The capital was in chaos.
In reality, Tiantang City had been chaotic all this while.
Ji Ling and the ladies of each noble family were going around inquiring about one particular individual during this time. They had sent out countless others to help them in their efforts.
As for the four great families of Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, they were involved in the search as well. Later, even the families of East, South, West, and North joined in as well.
Of course, they were not only searching for Ji Ling’s lost brother. They were also searching for Chu Tianlang, or perhaps, the person who took Chu Tianlang away.
There was competition among the young masters too, be it out in the open or in the dark; it was strange, however, that they were divided into two camps, in obvious separation.
Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter were together while East, South, West, and North played in one team.
Although they were fighting all over the place internally, both camps would never intersect each other. On the contrary, their hostility towards each other’s camp was thick and heavy.
Even when they walked together, they disregarded each other. Even if two people in the same troop were arguing, as long as one of them had a conflict with someone else from the other party, they would simultaneously redirect their attack outwards!
Ximen Family had the most people now – since Ximen Wandai had been assassinated, Ximen Family had more than a hundred men gathered here.
Other than the ten of them who were to send the coffin home, the rest of them had stayed in Tiantang City.
The proclamation of Chu Tianlang as the assassin was obviously a guise to temporarily save themselves from punishment. Therefore, they still had to investigate and find the real murderer.
In this, the Ximen family would not give up easily.
In the process of the Ximen family’s investigation, someone had mentioned that they should reacquire the loot that Ximen Wandai had lost in a wager, now that he had died.
Ximen Wanli was rather partial to this.
However, just as they were about to act on their words, the girls had come over, led by Ji Ling, the newly appointed big sister, to mock and ridicule them.
“Ximen Family can’t afford to lose?”
“The person has already died but they actually want to go ask for the wager. A wager that they had lost!”
“Why didn’t you ask for the wager that your Ximen family ancestors lost three hundred years ago?”
“You guys can go right on ahead to ask for all the wagers from your dead Ximen family members millennia ago.”
“Then the Ximen family would prosper!”
“The whole world would be yours!”
“So brazen!
“So shameless!”
“Whichever sister who gets married into the Ximen Family would have a lot to spend… the wager that ancestors have lost in bets, just go ask for them after the ancestors have passed on.”
“How fascinating, it makes me want to be married into the Ximen family.”
“Such thickness of skin!”
The girls were sharp-tongued, passing the ridicules back and forth, mocking the people from Ximen Family to the point that they almost wanted to kick the bucket.
After much begging and pleading, they finally sent this bunch of tigresses away. As for finding Yun Yang to ask for the wager, they would never speak of it ever again!
It wasn’t worth the provocation that came with it.
They had eyes, they could see that these girls had come due to Yun Yang. They had come specifically to stand up for him! If they had insisted on going, these girls would probably do more than just mock them.
The Ximen family had two elders to lead the party this time. Both the elders were puzzled. “Who had Ximen Wandai offended? Who did he bet with? Why did it come to this?”
The corners of Ximen Wanli’s eyes kept twitching. He really could not imagine that his dead ass of a brother had made such a big mess.
“That Yun Yang was from Tiantang City… He doesn’t have much of a background; his dad was merely Marquis of Heavenly Clouds of Tiantang…”
“Then why all of this?” Both the elders were perplexed.
“This Yun Yang is very good-looking. In every other aspect, he’s practically useless.” someone said.
“There you have it.” One of the elders had a sudden realization and huffed, “How can a good-looking man be considered useless? Don’t you know there’s an old saying, girls like handsome men… How could there be no reason for this incident today?”
All the youngsters of the Ximen family had the corners of their mouth twitching in amusement.
They would never have imagined that third grandfather, who had always been rather uppity, was also one of their kind. F*cking girls like handsome men; this saying came from the brothels. It would never be appropriate to use that epithet on these girls!
“Looks like third grandfather was also a promiscuous figure before!” One of them teased.
“F*ck off!” Third grandfather’s slap came flying true, sending the fellow tumbling across the floor.
On the other hand, the quartet that was Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter was attracting their own share of attention.
Wherever they had gone, they had everyone’s eyes on them!
Three young masters were dressed all in green, sauntering besides their guards and wearing a swollen pig head. Each of them was green from head to toe, their green hats even had an emerald green bamboo shoot! Their belt, shoes, sword and saber scabbards were all in green!
Young Master Dong Tianleng was beaming in delight. He was dressed in white, gleaming like pure snow, as his arms were crossed behind his back, walking alongside the three green-dressed men who stood out strikingly.
Although he still had some injuries on his face, he had been allowed to heal them after winning the bet so there were only faint scars left behind. Wherever they went, before everyone else could comment, Dong Tianleng was already causing a commotion.
“Oh, sh*t! Look at this everyone! There are three peculiarly dressed people here!”
“Brother, may I ask why are you dressed like that?”
The more people they were, the more Dong Tianleng was diligently questioned.
The other three were fuming internally, cursing Dong Tianleng’s ancestors over and over again in their hearts.
How could this guy be so cheap!
It was a wonder how the Dong family’s elders could give birth to such a cheap thing! He was so unbelievably cheap that no one could even hope to surpass him.
However, they could only grumble and murmur in their hearts, they could never say it out loud. The three of them kept their glares trained on Dong Tianleng. No matter what happened, they must never let this fellow move about alone!
Even if he was going to the washroom, someone had to accompany him.
“We know this rascal will go and find the person who helped him win!”
“We must keep an eye out!”
“We must never let him move about alone!”
“This person must be found no matter what it takes!”
“Otherwise, we will only keep losing, and that is something I can’t withstand!”
“Find the person and we can win when we go up against other!”
Dong Tianleng was helpless.
It was Yun Yang’s stern order that this never be leaked. How could Dong Tianleng dare to disobey?
What should I do if my lord doesn’t want to help me anymore?
Dong Tianleng was so impatient these past few days that he almost fell prey to hemorrhoids. However, under the strict and deadly watch of the other three young masters, he had no chance of sneaking out!
Even in the darkest hours of the night, someone would tail him right away when he got up from the bed and out the door.
“What are you doing!”
“Nothing, I’m just looking around.”
“Are you done looking?”
“Not yet!“
“I’m f*cking going to the washroom and you want to follow? Can’t I take a leak in the middle of the night?”
“Of course you can, who said you can’t? It’s such a coincidence, I wish to go as well. Shall we go together?”
“Together your f*ck!”
Dong Tianleng was going crazy but the three young masters were enjoying themselves.
They kept their eyes even more firmly on him.
“This fellow is cheap but he doesn’t have much patience. We keep an eye out for a few more days, it’s about time.”
“Right! Just a bit more!”
“This is the crucial moment, we must not slack!”
Everyone was occupied with their own business and did not go to Yun Yang. Naturally, Yun Yang was glad to be left alone. To him, it was best if none of them came at all!
As for the distribution of Dong Tianleng’s loot, well, Yun Yang was indifferent about the whole matter.
At that very moment, Yun Yang was walking towards the Qin Family’s jade farm with Young Master Qin.
The Qin family’s jade ware was the best of the best in the entire Tiantang City and the nearby areas. Yun Yang knew that even in the palace, most of the jade ware used by the royalties had mostly come from this place.
Yun Yang’s excuse today was, “Young Master Qin, you still remember what I told you the other time?”
“Of course I do.”
“I need to purchase a batch of high-quality jade from your jade farm. It will be a rather big batch.”
Young Master Qin was silent, too stunned to speak.
“What is it? Can I not do so?” Yun Yang’s gaze turned dangerous.
“It’s not that you can’t…” Young Master Qin was hesitant. “I believe that you are aware that my family’s jade farm specifically provides supplies only to the royals. It’s fine if you want just a little, but a big batch… might be harder to fulfill.”
“I see. Leave then.”
“Please don’t be like this, Young Master Yun…”
“I said leave. I am not buying from your family then. Henceforth, let us sever all ties.”
Young Master Qin was terrified.
“Young Master Yun, Young Master Yun, please listen to me.”
“There’s nothing left to say. Words spoken to you are like passing gas; what else do I need to say?”
“Young Master Yun, Young Master Yun…”
“Do not worry, I won’t make too much of a fuss. The last time you transacted with Treasure Pavilion, you sent to them good jade, keeping the special grade jade for yourselves and making a tidy profit. Using first-grade jade as a substitution to replace the special grade jade for the royalties is definitely a scheme I will enjoy sharing with the world. Don’t worry.”
“Young Master Yun!” Young Master Qin was terrified out of his wits, dropping down on his knees in front of Yun Yang. “Young Master Yun, I will complete your request. Just tell me how much jade you need! It’s no problem, it’s no problem for our jade farm!”
“As I just said, there is no need. Why would I want so much jade for? There are only two or three people in my house, we can’t use that much. Leave!”
“Young Master Yun, I am in te wrong… I am at fault… Please forgive me!”
“You are not at fault, you are simply loyal to royalty. Your loyalty should be praised. I am the one at fault, I shouldn’t force others to do what they obviously can’t. Leave.”
Plok, plok, plok.
Young Master Qin continued to prostrate himself on the floor. “Young Master Yun, Young Master Yun… please be magnanimous. Think of me as an annoyance and let it go… It will cost us our lives!”
“How can this be? As you just said, you specifically supply only to royalty.”
“No, no, no. Young Master Yun, with just one word from you, I can totally be in charge of this!”
“You really can?”
“Really! As good as gold!”
“You’re not lying to me?”
“Would I dare to?”
“I still do not wish to go. In all honesty, your rejection earlier has completely wiped away my interest… I absolutely have no mood to do so now…”
“Please don’t! We won’t charge you!”
“That wouldn’t be right at all.”
“It’s alright, it’s good, it is absolutely alright! It’s the greatest! As long as Young Master Yun is willing to honor us with your visit, it will forever be our jade farm’s pride and honor… Young Master Yun, please, we shall go right away! We can go now!”
“I still have errands to run.”
“Young Master Yun, please give us this honor! If you don’t go, it’ll be hard for me to explain to all my family ancestors.”
“Alright, if it's to allow you to be able to explain to your ancestors…”
Yun Yang walked forward amicably, the jade farm was just in front.
Just as he walked over, two litters stopped on the opposite side. These were royal litters, come to collect their jade.
Young Master Qin immediately turned pale.
What a coincidence!
Before he could think of how he should manage this, a few horses had come from the other side; people from the crown prince’s residence were here as well.
Clip-clop, clip-clop
Horses galloped over; men from the other princes were here as well.
Young Master Qin was utterly dumbfounded.
This is going to cost lives! Young Master Qin thought hopelessly, he could not help but voice it out, “This is going to f*cking cost people’s lives! Oh my God!”