Who among the gangsters wants to fall in love?

Chapter 202: Lantern Festival
The Dingnan Bridge, which was crushed by Zhao Wumian in order to save Su Qingqi, has now been completely repaired, and the frozen river under the Dingnan Bridge has thawed as the weather warms up.

This river is called Gurong River. It runs through the whole capital from north to south. The economy along the river is developed, with stalls and shops located on both sides of the river, reminiscent of the prosperous Suzhou. The most prosperous place among them is Bailu Street...which is also the street with the largest flow of people.

There is a wooden platform in Bailu Square. The heads of Ning Zhongxia, Qin Haoxuan, Yangshedong and others have been hung on the platform for public display in the street... They disrespected the imperial court and killed the chicken to scare the monkey, and this was their fate.

Many gangsters and street vagrants gathered in the square, surrounding the wooden platform and whispering to each other. Although tonight was the Lantern Festival, Dali was full of martial virtue and naturally would not be taboo about a few corpses.

A colorful building opposite the square was decorated with lanterns everywhere, which was dazzling in the night. The window on the fifth floor was wide open. A man in military uniform stood in front of the window, looking at the wooden platform, frowning, and whispered:
"Ning Zhongxia, it's understandable that Chou Manjiang couldn't beat Zhao Wumian, but he even failed to beat Li Jingnan? Did he get the title of Five Mountains by selling his ass decades ago?"

Next to the man in military uniform was a man in scholar's clothing, who was concentrating on writing a letter. Hearing this, he didn't even raise his head and casually guessed:

"Li Jingnan was arrested in Zhaoyu... There are many gods in the palace, and the Detective Department must be full of hidden talents. Zhao Wumian is now a marquis. If he has to fight one-on-one to catch someone, then what is the point of him being the Marquis of Weiming? Is he being the eldest brother in vain?

Zhao Wumian brought more than a dozen experts to besiege him, but two fists were no match for four hands. Li Jingnan was seriously injured, so it was normal for him to be captured. He could only blame himself for being careless. He had clearly sneaked into Zhaoyu, but he still exposed himself and attracted encirclement and suppression. "

The man in martial arts uniform remained silent upon hearing this. He held the window sill with both hands and rubbed it gently. After a moment, he said, "The Huanzhen Pavilion suffered a lot of losses in its plan today. It may not be easy to make them fight with the court again. We have to find another way... I wonder how the Taixuan Palace is doing."

"Have you forgotten that Zhao Wumian would be able to help Wan Yuexian? Without your reminder, Taixuan Palace will go and ask him about it. At the moment, we still don't know the relationship between Zhao Wumian and Taixuan Palace. If you contact him rashly, you will end up walking into a den of thieves. Do you want to act like a brave Chen Shuhan?"

The man named Chen Shuhan was obviously dissatisfied. "How do you know if you don't try? If you are afraid to act, when will you be able to avenge the prince? Since Taixuan Palace wants to rebel, it is a double-edged sword. There will always be a chance to use it."

After these words were spoken, both people present fell silent.

Chen Shuhan's name sounds very literary, but he is a popular young man hiding in the dark in Dongyan. He used to help Luo Shuzhi with the dirty work. He is extremely talented, and Luo Shuzhi has never been stingy with the martial arts secrets of the palace. Whatever Chen Shuhan wants, Luo Shuzhi will teach him. He is the number one person in Dongyan after Eunuch Lin.

At that time, Zhao Wumian came to Beijing, and Luo Shuzhi intended to let him enter the palace to kill the substitute, so he did not let Chen Shuhan go... As a result, when he heard the news about the prince again, he had already been killed by Zhao Wumian.

Chen Shuhan was born in a humble family. His ancestral home was in Tangshan and his family had been poor peasants for three generations. During the Jingnan Campaign, the war spread to Tangshan. His father died and his mother became blind. It was the prince who valued his talent for martial arts and brought him up with him. He also gave a lot of silver so that Chen Shuhan's mother could live a peaceful old age and die of old age.

He always kept this favor in his heart, so even though Luo Shuzhi was dead, he was determined to make trouble.

At present, all affairs of the remnant Dongyan party are presided over by these two people.

The white-robed scholar finished writing the letter silently, folded the letter paper, and then said: "The Rong people are knocking on the pass right now. The 200,000 soldiers and horses in Jin and Xiliang have all been under Zhao Wumian's command. Perhaps we can start from Yanmen Pass and Ningwu Pass."

"Rong people..." Chen Shuhan hesitated, thought for a moment and shook his head, "Taixuan Palace is just a double-edged sword, and the Rong people are like powder kegs. The risk is too great. It is better not to use them unless it is absolutely necessary."

"That's right. In the final analysis, the people we want to kill are only Zhao Wumian and Luo Chaoyan... Luo Chaoyan lives in the palace and is protected by masters, so it's not easy for him to be killed. In contrast, Zhao Wumian hangs out in the capital every day and may even leave the capital. There are many opportunities for us to take advantage of..."

The scholar in white robe took the letter tube and handed it to the servant standing beside him, asking him to deliver it.

"what is that?"

"The person Huanzhen Pavilion wants to save has some relationship with King Yan... Zhao Wumian's master is the Little King Yan, and his senior sister is the eldest daughter of King Yan. If Huanzhen Pavilion wants to do something to King Yan, he can't be as calm as a rock and remain unmoved."

"The Huanzhen Pavilion is not reliable either..." Chen Shuhan pondered for a moment, then asked, "Do you still remember Mr. Qin San?"

The white-robed scholar frowned, "You were one of the leaders of the underworld in the capital back then, but now you have retired and become the father-in-law of the sword master... What are your plans?"

"He said he was retiring, but he still has a disciple in Beijing who is inheriting his legacy. It's obvious that he can't bear to give up the foundation he built... Is he called Master Du San? These middlemen don't have much ability, but they are very ambitious. They all like others to call them "Masters", but their connections can still be used...

I will contact him and try to lure Zhao Wumian out of the capital... There are many hidden talents in the capital, it is too difficult to kill him, there is still a chance after leaving the capital."

"Alright."

During the Lantern Festival, the streets were crowded with people and cars. A horse-drawn carriage rolled over the rough bluestone tiles, making a slight creaking sound.

A middle-aged woman in military uniform was driving the car, holding the reins, but her sharp eyes kept scanning the surroundings, showing extreme vigilance.

Inside the carriage, a soft and charming voice could be heard faintly, with a hint of dissatisfaction, "Has Zhao Wumian not returned to Beijing yet? I agreed to let him accompany me shopping..."

"Aunt! You are already married, why do you always cling to Wei Ming Hou? Aren't you afraid that Miss Su will be jealous? Besides, he is a pervert. If this goes on for a long time, he will definitely have evil thoughts about you."

"Is Marquis Weiming having evil thoughts about me? Is Xiangge praising my aunt for her beauty?"

"..."

"The Queen Mother lives a miserable life in the deep palace. If she wants to leave the palace, she has to bring more than a dozen experts with her. With so many people around, she will naturally be unhappy. And Young Master Zhao is a superb martial artist. He is enough to protect the Queen Mother alone. He is the best candidate... I know that the Queen Mother will not have any thoughts about the young man, so how could she be jealous like a narrow-minded fool?"

"Oh? Miss Su, why don't you speak more openly... Who is the narrow-minded fool?"

While three pleasant female voices were conversing in the car, the atmosphere was so tense that even the master driver had sweat on his forehead.

The main reason is the tension between Su Qingqi and Shen Xiangge.

When Zhao Wumian went to Longji Town to lure Tong Congdao into the trap, Su Qingqi went to the palace to report on her work. Upon learning that the matter of Huanzhen Pavilion had been basically resolved, the Empress Dowager couldn't wait to take Luo Chaoyan to the street to play.

But the masters in the palace felt that the matter might not be completely resolved, and it might still be risky for the emperor to leave the palace at this moment. Luo Chaoyan simply asked Su Qingqi to take the empress dowager out shopping and buy some things they liked. After Zhao Wumian came back, they would go to Kunning Palace to have dinner together and celebrate the Lantern Festival.

The empress dowager then sent a message to the Shen residence, calling over Shen Xiangge, who had just returned to the capital from Longji Town. This is how the scene before us happened.

Shen Xiangge was very dissatisfied with Su Qingqi... Mainly because he felt that she was just a little girl, so how could she be able to charm Zhao Wumian to such a degree.

Look at how much effort she has put into getting close to Zhao Wumian, but so far she hasn't even made a splash. On the other hand, what about Su Qingqi? Apart from the Kui incident, she's probably making waves every night.

Jealousy and confusion.

Su Qingqi was even worse. Although Zhao Wumian had told her that the two of them had acted out of emergency and disguised themselves as lovers in order to deceive Huanzhen Pavilion...but whether they were disguised or not, as a woman, could she not see it?

Zhao Wumian must have felt that he had to act in an emergency, but this Miss Shen might not... She might be taking this opportunity to seduce her man.

Su Qingqi actually wanted to find a sister to share the pressure...but thoughts are one thing and emotions are another.

Be wary and hostile.

The Queen Mother was wearing an elegant goose yellow long dress and sitting properly on the inside, dressed like a lady from an aristocratic family. Although she was already 28 years old, her figure and skin made her look a little more mature and charming than the other two women present.

She looked left and right at Su Qingqi and Shen Xiangge's faces, her beautiful eyes sparkling.

She acted like an elder and said with a smile: "Both of you have good relations with Wei Ming Hou. If you quarrel like this now, in the end, Wei Ming Hou will be caught in the middle and be in a dilemma. Or should he just accept..."

The Queen Mother paused, thinking that the scene might be quite interesting, and she was hesitant to utter the word "harmonious".

"Too caught in a dilemma?" Su Qingqi narrowed her eyes, feeling that her position in Zhao Wumian's heart had been challenged, and said firmly: "It's impossible for him not to be biased towards me."

Shen Xiangge is the dignified Lady Canghua. In terms of status in the martial arts world, she and Su Qingqi can be considered "inextricable in terms of good and evil". In terms of family status, both are eldest daughters of top families, so they can be considered "fighting on equal terms". Shen Xiangge is far stronger than Su Qingqi, and she is very proud, so she will definitely not admit defeat.

She smiled and said, "He favors you only because you were his double cultivator in the beginning, and he feels guilty about it. He may not really like you."

If Su Qingqi heard this more than half a month ago, she would have secretly wiped her tears in her bed when she returned home in the middle of the night, feeling worried and scared. But now she knows Zhao Wumian's feelings very well, so she sneered, "Are you dissatisfied?"

"How to compare?"

"When we meet him, there will be plenty of opportunities."

Shen Xiangge lifted the curtain of the carriage, looked up at the sky, and said to Qi He, who was riding a horse to escort her, "Marquis Wei Ming must have entered the capital by now. Find him and bring him here for me."

The guards around couldn't figure out why Miss Shen was looking for Marquis Weiming, but her biggest advantage in being able to get things done and make a name for herself in the capital was that she never asked any questions, no matter what orders her superiors gave her.

Zhao Wumian had just seen off Guan Yunshu and was riding on White Snake, holding a watermelon in his hand, heading towards the palace.

Not many common people knew him, but the people in the palace and the detective officers knew his appearance very clearly. When they occasionally met patrolling guards and detective officers on the street, they would greet him... Therefore, the masters of the palace asked along the way and soon found him.

"My Lord, Miss Shen is looking for you."

Zhao Wumian stopped his horse, frowned slightly, and then looked at the watermelon in his hand, feeling a little guilty. He had said he would buy grapefruits for her, but ended up with only a watermelon. "Why did she look for me?"

"I'm not sure...but Miss Su and the Queen Mother are here too. You can stay with them. With the Marquis's martial arts, your subordinates will feel more at ease."

"Where are they?"

"Prepare to go to Qian Su Zhai to buy some."

Zhao Wumian didn't know how Miss Su got together with the aunt and niece, but there was no reason to refuse at this moment. He came to Qiansu Zhai with a watermelon... In front of the Qiansu Zhai building, there were many cars parked, most of which were ladies who came here to buy rouge and powder.

Zhao Wumian came running over holding a watermelon, looking quite interesting, attracting the attention of many ladies and young ladies. But they only glanced at the watermelon, some of them covered their mouths and chuckled, and their eyes were fixed on Zhao Wumian's face, unable to move away.

There was a master from the Imperial Palace waiting in front of the pavilion. When he saw Zhao Wumian, he quickly stepped forward and bowed, then took him inside the pavilion. "The young lady and the queen have been waiting for you for a long time."

When I came to a small shop selling rouge and powder, I saw the Empress Dowager at first sight... With her figure and temperament, it was hard not to notice her.

Moreover, the palace masters who were traveling in plain clothes surrounded the empress dowager. In addition, the empress dowager's temperament and dress were too good, unlike ordinary people. The ladies and girls around her felt ashamed and dared not approach her for fear of causing trouble. Therefore, there was a small space around the empress dowager.

The Queen Mother also saw Zhao Wumian, and her mature and beautiful facial features immediately became lively. She waved at Zhao Wumian energetically like a teenage girl, "Here."

"Tai... Why is Nan'er here alone?" Zhao Wumian remembered that the Empress Dowager had concealed her identity when she was outside, and changed the words in time.

The Queen Mother smiled and said, "Xiang Ge and Miss Su went to pick out gifts for you. They said they wanted to compete to see whose gift you like more... Eh? Why are you holding a watermelon?"

"I suddenly want to eat it..." Zhao Wumian handed the watermelon to the imperial master next to him for safekeeping.

"You too, you are already a marquis now, so you should behave like a marquis. If you want to eat something, just tell the servants. You actually go shopping for it yourself... How can that be so?"

"Nan'er is out of the palace to do some shopping, isn't she? What do you want to buy?" The Queen Mother turned to look at the rouge on the counter, picking up a box from time to time to take a look, and said:
"I came out for a stroll, unlike you... Today is the first Lantern Festival that Chaoyan and I have spent together. As her nominal mother, I should buy her some gifts to show my love. She actually wants to leave the palace to accompany me, but sitting in that position, she can't do whatever she wants. My Lord, you must spend more time with her in the future when you have free time..."

Before the Queen Mother finished speaking, a cold voice came from behind Zhao Wumian, "My Lord...Did you call Nan'er by her name?"

Looking back, Shen Xiangge was wearing a white dress dotted with plum blossoms, with a sky-blue silk ribbon tied around her slender waist. She had an elegant temperament, but a cold expression.

The Queen Mother put down her rouge and raised her hand to tuck the loose hair behind her ears. "If people knew my identity, why would I go out shopping? Marquis Weiming called me 'Nan'er', which makes me look younger."

"You are twenty-eight, not thirty-eight. You are not old. Among the first-rank ladies in the capital, you are considered young. How can you let him call you that?" Shen Xiangge glanced at her.

"I think so too. Aunt is just very young." The Queen Mother smiled and raised her hand to touch the side of her face. "The skin is also very good, smooth and elastic. If you don't believe me, you can touch it."

Shen Xiangge looked at Zhao Wumian coldly.

Zhao Wumian pretended not to hear what the Queen Mother said and looked around again, "Where's Miss Su?"

Shen Xiangge's eyes twitched, "I'm standing right in front of you, and you're only thinking about your Miss Su?"

"The most frightening thing about men and women is that they don't cherish what they have. A good man like me..."

"Go, go, go." Shen Xiangge said with a puff, and then stretched out her hand to Zhao Wumian, "On the Lantern Festival, I gave you something, shouldn't you give me something too? Reciprocity is the norm."

Zhao Wumian took out a watermelon from the arms of the imperial master who was acting as a puppet without saying a word and handed it to Shen Xiangge.

The watermelon was quite big, so Shen Xiangge had to hold the bottom of it with both hands and hold it in his arms, which made him look a little more cute and naive.

The Queen Mother hid her face in her sleeves again and laughed sweetly, "I really should find a painter to draw a portrait of you."

Shen Xiangge resisted the urge to smash the watermelon on Zhao Wumian's head and just threw the watermelon to the imperial guard next to him... Who would be attracted to this guy who doesn't understand romance, except the naive and silly Miss Su?
Zhao Wumian reached out to Shen Xiangge again, "Where's my gift?"

"Let's talk about it after Su Qingqi comes."

"Why?"

"Why are there so many questions?" Shen Xiangge raised her hand gently, and Qi He, who was standing behind her obediently, stepped forward and handed over a beautifully wrapped gift box. She opened the gift box and gestured to the Queen Mother to see it. The expression of the mighty Queen Canghua softened again.

"I know that Aunt likes the clothes here. Look at the material. You can try it next time you go out of the palace. It will definitely look good."

The Queen Mother raised her hand and touched her clothes, then raised her hand and touched Shen Xiangge's soft hair.

Shen Xiangge smiled softly.

Zhao Wumian glanced at the aunt and nephew, and felt in his heart that the evil witch Lady Canghua really did not treat people as human beings... She was such a good girl, but she insisted on making her commit herself to a man she didn't like at all.

But most of those in power are like this. Personal interests are always lower than those of the collective... Fortunately, Luo Chaoyan is not like this.

At this moment, Su Qingqi also came back here. Zhao Wumian saw her and looked slightly happy.

Su Qingqi didn't expect Zhao Wumian to arrive so quickly. She was stunned, then she lifted the hem of her skirt with both hands, revealing her long boots under her skirt, and trotted towards him.

If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, Shen Xiangge had no doubt that the two would just hug and kiss.

Seeing the two people's overjoyed expressions, Shen Xiangge narrowed her beautiful eyes and asked, "What did Miss Su buy?"

Su Qingqi took out a black headband embroidered with cloud patterns from her sleeve and said, "I know you are used to being idle and don't like to wear a crown."

Shen Xiangge blinked, "A young lady from the Su family, at this time of year, you're giving her a headband... something that costs only a few taels of silver? Is it appropriate?"

"Given the relationship between him and me, it is obviously better to have something practical rather than those fancy treasures..." Su Qingqi glanced at Shen Xiangge.

It seems like he is explaining, but the tone is definitely showing off.

Zhao Wumian took the headband and looked at it for a few seconds, then smiled, "It's okay to wear it on formal occasions, but it's really troublesome to wear it on daily trips..."

"Come here, I'll tie it for you." Su Qingqi waved at Zhao Wumian, and then glanced at Shen Xiangge.

Shen Xiangge's eyes twitched, but she didn't say anything. After Su Qingqi changed Zhao Wumian's headband, she tilted her head and asked, "My Lord, aren't you curious about what I gave you?"

Su Qingqi was right in front of him, so Zhao Wumian answered impartially: "The gift may be small, but the sentiment is great. It doesn't matter what you give. There's no need to be fussy about this kind of thing..."

"I'll take you to choose."

"What do you mean?"

Shen Xiangge glanced at Su Qingqi, then smiled and said, "Forget about the polite words like 'the gift is small but the sentiment is great'. It's a rare Lantern Festival, so if you don't want to give me anything, then I'll give you something you like... We can find something on the spot that you like. I can accompany you tonight."

Su Qingqi's eyes turned cold.

Zhao Wumian looked directly at the Queen Mother, "Nan'er, look at your niece. When she gave you a gift, she just gave you clothes. When she gave me a gift, she took her time to choose with me... What does this mean?"

Shen Xiangge's smiling expression froze, and he gritted his teeth, "What are you doing?"

The Queen Mother glanced at Zhao Wumian and Shen Xiangge, and then said, "Xiangge, you haven't even married yet, but you value men more than your aunt?"

Zhao Wumian laughed out loud.

Su Qingqi also covered her mouth and chuckled.

Shen Xiangge pretended to hit him, but Zhao Wumian didn't dodge, so she turned around and pulled off his hairband.

Zhao Wumian's hair fell to his waist, and Su Qingqi became angry again, "What do you want to do, Mr. Shen?"

Shen Xiangge raised her bare hands and took off her hairband. In an instant, her black hair like the night flowed out like a waterfall. Under her hair on her forehead, her bright eyes looked at Zhao Wumian with a half-smile, with an aggression and charm that seemed to captivate his soul.

She tied Zhao Wumian's headband with her own and handed it to Zhao Wumian. "Since you don't want to choose, I will just give you one... If you don't like wearing a crown, you can use my headband. Do you like this gift, Lord?"

As soon as she finished speaking, Shen Xiangge looked at Zhao Wumian with pride. Although her hair was tilted down, her face and temperament did not make it look messy at all. Instead, she had the charm of a lazy sister.

Zhao Wumian was silent. This woman was so cute and very good at seducing people.

However, he is devoted to Miss Su, and Qi He is here at the moment, so he is not sure whether Shen Xiangge is acting or is sincere when he is so close to him and even a little ambiguous?
This woman's every move is always unpredictable.

Su Qingqi was so angry that her clothes kept rising and falling. This woman knew that she couldn't give better gifts than her, so she used this method to seduce her man!

"Why doesn't the Marquis speak? Are you moved?" Shen Xiangge saw Zhao Wumian's expression, her beautiful eyes curved slightly, and she wanted to raise her hand and touch Zhao Wumian's shoulder with her fingertips to tease him.

As soon as she stretched out her hand, the Queen Mother slapped her on the back of her hand and said, "You are an unmarried lady, and you are so coquettish and have no boundaries. How can you behave like this? As a punishment, you are not allowed to eat tonight."

"Aunt! Why are you bullying me?"

"It's not bullying, it's discipline. Your mother just dotes on you too much and lets you do whatever you want. You're only 25 and still unmarried. Do you know what the ladies and ladies in the neighborhood say about you?"

Shen Xiangge ignored the Queen Mother. She looked at Zhao Wumian and said with a hint of smile, "Which one do you like better, the one given by me or the one given by Miss Su?"

Su Qingqi was originally smiling, but upon hearing this she turned her head and glanced at Zhao Wumian.

Zhao Wumian looked at the Queen Mother and said, "I will definitely choose Miss Su. Nan'er, remember to comfort Miss Shen for me when you go back, so that she won't cry too sadly."

The Queen Mother smiled softly and comforted Shen Xiangge, "Given the relationship between Miss Su and Marquis Weiming, if he doesn't choose Miss Su, I will look down on him and think that he has forgotten his old love for the sake of beauty."

Su Qingqi immediately raised her head slightly. Although she was not as tall as Shen Xiangge, she still looked down on others.

Shen Xiangge curled her lips and said, "If you hadn't stepped forward at the beginning, it would be unknown who would win or lose now."

"The person who taught me the Dual Cultivation Method was Miss Shen." Su Qingqi said with a smile, "Why didn't you go at the beginning? Didn't you want to? But even if it wasn't for the beginning, just comparing my appearance, Mr. Zhao obviously likes me more."

Shen Xiangge did not say anything. It was fine if they were just playing around, but if the topic was brought to the topic of 'like or not', then that would be too much... She and Zhao Wumian had not yet developed to this point.

So she focused on other aspects. "As the saying goes, 'the closer you are to the red, the more you are to the black,' it's just like that. After spending so much time with that nun, has Miss Su become narcissistic? But it's okay to be narcissistic. Everyone has this right, but you can't lie with your eyes open."

Su Qingqi looked at Zhao Wumian, "What do you think, Mr. Zhao?"

No, why are there suddenly so many enemies between you two?

In fact, it was Zhao Wumian's fault that he always mentioned Su Qingqi in front of Lady Canghua, which made Shen Xiangge dissatisfied and aroused his desire to compare and win.

"Nan'er is an elder, and making the elder happy is what the younger generation should do. It's the Lantern Festival now, so we should take better care of Nan'er, so Nan'er is the most beautiful." Zhao Wumian looked at the Queen Mother, "I haven't bought you any gifts yet, go pick some?"

The Queen Mother smiled immediately, "I also think my appearance is the best."

As the empress dowager was an elder, Su Qingqi and Shen Xiangge were not allowed to say much once she spoke.

Su Qingqi quietly poked Zhao Wumian with her fingertips.

Zhao Wumian held her little hand.

Su Qingqi's face immediately turned red and she looked around quickly. In this kind of situation, it was considered immoral for a man and a woman to hold hands.

She quickly broke free, lowered her eyes and stopped talking.

(End of this chapter)