Chapter 81
Chapter 81
Slam!
The door was thrown open with such force it nearly came off its hinges. Zhang Jin stood there, his eyes bloodshot, his face a mask of fury, as if he could devour someone whole. He strode over to Xu Qianqian, stared at her beautiful face, and then struck her hard across the cheek.
Smack!
Xu Qianqian was stunned by the blow. Beside her, Xu Guangyun stood frozen, unable to either stop Zhang Jin or curse him. Zhang Jin immediately regretted striking her, but it wasn't a regret born from the pain of hurting Xu Qianqian.
For a man to strike a woman was a sign of utter powerlessness, of taking out his frustrations on the only person he could. But Zhang Jin was the proud son of the Prefect; how could he possibly be powerless?
Xu Qianqian offered no explanation. She remained silent, merely gazing at Zhang Jin. There was no need to explain, for Zhang Jin knew his fiancée better than anyone. It wasn't that he knew how virtuous she was, but rather that he knew she would never yield any part of herself without securing a significant benefit. He could barely manage a simple kiss from her, let alone something like *that*. It was unthinkable.
“Why didn't you kill that beast back then? Why didn't you kill him?”
That was all Zhang Jin could say. He couldn't bring himself to ask why she had provoked the beast, for he knew that antagonizing him was inevitable.
“Young Master Zhang, your fiancée has been humiliated, and all you can do is take out your anger on her? Will you do nothing else?”
Until this moment, she had always looked at Zhang Jin with gentle admiration. But today, for the first time, Xu Qianqian spoke to him with a chilling coldness. Zhang Jin clenched his fist and slammed it into the wall, punching a hole through it.
“I regret it immensely. Why didn't I kill him then? I should have killed him on the spot.”
Without a word, Xu Qianqian brought a teacup to Zhang Jin and gently wiped the back of his hand with a handkerchief. Her touch was like a spring breeze, soothing his heart.
“I will go see my father.”
The meaning was clear: he intended to use political power to have Shen Lang's book banned. Zhang Jin mounted his horse and galloped toward Nu River Commandery City at the fastest possible speed.
* * *
In the Prefect's study, Zhang Jin once again laid eyes on Shen Lang's *Boundless Wind and Moon*.
“A finely written book... Such overflowing literary talent. It hardly seems the work of a young man. Truly remarkable!”
The moment Zhang Jin entered the study, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, as if he'd been stabbed. His father, the Prefect, wasn't angry in the slightest; instead, he was reading the book with keen interest. Seeing his son enter, filled with rage, Zhang Chong picked up his brush and began to write.
Zhang Jin had expected his father to write the character for 'calm' to admonish him, but to his surprise, he wrote the character for 'kill'. The strokes of the character all turned inward, giving it a restrained appearance. Yet, the force behind the brush had penetrated the paper, revealing the writer's sinister, murderous intent.
“Did you come here to ask me to ban this book completely?”
“Yes.”
“It would not be difficult to ban the sale of this book. We would only need to arrest the distributor, Deng Xian.”
Deng Xian also had some backing, in truth. He was the brother of a concubine to the Prefect of Yangwu Commandery. However, if Zhang Chong truly decided to arrest him, the other side would be powerless to stop him.
“I could even have Shen Lang's book banned not just in Nu River Commandery, but throughout the entire Tiannan Province.”
After all, Zhang Chong was currently the vanguard of the Zhu Clan's interests. A single word from him, and Grand Marshal Zhu Rong at the Governor-General's office would take it very seriously.
“However, I will not do that.”
“Why?”
“Do you know what kind of book creates a sensation?”
Zhang Jin knew the answer, but his mind was so clouded with rage that he remained silent.
“A banned book. The more you try to suppress it, the more popular it will become.”
The Prefect had a point.
“The only way to truly crush this book's momentum is for Shen Lang to die. And to kill Shen Lang, we must first destroy the Count of Xuanwu's estate.”
“Must we simply stand by and watch that animal run wild, tarnishing Xu Qianqian's reputation? Won't our Zhang family become a laughingstock?”
“Are you marrying Xu Qianqian, or the Xu Clan's wealth?”
It was for the Xu Clan's wealth, of course, but Zhang Jin could not bring himself to say it aloud.
“Doesn't our Zhang family need its reputation?”
“I am a ruthless official, a blade in the King's hand. I am not destined to be a virtuous minister remembered for ages, nor a benevolent one praised for his character. What use have I for reputation?”
It seemed that great minds thought alike; in that moment, Prefect Zhang Chong gave off an air remarkably similar to Shen Lang's.
Zhang Chong's words cut to the heart of the matter. It is said that those who control the brush control history, capable of cementing a person's infamy for all time.
Infamy can be of two kinds. The first is permanent and profound, like that of Qin Hui or Wang Jingwei. The second is a more superficial infamy, like that of Grand Preceptor Pang from *The Generals of the Yang Family*.
“Do not let anger cloud your judgment. Our objective has always been singular: to crush the Count of Xuanwu's estate and utterly destroy a centuries-old noble house.”
Without the skin, where can the fur attach? Once the estate was gone, a fly like Shen Lang could be swatted with ease.
“Go back. Act as if nothing has happened. Let Shen Lang have his moment of triumph. The final assault that will suffocate the Count of Xuanwu's estate is about to begin. This will be an excellent opportunity to see whether Shen Lang is a man of petty tricks or one of great wisdom.”
Zhang Jin remained standing, motionless.
“Did you strike Xu Qianqian?”
Zhang Jin was stunned.
*How did Father know?*
“She will lose respect for you. Go back and make amends.”
“Father, exactly how much money are we short?”
“One hundred thousand gold taels.”
“Does it truly cost one hundred thousand gold taels to become the Military Governor of Yan Province? Father, if you destroy the Count of Xuanwu's estate, your merits will be more than enough. The Zhu Clan will surely reward you with the position. Why do you need to buy it?”
Zhang Chong slammed his hand on the table, his voice booming with anger.
“What nonsense are you spouting? Do you think a position as crucial as the Military Governor of Yan Province can be obtained with mere money? The one hundred thousand gold taels is not to run the office, and it is certainly not to buy the position. It is to silence the opposition, to ensure they do not scheme against me. Surely you don't expect the Governor-General to cover such expenses?”
Zhang Jin immediately bowed.
“I was foolish.”
“Go back now. Your engagement ceremony with Xu Qianqian will be held at our old family residence in Xuanwu City.”
“Yes!”
“And remember this. Your engagement ceremony is the prelude to the New Governance Faction's assault on the Count of Xuanwu's estate.”
Zhang Jin bowed.
“I understand its importance.”
“This engagement ceremony must be executed perfectly to create an atmosphere that encourages attacks on the Count of Xuanwu's estate from all quarters. Broaden your horizons. Do not get entangled with Shen Lang. Always remember that your true target is the Count of Xuanwu's estate.”
“Yes!”
* * *
Shen Lang was once again standing on a chair, fifty centimeters high, writing the names of two new enemies on the wall: Zhu Nanting and Zhu Wenhua.
“My lady, I am truly doing my best, yet why does the list of enemies on this wall seem to grow instead of shrink? I finally managed to erase Tian Heng's name, only to add two more. In settling old scores, I've made new enemies. When will I ever be free of this endless cycle of revenge and finally live a happy life?”
Hearing this, any intelligent person would have thought:
*My dear husband, do you truly not know why your list of enemies continues to grow? It is because you are the type of person who must repay every single slight, no matter how small. At this rate, your quest for revenge will never end in this lifetime. If someone so much as glares at you, you'll make an enemy, thinking, 'What are you looking at? You got a problem?' If someone ignores you, you'll make another enemy, thinking, 'You dare ignore me? Are you insulting me?' You'd probably even make an enemy out of someone standing perfectly still, thinking, 'You may not have said it, but I know you were cursing me in your heart!'*
But Mulan showed none of this, offering only a charming smile.
“Your enemies are my enemies, husband.”
Shen Lang's jaw dropped.
*My lady, you are simply too perfect! But I refuse to lose this battle of affection. I will absolutely not be the first one to fall for you. If one of us must fall, it will be you who falls for me first. Love is like war—the first to confess is the one who loses.*
After writing the names of his new enemies, Shen Lang stepped down from the chair and began to hum a tune. It sounded light, but it was an eerie melody. It was the music from *Game of Thrones*, played just before Cersei blew up the Great Sept, incinerating the High Sparrow, her son's queen, the dukes of the court, and countless other powerful figures. He wondered if it was a coincidence that this particular show he used to binge-watch in Africa came to mind at this very moment.
“Husband, that music... it makes me feel as if something is about to happen.”
Shen Lang took out a handkerchief and delicately wiped his hands.
“My lady, tonight we must attend the engagement banquet for Zhang Jin and Xu Qianqian.”
“Yes.”
“And so, tonight... I will commit murder.”
Mulan was taken aback.
*A sudden declaration of murder? What is this nonsense?*
“I did not misspeak. I mean murder. Not a mere loss of face like what happened to Zhu Wenhua, but true murder. The kind that utterly annihilates a person, body and soul.”
For once, Shen Lang's usual playful expression was gone. While a smile still graced his handsome face, his eyes were filled with a cold, murderous intent.
“Tonight's engagement banquet is no mere celebration; it is the prelude to a battle. I will see who dares to step forward. And whoever it is... will die!”
The Count of Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo, was despondent. He had just received the guest list for Zhang Jin and Xu Qianqian's engagement ceremony, and the situation was dire. Prefect Zhang Chong was finally baring his fangs. It was clear this was a coordinated encirclement, an attack on the Count of Xuanwu's estate from all sides. The list even included guests the Count never would have expected to attend.
The first was Tang Yun, the heir to the northern Count of Jinhai's estate. While there had always been friction between the Counts of Jinhai and Xuanwu, it was a conflict among the established aristocracy. For him to now openly side with the New Governance Faction... what could this mean?
The second was Nangong Ping, the second son of the Marquis of Zhenbei. The Marquis, Nangong Ao, was one of the most renowned generals in the State of Yue, commander of the great northern army. He was a nobleman who stood between the new powers and the established aristocracy.
He possessed a fief, though it was not large. His ancestors had held the rank of a minor count, but Nangong Ao had joined the army, fought his way across many battlefields, and accumulated such distinguished merit that the King himself had issued an edict elevating him to the rank of Marquis.
The Marquis of Zhenbei had always maintained a neutral stance, aligning with neither the established aristocracy nor the new powers. For him to now send his second son to Zhang Jin's engagement ceremony was a clear signal that his position was beginning to shift.
The third guest was someone the Count of Xuanwu dreaded seeing most of all: an envoy from the Hidden Yuan Society. What was the Hidden Yuan Society? They were one of the most prominent financial powers in the Great Yan Dynasty, a banking house that possessed astronomical wealth. Moreover, their operations spanned more than a dozen nations.
For centuries, the Hidden Yuan Society had maintained extremely close and mutually beneficial relationships with the established aristocracy. They were, in essence, the staunchest financial backers of the old noble houses. Conversely, they had always drawn a clear line with the new powers, offering them no such advantages. And yet now, the Hidden Yuan Society was sending an envoy to Zhang Jin's engagement ceremony?
What could this signal? Was the Hidden Yuan Society about to change its allegiance? Such a shift would be catastrophic for the Count of Xuanwu's estate and the established aristocracy as a whole. More importantly, the finances of the Count of Xuanwu's estate were effectively in the hands of the Hidden Yuan Society.
The previous Count of Xuanwu had borrowed a massive sum from the Hidden Yuan Society. So even if they did not come to collect the debt, the mere act of them exposing the estate's current financial situation would be enough to trigger a colossal disaster.