Chapter 252
Chapter 252
The Count of Xuanwu's Estate was no longer gloomy. The thick dust of the past had settled, and now everyone was drowning in a sea of joy. Though the dead had left them, the living had to go on. Although the Count of Xuanwu was absent, the Countess decided to celebrate the New Year again. All the servants and maids of the estate cheered at her decision.
They joyfully pasted red paper and set off firecrackers. During the recent Spring Festival, they had refrained from celebrating due to the impending great war. But now, they could finally burst with joy.
Furthermore, as part of the New Year festivities, every servant and maid in the Count of Xuanwu's Estate would receive red envelopes, and each person received three. One from the Countess, one from Shen Lang and his wife, and one from Shen Wan and his wife.
Shen Lang's parents had been living in a large mansion outside the castle walls, with a dozen or so servants. The Countess insisted that the couple give red envelopes to all the servants of the estate. This meant that Shen Lang's parents were also masters of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. How did they get the money for the red envelopes? Shen Lang had plenty of emergency funds.
* * *
The maids belonging to the courtyard where Shen Lang lived dressed up in new clothes. All of them wore beautiful, padded silk coats.
“It's snowing, it's snowing.”
When Xiao Bing suddenly cheered, numerous maids looked up at the sky. Just as she had exclaimed, it was indeed snowing. Until a moment ago, the sky had been so clear there was no sign of snow, but suddenly, heavy snow began to fall thick and fast. Large snowflakes, like goose feathers, filled the sky, creating a beautiful sight. All the maids ran out and played joyfully in the courtyard.
Of course, it had snowed even more heavily before, but at that time, the estate was facing the great crisis of annihilation, so no one was in the mood to appreciate the snow. Now that the crisis was over, they could play happily when the heavy snow fell. An elderly woman, embroidering a Pixiu on Shen Lang's shoes, glanced outside and said.
“This snow won't last long.”
Outside, the weather was bitingly cold, but Shen Lang's room was as warm as a spring day and filled with fragrance. Mulan was like the most beautiful magnolia flower, and Shen Lang's heart was surging like waves, just as his name suggested. Though it was broad daylight, red candles lit the room, and both the bed and the quilt were red. Everything was what they had used on their wedding night.
Shen Lang's wounds had already healed, so Mulan intended to formally keep her promise. To put it elegantly, Mulan was going to light the wedding candles in the bridal chamber for Shen Lang once again. To put it more crudely and directly, Mulan was about to devour Shen Lang mercilessly.
Shen Lang had stolen countless glances at her before, but he had never seen a Mulan this beautiful. Her entire body was so fragrant that a single breath was enough to become intoxicated by her scent. Her fair skin was slightly flushed, and her moist eyes exuded a coquettish charm.
The most beautiful sight in the world shook Shen Lang to his very soul. She wore no rouge on her lips, yet they looked incomparably red. She had drunk a little wine, giving her a slightly wanton air, a charm that would not lose to that of a nine-tailed fox. When a pure goddess like Mulan became so alluring, it was enough to make one lose their soul, to the point of being life-threatening. Her lips lightly kissed Shen Lang's forehead, the tip of his nose, and his lips.
Shen Lang said in a trembling voice.
“Wife, let's skip the prelude and all that. Let's get right to it. Wife, don't spare me just because I'm a peerless beauty of a man. Ravish me, trample me, devour me without mercy!”
Mulan said in a charming voice.
“Alright!”
And then Mulan took off her skirt and climbed on top of Shen Lang. In that moment, the air seemed to shimmer with the aroma of fine wine, and a fire seemed to ignite. The beauty was so overwhelming it was almost too much to take in at a glance! Like the heavy snow falling outside, the two fluttered their bodies unrestrainedly, driven by desire.
* * *
Three minutes later! It was all over. Xiao Bing looked at the sky, disheartened.
“How did it end so quickly? The heavy snow stopped as soon as it started.”
“I know. All the clouds in the sky have cleared. Oh my, the sun is out.”
“What kind of snow stops this fast?”
The woman who had been embroidering the Pixiu on Shen Lang's shoes said.
“I told you. The snow wouldn't last long. There was no sign of it, and the clouds hadn't gathered, so it was bound to be a brief shower.”
* * *
Inside the room, Shen Lang was so angry and embarrassed he wanted to kill someone. Three minutes, just three minutes! Mulan smiled, kissed him, and offered comfort.
“My dear husband, don't be angry. I hear all men are like that the first time.”
Shen Lang said with a grimace.
“But it's not my first time.”
“That doesn't count as the first time. You were unconscious and didn't know anything.”
“There's something wrong with my body. There must be something wrong.”
“No, that can't be it. My husband is normally amazing, but you were just too excited. Do you remember last time? Your body was covered in wounds, and you must have gone on for a very long time for them to be so numerous. So you see, my husband is incredible. You even battled that she-devil Qiu Yao'er for several hours. That proves my husband's prowess, doesn't it?”
Hah! Being a wife really wasn't easy. Having to bring up her husband's past infidelity to comfort him. Hearing her words, Shen Lang thought she made a lot of sense.
‘That's right! Qiu Yao'er is formidable. She's practically a beast. I fought three thousand rounds with her, so how could it be any different with my charming wife? It must be because I was too nervous and excited. All men are like that, they say it's always like that the first time. Hahahaha. Hahaha. Haha! Sob!
How am I, Shen Lang, supposed to have affairs in the future like this. It's so embarrassing. The women I cheat with might die laughing.’
But it was excessive self-blame. It was truly because it was his first time and he was too excited.
* * *
Inside the royal palace of the capital.
The King's anger descended as fiercely and bitingly as the inexplicable snowstorm. It was as if dark clouds had gathered over the entire grand hall, with thunder and lightning crashing down. No one dared to even breathe loudly, nor could there be the slightest movement. There wasn't even anyone who dared to try and flatter him; such an act would lead to a merciless beheading. All the palace maids and eunuchs felt a cold, ticklish sensation on their necks, as if they could be decapitated at any moment.
The snow had fallen for only three minutes and then stopped! The King suddenly smiled and said.
“I'm a little hungry. Bring me a bowl of sticky rice meatballs.”
“Yes!”
The grand eunuch scurried out as if his feet weren't touching the ground, and a moment later, he returned with a bowl of sticky rice meatballs. About nine thumb-sized meatballs were arranged in the bowl. His Majesty the King tired of any food easily, so nine was the most he would eat. If there were more, the King would force himself to eat them and then get angry, complaining that he was tired of it.
Eating the bowl of meatballs brought by the grand eunuch left him feeling slightly wanting, which was indeed the perfect amount. The King asked him.
“How is Jin Mucong, the heir to the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, faring at the Imperial Academy?”
“He is nothing but a fool.”
“That boy has never left his family since he was young, so it must not be easy for him to study alone in the capital. Send him a warm bowl of sticky rice meatballs with some rice wine. I believe the Jin Clan enjoys their sticky rice meatballs with rice wine.”
The grand eunuch said with a smile.
“Your Majesty has an excellent memory. I hear they not only add rice wine but also dried osmanthus flowers.”
The King also smiled and said.
“Then add that as well. He is a gentle child, so let's not let him be bullied by the people at the Imperial Academy.”
“Yes. Who could be more benevolent than Your Majesty?”
The King's anger, like the inexplicable heavy snow, had come quickly and left even faster. He truly had a fickle personality.
* * *
Around afternoon. Zhu Rong, the Governor-General of Tiannan Province, appeared at the royal palace.
“This servant has sinned!”
Zhu Rong prostrated himself on the floor, not moving an inch. King Ning Yuanxian said to him.
“What sin has the Grand Marshal committed? This is clearly a great victory. That bandit Qiu Tianwei gathered pirates in the eastern seas and disregarded the laws of the land, causing the people of the realm to suffer for a long time, did he not? If not for the war with the Southern Ou Kingdom, I would have sent a great army to punish him long ago. Now that Zhang Chong and the Count of Xuanwu have joined forces to subjugate that bandit, is this not a great joyous occasion?”
Zhu Rong pressed his entire body to the floor and replied in a trembling voice.
“Yes!”
“The Count of Xuanwu's memorial has also arrived. He says he will reduce his private army by two thousand men. He made no mention of his own merits and only said that Zhang Chong performed a great service—is he not a gentleman? He has rendered a great service by expanding the territory for our State of Yue. From this day forward, our eastern seas will be at peace.”
Zhu Rong closed his eyes in pain and replied.
“Yes.”
“I hear Zhang Chong's son died in the battle of Raging Tide City?”
“That is correct.”
“What a pity. A young prodigy has died prematurely. I must issue an imperial edict to console Zhang Chong properly. Zhang Jin shall be posthumously enfeoffed as the Eagle-Soaring General.”
“Yes.”
“Zhang Chong's merit in joining with the Count of Xuanwu to subjugate the great pirate Qiu Tianwei is not small, so I shall issue an edict appointing his mother as a Third-Rank Lady of Command.”
“Yes!”
“The Count of Jinhai, Tang Lun, colluded with pirates to seize territory. This is an act of disloyalty and filial impiety, disregarding his sovereign. Tell the Blackwater Terrace to cooperate with Zhang Chong and handle the matter.”
“Yes!”
* * *
Zhang Chong, the Prefect of Nujiang, led a chiliarch and a thousand warriors from the Blackwater Terrace to storm the Count of Jinhai's Estate, confiscating its assets and exterminating the clan. Other than Tang Lun, his other sons who remained in the estate knew nothing of the situation. Anyone audacious enough to resist in the slightest was killed without question. The King issued a decree, stripping the Tang Clan of all its titles, seizing its fiefdom, and disbanding its private army. Every member of the Tang Clan, regardless of age or gender, over seven hundred people in total, were all put into prisoner carts and transported to the capital.
Tang Yun, due to his merit in exposing his clan, was able to escape punishment. However, because he failed to stop his father from committing such a grave crime, he was stripped of all his official ranks and honors. That was all. Thus, the Count of Jinhai's Estate, which had stood for over three hundred years, was destroyed. The Tang Clan could no longer be found on the list of nobles in the State of Yue.