Song Tangning looked outside in surprise and saw Fu Laiqing, who was carrying a box down the steps, almost stumble. Cang Lang quickly steadied him, but the box that had felt "as heavy as a thousand pounds" in Fu Laiqing's hands was easily placed on the ground by Cang Lang with one hand.
Song Tangning fell silent.
This Fu family gentleman indeed seemed a bit... frail.
Seeing the young lady glancing outside, Xiao Yan couldn't help but frown. He took a step forward, subtly blocking her line of sight, and looked inside the room. "Is there any problem with these books? Did the Lu family tamper with them?"
Song Tangning's mind quickly shifted away from Fu Laiqing's antics and she followed Xiao Yan inside, saying, "I don't think so. I reviewed the catalog, and it matches what was there before, except for a few rare ancient texts that the Lu family seems to have taken out beforehand."
Xiao Yan furrowed his brows. "How many did they take?"
"Around a few hundred volumes." Seeing Xiao Yan's eyes turn cold, Tangning moved closer to him and said softly, "I've been to the library before, so I roughly know what they took. Those are extremely rare, and even the Lu family would have a hard time acquiring them.
"Lu Chongyuan has already compromised. If we keep pushing, they might not admit it anyway. Besides, those ancient books are more for collecting than practical use; they wouldn’t be much help for the academy. I thought it was better to let it go."
Song Tangning knew she had already gained a lot, and understood that getting the Lu family to concede this much wasn’t easy.
Though those few hundred rare books were precious, they were just a drop in the ocean compared to the vast Lu family library. The texts they took out were valuable, but for the average student, a few practical essays would be more useful. Instead of fighting over these, it was better to take advantage of the situation and pick out more practical books.
Moreover, even with just the remaining books, the future academy would have enough to earn a fortune. Those rare books might come back into their hands someday; one must learn to be content.
As Song Tangning softly persuaded him, Xiao Yan's hostility eased, though his eyes remained cold. "The Lu family has always been this unprincipled, from top to bottom."
To them, integrity was just an empty word.
It was like this back then, and it's still the same now.
Inside, Cao Dejiang was dazzled by the selection of books, becoming more excited the more he picked. Although his own residence had a library, it couldn’t compare to the Lu family’s.
He had long abandoned the others and climbed up the tall ladder, pointing out books to those around him. Suddenly, he found something, and his face lit up with delight.
"They even have books on agricultural techniques!" He pulled out a scroll from the top shelf and called out, " Yiyang County Princess, I've found something great, come quickly!"
"Ah, coming!" Song Tangning hurriedly responded and said, "Brother, I'll go over there first."
Xiao Yan nodded. "Go ahead."
...
Xiao Yan stood with the Black Armored Guards outside the library. Except for the steward who was inside to "help" tally and record the books, the other members of the Lu family were kept outside.
The room was filled with ministers, who, like locusts swarming, were excitedly picking books. Meanwhile, the faces of the Lu family members darkened as boxes of books were carried out.
Initially, the ministers had differing opinions on which books to take, arguing back and forth. But when they realized that the Lu library held tens of thousands of volumes, more than enough even if they took all they wanted, they stopped quarreling. Each person simply pointed out what they needed and directed the Wuxin Marquis and the other military officials to carry them out.
"Be careful, don’t damage them."
"Take these, and these, all of them."
"Hey, you guys over there, come here and take this whole shelf of books. Move slowly; these are all treasures."
"Ah, for heaven’s sake, be gentle! Don’t crease the pages; be careful not to tear them. Stack these together, and keep those separate so they’ll be easier to find later..."
The chatter inside was like a bustling market.
The Lu family members watched as the once densely packed library shelves were slowly emptied, and box after box of books was carried away, their hearts aching as if they were bleeding.
"Master, isn't this enough yet...?" If this goes on, the library will be empty!
"Master..."
"Shut up!" Lu Chongyuan clenched his fists and hissed, glancing at the steward inside who was writing and sweating profusely. He looked pale as he glanced at Xiao Yan.
He had already ordered his people to tally the books according to the catalog. Since no one had said anything, it meant only half of the books had been taken. Even if it pained him, he could only endure it; stepping in now would only make a fool of himself and invite Xiao Yan's ridicule.
Sensing the Lu family's grief, Xiao Yan lifted his gaze. "Lord Cao and the others are enthralled by the books. They want to take everything they see, but I have instructed my people to keep count. Rest assured, we will not take more than what belongs to the Lu family. But if you’re concerned, would you like to count them yourself?"
Before Lu Chongyuan could respond, Lu Qin gritted his teeth. "Xiao Yan, don’t push it too far!"
Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow. "Would the young master like to count?"
"You..."
"Enough!" Lu Chongyuan stopped his enraged son, speaking coldly, "I trust the Governor will not act dishonorably."
"Of course I won’t. After all, I am not from a noble family."
"Xiao! Yan!!" Xiao Yan's mocking words made Lu Qin grit his teeth so hard he nearly bled, and even the usually calm Lu Chongyuan's chest heaved with rage.
He knew the Lu family had lost their footing today. Arguing with Xiao Yan would only make them look more ridiculous, and even the court's censors couldn’t match Xiao Yan's sharp tongue.
Lu Qin was no match for him, and saying more would only lose them their temper. So, holding back his second son, whose eyes were red with anger, Lu Chongyuan looked at Xiao Yan with a stoic expression. "Noble families have their strengths, a century-long heritage, and a thriving lineage. The Governor, with your background, may find it difficult to understand."
Standing at the doorway, Song Tangning happened to hear this and her face instantly turned cold.
But Xiao Yan was unfazed. He stopped Song Tangning from speaking and chuckled, "If all your descendants turn out to be like Lu Sanlang, it might be better to do as I do—cut ties and spare yourself the embarrassment of bailing them out of jail."
He smiled, as if remembering something, and his tone changed. "Oh, right, how is the Empress? I heard she's quite concerned about the Chancellor. Did she or the Fourth Prince send a physician to check on your health?"
Lu Chongyuan: "..."
Any satisfaction from his earlier mockery vanished completely. Lu Qin's eyes turned even redder with rage, and Lu Chongyuan nearly choked on his own breath. The other Lu family members glared daggers at Xiao Yan, wishing they could tear him apart.
Watching her brother's sharp-witted battle, Song Tangning's initial anger melted away. She quietly gave Xiao Yan a thumbs-up and whispered, "Big brother, you’re amazing."
Xiao Yan patted her head. "Don’t learn from me."
I need a way to find chapters, sometimes 'next' is broken and the chapter list only goes to 61.
ReplyDeleteSo sorry about this. The next is fixed now. If this issue happens in other chapters just make a comment about it and i'll fix it.
Delete