Chapter 324 A Sudden Wind Rises, Frost Covers the City (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
The newcomer was dressed in black and wore an ancient bronze mask with some verdigris on the edges.
Only a pair of eyes were visible, slightly playful, crystal clear, reflecting the image of Liu Hong and his son.
Liu Taoyao reacted, stood up, drew her long sword from her waist, and pointed it at him: "Who are you, daring to trespass into my Liu family?"
In contrast, Liu Hong changed his previous solemn expression, revealing a hint of surprise and a complex look in his eyes.
Dejected, fearful, relieved—the list goes on.
The newcomer glanced at Liu Taoyao and sneered, "There's a saying that a tiger father begets no dog son, but I think that's not necessarily true."
His gaze fell on Liu Hong. "What do you say, Lord Liu?"
Just as Liu Taoyao was about to speak again, Liu Hong suddenly said, "Yao'er, remember what your father just said, let's go now."
“Father, but he…”
"He is my father's old friend, he has nothing to do with you, go!"
Seeing Liu Hong's stern expression, Liu Taoyao paused for a moment, then glanced at the person wearing the bronze mask, sheathed her longsword, and hurriedly left.
Although he was full of questions, after so many years of being taught by Liu Hong, he knew that something big must be happening.
We'll find another opportunity to investigate the situation in Shu Prefecture after we leave here.
The man wearing the bronze mask did not stop them. He waited until Liu Taoyao was far away before sitting down opposite Liu Hong.
"Lord Liu is a smart man; he should know that it's not easy for me to come here."
Liu Hong nodded knowingly, and said with a slightly bitter tone, "I have no other request, I only ask that you spare my son's life."
The man smiled and shook his head. “Lord Liu, we have known each other for several years, so you should know my temperament.”
"I will do whatever my lord commands."
Upon hearing this, Liu Hong remained silent for a moment, took a deep breath, and his expression and demeanor returned to normal.
He remained the Provincial Governor of Shu Prefecture.
"Song Jinjian, don't beat around the bush, tell me, what did that official send you to Shuzhou for?"
The newcomer, Song Jinjian, smiled and nodded, saying, "This is the Liu Hong I know, Lord Liu."
“Even if you don’t speak, I will still do what the Lord has entrusted to me.”
After a slight pause, Song Jinjian's expression turned serious.
"His Majesty has told you not to do anything. Just wait obediently for His Majesty's decree."
"Your Majesty...is this an imperial decree?"
Liu Hong seemed to have heard a huge joke, and laughed loudly with a hint of sadness in his voice.
The laughter stopped after a few breaths.
Liu Hong looked at Song Jinjian across from him with a mocking expression.
"Over the years, I've done so much for him, only to end up like this. Isn't he afraid I'll fight to the death?"
Song Jinjian seemed unsurprised by his reaction, shaking his head and saying, "This is one of the reasons why you instructed me to come."
“Lord Liu, the Emperor is not a heartless person, otherwise he would not have strongly recommended you to be the Provincial Governor of Shu Prefecture.”
“You should understand that this is a matter of mutual consent, not something imposed on you by the Lord.”
After Song Jinjian finished speaking, he raised his hand.
Then a guard from the Liu family dressed in blue came briskly over, carrying a pot of wine, two cups, two pairs of chopsticks, and four plates of cold dishes.
"I came in a hurry and haven't eaten all day. I'd like to borrow your cook for a moment. I hope you don't mind, Lord Liu?"
Liu Hong glanced at the departing guard out of the corner of his eye, then silently took the wine jug and filled the two men's cups.
Seeing his actions, Song Jinjian smiled and shook his head: "Don't worry, Lord Liu, this wine is from your household, not poisoned wine bestowed by the emperor."
Knowing that he had hit the nail on the head, Liu Hong remained calm and picked up his glass: "Please."
Song Jinjian said no more and raised his wine glass to clink glasses with him.
clang.
The two drank it all in one gulp.
Song Jinjian put down his wine glass, turned his gaze to the present, and said, "Do you still remember the first time we shared a drink together?"
“Back then, I could tell that you were ambitious and extremely cunning.”
"His lord can see it too."
"But he didn't think it was a bad thing. He even told me that capable people are unwilling to lag behind others."
"So all these years, I have kept this sentence in mind and have not been too harsh on you."
"Of course, you did not disappoint me; you did several things very well."
He paused, then changed the subject: "Why did you do something so appalling this time?"
Liu Hong met his gaze and said calmly, "Someone is interfering."
"Oh? Who is this person?"
"'Dragon Tiger' Liu Wu".
"Liu Wu? A figure from the martial arts world?"
After a brief moment of thought, Song Jin smiled and said, "Lord Liu, you might as well be more frank, so that when I return to report to my lord, I can put in a good word for you."
Liu Hong looked at him calmly without responding.
Song Jinjian immediately understood his intention, and sighed, saying:
"Although the lord did not say much, the trouble you have caused this time is too great, and he cannot protect you."
"I've caused trouble?"
Liu Hong's lips curled into a cold smile. "Heh, he really thinks highly of me."
Song Jinjian said noncommittally, "Whether he looks down on you or not is his business."
"I only have one question for you: do you still want your eldest son to leave Shuzhou alive?"
Liu Hong answered with a simple "I want to," and then added, "And I hope he can stay by your side."
"I?"
Song Jinjian pointed to himself and said with some surprise, "Has Lord Liu lost his mind?"
"I am a nobody. If I let your eldest son follow me, wouldn't that ruin his future?"
Liu Hong shook his head. "I only ask that he preserve the last bloodline of the Liu family in Jingzhou."
"Oh? How can you be so sure that something bad will happen to your Liu family?"
“If the Liu family were still around, with that lord’s skills, even if he couldn’t protect me, he wouldn’t let me sit and wait to die.”
Upon hearing this, Song Jinjian smiled and uttered the word "what a pity".
"It is a pity to lose such a great general as you, on behalf of my lord."
After thinking it over, he still didn't agree. "Whether your eldest son can stay by my side or not is not up to you or me."
Liu Hong understood that he was referring to "the Lord," so he nodded and, after sorting things out, recounted everything that had happened in Shu Prefecture recently.
"...The plague had just spread tonight when the Xiao family took action and even produced a prescription to treat the plague. It must have been Liu Wu who did it."
Song Jinjian's eyes brightened slightly. "In that case, 'Dragon Tiger' does indeed have some skill."
Liu Hong nodded and pointed to the box on the stone bench next to him, saying:
"That's not all. He tricked the people of Jizhou Merchant Guild into sending out a million shi of grain, only to receive a pile of waste paper in return."
Song Jinjian glanced at the counterfeit banknotes in the box and chuckled, "You didn't lose unjustly."
“From Lü Jiunan to Asutai, then to Du Cang, the Five Poisons Sect, and even the Jizhou Merchant Guild, he has schemed against them all.”
"No wonder you did such a terrible job with something you've been planning for so long."
Liu Hong refilled their glasses, but without clinking glasses, he took a sip and said:
"It's all about timing and fate."
"Before tonight, I had many complaints about the adults, so I planned to fight to the death one last time, but I lost everything."
After finishing his drink, Song Jinjian paused for a moment, then put down his glass and said with a sigh, "It's not just you."
"The failure of this plan will have far-reaching consequences, and the emperor is deeply troubled by it."
"But since things have come to this, there's nothing he can do but try his best to salvage the situation."
Liu Hong paused for a moment, finished his drink, and asked, "When will His Majesty's decree arrive?"
"It can take anywhere from three to five days to eleven or twelve days."
"In ten days... I'm afraid the Xiao family won't be able to hold out any longer."
"The Xiao family?"
Song Jinjian shook his head and sighed, "The most troublesome thing is the Xiao family."
"According to the master's original plan, after this, the Xiao family would definitely be wiped out of Shu Prefecture, and the next step would be to compete for the position of commander-in-chief of the Dingyuan Army."
Liu Hong nodded silently, "Now that the Xiao family has escaped their predicament, it will be difficult to kill them again."
Song Jinjian glanced at him. "Not necessarily."
"Oh? That sir has another plan?"
"Please forgive me, Lord Liu, I was unaware of this either, but..."
"However, there is one thing I can tell you—His Majesty aspires to be a great ruler who will dominate the ages, and his greatest desire is to march south and subdue the barbarian tribes."
What about the north?
"Those barbarians have been waged war against throughout history, how could His Majesty possibly take them seriously?"
Liu Hong understood. "In that case, I can set off with peace of mind."
Song Jinjian paused, then poured two more cups of wine, raised them with both hands, and said, "Lord Liu, rest assured, the lord will not forget your hard work."
Liu Hong returned the toast, saying, "In that case, I'll leave my son in Mr. Song's care."
Song Jinjian looked at him in silence for a moment, then nodded and said, "Let's give it a try."
He then asked, "Liu Taoyao is at least somewhat quick-witted and intelligent, but your second young master..."
Before he could finish speaking, Liu Hong lowered his head slightly and said, "Let him go to the Yellow Springs with me."
Upon hearing this, Song Jinjian knew that he had made his choice.
"Before coming here, the Lord instructed me to act according to circumstances, but I underestimated Lord Liu somewhat."
"Tell me, besides Liu Taoyao, what other unfulfilled wishes do you have? If I can fulfill them, I will do them for you."
Upon hearing this, Liu Hong initially wanted to shake his head and say no, but then he suddenly remembered someone.
"If it's convenient for you, please bring Liu Zhaoxue with you as well."
"Oh? The eldest son's daughter?"
"Yes, Zhaoxue is intelligent; she will definitely not let you down."
Song Jinjian gave him a deep look, then smiled and agreed, "It's just one more pair of chopsticks."
Liu Hong remained silent.
Seeing this, Song Jinjian didn't say anything more, got up, patted him on the shoulder, and walked outside:
"Alright, I should get back to business now. If I have offended you in any way, I hope Lord Liu will forgive me."
"Please go ahead..."
Not long after.
The guards in blue robes inside and outside the Liu family's residence changed their appearances without anyone noticing, along with the maids and servants.
From the inside out, none escaped.
Although Liu Hong did not see it with his own eyes, he thought it should be so.
A person who has lost their usefulness is worse than a dog.
What about those who are essentially dogs?
Looking at the cold sashimi on the table, Liu Hong picked up his chopsticks, took two pieces of meat, and slowly chewed them, showing a hint of a hero's decline.
He knew very well that with Song Jinjian's arrival in Shuzhou, neither he nor the Liu family of Jingzhou had any way out.
Even if that lord didn't intervene, he would still be unable to escape death.
It's just a matter of sooner or later.
Are you unwilling to accept this?
Liu Hong was naturally unwilling to accept this.
He thought about it carefully and didn't think he had made any mistakes.
Every single thing was proceeding according to his plan.
The result, however, was not as expected.
"Without the 'Dragon and Tiger', the Xiao family would have been doomed."
"'Dragon Tiger' Liu Wu... I'll be waiting for you in the afterlife!"
Just then, Liu Taofang ran outside the pavilion, her face filled with fear, and cried out, "Father, Father, something has happened!"
Liu Hong's expression remained unchanged. "Sit down and let's talk."
Liu Taofang couldn't sit still. He said in a panicked voice, "Father, something terrible has happened in the manor."
"Just now, all the maids in my house were replaced. I... I don't recognize any of them..."
Liu Hong raised his hand to interrupt, saying, "I ordered it to be changed."
Liu Taofang was taken aback, but her expression relaxed. She sat down opposite him and asked in confusion:
"Father, why did you suddenly change everyone? You scared me to death!"
Liu Hong didn't explain, he just asked him to pour the wine.
Without hesitation, Liu Taofang poured him a glass of wine, then poured one for herself and drank it down with a smacking sound.
"Father, I just saw my brother leave in a hurry with his men. Did something happen?"
“There is an epidemic in the city, so I sent him to the government office to help out.”
"Oh, oh? The plague... how..."
Before Liu Taofang could finish speaking, he froze at the table, his eyes went black, and blood flowed from his five orifices.
He fell silent after only two breaths.
Liu Hong looked at him quietly, his face twitching slightly, as if he didn't know whether to cry or laugh.
a long time.
He had just finished drinking his wine when he got up and walked outside.
Whether it was due to the bright moonlight or something else, Liu Hong's black hair had turned completely silvery-white.
A faint singing voice drifted out.
"Torchlights once burned red, a sudden wind rose and frost covered the city, the bells of the caravan rang..."
Song Jinjian peeked out from the corner and silently watched him disappear around the corner.
"Liu Wu..."
"How dare you ruin the lord's important plans! You cannot be allowed to live!"
...
At the hour of Yin (3-5 AM), before dawn, the noise in the prefectural city continued.
The people dared not go out.
The constables went door to door, occasionally posting a seal on the outside of a house.
Although the martial arts practitioners who came here were flustered, they were confident in their martial arts skills.
However, they dared not wander off and could only huddle together in inns and taverns, complaining endlessly.
"That's really strange."
“Since we came to Shuzhou, we have not had a single day of peace.”
"Who says otherwise?"
"Bandits, barbarians, rising grain prices, plague, and disaster victims... Do you think it's possible that the White Immortal has spoken again and given a divine prediction?"
"Damn it, it's definitely him!"
"Don't talk nonsense. We haven't even seen Immortal Bai, how could it be him?"
"How could it be impossible!"
"Have you forgotten who we came here for?"
"white……"
Someone started it, and a rumor began to circulate throughout the city.
Bai Daxian secretly came to Shuzhou and gave a fortune reading to someone whose fate was not good, which caused a lot of trouble.
Yet, quite a few people still believe it.
Liu Zhaoxue was one of them.
She suddenly remembered the fortune telling she had received outside the East Market a few days ago, and the more she thought about it, the more convinced she was that the fortune teller was Bai Daxian.
"Gold and jade for bones, orchids and fragrant herbs for the heart..."
"The phoenix is aloof and will not drink anything but morning dew or eat anything but fresh fruit. Therefore, it has a very high standard and is prone to feelings of loneliness."
This prophecy wasn't particularly valuable, and Liu Zhaoxue also felt lonely, out of place with the Liu family of Jingzhou and the land of Shuzhou.
She doesn't believe she is the person in the rumors.
But there is one person—Ling'er.
As Liu Zhaoxue pondered these thoughts, she scanned the Xinglinzhai shop on Zhennan Street but did not see Ling'er.
Just as she was about to continue her search, she suddenly saw several figures dressed in mountain tribe clothing outside the medicine hall.
Not far from them was Ling'er, the disciple of the Five Poisons Sect, whom she was looking for.
However, the maid who usually paid lip service to her was now completely silent.
Liu Zhaoxue's beautiful eyes widened, and she covered her mouth, not daring to make any move.
The mountain tribes have come seeking revenge at this very moment!
Pei Ze noticed her gaze, glanced at her sideways, and a cruel smile appeared on his thin face before he turned and left.
In this Shu Prefecture, when the mountain tribe takes action, no one dares to stop them.
Let alone people in the martial arts world, how many people in the government would dare to be so blind at this time?
After they had gone far away, Liu Zhaoxue finally came to her senses and hurriedly led her people back to the house to pack their belongings.
Just as she finished tidying up, she heard a hoarse voice behind her.
"Liu Zhaoxue?"
"you……"
Before Liu Zhaoxue could react, she felt a sharp pain in her neck and fainted.
"You're lucky. From now on, you'll stay by my side..."
The sound faded away, and the room became empty, with only a sliver of light shining from the east.
Not so clear, nor so warm.
...
Two days later.
Chen Yi slowly "woke up," and weakly called out in a hoarse voice:
"Little Butterfly, Little Butterfly..."
Xiao Die, who was fast asleep by the window, was suddenly awakened. When she saw Chen Yi open his eyes, she jumped up and ran outside.
"The son-in-law is awake!"
"Young Miss, Young Miss, the young master is awake!"
Chen Yi turned his head to watch her run away, blinked, and muttered to himself.
If I don't wake up soon, my ears will be calloused from your nagging.
Thanks to his feigned illness, he was able to discover Xiaodie's little secret.
"What a terrible title, 'The Biography of the Second Son-in-Law of the Marquis of Wu's Mansion'... even 'The Biography of Mr. Qingzhou' would be better..."
(End of this chapter)
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