mtlumby2d Chapter 2085 This is true teamwork!
Chapter 2085 This is true teamwork!
"apologize?"
Li Xiangnan repeated these two words, his face calm as usual, but alarm bells were ringing in his heart.
Ten small yellow croakers and a fully grown ginseng root are worth a fortune!
Who is Shangguan Wuji?
He was the head of the top five families, a powerful figure who held sway over half of Yanjing!
Why would someone like that lower themselves so much, even going so far as to apologize in person with the word "apology"?
Something unusual must be going on!
Li Xiangnan's gaze swept quickly across Shangguan Wuji's seemingly sincere square face, catching a fleeting glimpse of cold, silent calculation deep within those unfathomable eyes!
That wasn't a genuine apology in their eyes; it was a calculated move, a baiting move!
He was almost instantly certain that there was a bigger scheme behind this apology!
It's either a test, a way to lull someone into a false sense of security, or a way to pave the way for even more ruthless moves to come!
We absolutely cannot let him solidify this issue!
Once the pretext of making an apology is confirmed, it is tantamount to admitting that there should be no grudge between the Shangguan family and the Li family. Whether the grudge is real or not, it will become an excuse for Shangguan Wuji to interfere in the affairs of the Li family in the future, and may even become a prelude for him to make unreasonable demands under the guise of compensation or settlement!
In a flash, Li Xiangnan's gaze swept over Song Cijiu, who was standing on the other side of the octagonal table, with extremely subtle and quick movements.
The two have been close friends for many years, despite their age difference, and their tacit understanding runs deep.
Song Cijiu almost immediately received the signal conveyed in Li Xiangnan's eyes.
Interrupt him, change the subject, and never continue with the apology, or you'll fall into his trap!
Just as Shangguan Wuji opened his mouth, seemingly about to explain what crime he had committed!
"Patriarch Shangguan!"
Song Cijiu took a sudden step forward, his voice loud and clear, carrying a reckless yet enthusiastic spirit, directly cutting off Shangguan Wuji's words.
His face was plastered with a seemingly simple and honest smile as he repeatedly cupped his hands in greeting to Shangguan Wuji:
"You're exaggerating! You're exaggerating!"
His loud voice immediately drew everyone's attention to him. He quickly walked to Shangguan Wuji's side, adopting a "you're too kind" attitude, and continued:
"As far as I know, although our Li family and the Shangguan family have not been on good terms for generations, we have always kept to ourselves and have our own businesses. When we occasionally meet, we are always on friendly terms! How can you say that we have committed any crime?"
"If these ten yellow croakers and the old ginseng were a gift, our Li family would be eternally grateful and it would be an honor to have you here! But if you're talking about it as an apology... hey, that would really be too much for us, and it would also be beneath the reputation of you, the head of the Shangguan family, wouldn't it?"
Song Cijiu's words, though seemingly crude, were actually quite subtle. He first defined the relationship between the two families as an ordinary one, stating that "there was no interaction or enmity between them," thus completely negating the premise that an apology was necessary.
Then, he cleverly redefined the lavish gift as a congratulatory gift, elevating Shangguan Wuji's attitude from apologizing to offering congratulations, thus giving the other party a way out while blocking any further apologetic attempts.
Finally, Song Cijiu put on a stern face and shouted to the guests and his family in the courtyard, "What day is it today? It's my grandniece Li Xitang's one-month celebration, a joyous occasion! All of you are here to drink the celebratory wine and share in the joy! We won't talk about any of those old grudges and disputes today! We just want to have auspiciousness and celebration!"
After saying that, he turned to Li Xiangnan and deliberately raised his voice: "Xiangnan, don't you think so? The most important thing for our family right now is to entertain all our guests and start the banquet! Tell the kitchen to get ready quickly so we don't miss the auspicious time!"
Li Xiangnan understood immediately and replied in a gentle yet authoritative tone: "Second Uncle is right. Today we will only discuss the celebration and nothing else! I, on behalf of my daughter, would like to accept Mr. Shangguan's generous gift. We are deeply grateful! Mr. Shangguan, please take a seat later!"
Their back-and-forth exchange was swift as lightning.
Li Xiangnan keenly sensed the crisis, and Song Cijiu tacitly intervened to interrupt and set the tone. Li Xiangnan then took the opportunity to accept the gift, set the tone, and invited them to take their seats.
The sole purpose was to quickly move past the abrupt and dangerous topic of Shangguan Wuji apologizing, and to bring the event back to the normal course of the wedding banquet.
Song Yi, Song Ziming, Wang Defa, and other relatives and friends instantly understood the tacit cooperation between Li Xiangnan and Song Cijiu, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Meanwhile, the emotions of the ten families of Yanjing, represented by Ye Ruyan and Yan Qinghe, shifted from the excitement of Shangguan Wuji's attack to the worry that the two would work together to break the deadlock.
However, who exactly is Shangguan Wuji?
Since he dared to come, how could he not have a backup plan? How could he be so easily led astray?
His smile remained, but his eyes grew even deeper as he patted his sleeves in a pretentious manner.
Song bids farewell to the old!
This plague-stricken Song is indeed not so easy to deal with!
I never expected this guy to be at the Li family's wedding banquet! And he's even subtly in charge of some important matters for the Li family!
No wonder the ten families took so long to get into the backyard; it must be because of this deity causing trouble here!
Hmph, you think you can shut me up now? You want to disrupt my rhythm?
That probably wouldn't be enough!
The thunder I'm talking about today will definitely blow up your Li family!
He laughed and was about to say something more.
Just then, Du Xingyue, who had been observing coldly, made a move.
The old man seemed not to have heard the veiled remark about apologizing, and slammed his sandalwood cane heavily onto the ground.
"Boom!"
The dull sound sent a chill down everyone's spine.
Du Xingyue's silvery-white eyebrows shot up, his gaze sharp as lightning, fixed on the trembling family representative in the corner. His voice, though aged, was incredibly authoritative:
"Young Master Song is right. Today is a wedding banquet, so let's put other matters aside for now! But there's one thing that must be done right now, immediately, and perfectly!"
He suddenly raised his hand, his dragon-headed cane pointing at Ye Ruyan, Yan Qinghe, and the others, his voice booming:
"You ten families! You've gathered a crowd to cause trouble, disrupted the wedding banquet, and insulted the host. Have you chosen the path I just gave you? Huh?"
"Apologize publicly! Drink three jars of wine as a penalty! Kneel to see off the guests!"
"What the hell are you dawdling for? Did you almost forget about this? Do you really think I'm just ignoring you? Or do you think... someone's coming, and you're getting cocky again? Trying to back out?"
Du Xingyue's words were timed perfectly!
He didn't give Shangguan Wuji a chance to interrupt or guide the conversation. Instead, he swiftly and decisively shifted the focus and conflict of the entire event back to the issue of how the ten families should be punished for causing trouble, a topic that he had already taken control of!
Moreover, his words were laced with barbs. His final question, "Have you straightened your back now?" bluntly exposed the wishful thinking that the ten families were currently harboring, and also subtly put Shangguan Wuji in a difficult position. "You've come, do you want to interfere with the rules I set?"
They're making a fuss about all this nonsense, not even mentioning the ten families involved. Are they trying to downplay the previous conflicts? What a load of rubbish!
really!
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the ten representatives in the corner changed once again.
Ye Ruyan pursed her lips, Yan Qinghe's eyelids twitched wildly, and Liu Wenyuan, Hou Wanjin, Zong Wangshan, and Qian Houjin exchanged glances, their eyes unconsciously drifting towards Shangguan Wuji!
Du Xingyue's oppressive aura had almost driven them to the brink of collapse, but Shangguan Wuji's arrival was like a shot of adrenaline, calming them down and even rekindling a glimmer of hope in their hearts.
Perhaps there is still room for things to turn around?
At least, can we spare you the most humiliating act of kneeling to see off the guests?
How could they possibly hide their little schemes from Du Xingyue and Shangguan Wuji?
Shangguan Wuji sneered inwardly, but his face immediately showed a perfectly timed look of realization and displeasure.
He abruptly turned his head to look at the representative of the aristocratic family, his thick eyebrows furrowed, his voice filled with undisguised anger:
“Brother Du is absolutely right! One thing at a time, you disturbed the wedding banquet and angered Elder Du, which was a huge mistake! Quickly accept your punishment!”
boom!
Upon hearing this, the room fell silent, and all ten families turned ashen-faced...