Neuf chansons

Chapitre 37

It turns out—Wang Naigong knew everything; she had been acting like a clown all along!

Xiaolei picked up the clothes: "Lord Li, let's change. Clothes are just for show; this way we can fool the court's eyes and ears."

Forcing a smile and putting on makeup

Whether she could evade the imperial court's eyes and ears was no longer important. Having caused so much turmoil, unless Heaven favored her, the people of Bianliang would eventually find out. Although communication was inconvenient at this time without cell phones or television, gossip is human nature, and the news would eventually reach the ears of the emperor deep within Bianliang.

Moreover, once gossip is passed around, a two-legged frog becomes an eight-legged crab. That's a relatively good ending, since they're both amphibious animals and were one family five hundred years ago. The worst thing is when someone spreads the rumor that you're a frog and turns you into an extinct Tyrannosaurus Rex...

Xiao Lei, as expected of Li Xinyun's maid, helped Li Yuxuan comb her hair after she stared at the clothes in a daze for a while. Xu Qingzhi had already left when Xiao Lei came in, leaving only the two of them in the room. When Li Yuxuan saw Xiao Lei trying to take off her clothes, she quickly stepped aside and said, "No rush, change when you're leaving. I don't like wearing such flamboyant clothes."

Xiaolei glanced outside the door and said loudly, "Lord Li, please don't make things difficult for me. Please change quickly!"

Li Yuxuan lowered her head. Xiaolei's posture was telling her that someone was watching outside, and she couldn't escape. She really wanted to escape, but there was no way to.

What will happen today? God knows.

The worst outcome is utter ruin, but for someone who has already died once, utter ruin isn't such a big deal, is it? At worst, she really is a Khitan; at worst, she won't return to Jiangnan; at worst, she'll wander again; at worst, she'll live in seclusion in the desert; at worst, she'll go to Lingjiu Palace to practice that Eight Desolations and Eight Harmonies Earthly Desolation Technique and turn herself into the second Tianshan Child Granny; at worst, she'll give her head to Wang Naigong as a wine cup, and maybe fate will send her back to where she started. So, it really isn't a big deal, is it?

There was no answer. But Xiaolei had already quickly dressed her in women's clothing. The fiery red shone in her eyes, as if mocking her for wearing such an inappropriate bright red wedding dress, turning it into such a gloomy gray.

Around noon, Wang Naigong sent someone to summon her to the Hall of Righteous Gathering. She carefully fastened the hidden weapon wrapped around her wrist and followed the large group of people who had come to fetch her out of the courtyard.

Snow-white clothes, red makeup. She walked in front, and everyone followed behind, including Xu Qingzhi and Xiao Lei...

A solitary golden hairpin dangled behind his head, swaying gently with Li Yuxuan's steps.

This departure means my hometown is now thousands of miles away, a distant dream.

Or, will this departure mean the flowers in front of the hall wither and the tears of parting are shed, and that they will be separated by life and death forever?

She had to go. The day she came here with them, she was mentally prepared for today. Although she was afraid, terrified, and wanted to run away, and although she was terrified of Li Youying's background, she was still glad that she had stayed.

She stayed behind, drawing their attention and buying them time, giving Xu Zhu more time to save the three people she was willing to risk her life for. In this world, these three people, like silver, had given her warmth, trust, and love.

For the past five years, burdened by an inexplicable family feud and the possibility of being hunted down by her enemies, she concealed herself in men's clothing, rarely venturing out, guarding her secret and her heart, shouldering the weight of the world on her not-so-strong shoulders. With those same shoulders, she forcibly separated herself from the crowd. People only saw the smile on her face, but they couldn't see the tear in her heart.

Apart from the money she relied on for survival.

Where is Yinzi now? Only she knows her loneliness, her isolation, and that she is actually a pitiful person who wraps her loneliness and herself in silk.

She had been lonely for too long, and any bit of kindness or warmth could melt her heart. She was unrestrained, she laughed and cursed, she made herself indifferent, she made herself not care about anything, but she really cared about everything, cared a lot, cared too much, so much that she had to protect herself with a layer of hard armor.

Li Yuxuan twitched his nose, feeling somewhat like a martyr who had bravely faced death, seeing his life so clearly before he died.

When she reached the front yard, there were already many people there. They all made way for her when they saw her. Yang Xiao was waiting for her in the courtyard. Li Yuxuan walked towards him and noticed a moment of distraction on his face, but he quickly put on a smile and greeted her.

Li Yuxuan forcefully suppressed all the random thoughts in his mind, put on a smile, and followed Yang Xiao into the Hall of Gathering Righteousness.

A long time ago, she developed a signature smiley face, which she used to deal with people when she was in a bad mood. Over time, it became a habit, and unless it was a genuine smile, it looked like this: her eyes were curved so wide you couldn't see what they were about, and the corners of her mouth were turned up, making her look very happy and cheerful.

Although she was prepared, the sheer number of people in the Hall of Gathering Righteousness still startled her. This was her first time here. The hall could probably seat over a thousand people, and at this moment, apart from the platform where Wang Naigong and the VIPs were seated, the entire hall was packed with people, some sitting and some standing. She glanced at the crowd but didn't see Xiao Feng or Xu Zhu. Xiao Lei, who was beside her, had also disappeared without a trace.

Heroes always appear at the last moment; this is the law of heroes.

Many of the elderly men sitting in the VIP section were probably old acquaintances of her mother. Upon seeing her, some were so excited that they couldn't help but stand up and needed help to stand up. Their old eyes were fixed on her, including Uncle Fang, whom they had met a few times.

She knew that she would not only face Wang Naigong today, but also many more overt and covert, frontal and backhanded forces, since she hadn't escaped last night.

She smiled and walked towards Wang Naigong, respectfully calling him "Master".

Wang Naigong stepped down from his seat, smiled, took her hand, and pulled her to his side. The noisy hall immediately fell silent.

An old man asked, "Master Wang, is she really Xiao Yingying's daughter from back then?"

Wang Naigong laughed heartily: "At this moment, I don't need to say anything, everyone can see it, right? Do I need to explain? If they aren't mother and daughter, how could two people in this world look so alike?"

The hall became lively again, and all eyes shifted from doubt to inquiry or questioning.

Li Yuxuan stood quietly, listening to their discussion. Wang Naigong, who had inadvertently given her sixty years of internal energy, unsurprisingly sold her out.

He was her mother's senior in school... and said he had been searching for her mother for twenty years. That's hilarious.

She looked at Yang Xiao, whose face was somewhat pale, and he stood quietly to one side.

She looked at Xu Qingzhi again. He was standing at the front of the crowd, controlled by two people on either side of him, his face so gloomy it looked like it was about to drip water. When he saw her looking over, he looked back at her, his eyes still as pure and warm as when they first met. Her heart ached, and she turned her gaze away.

Once the noise in the hall subsided, Wang Naigong raised his voice and said, "First of all, I apologize for inviting everyone here so hastily. Today, after a long journey, I have invited you all here. As the invitation letter stated, today is the day the young master of the First Manor is re-established. As you all know, my daughter, Wang Rou, died a violent death a month ago, leaving me not even half a grandson. However, by the grace of heaven, while I was avenging my daughter, I found the child left behind by my junior sister, Xiao Yingying. My junior sister's family was massacred by the Khitans five years ago. I was unable to help them after hearing the news, which I have always regretted. Now that I have found her child, it can be considered that my lifelong wish has been fulfilled. Therefore, I hereby announce that from today onwards, the young master of the First Manor is Xiao Yingying's daughter: Li Youying."

"No way!" Someone immediately stood up to object: "She is of Khitan descent and absolutely cannot become the young master of the First Manor. Otherwise, how can we, the Northern Green Forest, maintain our reputation in the martial world!" This was the truth.

Wang Naigong smiled and looked at him: "She has a national and family feud with the Khitan."

Another voice rang out from below: "Doesn't Master Wang have another daughter? Why not make her the young master? We firmly oppose the Khitans ruling our Northern Green Forest!"

The hall erupted in chaos.

Some remained silent, some offered advice, but most opposed it.

Wang Naigong listened to their objections with a smile. Li Yuxuan looked at Wang Naigong's confident demeanor, wondering how he would discern the conspiracy hidden beneath the chorus of opposition and find the person he was looking for.

After letting them discuss among themselves for a while, Yang Xiao spoke up: "Those within the First Manor who have differing opinions, please step forward and speak one by one! As for our allies, this is a private matter of the First Manor. You are all here simply to serve as witnesses, so please be quiet for now."

Quiet.

The first person to object stood up, citing the same reasons as before.

The second person to object stood up, citing the same reasons as before.

The Nth person to object stood up, and the reasons will not be described here. However, the discussion gradually went off-topic, and it turned into everyone supporting Miss Haitang to become the young master of the First Manor.

Li Yuxuan used to think Haitang was quite clever, but now he thinks she's just average. Laying her motives bare before everyone, whether genuine or manipulated, was a foolish move driven by short-sighted ambition. Perhaps spending too much time among women has dulled her political acumen.

Whether it's the imperial court or the martial arts world, wherever there is power, there is politics. Where there is politics, there is life-or-death struggle.

Seeing the frost gradually rising on Wang Naigong's face, Li Yuxuan looked at Haitang to the side. She was also dressed in red today, looking elegant and composed.

When Li Yuxuan saw Haitang meet her gaze, he stood up and smiled, stopping anyone who wanted to speak again: "Everyone, please stop talking. Father is far-sighted and always puts the country first. He must have his reasons for appointing this Miss Li Youying as the young master. We just need to obediently follow his orders. And please don't say anything about me, Haitang, again. Haitang was raised by her adoptive father since childhood, and she has no other thoughts than repaying his kindness. If you do this, you are putting Haitang in a position of disloyalty, injustice, and filial impiety."

She sensed Wang Naigong's displeasure and knew when to stop, huh? But these words, seemingly meant to reconcile, were clearly instigation. Instigating conflict between her and Wang Naigong, instigating the nationalistic tensions between the Song and Khitan peoples. What a fine line: "Always prioritizing the nation and its people."

"Putting the nation and its people first" is a way of telling Li Youying that she has been used as a pawn. "Putting the nation and its people first" is ostensibly a compliment to Wang Naigong, but it actually implies that he is unethical, using the Khitans as pawns, and that he is neither a true man nor a man of principle.

Wow, not many people would understand the meaning behind that, right? Most martial artists don't have such lewd thoughts as Li Yuxuan.

Sure enough, a loud voice immediately shouted: "Miss Haitang, don't be modest. If Master Wang really appoints this Khitan as the young master, we swordsmiths will be the first to leave First Manor."

Li Yuxuan looked at the person who had short-circuited his brain and acted as a scapegoat for Haitang, and saw that his gaze was fixed on Haitang, his eyes filled with blatant admiration and infatuation.

Very good, very powerful.

The hall became noisy and chaotic again, with many voices calling for a break from the First Villa.

Li Yuxuan looked at Wang Naigong with a mocking expression, watching how he would handle the situation and achieve his carefully planned goal. He used his sharp eyes to find the evidence he needed within the crowd.

He probably understands everything, but he doesn't dare to make a judgment without evidence.

Wang Naigong understood Li Yuxuan's meaning and returned her a knowing smile. Perhaps he truly could control everything, but did he have the right to control her fate? She sneered and continued watching. Her mother having such a senior brother was probably one of the reasons she left her sect and fled to the Central Plains.

The sounds of fighting coming from the front yard drowned out the noise in the hall. Many people, disregarding her status as the pseudo-young master, rushed into the yard. Yang Xiao looked around and returned to report, "Master, there's a fight between a sect and the people from the First Manor outside."

"What about the others?"

"Watching."

Haitang stood up: "Father, I'll go take a look!"

Wang Naigong nodded.

Watching Haitang leave, Li Yuxuan sneered, "Aren't you afraid of getting burned?"

Wang Naigong laughed heartily: "I started this fire, so of course I'm not afraid of getting burned. Steward Yang, go and put in more effort to lure the fire in." He raised his voice: "I've given all my skills over the past few decades to Li Youying. I'm just an old man with nothing left. What am I afraid of?"

Yang Xiao retreated, and soon people rushed in and clashed with the guards in the hall. There were many tourists in the hall, but not many guards. After a chaotic scene, only a few guards remained surrounding Wang Naigong and his group, along with Haitang. The rest were increasingly numerous patriotic comrades who strongly demanded the killing of Li Yuxuan. Even Yang Xiao stood behind them.

This scenario was entirely within Li Yuxuan's expectations; he was inciting public opinion to force the emperor to abdicate. "You, Wang Naigong, have run out of internal energy? Let's see how you manage to defeat so many passionate heroes of the martial world."

It's an old trick, but it's very effective.

Li Yuxuan laughed: "Master, should I commit suicide to atone for my sins?"

Who will be her bride, dressed in fragrant robes and with cloud-like hair?

A booming voice rang out from the crowd, making Li Yuxuan's eardrums tingle: "Master Wang, as long as you take back your words and kill this woman, we will still be your subordinates, with no disloyalty. Today's matter concerns the fate of the nation and our family. If you want this woman to be our young master, don't blame us for disobeying." With the voice, a tall young man stepped forward. Li Yuxuan recognized this man; he was one of Wang Rou's men from that day.

Li Yuxuan flicked a strand of hair from his sideburn and smiled, "This brother is absolutely right. Master Wang, you've played your hand terribly. Since you wanted me to be the young master, you shouldn't have revealed my background, right? You're too honest. Don't you know how treacherous people are in this world? Hahahahahaha."

After saying this, Li Yuxuan looked at the man in front of her, hoping he could understand the meaning behind her words. If he did, she hoped he would hurry home, wash up, and go to sleep, at least leaving behind his handsome appearance. She also hoped he could retire gracefully. Swords have no eyes, and although it was now certain he was a Khitan, she couldn't just die like that.

Tragically, the man didn't understand her hidden meaning and instead took a step closer to her: "If the lord doesn't speak, I'll take it as his consent. Let me kill her to avenge the countless people on this border who were killed by the Khitan dogs!"

Li Yuxuan pushed aside the guards blocking her way and stepped forward: "Brother, I have no objection to you killing me. You don't need to come any closer to threaten my master." His gaze swept over the faces of everyone in the hall (he still didn't see Xiao Feng and Xu Zhu). "Just tell me, if you kill me, who in your First Manor will be suitable to be the young master? After Master Wang passes away, who will take up the burden of the First Manor?"

She took a step forward, and the man took a step back. She heard someone behind her calling out that she knew the Star Absorbing Technique and telling the man to be careful.

Upon hearing her question, the man immediately replied, "Our First Manor is full of talented people. Anyone would be more suitable than you. Aren't there Miss Haitang and Steward Yang? In terms of relationships and martial arts, you, this vixen, are not even in the running." This man wasn't stupid; he immediately labeled her as a vixen.

"You're just making things up. What if they didn't want to be the young master and voluntarily gave me their position?" Li Yuxuan stood in front of the crowd, smiling as he looked at the man in front of him.

"Pah!" the man shouted angrily. "That's impossible. Nobody would refuse to sit in this position."

"So you're willing to take this position? Very well, I'll give it to you. Tell the old master that you're ready to sit here." Li Yuxuan smiled broadly. "Master, I've found someone willing to inherit your position. Please let him sit here; at least he's of good lineage. Unlike me, a perfectly respectable Central Plains person, you've been labeled a Khitan. Aren't you quite pleased with yourself?"

...The man opposite him blushed and was at a loss for words after Li Yuxuan spoke. He stepped back, looking at Wang Naigong's cold face: "That's not what I meant. What I meant was, Master, why didn't you choose your own adopted daughter and instead chose a Khitan?"

It's no wonder the man was stunned by Li Yuxuan's words; no matter where you are, the name of a traitor means certain death. Wang Naigong's martial arts skills may have faded, but his influence remained. Besides, there were so many elderly people around him who hadn't spoken yet.

He stepped back, and the crowd began to stir again. Someone shouted, "This witch must have bewitched the manor lord with her sorcery! Everyone, charge forward and kill this witch!"

Li Yuxuan looked at Haitang, who stood calmly before Wang Naigong, sword in hand. He then looked at Wang Naigong, but she avoided his gaze.

He left her to fend for herself. Was he really willing to risk everything to avenge Wang Rou?

Li Yuxuan subconsciously touched the hidden weapon on his arm; this was probably his last weapon to save her life!

The next second, the enraged crowd approached her with weapons in hand.

Li Yuxuan straightened her back: "Are you all coming at me at once or one by one?" Her Tianshan Plum Blossom Hand technique could finally be put to good use. Brother Xuzhu, if you don't come soon, I'll be splattering blood all over the First Manor with this magnificent Plum Blossom Hand technique, for all to admire.

Perhaps intimidated by her composure and imposing presence, the group surrounded her but did not attack. The legendary Star-Absorbing Technique likely also made them wary; they all stretched out their swords, yet dared not advance.