Chapter 289: Unwilling to Accept Poverty

Zhang Cheng saw the few guards guarding the door had drunk alcohol, each one collapsed drunk beside the door.

Besides, there were no other patrolling people around, after all, after Wen Xiansheng was rescued, everyone's tense nerves relaxed.

Not to mention those inside Nan Shan Shu Yuan, even the students outside waiting for news were exhausted at this time.

The shouting grew much weaker, until it vanished without a trace, and the mountainside fell into a deathly silence.

It was exactly the time in the late night when people's mental state is most relaxed and low; these people not falling asleep would be strange, moreover…

Zhang Cheng's face, which looked honest and sincere, evoked a strange smile.

This strange smile, combined with his always honest image, nothing but makes people feel creepy.

Moreover, he had added something to that wine; if these people couldn't sleep, then there really would be a ghost.

At this moment, Zhang Cheng himself was also a bit nervous; although he was extremely careful with each step, his tense body also revealed his extreme inner nervousness.

I originally thought that old man, falling from such a height, would not die but would lose half his life.

I never expected that he would actually be saved by Gu Jiu Ling.

If it weren't for those earlier rumors about Gu Jiu Ling, Zhang Cheng would not feel afraid.

But Gu Jiu Ling's medical skills, spread in Shang Jing as almost divine, were just short of being able to revive the dead.

So Gu Jiu Ling could heal Wen Xiansheng well, Zhang Cheng had no doubt about that.

But if Wen Xiansheng didn't die, then the one who would die would be him; no, there's also a fallback, which is Li Quan.

These days, only he and Li Quan could freely come and go in the Cang Shu Ge, serving Wen Xiansheng and Gu Er Ye in their studies.

Taking those papers out of the Cang Shu Ge, only Li Quan could manage that.

Besides having experience with women's rights and close personal care, therefore, when moving anything near the orphanage, his hands and feet flailed.

After waiting until tomorrow when the Ministry of Punishment will try Li Quan and submit these evidences, he too will surely die.

But all their assumptions are based on the premise that Wen Xiansheng is dead; only the dead won't open their mouths to speak.

Only then could they continue their plan, but now this person happened to be saved by Gu Jiu Ling, which made Zhang Cheng feel a slight chill in his heart.

If Wen Xiansheng really woke up and could speak, it would directly clear up Gu Er Ye's suspicion of murder.

If Gu Er Ye didn't commit murder, then Li Quan beside Gu Er Ye, and the person beside Wen Xiansheng, these two would be in big trouble.

Laying hands on the imperial tutor might possibly result in death by lingchi; at this moment, Zhang Cheng felt a slight chill in his heart, some fear, and even more regret for having listened to Li Quan's honeyed words.

Back then, he was selected by the Crown Prince from the Eastern Palace's Tai Zi Fu and sent to Nan Shan Shu Yuan.

At that time he felt especially dissatisfied, after all, following Wen Xiansheng was equivalent to living in seclusion.

If he were an old man, it would be fine, but he was in his prime, the time to build achievements and establish a career, yet the Crown Prince sent him away.

Previously, following him in the Eastern Palace, at least they could secure a good post; later, if their fortunes improved a bit, after the Crown Prince's Eastern Palace seized the throne and became the new emperor, those old ministers who attended the Crown Prince would be the most important among important officials.

Unexpectedly, before Zhang Cheng's dream was even finished, another bolt from the blue came down.

The Crown Prince actually sent him to serve beside a rotten old man; Zhang Cheng has thus been living in seclusion at Nan Shan Shu Yuan for many years, and he always felt he couldn't endure it to the end.

Moreover, Wen Xiansheng was too upright, not knowing how to curry favor; even having gained the simultaneous trust of the emperor and the Crown Prince, he didn't manage to obtain even a minor official post for himself.

He retreated to this remote mountainside, establishing an academy to cultivate more talents for Southern Qi; sometimes Zhang Cheng didn't know what this old man was thinking, clearly he could live better, yet he insisted on embracing poverty.

His poverty alone would be fine, but these servants of his also have to endure hardship and fatigue, doing endless work each day, yet still seeing no hope or prospect; nowadays they are even more imbued with passive withdrawal from the world.

Zhang Cheng truly regrets following Wen Xiansheng; aside from poverty, Wen Xiansheng treats him very well, even like a relative.

At this moment he fiercely slapped himself several times, yet still he steeled himself and walked toward the bedroom where Wen Xiansheng was sleeping.

All around was a deathly silence; the guards watching over Wen Xiansheng fell into a deep sleep.

Outside again came a faint sound; Zhang Cheng's heart jumped, he turned to look, but found a small wild cat darting from the grass; he silently cursed his mother, yet he had frightened himself into such a sorry state.

Li Quan, because he lived together with Gu Er Ye, had already been taken away by order of the Crown Prince.

When Li Quan was taken away by the Crown Prince, he insisted that Gu Er Ye's room privately hid many banknotes.

Xiao Ting ordered people to fetch them, and indeed they saw those banknotes; they were all from the Crown Prince's Tai Zi Fu, originally he had taken them out to subsidize his own teacher.

I never expected that the teacher had actually saved them up, and even brought disaster upon himself; these banknotes, in anyone's hands, hold great temptation.

Gu Er Ye's previous reputation was not good; for money, he often brawled with those fox-like friends of his.

Zhang Cheng no longer dared to let his thoughts run wild; the urgent task was to make Wen Xiansheng die completely.

In this world, only the dead cannot keep a secret.

Moreover, the situation is clearly about to be exposed; where in Zhang Cheng's heart is there not fear?

Once the day Wen Xiansheng awakens arrives, that will be the day of death for him and Li Quan.

Only by letting that old man die will everything be settled once and for all; regardless of public or private, Wen Xiansheng must die.

This time he wants to find an opportunity to completely take Wen Xiansheng's life; the dead won't speak, only the dead can keep him and Li Quan safe, and then push all responsibility onto Gu Er Ye.

Even now, Zhang Cheng still doesn't know exactly who stands behind Li Quan.

He vaguely guessed it was that youngster from the Gu family, but that youngster is skilled at disguise, and in his conduct he is exceptionally smooth.

Zhang Cheng no longer dared to let his thoughts run wild; he hurriedly bowed his body and sneaked to the door of Wen Xiansheng's bedroom.

Worried that there might still be other servants attending in the bedroom.

Zhang Cheng felt his way to the door, raised his hand, and lightly knocked; there was no response from inside.

Zhang Cheng's courage grew a bit more; a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes. He then pushed open the door, lifted his leg, and walked straight in.

A pungent medicinal smell mixed with a faint scent of blood met him, causing Zhang Cheng's steps to halt there, and he took a slight breath.

He steadied himself, lifted his head to look at the bed; the person lying on it had his back to him and face to the wall, as if fainted, sleeping soundly.

He tiptoed carefully to the bedside, then drew the dagger from his waist, thought about it, and put the dagger back.

After all, killing by arson and killing personally with a dagger are two different concepts.

Zhang Cheng raised his hand and probed toward Wen Xiansheng's neck.