Border Cook

Chapter 663: The Truth about Threatening Genocide
"Who is it?" Lu Qiyan asked.

"They didn't say it clearly, they just said they were old friends of the Marquis." Steward Su answered truthfully, "The older one is a man, who looks very dignified. The other one is wearing a cloak and a black veil covering her face, so it's hard to tell her age and appearance, but I think she's a young woman."

"Got it." Lu Qiyan raised his hand, "Retreat first."

"Yes." Manager Su understood and sent the servants who were responsible for adding tea and water away.

"My lady and Yunji, go back and rest for a while. I'll go and take a look." Lu Qiyan held Xia Mingyue's hand.

"Husband, be careful." Xia Mingyue warned.

"Don't worry." Lu Qiyan smiled.

After all, judging from the current situation, he is no longer a fish on the chopping board and will not be slaughtered at will.

On the contrary, some people, who are like fish, are ignorant of the situation.

Seeing Lu Qiyan's relaxed and knowing smile, Xia Mingyue also smiled slightly, pulled Xia Yunji back to her own yard, and went to play Go together.

Xia Yunji was naturally very happy to play Gobang, especially with his sister alone, but he also frowned, "Sister, I always feel like my brother-in-law is hiding something from you."

"Be more confident and get rid of the feeling." Xia Mingyue dropped a child, "Your brother-in-law is indeed hiding something from me."

"Sister, do you know?" Xia Yunji tilted his head. "Then why don't you go and ask your brother-in-law?"

"Why do you need to ask clearly?" Xia Mingyue asked back.

"Find out the whole story, so that my sister and brother-in-law can face some things together."

"But even if I don't ask anything, I will stand shoulder to shoulder with your brother-in-law."

When Xia Mingyue said this, her eyebrows slightly raised, and the smile in the corners of her eyes was as bright as the sunlight at that moment.

Xia Yunji was slightly stunned, then laughed after a moment, "Sister, you are right."

What is needed between husband and wife is this unswerving trust and giving each other enough space, so that the couple can get along harmoniously and comfortably.

Learned learned learned.

I hope that after he marries Madam Fan, they can live in harmony with each other like his sister and brother-in-law.

A pretty face appeared in Xia Yunji's mind and he chuckled.

On this side, Lu Qiyan walked slowly to the flower hall.

Wen Lixin had been waiting for a long time. When he saw Lu Qiyan coming in, he just looked up and curled his lips, "Yuer is now a marquis, and his behavior is indeed very different from before."

Was this a subtle hint that he wasn't as respectful to Wen Lixin as before?

Lu Qiyan smiled and bowed slightly, "Master Wen, are you here to call me to task?"

"Indeed, I am here to call for an explanation. After I see big brother, I will really ask him some questions to see how he has taught his children to be so unruly." Wen Lixin snorted coldly.

"Speaking of this rule..."

Lu Qiyan said, "Second Master Wen is not allowed to enter the capital without an imperial edict, but now Second Master Wen is still showing up in my mansion, which seems to be against the rules."

"However, since the Wen family suddenly encountered such a situation, it is understandable that the second master Wen rushed to the capital. However, if the second master Wen wanted to help the Wen family at this time, he should have gone to find Lord He or even important officials in the court to intercede for the Wen family. Why did he come to my Dingyuan Marquis Mansion?"

When Wen Li heard this, his expression suddenly darkened.

He had reminded his eldest brother in the past not to raise a tiger to cause harm and not to give his adopted sons too many opportunities, otherwise these ungrateful people would eventually betray him and would not take the Wen family seriously after gaining power.

Now Wen Yu actually dared to treat him, the second master of the Wen family, like this. Does he want to deny the Wen family's kindness in raising him for so many years?

Wen Lixin took a deep breath, suppressed his inner anger, and looked at the person with a black veil covering his face sitting next to him.

The man next to him took off the veil on his head after taking a look at Wen Lixin, revealing his original face.

She was a young woman, about 28 years old, with a beautiful face. Her eyes and eyebrows were 80% similar to Lu Qiyan.

"Brother." The woman looked at Lu Qiyan, her voice soft, her brows slightly furrowed, and her tone low with a hint of resentment.

Lu Qiyan was stunned for a moment, staring at the woman for a long time before he hesitantly speaking, "Mingzhu?"

Lu Mingzhu nodded, her eyes red and filled with tears, her voice choked with sobs, "I haven't seen you for a long time, brother. Are you okay?"

"All good." Lu Qiyan's expression softened, and he was even reluctant to take his eyes away from Lu Mingzhu's face. After a long time, he sighed slightly, "Mingzhu has grown a lot taller."

"Yes." Lu Mingzhu nodded with tears in her eyes. "Brother looks a little different now. He's taller and stronger. He looks more like daddy."

After saying this, Lu Mingzhu grinned.

There were tears in her smile, and she was full of stubbornness.

This appearance is almost exactly the same as Lu Mingzhu when she was a child.

Lu Qiyan's mind moved slightly, but his eyes dimmed in an instant, and he only asked Lu Mingzhu, "How have you been these years?"

"Mingzhu, everything is fine." Lu Mingzhu wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief. "The eldest lady treats me as if I were her own child and takes good care of me. The sisters are also very kind to me. I have enough food and clothing, and my clothes are very exquisite. I also go to school with the Wen family girl every day."

"The teachers in the school are all very kind, except for the one who teaches me embroidery who is a little strict. But I understand that the teacher is also doing it for me to learn better."

"Brother, I have lived a good life these years. Madam often told me that brother was cultivated by the Wen family and has achieved great success. He is highly regarded by the emperor and has been conferred the title of Marquis Dingyuan. I am happy and proud of brother!"

"But my brother is now a marquis and holds great power. He must remember the Wen family's cultivation and the kindness they have shown us!"

"Mingzhu knows that the Wen family has been wrongly accused of murdering the prince. People do not know the truth and have spurned the Wen family. But my brother has been deeply indebted to the Wen family for many years. He should know the character of the Wen family and would never do such a thing!" "My brother is also the adopted son of the Wen family. He should stand up now, defend the Wen family, and help the Wen family overcome difficulties. Only in this way can he live up to his conscience!"

When Lu Mingzhu said this, she was a little excited and couldn't help coughing a few times.

These coughs could not be stopped, causing Lu Mingzhu's originally fair face to turn red and even a little purple.

Lu Mingzhu couldn't help but put her hands on her neck. Her whole face suddenly became ferocious and she looked very painful.

Wen Lixin hurriedly took out a porcelain bottle from his sleeve, poured out a pill from it, and handed it to Lu Mingzhu, "Mingzhu, it's time to take your medicine."

"Thank you, Second Master." While expressing her gratitude, Lu Mingzhu hurriedly put the pill into her mouth and swallowed it with the tea on the table.

After a while, Lu Mingzhu's breathing became steady and her complexion returned to normal.

Lu Qiyan looked at Wen Lixin and frowned, "What medicine is Mingzhu taking?"

"Mingzhu had a very severe asthma disease before, and it was difficult for her to breathe when it was serious. My eldest brother went to many famous doctors to get the prescription for this pill, and spent a lot of money to get this pill, which saved Mingzhu's life."

Wen Lixin said, "Take one pill of this medicine when you are sick, and it will work immediately. It is very effective, but taking this medicine for a long time will become a habit. If Mingzhu does not take this pill on time, she will feel very uncomfortable and even her life will be in danger."

"Therefore, this pill needs to be taken on time every day, and the medicinal materials used in this pill are hard to find elsewhere, and only the Wen family has them."

In other words, if Lu Mingzhu wants to survive, Lu Qiyan, as the elder brother, must listen to the Wen family.

This is the most important bargaining chip in the hands of the Wen family, and it also gives the Wen family the confidence to allow their adopted son Lu Qiyan to develop freely in the outside world.

It can be said that the Wen family has never done any business without confidence.

Lu Qiyan was silent for a long time, then he smiled and shook his head, "The Wen family has really not changed at all over the years."

"Indeed, it's only your ambition that has changed." Wen Lixin sneered, "You know, when you and Mingzhu were starving and cold while fleeing from the famine, it was my elder brother who took you in and gave you food, which allowed you to survive."

"My elder brother saw that you are both talented in literature and martial arts, so he decided to cultivate you carefully, so that you can achieve what you have today. As Mingzhu said, your current achievements are all given by the Wen family, and it is time for you to repay the Wen family."

"You should know what you should do."

Wen Lixin glanced at Lu Qiyan, his eyes full of warning.

Lu Qiyan's face was full of disdainful smiles, "At that time, our Lu family fled south with their entire clan, and encountered bandits who robbed civilians on the way. If what I said is correct, those bandits were Wen Yongze's men at that time."

"The Wen family has always used this tactic to pretend that the Wen family's army is a vagrant soldier and commit evil deeds everywhere, burning, killing and looting, and then come forward in the name of the Wen family to appease and lend a helping hand in order to gain a good reputation for the Wen family!"

"The Wen family's army massacred my Lu family, and even my parents died. I tried my best to protect Mingzhu from death, but I couldn't escape the hypocrisy of the Wen family. I recognized Wen Liyan as my adoptive father, changed my name to Wen Yu, and became the adopted son of the Wen family."

"And you used Mingzhu's life as a bargaining chip to force me to work wholeheartedly for the Wen family. Unfortunately, you have made all the calculations, but you never thought that I already knew the truth about the massacre of the Lu family. What I did was never really considered for the Wen family."

"Second Master Wen probably doesn't know that I used An Leiting to overthrow the Zhao family, which supplied military medicines to the Western Frontier Army. I persuaded An Leiting to unite with the Cui family in order to deal with the Wen family together."

"An Leiting fell, and the Cui family was implicated by the An family. The reason why this account was put on the Wen family has a lot to do with me, and all I did was just to take revenge on the Wen family."

The Wen family who massacred his closest relatives and clansmen.

Wen Lixin's expression suddenly became extremely solemn, and his gaze towards Lu Qiyan became sharp. "So, for the sake of your own power and selfish desires, you plan to repay kindness with enmity and betray your own people. Not only do you want to stand by and watch, but you also want to add insult to injury?"

"Second Master Wen is right." Lu Qiyan said slowly.

"You are dreaming!" Wen Lixin shouted, "Let alone other things, if the fact that you are Wen Yu, the adopted son of the Wen family, is made public, you will become the target of everyone's abuse. Your title of Marquis Dingyuan and your position as the deputy commander of the Western Frontier Army will also be revoked by the emperor. All your glory will be gone in an instant!"

"You and the Wen family have already been on the same boat. You can only move forward and backward together. There is no other choice!"

"Really?" Lu Qiyan laughed softly, and glanced at Wen Lixin with a mocking look on his face, "If the Wen family is not afraid of being investigated by the emperor at this time, they can just make the fact that I was once the Wen family's adopted son public!"

Wen Lixin stopped talking immediately.

If this matter was known to everyone, then everyone would ask, why did the adopted son of the Wen family not work for the Wen family but was sent to the Western Frontier Army? What was his purpose?

The Wen family is now suspected of murdering the prince. If these things are added to the mix, the emperor will probably become suspicious, and others will make unwarranted speculations, saying that the Wen family has bad intentions.

It can be said that the fact that Lu Qiyan is Wen Yu, the adopted son of the Wen family, is the leverage that the Wen family has over Lu Qiyan, and it is also the thing that Lu Qiyan can use to threaten the Wen family.

The Wen family is now even more afraid of this matter being exposed than Lu Qiyan.

and also……

Lu Qiyan said that he was once the adopted son of the Wen family. What does this mean? By using the word "once", does it mean that from now on he is no longer Wen Yu, the adopted son of the Wen family, but always Lu Qiyan?
Wen Lixin looked at Lu Qiyan with a lot more scrutiny in his eyes, and Lu Mingzhu beside him also tried to persuade him earnestly, "Brother, don't be ungrateful, and don't be provoked by those people with ulterior motives and become estranged from the Wen family!"

"Even if my brother doesn't care about the kindness the Wen family has shown to us brothers and sisters over the years, he should at least care about Mingzhu's life."

"Mingzhu now only has her brother as her relative, and her brother also only has Mingzhu as his family. Mingzhu's life was given by the Wen family, and now it is in the hands of the Wen family. Brother, you need to think twice..."

"Or does brother not care about Mingzhu's life or death at all?"

When Lu Mingzhu said this, tears welled up in her eyes. She slowly walked up to Lu Qiyan and handed the thing she was holding tightly in her hand to Lu Qiyan.

It was a clay bell in the shape of a magpie. Due to its age, the bell had been rubbed until it was shiny, and even the magpie's tail, which was used to blow the bell, had some cracks on it.

This mud mask was bought for Lu Mingzhu by Lu Qiyan when she was young. Lu Mingzhu liked it very much and carried it with her all the time. Even when she was fleeing from famine, she kept it in her arms and never left it for a moment.

When Lu Qiyan saw the mud ball, he pursed his lips slightly, reached out to take the mud ball, and his eyes unconsciously turned red.

Seeing this, Lu Mingzhu took the opportunity to say with a sad face, "Mingzhu knows that brother is a man of his word. If brother has made up his mind, then brother can just follow his heart and don't worry about Mingzhu."

"Just brother, no matter what happens in the future, you must never forget that you still have a sister..."