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“There’s something that has been bothering me for ten years,” Li Anguo said.

"Has this been troubling you for ten years?" Kiyoshi said seriously. "If a minor ailment is left untreated, it will inevitably become a serious and difficult-to-treat illness. Brother Anguo, please speak."

Li Anguo smiled wryly and said, "Actually, it's nothing serious at all. I'm not very capable, and I'm even clumsy with words. I'm afraid you'll laugh at me if I say anything. But since you are such a wise and intelligent person as you, even if it's embarrassing, I still want to ask you for advice."

Kiyoshi said humbly, "Brother Anguo, you are older than me, so please don't ask me for advice. Just tell me what's on your mind, and we can chat and exchange ideas."

“Wisdom knows no age, so you don’t need to be modest with me.” Her gentle and kind smile eased Li Anguo’s anxiety, adding to his trust and respect. “Ten years ago, I was about twenty years old, just a lowly servant. That year, I fell in love with a girl, the daughter of a manager. To be honest, I was incredibly arrogant and actually proposed to her. Not only was I rejected on the spot, but I was also ridiculed and mocked by her. When her family found out, they gave me a severe dressing down. The incident caused quite a stir at the time, and I was mocked for five whole years until I was promoted to lord, at which point no one dared to mention it again.”

A flash of anger crossed Kiyomizu's eyes, but she still calmly asked, "Brother Anguo, what happened to that woman afterward?"

“That girl later married the son of a steward and had a son and a daughter.” Li Anguo said honestly, “However, a year ago, the steward passed away from illness, and the son didn’t know how to manage a household, so life wasn’t as good as before. I heard that he often had to rely on his family for help.”

Kiyomi Tsuki nodded.

“However, that’s not the point.” Li Anguo’s face suddenly flushed. “As you said, I’ve fallen for Miss Zhou again, but her family background is better than the girl I liked before, and she’s even more beautiful and elegant, so I’m really worried that I’m not good enough for her. I’ve been troubled for a long time. I’ve tried to forget her for six years, but I just can’t let her go no matter what I do.”

"Six years? My God!" Qing Jianyue exclaimed, "Brother Anguo, if you had proposed six years ago, Miss Zhou would not have suffered the painful fate of being a widow. You have truly misled others and yourself."

Li Anguo, feeling both embarrassed and distressed, said, "Me? Me?"

Qingjian Yue thought for a moment and said, "Brother Anguo, the root of your illness is mainly from ten years ago. If you don't get rid of this root of the illness, even if the girl you like is very good, you won't have the courage to propose to her."

"Go ahead and speak," Li Anguo said respectfully. "I'm willing to listen to whatever you say."

“If the patient is willing to cooperate, the doctor can cure the disease more easily.” Qing Jianyue said, “Ten years ago, you fell in love with a girl, but she rejected you first, and then you were ridiculed by others, which caused you to feel inferior. Brother Anguo, I think you still feel resentful about it to this day, don’t you?”

Li Anguo said bitterly, "It would be a lie to say I don't hold a grudge. Even now, thinking about it still makes me feel ashamed and indignant."

"First of all, Brother Anguo, you've chosen the wrong person. It's a good thing that the girl is admired; she has the right to reject you and dislike you, but she has no right to insult you. Not only did she mock and ridicule you, but she also incited her family to verbally abuse you. This shows how sharp-tongued and mean-spirited she is. What's so admirable about a woman like that? If it were me, I would laugh out loud on the spot, dust myself off, turn around and leave, forgetting her completely in the blink of an eye. Furthermore, even if such a vicious woman hadn't rejected you and had married you, given your kind and generous nature, besides exploiting and deceiving you, she would also..." What can she give you? Can she give you happiness? She's completely unworthy of you. Why? Because she's stupid and foolish, because she's a sow. Why do I say that? She married the son of a butler. From that alone, you can see she didn't marry a husband; she married someone of equal social standing, she married for money and status. She didn't even marry the son, but rather the son's father, who is a butler. Brother Anguo, if you were to propose to her now, I guarantee she'd kneel down and propose to you instead. Why? Because you're a lord, your status is different, am I right?

Li Anguo nodded, and said thoughtfully, "You're right."

"And another thing, it's because of her wicked heart that she's in such a bad situation. Why? Because if I die, she can't go on living. Her husband must be a good-for-nothing, a complete idiot. See! She reaps what she sows." Qing Jianyue gently advised, "Brother Anguo, you're a good man. Is it worth it to make yourself feel inferior and hurt for a woman who doesn't deserve your love? Later, you fell in love with Miss Zhou but didn't dare to confess, almost ruining your life's happiness. Now you finally have another chance, but you're hesitating. If you keep wasting time, I can't guarantee that God won't give you this chance again."

Li Anguo lowered his head and said in a muffled voice, "But how do I know if she likes me or not? Besides, I'm clumsy with words and don't know how to sweet-talk. I'm afraid I won't be able to win her heart. When we're face to face, she looks indifferent. I really can't tell that she would like me."

Qing Jian Yue was so angry she felt powerless. "Brother An Guo, I'm truly speechless. You never confess your feelings, so how will she know your thoughts? She's a lady from a respectable family, so naturally she'll be very reserved. Besides, she's been married once and is a widow, so she wouldn't flirt with men unless she's shameless. When you like someone, the most important thing is sincerity; sweet words are not to be trusted. You are the fifth lord of this fortress, with status and position, young and strong, without a wife or concubine, and most importantly, you've loved her for six years without wavering. If she doesn't marry you for that reason alone, she's a sow."

Li Anguo angrily said, "She is not, Young Master Jianyue, you are not allowed to say such things about her."

Qing Jianyue smiled and said, "Since she isn't, you should hurry up and ask a matchmaker to propose marriage. She's so elegant, and you're so kind and loyal. You two will definitely be a loving couple like Cai Da and his wife in the future."

Li Anguo instantly transformed back into a cooked shrimp.

Qing Jianyue said with a smile, "Brother Anguo, don't worry, you haven't misjudged her this time. Miss Zhou is indeed gentle, beautiful, kind, considerate, and elegant. I wholeheartedly agree. Go after her, marry her immediately, cherish her, love her, and protect her. I believe Miss Zhou can give you the same consideration and love."

"Will it really work?" Li Anguo looked at him expectantly.

Kiyoshi's face darkened, and he snapped, "Brother Ankoku, when you face an enemy, do you ever think about whether it's feasible or not?"

“Of course not.” Li Anguo seemed like a different person, exuding a powerful masculine aura. “When facing an enemy, there’s no time to think about anything else. Victory is the only option; defeat is not an option. Otherwise, how can you survive?”

"Liking someone is the same principle. It's either complete victory or utter defeat; it's either possession or loss. There's no middle ground. Brother Anguo, if you don't pursue it, you're destined for failure and loss. Since that's the case, why not give it a shot? Perhaps the final result will be exactly what you desire. Even if you fail, a short, sharp pain is worse than a long, drawn-out one. After the heartbreak, you can find your true destiny again." Qing Jianyue's eyes shone brightly as she said firmly, "Brother Anguo, show the same fighting spirit you have when you're conquering an enemy, and pursue it with all your might. You must know that love is like a battlefield. How about it, if it doesn't work out, how about I act as your matchmaker?"

Li Anguo was both grateful and embarrassed, and hurriedly said, "No, no, it's not necessary. Just as you said, it's either complete victory or complete defeat, either gain or lose. I've made up my mind. What kind of man am I if I'm always hesitant?"

Qing Jianyue beamed with delight, "Brother Anguo, that's exactly right. Show that courage, go and marry Miss Zhou, and have her be a beautiful wife, wouldn't that be wonderful!"

Li Anguo's face was as red as the rising sun.

Suddenly, the white fox darted out of her arms and let out a long howl towards the distance. A short while later, hurried footsteps sounded in the distance, and in the blink of an eye, Guo Guo, Mao Ying, Huang Chong, and Zhang Lang arrived. Seeing him, they breathed a sigh of relief. Huang Chong beamed, "Young Master, we've finally found you! The Lord of the Fortress was very worried about you. Please return to the banquet hall quickly."

Kiyoshi frowned. "Brother Anguo, farewell."

"Young Master Jianyue," Li Anguo said sincerely and politely, "thank you very much."

Guo Guo, Mao Ying, Huang Chong, and Zhang Lang stared blankly at them.

Kiyomi Tsuki smiled faintly.

Li Anguo then said, "I believe that someone as intelligent as you, young master, will soon be able to resolve your worries."

"My heart ailment?" Kiyomi asked, slightly surprised.

Li Anguo smiled and said, "Young master, when I turned around suddenly just now, you were holding the white fox and standing under the blooming plum tree. Under the cold moonlight, you were so elegant and handsome. The radiance you exuded made me almost think that you were a god descended to earth."

His words left Qing Jianyue speechless. Huang Chong, Zhang Lang, Mao Ying, and Guo Guo all stared in astonishment, thinking to themselves: This person is truly rude.

Li Anguo then smiled and said, "I think that if Young Master Jianyue were to dress as a woman, he would certainly be very beautiful. So, please don't hesitate any longer. Seeing you so gloomy, everyone is very worried about you. Especially the lord of the fortress, he is so distressed. Ah, someone else has come for you."

Kiyoshi turned around and saw the lantern's light move swiftly. In the blink of an eye, Lin Feng and Zhang Zhichun arrived with their guards.

Zhang Zhichun bowed and said, "Young Master, I've finally found you. The Lord of the Fortress has been extremely worried about you since you've been gone for so long. You barely ate anything at tonight's banquet, so the Lord of the Fortress has ordered the kitchen to stew your favorite rock sugar bird's nest. Please go back quickly, Young Master."

Lin Feng also said, "It's almost midnight. As we welcome the New Year, the Lord of the Fortress will personally go to the bell tower to ring the first bell, and you will accompany him, so please hurry back."

Kiyoshi sighed; this was the benefit of being the center of attention. He took two steps back, then suddenly turned around and said, "With Lord Li's sweet words, how could he be clumsy and tongue-tied?"

Li Anguo was stunned. Watching Qingjian Yue being escorted away, he suddenly burst into laughter.

Chapter Fifty-Four Dangerous People

When Qing Jianyue returned to the banquet hall, Lu Qingcheng happily pulled him to sit down next to her and presented him with rock sugar bird's nest, finally managing to win his first smile of the night.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Well, it seems tonight's banquet won't be so difficult.