Une jeunesse errante

Chapitre 167

Lu Xiu shouted loudly, "The young master of this fortress has already ordered Tianlong Fortress and Fengyue Manor to punish your fortress's offense at all costs."

Upon hearing this, Kiyomi Tsuki felt as if her soul had left her body, her hands and feet turned ice-cold, and she felt as if she were trapped in an abyss.

Lu Xiu arrogantly said, "Young Master Jianyue, it's not that our two families want to join forces to fight your Lu Family Fortress, but that your fortress brought this upon itself."

Kiyoshi finally figured out the origin of the strange events at Yixin Garden today.

Qingfeng calmly asked, "Is this a challenge jointly issued by Tianlong Fortress and Fengyue Manor?"

Lü Xiu looked at the unbelievably handsome man in front of her with disdain.

Qingfeng's sharp eyes were filled with fierceness. "A personal letter from Lord Long of Guibao and Lord Kang of Guizhuang."

Lü Xiu's expression changed several times, but he finally took out the letter.

Qingjian Yue was most concerned about Madam Long's health. He asked anxiously, "Eldest sister, is Madam Long alright? Where is she injured? Is she seriously injured?"

Shang Wanxia said, "Thank you for your concern, young master. Although the First Madam was injured, she is not seriously ill."

Kiyomi Tsuki let out a long sigh of relief after hearing this.

"This matter has greatly angered the young master, and my wife is very worried. My wife sent Piaoxiang to deliver a letter to the young master, hoping to persuade him to leave Lu Family Fortress. My wife meant well, but unexpectedly Piaoxiang... sigh..." Shang Wanxia cursed through gritted teeth, and then sighed sadly.

Kiyomi Tsuki understood everything.

Because of their personal relationship, Madam Kang disobeyed her brother's orders and asked Feng Piaoxiang to deliver a letter to Qing Jianyue. Her intentions were good, but she never expected to incite Qing Jianyue's murderous intent. Judging from Shang Wanxia's tone, Feng Piaoxiang must have been acting under someone's orders.

After reading the letter, Qingfeng suddenly stood up. "Please ask the guest to rest in the courtyard first. Once the truth of the matter is found out, we will give your fort and estate a reasonable explanation."

Chapter Sixty-Two: Fortune and Misfortune Are Unpredictable (Part 3)

There was no time for anger or fear. Qing Jianyue and Qingfeng rushed to Yixin Garden and presented the challenge from Fengyue Manor to Old Madam Lu. After reading the letter, Old Madam Lu turned pale and remained silent for a long time. Seeing this, everyone felt as if a heavy weight was hanging over their hearts. At this moment, Xu Yun quietly moved into the painting hall, followed by a maid carrying medicine.

Qingfeng said in a gloomy tone, "Madam, how should we explain this to them?"

Xu Yun picked up the medicine bowl, and Old Madam Lu slowly reached out to take it, but because of her trembling, the medicine spilled out of the bowl. Xu Yun hurriedly supported her and held her hand tightly, her eyes filled with grief.

Qingfeng was furious. "This isn't the first time. You've provoked Tianlong Fortress time and time again. What exactly do you want?"

Madam Lu's chest heaved with excitement.

Xu Lan stood behind Old Madam Lu, silently observing the highest-ranking stewards of the Lu Family Manor in the painting hall. When his gaze fell upon Qing Jianyue, he couldn't look away. An invisible tension filled the hall; everyone was excited, except for Qing Jianyue, who remained remarkably calm. Xu Lan was extremely curious: what was he thinking at this moment?

At this moment, Kiyomi Tsuki's mind was in utter turmoil.

What should I do? Qingcheng, what should I do? How can I quell everyone's anger? If you were in my shoes, what would you do?

New grudges compounded old ones, and Qingfeng's words grew increasingly sharp and biting. Strangely, no matter how Qingfeng questioned her, Old Madam Lu seemed to have her mouth sewn shut, neither admitting nor denying anything. Judging from this, it was absolutely true that Old Madam Lu's old habits had resurfaced. Lu Family Fortress was finished! Cai Bo'an, Lin Feng, Cai Zhonghe, Su Haibo, and Zhou Peng were filled with anger, resentment, and even more so, a sense of dejection.

Qing Jianyue was filled with anxiety. What should they do? If this continued, morale would plummet, and they would be defeated without even being attacked. They had to stay calm; they absolutely could not allow internal chaos to erupt. With this thought in mind, Qing Jianyue said firmly and forcefully, "Qingfeng, we must come up with a plan."

Everyone in the hall turned their attention to him.

Kiyomi Tsuki smiled gently, a smile full of comforting power. "Since it has already happened, there's no point in blaming anyone. The best thing we can do is come up with a proper solution as soon as possible."

Appreciation shone in Xu Lan's calm and unwavering eyes.

Everyone's attention turned to Qingfeng again.

Qingfeng gave a soft hum, "Return to the council chamber."

Indeed, instead of getting angry and yelling here, it's better to focus on how to solve the problem. The senior leaders of Lujiabao left Yixinyuan and returned to the council hall to begin an emergency meeting.

After nearly an hour of discussion, three orders were issued. The first order was to send someone to immediately summon Lu Qingcheng back to the fortress to oversee the overall situation. The second order was to place all businesses across the country on high alert. The third order was to impose martial law on the entire fortress. The guests at Fengyue Manor were to be appeased by Qing Jianyue. After the meeting, Cai Zhonghe brought Guo Gang and Shang Wanxia to Bingyuan, where Qing Jianyue treated them with utmost hospitality. Utilizing past friendships and appealing to their emotions, she successfully bought them some time through negotiation.

A gust of wind rose in the night, followed by a sudden downpour. Qing Jianyue sat in the flower hall of the Ice Garden Orchid Courtyard, holding the white fox in her arms and combing its white fur. The carved door opened, and Xiaoqian, Little Sparrow, and Little Crow entered one after the other, setting out the carefully prepared meal on the table.

The little sparrow said softly, "Young master, please have some food."

Kiyomi Tsuki hummed in response, staring blankly out the window, still combing the white fox's fur with the comb in her hand.

Seeing this, Xiaoqian walked over, bent down and took his hand holding the comb. "Young master, you haven't eaten properly all day. Take this opportunity to have some food."

Kiyoshi nodded, handed the white fox to her, walked to the table and sat down, took the bowl and chopsticks handed to her by the little crow, and ate as if chewing wax.

Xiaoqian, the little sparrow, and the little crow were extremely worried.

Guo Guo's voice came from outside, announcing that Cai Bo'an, Lin Feng, Cai Zhonghe, Su Haibo, Li Anguo, and Fang Runmin were requesting an audience. When they entered, their dark complexions were no less sullen than the gloomy, rainy weather outside. Qing Jianyue felt an even heavier, more uneasy feeling in her heart. She put down her chopsticks and picked up a handkerchief to wipe her mouth.

"Have you heard of Tang Xing and Jia Li, young master?" Cai Bo'an asked.

Kiyomi Tsuki was taken aback. "Who is that person?"

“They are Master Yan’s former subordinates. Three years ago, they helped Master Yan plot something but failed, and then they ran away,” Cai Bo’an said. “For some reason, they have gotten involved with Lin Zehai. This time, Grandfather came because of their instigation. Runmin, let him in.”

Fang Runmin turned and went out. A moment later, he brought in someone. Qing Jianyue saw that it was Zhou Lan, Qingfeng's personal attendant.

Zhou Lan said tremblingly, "This humble one greets Your Excellency."

Fang Runmin said, "Zhou Lan, you speak."

"Yes." Zhou Lan blinked her small eyes and said cautiously, "This morning, I accompanied my young master to welcome Grandfather and his party. I noticed that two of Grandfather's servants were particularly suspicious. Although they were disguised, I recognized them at a glance."

Fang Runmin said, "It has been confirmed that they are indeed Tang Xing and Jia Li, who escaped three years ago."

Kiyomi Tsuki's face darkened, but she remained silent.