Chapter 119: Unfamiliar Opposite

  Xie Yufei's eyes turned cold and she said: "What are you talking about, senior? How did we ruin your good deed?"

  "We had originally carefully planned a business deal involving Xu Guogong's Bieyuan. But we never expected that you would also be swindling in the name of Xu Guogong's mansion in Zhongdu, and after you successfully escaped, you led the deceived people to our place, which ended up alerting the authorities and causing our people to abandon their plan halfway. Isn't this ruining our good business?"

  Xie Yu Fei didn't ask him for details, only saying: "If it's as the senior said, then this is just a coincidence!"

  "But you have ruined our great plan, and this is also a fact!"

  Xie Yufei calmed down and asked coldly: "Then, Senior, what do you want?"

  "Following the rules of the Jianghu, things that have fallen into your pockets are naturally not something we can take out. Since you've ruined one deal for us, helping us make another one would be considered returning the favor."

  Xie Yufei and Nan Feifei exchanged a glance, it was clear that this Eight Trigrams Master was a local snakehead, otherwise he wouldn't have such great magical powers, or be able to find them so quickly. Both sides were swindlers, the other party naturally wouldn't go through official channels, private grievances would certainly be resolved through Jianghu methods. Now that they had been found by the other party, if they didn't agree, the consequences would be unpredictable. Even if they wanted to slip away, they would have to pretend to comply first, and deal with the other party later.

  With this glance, the two girls had already exchanged views. Xie Yu Fei asked: "Is there something that we can do for you, Senior Wei?"

  Baizihu Zhan Yan smiled and said: "Clever, so are you agreeing with me, miss?"

  Xie Yufei didn't say a word, only humming a sound, and Bazi Hu said: "My surname is Wan, Wan Songling."

  Xie Yu Fei cupped her hands and said: "So it's Senior Wan, my surname is Xie, I'm Xie Yu Fei."

  Wan Songling said: "Thank you, Miss. I have a friend who, when he was in Xuzhou, set his sights on a fat sheep and brought his whole family along, with twenty large carts full of goods."

  Xie Yu's eyes lit up immediately, and she hurriedly said: "No problem, but after helping Senior with this matter, I also want to get a share of the benefits."

  Wan Songling hummed and said, "Because the other side has a large number of people, my friend didn't dare to take action alone. After investigating the other side's situation, he came to discuss with me one step ahead. We had already thought of a clever plan to steal the beam and change the pillar, but unfortunately, due to the incident at the return garden, those brothers who showed their faces had to temporarily leave and avoid the storm. This way, we are slightly short-handed, and the original plan cannot be carried out. We must change our strategy and think of another way. They will arrive in Zhongdu soon, and we need to discuss a foolproof plan immediately to share this fortune."

  Xie Yufei's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and she said coldly: "Senior, are you trying to use the beauty trick? Sorry, although we two are forced by circumstances to deceive in the Jianghu, we will never sell ourselves."

  Wan Songling said, "Thank you, Miss. Don't think you're so clever with your beauty trap! Hmph! Those despicable and shameless tactics of the demonic sect are also beneath me, Wan."

  Xie Yufei let out a sigh of relief and said, "Since that's the case, please sit down, senior. Tell me all about it in detail, and we'll come up with a plan together."

  Wan Songling smiled and said: "Good."

  The three sat down, Nan Fei put down his bag and poured each of them a cup of tea. Wan Songling said: "This man's surname is Yang, first name Xu, a scholar from Qingzhou. His ancestral home is in Youxiang Prefecture, Miling Town, this time he returned to his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors and get married."

  "Ah!"

  Nan Feifei let out a sudden cry, the teacup fell to the ground with a clang, Wan Songling slightly furrowed his brow, turned his eyes towards her, and saw Nan Feifei blink twice, her eyes immediately welling up with tears, saying: "The tea water is too hot."

  "Is it?" Wan Songling tasted the tea water and said in surprise: "I don't feel anything!"

  Zhongdu Fengyang has arrived.

  Although this place is not the capital of the emperor, it also has a majestic atmosphere and a full royal style.

  The city walls, palaces, drum towers and bell towers were all built according to the capital's standards, towering like heavenly palaces. The Lv Shu Province, the Grand Commandant's Office, the Imperial Censorate, the Round Mound, the Square Mound, the Sun and Moon Altars, the Ancestral Temple, the Granary of a Million Bushels, the Meritorious Officials' Temple, the Emperor's Temple, the National Academy, the Hall of Unity, and other grand buildings were scattered throughout the city.

  In the middle of the city, there is a magnificent bell and drum tower standing tall. This is the largest bell and drum tower in all cities since ancient times. The building has nine bays, three eaves, and a height of over 100 feet, towering above the dust and dirt. Its grandeur is impressive, making it the crown of China's bell and drum towers. Standing outside the city, you can still see the top of the bell and drum tower standing upright in the middle of the sky, with flying eaves and corners as if they were at the edge of the sky. When the bell and drum sound, their melodious sounds echo through the entire city's airspace.

  Fengyang Wei, Fengyang Middle Wei, Fengyang Right Wei, Liushou Left Wei, Liushou Middle Wei, Huangling Wei, Huaiyuan Wei, Changhuai Wei, and Hongtang Lake Qianhu Suo. Each wei has 5,600 people, with a total of eight weis and one suo, guarding the city that is located in the heart of the Ming Dynasty, which fundamentally does not need so many troops to guard it, showing its importance in the eyes of the Ming court.

  Xia Yu's group slowly entered the Fengyang City, with its inner and outer three layers of city walls, and the massive city gate decorated with copper nails as large as a washbasin, brought a majestic atmosphere. The convoy drove through the city, and the locations of Jinshui Bridge, Jinshui River, Wu Men, and Xuanwu Men could be seen from afar.

  When Xia Yu entered the city, it was dusk. The green hills were still young, and the setting sun remained. On the majestic castle tower, the four characters "Wan Shi Gen Ben" shone brightly in the sunlight. Hiding among the crowd, disguised as village girls, Xie Yufei and Nan Feifei's eyes also sparkled with light.

  "Wow! It's really him! He is your boyfriend!"

  Nan Fei Fei was shocked and couldn't help but say: "What did he call Xia Xiu when he was in Beiping? Could it be that we are fellow practitioners? No way, he is a renowned scholar with a degree!"

  Xie Yu Fei's face was cold and expressionless, her eyes fixed on Xia Xiu who was sitting on his horse, her emotions complex, not saying a word.

  Nan Fei Fei continued, "For the past two years, we've been traveling all over the place, making a living and searching for your husband, but we couldn't find him anywhere. Then suddenly, I heard from someone else that he was about to appear, which really gave me a fright. Now that I've seen what he looks like, I'm frightened again."

  "Hey, he's come all the way back to his hometown to welcome you home, what are you going to do? You used to resent him for abandoning you and not caring about you, but now that he's here, you don't even have a smile on your face. If you want to marry him, you should hurry up and go back before him. Otherwise, if he finds out that his daughter-in-law is running around all day, the rules of a big household like theirs are many, who knows, he might start to dislike you."

  Xie Yu Fei snorted coldly and said: "He's disgusted with me? He didn't want to care about me, for over a decade there wasn't even any news of his life or death. Now that he wants to marry, I should just obediently put on the wedding dress and wait at home? Afraid he won't like me? Humph, whether I'm willing to marry him is another matter altogether."

  Xie Yufei said and turned to leave, Nan Feifei followed from behind: "Hey, I think he's a talented person, with such a rich family background, and also has a good reputation, what else do you want? Really not marrying him? Then should we still help Wan Songling cheat his property?"

  Xie Yufei suddenly stopped in her tracks and glared at her: "Are you crazy? Helping outsiders cheat me out of my money?"

  Nan Fei Fei laughed dryly and said: "You... didn't you say you wouldn't marry him?"

  Xie Yu Fei fiercely said: "Even if I don't marry him, that's still my money, who dares to take it? Hmph!"

  Her heart was racing and her eyes were slightly sour.

  As soon as she saw Xia Yu, she knew that this was her fiancé. The grievances and hardships she had endured for many years suddenly surged up in her heart, and she only wanted to cry, to have a good cry. Seeing her husband-to-be with her own eyes, her heart thumped wildly. Usually, no matter how fiercely he scolded her, after all, this was the man she had known since childhood that she would have to serve for the rest of her life, the husband who would accompany her - this was a deeply ingrained conviction in her bones.

  She didn't know if it was joy, but she had never been so tense even when facing the most difficult situation and the most terrifying person. However, she couldn't get excited, thinking of Yang Xu who knew her secrets under the alias Xia Xuan, thinking of his pitiful and sympathetic gaze, she wanted to escape, run far away, best not to let him see her again, never to know her true identity.

  She hastily walked away as if she was escaping.

  Fengyang Longxing Temple, located at the foot of Rijin Peak on Fenghuang Mountain in northern Fengyang City, was originally named Yu Huang Temple. In the past, Zhu Yuanzhang became a monk here, and after he became emperor, this temple was renamed Longxing Temple and expanded with large-scale construction. Many buildings in Fengyang are grand in scale, but many of them are restricted areas, such as the Imperial City and the imperial mausoleum where Zhu Yuanzhang's parents were buried. This Longxing Temple is also a restricted area, but unlike those two places, it does not strictly prohibit entry. At least, except for some key protected halls, believers are allowed to enter, burn incense, worship Buddha, and pay homage.

  Xia Liu brought Peng Qixi and Xiao Ding to Longxing Temple on the second day. Following local customs, they entered the temple to worship Buddha. Xia Liu also followed them, lit incense sticks, paid respects, and offered incense to Buddha. Then, under Xiao Ding's request, Xia Liu, Peng Qixi, and Xiao Ding each drew a divination slip. Xiao Ding excitedly took the three slips to ask the old monk to interpret them.

  Xia Liu and Peng Ziqi walked to the outside of the Dahongbao Hall, where a five-story bronze incense burner emitted rolling smoke that swirled and rose in front of the hall. Male and female devotees and tourists from afar milled about in the smoke, each with their own purposes and desires, but it was unclear who would have their wishes fulfilled by the Buddha.

  "What did you just wish for?"

  Xia Liu smiled and asked, Peng Qi didn't want to tell him, blushing as he brushed away the loose hair on his temples, changing the subject: "After crossing the river, it's Ying Tian Fu. I'm a bit uneasy."

  "What's wrong? What's bothering you?"

  "Your wife, I don't know if she has a good temper or not, whether she is strict with people, and how much discipline she has. At first, I told myself not to be afraid, absolutely no need to be afraid, but now that it's getting closer and closer, the more I think about it, the more my heart gets flustered."

  Xia Liu smiled and said: "What are you afraid of? You have a highly skilled martial arts, yet you're still afraid of her, a weak woman from a family of poetry and etiquette?"

  Peng Ziqi smiled wryly and said with a flushed face, "In the past... I actually thought so too. But in reality... no matter how bad a family is, can they really fight each other with knives and guns? What would that be like? Even if there's no one outside to laugh at us, this family wouldn't be able to hold its head up high anymore. If she's really capable, for your sake, I'll endure it."

  She lowered her head and said quietly: "This is the path I chose myself, I will continue on."

  Just two steps away from them, an old woman carrying a basket of dried fruits stood there, seemingly waiting for tourists to come and buy some dried fruits. Her ears perked up, listening attentively to their conversation without missing a single word.

  "I won't let you suffer."

  Xia Xun grasped Peng Qi's hand, of course he knew that Peng Qi was really nervous, but more importantly, it was because of the unease in her heart, wanting to get comfort and reassurance from her man. At this time, if she didn't show her feelings, she might be worried all the way.

  "I am the master of this house, how can I let her be arrogant! You have been deeply in love with me, riding a thousand miles alone, and following me through life and death. If I had even half a point of not being good to you, would I still have a conscience? You rest assured, if she is broad-minded, kind to people, and works hard to maintain our family, then it's fine. Otherwise, can't I still deal with her?"

  "Women are to be coaxed and deceived, even if they know you're telling lies, they'll still feel at ease in their hearts."

  This was what Xia Yu often heard his wrestling instructor boast about when he was in police school. That tall and powerful man, who could not be approached by a dozen people, was at a loss because of the conflict between his mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Later, it is unknown who gave him advice, but from time to time, he would use his wife or mother's name to buy small gifts for the other party. When his mother and wife came to him to complain, he no longer wanted to act as a judge to decide who was right or wrong. In short, whoever came to him, he would side with them and scold the other person together, just to let you vent your grievances. As a result, the family became harmonious again.

  This principle Xia Zhen deeply remembered in his heart, at this time naturally standing on the side of Zi Qi and speaking to her: "Heaven is noble and earth is humble, the positions are fixed. The humble and the high are distinguished, the noble and the low are positioned. Qian creates male, Kun creates female. The distinction between male and female, male is noble and female is humble. Do I look like a man who can't control his wife?"

  Peng Ziqi felt relieved and nodded repeatedly: "Mm mm, mm mm..."

  "The sages of old have said..."

  As soon as Peng Ziqing saw the little bird, Xia Xiu's male vanity psychology suddenly inflated, and he continued to boast: "A husband has the right to remarry, but a wife does not have the right to remarry. Therefore, it is said that a husband is like heaven; heaven cannot be escaped, and a husband cannot be disobeyed. Thus, serving one's husband is like serving one's parents or serving one's lord."

  What are the seven outs? Firstly, being unfilial to parents, secondly, having no children, thirdly, being licentious, fourthly, being jealous, fifthly, having a serious illness, sixthly, speaking too much (causing discord among relatives), seventhly, stealing (keeping private money). If she really doesn't understand things, just based on this one point of being jealous, I can use a divorce paper to send her back home, humph!

  The old village woman with the basket on her arm couldn't help but tremble, and her heart was almost bursting. Is this really her good husband who has been out of contact for over a decade? Great, really great! Before even marrying me, he's already taking his mistress's side and preparing to kick me out. This bastard, great! Really great!

  "You... would really do this for me?"

  Peng Ziqi's eyes turned red with emotion, she looked up at him with deep feeling, and Xia Xun lightly patted her arm, saying "Of course."

  "Others... are women from Chen Guang's family, the Xie clan. I... my background is far inferior to theirs..."

  "Does it look like I'm the kind of man who relies on women to bring honor to my family? I don't even know her, what emotions could there be to speak of? If she's a reasonable and good woman, friendly with you, then I won't mistreat her either. But if she relies on her noble ancestry or high status as a lady to bully you..."

  Xia Yu lightly grasped her hand, softly saying: "You say, would I just sit and do nothing? You say, can she and I still have the deep affection that we two have?"

  "Hmm!" Peng Ziqi smiled sweetly and grasped his hand back, the old woman lowered her head, bit her teeth, and suddenly walked away quickly...