"Then what are we waiting for!" Ye Qingzhou jumped up suddenly, the sword at his waist slamming against the corner of the table with a clang.
He was impatient and spoke rapidly, like firecrackers: "Since the owner of the Linxian trading company is related to Wang Jian, let's go directly over there, arrest him, and torture him to extract a confession so he can lead us to Qingyakou to arrest him!"
Gu Zhixing's brows were furrowed so deeply they could trap a fly, and his eyes were full of displeasure.
"Are you a robber? These merchants are doing business honestly, and you arrest people based on some fabricated charges. If you get evidence in the end, that's fine, but if you don't, what will the people think of our government and our imperial court?"
That's the downside of being an official; there are too many rules and regulations, and you have to follow them for everything.
Even if you have information, you can't directly take action against them!
The room fell silent, except for the cicadas outside the window that continued their tireless chirping. Their noise was particularly irritating in the sweltering summer heat, making one's head ache.
Shen Jintang tapped her fingers lightly on the table. She looked up at Xing Hui, her gaze calm and profound: "Any other news?"
“Three months ago, Master Qi gambled away all his wealth. When the casino came to collect the debt, he had no money and they demanded that he use his daughter as collateral. Master Qi had no choice but to arrange a marriage for his daughter as soon as possible, and just then, someone came to propose marriage,” Xing Hui said.
Ye Qingzhou's eyes widened, her face full of disbelief: "What does this have to do with Wang Jian?"
Xing Hui replied, "The day before yesterday, Master Qi discovered that the people who wanted to marry his daughter were not from a respectable family at all, but were bandits from Qingyakou. However, the betrothal gifts had already been accepted, and now he couldn't back out. He was in a dilemma; either he sent his daughter to Qingyakou or to a gambling den, neither of which was a good solution."
Gu Yanqing, who had been leaning against the door frame, suddenly burst out laughing.
Today he was dressed in a moon-white brocade robe, waving a folding fan, looking just like a wealthy young master watching a spectacle.
"I have an idea." He snapped his fan shut, his eyes sparkling as if he were hiding some cunning plan.
"Shut up!"
Gu Zhixing, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, raised his voice three points higher, his eyes full of vigilance.
He knows his friend too well; every time he gives advice, it's never anything good.
Gu Yanqing pouted, looking aggrieved: "I haven't said anything yet."
"Because of your ideas..." Gu Zhixing said through gritted teeth, "they're all harmful to others and don't benefit yourself at all!"
"That's a really good idea."
"Then shut up."
"Alright." Gu Yanqing shook his head slightly, which was considered a compromise.
Shen Jintang suddenly laughed.
When she smiles, her eyes crinkle into crescents, as if filled with starlight, seemingly able to dispel the gloom in the room.
“I think it’s feasible,” she said.
"See!" Gu Yanqing winked at Gu Zhixing triumphantly, waving his fan even more enthusiastically. "That's what you call great minds thinking alike!"
Ye Qingzhou looked left and right, scratching his head anxiously: "You guys better explain yourself! What kind of riddle are you playing?"
Shen Jintang picked up her teacup and took a sip. The tea had already cooled down and was so bitter that she frowned slightly.
“The Qi family needs to get out of this predicament, and that’s why we need to go up the mountain.” She put down her teacup, her fingertips lightly tracing circles on the rim. “I can impersonate Miss Qi.”
"no!"
Gu Zhixing slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, causing the teacups on the table to jump and spill tea onto the surface, creating a mess.
His face was ashen, and his voice trembled: "Do you know what Qingyakou is? Those bandits there kill without blinking an eye!"
Shen Jintang looked at him quietly. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on her face, as if veiling it with a thin veil.
"Who else can I ask besides me?" she asked softly. "They need to know martial arts, be able to deliver messages, and also..." She paused, then said, "be beautiful enough."
Because Miss Qi was famous for her beauty in the surrounding area, although not many people had actually seen her, the rumors that circulated were certainly not unfounded.
The room was so quiet that you could hear the rustling of leaves outside the window; it was as if the air itself had frozen.
Gu Zhixing gripped the edge of the table tightly, his knuckles turning white, and the veins on the back of his hand bulging slightly.
"The bridal sedan chair will arrive tonight." Shen Jintang's voice was as light as a feather, yet it struck everyone's hearts heavily. "In such a short time, can you find someone more suitable?"
Gu Zhixing's Adam's apple bobbed a few times, and his eyes seemed to be burning with fire.
He opened his mouth, but only managed to squeeze out, "That won't do either!"
His voice was hoarse, as if it had been sanded.
Gu Yanqing touched his nose and awkwardly took half a step back.
He's always been one to come up with ideas, but when it comes to actually making a decision, he habitually backs down—after all, he's already come up with the idea, whether or not it's adopted is someone else's business.
"Boss, I think this method is really good." Ye Qingzhou wrung his hands anxiously, the sword at his waist clanging with his movements, as if accompanying his anxiety. "If we miss this opportunity, where are we going to catch Wang Jian within three days? When the Crown Prince comes to question us..."
He made a throat-slitting gesture, his eyes wide open, as if he could already see the terrible consequences.
Shen Jintang had already stood up, gently adjusting her sleeves with elegant and composed movements.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting dappled shadows on her long eyelashes, as if framing her eyes with a golden edge.
She slightly raised her chin, her tone calm yet firm: "Xinghui, go prepare your wedding dress."
"Shen Jintang!" Gu Zhixing slammed his hand on the table and stood up abruptly, causing the sandalwood table to vibrate and the teacups on it to sway slightly.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
