Clearing up the scene in front of the Chuanshui town gate only took the Du Family an hour or two, and the soldiers from the Westlands Duchy took the opportunity to set up camp outside the same. As usual, only their Captain Wei Xuanran, and "Sub-captain" Li Changhai, went into the town itself, as guests of Du Yan and his Patriarch. Along with his bride-to-be, her entourage, and his friends, of course.In fact, the Patriarch himself was the one who led the group back to the Du Residence Meeting Hall, and chased everyone else away, while he welcomed them to the town, and to the estate.
And jumped up to dance wildly around his great-grandson, the moment that he was done! Qin Feng was a little shocked to see that, he had to admit. To think that his calm and collected behaviour outside had been nothing more than an act!
"Ah! I was wondering when you would get back. I would have gladly gotten rid of those fools for you but I thought it would make a better impression if you dealt with them yourself. It would definitely warn the Outer Clansmen to be mindful of their own place, and to watch their manners," the old man said gleefully, as he jumped back up to his chair, set in the place of honor at the back of the hall.
"Well, that was what I thought too, when I saw you standing there like that. So I took the appropriate steps."
The Du Family Patriarch sighed as he sank down into his chair. And pulled off his pristine white overcoat before he turned to Du Yan and his bride-to-be with a grin. "That was more refreshing than I had thought it would be. Especially when you knocked those two idiots b.l.o.o.d.y all over. I thought that you had really broken every bone in their body!"
"No, no. I only broke their arms and legs. Simple fractures all. I would have done worse if I had used my maces, so I only punched them instead. The town physicians should be able to deal with it. But that should be enough to put them out of action for a while. Long enough for us to clean up the rest of the family. Thoroughly.
"I think that everything should be settled by early Spring."
Du Chengwei laughed as he slapped his thigh with his left hand. "Why waste so much time? We should be able to do it in three months at the longest. That should be enough time. We should get everything back under control, and under your hands by the time the season is over."
Then he scowled at Du Yan. And lifted his gnarled hand to point a finger at his face. "But why wait until the following year for your marriage? Why not have a Winter Wedding? It would settle everything all at once, and keep that Royal Idiot Zhou Lingming from trying to make trouble again," he asked.
"Because he is definitely going to make trouble, even if we do hold the Wedding in Winter. And Chuanshui Town"s defenses are not going to be that strong in the Cold Season. So we should definitely avoid luring him during that period. Letting him think that he has until Summer next year will encourage him to make more elaborate plans.
"And elaborate plans are complex, and need a good deal of supervision. If one part breaks down ..."
"The rest of it will fail as well," the Patriarch finished with a grin, "I see that you have picked up a few tricks from your friends. Well, they are all welcome here! To think that they dared to stand with you like that! Even that young, bloodthirsty one there! He has the mindset of killer! Which is not a bad thing in a time like this!"
Qin Feng, who had entered the room last, shook his head when he heard that. And saw the Du Patriarch pointing at him.
But Yuan Qianlei"s answering giggle cut in before he could open his mouth to reply. "I said the same thing about Brother Qin Feng to husband dearest, but he wouldn"t believe me. He said that Brother Qin was just protecting himself, every time that he killed. And that he had never really liked killing."
"Bah! What does Yan"er know about this sort of thing? This young fellow - Qin Feng, is it? You are good at killing so you should focus on that. All those fancy moves that are meant to defeat the enemy and such? A waste of time! What you need to do is kill them all! I think you know what I mean: the only good enemy is a dead enemy!"
"Father-in-law will be most annoyed at you if he heard you, Patriarch. He was hoping to turn Brother Qin Feng over to become the Protector of our first child!"
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The Patriarch looked surprised for a moment, then burst into laughter. "In that case, please forget everything that I have just said! Having a Protector like that would allow me to sleep quietly at night! I agree! I completely agree!"
Du Yan shook his head as Yuan Qianlei pouted at her husband-to-be. "Unfortunately, Big Brother Yan hasn"t gotten him to make any promises yet," she complained quietly, "Even though I have reminded him time and time again."
"It will be hard, if you wish to hold down someone like him, I believe."
The Patriarch"s voice was still light, but there was a certain iron in that statement of his. Something that had Qin Feng smiling as he looked at the old man. He did not really mind how they were talking about him like that. In fact, he had expected it, when he said what he said earlier, at the Gate.
There was no hiding the fact that he was simply stating what he thought was the most suitable solution at the time. Unfortunately the rest of the group disagreed.
Yuan Qianlei giggled then, and caught his attention. "Actually, I was rather tempted to do what Brother Qin Feng suggested. But it would have left the family in a mess, and take forever to settle all the accounts and clear all the debts. Far better if we let them scramble to form their groups again, before we smash them apart once and for all.
"It would give us more time to get all those nitty-gritty matters out of the way."
Qin Feng nodded at her with a smile. It did make sense, the way that she put it. But he was never that interested in holding power anyway. So that wouldn"t have really bothered him.
Du Yan, of course, would be partial to hanging onto his family"s secure a.s.sets. And the domination of the weapon-making market there in Chuanshui and the rest of the Shu Kingdom. Which would force the Royal Family in the same to bend over quietly, and accede to his demands, if they still wished to arm their armies with their Du Family forged weapons.
And that would give him the power that he needed to kick that worthless Royal Prince who tried to steal his wife in the teeth!
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