Chapter 103 The Situation (1)
Magistrate Meng said sternly, “Brother Qi, whoever is behind this, they must be a big shot in the capital, capable of manipulating us at will. But they are porcelain, and you are not rubble. If you retaliate now, it will likely be like throwing an egg against a rock, resulting in more harm than good. You are still a sapling, and you must not get involved in such a struggle. This matter ends here, there is no need to pursue it any further. Pack your things as soon as possible and come back to Biyang County with us.”
Meng Guanqi felt a chill run down her spine. She thought of how her grandfather quickly distanced himself from the family after her father got involved in the Third Prince's case. She knew that the Meng family was most averse to getting involved in factional struggles. Her father was right. She was still a sapling and couldn't withstand any storms. Now was not the time to pursue responsibility.
Especially since he hadn't lost anything in this ambush—
Thinking of this, he was startled and exclaimed, "Father, if I fail to participate in the third exam, then—"
Magistrate Meng looked at him with a deep gaze: "Then I will spare no effort to investigate to the end."
They will spare no expense to investigate to the end, but will what they find be the real truth, or the truth that the other side wants them to find? At that point, how can Magistrate Meng, who loves his son dearly, remain calm and uninvolved? He might even be willing to be a moth drawn to a flame to seek justice for his son, and the Meng family might truly be dragged into an irreversible vortex by the hand behind the scenes.
Moreover, Magistrate Meng felt that the other party's goal was not just to target this small branch of their family, but to drag their entire family into the mess.
Meng Guanqi murmured, "That's the purpose of their scheme—to lure me into a trap. Fortunately, fortunately, Xiaoxiao saved me again..."
If Li Xiaoxiao hadn't intervened in time, his family would have been inevitably drawn into this struggle, which was definitely not the outcome they wanted.
Magistrate Meng stroked his newly grown beard and smiled at Liu, saying, "Speaking of which, Xiaoxiao can be considered our family's lucky charm. When we get back, you must reward her handsomely."
Liu was also very surprised. It seemed that since Li Xiaoxiao came to their family, the family had turned several crises into good fortune. Her husband was right. She was indeed the family's lucky charm!
Upon learning that they were leaving immediately, Li Xiaoxiao became anxious: "They're leaving already? Aren't you going to investigate Zhang Li? I was thinking of going to Tangxia Village when my family members come to see if there really is such a family."
Magistrate Meng told her their speculations: "It's already a pleasant surprise that we've managed to escape unscathed. For our family, it's already a victory that our son can take the exam smoothly. The people who plotted against us failed to stop him from taking the exam, so their operation failed. We knew there was a trap ahead, but we still jumped in because of a moment of anger. That was an unwise move."
Li Xiaoxiao had been angry for a long time with a tense face. She was very upset about being slapped but not being able to retaliate immediately. She knew that they had already fallen for her trick. If it weren't for her special constitution, they might still be asleep. The doctor at Yanghetang had said that it was a dose of medicine that could knock out a cow.
But seeing that Magistrate Meng and Meng Guanqi were completely unaffected, while she was the only one jumping up and down, she couldn't help but wonder, is this the difference between people who do great things and ordinary people like her?
That's incredibly patient!
She felt that Zhang Li must not have gone far. He was probably hiding in some corner, secretly watching their family's reaction. They had rushed all the way from Biyang County, only to do nothing and sheepishly pack up and go home. If he saw how cowardly and timid the Meng family was, wouldn't he laugh his head off?
When Magistrate Meng and Meng Guanqi noticed her expression was off, they called her into the carriage and took turns reasoning with her. She listened to their reasoning and understood their reasons for doing so, but she couldn't swallow her anger.
Her eyes darted around: "My lord, young master, you should go back first. I think that with such a grand departure from Lin'an Prefecture, Zhang Li will definitely go back to investigate. I want to go and see what he's up to and who ordered him to do this."
Meng Guanqi's expression changed drastically: "Xiaoxiao, don't be naughty! We don't know how many people the other side has. It's too dangerous for you to go back and inquire about the situation."
Li Xiaoxiao said, "I'm not being naughty. All the analysis you and the adults are doing here is just speculation. We can't be sure who harmed us. But if I go back quietly now and catch Zhang Li and the others off guard, we might actually find out the truth."
Magistrate Meng fell silent. Meng Guanqi knew she had a point, but he was worried about her going on a risk alone. What if she was discovered?
Li Xiaoxiao said, "As the saying goes, the best defense is a good offense. We have already left Lin'an Prefecture on the surface. If we turn back now and launch a surprise attack, Zhang Li and the others will be caught off guard. We need to find out why they drugged us."
She became more and more determined as she spoke, and she even started to put her hair up in a bun.
Magistrate Meng sighed: "Let Zhao Jian accompany you."
Meng Guanqi cried out urgently, "Father!"
Li Xiaoxiao had already styled her hair and leaped off the carriage: "Zhao Jian will go back with you. I can manage on my own. More people would just be a burden."
Meng Guanqi panicked and tried to jump out of the carriage to stop her, but was stopped by Magistrate Meng.
Magistrate Meng said to Zhao Jian, "Don't stop the carriage, let's go home."
Seeing that Li Xiaoxiao's figure was almost out of sight, Meng Guanqi's face turned red: "Dad, how could you let Xiaoxiao go back alone?"
Magistrate Meng retorted, "Can you stop her?"
Meng Guanqi said anxiously, "We have to stop her even if we can't, she's too impulsive..."
Seeing his anxious and confused state, Magistrate Meng sighed, "Brother Qi, don't you trust Xiaoxiao? With her skills, do you think Zhang Li could be her match?"
Meng Guanqi said anxiously, "What if Zhang Li finds out about her? What if he conspires with others to harm Xiaoxiao?"
Magistrate Meng smiled slightly: "If Zhang Li finds out, shouldn't it be Zhang Li who's afraid? What do you have to worry about?"
Meng Guanqi was startled. He turned around and looked at Li Xiaoxiao's figure in the distance, only to find that she had already disappeared.
Magistrate Meng straightened his clothes and said, "The person next to you is no ordinary person. She has even saved the Crown Prince twice. Are you worried that a mere Zhang Li could harm her? Let's just go home and wait for news."
He paused, then continued, "Xiaoxiao is rough around the edges but actually quite shrewd; she's not just naive and ignorant. You should trust her."
Meng Guanqi then realized that he had lost his composure and lowered his head in shame: "Yes, I was rash."
His hands, which were placed at his sides, involuntarily clenched into fists.
Every time there was danger, she was always the one rushing to the front, while he could do nothing about it.
He hated his own weakness and powerlessness.
When will she finally need him?
He didn't want to always be protected under her wings; he wanted to be a man and protect her too.
Like a nimble antelope, Li Xiaoxiao slipped into the city gates of Lin'an Prefecture. She first went to a clothing store and bought an indigo homespun dress and a yellowish-brown headscarf. After changing in the store's fitting room, she instantly transformed from a handsome young man into a middle-aged woman with an old-fashioned air.
She then went to a grocery store and bought a bamboo basket, put two cabbages inside, and walked with a slightly hunched back. From her appearance, it was impossible to associate her with the upright Li Xiaoxiao of the past.
She was quite pleased with her appearance. The sun was high in the sky, so she covered her face with a headscarf and made her way to the path by the river.
As expected, her ordinary attire went unnoticed by anyone.
She slowly approached the old courtyard, peeled the two cabbages one by one and washed them clean on the stone slabs by the river, while secretly keeping an eye on the courtyard for any movement. After a long time without seeing anyone come in or out, she picked up her basket and opened the door and went in with complete ease.
Her unhurried and composed entrance into the house was the least noticeable thing about her; none of the neighbors came out to ask her anything, probably because no one noticed she had returned.
The courtyard was quiet.
Everything was still in the same place as when they left, it seems Zhang Li hasn't come back to check on it yet.
Li Xiaoxiao put the cabbage in the kitchen, gently opened the door to the main room, looked around, and searched for a place to hide.
The closet wasn't safe, and the space under the bed was too easy to find, so she set her sights on the small loft that the homeowner had partitioned off above the bedroom with wooden planks.
These small lofts are low and cramped, but they can be used to store quilts, clothes, and other items to prevent them from getting damp, making them perfect for hiding.
After finding a good spot, she closed the door and planned to sit inside and wait, betting that Zhang Li would show up after they left.
She leaned against the headboard and closed the window facing the courtyard gate until it was only a crack. From inside the house, one could see what was happening outside the courtyard, but from outside the courtyard, one could not see anyone inside the house.
She is very satisfied with this position.
The waiting time was always long, but Li Xiaoxiao was not in a hurry at all; she had plenty of patience.
During the apocalypse, she could lie in one place for three days without moving in order to obtain a crystal core. Now, she can even comfortably lean against the headboard, with no shortage of food and water, and only needs to pay attention to the movements outside the courtyard from time to time.
She can wait a very, very long time.
Fortunately, she didn't have to wait long. About an hour later, she heard her neighbor's loud voice: "Hey, Zhang Li? You're back?"
Li Xiaoxiao immediately sat up and hid behind the window.
Zhang Li's cheerful, laughing voice came from behind: "Yes, Auntie Pang, I spent the Mid-Autumn Festival in my hometown and I'm back now."
The plump aunt asked in surprise, "Why did you take so long? Your master left today..."
Zhang Li seemed surprised: "What? When did they leave?"
The plump woman said, "You left around noon today, about two hours ago. The young woman who came with you has been looking for you these past few days, and she even sent people to look for your old rented place—"
At this moment, another voice appeared, it was Zhang's mother: "Oh dear, it's our fault. The elder in our family fell during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and we were busy until now to get back. We've delayed the host's business. Now that we've finished our work at home, I'm coming over to deliver the food right away."
The plump auntie was unaware of the lawsuit between Li Xiaoxiao and the others and Zhang Li, and genuinely thought that something had happened back home that had delayed them: "Hey, why are you still sending them off? They've already left, why don't you hurry up and catch up with them? After all, you've sold yourself into servitude. If your master goes to the yamen to sue you, you'll be in big trouble."
Zhang Li hurriedly said, "I didn't expect Master to leave in such a hurry. I haven't packed my luggage yet. I need to check if I've left anything behind at home. I'll catch up with him as soon as I'm done."
The plump aunt was just chatting casually. Seeing that Zhang Li answered fluently and that she also had things to do at home, she stopped paying attention to the mother and son.
So Zhang Li and his mother, who was carrying a basket, went into the courtyard together and closed the gate behind them.
As soon as the door closed, the two men's expressions changed immediately, and they rushed straight into the main room.
Li Xiaoxiao had already gone up to the attic before they entered the room and hid behind a large bundle. From the ground, it was impossible to see anyone up there.
Zhang Lixian went to the side room on the right to search and immediately found the luggage he had left behind: "Third Aunt, they didn't take my luggage."
Li Xiaoxiao's expression hardened. This "Third Aunt" was indeed not Zhang Li's mother; she must be from the same organization.
The third aunt thoroughly searched the three main rooms, opening the cabinets and even checking under the beds, but unfortunately, Meng Guanqi hadn't left a single piece of paper, so naturally she found nothing.
She suddenly turned her gaze to the attic.
Li Xiaoxiao remained motionless, even her breathing became soft.
Just as Auntie was about to move, Zhang Li came in, carrying a trash can.
Auntie frowned: "What's in the trash can?"
Zhang Li picked up a piece of medicinal herb and smelled it: "It's medicine."
Third Aunt quickly brought over the trash can, not minding the dirt, and rummaged around for a while, picking out the medicinal herbs one by one. After a long while, she said with a stern face, "This is the antidote for Datura. The medicine is still wet, which means they drank it today."
Zhang Li was taken aback: "That shouldn't be the case. If they were drugged, how could Meng Guanqi still be able to take the imperial examination?"
Third Aunt said in a deep voice, "We have been bringing them food every day for the past twenty-odd days, and they have never suspected anything. How could they not drink such delicious chicken soup? They must have drunk it, and not only that, they were drugged and knocked unconscious. That's why we have to go to the pharmacy to ask the doctor for the antidote for datura."
Zhang Li frowned: "But I saw it correctly, Meng Guanqi did indeed take the imperial examination. We used such a large dose of drugs, if they were knocked unconscious, how could he possibly get out of bed? That's a dose that could drug a cow!"
Aunt San didn't know why the sleeping potion had failed, and couldn't find a reason, so she could only blame Zhang Li: "I told you to come back and check on the situation the night before last, but you made excuses and refused to come. Now that something has gone wrong, who can you blame? Let me make it clear to you in advance that if the master asks, I will definitely report the truth."
Zhang Li, suppressing his anger, said, "Third Aunt, you don't know how capable Li Xiaoxiao is. She saved the Crown Prince's life twice in a row. Even Pang Shi couldn't beat her. If it weren't for her, I would have made my move when Meng Guanqi took the first exam. But Third Aunt, you didn't have enough datura back then. If the dosage wasn't enough, it might not be enough to drug her. If she found out, I wouldn't have been able to escape. That's why I arranged to make my move in the third exam. But who knows where things went wrong? Even with such a strong dose, it didn't work!"
Third Aunt's plump face twitched: "Now that we haven't done our job well, how are we going to explain this to our master?"
Zhang Li hurriedly said, "Third Aunt, don't worry. Since they've found a doctor to prescribe an antidote, they must have already been drugged. I think it's because Li Xiaoxiao is too powerful; even such a heavy dose didn't knock her out, which is why she was able to send Meng Guanqi to take the third exam. But even though Meng Guanqi went in to take the exam, if the effects of the drug haven't worn off, he definitely won't pass. Then our mission won't be considered a failure."
Seeing that his aunt's complexion had improved slightly, Zhang Li continued, "Li Xiaoxiao has found the letter I deliberately left in the old house. They will definitely believe that this matter is related to the Third Prince, and they will never side with the Third Prince in the future. So, besides joining the Crown Prince's faction, do they have any better options?"
Li Xiaoxiao's expression changed drastically in the attic. What? They drugged the Meng family to make them submit to the Crown Prince? What kind of baffling operation is this?
Third Aunt tapped her fingers on the table: "It's no use for him to just join the Crown Prince's faction. We have to get the Crown Prince and the Third Prince fighting each other before we can say we've completed our master's mission."
Zhang Li said, “Meng Ying only has one son. As long as Meng Guanqi fails the exam, he will definitely not sit idly by. He was already demoted from the capital because he got involved in the Third Prince’s scheme. Now that he knows that his son has been tricked and failed the exam because of the Third Prince, how can he not fight back when it concerns his son’s future? But he is just a small county magistrate. Besides using his own strength, is there a better way? The Crown Prince would be his best choice.”
Third Aunt frowned and said, "It's a pity that Meng Ying has already branched out. His actions cannot represent the entire Meng family. If we could bring the entire Meng clan into the fight against the Third Prince, that would be the situation our master would like to see."
Zhang Li said, "The Meng family never easily gets involved in factional struggles, but what if they have the opportunity to align themselves with the Crown Prince under Meng Ying's leadership? Minister Meng is already old, and his legacy has not been much. In the past five or six years, he has only promoted the son of the Vice Minister of Works. The other sons are just getting by in unimportant departments. If they have the opportunity to formally become the Crown Prince's disciples, do you think those sons can resist the temptation?"
Third Aunt clapped her hands and said, "This plan is brilliant! If we can get the entire Meng clan to submit to the Crown Prince, then when our master's grand plan succeeds, we can wipe them all out in one fell swoop!"
Zhang Li said, "Now the Third Prince is powerful and the Crown Prince is weak. The Crown Prince will probably not refuse the allegiance of such a powerful family. The two sides are destined to be at odds. As long as they fight, no matter who lives or dies, our master can just sit back and reap the benefits."
Auntie San was finally satisfied: "That's very good, let's do it that way."
Zhang Li said, "There's one more thing I need to trouble you with, Auntie."
Third Aunt asked, "What is it?"
Zhang Li said, "Meng Ying is the key to this situation. If we want him to willingly join the Crown Prince's faction, we need to do something more. Right now, all his thoughts are on working for the people of Biyang County. The hairpins of Biyang County are outstanding, and he has already asked the third branch of the Meng family for help, hoping to find a way to include the hairpins in the tribute selection. Master, you might as well help him by pretending to be in the Crown Prince's name. If the hairpins really become a tribute, given his personality, it would be only natural for him to join the Crown Prince's faction."
A satisfied smile appeared on Third Aunt's lips: "You're right. I will go to the capital immediately and report this matter to my son personally. I will make sure this matter is resolved so that Meng Ying will owe the Crown Prince a great favor."
Zhang Li asked, "So, what arrangements did Third Aunt make for my whereabouts?"
After a moment's thought, Aunt San said, "You've already been exposed and can no longer travel as Zhang Li. You should come with me to the capital and see what arrangements the master has."
Zhang Li bowed and said, "Yes."
The two discussed their departure route and other matters for a while before standing up to leave.
Third Aunt stepped out of the main house, her eyes filled with complex emotions as she looked at the building: "This house has been exposed. I don't know if Meng Ying will send anyone back to investigate. It's not convenient during the day, so come over tonight and burn it down."
Zhang Li replied, "Yes."
The two left the courtyard together, and after half an hour, Li Xiaoxiao gently climbed down from the attic.
She never expected to hear such shocking news while hiding in the attic; she couldn't quite put her finger on it for a while.
Zhang Li is coming to burn the house down tonight, so she has to leave before it gets completely dark.
She had to rush back to tell Magistrate Meng and Meng Guanqi the news she had just heard, as it concerned the future of her family.
It was truly unexpected that Magistrate Meng, a mere seventh-rank official, would be embroiled in the most treacherous power struggle of the dynasty. If she hadn't heard it with her own ears, she would never have believed it.
Judging from the conversation between "Third Aunt" and Zhang Li, Magistrate Meng was just a pretext. The other party's purpose was to use Magistrate Meng to bring out the entire Meng family and to push the power of aristocratic families to participate in the struggle for royal power. If something went wrong, Magistrate Meng would be cannon fodder.
He was already neglected by his parents and could be abandoned by the Meng family at any time, but instead, someone plotted to use him to create a breach in the Meng family's defenses. He was incredibly unlucky.
She didn't want Magistrate Meng to get involved in this struggle at all, as it went against her ideals and goals.
Her ideal was to live a carefree and leisurely life, indulging in a life of ease and comfort. Serving Meng Guanqi was easy and pleasant; although she occasionally had to help him with minor troubles, they were harmless and she was happy to do so. But if they were to actively join the struggle for imperial power, she might have to endure a life of bloodshed and turmoil for the next ten or even decades, which was not what she wanted.
In officialdom, everyone likes to climb high, believing that only in this way can one see far. Even someone as capable as Pang Shi aimed for high office and fame, and only after achieving everything could he enjoy raising flowers and birds and living a leisurely life in the South Mountain.
But how old was he then? How many more years could he enjoy life? Shouldn't he have gone while he was young, seeing mountains and seas whenever he wanted? He'd be nothing but an old man now, who knows, he might just sneeze and die. What's the point of talking about enjoying life then?
Enjoying life should be done as early as possible. In her opinion, being an official is fine, but not too high. Being a county magistrate would be good enough. If it were a bit higher, she would be a prefect. Prefect Song could easily control County Magistrate Meng, which she thought was enough.
Going up next, she would most likely enter the central government, where she would be in front of the emperor every day. Promotion might be easy, but losing her head would also be easy. Moreover, the thought of having to think three times before speaking made her uneasy, and she had no such ambition.
Meng Guanqi is so smart, he will definitely pass the provincial examination this time. Who knows, he might even pass the imperial examination in three years. An eighteen-year-old imperial examination graduate, and so fair and beautiful. What if the emperor likes to see him and insists on keeping him in the capital?
Three years later, he will be eighteen, the best age, and can barely be considered an adult. He should be even fairer and more beautiful than he is now.
Li Xiaoxiao never expected that she would also worry that the young master was too fair and beautiful and that the emperor would take a liking to him and insist on keeping him by his side. Should she stay with him then?
She doesn't rule out going to the capital to experience a different world and life, but she has already experienced wave after wave of power struggles and life-or-death battles in Biyang County. What would it be like in the capital?
In her eyes, this was almost like a den of dragons and tigers.
Could such a wild weed like her survive there?
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