Chapter 588 - 333: Turning the Tide
Chapter 588: Chapter 333: Turning the Tide
Muted voices drifted over.
"Lord Liu, the Governor... his aura truly terrifies me..."
"Me too."
"For some reason, when he just looked over, I felt like all my strength was drained. I could barely stand..."
Whether they were scholars or commoners, none could compare to Liu Hong, whose mastery over his qi was absolute. Chen Yunfan watched Liu Hong walking slowly in the distance through the rain, a slightly strange expression on his face.
He was certain that Liu Hong’s sharpness was even more piercing today than ever before, despite his visible old age. That kind of aura he had only seen in three people: the Chen Family Patriarch Chen Xuanji, Chen Xuandu, and the Cui Family Patriarch, the current Celestial Minister Cui Mao.
The former two possessed a calm composure, while the latter was like a solitary boat on a boundless sea—tranquil and completely undisturbed. But Liu Hong... he exuded pure disdain. It was as if there was no longer anyone or anything in this world worthy of his attention. His entire being radiated an unbridled arrogance, which starkly contrasted his peaceful demeanor from just moments ago.
Chen Yunfan watched thoughtfully as Liu Hong walked away. Retracting his gaze, he ignored the scholars and turned to walk into the Governor’s Office. He immediately saw Li Huai’gu walking briskly toward him. Without even stopping to greet him, Li Huai’gu tried to bypass him and head out.
Chen Yunfan grabbed him. "Brother Huai’gu, where are you going?"
Li Huai’gu tried to shake off his hand, but forget breaking free—he couldn’t even lift his arm. He looked at Chen Yunfan in astonishment and said urgently, "I have urgent business. Please let me go, Brother Yunfan."
"Are you going to chase after Lord Liu?"
"Yes... Uh, how did you know?"
Chen Yunfan let go of his hand. Instead of answering, he pointed toward the East Market and said, "Lord Liu went that way. Hurry up and go."
Li Huai’gu rubbed his wrist and, without asking any more questions, hurried off in the direction he had pointed. Chen Yunfan glanced at him and then went straight to where Yang Ye was. He also wanted to figure out the reason behind Liu Hong’s unusual behavior.
After bypassing two side rooms, Chen Yunfan arrived at the inner hall and vaguely heard the voices of Yang Ye and Mr. Yue Ming inside.
"...Liu Gongmo probably already knows that something has happened," Yang Ye’s voice drifted out.
"I didn’t expect that arresting so many people last night would actually be tied to him," Mr. Yue Ming sighed. "Lingchuan... what a pity..."
"Those who commit many injustices are doomed to destroy themselves," Yang Ye replied. "During the Mid-Autumn Poetry Gathering, I already noticed something off between Liu Gongmo and Zhu Lingchuan. Do you remember?"
Mr. Yue Ming recalled for a moment and slowly nodded. "That night, there were teachers from academies in other State Capitals. During their verbal sparring, Lingchuan intentionally or unintentionally spoke up for Liu Gongmo a few times."
Yang Ye sighed, "Looking back now, there were signs early on." He looked toward the door and paused slightly when he saw Chen Yunfan. Gesturing for him to come in, he continued, "I wonder what he went out for."
Chen Yunfan walked straight into the hall, greeted them one by one, and sat to the side, acting as if he was just there to listen.
Mr. Yue Ming glanced at him and said, "Let him be. Whether he’s fleeing or just strolling, we can’t stop him."
Yang Ye nodded silently.
Confused, Chen Yunfan saw them fall silent and couldn’t help but ask, "What did Lord Liu say just before he left?"
Yang Ye hesitated slightly, nodded, and sighed. "He did say something, but it was incomprehensible.
"He said that to establish oneself, one must be ruthless. That was where he lost; otherwise, he wouldn’t have ended up in this situation today."
Chen Yunfan was puzzled. "Ruthless?"
Mr. Yue Ming added, "Liu Gongmo also said that the younger generation is formidable, but I don’t know who he was referring to."
The name Chen Yi popped into Chen Yunfan’s mind. He frowned slightly and asked, "Where is Liu Hong going?"
Yang Ye and Mr. Yue Ming shook their heads. "We don’t know..."
Hearing this, Chen Yunfan’s expression darkened slightly. However, his feet seemed rooted to the ground; he didn’t get up to run out of the Governor’s Office to chase after Liu Hong. He knew very well that if Liu Hong really wanted to plot against Chen Yi, he would only be digging his own grave.
"Brother Yi, oh Brother Yi, I’m waiting to watch a good show. Don’t disappoint me," he thought.
In truth, no one could guess Liu Hong’s intentions. Even he himself seemed to be wandering aimlessly. After coming out of the Governor’s Office, Liu Hong walked eastward and turned south at the alley entrance at the end of the East Market.
The rain was continuous, and the cold wind howled, but he looked as if he was enjoying it, unhurriedly passing through the crowd and weaving through the streets and alleys. Occasionally, when he saw people bowing in greeting, Liu Hong would just nod in response without stopping. But if he saw something interesting, he would pause to watch for a while. He would even chat with commoners like an ordinary old man, talking about the past and discussing recent hardships.
"Grain prices won’t rise anymore. The Government Office will naturally keep an eye on those grain merchants..."
"The end of the year is approaching. Wishing you peace and health..."
"Your boy is cut out for studying. If you lack the money to support him, I have some broken silver here. It will at least let him attend a private school for a year..."
When Li Huai’gu finally found Liu Hong, he saw him pulling out a few pieces of silver and handing them to an old woman. As if sensing his presence, Liu Hong patted the child’s head while waving to Li Huai’gu.
After Li Huai’gu caught up, Liu Hong clasped his hands behind his back and walked west. Even when standing in South City Yanhua Lane, Liu Hong wore an appreciative expression, much like a traveler. He walked around, taking in the sights.
Li Huai’gu fell half a step behind, following him closely.
It wasn’t until the two bypassed the Spring Rain Building and turned north that Liu Hong finally spoke. "Ever since I was promoted to Governor, I haven’t had the leisure to carefully look at this city.
"It’s not that I didn’t want to, but my eyes were always looking forward and upward. It became difficult to lower my head and look at what was right beneath my feet."
Li Huai’gu was slightly taken aback, unsure of what to say.
Liu Hong ignored him and continued speaking to himself, "Like you, I was the third-ranking scholar in the imperial examinations during the fifth year of the Anhe era."