AWB Chapter 2043 Everyone fears him, yet everyone wants to be him!
Chapter 2043 Everyone fears him, yet everyone wants to be him!
Logically speaking, the Qian family or any other family, including the five lower-ranking and five middle-ranking families of the ten most prestigious families in Yanjing, had no connection with Li Xiangnan.
A few days ago, they even sent people to cause trouble, their aim being to prevent Li Xiangnan from successfully holding this wedding banquet!
Therefore, the relationship between the ten families of Yanjing and Li Xiangnan can be described as extremely bad.
They didn't have much of a relationship to begin with, and were even becoming rivals, so it's easy to imagine that the gifts they gave were just so-so!
Li Xiangnan could easily guess that the gifts the Qian family brought, being the first of the ten families from Yanjing to arrive, were probably terrible!
Or you could just say that you're trying to get rid of Li Xiangnan!
Because the relationship between the two sides is not good, this is something everyone knows.
Seeing Zhang Jingyang's expression, Li Xiangnan found it unbelievable.
Could it be that the Qian family sent some valuable goods?
Meanwhile, Zhang Jingyang gave Li Xiangnan a knowing look and noticed that he had slowed down. He knew that Li Xiangnan had understood his meaning, so he looked carefully into the brocade box.
On the deep red velvet cushion, lay quietly a pair of gold-inlaid jade ruyi scepters, each the size of a baby's palm.
This Ruyi has a simple and smooth design. The jade is clearly of the finest Hetian green and white jade, which is warm and delicate. The gold ornaments are engraved with exquisite patterns of good fortune and longevity, and the craftsmanship is quite superb. The gold shines brightly but does not appear gaudy. It is connected by a slender gold chain.
hiss!
Zhang Jingyang couldn't help but gasp.
This thing is absolutely valuable!
Such an item would be a presentable and valuable gift in any setting, directly demonstrating the Qian family's wealth.
As for the symbolism, it represents good fortune and auspiciousness, making it the most suitable gift for children!
Unexpectedly, the Qian family was the first to arrive. After they arrived, not only did they not cause any trouble or chaos, but they also presented Li Xitang with such a generous gift!
Although it is less profound than the Song family's ivory pen holder imbued with history and culture, the Jiang family's Song Dynasty edition of the Book of Rites representing a thousand-year-old cultural lineage, and the Yu family's family promise of unlimited possibilities for the future.
It's like a standardized, expensive gift—beautiful and valuable, but lacking a unique soul and profound sentiment.
It's more like a gift that the Qian family "should" give on this occasion—fitting their status and not making a mistake, but it certainly won't evoke any shock or association beyond the gift itself!
However, as mentioned earlier, Li Xiangnan and Qian Houjin, and the Li family and the Qian family, have no connection whatsoever!
Such a generous gift right off the bat is truly unexpected.
This made Zhang Jingyang think again.
Could it be that the Qian family was the first to arrive, serving as a probe by the ten families of Yanjing, but they also had their own considerations?
Never mind that for now, I'll talk to Xiao Li about the Qian family's intentions later. Zhang Jingyang understood and loudly announced, "Qian family's congratulatory gift—a pair of gold-inlaid jade ruyi scepters!"
"Whoa!"
As soon as the ceremony began, the entire hall erupted in cheers, and the surrounding guests uttered waves of admiration.
"Tsk, the Qian family is quite generous!"
"My goodness, this jade ruyi is so beautiful! It must be worth a fortune!"
"I must say, that's quite a generous offer!"
But that's all. It was far from the collective, heartfelt amazement and lingering impression that came with the previous ceremonies. It seems that everyone's threshold has been raised by the Song, Jiang, and Yu families!
Upon hearing the announcement of the gift, Qian Houjin's smile widened, seemingly very confident in his present.
His son, Qian Shenquan, couldn't help but reveal a disdainful smile on his face.
It turned out to be a jade ruyi!
No wonder Brother Zhang was surprised.
Although Li Xiangnan was surprised that the Qian family was willing to spend so much, he was more wary.
The Qian family was very thoughtful, and the gifts they chose were impeccable, but the jade ruyi they gave conveyed a sense of shrewd distance.
They say you're obligated to someone who feeds you and will be obligated to take their money.
This matter clearly exceeds the level of friendship between the Qian family and myself. It seems I need to be careful of the Qian family's tricks later. They may use this as a starting point to do something that will put me in a difficult position and make it hard for me to refuse!
Li Xiangnan felt a little more at ease; in any case, the danger brought by the gift had been basically eliminated.
He led Qian Houjin and his son into the west wing, a room specifically used to entertain guests from the ten families of Yanjing.
Throughout the journey, Qian Houjin continued to chat and laugh, but his eyes still scanned the surroundings like searchlights, paying particular attention to the path leading to the backyard, glancing at it several times.
Li Xiangnan pretended not to see them, politely settled them in, ordered tea to be served, and then took his leave.
As soon as he stepped out of the room, Li Xiangnan's smile vanished instantly. He whispered to Song Ziming, who was standing guard nearby, and Wang Defa, who had rushed over, "Keep a close eye on them, especially those three lackeys! Ziming, find two clever members of the Song family to go in and serve them tea and water, and listen to what they have to say! Defa, tell all the informants to be on high alert. I suspect that the people from the Qian family who came in have a backup plan!"
"Understood!" The two men accepted the order and left.
Li Xiangnan stood under the eaves, gazing at the tightly closed doors and windows of the west wing, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
Qian Houjin slipped into the yard like a slippery eel and fell silent for a moment, but this silence only made people uneasy.
Just then, a calm voice sounded beside him: "What's wrong? Getting annoyed by this Qian Laosan?"
Li Xiangnan turned his head and saw that Song Cijiu had quietly come to his side at some point, with a cigarette between his fingers, looking calm and composed.
"Second Uncle!" Li Xiangnan breathed a slight sigh of relief. "This Qian Houjin is slippery. He seems enthusiastic, but he's actually testing me with every word. His eyes are darting around. It seems he has no good intentions!"
Song Cijiu took a drag of his cigarette, exhaling a wisp of smoke, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
"The third son of the Qian family is a notorious smiling tiger in Yanjing, and his greatest skill is scheming and inquiring! His personal visit is definitely not just about bringing a pair of jade ruyi scepters!"
Li Xiangnan looked into Song Cijiu's eyes and immediately understood what Zhang Jingyang had just said. He asked in surprise, "Second Uncle, you mean that Qian Laosan may have broken away from the main group and was the first to arrive here... He wanted to show his goodwill to me by giving me a jade ruyi... These ten families of Yanjing are not actually a monolithic entity. Qian Laosan himself has other desires?"
Song Cijiu glanced at Li Xiangnan with satisfaction and lowered his voice, saying, "The Shangguan family has controlled the ten families for over a hundred years. Everyone is wary of the Shangguan family, but everyone also wants to be a member of the Shangguan family!"
"..." Li Xiangnan was shocked and suddenly realized.
Song Cijiu narrowed his eyes. "Xiang Nan, you keep things under control outside, especially watch out for any other people coming to the door! I'll go and meet him, to test the waters!"
Li Xiangnan felt reassured. With Song Cijiu, the experienced and influential second master of the Song family, stepping forward, it would indeed serve the dual purpose of deterrence and probing. His face lit up with joy as he said, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Second Uncle! Please be careful!"
"Don't worry!" Song Cijiu stubbed out his cigarette, straightened his clothes, and put on a gentle yet aloof smile that belonged to the head of a powerful family. He waved for Li Xiangnan to leave, then walked quickly to the door, knocked, and pushed it open before anyone inside could respond.
Inside the room, Qian Houjin was holding a teacup and whispering something to his son, Qian Shenquan. Hearing the door open, he stopped talking abruptly. Just as he was about to speak, he saw that the door had been opened directly, and his face suddenly showed displeasure.
But upon closer inspection, he saw it was Song Cijiu. His pupils contracted sharply, and he jumped to his feet, his scalp tingling. He exclaimed in astonishment, "Second Master Song? What are you doing here?"