Chapter 816: Between Laughter and Talk

The car slowly drove out of the Beixin Pavilion.

Li Lei opened the car window and lit a cigarette.

The smoke drifted out from the window, caught by the wind, and trailed backward, forming a long tail.

Inside the car, Li Lei recalled the words He Wenxin had just spoken and had to admit that he was actually quite tempted.

He knew that as long as he was willing to open his mouth, his future career would be smooth sailing, and he might reach unprecedented heights!

Ruling a province might be too far off, but ruling a prefecture was a future he could certainly foresee!

But Li Lei also knew that no matter how objectively he relayed the message, as long as he opened this topic to Li Fei, Li Fei would inevitably be influenced by him.

Otherwise, why would the other party go to such great lengths to have him relay a message to Li Fei?

If it were just about negotiating terms, they could have gone to talk directly.

It was all to play the emotional card!

"Hoo—"

Li Lei let out a heavy breath, having prepared himself mentally to face the "sugar-coated bullets" ahead.

If the other party wanted to play the emotional card with Li Fei, they would certainly play it with him first.

His nephew Feng Chenfeng was just the prelude.

Li Lei knew a thing or two about the grudges Li Fei had incurred.

He knew that behind the Feng Province capital stood the Lu family, one of the "Ten Great Clans."

A family that had existed longer than the Great Lan Dynasty must possess a foundation and methods beyond his imagination!

He did not know if he could withstand it, so he could only try his best not to influence Li Fei.

More than twenty minutes later, Li Lei returned to the guesthouse in Datong Prefecture.

As soon as he sat down, an attendant ran over to tell him:

"Lord Li, your wife called you an hour ago. She asked you to call her back once you returned."

Hearing this, Li Lei had a bad premonition.

After dismissing the attendant, he picked up the phone in the room, dialed the rotary, and called home.

Soon, the call was connected, and Zhang Yuqing's voice came from the other end:

"Hello, who is this?"

"Wife, it's me."

"Old Li? Just got back from the social engagement?"

"That's right."

"You must be exhausted. Remember to take the medicine I prepared for you. You're not young anymore; you need to know how to take care of yourself."

"."

Listening to his wife's gentle voice on the other end, Li Lei felt much of the fatigue in his heart swept away.

"Did you call me specifically for something?"

After chatting for a while, Li Lei finally asked.

". mm."

On the other end of the line, Zhang Yuqing hesitated for a moment before saying:

"Mom and Dad came to the house to see me today."

Li Lei frowned slightly. His father-in-law had also been in the Xingcheng Inspection Bureau decades ago, serving as a small squad leader.

Back then, the other party hadn't looked down on him for being a poor boy and had agreed to betroth his daughter to him.

After he returned from military service, his father-in-law had even used his connections to help him enter the Inspection Bureau smoothly.

Li Lei's later promotion to squad leader was also aided by his father-in-law's connections.

When he and Zhang Yuqing were first married, his mother-in-law had also helped the young couple a lot and never complained that he had no money.

Therefore, Li Lei had always felt grateful toward his wife's family.

"Is there something wrong with Mom and Dad?"

Li Lei asked.

Zhang Yuqing: "Mom and Dad heard from somewhere about what Xiao Fei is doing, so they kept urging me to persuade Xiao Fei to show mercy where possible, saying there's no need to kill them all and drive people to a dead end."

Li Lei felt somewhat helpless: "The level Xiao Fei is at now is so high; how could Mom and Dad understand the struggles he is involved in?"

Zhang Yuqing said softly: "I understand that principle, and I already persuaded Mom and Dad to go back. But I think some of the things they said still make sense."

"Yuqing..."

"Old Li, let me finish first."

"Alright."

"Mom and Dad, and I, truly don't understand the high-level struggles Xiao Fei is involved in now. But I know the enemy Xiao Fei is dealing with is a great family that has existed for over six hundred years. If they have been able to exist for so long, they must have their own way of surviving. If they really tear off the mask completely, they might try to drag everyone down with them. Xiao Fei might be fine, but what about Tianyu? Tianyu, she isn't as powerful as Xiao Fei!"

"."

Li Lei fell silent.

"Old Li, it's not that I don't support Xiao Fei in seeking revenge, nor do I want to hold him back. I just think that if possible, is it necessary to drive them to extinction? I... I just hope he and Tianyu can both be safe and sound."

"."

Li Lei held the receiver in silence for a while, and finally said in a somewhat hoarse voice:

"I understand. Don't worry, I will... I will talk to Xiao Fei."

Putting down the receiver, Li Lei had to sigh that the Lu family's methods were indeed formidable.

For him, it was all sorts of enticements.

For Zhang Yuqing, they pointed out the stakes, making her worry about the potential consequences.

And what Zhang Yuqing said was indeed reasonable; if the Lu family were truly pushed to the edge, even if they couldn't harm Li Fei, what about the others?

He believed Li Fei would do his utmost to protect himself, Zhang Yuqing, and Li Tianyu.

But what if?

Even if Li Fei could truly protect them, what if his sister, his nephew's family, his parents-in-law's family... what if these people met with misfortune?

He had deep feelings for these people, but Li Fei might not. After all, only he and Zhang Yuqing had raised Li Fei.

That night, Li Lei smoked one cigarette after another in his room until dawn.

The next day, just as Li Lei was hesitating whether to call Li Fei, Li Fei took the initiative to call him.

"Uncle Li."

"Xiao Fei?"

"It's me. I plan to return to Xingcheng next month to spend the New Year with you and Aunt Zhang."

"Haha, that's great. Your Aunt Zhang and I will be waiting for you to come home."

"How have you been lately, Uncle Li?"

"I'm doing quite well. Thanks to you, I'm already the Chief of Xingcheng now, hahaha."

"That's because you have the ability, Uncle Li; it has nothing to do with me."

"Hahaha, you, stop flattering me. How is Tianyu? That child doesn't even know how to call home."

"Sister is doing well too. She's serving as an officer in the Northern Frontier."

"."

The two chatted about family matters for a while.

"Uncle Li, has anyone come to talk to you about the Lu family recently?"

Li Fei suddenly asked on his own initiative.

Li Lei was startled, then relaxed: "You already know?"

"Yes, I just received the news. They made things difficult for you and Aunt Zhang, didn't they?"

"It's not really difficult; I just didn't want to affect your judgment. At your current level, I can't be of much help, so I just hope not to drag you down."

"Uncle Li, no matter what level I reach in the future, you and Aunt Zhang will always be like my parents; that will never change! So don't talk about dragging me down; you are the motivation for me to move forward, not a burden."

Li Fei said earnestly.

These words warmed Li Lei's heart, bringing him great comfort.

"Uncle Li, don't worry. As for the Lu family, I will talk to them personally."

"Alright, as long as you have a plan in mind."

Li Lei did not voice his worries from the night before; he trusted that Li Fei would handle things well.

The two chatted for a few more moments before hanging up.

In the study, after Li Fei put down the receiver, he called the Hou family steward in.

"My Lord, do you have any instructions?"

"Among the calling cards submitted earlier, was there one from the Lu family?"

"Yes, it was a calling card sent by the Earl of Wuxuan, Lu Wenyao."

"Lu Wenyao."

Li Fei murmured the name.

Lu Wenyao was the cousin of the current Lu family head, Lu Wenzheng.

Among the direct descendants of the previous generation of the Lu family, Lu Wenyao had always been the one with the highest talent for martial arts.

The Lu family had also placed high hopes on him, sending him into the army to be tempered and focusing on his cultivation.

After the Great War in the Northern Frontier broke out, Lu Wenyao led troops in battle within the Northern Frontier border army.

During the first great war, this 59-year-old "old general" successfully broke through his realm to become a Martial Arts Master, beheading the enemy commander on the battlefield!

Afterward, the Son of Heaven enfeoffed Lu Wenyao as the Earl of Wuxuan.

Later, when the Northern Border army invaded the wilderness, Lu Wenyao was among the ranks, following Prince Cheng into battle, and once again achieved military merit.

Relying on the machinations of the Lu family, as long as Lu Wenyao could earn a bit more military merit, he had hopes of being enfeoffed as a Marquis.

At that time, the Lu family would have two Marquises and three Earls!

Among them, the Marquis title held by Lu Wenzheng was even hereditary and perpetual, sharing glory with the nation!

Before Li Fei returned to Lanling City, Lu Wenyao had already returned to the capital, with no immediate plans to return to the northern border.

After Li Fei became a "Grand Councilor," Lu Wenyao soon sent someone to deliver a formal visiting card, but Li Fei had ignored him the entire time.

"Reply to Lu Wenyao and invite him to the manor this afternoon for a talk."

Li Fei said.

"Yes."

The steward withdrew.

In November, light snow began to fall in Lanling City again, and the Earl of Wuxuan, Lu Wenyao, braved the snow to rush to the Manor of the Marquis of Jing'an.

The 59-year-old Lu Wenyao looked only in his early thirties because he had broken through to become a Dao Foundation stage martial artist at thirty; since then, every time he integrated an implant, his lifespan increased by ten years, so his appearance had not changed much.

His brow was always filled with a sense of high spirits, making one feel that he was a very confident person.

Today, he wore a black outer robe with gold-woven python patterns, stepped in cloud-patterned black shoes, and with a waist plaque symbolizing his Earl rank hanging at his belt, he strode into the Manor of the Marquis of Jing'an.

Led by the steward, Lu Wenyao walked into the reception hall.

Inside the hall, Li Fei, dressed in gold, sat there quietly.

"Greetings, Marquis of Jing'an!"

Lu Wenyao took the initiative to cup his hands in a salute.

"Please, sit."

Li Fei did not rise to greet the guest, only saying indifferently.

Lu Wenyao's expression shifted slightly as he sat opposite Li Fei.

After a servant brought tea to Lu Wenyao, Li Fei raised his teacup as a gesture:

"Drink your tea."

"Haha, very well."

Lu Wenyao picked up the teacup and took a sip, while silently observing the young man across from him.

The hall fell quiet once more.

After waiting a few minutes and seeing that Li Fei had no intention of speaking, Lu Wenyao raised an eyebrow and said:

"I wonder why the Marquis of Jing'an invited me here today?"

Li Fei glanced at him: "It was you who wanted to visit me; you should be the one telling me what you have to discuss with me."

Lu Wenyao's expression stiffened, then he forced a smile:

"There are indeed some matters I would like to discuss with the Marquis of Jing'an."

"Hmm."

"Then I will be direct: regarding that case from back then, to what extent does the Marquis of Jing'an intend to take it?"

"Reopen the case, restore the innocence of my Master and Mistress, and all involved parties must be punished."

Li Fei said quite bluntly.

Lu Wenyao looked at him: "Just that?"

Li Fei met his gaze and said calmly:

"Also, the person behind the scenes must pay the price."

"The person behind the scenes... who would that be?"

Lu Wenyao stared fixedly at Li Fei.

"Lu Wenzheng."

Li Fei still said the name calmly, as if he were mentioning any common person.

Lu Wenyao narrowed his eyes, subconsciously clenching his fists:

"Is the Marquis of Jing'an aware that he is the head of my Lu family?"

"Change to a new family head, and he won't be anymore."

Li Fei's words made Lu Wenyao's heart skip a beat.

It was simply too direct and too brutal!

Lu Wenyao pursed his lips: "The Marquis of Jing'an is joking."

Li Fei was unceremonious: "I called you here not to joke with you; if you think I am joking, you may leave now."

"..."

Lu Wenyao clenched his fists.

He truly had never been reprimanded like this in his entire life by a junior so much younger than himself!

But he had absolutely no qualifications to act tough in front of Li Fei.

The things he was proud of were nothing compared to Li Fei!

In terms of nobility, he was an Earl, while Li Fei was a Marquis, and a hereditary one at that.

In terms of official rank, he was currently only a Level 15 Martial General, while Li Fei was a Level 16 Cabinet Official.

In terms of power, the meager troops he held could not compare to the Savage-Killing Army, which possessed over three thousand Imperial Camp soldiers.

In terms of martial prowess, he had just become a Martial Arts Master, while Li Fei had already slaughtered five Martial Arts Masters in the Northern Barbarian lands...

The only thing he had over Li Fei was his family background.

But facing Li Fei, who was already a "Grand Councilor," the entire Lu family now only had the head, Lu Wenzheng, who was qualified to speak with Li Fei as an equal.

And Li Fei had just said he wanted the Lu family to change its head...

"We are actually very sincere and willing to offer sufficient compensation, whether it be cultivation resources or official resources; as long as you speak, we can talk! Our Lu family can even fully support your foster father, Li Lei, in his operations, letting him first become the Garrison Commander of a prefecture and later compete for the position of Inspection Commissioner. That way, he would also be a great help to you!"

"And your sister, we..."

"That is enough."

Li Fei interrupted Lu Wenyao, "Lu Wenzheng must die; there is no room for negotiation on this point."

Lu Wenyao gritted his teeth, his tone severe: "The case of Shangguan Xiao alone is not enough to convict the family head. Do you dare to kill an Inspection Commissioner without cause? To kill a high-ranking regional official?!"

Li Fei smiled: "So, your Lu family is determined to fight me to the bitter end? Are you sure?"

"..."

Lu Wenyao fell silent; he dared not answer that.

This was actually the crux of the problem, and also the reason why the Lu family had taken the initiative to yield—

Li Fei could afford to wait, but the Lu family could not!

If the First Imperial Prince won the struggle for the throne, then the Lu family would have nothing to worry about, because Li Fei would have no chance to grow and would certainly be liquidated.

But as it happened, the Crown Prince was currently supervising the state, and Li Fei had become a "Grand Councilor."

Therefore, the Lu family dared not wait any longer.

"I said just now, change to someone else as the family head; Lu Wenzheng is not impossible to sacrifice. For example, you could become the family head."

Li Fei said nonchalantly while drinking tea.

Lu Wenyao's eyes shifted.

Li Fei had not chosen this person to come to the manor to talk to him at random.

Having carefully studied the internal situation of the Lu family, he knew that apart from the branch represented by the family head Lu Wenzheng, Lu Wenyao's branch was currently the strongest among the others.

Moreover, Lu Wenyao had already broken through to become a Martial Arts Master, and his lifespan was far longer than Lu Wenzheng's.

This meant that once Lu Wenzheng died, Lu Wenyao would certainly be one of the most likely candidates to obtain the position of family head!

So when Li Fei uttered the words "for example, you could become the family head," Lu Wenyao's reaction was obvious.

He definitely had designs on the position of family head, and before Li Fei pointed it out today, he must have thought about this matter!

Li Fei looked at him, set down his teacup, and said indifferently:

"Let's lay our cards on the table. I want Lu Wenzheng and those who participated in the plot to frame my Master and Mistress to die, but I do not necessarily have to fight your Lu family to the bitter end. For instance, I can support you in becoming the head of the Lu family."

Lu Wenyao's expression finally changed; he could no longer maintain his composure.

"With Li Fei's current power and influence, if he supports me to be the family head..."

Lu Wenyao's heartbeat began to accelerate.

This was indeed the most favorable plan for himself—no, the most favorable plan for the entire Lu family!

Lu Wenyao was also a man who had killed on the battlefield, and he soon made his decision.

He looked into Li Fei's eyes: "On this matter, I represent the Lu family and agree!"

Li Fei smiled slightly and raised his teacup to gesture to Lu Wenyao:

"Earl of Wuxuan, please."

"Marquis, please!"

In the midst of conversation, the fate of the current head of the Lu family, one of the "Ten Great Clans," was decided just like that.

Outside the hall, sunlight spilled like gold leaf into the courtyard, shining on the old tree with its twisted, coiling branches.

After the deep winter, it would soon be full of new green.

Seeking monthly votes.

(End of chapter)