Une jeunesse errante

Chapitre 82

“Easy,” Qing Jianyue said with a wild idea. “Cut Miss Zhao in half, one half for me and the other half for He Zhiqiang.”

Everyone stared wide-eyed.

Madam Lu was furious. "What kind of time is this? How dare you joke with me?"

Kiyomi Tsuki chuckled and said, "Isn't this a good method? It doesn't seem so. If you split it in half, it will die, and it'll be all bloody and unsightly."

"Kiyoshi, be serious!" Madam Lu was so angry she almost threw the cup in his face. "What do you think this place is?"

Qing Jianyue gently coaxed, "Madam, please calm down. I just thought everyone's tense faces were a bit scary, so I wanted to make them laugh. I understand what you mean, Madam, please rest assured. The wedding will proceed as planned. The bride is Miss Zhao Yu, and the groom is me, ha, Qing Jianyue. As for He Zhiqiang, who tried to steal my wife, do as you wish, Madam. Remove him from his post, give him a hundred lashes, beat him half to death, then drive him out of Lu Family Fort, and let the wolves carry him away and eat him."

Cai Zhonghe chuckled and said, "Jian Yue is truly incorrigible; he dares to joke around no matter the time."

Qingfeng snorted, "He was implying something."

Madam Lu looked incredulous and said, "Qing Jianyue, do you really want me to do this?"

"Madam, I have more to report. After a hundred lashes, can He Zhiqiang still live? It's obvious he'll die a tragic death. Miss Zhao will not only refuse to marry me, but she'll also commit suicide for love. This ill-fated couple, unable to be husband and wife in this world, it doesn't matter; after death, they'll become a pair of beautiful butterflies, flying and flying into heaven. That's how Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai sang. Everyone will eagerly spread this beautiful love story."

People in the banquet hall couldn't help but smile, their lips twitching. As for He Zhiqiang and Zhao Yu, the devoted couple, they held hands, gazing deeply into each other's eyes, exuding an aura that suggested no one could separate them.

Yang Xueli nestled close to her husband, tears welling in her beautiful eyes and wetting her delicate face. Lei Yongxiang also embraced her tightly, deeply moved.

"Kiyomizuki".

Madam Lu was furious, and this time she really threw the cup. Qing Jian Yue tilted her head, and with a "bang," the cup shattered on the ground. The women screamed in panic. Qing Jian Yue remained fearless, her face still smiling.

"Madam, please don't be angry yet. I haven't finished. After we break up this loving couple and send them to the Heavenly Garden, they'll be at peace, free, and have gained eternal love and happiness. But you and I will be miserable. Of course, everyone will be angry with you but dare not speak out, but they won't be so kind to me, Qing Jian Yue. I, Qing Jian Yue, will not only lose both my love and my money, but I'll also be branded as a heartless scoundrel. At that time, everyone will call me a big turtle." Qing Jian Yue gestured with his hands, "At that time, I'll be a rat crossing the street, hated by everyone."

With a "pfft," Qingfeng burst out laughing first, followed by a chorus of laughter.

Madam Lu's face turned ashen with rage, and she trembled all over. "Very well, are you trying to say that I drove them to their deaths?"

"I can bear such a crime, but how can you, Madam, bear it?" Qing Jianyue said with a smile, "So I think it would be better if you did this. Madam, just give Qing Jianyue your orders. You can say, 'Qing Jianyue, be more magnanimous. There are plenty of fish in the sea. Are you afraid you won't be able to find a wife? Look how pitiful this couple is. Let's grant them their wish.' Qing Jianyue has such awe for you, Madam. He would never dare to disobey you. Then you can announce to everyone that the wedding will proceed as planned, the bride is the beautiful Miss Zhao, and the groom is He Zhiqiang. Ah, one can imagine how lively the wedding will be on that day. Everyone will talk about how this couple has gone through so many hardships to finally be together, and they will praise you as such a fair and reasonable person!"

He Zhiqiang and Zhao Yu were overjoyed.

Smiles spread across everyone's faces in the banquet hall, and Liu Xicheng nodded vigorously with immense excitement. Tong Lei's face darkened with jealousy, his eyes blazing with fury, and he tried to draw his sword several times, but Tong Kang stopped him each time.

Madam Lu sneered several times, "Qing Jianyue, do you really think I can't kill you?"

Madam Tong could no longer contain herself. She jumped up and roared arrogantly, "Guards, seize this insolent and rude lackey!"

Tong Lei shoved his elder brother aside, drew his sword, and lunged at Qing Jianyue. Qing Jianyue was equally audacious; if he dared to draw his sword, he would draw his saber—who was afraid of whom? But just as he drew his saber, He Zhiqiang shoved Zhao Yu into his arms and quickly stepped in front of him, his sword flashing as he shouted, "Stop! This is Lu Family Fortress; how dare you run wild here!"

Two more clangs rang out as Li Anguo and Liu Xicheng attacked Tong Lei from both sides. Li Anguo said in a deep voice, "Put down your sword, or don't blame us for being rude." Liu Xicheng also shouted, "Dare to be rude to Young Master Jianyue? Kill without mercy!"

Tong Lei was shocked.

Cai Bo'an roared like thunder: "Put down your swords! What kind of place is this? How dare you run wild here?"

Madam Tong screamed in panic, "What's going on? Eldest sister, they're trying to rebel!"

A terrifying storm brewed in Madam Lu's phoenix eyes. "A child of unparalleled beauty."

Lu Qingcheng said calmly, "Put away your swords and step back."

Li Anguo and Liu Xicheng sheathed their swords, bowed to Lu Qingcheng, and returned to their seats.

Lu Qingcheng said in a deep voice, "Tong Lei, even if you are my relative, you cannot be disrespectful to my subordinates. If my subordinates make a mistake, I will punish them myself, and it is none of your business to interfere."

Tong Lei's face flushed red and then paled. He sheathed his sword and slowly retreated like a defeated rooster. He Zhiqiang then sheathed his sword, and Qing Jianyue returned Zhao Yu to him, also sheathing her knife. The white fox glared fiercely at Tong Lei, quite unwilling that a fight hadn't broken out. If a fight had, it would have taken advantage of the chaos to bite him a couple of times. Hmph, how dare you be disrespectful to your master.

“Mother, the game is over.” Lu Qingcheng’s face darkened, her gaze sharp as arrows, and she said with great force, “Jian Yue is right, Miss Zhao’s beloved is not him, and Miss Zhao does not want to marry him. Now that everyone knows, there is no need to continue this game.”

Madam Lu was so angry that her blood ran cold.

Xu Yun said urgently, "The Lord of the Fortress has misunderstood Madam. Madam's initial intention to match you and Miss Zhao was entirely for your benefit. Madam had no ill intentions; she only wanted to express her love for her son, but unexpectedly, it backfired and caused all this trouble. Everyone knows that Miss Zhao's marriage to Qing Jianyue is just a pretext. The reason Madam played along was because she didn't like Jianyue and only wanted to give Jianyue a little punishment. She had no intention of making things difficult for Miss Zhao."

Lu Qingcheng frowned slightly, somewhat incredulous. Zhao Yu looked utterly incredulous.

Madam Lu, her face as cold as ice, snapped, "Stop talking!"

Xu Yun said loudly, both angry and anxious, "It is because of Madam's willfulness that the Lord of the Fortress has misunderstood you."

The banquet hall was so quiet that even a soft cough could be heard as clearly as thunder.

Madam Lu smiled expressionlessly, "Yun'er, you're only half right. Qing Jianyue."

Kiyomi Tsuki raised an eyebrow and looked at her calmly.

"The reason I used this scheme was to expose your true colors." Madam Lu suddenly stood up, her voice trembling with emotion. "Who exactly are you? Who sent you? What is your purpose?"

Kiyomi Tsuki was greatly surprised.

Before Qing Jianyue could even reply, Madam Lu screamed like a madwoman, "I won't let you take my son away! Where is Lu Ji? Where is he? Where is he?"

Xu Yun grabbed Madam Lu's arm in horror, "Madam, Madam..."

At this moment, even Lu Qingcheng could not stand idly by. He quickly stood up, reached out and grabbed his screaming mother, shouting, "Mother, calm down. Mother..."

Madam Lu seemed deaf to everything, pointing at Qing Jianyue and screaming desperately, "He sent you! It was him! I recognize the ring on your hand, the ring..."

Everyone stared at Kiyomi Tsuki, their eyes filled with shock and confusion.

Qing Jianyue raised her hand and looked at the ring on her finger, thinking to herself: No wonder Madam Lu was so envious of my enemy, it turns out it was all because of this ring.

Madam Lu grabbed her son's hand and cried, "My son, my son, Qing Jianyue was sent by your old, bastard father. I recognize the ring on his hand. He wants to take you away from me."