Chapter 281 Fortunately, this person is a friend, not an enemy (Seeking monthly votes)
"Tell me about it."
Seeing the old man listening attentively, Chen Yi's calm face revealed a slight smile.
It was shallow, but very sincere.
He came to see the old man with the intention of being frank and open.
There are two reasons.
Firstly, the old master was an important and necessary part of his plan.
If the old man can cooperate with him and make some reasonable responses, he can fool most people to a certain extent.
Secondly, there were some things Chen Yi had to let the old man know.
Furthermore, he also wanted to take this opportunity to probe the old man's thoughts so that he could make some plans later.
Such as Liu Hong, the Liu family of Jingzhou, and so on.
If the old master is unwilling to kill them, who in the entire Shu Prefecture can openly and fairly kill them?
on the contrary.
If he were to use petty tricks like assassination, it would do nothing to improve the Xiao family's situation.
Imagine if Liu Hong were assassinated by him, what would the various government offices in Shu Prefecture think, and what would the imperial court think?
It's impossible not to suspect the Xiao family's actions.
Chen Yi was aware of all this, which is why he decided to visit the Xiao family.
"To avoid omissions, I think I need to start from the beginning..."
The first thing Chen Yi mentioned was the establishment of Baicaotang.
It's a pretty cliché story.
After completing his studies, he came to Shu Prefecture, hoping to find a place to settle down and make a living.
Wang Ji was expelled from the Xiao family by Xiao Wan'er for committing a serious mistake, which led to their acquaintance.
The two hit it off immediately and founded Baicaotang.
After that, the sale of tea and the operation of the pharmacy went without saying.
Chen Yi focused on how he killed Liu Erhu in front of Xiao Jing that night, and the origin of the burning of the summer grain in the three towns.
"Ultimately, Liu Jing was killed by me."
Old Master Xiao and Xiao Jing exchanged a glance, their faces showing an expression of "I knew it."
Seeing this, Chen Yi smiled and said, "I think the Marquis knows the reason."
"Liu Jing spent a lot of money to hire assassins from Mingyue Tower to go to Baicaotang in an attempt to steal the tea recipe."
"If it weren't for the eldest daughter of the Xiao family arranging for the two heroines, Xie Tingyun and Shen Huatang, to arrive at Baicaotang in advance, Wang Ji and the others would have already died that night."
This was the most suitable reason Chen Yin could think of.
This is also why Old Master Xiao and Xiao Jing wouldn't suspect anything.
Unless they were at the scene that night, Chen Yi's motive for murder was completely closed and made sense.
"So, you killed Liu Jing?"
"Aren't you afraid of retaliation from the Liu family of Jingzhou?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Old Master Xiao understood and shook his head with a smile.
"It is I who have become confused."
“You killed Liu Jing, and the entire Liu family in Shuzhou and even Jingzhou will point the finger at my Xiao family. No one will suspect that Baicaotang was responsible.”
"And no one suspects you."
Chen Yi smiled and said, "As long as Liu Jing is alive, he will always be a hidden danger."
"Just then, the Xiao family's pharmacy completely crushed Linglan Pavilion, and Liu Jing was also ordered by the Liu family of Jingzhou to leave Shuzhou."
"I had no choice but to resort to this desperate measure, which has caused the Marquis to suffer trouble from the Liu family. I hope the Marquis will forgive me."
Old Master Xiao looked at him noncommittally.
To be honest, he was indeed somewhat displeased.
To think that he, the dignified Marquis of Dingyuan of the Great Wei Dynasty, who had fought in the south and north for decades, was actually outmaneuvered by a junior in his old age.
Anyone in that situation would be dissatisfied.
Moreover, the death of Liu Jing forced him to utilize the Wan family as a covert network ahead of schedule.
There will inevitably be some losses.
Xiao Jing glanced up at the old man, knowing full well that he was bound to be a little angry.
After thinking for a moment, he asked, "So you took the initiative to find Liu Jing's men?"
Chen Yi smiled and nodded, "The reason they appeared outside the West Market that night was because I sent a message to Liu Jing to discuss the tea recipe."
"So the situation that Liu Erhu saw was not exactly fake."
Chen Yi paused briefly, then looked at Xiao Jing and said with feigned sincerity, "I originally intended to finish him off personally, but I didn't expect Commander Xiao to make the first move."
Xiao Jing forced a smile: "It's just a coincidence."
"That night I just didn't want him to point the finger at the Xiao family."
"If not..."
Before he could finish speaking, the old man raised his hand to interrupt him and gestured to Chen Yi:
"Go on."
"What was the reason for you burning down the summer grain in the three towns?"
Chen Yi nodded and said with a smile, "Even if you hadn't asked, I would have told you about this."
"However, in fact, that matter was not my idea, but someone else's..."
Then, just like before, he told a story that was nine parts true and one part false.
His source of intelligence was concealed.
He concealed the true reason why he eliminated Xiao Dongchen and Liu Wen.
It also concealed his relationship with the White Tiger Guards, as well as his cooperation with Lou Yuxue.
"...At this point, Liu Wen was killed by me outside Iron Wall Town, and Black Fang led his men to attack the Canglang Army and was killed by General Jinghong."
"I'm sure you're already aware of what happened after that, so I won't say any more."
At this point, Chen Yi stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Although my actions were due to a series of coincidences, they have indeed implicated the Xiao family. I hope the Marquis will forgive me."
He apologized again, his attitude as sincere as ever.
Old Master Xiao leaned back in his chair, his expression calm, but his eyes were anything but.
With his knowledge and experience, he naturally understood how difficult it was to achieve such a result.
This cannot be accomplished by brute force alone.
According to the old man's understanding, if he were to do this, he would need to place people around Liu Wen and Xiao Dongchen.
Even Mingyue Tower and those so-called "financial backers" behind the scenes need his people.
Otherwise, unclear intelligence from all sides will only make things worse.
If either party had noticed something amiss, things wouldn't have turned out the way they are today—
The Xiao family benefited, receiving 300,000 taels of silver.
The three towns suffered minimal losses, except for Tiebi Town, where some grain was burned due to Li Changqing's negligence.
Liu Wen and Hei Ya died.
Xiao Dongchen committed suicide.
The second branch of the Xiao family fled to Guangyue Prefecture...
The Xiao family was not only largely unaffected, but actually profited greatly.
But this result shocked the old man even more—he had done so much all by himself!
Even including "Knife Maniac" Liu Lang, there are at most one and a half people.
How is that possible?
He was a man of almost supernatural wisdom. How did he know the reactions of all parties? How did he maneuver left and right? How did he dig a pit to bury people?
It should be noted that Liu Wen, Xiao Dongchen, and the likes of Hei Ya are not fools.
How could we have suffered such a crushing defeat?
It's like two equally skilled players playing chess; in the end, winning by half a point is the limit.
The result of winning by three, four, or even more than ten points can only prove one thing.
The winning player's skill level was far, far superior.
Only the loser loses everything.
Thinking about all this, Old Master Xiao waved his hand and said, "Young friend Chen... please sit down and talk."
He finally changed "young hero" to "young friend".
Chen Yi felt a little relieved, realizing that he had passed the first test of the day, and sat down as instructed.
A moment of silence.
The old man chuckled and said, "Young friend, you have done so much for the Xiao family, I should trust you."
"But I have two questions in my mind, and I hope you will answer them truthfully."
As soon as he finished speaking, the old man straightened up considerably, and a hint of seriousness appeared on his aged, wrinkled face.
"What reason do you have to help my Xiao family?"
"And why do you want to deal with the Liu family of Jingzhou?"
They've arrived.
Chen Yi had known from the beginning that the old man was not so easily fooled.
His origins seem plausible, but they don't stand up to scrutiny—a wandering "master" simply doesn't make sense.
The same reason he did these things.
Especially the two things: killing Liu Wen and luring Xiao Dongchen into a trap.
Chen Yi's mind raced, and he smiled calmly: "Actually, I have some connection with you."
"Oh? What's your background?"
"Back then, I was rescued by my master on the Tea Horse Road, just before the Marquis's horse trampled the Kingdom of Vaishsa."
"Originally, I planned to go to Vaishsa Kingdom to take revenge after completing my studies, but I later learned that they had already become the victims of the Marquis's sword."
"Therefore, when I return to the Great Wei next time, I will make Shuzhou my first stop, just to express my feelings."
This explanation was something Chen Yi had prepared long ago.
It had many flaws, but it was the most convincing one he could think of.
Especially since he also has the identity of "Liu Wu".
A young man burdened with a deep-seated hatred returns after completing his studies, only to find his enemy dead. Naturally, he will feel favorably toward the person who avenged him.
Coincidentally, he also possessed exceptional skills.
But Chen Yi knew that saying that wasn't enough, so he continued, "Secondly, I went to the barbarian tribe with my master three years ago."
“There, I received a favor from someone.”
With an expression that seemed to say, "Let's see how you make up a story," Old Master Xiao asked with a smile, "Young friend, who has bestowed favors upon you? Surely not some barbarian?"
“Those barbarians wish they could get rid of me, but they won’t let you return to the Great Wei to help my Xiao family.”
Upon hearing this, Chen Yi smiled and calmly uttered a few words: "She said her name is Fu Wanqing."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Old Master Xiao, who had been smiling, suddenly stood up, looking at him with an angry, shocked, and disbelieving expression.
"You bastard, do you know what you're saying?!"
Even Xiao Jing, who was standing to the side, was stunned and stared blankly at Chen Yi.
"Lord Dragonlance, you can't speak carelessly. General Fu was surrounded and killed by the barbarian master Venkla five years ago. How could she... how could she be among the barbarians?"
Looking at their expressions, Chen Yi knew that his goal had been achieved.
He calmly replied, "General Fu Wanqing is indeed still alive, and is currently in the Black Bear tribe of the barbarians."
"Furthermore, she was treated as an honored guest by the Left King Muhag and was responsible for teaching several princes the knowledge of the Great Wei."
"impossible!"
"Even if Wanqing hadn't died, she would never have obeyed the barbarians!"
"She, she would never, she would never... cough cough..."
Old Master Xiao was furious. Before he could finish rebuking Chen Yi, his face turned red, and he hunched over and coughed.
Xiao Jing disregarded everything else and quickly stepped forward to pat his back, saying, "My lord, please calm down; your health is the most important thing."
"Cough cough... This old man, this old man, does not believe it..."
"My lord, I will summon a physician for you immediately."
"No, no..."
Seeing this, Chen Yi stood up and took two steps forward. "Commander Xiao, may I take a look?"
Xiao Jing stood in front of him, his expression wary, and asked, "What are you going to do?"
Chen Yi chuckled, using his Qi-gathering technique to examine the old man's body while taking out the box of silver needles from his pocket.
Xiao Jing was stunned, "You..."
He forgot that Chen Yu, the owner of Baicaotang, was also a renowned physician.
At this moment, the old man waved his hand to signal him to move aside, and coughed as he looked at Chen Yi, saying:
“If he wanted to harm me, he wouldn’t need to resort to such methods.”
After a brief silence, Xiao Jing stepped aside and bowed, saying, "Thank you. It was my rudeness."
"It's alright."
After speaking, Chen Yi looked at the old man's aura and frowned slightly.
The old man's health condition is much worse than it was a few days ago.
His body, already weakened by old injuries, developed new blockages and holes.
This is adding insult to injury.
"Grandpa hasn't had a good rest these past few days, has he?"
Xiao Jing looked ashamed. "These days, because of the grain supplies in Iron Wall Town, as well as the affairs of Vaishsa Kingdom and the barbarians, the Marquis has not had a good night's sleep."
The old Marquis weakly waved his hand, leaned back in his chair, looked at Chen Yi, and smiled, saying:
"I know my own body well, young friend. Please feel free to do as you please."
Chen Yi hummed in agreement, but felt a pang of self-reproach in his heart.
His recent actions, besides affecting the people of Shuzhou, have ultimately implicated the old master.
Fortunately, it's not too late yet.
Thinking of this, he took a deep breath and used his Qi Observation Technique to see the location of the old man's meridians and Qi Sea.
Then he took a silver needle and pierced the old man's body.
Then came the second one, the third one...
Until the twelfth silver needle fell.
Then it was seen that a silver needle was inserted into each of the twelve key acupoints on the old man's meridians.
Only then did Chen Yi move both hands simultaneously, circulating his true essence within his body, and fully mobilizing the spiritual energy of the surrounding heaven and earth.
With extremely delicate and subtle techniques, the needles were used to guide the energy into the old man's body.
Some silver needles trembled incessantly, some spiraled up and down, and some changed angles.
Under the Qi Observation Technique, one can see that the spiritual energy flows into the old man's body and repairs his body like silk threads.
When old wounds are treated with stimulants, old tissue is shed and new tissue grows rapidly.
The broken meridians are reconnected by ingenuity.
The damaged organs were also repaired.
A shattered Qi Sea...
Although it cannot be completely repaired, Chen Yi can still reduce the size of the object.
The old man's complexion visibly improved, and his face became much rosier.
Xiao Jing, who was watching from the side, seemed oblivious, his eyes fixed on Chen Yi, his expression even more shocked than when he first heard that "Fu Wanqing is alive".
"Midnight-Noon Flow Theory..."
"The medical skills that are rumored to be mastered only by the most skilled practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine have actually appeared in Chen Yu's body?"
"He... he's mastered medicine?!"
"this……"
Xiao Jing didn't know how to express his feelings.
Although a physician who has mastered the art of medicine is rare, there were dozens of them throughout the Great Wei Dynasty.
A gunslinger who has mastered the art of marksmanship is rare, but there are quite a few.
But to have both of these qualities in one person is truly rare.
Even rarer than Xiao Jinghong, who was proficient in both spear and sword.
After all, the way of the spear and the way of the sword are both martial arts, and they can corroborate each other.
The way of medicine is different.
It is a great path that many people struggle to even begin to understand in their entire lives, a path that is on par with martial arts.
However shocked and disbelieving he may be, the facts are undeniable, leaving him no choice but to believe them.
About half an hour later.
Chen Yi waved his hand and pulled out twelve silver needles, let out a long breath, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and said:
"Your Excellency's health is seriously ill and difficult to cure. I hope you will take good care of yourself in the future."
That's what they say.
But the old man seemed not to hear anything at that moment, and actually stood up, raised his hands, stretched his legs, and patted his chest.
His expression was complex, a mixture of joy and tears.
"I...Is this cured?"
"without……"
Before Chen Yi could finish speaking, Old Master Xiao burst into laughter: "It's been a long time since I've felt this relaxed."
"Young friend, you possess such remarkable medical skills! This old man, this old man..."
Suddenly, he remembered what had happened earlier, and his smile vanished: "I ask you, is Wanqing really not dead?"
Chen Yi was taken aback, then shook his head and said with a wry smile, "She was indeed alive three years ago, but I don't know about her now."
What Asutai said should have some credibility.
But he wasn't 100% sure.
"Alright, I'll believe you for now!"
Perhaps because his health had improved, the old man stood very upright at this moment.
Although his body was still thin, his imposing presence already displayed the grandeur of the Marquis of Wei.
He looked directly at Chen Yi and asked in a deep voice, "You've said so much, surely you have something important to tell me?"
Chen Yi wasn't too surprised by his directness and nodded, saying:
"I have indeed come here to ask you for a favor."
Tell me about it.
"If any major incidents occur in Shuzhou City in a few days, I hope that the Marquis will step in to resolve them."
"What shocking change?"
"Please forgive me, Lord Marquis. It's not that I'm unwilling to speak plainly, but the time is not right. If Your Majesty knew beforehand, I fear it would be..."
The old man frowned slightly, stood with his hands behind his back, and stared straight at him.
Chen Yi remained calm and composed, meeting his gaze with a serene expression.
Seeing this, Xiao Jing subconsciously clenched his fist, feeling his palms sweaty.
He was clearly a little nervous.
a long time.
Old Master Xiao's serious face gradually softened, and a slight smile appeared as he said:
"Never mind."
"Since you were able to resolve the crisis in the three towns and heal my wounds, I will not ask any further questions about this small favor."
Before Chen Yi could bow and express his gratitude, he continued, "However, I also have a few words to say to you, young friend."
"Please speak freely, my lord."
"Don't underestimate anyone, especially Liu Hong!"
Chen Yi raised an eyebrow, looking at the old man whose expression was different from before, and muttered to himself that experience is indeed the best teacher, so he just nodded.
"I will remember it."
Upon hearing this, Old Master Xiao smiled and nodded, "That's good then."
They exchanged a few pleasantries.
It was nearing noon.
Old Master Xiao saw Chen Yi out of the main hall, saying, "I had a very pleasant conversation with you today, young friend. If you don't mind, you are welcome to visit my residence more often in the future."
"I am pleased that Your Excellency has spoken."
Chen Yi spoke against his conscience, having made up his mind that it would be best not to show his face again.
He was forced to reveal his identity this time, all in order to get a response from the old man.
Ask him for a small favor...
After that matter was resolved, it became even more impossible for him to come to the Xiao family under the identity of "Chen Yu".
I reckon the old man was so angry he wanted to beat him to death back then.
"Hehe, just come and visit when you have time."
"I won't keep you any longer today. I'll have Wan'er host a banquet at Jiaxing Garden for you at noon..."
The old man paused, looked Chen Yi up and down, and then smiled and asked, "May I ask how old you are, young friend?"
Chen Yi was taken aback and said, puzzled, "I am twenty-five."
He was a few years older than his actual age.
"Twenty-five... very good, very good. My eldest granddaughter, Xiao Wan'er, is younger than you. You young people should be able to say more."
"I'll have someone send you some wine later..."
As he listened to the old man's rambling, Chen Yi's expression grew increasingly strange.
Is this old man trying to play matchmaker?
He and Xiao Wan'er?
Without further thought, Chen Yi quickly bowed and took his leave, leaving the quiet residence and taking Wang Ji to the Jiaxing Garden in the backyard.
As Old Master Xiao watched him walk away, the smile on his face gradually faded.
"Fortunately, this person is a friend, not an enemy..."
Xiao Jing, standing beside him, nodded upon hearing this, but he was thinking about Fu Wanqing.
"My lord, what should we do about General Fu's matter?"
The old man fell silent for a moment, looking at the dark clouds in the sky, a hint of sadness appearing on his face.
"Let's send someone to confirm if she's in the Black Bear tribe first..."
"Also, Jinghong must never know about this..."
"yes!"
(End of this chapter)
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