Lanting - Kapitel 152
Chapter Fifty-Seven: A Dance
After washing and grooming himself, Qing Jianyue stormed into the Shuxiang Courtyard. As soon as he entered, Wang Jie greeted him with a beaming smile, "Young Master, you've arrived." Qing Jianyue asked, "Is the Lord of the Fortress in?" Seeing his unfriendly expression, Wang Jie hurriedly glanced at Huang Chong, who was standing to the side. Huang Chong gave him a wink, but was frightened by Qing Jianyue's fierce glare and shrank back.
"Didn't you hear me ask?" Kiyomi Tsuki said.
Hearing his unusually stern tone, Wang Jie's heart pounded in her chest. She cautiously replied, "The lord of the fortress is discussing matters with several lords and supervisors."
Upon hearing the word "meeting," Kiyomi Tsuki's anger subsided slightly. After a moment's thought, she said, "Report that I've arrived."
After reporting this, Wang Jie smiled and said, "Young Master, the Lord of the Fortress invites you in."
The carved door opened, and Qing Jianyue strode in. Inside the large study, all eight lords and three chief stewards were present. She entered just as Cai Bo'an finished speaking, "Feng Piaoxiang's injuries have stabilized; she should be fine." Everyone smiled and greeted Qing Jianyue as he entered. Lu Qingcheng, with a gentle smile, gestured for him to sit down. Even if Qing Jianyue had a temper, he couldn't muster any anger at this moment. Zhang Zhichun came over and helped him to his seat.
"I really can't figure out how Feng Piaoxiang infiltrated this fortress. Also, was he sent by Kang Boying, or was he instigated by Li Ying?" Qingfeng raised her doubts.
Lei Yongxiang tapped the table lightly with his fingers, his thick eyebrows furrowed.
Cai Zhonghe said, “I have a bold guess. Feng Piaoxiang was very likely sent by Kang Boying. As for why he sent her, it’s still unclear. But, based on my understanding of Kang Boying, sending someone to assassinate someone seems like something he would disdain. Moreover, our fort has never offended Fengyue Manor in any way, so why would he do this? Therefore, Feng Piaoxiang’s assassination attempt was very likely instigated by Li Ying. Now, we can’t rush things. We must find out as soon as possible what Kang Boying sent Feng Piaoxiang to do. Only after we find out can we make a decision.”
“I don’t think so. Warfare is based on deception, and we must be wary of it,” Lei Yongxiang said. “We need to send people to investigate the recent movements of Fengyue Manor and Tianlong Fort in detail. For some reason, I’m a little worried.”
Qingfeng said, "I have already sent a message by carrier pigeon, ordering all regions to gather information in detail. Cousin, it seems we need to prepare for both possibilities."
Lu Qingcheng sighed, "You don't want to cause trouble, but he won't let go of any opportunity to bite you. Manager Su, if we have to fight a major battle, what do you think of our current economic situation?"
Su Haibo said, "These past few months have been quite profitable. We also acquired some of the most profitable shops, casinos, pawnshops, and horse farms of the Sky Eagle Sect at the lowest prices, making a considerable amount of money. We're not worried about not being able to afford a major war. However, what I'm worried about is that most of the people employed in the Sky Eagle Sect shops we acquired are still Sky Eagle Sect members. I'm afraid that if a war breaks out, they will waver. If we suddenly make a major personnel change, it will alert the Sky Eagle Sect, and they might take advantage of the chaos to cause trouble, which would be uncontrollable."
Lu Qingcheng raised his hand and rubbed his temples, and everyone in the room was looking at him.
“No matter what happens in the future, let’s not scare ourselves.” Lu Qingcheng sat up straight, his handsome eyes clouded with worry. “Right now, the most important thing is that I suspect there’s a traitor in this fortress. Last night, when Feng Piaoxiang sneaked in, he seemed very familiar with the surroundings. The fact that he was able to get in so smoothly and quietly means he must have an inside man. Chief Enforcer, you must find out about this as soon as possible.”
Cai Bo'an replied, "Your subordinate understands."
Bai Yiting said, "Lord, I have a suggestion."
Lu Qingcheng said, "Please speak."
Bai Yiting said, "I think we should ask Young Master Jianyue to write a letter in his own hand, to inform Master Kang of Fengyue Manor about Feng Piaoxiang's assassination attempt last night. We must be quick and get there before the Tianying Sect."
“Brother Yiting, this is a good idea,” Qingfeng said. “Given the friendship between Jianyue and Master Kang and Madam Kang, it’s not hard to explain Feng Piaoxiang’s assassination attempt. In any case, we must win over Fengyue Manor and Tianlong Fort, making them our friends and Tianying Sect our common enemy.”
Everyone nodded in agreement and looked at Kiyomizuki without prior arrangement.
Wang Jie was carrying a large tray with five small dishes filled with delicate pastries. Qing Jianyue picked one out, smelled it, and thought it smelled alright. Just as he was about to put it in his mouth, he heard Qingfeng mention him. He looked over, puzzled, only to find everyone staring at him. Now, he was caught in a dilemma—whether to eat it or not—and blurted out, "Would you like to eat this pastry?"
The room erupted in laughter.
Kiyomi Tsuki had a silly look on her face and muttered, "Was what I said funny?"
Lu Qingcheng laughed and hugged him, "Jianyue, you are truly a treasure that God sent to me."
Qing Jianyue rolled her eyes at him, meaning, stop with the sweet talk, we'll settle the score from last night later.
The air was filled with the booming sounds of firecrackers, joyful music, and drums. Qing Jianyue, biting his pen, glared at Lu Qingcheng with obvious impatience. Of course, as he glared, Lu Qingcheng glared back, her glare even fiercer than his.
"Two hours and you've only written these few crooked characters for me?"
"I'm going to a wedding banquet," Kiyomi Tsuki exclaimed angrily.
"Are you trying to drive me crazy?" Lu Qingcheng slammed her hand on the table.
Kiyoshi shuddered in fright and said aggrievedly, "You know perfectly well that my handwriting is shameful, yet you still insist that I write a letter. I can't write it."
Lu Qingcheng roared, "You're not allowed to attend the wedding banquet if you can't write it. You always try to slack off when I ask you to practice calligraphy, but now you finally realize that your handwriting is unacceptable."
"Even if I want to practice calligraphy, I'll start tomorrow. What's the use of yelling at me now? Even if you give me three more hours, I still won't be able to write it." Qing Jianyue pouted.
Lu Qingcheng said with a headache, "Jianyue, you should know the importance of this letter."
Kiyoshi Tsuki scratched his head in frustration, then suddenly had a flash of inspiration and exclaimed, "I've got it! I don't need to write, I'll draw. I'm best at ink painting, I'll draw, and you can write the lyrics."
Lu Qingcheng hesitated slightly.
“I once casually scribbled a picture and gave it to Madam Kang. She liked it very much, and I heard that she has kept it all this time.” Qing Jianyue hurriedly spread out the paper. “Don’t worry, I guarantee there will be unexpected gains.”
Half an hour later, Qingjian Yue's painting, accompanied by Lu Qingcheng's inscription, was rushed to Fengyue Manor by the soldiers of Lu Family Fort.
At this moment, the bridal sedan chair landed, and Yang Xueli and Mrs. Su helped Zhou Yanhua, dressed in a wedding gown and wearing a red veil, into the sedan chair. Li Anguo, riding a tall horse, accompanied by He Zhiqiang and Liu Xicheng, circled the fort. While they were parading through the streets, the lord, managers, and stewards of Lu Family Fort, along with some relatives and guests, gathered in the council hall.
"Bo'an, congratulations, congratulations."
"Lord Hong, you are so busy with official duties, yet you still took the time to attend the wedding. You are too kind to me."
Hong Wantong beamed, "We're all family, no need for such formalities."
Just then, more guests arrived, and Cai Bo'an busied himself greeting them. Although Hong Qiaoying was physically beside her mother, her mind was elsewhere. She kept looking around, wondering why Lu Qingcheng hadn't appeared yet. Suddenly, the living room fell silent. Lu Qingcheng and Qing Jianyue entered side by side, followed by a pure white silver fox. Lu Qingcheng wore a light blue robe, his long hair, more beautiful than a woman's, cascading down his shoulders, tied with a sapphire headband, making him appear both noble and handsome. Hong Qiaoying's eyes lit up instantly, her breath quickened, and her cheeks flushed.
What a handsome and imposing man!
Hong Wantong looked at his daughter with great satisfaction and chuckled, "Look at her, her eyes are practically glued to her. It's true what they say, once you raise a daughter, she's gone forever."
Hong Qiaoying covered her wildly pounding chest with her hands, her face flushed red as she lowered her head.
Hong Wantong's eyes flickered as he said, "If you marry Lu Qingcheng, not only will Lu Qingcheng be yours, but the entire Lu Family Fortress will also be yours. You will enjoy endless wealth and honor for the rest of your life, which is several times better than marrying those prefectural officials."
Hong Qiaoying said happily, "Daughter will leave everything to Father's arrangements."
"Even if he has some money in his pocket, he's just a nouveau riche." Madam Hong said coldly, "Don't be too happy yet. Even if our daughter can marry Lu Qingcheng smoothly, as long as Qing Jianyue is alive, our daughter can forget about being favored."