Une jeunesse errante

Chapitre 17

Cai Bo'an was shocked, and his expression changed drastically.

Cai Zhonghe thought to himself: So, this was your real purpose. But what good is knowing this now?

Lei Yongxiang asked in confusion, "What's the truth behind my older brother's murder?"

Qing Jianyue winked at Cai Zhonghe, who understood immediately. He glared at him, as if to say, "Just you wait." He said in a serious tone, "Brother, at this point, you shouldn't hide it anymore."

"You?" Cai Bo'an was furious.

The steward and his son looked at them with suspicion.

"Brother Bo'an, what exactly happened?" Lei Yongxiang asked angrily, "What kind of riddles are you playing?"

Grandma Cai said in a panic, "Brother Yongxiang, please don't be angry. My husband had his own reasons for hiding it."

She might as well not explain; any explanation she offered only deepened Lei Yongxiang's suspicions.

Cai Bo'an, at his wit's end, sighed deeply. "Back then, I swore to Master Kang that I would never reveal this matter. After all, it's not something to be proud of. Alright! Today, I'll tell you."

Lei Yongxiang remained silent with a sullen face.

"It's a long story, and it probably goes back to twenty-three years ago."

"It really is long." Kiyomi Tsuki lifted the little white fox by the tail, threw it to the ground, and let it play by itself.

"Twenty years ago, I was thirteen and Yongqing was twelve. That summer, the master, ah, the father of the fortress lord, the former fortress lord, fell in love with the wife of the great fortress lord of Tianlong Fortress. In order to win over the wife of the great fortress lord, he challenged the great fortress lord. That year, Yongqing and I followed our father to accompany the master and were fortunate enough to witness the unparalleled beauty of the great fortress lord."

Kiyoshi asked in surprise, "Could this story be related to Madam Long of Tianlong Fortress?"

“It is indeed related to Madam Long,” Cai Bo’an admitted.

“This is unbelievable,” Kiyomi Tsuki exclaimed.

After Cai Bo'an sighed, he fell silent, and his memories flew back to the past as if they had sprouted wings.

"I remember that day, just when the master and the master of Long Dabao were locked in a fierce battle, Madam Long arrived. She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen in my life. Her beauty was not in her appearance, but in her aura, like that of a goddess, capable of making everyone submit to her."

Cai Bo'an's description filled those present with longing.

"The arrival of Madam Long caused a life-or-death battle to vanish in an instant. Looking back now, that scene was like a thunderbolt, happening suddenly and ending abruptly, leaving an indelible mark on all of us, let alone Yongqing. It can be said that Madam Long was Yongqing's first love, and he deeply admired her for more than ten years until he met Xue Li."

Cai Bo'an picked up his teacup and took a few sips to moisten his throat.

Kiyomi Tsuki, being impatient, asked, "And then?"

"And then?" Cai Bo'an smiled bitterly. "And then, it all started three years ago. Three years ago, Yongqing was sent to Shandong on his wife's orders. When he arrived in Caozhou, he happened to run into the Long family, who were visiting their daughter and son-in-law at Fengyue Manor and taking the opportunity to admire the peonies that Caozhou was famous for. They happened to stay at the home of one of Yongqing's friends, and Yongqing had the honor of meeting Madam Long. I never expected that when I saw her again seventeen years later, Madam Long not only did not age, but was even more noble, radiant, and charming than before she got married."

Lei Yongxiang's cold and stern expression changed, and his gaze became uncertain and suspicious.

"Yongqing shouldn't have, he shouldn't have, rekindled his old feelings after meeting Madam Long. But she doesn't even know who he is. The proud and arrogant Yongqing decided to confess his admiration to Madam Long, even though he knew she would reject him."

Kiyomi Tsuki couldn't help but widen her eyes. How could there be such a bored person?

"When a person harbors evil thoughts, it's as if they're possessed by a demon. That very night, while Lord Long was entertaining guests in the front hall, he secretly sneaked into Madam Long's bedroom." At this point, Cai Bo'an, overcome with shame, cursed, "That bastard!"

"Could it be that, could it be that, elder brother, he, he... ...

Cai Bo'an smiled wryly, "As I mentioned earlier, the family where Lord Long and his wife stayed happened to be a good friend of Yongqing's. His friend's surname was An, and his name was An Ziyu. An Ziyu was a businessman who enjoyed martial arts and loved making friends; he was known for his chivalry and loyalty. He had business dealings with Kang Boying, and their relationship was very close. Therefore, after Lord Long and his wife arrived in Caozhou, An Ziyu warmly invited them to stay at the An family's house. An Ziyu had a younger sister named An Meiyu. This girl had been in love with Kang Boying for three years, confessing her feelings and pursuing him several times, but Kang Boying had always firmly rejected her."

That day, An Meiyu paled upon seeing Madam Long. With her mother so beautiful, one could only imagine how stunning her daughter must be. Disheartened and resentful, she felt a surge of anger. Because Yongqing had behaved inappropriately upon seeing Madam Long, displeasing the Lord of Long Fortress, An Ziyu, fearing for his safety, urged Yongqing to leave. An Meiyu overheard their conversation. Afterwards, An Meiyu approached Yongqing and conspired with him, offering her assistance.

The infuriating thing was that Yongqing, completely bewitched, actually accepted her idea. They agreed that that night, An Meiyu would first help to send away the servants surrounding the room, and then Yongqing would go in to express his feelings to Madam Long. However, as soon as he entered the room, as soon as he entered the room…

Cai Bo'an was filled with shame, and everyone present was breathing heavily.

"Upon entering the room, he was horrified to find that Madam Long was lying on the bed, disheveled and half-naked, and it appeared that she had been drugged with aphrodisiacs. Yongqing was stunned. Just then, Lord Long returned to the room with Kang Boying and they bumped into each other. Yongqing was speechless and, because he was terrified, he jumped out of the window and fled."

Everyone present was stunned and speechless for a long time.

Cai Bo'an said in a low voice, "That year, it was Madam Tong's sixtieth birthday. My wife and I accompanied my mother to Baishi Manor to offer our congratulations. Because my mother adored Xue Li, treating her like her own daughter, she brought her along as well. Yongqing knew he couldn't escape Kang Boying's pursuit, so he wanted to see his wife one last time. That night, he fled to Baishi Manor, confessed everything to us, expressed deep remorse, and begged Xue Li for forgiveness. At that time, Xue Li was filled with anger and hatred, and said harshly that she would never forgive him, even if she died. Less than an hour after he returned that night, Kang Boying led his men to surround Baishi Manor, their force as overwhelming as thunder, impossible to resist. Junior Brother Lei came out and surrendered, explained to Kang Boying, and then committed suicide by cutting his own throat with his sword. Xue Li came out from inside and saw that scene, and was heartbroken, deeply regretting why she hadn't forgiven him then. From then on, she became mentally unstable."

The hall was deathly silent.

Cai Bo'an's eyes were filled with sorrow. "Although Yongqing's crime did not warrant death, if he hadn't harbored evil thoughts, how could he have ended up like this? Because of this matter, it would be disgraceful for both sides if it got out. Therefore, the two families agreed to never mention this matter again. The situation at the time was too complicated to explain clearly. In addition, Liu Jianhua was ostracizing Yongxiang. I was afraid that Yongxiang's hot temper would lead to his death, so I asked my wife to send him to Tianyi Ranch to manage the ranch. Firstly, it would temper his character so that he could be of great use in the future; secondly, there was also a selfish reason; and thirdly, for the sake of the Lord, we must preserve some strength no matter what."

Lei Yongxiang was in tears, sobbing uncontrollably, "Brother, how foolish you were! How foolish you were!"

Everyone looked at him, their hearts filled with sympathy. After a while, when Lei Yongxiang's emotions had calmed down a bit, Qing Jianyue called out, "Lei Yongxiang."

Lei Yongxiang looked up, utterly astonished. Qing Jianyue's face appeared serious and calm; this was the first time he had ever seen Qing Jianyue with such an expression. He involuntarily stood up, and at the same time, Cai Bo'an, Cai Zhonghe, and Steward Zhou and his son also rose from their seats.

“You heard it all. Your older brother, no matter how heroic he is, is just an ordinary person, no different from you. No matter how glorious or successful his past was, no matter what mistakes or failures he made, those are his and have nothing to do with you.”

Lei Yongxiang was stunned.

“Lei Yongxiang, no one can erase your existence, but if you insist on binding yourself up and then discarding yourself, insist on living in the shadow of your older brother with inferiority and self-pity, then no one can save you.”

Lei Yongxiang was moved and asked, "Kiyomi Tsuki?"

"Everyone living in this world is an independent individual, irreplaceable by anyone. You are you, and no one, not even your elder brother, can replace you. There is only one Lei Yongxiang, and that is you. In this world, whether in the past or in the future, there will never be another Lei Yongxiang. The Grand Enforcer recommended you not because you are Lei Yongqing's younger brother, but because you are Lei Yongxiang; the Fortress Lord invited you out not to replace Lei Yongqing, but because in his eyes, Lei Yongxiang, you are a hero with courage and wisdom, a trustworthy man, and in the future, you will surely become his most proud subordinate and friend. That is why we are gathered here today."

Kiyomi Tsuki's eyes shone brightly, dazzlingly. Lei Yongxiang's face flushed crimson as if stained by flames, his heart pounding with profound emotion and shock.

The hall was so quiet that only Kiyomi Tsuki's voice echoed in their hearts like the tolling of a golden bell. The little white fox leisurely leaned forward with its hind legs, scratching itself.

Chapter Nine Breaking Through the Fog