Chapter 351

Xiao He said.

"Your Majesty, I believe Prime Minister Xiao is correct. Furthermore, I would like to add one point: regardless of whether the assassin's motive is to disrupt the imperial examination, we must not lower our guard."

"Currently, Wei Pao and others are missing, and there are still individual nobles who remain dissatisfied with Your Majesty's new policies. Whether or not the assassin in Pingyang City intends to disrupt the imperial examination, we should take precautions."

Zhuge Liang said.

"What you say makes sense." Ying Su nodded: "Let Prime Minister Zhuge handle the strengthening of protection for those participating in the imperial examination. As for the case in Pingyang City, I will send someone else."

After the morning court session, Ying Su summoned Lu Lu Xiaofeng and the other two.

When it comes to solving cases and unraveling mysteries, Lu Lu Xiaofeng can be considered the most suitable candidate.

"A case has occurred recently in Pingyang City; a young master was murdered."

"At the same time, there are rumors that he was killed because he was going to participate in the imperial examination, as the assassin wants to disrupt the examination."

"I am now sending you to Pingyang City to investigate this matter. First, you must solve the case; second, you must keep an eye on matters related to the imperial examination."

"Even if the assassin in Pingyang City has nothing to do with disrupting the imperial examination, you must still collect everything related to the examination."

Ying Su said.

204. The Suspicious Tavern

Pingyang City, in a secluded little tavern.

It is called secluded because the tavern is located on the edge of the city, far from the main roads and not in the city center.

But judging by its popularity, it does not seem secluded at all, as the seats in the tavern are almost full.

At a table near the middle of the tavern sat a young man of medium build.

He appeared quite conspicuous among the tavern's guests, especially the two mustaches on his lip, which looked exactly like his eyebrows.

And every gesture he made exuded a carefree temperament.

"I wonder what those two went off to do."

Lu Lu Xiaofeng thought to himself while drinking.

Since accepting Ying Su's mission, he had come to Pingyang City with Sikong Sikong Zhaixing and Ximen Ximen Chuixue.

However, the three of them were acting separately, having agreed to meet once every three days.

Today was Lu Lu Xiaofeng's first day in Pingyang City.

He did not go to find the Pingyang Commandant, nor did he stay in a large inn, but instead found a small inn to stay in.

And now, near noon, he had also found a small tavern to eat at.

In his view, sometimes small is better than big.

One can often discover big problems in small places.

Just as he was lost in thought, he saw the waiter walk over with a tray.

"Waiter, I'd like to ask about something." Lu Lu Xiaofeng asked as soon as the waiter placed the food on the table: "Why is the business at your tavern so booming?"

"Of course, it's because our food and wine are delicious," the waiter said casually.

"Besides that?" Lu Lu Xiaofeng blinked and continued to press.

He didn't believe the waiter's claim that the food and wine were delicious.

The food here could only be described as average, and the wine could even be described as terrible.

One sip of it was enough to burn the throat.

"Besides the good food and wine, it's also thanks to the patronage of all you guests," the waiter said.

"You're so out of the way; are they all regular customers?" Lu Lu Xiaofeng asked.

"Not just regulars; some come from out of town because of our reputation~," the waiter said. "Aren't you also here from far away to eat?"

Lu Lu Xiaofeng was stunned for a moment, then laughed: "I'm different. I like to wander around, and I just happened to end up here. What about them? Are they all from the neighborhood?"

"Then you'll have to ask those guests!" The waiter said, then walked away with the empty tray.

"Ask them? If I could ask them, would I be asking you?" Lu Lu Xiaofeng thought to himself.

He had indeed wandered here by accident.

It was almost mealtime, and seeing that the tavern's business was so good, he assumed the food must be excellent, which is why he walked in.

But now that he had drunk the wine and eaten the food, he didn't feel there was anything special about it.

This piqued his curiosity.

A tavern in a bad location with mediocre food—why were there so many people?

He secretly observed the guests around him and found that all sorts of people came here.

Some were quiet, while others were rough and burly.

Their ages varied as well, with the older ones being fifty or sixty, and the younger ones around twenty.

Lu Lu Xiaofeng was guessing the reason for the tavern's popularity when a burly man with a thick beard and a fierce face walked over.

"Waiter, I'll sit at this table."

The bearded man said this and sat down in front of Lu Lu Xiaofeng without asking if he agreed.

Although there were no empty tables in the tavern and Lu Lu Xiaofeng was occupying one by himself,

one should at least say a word before sitting together.

This was common courtesy and the rule in taverns.

"Hmm, brother, I don't think I agreed to let you sit here."

Lu Lu Xiaofeng looked at the big man and said calmly.

"What, you don't agree?" The big man glared at Lu Lu Xiaofeng for a moment, then burst into loud laughter.

"Listen to this, he doesn't agree!"

The big man shouted at the top of his lungs.

Guests at other tables looked over one after another; some wore smiles of schadenfreude, some shook their heads slightly in worry for Lu Lu Xiaofeng, and some, not wanting to invite trouble, quickly turned their faces away.

Most of the guests in the tavern recognized this big man.

His nickname was Mad Tiger.

His name was loud, but he was actually just a thug with a bit more strength.

He usually specialized in extortion and sometimes liked to stir up trouble for no reason.

Now that Lu Lu Xiaofeng wouldn't let him sit down, it gave him the perfect excuse to cause trouble.

At this moment, Lu Lu Xiaofeng picked up his wine cup, took a sip, and then reached out with his chopsticks to pick up a piece of meat from the plate, putting it into his mouth and eating it as if no one else were there.

Others thought Lu Lu Xiaofeng had backed down, so they stopped paying attention to the matter.

Not long after, the waiter came over with bowls and chopsticks and was about to set the tableware in front of the big man when Lu Lu Xiaofeng suddenly spoke: "Waiter, does your shop not require a guest's consent to seat someone else at their table?"

The waiter was stunned; seeing Mad Tiger sitting in front of Lu Lu Xiaofeng, he had assumed Lu Lu Xiaofeng had already tacitly agreed.

Now that Lu Lu Xiaofeng asked this, he immediately felt awkward.

"Hurry up and put the plate down, and warm me a pot of good wine and cut two plates of mutton."

The big man urged impatiently.

"Hahaha..."

Lu Lu Xiaofeng suddenly burst into laughter.

This time, everyone's attention was drawn back again.

"Listen to this... this is too funny!"

"This big guy only wants one pot of wine and two plates of mutton; will that even fill him up?"

"Hey, are you broke and can't afford two pots of wine, or is your tolerance like a woman's, getting drunk after just a little bit?"

Lu Lu Xiaofeng said this while laughing, as if the person sitting in front of him were a joke.

As soon as he said this, the whole tavern went quiet.

Everyone knew a fight was about to break out.

Given Mad Tiger's personality, he would provoke others even when there was no trouble, let alone being mocked in public.

"What did you say?" Mad Tiger stood up and roared at Lu Lu Xiaofeng.

"What, is your hearing bad or is your intelligence low? Can you not hear or can you not understand what I said?" Lu Lu Xiaofeng looked straight into the big man's eyes.

"You're courting death!" The big man swung his fist at Lu Lu Xiaofeng's face.

Lu Lu Xiaofeng tilted his body slightly while his left hand reached out...

The big man's fist flew past his head, and Lu Lu Xiaofeng's left hand grabbed the big man's wrist.

The big man's face changed; he felt his wrist was being clamped by iron pliers and could not move, and no matter how hard he pulled, he couldn't break free.