Chapter 182 That's far too shameless for an old man.
Is this considered a school exam?
Or is there another purpose?
Chen Yi had no idea.
Seeing the old man's serious expression, he naturally had to be more composed in his response.
That's just the current situation in Shu Prefecture.
It would be an exaggeration to describe it as a complete mess.
On the surface, the Xiao family is the most powerful, holding a large military force, and all other aristocratic families and powerful clans, along with officials of all ranks in Shu Prefecture, follow their lead.
Behind the scenes...
Because of the deaths of Xiao Fengchun and others, the core strength of the Xiao family was cut off, which led to some powerful families and officials in Shuzhou exerting many constraints and probing against the Xiao family.
Furthermore, some people boast of having some power and influence, either because they have a rebellious streak or because they want to gain more benefits.
Some even harbor the idea of "taking his place".
Even under these circumstances, there are still people secretly stirring things up.
Such as the Hidden Guards and the Liu family of Jingzhou.
Chen Yi was well aware of the situation in Shu Prefecture, but he had no way of revealing it to everyone.
Firstly, he finds it difficult to explain the source of these messages.
He worried that if he talked about either of them too much, it would inevitably arouse the suspicion of the old master of the Xiao family, which would not be good.
Thinking about this...
Chen Yi carefully chose his words before speaking, "It must be somewhat unsettled."
This answer clearly did not satisfy the old man. "How do you know that Shu Prefecture is not peaceful?"
Let alone a scholar like Chen Yi who is accomplished in calligraphy, any scholar who understands the current situation would say that the situation is "unsettling".
But this was not the answer the old man wanted to hear.
Or rather, he wanted to hear some unusual insights.
Chen Yi glanced at him and replied with a smile, "To see the big picture from the small."
"A few days ago, several murders occurred in the city, and the medicinal herbs of the Xiao family's pharmacy were stolen. It is said that the evil forces such as the Huanyin Sect were responsible."
"Qingzhou thought that such a thing should be rare, especially in and around Shuzhou Prefecture."
"If this were in Jiangnan Prefecture, not to mention Nanjing, even in Suzhou and Hangzhou, those evil spirits wouldn't dare to show their faces in the city."
He couldn't reveal some of the secrets he had discovered; he could only offer logical deductions based on what he already knew.
But the old man was still not satisfied. "This is just an isolated case and does not represent the unrest in Shu Prefecture."
This time, Chen Yi smiled and shook his head, "People often say that when a country is about to die, there will be monsters. This applies to Shu Prefecture as well."
"If Shu Prefecture is at peace, I imagine the likes of the Illusionary Sound Sect wouldn't dare to appear in or outside the prefectural city, much less cause trouble. What do you think?"
The old man's expression shifted slightly, and he immediately understood the meaning of what he had said earlier: "to see the big picture from the small details."
At the same time, he recalled the situation in Shuzhou when Xiao Fengchun and others were still around.
Based on the corroboration of the past and present, it is not difficult to find that five or ten years ago, in Shuzhou, at least inside and outside the prefectural city, there had never been any evil spirits causing trouble.
Most of them are located in the Wumeng Mountains or the upper reaches of the Chishui River.
Most of these are battles fought between mountain tribes and evil sects.
"What does Qingzhou think is the reason for this happening?"
Upon hearing this, a strange look flashed across Chen Yi's face. The old man was asking a question he already knew the answer to.
But he obviously couldn't explain the reason for the Xiao family's actions.
After thinking for a moment, he replied, "In many ways."
"For example, after the war with the barbarians, Shu Prefecture was weak, and the army, city guards, judicial offices, and even the people needed time to recuperate."
“There are people from outside Shu Prefecture causing trouble again.”
“The barbarians of Vashj, or the pirates of the southeastern coastal region, always want to see chaos erupt so they can seize the benefits.”
"However, I think it's only temporary. Once Shuzhou is restored to its former glory, these petty villains will have nowhere to hide."
A smile appeared on the old man's face. "What if I don't want to wait?"
"What do you think Qingzhou can do to bring peace to Shu Prefecture?"
Without hesitation, Chen Yi replied, "Kill one to warn a hundred."
"Kill one to warn a hundred, kill one to warn a hundred... Heh."
Although the old man was somewhat disappointed, feeling that Chen Yi's statement was too broad, he still considered it acceptable.
According to his own judgment, there were indeed signs of unrest in Shu Prefecture.
It wasn't just evil spirits causing trouble; many powerful families and officials were also involved in some kind of scheme behind the scenes.
Even outside of Shu Prefecture, a strange wind blew in.
In the imperial court, Jingzhou, and even in Guangyue Prefecture and Jiaozhou, where the Zhang family, the Duke of Gan, was stationed, some things that were unfavorable to Shuzhou and the Xiao family occurred.
Not to mention the restless Vajrasattva kingdom and the barbarian tribes.
Under such circumstances, the old man wanted to "make an example of one to warn a hundred."
The chosen target is debatable.
Prominent families like the Liu family of Jingzhou are also acceptable.
However, the commotion was too great, inevitably attracting the attention of the imperial court and various parties, and ultimately the matter was left unresolved.
If the target is too small, the effect will be greatly reduced.
So the old man held onto his trump card, but never found a suitable opportunity to use it.
After a slight pause, he glanced at the "Tranquility Leads to Far-Reaching Vision" in his hand and said:
"Qingzhou can have lunch here before going back, and so can Wuge."
Chen Yi has no objection.
Xiao Wuge was the same.
However, the two had different feelings.
Chen Yi breathed a sigh of relief; he had finally managed to evade the old man's test.
However, it seems he can't heed Sun Fu's advice; it would be best if he visited this quiet house less often in the future.
In addition, there was what the old master had told Xiao Wan'er earlier—to order someone to investigate Chen Yu, the owner of Baicaotang.
He needs to be more cautious and discreet from now on.
They chatted and laughed, and the meal went quite well.
For some reason, Chen Yi always felt that many of the things the old man said during that time were loaded with hidden meanings.
"When Jinghong returns, I will join you in welcoming her back."
"Qingzhou was born at the end of the first year of Anhe, so he's not young anymore."
"Going to Guiyun Academy is optional. That old scoundrel Yue Ming has no good intentions; look at the commotion in the manor now."
"You'd be better off staying in Chunhe Garden, especially at night."
"besides……"
Such words left Chen Yi unsure of their meaning.
This was a reminder to him to go to the academy less often, so as not to cause trouble for the family.
But why is there a distinction between daytime and nighttime?
In the end, he just assumed that the old man was getting old and was just saying whatever came to mind.
It couldn't possibly be to pressure him and Xiao Jinghong to consummate their marriage.
That's incredibly shameless for someone so old.
...
It was getting close to evening.
Dark clouds gathered again over Shuzhou, where the sky had just cleared.
The water that had been exposed to the sun for most of the day generated steam that instantly turned into a protective layer against the heat, making the city and its surroundings extremely hot and humid.
Occasionally, a breeze would blow from all directions.
The dampness and heat caused people walking in the city to sweat profusely.
Even in the brothel alley in the south of the city, which is adorned with lush vegetation, most of the customers and girls are like this.
Especially the women who perform on stage.
Whether it was the courtesan playing music and singing or the scantily clad girls performing their dance moves, everyone was sweating profusely.
The song ended.
They would then drink a bottle of strawberry tea to cool off.
In just half a day, a single Qinlou restaurant consumed a whole cartload of sesame tea.
The madams didn't seem to feel any remorse.
Although the price of the strawberry tea is not cheap, compared to the Shenniu tea and Wangji tea they sell, this little loss is negligible.
You should know that while the girls were drinking a whole cart of strawberry tea, the guests would be drinking two or three carts of sacred cow tea.
Money poured into the Qinlou counter like water, and after being counted, it was taken to Xiao Family's Jishi Pharmacy or Baicaotang.
After all this time, tea drinking has become a trend in the red-light district.
Throughout the entire process, these women were clearly very familiar with the procedures.
If other brothels are like this, it goes without saying that Chunyu Tower, the most popular brothel with the most top courtesans, is even more so.
Even though it was not yet night, the doorway was already crowded with people.
Customers came and went in an endless stream.
Some were led to the main hall by the pimps and madams in charge of greeting them, while others were led to the back rooms or more luxurious and expensive mansions by familiar courtesans and maids.
The top floor of the Qinlou shops facing the street presents a different scene from the bustling scene below.
The people coming and going inside were mostly tall, martial arts figures, some masked, some wearing bamboo hats, and they moved around without making a sound.
Even the noise from below didn't travel here; it was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
In addition, the tightly closed doors and windows make this place dark and quiet even during the day, illuminated only by individual lamps and lanterns.
The dim yellow light overlapped in concentric circles, like guards standing watch, each protecting its own territory.
The light and shadow fluctuate within this rooftop corridor.
In a quiet room deep within the corridor, Black Fang sat upright at a desk, an open slip of paper in his hand.
By the light of the oil lamp on the table, he carefully examined the calligraphy three times before putting it away and saying:
"So, the people from the Liu family of Jingzhou did indeed want to form a marriage alliance with the Xiao family, but the old Marquis refused?"
Sitting opposite him was Lou Yuxue, who was wearing a white jade mask.
She nodded slightly, her tone no longer the soft, coquettish murmur of before, but rather calm and aloof.
"That's true."
"According to the spy hiding in the Xiao family, Liu Yu, the second son of the Liu family, first visited the old Marquis and talked to him about the marriage alliance in person."
"Later...that is, at noon today, Liu Wen and Liu Zhaoxue went to the Xiao family to visit the old Marquis, presumably for this matter as well."
Black Fang's eyes, hidden behind the iron mask, flickered slightly. "And the result?"
Lou Yuxue chuckled lightly, "I heard that Liu Wen's face was ashen when he left."
"Before we even left the Xiao family's residence, he had already cursed us more than once, sometimes directed at Liu Zhaoxue, and sometimes making veiled attacks on the Xiao family."
Black Tooth chuckled, "So, the medical expert from the other night was indeed a member of the Liu family."
Lou Yuxue shook her head upon hearing this: "It's not certain yet."
She paused for a moment, then continued, "At least we should rule out the possibility that he comes from the Xiao family."
“After all, this deal is of great importance. If he is a spy sent by the Xiao family, not only those evil heretics, but also you and me will be in danger.”
Black Fang said dismissively, "Even if the Xiao family doesn't know now, they will find out later that we did it."
"At that time, we must both hide to avoid dying in the Xiao family's rage."
Lou Yuxue was about to agree when Hei Ya continued, "However, your concerns are not entirely unfounded."
"It would be good to further confirm the background of that medical master."
Lou Yuxue glanced at him, "Since you agree, I will send someone to test Liu Wen tonight."
"Testing the Liu family is fine, but I'd like to know when you plan to make your move?"
"Once Liu Wu's identity is confirmed, I will begin making arrangements."
"Okay, I will fully cooperate with your actions on this matter. I hope you won't let me down."
Seeing that Hei Ya was looking straight at her, Lou Yuxue chuckled, "That's to be expected."
"However, I'm afraid all my spies will be destroyed after this, so you'll have to trouble yourself with the money."
“No problem, I’ll go get the money tomorrow night.”
As Black Fang spoke, he turned his eyes to the other side and with a slight effort, tore the paper in his hand to shreds.
"In any case, it won't break the rules of Mingyue Tower."
(End of this chapter)
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