Le Jianghu de Feng Qingcheng et Mo Xibei

Chapitre 23

"Then you can enjoy yourself all you want! We brothers won't keep you company." Withdrawing his gaze, Qingfeng turned to leave.

Xuanyuan hurriedly spoke up to remind him:

"Don't forget that you are all important officials of the court now. You can't go anywhere without my permission! Even if you are good at light-footed skills and can leave the capital, you will be branded as traitors. At that time, even I can't save you."

Qingfeng You stopped, his body stiffening for a second before he suddenly turned around and said indignantly:

"Are you trying to use imperial power to suppress us?"

Xuanyuan stood up and walked towards Qingfeng, patted him on the shoulder, and replied sincerely with a hint of apology:

"You know I don't want to, but I have no other choice. We're like brothers, bound by thick and thin. There's no reason for you to share my suffering but not my joy, is there?"

"Letting us leave is already a way of sharing our hardships," Qingfeng replied coldly.

"That's your happiness, while I suffer alone, okay!" Xuanyuan poured his heart and soul into his words, speaking with utmost sincerity:

"Three more years! If you help me for just three more years, I promise I'll let you go. I guarantee it!"

"Only a fool would believe you!" Qingfeng snorted coldly and said angrily.

"Hmph! You shouldn't be surnamed Xuanyuan, you should be surnamed Lai! You said the same thing three years ago, have you forgotten?"

A month ago you said you'd help me with one last thing, and that you'd release him once you recovered. But now you've not only broken your promise, you're also keeping Nameless here. Don't you feel ashamed of the brotherhood we shared?

“I admit it was a bit wrong of me to bestow the title of Nameless without informing you. But I didn’t break my promise! It’s true that you promised to help me finish one last thing a month ago. But that thing is no longer there, is it? Now that the situation has changed, our plan must also change!” Xuanyuan answered confidently.

"That sounds so familiar... Oh right, isn't that what Wuming said yesterday in response to Xuanyuan taking a concubine?" Qingfeng narrowed his eyes at Xuanyuan and said sarcastically.

"Circumstances change, plans change! You need to be more flexible in applying what you've learned!"

"Hehe, what's wrong with me borrowing a classic line from an anonymous author?"

Without the slightest hint of embarrassment, he spoke as if it were the most natural thing in the world. Even Eunuch Fu couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat for his master, who completely lost all semblance of an emperor whenever he encountered these two fellow disciples.

Qingfeng rolled his eyes, shook his head and sighed:

"Alas! With an emperor like you, Jinghe is truly... truly..."

"Really what?" Even though he knew Qingfeng was deliberately trying to provoke him, Xuanyuan still asked anxiously. Because he cared, he really cared. He had given up his ideals and so many precious things, all for Jinghe's country and its people.

Eunuch Fu's worried gaze was fixed on Qingfeng, fearing he might say something that would hurt his master. A sly glint flashed in Qingfeng's eyes, and he repeated in a cold tone:

"Zhenguang is truly fortunate..."

Grandpa Fu's tense nerves immediately relaxed, and he unconsciously raised his sleeve to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

Xuanyuan paused for a moment, his face remaining calm, but a smile quickly flashed across his eyes.

This smile, however, did not escape Qingfeng's notice. Qingfeng seized the opportunity to say:

"I can trust you one more time, since you're not a tyrant. But not for three years, only for matters concerning the Shui family. And you must give up the idea of bestowing a marriage upon me and Wuming, otherwise there's nothing to discuss."

"Uh..." He hadn't even said anything! They'd already figured it out. Xuanyuan felt that dealing with smart people wasn't easy at all; on the contrary, it was just too much trouble. He thought, if it were someone else, what could be more tempting than being granted a title and a wedding night? But if they wouldn't marry him, wouldn't he have to marry him himself? But he'd already sold himself twice for Jinghe; he didn't want to sell himself again.

"If you can come up with a way to prevent me from taking concubines while maintaining balance in the court, I won't grant you the marriage. But if I insist on marrying, you won't be able to escape either. That's what it means to share happiness!"

And so, Qingfeng and Xuanyuan reached a three-way agreement behind Wuming's back.

The outer room of Qingfeng Residence was piled with all sorts of things: jewelry, antiques, food, clothing, and daily necessities.

Leng Jie suspected that Xuanyuan might have instructed the Imperial Household Department to give her one of everything in the palace warehouse. She discovered that it contained not only the finest cosmetics but also women's clothing and fabrics. She gave the women's fabric to Qing'er, letting her make her own clothes. Qing'er was overjoyed. She kept the cosmetics and clothing as makeup tools; who knew when she might need them for women's makeup!

Of all the gifts, the only one that still interested her was the luminous pearl. This pearl was even larger and more perfect than the one she had received from Xigong Shun last time. She then selected some other practical items and put them into her bundle.

At first, because the idiot's face was so pale it looked like a ghost, and because she was disguised as a low-key eunuch, Leng Jie had been applying a kind of herbal juice to her face to make her look like she had no nutritional value. Now that she no longer needed to pretend to be a eunuch, Leng Jie washed off the waxy yellow herbal juice, applied homemade snow cream, and thickened and lengthened her eyebrows. She changed into a well-fitting purplish-red royal robe and put on long boots. She tied her hair up with a jade hairpin. In the blurry bronze mirror, a hazy, handsome ancient man immediately emerged.

Just then, Qing'er's voice called for dinner came from outside:

"Young master, lunch is ready. Lord Hu is waiting for you in the front hall!"

"Coming!"

Leng Jie gently patted her smooth, delicate face, satisfied, and got up to go out for dinner. But as soon as she opened the door, she was blocked by Qing'er outside.

What a handsome young master! Qing'er thought dreamily. But only for a moment, she realized that she was in her young master's room.

"You, you, who are you? What are you doing in the young master's room?"

Seeing Qing'er speechless and stunned, Leng Jie smiled and teased:

"Qing'er, you're drooling!"

Qing'er unconsciously swallowed and asked again:

"Who are you? What are you doing in the young master's room?" Qing'er suddenly covered her mouth with both hands, then realized and said, "Oh! I know!"

Leng Jie was about to tease her a little more, but seeing that she recognized her so quickly, she couldn't help but feel bored. She gently patted her head, then walked past her towards the front hall. But she had just taken a step when she was stopped by Qing'er's extremely high-pitched scream.

"Thief! Thief! Catch the thief!"

Leng Jie whirled around, her gaze taking in the entire area within a mile. There wasn't even a rat in sight, except for the two of them. Where could a thief have come from? But Qing'er's scream wasn't fake. Could it be that another expert like Zi Ying had appeared?

"Where is the thief?" Qingfeng, who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, flew down beside them and asked anxiously.

Seeing Qingfeng arrive, Qing'er grew bolder. Pointing at Leng Jie, she exclaimed, "He... he's the thief!"

Qingfeng followed Qing'er's finger and met Leng Jie's astonished gaze. This glance startled Qingfeng. It was her? This was her true face! No matter how she changed, he could always recognize her clear, bright, and intelligent eyes. Qingfeng widened his gaze: a delicate pink face, a refined nose, and moist, vermilion lips. All her features combined to create an exquisite and perfect appearance, like a celestial being who had accidentally fallen to earth. Like a beautifully crafted, wealthy young master.

Don't be surprised that Qingfeng didn't see her as a fairy, but rather as a boy. Because she was dressed as a man, she really didn't fit the image of a fairy.

"I'm a thief? So all that 'Oh, I know!' you meant you knew your young master was a thief!" Leng Jie pointed to her nose, asking Qing'er with a wry smile.

Upon hearing this, Qing'er's eyes suddenly widened, her two black grape-like pupils almost popping out.

His mouth was agape, and he forgot to breathe, his finger trembling as he pointed at Leng Jie. He couldn't utter a single word for a long time.

Qingfeng was the first to regain his senses. Looking at her princely attire, a bittersweet feeling welled up inside him again. He immediately put on his usual gentle smile, held his breath, and teased Qing'er:

"You little brat, don't you even recognize your own master? And you were shouting so loudly, now the whole palace knows there's a thief at Qingfeng Residence!"

“Exactly, don’t you think about it? What kind of thief would be so bold as to break into Lord Hu’s Qingfeng Residence? Unless he’s a lantern lit in a latrine.” Leng Jie added with a smile.

Qing'er finally put her eyes back in place, exhaled several deep breaths of the carbon dioxide that had been trapped in her stomach, and then inhaled several deep breaths of fresh air. Only then did she ask:

"How so?"

Chapter Sixty: Successful Escape

What do you mean by not being scared? Hasn't he been scared enough by her? Qingfeng asked suspiciously:

What do you want to do?

"You'll find out then. Just don't embarrass me," Leng Jie replied while eating. Seeing that Qingfeng was only staring at her eating, she couldn't help but tease, "Hey! Why aren't you eating? Are you planning to wait for the royal banquet tonight on an empty stomach?"

Qingfeng paused for a moment before picking up his chopsticks, taking a piece of green vegetable, and putting it in his mouth.

Leng Jie picked up a piece of the last bit of braised pork and spiced beef and placed it in Qingfeng's bowl, saying:

"That's more like it! Eat up, the banquet tonight is still a long way off!"

"Does she think he's a gluttonous child?" Qingfeng chuckled as he ate the meat Leng Jie had placed on his plate.

"I never attend those royal banquets."

"Why? Is it too noisy? Don't you like eating with those ministers?" Leng Jie glanced at Qingfeng and asked casually.

Qingfeng nodded, indicating that she had guessed everything correctly.

Leng Jie stopped what she was doing, stared intently at Qingfeng for a moment, and then concluded:

"I can understand. You don't understand social dynamics and like to do things your own way. You do seem a bit out of touch with reality."

"He's otherworldly? If he truly possessed that realm, why would Master have banished him from the mountain? He simply couldn't stand those slick, sanctimonious ministers." However, her assessment of his character was quite accurate; he indeed lacked social skills and preferred to do things his own way. But how did things come to this? Qingfeng suddenly asked:

"You dressed like this just for the royal banquet tonight?"

Leng Jie nodded in agreement, "Yes, not only me, but you have to go too." Before Qingfeng could object, she added seriously, "If I'm not mistaken, the Emperor will also reward us two beauties. You know it's a waste to give me beauties, so why not give you mine too? Let you enjoy the blessing of having two women. After all, you're my senior brother!"

Qingfeng's face suddenly turned red, and he looked at her with a questioning gaze. Was she really a girl? Was this what a proper young lady from a respectable family looked like? After a long while, he said, "You don't need to worry. I've already reached an agreement with the Emperor. He won't bestow a marriage upon you."

At this moment, Leng Jie had finished eating, put down her chopsticks, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and asked casually:

"Oh, what did you say?"

Qingfeng then repeated the contents of his negotiation with Xuanyuan. Seeing that she remained nonchalant, as if the matter had nothing to do with her, Qingfeng hurriedly said:

"You have the most ideas, so hurry up and think of a way to help Xuanyuan pass the imperial selection this afternoon. He's waiting in the Imperial Study for a foolproof plan!"

"Burp!" Leng Jie let out a burp without any regard for her image, rubbing her bloated stomach. She said lazily, "Let him wait! I've already planned this out. Not only will it spare him the troubles of dealing with women, but I can also get away safely." She paused, as if suddenly remembering something, her laziness vanishing instantly, replaced by a serious expression as she asked:

"Do you want to leave the palace? If so, I can help you. I really don't think you're suited for this place. As for the emperor, he's far more cunning than you. Don't be fooled by his subservient attitude towards you; he's actually quite ruthless. So, you don't need to worry about him being unable to handle you."

Leng Jie thought to herself, "Hmph, you stinky Xuan Yuan Yunli, trying to scheme against me? I'll see if I don't steal you away too, and make you furious."

He was trying to conceal her identity and link her to himself in negotiations with Xuanyuan. And what about her?

She actually asked if he wanted her to help him leave? If it weren't for her, he might have already left the palace by now.

Qingfeng frowned abruptly, his expression instantly shifting from bright to cloudy. His sharp gaze fixed on Leng Jie, a surge of anger rapidly spreading within him, burning fiercely. After a moment, Qingfeng forced back his anger and confirmed:

"Are you planning to leave the palace alone?"

“No,” Leng Jie answered readily.

Qingfeng's complexion improved a little. But before the gloom on his face could dissipate, Leng Jie said something else.

"And Qing'er, I will take her away."

Qingfeng's complexion could no longer be described as cloudy; it was practically as dark as charcoal.

Seeing that Qingfeng remained silent, Leng Jie explained again, "She's still young and naive. I don't want her to be corrupted by the palace, that big dye vat."

Finally, Qingfeng erupted, slamming his chopsticks down on the table and angrily questioning:

"Is that girl more important than me, the senior brother who taught you kung fu on behalf of the master? Or have you never considered me your senior brother?"

"Uh!" Leng Jie paused for a moment, then raised an eyebrow and laughed loudly, "Haha, Senior Brother, you're not jealous of Qing'er, are you?"

"Cough!" Qingfeng's face turned from black to white as he coughed to hide his unspoken thoughts. But then he thought, why should he be jealous? He was her senior brother, while Qing'er was just a maid. So, he said again, trembling:

"Have you forgotten that you're from Worry-Free Valley again? You made such a big decision without even consulting me first. I don't think you respect me as your senior brother at all!"

Hearing Qingfeng's words, Leng Jie truly felt guilty. But she couldn't be entirely blamed! Ever since they met, Qingfeng had always suspected her of harming his good brother, Xuanyuan! Besides, when he taught her martial arts, impersonated her senior brother, and claimed he would take her into Wuyou Valley, weren't those all just expedient measures? Although she had to admit he was indeed a good senior brother, she had never truly considered him one!