The Marquis Is Innocent

The Qiao family of East County.

Qiao Yue sat in his study, his face ashen, his eyes straight, like a dead man.

During these days, news was like a floodgate that had suddenly opened and kept pouring in on him.

He was so shocked that he could hardly breathe.

It turned out that Wei Shao had already dissolved the Northern Expeditionary Alliance and won the Battle of the Yellow River.

Everyone in the world knew this, but he was unaware of it and thought Wei Shao was still fighting a trap.

What was he doing when he took Luoyang in a flash?

He listened to Zhang Pu’s words and not only joined Liu Yan, but also blinded his own brother and imprisoned him.

By now, he was swiftly hollowed out by Liu Yan.

Aside from being given the empty title of Marquis of Henghai, which was nothing, Qiao Yue was horrified to find that Yanzhou was no longer in his own hands.

When he thought of the scene that happened a few moments ago, his hands trembled uncontrollably again.

Wei Liang brought a team of men and horses to the Eastern County today, saying that he had come to congratulate Qiao Ping on his birthday on the order of the lady.

By the time he learned the news, Wei Liang was already surrounded.

He killed his way out of the siege and escaped, but his entourage, all of them, were shot dead.

This order, naturally, was not given by Qiao Yue.

When Qiao Yue heard the news, it was like being hit by a thunderbolt. Vaguely, as if he had finally understood something, his heart jumped, a feeling of great disaster.

Suddenly thought of Qiao Ping, like thinking of a savior, reluctantly got up and hurriedly went to the place where Qiao Ping was imprisoned.

When he reached the door, he was stopped by the guards.

Qiao Yue couldn’t help but feel angry, and after pondering, he turned around and hurriedly went to Liu Yan’s residence again.

During his stay at the Qiao family home, Liu Yan did not stay in the mansion Qiao Yue had prepared for him, but stayed in the old house he had lived in as a teenager.

The old house was in disrepair and at first Qiao Yue refused to stay. But Liu Yan insisted, so he had to let him go.

Qiao Yue barged in, but was blocked by Liu Fan’s men.

He became more and more angry and called out loudly. Suddenly, he heard Liu Yan’s voice inside: “Let him in.”

Liu Fan let him go.

Qiao Yue entered with large strides and saw Liu Yan sitting with wide clothes and large sleeves towards the window, playing alone against a game of Go.

His eyes fell on the board and his fingers twirled a black piece, as if he was thinking about the game.

Qiao Yue held back his anger and said, “This is my Qiao family. I wanted to see my second brother, why was I also stopped?”

Liu Yan didn’t look at him, he “snapped” a piece and said indifferently, “The magistrate has lost his eyesight, I am asking the doctor to treat him, he needs to recuperate, it is not convenient to see others.”

Qiao Yue’s breath was stuffed in his chest, and he forced himself to hold it back, and said, “I just heard that Wei Liang was attacked outside the city gate, did you do it too?”

Liu Yan did not respond, his hand reached out to the jade jar, grabbed a few white seeds, cupped them in his palm, and slowly played with them.

“Liu Yan!”

Qiao Yue couldn’t hold back any longer and called him by his name, “I’ve been thinking about this for a few days, and I’ve slowly figured it out. I’m not sure why I haven’t received any news from our spies back! It’s you who intercepted the information and manipulated me, didn’t you? I’ve been a benefactor to you, and you did this to me! What are your intentions?”

Liu Yan looked at him, still calm and collected: “What’s wrong with Marquis Henghai? It’s only been a few days, so you’re regretting your decision to join me, and you want to seek favor with Wei Shao again? It’s a pity…”

He sighed softly and shook his head: “It’s too late. Everyone in the world knows that your Qiao family has abandoned the darkness and turned to the light, willing to serve my Han family. Even if you put yourself down now, as you did three years ago, and brazenly send your daughter to court Wei Shao, I’m afraid he won’t be able to tolerate your Qiao family anymore.”

Qiao Yue’s teeth clenched and his face slowly turned red.

Liu Yan watched him for a moment, and suddenly loosened his grip, and the few chess pieces that he grabbed, scattered on the chessboard.

The chess pieces dripped and whirled, emitting a slight but pleasant jade scraping sound, and slowly came to a halt and stood still.

Liu Yan got off the ground and paced along the wall of the house, slowly pacing in a circle.

Finally stopping in front of Qiao Yue, he smiled and said, “Thank you, Lord Qiao, for being hospitable and staying with me for so many days, allowing me to relive those unforgettable days of my youth again. I should also leave.”

Qiao Yue was shocked: “You have harmed me like this, and you are going to leave me?”

Liu Yan said, “You’re wrong. Wei Shao long had the heart of a rebellious minister, you joined me, it was a matter of time, how did it become a harm to you?”

Qiao Yue’s cheek muscles on both sides twitched and turned as if the color of pig liver.

“I know you are afraid that Wei Shao will attack. Don’t worry, since Yanzhou is now my Han land, how can I not care? I have left you a helper, General Ding Qu, who came with the army a few days ago. Have you seen him? He will take over the responsibility of the governor for you. The only thing you need to do is to be careful.”

He said indifferently, dusted off his sleeves, turned around and floated away.

……

Liu Yan ran out of the city gates of East County without looking back.

The wind blew in the face, raising his sleeves and the corners of his robe.

He was filled with a feeling of pleasure from revenge and could not wait to raise the sky to give vent to his inner emotions at the moment.

All he need was to buy a Zhang Pu, and Yanzhou would be his, and the Qiao family would be completely cut off from Wei Shao.

When we meet, there will be a lot of fighting.

The walls of Yanzhou may not be able to withstand Wei Shao’s military front.

But what’s the harm in that? He did not care about the loss of a city.

Moreover, Yanzhou did not belong to him in the first place.

The reason why he left his newest member, Ding Qu, to guard the town was to give him real power on the ground and a chance for revenge, and to show his royalty.

The second is that the more he encountered strong resistance from Yanzhou, the deeper Wei Shao’s hatred for the Qiao family would grow.

After this, how can his Xiao Qiao continue to love Wei Shao for the rest of his life?

Liu Yan suppressed his heart from rolling with pleasure, closed his eyes and took a long breath of the fresh air that he had seen before in the wilderness outside the city of Dongxian.

This whole world, sooner or later, will be returned to the Han family again.

The Qiao girl of the Qiao family in East County, one day, can only belong to him, no one can really take it away.

Not even Wei Shao.