Chapter 1673 – A Call from Nan Sheng, Killing An Huan (Part 81)
Except for An, no one knew what had transpired between Lü Zheng and him.
Everyone only knew that from that day on, Lü Zheng fell ill and was bedridden, leaving the tasks of serving tea and water to Kang Xintong.
Outsiders thought this was merely an excuse, and An also believed Lü Zheng was just putting on an act, but it turned out Lü Zheng was truly sick… severely sick.
Kang Xintong watched as Lü Zheng visibly lost weight, growing more anxious and tearful, yet feeling utterly helpless.
“Foster father, the physician says this is a heart ailment… ordinary remedies are hard to cure…”
A heavy burden in his heart, it was hard to alleviate.
To put it simply, Lü Zheng had worried himself sick.
Lying on the bed, he couldn’t move. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but his body felt weak, and his mind was cloudy. As his condition worsened, he often forgot things, even what he had just said a moment ago. To outsiders, he appeared gravely ill. His eye sockets were hollow, lips cracked, and his bright eyes resembled dead fish eyes, devoid of any former brilliance…
An had visited twice, each time only sitting for a while before sighing and leaving.
A few days ago, he had inquired about Lü Zheng’s condition and, upon hearing the physician say it was a heart ailment, An realized something and stopped asking.
What else was there to ask?
An’s prideful nature prevented him from seeking out answers about Lü Zheng’s illness, knowing it stemmed from his own dissatisfaction. Why would he want to go out of his way to stir up discomfort?
After taking medicine for a few days, Lü Zheng’s condition had stabilized, and he was more awake, but he still seemed rather dispirited.
Kang Xintong took great care in attending to him, managing all matters without help, showcasing a rare filial piety.
Lü Zheng said, “It was just a moment of frustration; once I come to terms with it, I’ll naturally feel better.”
Kang Xintong asked, “Others say foster father is exceptionally wise; what in this world could trouble you so?”
Lü Zheng replied, “The flattery from outsiders shouldn’t be taken seriously. There are indeed many things I can’t come to terms with.”
“For example?”
Lü Zheng pushed the headband that had slipped down back up and sighed, “For instance, you spend a fortune acquiring raw stones, treating them like treasures that you wish to carry every day. You then spend years meticulously carving and polishing them… On the day of completion, you expect them to be the most dazzling jewels in the world, only to find out from others that this kind of stone is available in abundance in a latrine…”
Kang Xintong shivered: “…”
She felt her foster father’s words were somewhat insulting.
Lü Zheng lamented, “Anyone who encounters such a situation would likely feel disheartened.”
Kang Xintong hesitated to speak, caught between promoting and refraining from promoting.
“The daughter thinks… since it’s merely latrine stone, filthy and disgusting, why not discard it early to avoid the sight of it?”
Lü Zheng replied, “I can’t afford to lose face.”
Kang Xintong: “…”
So foster father was just a face-saving martyr suffering in silence?
Lü Zheng continued, “Liu Xi to Zixiao, Huang Song to You Mo, Xu Pei to Wen Bin, An to me…”
Kang Xintong asked, unintentionally interjecting at an inopportune moment.
“I know Liu Xi, Huang Song, and Xu Pei, but who are Zixiao, You Mo, and Wen Bin…?”
Implying a similar relationship as An and foster father, were they all lord-subject relationships?
Lü Zheng said, “They are my fellow disciples; we all came under Mr. Yuanjing. The grace and nurturing he provided us are unforgettable. However, for such a discerning master, he ended up teaching three shortsighted students, which is a shame to the old man.”
Three out of four disciples had “fallen,” marking the biggest blemish in Mr. Yuanjing’s teaching career.
Kang Xintong counted on her fingers, realizing something was off.
“How is it three?”
Lü Zheng nearly choked.
Is this the crucial point?
He forced himself to respond, “Wei Zixiao doesn’t count.”
He perfectly inherited Mr. Yuanjing’s sharp eyes and insight.
After all, why would Wei Ci choose Jiang Ji, who had been rather indifferent back during their time at the academy?
Hearing what Fang Zhi had said last time, Jiang Ji had indeed gotten involved with Wei Ci—wasting the most beautiful flower of Langya Academy.
Beast!
“Oh.”
Kang Xintong replied sweetly, but her lips couldn’t help but curl into a smile.
Lü Zheng felt he would burst from internal injury.
He forgot this little girl was Jiang Ji’s staunch supporter.
On the surface, she seemed obedient; who knew if deep down her heart was screaming in madness and obsession for her idol?
“It’s fine if others embarrass themselves, but that scheming Liu Xi is the worst.” Lü Zheng spoke irritably, “Look at her! She does nothing but write letters to stir up trouble for the Lord. An is the kind of person who shouldn’t lack self-awareness. Every letter is perfectly worded, claiming it’s for me but really meant for An…”
If Lü Zheng hadn’t been clever, retreating to move forward, he might have already been secretly tormented to death by An.
Jiang Ji despised betrayal; would An treat a betrayer generously?
Kang Xintong asked, “Then… what should we do now?”
Lü Zheng said, “We’ll take it step by step; An is about to face a major disaster that will likely lead to a complete collapse…”
Kang Xintong’s heart skipped a beat, “I’m dull-witted and can’t see where the disaster lies…”
Lü Zheng hinted her with key words.
“Provision.”
“Provision?”
Kang Xintong repeated thoughtfully.
“The general slain in An’s rage was innocent; the provisions had issues before they were plundered. The one responsible for provisions was Hua Yuan; looking at the overall situation, he is the only one with the motive and ability to tamper with the supplies. Coincidentally, at this critical moment, An’s only fostered descendant had a sudden death—it’s hard not to raise suspicions about a conspiracy. An won’t heed any advice and will inevitably meet with a messy end!”
At this stage, Lü Zheng no longer referred to An as Lord in front of his foster daughter, merely calling him by name.
Kang Xintong asked, “Hua Yuan? What benefit does he gain from doing this?”
Lü Zheng replied, “How would I know the thoughts of a madman?”
“Then, aren’t we… in danger?”
Kang Xintong disliked An, but if he were overthrown, both she and Lü Zheng would be in a difficult situation.
Lü Zheng scoffed, “Liu Xi owes me a debt; does she dare to cross the river to tear down the bridge?”
“Debt?”
Lü Zheng said, “You’ll find out when the time comes.”
Kang Xintong didn’t press further.
The root of Lü Zheng’s illness lay in his heart; he wouldn’t allow himself to come to terms with it, making ordinary remedies ineffective.
Thanks to An’s reckless actions, Lü Zheng had finally given up hope.
The latter nursed his illness while coldly observing. As the war intensified, An suffered defeat after defeat, and the supply situation grew increasingly dire. Meanwhile, Hua Yuan was dragging his feet, and adding to the chaos, Jiang Ji had repeatedly sent people to disrupt the supply lines, putting An in a situation where he faced threats from all sides.
“What’s that noise outside?”
Lü Zheng closed the bamboo slips and asked, looking up.
Kang Xintong replied, “The provisions have arrived; it’s a relief for the immediate crisis.”
Lü Zheng furrowed his brows, deep in thought.
“Foster father, the meal today is actually meat porridge.”
Kang Xintong entered with two bowls of fragrant meat porridge, adding some pickled vegetables as garnish.
“The meat tastes a bit sour…”
Lü Zheng lifted his bowl of meat porridge and took a bite, seeming to bite into something. His expression suddenly turned pale, and he spat it out.
“Foster father!”
