Chapter 26
I have a girl,
She was as cunning and clever as a young fox.
Her smile is radiant and sunny.
I know she's been lying to me.
I don't want to doubt it.
I don't want to investigate.
But one day
She left.
I lost my girl.
—Lin Qiang's notes from the second year of Fengyunxu.
It is unknown when, but a mysterious organization called Fengyunxu quietly emerged in the Great Yan Dynasty and its various vassal states. They are elusive and silent, yet they have infiltrated every corner of the country.
Fengyunxu is attached to Fengyun Gambling House, yet it stands above Fengyun Gambling House. Wherever the gambling house opens, they infiltrate there, silently collecting all the information.
Six months ago, those who were well-informed or held high positions knew about this news. While they were wary, they couldn't help but buy the intelligence information they wanted from here.
Both Fengyunxu and Fengyun Gambling House share a common controller: the Master. The hierarchy within both Fengyunxu and Fengyun Gambling House is extremely strict; aside from high-ranking personnel, very few have ever seen the Master. However, this does not diminish the Master's revered status in the eyes of the public.
Even those so-called high-ranking members who came from Black Cloud Stronghold, including Yuan Liu Niang, had witnessed their stronghold leader's ruthless and iron-fisted methods over the past few years, and had developed a fervent admiration for him from the bottom of their hearts.
In their eyes, the leader was synonymous with power, wisdom, ruthlessness, and omnipotence. Especially since he was remarkably low-key...
Aside from actually working with him, you can only see his ruthless and cold side. Otherwise, he's just an ordinary, handsome man... nothing like the mystically powerful figure behind the scenes.
For example, today, at midday when the sun was shining brightly, a tall and robust man led his horse slowly into the city. He immediately spotted the fourth brother and Yuan Liu Niang, who had been waiting for a long time, and his deep eyes shone like stars.
"Big brother!"
"Boss!"
The fourth brother and Yuan Liuniang strode forward, one leading the horse and the other taking the package. Having not seen each other for a long time, Yuan Liuniang seemed to have transformed into a little fangirl, chattering excitedly to him, boasting about how capable she was.
"Boss, you have no idea how much effort I put into opening our money exchange in Erhuan! And over 30% of the officials in the court have accepted our bribes, so it's only a matter of time before a gambling den opens! I've also chosen a location; I plan to open a Fengyun Restaurant as our base. Whatever you want to eat, I'll cook it for you myself! And also, I bought a four-courtyard house in Sihuan for you to use as your residence…blah blah blah…"
They talked all the way from the city gate to the government gate, until the fourth brother couldn't stand it anymore, so he went up, covered her mouth, and pulled her aside.
"Big brother just arrived, can you please be quiet for a while?"
Yuan Liu Niang turned around and kicked him: "Is it any of your business what I say to the boss?" Then she looked at Lin Qiang with her bright eyes: "Am I capable, boss?"
The fourth brother was speechless.
So you're the one doing all the work, and what am I doing all day?
Lin Qiang still had that same hearty smile, as if he had never changed: "Capable, Sixth Sister is very capable."
“That’s right!” Yuan Liu Niang snorted defiantly at Lao Si.
"Hahahaha...Alright, let's go in and let me see the house that our Sixth Sister has chosen."
Yuan Liu Niang is so confident and energetic, it's great.
The manor’s well-trained servants bowed their heads as soon as they entered, offering their fervent respect to their most revered master.
"You have taught them very well."
Lin Qiang glanced approvingly at the fourth brother, walked to the main hall and sat down, his deep and handsome face still beaming with a smile.
"I've only come to the capital to see one person. I'll leave after that and won't stay for long. With you all here in the capital, I don't need to worry too much about the gambling dens and markets. I trust your abilities."
"Meet someone? Who?"
Is it really worth the head of the household making a personal trip?
"Yuwenting."
Of course, this was in the capacity of the head of the treasury.
**
Inside the royal palace of the Yan Kingdom.
The current emperor, Yuwen Jing, sat on the dragon throne with a headache, watching his most beloved empress and his most cherished younger brother confront each other.
"Your Majesty's words, I do not quite understand." Yuwen Zhe, in his wheelchair, spoke with an icy demeanor, his words as chilling as ice: "Your Majesty cannot even tolerate a cripple like me?!"
"Your Highness Prince Cheng."
Yuan Qiong had been observing Yuwen Zhe's efforts to win over officials over the past few years. Her intuition told her that this disabled prince was not as simple as he appeared.
“As the Marquis of Cheng, personally appointed by His Majesty, you should go to your fiefdom as soon as possible. It is against etiquette for you to stay in the capital for so long.”
Yuwen Jing is physically weak and cannot have sexual relations with women, so naturally he cannot have a prince. Although she has been helping him to improve his health, it still takes time. This Yuwen Zhe is lingering in the capital; he clearly has ulterior motives!
Thinking of this, Yuan Qiong's gaze towards him grew even colder.
"Brother, do you think so too?"
Yuwen Zhe turned his gaze to his own Yuwen Jing, a hint of vulnerability creeping into his eyes.
His elder brother was always soft-hearted; as long as he showed weakness, Yuan Qiong, that woman, couldn't do anything to him!
"If Your Majesty says the word, I will leave the capital today and never come back to cause trouble again."
"Sister Qiong..." The new emperor indeed showed him pity, rising to take Yuan Qiong's hand and saying with a smile, "My fifth brother is unwell, but the capital has the best physicians; it would be good for him to stay and take care of him..."
"When has our Great Yan ever had a precedent of adult lords remaining in the capital? This will cause the people to gossip and make the lords feel resentful!"
Yuan Qiong's gaze swept over Yuwen Zhe and then turned to the thin new emperor, his face as cold as frost.
"Your Majesty, this is absolutely unacceptable!"
Yuwen Jing glanced at his younger brother with a troubled expression. Seeing his gloomy face, he mustered his courage and pleaded with Yuan Qiong, "Sister Qiong, please, for my sake, okay? Fifth Brother is different from the other imperial brothers; he's been close to me since childhood. I can't bear to see him go..."
As she spoke, she tugged at her wide sleeve, which angered Yuan Qiong so much that she pulled it out.
"Since you can't bear to part with it, then pretend I never said anything."
She rose angrily and walked out, her flowing robes tracing an elegant arc, the golden wings on her phoenix crown fluttering gently. Despite her anger, the empress remained composed.
"Your Majesty, it is my fault that Your Majesty is so angry." Yuwen Zhe lowered his eyes, seemingly very guilty. "If not, Your Majesty, why don't you leave the capital?"
"It's alright." The young emperor, who had just been flustered, immediately reassured his fragile younger brother: "Don't worry about it. Go back first. I'll take care of the Empress."
Having said that, he chased after the direction the Empress had gone. However, he was always weak, and after only a few steps, he began to pant again, and his personal eunuch immediately stepped forward to support him.
"Huff...Quickly prepare the sedan chair...Huff...to Zhaoyang Palace!"
"Here you go."
In the long palace corridor, Xiaozhi helped Yuanqiong walk forward at a leisurely pace.
The empress, who had just been furious, now showed no trace of anger, only her usual indifference.
"Your Majesty, it seems that Prince Cheng truly has ulterior motives. What should we do next?"
"Didn't I summon Yuwen Ting back a couple of days ago? Since Yuwen Zhe can stay, Prince Jin, Yuwen Ting, can naturally stay as well. Just now, His Majesty refused my request to protect Yuwen Zhe, so he naturally can't refuse my request later."
Yuan Qiong's slender eyes remained completely still.
"Make the arrangements. Tomorrow, I will personally go out of the palace to meet with him."
However, she never expected that this trip would lead her to meet the person she thought she would never see again.
Author's Note: A simple transitional chapter. Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or gave me nutrient solution!
Thank you to the little angel who watered the [nutrient solution]:
Even the top bunkmate who's terrible at naming things gets a name from one bottle;
Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!
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