Chapter 1681 – Securing Nan Sheng, Killing An Huan (Eighty-Nine)
If Lü Zheng and the others had lived peacefully in their past lives, perhaps they would be guiding Wei Ci just like this at present.
The one in the thick of it is often confused, while the bystander sees clearly. Their advice was precisely what Wei Ci needed to avoid taking the wrong path.
However, it’s not too late for him now; he has learned from his past mistakes and will not repeat them in this life!
“Not making a fuss? That’s for the best, to avoid becoming a target for everyone,” Lü Zheng said, stroking a chess piece with a smile. “Look at the people under Liu Xi; aside from those from Langya, the others may not be as friendly. With less leverage, there’s less reason to criticize you.”
Even someone from an academy could end up with a knife in their back if they obstruct someone else’s path.
Simply put, interests are the foundation of relationships.
Shared interests equate to lifelong allies.
Wei Ci lightly coughed and reminded, “The Lord doesn’t like cliques… Youmou is still helping the teacher because of this matter.”
Cheng Jing’s refusal to take a post is largely due to concerns about dragging down fellow disciples from Langya Academy.
When Lü Zheng casually mentioned “Langya”, Wei Ci felt a chill run down his spine.
“Disliking is one thing, but actually ignoring the concept of cliques is another. Liu Xi’s personality is too stubborn and proud; she might not even consider the so-called ‘cliques.’ What about cliques? Can anyone really shake off her influence? As long as the bottom line isn’t crossed, she probably won’t make a fuss. Cross that bottom line, and even if she does nothing, she’ll find a reason to eliminate you. Youmou is simply too cautious…” Lü Zheng scoffed. “So, Liu Lanting is really not a likable person.”
Humility and courtesy are mainstream qualities, whereas someone like Jiang Ji who seems to have “I am the best in the world” written all over her face is naturally unpopular because she is an “outsider”! Lü Zheng even harbored some malicious thoughts, hoping to witness Jiang Ji face plant.
“One day, she will indeed face plant.”
If she does, I wonder what her expression would be.
Despite Wei Ci’s reluctance to admit it, he had to concede that Lü Zheng’s judgment was spot on.
Whether it was the emperor in his past life or the lord in this one, both were confident to the point of arrogance.
How could she really care about the cliques of those beneath her?
If someone truly crossed her line because of a “clique,” it’s safe to say they’d end up with grass three feet high on their grave.
Recalling the intricacies of court relations in his past life, Wei Ci suspected that the other side intentionally allowed cliques to form, striking hard whenever someone slightly crossed his bottom line—sweeping everyone away… Following this line of thought, it became terrifyingly clear. Jiang Zhao, in his eighteen years of reign, experienced several shifts in power, each time with the emperor’s fingerprints on the fishing rod. A single person manipulating the entire court.
Wei Ci believed Lü Zheng dreaming of seeing the lord face plant was a pipe dream.
“Why not give Shaoyin a little more confidence?” Wei Ci said, “She can do it.”
Lü Zheng put on a complicated expression, gritting his teeth, “I’m scared of you all.”
Wei Ci smiled gently, bathed in sunlight, seeming almost celestial.
Could there really be such a good-looking man in the world?
Kang Xintong mused.
Wei Ci’s smile froze halfway.
Who did he just notice?
Maintaining his composure, Wei Ci kept his expression normal as Lü Zheng gestured to his adopted daughter standing nervously by the corridor.
“Xintong, come and meet your uncle.”
Realizing she was being called, Kang Xintong snapped back to reality, hurrying forward to greet him with restraint.
“Niece greets Uncle.”
Lü Zheng introduced, “This is my recently adopted daughter, smart and talented, and most importantly, filial and sensible. What do you think, Zixiao?”
He seemed like a proud father, eagerly waiting to hear praise from Wei Ci.
Wei Ci subtly raised an eyebrow, his tone remaining gentle.
“What’s her name?”
Kang Xintong replied, “Niece’s family name is Kang, given name Xintong.”
Wei Ci feigned curiosity, “Where did Shaoyin find such a delightful adopted daughter?”
Lü Zheng assumed Wei Ci misunderstood their “father-daughter” relationship and clarified, “In the future, I hope she will help me in my old age, so I naturally needed to find someone filial and pleasant. As for where she came from, it’s simply fate. There’s only one of her in the world; you can’t envy it.”
Many wealthy families couldn’t take concubines, but there were always ways to find loopholes—like calling someone an “adopted daughter” or a “book boy.” They could be innocent roles or carry other implications.
When Lü Zheng mentioned “help in old age,” it was clear this father-daughter relationship was quite legitimate.
Wei Ci smiled without speaking, the storm in his heart gradually calming.
“Nice to meet you for the first time, and I wasn’t prepared.” He pulled out a small trinket from his sleeve and gifted it to Kang Xintong, his gentle gaze landing on her as he apologetically said, “The gift is a bit shabby, but I’ll make it up to you with something proper another time…”
Kang Xintong didn’t take it right away, secretly observing Lü Zheng’s expression, only accepting it happily when he approved.
Lü Zheng said, “This uncle of yours is quite a talent in the world; if your father doesn’t have time to teach you, you can seek him out. Once you’ve absorbed all the knowledge he has, you’ll surely have your place in future storms. Learn well, understood?”
Wei Ci wore an awkward yet polite smile.
Could it be that the future Saintess of the Red Lotus Sect becomes his niece? How much more magical could this world get?
It turned out there was more.
Watching Kang Xintong serve him tea obediently, Wei Ci felt like sitting on needles.
The memories of decades in his past had faded, but some unique events and people remained vivid, with Kang Xintong being one of them.
As a traitor, Kang Xintong had close ties with many court officials, knew their secrets, and was a criminal that needed special handling. Extracting secrets from someone like her would inevitably require torture. Many couldn’t withstand it and broke down, but Kang Xintong was one of the few exceptions. Some attempted to rescue her for self-interest, others tried to kill her to silence her, but all failed.
Wei Ci wasn’t interested in digging into Kang Xintong’s backstory; to him, she was just a traitor.
Curiously, Kang Xintong also didn’t want to share her unpleasant past to evoke sympathy, being as stubborn as they come.
【As long as I have a breath left, you’ll never get a word out of me.】
After three days of torture, she’d faced nearly every form of punishment in the dungeon without revealing a single word.
Wei Ci brought this matter before the emperor, who took an interest and came to have a look.
The emperor said,【Why suffer in silence for secrets? Why cover the sins of others with your life? I once thought the Red Lotus Sect was just a bunch of rabble, good for nothing but sorcery; I didn’t expect you to be the exception.】
Kang Xintong replied,【If I don’t talk, they will live in fear, remembering me for a lifetime.】
The emperor raised an eyebrow.
Kang Xintong scoffed,【If you die, the world will remember, but if I die, it will be as quiet as the disappearance of an ant… If I can make them remember, then my life won’t have been in vain.】
The emperor asked,【I see. Do you have any wishes?】
【Can you give me a fire? I want to die clean…】
