Chapter 1396

Ever since he paid attention to this, he discovered that the fresh produce trucks came twice within two hours, quite frequently. It made sense; the Qi mansion was bustling with guests recently, changing one batch after another like a revolving lantern, and the demand for supplies was exceptionally vigorous.

Weng Su patted his younger brother's shoulder, joy appearing on his face: "I've thought of a way!"

Weng Xing opened his mouth to ask, but Weng Su shushed him, reminding him to pay attention to the occasion. In public, and still at the back gate of Little Peach Shanzhuang, how could he blurt it all out? "Right, did you bring those tools of yours?"

"I brought them." Weng Xing rubbed his hands. "Just waiting to do a big job!"

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He Lingchuan's time planning could be called perfect.

His group arrived in Zhuo'an actually three days ahead of the original plan! This place certainly couldn't compare to Mangzhou in prosperity, but there were still several big families in the county, who were both local noble families and designated official merchants.

Therefore, there was no lack of food, drink, and entertainment; restaurants and taverns stood in great numbers, and debauchery was always present.

And Xue Zongwu's group would arrive in Mangzhou at the earliest in two days, so He Lingchuan had more than thirty hours to make arrangements calmly.

After entering Zhuo'an, He Lingchuan suggested to Fan Shuang to rest for a day and play separately.

Zhuo'an wasn't far from the capital anymore; even if everyone traveled and played along the way, they could still enter the capital before King Yao's birthday celebration. Fan Shuang naturally agreed immediately; his physical strength was far from He Lingchuan's, and he also wanted to rest before being active.

Since the location to act was chosen at Qi Yunsheng's Little Peach Shanzhuang, He Lingchuan first had to get a map of Little Peach Shanzhuang and estimate the movement trajectories of Qi Yunsheng and Xue Zongwu at that time.

Because the work he had to do was to assassinate a Yao Nation general on the territory of the Green Ridge Mountain Chief Elder, calculating it this way, finishing all the preliminary preparations within thirty-odd hours was actually a bit tight.

What was even more fatal was that He Lingchuan had at most ten hours of free time, and then he had to return to Zhuo'an to avoid Fan Shuang not being able to find him.

He still had several consultation meetings in Zhuo'an.

So after bidding farewell to Fan Shuang, he and Dong Rui immediately set off on the Snail Toad, rushing to Mangzhou forty li away.

With the help of the damp soil after the rain, the Snail Toad's underground speed was much faster than the horses on the ground, and there was no need to take a detour. But going back and forth like this would also consume more than two hours of travel time.

Therefore, the time He Lingchuan truly had to be active in Mangzhou was only eight hours.

"Within these eight hours, you have to survey the entire Little Peach Shanzhuang and get the basic information on Qi Yunsheng." Dong Rui rubbed his hands. "Where do we start?"

It was also a case of tight time and heavy tasks, and he found the state he was in before the Ruins Mountain plan again; it was a bit exciting!

"There is a quite suitable candidate." Just as the Snail Toad emerged from the ground, He Lingchuan looked at the sky. "My people noticed the old gardener of Little Peach Shanzhuang, whom others call Old Liu. He has been tending the garden for Qi Yunsheng for twenty years and is exceptionally familiar with every flower, every tree, every brick, and every tile there."

Dong Rui understood: "You want to quietly pry for information again, right?"

He knew this guy had a secret method that could pry open the mouths of informants and get information without them knowing.

He Lingchuan nodded: "Then, we have to estimate the location where Qi Yunsheng will meet Xue Zongwu and send out eyeball spiders to monitor."

Xue Zongwu is visiting; Qi Yunsheng will definitely meet him. "Usually in the study, right?"

"Not necessarily." He Lingchuan maintained his consistent cautious attitude. "Little Peach Shanzhuang is bustling with visitors recently, and officials and nobles visiting are endless. Can you and I predict where Qi Yunsheng wants to meet guests then?"

Little Peach Shanzhuang's area certainly wasn't small; who could control where the master wanted to meet guests?

"Then how do you estimate?" The randomness was very high.

"Xue Zongwu is visiting; if the mentor and disciple just exchange a few pleasantries, they can meet anywhere." He Lingchuan pressed his knuckles. "Only when discussing secrets do they need to close the door and whisper."

Discussing secrets, people would subconsciously go to the place they were most familiar with and felt safest.

Dong Rui supported his chin with his hand, full of interest: "What topic do you think is most suitable for them to discuss?"

"Xue Zongwu is a firm royalist, and Qi Yunsheng is too." He Lingchuan asked him back. "Who do you think is their greatest enemy?"

"Uh..." Dong Rui stalled; this topic was too broad? Ah no, wait, he thought of it: "Qingyang?"

"Right, Qingyang." He Lingchuan smiled. "So, we must find a way to make them close the door and discuss the Qingyang Regent."

"You already have an idea?"

"I will send someone to Little Peach Mountain to deliver a gift, designated for Xue Zongwu. I think General Xue will gladly accept it." He Lingchuan changed the subject. "Right, you can't drive the Snail Toad directly into the Qi mansion. Qi Yunsheng is a sect elder and doesn't lack money; the place he lives likely has various arrays."

He was afraid the Snail Toad would get in but not be able to get out.

Dong Rui asked him: "Aren't you afraid of getting in and not being able to get out?"

"Little Peach Shanzhuang is not a city after all; the outer wall is at most two zhang." He Lingchuan stroked his chin. "As long as I'm not entangled by Xue Zongwu and Qi Yunsheng at the same time, I still have confidence in leaving."

Three hours later, Mangzhou.

Old Liu finished work and went home, only to meet a matchmaker at his door, proposing marriage for his granddaughter.

Before the matchmaker could finish stating the conditions, he drove her away with a dark face.

His wife couldn't help but complain: "You are too lacking in etiquette! This market is all about Mother Wang acting as a matchmaker; you drove her away, and she'll go out and talk nonsense about our family being picky, and will our granddaughter still be able to marry anyone?"

Old Liu sneered: "Don't listen to her flowery words. I'll analyze it for you: in reality, the man is not from Mangzhou and has no property in Mangzhou. Will my granddaughter drink the northwest wind if she marries him? Mother Wang is shameless, for those two small coins, she praises people in all sorts of ways."

"You stinky gardener, still want to look down on others?"

"Our family has been in Mangzhou for three generations. Even if I am a gardener, I am a gardener of the Qi mansion! The salary I receive, the people I know, the paths I understand—which one isn't better than them?" Old Liu spat. "They want to marry my granddaughter, it's all climbing high! If they don't show some sincerity, don't even talk about it!"

The couple disagreed and had a big argument.

Old Liu was depressed, didn't even eat dinner, and went out to drink a few cups of wine.

As a result, two drunks started fighting at the wine stall, almost overturning his table. Old Liu was bumped and staggered, but fortunately, the wine pot wasn't knocked over.

It was hard for this storm to pass, and the drunks left, but Old Liu's alcohol tolerance tonight was particularly low; after finishing a pot, he was so sleepy he couldn't open his eyes.

He barely managed to walk home, and regardless of how the old woman nagged, he fell asleep.

This sleep was fragrant and sweet.

When he woke up the next day, he always felt he had talked to someone in his dream, as if they had chatted about his granddaughter's marriage, and as if they had chatted about other things—hmm, mainly other things, but he couldn't remember them no matter what.

(End of chapter)