That wretched vixen has disguised herself as my wife!

"Boss, don't rush."

The person who held him down seemed more alert, and whispered in his ear:

“We’ve seen plenty of arrogant people, but this is the first one we’ve ever seen! Look at this girl’s appearance and temperament, she looks like a pampered young lady, she might actually have some connections.”

"No matter who she is, we all heard her insulting Lord Wen! She cannot act so recklessly within the territory of Fengling City!"

The guards wouldn't listen, and drew their knives, pointing them at the lawless Xie Yunqi on the stone lion.

"Take her down!"

"Great! I was just looking for a place to stretch my muscles!"

Xie Yunqi clapped his hands excitedly, and Fushuang was drawn from its sheath, gleaming coldly.

......

"Is it really okay for us to let her continue like this?"

Lu Zhao's face looked like a bitter gourd that had been frosted.

"The young lady said that this is the method she came up with to meet Mr. Wen."

Jiang Jingming watched Xie Yunqi's sword strikes with breathtaking speed and the flashing of blades, and a smile unconsciously crept onto his lips.

She looked stunning as she wielded a sword in her red robes.

Lu Zhao was not in the mood to appreciate it. He tried several times to go up and tell them to stop, but no one paid any attention.

The young lady got carried away with the fight, but the guards became increasingly alarmed.

These were no ordinary gatekeepers; each of them was a highly skilled individual who had never encountered such formidable opponents.

She was just a sixteen or seventeen-year-old girl.

The group worked together in perfect unison, intending to take her down quickly. However, she fought against five opponents single-handedly, holding her own and even handling the situation with ease, as if she were toying with them.

That's natural.

Jiang Jingming thought to himself, "The young lady's swordsmanship is really not bad, it's just that the opponents she encounters are all a bit overweight."

An ordinary expert is no match for her, easily defeated in a single exchange.

After the fight, the guards were all panting heavily, leaning on their swords, while Xie Yunqi stood on the stone lion, his long hair flowing, looking refreshed.

"Hmph! Nothing special!"

After winning the fight, she couldn't wait to turn around and look at Jiang Jingming.

Jiang Jingming had no choice but to nod in agreement, trying to make her happy.

At that moment, a series of unhurried footsteps came from inside the mansion, followed by a hearty laugh.

"It's been so many years, and the little girl from the Xie family has grown up so much!"

The newcomer wore a long-sleeved, wide robe and had a long beard; he exuded an air of otherworldly elegance.

This must be the legendary Mr. Wen.

Jiang Jingming secretly confirmed that the image was roughly as he had imagined.

He is at least more like a contemporary literary star than that skinny old man, Master Han.

When Xie Yunqi saw him, his eyes lit up and he jumped down from the stone lion.

"Oh dear! It's really difficult to get a meeting with the renowned Mr. Wen!"

"How could the dignified Miss Xie say such things? If Miss wants to see the gods in heaven, that's not a difficult thing."

Wen Fuxiao smiled kindly, like an old man indulging his younger generation's mischief.

Seeing this, the guards who were lying on the ground exchanged glances and realized that things were in trouble.

Lord Wen called her the little maid of the Xie family; she had a distinguished background and was skilled with a sword...

Her identity is now obvious.

The guards could see the weariness in each other's eyes, a sense that "our careers have come to an end."

If you hadn't just said who you were, this wouldn't have happened...

The guards, their faces contorted with grief, rose one by one and knelt in salute.

"Alright, alright! Get up now!"

Unexpectedly, Xie Yunqi simply smiled and patted the group on the shoulders.

"Your skills are not bad, managing to exchange so many blows with me! You deserve a reward!"

Wen Fuxiao smiled and glanced at the bewildered guards, then waved her hand to signal them to get up.

"Since Miss Xie has spoken, please go down and collect your reward."

"Yes!"

The guards bowed in thanks again before dragging their weak legs away.

"Young lady, what brings you to my humble abode?"

Wen Fuxiao stroked his beard and deliberately dragged out his words as he joked with her.

"Of course, I have something important to discuss with you!"

As Xie Yunqi answered, he waved to the group of people who had been standing at a distance.

"This is Jingming, this is Aqing, this is Fang Zhiyi, they are all my friends!"

Wen Fuxiao's gaze swept gently over the group, lingering briefly on Jiang Jingming before she nodded.

Jiang Jingming noticed his brief pause, but for a moment he didn't know why.

Lu Zhao stepped forward and bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"I am Lu Zhao, the junior commander of the Divine Capital Guard! I have long admired Mr. Wen's name, and it is an honor to meet you today!"

"呲呲!"

While Lu Zhao bowed in greeting, Xie Yunqi kept making some inexplicable noises.

Wen Fuxiao clearly noticed the young lady making winks and gestures beside her, and after a moment's thought, she followed her suggestion and said:

"You are all talented young men. Since you've come to Fengling City, why don't you stay for dinner tonight?"

"Then I'll have to trouble you, sir."

Lu Zhao hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded in agreement.

Although he was uneasy and only wanted to escort the young lady back to the capital as soon as possible, he had even found a carriage to travel tonight.

But Wen Fuxiao's invitation was one he could not refuse under any circumstances.

Although such a prominent figure had been demoted in his early years, he still held a prestigious reputation in the capital and had accumulated extensive connections over many years.

If we can build a good relationship with him, it will greatly benefit his career after we return to the capital.

Lu Zhao tried hard to convince himself by thinking about these things, forcibly putting aside the unease in his heart.

......

The gates of the Chief Secretary's residence closed once again.

Wen Fuxiao personally led the way, taking the group to the banquet hall.

Passing through the back garden, the flowers were in full bloom, and the rockery and flowing water created a tranquil and peaceful scene.

“Master Wen, you stay indoors all day long, just tending to these flowers and plants.”

Xie Yunqi walked ahead, looking around as he went.

Wen Fuxiao smiled slightly, shook her head and sighed:

"I'm too old to get involved in those things, so I just closed the door and asked for some peace and quiet. I didn't expect it to be you, little Xie."

"..."

Jiang Jingming listened quietly to their conversation, but something felt off.

If Wen Fuxiao is truly the person who, as rumored, handed over a "Strategy to Stop the War" without hesitation during the battle between good and evil ten years ago, why would he choose to stay at home and remain indifferent to worldly affairs now that the massacre of his family has caused widespread panic?

Demotion may change a person's official rank, but it cannot completely change a person's spirit.

Chapter Sixty-Four Farewell at Yanmen

However, Jiang Jingming's confidence was finally shattered when the banquet officially began.

Unlike the simple and elegant decor of the courtyard, the reception room of the Changshi Mansion was resplendent with gold and had no scholarly air whatsoever.

Two long tables were arranged on the left and right sides of the hall. Jiang Jingming and Lu Zhao sat on the left, while Xie Yunqi, A Qing, and Fang Zhiyi, the three girls, sat on the right.

At first, everything seemed normal.

Wen Fuxiao took the seat of honor and raised his glass to the guests.

"Since you are all friends of Xie Xiaoya, then you are also my friends, Wen Fuxiao. Please allow me to do my part as a host. Please forgive me if my hospitality is inadequate."

"Thank you, Mr. Wen."

Several people in the audience raised their glasses in response.

The wine served at the banquet was "Wenxinzui," the most famous wine in Fengling City, the same "Wenxinzui" that Jiang Wuwang insisted on taking several jars with him when he was on the run.

Jiang Jingming swirled the wine in his glass. The wine was pale red and had a fruity aroma. Such a fruit wine could easily make people lower their guard.

But Jiang Jingming knew that the reason it was called "Wenxinzui" was because this wine was extremely potent.

No matter who drinks a few more glasses, they will become so drunk that they will honestly answer any question asked; this is called questioning one's conscience.

Wen Fuxiao tilted his head back and drank the wine in his cup in one gulp. His face immediately turned rosy and his eyes shone.

After finishing one glass, he continued to toast the guests below the stage, one glass after another.

After those few drinks, everything completely went wrong.

This Mr. Wen, with his ethereal and otherworldly demeanor, becomes a completely different person once he takes a sip of alcohol, resembling a playful old man with white hair and a youthful face.

He ran down barefoot and with disheveled hair to personally pour wine for Lu Zhao and Jiang Jingming.

"Lu Zhao, you are young and promising! When I was your age, I only knew how to eat, drink and have fun all day long, but you are already the young captain of the Divine Capital Guard. You have a bright future ahead of you!"

"Mr. Wen, you flatter me. I, Lu Zhao, am unworthy of such praise!"

Lu Zhao stood up nervously and bowed repeatedly.

"Jingming...is it taken from 'Spring is bright and beautiful'? The spring breeze is gentle and all things are radiant, what a wonderful name!"

Jiang Jingming had no choice but to hold the cup with both hands and nod in thanks.

The name chosen by Master Han was indeed very much to Mr. Wen's liking.

"I don't know why, but I feel a sense of familiarity when I see you! Have we met before?"

Wen Fuxiao held her wine glass with a cheerful smile, staring at Jiang Jingming with her tipsy eyes for a long while.

"Never."

Jiang Jingming felt a little flustered under his gaze, but in the end he just shook his head, sighed, and said, "You're so confused."

When he cheerfully went to pour drinks for the girls across the table, Jiang Jingming turned slightly to the side and spoke to Lu Zhao in a low voice:

"Are you sure that the hermit with disheveled hair singing wildly atop the high building isn't the one standing right in front of us?"

"If that's the case, then it's just too unaesthetic."

Lu Zhao looked at the wine in his glass with a complicated expression.

"Jingming, do you think Mr. Wen was always unwilling to be second best, and his suppressed emotions finally erupted in his later years?"

Jiang Jingming thought to himself, "Master Han is addicted to smoking. He's always smoking that old pipe, and when he coughs at night, it looks like he's going to cough up his lungs."

This perennial runner-up is a heavy drinker, and the two truly deserve to be called the twin stars of the literary world.

Thinking of this, he exchanged a glance with Miss Xie across from him.

Miss Xie was also surprised; this situation was clearly beyond her expectations.

It seems that, at least in her memory, Mr. Wen was not like that.