Chapter 181 Tranquility, Vision, Examination
asshole?
Chen Yi's heart stirred slightly. Judging from Chen Yunfan's cursing just now, he clearly knew Liu Wen and had some understanding of him.
"I almost forgot about that."
The Chen family of Jiangnan Prefecture and the Liu family of Jingzhou are both prominent families in this prosperous era, so it is only natural that they know each other.
Given that several elders from the Chen and Liu families served as officials in the same court, it was normal for their descendants to have interactions and exchanges.
I reckon they've met on some occasions.
Chen Yi was thinking about these things, but he also knew that now was not the time for idle chatter, so he did not ask any questions.
When Chen Yunfan looked at Liu Wen and his group, Liu Wen, Liu Zhaoxue and the others naturally saw them as well.
Then they paused in their steps.
Liu Wen grinned, seemingly surprised. "Chen Yunfan?"
A slight hesitation.
Liu Wen gestured to the people behind him and walked over, a effeminate smile appearing on his handsome face.
However, those narrow eyes didn't see Chen Yi at all; they were only staring at Chen Yunfan.
From a distance, he smiled and opened his arms, "Brother Yunfan, it's been so long, I've missed you terribly."
Chen Yunfan glanced at him sideways and snorted, "This young master... well, this official is not familiar with you."
After saying that, he seemed to remember something, straightened up, put his hands behind his back, raised his head, and said in a leisurely tone:
"You audacious scoundrel, why don't you kneel before me?"
Liu Wen's smile froze, his steps slowed, and his raised hands trembled slightly.
"Brother Yunfan, is that really necessary?"
"What? You, Liu Wen, don't even have the title of a scholar, you're just a commoner. You expect me to give you a grand ceremony before me, and I have to teach you on behalf of your Liu family of Jingzhou?"
Liu Wen was annoyed by his words, and a cold glint flashed in his narrow eyes.
"Chen Yunfan, don't think that just because you got the top score in the imperial examination, you can look down on the Liu family!"
Chen Yunfan curled his lip, "That's not true. I just didn't take you seriously."
"you……"
This infuriated Liu Wen, and his previous feigned generosity and enthusiasm vanished instantly.
Chen Yi couldn't help but laugh at Chen Yunfan's disgusted expression, which made him feel like he had swallowed a fly. He silently gave Chen Yunfan a thumbs up.
When it comes to being sharp-tongued and infuriating, Chen Yunfan is second to none.
At this moment, Liu Zhaoxue, who was waiting in the distance, bowed slightly in this direction:
"Zhaoxue greets Lord Chen and hopes that, considering the long-standing friendship between the Chen and Liu families, you will not make things difficult for my second brother."
Upon hearing the voice, Chen Yunfan's gaze fell upon Liu Zhaoxue, and his eyes lit up.
Then, he composed himself and said with a smile:
“Sister Zhaoxue, you are overthinking it. I was just joking with your second brother.”
"Right, Liming?"
Liu Wen, however, showed no appreciation whatsoever, glared at him, and turned to leave.
Not only that, after meeting up with the Liu family, he also scolded Liu Zhaoxue, "Why did you have to be so talkative?"
"...Please forgive me, Second Brother."
"Hmph, when we get back, I'll teach you some manners."
After saying this, Liu Wen, with a gloomy face, headed towards the Qingjing Residence under the leadership of the second steward of the Xiao family.
That's what I saw.
After hesitating for a moment, Liu Zhaoxue bowed apologetically to Chen Yunfan and Chen Yi before hurriedly following them.
Seeing them walk away, Chen Yunfan's smile faded slightly, and he frowned a little, saying:
"This Liu Wen is no pushover; his visit to Shu Prefecture this time is definitely not for anything good."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi thought for a moment and asked, "How does he compare to Liu Jing?"
Who is Liu Jing?
"..."
Chen Yunfan clearly didn't remember this person at all. After thinking for a long time, he still couldn't recall him and had to give up, saying:
"In short, Liu Wen is not a good person. You should stay away from him in the future."
Chen Yi smiled and nodded, but sighed inwardly.
He wanted to stay away from Liu Wen, but the other man was not only a troublemaker, but also incredibly persistent.
Let's chat for a bit.
Chen Yunfan didn't stay any longer. He left a message saying he'd have dinner at Tingyuxuan sometime and hurriedly walked out.
Chen Yi said okay and watched him walk away.
I stood still for a moment.
Seeing that it was getting late, he straightened his clothes and walked slowly toward the quiet house.
Since some things are unavoidable, he won't even think about avoiding them.
That should solve it.
A moment later.
When Chen Yi arrived at the quiet residence, he immediately saw Xiao Wuge sitting in the pavilion waiting, and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
When the Liu family arrived, the old master surprisingly did not allow Xiao Wuge to stay in the hall.
Thinking about it, he couldn't help but look towards the main hall.
Surprisingly, the main door, which should have been wide open, was now closed.
They looked like they were discussing a secret matter.
"strangeness."
It should be understood that at this time of year, there are rules of etiquette and regulations, and people are not forbidden from speaking to others.
When guests come to visit, unless they are close relatives or it is a banquet, the host usually leaves the main entrance wide open.
It means "upright and honorable".
The current situation clearly forced him to think more deeply.
Just then, Xiao Wuge saw him approaching, stood up and waved, "Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, come over here."
Chen Yi snapped out of his daze, smiled and nodded, and then sat down with him in the pavilion to wait.
After thinking for a moment, he asked casually, "Have you sent the gift to the old man?"
Xiao Wuge nodded and said with a smile, "Grandpa was very happy and even praised me for being sensible."
But after laughing, he pouted and said, "It's a pity that some bad guys came later, which prevented me from talking to Grandpa for more than a few words."
"Bad guy?"
"Yes, he's the bad guy who said he wanted to marry my older sister last time. He had such a long face, he was definitely not a good person."
Upon hearing his words, Chen Yi chuckled and glanced towards the main room.
Judging from Liu Wen's martial arts skills, he should be able to hear the sounds coming from this side.
After thinking for a moment, Chen Yi smiled and said, "He certainly doesn't seem like a good person."
"But you don't need to worry, the old man is very clear-headed and would never be deceived."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wuge nodded solemnly.
“Yes, Grandpa refused that Uncle Liu last time. If these bad people dare to bring it up again this time, the result will be the same.”
"We can't let them have their way."
"Right..."
Just as Chen Yi and Xiao Wuge were making fun of Liu Wen as if no one else was around.
Liu Wen, who was already somewhat unhappy sitting in the main room, heard their voices and subconsciously clenched his fists.
This is outrageous!
Xiao Wuge, and... his brother-in-law?
The brother-in-law Ying that Xiao Wuge mentioned is Xiao Jinghong's husband, the son-in-law of the Xiao family!
His name seems to be Chen Yi, from the Chen family of Jiangnan Prefecture. He... um?
Liu Wen realized what was happening and became even angrier.
He had just been humiliated by Chen Yunfan, and now he was being insulted behind his back by this disgraceful son-in-law.
They really think they can mold him like clay!
If he hadn't remembered that the important matter at hand was more important, he might have made that son-in-law pay the price!
However, Liu Wen's heart was churning with turmoil, but he showed no sign of it on his face.
He sat quietly in the hall, a slight smile on his lips as he looked at the old Marquis Xiao in the seat of honor.
At this moment, the old Marquis was flipping through the letter in his hand, his face calm.
However, upon closer inspection, it is not difficult to see a hint of surprise in his cloudy eyes.
After a long time.
Lord Xiao put down the letter, slowly folded it, and looked at Liu Wen and Liu Zhaoxue, asking:
"I wonder if your father brought anything else besides this letter?"
Liu Wen smiled and shook his head, then nodded and said, "My father didn't say anything, but my second and third uncles gave me instructions before I came to visit you."
“Jingzhou and Shuzhou are adjacent. If the Xiao and Liu families unite, both will benefit. If they separate… it’s not that both will lose, but it’s still a pity.”
"To borrow Uncle San's words, the Southern Barbarians are currently embroiled in internal strife and have no time to look north."
"But once they sort out their internal strife, they may make a comeback, and the Marquis and Third Uncle will be the first to suffer."
At this point, Liu Wen paused, and seeing that the old Marquis's expression remained unchanged, he continued:
"Your involvement and that of your third uncle mean that both the Xiao and Liu families will be engulfed by the war."
"If we can join forces, our chances of repelling the barbarian invasion will be much greater."
What he said was undeniably reasonable.
And it truly hit the nail on the head regarding the Xiao family's thoughts.
Or rather, the thoughts of Old Marquis Xiao and the eldest branch of the Xiao family.
However, the old Marquis himself understood the purpose of Liu Hong's words and knew the plans of the Liu family in Jingzhou.
He pondered for a moment.
A smile appeared on the old marquis's face as he shook his head and said, "I can't deny that I'm getting old."
Just as Liu Wen thought he was about to say a few words of praise, he heard him continue, "I should go take a nap now, so I won't keep you here for lunch. Please go back."
"Forehead……"
Liu Wen was slightly taken aback, exchanged a glance with Liu Zhaoxue, and then hesitantly stood up and bowed, saying:
"I wonder if Your Excellency has any words for me to take back?"
To everyone's surprise, the old Marquis simply waved his hand and, with the help of the second steward, got up and walked towards the side room.
As he walked, he muttered to himself, "Getting old, getting old."
Seeing this, Liu Wen felt a surge of displeasure, gritted his teeth, and bowed, saying:
"Please forgive me, Lord Marquis. Before I came, my elders instructed me to make sure to bring back what you said."
"I hope that Your Excellency will consider my father and elder sister's feelings and not put this junior in a difficult position."
Upon hearing this, Liu Zhaoxue thought to herself that she was in trouble.
Before they could remedy the situation, Old Marquis Xiao paused, his back to them, and said:
Why would I make things difficult for you?
"Even if your elders come in person, I'll just eat and sleep as usual. How many more words can they possibly say?"
Even though Liu Wen was furious, he knew he had misspoke and quickly bowed, saying:
"Please forgive me, Your Excellency. I lost my composure in my anxiety..."
Before he could finish speaking, the old marquis strode forward again.
“Go back and tell Liu Hong to think carefully about whether his official position is for Shu Prefecture or Jing Prefecture.”
Just as Liu Wen was about to speak, he heard two more words come from the other end:
"Go away."
"..."
Two simple, unassuming words, yet they struck like a thunderclap.
This caused Liu Wen, who had been looking down, to widen his eyes and his expression to change rapidly.
Clearly, he had lost his composure this time.
Liu Zhaoxue, who was standing next to her, was well aware that if the results of this trip were to be reported back to the Liu family, it would surely displease the elders.
But she also knew that it wouldn't be appropriate for her to speak at this point.
When people are angry, they won't listen to anyone's advice.
Moreover, the person who was angered was none other than the Marquis of Dingyuan of the current Great Wei Dynasty.
A person who has spent his life on the battlefield will not be swayed by the words of others.
Seeing that things had come to this point.
Liu Zhaoxue had no choice but to step forward and say softly, "Second Brother, let's talk about it when we get back."
Liu Wen snapped out of his daze upon hearing the sound, his body shifted slightly, and when he looked up, his face had returned to calm.
He didn't say anything more, turned around and walked straight outside.
The rest of the group followed one by one.
Squeak.
The moment the door opened, Chen Yi and Xiao Wuge looked over.
Seeing Liu Wen, Liu Zhaoxue, and the others file out, their expressions inscrutable, it was impossible to discern anything amiss.
But when the group arrived in the courtyard, Liu Wen looked at them.
The look in his narrow eyes instantly turned sinister, and words seemed to be squeezed out from between his teeth:
"Liu Wen greets the young marquis and... this gentleman!"
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow slightly, having already made his judgment on the outcome of their trip, and a smile involuntarily appeared on his face:
"Chen Yi".
"Chen Yi...we'll see each other again soon."
After saying that, Liu Wen gave him a deep look, then led his men out of the quiet house.
Liu Zhaoxue hesitated for a moment, but instead of bowing apologetically as before, she followed the crowd and left.
Waiting for the house to return to its original state of tranquility.
Xiao Wuge frowned. Even though he was young, he could tell that Liu Wen's expression was off.
"Brother-in-law, didn't I tell you he was a bad guy?"
"He was just yelling at me, and his face was so scary."
"With that, he still wants to be my brother-in-law? Don't even think about it."
Chen Yi smiled and nodded, patting his head.
Although he didn't know what the old Marquis and the Liu family were discussing, the outcome was what it was, and the process was no longer important.
Just then, two lines of large characters appeared before his eyes:
[Chance +4.]
[Comment: The person arrived, but their voice was not heard, and the scene was not seen. To refuse an opportunity that falls from the sky shows a lazy nature.]
Chen Yi glanced at it, then put it out of his mind and led Xiao Wuge into the main room.
At this moment, the old man, who had heard their voices, came out of the side room and greeted them with a smile:
"Wu Ge, the light boat has arrived. Please have a seat."
Xiao Wuge responded, then ran over with a smile to help him sit down, talking about what he had just seen and heard, mostly bad things about Liu Wen.
The old man offered him a few words of comfort, but didn't say anything about Liu Wen.
Chen Yi sat down without saying a word, and simply placed the brocade box in his hand next to the old man.
"This is?"
"This was done in my spare time, I hope you won't find it offensive."
The old man shook his head and praised with a smile: "I had already witnessed Qingzhou's calligraphy when Sun Fu brought that calligraphy copybook to me like it was a treasure a couple of days ago."
"Now that you have mastered calligraphy, even if you just casually write a few words, many people will fight tooth and nail to get them."
As he spoke, he opened the brocade box and slowly unfolded the calligraphy scroll inside.
Suddenly, a hazy light emerged from the paper with cloud and pine branches.
Just like the artistic conception that Chen Yi had shown when he wrote it, the old man took it all in.
"Tranquility leads to far-reaching vision..."
As the old man looked at the four characters above and the tranquil, distant scene, the displeasure he had felt about the Liu family dissipated considerably.
Xiao Wuge, who was standing next to him, couldn't understand the difference in the levels of calligraphy, but he was also affected by the artistic conception of the calligraphy. He stopped pouting and a smile appeared on his face.
"My brother-in-law's handwriting is the best."
Upon hearing this, the old man nodded subconsciously, staring at the calligraphy scroll and exclaiming, "It is indeed fine calligraphy."
"Even though I am not enthusiastic about calligraphy, I can still be inspired by it, which shows that Qingzhou's calligraphy has indeed reached a state of perfection."
Chen Yi smiled and said, "You flatter me."
Just as he was about to say something else, he saw the old man look up at him, his expression unusually serious, and ask:
"Qingzhou, you are also a scholar. I have a question that I don't understand. I wonder if you could enlighten me?"
Chen Yi was slightly taken aback. "Please speak freely, sir."
"Tell me, what is the current situation in Shu Prefecture?"
"I wonder which aspect you are referring to?"
"Just say whatever comes to mind."
(End of this chapter)
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