Chapter 87 When the city gate catches fire, the innocent bystanders suffer.
Xiao Wan'er was much stronger than Chen Yi had imagined.
Upon learning that the medicinal herbs had been stolen, she paused for a moment before getting up and pulling Shen Huatang into the house to inquire about the details.
Chen Yi listened to the whole thing and gained a clearer understanding of the people and events that happened on the banks of the Chishui River last night.
Liu Lang, known as the "Sword Madman," was first heard of in the northern desert. His swordsmanship was fierce and powerful, and he always enjoyed challenging renowned figures in the martial arts world.
He had done several things in the northern desert that earned him the admiration of the martial arts world. From their perspective, he should be considered a very prominent figure.
But standing in the Xiao family at this moment, Liu Lang is already a ruthless bandit and thief.
Last night he lured Shen Huatang away.
Or, to use Shen Huatang's own words, she wanted to lure Liu Lang away.
In the end, it did indeed turn out as she wished.
However, Liu Lang did not come alone last night; the demons from the Illusionary Sound Sect, a branch of the Southwest Demonic Sect, also made a move.
This resulted in the deaths of all the members of the Xuanwei Escort Agency who were transporting the medicinal herbs, and the herbs were stolen.
Shen Huatang escaped death not because of her high strength, but because Liu Lang did not intend to kill her.
At this point, Chen Yi learned about Liu Lang's cultivation level and techniques—the upper level of the fifth rank, a mastery of the sword.
In the martial arts world, he would only be considered to be at the top of the second tier, but among his peers, he would undoubtedly be one of the best.
However, what displeased Chen Yi was Shen Huatang's last sentence.
"Before leaving, Liu Lang said that he was going to challenge the Second Miss to a duel."
"Young Miss, Hua Tang has failed in her duties. Please punish her."
After listening, Xiao Wan'er remained silent for a long time before forcing a smile and comforting her, "It's not your fault."
Clearly, these words had no effect; Shen Huatang remained standing in the hall with her head down.
A moment of silence.
Xiao Wan'er's pale face grew even paler, her breath visibly weakened, and she looked even more haggard.
Seeing this, Chen Yi said, "Eldest sister, this is a serious matter. We should inform the old master as soon as possible."
"And Liu Lang, we should also write to the lady to let her know so that she can take precautions in advance."
He could tell that Xiao Wan'er intended to take the blame herself and had placed all the responsibility on her own shoulders.
However, the "robbery of medicinal herbs" was not directed at Xiao Wan'er; it was clearly aimed at the Xiao family.
At this point, it would be best to let the old Marquis of the Xiao family understand the ins and outs of the matter.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Wan'er snapped out of her daze, and without bothering to comfort Shen Huatang any longer, she got up and walked out.
“I’m going to find my grandfather.”
Seeing this, Shen Huatang followed, still acting as if she would take responsibility for her actions and was prepared to be punished.
Chen Yi watched the two figures as they walked away, thought for a moment, and then looked at Xiao Wuge calmly: "Go listen carefully, and come back and tell me."
Xiao Wuge stared at him blankly, then nodded quickly after realizing what he meant and chased after Xiao Wan'er.
Although Xiao Wuge was young, he knew that something big had happened in his family.
He himself was incapable of solving it, but he believed in Chen Yi's ability, especially after seeing Chen Yi's expression just now.
That was a side of her he had never seen before, unlike her usual gentle and easygoing nature.
Just sitting there peacefully made him feel at ease.
After everyone had left.
Chen Yi did not stay in Jiaxing Garden any longer and got up to return to Chunhe Garden.
With such a big incident, the old man's quiet house is bound to be bustling with activity.
Representatives from the second and third branches of the Xiao family, as well as from the prefectural government, the judicial commissioner, and the city guards, should have come.
However, given his status as a son-in-law of the Xiao family, he was not qualified to listen in.
Oh, and neither can the guests in the mansion.
So, when Chen Yi sat down in the pavilion and asked Xiao Die to boil water and make tea in preparation for fishing to calm his mind, Duke Zhang Xuan and Sun Fu came to Chunhe Garden.
Chen Yi paused only briefly before calmly inviting the two to sit down.
The three of them tacitly avoided discussing the robbery of the Xiao family, and continued to drink tea, play chess, and fish.
However, their thoughts were different.
Chen Yi behaved as usual, indifferent and uninterested in anything.
In reality, he was already thinking more carefully about the reactions of people inside and outside the mansion.
Zhang Guogong's mind was clearly still on the calligraphy book; two out of his three sentences were directed at Chen Yi.
"I will be returning to Guangyue Prefecture in a few days. Qingzhou, remember to come to my birthday banquet."
"Inconvenient? Oh, it's okay if you can't come. You still have to give a birthday gift."
Only Old Sun felt that something was wrong.
After observing for a moment, he suddenly realized—Chen Yi was too normal.
If Chen Yi were replaced by Marquis Xiao, it wouldn't be a problem.
But it was Chen Yi, a young man who had just come of age, who, upon learning of the major event that had occurred in the manor, showed no curiosity, inquiries, or concern, and remained as usual...
That's quite a feat of self-cultivation.
But upon closer reflection, Old Sun couldn't help but think of other oddities about Chen Yi.
While he could be described as polite and courteous, he didn't seem to care much about the two former dukes and provincial governors.
While he may be considered exceptionally learned, he would inevitably overlook some minor details involving humanities, geography, and history.
To say he lacks talent? That's clearly impossible.
His calligraphy alone is something that ordinary Confucian scholars cannot match.
In the end, even Old Sun couldn't quite grasp Chen Yi's exact situation, but he always felt that there was something strange about him.
So, taking advantage of the moment when Chen Yi got up to drink tea, he asked, "Qingzhou, what is your assessment of the current situation of the Xiao family?"
Chen Yi was somewhat surprised upon hearing this, "What does Elder Sun mean?"
Sun Fu noticed his caution and couldn't help but curse him again, calling him a little fox, "Just tell me your judgment."
Chen Yi looked at him strangely while taking a sip of tea. Was this a test?
After thinking for a moment, he replied vaguely, "It's acceptable."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Sun Fu laughed and scolded, "If Ju Yi were here, I would definitely have him give you a beating."
Chen Yi looked completely innocent, as if he hadn't understood.
Sun Fu shook his head, knowing that he was pretending not to understand, so he didn't ask any more questions.
As if just hearing this, Zhang Guogong snapped out of his game of chess and chuckled:
"What's so great about the Xiao family? Although they suffered a heavy blow, they have a successor. Once Wu Ge grows up, they can regroup and restore the prestige of the Marquis of Dingyuan."
Chen Yi and Sun Fu glanced at him, then looked at each other and nodded repeatedly.
"The Duke is right."
Duke Zhang raised an eyebrow. "Old Sun, not to criticize you, but this kind of assessment is somewhat disrespectful to Qingzhou."
Sun Fu shook his head and sighed, "Play chess, play chess."
Chen Yi chuckled, now having a better understanding of the Duke of Gan's temperament, knowing that he probably disliked scheming and plotting.
However, on the other hand...
Chen Yi has also been considering the question that Elder Sun just asked.
In summary, it can be summed up in four words: "internal and external troubles".
If what was previously just his conjecture was now confirmed after hearing Elder Sun's inquiry.
As Chen Yi pondered this, he also considered his own situation—for the time being, he was just an insignificant passerby.
However, when the city gate catches fire, it's inevitable that innocent bystanders will also be affected.
If he wants to live a peaceful life, he'll probably need to have some real skills.
Xiaodie watched the three of them chatting and laughing, completely unaware of what was happening in the mansion, but she admired her son-in-law.
If it were her, let it be her...
She would probably find it difficult to handle Zhang Guogong and Mr. Sun as well as her son-in-law.
No, let alone respond, she probably wouldn't even be able to utter a coherent sentence.
Fortunately, she was just a maid, hee hee.
...
The quiet house at this moment was roughly as Chen Yi had guessed.
Upon learning that the medicinal herbs had been stolen, the old man was in a bad mood, but he managed to remain calm.
After offering a few words of comfort to Xiao Wan'er, he summoned the Second Master Xiao Wang, the Third Madam Xiao Shen, and the Second Master of the Xiao family, Xiao Xuanshuo, among others.
Xiao Dongchen and the others had to go to the yamen to be on duty, so it was inconvenient for them to stay at home at the moment.
Xiao Wang was furious. "These petty thieves from the martial world dare to plot against my Xiao family? They're courting death!"
Xiao Shen, the third son of the family, was a somewhat wealthy old man with a round face and a round belly. He leaned back in his chair and looked at everyone in the hall.
"Boss, this matter could be a big deal or a small deal. If it is not handled properly, it may damage the prestige of our Xiao family."
In Shuzhou, the Xiao family's medicinal herbs were stolen, and they were not afraid to humiliate them in person.
If this gets out, we'll definitely lose face.
Xiao Xuanshuo's expression was equally unpleasant, but with his father and uncles present, he simply listened.
Xiao Wan'er sat beside the old man, her expression somewhat better, but she still couldn't think of a solution for the time being. She was still worried about the mess she was in charge of.
The lack of medicinal herbs will affect the business of the five pharmacies. We need to find a way to replenish the inventory and maintain the operation of the pharmacies.
So I need some money. I don't have enough money on hand, so I have to use the money I've been saving up.
Xiao Wuge stayed quietly in the corner, like a nobody, silently memorizing everything as Chen Yi had instructed.
A moment of silence.
Having made up his mind, the old man instructed, "Second son, mobilize the people from the punishment hall to investigate and see who is behind this."
Xiao Wang paused, then solemnly replied, "Yes."
The old man then instructed, "Third son, go to the prefectural government office and ask Liu Si to arrange for experienced constables to track down that group of江湖人 (jianghu people)."
"We must retrieve the medicinal herbs, and we must also bring the people back."
"And the suspended spear, you will stay in the manor. You will be responsible for seeing off anyone who comes to visit from now on."
Seeing that the men nodded, he sent them off to do their own thing.
Xiao Wan'er hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.
Before she could speak, Old Master Xiao looked at her, a smile appearing on his face, "Still worried?"
Xiao Wan'er nodded silently: "Granddaughter has disappointed grandfather."
The old man waved his hand, stood up and stretched his body. Although his movements were slow and stiff, he was in good spirits.
"Wan'er, you need to have a longer-term vision and a more composed mind."
“In this respect, Jinghong did a better job than you.”
Xiao Wan'er felt uneasy hearing this, but she also knew that it was hard not to worry.
The old man understood her thoughts, so he said no more and turned to Xiao Wuge with a smile, asking, "Grandson, what do you think?"
Xiao Wuge paused for a moment, then stood up and bowed. He pondered for a moment like a little adult, then said:
“My brother-in-law once said that there must be something fishy going on when things are not normal. I think it must be some kind of monster causing trouble.”
The old man hadn't expected him to hit the nail on the head; the words of admonition stuck in his throat, and after a long while, he shook his head with a wry smile:
"Your brother-in-law is a man who talks a lot of strange things, but he's a lazy bum."
It can't really be called laziness; it's more like being "forced" to be lazy.
Unfortunately, he is not yet considered a member of the Xiao family.
Xiao Wuge found it interesting and thought he would tell Chen Yi about this evaluation later.
In the end, the old man did manage to finish what he said.
"Wan'er, Wu Ge, you two just do what you normally do."
"As long as I am alive, the prefecture and Shuzhou will not be in chaos."
(End of this chapter)
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