Chapter 301 - 217: The Good Show Begins
Chapter 301: Chapter 217: The Good Show Begins
Just beyond the courtyard gate, bathed in the glow of bright lanterns, a plain-looking, middle-aged Confucian Scholar in a long black robe was waving at him from a distance.
The man wore a smile, but his eyes were cold and merciless. As he waved, his mouth formed the silent words:
"If you don’t want her to die, come with me."
Chen Yi read the words clearly, and he understood their meaning.
After watching for a moment, his expression grew calm. He offered the man a distant salute and said with a smile, "Alright."
Instead of going back through the gate, he glanced toward Xiao Wan’er and the others, then beckoned to a student standing guard outside and gave his instructions.
"Please inform Chen Yunfan, the Assistant Governor of the Governor’s Office, that something has come up and I must leave early. Ask him to look after the Xiao Family in my stead."
"If he asks what happened, just say that Tiger Girl has gotten into trouble."
"Yes, Mr. Qingzhou."
The student at the gate recognized him, offered a bow, then turned and entered the courtyard.
With that taken care of, Chen Yi waved to the middle-aged Confucian Scholar in the distance, gesturing for him to lead the way.
There were few people in the courtyard he could trust.
But his unreliable older brother, Chen Yunfan, was definitely one of them.
Besides, with Chen Yunfan’s concealed Martial Arts Cultivation, he and Cui Qingwu together should be more than enough to protect Xiao Wuge and Xiao Wan’er.
The middle-aged Confucian Scholar heard his voice and saw his gesture. He nodded, pointing in another direction.
Then, he led the way, squeezing into the crowd and heading off.
Chen Yi watched the man’s back and activated his [Qi Observation Skill].
Five plumes of black qi instantly filled his vision.
’An aura of the Middle Three Grades...’
’Upper Fifth Grade, or Lower Fourth Grade!’
Chen Yi’s heart sank. He took a deep breath, then wove through the crowd of guests discussing poetry and followed.
As he walked, his hands moved in secret.
He deftly lifted useful items from the people he passed, stashing them on his person.
Hairpins, earrings, silver needles, and the like, just in case.
But Chen Yi was short on time. In just a few moments, he had passed several tables and followed the middle-aged Confucian Scholar out of the courtyard.
The middle-aged Confucian Scholar was waiting up ahead. With a slight lift of his hand, he pointed forward. "After you," he said with a low chuckle.
Chen Yi gave the man a long, hard look, then walked without a word into a dark thicket of flowers and trees ahead.
He let the darkness swallow the last glimmers of light on his form.
The middle-aged Confucian Scholar watched him go, then glanced back and silently mouthed, "Let the show begin."
Then, he too disappeared into the thicket.
「Meanwhile, in the courtyard of the Mid-Autumn Poetry Contest.」
Having just received the message, Chen Yunfan frowned slightly. He looked at the student with suspicion and asked, "Did he say what was wrong?"
"He said that Tiger Girl has gotten into trouble."
Chen Yunfan’s brow relaxed at his words. He thanked the student and didn’t give it another thought.
After the student had left, Cui Qingwu asked in a low voice, "Chen Yi left?"
Chen Yunfan grunted in affirmation. He glanced out of the corner of his eye at the oblivious Xiao Wan’er and Xiao Wuge and said:
"He asked me to look after these two. I’m guessing that Tiger Girl from the Mountain Race got into some serious trouble this time."
"I told him she’s completely unruly and would cause trouble sooner or later, but Brother Yi wouldn’t believe it. Let’s see if he can still be so stubborn now."
Cui Qingwu nodded. "Granny Shan’s granddaughter. I’ve heard of her. They say her aptitude for the Martial Arts isn’t high."
"I suppose so..."
Despite this, Cui Qingwu couldn’t shake the feeling that something was amiss.
’Why didn’t Chen Yi ask Mr. Yue Ming and the others to look after Xiao Wuge and Xiao Wan’er? Why go to Chen Yunfan instead?’
When she voiced her doubt, Chen Yunfan thought for a moment, then arched a brow. "Do you think he’s finally realized that his big brother is dependable?"
"...I suppose so."
"I knew it! After all these years, he’s changed so much. It was impossible for his attitude toward me, his older brother, to remain unchanged."
"...Perhaps."
"So it seems he still respects me a great deal, doesn’t he?"
Cui Qingwu replied again, then pointed ahead and said, "The first poem has been sent to Mr. Yue Ming and the others for judging."
Chen Yunfan cleared his throat, straightened his posture, and let his smile fade.
"Qingwu, the title of ’Poetry Champion’ for this contest belongs to none other than this top scholar."
Perhaps his voice was a bit loud, because Xiao Wuge, who was beside him, looked up and asked:
"Brother Yunfan, what is a ’Poetry Champion’?"
"Naturally, it’s the person who writes the best poem of the night."
"Oh. In that case, the Poetry Champion should be my brother-in-law."
Chen Yunfan nearly choked on his words and started coughing. "Your... your brother-in-law, Chen Yi... he learned how to write poetry from me!"
Xiao Wuge turned his head away. "I don’t believe you."
"Young Master, how can you not believe me? When I was four and Brother Yi was three, I was the one who taught him how to read and write with my own two hands!"
"I don’t believe you..."
Xiao Wan’er watched the two of them joking. Her gentle gaze swept across the courtyard as she wondered to herself why Chen Yi had yet to return.
Cui Qingwu, sitting nearby, noticed her searching gaze and said with a smile, "Sister Wan’er, Chen Yi sent a messenger just now. He said he’ll be back later."
Xiao Wan’er suspected nothing. She chatted with her for a few moments, then sat quietly at the table, watching over Xiao Wuge.
At that moment, the courtyard grew more boisterous.
Some huddled together, discussing their poetry. Others stared at the full moon in the night sky as they bent over their desks to write. And still others craned their necks toward the high platform, eagerly awaiting the judges’ decision.
Li Huai’gu finally seemed to recall the purpose of the gathering. He patted the hand of Lady Yun beside him and said with a smile, "Brush and ink."
Lady Yun rose dutifully and began to grind the ink for him.
From the next table, Chen Yunfan glanced back and curled his lip. "Brother Huai’gu, you get a much better feel for it when you grind your own ink."
Upon hearing this, Li Huai’gu simply ignored Chen Yunfan. He’d been around the man long enough to know his roguish nature; the more you engaged with him, the more irritating he became.