Xiao Yan had not expected to hear news of the Lu family again, especially about Lu Zhinian, whose whereabouts had once been unknown.
His brow furrowed slightly. “Tu Bai said that Ji Rongqing saved the life of the Beiling Empress and gets along very well with the new Beiling Emperor. Moreover, unlike in Da Wei, where a princess’s consort holds no real power, Ji Rongqing now holds a rather prominent position in the Beiling court.”
Xiao Yan paused and looked at Tang Ning. “Do you know about the structure of the Beiling court?”
Tang Ning nodded. “I’ve read some reports about Beiling before. Unlike Da Wei, Beiling is vast but sparsely populated, with scarce resources and primarily composed of nomadic tribes. The three largest tribes form the current Beiling royal court.”
“The Zongyan tribe was the tribe of the former Beiling Khan and is now the force behind the new Beiling Emperor. They possess Beiling’s finest archers and most valiant warriors. Next are the Zongyu tribe and the Wanhu tribe, whose military strength is slightly inferior to the Zongyan tribe. The leaders of these two tribes were once the strongest contenders for the position of Beiling Khan.”
“When Dean Shi was in Beiling, he instigated conflict between the Wanhu and Zongyan tribes, using it to eliminate several of Zongyan’s potential successors and nearly killing the former Khan. This caused significant turmoil in Beiling for a time. Later, after Xiahou Ling helped the Zongyan tribe prevail, the Wanhu tribe’s influence was greatly diminished, and they are now the weakest of the three major tribes in Beiling.”
Seeing that Tang Ning was well-versed in Beiling’s political landscape, Xiao Yan lowered his voice. “Beiling’s customs differ from those of Da Wei. Unless it’s a direct heir, the successor not only inherits the former Khan’s authority but also his tribe, wealth, and women. The current Beiling Empress was the legitimate wife of the former Beiling Khan, which technically makes her the aunt of the new Emperor.”
Tang Ning’s eyes widened. This was the first time she had heard of such a custom. “Then Princess Chuyun…”
Xiao Yan continued, “She is the daughter of the former Khan, the cousin of the new Beiling Emperor, and the legitimate daughter of the Beiling Empress. The Empress, in turn, has the entire Zongyu tribe backing her.”
Xiao Yan’s words left Tang Ning momentarily stunned, her mind struggling to process the information. Her brow furrowed tightly, and after a long pause, she said with some difficulty, “So, Princess Chuyun’s mother married her cousin, and her original cousin became… her stepfather?!”
Xiao Yan nodded. “Exactly.”
Tang Ning: “…”
Her face stiffened.
Xiao Yan knew that for someone raised with the principles of propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame, it was hard to comprehend Beiling’s “old customs.” Even he had been utterly shocked when he first learned of them, let alone Tang Ning.
He only mentioned it briefly before moving on, returning to the topic of Ji Rongqing.
“Ji Rongqing saved the Beiling Empress and married Princess Chuyun, making the entire Zongyu tribe his backing. While they may not follow his every command, this is enough to give him a significant position in the Beiling court.”
“He seems to have a rift with Xiahou Ling, their relationship like fire and water. Xiahou Ling controls the State Preceptor’s Office and assisted the new Emperor’s ascension, holding great power in the court. However, Ji Rongqing, with the support of the Zongyu tribe, can influence the military and counterbalance him. For now, neither can overpower the other.”
Tang Ning asked, “What about the new Beiling Emperor?”
Xiao Yan replied, “The new Beiling Emperor is wary of Xiahou Ling but doesn’t fully trust Ji Rongqing either. He likely intends to let them keep each other in check, so he rarely intervenes in their conflicts.”
From Xiao Yan’s words, Tang Ning could roughly gauge Ji Rongqing’s standing in the Beiling court. She pursed her lips, her fingers tightening. “But I’ve known Lu Zhinian for years, and I’ve never heard of him having any hidden ailments. Moreover, it’s been less than half a year since his disappearance. How could he, in such a short time, travel from Da Wei to Beiling and achieve such a position?”
“That’s what puzzles me as well,” Xiao Yan said, his brow furrowing slightly.
Lu Zhinian had been groomed by Lu Chongyuan as a successor, so he certainly had ability and means. His past failures stemmed from being too sheltered and unprepared, unaccustomed to deceit and betrayal. It wasn’t impossible for him to learn from his mistakes and grow, but even with great talent, half a year was hardly enough for such a dramatic transformation.
The people of Beiling might be rough and unsophisticated in strategy, but Xiahou Ling was not. Nor was Zongyan Zheng, the new Emperor, whom Xiahou Ling had helped unify the Beiling tribes. When Lu Zhinian disappeared, even the Lu family couldn’t find him, suggesting they were unaware he had gone to Beiling.
If this Ji Rongqing truly was Lu Zhinian, how could he, without any support, rise to such a position under the noses of Xiahou Ling and others in just half a year?
Seeing Tang Ning’s pale face, Xiao Yan reached out to hold her cold hand. “Perhaps it’s just a case of mistaken identity, and Ji Rongqing isn’t Lu Zhinian.”
Tang Ning shook her head. “Brother, we can’t take this lightly. Lu Zhinian was driven to desperation by us before he disappeared. The Lu family was destroyed by our hands. He must hate us to the core.”
“I know,” Xiao Yan reassured her. “I’ve already instructed Tu Bai to find a way to arrange for Song Jinshu to meet this Ji Rongqing. If he truly is Lu Zhinian, others might not recognize him, but Song Jinshu should be able to. They were close friends for many years before their falling out.”
“Moreover, I’ll have someone leak this information to Xiahou Ling. He’ll be even more eager than us to uncover Ji Rongqing’s true identity.”
Xiao Yan looked at Tang Ning. “Don’t worry. Whoever he is, we’ll find out eventually.”
Despite his words, Tang Ning felt a lingering unease. She pursed her lips, recalling the last time she saw Lu Zhinian, his crazed, bloodshot eyes, the way he clung to her desperately, saying he didn’t care about the Lu family or anything else. Those scarlet, terrifying eyes were still vivid in her memory.
Memories she hadn’t thought of in a long time resurfaced, her tragic death in her past life, the torment of being imprisoned. Tang Ning’s face grew even paler.
“Tang Ning, what’s wrong?” Xiao Yan asked, pulling her closer.
Tang Ning shook her head and leaned lightly against his shoulder. “Nothing. I’m just a bit tired.”
Xiao Yan looked down at the top of her head, his brow furrowing slightly. Tang Ning seemed to be hiding something.
Was it because of Lu Zhinian?
Or something else?
He opened his mouth to ask, but seeing her eyelids lowered, her expression full of trust as she leaned against him, her trembling lashes betraying a hint of unease, he swallowed his words and simply held her quietly.
Fine.
When she was ready to talk, she would.
…
The possibility of Lu Zhinian’s reappearance was like a drop of water falling into hot oil, unsettling Tang Ning’s mind. But no matter how uneasy she felt, Ji Rongqing was far away in Beiling, and verifying the information would take time. For now, matters within Da Wei were more pressing.
After meeting with Liang Guangyi, Xiao Yan went to the palace to see the Crown Prince.
No one knew what they discussed, but the Crown Prince, who had been consumed by bloodlust, seemed to suddenly come to his senses and calmed down.
Although those arrested had not yet been released, the executions at the marketplace ceased.
The noble families, after receiving the message Liang Guangyi brought back, argued fiercely among themselves. Some were indignant, others unwilling, cursing Xiao Yan as shameless, greedy, and ruthless. But no matter how much they cursed or protested, they ultimately yielded.
The Cui family was the first to agree to pay 260,000 gold to “redeem” Cui Lin, securing Xiao Yan’s forgiveness for his role in the entrapment. The remaining 540,000 gold was to be split among the other six families, each contributing 90,000.
As for the matter of the hidden books, the other families were initially unwilling. However, the Feng, Li, and Fan families relented first. With the Liang and Cui families persuading from the sidelines, and pressure from Xiao Yan and the Crown Prince in the court, the remaining three families were powerless to resist and reluctantly agreed.
You can read ahead to chapterr 770 (100+ extra chapters) here
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