Ink Burns

Chapter 116: Alliance Wine
Does Xue Changfeng care about the reputation of his clan?

Honestly: I don’t really care.

If he cared a lot, he would not have insisted on choosing Zhu, who had a very ordinary family background, as his second wife after his first wife Su, who came from a prominent family, died of dystocia. The Xue family is a well-deserved family of scholars and officials. The reputation of this prominent family was by no means accumulated by the merits of following the dragon, as in the bet, where one person's success brings prosperity to the whole family, nor was it the merits bestowed by the in-laws of the concubines of the royal family. Instead, it was achieved through generations of examinations, imperial examinations, and successes, one after another of official positions of varying sizes, and a succession of officials whose merits and virtues are recognized by the people.

The Xue family is a pure residence of civil officials. They are not powerful officials, flatterers, or jesters. Their family is based on the inheritance of poetry, books, and morality.

The Xue family has real talents and knowledge for generations, and they are upright and honest. Inheriting the tradition of judicial arbitration, they must be fair and serious, and should be supported and praised by the court officials.

Well, of course Xue Changfeng is not included.

Xue Changfeng is an outlier in the Xue family in a hundred years.

He was quite proficient in calligraphy and painting.
But he was very unfamiliar with being an official and advancing in career.

He has a gentle temperament and is good at keeping himself safe. In addition, he is backed by the Xue family's century-old reputation.
It is only fitting that he be the teacher of a king who maintains the status quo.

Therefore, although Xue Changfeng did not care about the reputation of his clan, he cared very much about his own safety and honor.

Hearing Xue Xiao's words, Xue Changfeng immediately rolled his eyes, his face full of regret and ferocity: "Rebellious son! Rebellious son! The royal family is angry with the Xue family, I can't run away, but you can!?"

Xue Xiao shrugged: "My son is a dead man, he can't compare to my younger brother——"

Xue Xiaoyu looked back at Zhu with a smile: "——Peaceful, harmonious and comfortable as usual."

Peaceful, tranquil, and comfortable as usual.
Princess Jing'an.

Zhu was shocked: she felt that Xue Xiao must know something. The word "Jingping" must be referring to "Grand Princess Jing'an"!
Did Xue Xiao know her true life story? ! !
No, no.

impossible!
If Xue Xiao knew about this, he would definitely rush at his prey like a vicious dog and make the whole city know about it!

How could she still be a respectable lady of the Xue family in peace and security!
Xue Changfeng frowned and asked what his wife wanted to ask: "What do you mean?"

Shan Yue lowered her head and narrowed her eyes: This was the second time Xue Xiao mentioned the title of "Grand Princess Jing'an" tonight.

Xue Xiao leaned forward, crossed his legs on his knees, tapped the ground with his feet, and smiled: "Isn't Brother Chen talking about marriage with the Chang family? The wife of the Chang family is the biological sister of Grand Princess Jing'an's husband - isn't the Internal Affairs Department something that Grand Princess Jing'an holds in her hands? Our family's wedding has implicated the Internal Affairs Department. No matter who is found out, it will be a blow to Grand Princess Jing'an's reputation."

Zhu's tense nerves finally relaxed: It turned out to be because of this. Fortunately, she was not exposed.
“I often feel sad.”

Zhu's expression returned to a light, light, kind and dignified one: "You two are father and son, but you are vying to control each other's weak spot - giving Nan Mansion to you was the old man's wish before he died, and as children, we have no choice but to follow his will."

"Madam——" Xue Changfeng called out urgently.

Zhu waved her hand and said, "This dagger made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, you have to give it to me after you use it. Since you want to use Brother Chen to control me, I have given you everything I can. So to prevent this matter from going on forever, I will ask for some extra interest. Is that not too much?"

Xue Xiao crossed his arms, raised the corner of his lips, and looked at Zhu with a smile.

Zhu's face was frank and cheerful, "Yes, Brother Chen is indeed discussing marriage with the second daughter of the Chang family. Although it has not been finalized yet, it is a real thing with a clear outline. I don't want to cause any complications."

The small niche is always so frank and real.
Xue Changfeng looked at his wife with a little more affection and respect in his eyes.

She has remained the same for so many years, simple and clean, just like forty years ago, when she cheerfully and courageously sucked out the snake venom for him, bandaged his wound with a cloth strip, and saved his life.

Such a woman, even if she was born in a humble family in the countryside, was much more prosperous than those ladies from famous families!
Zhu smiled faintly, turned to Xue Changfeng and nodded slightly, giving a sufficient response.

"You should try the person. Although Mother He has been my dowry for decades, I believe she is upright and has nothing to fear. I will try her for you. I will also help you contact the broker, the seller, and the clerk who handled the registration, so that you can find out the truth - but there is only one thing, which I just said."

Zhu paused for a moment and said, "You have to wait a few days. You just got married and the capital is watching you. We can't let the Xue family be in the spotlight again."

Xue Xiao raised his eyebrows noncommittally: "Give me the title deed tomorrow?"

Zhu reluctantly nodded and said, "I'll give you the land deed tomorrow."

Xue Xiao started walking out, paused, then turned to Zhu and said, "Grabbing the seven-inch point is the way to kill a snake. I am an unfilial bird, so I have to poison it or cut open its belly."

Zhu's heart skipped a beat and she was so terrified she didn't know what to think.

Shan Yue did not dare to stand up on his own. He could only bow timidly to Xue Changfeng and Zhu before following behind Xue Xiao with one foot deep and one foot shallow.

Xue Xiao's back formed a long line under the moonlight.

The mountain moon eye wind steps on the shadow.

She didn't know if she was overthinking it: Xue Xiao was like a hunter who had dug a trap, teasing the prey in his hand bit by bit.

Zhu is the prey.

This prey is very clever.

Shanyue lowered her eyes, her gaze fixed on the gold-plated patterns on the fiery red bridal veil.

So, what about her?
In Xue Xiao's eyes, is she just bait to lure prey?
Or does she have a chance to become another hunter fighting alongside him?
Shan Yue hopes to be the second one.

If she could become the second type, she wouldn't mind investing in the form of the first type.

On the wedding night, the newlyweds walked along the corridor, one in front and one behind, connecting the two palaces in the north and south.

Xue Xiao suddenly stopped walking, lowered his eyes to look at the brightly lit rooms in the north of the corridor, and then looked at the courtyards with scattered lights in the south of the corridor, his eyes deep: "Our courtyard is in the South Mansion."

Shan Yue nodded: "I know."

"Grandpa also lived in Nanfu for a long time." Xue Xiao added: "When I was two or three years old."

Shan Yue was silent: "Now, Nan Mansion is yours."

Xue Xiao's eyebrows tilted slightly: "It can also be yours."

Shan Yue raised her head: "That dagger, the one you threw in front of Madam Zhu, is not the one that Lin used to assassinate you."

Xue Xiao shrugged nonchalantly: "I still have a lot of stuff made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Since Zhu wants to give me leverage, why shouldn't I take it?" Shan Yue blinked: "You knew I was 'Qing Feng', why did you marry me?"

Having experienced life and death twice, Shanyue felt that there was no need to put on a mask in front of Xue Xiao again: Xue Xiao knew who she was as early as in the closet of Liu's house.

Shan Yue stopped cowering, his eyes were cold and indifferent: "I don't know what you are planning, but I have my own things to do."

"Just go ahead and do it."

Xue Xiao turned his head and cast his gaze back to the bleak south: "I know you are not 'Qingfeng' - 'Qingfeng' are either confused and obedient, or blind and heartless. You are different. You dared to kill Liu Hezhou, and you dared to run in the city where the epidemic was serious; you dared not to kill Qiu Tao, and you dared to plot against Liu Huan."

"Since you are not Qingfeng, then why don't I dare to marry you?"

Xue Xiao turned his head, his eyes were as deep as water under the moonlight: "Will you kill me?"

The sudden stare was terrifying.

Shan Yue's expression was calm, like an old well that holds deep water: "If you stand in my way, I'm not sure if I will kill you."

Xue Xiao raised the corners of his lips slightly: "I will try not to block your way, and you will try not to kill me, okay?"

The last two words actually had a Songjiang accent.

Shan Yue raised her eyebrows: "Try your best, that is, try your best."

Xue Xiao smiled and said, "I can see that you and Zhu are definitely not on the same page."

After a pause, he said, "Since you and Zhu are not of the same mind, then you and I must be of the same mind."

Unfilial bird, you "must" be too early.

Shan Yue pursed her lips: "Do you want to get rid of Madam Zhu?"

"more than."

Xue Xiao's voice was as deep as a small boat on a vast lake: "I want to remove the Zhu family, I want to thoroughly investigate the Duzhou dam breach case, I want to overturn the verdict on my uncle's family, I want to find out the real cause of my mother's death, I want to restore justice to the world—"

Xue Xiao's low voice lingered in the air for a moment: "I also want this moon to be equally round in everyone's eyes."

The voice became lower and lower.

Xue Xiao expressed all his thoughts in a voice so low that it reached the ground.

Shan Yue looked at him motionlessly.

The young third-rank official stood with his back to the light, under the red corners of the flying eaves, his figure slender and graceful. He should have been the emperor's favorite, but in his short life, all he saw was the incomplete moonlight.

Shan Yue twitched the corners of his mouth in confusion and stammered, "How can you trust me?"

Aren’t you afraid that she will tell Zhu?

Xue Xiao was frank and honest, but she couldn't express what she really wanted to do.

Shan Yue calmed down and immediately changed the subject, deliberately adding a bit of excitement to his voice: "Then at least, our short-term goals are the same."

Zhu family.

Xue Chen's mother, Zhu.

The Zhu family is by no means innocent in the Fushoushan forest fire case.

Only by getting rid of Zhu family can Xue Chen be destroyed.

Xue Xiao lowered his head and smiled: "It's a pity that the wine is poisoned, otherwise we could have toasted to celebrate our alliance."

Shan Yue disagreed: "When the goal is achieved and Zhu's karma is repaid, it won't be too late to drink the wedding wine."

Xue Xiao's brows paused, he lowered his head and looked at the tip of his shoes for two seconds, then he raised his foot and walked towards the empty Nan Mansion.

Shan Yue also set off.

As soon as he moved, he felt dizzy, his legs went weak, and he almost fell down.

Xue Xiao subconsciously reached out his hand, but saw Shan Yue avoiding his hand very accurately and holding the tall vermilion lacquered pillar of the corridor without error.

After a day and a night, the dizziness caused by the unfinished grains is not easy to digest.

She was just a painter, killing people was a side job, and she didn't have the strong physique like Lansing.

Shan Yue slowly held on and took a break.

"You didn't put the ginseng slices in your mouth?" Xue Xiao asked.

Shan Yue suddenly realized: "Did you give it to me?"

Shan Yue explained: "I have no sense of taste and never eat food that comes from unknown sources."

He lowered his eyes and bowed to express his gratitude: "Thank you for your concern."

Xue Xiao lowered his eyes slightly and waved his sleeves gently: "Nothing, Luo Feng always likes to do these thankless tasks——"

Luo Feng, who was ten steps behind him but had excellent hearing, asked: What did you say?

　A fat chapter.

　　(End of this chapter)