Chapter 155: The Return of the Wind Shadow

Tao Ming remained unconscious for several days before the high fever finally broke, yet still showed no signs of waking.

Su Nanxing fed her medicine on time every day and gently bathed her, while the two little ones kept vigil by her side, talking to her constantly.

Occasionally, Tao Ming would show the faintest trace of a reaction, but for the most part, she remained fast asleep.

Meanwhile, the various aristocratic families in the imperial capital were driven to the verge of madness!

The Celestial Emperor intended to populate his inner court and issued a decree ordering every family to send their unmarried young daughters into the palace.

The heads of all the households were filled with deep anxiety. The imperial clan, which had historically only ever intermarried with the Qin and Su families, was now demanding that they surrender their daughters to the palace!

The fortunes of this decree were impossible to predict, and household heads made several trips to the Qin and Su estates, only to find both residences with their doors closed in polite rejection, refusing to receive anyone regardless of their status.

Left with no choice, the various family heads began visiting one another, hoping to devise a viable solution.

Before long, of the dozen or so maidens who had attended the lotus viewing banquet that day, some fell gravely ill while others were hurriedly married off, leaving not a single one capable of entering the palace.

Upon learning of this, the Celestial Emperor sneered and issued a command for all prefectures along the Weishui River to comb their territories for beauties to be sent to the imperial capital.

The moment this decree was proclaimed, the entire Weishui region erupted in turmoil!

Young maidens of tender age began to indulge in fantasies of the wonderful prospects of marrying into the imperial clan.

Even the Qiluo tribe, situated far away in Yunzhou, received the news swiftly, and the Qiluo Manor closed its doors to visitors that very day.

In a quiet, secluded tea house private room in a corner of the imperial capital, Liu Ange and Dong Yuxuan sat facing one another.

Though they had met long ago, the two remained silent for a long time.

Eventually, it was Liu Ange who broke the quiet: "Yuxuan, it has been barely half a month since we last met, yet it feels like a lifetime apart. I wonder how Nanxing is faring at this time?"

Dong Yuxuan sighed. "Both of my younger sisters are filled with indignation. One can imagine that Nanxing's days are hardly pleasant."

"The rumors circulating in the imperial capital—I refuse to believe them." Recalling Tao Ming's smiling face and Su Nanxing's attitude that day, Liu Ange continued, "I saw how deeply affectionate Nanxing and his wife were toward each other. How could she ever commit adultery?"

Dong Yuxuan took a sip of tea, only to find that it had gone cold. He called the waiter to replace it with a fresh pot, and only after taking a sip of the piping hot tea did he speak: "What the truth actually is does not matter."

Liu Ange felt somewhat displeased. "You and I have known Nanxing for a long time and understand his character well. If his wife had truly betrayed him, why would he have moved into the Qin estate to make his stance clear?"

"Has the imperial capital not already spread the word? They say Nanxing has been bewitched by a spirit, which is why he indulges her so thoroughly."

Liu Ange walked over to the window, looked outside, and pointed at the pedestrians on the street. "That story might fool ordinary commoners, but with Nanxing's cultivation level, how could he be easily beguiled?"

"I said that what the truth is does not matter. The important thing is that these rumors originated from within the Su household." Hesitating for a moment, Dong Yuxuan spoke again, "Do you know what kind of situation Yao Ruifeng is in now?"

Liu Ange shook his head. "Ever since that day, I have not seen him once."

"He was driven out of the Su family manor by the Yao family on that very day, out of sheer terror that the Qin and Su families would hold them at fault and implicate the Yao estate." Dong Yuxuan motioned for Liu Ange to draw closer, and once he returned to his seat, lowered his voice. "The rumor is that he has gone out to sea."

"Gone out to sea?" Liu Ange was utterly astonished. Aside from the Qin family's merchant fleets, usually only desperate gamblers willing to trade their lives for wealth would venture out to try their luck overseas.

"Word has it that he joined a band of daredevils heading for the Southern Seas."

A suspicion formed in Liu Ange's mind: "Could it be that he..."

"My thoughts exactly."

...

Feng Ying did not learn of Tao Ming's misfortune until he entered the imperial capital. He had only been away in Heizhou for a few days, yet Su Nanxing had already broken ties with the Su family.

Returning to the Su estate, Feng Ying stood before Su Yanfeng and gave an honest, detailed account of his whereabouts.

Su Yanfeng listened in silence for a long time. Just as Feng Ying was beginning to grow restless, Su Yanfeng spoke again: "Go. Convey this matter to Seventeen."

Acknowledging the order with a nod, Feng Ying turned to leave, but stopped when he heard Qiao Ruowei call out to him: "Feng Ying."

Qiao Ruowei produced a chest and placed it on the floor. "Inside is Seventeen's private treasury. Take it along and deliver it to him."

"This subordinate obeys." Gathering the chest, Feng Ying took his leave of the Su estate.

Perhaps due to a lack of rest, Qiao Ruowei appeared to have aged significantly over the course of just a few days.

Seated beside Su Yanfeng, the two remained wordless for a long time.

The son they had cherished most since childhood had, for the sake of a woman, arrested his own elder sister, abandoned his own parents, and walked out of the Su family without looking back. Not even the scandalous rumors flooding the imperial capital could sway his determination.

Gazing at the exhaustion on Qiao Ruowei's face, Su Yanfeng sighed. "Let him be. If he regrets this in days to come, he can simply return."

Qiao Ruowei looked as though she had more to say, but held her tongue.

"We are an old married couple; is there anything we cannot speak of directly?" Su Yanfeng took Qiao Ruowei's hand and gently patted it.

Her voice sounded somewhat hoarse when she replied, "These past few days, I have often thought that what Seventeen said also held some merit. Ruan Ruan is still young; with proper guidance, perhaps this matter could still be salvaged."

Su Yanfeng flared up in anger. "That is the foolish benevolence of women!"

Jerking her hand out of Su Yanfeng's grip, Qiao Ruowei stood up and walked toward the door. "I was the one who raised a hand against Ruan Ruan that day—how could you possibly know the torment I carry in my heart!"

For the very first time, Su Yanfeng did not chase after Qiao Ruowei to coax her, but sat quietly by himself, lost in inscrutable thoughts.

Standing before the main gates of the Qin estate, Feng Ying noticed that the tightly closed doors appeared layered with a thin coating of dust.

In his memory, the Qin estate had always been a bustling hub of coming and going, a place that seemed as though its doors were never shut.

Feng Ying mounted the stone steps and struck the door knocker.

A voice from within called out, "The Qin estate has closed its doors to visitors. Please turn back."

Feng Ying's voice remained entirely devoid of emotion. "Praise be to your trouble, but I beg for an announcement. Feng Ying has urgent business with the young master of the Su family."

The voice behind the door held a trace of hesitation. "Wait here a moment."

Feng Ying stood quietly. Soon, a side door creaked open, and Su Nanxing's figure appeared in the aperture. He looked utterly haggard. "You have returned."

"I have returned."

Su Nanxing motioned for Feng Ying to follow him inside. "Come in and speak."

Following behind Su Nanxing, Feng Ying felt as though they were walking deeper and deeper into the estate, likely penetrating the inner courtyard of the Qin residence.

Along the way, they passed numerous small courtyards. From some came the sound of furniture being dragged across wooden floors; others were noisy and chaotic, resembling a quarrel; while still others echoed with various crashes and thuds, sounding as though someone were actively demolishing a house.

Curiosity burned fiercely within Feng Ying—what on earth were the people of the Qin estate doing? Yet, maintaining his exemplary discipline, not a single trace of his inner thoughts showed on his face.

Su Nanxing led Feng Ying into the Silk Cave and straight to the side room where Wen Youfang and his mother resided.

Feng Ying reported the results of his investigation truthfully: Wen Youfang had once taken a wife named Lady Liu, who had unfortunately fallen ill and passed away some years prior, leaving behind only a daughter named Wen Zhen.

Lady Liu's third brother had a son who was an idle vagrant whom no woman was willing to marry. Seeing him grow older by the day, the uncle had schemed to trick Wen Zhen into marrying him.

At that time, Wen Youfang was busy day in and day out and rarely home. The old matriarch, knowing full well that such a marriage would be like leaping into a fiery pit, took matters into her own hands and arranged for Wen Zhen to marry into a reliable, well-known family nearby. The young couple lived in harmony, and Wen Zhen soon gave birth to a son.

Ever since that day, the old matriarch had been deeply resented by Lady Liu's third brother.

However, because the old matriarch never left the house, the third brother had found no opportunity to exact his revenge.

The previous spring, when Wen Youfang had free time to escort the old matriarch out to offer incense at a temple, the third brother finally seized his chance. Taking advantage of the dense crowds and confusion, he pierced the old matriarch with a fine needle soaked in venom.

Given her advanced age, the old matriarch's sense of pain was no longer as sharp as a young person's, and she had not noticed it at the time.

Perhaps the dose of poison on the needle was too meager, which was the only reason the old matriarch managed to cling to her life.

Concluding his report, Feng Ying added, "The poisoner has already been handed over to the city garrison to be dealt with."

Wen Youfang offered a sigh of heartfelt emotion, after which Su Nanxing and Feng Ying departed from the side room.