TRWSB – Chapter 118 The Situation In The Imperial Capital

The Imperial Capital

Bi Liuyun looked at the ledger, his weariness visible, while Qi Heng quickly worked the abacus nearby.

Bi Liuyun yawned, scratching his head in frustration. “Those two scoundrels, the young master and Yifan, made a grand spectacle and then ran off to avoid the fallout, leaving us to clean up the mess.”

Qi Heng glanced at Bi Liuyun and said, “You’re handling it quite well, though.”

Collapsing onto the sofa, Bi Liuyun groaned, “I’m exhausted. When the young master gets back, I’m definitely asking for a raise.”

Qi Heng replied, “The young master isn’t coming back anytime soon, so who knows when you’ll get that raise.”

Bi Liuyun pouted, swinging his legs lazily. “I heard the young master saved Feng Yuan and is doing quite well in Li Nation. He’s probably having the time of his life right now!”

He chuckled, “By the way, I heard that when His Majesty found out the young master saved Feng Yuan, he was initially pleased, but then he became furious.”

Qi Heng tilted his head. “His Majesty probably didn’t expect the young master to make such a bold request of Feng Yuan. Having followed the young master for so many years, Tingxuan was the obvious choice for his reward, considering how stingy His Majesty is.”

Bi Liuyun nodded thoughtfully. “Tingxuan has been carrying that emotional baggage for years. If he doesn’t resolve it, he might never overcome his inner demons and will be stuck at level eight for life.”

Qi Heng sighed, looking down. “I hope this time Tingxuan can finally find peace.”

Bi Liuyun propped his chin on his hand. “Zhuang Third Master is quite reliable.”

When Qi Shaorong left, many people set their sights on the lucrative Allure Cosmetics Store. Thankfully, Zhuang Renquan stepped in to deter those with malicious intent without interfering with the store’s operations—a gesture of integrity.

Qi Heng agreed. “He likely did it at Zhuang Hao’s request. Zhuang Hao isn’t too bad either.”

Bi Liuyun nodded. “Indeed, he’s decent. At least he looks good.”

Qi Heng: “…”

Qi Family

Qi Yao was pacing furiously in his room. “That bastard Zhuang Renquan!”

Clenching his fists, Qi Yao’s heart burned with regret. Once he realized that Allure Cosmetics Store was Qi Shaorong’s business, he couldn’t help but envy it. The store was a veritable goldmine! But unfortunately, Qi Shaorong had entrusted its management to Bi Liuyun and Qi Heng.

Who were they? Qi Heng was just a servant, and Bi Liuyun was nothing more than a frivolous flower shop owner.

Qi Shaorong would rather trust these outsiders than his own father.

Qi Yao had considered using the Qi family’s influence to seize control of the store, but Zhuang Renquan had put a stop to that.

Thinking about the Zhuang family filled Qi Yao with rage. Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao’s engagement had left him, the father, completely sidelined.

Qi Shaorong even went so far as to use his favor with Feng Yuan to help Mu Tingxuan. Who was this Mu Tingxuan anyway?

To make matters worse, His Majesty had scolded Qi Yao harshly, blaming him for failing to raise his son properly.

Qi Yao gritted his teeth, a mix of bitterness and pain in his heart. Qi Shaorong had achieved so much, yet Qi Yao couldn’t share in any of it. And when Qi Shaorong made mistakes, he was the one left to bear the blame.

He sighed, thinking bitterly, If only I had paid more attention to Qi Shaorong when he was younger, things wouldn’t have come to this.

A Small Cottage on the Outskirts

Yang Man sat with Yi Chuxue, Yi Huo, and Yi Bing squeezed around her.

“Mother, this place is so small, messy, and dirty. How can we live here?” Yi Chuxue whined pitifully.

Yang Man closed her eyes. “If you don’t want to stay here, go find your father!”

Yang Man lowered her gaze, seething with anger. After both Yi Huo and Yi Bing fell into trouble, Yi Xun’s attitude toward her changed drastically. She had spent all her savings trying to treat them.

Now that Yi Xun had found someone new, he deemed her and the children a nuisance and exiled them to the outskirts.

Yi Chuxue hung her head. How could I face Father? She was painfully aware that Yi Xun had begun doubting her parentage, and with the encouragement of the other women by his side, he seemed convinced she wasn’t his daughter.

She bit her lip, her heart heavy with humiliation and frustration.

Glancing at Yang Man, resentment bubbled within Yi Chuxue. If her mother had been able to keep Father satisfied, they wouldn’t be in such dire straits. This place wasn’t even fit for the family servants!

The shame was unbearable—she couldn’t bear to be seen like this.

Yang Man, ever adept at reading people, easily discerned Yi Chuxue’s thoughts. Her own frustration was palpable, yet she felt powerless.

Closing her eyes, Yang Man felt as though she had plunged from the peak of luxury into the abyss.

She now understood why Yi Fan hadn’t acted against her directly. Stripped of her children and Yi Xun’s protection, her life had become its own form of torment.

Yang Man’s heart burned with hatred for Yi Fan, but there was nothing she could do.

Zhuang Family.

“Third Uncle, has big brother sent a letter?” Zhuang Qianru rushed in eagerly.

Zhuang Renquan nodded, “Yes.”

“What did he say?”

Zhuang Renquan rolled his eyes, “Your big brother said that Qi Shaorong values his subordinates very, very much. He told me to make sure to protect Bi Liuyun and Qi Heng. If anything happens to them, he won’t be able to lift his head in front of Qi Shaorong. In that case, he’ll have no choice but to apologize with his life.”

Zhuang Qian rubbed his nose helplessly, “I didn’t expect big brother to start making such dramatic statements.”

Zhuang Renquan sighed, “Qi Shaorong does seem to highly value his subordinates. He even used Fengyuan’s favor to vent their grievances.”

Zhuang Qian nodded, “Fourth Young Master Qi is loyal. Being with big brother, you should stick with someone like Qi Shaorong for security.”

Zhuang Renquan: “…” This kid has been won over by Qi Shaorong already.

Zhuang Qian’s eyes flickered as he looked at Zhuang Renquan, “Third Uncle, did big brother say when he’d return?”

Zhuang Renquan shrugged, “That guy is enjoying himself out there with Qi Shaorong. Who knows how happy he is! He probably won’t come back anytime soon.”

Zhuang Qian: “…”

Li Kingdom.

When Shen Yuan returned, he saw Zhuang Hao and Yi Fan chatting happily.

By the time Shen Yuan arrived, the two had just finished their conversation.

Shen Yuan walked up to Zhuang Hao, elbowed him, and asked, “Since when did you and Yi Fan get along so well? What were you talking about?”

“I was educating him,” Zhuang Hao replied.

Shen Yuan looked puzzled, “Educating him? About what?”

Zhuang Hao shrugged, “I was teaching him how to pursue his wife.”

Shen Yuan’s face fell, “You teaching him how to pursue a wife? It’s over. Yi Fan is doomed to be single forever!”

Zhuang Hao glared at Shen Yuan, “What are you talking about?”

Shen Yuan awkwardly laughed, “Just kidding.”

Zhuang Hao: “…”

“If it weren’t for your meddling, I wouldn’t be in this situation now!” Zhuang Hao said irritably.

Shen Yuan scratched his head, “You can’t entirely blame me for that! It was your stepmother’s idea.”

Zhuang Hao sighed and lowered his head.

Back when his father was adventuring, he met his mother, Yan Fei. The two fell in love at first sight and quickly got together, enjoying a deep bond.

After marriage, his mother gave birth to him and his brother, and the family was very happy. Unfortunately, a few years ago, his father was ambushed and poisoned. To save him, his mother exhausted her magic and passed away.

After his mother’s death, his father nearly fell apart, drowning himself in alcohol and despair.

During this time, the Yan family sent Yan Li to the Zhuang household. Yan Li was his mother’s elder sister and bore a striking resemblance to her. In a drunken stupor, his father mistook Yan Li for his mother and had a scandalous encounter with her.

When he sobered up, his father was filled with regret, feeling he had betrayed his wife. Ironically, this incident snapped him out of his despondency.

The Yan family demanded that his father marry Yan Li, and he agreed.

Though they were married, his father remained distant from Yan Li. For years, she lived in the Zhuang household with little presence or affection.

Zhuang Hao and Zhuang Qian were equally cold toward their stepmother. Yan Li, lacking favor and power, remained a marginal figure in the household.

Zhuang Hao’s feelings toward Yan Li were complex. On one hand, he felt she had disrupted the love between his parents. On the other, he pitied her for wasting her youth on a loveless marriage.

“Yan Li probably thought breaking off my engagement was for my own good,” Zhuang Hao said, shaking his head.

Shen Yuan shrugged, “Maybe. But things turned out the way they did by sheer accident.”

“Where have you been these past few days?” Zhuang Hao asked.

Shen Yuan shrugged, “Our Shen family has some shops here. I went to check on them.”

Zhuang Hao nodded, “That’s good.” Despite Qi Shaorong’s constant jabs at Shen Yuan, the truth was that Shen Yuan was the heir of the Shen family, one of the four great families of Yuan Kingdom. Many would consider him a highly eligible bachelor.

“By the way, there are some letters for you. The Sovereign already knows that Qi Shaorong cured Fengyuan, as well as the terms he requested.”

Zhuang Hao smiled bitterly, “The Sovereign must be furious.”

“Of course! I think you’d better not return for the time being. I heard Qi Yao got a harsh reprimand from the Sovereign.”

“Qi Yao? Why?” Zhuang Hao asked curiously.

Shen Yuan rolled his eyes, “What else? The Sovereign blames him for failing to raise his son properly.”

“Is there something wrong with Shaorong?” Zhuang Hao asked.

Shen Yuan shrugged, “Not really. He’s excellent, except he doesn’t prioritize the bigger picture. You know how the Sovereign is—he wants everyone to put the nation’s interests first. Qi Shaorong went all out for Mu Tingxuan this time. It was quite the spectacle.”

Zhuang Hao shook his head, “Shaorong acts according to his heart. He doesn’t care for grand strategies.”