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Chapter 259: The Iron Triangle is Complete
Chapter 259: The Iron Triangle is Complete
Hua Manlou found Su Shaoying intriguing, but Lu Xiaofeng couldn't help but feel displeased with the man no matter how he looked at him.
There was something about the way Su Shaoying looked at him that seemed to carry a hint of malicious intent, and his smile was too carefree and unrestrained. He resembled Hua Manlou in appearance, yet he was completely different.
Especially when he mocked Lu Xiaofeng about his four eyebrows with a smile on his face, Lu Xiaofeng always felt the urge to punch him in the nose.
"Can you discern the weight and the chef's skill from the stir-fried tea?" Lu Xiaofeng asked.
"Just as Lu Xiaofeng can surely taste the difference between 30-year-old bamboo leaf green and 29-year-old wine," Su Shaoying replied with a smile.
As Lu Xiaofeng's smile began to bloom, Su Shaoying continued, "Who in the world doesn't know that Lu Xiaofeng is a renowned drunkard?"
Lu Xiaofeng's smile froze again as he couldn't quite tell whether Su Shaoying was praising or mocking him.
"However, it's not yet time for the dishes. Let's stick to tea for now," He Tianqing interjected.
"Tea is good, tea is good," Ma Xingkong said, raising his cup. "I, a rough man who runs around the jianghu all day, rarely get to enjoy such fine tea. I'll take this opportunity to drink more today."
...
It wasn't summer yet, so dusk came early, and the sky grew dark.
Only a few lamps were lit beside the water pavilion, but where the group was seated, it was as bright as daylight. The pearls on the four walls reflected the light, as if hundreds of oil lamps were burning all around them.
The group chatted casually. Ma Xingkong talked about escorting valuables, He Tianqing shared jianghu anecdotes, and Su Shaoying, true to his role as the host, spoke about history.
"Although the Big Boss is in the north, the construction of this water pavilion drew inspiration from the south," Su Shaoying said. "It is said that the bedroom of the Later Emperor of Southern Tang and his concubine, Zhou, was always lamp-less. Because she was so delicate and feared smoke, they hung precious pearls at night, illuminating the room as bright as daylight."
He Tianqing laughed, "The Later Emperor's extravagance was indeed excessive, so the downfall of Southern Tang was only a matter of time."
Ma Xingkong immediately laughed, "But if he had someone like Chancellor He serving him, perhaps Southern Tang would not have perished."
Lu Xiaofeng glanced at He Tianqing, then at Su Shaoying and Ma Xingkong, and heaved a sigh. He forcefully steered the topic back, "It seems that Emperor Li Yu was born a few hundred years too early. If he were here, he would probably be even more eager to drink than I am."
Hua Manlou laughed. That was what he liked about Lu Xiaofeng—he never cared about face.
He Tianqing also smiled, "The wine and food are already prepared. It's just that when the Big Boss heard that guests like Lu Xiaofeng and Mr. Hua were coming, he insisted on joining the fun as well."
Lu Xiaofeng's eyebrows arched, and his eyes lit up, "Are we waiting for him?"
He Tianqing nodded, "If you're getting impatient, we can always start with some snacks and drinks."
Ma Xingkong quickly added, "It's fine to wait a little longer. The Big Boss rarely shows such enthusiasm. We shouldn't spoil his mood!"
As his words fell, a loud laugh with a Shanxi accent rang out from outside the water pavilion, "I don't want to spoil your fun either. Come on, serve the wine quickly!"
Accompanied by a sharp laugh, a white-haired, chubby old man entered. Dressed in fine clothes, his skin was fair and delicate. Even Su Shaoying couldn't tell that this man was already in his seventies.
Yan Tieshan had arrived!
Ma Xingkong immediately stood up, nodded, and bowed, greeting the newcomer obsequiously, "Welcome, Big Boss!"
However, Yan Tieshan didn't even glance at Ma Xingkong. He merely nodded at He Tianqing and Su Shaoying, then grasped Lu Xiaofeng's hand and laughed in his unique Shanxi accent, "You haven't changed at all since the last time I saw you at Mount Tai's Sunrise Peak. But what happened to your eyebrows? Why do you only have two now?"
Hua Manlou smiled, "The seventh child can hold his own as well."
Yan Tieshan clapped his hands and laughed heartily, "Wonderful! Wonderful! Quick, bring out those jars of aged Fenjiu wine I've been hiding under my bed. Whoever doesn't get drunk today is a good-for-nothing!"
In the next moment, waiters carrying wooden trays suddenly appeared all around the water pavilion, presenting dishes and pouring wine in a steady stream.
Yan Tieshan personally livened up the atmosphere, and the banquet soon became lively and boisterous.
Yan Tieshan was generous and outspoken, his words and demeanor fitting that of a coarse and hearty man from Shanxi.
Ma Xingkong was an expert at flattering, Lu Xiaofeng ate and drank heartily, He Tianqing accompanied them calmly, while Hua Manlou smiled silently.
Su Shaoying looked left and right, eating his food while waiting for the two sides to turn on each other, all the while pondering why Yan Tieshan's expression had changed so drastically when Lu Xiaofeng revealed his identity.
According to He Xiu, Yan Tieshan had thought that Lu Xiaofeng was impersonating the Golden Phoenix King to seize his wealth, which was why he had rushed to drive him away and given Shangguan Danfeng such a strange look.
But at that time, He Xiu hadn't exposed himself yet, so he must have been lying!
If that was the case, why did Yan Tieshan still change his attitude?
Could it be that He Xiu had done something else in preparation? Just as Su Shaoying was deep in thought, Lu Xiaofeng finished his meal.
Now that the meal was over, it was time to get down to business.
"Is the Big Boss originally from Shanxi?" Lu Xiaofeng asked.
Yan Tieshan laughed, "I'm a native through and through. In these few decades, I've only left once to visit Mount Tai and see the sunrise, but all I saw was a big yolk. It was meaningless."
Lu Xiaofeng smiled, his smile full of hidden meanings, "I wonder where Manager Yan is from, then?"
Ma Xingkong quickly interjected, "You mean Manager He, not Manager Yan."
Lu Xiaofeng calmly replied, "I'm not talking about the Manager He from Zhu Guangbao Pavilion, but the former Inner Treasury Manager of the Golden Roc Dynasty, Yan Liben."
Lu Xiaofeng fixed his gaze on Yan Tieshan, "The Big Boss must know this person."
Yan Tieshan's movements froze.
The atmosphere at the banquet instantly turned cold.
Lu Xiaofeng's eyes sparkled, "If the Big Boss knows this person, please tell him that there's someone who wants to settle a decades-old debt with him."
Yan Tieshan exhaled and put down his chopsticks, his face as cold as ice, "Manager He."
"Present."
Yan Tieshan coldly said, "Flower gentleman and Lu gentleman no longer want to stay here, quickly prepare carriages and horses for them, they will set off immediately."
As his words fell, he also rose, preparing to leave the water pavilion.
However, before he could reach the exit, a figure in white, with an ancient longsword hanging at his waist, suddenly appeared at the entrance of the water pavilion.
"They don't want to leave yet, and you'd better stay here too!"
(End of Chapter)
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