His words seemed to fall on deaf ears as Ye Longlin took another swig from the Moutai he was holding.
His eyes appeared glazed, and his entire demeanor was clouded with a drunken haze, a far cry from his usual clarity.
Ye Nantian rubbed his head. This situation seemed difficult to resolve. They were a bunch of drunkards. While he didn't know the reason for their visit, dealing with them was proving troublesome.
Getting them to leave was the most important thing.
Moreover, Ye Nantian didn't believe they were truly drunk.
After all, these were martial artists. With a surge of their internal energy, they could expel alcohol from their bodies and be ready for battle in an instant.
They were not ordinary people. If they wished, they could sober up at any moment.
What he couldn't figure out was their purpose.
This was truly vexing.
"Ye Longlin, this is the Ye family, not your home. Please understand. Look around, is your own courtyard this vast?"
Ye Nantian spoke through gritted teeth, then instructed the butler beside him, "Tell the kitchen to prepare hangover soup for them."
The best approach was to ignore them, let them do as they pleased, and detach himself from the situation. Indifference was the wisest course.
He was not a fool.
Having presided over the Ye family for so long, Ye Nantian possessed a deep shrewdness.
He absolutely refused to believe that this matter was as simple as it appeared, nor did he believe it lacked a hidden agenda.
"Who resides in the west wing?"
Ye Nantian turned and left, unwilling to linger.
Let them do as they wished. This was the Ye family's domain, and they wouldn't go too far. Once they accomplished whatever they intended, they would leave.
"Ye Wanqing," the butler replied.
Ye Nantian frowned, pondering for a moment, a look of confusion in his eyes.
Even when Ye Guohui was in power, there wasn't a close relationship with the branch family from the capital's Ye clan. While their relations were cordial, the two younger generations had never met. At most, Ye Guohui had met the head of the branch family, but their relationship wasn't particularly close.
There had even been some friction back then.
"Ignore them. Clear out all our people. Let them do whatever they want. Withdraw people from the west wing as well. I refuse to believe they would dare to take Ye Wanqing away."
"Yes!"
He had no desire to get entangled with a group of drunks. Who knew if these people were just acting out while intoxicated?
The most likely scenario was that they were using this opportunity to gauge the Ye family's strength and gather intelligence on their situation. It seemed Ye Longlin would make his move against the Ye family soon.
In the west wing.
Xuanwu, carrying wine, entered a room. Inside, he found the maiden he had longed to see, a gentle softness appearing in his eyes.
"Wanqing."
Xuanwu uttered, his voice hoarse, tears welling up in his eyes.
For so many years, she had waited for him. He considered himself a scoundrel for making her wait so long without giving her any answers.
This time, he was determined to give her an answer, or rather, to let Ye Wanqing know that he loved her. He had returned precisely to take her away.
Upon hearing the voice, Ye Wanqing turned sharply, her gaze instantly fixed on the slender figure.
"Xuanwu!"
She looked at Mo Xuanwu, covering her small mouth in disbelief.
She truly couldn't fathom that the man she had yearned for day and night would actually appear before her, and here, at the Ye family's estate!
In the next moment, the two embraced tightly.
Feeling the warmth in his arms, Ye Wanqing's tears flowed freely.
"Xuanwu, I'm sorry. The Ye family wants me to marry Liming, and I... I can't refuse. They've imprisoned my parents. I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry."
Seeing him, Ye Wanqing's emotional dam broke, and she could only apologize repeatedly, her tears soaking the fabric on his shoulders.
Xuanwu held her, inhaling the subtle scent of her shampoo, and felt a sense of peace.
"It's alright. I'm back. No one can take you away from me, no one!"
Xuanwu was now fully sober, though a strong scent of alcohol still lingered on him.
This was a brief window of opportunity created by his boss. A moment of tenderness was enough; there would be many more days to come.
"Wanqing, listen to me. I don't have much time now, and I can't stay here for long. Please, do not do anything rash, alright? On your wedding day, I will come, and I will give you a surprise. Please, don't do anything foolish, trust me, okay?"
Xuanwu placed his hands on her shoulders, speaking with certainty.
He could always trust his boss.
If not for that, he wouldn't have been able to see Ye Wanqing tonight.
Ye Wanqing nodded deeply. "Okay, I trust you. I'll wait for you to marry me. Even if I'm wearing a wedding dress that day, it will be for you."
Xuanwu said no more. Their lips met in a kiss upon Ye Wanqing's.
Feeling Xuanwu's fervent love, she didn't shy away. Her hands wrapped around his neck, and they kissed passionately.
"Your brother has found a girlfriend, what about you?"
At this moment, Ye Longlin was completely clear-headed, appearing entirely normal.
Indeed, they were all pretending to be drunk, but they were not ordinary people. Being drunk was one thing; maintaining operational capacity while drunk was another.
They belonged to the latter category.
Xuan Niao pouted, "It would be even better if he got married. At least my parents wouldn't urge me to resign. Since the matter of continuing the lineage falls to my brother, it doesn't matter whether I get married or not."
Qin Hanlie coughed lightly. "Well, my brother's son is still single. He's a legitimate research doctor, currently at the Academy of Engineering. You could consider him. You'll have to retire sooner or later anyway, and with both husband and wife contributing to the country, the nation won't treat you unfairly."
Xuan Niao looked at Qin Hanlie with a half-smile. "Marshal Qin, are you trying to sell me your own product?"
Qin Hanlie's face flushed red. He understood her subtle implication and chuckled awkwardly.
"Don't forget the purpose of our visit."
It was almost exactly as Ye Nantian had surmised.
Bringing Xuanwu to meet Ye Wanqing was secondary. The primary goal was to probe the Ye family's strength and understand their plans while feigning drunkenness.
"I wonder if Elder Li will consider our situation."
Lin Langsheng said worriedly. Ye Nantian was eager for them to leave, but the problem was that since they had already prepared to depart, they wouldn't just leave like this.
The Ye family, being the mastermind behind many events, had come today mainly to exert pressure.
And in terms of exerting pressure, it would depend on Elder Li Chengdao.
If Elder Li could comprehend their intent, then their objective for today would be achieved. If not, they wouldn't have suffered any losses, but they would be unable to apply pressure.
The reason Lin Langsheng and Qin Hanlie were indulging their antics was that they had their own ulterior motives.
It was to pressure the Ye family's influence in various sectors.
Their proposal had already passed. Civilian officials were to retreat to the background, making way for the promotion of certain military officers, most of whom were opposed to the Ye family.
The Ye family's obstruction at that juncture would be the biggest hurdle.
The Ye family, with its long history, held considerable influence among civilian officials.
Even though the proposal originated from the military, due to its significant implications, a meeting with civilian officials would be necessary. If all individuals affiliated with the Ye family cast opposing votes, the proposal would ultimately be stillborn.
Furthermore, this was the cusp of a new era.
The intensity of combat on all fronts was gradually decreasing year by year. International proposals were communicated globally. In the future, major incidents would be rare, leading civilian officials to gradually step onto the historical stage, with military officers receding to the background, and civilian officials taking the lead.
Therefore, at this juncture, an increase in the military's influence was something the Ye family did not wish to see.
"Elder Li is not as incompetent as you think. Elder Li will figure it out."
The others nodded, saying no more, and continued drinking.
It was certain that someone in the Ye family was monitoring them. Their next step was to continue drinking, feigning drunkenness, to investigate the Ye family's arrangements and the individuals hidden in the shadows.
Meanwhile, outside, a storm had already erupted.
Lin Langsheng, the master of the Eastern faction, was suspected of being missing, prompting the Eastern faction's capital garrison to initiate a search.
Qin Hanlie, the master of the Northern faction, was suspected of being missing, leading the capital's military command to utilize all available resources to search for him.
Five top figures of the Dragon Pavilion were suspected of being missing, causing the Dragon Pavilion to deploy its intelligence networks for a search.
Moreover, the disappearance of such influential figures placed an unavoidable responsibility on the capital's defense forces. Li Chengdao, one of the military leaders, was enraged and ordered the Imperial Guards to mobilize, also commencing a search for the missing individuals.
The pressure from these five factions plunged the entire capital into turmoil. No one knew what was happening that night.
Rumors even circulated in the shadows that the Dark Hall had made a move, completely eliminating the high-ranking officials of the Great Xia military in one fell swoop.
However, upon hearing this news, Ye Nantian's face turned ashen.
What the hell did this have to do with the Dark Hall? These people were simply drunk and causing trouble at the Ye family's residence.
Such a simple matter was being attributed to the Dark Hall.
"Spread the word that they are guests at my Ye family residence, drinking with us."
Ye Nantian rubbed his temples. He knew this matter wouldn't be so straightforward.
The butler then rushed in, his face pale. "Patriarch, it's bad! Thousands of soldiers have surrounded our entrance. The entire Ye family estate is encircled layer upon layer. The Dragon Pavilion, the Eastern faction, the Northern faction, and the Capital Defense Forces, along with the Imperial Guards, have ordered us to hand over the individuals within five minutes, or they will flatten our Ye family!"
Ye Nantian's eyelids twitched. He let out a long sigh. "This is a clever stratagem, a pure stratagem."
Ye Nantian had already changed into a traditional robe and felt a sense of gravity in his eyes.
What happened tonight was a calculated move.
But he still didn't understand the reason behind it.
"Instruct the kitchen to prepare food, and to prepare wine."
"Since they wish to drink, I shall accompany them."