Chapter 462: 649: Having One's Own Considerations

Feng Ruolin once again marveled. She could tell that Manager Fang was skilled in kung fu based on his footsteps and breathing, and not a weak practitioner at that. Of course, he was weaker compared to Zhai Mo; even she could not compete with Zhai Mo’s skills. Moreover, she always felt there was something mysterious about Zhai Mo’s identity, that he was definitely more than just a subordinate. Zhai Mo’s mastery of martial arts resembled the secret techniques of the Zhai Family, one of the four great martial arts families, and his surname was also Zhai. It seemed likely that Zhai Mo held a position of some significance within the Zhai family, though Feng Ruolin never guessed that Zhai Mo was the heir to the Zhai family.

Because Zhai Mo’s identity was a secret, he rarely appeared in front of others. Although he was sent by Han Yu to assist Mr. and Mrs. Su Hengyi, he stayed in the shadows, helping to gather information and arrange certain matters.

Speaking of the influence among Jianghu people in Chang’an, Zhai Mo’s definitely exceeded Feng Ruolin’s. Although the Feng family also held a significant status in the martial arts world, they were not as prominent as the Zhai family. Although the Zhai family had been purged by the Imperial Court, the remnants of their power that lingered in secret were still formidable, and the power of the Feng family was not in this region.

However, Mr. and Mrs. Su Hengyi had no idea about Zhai Mo’s past status, so they were unaware of his significant influence and merely admired his abilities.

“He is indeed a talent. Lin Meimei, you always have a good memory. Can you recall what Manager Fang looks like now?” asked Su Hengyi.

Feng Ruolin was initially unclear on the intentions of Su Hengyi. They had just met Manager Fang, so why was he asking if she could still remember Manager Fang’s appearance? Despite her thoughts, Feng Ruolin was accustomed to heeding Su Hengyi’s words and subconsciously tried to recall Manager Fang’s features. Strangely, although she had just met Manager Fang, his image in her memory was now blurry, and she couldn’t remember what he looked like.

“Eh? I can’t remember what he looks like,” Feng Ruolin said in surprise. This was definitely abnormal. She prided herself on having a good memory, and having just seen Manager Fang, she also understood her husband’s intention. Her husband never did anything superfluous.

“Manager Fang has quite a distinctive appearance. Although not grotesque, he certainly stands out from the average person. Not being one to blend into the crowd, it’s peculiar that we have seen him yet cannot recall his appearance clearly. It seems that Manager Fang might possess some unknown skills.”

“Where on earth did my brother-in-law find such a talent?” Feng Ruolin sighed. If Han Yu came from an aristocratic family or one with some foundation, she wouldn’t have felt this way. The key point was, even if he came from a simple farmhouse and knew of such talent, convincing someone to serve him would not be a simple matter.

“Han Yu indeed has some skills; regardless of anything else, his ability to attract people is good. Those under him are capable, and his luck is not bad either!” Su Hengyi reflected, knowing a bit more about the matter than Feng Ruolin, hence the feeling of admiration.

As for the Sikong Mansion, as soon as Mr. and Mrs. Su Hengyi entered Chang’an, someone immediately reported to Sikong Ling, “Wang Mang has really invested a lot this time. Mr. and Mrs. Su Hengyi almost got caught at the city gate. It’s lucky that Su Hengyi is experienced and well-prepared. He narrowly averted the soldiers’ inspection with a disguise. Otherwise, there would have been a significant commotion at the city gate today.”

“Wang Mang has played a clever game, but thinking he can plot against Su Hengyi is not an easy task. Despite his youth, as the heir to the second branch of the Su Family, he is known as the Jade-faced Fox in the business world—always outwitting others. Not to mention there’s Han Yu, with his fair and unbothered facade yet scheming and dark-hearted brother-in-law on the inside.”

Unlike Liu Xiu, Sikong Ling had recognized Han Yu’s true nature from the beginning. In all their dealings, even Sikong Ling hadn’t managed to get the better of Han Yu. Previously contemptuous, Sikong Ling now recognized Han Yu as an equal; the speed of his rise was indeed astonishing.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Young Master, do you really want to get involved with the affairs of Marquis Bei’an Mansion? Even though we do not fear Wang Mang’s power, facing off against that treacherous minister would be troublesome, especially since the elders in the family are racking their brains day and night looking for your faults… It really seems unworthy.”

Qing Zhu, who was most aware of his master’s thoughts, didn’t understand why the Young Master was so preoccupied with Miss Su. If he really liked her, he could have just taken her away. At that time, Han Yu wouldn’t have been able to do anything about it, yet the Young Master had no such intentions, even warning them against it. Instead, he had silently done a lot for Miss Su in the background.

This time Sikong Ling was acting upon Han Yu’s request, and there was some agreement and understanding between Sikong Ling and Han Yu, unknown to Qing Zhu. Therefore, Qing Zhu still thought their Young Master was doing it for Su Wenyue. If it had been a small matter, Qing Zhu would have let it pass for his master’s happiness. But for such a big trouble, Qing Zhu did not agree with the Young Master’s actions, although as a servant, he had no right to interfere with his master’s decisions.

Sikong Ling was not displeased with Qing Zhu’s words. After all, Qing Zhu had been loyal to him since childhood. The words were out of loyalty. Glancing sideways at Qing Zhu, he said, “Do you really think your master is so blinded by love that he becomes reckless? This is an agreement between me and Han Yu; it has nothing to do with her.”

Hearing this, Qing Zhu quickly apologized, “It was the servant who spoke out of turn.”

Qing Zhu did know about the link between his master and Han Yu. The previous concern was just a misunderstanding, so he had not considered this aspect, especially since Marquis Bei’an was the uncle of that Miss Su.

Indeed, Sikong Ling’s interest in the affairs of Marquis Bei’an and his son, besides Han Yu’s request, involved other considerations as well. Lately, Wang Mang’s power was growing, and he had even set his sights on the Sikong Family. For this reason alone, they couldn’t let Wang Mang succeed too easily. Otherwise, once Wang Mang took complete control over the Imperial Court, it would be time for him to move against the Sikong Family. But these were his own considerations, naturally not something he would explain to a servant.

The Sikong Family was an old and influential family in Chang’an City; their power was deeply entrenched. Gathering information on Marquis Bei’an and his son was much easier for them. Sikong Ling had even secretly ensured their care. Otherwise, with Wang Mang detesting Marquis Bei’an and his son, they wouldn’t be as relatively safe as they appeared now—they would have already been tormented by the methods used in the Prison. Although they looked quite bad, it was just superficial; they hadn’t been harmed on the inside. There was more to this than met the eye.

“Master, the person sent by Han Yu has arrived,” Qing Zhu reported, but his expression was not good. After whispering a few words to Sikong Ling, Sikong Ling’s face twitched, but then returned to normal. He thought to himself that Han Yu was indeed petty. Was it necessary to hold such a grudge?