Chapter 1402

"If Qingyang gives you the account book, she is forcing you to take a stand. If you remain indifferent, on this trip to Tianshui City, she might expose this matter at the King's birthday celebration." By then, it would be King Yao accompanying Xue Zongwu in losing face.

"Besides, are you sure Qingyang only caught this one pain point of yours?"

Xue Zongwu didn't make a sound with a gloomy face.

The Frost Creek account book was just a small matter; if Qingyang only caught this one piece of evidence, he wouldn't feel any pain or itch at all.

However, would Qingyang's move be so light? What he feared was that Frost Creek was just the tip of the iceberg she prepared to launch! Qi Yunsheng also sighed, "Are you sure she hasn't collected other evidence, waiting to put you to death by then? One of her most capable confidants, He Yang, also appeared in Mangzhou three days ago. I once sent people to follow him, but he shook them off very quickly."

He Yang? Xue Zongwu knew his implication: the lost account book might have been sent in by this one surnamed He.

Besides this, what else did He Yang come to Mangzhou for? This place is also full of powerful figures; are any of them Qingyang's targets? Qi Yunsheng continued: "If she wants to deter the court, she must handle someone well to establish prestige, no longer the insignificant person like Garrison Commander Huang, but..."

The words didn't need to be finished, Xue Zongwu's face was as heavy as water.

No matter who is used as a target, the chicken used to warn the monkeys, they wouldn't be happy.

"Then, what should I do?"

Qi Yunsheng was about to speak when a tapping sound suddenly came from outside the door.

"Master?"

Both of them could tell that this was the voice of Steward Yu.

Tonight, the head steward was fully responsible for organizing the banquet, busy from top to bottom; as the second steward in the mansion, Steward Yu had to temporarily take over many daily tasks.

As a junior, Xue Zongwu stood up to open the door, seeing two guards standing at the door, and Steward Yu standing between them, bowing to him: "Son-in-law."

Qi Yunsheng was a bit displeased, asking in the study: "What's the matter?"

"The old lady has returned to the Fragrant Hall, saying she is feeling unwell, and invites you to go over."

Qi Yunsheng is sixty-two this year, his mother is still alive, and just celebrated her eightieth birthday last year. The old lady is healthy and originally liked this lively scene the most, but for the past half year, she has been contrary to her usual behavior and doesn't like to see outsiders.

Qi Yunsheng stood up immediately and said to Xue Zongwu: "You wait here, I'll be right back."

He is skilled in medicine and doesn't need to borrow others' hands to see a doctor.

Xue Zongwu also stood up: "I'll go with my father-in-law to visit the old lady."

"You wait here, I'll be right back." Qi Yunsheng knew his mother wasn't sick, just throwing a tantrum; how could he let his son-in-law go and watch?

Xue Zongwu mentioned this only out of etiquette and naturally wouldn't insist.

Qi Yunsheng walked out of the study, Steward Yu lowered his head slightly, following closely behind him.

Xue Zongwu could still hear the conversation between the two drifting through the garden: "What's wrong with the old lady again?"

"The old lady said she is dizzy and short of breath, breathing with difficulty..."

Xue Zongwu paced a few steps in the study, feeling that Steward Yu was a bit wooden, not as diligent as usual.

However, the state of living people is good and bad, emotions have ups and downs; who knows what happened to Steward Yu these past few days, so Xue Zongwu was too lazy to think much.

Steward Yu's heavy footsteps hadn't completely disappeared, and Qi Yunsheng hadn't walked out of the garden yet, when Xue Zongwu couldn't wait to flip through the account book on the table.

Was this account book really sent by Qingyang? Once Qingyang blackmails him, how should he respond? Should he pretend to comply?

Or make a limited compromise with Qingyang? Xue Zongwu was indecisive.

He has held great power for these few years and has been smooth sailing, but his opponent is Qingyang, the old witch who has been calling the wind and rain in Beijia for nearly three sixty-year cycles! If the evidence Qingyang holds is only a little corruption in the national accounts, King Yao, although displeased, wouldn't really do anything to him.

But looking at the officials Qingyang reported earlier, she doesn't act unless she is sure, and once she acts, it is a precision strike, attacking the vital point, and every law and punishment can be judged as a major case or felony.

Xue Zongwu has forgotten what he has done himself, but he is now a bit worried that Qingyang remembers it even more clearly than he does.

The only person who isn't afraid of ghosts knocking on the door is one kind; he is not.

What to do? He Yang appeared in Mangzhou recently; besides secretly sending the account book, did he also come to collect evidence on the Qi family? Those in the know all understand that if Xue Zongwu is the main trunk, his roots are tied to the Qi family! He could smell the approach of ominous breath.

But Xue Zongwu didn't notice that his two hundred elite soldiers were left outside Little Peach Shanzhuang.

The deputy general and personal guards were also left outside the Nourishing Heart Hall.

A few breaths ago, even his father-in-law Qi Yunsheng walked away.

He Lingchuan's careful planning peeled away the protective power around him layer by layer like peeling an onion. Now, only Xue Zongwu is left alone in the hall!

And Qi Yunsheng walked away just a moment ago, and he immediately turned back to touch the account book on the table.

Xue Zongwu's heart was in chaos, and he didn't even realize he was facing away from the window.

The flower-lattice window of the Nourishing Heart Hall was wide open, both fragile and beautiful.

The sky began to drizzle again, as fine as flour that had just been sifted.

This is the opportunity He Lingchuan carefully planned.

Timing, location, all just right.

He Lingchuan, hiding in the dark, held his breath, his body as still as a rock, yet his essence, energy, and spirit were contained within, already accumulated to the best state.

On the opponent's territory, killing Xue Zongwu must be fast, steady, accurate, and ruthless!

The first strike is crucial.

He Lingchuan accumulated strength in his feet, ready to break through the window; his right hand grabbed the void, the Floating Life Knife ready at any time, his spirit complete and energy sufficient.

Just waiting for a earth-shattering strike! But just at this moment—

Xue Zongwu had just flipped to the part of the account book marked with red lines when a loud noise suddenly came from outside, deafening: Boom!

Enemy attack? He subconsciously grabbed his weapon and retreated two steps, then looked up and saw fire soaring into the sky in the west.

It exploded! And the scale was not small.

This is Qi Yunsheng's villa, this is when guests are gathered and a banquet is being held, how could such an accident happen?

After the fire, there was thick smoke rolling, rushing straight into the sky.

The commotion was huge; it looked like the destructive power was not small.

Needless to say, there was an immediate commotion in the villa. Even from such a distance, Xue Zongwu could hear the exclamations and footsteps coming from near and far, and someone shouting loudly: "Hurry, send people to..."

Xue Zongwu's guards were originally waiting in the garden, and hearing the sound, they ran over quickly: "General?"

Qi Yunsheng was about to walk out of the garden when explosions sounded all around, and he instead returned in three steps and two, saying in a deep voice: "Follow me!"

Neither mentor nor disciple were the type to be panicked; encountering such an accident, their first reaction was to deal with the problem decisively, while at the same time calculating a thought in their hearts: Who is this explosion aimed at?

Is it aimed at the Qi mansion, at Xue Zongwu, or at other powerful figures in the villa?

Xue Zongwu is indeed notorious, but Qi Yunsheng is not a gentleman either, and there are so many officials in the villa, how could there be no enemies?

(End of chapter)