Chapter 430

First Volume, Chapter 430: I Always Bear a Grudge and Seek Revenge

How could this be such a coincidence!

Having been turned away, the Sixth Prince did not hesitate—he turned and went straight to the Seventh Prince's bedchamber.

The result was the same: he didn't even see the man, and was sent packing by Xiao Zhuozi.

Within the entire Imperial Palace, plus Zongzheng Temple and Dali Temple, no one dared offend Qin Feng?!

The Sixth Prince's heart screamed inwardly: Where is my imperial authority?!

Meanwhile, the Qin Residence presented an entirely different scene.

Not just Qin Tianhu and Xie Bi.

The Minister of Imperial Sacrifices, the Head of the Imperial Academy, and Minister of Revenue Li Xu, along with Minister of Rites Wu Mian, were also present; the senior officials drank and chatted merrily, the atmosphere lively.

Soon after, Ning Hu's father, the Marquis of Yong'an, and Zhao Yuxiong's father, Dragon Tiger Army Grand Commander, arrived with gifts—on the surface to drink and chat, but in truth, they came for one major matter.

Li Xu had once had grievances with the Qin family; though he had since returned kindness with kindness, he still harbored some resentment, so he seized this opportunity to show goodwill: "Lord Qin, since Gao Ming's fall, the position of Grand Commandant has remained vacant. If this continues, it will bring endless harm to the Liang state's foundation—we must urgently petition the Emperor and appoint a new Grand Commandant."

Wu Mian beside him quickly chimed in: "Lord Li speaks truly. A nation cannot go a day without a ruler, a household cannot go a day without a patriarch, and the Imperial Court cannot go a day without a Grand Commandant."

"The Grand Tutor has returned to the Ancestral Land for filial mourning and has not yet returned; among the Three Dukes, only Lin Taibao remains. Even to balance authority, we must swiftly appoint a Grand Commandant."

Zhao Li, as Dragon Tiger Army Grand Commander, should not have attended such gatherings—but circumstances had changed drastically, and with Zhao Yuxiong still in Beixi County, Zhao Li knew clearly: he was now bound to the Qin family; he could no longer seek self-preservation.

Zhao Li lifted his wine pot with great boldness and declared: "My Dragon Tiger Army will wholeheartedly support it!"

The current situation was not Qin Tianhu's original intention, but having reached this point, he did not cling stubbornly to old ways—he adapted to the times.

Moreover, Qin Tianhu knew well: if he did not stand united with Qin Feng now, not only Qin Feng's path, but the entire Qin family's future would narrow to nothing.

Qin Tianhu half-heartedly agreed, and the senior officials immediately drafted a joint petition.

Meanwhile, in the back courtyard, Qin Feng was fleeing in panic as Xie Yun'er chased him, wailing incessantly.

"Xie Yun'er! Are you mad?!"

"I am your future husband—how dare you beat me? What decorum is this?! I… I only glanced a few times at the women on the Hua Fang!"

"Oh no! Help!"

Qin Feng pushed his practiced "parkour" to its limit, leaping and dodging through the back courtyard as Xie Yun'er hunted him—his heart seethed with frustration. Ever since publicly declaring his intent to marry Xie Yun'er, she had grown fiercer by the day—not a tigress, but a she-demon.

The pitiful, fragile demeanor she showed at the Xie Residence was all an act! Qin Feng seethed—he had fallen right into Xie Yun'er's trap.

Xie Yun'er clenched her teeth, snapping her whip with sharp cracks, and cried out: "You greedy wretch! I won't even mention your affair with Xiao Xiangxiang. Your four elder sisters—you've lusted after them too. Even Shu Feng—you still harbor ill intentions. And yet you're not satisfied—you go chasing after other women outside!"

Facing Xie Yun'er's accusations, Qin Feng looked wounded: "How is that chasing after women? I only glanced once!"

"Don't lie! I know you—you get a crush on any pretty face and start scheming."

To admire beauty is human nature; seeing a beautiful woman and glancing a few times is the barest respect.

Xie Yun'er's vision is too narrow.

At that moment, a Jin Yi Wei messenger suddenly appeared in the back courtyard.

Qin Feng seized him like a lifeline, darting behind the messenger and shouting at Xie Yun'er: "You… calm down! I have official business to attend to!"

Xie Yun'er knew that whenever a messenger appeared, something major had happened.

Though her jealousy had boiled over, she suppressed her fury for the sake of urgency and snapped: "I'll settle accounts with you later!"

Seeing Xie Yun'er finally leave, Qin Feng exhaled deeply, wiped sweat from his brow, shed his earlier pitiful demeanor, and stood with hands behind his back, assuming the solemn air of a young master: "Could it be news from Beixi County?"

The messenger secretly smirked but said nothing of Qin Feng's fear of his wife, only murmured: "Young Master, Wei Xiao has been brought to Tianji Camp."

Hearing that Jin Lao Si had arrived, Qin Feng immediately perked up and strode toward the exit.

Tianji Camp was now an empty shell; only its prison still held value, so Qin Feng had transferred some men from the Ministry of War to temporarily serve as jailers in Tianji Camp's prison.

When Qin Feng arrived at the Tianji Camp prison, Wei Xiao was bound tightly to a wooden frame with iron chains.

Clearly, he had suffered greatly in Beixi County—his demeanor was listless, no trace left of his former spirit as the Number One Under Heaven Killer.

"Wei Xiao, why are you so down? You've got to stand up!"

Qin Feng studied Wei Xiao and couldn't help teasing him.

Wei Xiao slowly lifted his head, gazing at Qin Feng, and a faint smile curled on his lips: "Qin Feng, if I were you, I wouldn't be so smug. Bringing me back to Jingdu is the worst decision you've ever made in your life."

Hearing this, Qin Feng's interest surged: "So you've been trying to assassinate me and Third Sister Li Xiaolan—on the orders of someone in the capital?"

Wei Xiao knew well that Qin Feng was exceptionally skilled at extracting information—speak too much, and you'd slip up—so he merely smiled silently, watching Qin Feng.

Qin Feng didn't press further; he sat down on the chair behind him, calm and detached: "You won't speak, but I already have a clear idea. The interests in Jingdu are always deeply entangled; using others' knives to kill is standard practice."

"The Sixth Prince went to the Xie Residence to provoke—that must have been the Emperor's order, but only meant to warn me. But when the Imperial Guard dragged Xie Yun'er out of the city to use private punishment—that was certainly not the Emperor's doing. After all, the Emperor values balance above all: Xie Yun'er is not only my future Young Madam, but also the daughter of the Marquis of Ning. Harming her brings the Emperor nothing but harm."

"I suspect someone used the Emperor's blade to strike the mountain and shake the tiger—to make me understand I've committed a grave taboo."

"At first, I couldn't fathom it—I even suspected the Imperial Consort and the Lin family. But then I thought: if the Lin family acted, they'd strike in Jiangnan, not right under my nose, giving me a slap in the face?"

"And the Chang Princess is aligned with the Emperor. Eliminating all others, the only person in Jingdu bold enough to act openly is left."

Hearing Qin Feng's analysis, Wei Xiao's face turned ashen, staring fixedly at Qin Feng: "If you know, why bring me back to Jingdu?"

Qin Feng shrugged and grinned: "If I don't bring you back as bait, how do I lure the snake out of its hole? I'm a petty man—I always bear a grudge and seek revenge."