Cao Man frowned and fell into deep thought.
The man looked at his reaction and continued to persuade him, "At this point, for us brothers hiding in the dark, even if we can't figure it out, we've been forced by the old man to figure it out. It's hard for us to not see through the old man's intentions now. Before we can find a more suitable partner, the old man won't put all his eggs in one basket. Instead, he'll walk on several legs together. The Old Master's intentions are very simple. Either the second brother does well, and everything will move forward naturally. If the second brother is mediocre and incompetent and can't convince us, then he can forget about controlling all the forces in his hands. That will only destroy the Xiahou Family. At that time, the second brother will continue to stand in the light, and we will continue to hide in the dark. We won't attack each other openly or secretly. This way, we will continue to preserve the Xiahou Family's strength. If the second brother is arrogant but incompetent and messes around, then we will have no choice but to join forces and replace him. In short, no matter what the result is, we will try our best to preserve the Xiahou Family's strength. This time, the Old Master pushed the second brother to become the Head of the Family. It seems unfair to us, but under the Old Master's arrangements, everything is fair and there's no favoritism. The second brother is only in the front of the line, and the last person to take over the Xiahou Family has only one condition, and that is the most capable! "
"I've been blinded by the situation." Cao Man suddenly sighed. He didn't stand in the position of the other brothers, so he couldn't see the significance of his position. However, the other brothers had been forced to this point by the Old Master and had no choice but to see it. Now that the sixth brother reminded him, it could be said that the Old Master was suddenly enlightened. He had previously resented the Old Master, but now it seemed that the Old Master wasn't unfair to him. Just like what the sixth brother had said, the Old Master was fair and the most capable person would take over.
Seeing that he had admitted it, the newcomer continued, "Third Brother, you should understand now. The Old Master only let the second brother stand in the light and lead the Xiahou Family, but he definitely has some information about us brothers, giving him an innate advantage. However, the Old Master won't let him mess around with the fate of the entire Xiahou Family. That's not something the Xiahou Family can make up for no matter how many lives there are in the Xiahou Family. The Old Master has truly placed the lives of a group of brothers in your hands, so how can you continue to pretend to be ignorant?"
Cao Man couldn't help but sigh again, "Old Master's foresight is truly unparalleled!" After saying that, he didn't say anything else and didn't bother to verify the authenticity of Old Sixth's identity. Instead, he directly imprinted his dhyana seal on the two Star Bells on the table. For a smart person, some things could be known by just pointing it out, and there was no need to delve into it.
After the two of them each took a Star Bell, Cao Man said, "Old Six, I have to at least know what aspect you're in charge of. Otherwise, I won't know which aspect I should look for you for if I need anything."
The person who came said two words softly. "A gang!"
Cao Man nodded slightly and noted it down. Then, she asked, "Can't you let me see your true appearance yet?"
The person who came waved the Star Bell in his hand. "This is where Old Master is wise. The dhyana seals of us brothers aren't in the database, and he doesn't let us know each other's appearances. There are so many people in the gangs in the world, so it'll be hard for you to find me even if you want to, Third Brother. This is also my final trump card to protect myself, so naturally, I won't easily tell Third Brother about it. Otherwise, if Third Brother acts recklessly one day, who will be able to keep Third Brother in check? As long as Second Brother doesn't act recklessly, we won't easily rebel against him either. Establishing a connection with Third Brother is just to leave a way out for ourselves. If we go too far, it won't be good for anyone. Who knows if Old Master has other tricks up his sleeves? Old Master isn't someone to be trifled with. Actually, this is pretty good. At least if something happens in one place, we won't be completely destroyed. Third Brother doesn't need to care about my true appearance so much. Besides, I have to be on guard against Third Brother. Won't there be any problems here? "
Cao Man nodded.
The visitor walked up to the incense burner and lit a stick of incense. He didn't do anything else and immediately turned to leave after achieving his goal. He didn't even bid farewell.
Cao Man didn't say anything. She walked slowly to the incense burner and lit a stick of incense as well. Then, she slowly walked to the window and pushed it open. Looking at the night sky outside, she let out a long sigh.
Once some things became clear, they would naturally be as expected. It wasn't just Old Sixth. The Xiahou Clan's hidden underground forces had all paid him a visit in recent days. It wasn't hard for Cao Man to figure out why they were all gathered at this time. First of all, the Xiahou Clan was in the middle of a huge funeral, so Xiahou Ling's attention must have been diverted quite a bit. They wouldn't pay much attention to this place. Secondly, everyone was eager to establish contact with him. It wouldn't be good to drag things out for too long. Otherwise, if something happened, they wouldn't be able to communicate directly.
This matter naturally aroused Qi Jue's suspicions. Recently, a bunch of friends of the Master had suddenly appeared. What was going on?
In the Almighty Weng Manor, white banners fluttered in the wind like banners. There was an endless stream of people coming and going.
Dressed in black, Miao Yi arrived alone. His entourage had been stopped and wasn't allowed to come here. Arrangements had been made elsewhere.
The person receiving the guests at the door was also a knowledgeable person. After all, Miao Yi had been the Imperial Garden's Head Commander before. It wasn't hard for him to recognize him.
"Lieutenant Niu, please come in!"
After making the transcendence seal to verify his identity and leaving behind a Bao Yi, someone invited him in. After that, he didn't need to be guided any further. He just needed to follow the path lined with white banners. The coffin was placed inside the main hall.
As soon as he climbed up the steps of the main hall, someone announced, "Nether Lieutenant Niu Youde has arrived!"
Most lieutenants wouldn't have the right to come here to pay their respects. Miao Yi was an exception.
Someone at the door offered incense to Miao Yi. As he walked in, he saw the coffin placed at the top of the hall. A group of men and women knelt to its left and right. Their expressions were sorrowful, and their eyes were red and swollen. They all bowed to Miao Yi to express their gratitude.
Miao Yi went up to the candles and burned the incense. After paying his respects, he inserted the incense into the incense burner. He turned to Xiahou Ling and the others standing at the side and softly said, "My condolences."
Xiahou Ling and the others cupped their fists in thanks. At the same time, they stared at Miao Yi and sized him up. The others kneeling also thanked him.
As soon as he walked out of the main hall and down the steps, E Mei was already waiting for him. She gestured for Miao Yi to follow her.
With E Mei leading the way, they entered a courtyard in the inner garden of the Almighty Old Man Manor. There were Heavenly Soldiers and Heavenly Generals standing guard at the entrance. Many of them were red-armored generals. Miao Yi knew quite a few of them, and had even drunk with them before. They were all members of the Imperial Guards.
They nodded and greeted each other when they saw each other. However, they still had to follow the rules. They searched Miao Yi's body and confirmed his identity before letting him in.
He walked all the way to the main hall and saw Xiahou Chengyu sitting on the throne.
At this moment, the Heavenly Empress' eyes were red and swollen. She was dressed in white, and the accessories on her head had been removed. Her hair was tied up in a simple bun, which made her look fresher and more pleasing to the eye than usual.
Miao Yi muttered to himself. He felt that Xiahou Chengyu would look better if he wasn't dressed up to the nines. Of course, he wouldn't say this out loud even if he was beaten to death. He stepped forward and bowed. "Your humble servant Niu Youde pays his respects to the Empress. My condolences."
"You're here. You don't have to be so polite." Xiahou Chengyu nodded. She had finally seen someone who could make her feel a little better. However, this was not the time to smile, so she turned to the side and said, "My son, it seems like you haven't met him yet. This is Mother's direct subordinate, the Netherworld General Niu Youde. He is someone worthy of Mother's trust."
Only then did Miao Yi turn his attention to the tall man standing at the side. He was dressed in a long green robe. Perhaps it was because Xiahou Ta had passed away, but he was wearing a short white vest. Although he wasn't considered good-looking, he had a natural elegance about him. His eyes were spirited, and his brows bore some resemblance to Lord Qing's.
This man was' my son 'and' mother 'at the same time. If Miao Yi still couldn't guess that this man was Lord Qing's son, Yuan Venerate Tianzi Qing, he would be a fool. He quickly cupped his fists and said, "Your humble servant pays his respects to Your Highness!"
Yuan Venerate Qing smiled and nodded his head slightly. "I have long heard of Lieutenant Niu's great name. Now that I've seen you today, your bearing is indeed extraordinary." There was a hint of curiosity in his gaze as he examined Miao Yi.
It was obvious that he didn't dislike Miao Yi. After all, Miao Yi was his mother's trusted subordinate.
"I can see that the two of you hit it off very well. You should get to know each other more often." Xiahou Chengyu added.
"Yes!" Yuan Venerate Qing and Miao Yi hurriedly cupped their fists in acknowledgment.
"Where are you staying and when are you planning to return?" Xiahou Chengyu asked again.
Miao Yi replied respectfully, "I will return after the Heavenly Elder's funeral. I am currently staying in a guest house outside."
Xiahou Chengyu couldn't say much since E Mei and the others were around. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, he sighed and said, "I am a little tired. You youngsters can go for a walk." He waved his hand at Yuan Venerate Qing.
"Yes!" The two of them cupped their fists in acknowledgment again.
Watching the two of them leave the room one after the other, Xiahou Chengyu secretly nodded his head in relief.
The two of them strolled around the garden, neither of them speaking first. Miao Yi pondered the temper of this emperor and considered how to get along with him. At the same time, he sighed inwardly. Back then, this emperor had still been in Xiahou Chengyu's belly. In the blink of an eye, he had grown so much. He suddenly felt like he was no longer young.
However, when he thought about it, it made sense. That was 10,000 years ago. How could he not have grown up?
As they entered the garden, Yuan Venerate Qing suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around coldly. "Why are you following me?"
Miao Yi turned around and saw the two accompanying palace maids speaking in fear. "How can there be no one to serve His Highness? We … "
"Scram!" Yuan Venerate Qing shouted rudely.
The two maids turned pale in fear and immediately bowed their heads and retreated. Yuan Venerate Qing then turned around and smiled at Miao Yi. "Brother Niu, don't take it to heart. The Xiahou Family is watching us. It's annoying to see them around. They will affect your mood."
Miao Yi smiled and nodded in agreement. He wasn't surprised at all. Xiahou Chengyu was surrounded by the Xiahou Family's spies. If Xiahou Chengyu was disgusted, Qing Zhu would naturally not like him either. It would be strange if the son liked someone that even his parents hated.
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