Chosen One, how did I end up as the villain?

Lee House

Garden

Li Chengye stood on the covered bridge, picked up a pinch of fish food from his hand and threw it into the pond.

Instantly, ripples spread across the water's surface as swarms of koi rushed in, bumping into each other and vying for food.

"Like fish, people are driven by profit and will disregard everything else. What do blood ties and family affection matter?"

Li Chengye watched this scene with a rare serious expression.

"Young Master, the Master has started delegating authority. What should we do?"

A guard dressed in a tight-fitting uniform with a stern face asked.

"I know."

Li Chengye smiled and said:

"There's not much to do, just wait and see."

"Wouldn't the eldest young master gain this advantage?"

The guards were puzzled. They were both from the Li family, yet the eldest young master always took advantage of others, while their master never fought or grabbed anything. If this continued, how could they maintain their position in the mansion?

"Let him be."

Li Chengye remained indifferent and said:

"Brother Zhi, you should know that I have no desire to be the head of the family, and I don't even care about that kind of power."

"I understand, but..."

Chen Zhi hesitated for a moment, then finally said:

"The eldest young master has always had a lot of opinions about you. If he takes power, how will you live your life?"

"It's alright, the old man isn't dead yet, he won't let him do whatever he wants. Of course, if he insists on doing so, I have my own ways to deal with it."

Li Chengye spoke casually, but Chen Zhi was deeply worried.

No one knew his master better than him; he was just a carefree young master from a noble family, wandering around aimlessly, and sometimes disappearing for a day or even a month without a trace.

What can we do?

What's wrong? Did you lose your mind after a few days of field research?

If I had known this would happen, I should have chosen to follow the young master in the first place…

Li Chengye disregarded his reaction and asked:

"What's the news from outside?"

"Everything will remain the same as you said, but..."

"But what?"

Chen Zhi thought for a moment, then said:

"The master is somewhat dissatisfied with this, feeling that you are just giving him the runaround."

"The old man is still so perceptive."

Li Chengye shook his head and smiled:

"If it's just a perfunctory response, why take it so seriously? People should sometimes be a little oblivious."

Oh dear, this master is hopeless.

Chen Zhi sighed inwardly, angry at their lack of ambition and saddened by his own misfortune.

"Young Master!"

Just then, a servant rushed in.

"How dare you be so rash and unruly! Have you forgotten the rules of this household?" Chen Zhi shouted angrily, barely containing his anger.

The servant was so startled that he stopped in his tracks and hurriedly tried to bow.

"Alright!"

Li Chengye waved his hand to stop him, then asked:

"What do you want?"

"A child at the door handed over a message, saying it was sent by Yun Suyan from the Yun family."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengye raised an eyebrow and quickly said:

"What's the content?"

"The children say that my younger brother, Xiong Ba, was taken away by the Commandant's Office."

"Brother Ba!"

Li Chengye's face darkened. "Let's go to the Commandery!"

.........

Liuyunzhai

Looking ahead, the clear river flows; looking back, the willows sway in the breeze.

Standing by the window.

I can see the bustling traffic and read about the vibrant life of the city.

Such an elegant place, as refined as drifting clouds.

This was precisely the place where the literati and scholars of Jian'an gathered.

Throughout history, scholars have been known for their refined taste and elegant writing; such figures are always present wherever their work is associated.

It seems that only in this way can they be worthy of their status.

Meanwhile, inside the building, many literati and scholars indulged in refined pursuits, drinking wine and wielding their brushes.

"One region has its own landscape, its own people, its own emperor, its own court. If we were to discuss who is the greatest today, it would undoubtedly be our Great Wu, who has brought order to the world."

A man in a white robe, with a refined and scholarly appearance, stood with his hands behind his back and loudly chanted to the crowd.

"What a fine poem! What a fine poem! Brother Zheng, you truly deserve to be called a talented scholar from Jian'an Academy."

"Indeed, this poem is in no way inferior to that of Young Master Gongsun."

"Brother Zheng's talent is truly admirable."

Compliments and praises rang out one after another.

Zheng Chun thoroughly enjoyed the atmosphere, a slight smile playing on his lips as he said:

"You flatter me, you flatter me! My talent is meager; though I am comparable to Gongsun Shu, I am still far inferior to that young master Ba!"

He paused, then continued:

"Have you all heard of the young master's new work?"

"I've heard about it."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

"That poem is another masterpiece. The talent of the young master is unparalleled throughout history. Compared to him, we are like fireflies compared to the bright moon."

"Could he be a celestial poet? For every line he utters is a masterpiece."

"With such a person in Jian'an, the literary world will surely flourish."

"No, Jian'an is too small. It should be the whole world. Even the great masters in the capital are not as good as him."

"Hahaha, there is a difference between mortals and immortals, why bother making a fool of yourself? I am quite interested in the owner of Qingfeng Workshop. Clouds yearn for her clothes and flowers for her face, spring breezes brush the railings and dew is heavy, what an absolute beauty she must be." The scholar who spoke looked infatuated.

"Don't even think about it. Such a person is not someone we can covet."

"Why not? It's all up to us."

"You are a man of principle, but with someone like Young Master Ba, the shop owner would not take notice of you."

"Ha ha……"

The crowd burst into laughter. Scholars, after all, are not only refined, but also quite lewd.

Just as the atmosphere was getting along well, a child ran in through the door.

A student nearby was startled and couldn't help but say:

"Whose child is this? What are they doing here?"

The child, unafraid, glanced at him and then said in a loud, childish voice:

"Someone asked me to deliver a message: the Commandant's Office looks down on scholars, so they framed someone and took Xiong Ba away. This behavior is intended to oppose literature and promote military force. If you all want to maintain your position, you need to take action."

Upon hearing this, everyone present suddenly changed their expressions.

"Kid, who sent you?" Zheng Chun asked hurriedly.