Chapter 92 Inviting a Dinner for the Execution and the Talkative Junior Sister (Begging for votes!)
"Brother, you have to hold back."
"oh."
"We must prioritize the overall situation. Just bear with it and let him run rampant for a few days."
"I know, why do you keep bringing this up, second brother?"
The Liu Family Mansion.
Beside the pond, in a maroon pavilion, Liu Ziwen, who was pondering as he gently cast his bait, couldn't help but turn his head to look curiously at Liu Zian.
In the afternoon, Liu Zian returned from the county government office and immediately reported the details of his meeting with the young county magistrate to Liu Ziwen.
After listening carefully, Liu Ziwen was not too surprised by Ouyang Rong's attitude, but his expression was somewhat gloomy.
However, he noticed that his usually calm and taciturn second brother was a bit agitated.
Liu Zian shook his head and offered no further explanation.
I'll find out when my older brother goes over tonight. That Ouyang Lianghan really spoke in a way that was incredibly annoying and infuriating.
Liu Ziwen ignored these questions and frowned, asking, "Has Boss Li left?"
Liu Zian nodded:
"Yes, he left by boat last night. He said he already has the military part, and next he'll prepare the civil part."
Liu Ziwen closed his eyes, tilted his head back, and let out a long sigh:
"But he had only just left when Ouyang Lianghan pulled another ruthless move against us today. This guy doesn't play by the rules at all."
Liu Zian rubbed his right cheek and said in a deep voice:
"Within two months, a new canal was dug to divert the Butterfly Creek... What exactly did Jianpu and the Butterfly Creek do to him that he's making things so difficult for us!"
Liu Ziwen said quietly, "We can wait for Boss Li's reinforcements for now. Tonight, let's go to Yuanming Tower, treat everyone to a meal, and meet this guy."
Upon hearing this, Liu Zian seemed to be deep in thought, and turned to look at a newly vacated courtyard in the distance.
Inside, a new guest was being settled in. The servants of the Liu family were coming and going at the courtyard gate, bringing dishes and wine, making it quite lively.
Liu Zian looked in that direction and said:
"Inviting him to a meal, beheading him, or taking him in as a dog—there's no other way... So, my brother sent me to feign weakness and invite him to a meal this time, hoping to appease Ouyang Lianghan first, and then seize the opportunity to behead him once he lowers his guard?"
Liu Ziwen sighed:
"If I were to say that what I said to Boss Li that day was true, that I was thinking about the bigger picture, and that apart from my third brother's matter, I didn't have many personal grudges with this Ouyang Lianghan, would my second brother believe me?"
Liu Zian watched his brother's retreating figure, lowering his eyelids: "Letter."
"Then my second brother shouldn't have asked me that question."
"If beheading can immediately solve the problem of the Broken Wing Canal, then we naturally cannot be lenient."
"But if beheading is not very useful and is extremely risky, why not try a different approach? First, invite him to dinner and exchange benefits to see if we can delay this kid and Zheyiqu. Once the big thing is accomplished, or the external force that Boss Li found arrives, then we can turn around and crush him like an ant. Wouldn't that be more secure?"
Liu Zian pondered for a moment, then nodded: "Big Brother is still the most composed."
The man, dressed like an ordinary wealthy man and reflected in the water outside the pavilion, shook his head and squinted, saying:
"I am not calm."
"Second brother, a fire is quietly rising in my heart, and the closer that day gets, the stronger the fire burns! But I think, I have waited for twelve years, and only in these last two months will I be able to lead our Liu family to that level... Tell me, what is there that I cannot tolerate?"
"But anything that blindly blocks the Liu family's way, I'll tear it to shreds even if it means my death!"
Liu Zian looked at the floor and fell silent for a moment.
"Young Master, Second Young Master."
Just then, a lame servant boy came from the new courtyard. He had just delivered another batch of Yunshuijian Osmanthus Wine to the courtyard.
The lame servant boy reported respectfully:
"That young man said that, for the sake of the sword that Jia Sanlu is about to finish forging, he could consider drawing his sword, but only once. We will point out the target and make sure to clean up the mess afterwards. He will cut off the head of the target, take the sword back to Chang'an, and not care about anything else."
"But if he gets dirty because of this, he will go back to the Liu family and cut off a few more heads before leaving."
"Finally, the osmanthus wine should be served in abundance."
Liu Ziwen and Liu Zian turned and looked at each other.
There wasn't much surprise in his eyes.
The two of them didn't find anything particularly wrong with such domineering terms.
After all... this is a mid-grade Qi cultivator, and even though he was injured and fell in cultivation in Yunmengze, he is not someone that ordinary local families can afford to hire.
The Liu family's advantage lay in the assistance of Persian merchants, whose expertise in sword forging struck a nerve with this eccentric swordsman named A-Jie, allowing them to barely manage to succeed.
"good."
Liu Ziwen immediately nodded, his expression becoming increasingly composed.
He gave a few more instructions, and the lame servant acknowledged them and withdrew.
Liu Zian frowned and said:
"This man's skills may be as impressive as Boss Li said, but isn't it a bit too extravagant for us to use him like this? Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? Isn't this a waste of a good sword?"
"Even a lion uses its full strength to hunt a rabbit."
Liu Ziwen shook his head, glanced at Liu Zian, and suddenly said, "Otherwise, who should we use? You, that sorcerer of yours?"
Liu Zian said calmly, "At least the one time on the Dragon Head Bridge was handled well; he fell into the water in front of everyone, and no one suspected anything."
Liu Ziwen said coldly, "And then what? Didn't he still come back down the mountain perfectly fine? All that talk of 'substituting one thing for another' and playing tricks is completely useless."
Liu Zian's expression also showed some surprise and doubt, and he hesitated to speak.
The main problem was that the sorcerer himself didn't know what had happened afterward; the strange ritual he performed that day had clearly succeeded...
But the fact that is now clear is that Ouyang Lianghan eventually came back to life and went down the mountain to take up his post.
To be honest, it made them a little embarrassed.
Anyway, from then on, the older brother didn't really trust the people on his side anymore, and he didn't mention the matter for a long time.
Liu Ziwen turned around, reached out again, and scattered the bait to deter fish:
"The last time the accounts were burned in the East Warehouse, if it weren't for the assassins, what use would that sorcerer be? He was being chased by the Xie woman. If he had been caught, we would all be finished."
Liu Zian couldn't help but say, "But there are still some techniques that are quite useful to us..."
The young master of the Liu family paused in mid-air as he cast the bait, and Liu Zian immediately shut his mouth.
The atmosphere was quiet for a while.
Liu Ziwen continued feeding the fish.
Without turning his head, he gave the order:
"Go back to the sword shop and guard it. From now on, stop messing around with that sorcerer. Do everything as I say."
"I'm going to Yuanming Tower tonight. You stay here and keep a close eye on the Jia San Sword Furnace these next few days. Make sure this sword, which I promised as a reward, doesn't cause any more problems..."
"Yes, brother."
Liu Zian pursed his lips and lowered his eyes.
...
As evening fell, a large patch of fiery clouds still hung in the sky. A horse-drawn carriage slowly drove out of Luming Street, its wheels making a soft creaking sound.
Inside the carriage, a young county magistrate asked with a suspicious look:
"Junior sister, why were you struggling to walk this morning, but you're all lively and energetic this afternoon?"
A pretty young woman dressed in a pale white men's blouse sat upright, nodding softly:
"The Liu family is too despicable. We must prevent them from resorting to desperate measures. I must protect my senior brother."
Even though her breasts were tightly bound by a cloth beneath her outer garment, they still resembled a pair of bright moons hidden within her bosom, towering high in her silk robe.
Especially with the swaying rhythm of the carriage...
Eye management expert Ouyang Rong, without blinking, shook his head upon hearing this:
"No, I was asking how your injury suddenly healed, Junior Sister, don't change the subject."
"..."
Xie Lingjiang stared straight at him and said, "Senior Brother, can you focus more on important matters and stop harping on unimportant trifles?"
Ouyang Rong frowned: "Junior Sister, were you just bluffing me before?"
"How...how is that possible?"
Faced with his persistent and probing gaze, Xie Lingjiang panicked slightly and said:
"I was really badly injured a few days ago and couldn't get out of bed. However, I had an urgent matter to attend to today, so I meditated and circulated my Qi for two full cycles, and I'm almost fully recovered. Actually, spiritual energy can sometimes have a healing effect on this kind of skin and flesh."
"Then why didn't you use it sooner?"
"Why does Senior Brother have so many questions, just like my father?" Xie Lingjiang glared at him and turned her head away. "I was too lazy to use it a few days ago, so it healed naturally and didn't leave any marks."
Ouyang Rong shook his head, his face serious, and said:
"Junior sister, don't think you can hide your little thoughts from me. Your senior brother knows what you're thinking."
"What...what am I thinking?"
Ouyang Rong nodded in affirmation: "You just want me to bring you food."
Xie Lingjiang's heart leaped into her throat, then began to pound wildly. However, before her cheeks could flush, someone added in a serious tone:
"So you can slack off and rest in Yilan Garden. How lazy you are, Junior Sister. You planted those orchids in the courtyard, didn't you? I knew something was wrong with those maids."
Xie Lingjiang: "..."
Ouyang Rong seemed oblivious to the resentful look in his junior sister's eyes, and continued in an annoyed tone:
"Well, no wonder you ask so many questions every time I deliver food. You're so concerned about official business. It's no different from a student who skips class to be lazy but is worried about their grades. It's all fake anxiety."
Xie Lingjiang felt a little embarrassed and couldn't help but retort, "Senior brother is too strict."
Her stubbornness made Ouyang Rong want to tease his adorable junior sister.
The young senior brother frowned and said sternly:
"Who was it that praised Senior Brother for his discipline and asked him to continue? Have you forgotten about it?"
He nodded to his junior sister, whose expression had changed, and said:
"Fine, didn't you say that spiritual energy can quickly heal whip wounds? Hmph, then I'll discipline you again, senior brother!"
It was meant as a joke, and Ouyang Rong expected his junior sister to give him a blank stare in return. However, to his surprise, Xie Lingjiang, who had been sitting upright opposite him, trembled slightly, her slender fingers brushing her hair behind her ear. She turned her face away slightly and muttered softly:
"Go back...we'll talk about it later. Don't come now. You...you have important business to attend to tonight."
“…” Ouyang Rong.
Inside the carriage, only the two of them breathing in perfect unison could be heard.
Fortunately, the awkward atmosphere didn't last long.
"Master, Miss Xie, we have arrived at Yuanming Tower."
A muffled sound came from outside the carriage, and the curtain was subsequently lifted.
"Okay, okay, I'm coming."
Ouyang Rong immediately got off the bus first.
Xie Lingjiang followed silently.
I didn't sleep, I'm here! A little late... Hugging everyone from behind!
(End of this chapter)
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