Chapter 134: Sleepless Night

Xiao Dingfei.

Xiao family, Dingfei Heir.

How noble is this name?

With this name, everyone in Tianjiao treats him with utmost respect, and it will have even more unspeakable benefits in the future.

Unfortunately, someone despises it.

He would rather abandon this old name and surname, return to a commoner, and endure countless hardships than seek any glory and wealth.

Compared to Xie Wei, Xiao Dingfei has always been the opposite kind of person.

But it cannot be denied that he has benefited from this person.

Therefore, when facing Xie Wei, he never dared to be too presumptuous, let alone act recklessly as he did with others in Tianjiao—even though the leader had done a clean job, those who knew the truth back then died one after another in “accidents.”

Xie Wei did not comment on his vaguely mocking words, only saying, “I once sent someone to Zui Le Fang to find you. The girls there said you went to buy wine from Shi Nian Niang, but when we found Shi Nian Niang, we realized you never went.”

Xiao Dingfei leaned on the pillow: “Wasn’t I scared?”

Xie Wei stared at him.

He laughed wantonly: “I heard that Gongyi lost contact, which scared me to death.”

Xie Wei said calmly, “Master Gongyi had been with the leader for a long time. When he went to the capital, I couldn’t stop him. I don’t know what he did, but he unexpectedly died under the court’s arrows during the raid by Shuntian Prefecture. I was also shocked when I heard the news. The situation was urgent, and the court had plans. We couldn’t even see Master Gongyi’s body. I’m afraid the news will reach Jinling, and the leader will be heartbroken.”

Heartbroken?

More like furious.

Gongyi Cheng had always been his strategist, a true right-hand man. He went to the capital and died inexplicably. Who would believe it?

Xiao Dingfei reached out to Jian Shu: “Tea.”

Jian Shu rolled his eyes at him but still poured him tea.

When the tea was handed to him, he said to Jian Shu, “You are really nice,” then turned back and muttered, “The capital is your territory, so whatever you say goes. I don’t dare to suspect that you killed Gongyi Cheng.”

Xie Wei smiled: “I didn’t know you had grown a brain.”

Xiao Dingfei took a sip of tea, feeling proud: “It’s a pity I didn’t escape, but it’s worth a try. What if it succeeded?”

Xie Wei said, “But it didn’t.”

Xiao Dingfei grinned: “Well, sir, you can’t be so heartless. After all, I did make a contribution this time!”

Xie Wei raised an eyebrow: “Oh?”

Xiao Dingfei pretended to drink tea while secretly observing Xie Wei’s expression. He wasn’t afraid on the surface, but his heart was pounding.

The events of the past few days flashed through his mind.

He remembered the familiar Tianjiao members who were shot dead in the valley during the day, racking his brains to figure out how to win a chance for himself in this seemingly calm but actually dangerous situation.

He said, “I exposed Zhang Zhe’s identity!”

Xie Wei said, “Really?”

Xiao Dingfei said, “Really, and not too early or too late, just today. Who am I? How obedient am I? Don’t you know, sir? It’s been so many years, and I haven’t made a mistake. From the beginning, when they said they were going to rob Tianlao, I felt something was wrong. When I saw that Zhang guy bringing a girl to the temple and saying ‘the hermit lives in the mountains,’ I knew he was lying. But at that time, I saw Xiao Bao, so I didn’t say anything, thinking you had some plan. Until this morning, when I saw Xiao Bao take Miss Jiang away and found the secret letter you wrote to Feng Mingyu and Wu Feng, I exposed Zhang’s identity.”

From the capital to Tongzhou, the journey was perilous and complicated. Xiao Dingfei probably saw it the clearest.

Who let him know both sides?

Some people are both soldiers and thieves, and they like to play the game of fighting themselves, with soldiers catching thieves and thieves tricking soldiers, making both sides think the other is against them, not knowing there is a manipulator in the middle.

Gongyi Cheng’s death was the beginning of everything.

Whether it was impulsive or not, Xie Wei’s subsequent plans were meticulous.

But Gu Chunfang’s recommendation of Zhang Zhe was the first accident.

If Xie Wei had refused outright, it would have aroused suspicion, so he went along with the plan, letting Zhang Zhe into the game and secretly ordered Xiao Bao to watch him.

Unexpectedly, Jiang Xuening was the second accident.

The situation became complicated. If Zhang Zhe was exposed, Jiang Xuening would be implicated and might not end well.

So he volunteered to lead the raid on Tianjiao.

Then came the third accident. After the fall of Yongyi Hou, the Xiao family sought to gain control of the Fengtai and Tongzhou camps, eager to make a contribution before the emperor, and obtained an imperial order to join the raid.

Three accidents, one after another.

Xie Wei had to protect Jiang Xuening, eliminate Zhang Zhe, deal with the Xiao family, and use the court to weaken Tianjiao’s power. Facing such a complex situation, he devised a ruthless plan.

He deliberately lagged behind Xiao Yuan, letting him go first.

Secretly, he arranged two groups: one disguised as Tianjiao traitors to provide Xiao Yuan with the secret location of Tianjiao; the other, under the name of Du Jun Shanren, warned Tianjiao of a court spy among them and informed them of Xiao’s attack, so they could prepare and ambush with explosives, luring the enemy in.

He didn’t directly name Zhang Zhe as the spy because Jiang Xuening was still there.

Who knows how much Zhang Zhe knew?

If he accidentally discovered the secret, he would be the one with no burial place.

So Zhang Zhe had to be eliminated.

The support from Yongding Pharmacy was a ruse, a calculated move; the secret letter mentioning a spy was to make Tianjiao suspicious of Zhang Zhe, control his movements, but not directly harm him, avoiding implicating Jiang Xuening.

Once Xiao Bao took Jiang Xuening away, Zhang Zhe could be killed.

Then, exposing his identity would make Tianjiao kill him. Even if the court investigated later, it wouldn’t be Xie Wei’s fault. Moreover, it wasn’t Xie Wei who sent Zhang Zhe; it was the new Minister of Justice, Gu Chunfang. Any blame wouldn’t fall on Xie Wei.

If the plan succeeded, Zhang Zhe would die, Xiao would fall into the trap, and the remaining Tianjiao rebels would be eliminated by Xie Wei’s arriving forces.

Xiao Yuan would suffer a great loss, even if he didn’t die.

Xie Wei would be the hidden fisherman, the mantis behind the cicada, the oriole behind the mantis, the ultimate winner.

A flawless plan, using strength against strength, eliminating enemies, could be called perfect!

Who would have thought…

Jiang Xuening appeared!

Xie Wei sat by the fire, the red coals casting a twilight-like glow in his eyes, flickering, and said calmly, “So, I shouldn’t punish you but reward you?”

Xiao Dingfei shivered and quickly shook his head: “I don’t dare!”

His fawning and spineless appearance, devoid of any arrogance, looked like a rogue from the streets, making people disgusted.

But this was exactly what Xie Wei liked to see.

Xie Wei frowned slightly, then slowly relaxed, and said, “Take care of yourself. You’ll have a good life when you get to the capital. If you dare to run away again, I’ll have someone break your legs. After all, your face is enough!”

The coldness in his words was not fake.

Xiao Dingfei’s forced smile almost fell off his face.

After speaking, Xie Wei didn’t care about his reaction and got up to leave. Jian Shu and Dao Qin quickly followed, one holding an umbrella and the other a lantern.

There was still some light snow at night, but much less than at dusk.

The lantern wasn’t very bright, only illuminating a few feet around, with little reflection from the snow.

Dao Qin held the umbrella very low.

As the three of them walked out through the round gate, they saw a tall, stout figure pacing outside the corridor, dressed in a silk robe. The man, slightly overweight with graying temples, had a face that had been imposing during the day but now showed signs of unease and hesitation, alternating between gloom and brightness, revealing a hint of fear.

It was Duke Dingguo, Xiao Yuan.

Jian Shu saw him and whispered a report. Xie Wei then looked in that direction and smiled, “Why is the Duke here so late at night?”

Xiao Yuan was surprised to see Xie Wei coming out and quickly composed himself. He glanced at the courtyard behind Xie Wei and said, “Oh, nothing. It’s just that all the rebels from Tianjiao are dead. It’s a pity we couldn’t get any information from them. But I heard that Master Xie captured an important person from Tianjiao, and I was curious.”

Only heaven knew what Xiao Yuan felt when he heard this news!

He was inquiring about Xiao Ye’s leg when a soldier rushed in to report that Master Xie had captured a Tianjiao rebel named “Xiao Dingfei”!

It was like a thunderbolt from the blue!

He questioned the soldier three times before he dared to believe his ears.

His eyelids twitched wildly, and his heart filled with fear: How could it be? It must be a coincidence, right? How could that child still be alive? All three hundred righteous children were buried under the snow!

Such a small child, such a small child…

Xiao Yuan always knew that Xie Jiu’an was best at reading people, fearing he would see through any flaws. He said, “I heard this person is named ‘Dingfei’?”

When he said these two words, his scalp tingled.

The deep winter snow was cold, and the wind was bitter.

The Shangqing Temple was built on a mountain, with shadows of trees swaying. When the cold wind blew, snow fell from the branches, making it seem like ghosts were walking silently in the snow, causing a chill in the heart.

Xie Wei’s white robe fluttered in the wind.

The lantern Jian Shu held was dazzling.

In this cold, snowy night, he looked at the elder of the Xiao family and smiled lightly. It was an excessively beautiful smile, making it hard to tell if he was a god from heaven or a ghost wandering in the dark. He said, “Yes, everyone calls him ‘Young Master Dingfei.’ It reminds me of the case at Yongyi Hou’s mansion. The secret letters between Yan Mu and Tianjiao mentioned your son’s whereabouts, as if he were still alive.”

In the cold weather, sweat appeared on Xiao Yuan’s forehead.

His Adam’s apple moved, and he forced a smile, but it was very strained. In his panic, he didn’t even notice Xie Wei’s gaze and stammered, “There are many people with the same name in the world. It might be a coincidence.”

Xie Wei said, “I just went to see him. Although this ‘Young Master Dingfei’ seems useless, his eyebrows and eyes are somewhat similar to yours.”

Xiao Yuan was shocked: “What?!”

Xie Wei raised an eyebrow, looking puzzled: “Isn’t this good news?”

Xiao Yuan realized his mistake and quickly tried to cover it up. However, when he tried to smile, he felt his facial muscles twist, making it impossible to smile.

Instead of smiling, he looked even more sinister.

His heart was in chaos, and he said perfunctorily, “I just find it hard to believe…”

Jian Shu and Dao Qin stood behind Xie Wei, coldly watching Xiao Yuan’s flawed performance.

Xie Wei found it amusing.

He really did laugh, clearly seeing the fear, dread, murderous intent, and guilt flash across Xiao Yuan’s face, but he said with a warm and extremely malicious tone, “If this is true, I must congratulate you, Duke. Young Master Dingfei survived a great disaster, and the Xiao family has a successor. The Xiao family will have great fortune!”

Xiao Yuan felt a deep sense of gloom and rage, but his guilt prevented him from showing any of it. His smile was worse than crying, and he could only say, “I hope so.”

Xie Wei asked knowingly, “Young Master Dingfei hasn’t rested yet. Aren’t you going to see him?”

Before Xiao Yuan could answer, Xie Wei smiled as if he had just realized something, “Oh, I forgot. It’s been twenty years since you last saw him. You might be feeling nervous. Besides, this person might not be real, so your hesitation is understandable.”

Xiao Yuan could only say, “Yes, yes.”

Another gust of wind blew, and Xie Wei felt cold, coughing. He looked around at the snowy night, which faintly reflected light, then lowered his eyes and said, “The wind is cold and the night is dark. Please forgive me, Duke. I’ve caught a cold recently and can’t stay long. I must take my leave.”

Xiao Yuan said, “Take care, Master Xie.”

Xie Wei didn’t ask how long Xiao Yuan would stand there. He covered his mouth and coughed twice, then walked down the steps with Dao Qin holding an umbrella, heading to his room.

Inside, the room was brightly lit with candles.

Xie Wei sat cross-legged on the Luohan bed by the window, a mocking smile appearing on his lips, which then turned into a cold, expressionless face.

He raised his hand to his eyes.

Jian Shu took out a jade bottle from a box he carried, poured out a pill, and handed it to him with a cup of warm water, helping him take the medicine.

Xie Wei’s pale face showed no improvement.

A scroll of Daoist scriptures lay casually on the square table, filled with dense vertical lines of text. His gaze fell on it, catching a phrase, “Following the ordinary leads to mortality, reversing leads to immortality, it’s all about the inversion.”

Daoism clears the mind, Buddhism reduces desires.

He studied both Buddhism and Daoism. Seeing this nonsensical phrase, he felt a surge of irritation and threw it to the corner, making a loud “crash.”

Jian Shu and Dao Qin were startled.

Xie Wei propped his elbow on the table, his long fingers gently pressing his tense temple, and asked, “Where is Ning’er?”

Jian Shu said, “The doctor said she fell asleep due to exhaustion. Half an hour ago, Xiao Bao reported that she just woke up, ate something, and planned to visit Master Zhang.”

Xie Wei’s eyes flashed with a hint of malice.

Tonight, he couldn’t sleep.

Since he couldn’t rest, no one else should either. He coldly said, “Tell her to come and practice the qin!”

*

Jiang Xuening almost jumped out of bed in anger when she heard this, extremely furious: “What kind of nonsense is practicing the qin in the middle of a snowy night?!”

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