FID – Chapter 378

“The Qian family has this strength, so there is no excuse for their rise,” Consort Liu said after closing the deficit-packed account book.

“There is no excuse?” Liu Huai coldly laughed in anger: “I’m glad you’re still so calm. Since you’re not anxious, what am I feeling anxious for? A starved camel is still bigger than a horse(idiom-when the mighty fall, they still command more respect than the man in the street). Even if business declines, and we can’t return to our previous glory, the Liu family is still a century-old family in the capital. We have the heritage of a family and can’t die of poverty. But it’s quite different for Your Highness. Without the money to support you, do you think your grand plan will still work? The day before yesterday, Qingyan came to me again to withdraw money, saying that it is for a banquet to invite the idle officials in the court and win them over. In the future, if he is short of money to spend, let him come and ask you for it, Your Highness. The Liu family can not take it out.”

Consort Liu’s expression flickered slightly.

“As for the 200,000 taels of military expenses for General Qin each year, and the 100,000 taels of annual tribute to Prime Minister Zuo’s residence, you three parties will negotiate on your own on how to raise it in the future, so that there is no need to call on me, the Liu family. Even if you come, I can’t take out the money, and it’ll just be an additional embarrassment. This old man won’t be humiliating himself!”

“Elder Brother, I haven’t finished speaking, yet you’re already so grumpy. When have you lost control of yourself?” Consort Liu poured a cup of tea and pushed it to Liu Huai, then she said, “Let’s calm down first, and then we can discuss it properly. Since we are in the same boat, we’re bound together for good or ill. How can I watch the Liu family fall? Has Elder Brother forgotten that I am also a member of the Liu family?”

With a step down, Liu Huai’s face eased a little: “I’m afraid it’s you, Consort, who has forgotten that you’re still a member of the Liu family.”

“Brother, you really said it wrong. If I did not take care of our family over the years, do you think the Lius would have their present prosperity?” Consort Liu didn’t sound angry. Instead, she spoke slowly and unperturbed, “As for my saying that the Qian family climbed up beyond reproach, I also made no mistake about it. At present, I’m afraid that the name of the Qian family is like a thunderclap in the entire Nanling. I’m not nervous, not that I don’t care, but Elder Brother is focusing on the wrong person.”

“You mean Liu Yusheng?”

Consort Liu nodded: “Liu Yusheng is the ultimate cornerstone. Just like a spring, if the source can’t be blocked, just thinking about stopping the water flow is useless.”

“Do you have a way to deal with her?” Liu Huai narrowed his eyes.

Consort Liu gently raised her eyes and looked at him with a smile: “We have the same surname under the sky, so we’re originally a family, ah. If she is a member of my Liu family, then everything she has is also rightfully mine. Isn’t that only natural?”

Liu Huai’s heart suddenly fluctuated violently, but he still remained unobtrusive on the surface: “Liu Yusheng is not easy to pinch, not to mention that she has the King of Nanling behind her. If you want to take benefits from her hands, it’s not so easy.”

“Those who disobey their elders are unfilial. For those who are unfilial, the family can let them live and or die, and the whole world can’t find fault with it!”

After savoring what Consort Liu meant, Liu Huai’s tightly knitted brow gradually loosened, and he finally let out a boisterous laugh.

Meanwhile, in the imperial study room, Feng Mohan poked his brush and complained to his imperial uncle, “Imperial Uncle, that old immortal of the Liu family has gone to Qingning Palace again. His trips have been so frequent recently. Do you think they are concocting something bad behind our backs again?”

“Besides concocting schemes, what else would he come to the palace for?” Feng Qingbai said disinterestedly while reviewing memorials.

“I’m worried that the Liu family will jump over the wall in desperation. I wonder what tactics they’ll use to fight back. The Qians still have us for support in the capital, but Aunt Liu is thousands of miles away. If something happens, I’m afraid we can’t do anything about it.”

“The Liu family’s hands can’t stretch that long yet.”

Xinghua Village was thousands of miles away, far away from the center of the court vortex. It had always been a remote and isolated place, and still unnoticed by people.

That was why all the forces seldom dispatched their forces over there.

Even he only organized the defense early because of the Liu family.

The Liu family was only starting to deploy, but it was already late. There was no room for them to intervene.

Feng Mohan bit his brush, feeling that his Imperial Uncle was too calm.

The most treacherous and cunning consort Liu; one mistake and she’d set you up.

Moreover, that woman had a ruthless heart, and no one could predict what she would do if she was cornered.

They should be cautious.

Feng Qingbai couldn’t stand the young boy’s frequent glances: “I have someone over there to keep an eye on them. If you have time for nonsense, why not get on with the political affairs as soon as possible and do what you should do?”

If Feng Mohan didn’t grow up, Feng Qingbai had to be entangled in government affairs all day and couldn’t leave.

Feng Qingbai could only rely on squeezing time if he wanted a bit of leisure for himself.

Underneath the calm surface, only he knew the impatience and weariness in his heart.

Every day, only through the news coming from Xinghua Village could he barely suppress the restless beast in his heart.

In the past, he did not dare to think about it and could still tolerate it.

Now that things had reached this point, Shengsheng had gone from behind him to the light and into the eyes of the world. It was no longer difficult for him to suppress his thoughts on her.

He wanted to be with her all the time.

To think that even Feng Mohan had become an eyesore now.

Without these things, he might have just ignored him.

Feng Mohan originally wanted to say a few words and let his Imperial Uncle keep a closer eye on Consort Liu’s side. But when he looked up and met the man’s penetrating gaze…

A chill immediately rushed out from the top of his head.

His small body trembled, and he immediately lowered his head. The purple writing brush of weasle bristle in his hand danced to make the man believe that he was making serious efforts to learn how to deal with political affairs.

Only then did Feng Qingbai withdraw his eyes. After which, they landed on a white paper laid out in front of him, on which, written in thick ink, were rows and rows of Sheng characters. The handwriting was of exquisite calligraphy, the vigor penetrating to the back of the paper.

Each stroke was engraved with dense thoughts.

Night fell, and everything was quiet.

A dark shadow flashed in like a ghost in the Imperial Study of Nanling Manor((Nanling Manor – will refer to Feng Qingbai’s prince’s residence onwards)).

Wei Zi immediately appeared beside Feng Qingbai, and with a wrist movement, a sharp sword was unsheathed.

The sword wind made the candle flame on the table flicker.

“Hold it,” Feng Qingbai said lightly.

The order is forbidden, Wei Zi instantly withdrew the sword, standing beside Feng Qingbai but did not continue to stealth.

Wei Zi had always executed his orders without fail, so he instantly withdrew the sword. He stood beside Feng Qingbai and no longer lurked in the dark, though.

He had never seen the man in black at the table, but the speed he appeared when he slipped into the room just now made him sigh. The momentum of the visitor was way stronger than them, shadow guards.

If the person was one of their own, when did His Highness have such an expert by his side, but he, as the head of the Shadow Guard Battalion, had no knowledge of it?

“Your Highness, this is something that Consort Liu transferred up from below two days ago.” The man in black presented something in his hand. Wei Zi looked at it and found that it was a dossier. At the top of it were two big words of genealogy.

“Liu Huai entered the palace today. After he left the palace, he returned to the Liu residence and immediately held a meeting of the clan elders. They then entered the ancestral hall of the clan and revised the Liu family clan genealogy.”

Feng Qingbai looked at the dossier in front of him and opened it. It was full of the names of a family.

Liu surnames. He read down and turn a page. When he read a familiar name on the page, his narrowed eyes glinted coldly.

Liu Dalin.

This dossier was the genealogy of the Liu family of Xinghua Village!

The ink used on it, and the paper of the dossier were new, so he could be sure that this was definitely not the genealogy of Shengsheng’s family.

Someone had investigated the Liu family and wrote a copy of all the people and information of the Liu family since their ancestors!