Chapter 52: To Kill or Not to Kill – It Doesn't Matter! |
Niu You Dao's wager of ten thousand gold did not particularly catch their attention. What was important, however, was their sudden recollection of the bodyguard's account: Niu You Dao had taken ten thousand gold from Feng Ru Nan's camp.
The three of them began to ponder, yet dared not delve deeper. Could it be that all these betrothal gifts were purchased with Feng Ru Nan's own money?
Each person fixed their gaze on Niu You Dao. Niu You Dao replied with a forced smile:
"Why are you looking at me like that? I've been working so hard, running around for the Prince, and you don't want to return the money?"
It's not about the money. Shang Chao Zong cautiously asked, "Lord Dao, why did you borrow money?"
Niu You Dao waved his hand:
"Why? Of course, to buy gifts! Prince, rest assured. I didn't add anything to the expenses. Everything I bought, the bodyguards clearly saw."
The three of them were speechless. They truly didn't know what to say. They couldn't accept such a use for borrowed money.
"Are you saying you borrowed money from Feng Ru Nan, used it to buy gifts for Feng Ru Nan's family, all so the Prince could take Feng Ru Nan as his wife? This is simply too much. We may be poor, but not so poor as to lose all face!"
A blur appeared before Shang Chao Zong's eyes. He almost fainted. For the sake of their cause, he was already prepared to take Feng Ru Nan as his wife. But to take her in such a manner, how would she ever look at him afterward!
Shang Chao Zong, almost on the verge of tears, said sorrowfully:
"Lord Dao, since you're determined to marry her to me, why did you borrow money from her for the gifts?"
Niu You Dao said, surprised:
"I needed ten thousand gold, but you said you couldn't give it to me right now. And where would I get ten thousand gold from?"
Shang Chao Zong continued to speak sorrowfully:
"But why did you have to borrow specifically from her!"
Niu You Dao, wide-eyed, said: "Prince, you're quite something too. I'm new here. The only one I know is Feng Ru Nan. In all of Kuangai County, from whom could I have borrowed money then? And who would lend money to a stranger? Especially ten thousand gold; that's no small sum. Furthermore, which wealthy person would simply lend us money for free? We could have robbed the rich, but we came to Kuangai County to resolve matters, not to create trouble. And who knows what powerful figures stand behind those wealthy families? Whom might we inadvertently offend? Moreover, things needed to be resolved quickly. Feng Lin Bo is a very busy man. He's the county ruler. He might be here today and gone tomorrow. And then our matter would drag on. We don't have the luxury of handling things slowly and deliberately right now!"
The few people were utterly speechless. But how would they face Feng Lin Bo tomorrow?
Shang Chao Zong said helplessly:
"Since you forced them to hand over their daughter under the pretext of a hundred-thousand-strong army, you could have done without the gifts. Given the circumstances, would Feng Lin Bo even care about the gifts?" What made Shang Chao Zong most uncomfortable was facing Feng Lin Bo.
Niu You Dao continued, surprised:
"Prince, Feng Lin Bo knows your current predicament. Furthermore, would he even meet with you? Would he need to? And how long would I have to wait for him then? Moreover, regarding the matter of yielding his daughter to you, would he meet with a small fry like me? How would he then learn about the hundred-thousand-strong army? I can't just tell everyone about the hundred-thousand-strong army, can I? Such things I must convey personally. What's more, if I hadn't made such a fuss, Feng Lin Bo could have dragged out his response indefinitely. But now, time is pressing for him too. Especially since we are in his territory. If he wished, he could capture us and do as he pleased. But now, everyone knows the situation, and Feng Lin Bo wouldn't dare act rashly. Prince, I'm doing all this for you, and you can't even pay me back?"
Niu You Dao waved his hand, as if the matter no longer concerned him.
"I..." Shang Chao Zong didn't know how to respond. Thinking it over, everything Niu You Dao had done was indeed for him. He had nothing to say in reply.
Shang Shu Qing spoke in a soft voice:
"Brother, Lord Dao has given his all for this matter. We will figure out a way to repay this debt ourselves!"
Lan Ruo Ting gave a bitter laugh, Shang Chao Zong had no choice but to nod in agreement to all this. The main point was that Niu You Dao had indeed done all of this for the Prince. And if not him, who else would repay the debt?
"The Great Princess is truly talented!" Niu You Dao gave Shang Shu Qing a thumbs-up.
Shang Shu Qing bowed to him:
"Lord Dao has poured his heart into this; thank you."
"No need, no trouble at all. No trouble at all." Niu You Dao waved happily and added again:
"However, there's one more thing you might not like to hear.
The three immediately stared at him. What else has this fellow done now???
They no longer knew what to think. Shang Shu Qing said in a soft and gentle voice:
"Speak your mind!"
Niu You Dao replied, slightly awkwardly:
"Our affairs are already progressing quite well... I won't beat around the bush. I'll just say this: I'm not taking responsibility for any of these matters!"
The three people were once again taken aback. Each of their hearts sank. What else happened now!
Shang Shu Qing asked probing:
"I don't know... Lord Dao, what do you mean by this?"
Niu You Dao nodded towards Lan Ruo Ting and asked:
"Mister Lan, are you a disciple of Luo Shao Fu?"
Lan Ruo Ting froze:
"Luo Shao Fu was indeed my teacher." He began to worry to himself. "Could it be that this fellow won't even leave his deceased teacher in peace?
"So it's true!" Niu You Dao sighed.
"I simply heard it from Feng Lin Bo. Feng Lin Bo admired your teacher and asked me if you were the one who had devised this whole marriage scheme. But I am young, still immature; how could I take credit for such a plan? So I said that it was indeed all your idea. Feng Lin Bo immediately began to praise you profusely. He said that a good teacher produces good students. Therefore, we need to discuss everything to ensure nothing goes wrong."
Lan Ruo Ting remained silent. He pondered for a moment, then asked doubtfully:
"There's no need to take responsibility for this. Moreover, Feng Lin Bo actually admires the plan. Why would you shift your achievements onto me?"
"Oh, that's fine. It's just that I'm not fond of boasting about my own abilities, so I hope Mister will understand me!" Niu You Dao spoke, then, lowering his head and scratching his nose, quietly added:
"By the way, that matter of borrowing money from Feng Ru Nan was also Mister's idea. I hope Mister will take responsibility for that as well!"
"Ah!" Lan Ruo Ting turned pale with fright. He stared intently at Niu You Dao, eyes wide: "You flattered me first, and then gleefully tried to shift all the responsibility onto me?"
Shang Chao Zong and Shang Shu Qing were at a loss for words. They understood why this fellow dared to do as he pleased. He had made a mess of things here, but someone else would bear the responsibility. With that, who would ever be afraid to do anything!
Upon hearing all this, Lan Ruo Ting was bewildered: *How could Dong Guo Hao Ran, such a refined and outstanding person, have taken on a disciple like this at the brink of death?*
Yuan Gang, however, knew Lord Dao well and stood calmly beside him. He paid no mind to it whatsoever.
Lan Ruo Ting also didn't know whether to laugh or cry. In the end, he nodded his head. After all, Niu You Dao had already accomplished the main task and settled such a significant matter. And if he refused now, it would be unfair to Niu You Dao.
However, he felt uneasy. Tomorrow, when he went to the Feng family, how would they look at him? And how could he look them in the eye?
Niu You Dao smiled with relief and discussed the next day's ceremony with them. They went over the specific arrangements.
Lan Ruo Ting would be their representative. If Shang Chao Zong were to propose himself, it would be unbecoming of him. Little sister Shang Shu Qing wasn't suitable either, as she herself was unmarried. Therefore, Lan Ruo Ting was the most fitting choice for this role. Niu You Dao also didn't want to step forward. He had already done so much anyway. He had built the bridges between them, shown the path, and made the arrangements. Now, they should walk the path themselves. If they couldn't walk the path themselves, they wouldn't be any different from pigs headed for slaughter. In that case, he might as well leave them.
So, he looked around for a place to rest and left. Let them figure out the best course of action themselves.
"Lord Dao, I will see you off!" Shang Shu Qing personally stepped out to escort him.
Niu You Dao, however, didn't stop her and spoke freely with her. Despite her plain appearance, he already felt a degree of fondness for this intelligent young woman. So, smiling, he asked:
"Your hat is blocking the light from the lanterns; can you see everything? Will you fall?"
Shang Shu Qing replied in a warm voice:
"I'm used to it."
Although she replied naturally, an unpleasant feeling stirred within her. This made Niu You Dao feel slightly awkward, so he changed the subject:
"Earlier, I saw a crowd of monks; why were they brought here?"
Shang Shu Qing, walking beside him, said in a gentle voice:
"Before Lord Dao left us, he instructed us to keep the bear so he could see it. So we wanted to bring it along. But he was stubborn and refused to leave the temple. Because if he left, his brethren might be killed, or they would scatter. And then he wouldn't fulfill the promise he made to his master on the brink of death. That's why he absolutely refused to leave. Even under the threat of death, he would not abandon the temple. So we had no choice but to bring all the people with us, to prevent them from dispersing. Now, Lord Dao can finally see him.