Chapter 24 Decision: In a private room on the second floor of the Delightful Restaurant, Qin…
In a private room on the second floor of the Zhenxiu Restaurant, Qin Xi watched her master leisurely drinking by himself and couldn't help but sigh in her heart, "My master is indeed my master. His actions are completely unfathomable to a nobody like me."
He had initially thought his lord would be busy summoning his men for a meeting today. After all, while the matter of the salt ships being hijacked by waterway had been resolved, the stolen map of the salt lakes had still not been recovered. The struggle in the capital was also intensifying, and he had received an urgent letter early this morning, which did not bring good news.
But the master, with two matters on his mind, showed no sign of urgency. Instead, he came to this restaurant, Zhenxiulou, fanning himself with a folding fan, to sample some new dishes. However, he barely ate any of the food, but he had already drunk more than half a jar of wine.
Judging from the Lord's relaxed and peaceful demeanor, he doesn't seem to have come here to drown his sorrows in alcohol.
But Qin Xi was wrong. Qin Ji at this moment was not at all like the calm person he appeared to be. In fact, today was the day when his emotions were most turbulent in recent years.
Because he needs to make a decision today, to bring things to a close.
"Qin Xi, that man still refuses to tell us where he sent the Salt Lake Secret Map?" After finishing another drink, Qin Ji's voice carried a hint of arrogance.
"Yes, he confessed the whereabouts of the ship of salt that day, but he insisted that he had never seen the blueprints. All the clues we found before pointed to the blueprints having passed through his hands. He couldn't possibly not know the whereabouts of the secret blueprints, but I think he won't talk about it again."
Qin Xi had helped the Lord capture the man that day, and although he hadn't personally participated in the interrogation, he was present throughout. Qin Xi felt that although the man was still clinging to life and had information that they needed to know, he was no longer of any value.
That information couldn't be uncovered.
"Oh, why do you say that?" Qin Ji seemed a little surprised to hear this answer. He tapped the table lightly to signal Qin Xi to continue.
"I've seen that look in his eyes before. People with that kind of look are perhaps driven by loyalty, perhaps by protection, or perhaps by something else. In any case, there's something more important than their lives, so even if they die, even if they're torn to pieces and their bones are reduced to ashes, they won't utter another word." Qin Xi said this with utmost seriousness.
"I see." Qin Ji nodded with a smile, then poured himself another glass of wine. "Then you can deal with him when you get back."
"Yes." Qin Xi paused for a moment before asking, "My lord, should we look for other clues to continue investigating the whereabouts of the secret map?"
Although they currently have no other clues, the blueprints are related to the salt refining method, and the value of these secret blueprints is not much different from the alchemy of turning stone into gold. Could it really have been lost to time?
Moreover, judging from the other party's style of doing things this time, the person behind the scenes is not just after the wealth brought by the blueprints, but they are enemies rather than friends. Such a golden goose falling into the hands of the enemy is going to make people uneasy.
"I already have a general idea of where it landed, so there's no need to investigate further."
"Wouldn't the salt-making method be leaked?" Qin Xi couldn't help but feel worried at the thought.
"Won't".
Qin Ji only answered with those two words, and the worry on the boy's face vanished instantly, like dew meeting the sunlight.
Since the Lord says no, then it certainly won't happen.
After all, whether it's the salt fields, ice fields, or other treasure troves, they were all created by the Lord himself. Who could understand the intricacies of these things better than the Lord?
"Qin Xi, what do you think we should do if the salt-making method falls into the hands of someone who might leak it at any time?" Just as Qin Xi was relieved, she heard this question again.
His already slightly round eyes suddenly widened to the size of coins, filled with astonishment as he looked at his master, as if Qin Ji had not just casually asked a question, but had swallowed the wine cup in his hand.
It's no wonder Qin Xi was so surprised; for Qin Xi, it was really strange that her master would ask such a question.
If he had been exposed to modern terminology, Qin Xi would probably be internally wailing right now: "My lord, what's wrong with you? You've ruined your persona!"
How could the Lord ask such a question? What's even more outrageous is why he would be asked such a question at all? He's not worthy of answering!
Judging from the Lord's expression, he was still waiting for his answer.
Since his lord had already asked, he could only answer according to his own conscience: "In my opinion, the simplest and safest way to deal with this is... to kill him."
"Yes, killing her would be the most convenient option." Qin Ji drank another full cup of wine. The wine in the jar was almost empty, and he was already a little tipsy.
After setting down his wine glass, he could see a familiar figure slowly walking down the street below through the carved window of the restaurant.
She walked slowly, the shouts from the shops, the pedestrians brushing past her, the merchants on the roadside, the carvings on the eaves, the stone carvings at the bridgehead—it seemed that something new and interesting could distract her at any moment.
"Why is it that these past few times, young lady, you've become so intrigued by everything you see as soon as you step outside that you can't even move on? You weren't like this before!"
"Not only when she went out, but the other day I also saw the girl drawing pictures in front of her window. What's so interesting about that?"
Qin Ji's excellent hearing even allowed him to catch the maid's well-intentioned teasing.
"You're so ignorant! That's called 'a view from every window.' I was just drawing flower patterns by the window." That was her self-righteous defense.
"The young lady hasn't touched needle and thread for quite some time, so why would she need to use fancy patterns?"
Qin Ji lowered her gaze and fell on the person who was approaching. Once she saw through him, she found flaws everywhere. Her disguise was really not very good.
Thinking of the few pages of Buddhist scriptures lying in her study, whose handwriting was similar but whose differences were not difficult to discern upon closer inspection, and further, the seemingly insignificant items she had recently purchased in small quantities among her clothes, jewelry, cosmetics, and perfumes—such as strong liquor, white salt, small packets of saltpeter, glass, and various plant fragrances—she realized that, after careful investigation, she had also discovered these items.
Qin Ji was almost certain that she not only wore the clothes, but also knew about the secret formulas that others had gone to great lengths to steal and infiltrate.
For the sake of sharing a common origin, Qin Ji did hesitate. He felt he had already shown her the greatest mercy he could ever have. But this person, who could pose a significant threat to him, was someone he couldn't convince himself to live, no matter how much he considered it. He couldn't allow another to sleep soundly beside his bed.
In particular, a few days ago Wei Sa sent back the latest news about the Xiao family: the Third Miss Xiao had completely rejected the marriage proposal and was even unwilling to sleep next to her own bed.
After pouring out the last cup of wine from the jar, Qin Ji, whose face was already flushed, now had an eerie look on his usually gentle and handsome face.
He didn't drink the last glass of wine. He reached out from the carved window with the hand holding the glass, and with a flick of his fingers, the glass rolled down the sloping eaves of the first floor.
With a "crack," the wine glass shattered into pieces on the bluestone pavement, the fine wine splashing into a shallow puddle, still carrying its enticing aroma.
On the bustling street, almost no one paid attention to the wine glass that had fallen to the ground. In a place like Zhenxiulou, it was normal for a cup or bowl to fall occasionally. Unless a large wine jar hit someone on the head, they wouldn't care. Only in the dark alley to the side did a figure flash by after the wine glass fell.
"Huh?" Xiao Yan, who was passing by not far away, suddenly stopped and clutched her chest.
"Miss, what have you taken a fancy to this time?" Green Moth cast a questioning gaze at her mistress, who had stopped again, assuming that she had seen something interesting once more.
"No, it was just a sudden jolt in my heart." Xiao Yan could still feel the erratic heartbeat in her hand. She looked around blankly. She had suddenly felt uneasy, as if some danger was about to befall her.
But in broad daylight, in a safe place like Qibao Street, with a maidservant by my side and guards protecting me from behind, there was no danger whatsoever.
Perhaps because I didn't sleep well last night, my body, which is used to going to bed early and waking up early and sleeping until dawn, is not used to it for a while.
"Look, young lady, the shop's business is indeed doing very well, just as the shopkeeper said." Seeing that the young lady was alright but looked a little dazed, Cat quickly pointed ahead for her to see.
That was Xiao Yan Hui's sweet water shop. At this moment, there were six or seven people sitting or standing in the shop. From time to time, young men would go in with baskets on the side facing the street, and each one would come out with their baskets full.
Don't get me wrong, it's not that they personally love iced drinks and sweet beverages; they're all "delivery guys" for these neighborhoods, providing delivery services. The shop has a large window facing the river, where passing boats often stop, making it another unique sales window.
"Neighing..." Xiao Yan was engrossed in watching when she heard the loud neighing of horses, the rapid clattering of hooves, and the exclamations of the crowd not far away.
Oh no, some horses have spooked themselves.
Realizing this, she looked around and immediately led Green Moth and Cat to a nearby pastry shop to make way.
"Wow~" She had only taken two steps when she heard a terrified cry behind her.
Turning my head, I met the terrified eyes of a little girl who had fallen. The girl had fallen two steps behind me, clearly pushed down by the panicked crowd trying to avoid the runaway horse because of her short stature and weak body. What was even more terrifying was that the runaway horse was charging straight towards me from the dark alley.
From this distance, it seems that both he and the little girl are very likely to become victims of the horse.
Xiao Yan Hui truly hated that her hands and feet seemed to have a mind of their own when it came to life and death. She wasn't some saintly, innocent person, but she subconsciously turned around and pushed the little girl away.
Seeing that the horse's hooves were about to strike, she desperately rolled to the side, trying to get away from the path of the frightened horse.
But... it seemed too late; the unique, fishy, and foul odor of animals overwhelmed them.
A loud bang echoed from above.
"Neigh, neigh..." The horse neighed once again.
With a clang, Xiao Yan Hui saw a wine jar shatter into pieces in front of her, and only then did she realize that she had actually rolled away from danger.
Just now, at the critical moment, a wine jar fell from above and hit the horse's head hard, causing it to veer off course. That's how I narrowly escaped the horse's hooves.
"Make way, make way, watch out for a startled horse!"
"Quick, quick, grab it!"
"If it doesn't work, just kill it. We can't let this beast hurt anyone."
"Any hero who can help control the horse will be rewarded with ten taels of silver by my master."
Xiao Yan was helped up by two maids who rushed over, still shaken. She saw a group of people carrying sticks and ropes rushing past her, shouting as they chased after the runaway horse.
She still felt her ears and head buzzing, until she saw the horse being stopped in the distance, until the girl was carried to her father's feet and knelt down to thank him, until the passersby around her started clapping and shouting, "What a righteous act, young lady!"
Xiao Yan Hui's mind, which had been somewhat startled, returned fully. Her face flushed red, and she raised her hand to cover her face with her sleeve before retreating into the crowd on the street.
His gaze fell on the broken wine jar on the ground, and then he realized he should look up.
As soon as I looked up, my gaze met the eyes of the person standing by the second-floor window.
"Wow, he saved me again." I was just thinking that to myself.
But little did he expect that this person would drop a bombshell on him as soon as he came downstairs.
She really wanted to say that she didn't understand anything about sulfur, saltpeter, or charcoal, but when she met those eyes that seemed to know everything, denial seemed pointless.
"May I invite the Third Miss to have a cup of tea?" The gentle-looking man in front of her asked with a smile.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com