Lanting - Kapitel 34
Kiyomi asked curiously, "Does the handsome older brother already have someone he likes?"
Cai Zhonghe poured himself another glass of wine and took a sip. “Yanhua is gentle and quiet, just like my sister-in-law. She is a virtuous and good woman. But the kind of woman I admire is a different kind.”
Kiyomi Tsuki tilted her head to look at him, looking as mischievous as could be, extremely cute, making people both like her and want to laugh.
What a lovely person!
Cai Zhonghe praised inwardly, and a joyful smile appeared on his lips. But the smile quickly disappeared, and a cloud of worry swiftly crept onto his brow.
"Jian Yue, do you know why I invited you here?"
"Is it because of the Lord of the Fortress and Young Master Qingfeng?" Qing Jianyue asked bluntly, "Why did the Lord of the Fortress and Young Master Qingfeng become enemies? No, I should say, why does Young Master Qingfeng hate the Lord of the Fortress?"
Cai Zhonghe gazed at the golden wine in his glass, "For the sake of young mistress Liu Mei."
"I don't understand. No matter how beautiful Liu Mei is, she can't compare to Miss Yang. Although both brothers fell in love with Miss Yang, it didn't cause them to turn against each other. Where does Liu Mei get such great charm?" Qing Jianyue still couldn't stop eating, putting a piece of crab roe into his wide-open mouth and chewing. Mmm! So delicious! Even Liu Mei couldn't stop him from enjoying this delicacy.
Cai Zhonghe observed his expressive face and couldn't help but smile, saying, "Miss Yang is pure of heart, how can she compare to Liu Mei's deep scheming? A sixteen-year-old boy, young and inexperienced, has never experienced the ups and downs of life, and simply thought that was love. Little did he know, he had fallen into someone else's trap. At that time, Liu Jianhua was just a minor steward, but he was very ambitious and always wanted to climb to the top. He used the girl's beauty to seduce Qingfeng, and then used Qingfeng to get in touch with Master Yan."
"Who is Master Yan?" Qing Jianyue asked.
“The runaway Master Lu’s given name is Ji, and his brother’s given name is Yan. Master Yan is Qingfeng’s father,” Cai Zhonghe explained.
Qing Jianyue nodded to indicate that she understood, and then asked, "With the relationship between Master Yan and Qingfeng, Liu Jianhua naturally rose through the ranks quickly."
"Yes, in just a few months, he rose from a junior steward to the eighth lord, and soon after to the fourth lord, which is my current position. Of course, it can't be said that Liu Jianhua relied entirely on nepotism; he does have a set of skills, and anything he handles is always done perfectly. He is a talented person, but unfortunately, he didn't take the right path, but rather the crooked one. He is very shrewd and charming, not only gaining the complete trust of Master Yan, but even Madam Lu admires his abilities."
"It's really not easy," Kiyomi Tsuki said sarcastically.
Cai Zhonghe snapped open his fan and waved it gracefully. "There has always been a deep conflict between Madam Lu and Master Yan. As soon as Madam Lu married into this fortress, Master Lu left home, which enraged the old fortress lord. This marriage between Master Lu and Madam Lu was decided by the old fortress lord. Master Lu's departure was undoubtedly a silent challenge to the old fortress lord. The old fortress lord would never admit that this marriage was a mistake, and he doted on Madam Lu as if she were his daughter. Madam Lu is an ambitious woman, and she did not grieve or weep because her husband left home. Under the old fortress lord's tutelage, she gradually replaced Master Lu's position. After the old fortress lord passed away, Madam Lu, as the mother of the fortress lord, controlled the entire fortress."
Qing Jian Yue asked, "Are you saying that Master Yan harbors resentment towards Madam Lu because he didn't get the position of fortress lord?"
“No,” Cai Zhonghe said, “Master Yan is a man without any ambition. He is gentle and refined, and kind and approachable. In fact, Master Yan deserves much credit for Madam Lu’s ability to secure her position as the mistress of the fortress. Back then, after the old fortress lord passed away, many who were dissatisfied with Madam Lu supported Master Yan taking over as fortress lord, believing that it was inappropriate for a woman from another family to hold power. Master Yan sternly refused and firmly supported Madam Lu. At that time, Madam Lu was completely obedient to Master Yan. But for some reason, after Master Yan married and had children, he completely changed. Madam Lu became very harsh towards Madam Yan, to the point that Madam Lu and Master Yan eventually turned against each other. As the fortress lord and Qingfeng grew older, their conflicts deepened. Many people say that Master Yan’s vigorous cultivation of Liu Jianhua was to prepare for Qingfeng’s smooth succession as fortress lord in the future, which caught Madam Lu’s attention.”
Kiyoshi Tsuki listened with a cloud of doubt.
"Madam summoned Liu Mei to Yixin Garden. Yixin Garden is Madam's residence, the second most beautiful garden in the fortress. The first most beautiful garden in the fortress is Bing Garden, which is even more luxurious and beautiful than Yixin Garden," Cai Zhonghe explained.
"Oh," Qing Jianyue said, "Madam Lu is so distinguished, why doesn't she live in the First Garden, but in the Second Garden instead?"
Cai Zhonghe laughed and said, "That's because Ice Garden was once the residence of the old lord. When the old lord passed away, he left a will that this garden be left for the lord to use when he got married."
Kiyoshi nodded. "So it is the young mistress who lives in the First Garden."
“No.” Cai Zhonghe shook his head. “Liu Mei lives in Plum Garden.”
"Why is that?" Kiyomi asked curiously.
Cai Zhonghe smiled, "You'll find out soon enough. Madam summoned Liu Mei to Yixin Garden to see just how beautiful Liu Mei was, enough to make Qingfeng infatuated with her. Liu Mei was incredibly clever; she knew how to please Madam, making Madam instantly fall for her and regret that it wasn't the Fortress Master who loved Liu Mei. Soon after, rumors began to circulate in the fortress, saying that Liu Mei and the Fortress Master were getting close. When Qingfeng heard this, she was furious and questioned Liu Mei. Liu Mei was incredibly aggrieved, but Qingfeng, blinded by love, turned her resentment towards the Fortress Master."
Kiyoshi couldn't help but laugh and said, "He has truly mastered the art of Diaochan sowing discord between Dong Zhuo and Lü Bu during the Three Kingdoms period."
"And so, two brothers who were once inseparable gradually developed a rift. Rumors spread like wildfire throughout the fortress that the lady liked Liu Mei and wanted to marry her off to the fortress lord. Qingfeng was very distressed, as he truly loved Liu Mei. Lady Yan, who loved her son dearly, went to Yixin Garden to beg the lady to grant Qingfeng and Liu Mei their wish. Unexpectedly, she was humiliated by the lady. Soon after, the lady announced the marriage between the fortress lord and Liu Mei. This announcement shook the entire fortress. Qingfeng found Liu Mei and asked her to elope with him, but Liu Mei refused. Even at this point, Qingfeng still couldn't see Liu Mei's true colors. On the wedding night, Qingfeng caused a scene in the wedding hall, desperately begging Liu Mei to go with him. Liu Mei actually pulled out her phoenix hairpin and stabbed it into Qingfeng's chest." Cai Zhonghe became more and more agitated as he spoke, and suddenly, in a fit of rage, he slammed his hand on the table, causing the teacup to shatter and tea to splash everywhere.
Kiyomi Tsuki cried out, her face turning white instantly, then red in the blink of an eye, her face flushed with anger.
"That slut! A despicable woman who's even worse than a whore!" Cai Zhonghe, a man of such gentle and refined manners, suddenly unleashed a string of crude and vicious curses.
Qing Jianyue finally understood why Lu Qingcheng, despite marrying Liu Mei, wouldn't even touch her. Liu Mei's cleverness had backfired; she tried to win Lu Qingcheng's favor with such methods, but it backfired. Imagine a woman like that, so ruthless and heartless in achieving her goals—what man wouldn't feel chilled to the bone?
"Master Yan was furious. To avenge his son, he launched a coup. But Liu Jianhua knew him too well and had already set a trap, wiping out Master Yan and his accomplices overnight. Master Yan was dead. Madam Yan committed suicide in despair. Liu Jianhua had performed a great service, and his wife promoted him to the position of Grand Lord." Cai Zhonghe lamented, "Qingfeng was sent away. Before he left, he swore a poisonous oath that if he returned alive, he would avenge this great grudge."
Qing Jianyue frowned and remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "If that's the case, why does the Fortress Master still want to bring Qingfeng back?"
Cai Zhonghe said, "No one knows what he was really thinking. We guess he probably wanted to atone for his sins."
No, something must be hidden in the handsome brother's story. Qing Jianyue stared suspiciously into Cai Zhonghe's eyes. Unexpectedly, Cai Zhonghe looked at him very calmly.
"When Qingfeng suddenly told us that news at the Academy this morning, it surprised us all. Even the fortress lord, who is usually so reserved, changed his expression. Only you were the most discerning and saw through Qingfeng's bluff at a glance."
Kiyomi Tsuki thought to himself: Is this handsome older brother playing cat and mouse? If so, let's play together. With that thought, he smiled like a child and said, "That's nothing. I've been a wanderer since I was a child, so I naturally have more hearsay stories than you guys."
“When Qingfeng glared at you with those eyes, you remained calm and serene, quickly soothing him.” Cai Zhonghe, however, wouldn’t let him play hide-and-seek and tried his best to catch him.
“It’s not that I calmed him down quickly, but rather that Young Master Qingfeng is clever,” Qing Jianyue said calmly.
"The most troublesome thing now is that the Lord of the Fortress handed over such an important position as the Grand Lord to Qingfeng without consulting us. The eldest brother, the second lord, the third lord, and Manager Bai are very worried. If Qingfeng rebels, with external troubles and internal troubles, Lu Family Fortress will be completely finished."
Cai Zhonghe's handsome face was filled with sorrow. One would think that if a woman were sitting opposite him, she would be heartbroken and weep for him. Unfortunately, the person sitting opposite him was Qing Jianyue.
"The law enforcement officers are both wise and brave; they must have come up with a better solution."
Cai Zhonghe looked at him for a long time before saying, "Jianyue, do you want to see Qingfeng killed?"
Kiyomi Tsuki's expression changed drastically.
Chapter Seventeen: Divorce
Leaving the Cai residence, Qing Jianyue's heavy heart felt as if it were weighed down by two large baskets of rotten apples. In contrast, the white fox was extremely cheerful. It devoured a large, fresh, fat fish, swaying its beautiful tail, and lazily followed at its beloved master's feet.
Back at the study, Qing Jianyue saw Liu Mei approaching from afar, surrounded by four maids. To avoid bumping into her at the gate, Qing Jianyue quickly led the white fox into the woods. Watching Liu Mei enter, Qing Jianyue thought: Qingfeng is back. Given Lu Qingcheng's current eagerness to reconcile with Qingfeng, how will he handle his relationship with Liu Mei? Liu Jianhua's position has been replaced by Qingfeng; what fate awaits Liu Mei?
Thinking of this, Qing Jianyue's heart skipped a beat. She strode out of the woods and headed towards the gate. Upon entering, she asked around and was told that Lu Qingcheng was indeed meeting Liu Mei in the living room. Qing Jianyue quickly crept to the outside of the living room, intending to eavesdrop, but unexpectedly, the white fox rolled into the hall like a snowball, darting to Lu Qingcheng's feet in the blink of an eye and letting out a loud squeak. Qing Jianyue slapped her forehead, thinking: I'm doomed.
Lu Qingcheng bent down, picked up the white fox, and placed it on her lap, saying loudly, "Jianyue, what are you doing hiding outside like a ghost? Come in."