Kiyomi Tsuki and His Fox

Chapter 24

He suddenly pulled off his boots, and because he was multitasking and used too much force, he fell flat on his back without warning, startling the white fox who was resting on the ground with its eyes closed.

Lu Qingcheng burst into laughter, "Jian Yue, if you wanted to make me laugh, you didn't have to fall so badly, did you?"

Qingjian Yue got up angrily, muttering, "What kind of master treats his subordinates like this?" She lifted Lu Qingcheng's other foot, taking off her boot while still muttering.

Lu Qingcheng snorted, "What are you muttering about?"

"I said the lord of the fortress is a maggot without hands or feet."

Kiyoshi threw away his boots, turned around, and picked up the bird's nest soup. "I'm not serving anymore. Screw you, deduct my pay if you want, I'll find a way to get it back."

Lu Qingcheng asked, puzzled, "What are maggots?"

How could someone who has eaten pork but never seen a pig walk know that maggots are things that crawl in latrines?

Qing Jianyue laughed, "Lord, maggots are maggots. I wish you a good dream of marrying a wife and having sons. I'll take my leave now. Fox, time to eat bird's nest. It won't taste good if it gets cold."

Lu Qingcheng stared blankly as the carved door slowly closed, puzzled. "That kid called me a maggot, it can't be a nice thing. I'll deal with him tomorrow after I figure it out."

She quickly removed the last obstacle from her body, lay back on the bed, and pulled the blanket over herself. Lu Qingcheng closed her eyes, recalling what had just happened. What a strange feeling; for a moment, she really had an urge to overpower him. Perhaps it was because she hadn't been with a woman for too long, and Liu Mei's teasing left her with no one to vent to, which was why she felt this way about Jian Yue? Forget it, she decided not to think about him anymore. Once she was done, she would send someone to bring the You sisters from Cuiyi Garden over.

Qing Jianyue was surprised by Lu Qingcheng's extravagant spending. The next morning, Lu Qingcheng summoned the head steward to his study and ordered him to prepare for the wedding. On the third day, the Cai brothers and Lei Yongxiang arrived. Lu Qingcheng personally greeted them. Upon entering the castle, they found it brightly decorated, filled with joyous music and the booming of firecrackers.

Before Lei Yongxiang could figure out what was going on, the servants had already ushered him into a room. A steaming bowl of fragrant water was prepared, and the servants served him as he bathed and changed. He was dressed in formal attire, and a large red flower was tied around his neck. Lei Yongxiang was completely bewildered. "What are you all doing?" he asked.

The chief steward entered and said with a smile, "Third Lord, congratulations! The Lord of the Fortress learned that you and Miss Yang are in love and specially ordered me to prepare for the wedding. Everything is arranged. Tonight, you and Miss Yang will be married, and the Lord of the Fortress will personally officiate. As for the bridal chamber, rest assured, the Lord of the Fortress has allocated a new garden for you and your new wife to live in. If there is anything you are not satisfied with, please let me know, and I will take care of it immediately."

Lei Yongxiang's mouth dropped open. He never expected that upon entering the castle, without having accomplished anything, Lu Qingcheng would bestow upon him such a generous gift. In that instant, his heart overflowed with the excitement and ecstasy of a scholar dying for a friend who understands him.

"The auspicious time has arrived. Quickly, please have the groom mount his horse to greet the sedan chair."

Amidst the joyous music and music, Lei Yongxiang, riding a tall horse, took the bridal sedan chair away. After a cheerful stroll around the castle, they dismounted in front of the council hall. The bride and groom were ushered into the wedding hall. The wedding was officiated by Lu Qingcheng herself. The newlyweds exchanged vows with heaven and earth, becoming husband and wife. Amidst laughter, Lei Yongxiang, his face flushed crimson, led his bride, surrounded by people, into the bridal chamber.

Qing Jianyue sighed inwardly: Lu Qingcheng's move was brilliant, completely subduing Lei Yongxiang. Lei Yongxiang would surely repay this kindness with all his might. Cai Bo'an's worries were completely unnecessary; he had underestimated Lu Qingcheng. This was understandable, as Lu Qingcheng was truly unfathomable and difficult to fathom.

The day after the wedding, Lu Qingcheng summoned his subordinates to the council hall for a meeting, and Qing Jianyue, as his personal bodyguard, was also allowed to attend. Lu Qingcheng first publicly commended the Cai brothers, and Qing Jianyue also received a generous reward.

Afterwards, Lu Qingcheng publicly appointed Lei Yongxiang as the third lord, in charge of the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth lords, responsible for the castle's external defense and security. Lin Feng was appointed the second lord, responsible for the castle's internal security. Bai Yiting was appointed one of the three chief financial officers, while the positions of the two chief financial officers, Sun Yue and Su Haibo, remained unchanged. Liu Xicheng and He Zhiqiang were each promoted one rank, becoming the sixth and seventh lords respectively. The former sixth lord, Zhang Xing, was reassigned to another position. The eighth lord position was filled by Du Fangwei, Bai Yiting's apprentice. Additionally, Zhou Peng, the general manager, was promoted to owner of Tianyi Ranch, with Zhou Jie assisting her father in management.

Apart from the fact that Liu Jianhua, the Grand Lord, Cai Bo'an, the Grand Enforcer, and Cai Zhonghe, the Fourth Lord, remained in their positions, this series of appointments can be described as a major reform that Lujiabao has not seen in decades.

Standing beside Lu Qingcheng, Qing Jianyue gazed at his resolute and decisive expression, inwardly sighing: "He's truly efficient and capable! From now on, who will dare to underestimate him?" Qing Jianyue's gaze swept across the hall, passing over every face filled with surprise and excitement. When her eyes passed Bai Yiting and Lin Feng, they suddenly turned back. Gazing at the two of them for a long time, a strange feeling suddenly arose in Qing Jianyue's heart.

At this moment, Bai Yiting came out to express his gratitude to Lu Qingcheng, showering her with praise. Looking at Lu Qingcheng's smug smile, Qing Jianyue suddenly realized something. For a moment, Qing Jianyue wanted to burst out laughing.

He finally understood why Lu Qingcheng had led him into the council hall and hinted that he should take action. He had cleaved three lords in three strikes, shocking everyone in the castle. Not only had he easily cleared three obstacles for Lu Qingcheng, but he had also successfully drawn everyone's attention, especially the attention of Liu Jianhua and Tong Sen's group.

They still couldn't accept Lu Qingcheng's change, clinging to the wishful thinking that it was Qing Jianyue, this favored boy, who emboldened Lu Qingcheng to become a different person.

Why did Lu Qingcheng send Qing Jianyue to Tianyi Ranch with the Cai brothers? Because he knew that Liu Jianhua and Tong Sen's group would not let Qing Jianyue go. He was right; Tong Sen had brought almost half of his troops to the Black Pine Forest specifically to kill Qing Jianyue. Taking advantage of the weakened strength of Liu Jianhua and Tong Sen's group, Lu Qingcheng immediately ordered Lin Feng to seize and control the entire castle.

On the other hand, Lu Qingcheng sent another message as a warning. He believed that with the Cai brothers' experience and Lei Yongxiang's wisdom and ability, they would surely be able to eliminate Tong Sen for him.

Without a doubt, Lu Qingcheng succeeded.

Behind all this, Bai Yiting must have been plotting for Lu Qingcheng for a long time. Otherwise, why would Lu Qingcheng give him such an important position as the head of finance? Hmph, Du Fangwei didn't achieve anything, yet he became the eighth lord. What I don't understand is why Du Fangwei always looks down on me? I haven't offended him.

In a flash, Kiyomi Tsuki understood.

Yes, it must have been Bai Yiting who suggested Du Fangwei play my role, but Lu Qingcheng thought I was more suitable. He wanted to protect Du Fangwei so she could be of greater use in the future. As for my life or death, it didn't matter, because I was someone who would leave sooner or later.

Lu Qingcheng must have already planned this out. She could have easily found me a random task to send out, which would still have attracted the attention of Liu Jianhua and Tong Sen's group. I was lucky enough to run into the Chief Enforcer who suggested inviting Lei Yongxiang out, and Lu Qingcheng went along with it, thus making the grand plan a success.

The more Kiyoshi Tsuki thought about it, the more disheartened he became, and the joy of receiving the reward vanished instantly. In a flash, he thought: It doesn't matter, I'll work hard to save money. As long as I pay off my debts and fill my pockets to the brim, I'll just walk away.

Chapter Twelve: Three Buns for One Coin

Liu Mei, the esteemed young mistress of Lujiabao, entered the Shuxiang Courtyard, surrounded by four maids and followed by Zhang Sanlin.

Suddenly, a series of melodious bird calls rang out, followed by a string of crisp chirps, clear and delightful, utterly charming. Liu Mei looked in the direction of the sound and saw at the end of the corridor, a thrush in a cage, with Qing Jian Yue and the little white fox outside. The thrush's calls were melodious and beautiful; Qing Jian Yue's calls were clear and melodious. Inside and outside the cage, they sang back and forth, as if in a duet. When they sang happily, the thrush flapped its wings; Qing Jian Yue and the little white fox on her shoulder swayed their heads in blissful ecstasy.

The joyful singing was full of the vibrant life of nature.

Liu Mei was stunned.

The man, the fox, and the bird seemed like spirits of nature. The handsome young man's beauty lay not in his appearance, but in the aura surrounding him—the spirit of nature, a beauty that was breathtaking and uplifting.

The perceptive Liu Mei suddenly remembered that this young man had just walked in when Lu Qingcheng kicked her out last night. Could he be the legendary Qing Jian Yue?

Zhang Sanlin carefully observed her expression and tried to guess her thoughts. "Young Madam, that is Qing Jianyue. The Lord of the Fortress not only listens to him but also dotes on him. Even we servants find it disgusting."

Liu Mei raised an eyebrow and said coldly, "How disgusting?"

"Oh dear, young mistress, that's hard to say. In short, this Qingjian Yue is very good at being charming. He asks the manor lord for this and that, and the manor lord never refuses. Not only that, the manor lord often calls him into the bedroom at night to keep him company."

"How dare you! You dare to utter such words that tarnish the reputation of the fortress lord? Do you want to die?"

"Yes, yes, I know I'm guilty, please calm down, young mistress. But I couldn't help but speak up because I felt indignant on your behalf."

"Hmph, shut your dog mouth. My affairs are none of your business, you lowly servant."

Zhang Sanlin was so humiliated by the scolding that he shrunk back to the side.

At this moment, Lu Qingcheng emerged from his study and stood on the corridor, a gentle smile playing on his lips. Liu Mei gracefully approached him, her delicate brows slightly furrowed. What was that expression on his face? His eyes shone brightly, burning with an intense, fiery intensity, so blatantly displaying his admiration, affection, and joy. Was this the same Lu Qingcheng who was always so languid, so deep and cold, like the Dead Sea?

She had never seen Lu Qingcheng like this before. A sense of unease crept into her heart; those rumors were indeed not unfounded. She coughed heavily, reminding Lu Qingcheng to fly back from the heavens.

Lu Qingcheng was startled, regained her senses, and quickly resumed her usual demeanor. This also alerted Qing Jianyue and the little white fox. Upon noticing them, Qing Jianyue hurriedly called out, "Greetings, Lord of the Fortress."