Chapter 487: Comedy: What

Wang Ping'an stood beside his mother, furtively glanced at Qi Wenshan, and his gaze was filled with curiosity.

He learned that Zhang Guilian was planning something bad because he had accidentally overheard a sentence she said outside the Zhang family house, leading him to suspect she might do something wicked.

He just wasn't clear what kind of misdeed Zhang Guilian would commit.

Listening to the master who carved his uncle's Mountain God Statue, he seemed to know what kind of wrongdoing Zhang Guilian would do.

Could it be that he had once seen someone commit a crime inside the Mountain God Temple, and therefore suspected that Zhang Guilian staying there intended to do something bad?

In an instant, countless tangled thoughts surged in Wang Ping'an's mind; after pondering for a long time, he still couldn't understand what kind of mischief Zhang Guilian might do while staying in the Mountain God Temple.

He didn't doubt that Qi Wenshan and Zhang Guilian were connected, after all it was their first meeting.

If the wrongdoing Zhang Guilian intended was related to Qi Wenshan and ordered by him, Qi Wenshan shouldn't expose it.

It made everyone harbor suspicion toward Zhang Guilian!

His great-aunt even left his cousin uncle here, ostensibly to look after Zhang Guilian and prevent her from becoming despondent, but secretly wasn't she afraid Zhang Guilian would do something bad in the Mountain God Temple?

"Li Ping, it's getting late; De Ben's Divine Ascension ceremony has begun and cannot be halted. Let's hurry and continue, lest we waste the auspicious time!"

Zhang Yongde didn't pay much attention, wondering what Li Ping had actually left Zhang Chengyong to do in the Mountain God Temple.

For someone like Zhang Yongde who betrays from within, it's not just him; there are hardly any villagers in Zhang Family Village who hold no grudge against her.

If it weren't for the fact that she's Zhang Deben's sister, the Divine Ascension ceremony of Zhang Deben wouldn't have kept her here; she would have been expelled from Zhang Family Village long ago.

To prevent her from bringing shame here!

Li Ping nodded and said no more.

Qi Wenshan followed the long, dragon-like procession; just after exiting the Mountain God Temple, he vaguely sensed someone watching him. Looking down, he saw a child beside Liu Dongzhu—no, not a child, but an infant not yet one year old. Startled, he stepped closer and whispered:

"Madam Wang, is this… this… this your child?"

"Master Qi, it's our Ping'an!"

Liu Dongzhu nodded, and upon seeing the shock on Qi Wenshan's face and in his eyes, a flash of smugness flickered deep in her gaze before vanishing.

She realized Qi Wenshan must have guessed that their Ping'an, barely born, could already walk, and was astonished.

Qi Wenshan's voice trembled with astonishment as he asked, "Such a tiny person, Madam Wang, how old is he—how many years?"

"Not even a full year!"

Liu Dongzhu replied.

"Not even a full year… hiss!"

Before Qi Wenshan could finish speaking, he couldn't help but gasp sharply.

"Madam Wang, your child is not only under a year old; he must be only a few months old, not even six months, right?"

Another surprised voice rang out—it was County Magistrate Tong Weicai, who had just arrived from the county seat, accompanied by four armed constables, their protection. Approaching Liu Dongzhu, his eyes fell on the briskly striding yet remarkably cute Wang Ping'an beside her; beyond shock, his gaze held sympathy, and he exclaimed:

"I've lived half my life; I've seen many children, even prodigies, but a child like yours, Madam Wang, only a few months old, already able to walk on his own and so steady—this is my first time seeing such talent. Truly, a dragon begets a dragon, a phoenix a phoenix; your child is clearly not a common pond fish!"

Of course.

There's another thing he didn't dare to utter, that this child, being extraordinary, unfortunately has an unreliable father.

He is Wei Yuan's senior mentor; Wei Yuan has many private affairs that not only need to be discussed with him but also require his service. How could he not know Wei Yuan's intentions? If the matter were exposed, Wei Yuan could shift all blame onto him, forcing him to take the fall. Though he is reluctant, since any wrongdoing by Wei Yuan that demands him to bear the blame would almost certainly be a capital offense.

Just that.

He knows clearly that as a senior mentor, this is his job; even if he is unwilling, before a better future appears, he cannot abandon this work.

This time.

Wei Yuan returned from Zhang Family Village and immediately sought him out to discuss how to deal with the son of Prince Wang's former wife.

Though he didn't state it outright!

According to Wei Yuan, the son of Prince Wang's former wife is extraordinary; a child like that, Wang Ruhai's current wife—the Prime Minister's Daughter—could not possibly tolerate him.

Wei Yuan's tone seemed to worry that the Prime Minister's Daughter might harm the son of Prince Wang's former wife, yet he was so familiar with Wei Yuan that he could not fail to grasp his intentions.

Wei Yuan's concern about the Prime Minister's Daughter harming the son of Prince Wang's former wife was a pretense; his real purpose was to use this matter to climb the relationship ladder with the Prime Minister's Daughter.

Just that.

He didn't want to voice it, didn't want to give anyone leverage, even though he was Wei Yuan's confidant.

At that time.

This novel you...

Wei Yuan recounted the details of the matter, said nothing else, and offered no suggestion; everything was his words, his ideas.

Wei Yuan neither nodded nor shook his head, lying in the armchair as if asleep, until after he proposed a very suitable plan, he lifted his teacup and took a sip.

He understood Wei Yuan's meaning and left the study.

He proceeded to act according to the method he had proposed!

Actually.

He knows.

Given Wei Yuan's cleverness, he was likely already devising a plan on the road; after all, his suggested method was neither especially good nor especially bad.

Any ordinary person could think of it casually, let alone a career corrupt official like Wei Yuan who has been skulking in the bureaucracy for years; he knows better than anyone what to do.

At this moment.

His dispatched confidant was already on the road to the Capital City; once the Prime Minister's Daughter learned of the situation concerning the son of Prince Wang's former wife, she would likely bring about the child's and his mother's execution.

Previously.

He had heard—no, actually seen—with his own eyes the Prime Minister's Daughter using the pretext of escorting Wang Ruhai's parents to the Capital City for their wedding, to send people down to harm Prince Wang's former wife and her child's life.

The murderer would inexplicably kill himself in prison, and that was his help.

Wang Ping'an, multitasking with a single mind, stealthily in the Mountain God Temple left a miniature Paper Person to monitor the temple's situation—in truth, to supervise Zhang Guilian, to see whether she truly would do mischief in the temple, and out of curiosity watched the village festivities, his first time attending such a bustling large-scale event.

Suddenly.

Wang Ping'an's peripheral vision caught a fleeting glimpse of sympathy in Tong Weicai's eyes, and he thought to himself:

What does that mean? What do I have to be sympathetic about? Is it because I have a father who is Chen Shimei?

(End of chapter)