Chapter 60
If you're not smart enough and not lucky enough, what's the point of trying? You're destined to fail completely.
Yuan Liu Niang's personality is completely different from Yuan Qiong's.
She's a very ordinary person, with her own little thoughts but not bad ones, and quite optimistic and cheerful. She doesn't have any grand ambitions or big pursuits. She just wants to find someone she likes and live a simple, ordinary life together until their hair turns gray, counting the deepening wrinkles on each other's faces.
Such a simple wish has remained unfulfilled for two lifetimes.
......
"Master of the Curtain."
At the branch of Fengyunxu in the capital, as soon as Lin Qiang entered, everyone bowed in unison. The iconic white shirts and blue robes of Fengyunxu were quite eye-catching; basically, all the leaders of Fengyunxu in the capital were here.
Lin Qiang asked, "Where is Sixth Sister?"
Feng stepped forward: "Sixth Sister is in the room, still unconscious."
Yesterday, when Feng Zhi returned to the capital, he heard from his subordinates that Yuan Liu Niang had gone to Prince Cheng's mansion alone without any help. By the time he arrived, the exhausted Yuan Liu Niang had already been captured by Prince Cheng. Feng Zhi lost many men in the process of rescuing her.
"She hasn't woken up since last night. The doctor said she doesn't want to wake up. If this continues, I'm afraid..."
Feng Zhi's implied meaning made Lin Qiang frown.
He strode through the crowd: "Take me to see this."
"promise."
Upon arriving at Yuan Liuniang's room, Lin Qiang waved for everyone to leave, then walked to her bedside and sat down with a somber expression.
Yuan Liu Niang's clothes had been changed, and there was no trace of the horrific scene from yesterday. She lay there curled up, facing inwards, hugging her knees—a posture of extreme insecurity. From Yuan Liu Niang's tightly furrowed brows, it was clear that even in her unconscious state, she was deeply uneasy.
Human hearts are made of flesh and blood, and Lin Qiang was no exception. After all, they had known each other for so many years, and seeing Yuan Liuniang like this, Lin Qiang couldn't help but feel bad.
He reached out and touched the top of her head, saying softly, "I'm sorry, it's my fault."
He had been too naive, thinking that by not actively interfering, he wouldn't be drawn into this power struggle. Now, with powerful banks from all over Great Yan causing trouble, it's clear that Yuwen Zhe has taken action.
"Don't worry, I won't let the fourth brother die like this, without knowing why."
Anyone who dares to touch him should be prepared to pay with their blood!
Lin Qiang got up, glanced at Yuan Liuniang one last time, and turned to leave the room. Meanwhile, on the bed, a single tear rolled down the corner of Yuan Liuniang's tightly closed eye...
"Prepare the horses; we're going to the Prime Minister's residence."
"promise."
What did Yuan Liu Niang do wrong from beginning to end? She did nothing wrong, yet she had to suffer such torment. This made Lin Qiang extremely resistant to the so-called plot.
Because of the black-bearded man's dying wish, he wanted to help her. Originally, Lin Qiang thought that as long as Yuan Liu Niang didn't do anything foolish, she wouldn't repeat the mistakes made in the book.
Now the facts tell him that this is not the case! Even though Yuan Liuniang tried very hard to break free, there were still people pulling her into the abyss!
It was no coincidence that Yuan Liu Niang went to Prince Cheng's residence alone yesterday. Someone must have revealed something to her. But who was it? Who was pulling the strings behind the scenes?
**
The sky north of the river remains extremely dry, with the scorching sun baking the earth.
Yuan Qiong and Han Qinghou stood outside the soup kitchen outside the city, a faint smile on their faces. Every now and then, refugees who had finished their soup would come and kowtow to them, calling out things like "Savior Bodhisattva."
Han Qinghou and the others smiled and corrected, "It's not a Bodhisattva, it's a young lady."
"It was Miss Wang Yao who saved you."
The refugees looked at Yuan Qiong, first captivated by her beauty, then kowtowed even more forcefully.
Where in the mortal world could you find such a beautiful girl? She must be a celestial being who couldn't bear to see them suffer and came down to earth to save them!
"We kowtow to the fairy! We kowtow! Thank you, fairy! Thank you!"
After Yuan Qiong helped the refugees up and saw them off, Hong Xin, who was standing to the side, walked over with a smile: "Young lady, you've really pulled a fast one. You came to Jiangbei all alone, without giving anything. Now you have fame, money, and food... Brilliant! Absolutely brilliant!"
That was a brilliant move to get something for nothing!
Are you happy?
Yuan Qiong glanced at him indifferently: "What do you want to say?"
"It's nothing, I just feel that we are destined to meet, young lady, because we are so destined to be together!" Hong Xin hugged her sword and moved closer to her: "Look, after you came, I was the one who arrested you, and after you offended the prefect and went to Jiangbei prison, I was the one who saved you..."
"Tell me now, you're making a name for yourself and profiting on my turf, and I haven't stopped you. Don't you feel touched? Hmm?"
Yuan Qiong didn't reply, but just smiled quietly.
Hong Xin persisted: "Young lady, tell me, isn't this fate?"
"If you say so, then so be it." Yuan Qiong nodded perfunctorily: "Meeting is fate, this can be considered destiny."
Hong Xin wasn't angry at her perfunctory attitude. He said with a roguish smile, "Little lady, you probably know perfectly well why I let you run wild on my turf. Don't even think about cutting ties with me in the future. You will definitely be mine! No discussion."
hehe......
Yuan Qiong glanced at him and said, "Someone like you? I'm not bragging, but my bearded man could take on ten of you without even breaking a sweat!"
Yuan Qiong didn't even acknowledge Hong Xin; he still looked down on her. He saw her as a weak woman and assumed she was his for the taking. No matter what she did, if Hong Xin eventually married her, everything would be his?
Dream on!
After giving Han Qinghou his instructions, Yuan Qiong turned and returned to the city. She had more important things to do! The prefect had promised her a meeting with the people of Fengyunxu, and now that she had leverage, she felt confident in her dealings!
Actually, the process of distributing porridge didn't go smoothly at first. People who are starving are completely irrational, and nothing you say to them will work. The group of people tried many methods, using a combination of sweet talk and gentle persuasion, before they were able to calm the refugees down.
Finally, the food was distributed by opening the iron gate at a time, releasing about 50 people at a time. Moreover, she didn't use bowls to serve the porridge, but rather earthenware pots. This wasn't just because earthenware pots were cheaper, but mainly because they weren't sharp when broken, unlike bowls which could create dangerous weapons.
She spent the whole day wandering around the porridge distribution area, and most of the refugees must remember her. Tomorrow, when she buys some coarse cloth and daily necessities to distribute, these people will surely never forget her.
Moreover, the other factions certainly won't give up on turning the refugees against their cause. After these few days, when other rebel armies arrive, many of these refugees will inevitably join the rebellion. With a rebellion, the imperial court will certainly send troops to suppress it, and there's an 80% chance that Guan Shengran will be among them.
When she appears, Sheng Ran will surely inform her grandfather that she is still alive and safely escort her back to the capital. Then, she can use her current prestige to quell the rebellion and spread the word that she died and was brought back to life to save the people. Her position in the court will then be unshakeable!
By then, she won't be afraid of anyone, whether it's her grandfather or Yuwen Zhe!
With her refined and aloof features, elegant and noble gait, and flawless demeanor, Yuan Qiong exemplified the true meaning of aristocratic upbringing and the cold-blooded selfishness of a politician.
If Lin Qiang knew her thoughts, he would be utterly helpless. This little girl truly lives up to her title as a supporting female character; no matter what, her burning ambition will never change.
On the rooftop, watching the two sedan chairs rushing towards them, the page behind Lin Jiangzhi asked, puzzled, "Young Master, you kept saying you were waiting for Miss Yao to come to you, but now that she's here, why do you look so unhappy?"
"Do I look that unhappy?" Lin Jiangzhi touched his face. "Is it that obvious?"
The news of Smiling Tiger's sudden assassination was like a thorn in their hearts. Those who knew the location of Shadow were the core figures of their stronghold. Lin Jiangzhi dared not even think about who had betrayed their leader...
"My eldest brother has already ordered that the fourth brother's body be sent back to the village. The rest of them will be going back to the village, but I can't go back. How can I be happy?"
This is a crucial moment for his sister-in-law; if he doesn't keep a close eye on things and something goes wrong, his older brother will definitely skin him alive! However, this sister-in-law is truly a formidable person; she actually managed to extract so much from Prefect Ling...
Indeed, if she can even tame her older brother, she's no ordinary woman. Lin Jiangzhi began to think about how to make a good impression on his sister-in-law when they met later.
So when Yuan Qiong stepped into the small courtyard alone, she saw Lin Jiangzhi's extremely "friendly" smile.
"........"
Is that scholar's face twitching? Why does he look so familiar?
"Young lady, you've arrived! Please, have a seat!" Lin Jiangzhi waved his long sleeves, exuding the unique elegance of Jiangnan: "Boy, bring tea, bring the best tea!"
"......."
The young musician rolled his eyes, scoffing at his young master's exaggerated performance.
"May I ask what brings you here, young lady?"
Yuan Qiong looked at him suspiciously with her slender fox eyes, feeling that this person was unreliable. Was he really the legendary and extremely powerful Fengyunxu?
"Young master, haven't we met somewhere before?"
It looks familiar, very familiar.
Lin Jiangzhi chuckled dryly twice: "I have indeed seen them. That day in an alley not far from Jiangbei Prison, I accidentally bumped into you and one of your friends..."
As soon as he said that, Yuan Qiong remembered.
"An accident? What a coincidence?"
"Indeed... what a coincidence!"
Yuan Qiong looked at him suspiciously, wondering if he was telling the truth.
She couldn't understand why Prefect Ling had suddenly released her. Now, she roughly guessed... but why were the people of Fengyunxu helping her?!
"What is your relationship with Fengyun Gambling House?"
**
The capital of the Great Yan Dynasty, the Prince Cheng's residence.
"Your Highness, the Lin residence is deserted, and the Prime Minister has people working at the Fengyun Gambling House and Fengyun Money Exchange, so we can't seal them off. That's why I haven't been able to find out where Miss Yuan is now..."
Jia was ashamed when he said this, that there were people in the capital they couldn't find!
Yuwen Zhe didn't blame him, but said, "The Smiling Tiger is dead, but the people of Fengyunxu will never let this go. Keep a close eye on that old fox Yuan Su. The first thing Black Beard will do when he returns to the capital is definitely to look for him!"
"promise."
The feud between Prince Cheng's Mansion and Fengyunxu is now established. Fortunately, most of the officials in the court have already submitted to him and are extremely dissatisfied with his elder brother's apparent favoritism towards the Yuan clan. The next step is for him to announce that his leg ailment has been cured and to win over Guan Xiao, then he will no longer fear Yuan Su's return!
After all, Yuan Qiong is dead, and Yuan Su Hui is old, while he is extremely young. No particularly outstanding figures have emerged in the next generation of the Yuan family, and with Yuan Su Hui's death, the Yuan family will inevitably collapse!
Any official with a brain knows how to choose sides!
In the following days, the situation became increasingly tense in the capital of Great Yan, the provincial capital of Jiangbei, and other places, with all conflicts on the verge of erupting.
What truly set off the explosion of everything was Tan Xiaoque's assassination attempt on Yuan Su Hui.
The smiling little girl reached out and tucked the blood-red snake into her sleeve, tilting her head playfully to look at the once-glorious prime minister on the ground. Yuan Su's body was withered and shriveled, as if all his flesh and blood had been drained.
"Originally, I didn't want you to die so young, but who told you to disobey? You insisted on cooperating with the Boss, how annoying! Little Sparrow hates disobedient people the most, so you must die!"
Only when Yuan Su is dead can Yuwen Zhe truly seize power and curb the expansion of Lin Qiang's power!
Author's Note: To make up for yesterday's word count, I will update another chapter this afternoon.
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