Shen Qingyuan
Under the combined pressure from the Song and Liu families, the Qin family suffered repeated defeats, and their once illustrious household appeared somewhat desolate.
The pent-up internal conflicts erupted under immense pressure. The elders vied for power, while the younger generation only cared about dividing up the spoils. No one was willing to defend against the enemy, and the family was sliding toward the brink of division and ruin.
Only then did the elders of the Qin family realize with horror that during the five years that Qin Lingfeng had been in charge of the Qin family, he had actually created a prosperous future for the family amidst the equally dire situation of the Song and Liu families eyeing the family covetously.
Qin Lingfeng's skill, courage, and vision are far superior to those of the mediocre younger generation in the clan.
Qin Lingfeng's departure is a huge loss for the Qin family!
In contrast, the Song family, their sworn enemy, was able to consolidate its power in a short period of time, making its members subservient.
Furthermore, they reconciled with the Liu family and formed an alliance. If left unchecked, the central district would inevitably fall under the control of the Song family sooner or later.
The Qin family's eldest elder could no longer sit still and rushed to the Qin family's main residence, "Tingzhuxuan," hoping to negotiate peace with Qin Moxuan.
However, they were told that Su was unwell, the Qin family head was not interested in affairs, and the Grand Elder was turned away.
Tingzhuxuan is quiet and elegant, planted with tall bamboos, just like its owner, Qin Lingfeng's mother, Shen Qingyuan, a noblewoman who loves tranquility and has a calm mind.
"Qingyuan, are we going to stay out of this? The Qin family will eventually be handed over to Ling Feng. If they fall from grace..."
Qin Moxuan spoke urgently.
Madam Shen waved her hand slightly, and Qin Moxuan fell silent.
"Mo Xuan, don't be afraid."
Her voice remained calm, yet it carried an undeniable strength and a sense of reassurance.
"Next, all you need to do is take care of those buzzing flies."
She stood quietly before the bamboo, her usual elegant demeanor suddenly changing, revealing a decisiveness and boldness in her brows that rivaled any man's.
Looking at his wife like this, Qin Moxuan's restlessness was miraculously calmed down.
I couldn't help but recall the scene from more than ten years ago.
...
Qin Family Listening to Bamboo Pavilion
The rain outside the window slanted down, splashing tiny droplets on the carved wooden windowpane.
Shen Qingyuan gripped the plain tablecloth with her fingertips, leaving shallow marks on the brocade pattern, but her gaze remained fixed on Qin Moxuan, who sat opposite her looking somewhat haggard.
Her husband was exceptionally talented, of impeccable character, and possessed a rare and compassionate heart—this was why she chose him.
However, Qin Moxuan's methods were too mild and lacked the decisiveness to strike a chord.
He was an excellent "maintainer," but not a "breakthrough" capable of carrying out a radical revolution in a rotten quagmire.
“Mo Xuan, your Qin family is like that three-hundred-year-old locust tree in the backyard. The trunk is still thick and strong, and in spring the branches and leaves can cover half the yard.”
Her voice was very soft, as if it had been soaked by rain and mist, making people want to listen carefully.
"But didn't you see it with your own eyes last year? The roots had rotted from the inside out. Even the most fertile fertilizer was only enough to keep the surface buds alive for another half a month."
Qin Moxuan paused, his fingers holding the teacup, causing the warm tea to ripple slightly.
He didn't speak, but only looked up at his wife.
Shen Qingyuan was not in a hurry. She understood her husband, Qin Moxuan, who deeply loved his family and whose loyalty to his family could not be severed in a short time.
The candlelight reflected two points of light in Shen Qingyuan's eyes, clearly filled with heartache, yet her tone remained unusually clear.
"You always say you want to protect everyone in the clan, but how can you fill the holes left by those cronies who are squandering the ancestral property?"
"You're wasting your resources on this old tree that's about to fall. The more luxuriant its branches and leaves, the faster its roots will rot, and in the end, it will only drag you down with it."
Shen Qingyuan leaned forward slightly, reaching out to gently place her hand on the back of his slightly cool hand, her fingertips carrying her usual warmth.
"How about... we start cultivating the seedlings again?"
Shen Qingyuan's gaze passed over the table and looked into the inner room—in the dim candlelight, six-year-old Qin Lingfeng held a copy of the Analects, his little brows slightly furrowed, looking as serious as a little adult.
She withdrew her gaze and focused it back on Qin Moxuan opposite her. Her tone softened, but it still carried a hint of clarity.
“Mo Xuan, look at Ling Feng. He can recite the Classic of Filial Piety by heart at the age of six. The other day, when he saw the steward deducting the servants’ monthly wages, he even came to me in secret. His character is more insightful than yours and mine when we were young.”
Qin Moxuan followed her gaze and saw his son intently flipping through a book. A tenderness welled up in his eyes, but his fingers unconsciously tightened around the teacup. Only after the warm tea had soaked his fingertips did he slowly speak.
“Ling Feng is a good kid, it’s just that…”
"You're always thinking about protecting the Qin family, even letting this mess hinder Ling Feng's future, is that it?"
Shen Qingyuan interrupted him, her fingertips lightly tracing the carved details on the corner of the table.
“Mo Xuan, if you were born into an ordinary, kind, and wealthy family, with your talent and your kindness in giving food to refugees and taking in old servants in distress.”
"If we had managed the family so well long ago, why would we have to worry about the corruption of the collateral branches and the scheming of the elders every day?"
Her voice deepened, and her gaze fell on the undisguised weariness in her husband's eyes.
“You think you’re protecting the Qin family, but those people are just using you as a shield and a money lender to take whatever they want. Last month, your third uncle’s family embezzled public funds, and you emptied your own coffers to fill the hole.”
“The month before last, the collateral branch in the western district secretly sold off the ancestral home and fertile land. It was only through your intervention that the Qin family's reputation was preserved—you weren't protecting the Qin family, you were protecting a bunch of parasites!”
Qin Moxuan's Adam's apple bobbed, as if he wanted to say something, but Shen Qingyuan gently pressed down on the back of his hand.
Her palms were warm, as if they could soothe all his weariness.
“Mo Xuan, stop wasting time. Let’s not protect this rotten old tree anymore, let’s protect Ling Feng. You personally teach him to read and write, to learn manners, to distinguish right from wrong, and to understand good from evil.”
“In the future, let him lead loyal people to establish a separate family—not to continue the old Qin family genealogy, but to start a new ‘Qin family,’ a Qin family without corruption or scheming, a family that stands on its own merits.”
At this moment, Qin Lingfeng, who was inside, seemed to have heard the commotion. He ran out with his book in his hand, trotted over to Qin Moxuan, and looked up at him with his little face to ask.
"Father, the new Qin family that Mother mentioned, does it have many books and can also help poor families?"
Qin Moxuan looked into his son's clear eyes, then gazed at his wife's expectant eyes.
The heaviness that had been weighing on my heart for so long suddenly dissipated a little.
He reached out and lifted his son onto his lap, then gripped Shen Qingyuan's hand tightly, his voice filled with unprecedented determination.
"Yes, your mother is right. In our new home, we will have endless books to read and will be able to help more people like the refugees and old servants."
The rain outside had completely stopped, and a ray of moonlight shone through the carved wooden window, falling on the three people's clasped hands and on the pages of the book Qin Lingfeng was holding, as if coating this new thought with a gentle light.
...
Qin Moxuan's gaze gradually returned from the void.
Over the years, his attempts to reform within the family have repeatedly been thwarted, and his efforts to resolve problems have instead been met with complaints and power grabs.
His wife, Su Qingyuan, watched coldly from the sidelines and never interfered.
This also made him realize that the Qin family was rotten to the core and beyond redemption.
So, he will follow his wife's plan and have no regrets.
...
"Qin Lingfeng, aren't you afraid that if you stay in this remote and impoverished place, you'll have nowhere to stand in the central area?"
Now eighteen years old, Jiang Manyan had shed some of her sickly appearance after months of careful recuperation. Although she still looked thin, her honey-brown eyes shone exceptionally brightly.
Having gone through life-and-death ordeals, Jiang Manyan's will was not broken. On the contrary, she seemed to have been tempered, and her mind became more and more resilient.
He leaned against the window, his black hair casually tied up, his eyes gazing at the thriving town outside, exuding a captivating charm that made it impossible to look away.
Jiang Manyan relaxed completely, her tone teasing.
He and Qin Lingfeng already had a deep affection for each other. After going through hardships and being nurtured by months of loving companionship, their feelings for each other deepened and their bond became unbreakable.
Qin Lingfeng naturally embraced his lover from behind, gently resting his chin on his hair.
"Slow Smoke, you alone are a magnificent sight. Even in the most remote and impoverished places, wherever you are, there is the greatest prosperity in the world."
Qin Lingfeng spoke in a low voice, filled with undisguised pride and satisfaction.
"Besides, look at Jincheng. If we give it another ten years, it might not lose to the glitz and glamour of the central district."
As for those stubborn old folks in the central area?
He had long since stopped caring about it.
He used to work tirelessly for the Qin family, serving them hand and foot. Now that he's gone, it'll be a good opportunity for those people to taste the bitter fruit of their actions.
His empire and his ambitions were already inextricably linked to the people in his arms and the land they both protected.
Moreover, there is the support of their parents.
Qin Lingfeng's confidence in staying in Jincheng and accompanying Jiang Manyan's "mischief" stemmed from the regular letters his mother, Shen Qingyuan, delivered to him.
The handwriting in the letter was delicate yet strong; every time I unfolded it, I could almost hear my mother's gentle yet firm voice.
"Feng'er, it's as if I'm seeing you in person. How is everything in Jincheng? Has Young Master Manyan's health improved?"
There's no need to worry about anything at home; your father and I have our own plans.
Once you have chosen the path in your heart, then do it with peace of mind.
Only by stirring up the stagnant waters of the Qin family can we truly see the truth.
If there are any shortages in funds, expenses, or manpower, please feel free to write to us.
Remember, you are not alone. Your parents are always there for you, planning and supporting you. Go ahead and do what you want to do, and protect those you want to protect.
Qin Lingfeng carefully kept this letter in his inner pocket. It was like the strongest shield, protecting him from all the open and covert attacks and worries from the families in the central district.
He knew that his parents were clearing obstacles for him in a way he didn't fully understand at the time, so that he could pursue his ideals without any worries on this land that belonged to him and Slow Smoke.
This unconditional support from his closest relatives is intertwined with the love and respect of the people of Jincheng, Jiang Zhong's protection, and the deepening affection between him and Jiang Manyan.
Together, they form the most solid foundation for protecting Jincheng.
...
After several letters whose tone shifted from businesslike to subtly urging him, Yu Mobai's car finally arrived in the central district.
Upon receiving the news, Liu Jinhuai felt unusually cheerful, a mood he hadn't experienced in days.
He specially chose a dark blue brocade robe with cloud patterns embroidered on it, tied his hair with a jade crown, and the jade pendant hanging from his waist was warm and shiny.
He stood in front of the mirror, carefully examining the handsome, arrogant, and aristocratic young master reflected in it, before nodding in satisfaction.
He not only had to welcome Yu Mobai, but also had to show him the dignity and grandeur that he should have in this center of power.
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