Chapter 145: The Wolf And The Jackal

The vulgar language of the streets was something many had heard before, but this was happening in the court!

The eunuch standing next to Shen Lang was utterly shocked!

Only at this moment did everyone realize: this heir, Xiao Dingfei, was not at all what they had imagined. Having been in the den of thieves that was the Tianjiao sect, just listening to his words was enough to foresee trouble for the Xiao family!

Officials from the Ministry of Rites always emphasized the word “etiquette.” In the past, they would have stood up and rebuked such behavior immediately, but now, looking at Xiao Dingfei and the Emperor, they pondered that this man was the Emperor’s lifesaver.

They dared not speak, they dared not speak at all.

Each one buried their heads, playing the turtle.

Xiao Yuan angrily exclaimed, “Your Majesty!”

Shen Lang, hearing such crude words, showed an unsettled expression and furrowed his brows with difficulty.

But Xiao Dingfei was prepared. He addressed Shen Lang in the same tone: “Filial piety is the first of all virtues. As a son, if one cannot repay the kindness of a loving mother, I am already unfilial. I am compelled by circumstances, unable to resolve this heart knot. If Your Majesty insists, it would be better to accuse me as a rebel of the Tianjiao sect, bind me and throw me into prison, so I can die cleanly!”

Shen Lang immediately responded, “How could that be allowed!”

He glanced at Xiao Yuan and sighed, “Even a wise judge struggles with family matters, and I cannot resolve this either. You have saved me, in front of all the people, how can I repay kindness with enmity? That would be placing me in a position of injustice. Now that you have returned to the capital, you will have time to resolve your issues with Duke Xiao. There is no rush. First, take care of yourself. Another day, come to the palace and pay respects to the Empress Dowager. As for other matters, we will discuss them later. Court is dismissed.”

As soon as he finished speaking, it was as if he feared being entangled in these matters. He flicked his sleeves and left the Golden Throne Hall.

The eunuchs followed, announcing the dismissal.

Even though Xiao Yuan was filled with rage, he had to suppress it, his chest aching, and unwillingly followed the other ministers in bowing deeply and shouting, “Respectfully seeing off.” 

When he stood up, his face was dark and gloomy, ready to grab Xiao Dingfei for a confrontation, but when he looked up, there was no one left in the hall.

Xiao Dingfei had already scrambled up from the ground, went outside the hall, and asked the waiting eunuchs, “Hey, brother, where’s the best brothel in the capital? When will the gold and silver bestowed by the Emperor be delivered to me?”

The eunuchs standing outside were just low-ranking attendants, and they had never seen such a spectacle before. They were instantly terrified, their faces drained of color.

Although the Xiao family was indeed powerful, their arrogance and haughtiness over the years had naturally earned them many enemies among their colleagues in the court. Some with ill intentions had already noticed the situation.

As soon as the court session ended, a group of three or five officials surrounded Xiao Dingfei, offering congratulations and getting close to him. In no time, they were walking with their arms around his shoulders, not even sparing a glance at Xiao Yuan!

It was almost certain that the dignified Duke Xiao would soon become a laughingstock!

From a distance, Xie Wei observed Xiao Yuan’s exasperated demeanor with an indifferent expression. 

He even approached to offer a few comforting words, smiling, “Why should you take this to heart, Duke Xiao? It seems that your son has been away from the capital for many years and has many misunderstandings about you. Since you have always conducted yourself with integrity, in time, the Heir Dingfei will surely realize it was all a misunderstanding and will apologize to you.”

If he hadn’t spoken, it would have been better. His words were like adding fuel to the fire!

However, while Xiao Yuan dared to lash out at Xiao Dingfei, he absolutely did not dare to show his anger to Xie Wei. He could only grit his teeth and say, “Thank you, Master Xie, for your comfort.”

Both Xiao Yuan and Xie Wei had participated in the campaign to eliminate the Tianjiao sect in Tongzhou. Xiao Yuan got a scolding, while Xie Wei gained actual power in the Ministry of Works, effectively getting a promotion. He was quite pleased with himself, and his smiling demeanor only made him seem more like a celestial being descending from the clouds.

The crowd also gathered around to congratulate him.

This only made Xiao Yuan’s situation seem even more pitiful and embarrassing.

*

After dealing with the well-wishers, Xie Wei was about to leave when a young eunuch hurriedly came to invite him to the South Study Room. It was obvious that Shen Lang had summoned him.

When Xie Wei arrived at the Study Room, he saw that Shen Lang was playing chess with someone. The person sitting opposite Shen Lang was a monk who did not look particularly kind; in fact, he seemed somewhat fierce. Upon seeing Xie Wei, the monk naturally stood up, pressed his palms together in a salutation, and smiled slightly, “Amitabha, greetings to Master Xie.”

Xie Wei bowed slightly and smiled, “It’s been a long time, Master Yuanji. You seem more peaceful now, which suggests your Buddhist practice has improved.”

Yuanji was very humble, “In your presence, I dare not speak of Buddhist practice.”

One was the national preceptor, and the other was the emperor’s mentor. Back when Shen Lang successfully ascended the throne, it was thanks to the strong support of these two, and thus they were quite familiar with each other.

Shen Lang didn’t need to say much.

He tossed a chess piece back into the box and said, “I was just discussing with Master Yuanji about Wan Xiuzi from the Tianjiao sect. This villain lost a debate with the master years ago and has been harboring ill intentions ever since. Now, he is causing trouble in the world, becoming a major concern for me. This time, the Prince Consort has returned, what do you think?”

Xie Wei countered, “What does Your Majesty think?”

Shen Lang replied, “It’s been twenty years since I last saw Dingfei. How could I completely remember what he looked like? Besides, twenty years have passed quickly, and childhood appearances are unreliable; people change as they grow. When I mentioned childhood events in the hall to test him, he remembered some of the amusing incidents. I deliberately fabricated some stories, and he had no impression of them or didn’t dare to confirm if they happened, which actually made him seem more genuine. However, I still find it hard to believe that the Dingfei of the past could have become like this…”

His eyes flickered, making it hard to read his thoughts.

Xie Wei said, “If what the Xiao heir said in the hall is true, and the Tianjiao sect raised him intending to use him as a puppet, then it is impossible that they would teach him any real skills. Even someone with great talent can be wasted if not educated properly. Your Majesty might be more concerned that this is a scheme by the Tianjiao sect rather than doubting his identity?”

Shen Lang sighed, “You truly understand me, Xie Wei!”

He stood up, pacing in the Nanshu Study Room with his hands behind his back, “If the Tianjiao sect truly intends to use him as a puppet, who is to say that his return to the capital is not part of their plan? Wan Xiuzi is cunning and should not be underestimated. But…”

Xie Wei responded, “However, this person is ultimately a life-saving benefactor to His Majesty in the past, and with the sentiments of the people in mind, it is indeed a difficult matter for His Majesty.”

Shen Lang said, “That’s exactly where the difficulty lies.”

Hearing this, Xie Wei laughed, “Why should His Majesty be troubled?”

Shen Lang and the monk Yuanji both looked at him.

Xie Wei said, “Since His Majesty remembers the old kindness and considers the sentiments of the people, it is only natural to bestow great favors upon the heir Dingfei. Allowing him to speak freely in the Throne Hall shows His Majesty’s great benevolence. If this is indeed a scheme by the Tianjiao Sect, it will eventually reveal itself. Instead of releasing the heir Dingfei, it’s better to keep him under close watch. If he truly has no further ties to the Tianjiao Sect, His Majesty need not be conflicted. If he is still entangled with the Tianjiao Sect, His Majesty has already treated him generously; by then, killing him would be his own fault, and no one could blame His Majesty.”

Shen Lang pondered for a long time and said, “In this way, I have done my utmost duty. By the way, I heard you were attacked on your way back to the capital?”

Xie Wei nodded, “The attackers were all death warriors, seemingly targeting the heir Dingfei.”

Shen Lang asked, “Were any of them captured alive?”

Xie Wei calmly replied, “In the end, one was left alive, but since he was a death warrior, I knew we wouldn’t get any information from him, so I ordered him to be killed.”

“Ah, this…” Shen Lang seemed a bit surprised, lowered his eyes in thought for a moment, seemingly a bit regretful, “That is indeed somewhat unfortunate.”

However, he showed no intention of pursuing the matter.

Xie Wei said, “It was too hasty of me.”

Shen Lang quickly waved his hand, “No matter, it was just a sect warrior. It seems the Tianjiao Sect still harbors evil intentions, wanting to silence the Dingfei heir. Given his long stay with the Tianjiao Sect, he must know a lot about their inner workings. It might not be suitable for him to speak now since he just returned to the capital, but later he can be asked to share more. I will rely on you for this, Lord Xie.”

Xie Wei bowed, “I will certainly atone for my mistakes with merit.”

Shen Lang laughed, “Lord Xie, you are too serious.”

With this, the official matters were concluded. Shen Lang then invited Xie Wei to sit and play a game of chess, and afterward, ordered a palace eunuch to personally escort Xie Wei out of the palace.

Once Xie Wei left the Study, the monk Yuanji looked at the chessboard, where the black and white pieces were in a deadlock, with a thoughtful expression in his eyes. 

He said, “The death warrior was captured alive; if brought back to the capital, it might have been possible to break him. After all, who is truly unafraid of death, especially those who have had a near-death experience? Xie Ju’an’s immediate killing of him is quite out of character for his usual steady and cautious nature.”

Shen Lang let out a long sigh.

He raised his hand and lightly flicked it, causing the chess pieces on the board to fall to the ground.

With a cold smile, he said, “If Lord Xie doesn’t kill this death soldier, how can we be sure that when we bring him back to the capital, the mastermind behind it will be revealed to be Tianjiao or someone else? If we don’t stop the assassin, my ‘savior’ might be the one to die. If we capture the assassin, the one we extract the information from might turn out to be Duke Ding, Xiao Yuan. Between these two difficult choices, it’s better to just kill this death soldier. After all, if Tianjiao truly had such powerful death soldiers, why haven’t they used them earlier? They could have killed off all the officials. Either strike to kill in one blow or don’t strike at all. Although Xiao Yuan is my uncle, he causes trouble and acts improperly, needing Lord Xie to clean up his mess! If it weren’t for Xie Wei today, if his deeds were exposed, wouldn’t it make people wonder what happened back then?!”

His words were filled with a murderous aura.

Monk Yuanji then realized that the emperor had decided to eliminate the Xiao family, and Xiao Dingfei might indeed be a valuable pawn.

However…

He was even more curious about another point: Lord Xie’s two subordinates, Dao Qin and Jian Shu, were incredibly powerful. The Duke Ding’s bunch of death soldiers couldn’t gain any advantage over them.

*

Xiao Dingfei felt that he had never experienced such a glorious moment in his life. Surrounded by disreputable friends and drinking buddies, the room was filled with court officials and aristocrats, all toasting and calling each other brothers.

No matter their true intentions, drinking and eating together made them brothers!

He completely embraced his long-cultivated rakish demeanor, spewing crude jokes and humorous remarks, winning rounds of applause.

After a feast, he lay down in a private room’s warm alcove and slept until dusk.

The butler sent by the Duke’s mansion to fetch him was fuming downstairs.

Yet, Xiao Dingfei was in no rush. After waking up, he lazily descended the stairs, ignoring the waiting entourage, and climbed into the waiting carriage outside. Suddenly, he seemed to remember something and stood motionless on the shaft.

The butler gritted his teeth and urged him.

Unexpectedly, Xiao Dingfei said, “First, let’s go to Minister Jiang’s residence. I’ve heard that Jiang’s second daughter is exceptionally beautiful, even more so than that so-called Xiao Shu. When one arrives in the capital, they should pay their respects to the locals. I must visit her personally.”

The butler was dumbfounded.

The Duke’s mansion intended to bring Xiao Dingfei back to assess him, and the entire family had been waiting for him all day. At this moment, he wanted to visit the Jiang residence?

The butler, a trusted aide of Lady Lu, the current Duchess, knew that the emergence of this “Heir Dingfei” was bad news.

There could only be one heir.

Originally, Young Master Xiao Ye had been a sure bet. But with the addition of Xiao Dingfei, who was also the emperor’s savior, who knew what kind of power struggle would ensue in the Duke’s mansion?

Loyal to Xiao Ye, the butler naturally disliked Xiao Dingfei.

He was about to refuse when he reconsidered. Xiao Dingfei’s lack of decorum might actually work to their advantage. Such a reputation would make it impossible for him to compete for the heir position.

The butler’s eyes rolled, and he did not oppose the idea. He instructed the coachman to drive Xiao Dingfei to the Jiang residence, presented a visiting card, and straightforwardly requested to see Jiang’s second daughter.

This alarmed Jiang Boyou.

Immediately, he was furious.

During the morning court session, he had clearly seen what kind of scoundrel this newly returned heir Dingfei was. Coming to the Jiang residence was one thing, but to ask to see his daughter directly without paying respects to him, the head of the household!

Outrageous!

In his study, Jiang Boyou was so furious that he slapped the tea table and stood up, shouting, “Absurd! This is disgraceful! Quickly, have someone drive him out! How can I let him ruin my daughter’s reputation?!”

Chang Zhuo, who was serving in the room, stood trembling with cold sweat dripping from his forehead.

He remained rooted to the spot, as if his feet had taken root.

Seeing him standing there without moving, Jiang Boyou yelled angrily, “Why aren’t you going?”

Chang Zhuo forced a bitter smile and said, “Second, Second Young Miss heard it and has already gone to see him.”

“……”

Jiang Boyou was completely stunned.

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