Chapter 147 The Real and Fake Liang Han? Caught on the Spot!
Where are we going?
Below the platform, the open-air luncheon came to an end, and Magistrate Diao led the local gentry, powerful merchants, and other dignitaries, including the three Liu brothers, to leave the venue.
Liu Zilin asked Diao, the county magistrate who was walking ahead, with a puzzled look.
"Isn't there a stage set up here? Aren't we going to skip the ribbon-cutting ceremony?"
Not only was Liu Zilin puzzled, but the guests from both inside and outside the county who had come from afar also looked curious.
When they saw the outdoor platform that had been erected, they all subconsciously assumed that today's ribbon-cutting ceremony would be held on the platform.
The high platform overlooks the water, with Di Gong Gate not far behind. With the latter as a backdrop, the building faces south, which is quite fitting. Anyone who comes here would probably think so.
However, at this moment, Magistrate Diao, who was in charge of today's ribbon-cutting ceremony, suddenly informed everyone that the ceremony would be held at another location.
Magistrate Diao gave a polite smile:
"I apologize, everyone. That was just the place where we ate. The ribbon-cutting ceremony this afternoon will be held in front of the inner gate of Di Gong Gate."
"Our colleagues at the county government office have already set things up there this morning and are just waiting for us to arrive. Please make a short walk."
Upon hearing this, the crowd began to whisper among themselves.
Magistrate Diao smiled, but secretly pondered the arrangements made by Magistrate Ming.
That's right, this small change was made by Magistrate Ouyang, and Assistant Magistrate Diao was just following procedure.
In the morning, the taciturn man named Liu Ashan, who served under the county magistrate, handed him the program for today's ribbon-cutting ceremony, which had been revised at the last minute.
So, from morning until now, Magistrate Diao has been doing his job step by step according to the instructions on the list given by the magistrate.
So right now, County Magistrate Diao doesn't really know why he insists on going to the inner sluice gate for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, wasting the well-prepared waterside platform and causing unnecessary trouble.
Don't ask, it's part of the plan.
These are the valuable lessons that County Magistrate Diao has learned from working under this county magistrate these past few days.
Just follow the instructions given by the Prefect.
"Well, actually the inner gate is the most important and last part of the Di Gong Gate to be completed, so it has more commemorative significance. After the officials cut the ribbon, they can take everyone in to inspect it, so that's where we chose to go."
County Magistrate Diao made up a random excuse.
He turned his head, waved his hand to summon a clerk, and gestured with a beaming smile to the guests who were rising from their seats:
"Please follow him to the inner gate to assemble. Someone will be there to receive you. I will go and pick up Lord Shen, Lord Wang, Lord Ouyang, and other superiors."
After speaking, Magistrate Diao headed towards the large tent.
The three Liu brothers and other gentry and guests were left behind and were warmly invited by the clerk to the inner gate of Di Gong Gate.
Liu Ziwen and Liu Zian, who were following behind the crowd, remained silent throughout.
Seeing Magistrate Diao's departing figure, the two turned around and looked at each other, their brows furrowing.
"Brother, this is... Burning Sky Shark Oil. Was it originally intended to trap our army?" Liu Zian pondered for a moment and asked in a low voice.
Liu Ziwen slowly nodded, paused slightly, and glanced northward towards Dagushan.
The young master of the Liu family chuckled and shook his head:
"You, you, you've planned so many schemes. Even after someone dies, there's still so much drama left. If you were still alive, that would be incredible. What a pity."
He said with mutual appreciation.
Someone who had set up the stage was now unable to host the show, and felt deeply sorry for him.
Liu Zilin seemed to understand but not quite, and couldn't help but ask, "So what do we do now?"
Liu Ziwen smiled, did not answer, and took a step forward, leading the way to follow the crowd towards the inner gate.
Liu Zian shook his head, followed after him, and pursed his lips, tossing out a remark:
"What else can we do? Ouyang Lianghan was ordered to build a stage in Neizha, but he didn't live to perform. So we and the female fairy will occupy this stage and perform a big show for him. It's a way of... showing him respect, haha."
Liu Zilin's expression turned thoughtful for a moment, then brightened with joy. He quickly caught up with his two older brothers and exclaimed:
"This is truly killing someone by destroying their spirit."
The three Liu brothers, along with other guests, were the first to enter the inner gate of the new sluice gate to wait.
Not long after, Magistrate Diao, with a smile on his face, led his superiors, Lord Shen and Lord Wang, who were all well-fed and drunk, as if taking a post-meal stroll.
Magistrate Ouyang was among them, his expression unchanged, followed closely by a female advisor in red.
Under the bright midday sun, the once unremarkable inner gate had already been decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations by the county officials who had spent the morning there.
The inner gate is located in the core of the Di Gong Gate and is in a semi-open-air state.
There is a drainage hole, which connects to the various gate chambers.
The drainage outlet is about ten feet wide and is located next to the sluice chamber. You can faintly hear the sound of water being discharged into the river by the Di Gong sluice below.
The innermost main lock chambers, lined up in a row, have been fitted with ballast stones and tightly sealed, according to the plan previously devised by Mr. Chen and other lock repair craftsmen.
However, it is unclear whether it was due to the last-minute arrangement of the ribbon-cutting ceremony or the need for water control that the craftsmen had to keep in check.
The large sluice chamber in the very center of this long row of sluice chambers, which is the one closest to the drainage hole, is not sealed with stones.
Instead, in front of this gate, there is a colorful ribbon that curves into the shape of a "smiling mouth," with a red embroidered ball shaped like a dragon's head tied in the very center of the ribbon.
Needless to say, this should be the location where the Jiangzhou officials are cutting the ribbon today.
And Liu Ziwen, who was observing coldly at this moment, could even vaguely guess that if Ouyang Lianghan had not been beheaded at Donglin Temple, and if the Jade Cup Fairy had not secretly switched the pieces...
So now, after Ouyang Lianghan, who is still alive, cuts the ribbon with Shen Xisheng, Wang Lengran, and others, he will likely head straight for the main gate room at the back and push open the door.
He would expose the burning of the Heavenly Shark Oil to the world and launch an attack on the Liu family in full view of everyone, staging a grand drama to overthrow the Liu family.
Liu Ziwen stood with his hands behind his back, his eyelids drooping.
He seemed somewhat uninterested in what was to come.
Behind him, Liu Zilin, who was looking up at his elder brother's back, turned his head and glanced at the main gate of the gatehouse, which was adorned with colorful ribbons and embroidered balls, and sneered:
"You, surnamed Ouyang, have a good plan, but I'm sorry, today is the Liu family's day, and the eldest brother's show will start first."
Liu Ziwen did not look at Liu Zilin, but turned his head slightly to look at "Ouyang Lianghan" in front of him.
The latter remained calm, his gaze sweeping across the crowd, pausing briefly at Liu Ziwen's position.
The two looked at each other.
"Ouyang Lianghan" raised his hand to stroke his chin, and gestured with his eyes to Chen Xisheng in front of the main gate and the drainage hole next to it that could accommodate several people jumping in.
Murder and escape.
Liu Ziwen nodded almost imperceptibly.
He glanced at Xie Lingjiang, who was following closely behind "Ouyang Lianghan" with a calm expression.
And in his hand beneath his sleeve, he had been silently holding a small red cloth and white porcelain bottle for who knows how long.
Xie Lingjiang did not notice Liu Ziwen's gaze; her eyes were mostly fixed on the back of her senior brother in front of her.
But at a certain moment, for some reason, she shifted her gaze from the senior brother in front of her and turned to look at the main control room.
At this moment, guests who had come from all directions, as well as people from nearby Longcheng County, gathered inside and outside the inner gate to watch.
The three brothers, Liu Ziwen and Liu Ziwen, were standing in the first row of the crowd, not far from the main gate room.
Shen Xisheng, Wang Lengran, and "Ouyang Lianghan" walked together to the main gate room door, which was decorated with colorful ribbons.
"Lord Shen, Lord Wang, Magistrate, please!"
Magistrate Diao greeted them respectfully, then turned and addressed the entire audience in a loud voice:
"The ribbon-cutting ceremony begins. We invite all the officials to inspect the gate and cut the ribbon."
"Lord Wang, please."
Shen Xisheng turned his head and politely addressed his colleague, but to his surprise, the latter humbly cupped his hands in greeting:
"No, Lord Shen, please. You are the official in charge today, so you should be the one to make the first cut."
Shen Xisheng looked quite surprised, but quickly regained his composure and turned to look at the countless gazes from the group of guests behind him.
He smiled elegantly and stepped forward without hesitation, arriving at the main gate of the gatehouse.
County Magistrate Diao held a tray in his hands, on which lay a pair of exquisite scissors covered with a red cloth.
Seeing this, Magistrate Diao was about to step forward when "Ouyang Lianghan" suddenly stepped forward and blocked his way.
"Let me do it."
Ouyang Lianghan smiled at Magistrate Diao, reached for the small scissors in the plate, and walked towards Shen Xisheng.
The latter was standing in front of the main gate chamber first.
She was about ten steps away from Shen Xisheng, and the distance between them was closing as she took the opportunity to hand him the scissors.
However, the Jade Cup Fairy made a slightly surprising discovery.
Xie Lingjiang, who had been following closely behind her by no more than three steps, hesitated and slowed down a bit.
The distance between us gradually increased.
Xie Lingjiang seemed a little embarrassed that she was being too clingy to her senior brother in front of everyone.
However, in that instant, the Jade Cup Fairy was only slightly surprised, and did not pay much attention or feel particularly delighted.
Hmph, even now they're still sticking close behind.
Having already been poisoned by the Cicada Silkworm Soft Bone Powder, Xie Lingjiang was unable to stop her from immediately plunging the poisoned dagger into Shen Xisheng's heart and jumping into the drainage hole next to the main gate to escape.
At this moment, the entire room fell silent, and no one spoke.
Ouyang Lianghan, with his back to Xie Lingjiang, County Magistrate Diao, and all the guests, suddenly had a cold look in his eyes, but a smile remained on his face.
Halfway there, she held the scissors by the head with one hand, with the tail facing outwards, and handed them to Shen Xisheng. At the same time, a cold blade hilt silently fell into her other hand inside her sleeve.
Just then, the sound of the iron gate creaking open echoed throughout the arena. Apart from Chen Xisheng, who had his back to the main gate, everyone, including "Ouyang Lianghan" who handed over the scissors, froze in shock.
All I saw was...
The main gate, which was originally adorned with colorful ribbons, was pushed open from the inside. Another Ouyang Lianghan strode out from inside, head held high and chest out, carrying a jade-handled white sandalwood sword. He casually slashed the colorful ribbons in front of him, facing the crowd with an open and honest demeanor. His eyes, now adjusted to the sunlight, widened slightly and surveyed the entire scene without fear.
Wait, why is it "another one"?
Everyone stared blankly at “Ouyang Lianghan” who was standing still between Xie Lingjiang and Shen Xisheng, then turned to look at another Ouyang Lianghan who walked out of the main gate.
Many people on the field couldn't help but raise their hands to rub their eyes and take a closer look, and the air suddenly became a little chaotic.
No sooner said than done, before anyone could react, Ouyang Rong, who had been waiting in the main gate room, stepped out of the door, the tip of his skirt-shaped knife forcefully stabbing at the terrified "Ouyang Lianghan" directly in front of him. He shouted:
"Who is this fiend who dares to impersonate me, plotting to murder a high-ranking official, defying his superiors, and framing someone! Who gave you the audacity, Liu Ziwen? Show yourself at once!"
Not only was "Ouyang Lianghan" so frightened that he took a step back, but Liu Ziwen in the crowd also froze.
While delivering a righteous reprimand, Ouyang Rong's other hand was also busy, pulling the bewildered Shen Xisheng behind him. At the same time, he subtly glanced at the drainage hole not far away.
Ouyang Rong was silently waiting for the Jade Cup Fairy to flee in panic. There, Ah Shan and the others had set up a dead end trap for her. Once she entered the water from there, she would be walking into their trap and would have no chance of escape!
However, to Ouyang Rong's utter surprise, the Jade Cup Fairy, whose first reaction after being exposed in public was expected to be to flee to avoid being captured alive, only showed a panicked expression for a moment.
Wang Lengran, the governor of Xinjiang Prefecture, who was watching from a distance with his eyes half-closed, glanced coldly at the Jade Cup Fairy.
The next instant, the Jade Cup Fairy's expression turned fierce upon sensing a certain gaze.
Instead of turning and running away, she suddenly lunged forward, thrusting a cold blade from her sleeve toward Ouyang Rong—no, toward Shen Xisheng, who was standing next to Ouyang Rong!
Holy crap, even Qi cultivators are willing to become suicide warriors, what's the point?!
Ouyang Rong was taken aback; the Jade Cup Fairy's actions were somewhat unexpected.
In an instant, the Jade Cup Fairy traversed the mere five steps, her dagger tip gleaming with a chilling light, aimed at the chest of the hastily retreating Shen Xisheng.
Ouyang Rong opened his eyes wide, took a decisive step, and turned his back to shield Shen Xisheng from the knife.
But then, his pupils suddenly contracted, and a hint of red was reflected in his clear, black eyes.
Someone stepped in front of Ouyang Rong.
The entire room fell silent, and "Ouyang Lianghan" stood frozen in place.
Countless eyes on the field fell on the same spot:
A delicate hand tied with a red string tightly gripped the wrist of another right hand that was extending a dagger!
The two hands, tied together with red ropes, froze in mid-air.
Xie Lingjiang silently turned her back to her senior brother, who was wearing a skirt-shaped sword. In the sunlight, her red dress was particularly dazzling.
Almost no one on the field could see with the naked eye how she made that move.
She appeared as suddenly as lightning in the clouds.
A sharp, poisoned dagger stopped half an inch from Shen Xisheng's chest, unable to advance even an inch further.
The Jade Cup Fairy looked down in a daze, her gaze slowly moving upwards from the red rope that had grabbed her wrist, until she met Xie Lingjiang's cold gaze.
That gaze was as hard and piercing as the ice on a snow-capped mountain peak.
The Jade Cup Fairy couldn't help but shiver.
On the other side, Ouyang Rong couldn't help but glance at the silent junior sister's back in front of him.
Xie Lingjiang remained silent throughout the entire process.
However, immediately afterward, a powerful and intense yet difficult-to-suppress spiritual energy fluctuation spread out.
With a cry of pain, the Jade Cup Fairy dropped the dagger from her hand.
At the same time, in an instant, two red ropes that had been tied together for less than half a day were completely shaken into red mist and dust.
It left no trace in the world.
Under the dazzling sunlight, Xie Lingjiang lowered her head slightly, her eyelids drooping, and her lips pressed tightly together.
The Jade Cup Fairy's face was filled with shock and...panic.
I was so lethargic staying cooped up in my room for the past few days, but this morning I got up early and went hiking. After coming down, I got a massage and cupping done. Hmm, I feel so energetic again! I suddenly really want to go fencing with my buddies...
(End of this chapter)
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