Chapter 212 Secret Talk
His chubby face, which usually carried a somewhat round and smiling expression, was now filled with anxiety, his brows furrowed, and his forehead covered in fine beads of sweat.
Upon seeing Xie Ji enter, Qian Maocai rushed forward as if he had seen a savior, skipping even basic greetings, grabbing Xie Ji's arm, his voice trembling slightly with nervousness:
"Brother Xie! You've finally arrived! How are you feeling? How are you feeling?"
Xie Ji's arm ached from being gripped so tightly. He was filled with suspicion and uncertainty, but forced a composed expression, feigning perfect bewilderment: "Mr. Qian... what's wrong? In the dead of night... what are you doing..."
"Hey! Brother Xie! What time is it?! You're still pretending to be confused with me!"
Qian Maocai stamped his foot in frustration, slapping his thigh, his fat face trembling. "We! Aren't all of us 'sick' at home the young lady's people?! If it weren't for the fact that our two families live close by and we have a decent relationship, I wouldn't dare to risk coming to you right now!"
"Tell me the truth! My heart is pounding like a drum! I have a feeling that this young lady is about to do something really big!"
Qian Maocai's words stunned Xie Ji. He had only been in Xie Sangning's camp for a short time, and he never expected that Qian Qiancai, who was in charge of part of the capital's guards and was usually very shrewd in the court, was also one of Xie Sangning's men!
Moreover, judging from his incredibly familiar tone and address, he has been serving Xie Sangning for far more than just a year or two!
What really sent chills down Xie Ji's spine was Qian Maocai's words—"Aren't all of us 'sick' at home just young ladies' people?!"
Doesn't this mean... that the officials in Nanjing who are currently staying at home due to illness and are being strictly confined by the emperor because he considers them to be suffering from an epidemic...?
Were they all planted by Xie Sangning?!
When exactly did Xie Sangning begin to lay the groundwork for this game? And how vast is this dark web?
Xie Ji felt a chill run from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, which was then replaced by shock and excitement!
The way he looked at Qian Maocai completely changed; his previous probing and wariness instantly transformed into a sense of kinship and mutual appreciation.
He took a deep breath: "Brother Qian... watch your words! Be careful what you say!"
He glanced around at the dilapidated surroundings and lowered his voice, "Thank you... Miss's deeper meaning is beyond our comprehension. However, those rumors circulating on the street today about the tiger tally..."
He didn't spell it out, but the meaning couldn't be clearer.
Upon hearing this, Qian Maocai's anxiety vanished instantly, replaced by an expression of "I knew it."
He slapped his thigh hard, his voice rising several decibels with excitement, then quickly covered his mouth and nervously glanced at the doorway:
"I knew it! I knew it had something to do with the young lady! My God! This move... this move was simply divine! It hit the nail on the head! It pierced the lungs of that person! Brother Xie, you have no idea, when I heard this news, I was so scared that I almost peed my pants, and then I couldn't help but want to applaud! The young lady is truly a genius!"
Xie Ji nodded, his voice grave:
“Brother Qian is right! The young lady’s plan is far-sighted and has its reasons. Didn’t she arrange for the families of those low-ranking but important officials to leave the capital in batches not long ago?”
"This is what it means to be prepared for a rainy day and preserve the flame. Now that rumors about the tiger tally are circulating... I fear a storm is brewing!"
He paused, his eyes sharp as he looked at Qian Maocai.
"Right now, the most urgent task is for you, me, and our 'sick' colleagues to remain as steady as Mount Tai! If we're sick, we should be even sicker! If we're closed up tighter, we should be even tighter! We absolutely cannot become a burden to the young lady!"
"We absolutely cannot allow Pei Yan to find any fault with us, or give him an excuse to vent his anger! What we need to do is wait! Wait for the young lady's next instructions! I believe she will definitely contact us!"
Qian Maocai nodded repeatedly, as if he had found a pillar of support, and the panic on his face subsided considerably: "Yes! Yes! Thank you for your insightful opinion, Brother! Tomorrow my whole family will be too sick to get out of bed!"
"Brother Xie, I, Qian Maocai, will make this clear today! I don't care what others think, nor do I care if you have any other thoughts in your heart. Anyway, I, Qian Maocai, am born for Miss and will die for Miss! This head, this official robe, have long been staked on Miss! Pei Yan? Hmph!"
A hint of disdain flashed in his eyes. "What is he anyway! A tyrant! I, Qian Maocai, may not be entirely clean, but I have a clear conscience. He will ruin Daqing sooner or later!"
"If I had to choose between him and Miss, who would win? I, Qian Maocai, would believe Miss a hundred, a thousand, ten thousand times! If Miss tells me to go east, I will never go west! Even if... even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, I would dare to charge in with my eyes closed!"
Qian Maocai's blunt statement stirred Xie Ji's blood!
Are these the people Xie Sangning trained?
But he also keenly noticed that Qian Maocai kept his hands tucked in his sleeves, and there must be something in them, maybe even a sharp blade!
If my answer doesn't satisfy him, I fear I may not be able to return today.
But he had no ulterior motives and was naturally not afraid.
Xie Ji also adopted a serious expression, clasped his hands in a fist salute, and solemnly addressed Qian Maocai:
“Brother Qian is a man of integrity! I, Xie Ji, am unworthy, yet I have been deeply indebted to Miss Qian and have no way to repay her kindness! My body and heart are devoted to Miss Qian’s command! I am willing to go through fire and water with you! Pei Yan is wicked and cannot be tolerated by Heaven! We should follow Miss Qian to set things right and restore order to the world!”
"good!"
Qian Mao let out an excited roar, slapping Xie Ji's shoulder heavily with his fat hand. "Brother Xie! With your words, I can finally feel at ease! We... are on the same side!"
Their eyes met, and they both saw determination in each other's eyes.
At this moment, Xie Ji finally felt that he was no longer alone.
“However, what about those other ‘patients’…” Qian Maocai lowered his voice.
Xie Ji understood and said in a deep voice, "Brother Qian, rest assured, those who are chosen by the young lady at this critical juncture and willing to stay at home and fall seriously ill are definitely not the kind of people who waver between two sides! I imagine that their feelings at this moment are no different from yours and mine!"
Qian Maocai nodded in deep agreement, his face trembling slightly with excitement: "That's right! That's right! Miss... what a clever trick! You've planted so many things in the capital without making a sound... hehe."
He rubbed his hands together, his eyes filled with excitement. "Then let's... do as Brother Xie says! Let's go back and continue to 'feel sick'! The sicker the better! Let that scoundrel Pei Yan think we're all about to die!"
"Exactly!" Xie Ji nodded. "We shouldn't stay here any longer, Brother Qian. Let's split up and head back. We'll wait for the right opportunity!"
The two exchanged another solemn glance, everything understood without a word.
Under the escort of the mysterious man who had brought them there, Xie Ji disappeared silently into the night.
Qian Maocai also blew out the oil lamp, his figure disappearing into the darkness as if he had never been there.
The courtyard returned to its deathly silence.
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