Chapter 936 The Cunning Couple (First Update)
Today is Gu Xiaoshun's birthday. Early in the morning, Yao took Gu Xiaobao to a tea shop to buy tea and snacks, never expecting to encounter such a thing.
A madman set fire to the teahouse. The fire on the first floor has been extinguished, but none of the guests who remained in the second-floor private rooms dared to rush out.
The reason was simple: this madman had poured kerosene all over the stairwell and the backyard as well.
He stood there on the roof, holding a torch in his right hand. There were several large holes in the roof, directly facing the stairs and passageway.
No one could guarantee that the madman wouldn't throw out his torch the moment they fled.
Yu Ya'er was able to come out because Gu Xiaobao was asking for candied hawthorns, so she went across the street to buy a skewer. Just after she paid, a fire broke out.
The teahouse was located at the corner of the east end of Chang'an Avenue, not far from Bishui Hutong.
When Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng arrived at the scene, the nearby officials were also alarmed. To prevent unnecessary harm, the officials formed a wall and kept the people at a distance.
The shops across the street were packed with onlookers.
At this point, even the tokens from Renshou Palace were no longer effective.
Fortunately, Xiao Heng held an official position in the Ministry of Justice.
"The Ministry of Justice will investigate." He handed his Ministry of Justice warrant to the officials of the Jingzhao Prefecture.
After checking the warrant and confirming its authenticity, the officer's expression softened somewhat. He then looked at Gu Jiao and asked, "Who is she?"
Xiao Heng said without changing his expression, "It's a doctor invited by the Ministry of Justice."
The commotion was so great that quite a few people were indeed injured.
The officials, without suspecting anything, let the two men in.
When the two arrived at the teahouse, they unexpectedly saw a familiar figure.
Gu Jiao blinked in surprise: "Tang Yueshan?"
Tang Yueshan clutched his abdomen with his left hand, blood seeping from his fingertips. His face was pale, and he was breathing rapidly.
He was injured.
He heard Gu Jiao's voice, turned to look at her, and at the same time saw Xiao Heng. He frowned, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.
He looked quite embarrassed and awkward.
Their eyes simultaneously turned to the arsonist on the rooftop.
The other person was disheveled and looked miserable, and it took the two of them a great deal of effort to recognize him.
"Tang Ming?" Gu Jiao asked, puzzled.
“It’s him,” Xiao Heng said.
The last time I saw Tang Ming was two or three years ago. Back then, no matter how dark and despicable he was inside, he was at least a charming playboy on the surface.
He was a completely different person from the crazed and disheveled arsonist before him.
"What happened?" Gu Jiao asked Tang Yueshan, then glanced at his abdomen. "You're injured."
"I'm fine," Tang Yueshan said.
"He did it?" Gu Jiao was referring to Tang Ming.
With Tang Yueshan's martial arts skills, in a one-on-one fight, unless those big shots intervene, it would be very difficult for anyone to hurt him.
Tang Yueshan sighed: "After I returned to the capital, I found out that he was hanging out with some shady people. I had a big fight with him, and he ran away from home. This morning I found him lying in a gambling den, using Wushi Powder with those people."
Wushi San is a medicine used to treat typhoid fever.
However, this drug has certain side effects, such as causing mental confusion and producing effects similar to ecstasy.
Long-term consumption may be addictive.
No wonder Tang Ming's mental state seemed off.
Tang Yueshan's feelings were complicated, a mixture of anger and frustration: "I beat those people up... I beat him up too, and ordered him never to associate with them again, or I'll kill them all!"
Gu Jiao asked, "And then he attacked you?"
Tang Yueshan said bitterly, "He was trying to commit suicide, and when I went to take the knife away, I accidentally injured myself."
As the saying goes, family scandals should not be aired in public. To outsiders, they are uncle and nephew, but Gu Jiao and Xiao Heng know perfectly well that he and Tang Ming are actually father and son.
This whole mess is truly embarrassing.
"What do you plan to do?" Gu Jiao asked Tang Yueshan.
With Tang Yueshan's archery skills, he could shoot him down with a single arrow. The problem is that the torch in his hand will fall after he falls, and if it ignites the entire teahouse, it will be disastrous.
Looking at Tang Ming, who was delirious on the roof, Tang Yueshan said with difficulty, "I want to calm him down first and lure him down. But he doesn't seem to be listening to me right now."
Gu Jiao said, "He just took Wushi Powder and his emotions are unstable. You stay here and talk to him while I go up and grab him."
Tang Yueshan stopped him, saying, "No! It's covered in kerosene!"
Gu Jiao said seriously, "My mother and my younger brother are in the teahouse."
Tang Yueshan choked.
After a long pause, he awkwardly managed to squeeze out a few words: "I'm sorry..."
Gu Jiao said calmly, "Let's not talk about that for now, let's proceed according to plan."
“…Okay!” Tang Yueshan clenched his fist in agreement.
"You need to be careful," Xiao Heng warned Gu Jiao.
"I understand, wait for me here." Gu Jiao said, then turned and walked through the alley to the back of the teahouse.
The backyard was burned to a crisp. The open flames were extinguished, but many small embers remained. The officials tried to put out the fire while keeping themselves from making too much noise, lest they arouse Tang Ming on the roof.
Tang Ming's body swayed precariously.
It looked as if it would fall along with the torch at any moment.
Tang Yueshan hurriedly said, "Ming'er, come down here, let's talk this out! I won't stop you from making friends! Do whatever you want! Uncle won't stop you!"
"Uncle..." Tang Ming seemed to be provoked by this word, and suddenly perked up, looking at Tang Yueshan on the long street with a mocking expression.
The Five-Stone Powder was very potent, and his vision was blurry at that moment, but even with the blurriness, he could still recognize that the other person was indeed his "good uncle".
He suddenly burst into maniacal laughter: "Uncle... Uncle... Are you my uncle? Are you?! You dare swear to God, are you my real uncle?!"
The onlookers all turned their gaze toward Tang Yueshan.
What did Tang Ming mean by this?
Tang Yueshan is his biological father's younger brother, so isn't he his uncle?
The focus of everyone's attention was on the first word, "dear uncle".
Does this mean that Tang Yueshan is not Old Master Tang's biological son, and therefore they are not uncle and nephew?
Impossible. Tang Yueshan looks just like the old man. Everyone who has seen them believes they are father and son.
Tang Yueshan's cheeks were burning hot: "Ming'er! Come down first! We'll talk about this when we get home!"
Tang Ming roared, "Who wants to go home with you! Do you dare to tell the whole world what you've done?!"
Everyone became even more curious; it seemed the Tang family had some big news to tell.
Xiao Heng spoke calmly: "Tang Ming, where does this leave your mother? You don't consider others, but don't you even think about your mother?"
Once the relationship between the father and son is exposed, Tang Yueshan will certainly be criticized, but Madam Tang will not be able to escape unscathed either.
Madam Tang, unable to bear the loneliness, seduced her brother-in-law—if such a reputation spread, Madam Tang would be drowned in the spittle of the people.
Whether it was Xiao Heng's words that awakened the last shred of reason in Tang Ming, he stopped himself from revealing the shocking secret that was on the tip of his tongue.
Xiao Heng said tactfully, "Your mother will worry, so come down quickly."
Tang Ming sneered: "Let me down? Dream on!"
Xiao Heng asked Tang Yueshan in a low voice, "Is there anything he particularly wants?"
Tang Yueshan had a sudden inspiration: "Tang Family Bow."
Tang Ming has always wanted to obtain the Tang family bow and become the heir to the Tang family army.
Unfortunately, Tang Yueshan was never satisfied with him.
Just before Tang Yueshan set off on his expedition, the two had a conflict over the Tang family bow. Tang Yueshan recalled that his tone at the time was somewhat harsh.
"Is that why he's going to use Five-Stone Powder tomorrow?"
Tang Yueshan was oblivious to household chores and only realized at this moment that Tang Ming had been working hard to be the successor in his mind, even after being beaten up by Gu Jiao and almost becoming a cripple.
But he never gave up. He worked hard to learn martial arts and recovered his health.
He was eager to take over the Tang family business, but his father strongly opposed it.
He's not worthy...
Xiao Heng immediately said, "Give him the Tang family bow."
Tang Yueshan was stunned: "What?"
Xiao Heng calmly said, "Announce him as the next owner of the Tang family bow."
Tang Yueshan's expression changed drastically: "No!"
Xiao Heng asked, "Is the bow more important, or your son?"
Tang Yueshan frowned: "They're all important...but..."
“No buts.” Xiao Heng said, no longer arguing with Tang Yueshan, and looked directly at the person on the roof, saying, “Tang Ming, now that you’re dead, the Tang family bow will forever belong to someone else.”
Upon hearing the name Tang Jiagong, a fleeting thought crossed Tang Ming's mind.
At this moment, Gu Jiao slowly climbed up the wall. Because it was covered in kerosene, it was very slippery, and she almost fell down several times.
Xiao Heng's hands, hidden in his wide sleeves, suddenly clenched, and he said to Tang Yueshan, "If you don't give it to me now, your son and Jiaojiao will both be dead!"
Tang Yueshan gritted his teeth and went to the carriage to retrieve his Tang family bow.
Tang Ming stared greedily at the bow.
Tang Yueshan took a deep breath and said with difficulty, "Get down, I'll give you the Tang family bow."
Tang Ming said coldly, "Give it to me first, then I'll come down!"
“Give it to him!” Xiao Heng said.
Tang Yueshan gritted his teeth and threw the longbow in his hand onto the roof.
Even though Tang Ming was under the influence of the Five Stone Powder, he remained vigilant about his surroundings. However, the moment the Tang family bow flew towards him, he completely forgot himself.
His eyes were fixed solely on Tang Jiagong.
He gripped the torch tightly in one hand and stretched out the other hand eagerly.
Now!
Gu Jiao leaped up, grabbed the roof with one hand, pulled herself up with all her might, flipped in mid-air, and landed steadily behind Tang Ming, kicking him down!
(End of this chapter)
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