Close to the hour of Hai (around 9-11 PM), Lin Yao was about to retire for the night when someone reported that Elder Liao was looking for him.
Elder Liao was the scruffy old man who had been sitting at the same table as the senior doctor during the banquet.
Although Lin Yao found it strange, he still instructed his people to bring Elder Liao to the main hall.
He put on his half-removed robe and went to meet him.
“It’s late, Uncle Liao. Why aren’t you resting? What brings you here?” Lin Yao had always respected the elders who had followed his father throughout his life.
Elder Liao sat on a wooden chair, one leg amputated and hidden within tightly wrapped pants, while the other leg, though intact, appeared extremely frail.
His exposed ankle was so thin that it seemed to be just skin and bones, and his clothes and shoes were covered in a thick layer of grime.
Over the years, his temperament had grown increasingly eccentric, and with the onset of cataracts, his eyes always looked like dead fish eyes when he looked at people.
He had even scared children in the village to tears, and he didn’t like children anyway.
He had become a loner over the years, and if it weren’t for Lin Yao frequently sending food to him and the senior doctor often checking his pulse and delivering medicine, he might not have survived until now.
Hearing Lin Yao’s question, Elder Liao tapped his cane forcefully and said, “Those Cheng couple, they cannot stay.”
Lin Yao, who had been somewhat drowsy, immediately changed his expression upon hearing this. “Why do you say that, Uncle Liao?”
Elder Liao’s face was gloomy. “Today’s archery competition was to humiliate you. Can’t you see that, Chief? The whole village now sees him as another master. One day, that couple will betray your trust and harm you. They will take over Qi Yun Village completely! This is the same path that led to the downfall of the old village chief and the second-in-command He Laozhi!”
This 𝓬ontent is taken from fгeewebnovёl.co𝙢.
Lin Yao’s face tightened, his expression turning cold. “Uncle Liao, I will pretend I didn’t hear any of this tonight, and you shouldn’t mention it again.
The strategist and his wife have done great things for Qi Yun Village. It was my decision to delegate authority and allow the strategist to establish his prestige in the village.
Tonight’s archery competition was exhilarating, win or lose.
What humiliation? The village has just unified the various factions, and we need to work together now. If you continue with such talk, you will be undermining our unity!”
Seeing Lin Yao’s staunch defense of Chu Chengji, Elder Liao’s bony face showed a pained expression. “I only have the best intentions for you, Chief...”
Lin Yao interrupted him. “If you truly care for me, abandon these thoughts. Without the strategist and his wife, there would be no Qi Yun Village as it is today! They saved my life and Ah Zhao’s. The strategist’s clever tactics reclaimed the Western Village. Furthermore, during the last water bandit attack, if it weren’t for the strategist’s wife’s efforts to delay them, you, I, and many others would have died under their blades! Uncle Liao, one must have a conscience!”
Under the dim oil lamp, Elder Liao’s clouded eyes were cold and venomous. “If the Chief were to conquer the world like Li Xin from Qixian, would you still share half the power with that Cheng?”
Seeing Lin Yao’s silence, Elder Liao pressed on. “People become more greedy. The villagers’ respect for that couple is based on the reasons you mentioned.
But now he shows signs of overshadowing you. If we don’t eliminate him before he builds his own faction, it will bring endless trouble! Even if you are too kind to harm them, they will not hesitate to harm you...”
“Enough!” Lin Yao suddenly shouted, drawing his sword and pointing it at Elder Liao. “I said, if you speak of this again, it will shake the morale of Qi Yun Village! Besides, I have no ambition for the throne in Bianjing. I, Lin Yao, would be unworthy of being human if I became an ingrate! You’ve been with my father for half a lifetime, you should know our family’s teachings better than I do!”
Elder Liao, looking at the sword just an inch from his neck, showed a mix of shock and disappointment. “If you believe I am sowing discord and shaking morale, then kill me. My leg, my life, has always been for the Lin family. I will have no shame meeting the old village chief in the afterlife.”
Lin Yao’s temple veins bulged as Elder Liao used his old injury to pressure him.
He threw down his sword, coldly saying, “You are a benefactor to my sister and me. I won’t kill you, but I don’t want to see you again.”
He shouted toward the door, “Escort him back.”
Soon, a man entered to escort Elder Liao out.
Elder Liao pushed away the man’s supportive hand, got up with his cane, his face even more somber. “How can a boy like you succeed?”
With that, he hobbled out of the house, cane tapping as he went.
Lin Yao’s men escorted Elder Liao back to his residence and then departed.
In the village, even the better houses were mere adobe buildings. Elder Liao lived alone in a filthy, cluttered house.
He was used to not lighting a lamp at night, so when he entered, rats squeaked and scurried away from the table, cabinet tops, and bedside.
Half-eaten bread crumbs littered the floor.
Elder Liao waved his cane around haphazardly, muttering gloomily, “I’ll get some rat poison tomorrow and kill these little pests.”
Thinking of rat poison, a sinister smile appeared on his gaunt, eerie face. “The chief is too kind to act, but what do I have to fear with my rotten life? As long as I can remove those with ulterior motives for him...”
After bathing, Qin Zheng sat in the courtyard, her long hair loose, enjoying the cool evening air while holding the firefly cloth bag and gazing at it repeatedly.
Even though Chu Chengji had inexplicably acted strangely on their way back, Qin Zheng still genuinely liked the firefly bag.
She gently touched the palm-sized cluster of glowing lights with her fingertip, a hesitant expression on her face.
Chu Chengji, freshly bathed, saw her sitting in the courtyard and asked, “What are you thinking about?”
Qin Zheng turned to look at him, her eyes bright, skin fair against her dark hair, holding the glowing cluster.
At a glance, she looked like an immortal, or a beautiful spirit from the mountains, luring mortals with her charm.
“I... I plan to release these fireflies. Otherwise, they’ll all be dead by morning,” Qin Zheng said, feeling a bit uneasy, worried he might think her sentimental.
She liked them, but the thought of waking up to a bag of dead insects made her feel it was better to release them before bed.
Beautiful things should be cherished for a while; you can’t keep them forever.
Chu Chengji, his hair still damp, didn’t bother drying it with a towel. The droplets from his hair dampened his thin clothes.
He said, “Then release them. If you want, I can catch more for you another day. Why the frown?”
Qin Zheng, feeling a mix of embarrassment and annoyance at his words, couldn’t help but retort, “Why do you always talk to me like I’m a child?”
Chu Chengji glanced at her, “How old do you think you are?”
Maybe no other man had ever spoken to her this way, but Qin Zheng found herself oddly flustered by his remark.
Her cheeks flushed, she instinctively argued, “I’m already married. How old do you think I am?”
As soon as she said it, she realized her words seemed inappropriate.
The Crown Princess was only seventeen, and in ancient times, it was common for women of her age to be mothers.
She was trying to say she wasn’t that young, but in this situation, it felt like she was flirting with him.
She avoided Chu Chengji’s gaze, lowering her head to untie the knot on the bag, but she struggled for a while without success.
Chu Chengji bent down, reaching around her from behind. With a deft flick and pull of his fingers, he untied the knot without touching her otherwise.
However, a droplet of water from his hair fell onto Qin Zheng’s nape, causing her to shiver at the sudden chill.
The fireflies slowly floated out of the bag, soon filling the courtyard with softly glowing points of light.
“The knot was secure but tricky to untie. I forgot to teach you how to undo it,” he said, stepping back and asking, “Would you like to learn?”
Given the current atmosphere, declining might have felt awkward, so Qin Zheng nodded, “Yes.”
Chu Chengji picked up the string and demonstrated the knotting technique.
His long fingers moved with grace and dexterity, making the simple task appear elegant.
After tying the knot, he handed it to Qin Zheng, “Do you see how to untie it now?”
Following his earlier demonstration, Qin Zheng hooked her finger and gently pulled. Sure enough, the knot came undone easily.
But in this simple action, there seemed to be an endless undercurrent of intimacy.
“I untied it...” Qin Zheng looked up to report her success, only to find her lips brushing against something warm and soft.
Her eyelashes fluttered. One hand still held the end of the string, and her vision was filled with Chu Chengji’s close, blurred outline and the fireflies dancing behind him.
Unlike their previous kiss, this one was gentle from start to finish.
Chu Chengji cupped her chin, his lips slowly tracing hers with patient precision, as if savoring a fine tea.
His scent was fresh and crisp, reminiscent of pine needles covered in frost, carrying the essence of a snow-covered winter forest.
Being so close, the damp strands of his hair lightly brushed against Qin Zheng’s cheek, the cool sensation making the warmth on her lips even more pronounced.
Last time, Qin Zheng had been stunned by the kiss.
In hindsight, he wasn’t particularly skilled, as she had been clumsily bumped by his teeth several times, and a kiss shouldn’t involve biting.
This time, perhaps because she wasn’t as nervous or because he was gentler, with a hint of alcohol from the banquet lingering on his lips, the kiss left her feeling slightly tipsy.
By the time it ended, her eyes were misty.
Chu Chengji’s gaze was deep and intense. He pressed her head against his chest, taking a moment to steady his breath before saying, “No matter how old you are, to me, you’re still a little girl. I pamper you, and yet you always seem to complain.”
The fluttering in Qin Zheng’s heart was stronger than before, and she clutched his tunic more tightly.