Chapter 146 Loudly Conspiring?
Riverbank campsite, a corner below the high platform.
In front of a table that doesn't attract much attention.
"You must have had a hard morning, Fairy."
Seeing Ouyang Lianghan frequently picking at his food, as if he were hungry and tired, Liu Ziwen glanced at him a few more times, his furrowed brows slowly relaxing, and he spoke calmly.
"It's alright." Ouyang Lianghan waved his hand dismissively.
He raised his eyelids, his gaze sweeping across the faces of Liu Ziwen, Liu Zian, and Liu Zilin across from him like water. He paused, then spoke with a tone of praise:
"The arrangements made this morning were brilliant, leaving that corrupt official with nowhere to escape."
Liu Zilin crossed his arms and snorted coldly:
"Hmph, that guy surnamed Ouyang should take a piss and look at himself in the mirror. Not everyone is qualified to have Big Brother go to such lengths to set up a trap for him. He's lucky to die at Big Brother's hands."
“Absolutely, absolutely.” Ouyang Lianghan nodded vigorously, seemingly in complete agreement.
However, his hand continued to reach for food, and he even reached for the wine glass in front of Liu Zilin, who was relatively close by, and drank it all in one gulp.
Liu Zilin didn't pay any attention and lowered his voice to ask:
"What if Xie Lingjiang keeps sticking to me like a leech during the ribbon-cutting ceremony? Does the fairy have a solution?"
The young magistrate shook his head.
He stopped halfway through shaking the machine and asked calmly:
"Wait a minute... shall we make our move during the ribbon-cutting ceremony?"
"nonsense."
Liu Zilin frowned, unable to contain his temper, and began to lecture her, his words pouring out like beans from a bamboo tube:
"The ribbon-cutting ceremony will draw the most people. If we don't act now, when will we? We want everyone here to witness Shen Xisheng's death, to die at your hands."
"You'd better run fast, or you'll get caught... Damn it, after all this talk, we still have to get rid of that little wench surnamed Xie."
Ouyang Rong raised an eyebrow, slowly nodded, and echoed:
"Yes, we can't get caught; that's a capital offense."
Liu Zilin originally wanted to say something sarcastic: "It doesn't matter if you die, but don't let your blood splatter on the Liu family."
However, after experiencing the harsh realities of life over this period, I've finally gained some emotional intelligence and learned to swallow my pride.
Liu Ziwen suddenly spoke:
"Don't worry, apart from the Xie family woman, no one on the field can catch you. Even after Shen Xisheng dies, no one will really try to catch you."
"Oh?" Ouyang Lianghan asked with great interest, "So that Lord Wang and us..."
Liu Ziwen chuckled lightly, did not answer, and continued with his expression as usual: "As for the Xie family girl... you can take this."
The young master of the Liu family extended his right hand from his wide sleeve and handed something he had been playing with inside the sleeve to the young magistrate in front of him.
The latter looked over curiously and found that in Liu Ziwen's hand was a small white porcelain bottle covered with a blue cloth.
"This is?"
"Take it. You can use the opportunity of pouring wine to give it to Xie Lingjiang. Leave the rest to me," Liu Ziwen said calmly.
Liu Zian, who had been silent for a long time, couldn't help but glance at his elder brother.
On the other side, the young magistrate chuckled and, in front of the three Liu brothers, reached out and took the small blue cloth and white porcelain bottle, nodding his head.
Liu Ziwen smiled slightly, picked up the wine pot, slowly filled the empty wine cup in front of him, then rolled up his sleeves, held the cup, and handed it to the person opposite him.
"Come, let's toast the fairy goddess again."
Ouyang Lianghan seemed to accept the farewell wine without a second thought, drank it all in one gulp, put away the small blue cloth and white porcelain bottle, and stood up straight.
Before leaving the table, he reached into the plate in front of Liu Ziwen, grabbed a handful of melon seeds, and quickly walked away while cracking them open.
The figure disappeared from sight.
The three Liu brothers looked away with relief.
However, what the three of them didn't know was...
The figure of "Ouyang Lianghan," who had disappeared from their sight, paused briefly after leaving the open-air luncheon venue.
He turned his head to look in the direction of the large tent where the Jiangzhou official was being entertained, and then looked in the direction of the inner gate of Di Gong Gate. Just as he was looking around, he suddenly heard the greeting of County Magistrate Diao from the high platform behind him.
It seemed they were clearing the tables and tidying up the dishes, urging the guests who had finished their meal to leave and formally participate in the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The young magistrate, who had been standing still, no longer hesitated and started walking in a certain direction...
Just a stick of incense's time away, inside a large tent at the riverbank camp.
There was a smaller but more upscale luncheon being held at the same time as an outdoor luncheon attended by guests such as Liu Ziwen, Liu Zian, and Liu Zilin.
There were few people at the table, but the atmosphere didn't get too cold.
"Come, Lord Shen, Lord Wang, let me offer you both a toast."
The speaker was Magistrate Tian from Xingzi County, who was familiarly toasting the two officials from Jiangzhou.
The same was true for the other county magistrates from neighboring counties, creating a lively atmosphere.
However, there seems to be one exception.
"Is Lord Ouyang in a bad mood? Last time I came, Lord Ouyang seemed to be able to drink quite a lot."
Slightly drunk, Magistrate Tian leaned closer to the Jade Cup Fairy.
The latter subconsciously leaned back slightly to avoid it, but a smile appeared on his face: "I have important business to attend to later, so it's not convenient to drink today."
"Lord Ouyang is truly a role model for us all."
The other county magistrates and their colleagues all praised it.
Shen and Wang, the two officials from Jiangzhou, also cast admiring glances their way.
The Jade Cup Fairy was speechless.
Fortunately, the inspector Shen who came to inspect today seemed to be at odds with the governor of Jiangzhou, Wang. They had very little interaction and were quite formal in their official duties.
The shrewd Magistrate Tian and his associates could naturally discern something from this.
Therefore, although the atmosphere at the banquet was not completely awkward, it was not to the point where people were very familiar with each other and exchanging toasts.
As a result, the Jade Cup Fairy discovered that most of the conversations around her were just polite formalities, and no one was discussing anything intimate that would give her away.
Or rather, in this lukewarm atmosphere, her indifference and conciseness didn't seem out of place.
Although along the way, the Jade Cup Fairy vaguely sensed that Shen Xisheng, who kept glancing at her, seemed to have something he wanted to say to her—no, it should be said, to Ouyang Lianghan.
However, with Lord Wang and others present, the two were not given the opportunity for an "in-depth exchange".
The Jade Cup Fairy was also pleased with this.
She had already struggled enough with her pretense of being refined on the way here, and now she had to deal with the troublesome Xie Lingjiang on top of that. Right now, all she wanted was to get through this welcoming luncheon as quickly as possible, then plunge the dagger Liu Ziwen had given her into Shen Xisheng's chest, and be done with it.
However, the Jade Cup Fairy currently has a minor but significant problem to solve.
While Magistrate Tian was toasting Lord Shen and Lord Wang, the Jade Cup Fairy glanced at the figure in red men's clothing behind her.
Xie Lingjiang sat calmly in her chair with her eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to what was happening at the luncheon. She silently stood within three steps of "Ouyang Lianghan" and barely ate anything since the luncheon began.
The Jade Cup Fairy felt a prickling sensation on her back and secretly frowned.
This is the thing that has been troubling her from the beginning until now.
The Jade Cup Fairy had tried to find excuses to shake off Xie Lingjiang, but all her attempts were in vain. Even when she said she needed to go out to relieve herself, Xie Lingjiang followed her silently without explanation, citing her safety as the reason.
So let alone finding outside help like Liu Ziwen.
This Xie woman is really like a piece of chewing gum; you can't shake her off.
The Jade Cup Fairy cursed inwardly.
However, she wasn't entirely without options.
Since there had been no response from Liu Ziwen after waiting for so long, and he probably couldn't help her much, she would have to rely on herself.
The Jade Cup Fairy, wearing a mask, remained expressionless. Sometime during the night, a stack of small paper packets quietly appeared in her sleeve. She picked one out from among the many packets with two fingers and put the rest away.
The paper package contained what appeared to be some powder.
The Jade Cup Fairy was once obsessed with some strange and ingenious schemes, and naturally had many kinds of rare medicines on her body.
The small packet of powder in his sleeve was a substance called Cicada Silkworm Soft Bone Powder. It was colorless but had a very faint taste, which was easily overpowered by the smell of alcohol.
The Cicada Silkworm Soft Bone Powder is not particularly toxic, but it can hinder the flow of spiritual energy in the meridians the moment a Qi cultivator suddenly circulates their spiritual energy.
It was as if silt had blocked the river channel.
This achieves an effect similar to the "weakness and lack of strength" experienced by ordinary people.
Moreover, cultivators often don't easily notice this unless they encounter external circumstances and are preparing to suddenly circulate their internal spiritual energy, at which point they will belatedly realize the abnormality in the speed of spiritual energy circulation. Otherwise, the speed of spiritual energy circulation within the body is naturally very slow, and one is in a state of deep breathing, so how could they possibly detect it?
Of course, things have two sides, and the same is true for Cicada and Silkworm Soft Bone Powder. Its already weak toxicity is easily diluted.
Therefore, as long as the Qi practitioner calms down and circulates their spiritual energy a couple more times, it can clear the meridians and dilute the effects of the medicine, much like a strong current washing away the muddy riverbed.
Therefore, this item is generally used for surprise attacks to gain the upper hand, but this seems somewhat useless, because since it can poison the opponent without them noticing, it is natural to choose a more suitable and potent poison, although colorless and odorless poisons are extremely rare.
However, the Jade Cup Fairy has discovered that this item seems to be just right.
At the table, the Jade Cup Fairy had her back to Xie Lingjiang. She glanced silently at the small wine cup on the table that Magistrate Tian had just filled.
However, for a moment, a look of embarrassment appeared in her eyes.
Just then, Xie Lingjiang, who had been keeping her eyes closed, suddenly spoke:
"Why aren't you picking up any food, senior brother?"
The Jade Cup Fairy shook her head: "I don't want to eat anymore, I don't have an appetite today."
Xie Lingjiang looked at her senior brother's retreating figure and asked, "Don't you have any appetite for these spicy dishes prepared by the chef of Yuanming Tower? Don't you like them?"
The fairy with the jade cup seemed about to speak, but then a thought struck her, and she immediately shook her head and explained:
"Of course not, Senior Brother... really likes spicy food, Junior Sister knows that too. It's just that I ate too much this morning, and I'm already a little full after just a few bites. Besides, Junior Sister hasn't eaten either, so maybe she doesn't have an appetite either?" She chuckled and turned around to ask.
Xie Lingjiang glanced at him, nodded slightly, and didn't ask any further questions.
The Jade Cup Fairy kept her expression normal, but secretly breathed a sigh of relief, having almost given herself away.
Fortunately, she didn't just rush in recklessly today, but came prepared.
Before today's trip, the Liu family collected a lot of information about Ouyang Lianghan's preferences and habits, including his diet and daily life. Among them was his love for spicy food. It seems that the Liu family found out that Meilu Garden had hired a chef who could cook spicy food at a high salary at Yunshui Pavilion in the county... Jade Cup Fairy remembered all of this.
However, the Jade Cup Fairy, who was always suspicious and wary, only felt a brief moment of relief and lingering fear before her heartstrings inexplicably trembled.
She couldn't help but glance at Xie Lingjiang behind her, a hint of suspicion gradually appearing in her eyes... Wait, could it be that...
However, at this moment, Lord Shen, who had been quietly picking up food, suddenly turned his head and looked over. Upon seeing this, the Jade Cup Fairy immediately smiled in response, but secretly frowned, impatiently waiting for the next possible conversation.
However, as Shen Xisheng spoke, the Jade Cup Fairy's expression showed some surprise.
Shen Xisheng did not speak to her, but instead smiled and looked at Xie Lingjiang behind her, and struck up a friendly conversation with her.
The Jade Cup Fairy listened intently and realized that this Jiangnan Circuit Inspector seemed to know Xie Lingjiang's father and had some connection with him.
Xie Lingjiang was also quite surprised by this, it seems she didn't know about it before.
However, this did not prevent Shen Xisheng and Xie Lingjiang from exchanging pleasantries and laughter.
The Jade Cup Fairy listened in quietly for a while.
After a short while, the two paused, as if they were finishing their pleasantries.
Suddenly, the Jade Cup Fairy had a flash of inspiration.
As if struck by inspiration, she reached for the wine glass. Midway through, her wide sleeve subtly brushed against the rim of the glass, the wine's color remaining unchanged. She stood up, turned back with a smile, and handed the glass to Xie Lingjiang.
"Junior sister, since he is an old friend of our family, and we have finally met, we should naturally offer him a drink as a token of our appreciation."
Xie Lingjiang's expression froze slightly.
Shen Xisheng laughed heartily and waved his hand, "You're too kind."
The Jade Cup Fairy shook her head, not withdrawing her hand. "It's only right. Junior Sister is from the Xie family of Chenjun. Family traditions and education dictate that seniority and respect should not be disregarded. We should still offer her a toast."
Faced with the wine glass offered to her, Xie Lingjiang seemed to be in a daze and did not immediately take it.
She looked up at the familiar and sincere face of her senior brother, then glanced down at the clear wine.
She paused for a moment and nodded gently: "Senior brother is right."
Xie Lingjiang took the wine glass and stood up, gesturing to Chen Xisheng to offer a toast. She raised her sleeve to cover her mouth, tilted her head back as if to silently drink the wine, and put down the glass.
When the Jade Cup Fairy saw Xie Lingjiang's empty wine cup, she was overjoyed, and her earlier suspicions vanished.
She immediately raised her cup, turned her head and smiled, "Lord Shen, I would also like to offer you a toast."
Xie Lingjiang did not look at the "senior brother" who was toasting Shen Xisheng heartily.
She silently turned her head and glanced northwards outside the tent.
A short while later, after exchanging toasts, the luncheon came to an end.
County Magistrate Diao appeared at the tent entrance at just the right moment, and smiled as he reported to the crowd:
"My lords, the guests outside are all ready, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony is also prepared. We are just waiting for you to arrive. Do you have any other instructions?"
The people inside the tent naturally had no objections, and happily got up and filed out to follow Magistrate Diao.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony officially began.
(End of this chapter)
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