socalfunplaces Chapter 977: Keqing's Showdown with Ningguang
Chapter 977: Keqing's Showdown with Ningguang
The lights in the Qun Yu Pavilion were bright, but it seemed a little deserted.
Ningguang sat quietly on the ground, seemingly having lost all her strength. She stared blankly in the direction where Shao Yun had left, and did not come back to her senses for a long time.
After a long while, Ningguang suddenly woke up, shook her head violently, and tried to cheer herself up.
She stood up quickly and straightened her clothes as if nothing had happened.
Of course, nothing had happened in the first place, except that Shao Yun had not supported him, and everything seemed to have returned to the starting point.
At this moment, Ningguang's only thought was to quickly get rid of her most vulnerable and humble begging appearance.
She would never show this look in front of anyone except Shao Yun and a few Liyue immortals and insiders.
After calming down, Ningguang walked towards the desk in the main hall of the Qun Yu Pavilion, ready to continue processing the documents that had not been completed today.
Just as Ningguang sat down at the desk and prepared to look through the documents, a burst of hurried footsteps was heard.
She raised her head and saw Keqing walking quickly towards her.
Keqing walked to the desk, bowed slightly, and saluted Ningguang. She greeted him, "Lady Ningguang, I apologize for disturbing you so late. Are you free now?"
Ningguang looked at Keqing, who had come to visit her late at night. Her face didn't show much expression. She simply raised her chin calmly and asked, "It's so late. What's going on, Yuhengxing?"
Keqing took a deep breath, looked directly into Ningguang's eyes, and blurted out everything that was on her mind.
"Thank you, Lady Ningguang, for your care and protection during this time. However, as a Jade Star, Keqing shouldn't be so 'depraved'! She should shoulder her 'responsibilities'!"
When Ningguang heard the key words "degeneration" and "responsibility" from Keqing's mouth, alarm bells immediately rang in her heart.
Her brows furrowed slightly, her eyes became sharp, and she stared at Keqing, demanding, "I don't understand what you mean, Keqing?"
Seeing this, Keqing did not retreat at all. She straightened her body, slightly puffed out her chest, and her whole body exuded a vigorous aura that had not been seen for a long time.
She said solemnly, "I will make my mistakes public and conduct a profound self-examination in front of the people of Liyue!"
Ningguang's heart sank after hearing these words.
Then, she looked at Keqing in disbelief, thinking that Keqing was simply seeking her own death.
In the vortex of power struggle, public self-criticism is tantamount to showing weakness, and showing weakness often means failure and death.
"You will die." Ningguang slowly stood up from her seat and warned.
However, in the face of Ningguang's warning, there was no fear on Keqing's face.
Her gaze remained firm, and the corners of her mouth even lifted slightly, revealing a faint smile as she softly said:
"Maybe. Keqing might die, or be impeached and forced to step down. But..."
Having said this, Keqing suddenly paused, her eyes suddenly fixed, and she retorted to Ningguang:
"Lord Ningguang, don't you realize that you have changed?"
Ningguang was stunned when she heard this.
She subconsciously pointed at herself and asked doubtfully, "Have I changed?"
Keqing nodded, and her words became more intense. She began to mercilessly explain the current situation in Liyue Harbor and her views and criticisms of Ningguang.
"Liyue Harbor has now become your Ningguang's exclusive possession, like a money bag you can manipulate at will!"
"Liyue doesn't belong to you, Ningguang, alone!"
Keqing's words were like a sharp sword, piercing through the superficial prosperity of Liyue Harbor and exposing the internal problems!
"Of course I know that business war is a battlefield without swords and sabers. To achieve victory, we can use any means and pay any price!"
Ningguang raised the corner of her mouth slightly, revealing a faint smile, and didn't care about Keqing's accusations.
"I won, I deserve everything!"
However, Keqing did not back down. Her voice became more passionate, and with a desperate momentum, she said righteously:
"But Liyue belongs to the people of Liyue, not just you!"
Ningguang sneered after hearing Keqing's naive and ridiculous remarks.
Then she slowly sat back in her chair, her eyes revealing pity and regret for Keqing.
"I thought that after going through so many ups and downs, you would grow and become more mature."
"However, the facts prove that you are still so naive." At this point, Ningguang's words were full of sarcasm and disdain.
Then, Ningguang mercilessly criticized Keqing's fantasy.
"You truly underestimate the evil in people's hearts! In this world full of conflicts of interest, kindness is often the most fragile existence."
"Have you never heard that righteousness does not belong to business, and benevolence does not belong to politics?"
Facing Ningguang's sarcasm, Keqing showed no fear.
Her aura at this moment rivaled Ningguang's, and she responded without a hint of weakness: "Lord Ningguang, you also underestimate the goodness in human nature!"
"The reason why Liyue has been able to survive through thousands of years of vicissitudes is not just due to conspiracy and trickery!"
Ningguang couldn't help but shake her head at Keqing's thoughts.
As a Tianquanxing, she knows how cruel the struggle for power is, and the saying "righteousness does not allow one to engage in business, and benevolence does not allow one to govern" is her profound understanding over the years.
In Liyue, Keqing couldn't be unaware of how many people were eager to climb up.
At this moment, Ningguang looked at Keqing in front of her, and a trace of regret welled up in her heart.
After all, they had known each other for many years and had a certain understanding. However, facing Keqing's naive idea, Ningguang decided to persuade her to give up.
"Keqing, you really underestimate politics!" Ningguang said seriously, "Do you really think you'll be forgiven if you confess everything?"
"You killed 80% of the elite soldiers of the Thousand Rock Army! This means so many families have been broken apart! Wives who lost their husbands, children who lost their fathers, and parents who lost their children."
"What will they do to you? They'll eat you alive!"
However, Keqing didn't seem to be shaken by Ningguang's words.
On the way, she met Shao Yun, who made her decision.
"Just think of Keqing as crazy." Keqing said lightly, and then she bowed deeply to Ningguang.
This bow is both a respect for Ningguang's help over the years and a statement of her decision.
"I'm leaving now. In two days, I will make my public self-criticism at Yujingtai."
"Thank you, Lady Ningguang, for your care over the past two years." Keqing said expressionlessly.
Ningguang looked at Keqing, feeling a little surprised. She hadn't expected Keqing to be so decisive, not even leaving her any room for negotiation.
"After this, we're just ordinary colleagues!" Keqing continued, as if she wanted to draw a clear line between herself and Ningguang.
After saying that, Keqing straightened her back, turned around and left the room resolutely.
Ningguang looked at Keqing's departing back and felt annoyed.
I saved you, and now that the limelight has passed, you want to get rid of me?
She slammed the desk and shouted, "Keqing, come back here!"
However, Keqing did not stop. She just paused for a moment and then continued to walk forward quickly.
"I'm sorry, Lady Ningguang, but the people of Liyue need to know the truth."
Ningguang was so angry that she didn't know what to say.
"Keqing, Keqing, you are still too naive." Ningguang murmured to herself.
After a few seconds, Ningguang took a deep breath and tried to calm herself down.
She slowly stood up and looked at the corner where Keqing disappeared, with a hint of ruthlessness in her eyes.
Things are different now. Ningguang will never allow a second 'Mao Cai Gong' to appear!
Last time, she was careless and didn't dodge...
"You really don't know your place. Without me, Keqing would have died long ago!...Should you abandon her?"
As soon as the idea of abandoning Keqing came to her mind, Ningguang shook her head and rejected it.
After all, they are colleagues and have worked together for so many years. Besides, the biggest beneficiary of Keqing's advocacy of human rule in Liyue is herself.
However, the other party was so arrogant and ungrateful that Ningguang felt a little annoyed.
Ningguang had a scale in her mind, thinking about the benefits and threats that Keqing brought to her.
In the end, Ningguang came to the conclusion that one should remain unchanged in the face of all changes.
"Let's wait and see. Let Ye Lan keep a close eye on Keqing's movements..."
……