Chapter 168 A little anxious
Now that he had said it all, Wang Qinian would not keep anyone in suspense.
"It's like this, Master Mei. Isn't the Supervisory Council responsible for inspecting the armies? Some time ago, the City Patrol lost a batch of military equipment, and the lieutenant general came to me and said he wanted to cover up the matter."
"I specifically looked at the list of lost weapons. Although the number of lost weapons was not small, they were basically old weapons that were about to be eliminated. I didn't take it too seriously and helped the lieutenant general."
Mei Chengan glanced at him with a curled lip corner.
"You must have collected a lot of money."
Wang Qinian chuckled.
"The money should be collected, young master, you know, it's for the family expenses."
Mei Chengan stretched out his hand and pushed.
"No, I don't understand. Sure, Lao Wang, you dare to help with this kind of thing. When it comes to the courage to make money, you are the only one."
As he said this, he gave Wang Qinian a thumbs up.
"I respect you more than anyone else. It seems that this is not the first time you have done this. Otherwise, why would the lieutenant general look for you?"
Wang Qinian smiled uncomfortably when he heard this.
"Hehe, Wang has always been eager to help others, willing to do good deeds, and kind-hearted. He has a good reputation for helping others get rid of disasters."
There is no shortage of such people in every dynasty. It is nothing new. As the saying goes, if the water is too clear, there will be no fish.
Mei Cheng'an said.
"Regardless of right or wrong, at least there is nothing wrong with taking money from others to help them get rid of disasters. So, the weapons found today are the ones lost by the City Patrol?"
Wang Qinian’s expression turned serious.
"The quality is slightly different, but the quantity is roughly correct."
Mei Cheng'an nodded and wanted to pour himself a cup of tea, but Wang Qinian quickly did it for him.
Looking at Wang Qinian who was helping to pour tea, Mei Chengan asked.
"So you told me this because you want me to help you with something? Even if this matter is eventually traced back to you, it won't be a big problem, right? After all, you just helped to cover it up for them."
Wang Qinian put down the teapot and said.
"When I first discovered the batch of weapons, I did have some concerns about this, but after thinking about it, I realized that it was just as Master Mei said, and it was not a big problem, so I didn't take it to heart."
"My hesitation is that, on the one hand, I am also a member of the Supervisory Council. As an insider, I am considering whether to report this information so that the Supervisory Council can find the mastermind as soon as possible, so that Master Fan can rest assured sooner."
"On the other hand, betraying others is not in line with my moral principles, and it is not what I want. After all, although I am not a friend of that lieutenant general, we do have some friendship."
"So I want Master Mei to help me analyze this matter. Which choice should I make?"
Mei Chengan picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea before saying.
"Let me summarize. I said that it not only fulfilled the responsibilities of the Supervisory Council but also helped Fan Xian. However, it also violated your principles as a human being, so you are particularly conflicted. Is this right or not?"
Wang Qinian nodded.
Mei Chengan suddenly laughed.
"Without your information, the Overwatch Council would not be able to find the mastermind behind the scenes. I can understand your hesitation. Right now, whether you say it or not will not affect the final result. So why are you still hesitating? If you say it, it will only be icing on the cake. It will just speed up the process. Between the icing on the cake and inner balance, what should I choose? Of course, making yourself feel comfortable is the most important thing."
Wang Qinian thought for a moment and said
"But if I don't tell you, it won't be a problem morally, but I feel a little sorry for the Supervisory Council and Master Fan if I don't report it. I'm failing the Dean's trust, and I still feel uncomfortable."
"..."
Mei Chengan glanced at him.
"You are being too picky. Let me ask you, who is the mastermind behind this?"
Wang Qinian was stunned for a moment.
"Um...According to current speculation, it is most likely the Crown Prince."
Mei Cheng'an said.
"The mastermind behind this is someone from the prince's lineage. Fan Xian has known this for a long time. Listen carefully! Whether this case is solved or not, Fan Xian already knows the answer!
Well, even if they find out, it's not the prince himself, but he is a very powerful person, so do you think it makes a difference if they find out earlier or later? Can they be convicted or what?"
"This is all just a formality. It makes no difference to Fan Xian. Your so-called help is meaningless to him. So why do you feel sorry for Fan Xian and Chen Pingping?"
"As for the Supervisory Council, why didn't I realize that you cared so much about it before? What were you doing before? Why didn't you feel sorry for the Supervisory Council when you were slacking off and not following the rules of the Supervisory Council?"
"Why are you being so pretentious here? You are just bored!"
"..."
Wang Qinian's expression kept changing, and finally he stood up and bowed respectfully to Mei Cheng'an.
"Thank you, Master Mei, for scolding me and waking me up! Mr. Wang has come to his senses!"
Mei Chengan looked at him with contempt.
"Are you still confused now?"
After figuring it out, Wang Qinian visibly relaxed and smiled.
"Don't worry about it anymore."
"Anything else?"
Wang Qinian shook his head like a rattle.
"That's all. Oh, my trip was not in vain. If it weren't for Master Mei, I would still be stuck in a dead end. I can't express my gratitude to you, Master, in words!"
Mei Chengan rolled his eyes at him.
"Stop it, don't give me that shit, you're fine but I have something to do."
Wang Qinian became more serious.
"Mr. Mei, please speak."
"I plan to take Princess Roujia on an outing in a couple of days. If you have nothing else to do, you can bring your sister-in-law and Little Pork Belly with you."
When Wang Qinian heard that they were going out to play, he immediately agreed.
"No problem. I'll tell my wife when I get home. The dim sum shop is not busy these days."
Mei Chengan nodded.
"The location for the picnic has not been decided yet. Do you have any good suggestions?"
Wang Qinian thought about it.
"Does Mei Shao have any requests?"
Mei Chengan thought about it.
"I don't have any special requirements. There are only a few things you need for a picnic. The scenery should be nice, and it should be close to a water source so that you can have a good place to cook. Oh, and there are a lot of girls going this time. They all like flowers. Is there any place with abundant wild flowers near Kyoto?"
“Wildflowers abound…”
Wang Qinian thought for a moment and came up with the answer.
"There is indeed a place that meets Master Mei's requirements. That place is called the Wild Flower Valley. There are many kinds of wild flowers, and they are extremely dense. It is not far from Kyoto, just four or five miles east of the city."
Mei Cheng'an's eyes lit up when he heard this.
"That's fine, Wild Flower Valley. Sure, sure. I'll give you credit for this."
Wang Qinian smiled.
"As long as Master Mei is satisfied."...
Zuixianju.
After much deliberation, Si Lili decided to let her men hide outside the city for the time being, while she herself would stay and wait and see.
The inexplicable leak of the token made her worried, and a vague sense of crisis lingered in her heart.
As a secret agent of Northern Qi, she hid in Kyoto for many years and spent countless efforts to become the most popular courtesan in Zuixianju, the first brothel in Kyoto. She came into contact with many high-ranking officials and celebrities.
Moreover, this is a sensitive period for the two countries and a war is about to break out. It is a good opportunity to gather intelligence. If she gives up now, all her efforts will be in vain. How can she be willing to accept this!
So even if she sensed danger, she couldn't just leave like that. She had to figure out what would happen next and whether she would be implicated.
……
Lin Xiangfu.
Lin Gong watched the carrier pigeon take off into the sky, feeling relieved.
Lin Jingyan on the side spoke up.
"Second Young Master, will there be nothing for us to do from now on?"
Lin Gong nodded.
"We have obtained the token and handed it over. We have done what we should do. Now it's up to the eldest princess."
Lin Jingyan remembered something.
"By the way, the second young master went to see Si Lili this afternoon and found out her identity."
When talking about Si Lili, the smile on Lin Gong's face faded.
"Although it has not been stated, if I am not mistaken, that Si Lili should be a spy from Northern Qi lurking in Kyoto."
Lin Jingyan's pupils shrank when he heard this.
"Northern Qi spy?!"
Lin Gong nodded seriously.
"It's almost certain! I just didn't expect that the Princess of Qing would actually be in contact with the enemy's spies."
A worried look appeared on Lin Jingyan's face. He thought for a moment and said.
"It may not be that they are connected, maybe they just know about it, otherwise there would be no need for us to go to Si Lili to get the token."
Lin Gong thought about it and agreed.
Lin Jingyan became even more worried.
"Second Master, I don't know why, but after learning that Si Lili was a spy from Northern Qi, I always felt something was wrong, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I don't think there's any problem."
Lin Gong didn't take it seriously and just smiled.
"What's the problem? You just haven't heard much about it. He's just a spy from Northern Qi. There's no need to make such a fuss."
Lin Jingyan thought for a moment and asked.
"Does Si Lili know the identity of the young master?"
Lin Gong was stunned for a moment when he heard this.
"I guess... I don't know. I never reported my name or identity."
Lin Jingyan breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's fine, that's fine."
Seeing this, Lin Gong smiled.
"You... just think too much."
……
Changxin Palace.
"Your Highness, Lin Gong just sent a message saying that he has obtained the token and handed it over to the two female swordsmen. He also said that he is waiting for good news from Your Highness."
The eldest princess laughed so hard that she fell backwards.
"Hahahaha, good news. Well, let him wait patiently."
Lanxiang couldn't help but laugh too. The truth was revealed, but Lin Gong was still in the dark. It was so funny.
The master and servant were laughing when there was a commotion outside the hall.
The eldest princess stopped laughing and looked towards the palace entrance.
Lanxiang bowed like a princess and then hurried out of the hall.
After a while, Lanxiang came back to report.
"Your Highness, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has an urgent matter to discuss with you."
The eldest princess looked unsurprised and opened her mouth.
"Let him in."
A moment later, the prince hurried into the hall and came before the eldest princess, looking anxious and angry.
"Aunt! What's going on with Cheng Jushu from Northern Qi? What's going on with those two female swordsmen? And what about that batch of weapons? Did you know about these things beforehand?"
The eldest princess listened quietly and said lightly.
"Is the prince questioning me?"
The prince's expression froze, and his momentum suddenly weakened. He nodded and replied in a muffled voice.
"Don't dare!"
The eldest princess curled her lips and spoke softly.
"Please take a seat first, Prince. Let's talk slowly."
Lanxiang brought a stool and placed it behind the prince at the right time.
The prince looked down and sat down.
"Aunt, please answer my questions!"
The eldest princess laughed.
"The prince's series of questions have confused me. I don't know which one to answer first."
The prince said.
"I won't repeat those things. I would like to ask if Auntie knew about it beforehand."
The eldest princess admitted it without blinking.
"Known!"
The prince was a little anxious.
……
(End of this chapter)
