Chapter 256 He's My Son! (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
The Xiao family is currently being watched by countless people.
Regardless of the Dingyuan Army in the three towns, or the powerful families close to the Xiao family.
But any movement will be noticed.
The old man and Xiao Jinghong were the focus of much attention.
In addition, families like the Xiao family are aging and inexperienced, with a decline in talent.
Fortunately, Xiao Jinghong was still there to support them; otherwise, their situation would have been even worse.
Knowing this, Chen Yi chose to kidnap and hide Asutai and Lü Jiunan when he learned of their existence.
Only in this way could Liu Hong lose his composure, thus causing the situation in Shu Prefecture to descend into chaos.
This situation, however, actually benefits the Xiao family.
Because the Xiao family was already in the eye of the storm, they had long since become accustomed to this situation and were prepared for being surrounded by enemies.
When everyone realizes something is wrong and finds themselves with a knife hanging over their heads and unable to take care of themselves, who will still care about the Xiao family?
"Liu Hong must think that Lü Jiunan is dead right now, and that no one else could have discovered his connection with King Lando."
"Furthermore, the death of Lü Jiunan has, to some extent, covered up the fact that the East Market granary was burned down."
"Therefore, Liu Hong will definitely focus on finding Asutai next."
While pondering his next move, Chen Yi finished practicing the Bengyue Fist, Hundred Flowers Palm, and other fist and footwork techniques.
He slowly finished his practice, exhaled, and looked up at the night sky.
The moonlight and starlight shone through the branches and leaves of the purple bamboo, casting dappled light and creating a scene of silvery white.
A cool breeze blows, and bamboo leaves fall one by one, creating a tranquil and natural scene.
Chen Yi withdrew his gaze, tidied up the purple bamboo grove briefly, and returned to his room.
"That's not enough."
"If the old master could manage to hold on for two or three years, how much more so for someone as ambitious as Liu Hong?"
"We need to add fuel to the fire."
People tend to go crazy when they are on the verge of death.
Human nature and human nature are such that they cannot be changed by external forces.
Liu Hong was no exception.
Just then, midnight arrived, and a golden light flashed:
[Daily Intelligence - Yellow-Rank Mid-Grade: At noon, chaos erupts at the grain store in the East Market. A small amount of opportunity will be awarded.]
Chen Yi glanced at it, a smile appearing on his face.
No need to overthink it.
With grain prices in Shu Prefecture skyrocketing several times over, it's indeed time for some chaos.
"Everything is ready, only the east wind is missing."
"Heh, it won't take long."
"That gust of wind... is coming."
After cleaning up the traces in the purple bamboo forest, Chen Yi returned to his room, sat cross-legged on the bed, and began to cultivate the Four Symbols Technique.
After more than half an hour of contemplation, he had completely perfected his plan, and now he was able to immerse himself in cultivation.
Since breaking through to the fifth rank, his cultivation level has continued to increase rapidly.
However, compared to the previous pace of improving a small level every five days and breaking through a major realm every half month, his current rate of realm improvement is somewhat slower.
Six days have passed since he broke through to the fifth rank, but he has not yet broken through to the middle stage.
Fortunately, Chen Yi was not in a hurry to achieve quick results.
Now that he has reached perfection in spear technique and mastered the Falling Dragon Spear Technique, he is more than capable of dealing with martial artists at the middle third rank.
Even if he encounters someone with a cultivation level of the third rank, he still has the ability to fight them.
Of course, this is on the premise that their skill level is no more than minor mastery, or that they have just entered the major mastery stage.
As Chen Yi focused his mind on cultivation, strands of spiritual energy from heaven and earth surged in from all directions.
It flows into the meridians, into the dantian and the chest, and finally into the Yintang acupoint and the Qihai acupoint.
Then, the spiritual energy of the four divine beasts continuously circulated, gradually strengthening his true essence.
Four colors of fluorescent light—red, gold, blue, and green—surrounded his body, gradually enveloping him like a cloud.
...
While Chen Yi was focused on his cultivation, many people were destined to be sleepless that night.
The patriarch of the Xiao family was one of them.
However, aside from noticing the unusual situation in Shuzhou City and ordering the government to tighten its internal defenses while relaxing external ones, he did not take many other actions.
They hadn't rested yet, only because news had come from Guangyue Prefecture.
As expected.
Duke Zhang Xuan readily agreed to lend grain, promising to transport it to Shuzhou Prefecture within half a month.
They also want to send an additional 200,000 taels of silver.
Grandpa Xiao looked at the letter in his hand, feeling gratified.
"At crucial moments, I rely on my old friends for help. I... sigh."
Xiao Jing stood by his side and comforted him, "My lord, there's no need to worry so much. In times of emergency, one must act expediently. Besides, you are doing this for the sake of Shu Prefecture."
"That being said, I have never asked anyone for help since I succeeded to the title of Marquis, so I am inevitably a little unaccustomed to it."
Xiao Yuan spent his life on the battlefield, but he mostly helped others.
Being suddenly asked for a favor by someone else felt really awkward for him, given his proud nature.
Xiao Jing was well aware of this, and with a sigh, he silently said, "This subordinate is incompetent and cannot share the burden for the Marquis."
The old man put down the letter and said, "It's none of your business."
"As the commander of the Xiao family's secret guards, you should focus on gathering feedback from all sides and protecting the Xiao family."
"I can't think of any other way to send you out to find silver except by robbing."
Xiao Jing pursed his lips, "If Your Excellency permits, this subordinate..."
Before he could finish speaking, the old man glared at him and said, "You dare!?"
Xiao Jing hurriedly knelt down: "Your Excellency, please forgive me, I dare not."
The old man snorted, "My Xiao family is indeed in dire straits right now, but it's not the time to do such despicable things!"
"If I were to do that, wouldn't the Xiao family's century-old reputation be ruined in an instant?"
"How will I have the face to face my ancestors in the future?"
Xiao Jing looked ashamed. "I misspoke. I hope Your Highness will forgive me."
The old man stared at him for a long time before finally sighing, "Never mind, never mind."
"It is indeed a bit unreasonable that my Xiao family's two-hundred-year-old foundation has always relied on the fiefdoms established by our ancestors to make a living."
"Fortunately, Wan'er manages the business well, and the several pharmacies have a considerable surplus every month, so the mansion is not short of food, clothing and other necessities."
"Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to kneel before the ancestral tablets to beg for forgiveness."
The old man said this with a self-deprecating tone.
But Xiao Jing knew that it wasn't that the Xiao family was bad at management, but rather that they were unwilling.
If the Xiao family patriarchs of all generations wanted to do it, why would they only have Tonglin as their land?
Like some aristocratic families, they appeared to have squandered their wealth, but in reality, they used it all to purchase land.
It is said that this was the case in the home of a certain minister of the current dynasty.
Despite their apparent poverty, the clan owns over ten thousand acres of farmland.
Over the centuries, the family's cellar has been filled with piles of silver coins that are as high as mountains.
A moment of silence.
The old man leaned back in his chair and waved his hand, signaling him to get up.
"Has the matter that occurred during the day been investigated?"
Xiao Jing stood up and replied, "The investigation has been completed."
"The two who died were Lü Jiunan and Ge Muxiao. They were both bandits under the command of the Peacock King of Vaishsa Kingdom."
"Among them, Lü Jiunan is the third brother of King Landu, a sibling of the same mother."
Old Master Xiao frowned slightly, "Then why did Liu Wu kill him?"
Xiao Jing's expression softened slightly. "Please forgive me, Lord Marquis. I was unaware of this."
"But I have already sent people to investigate their whereabouts in Shu Prefecture. If we can find their location, we should be able to deduce some things."
Where is Liu Wu?
"He...he has disappeared again."
"Han Ruixuan, the commander of the Criminal Investigation Department, hired a master tracker, but they couldn't find any trace of him. They only knew that he was still somewhere in the city."
The old man nodded slightly and said thoughtfully, "Liu Wu... he has helped my Xiao family several times."
Do you think he killed Lü Jiunan for this reason as well?
"this……"
Xiao Jing hesitated slightly before replying, "This subordinate is not sure."
“Lü Jiunan is different from the evil cultists of Mingyue Tower. He is the younger brother of King Landu. If someone in Shuzhou is colluding with him, wouldn’t that be…”
He dared not continue.
But Old Master Xiao already understood.
The kingdom of Vajrasattva was ultimately an external enemy.
If anyone dares to join forces with foreign enemies to harm the Xiao family, it is an act of treason and betrayal of the country.
The old man's cloudy eyes instantly filled with murderous intent, and he ordered in a deep voice, "You must find out where they went in Shu Prefecture in the past."
“See where they stayed, who they met, and what they did.”
"Report any findings immediately!"
"yes!"
"Also, keep an eye on Liu Wu. If you find him..."
After a pause, the old man shook his head and said, "Forget it, don't disturb him. If he can help, then you can report back."
Xiao Jing nodded to indicate that he understood, and then turned and left.
After he left.
The old man took a letter out of his pocket.
The white envelope was unsigned, but he knew the sender's identity.
He sat quietly for a moment before opening the envelope, taking out the letter, and reading it:
[Duke Dingyuan, my son Qingzhou is naturally dull-witted; I trouble you to take care of him.]
[Xuanji will soon be returning to the Great Wei. If there is an opportunity, Xuanji will definitely pay his respects to you in person.]
The old man read the few dozen words three times.
After reading it word by word, he put down the envelope, a hint of melancholy on his face.
"Has Chen Xuanji finally returned from the Buddhist kingdom in the Western Regions after several years?"
"He's trying to interrogate me..."
...
Kyoto Prefecture.
The bright moon hangs high in the sky, the sky is clear and blue, and you can clearly see the stars.
At the foot of the imperial city, inside that heavily guarded five-story pavilion, it was completely inconspicuous from the outside.
Inside, however, the lights were on full display.
The first floor was set up as a fabric shop, with hundreds of rolls of fabric in different colors displayed in the outer room, and fitting rooms and warehouses in the back room.
Deep inside the warehouse, there was a door hidden behind piles of fabric, which looked very inconspicuous.
Behind the door, several guards wearing white masks and white robes stood watch.
Their eyes were cold, and they remained motionless, gripping only the long swords at their waists.
Even the occasional footsteps and soft conversations upstairs couldn't make them blink.
In a quiet room deep inside on the fourth floor.
A man dressed in a white robe with python patterns stood by the window, calmly looking at the night sky, holding a letter in his hand.
Under the dim candlelight behind him, one could vaguely see several lines of large characters written in Wei Qing's style on the paper.
[To my dearest father, respectfully presented by your son, Yunfan.]
[I have missed you dearly for many years. I am overjoyed to hear that you will be returning from the Western Regions soon.]
[As you probably already know, our son has achieved the top score in this year's imperial examination. There's not much to say, really; it's just that he's studied diligently in recent years, and thankfully, he hasn't disappointed you.]
[By His Majesty's grace, my son has been appointed to a position in the Shu Prefecture Provincial Administration Commission, a position that is utterly insignificant, a mere advisor, far inferior to you and my second uncle.]
[...The son and fifth brother Chen Yi have met several times.]
[He's living a very comfortable life, enjoying fine clothes and sumptuous food. He's highly regarded by the Xiao family and has even become a teacher at Guiyun Academy thanks to his perfected calligraphy skills.]
[When you return from the Western Regions, I hope you will not blame your mother for allowing my fifth brother to marry into the Xiao family. Of course, I want to know if you are aware of this matter.]
[Also, my son wants to know, since my fifth brother has already practiced martial arts and his cultivation is only three major realms lower than mine, did you teach him?]
In the dim light, you can still see a "two" character that is painted over in front of the character "three".
The figure in white robes—Chen Xuanji—withdrew his gaze, looked at the letter in his hand, and softly recited:
"People experience sorrow and joy, separation and reunion; the moon waxes and wanes, and this has been so since ancient times. May we all live long and share the beauty of the moon, even from afar."
His tone was enigmatic, tinged with a hint of melancholy.
Before the words had even faded, he crumpled the letter into pieces and waved it out of the building.
"Given Yunfan's unconventional nature, Qingzhou's martial arts skills must be beyond his imagination, which is why he specially wrote a letter to send it."
There is no better son than a father.
Chen Xuanji knew Chen Yunfan's character very well, so it was not difficult for him to deduce Chen Yi's current martial arts cultivation.
"The lowest three ranks?"
"No, Qingzhou's cultivation level should be at the middle third grade."
"Ha, a bunch of good-for-nothings."
Chen Xuanji was cursing none other than the White Tiger Guards from Shu Prefecture who were responsible for investigating Chen Yi's martial arts cultivation.
He thought of the previous letters, and his eyes showed some displeasure.
But upon closer reflection, he felt that it was only right.
Given Chen Yi's temperament, if he wanted to hide himself, it would be impossible for anyone to perceive his martial arts cultivation and skill level.
But his martial arts...
Chen Xuanji gently removed the white tiger-striped mask from her face, revealing a slightly pale face.
His appearance can be described as "handsome and elegant".
Even though he was over forty, he was still considered handsome.
Beneath his sword-like eyebrows were a pair of phoenix eyes with upturned corners, a high and straight nose, and full, moist lips. His face was calm and dignified.
"Judging by the time, it has been less than a year since the light boat arrived in Shu Prefecture."
"In such a short time, his martial arts cultivation has reached the middle third grade. There must be some secrets that I don't know about."
If that were all, it would be fine.
But Chen Xuanji knew that Chen Yi's martial arts were not limited to this.
He guessed correctly—the Liu Wu who appeared outside Tiebi Town was indeed his son, Chen Yi!
"Liu Wu, cultivation level six, spear mastery perfected."
"If Qingzhou is 'Liu Wu'... plus that perfect level of calligraphy..."
For the first time in his life, Chen Xuanji felt a pang of regret.
How could one not regret arranging for such a talented son to marry into the Xiao family and become a "discarded son"?
"Fortunately, my uncles and elders are unaware of this matter, otherwise I'm afraid they would be cursing me behind my back."
As Chen Xuanji pondered these thoughts, he gently stroked the white tiger-patterned mask with his fingers, a hint of helplessness appearing on his face.
Chen Yi's change was indeed beyond his expectations.
No, it should be said that it greatly exceeded his expectations.
But since it was already a fact, he had no choice but to accept it.
"A fledgling, hehe..."
"He has indeed become a roc that blots out the sky."
"But he seems to no longer belong to the Chen family."
Chen Xuanji wasn't stupid; she naturally understood the intentions behind Chen Yi's actions.
Preventing Mingyue Tower from burning down the summer grain crops of the three towns in Tiebi Town and killing Liu Wen were undoubtedly for the sake of the Xiao family.
Previously, there were also "Liu Wu and Liu Lang" who made a move outside Shuzhou City, and the people they killed were suspected to be members of the Five Poisons Cult.
"Looking back now, Qingzhou did all of this for the Xiao family."
"Lord Dingyuan, it looks like I'm going to lose money on this deal."
Chen Xuanji smiled helplessly, then put the white tiger-patterned mask back on his face.
Those slightly helpless eyes gradually calmed down.
In the blink of an eye, he regained the dignity of the White Tiger Guard Master of the Great Wei Dynasty.
"Although there were some unexpected events, he is still my son."
"After all, we're connected by blood..."
With that thought in mind, Chen Xuanji slipped back to the spacious room deep inside the second floor.
Several White Tiger Guards dressed in red robes were already kneeling on the ground.
"Send a message to General Xing, instructing him to meet with King Lando as soon as possible, and to travel to the Tea Horse Road if necessary."
"yes!"
(End of this chapter)
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