Chapter 298 – Langya Wei Clan
“An Yina… That name doesn’t belong to a Dongqing woman; is she from another tribe?”
Feng Jin’s expression shifted, a vague feeling of foreboding flickering in his heart.
Jiang Pengji raised her hand and pointed north, a mysterious smile on her face.
Feng Jin understood the implication but felt no joy at unearthing her identity; instead, his face turned ashen.
“The marriage decree has already been issued; she’s the second sister-in-law to the Fourth Prince… How dare Wu Ma Jun…”
What if the little brother and sister-in-law are having an affair? Does Wu Ma Jun even know what he’s getting into?
Jiang Pengji rolled her eyes disdainfully, “Wu Ma Jun is simply carrying on the virtues passed down by his ancestors. Besides, that An Yina had ulterior motives marrying into the royal family; she’s seducing Wu Ma Jun, and he, too, has his own plans. So why shouldn’t they roll around together?”
Given Wu Ma Jun’s ambitions, even if An Yina didn’t try to seduce him, could he keep his pants on?
Neither of them are good people.
Feng Jin hesitated, struggling internally, “This matter…”
Jiang Pengji muttered, “This royal scandal has nothing to do with you; why are you rushing to worry? Your father has already retired to avoid trouble, waiting for the situation to change. Do you want to throw yourself into the fray for Dongqing? Even if you say An Yina and Wu Ma Jun are fooling around, what evidence can you provide? The marriage between the Northern Border and Dongqing is as solid as a rock; any obstacle will be cleared away…”
After listening, his expression shifted between dark and light, and after a long sigh, he finally said.
“Fine, fine, this issue really doesn’t involve Jin…”
Feng Jin understood Wu Ma Jun’s ambitions very well.
He could guess why Wu Ma Jun was flirting with the Northern Border Princess An Yina.
But this guy had neither brains nor a big-picture perspective; that was why Feng Jin looked down on Wu Ma Jun the most.
Making contact with the Northern Border Royal Court through An Yina was no different from seeking death; he would be devoured down to the bones.
Jiang Pengji tilted her head, observing Feng Jin’s profile, and said, “If this has nothing to do with you, then let me tell you something that does.”
Feng Jin’s heart skipped a beat; his expression unchanged as he asked,
“What is it?”
Jiang Pengji replied, “Earlier during the evaluation, a scholar consumed Cold Food Powder and stripped off all their clothes in front of everyone… Yes, you heard that right, he stripped completely in front of all the scholars, my father, and other examiners, and even made lewd remarks towards Mr. Yuanjing’s prized pupil, Wei Zixiao.”
Feng Jin was stunned, his eyes involuntarily widening.
“This, this… It’s absurd!”
Jiang Pengji relayed this incident like a joke, teasingly adding, “You should be grateful you didn’t take the evaluation because of your arm injury. Otherwise, the beauty of Feng Huaiyu might have caught the eye of that lecherous fellow…”
Feng Jin: “…”
Why did he feel an urge to smack this little brat hard?
Jiang Pengji giggled, her eyes sparkling with mirth.
“Forget it, I won’t tease you anymore, seeing how honest you are.”
Feng Jin’s expression became stiff, looking somewhat sour, while Jiang Pengji beamed with genuine joy.
As the two strolled through the corridor, they seemed to be chatting and laughing from a distance.
Just as they were about to leave the garden, Jiang Pengji noticed an unusual gaze and instinctively withdrew her smile, turning to locate the source.
In her line of sight, there was only a vanishing corner of clothing.
“Did you see a familiar face?” Feng Jin asked her.
“Sort of, but that person is wary of me; I don’t know where I offended him.” Jiang Pengji shook her head. Wei Ci seemed to deliberately avoid her; she wanted to see how long he could keep his secret, “Huaiyu, how much do you know about Langya County?”
Feng Jin pulled his gaze back, following Jiang Pengji’s direction but saw no one.
“Langya County? I had forgotten; you’re about to follow Mr. Yuanjing to Langya for studies. It’s wise to prepare and learn about the situation in Langya’s scholarly community,” Feng Jin smiled, thinking Jiang Pengji was worried about her studies, “Langya County is a crucial battleground and also a place of great talent; it has nurtured numerous outstanding individuals; it’s a gathering place of noble families.”
Jiang Pengji nodded; she was aware of all of this.
“I heard that the scholarly clans in Langya are quite formidable…”
Hejian County is known for its beautiful women, while Langya County produces talented scholars.
Many renowned Confucian scholars basically hail from Langya, and their prestige in Dongqing is vastly different.
Feng Jin reassured Jiang Pengji, “Indeed formidable, but as long as you behave yourself, no one will intentionally make things difficult for you out of respect for Liu Governor. Not to mention, when you enter Langya Academy, Mr. Yuanjing will protect you; what do you have to fear?”
As long as this little partner doesn’t cause too much trouble, she would surely have a good time in Langya County.
Jiang Pengji asked again, “So, have you heard of the Langya Wei Clan?”
Feng Jin furrowed his brow, rummaging through his memory for quite some time.
“The Langya Wei Clan? I have a vague impression; if I remember correctly, this branch split off from the Wei Clan of Bianzhou shortly after the founding of the Great Xia Dynasty. However, this branch has dwindled and has long been in decline, each generation worse than the last.”
Bianzhou is located in Zhong Zhao, and the Wei Clan in Bianzhou is considered a first-rate family, thriving and flourishing.
“Do you know the current situation of the Langya Wei Clan?”
Jiang Pengji pressed on.
“I’ve heard vaguely; the Langya Wei Clan has returned to the Bianzhou Wei Clan, going back to their roots. Saying it’s a return is actually relying on others, living under someone else’s roof. But if they don’t do so, they might fall into total despair and become a humble family of commoners…”
The evaluation’s most critical aspect is the family’s standing, which holds significant weight, and humble families can only be regarded as ‘inferior.’
If they return to their roots, at least they can find some shelter under a big tree; they do have a common ancestor to lean on.
No matter how bad the situation gets, it’s still notable to mention they belong to a renowned noble family rather than being associated with lowly commoners.
Jiang Pengji frowned, “So you mean the Langya Wei Clan has moved away, and the whole family has relocated back to Zhong Zhao?”
If that’s the case, then Wei Ci shouldn’t be a part of the Langya Wei Clan; it must be a coincidence with the surname, right?
“That should be the case,” Feng Jin shook his head regretfully, “Usually, offshoots hardly return to their roots. The Langya Wei Clan choosing this path shows they’ve reached a dead end and had no other choice… Why is Lan Ting interested in this?”
She shook her head, “It’s nothing; I was just curious.”
As they walked and talked, they returned to the banquet and watched the performances for a while.
Jiang Pengji noticed someone not far away consuming Cold Food Powder with an expression of indulgence; she suddenly remembered something.
“Huaiyu, do you know when Cold Food Powder started to rise in Dongqing?”
Feng Jin revealed a hint of helplessness, saying, “Lan Ting truly thinks highly of me, but I’m not omniscient; how would I know about that?”
