Chapter 69: First Volume, Chapter 69: Fury Unleashed

First Volume, Chapter 69: Fury Unleashed

Having achieved a remarkable feat but received no reward—and instead taken a brutal beating—Qin Feng felt his tender heart had suffered severe trauma!

After using every trick to escape his three sisters' grasp, he sprinted back to his small courtyard, locked the door, and flung himself into Xiao Xiangxiang's arms seeking comfort.

Xiao Xiangxiang's cheeks flushed red; holding Qin Feng's heavy head, she felt a surge of maternal instinct, gently stroking his head as she whispered soothingly:

"Your maid doesn't understand court intrigue, nor the ways of managing a household, but I know that in Jingdu, beneath the Son of Heaven's feet, boundless opportunities coexist with danger at every turn.

"Though Master holds the highest rank, maintaining lasting peace is like walking on thin ice. What Master and the young ladies do is all for your sake, to prevent…"

Before Xiao Xiangxiang could finish, a loud snoring sound erupted.

Seeing Qin Feng asleep, Xiao Xiangxiang was stunned—but soon, a blush spread across her face. She held him close, gently patting him, as if tenderly caring for a child who would never grow up.

Though Qin Feng is a wastrel, boastful, shameless, and dishonorable… after so long together, Xiao Xiangxiang felt he was still a good man—outer rags, inner jade.

At the same moment, Ning Qingquan's roar echoed throughout the Yong'an Marquis Mansion.

Ning Qingquan, burning with rage, lashed Ning Hu across the back with a whip, instantly splitting skin and flesh.

"Worthless brat! For the sake of Xie Yun'er, you've ruined the Ning family's future! Now, who in all of Jingdu doesn't know Qin Feng, this scoundrel, brazenly abusing the Emperor's favor? Why on earth did you provoke him?!"

Blood dripped from Ning Hu's back; his eyes bulged with rage, teeth clenched—but having trained since childhood, he uttered not a single sound.

Every humiliation today would be laid squarely at Qin Feng's feet!

Ning Hu silently swore a deadly oath: this life, he would never share the same sky as Qin Feng—if that damned Qin Feng ever fell into his hands, he'd make him beg for death and be denied even that.

Crack!

Another lash—Ning Hu sweated profusely from pain, fists clenched tight, refusing to beg.

Seeing Ning Hu's grit, Ning Qingquan's fury eased somewhat. He dropped the whip, thudded onto the chair, and sighed endlessly.

His Ning family had been crushed by that Qin boy!

The main wife, standing by without daring to breathe, hurried forward:

"Husband, you are a Marquis—why waste anger on a commoner like Qin Feng? Even if heaven falls, your title stands firm; the Qin family's official status may vanish at any moment. A gentleman seeks revenge after ten years—wait until later…"

Before the main wife finished, Ning Qingquan cut her off sharply: "Woman's folly!"

"Today, after being goaded by Qin Feng, our Ning family's marquisate ends with me—whether it passes to Ning Hu is uncertain."

"Our Ning family isn't imperial kin—just a non-royal marquis. How can our title be unshakable?"

"In this northern Di war, our Ning family sided with the Ministry of Revenue, blocking the campaign under the excuse of an empty national treasury—we've already aligned ourselves against the Emperor."

"This damned wager wasn't just losing ten thousand li silver—it's forfeited our entire court capital!"

The main wife's eyes widened in shock: "Is it really that serious? It's only ten thousand li silver—we can easily afford it."

At these words, Ning Qingquan flew into a rage, slamming his tea cup to the ground and barking: "Long hair, short vision—you understand nothing!"

The main wife flinched, instantly falling silent, afraid to speak further and provoke him.

Looking at this mother and son, Ning Qingquan grew angrier.

"When two nations go to war, what do you think they're fighting? Money!"

"Liang's campaign against the Di, even at minimum intensity, costs millions of li silver monthly. Since the Di breached our borders, even just defending our cities has burned through ten million li silver."

"A tenant spends one tael per year on food and clothing; a middle household spends ten taels. Our Ning family lost ten thousand li silver in one reckless bet."

"If we don't pay, Qin Feng has promised the Emperor the money will go straight to the national treasury. If we pay, the Emperor will suspect us. Whether we pay or not—it's trouble!"

The main wife hadn't realized a simple wager carried such deep stakes; she grew tense: "Then, husband, should we pay or not?"

Ning Qingquan's anger instantly dissolved into helplessness; he sighed deeply: "What else can we do? If we refuse to pay, we're not stealing Qin's money—we're stealing the Emperor's, and insulting him again. Two harmful weights—choose the lighter."

Ning Qingquan knew well: the northern Di war was now on the agenda; the Qin family, as leader of the Pro-War Faction, was in truth the Emperor's mouthpiece.

At this moment, antagonizing the Qin family was tantamount to antagonizing the Emperor—not even he, Ning Qingquan, nor any minister in the Ministry of Revenue, dared do it.

At this moment, in the DaTang of Li Fu, Li Rui and Cheng Fa knelt on the floor, heads bowed, silent.

The three ministers of the Ministry of Revenue wore grim expressions; the maids and servants around them held their breath, not daring to stir.

Even Li Fu's lady wife wisely retreated to the Inner Courtyard, refusing to emerge and mediate for Li Rui.

Recalling today's events at the Ji Wang Fu Xiaochang and seeing Li Rui before him, the Minister of Revenue felt a wave of irritation.

Truly, comparing people leads to death; comparing goods leads to discard!

How could Qin Tianhu have produced a son like Qin Feng?

He's merely a wastrel, yet he stood before the Emperor and Civil and Military Officials, helping his father amass political capital—winning the Emperor's favor and completely reshaping the court's balance of power.

In contrast, Li Rui only schemes behind the scenes, clinging to the Emperor without daring to utter a word.

The Minister of Revenue snorted coldly: "Though I hate to admit it, among the Noble Youth of Jingzhong, none surpass Qin Feng in strategy, vision, or boldness. The world laughs at the Qin family's heir as mad—but fails to see his great wisdom hides in folly, and how skillfully he uses his madness to mask his inner ambition. Today, at Ji Wang's birthday banquet, that young upstart taught this old man a lesson."

Hearing this, Li Rui seethed with resentment.

The Emperor and Ji Wang praised Qin Feng—fine—but why did even his own father, Qin Feng's political enemy, speak so highly of him?

Qin Feng is nothing but a shameless lecher! Not long ago, he was still with Li Rui on the Hua Fang, chasing courtesans—utterly disgraceful. How could he suddenly change?

Fuming, Li Rui could not fathom it.

Know your enemy and know yourself, and you will never be endangered in a hundred battles. The fiercer the enemy, the more you must take him seriously.

The Director of the Ministry of Works sighed: "Word from the Ministry of Works says they've begun forging new bow and crossbow designs—the blueprint was submitted by Qin Feng. Within five years, Liang's Bow Infantry will be invincible under Heaven…"