Chapter 201: Housewarming
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Before the first snow of winter fell, the bustling streets of Yuyang suddenly became lively. The last time people were frequently coming and going here was to see the novelty of the beautiful child with different-colored eyes.
Now, they were here for the same person, but those entering and leaving all wore respectful and ingratiating smiles.
Although Qisheng Building was demolished long ago, replaced by the Qu Residence, no one anticipated that Qu Chenzhou would actually manage to leave the palace unscathed and become the true master of this mansion.
During this precarious moment, Emperor Yu not only allowed Qu Chenzhou to leave the palace confidently, he also bestowed one reward after another upon the residence, prominently displaying his favor. It seemed he was afraid of any untimely speculations.
With this, no one would suspect Qu Chenzhou’s close relationship with the Emperor. However, speculations still arose; was the Emperor probing the intentions of both sides?
Especially amidst the swirling rumors, compared to the affable Huai Wang, Qu Chenzhou’s longstanding enmity with Shizi was insurmountable. Liu Zhongming obviously fell far behind.
Many people wondered whether this insolent Shizi would lower his stance, try to find common ground, and turn swords into plowshares. But Liu Zhongming did something that left everyone stunned.
On the first day of Qu Chenzhou’s housewarming, when the usually aloof Qu Chenzhou rarely opened his gates to warmly welcome the congratulatory guests, the gates across the street also swung open.
Taking advantage of his wealth and influence, Liu Zhongming had already purchased the property opposite the Qu Residence. Without altering its layout, he turned the bustling restaurants and teahouses into a private residence, displaying no reasoning whatsoever.
And he had the audacity to come out and provoke on the very first day of Qu Chenzhou’s housewarming.
No one knew whether Qu Chenzhou felt frustrated, but the well-wishers were deeply perturbed. Originally planning to cozy up to Qu Chenzhou, they were now forced to leave their gifts and retreat, quickly instructing their attendants to return home and prepare another gift.
Latecomers witnessed Liu Zhongming contentedly receiving his gifts, fully intending to visit and congratulate him. But Qu Chenzhou personally blocked his way.
Qu Chenzhou stood on the steps, nearly the same height as Liu Zhongming. The two of them didn’t give an inch, standing too close for spectators to comprehend whether they would break out into a fight or embrace.
It was regrettable that nothing happened in the end, and Shizi couldn’t even enter the Qu Residence. But from then on, Yuyang Street was divided into two sides. One side belonged to Liu Zhongming, and the other to Qu Chenzhou. People had to carefully weigh their options when deciding which way to go.
The hidden agendas some had to secretly interact more with Qu Chenzhou were all strangled in their cradle.
They had figured it out. Lord Shizi was gearing up to confront Qu Chenzhou head-on. He wouldn’t have it easy, and he wouldn’t allow anyone else to have it easy either.
Putting aside everything else, by acting so willfully, no one expected the Liu family could win over Qu Chenzhou.
As a result, all eyes shifted toward the Song family, forcing Huai Wang to avoid Qu Chenzhou as well.
Some took this matter to Emperor Yu. He only chuckled in response, finding it quite amusing—a case of youthful exuberance.
With Emperor Yu’s comment, even the exuberant youths on both sides no longer dared to act out. Half of Yuyang Street was guarded by the Valiant Camp, and the other half by the Jinxiu Yinh Guards, like the two sides of a balance.
Apart from the occasional Northern Bureau passing through this street, the rest of the time it was eerily quiet, as if a ghost might just jump out.
“You two have gone too far,” Bai Shiyan took a sip of his wine and reproached with genuine sorrow, “A perfectly good street turned so empty. I feel uneasy even walking through the middle.”
Liu Zhongming’s alcohol tolerance was poor, and after a few drinks, he switched to tea and smiled in response, “Why feel uneasy? If this street were bustling with traffic, and if it accidentally collapsed one day, you might have to dig me and Chenzhou out of the earth.”
The underground secret chamber they were currently in was right beneath Yuyang Street. Calculating it seriously, it was a distance away from both sides’ entrances.
“Stop!” Bai Shiyan hurriedly interrupted him, “Don’t say things that ominous. You guys have finally…”
What exactly had they accomplished, he didn’t dare to articulate too clearly, afraid that the harmony before them didn’t belong to them, fearing that before the dust settled, it would be abruptly taken back.
Liu Zhongming chuckled, not knowing how to explain his regained sense of joy to his good friend. It was precisely this sense of delight that made him realize that dwelling on the past and worrying about the future were both futile, better to take care of the present.
“Shiyan, the future is unpredictable. We should fortify our defenses and steadily move forward, not thinking too much about other matters.”
Both younger brothers were now the backbone of the group. Bai Shiyan was even more obedient, and seeing Liu Zhongming so composed, he felt reassured. He glanced at Qu Chenzhou, who was sitting between Ling He and Rong Jiuan on the other side.
Gathered together today under the guise of celebrating the housewarming, they were actually strategizing for the road ahead.
In Qu Chenzhou’s words, if a dog doesn’t bark, it will bite. Wherever Huai Wang bites, it’s likely to be a prickly spot. The best solution is to cut the knot with a sharp knife, to act swiftly and decisively.
“Regarding this matter, Chenzhou…” Bai Shiyan’s words stopped halfway, and he changed the topic, “It’s truly a cause for celebration that Elder Sister will manage the harem.”
Liu Zhongming glanced at him and smiled as he asked, “What did you want to say—Chenzhou really took an extreme approach this time?”
Bai Shiyan felt awkward, and reluctantly admitted, “To be honest, even I was shocked this time. I didn’t expect Chenzhou to possess something so formidable. When I sent people to clean up the battlefield, I couldn’t find any traces of Ning Wang…”
Liu Zhongming’s expression shifted slightly, and he spoke slowly after a moment, “The Tang family used various methods to gain honor and favor for decades. The Emperor never intended to keep Ning Wang around from the moment he was born. It was always a matter of life and death. Only one could remain in the end.”
In truth, Bai Shiyan knew that Liu Zhongming’s visit to Ning Wang was naturally sanctioned by the Emperor. Even without Liu Zhongming, someone else would have been dispatched to do it.
He patted Liu Zhongming’s shoulder, gesturing for him not to overthink it, and said, “No wonder the Emperor treasures Chenzhou. This way, the rest of us become expendable.”
“You’re thinking too much,” Liu Zhongming smiled, “Chenzhou didn’t even mention it to you. That thing can only be used once, but once is enough.”
Bai Shiyan hesitated for only a moment before immediately grasping the meaning behind his words.
“To instill fear?”
Seeing Liu Zhongming nod, he didn’t know whether to laugh or feel lingering fear.
Although he hadn’t witnessed the terrifying scene of the arrow rain falling from the sky, he had seen the yuans hovering over the capital city. He had even personally led troops to clean up the battlefield outside the city.
Even his father was awed by it. He had even pulled Bai Shiyan aside several times to discuss it. Yet, under that overwhelming power, they still hadn’t found a solution.
If they were like this, the situation was likely the same for others.
In this way, as long as Qu Chenzhou was there, all the restless thoughts were nailed down, unable to stir.
Just as Liu Zhongming had anticipated, while Lan Er was granted the title of a Wang and Elder Sister took charge of the harem, Huai Wang finally obtained the coveted military power he had been dreaming of.
However, in reality, this military power had become utterly useless. After the overwhelmingly one-sided battle outside the city, even if any commander had grown tired of leading troops and wanted to die, there would be no soldiers willing to follow.
Bai Shiyan could even imagine that although Mu Jingyan seemed to gratefully accept that waist token, in private, he must have been driven to madness with anger.
Looking back now, considering the journey that both younger brothers had gone through, they had already come so far.
He sighed for a moment and then asked, “Have you seen Jingchen recently?”
A few days ago, Jingchen had returned from Jiping. Bai Shiyan had only seen him briefly when he came out to greet him as he left the city. He had noticed that Jingchen had lost a lot of weight.
Later, he heard that Jingchen had locked himself in his room, never showing his face. Even when Fang Wuyang had gone to visit several times, he couldn’t see him.
“Drank once,” Liu Zhongming poured another cup of tea, gazing at the person across from him through the rising steam, “He still has parents and siblings waiting for him to come back. Some things others can’t help him with; he can only resolve them himself.”
“What if he can’t come out?” Bai Shiyan asked.
“I don’t know. Whether he can come out or not depends on him,” Liu Zhongming stared straight ahead without averting his gaze, “But I do know that those who are willing to leave are resolute people. If it were me, I wouldn’t be able to come out.”
Bai Shiyan followed his gaze for a moment and then raised his cup in a toast, “I should say, congratulations to you.”
Liu Zhongming also raised his tea cup, and when he saw Qu Chenzhou seemingly exchange a knowing smile with him, he raised his cup slightly in response.
Ling He almost reflexively took a sip of wine in response to his movement and then rubbed his forehead, “What were we just talking about?”
Qu Chenzhou patiently guided him, “We were talking about whether you would remain in the Dali Temple, if Ning Wang or Huai Wang ascended the throne.”
Ling He was dazed for a moment, downing the wine in one gulp.
“Probably… I don’t know what else I can do. He’s like a lofty snow-capped mountain, too distant. If I don’t do something more, I won’t be worthy of him.”
“Who is he?” Qu Chenzhou asked.
“In my memory, he was still so young,” Ling He mimicked a hugging posture, “and in the blink of an eye, he grew up. I’m not human. I never thought I’d have inappropriate feelings for him.”
“Chenzhou, he’s drunk,” Rong Jiuan poured a glass of wine for Ling He, “Drink, don’t mind him.”
Qu Chenzhou looked at the empty glass in his hand and asked softly, “Jiuan, are you drunk?”
“No,” Rong Jiuan touched his face and replied firmly, “I’m quite sober. Chenzhou, it’s not just me, but you seem a bit less attractive than usual today. You look a bit more like my brother.”
“Indeed,” Qu Chenzhou glanced at the two people on his left and right who had finished a cup each, then refilled his own glass, “Is Jiuan worried about Ling Shaoqing?”
“No,” Rong Jiuan habitually denied, “He’s busy, there are many people waiting for him. How can I disturb him? If I say something, how would he look at me… how would we meet in the future? It’s better to let it be, just think of it as longing.”
“Right, that’s what I think too,” Ling He agreed, raising his hand in approval, “We’re truly like-minded, brothers. Let’s toast.”
Qu Chenzhou couldn’t hold back and could only watch as the two of them happily knelt down, drank another cup, and sincerely kowtowed three times.
This time, before he could assist, Ling He’s body tilted, falling onto Rong Jiuan, who was pushed down alongside him.
Bai Shiyan and the other two hurried over to help. Since there wasn’t much room to lie down, they had to drag and pull the two onto a more comfortable position before Bai Shiyan curiously asked, “What did you do to them? Why did they end up kowtowing here?”
Qu Chenzhou turned to the side, letting them see the row of wine jars against the wall, and chuckled helplessly, “With the wine entering their troubled hearts, turning into tears of lovesickness. I did nothing, they just drank too much.”
“Drinking on their own…” Liu Zhongming expressed skepticism.
Bai Shiyan couldn’t help but laugh, ‘It’s a great thing that you can leave the palace and live outside. They’re also happy for you. It’s a housewarming celebration. It’s okay to have a few more drinks. Did you just watch them get drunk? Come, have a drink with your older brother.'”
“Not… ” Liu Zhongming felt his scalp tingle and quickly held Bai Shiyan back, “Shiyan, I don’t mean to underestimate you, but I advise you not to drink with them…”
His words were halted by a threatening look from glass-like fox eyes.
Bai Shiyan nonchalantly raised his wine glass, “Liu Zhongming, you’re being too cautious. What’s the big deal? My third brother hasn’t married you yet. Even if he does, you should still listen to him. Chenzhou, do you know how to play ‘finger guessing’? Let’s play a round.”
Qu Chenzhou brought over a wine jar and smiled humbly, “I know a little, Big Brother taught me.”
Liu Zhongming couldn’t talk any sense into the stubborn ghost. He could only cover his eyes and listen to the sounds of the two playing finger guessing with alternating actions.
“Bell against hammer, stubborn.”
“Cunning seven, eight up.”
“Quick promotion, full of joy…”
Not long after, Bai Shiyan rolled off his chair and onto the ground.
Liu Zhongming had to retreat with the approaching footsteps, backing up all the way to the wall, and begged with a wry smile, “Hero, spare me.”
“Enjoy the celebration, be happy,” Qu Chenzhou smiled as he took a sip of wine and tiptoed to offer it up.
Liu Zhongming’s fingers slipped into his hair, capturing the lingering wine and murmuring softly.
“You little fox, I’m so happy…”
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