Chapter 283 – No Death Without Foolishness (Part 2)
“I don’t recognize him, but the name ‘Young Master’ sounds incredibly familiar, as if we have a connection I’ve long forgotten. I just can’t recall where I’ve heard it,” Wei Ci said with a perfectly timed slight smile. He then cupped his hands towards Liu Zhi and added, maintaining a respectful but firm demeanor, “Governor Liu and Young Master have safely arrived at the Feng residence. I’ve fulfilled my master’s orders and won’t linger here. I wouldn’t want my master to grow anxious waiting for me, so I shall take my leave.”
Liu Zhi tried to retain him, but Wei Ci still used “urgent mission” as an excuse to depart.
Xu Ke asked in private, “Is that a friend of Young Master’s?”
Jiang Pengji rolled her eyes internally, thinking that Wei Ci surely didn’t consider her a friend.
Clearly, this man named Wei Ci seemed to harbor some unknown aversion toward her—nothing hostile, but not friendly either. However, as long as he didn’t pose a danger to her safety, she couldn’t be bothered to pursue the reasons behind his secrets.
“Oh, we’ve only met once. He was sent by Mr. Yuanjing to escort me and my father.”
Mr. Yuanjing?
Xu Ke was astonished. From Young Master’s words, it seemed he had encountered the legendary Mr. Yuanjing at the hot springs last night?
That man was an idol for many young individuals in Dongqing, and Xu Ke was no exception.
“Is that Young Master a disciple of Mr. Yuanjing?” Xu Ke queried, with a hint of competitive spirit in his gaze.
“Yes, he’s a direct disciple of Mr. Yuanjing. He harbors some secrets, but…” Jiang Pengji suddenly smiled, self-confidently stating, “Those who steal for a thousand days can’t guard against thieves for a thousand days. I’m curious to see how long he can keep those secrets locked away.”
Xu Ke looked lost, unable to fathom what Young Master was implying.
More importantly, why did Young Master compare himself to a “thief”?
Meanwhile, Wei Ci was also feeling a headache. Meeting Jiang Pengji yesterday was beyond his plans, and now encountering Xu Ke today was even more shocking. What shocked him further was that Xu Ke was already next to the emperor… Was the sun rising from the west?
Thinking back to the Xu Xiaoyu he had met, then recalling the face he saw just now, Wei Ci felt a surge of confusion.
When had the emperor and Liu Zhi become so close?
When had the emperor known Feng Jin back in his youth?
When had Xu Ke genuinely been willing to serve the emperor?
It wasn’t that his awakening was problematic; it was the emperor who had issues!
Just thinking about the familiar expressions, behaviors, and combat skills left Wei Ci silently suppressing this absurd thought.
He had no idea that the situation causing him so much headache wasn’t over yet.
Upon returning to the guest residence at Langya Academy, where the students stayed, he keenly sensed the atmosphere around him was unusually tense.
Looking around, he noticed not only were his fellow students wearing grim expressions, but even the usually optimistic Mr. Yuanjing had a face like a winter frost.
This scene sent a shiver down Wei Ci’s spine, and an ominous premonition arose.
“Master, I have safely delivered Governor Liu and his son to the Feng residence.”
“Hmm, I understand.”
Mr. Yuanjing seemed to have aged a little, tightening his normally upturned lips into a straight line, his eyes filled with frost.
“Master, have you encountered any troubles? Why do you look so troubled?” Wei Ci asked.
Mr. Yuanjing concealed his expression, yet the gloom on his brow remained striking.
“I’m fine, but you all should review your studies for now. In these days, don’t go out lightly.”
With that, he leaned on the side table to rise, his steps somewhat unsteady, which filled Wei Ci with worry.
Once Mr. Yuanjing left, the oppressive silence in the room was finally broken.
Wei Ci turned to Zu De, “Zu De, you’ve been taking care of the master. Do you know why he appears so…”
Since his arrival at Langya Academy, Zu De had volunteered to assist the elderly Mr. Yuanjing. Though he could be a bit dim-witted and held some ideas contrary to Wei Ci’s, Zu De had immense respect for Mr. Yuanjing, always sticking close and hardly leaving his side.
Feeling the weight of his classmates’ gazes, Zu De felt a surge of pressure.
He could only muster the courage to say, “About this matter… Master strictly instructed me not to speak…”
Wei Ci’s expression turned cold, and he swept his sleeve aside, thinking that if Zu De wouldn’t talk, he would find the answer elsewhere.
The other students reacted similarly, and looking at the empty hall, Zu De couldn’t help but grit his teeth in frustration, pounding the floor in vent.
“Damn the Northern Border!”
On the other side, Jiang Pengji viewed Feng Jin, whose arm was half-bound. His attempt to raise his right hand looked incredibly awkward, appearing rather silly.
“Why are you trying to play the hero? Knowing you couldn’t win, why didn’t you call for me sooner?”
Feng Jin gave a bitter laugh, his face a bit pale, but much improved from last night.
“A real man wouldn’t let a woman take the fall for him!”
Jiang Pengji smirked inwardly and replied casually, “Tsk! Then why did you have that young servant call for me last night?”
Feng Jin blinked and, disregarding any sense of face, propped his chin on one hand, gazing at the tense chessboard.
“Because Jin realized that Lan Ting shouldn’t be treated as an ordinary woman; all men fall short by comparison, and seeking help isn’t shameful.”
Jiang Pengji: “…”
Staring at the chessboard, Feng Jin contemplated for a long while before making a move and said, “I thought that by shielding that young lord, I could avoid calamity, but unexpectedly… my goodwill has gone to waste…”
“No death without foolishness—this person brought this upon himself. I just sent someone to inquire about the news and managed to clarify some details about last night,” Jiang Pengji said coldly, her thoughts on the chessboard while she spoke, “That young lord was indeed spoiled by his family. They ask for stars but provide no moon; where has he experienced defeat? Knowing that those competing with him for the courtesan are from the Northern Border, he didn’t back down when warned and even provoked his followers to strike…”
Unfortunately, the outcome was that the young lord from the Northern Border secured the beautiful woman and emerged victorious, with several of his competitors dead.
Killing a few people might seem trivial, but among those dead was someone of considerable stature from the Northern Border, which certainly complicated matters.
Now, the Northern Border refused to let this incident go, insisting that Dongqing provide an explanation.
Given Feng Jin’s experiences, it appeared that the Official Master currently favored the Northern Border.
As long as it didn’t threaten his throne, any conditions could be considered.
Just then, Liu Zhi returned with a particularly dreadful piece of news.
They had found a scapegoat, and coincidentally, it was someone Jiang Pengji knew, shocking everyone.
It was actually one of Mr. Yuanjing’s esteemed disciples—Han Yu!
“How did this debacle involve Han Yu?”
Even Jiang Pengji, who was usually sharp, couldn’t wrap her head around this; what could he have to do with the scapegoating? You can’t just blame anyone randomly!
In reality, this was merely a coincidence.
