On the southern bank of the Qiantang River after the rain, grasses and trees flourished, green wherever the eye fell; even the wind seemed tinged with green. The mountains beside Mingsheng Lake resembled the coiled tresses of beautiful women, and the vast lake with its emerald waves seemed to be held aloft at brow level by these beauties, reverently offered between heaven and earth-
Beautiful though the mountains and waters were, Chu Jian, his son, and his nephew were in such foul spirits that they had not the slightest pleasure in the sights. Looking back at Chen Family Cove, they felt as though that enormous ring-shaped Fortified Manor weighed heavily upon their hearts, stifling them to the utmost.
"Father, since that Chen Caozhi refused to speak to Neishi Wang on behalf of our Chu Clan, why hand him twenty qing of land!"
Those words had been like a bone stuck in Chu Wenbin's throat; he had wanted to say them for some time.
Chu Jian glanced at his son, but directed his question to his nephew, Chu Wenqian. "Wenqian, what do you think?"
Though Chu Wenqian was also puzzled and indignant, he was steadier than Chu Wenbin, after all. "Uncle plans far ahead. There must be a deeper purpose behind this."
Chu Jian gave a hum of assent, then said gravely, "Whether our Chu Clan can weather this crisis rests entirely on those twenty qing of land. Heh, let us see in another couple of days. So long as the Chen Clan does not return the Land Deed Registers for those twenty qing, all is well."
Chu Wenbin sneered. "How could they bear to return them? Father, did you not see that old fellow called Chen Man? When he heard we were giving the Chen Clan twenty qing of land,