Chapter Ninety-Four: A Mutual Affection

Qin Luoyan walked over, bowed to the middle-aged man, and said: "My brother went out to do something, he is not at home today. Brother, are you looking for my brother""Not at home, it's really a pity," the middle-aged man said with disappointment on his face, pulling out an invitation from his bosom, "Since he is not here, I won't bother you any longer. It's just that my master gave an invitation to Mr. Wuhen, please give it to him." 。My master instructed me to prepare a small gift for Master Wúhén on this New Year's Day. I hope you will accept it, sir. 。Only then did Qin Luoyan notice a small box beside him. He handed the small box to Qin Luoyan. 。Qin LuoYan didn't reach out to take it, "Big brother, we appreciate your master's kindness, but my older brother isn't home. I absolutely wouldn't dare accept this gift so casually, please don't make things difficult for me." 。"They're just some worthless things, young lady, please don't be so polite. If this gift can't be given out, my master will blame me later." 。The middle-aged man placed the box in front of Qin Luoyan and then turned and walked away. 。He walked very fast, but in the blink of an eye he disappeared into the small box. 。Qin Luo'yan sighed and could only let Er Ya carry the box and return to the courtyard. 。Entering the courtyard, Er Ya opened the box and gasped when she saw the golden bars inside. For a long moment, she couldn't recover from her shock. "This, young lady, this is all gold! He said it wasn't valuable His master must be incredibly wealthy!" Er Ya's wide-eyed stare caught Yixing's attention. Yixing leaned over and took a look himself, drawing in a sharp breath. Only Qin Luo Yan involuntarily frowned. The first person to come to her was so generous. It seemed that the influence of this matter was greater than she had anticipated. It seemed that the powerful people of Fengqi City cared far more about weapons manufacturing than she had imagined. 。When someone places so much importance on weapon manufacturing, does that mean something big is about to happen in this Phoenix CityQin Luoyan felt a bit uneasy. In such turbulent times, her deeper involvement meant the danger was significantly higher. 。"Miss, what are you thinking about" Er Ya saw that she hadn't moved and couldn't help but ask. 。Qin Luoyan came back to her senses, shook her head and smiled. Before she could speak, she heard someone knocking on the door again. Erya was startled and quickly ran to open it. 。"Excuse me, is the Unmarked Master at home" A hunched old man peered from the doorway into the room. 。Er Ya turned her head and glanced in the direction Qin Luo Yan had gone, only for another one to arrive after just a while. 。The old man's approach was similar to the middle-aged man earlier, also bringing some New Year gifts and a letter of invitation. 。This time, Qin Luoyan didn't even show her face, she only let Er Ya follow what she had said before to send the person away. 。Within a short day, four or five waves of people came and went. 。At night, Qin Luo yan sorted out all the invitations she received and found that there were three from officials in the court, and two from famous merchants in Fengqi City. 。Those ministers were not first-rank officials, the highest being only a fourth-rank official. Such officials, theoretically speaking, would not be interested in weapons manufacturing. They sent the summons on behalf of someone behind them. 。"Miss, are you going to all these invitations" Er Ya added tung oil to the lamp, and the candlelight flickered brightly. 。Qin Luo'yan shook her head, "Birds of a feather flock together. What one should most avoid is putting one's foot in two boats. If I went to all these invitations, it would be the people who truly want to use me who wouldn't trust me." 。"Then where are you going for the invitation" Er Ya felt that her young mistress was becoming more philosophical in her words, and there were some things she could only partially understand now. 。Qin Luoyan fell silent, walking to the window and pushing it open for some fresh air. She didn't answer Er Ya's question immediately, but there was a hint of something profound in her smile. 。

The next morning, the Li family prepared a simple funeral for Master Li. Li Long, the eldest son of the Li family, went to Qin Luoyan's courtyard early in the morning to find some people to help. It turned out that the carpenter surnamed Liu told several carpenters who were close friends about what happened yesterday. When they heard that the Li family had offended such a big figure, they dared not attend Master Li's funeral for fear of bringing trouble upon themselves. >>>。Old Li's family didn't know many people in Fengqicheng to begin with, and even the few friends he usually got along with didn't come. The funeral was even more desolate because of this, so they could only ask Qin Luoyan for help. 。Qin Luoyan didn't hesitate, she took Erya and Yisheng to help. 。At the mourning hall, Lao Li's daughter-in-law fainted from grief several times. Li Long, accompanied by Hu’er, knelt before Li Mujian's coffin, his heart filled with despair. 。The coffin was originally meant to be carried, but now there was only Li Long, the only adult man here. When it was time, he shouldered the coffin and walked step by step towards the cemetery in the suburbs. 。Qin Luoyan sighed and walked behind Li Long, holding Yisheng's hand. Watching this young man who had just come of age stubbornly carrying his father's coffin, her heart sank a little with every step he took, as his thin legs trembled slightly from the exertion. 。For those living in poverty, every single task is an enormous struggle. What a wealthy household might accomplish with just a few ounces of silver could take them hundreds of times the effort. 。She didn't flaunt her wealth and offer to hire some helpers for him. This was a matter concerning the Li family, and it should be sorted out by Li Long himself. Otherwise, while she could help temporarily, she couldn't ensure the well-being of the Li family in the long run. 。The cemetery on the outskirts of Beijing, while called a cemetery, wasn't much better than a mass grave. It was simply an area designated by the government for those who couldn't afford proper burial plots. In this area, you could dig a pit wherever you liked and bury your family members. 。Li Long carried the coffin for a whole hour before arriving at the graveyard. He put down the coffin and, without resting, went to dig the grave. Tiger washed his nose and took a shovel to help. 。Erya and Yisheng were not overly sentimental people either, so they also went up to help. Qin Luoyan supported the already exhausted old Mrs. Li under a nearby tree. 。"Qin girl, this time I really thank you, if it wasn't for you, I really don't know what to do. 。“Old Li’s daughter-in-law wiped away a tear and said, “These days, I’ve seen through it all. Good people don’t always get rewarded.” 。Qin girl, you are a good person, so my old Li's wife can't be selfish either. I'll just cling to you like this big tree. After Old Li is buried, don't worry about our family's affairs anymore. If anything goes wrong and it troubles you, I will feel guilty for the rest of my life. 。"Sister-in-law, don't say that. If there's really something I can't solve, you can rest assured that I will withdraw in time. I'm not as kind as you think, so as long as I haven't withdrawn, there is still hope." 。“Qin Luoyan spoke very frankly. She felt there was no need to deceive this woman who had taken the initiative to advise her not to worry about them. To tell the truth, it might seem unpleasant on the surface, but at least everyone would have a clear understanding.” 。Old Li's daughter-in-law never expected she would say that. Tears welled up in her eyes instantly, and she clutched Qin Luoyan's hand, sobbing uncontrollably. 。This day, it snowed again. Phoenix Nest City didn't usually see much snowfall in winter, but this year was particularly cold for some reason. It even snowed just before spring during the festival season. 。In the flying snow, Qin Luoyan watched Li Long put Master Li's coffin into the pit and then fill it with soil. 。Li the carpenter was buried, but sadly there wasn't even a tombstone. 。This is now the most ordinary state of life. Er Ya put on a cloak for Qin Luo Yan and held up an umbrella, and when they left, none of them looked in the direction of the graveyard. 。After Li Mujian was buried, Li Long went to follow that young master Wu, as Qin Luoyan had instructed. 。Qin Luoyan returned to the courtyard, changed into men's clothing, and went out again. Er Ya wanted to follow, but she was arranged to take care of Lao Li's wife. 。There is a world-famous teahouse on the east street of Fengqi City. The tea inside is very expensive, and each cup costs a lot of money, but there are still many people who go to this teahouse every day. It's not that the tea here is really better than other places. In fact, most people come here not for the tea, but to listen to books. 。In the teahouse, there was a storyteller named Feng Xian. This storyteller wasn't an ordinary one; he was a master from the National Academy of Phoenix City. He had many disciples who held official positions in the court, and he himself had a hobby: storytelling. 。Every first and fifteenth day of the month, he comes back to this teahouse to give a storytelling performance. He talks about all sorts of things happening in the world, and many of his stories are secret news that ordinary people wouldn't be able to find out. 。Although today is New Year's Day, Feng Xianshu came despite the wind and rain. So when Qin Luoyan arrived at the teahouse, she saw an elderly man with white beard already sitting on the stage. 。The teahouse was packed, Qin Luoyan looked around and finally found a spot in the corner of the first-floor hall. Three people were already sitting at the table, all young men in their twenties. Qin Luoyan paid her respects before sitting down. The three beside her only nodded slightly. 。"What good stories could that old geezer possibly tell" Sitting to Qin Luo'yan's left was a man wearing a hat, looking quite handsome, but his eyes held a distinct air of disdain when he spoke. 。Sitting on Qin Luoyan's right was a man slightly older than the others. He had similar eyebrows and eyes to the man who had spoken earlier, “Seventh brother, don’t underestimate this old geezer. He tells stories like no other, just ask Third brother. " 。"That does sound interesting, especially the story he's going to tell today. If I'm not mistaken, it's something you'd be interested in." 。“The man being called ‘Third Brother’ opened his mouth to speak, gracefully sipping tea as he did so.” 。Qin Luoyan remained calm and collected, but secretly scrutinized the three men. It turned out that they were brothers, though they ranked as high as seventh in their family. Their father was truly prolific. It seemed these few people were likely from a prominent family. 。When Qin Luoyan was curious, Feng Xianjian on the stage had gathered enough people and began his storytelling after taking a sip of tea. “Today, I will tell you a story about love at first sight, a beautiful tale that has traveled for thousands of miles.” 。There are many people who have feelings for each other, you guys say whose story did you hear first” Feng Xian started by giving the floor to the audience. Hearing Feng speak, several young men immediately shouted, "If we talk about the most sensational thing in Fenqicheng recently, isn't it the marriage between Nan Gong's seventh young master and Wei's eldest daughter Mr. Feng, are you talking about this"“A good pupil..." 。Mr. Feng shook his head, tantalizing everyone's curiosity before continuing, "The Nangong family has been in business for generations, they are the wealthiest merchant in our Nan Yue country, at the top, they are the first imperial merchant, and at the bottom, they are the first salt merchant. The son of the Nangong family can be said to be rich enough to rival a country, and Miss Wei, the daughter of General Wei Jun, a high-ranking official in the Imperial Court, is also a prominent figure. This marriage between two powerful families is undoubtedly the most popular story in Phoenix City right now""However, everyone only knows one side of the story, not the other," Mr. Feng took another sip of tea and continued, "If it were just as simple as it appears on the surface, why would I, Feng, speak at all""Mr. Feng, please don't keep us in suspense, just tell us! We have all heard that Miss Wei is said to be making a lot of noise at home because of this matter, and she seems unhappy about the marriage. Is there any truth to this" someone shouted from below, urging him on. 。

Qin Luoyan glanced at the speaker, surrounded by several others. One of them, though disguised, she recognized at once—Mu He How could he be here They were egging each other on, asking these questions, all orchestrated by Fu Zimu

"Well, you guys are pretty smart. I, Feng, even said you'd figure it out" Feng Xian humorously pointed at the group and continued; "That's right, we're here to put on a show about this Miss Wei. You see, this Miss Wei is the illegitimate daughter of General Wei. She was raised in the old house for years and only returned to the main Wei family last year. And that old house is located in Lichen, one of the Four Great Cities in the South. In Lichen lived a scholar, handsome and skilled in poetry, especially love poems…"

The story that followed was predictable—the tale of Miss Wei and the scholar falling in love. There wasn't anything particularly special about it. Miss Wei had been neglected for years. Under the scholar's attention, they quickly fell into a relationship. But just as things were happening, Miss Wei was brought back to the main Wei family…

“It’s a match made in heaven, but alas, we’ve mixed up the pairings…” Mr. Feng spoke with dramatic flair, adding, “However, since ancient times, marriage has been arranged by matchmakers. The Wei family's heiress's marriage should be decided by General Wei. Where could that poor scholar possibly measure up to the Wei family's heiress” 。As soon as this piece of gossip came out, the audience members immediately started discussing it heatedly. Only Mr. Feng would dare to share these secrets at such an occasion. 。Although Mr. Feng might appear to be an ordinary, white-haired old man with no official position, he is in fact a true imperial tutor. He taught the current emperor during his younger years, and the emperor particularly praised his love for storytelling. He even granted him the right to tell stories as long as they were factual. 。So, he dared to say these words, but no one has been able to do anything about him yet. 。However, Mr. Feng also knows his limits. These so-called secrets never involve politics, so the court officials just turn a blind eye to them. 。“How outrageous! That old scoundrel Wei Jun dared to force this kind of daughter upon me! He really doesn't think our Nan Gong family is anything!” The man sitting to Qin Luo Yan’s left slammed his hand on the table, causing some of the tea to spill. 。"Seventh brother, don't talk nonsense!" The man sitting beside him immediately rebuked coldly, and also glanced at Qin Luoyan. 。Originally, several people were actually from the Nangong family Qin Luoyan didn't expect that she could even meet an ancient version of a national tycoon just by drinking tea. 。Her lips twitched, she lowered her head to sip her tea, feigning ignorance of the meaning in his words. 。"Big brother, don't I get to be angry From what you just said, you knew all along, right" Nangong Qi clenched his fists in anger and pulled out a silver note from his bosom, throwing it at Qin Luoyan. "Here, you, scram now, this silver note is yours." 。Qin Luoyan was lowering her head, trying to make herself as inconspicuous as possible, when she was suddenly thrown a silver note. The note landed lightly on her face, not painful at all, but enough to darken her eyes. 。She snorted coldly, took the silver note, then crumpled it in her hand. When Nangong Qi looked at her bewildered, she imitated him and threw it back. 。Nan Gong Qi, in his whole life, had never been bought before. He was stunned on the spot. 。“You ungrateful wretch, are you sure you don't want this bank note Do you know how much it’s worth” Nan Gong Qi was furious, his face turning blue as he pointed at Qin Luo Yan’s nose and growled. It seemed like he had vented all his anger towards the Wei family’s daughter onto Qin Luo Yan. 。Qin Luoyan smiled, whether intentionally or unintentionally, when she smiled, a mouthful of hot tea sputtered out and sprayed directly onto Nangong Qi's face, "What a big face I apologize to this young master, the lower one can't read, I don't understand..." 。Qin Luo'yan smiled and stood up, not apologizing for spraying tea on herself. "Since you want to say things you don't want me to hear, why not go outside and say them Isn't that simpler" "You dare tell this young master to get out" Nan Gongqi was furious, standing up to hit Qin Luo'yan. His companion, Nan Gongting, quickly held his shoulder 。Seventh brother, don't be impulsive. It's just an unrelated person. 。“Regardless of whether it’s related or not, I’m just really pissed off right now. I might as well beat him up good, and then apologize later!” Nan Gongqi shoved past Nan Gongting and swung a fist at Qin Luoyan. 。Qin Luo Yan instinctively dodged backward, a flash of ferocity in her eyes, and then shouted loudly: "Nan Gong Qi, you can't do this. You said you wouldn't mind that I was a man, you said you liked men and liked that Wei family heiress, how come now that you hear the Wei family heiress doesn't want you, you take your anger out on me"Qin Luo Yan shouted as she retreated, until she reached the edge of the teahouse door, when her whole person stumbled to the ground in a clumsy manner, then exaggeratedly made an Erkang hand gesture and shouted: "Nan Gong Qi, I was originally a child from a poor family, you said that as long as I accompany you, you would give my parents old age support and send them off. Now you want to abandon me, do whatever you please, and it is bound to be punished by heaven!"Originally, when everyone heard the three words "Nan Gong Qi," they were shocked and pricked up their ears. In order to hear more explosive news, many people unconsciously blocked Nan Gong Qi's way, which gave Qin Luo Yan the opportunity to say so much. 。However, they hadn't expected to see the Nangong family here, who were previously involved with each other romantically. Even more unexpectedly, it turned out that Nangong Qi was a "dan xiu" (a euphemism for male homosexual).For a moment, the teahouse was in an uproar, far more chaotic than when Mr. Feng had spoken earlier. 。Qin Luoyan had already reached the door, and without thinking, she pulled her leg and ran. She glanced back in a hurry, and saw Mu He and several young men had "accidentally" blocked the door. 。It seems that Mukihe has found her. 。In the teahouse, it had become a complete pandemonium. Those who wanted to climb aboard the NanGong family's bandwagon were pushing and shoving forward, desperate to say a few words to them. Any drop of information or favor the NanGong family let slip would be enough for them to live off for years. 。Nangong Qi wanted to explain, but sadly found that the people around him didn't want to hear his explanation at all. They had already expressed their belief in his character, saying it must have been the other person who was talking nonsense. 。However, their eyes were clearly filled with disbelief. They immediately stated their position, but only to comply with Nangong Qi. 。This way, even if Nangong Qi explains it again, no one will believe him. 。Nangong Ting and Nangong Yan looked at each other, then simultaneously glanced in the direction Qin Luoyan had left. Both of their faces were very grim. They had underestimated this chance encounter. With just two sentences, she had put Nangong Qi in an embarrassing position that was hard to explain! They could imagine that after this commotion, Nangong Qi's reputation would be thoroughly ruined. 。Qin Luoyan ran down a whole street in one breath before she stopped. She didn't regret offending the Nan Gong family, those people with that kind of temperament would never be her friends anyway. 。As night deepened, a chill settled in. 。When Qin Luoyan returned to the courtyard, Erya had also come back. As soon as she entered the courtyard and stood at the threshold, Erya pointed in the direction of the hall, "The King just arrived" 。" Qin Luoyan was taken aback, she nodded at her before walking towards the hall. " 。After she entered the room, Fu Zi Mo, who was seated at the head of the table, glanced at her and then frowned, "You went out dressed like this""Well, men's clothing is more convenient. I'm too beautiful, and if I wear women's clothing, I'm afraid too many people will like me and cause trouble for the prince." 。Qin Luoyan came to his direction, poured herself a cup of tea, and ran down in one breath. She was tired and thirsty. 。Fu Zi Mo let out a light snort, "You're quite confident." 。But, wearing men's clothing also got you entangled with the Nangong family" Qin Luoyan was stunned for a moment, but then she understood. As King Wu Xuan, it seemed normal for him to be so well-informed about such things. 。"The prince had people sow discord between the Wei family and the Nangong family. I just added a little fuel to the fire. I don't think I'm causing trouble." 。I'm doing this for the prince's sake. 。When Qin Luoyan spoke, she took the initiative to sit in his arms, then hooked her hands around his neck and blew air into his ear seductively. 。Perhaps it was her initiative once again that satisfied him. His hands tightened around her back, "It seems you're more clever than I thought, how did you feel that it was I who instigated the discord" "My Lord, even sending Mu He here, how could I not see through it" Qin Luo Yan spoke, while her hand slid along his shirt collar, a smile on her face, but a sneer in her heart. She knew this, so she'd rather he reached his goal and left sooner. 。If you think "Fu Zi Mo Qin Luo Yan" is good, please paste the following URL to share with your QQ, WeChat or Weibo friends, thank you for your support! (：b/23/23838/)t. Her gaze was deep and sorrowful. Suddenly, she raised her hand and slowly tore off her mask, revealing a stunningly beautiful face.When her face gradually appeared from the mist, Yun Tianxi was so...