The Second Volume Hebei Chapter 12 Night Talks

  The night is deep, the moonlight is like water, the willow branches are blown by the clear wind of summer nights, and ripples are stirred up on the surface of the pond. The reflections of those several pieces of Taihu stone in the water also become somewhat blurred.

  The noise downstairs had gradually subsided, Lin Chong and others went to the military camp to participate in the Beijing-Tokyo Martial Arts Exchange Conference, and then were pulled away to participate in the Beijing-Tokyo Drinking Capacity Exchange Conference. When they returned, they were already drunk and didn't know what was going on, and seven or eight family members served them as they fell asleep.

  Gao stood alone, holding a cup of wine on the railing of the small building, gazing out at the distance. The fire in the Cuiyun Building was no longer burning as fiercely as before, and the smoke from the extinguished flames rose from the tiles, shrouding the area. On the edge of the original carved beams and painted rafters, now reduced to broken walls and rubble, Yan Qing should still be directing the Lu family members and local militiamen in putting out the fire. But what was he thinking about at this moment?

  Thinking of Jia Yulian throwing herself into the fire, Gao Qiang's heart felt like it was being pressed down by a huge boulder, making it hard to breathe. If he had known this would be the outcome beforehand, would he still have made that final kick? This question lingered in his mind, but there was never an answer.

  Footsteps echoed from behind, and Gao Qiang didn't turn his head: "Is it Guan Zhong? Has that dog been arranged?"

  "It's all set, Yang Zhi is watching him."

  Gao Feng fell silent for a moment before asking again: "Is what he said true and backed up by evidence?"

  "...is. The account books and letters taken out of the Lu Mansion are enough to prove that Lu Junyi and Liao Guo privately traded with each other, exchanging silk and tea for Liao's salt and horses, and the quantity is extremely large, with hundreds of millions of strings every year."

  Gao Jian took a deep breath, his hand gently stroking the precious sword at his waist. He recalled the scene when Huo Qi had grabbed his thigh and begged for mercy, saying "Spare my life, sir! I know a huge secret about Lu Junyi!" Gao Jian couldn't help but shake his head - if not for those words, he might have broken his lifelong rule of never killing anyone.

  He raised the wine cup in his hand and took a light sip, looking up at the bright moon on the horizon. Suddenly, he blurted out: "Guan Zhong, who in this mortal world can live forever?"

  "... Magistrate, Jia Yulian's death was a fitting one. Please don't harbor any resentment." The question was abrupt, but the answer was unequivocal.

  The strong man turned around and stared at the young man in front of him: "Although I am not learned, I know that according to the laws of the Song Dynasty, a woman who commits adultery with someone is only punishable by two years of hard labor, why should Qia's crime be punished by death?"

  Xu Guanzhong's gaze was as calm and cold as ever: "Is the meaning of the yamen that this Jia Yulian still has a way to live? If so, Guanzhong would like to ask, if this woman does not seek death but seeks life, what should the yamen do with her?"

  Gao Qiang was taken aback, and Jia Yulian's death would be a good opportunity to set fire to Cuicui Tower. They could just tell outsiders that the mistress had died from drowning in the tower, and this shameful affair would be buried at sea. The fallen woman would be turned into a virtuous wife, which was indeed the best outcome for those who were still alive. If she hadn't been so hot-tempered, but rather like Li Guo's dog-like begging for mercy, she might have been killed on the spot and then set fire to the tower to destroy the evidence. This would not only save Lu Junyi's face, but also make Yan Qing grateful, and they could use it as leverage against Li Guo, making it a plan that achieved multiple goals at once. At the time, Xu Guangzhong didn't stop her abnormal behavior, probably because he was thinking along the same lines.

  However, this is just one's own fantasy. Who doesn't want to live in the world? Jia Yulian was young and beautiful, even if she encountered misfortune, why could she be so resolute in seeking death?

  "Guān Zhōng, do you know why Lǔ Jùnyì has been cold to his wife?" Gāo Qiáng thought for a moment, looking at Jiǎ Shì who, although had an affair with a servant in the household, seemed to be of strong character and didn't appear to be a lewd woman. This whirlwind might actually originate from this famous Yù Qílín.

  Xu Guangzhong behind him was silent for a while, before opening his mouth to say: "Sir, the reason why Lu Junyi is estranged from Jia's family is due to a martial arts competition seven years ago."

  "Oh? A duel?" This was an unexpected response. Gao Qiang had been silent for a moment, his heart hanging in suspense, fearing that he would hear something like "cut sleeve to share peach" and thus ruin the positive image of the two men in his mind.

  "Seven years ago, Lu Daguang was in the prime of his life, full of vigor and vitality, when an uninvited guest arrived at his home. The man claimed to be from Hebei's True Prefecture, named Shi Wengong, and had heard that Lu Daguang's martial arts skills were renowned throughout the military states of Hebei, so he came to test him."

  "Shi Wengong? Isn't he the strong man who served as the head of Zhenzhou City, was shot dead by a poisonous arrow by Chai Gai, and later captured and killed by Lu Junyi and Yan Qing together? I didn't expect it to be an old enemy after all... What a grievance! But how did this martial arts competition get involved with husband and wife relationship?"

  Xu Guanzhong continued: "On that day, Shi Wengong's words were indeed polite, and Lu Daguang was also eager to win, so he went down to compete with him. The two of them exchanged blows for over a dozen rounds, unable to determine the winner. Then Shi Wengong used a desperate move, disregarding his own safety, and struck at Lu Daguang's waist and legs with a stick that swept across the ground. At that time, Lu Daguang's stick had already reached Shi Wengong's head, but seeing how he was willing to risk his life for victory, Lu Daguang held back and withdrew his strength. However, Shi Wengong was unable to withdraw his hand in time and injured Lu Daguang's kidney."

  Gao Qiang was speechless: This Lu Junyi is really too unlucky, it's not even about winning or losing, but where did he get hurt? He just had to get hurt... Cough, no wonder Jia Yulian was so lonely in her boudoir.

  Everyone knew that Lu Daquan had won, and the streets praised his kindness and benevolence in defeating his enemies with virtue. Shi Wengong was also a famous martial artist from Hebei, and for a time, more than a dozen military states were stirred up. Lu Daquan thus earned the reputation of "Number One Martial Artist of Hebei", but no one knew that he had suffered such an internal injury.

  Xu Guanzhong stepped forward two steps, walked to Gao Qiang's side, placed his hands on the railing, and let out a soft sigh: "That Madam Jia also lived as a widow from then on."

  Gao Jian also shook his head. If it were just that he couldn't do it, then so be it. But someone like Lu Junyi would certainly cherish his reputation and even if beaten to death, wouldn't admit that he couldn't fulfill the rites of Zhou Gong. He must have been spouting some nonsense about "the gentle village is a hero's tomb" to gloss over it. If his wife were to ask a few more questions, she might provoke him into a great rage. After several rounds of bickering, if there weren't any problems between husband and wife, then that would be the problem.

  Look at Miss Jia's appearance, I'm afraid she still doesn't know why her husband is cold to her until now. No wonder she suspects and guesses, dragging Xiao Yigong into it. However, the interaction between Yanqing and Jia at that time seemed to have some hidden meaning, what was the reason? Could it be that Miss Jia's true love is actually Xiao Yi?

  This question was immediately answered positively: "Lu Daifu has been hiding his feelings and not speaking out since this incident, although he is cold to Jia's wife, but in fact he feels extremely guilty. It's just that he values his face and Jia's wife is innocent, so he doesn't want to divorce her. Later, he even ordered Xiaoyi to accompany his wife, hoping to alleviate her loneliness."

  Gao heard this and could no longer hold back, slapping the table and shouting: "Absurd! Absurd! A real man, a husband, doesn't care for his wife, as a ruler he confuses superior and inferior. Lu Junyi is wrongly called Jade Unicorn! If he truly loved his own daughter-in-law, even if he couldn't be with her properly, he should have spoken directly. If Madam Zhai could accompany him, then she could accompany him; if not, he could divorce her without blame. Why did it end up like this, driving a beauty to death?" The balance in the official's heart had completely tipped towards the beautiful woman's side.

  Xu Guanzhong smiled coldly, and the moonlight made his mocking intention even more apparent: "A hero like him, how could he do something so ugly? Even a gentle and beautiful wife would be nothing but clothes to Lu Daquan, where is the sincerity?"

  He took a deep breath and continued: "Xiao Yi knew about Lu's internal injury, but at first thought it was just that the official had no face to show his wife, so he ordered him to go and amuse Madame Jia. He spent all day thinking of new ways to entertain her. Later, however, he realized something was wrong - Madame Jia was troubled in mind, and Xiao Yi was a charming man; they were on the verge of having an affair. Not wanting to betray his master's trust, Xiao Yi stopped visiting the inner chambers from then on. Madame Jia was cold-shouldered by her husband and rejected by Xiao Yi, so she began to have thoughts of self-destruction. That scoundrel Li Ju took advantage of the situation and ruined her reputation."

  Up to this point, Gao Qiu was completely speechless. Although Lu Junyi is a chauvinist pig, he is also quite ordinary in this era. Moreover, he wants Yan Qing to comfort his wife, which shows that he has some conscience; Xiao Yige upholds the loyalty of master and servant, and being unmoved by beauty is consistent with his character, which is worthy of great praise. But then, was everything caused by Li Gu's evil deeds? That would be unjust to him.

  A bright moon above, a lamp in one's heart, is it really true that heaven envies beauty?

  Thinking of Jia's Yu Lian, at the age of 28, she married a heroic and chivalrous husband, with a perfect match between talent and beauty, life was like a rose-colored road; who would have thought that a sudden storm arose from flat ground, after a martial arts competition, her husband's temperament changed greatly, not only did he no longer show the affection of their early days, but later it became difficult for them to even meet, in the quiet and deep boudoir, only the midnight clear wind visited, how could she bear the darkness alone!

  Finally, her life had a bright spot again. A handsome and charming young man burst into her life. Watching him hum a tune in front of her, occasionally coming up with new tricks to cheer herself up, the days seemed to be getting better again. A new day filled her with expectation once more. Just looking at him in front of her, seeing the corners of his mouth move when he spoke, hearing the sound of the wind when he moved, and seeing the gentle look in his eyes when he smiled, time seemed to freeze in that moment.

  However, such happy days did not last long. That person swung his hand lightly that night and walked away without looking back. His smile was no longer for himself, and his song was no longer sung for himself. He mixed with the crowd in the city, and people called him "Rongzi Yanqing"!

  Why is it like this? Why did it turn out like this? Oh heaven, why can you treat me like this?

  Let this despicable thing thoroughly humiliate me!

  Let those worldly eyes despise me heartlessly!

  Let me be thoroughly buried in this dull and mundane world!

  Little brother, being able to walk through this bitter life under your gaze, and having my filthy body burned to ashes by the flames of Red Lotus Industry, what a kind of happiness is that...