Hidden currents in Wangyu Lake
From the East District to the Central District, Qin Lingfeng traveled non-stop, day and night, for nearly half a month.
Living a life of hardship and constant worry caused him to visibly wither away.
With stubble and sunken eyes, his once noble and refined appearance was replaced by an almost obsessive sharpness and weariness.
Only those eyes burned with a cold, terrifying flame.
As soon as Qin Lingfeng returned to the central district, without even having time to change or rest, he plunged headlong into the vortex of power that could devour a person.
The situation was worse than when he left, because Qin Lingfeng had resolutely left in search of Jiang Manyan, and the elders' faction took the opportunity to launch a large-scale counterattack.
They are relentlessly eroding the already precarious power of the father and son.
His father, Qin Moxuan, was still nominally the head of the Qin family, but because he had “damaged” the family’s interests in order to protect Shen Qingyuan, Qin Lingfeng’s mother, he was always criticized by the elders.
In addition, its methods tend to be mild, making it difficult for it to operate within these deeply entrenched, senior clan elders and the entire cannibalistic circle of powerful figures, with most of its real power being undermined.
Fortunately, Qin Lingfeng is not only a scion of a prominent family.
He perfectly inherited his mother's resilience and his father's wisdom, and through years of experience, he developed a decisive and ruthless spirit that neither of them possessed—a spirit that dared to sacrifice everything.
Over the years, he outwardly traveled to various places for the family, but in reality, he had been secretly gathering and cultivating his own power and weaving an intelligence network, which was how he and his son barely managed to keep the Qin family afloat on the verge of capsizing.
Now, in order to regain absolute power as quickly as possible, and to have the strength to contend with or even crush Song Guansui, that mad dog, Qin Lingfeng no longer holds back.
He revealed all his cards!
Even on horseback during the return journey, orders were transmitted throughout Cangzhou at top speed via special channels—
The Qin family's Thirteen Factories shall, effective immediately, cease supplying all critical strategic resources, including weapons, medicines, cloth, and grain, to the Qin family's main branch in the central area!
This move was precise, ruthless, and completely undermined the opponent's strength!
The Thirteen Factories controlled the Qin family's external economic lifeline and material channels. Once they stopped supplying the main family with funds, the Qin family would be in danger.
Those clan elders who relied on these resources to maintain their luxurious lifestyles and to use them to collude with outsiders and cultivate private armies instantly became trapped beasts with their necks choked!
They lost their leverage to negotiate with external forces, and internal conflicts quickly intensified.
Cut off their resources, and you cut off their lifeline.
The once arrogant elders had no choice but to temporarily lower their heads and compromise in the face of the sudden depletion of resources.
The situation, which was originally extremely unfavorable to Qin Moxuan and his son, took an astonishing turn overnight.
However, the cost of this drastic measure is also enormous.
All of Qin Lingfeng's carefully cultivated and deeply hidden agents, secret channels, and core managers of the Thirteen Factories who were loyal to him were exposed in this large-scale, unified operation.
This means he has lost his hidden informants and escape route, and will have no room for maneuver should he encounter trouble again in the future.
But Qin Lingfeng did not hesitate at all.
worth!
As long as they can use the power they gain to rescue his Slow Smoke and wipe out all the enemies who stand in their way, then all the price will be worth it.
At this moment, he was like a drawn sword, gleaming with cold light, with no more concealment, his target clearly pointed at his next opponent—the Song family, Song Guansui.
— — — —
Song Guansui seemed quite satisfied with Jiang Manyan's recent performance.
His slow-burning cigarettes are vibrant and lively, and people rely on and are close to him. These days are the most relaxed and happy he has been in five years.
That day, he personally brought a set of fine clothes and, without allowing Jiang Manyan to refuse, helped her change into them.
No longer in plain gray or blue, but in an extremely eye-catching red brocade robe.
The fabric is top-grade Yun brocade, smooth as water, with a dark red luster flowing under the light.
The robe was embroidered with cranes in gold and silver thread, their wings outstretched as if about to take flight. The design was exquisite, intricate, and exuded an air of nobility.
A white jade double fish holding a pearl belt was tied around her waist, with tiny rubies adorning the eyes of the fish.
Most notably, strings of small, exquisite silver bells were adorning the inside of the hem and the wrists.
When Jiang Manyan was dressed and made to look her right, she seemed to be enveloped in a dazzling radiance.
Her stunningly beautiful face, accentuated by the red dress and gold patterns, was breathtakingly gorgeous.
It even carries an eerie, unreal quality.
Jiang Manyan shifted uncomfortably, and the silver bell emitted a clear and melodious sound.
A glint of extreme satisfaction flashed in Song Guansui's eyes.
He was very satisfied with his "masterpiece," as if he had branded an already rare treasure with his own unique mark.
"Brother, are we going to the garden again today? The flowers in the vase are all wilted!" Jiang Manyan raised her delicate little face, revealing a hint of anticipation.
"Mm," Song Guansui replied in a good mood.
Having received the answer she wanted, Jiang Manyan raised her hand and then turned her gaze to her new clothes, looking with curiosity at the exquisite embroidery on the wide cuffs, from which the silver bells jingled softly.
Like a child who has received a new toy.
"Brother, I want to go eat... and see the koi in the garden."
As if she had let something slip, Jiang Manyan quickly corrected herself, blinking her clear, starry eyes at Song Guansui.
Upon hearing this, Song Guansui's lips curled into a smile that wasn't quite a smile, and he surprisingly joined in with his comments.
"Koi meat is coarse, lacks firmness, has many bones, and tastes far inferior to river carp from the suburbs."
Jiang Manyan showed a surprised and curious expression at just the right moment.
"How did you know, brother? Did you already eat?"
It seems I'm genuinely drawn to this topic.
Song Guansui smiled but said nothing. He simply reached out and straightened the collar of the man's clothes, which was not crooked. His fingertips inadvertently brushed against the string of small bells, making a soft sound.
"Let's go."
The two chatted idly all the way to Wangyu Lake, an artificial lake in the back garden of the Song family mansion.
The lake surface is like a mirror, reflecting the blue sky, white clouds, pavilions, and towers.
Sure enough, countless colorful koi carp of various shapes swam in the water, some as red as fire, some as dazzling as gold, some as black as ink, and some as white as snow, vying for attention.
Of particular interest was a koi carp that was entirely silver and without any other colors, swimming with exceptional grace and elegance.
Like a king in the water, wherever it goes, other koi follow, forming a flowing and magnificent picture.
This fish looks just like my brother!
Jiang Manyan leaned on the railing by the pavilion, her bright eyes following the silver koi carp, a pure smile of appreciation on her face.
Silver bells tinkled gently in the breeze, sunlight bathed him, his red robes and black hair, his skin as white as snow, made him look like a fairy descended to earth.
However, Song Guansui, who was standing beside him, did not look at the fish in the lake.
He gazed at Jiang Manyan's perfect and exquisite profile with almost indulgent and focused attention, watching the corners of her mouth turn up slightly with joy.
Listening to the crisp ringing of the bell, my heart was filled with an unprecedented sense of fullness and possessiveness.
With Jiang Manyan's "companionship," he truly felt a long-lost, heartfelt joy and satisfaction.
He even absurdly wished that time could stand still at this moment.
He knew, of course, that the obedience and compliance of those around him were all pretense.
But so what? He has the power and means to keep this pretense going forever.
As long as you pretend for long enough and make it look convincing, what's the difference between it and the real thing?
He even enjoys the sense of control that comes from seeing through someone's pretense and forcing them to keep performing forever.
Just as he was immersed in this twisted satisfaction, a graceful and noble figure, yet with a hint of meanness, arrived at the shore of Wangyu Lake, surrounded by a group of maids and servants.
It was none other than the matriarch of the Song family—Liu Shuwan.
Her favorite pastime was feeding the koi fish here, or inviting other wealthy ladies to enjoy the scenery and show off their status.
Today, as soon as she stepped onto the lakeside, she immediately saw her son in the pavilion across the lake.
When she saw that Song Guansui had finally stopped wearing that annoying mask and revealed his handsome appearance, she was overjoyed.
However, this joy vanished instantly when he saw the strikingly beautiful young man in a bright red dress standing next to his son.
That face—that face she would recognize even if it turned to ashes. The son of that lowly maid, how could he be here? And dressed so...so ostentatiously, standing beside her son!
Liu Shuwan's dignified face instantly twisted into a ferocious expression, her carefully groomed eyebrows standing on end.
His gaze was like a poisoned knife, piercing Jiang Manyan in the pavilion.
New and old grudges surged into her heart in an instant, almost burning away her reason.
Jiang Manyan was positioned directly opposite Liu, who was approaching with a menacing air.
His peripheral vision had already caught sight of that elegant yet twisted figure. He felt a sharp pain in his heart, and his hatred was buried deep inside, but he showed no sign of it on his face.
It's finally here!
Jiang Manyan turned her head very naturally to look at Song Guansui beside her, her starry eyes shimmering with pure dependence.
As their eyes met, Jiang Manyan suddenly winked mischievously, a smile that was both innocent and alluring curving her lips, her voice soft and sweet.
"Brother, who's prettier, me or the koi in the lake?"
Song Guansui was taken aback by his sudden question, and then a dark current surged in his eyes.
He didn't look at the koi in the lake, nor did he answer. Instead, he reached out, his fingertips slightly cool, lifted Jiang Manyan's delicate chin, and leaned down to give her a light, fleeting kiss, with an undeniable forcefulness.
A swift separation—that's the answer.
How could Jiang Manyan let this carefully orchestrated drama end so blandly?
He stretched out his arms and hugged Song Guansui's strong waist, burying his face in the other's firm chest, as if shy, or as if he was being coquettish.
Through the luxurious fabric, one could feel the other person's warm body temperature and smooth muscle lines.
"Brother, this fish looks nice, but we can't eat it."
His muffled voice came from inside her arms, tinged with a hint of spoiled dissatisfaction.
"How about you take me to the countryside to catch river carp to eat? You said they're delicious."
As he spoke, his hand, which was wrapped around the other person's waist, seemed to unconsciously and curiously stroke the strong, firm waistline back and forth.
This bold and obviously provocative action made Song Guansui's body tense up instantly.
He caught the restless hand that was "playing with fire" with a precise backhand, his voice already tinged with a dangerous hoarseness.
"...Don't play with fire."
Jiang Manyan seemed startled and immediately became obedient, withdrawing her hand obediently, leaving only the soft touch in her arms and a faint ringing sound.
Jiang Manyan silently calculated the time in her mind.
We'll circle around to the left from the other side of the lake... Liu Shuwan should be arriving soon.
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