flstandardbreds Chapter 168 The Cause of Guan Zhijin's Death
Chapter 168 The Cause of Guan Zhijin's Death
After everyone had taken their seats, a sumptuous banquet began.
Inside the hall, the Prince of Huainan sat in the main seat, and to his right, at the head of the table, was Zheng Luoqi. This welcoming banquet was also the first time Zheng Luoqi had met Quan Fuyue.
When Quan Fuyue stepped into the hall, everyone's eyes lit up. She was dressed in a magnificent brocade robe, her flowing garments making her seem like a fairy descending to earth; her face was beautiful and dignified, and her brows revealed a hint of intelligence.
Upon closer inspection, Zheng Luoqi discovered that Quan Fuyue and Quan Yuyuan shared about 80% similarities.
Although the two look similar, they give off different vibes. Quan Yuyuan gives off a youthful innocence, while Quan Fuyue exudes a more composed and dignified air.
"Lord Zheng, I am truly grateful for your help this time! If it weren't for your assistance, I'm afraid I would still be suffering from the harassment and entanglement of those Jianghu people!" The Prince of Huainan looked gratefully at Zheng Luoqi with a smile in his eyes as he raised his wine cup.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Luoqi smiled slightly and quickly replied humbly, "Your Highness is too kind! Without the Crown Prince's righteous assistance, this matter would certainly not have been resolved so quickly!" As she spoke, Zheng Luoqi also raised her cup to show her respect for the praise from the Prince of Huainan.
After hearing Zheng Luoqi's words, the Prince of Huainan waved his hand lightly and laughed, "Oh! Lord Zheng, there's no need to be modest. I know perfectly well what my son is capable of."
"As long as he doesn't cause trouble for the adults in this incident, we can consider ourselves very fortunate!" Although there seemed to be a hint of reproach in her words, her doting affection for her child was more evident than anything else.
"Father, how could you do this! In front of outsiders, you scold me so mercilessly!" Quan Yuyuan said, looking aggrieved and dissatisfied.
"Oh dear! You child! If you were even half as good as Lord Zheng, I wouldn't have to worry about you every day!" the Prince of Huainan said, feigning displeasure.
"Alright, alright! Let's not talk about those things anymore. Lord Zheng, now that everything has been settled, it's time for me to fulfill my promise!" The King of Huainan said, gesturing for someone beside him to bring a token.
The token is entirely black, with exquisite patterns and the emblem of the King of Huainan engraved on it.
The Prince of Huainan gently picked up the token and handed it to Zheng Luoqi, saying slowly, "This is my possession. Anyone who belongs to my Prince of Huainan's mansion or to my troops will regard this token as if they were seeing me in person. I'm sure it will come in handy for you, Lord Zheng, in a critical moment."
He paused for a moment, then continued, "Furthermore, if Lord Zheng suddenly encounters an emergency and urgently needs my assistance, the holder of this token can also quickly contact me."
"Moreover, within the territory of my King of Huainan, anyone possessing this token may travel without hindrance!"
Zheng Luoqi picked up the token and examined it, thinking to herself: This trip was definitely worthwhile! It's a huge gain!
Immediately afterwards, Zheng Luoqi straightened up, smiled, and respectfully performed a full salute to the Prince of Huainan, saying softly, "Then I, Zheng, will accept it!"
The Prince of Huainan laughed heartily and warmly invited, "Come, come, Lord Zheng, let's drink to our hearts' content today!" Before he finished speaking, the Prince of Huainan waved to the servants beside him to quickly serve the dishes and pour the wine.
At the banquet, the guests and hosts enjoyed themselves immensely, chatting and laughing, creating a lively atmosphere.
The Prince of Huainan greatly admired Zheng Luoqi's martial arts skills and wisdom, and repeatedly raised his cup to toast him to express his appreciation.
Zheng Luoqi remained composed and handled the situation with ease.
And so the banquet came to an end...
Zheng Luoqi only stayed at the Prince of Huainan's residence for a few more days before setting off back to the capital. Before leaving, Zheng Luoqi instructed Quan Yuyuan to join the army.
Quan Yuyuan must take over the affairs of Huainan as soon as possible. Only when there is a successor to handle the affairs in Huainan will the King of Huainan feel at ease to go to the frontier and replace General Pei.
After all, General Pei is old now, and the Pei family has no successor. The only one who had any hope of inheriting General Pei's mantle, Pei Wenyu, is not up to the task. General Pei can't protect the Pei family for much longer.
The Prince of Huainan is certainly one of those who can now rival General Pei.
The Prime Minister's faction really needs a capable and useful military general. As long as the Prince of Huainan replaces General Pei, the Chen family will lose the support of the Pei family and won't be able to cause any trouble.
During the few days Zheng Luoqi stayed at the Prince of Huainan's residence, the Prince of Huainan tried to matchmake Quan Fuyue and Zheng Luoqi, but it was obvious that neither of them was interested.
Furthermore, Zheng Luoqi learned something very interesting: the cause of Guan Zhijin's death was quite surprising—Guan Zhijin was actually killed by Quan Fuyue herself.
Moreover, the Prince of Huainan knew about this, which explains why there were rumors that he was plotting revenge and had Guan Zhijin killed.
This rumor wasn't entirely unfounded; the story goes back to before Quan Fuyue and Guan Zhijin got together.
At that time, Quan Fuyue and Guan Zhijin did not know each other. Quan Fuyue knew Zhan Ningxi first.
At that time, Zhan Ningxi was Guan Zhijin's fiancée, which Quan Fuyue was unaware of.
Quan Fuyue and Zhan Ningxi became friends after a minor disagreement.
Guan Zhijin met Quan Fuyue during a trip and fell in love with her at first sight, feeling that Quan Fuyue was the woman of her dreams. Afterwards, she went to the Zhan family to break off her engagement with Zhan Ningxi.
Zhan Ningxi was furious and wanted to find out which woman could bewitch Guan Zhijin. Her investigation led her to Quan Fuyue.
How could Zhan Ningxi bear it when her best friend stole her fiancé?
At this moment, Quan Fuyue and Guan Zhijin had already confessed their feelings to each other, but she did not know that Zhan Ningxi was Guan Zhijin's fiancée.
Even after learning that Quan Fuyue and Guan Zhijin had confessed their feelings for each other, Zhan Ningxi still chose to go and continue having fun with Quan Fuyue.
Prior to this, Zhan Ningxi and Guan Zhijin were already engaged, and when their feelings were deep, they had already consummated their marriage.
Zhan Ningxi deeply resented Guan Zhijin, who had seduced and then abandoned her, and at the same time, she was filled with resentment towards Quan Fuyue, who had stolen her love.
Zhan Ningxi chose not to tell Quan Fuyue about her past with Guan Zhijin, and she quite enjoyed the fact that Quan Fuyue was kept in the dark.
Guan Zhijin also did not want Quan Fuyue to know about his past, so the two of them tacitly chose to keep it a secret and did not reveal a word to Quan Fuyue.