Chapter 443: Trouble Brewing in Mount Calming Sea
Translator: SoupHunter Editor: Milkbiscuit
Five days later. A lone rider charged for Mount Calming Sea. After announcing her arrival, she headed straight to the side courtyard. This person was none other than Wen Fang of South Edict City's Chamber of Commerce.
This woman knew that because her position in the Chamber of Commerce was low, oftentimes she would be excluded from many lucrative opportunities. Hence, after finding out that Miao Yi was sent to the Sea of Constellations, she didn't cut off her relations with Qian'Er and Xue'Er even though there was a chance that he wouldn't make it back. Wen Fang knew that the only way to get close to someone was to offer a helping hand when they were in need, not by trying to butter them up when they were successful. All she had to do was put in a little legwork anyway. She wouldn't really lose anything by putting in some extra effort. What was a little hardship given her youth? It would still be better than being yelled at alongside the other young ones once she was old.
Ever since the Sea of Constellations Subjugation Crusade was nearing its end, Wen Fang had kept a close eye on any news relating to it through the Chamber of Commerce's communication channels. When she found out that Miao Yi had survived and was on his way back, Wen Fang was uncontrollably excited and immediately rushed over on horseback to Mount Calming Sea with the good news. She was overjoyed that her efforts had not been in vain. This time, she knew that her chance had come. Anyone that could make it back alive from the Sea of Constellations Subjugation Crusade undoubtedly possessed a ludicrously high net worth. Given how she'd gotten close to Qian'Er and Xue'Er over the years, it wouldn't be right of Miao Yi to not help take care of her business once he was back.
On her way over, Wen Fang almost couldn't help breaking out into laughter several times. The chance for her to be promoted in the Chamber of Commerce was here!
As she came up to the entrance of the side courtyard, Wen Fang cast her mount aside and rushed straight in. When she saw the four ladies, Wen Fang shouted excitedly, "Good news! Good news! Let me tell you all something good…"
Wen Fang couldn't help her surprise when she saw the bright smiles on Qian'Er and Xue'Er's faces as they looked at her. Tilting her head in confusion, she slowly asked, "Do you know something already?"
Seeing the two ladies nodding their heads and smiling, Wen Fang asked curiously, "You already know that Big Brother is coming back?"
The two ladies smiled and nodded again. "We've known about it for five days already."
Wen Fang immediately turned and walked to the side of a chair before sitting her butt down, saying dejectedly, "And here I came without rest to bring you two the good news. As it turns out, you're aware of it already. Looks like I was excited about nothing. Wait a minute. The news hasn't even begun to spread in the capital city, and the administration has yet to make any official announcements either. I was only able to find out about it through the internal communication channels of the Celestial Nation's Chamber of Commerce. How did you two find about before I did?"
The two ladies simply returned a quiet smile. It would be unwise of them to reveal Lin Pingping's presence. They thought, 'Lin Pingping most probably found out through the internal channels of the Celestial Nation's Chamber of Commerce as well. But as she resides in the capital and then immediately sent a spirit eagle to inform us of the news, we would obviously hear about it before you did.'
Wen Fang abruptly shot to her feet, grabbing the two ladies' hands as she said skittishly, "My dear Sisters-in-law, it has been hard on Little Sister as well. When Big Brother comes back, you have to help me put in a couple of good words. No matter what, you must ask him to help out a little with Little Sister's business. Since it doesn't really matter to him who he does business with, it's only right that he takes care of his Little Sister. You can't just leave me high and dry! If you do, Little Sister will just stick around here forever!"
The two ladies knew of Wen Fang's situation with Miao Yi; she was purely trying to get their Master's patronage. That said, Qian'Er and Xue'Er really had no words to describe the efforts that Wen Fang had put in over the past ten years.
"If you don't want to leave, then don't!" Xue'Er flicked Wen Fang's nose and made a funny face as she teased, "You might as well stay here and warm Master's bed for him then. I guarantee that Master will give you all the business you want when that happens."
Wen Fang's face immediately blushed as she rolled her eyes in disdain and said, "Don't gross me out. Like I would want to share a bed with you two."
"Ohh, so now you're feeling grossed out? It's not like you've never shared a bed with the two of us before," Xue'Er said sarcastically. Over the past ten years, Wen Fang would frequently visit and would sometimes share a bed with the two of them, talking all through the night about the things that women normally talked about.
Wen Fang gnashed her teeth and said threateningly, "Xue'Er, I'm warning you. Don't spoil my good name. I'll give you hell if I end up unable to marry because of you."
She then proceeded to tickle Xue'Er, causing the latter to burst into laughter.
With a single piece of good news, the heavy feeling that had been looming over them for many years instantly dissolved without a trace, and a cheerful atmosphere was beginning to hang in the air. Standing at the side, Hong Xiu and Hong Fu couldn't help looking on in envy.
"Stop fooling around already, you two!" Qian'Er cast a sideways glance at Hong Xiu and Hong Fu, then pulled the unrelenting Wen Fang away from Xue'Er, smiling as she said, "Don't worry, we will definitely help put in a few good words for you in front of Master. But I want you to keep Master's return a secret for now!"
Surprised, Wen Fang asked, "Why? Don't those people like to cause trouble? If they know that Big Brother is coming back, they'll surely be scared."
Wen Fang frequently visited Mount Calming Sea, so she naturally knew about the difficulties that the two ladies faced.
Qian'Er shook her head and said, "There's no rush. The longer we wait, the better we can see the true nature of some people. I'd sure like to see what kind of trouble they'll try to stir up now. That way, it'll be easier later on for Master to get payback for every single one of their misdeeds!"
Xue'Er laughed coldly as well.
Clearly, the struggles the two ladies had faced over the past ten years had forced them to mature quite a bit, and they started learning how to scheme and manipulate...
South Edict Manor. Within a breezy pavilion at the peak of a mountain, a small banquet was currently being held. With an assortment of fine wine, delicious food, and a beautiful mountain view, this was truly an excellent place to entertain guests.
"How could I trouble Deacon Fan to personally come all the way here just to welcome Miao Yi's return?"
Two people sat facing each other. The one that spoke up was Yang Qing, and on the other side was Suppressing Second Hall's Deacon Fan Zizhang. The topic they were currently discussing was none other than that of Miao Yi's return from the Sea of Constellations Subjugation Crusade.
As Fan Zizhang was tasked with cleaning up the mess in Mount Calming Sea, he naturally needed Yang Qing's cooperation. Along the way, he would definitely need to stop by South Edict Manor and inform Yang Qing beforehand. If he were to suddenly barge in on someone else's territory and start bossing people around just because he had Huo Lingxiao's official decree, not only would Fan Zizhang risk Yang Qing pulling some strings behind the scenes and sabotage his mission but at the very least, he might needlessly offend Yang Qing. Why would he do something so stupid?
"I wouldn't go so far as to call it trouble. With the Hall Master already setting his sights on Miao Yi, it's practically a given that he would be immediately promoted to Manor Head once he returns. I just think of it as an opportunity to befriend a new Manor Head," Fan Zizhang said with a chuckle.
'Immediately promoted to Manor Head?' Hearing this, Yang Qing looked slightly disconcerted. Qing Mei and Qing Ju, who acted as wine servers and were standing at the back, both shared their master's surprise.
By right, the seat of Suppressing Second Hall's Manor Head should be allowed to one person, and one person alone. Once one had taken up such a position, how could he be willing to step down for someone else? If there was no choice but to free up a Manor Head's seat, it meant that Yang Qing, who acted as Manor Head for two Manors, was the one most at risk. There was a high chance that he would have to cede one of his seats to Miao Yi.
Yang Qing turned around and took the wine pot from Qing Mei's hands, then stood up and personally helped fill Fan Zizhang's cup. As he returned the wine pot back to Qing Mei, he asked cautiously, "Since the Hall Master has personally sent over Deacon Fan, and you're even aware that Miao Yi will soon be promoted to Manor Head, I'm sure you must know something about the Hall Master's intentions. May I know which Manor Miao Yi will be posted in?"
Fan Zizhang knew that he'd be ruffling Yang Qing's feathers by saying this. While his words were intentional, he continued to feign ignorance and answered, "I can't be bothered to find out where he'll be assigned to. I'm just worried that something will go wrong with the business concerning Mount Calming Sea. Where would I find the leisure to worry about the location of Miao Yi's new position?"
Yang Qing's eyes quickly brightened. They were both intelligent men, after all. Just by hearing the tone of Fan Zizhang's voice, Yang Qing could tell what he wanted. 'With the Hall Master's official decree behind you, what do you possibly have to worry about from a tiny little Mount Calming Sea? You're only saying this in front of me because you're worried of upsetting me somehow, and that I'll secretly interfere with your mission.'
Yang Qing raised his cup and said, "Deacon Fan is here on official business from the Hall Master. Even though Mount Calming Sea is strictly under my jurisdiction, it is my civic duty to assist the deacon in his task."
Having gotten the promise he sought, Fan Zizhang raised his cup towards Yang Qing as well. As he placed down the cup, he said softly, "Before I came here, the Hall Master casually mentioned to me that Miao Yi has already caught the Palace Lord's attention. Naturally, there will be a fine location prepared for him already. Our Suppressing Second Hall can no longer keep Miao Yi to ourselves. Thus, the Hall Master ordered that I make sure everything is in order so that Miao Yi can leave without worry and not cause any trouble."
"Oh…" Yang Qing revealed a knowing look, but deep down he was feeling both shocked and overjoyed. He was overjoyed because Miao Yi would leave Suppressing Second Hall and not try to take one of his territories, and shocked because Miao Yi had actually caught the Palace Lord's attention. Yang Qing had never even seen the Palace Lord's face before, so he couldn't help feeling a little envious deep down.
Returning the favor to Fan Zizhang, Yang Qing said, "I nearly forgot to remind you, Deacon Fan. My subordinates have just reported to me that Deacon Shen Fenghua seems to be patrolling around Mount Calming Sea at the moment."
Yang Qing was not an ignorant man. Even though Mount Calming Sea is totally under the control of the three major sects, he still had a few spies of his own. How could he not be aware of the corrupt nature behind Shen Fenghua's frequent visits to Mount Calming Sea? It was just that some things were in his favor to turn a blind eye to.
"Deacon Shen is hardworking indeed!" Fan Zizhang knowingly rolled his eyes and chuckled, "I also wish to understand the situation in Mount Calming Sea a little better before I take control of the situation there. Better to be safe than sorry, after all. I'm afraid I'll have to stay in South Edict Manor and pester Brother Yang for a few more days."
Yang Qing gently smiled and said, "It's no trouble. I just hope that Deacon Fan will not blame me for delaying your work!"
The two then raised their cups and drank cheerfully. It truly seemed like they were having an amicable conversation.
After Yang Qing was done entertaining Fan Zizhang, he ordered his servants to bring his guest to his quarters to rest. Yang Qing then stood before the railing with hands behind his back, looking at the figure walking down the mountain.
Qing Ju walked to Yang Qing's side and asked, "This Fan Zizhang is out here on official business from the Hall Master. However, instead of going to Mount Calming Sea to understand the situation, he's cooping himself up here. What is he thinking?"
Yang Qing scoffed, "Do you honestly think he intends to understand the situation? He can't wait for Shen Fenghua to screw up is more like it. Out of all the deacons, Shen Fenghua is the best at flattery and thus the most favored by the Hall Master. All the other deacons, Fan Zizhang included, have had to live under Shen Fenghua's thumb this whole time. Regarding Shen Fenghua's shameful incident with Miao Yi, do you honestly think the other deacons are unaware of it? If Fan Zizhang goes to Mount Calming Sea now and bumps into Shen Fenghua, Shen Fenghua will naturally catch wind of Miao Yi's return. Knowing that, he will surely do what he can to save his own skin."
Qing Ju immediately understood, then asked, "Is Fan Zizhang planning to take control of the situation in Mount Calming Sea once Shen Fenghua leaves?"
Yang Qing shook his head lightly and asked, "Is there still a need to take control of the situation? Even if there was, how can Fan Zizhang possibly control it? Do you honestly expect him to capture every single person in Mount Calming Sea? The more he tries to govern them, the more likely it will be for the people to revolt in desperation. Those people in Mount Calming Sea will definitely try to seek help, and chances are they will turn to Shen Fenghua for it. Given the current state of Mount Calming Sea, if Fan Zizhang has any sense, he will simply go and eat his fill. He won't do a single thing and won't leak any information. He will simply try to comfort those miscreants as best he can, then patiently wait for Miao Yi's return and watch the start of a good show."
Confused, Qing Ju asked, "Then won't Fan Zizhang fail in his mission then? How will he answer to the Hall Master?"
"Wouldn't he be helping to clean Shen Fenghua's mess if he succeeds?" Yang Qing smiled and said, "When the time comes, he simply needs to push the blame onto Shen Fenghua. He'll say that he has worked hard enough, but the mess that Shen Fenghua has made was simply beyond his capabilities. After all, won't it be a waste to not use such a convenient scapegoat? Besides, do you think those trusted subordinates of Miao Yi are all mute? When the time comes, whoever Miao Yi picks as his target will be the one to shoulder all the blame. Aii! Let this be a lesson to us as well. The higher one's position is, the easier it is for one to be blinded by his subordinates."
Qing Mei also walked to his side and asked, "What should we do then?"
"Nothing. We will continue to turn a blind eye to the situation. We've kept quiet all this while. There's no need for us to suddenly voice out now. Otherwise, if we act too much, we risk raising some unnecessary suspicion towards ourselves. We don't have to try to curry favor with Miao Yi either at this point. No matter how big of a mess Mount Calming Sea is in, at the end of the day, it's still my territory. I can easily take care of the situation there whenever I want. The only reason I'm handing Shen Fenghua over to Fan Zizhang is to give him and Miao Yi the perfect target to blame. As for us, we shall continue to stand at the side and not offend anyone." Yang Qing tilted his head to the side and added, "After this, have someone think of a way to inform Fan Zizhang of the wondrous deeds that Shen Fenghua has done in Mount Calming Sea. It'll save us the trouble of him snooping around and unnecessary startling the other party… There's a big wave coming to Mount Calming Sea, and someone will need to take responsibility for it."
Qing Ju asked, "Manor Head intends for Miao Yi to wreak havoc when he comes back?"
Yang Qing laughed bitterly. "It's not like you don't know how that brat is. Do you honestly think he is a merciful character? How many people has he killed already? With the prestige granted a Subjugation Crusade survivor behind his back, he might not even hold me in any regard. Now that Mount Calming Sea is in such a mess, that kid definitely won't rest until he's seen some blood!"