Heaven rewards diligence; he fought his way through chaos to become a saint.

Chapter 100 Leading the Way (Additional update)

"Miss, the master wants you to attend tomorrow's banquet."

In the study, Shen Yixi sat on one side of the desk, one hand supporting her chin, the other fingertip lightly tapping the book in front of her. Her expression was focused, and she looked aloof and gentle. She raised her head slightly when she heard a sound.

Uncle Chen.

Manager Chen walked in, and his gaze inadvertently swept across the desk, only to see that Shen Yixi was not reading poetry and songs, but a thick medical book.

"Has the young lady recently shown some interest in herbs?"

"Let's take a quick look and see what medicinal herbs are available in the world for strengthening bones and muscles."

Shen Yixi slowly raised her eyes, shifting her gaze from the pages of her book to Steward Chen. The focus in her eyes gradually faded, replaced by a gentler expression: "Do you think the master invited me to the banquet because of my grandfather or my father?"

Steward Chen straightened up, bowed his head, and replied respectfully, "Miss, it's your father's intention. He said the Commandant will host a banquet tomorrow, and all the younger generation from various families will return; they are all young ladies he knows well."

Shen Yixi gently shook her head, her fingertips returning to the pharmacopoeia in her hand: "I'm not going."

Manager Chen was slightly taken aback. It wasn't that he was surprised the young lady would refuse, but it was still customary to ask one more question to avoid any delays.

"Miss, the general has just arrived. Would it be impolite if you didn't go? Besides, several familiar young ladies will also be there, which might help keep you entertained."

Shen Yixi didn't even lift her eyelids: "So what if I was rude?"

As she spoke, she raised her hand and gently brushed over the annotations in the pharmacopoeia, then suddenly asked, "Uncle Chen, Qiu Tang stays at the Commandant's residence at night. If it's not easy to make a move, have you considered poisoning him while he's traveling around—"

The lamplight fell softly on her hair, making it appear even more gentle, but her words sounded rather cold.

Manager Chen was silent for a moment: "Miss is always wise, don't do anything foolish, let's not take the lead."

Shen Yixi's gaze returned to the pharmacopoeia, and she said calmly, "If he doesn't die soon, he might find out that the old man is trying to escape."

Manager Chen sighed: "Qiu Tang probably hasn't noticed these things yet. From my observation, he's only trying to win over the offspring of the various families. If the families work together, they might still have some reservations. Qiu Tang is too busy stirring up infighting among the families to pay attention to anything else."

Speaking of the internal strife among families, Shen Yixi raised her eyes and said, "My father has a narrow vision. He thinks that by currying favor with Qiu Tang, he can secure temporary peace."

Manager Chen remained silent.

Shen Yixi said in a low voice, "The reason why the old man agreed to let him divide the family property is because he doesn't trust Zhang Guan at all. My father is too stingy. He said that I proposed the division of the family property, but little did he know that I had already talked to the old man in private. Now, I am the one who is sharing the burden of selling the property. The old man and I are each putting on an act, trying not to attract attention, but also trying our best to sell it for a higher price."

"But Qiu Tang is a man who doesn't discriminate between meat and vegetables. He visits families big and small. I'm afraid that some of the things he does to sell off his property will be leaked, so I want to kill him as soon as possible."

Manager Chen interjected, "Let's discuss this further—"

Shen Yixi suddenly interrupted, "Uncle Chen, how long do you think Zhang Guan will stay in Songjiang?"

Manager Chen was startled upon hearing this and quickly waved his hand: "Don't say such things, and don't address him by his name directly. He is the general."

Shen Yixi lowered her eyes and said, "I understand."

The study was quiet, with only the soft sound of pages turning.

Manager Chen silently gazed at the young lady before him; her focused profile, illuminated by the lamplight, created a serene and peaceful scene.

******

The following evening.

Ye Ci put on his cloud-patterned black boots and changed into the brocade outfit that Shen Xin had given him. His powerful muscle lines were immediately contained, and transformed into a restrained and calm demeanor.

It is paired with a black iron belt hook, which is securely tied around the waist, both to fasten the tight-fitting clothes and to make it look natural.

Shen Wanzhou, standing to the side, clicked his tongue in admiration, feeling that he was like a sword in its sheath, concealing an unapproachable sharpness.

"Young Master Ye, you are truly a handsome man."

The two went downstairs, where a carriage was already waiting outside the mansion.

Wu Tan and several other martial arts masters with hidden strength accompanied them. The coachman cracked his whip and gave a light shout, and the carriage slowly headed towards the Commandant's Mansion.

The Commandant's Office was located in the northern part of the inner city, which was somewhat remote.

When the group arrived at their destination, they found the streets bustling with carriages and horses, and many women dressed in their finest attire getting out of their vehicles.

Shen Wanzhou had prepared generous gifts and arranged for people to carry them.

After passing through the gatehouse and the ceremonial gate, the group saw the front courtyard of the Commandant's Mansion.

Although some orchids and bamboos were placed in the courtyard as decorations, and several pots of seasonal flowers were placed in the corner, the blue brick ground was cracked in many places, and the paint on the wooden pillars under the eaves was mottled, and the old and dilapidated traces of the entire front yard could still be seen.

Every now and then, craftsmen would enter and exit through the moon gate, and the interior seemed to be under renovation.

Ye Ci couldn't help but recall what Shen Xin had mentioned: Zhang Guan seemed dissatisfied with Qin Lie's Commandery, thinking it was too old.

The group entered the main hall of the Commandant's Mansion.

The main hall was quite spacious and grand, with a row of gilded palace lanterns hanging from the beams, illuminating the entire hall.

The room had been cleaned up and was now spotless. A small wooden platform stood in the center, with wooden chairs neatly arranged on both sides, and several long tables filled with various candied fruits, dried fruits, snacks, and tea.

Zhang Guan had actually made tonight's banquet quite elegant.

Before the banquet began, guests were scattered in twos and threes, some sitting, some standing, chatting in hushed tones, giving the hall a more official and social atmosphere.

Shen Wanzhou glanced around, then suddenly asked in confusion, "Why isn't anyone from the four major families here?"

Upon seeing the group enter, Qiu Tang, dressed in a dark blue brocade robe, approached. He didn't even glance at Shen Wanzhou, simply saying casually, "Master Shen, leave your things here, and you may return home."

"Of course, if you insist on staying, you can have some fruits and snacks in the outer hall."

Many people looked in the direction of the sound and whispered among themselves.

"Lord Qiu is really showing no respect to the Shen family at all, actually letting him stay in the outer hall."

"Not long ago, Old Master Shen was all the rage, but now look at him, not even a single person is trying to strike up a conversation with him."

""

As everyone was discussing this, they saw Qiu Tang step forward and pat Ye Ci on the shoulder with a half-smile.

"Little Leaf, come here. The master wants to see you and also meet the brothers of our Leopard Tribe."

Ye Ci narrowed his eyes and replied calmly, "Is it the general?"

"What right do you have to see the general?"

Qiu Tang glanced around and said with a faint smile, "There are other officials who want to see you. If you don't want to see them, you can go back."

Ye Ci narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the other person without saying a word.

Qiu Tang leaned closer to Ye Ci, a broad smile on his face: "Let me guess what you're thinking? Why won't the general see you?"

"You are a direct disciple of the Rock Martial Arts Academy, you have mastered internal strength, and Qin Lie appreciates you and is deliberately building momentum for you—do you think that's all you have to impress the general?"

Hidden strength.

Qiu Tang looked Ye Ci up and down and sneered, "Even if you want to be the general's dog, you still have to follow the seniority system."

He thought that Ye Ci would fly into a rage after he said that, which would show that he didn't know the rules. Unexpectedly, Ye Ci calmly said, "Lead the way."

"Um?

Qiu Tang was slightly surprised, but he turned and walked ahead.

As Ye Ci walked through a corridor, the sound of string and wind instruments drifted from the east wing.

Push open the door.

Ye Ci thought he would meet a staff member like Chen Chuan, the Vice Commandant, but he did not expect that the people sitting at the table were all military officers in plain clothes with a calm demeanor.

Several beautiful young women stood on either side, some playing the zither, others pouring wine. Their manners were gentle, but they could not hide the restraint in their eyes.

At this moment, several middle-aged men stood up politely and bowed to Ye Ci.

Ye Ci's gaze swept over them; these people seemed to be from the four major families. Then, he saw Shen Zonghan.