Chapter 335 Liu Wu is light-hearted... (Seeking monthly votes)
Bang!
A loud bang echoed through the quiet house.
The entire courtyard fell silent.
Even the rain, which was in the early chill of late autumn, seemed to have lost its momentum, falling silently into the courtyard.
Chen Yi, holding an oil-paper umbrella, walked towards Jiaxing Garden as if he hadn't heard anything, his expression calm and indifferent.
Even as the two lines of large golden characters floated by, it was still the same.
[Witness Xiao Yuan, Marquis of Dingyuan in Shu Prefecture, kills Liu Hong, the Provincial Governor, with a fist. Reward: "Essentials for the Common People", +42 Chance.]
[Comment: The person arrived, their voice was heard, but the scene was not seen...]
Chen Yi glanced at it, but instead of being worried, he smiled.
"What a clever Liu Hong! He's willing to die to put the Xiao family in a dilemma. He certainly has some brains."
"Now the old master... and the madam are probably going to have a headache."
The house and its surroundings are quiet and peaceful.
Feng Erbao was wearing a round-necked scarlet silk robe with a crane on his chest, a gold and jade belt around his waist, and a whisk in his hand pointing into the main hall.
Beside her, Xiao Jinghong was still dressed casually, in a green long robe, with her favorite long sword, Qingfeng, tied at her waist.
Although her eyes showed some surprise, her expression remained relatively calm as she looked at the scene inside the hall.
The imperial envoys, eunuchs, and palace guards standing nearby all shared a similar expression with Feng Erbao.
Stunned, flustered, and so on.
Inside the hall.
The old man Xiao, whose face was still contorted with rage after smashing Liu Hong's head with a punch, finally calmed down after catching his breath a few times.
After he calmed down, he threw Liu Hong's body out the door, where it rolled to Feng Erbao's feet.
Feng Erbao glanced at the grim-faced Old Master Xiao, then at Liu Hong's corpse, and slowly put his whisk back on his arm, his face ashen.
“Lord Xiao, Liu Hong is someone His Majesty specifically requested to be brought back to the capital. Your reckless actions are truly putting us in a difficult position.”
Old Master Xiao turned around and glanced at him.
Then, while taking a handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe the filthy bloodstains from his hands, he said in a low voice:
"Liu Hong colluded with the enemy and betrayed the country, showing no remorse, and deserved to die."
"However, considering that we have protected Shu Prefecture together for many years, I will go through the trouble of sending him on his way, so that he will not suffer a fate where he cannot live or die."
Upon hearing this, Feng Erbao murmured a few times, clearly already somewhat annoyed.
"Lord Xiao, I will report today's events to His Majesty in detail. You should take care of yourself!"
After saying that, Feng Erbao glanced at Xiao Jinghong again, snorted coldly, and turned to walk out of the quiet house.
The other eunuchs behind him quickly stepped forward, lifted Liu Hong's body, and followed.
Even on the wall inside the main room, which was covered in bloodstains, someone carefully removed some flesh and blood, bypassing Old Master Xiao.
In just a moment, only Old Master Xiao, Xiao Shen, Xiao Jinghong, and Li Huaigu, who was still in a daze, remained in the quiet house.
Many members of the Xiao family rushed over from outside the mansion, but they were all stopped by the armored guards.
A moment of silence.
Li Huaigu came to his senses, and with a complicated expression, bowed to Old Master Xiao and Xiao Jinghong one by one:
"My lord, general, I shall take my leave now."
As he was about to leave the main room, he met Xiao Jinghong's gaze and said with slight hesitation:
"If necessary, I can verify what you have said, Your Excellency."
Xiao Jinghong nodded slightly, waved to summon Lu Guan, and asked him to take Li Huaigu away.
She then went inside, her eyes sweeping over the crimson expanse before turning to Xiao Shen: "I trouble Third Grandfather to be lenient with the people outside the house."
Xiao Shen clutched his chest, looking at her with a hesitant expression, then pointed to Old Master Xiao behind him and quickly walked out of the quiet house.
Although he was the head of the third branch of the Xiao family, in the Marquis's mansion, the only people in power were Old Master Xiao and Xiao Jinghong.
There are some things and some words that he cannot know or hear.
Not long after.
The area outside the quiet house also became quiet.
Xiao Jinghong stepped forward to help the old man sit down, then sat in the chair beside him, looking at him with the same upright posture as Liu Hong.
"Grandpa, you killed Liu Hong, and your granddaughter killed Zhu Hao. The two criminals that the Emperor wanted are dead at our hands. I'm afraid something unexpected will happen next."
She didn't ask Old Master Xiao why he killed Liu Hong.
In fact, when Xiao Jinghong heard Liu Hong say that he was the one who delivered the news that Xiao Fengchun and Fu Wanqing were among the barbarians outside the mansion, he had already harbored murderous intent in his heart.
She never imagined that Liu Hong's collusion with the barbarians and the Vajrasattva Kingdom originated from the great war five years ago.
It turned out to be the culprit who caused her parents' deaths in battle.
Even if Old Master Xiao hadn't killed Liu Hong, Xiao Jinghong would have found an opportunity to kill him anyway.
But Liu Hong is now dead.
Even if Xiao Jinghong wanted to grind him to dust, she no longer had the chance.
Grandpa Xiao leaned back in his chair expressionlessly. "Changes... well, if they happen, they happen."
He was well aware of the predicament that killing Liu Hong would place the Xiao family in.
However, he had reasons why he had to kill Liu Hong.
Killing Xiao Jiafengchun and Fu Wanqing was just one of his crimes.
Liu Hong's desire to reveal that Fu Wanqing was among the barbarians and was still alive was the main reason that made Old Master Xiao make up his mind.
If Xiao Jinghong were to find out that his mother was still alive, the consequences would be ten or a hundred times worse than they are now.
Looking at the remaining traces of bright red blood on his hands, Old Master Xiao thought for a moment and asked in a deep voice, "How long until the Wushan Trade Market is completed?"
Xiao Jinghong paused slightly, then calmly replied, "It will definitely be completed in ten days at the shortest, and half a month at the longest."
"good."
"You don't need to go to the border market anymore. I will have my third brother take some men to keep an eye on it. You can go and inspect the three towns later."
Xiao Jinghong was not an indecisive person, so he nodded and said "okay".
"The newly appointed Minister of War is about to inspect the border towns across the land. It would be most appropriate for my granddaughter to go to the three towns of Iron Wall, Black Armor, and Azure Wolf."
Old Master Xiao's expression relaxed slightly, but his tone gradually became serious as he turned his head to look at her and said:
"Liu Hong died at my hands, and you killed Zhu Hao. It is still unknown whether the Emperor will be furious and punish you, but my Xiao family can no longer be the same as before."
"Regardless of what our Xiao family was like before, from today onwards, in the eyes of others in Shu Prefecture and even the Three Prefectures of the Nine Provinces, we have been pretending for the past five years."
"Besides, Feng Erbao already knows that I am in good health, so they will no longer be able to treat our Xiao family the same way as before."
After a pause, the old man sighed and said, "I do hope that His Majesty will punish me."
As the old saying goes, a barking dog doesn't bite.
The fact that the Xiao family killed Zhu Hao and Liu Hong in succession would lead other powerful families and officials in the court to believe that the Xiao family was lying low and showing weakness.
Those who previously looked down on or sympathized with the Xiao family will then change their attitude.
Xiao Jinghong understood what he meant. "The emperor's heart is unpredictable. Please rest assured, Grandfather, I will not place my hopes on this."
The fact that the Emperor has punished the Xiao family means that the Xiao family still has a chance.
If the Emperor were to say "good riddance" or remain indifferent, that would be a major crisis for the Xiao family.
Grandpa Xiao hummed in agreement, his expression softening as he looked at the torrential rain outside the main room, his hand stroking the back of the chair.
"I will have to bear the consequences of what comes next, whether it be thunder or rain. Our Xiao family... has no way out."
It's not about simply accepting what's already been done, or acting powerless and helpless as before; it's about being assertive.
Just like the Xiao family five years ago—a family with two marquises, and several high-ranking martial artists.
Within Shu Prefecture, apart from the mountain tribes, no one dared to offend the might of the Xiao family.
What outsiders may not know, Old Master Xiao is well aware that the Xiao family today has indeed lost its former strength.
It's all bark and no bite.
Xiao Jinghong was also aware of this.
Therefore, when the old man asked her to go to the three towns immediately, she agreed without any hesitation.
"Grandpa, please send a message if you need anything."
“I know.”
As if remembering something, Old Master Xiao changed the subject and asked, "You said you were looking for those people, how's that going?"
Xiao Jinghong shook his head and said, "My granddaughter hasn't found an opportunity yet, but... there should be some progress by the fifteenth of next month."
"fifteen?"
"Yes, 'Snow Sword Master' has challenged Immortal Bai to a duel on the upper reaches of the Chishui River, and my granddaughter will go to watch the battle."
"'Snow Sword Lord'... Ye Guxian?"
Old Master Xiao had heard of this name and knew that he was one of the top swordsmen in the martial arts world.
He had heard of Master Bai very much.
Before he took over the title of Marquis of Dingyuan, he had met Bai Daxian once.
"These two have been famous throughout the Great Wei for many years, and their strength and status are extraordinary. It's no wonder that their fight would attract so many people from the martial arts world."
That's what they say, but the old man really didn't have a good impression of people like Master Bai.
The saying "a knight-errant uses martial arts to break the law" is not just an empty phrase.
Xiao Jinghong thought of the martial arts figures he had encountered along the way, and after a moment's thought, he said:
"Shuzhou is now a mixed bag, so it would be best to have more experts guarding the manor. It would be good if my granddaughter could transfer some from the army later."
Upon hearing this, Old Master Xiao subconsciously wiped the bloodstains from his sleeves and nodded, saying:
"Not too much."
"My granddaughter understands."
Xiao Jinghong remembered something small, "Grandpa, there's one more thing, my mother..."
Before she could finish speaking, Old Master Xiao's expression changed slightly. "Don't listen to the nonsense of outsiders!"
Xiao Jinghong hesitated, somewhat confused, and said, "Grandpa, the Fu family is in a difficult situation right now. I just want them to be in charge of the Baicaotang affairs in Guangyuan County."
Old Master Xiao was slightly taken aback, then coughed and turned his head away after realizing what was happening.
"Well... that was my original plan. Just now, I thought you were going to say something else."
"Others?"
"nothing……"
Old Master Xiao gave a vague answer.
Xiao Jinghong didn't delve into it further. She hadn't heard Liu Hong clearly beforehand, so naturally she wouldn't have thought of Fu Wanqing.
The discussion has ended.
Just as Xiao Jinghong was about to get up and head to the three towns, he heard Old Master Xiao say, "No rush, it's not too late to leave after lunch."
"Um?"
"Your husband is having dinner in Wan'er's courtyard right now. Why don't you go and have some with him before you leave?"
Seeing his serious tone, Xiao Jinghong, though somewhat doubtful, nodded in agreement and headed straight for the backyard.
After everyone had left.
After sitting quietly for a moment, Old Master Xiao pulled up his sleeve and looked at the few words that were blurred with blood.
"Liu Wu is a light... boat?"
Although the last character "舟" was not finished, the old man could easily deduce the character "舟" from its outline.
Qingzhou, Chen Qingzhou, Chen Yi.
Old Master Xiao was somewhat unsure.
He carefully recalled Chen Yi's actions and daily behavior after arriving at the Xiao family, but did not notice anything unusual.
If Chen Yi were Liu Wu, how could he have achieved anything in calligraphy, martial arts, medicine, and boxing?
Saying someone is "both scholarly and martial" carries a somewhat derogatory connotation.
Let alone the fact that he has achieved success in the Four Paths, even if he were just an ordinary "well-rounded scholar and warrior," how could the Chen family of Jiangnan Prefecture bear to let Chen Yi marry into the Xiao family?
"Are there really such outstanding talents in the world?"
Thinking of Chen Yi's infection with the virus a few days ago, Old Master Xiao became even more convinced that this was yet another scheme by Liu Hong.
His killing of Liu Hong this time had fallen into Liu Hong's trap, forcing him to take on the responsibility of the Xiao family and making it difficult for him to recuperate as before.
After much thought...
Although Old Master Xiao was certain that Chen Yi and Chen Yu were not the same person, he still intended to investigate.
"I need to investigate before I feel at ease..."
...
When Xiao Jinghong arrived at Jiaxing Garden, he listened to Chen Yi and Xiao Wan'er chatting and laughing inside, and a smile involuntarily crept onto his lips.
Although she wasn't in a good mood because of Liu Hong's matter, she was somewhat relieved to see that the backyard was as peaceful as ever.
"Is this how my father felt when he returned from his trip?"
Xiao Jinghong felt a sense of empathy and walked lightly into the living room.
"Second Miss".
"General."
Juan'er, Xiaodie, Shen Huatang, and others at the door saw her first and stood up to greet her.
Xiao Jinghong waved for them to sit down, and before Xiao Wan'er and Chen Yi could get up, she sat down next to Chen Yi and said in a slightly relaxed tone:
"Elder sister, husband, did I arrive just in time?"
"I was actually a little hungry."
Chen Yi turned his head to look at her, smiled and nodded: "Please wait a moment, Madam."
He then instructed Xiaodie to fetch bowls and chopsticks, and then served Xiao Jinghong a bowl of rice.
Taking advantage of this time, Xiao Wan'er, as usual, spoke to Xiao Jinghong with concern.
"Has the matter in Guangyuan been resolved?"
"Yes, it's resolved."
"Then you should be able to rest for a few days and not rush to go out."
As Xiao Jinghong took the bowl from Chen Yi's hand, she said apologetically:
"I'm sorry to disappoint you, elder sister. After dinner, I will be heading to the three towns to inspect the new army."
Xiao Wan'er glanced at Chen Yi subconsciously, and seeing that he was just listening to their conversation with a gentle smile, she didn't say anything more.
Chen Yi knew what had happened, but he could only pretend not to know and chat with Xiao Jinghong for a few minutes.
Most of the topics concerned his preparations for the annual examinations during this period, as well as several major events that occurred in the prefectural city.
Intentionally or unintentionally, Chen Yi revealed that he was unwell—he had contracted the virus.
On the other side, Xiao Wan'er echoed knowingly, "Second sister, don't worry, your husband is much better now."
Xiao Jinghong frowned at first, but after confirming that Chen Yi's complexion was rosy, she was relieved.
"My husband is now a teacher at Guiyun Academy. There are some things he doesn't need to do himself. He can leave them to the servants in the manor."
She paused, then looked at Xiao Wan'er and instructed, "Eldest sister too."
In her eyes, the two people beside her were physically weak, so it wouldn't hurt to give them a few more words of advice.
Chen Yi readily agreed.
Xiao Wan'er, however, had a somewhat complicated feeling.
On the one hand, she had to cover for Chen Yi; even if she knew it was fake, she couldn't reveal it.
On the other hand, she felt a bit guilty towards Xiao Jinghong, and her chest would feel a little uncomfortable.
Fortunately, as she had said, Xiao Jinghong did not linger after lunch and left the Marquis's residence directly.
While feeling apologetic, Xiao Wan'er's mood also improved.
Only then did someone from the manor come to report on the matter of the Qingjing Residence.
Xiao Wan'er was slightly stunned. "Grandpa killed...the Provincial Governor?"
"And in front of the imperial envoy? This..."
Chen Yi had anticipated this, so he offered a few words of comfort, saying, "The old master must have his reasons for doing this."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Besides, if something were really wrong, Madam would have reminded us just now."
Xiao Wan'er thought for a moment after hearing this, and nodded hesitantly.
The logic is sound, and the issue is complex, but there's not much she can do about it.
Instead of worrying, she should focus on doing her own job well.
Let's chat for a bit.
Chen Yi took Xiao Die back to Chunhe Garden.
Xiaodie patted her chest, which was beginning to take shape, and said:
“Son-in-law, I never imagined that Liu... Liu Hong was so wicked that he actually colluded with the enemy.”
Seeing Chen Yi's calm expression, she then asked with a puzzled look:
"He was so wicked, why would Miss worry even after the Master killed him? Isn't that a good thing?"
Chen Yi smiled and said, "Of course it's a good thing, but we do need to take precautions..."
Liu Hong died at the hands of the old master, which had a profound impact.
But it can't be considered a bad thing no matter how you look at it.
The Xiao family is far too weak.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com