these times, Qin Lingfeng would take them first and politely thank them, saying, "Thank you, miss. I'll hold these for my Manyan."
His unparalleled handsome appearance, noble and extraordinary demeanor, and affectionate address left the girl speechless, only able to nod.
Passing by the blacksmith's shop, even the burly young man swinging his hammer blushed instantly when he saw Jiang Manyan looking over. His hand paused, the hammer nearly missing its mark, and he could only scratch his head and grin sheepishly...
When the blacksmith looked over again, Qin Lingfeng did not avoid his gaze. Instead, he nodded to him, a faint yet extremely authoritative smile playing on his lips, as if to say: I saw him, but he is mine.
He would even casually reach out to brush the willow catkins that had fallen into Jiang Manyan's hair or straighten her collar, which wasn't actually crooked, while she was talking to the townspeople. His movements were gentle, his gaze focused, and he seemed oblivious to everyone around him.
Jiang Manyan didn't notice anything unusual at first, until he realized that the way people around him were looking at him and Qin Lingfeng was becoming more and more subtle, with good-natured teasing and a sense of "I see" in their eyes.
His ears burned slightly, and he secretly glared at Qin Lingfeng before whispering, "What are you doing?"
Qin Lingfeng looked innocent, leaned close to his ear, and whispered in a voice only the two of them could hear, his breath warm: "It's nothing, I just feel... the people of the three towns are very enthusiastic, I need to let them know that their 'Mr. Jiang' is being taken care of."
His tone was one of undisguised smugness and possessiveness.
Jiang Manyan's heart skipped a beat, but she forced herself to remain calm and scoffed, "Nonsense." However, the corners of her mouth involuntarily turned up slightly.
The townspeople around them watched their intimate whispering and exchanged knowing glances, their smiles growing even more benevolent.
For them, it is a joy that Mr. Jiang has such an outstanding person by his side who clearly loves him deeply.
Those young men and women who harbored secret thoughts quietly turned into blessings in the face of Qin Lingfeng's powerful and direct presence.
In this way, Qin Lingfeng, with an elegant yet assertive demeanor, quickly imprinted the mark of his "close relationship" with Jiang Manyan in the hearts of the people of the three towns.
He enjoyed the process of declaring his sovereignty, and even more so, he enjoyed Jiang Manyan's seemingly blaming but actually indulgent attitude.
Here, he saw a more complete and more dazzling Jiang Manyan.
It wasn't the "Wang Ping'an" who needed his protection, nor the "Jiang Shanren" who was at odds with him.
He is a young leader who is genuinely loved and respected by everyone, and who also genuinely loves this land and its people.
This deepened the love and appreciation in his heart.
The task of capturing Jinxi Town had long been forgotten in his mind.
As the sun set, it cast long shadows of the two of them, who nestled together as if it were always meant to be...
...
Life in Jinxi Town felt like being bathed in honey; Qin Lingfeng was almost intoxicated by the tranquility and intimacy he shared with Jiang Manyan.
However, the wind from the central area, carrying chill and pressure, eventually blew into this paradise.
A secret letter sealed with special sealing wax was delivered to Qin Lingfeng by Qin's trusted bodyguards, who traveled day and night.
He unfolded the letter, and his father Qin Moxuan's familiar handwriting, yet more solemn and melancholic than ever before, came into view.
The letter contained no unnecessary pleasantries and went straight to the point.
Qin Moxuan had previously protected Shen Qingyuan and repeatedly rejected unfavorable proposals from the family against the Shen family, which had aroused great dissatisfaction among the clan elders.
Now, he is "indulging" his only son, Qin Lingfeng, in his "slow progress" in the southeast—failing to seize Jinxi Town as originally planned, which gives others ammunition against them. Opposition to them within the family is growing stronger.
"...My son Lingfeng," the letter concluded, "I am in a difficult situation. I have done my best to secure the benefits of Yancheng in the south, but if we fail to achieve convincing results regarding Jinxi Town, we will find it difficult to move forward in the clan. Taking Jinxi is not only my command, but also the only shortcut for you to solidify your position and smoothly inherit the position of clan leader. Time waits for no one, so I urge you to make a swift decision and not hesitate any longer."
Every word and phrase carries immense weight.
Qin Lingfeng could sense the weight and urgency his father felt when he wrote the letter.
That was not just an order, but a father's almost desperate plea after struggling to fight for his son amidst family infighting.
He gripped the letter tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.
My gaze unconsciously drifted into the distance. Jiang Manyan was standing on the edge of the field with several elderly farmers, pointing at the thriving rice seedlings and talking to them. Her profile was soft and focused in the sunlight, drawing frequent nods from the farmers, their faces full of convinced smiles...
To seize? How could he possibly lay a hand on such a person and such a piece of land?
After a long silence, Qin Lingfeng picked up his pen and wrote back.
Instead of directly disobeying orders, he wrote a detailed petition and strategy.
He carefully analyzed the enormous resistance and subsequent governance challenges that would result from forcibly seizing Jinxi Town, and instead proposed a completely new path of "cooperation".
It is shown that Jinxi Town, though a barren land, has developed tremendous potential and output under the governance of Jiang Manyan.
The argument is that it is better to form an alliance with them on an equal and mutually beneficial basis than to seize them by force at great cost.
The Qin family could provide protection, funding, and broader sales channels, while Jinxi Town became the Qin family's most stable and highest-quality granary and rear base.
In this way, without bloodshed, they can obtain long-term benefits far exceeding expectations, and also gain a reputation for "benevolence and righteousness" for the Qin family, thus consolidating their business credibility.
This is undoubtedly a risky move, a blatant challenge to the family's traditional predatory strategies.
He placed all his bets on Jiang Manyan's abilities and his own judgment.
The messenger quietly departed with this weighty reply.
However, the reply came faster and colder than he had expected.
A few days later, another secret letter from Qin's father arrived.
Qin Zhao and Qin Rui, two members of the Qin family, were assigned by the clan elders to assist him in handling affairs in the southeast, and were accompanied by dozens of elite Qin family guards.
The so-called "assistance" is actually surveillance and pressure.
The clan elders simply did not believe in his cooperation strategy.
They sent the most eager-to-perform collateral relatives, the ones most likely to strictly carry out the "seizure" order, to "urge" him to complete the task.
At the same time, Jiang Manyan's mole in the central area also sent back an urgent message.
"The three major families in the central area are all closely watching the rapidly growing Jinxi Town. The Liu family, due to their marriage alliance with the Song family, is determined to acquire the southeast granary; Song Guansui, the young master of the Song family, seems to be very interested in 'Jiang the Benevolent' and has sent people to investigate several times; the Qin family has huge internal disagreements about its southeast strategy and its movements are unclear. They have already sent people to Jinxi, and I fear they may have ill intentions..."
The message was brief, but every word was alarming.
Jiang Manyan put down the note, and the slight relaxation she had felt after defeating Qin Kun vanished instantly.
He walked to the window and looked at the construction site of the city wall outside the town, which was not yet fully completed. His gaze became extremely solemn.
The prosperity of Jinxi Town, like a pearl in the darkness, has finally attracted real attention.
Compared to the deeply entrenched and powerful families in the central district, the three towns are still too vulnerable.
The brief sweetness and tranquility brought by Qin Lingfeng were ruthlessly shattered by reality.
He turned around, his eyes regaining their sharpness and determination.
We must speed things up! The city wall project must be completed as soon as possible! The "Jincheng" plan must be implemented immediately!
Only by truly building the three towns into a solid fortress will they have the leverage to negotiate or protect themselves in the coming storm.
He glanced in the direction where Qin Lingfeng was, where an invisible low pressure seemed to be permeating the air.
Jiang Manyan knew that he was also facing enormous pressure.
A storm is brewing.
Their eyes met across the distance, one deep and solemn, the other resolute and determined.
Without a word, they all understood that the warm illusion had ended and the real test had just begun.
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