Chapter 102 Inherent

If the Fan family was the sky of Xia Yong City, then the Qu clan was the sky above many large families similar to the Fan manor.

When the troops bearing the Qu clan's banner arrived at the city, the city guards didn't bother to resist or question them, opening the city gates directly.

The Qu clan's army, also known as the "Azure Luan Army," entered Xia Yong City directly and, in an instant, surrounded the Fan manor.

Qu Peiluo, the eldest son of the Qu clan, wearing full armor, walked in through the main gate of the Fan manor.

Along the way,

The Fan family members knelt prostrate on the ground.

As Qu Peiluo was about to enter the main courtyard, where the mourning hall was located, Fan Zhengwen walked out of the main courtyard's gate and knelt at Qu Peiluo's feet.

"Servant Fan Zhengwen greets the young master."

Fan Zhengwen performed the grandest of rites, because in the Chu Kingdom, the Qu clan was the master, and the Fan clan was the servant.

This master-servant relationship had lasted for a hundred and fifty years. It could be said that generations of the Fan family had been branded as servants of the Qu clan from birth.

Anything, whether good or bad, would become a tradition if repeated often enough and lasted long enough.

The Qu clan was the mountain above the heads of the Fan family.

Many generations of the Fan family had actually become accustomed to it, developing their family's talent for business to support the Qu clan.

Perhaps, some ancestors had pondered it at night, hesitated, or even felt resentful, but in the end, they carried on.

But Fan Zhengwen,

He seemed to have truly overeaten.

Only those who had overeaten would do things that seemed meaningless in the eyes of ordinary people. Most art was created on the premise that the creator had overeaten.

The princess knew that the place where she was being held was the Fan manor.

The princess had now also been sent away.

Neither the Fan manor nor Zheng Fan had left any means of control on the princess.

Because,

There was no need.

Bewitchment? Poison?

As a princess of a kingdom, as long as she regained her freedom and her dignity, she could find someone to undo any means of restraint you could think of.

She was a princess.

Therefore,

Fan Zhengwen understood,

The lives of everyone in the Fan manor,

Were in Qu Peiluo's hands, or rather, in the princess's whim.

As long as the princess gave the word,

Qu Peiluo could slaughter the entire Fan family without asking why.

The scent of incense was very strong. Inside, one could vaguely hear the chanting of monks.

Qu Peiluo bent down, reached out, and helped Fan Zhengwen up,

Saying:

"Uncle Fan, I am also very sad about Aunt's matter. I came immediately after hearing the news. I apologize for the hasty arrival, as there have been many things happening recently."

"Young Master is too kind, too kind."

Qu Peiluo nodded, opened his arms, and behind him, two armored soldiers stepped forward to drape white cloth and black gauze over him.

A moment later,

Accompanied by Fan Zhengwen, Qu Peiluo entered the main courtyard and offered incense before Madam Wen's mourning hall.

After the ceremony,

Qu Peiluo asked, "Where is Shao Liang?"

"Reporting to Young Master, Shao Liang is ill."

Qu Peiluo took a deep breath, nodded, and said, "Shao Liang has suffered."

Fan Shaoliang had been by Qu Peiluo's side since childhood, as a playmate or a study companion. This was the rule: the next generation of heirs from the various families under the Qu clan would be placed with the Qu clan and its core disciples to grow up together.

"I'll come back to see Shao Liang in a few days. I hope you can take good care of him for me, Uncle."

"Young Master is too kind. Shao Liang is, after all, my son."

"Yes."

Qu Peiluo reached out and tapped his forehead, saying:

"I've been too busy these days. Look at me, I'm starting to say silly things. Fortunately, the matter is resolved."

"That person, has she been found?" Fan Zhengwen asked.

Because the matter had occurred in Xia Yong territory, the Fan family had also contributed to helping find the princess. In fact, Fan Shaoliang's return from Ju'an City was also to help Qu Peiluo find that future bride.

A smile appeared on the corner of Qu Peiluo's mouth as he said:

"In any case, it's good that the person is back. National affairs come first. It's not good for us younger generation to always be causing trouble.

By the way, Uncle, please tell Shao Liang to rest well and recuperate. Once he's recovered, I'll take him north to kill Yan dogs after my wedding.

Shao Liang is younger than me, but he yearns for the battlefield even more than I do."

"Thank you for Young Master's consideration."

Qu Peiluo nodded and walked out of the Fan manor, along with the Qu clan's private soldiers he had brought.

Next to the window on the second floor of an inn in Xia Yong County, A'ming watched the passing Azure Luan Army from the side and said:

"It seems that the princess didn't sell us out as soon as she got home."

Si Niang then said:

"What difference does it make whether she sells us out or not? That princess is inherently intelligent, just a bit too young and inexperienced. She has already guessed it was the Fan family, and we also had her living in the Fan family for a few days.

She should also be clear that we dared to do this because the Fan family was prepared. So, what difference does it make whether the Fan family is destroyed or not?

What surprised me, though, was that Fan Zhengwen didn't leave."

Zheng Fan sat on a chair, chewing on a mint, and couldn't help but say upon hearing this:

"He's a gambler. But I'm really curious, are there really people who would unhesitatingly put their entire family's lives on the gambling table as chips?

Actually, I can sense that even Tian Wujing, in his heart, is actually..."

Si Niang then said: "It's possible that Master has had too little experience in his past life. Back then, there were simply too many people doing pyramid schemes, scamming relatives, or taking out loans and getting relatives to guarantee them, causing them to lose their homes and families.

If there were enough benefits, there are actually quite a few people willing to let all their relatives except for their close family members be ruined."

"Oh, it seems I'm still too naive." Zheng Fan smiled. "It's just that, after leaving the Fan family, I suddenly feel a little unaccustomed."

Living in the Fan family, with fine clothes and delicacies, life was really quite comfortable.

But he couldn't stay there now, because the current Fan family was a ticking time bomb that could explode at any time, and Lord Zheng didn't want to be buried with the Fan family.

"By the way, has San'er been notified?"

"We've already sent someone to notify him." Si Niang walked to Zheng Fan's side, massaging his shoulders, and continued, "Actually, things are pretty good now. All we have to do is wait."

"Don't you think it's naive, gambling by placing all your chips on someone else?" Zheng Fan asked.

"What's done is done, Master. We don't need to think about anything else. It's like going bungee jumping, placing your life safety on a single rope. It's quite thrilling."

A'ming then said:

"Anyway, I'm not at a loss."

…

"Has the Qu clan's nanny left?"

"Reporting to Your Highness, she has left."

"Hmm."

Xiong Liqing lay on her side on the blanket, her eyes showing a hint of fatigue.

Her disappearance had drawn the attention of many people, especially the Qu clan.

It was only natural for the Qu clan to send the most respected nanny in the family to examine her. Originally, there was such a procedure before the wedding anyway.

After all, the more aristocratic the family, the more importance they placed on the purity of their bloodline. Even if a princess married into their family, she couldn't be exempt.

Because if nothing went wrong, the male infant born to the princess would inevitably be the eldest son of the Qu clan's next generation. This matter was simply too important.

Especially after the princess returned after her disappearance, according to normal people's thinking, a woman who had encountered such a thing would likely have lost her virginity.

The Qu clan had hurriedly sent someone over to guard against unforeseen circumstances.

The wedding would definitely take place.

But if the princess had lost her virginity, then after the wedding, the princess would be placed in cold storage.

Even the Regent must acquiesce to this result; otherwise, he would be forcibly pressuring the Qu clan to allow tainted blood into their lineage, in which case, the Qu clan would have to rebel.

Women were often the weaker party in this kind of political exchange. No one would really care about their feelings, even if she was a princess.

Fortunately, she was still a virgin.

"I want to go for a walk. It's still too stuffy here."

The princess got up, and with the help of a maid, she put on a cloak.

The inside and outside of the villa were heavily guarded, but the princess couldn't feel any sense of security, because her beloved brother hadn't specifically sent anyone to visit her.

She was just his sister, an ordinary sister.

The princess walked to the door of a side room. The maid opened the door, and the princess walked in.

Inside,

There was a strong smell of herbs.

A person was lying on the bed, the young man who had "rescued" her.

When he sent her out of the city, he didn't know her true identity.

After finding out,

He knelt on the ground in shock.

She asked him,

He had merit for saving her, what reward did he want.

He said he wanted to think about it.

This young man named Zhao Cheng was very clever.

At a young age, he was able to form gangs and carry the banners of multiple families.

Perhaps, in a few years, his name might appear in the Jianghu.

But alas,

Just like that day in the soup shop, he had met Zheng Fan, or rather, Zheng Fan had chosen him.

His fate was no longer in his own hands.

The people of the world were like mayflies. There were few who could shake a large tree; most could only drift along with the waves.

Xiong Liqing felt that this young man named Zhao Cheng was like this, and she was also like this.

In his small circle, in his Ant People's Alley, he was also a powerful figure.

And she, in the palace, in the eyes of most ordinary people, was also an incomparably noble princess.

But precisely because of this,

They really had too few choices.

The smell of herbs was too strong, making Xiong Liqing feel a little suffocated. She wanted to leave this place, but she also wanted to know his answer, although the answer was already obvious.

"Your Highness Princess…"

Zhao Cheng, who was lying on the bed, instinctively wanted to get up and salute when he saw Xiong Liqing had come.

Beside him, a girl was kneeling, her eyes red, obviously having just cried.

"I have come to ask you, what reward do you want?"

Zhao Cheng grinned and smiled.

He had seen that man. He had followed that man all the way from the soup shop to the teahouse, and then through the alley into the cowshed in order to survive.

He had seen the princess take the initiative to throw herself into that man's arms and even tell that man that they would meet again next time.

Therefore,

When the princess came to ask him what reward he wanted,

Zhao Cheng pointed to his lower body,

The smell of herbs was coming from there.

He had personally castrated himself and applied medicine.

"This servant, this servant doesn't want any reward. This servant only wants to stay by the princess's side and serve the princess."