Chapter 187 Still owes fifty taels
"He is much more famous than you."
Si Lili added another sentence.
The corner of Fan Xian's mouth twitched.
"Just pretend I didn't say anything, go on..."
Si Lili smiled and continued talking.
"The reason why I was able to mobilize my colleagues in Kyoto was actually because of a token given to me by the Northern Qi royal family. However, this news somehow leaked out, and that person suddenly came to my door."
Fan Xian was curious.
"You've given yourself away?"
Si Lili shook her head.
"That's not the case. Cheng Jushu, who was hiding outside, was also captured by this person and secretly sent to the capital. However, only the bigwigs of Northern Qi have the right to know Cheng Jushu's whereabouts!"
Fan Xian thought for a moment and said.
"That means the top leaders of Northern Qi are also involved."
Si Lili sneered.
"Who else leaked the fact that I had the token? I haven't even used this token!"
Fan Xian nodded.
"continue!"
Si Lili took a deep breath to calm herself down and continued.
"Cheng Jushu was unruly and would not tolerate coercion, so the man came to Zuixianju and threatened me with my life, forcing me to hand over the spy token. I had no choice but to hand over the token to him.
At first I didn't know what he was planning, so even though I was nervous, I didn't choose to withdraw immediately. I wanted to wait and see what would happen.
Afterwards, thinking about your conflict with the prince, I vaguely felt that his target might be you, and then I inadvertently learned that the Supervisory Office had captured Cheng Jushu and the two female swordsmen.
I knew that if I stayed any longer I would be in danger, so I burned the boats and left Beijing, and then...thanks to Master Fan, I am here."
After listening to this, Fan Xian pondered for a moment and said.
"It's a bit unreasonable. Since that person could capture the eighth-rank master Cheng Jushu alive, why would he go to such great lengths to plan this? He could just come and kill me directly."
Si Lili said bitterly.
"You think it's unreasonable, and I think it's unreasonable too, but that person did it anyway! It would have been much easier to just kill you, but he had to toss you around and make things difficult for you, and he even tricked me. He really did me a lot of harm!"
"..."
So I deserve to die.
Fan Xian curled his lips speechlessly. Now was not the time to talk about this.
"Since you are so upset with that guy, why don't you tell me his name so I can catch him and vent your anger!"
Si Lili suddenly laughed.
"Okay, if you let me go, I'll give you a name!"
Fan Xian stared at her and told her the truth.
"It's impossible to let you go. The best I can do is save your life!"
Si Lili shook her head.
"Years of imprisonment are worse than death!"
Fan Xian said.
"As the old saying goes, a good death is worse than a miserable life, because there is always hope in life."
Si Lili smiled.
“But I don’t want to live like this.”
Fan Xian was too lazy to waste time talking to her.
"Did not say?"
Si Lili put away her smile and looked at Fan Xian seriously, speaking word by word.
"No, say it!"
Fan Xian narrowed his eyes and looked at her quietly, saying lightly.
"You know very well that the Overwatch Council is not a place that is easy to enter and exit. Are you still hoping that person will rescue you by not telling you?"
Si Lili smiled.
"If I don't count on him, can I count on you?"
Fan Xian suddenly said.
"There was a batch of weapons at the crime scene. The weapons were provided by a lieutenant of the city guards. Then, more than a hundred lives of the whole mansion were wiped out by that lieutenant. Since that person would be so cruel to even his own people, do you think he would take such a huge risk to come to the Overwatch Council to save you? You can't be so naive."
Si Lili was silent.
Fan Xian continued.
"As for the two female swordsmen, you should have seen them. Do you know how they are doing now?"
Si Lili's eyes flickered. The last news he got was that the two swordsmen had not confessed yet. Could it be that...
Fan Xian seemed to have guessed what she was thinking.
"Yes, they were also silenced. And they were silenced after they specifically gave out your name. What do you think that person wanted to do?"
Si Lili looked a little pale.
"Diverting trouble to the east!"
Fan Xian snapped his fingers.
"You are not so stupid. He wants to put all this on your Northern Qi, but he probably didn't expect you to return to Kyoto and be caught red-handed. So think about it now. After he learns the news, will he save you or silence you to prove the crime?"
Si Lili's eyes gradually became dim.
Fan Xian pursued the victory.
"Instead of counting on him, you should count on me. You've heard that no matter what decision I make, the Overwatch Council will support me to the end. I can promise you that if you tell me your name, I will definitely save your life! Please think about it."
Si Lili was obviously caught in a struggle between his conscience and his desires. Fan Xian did not rush him. He put his hands behind his back and looked around. Noticing the light above his head, Fan Xian stretched out his hand and started playing the light-blocking game.
After a long time.
Si Lili spoke, her voice inexplicably hoarse.
"I tell you the name, how can you confirm whether it is true or not?"
Fan Xian, who was looking up to play with the light, curled the corners of his mouth when he heard the words, stopped his little movements, looked down at her, thought for a moment and said.
"Just tell me, I have my own way to confirm whether it is true or not."
Si Lili said after being silent for a moment again.
"Okay, I'll tell you my name, but you have to promise me that you won't send me to another government office, and you won't let me be tortured, or let anyone bully me."
These are no big deal to Fan Xian.
"I promise you, and I'll keep my word!"
Hearing this, Si Lili no longer hesitated.
"Then come closer and listen." Fan Xian was stunned for a moment.
"Is it necessary? Just say it directly. There's no one else here."
Si Lili said.
"Then I won't say anything."
"Okay, okay, oh, what a hassle!"
Fan Xian muttered something and moved closer.
……
Outside the dungeon.
Mei Cheng'an, Yan Ruohai and Zhu Ge stood side by side, looking at Wang Qinian who was being pressed down in front of them, speechless.
The moment Wang Qinian saw that Mei Cheng'an was safe and sound, he already felt relieved. At this moment, he just looked at the three people with a confused look on his face.
"Master Zhu, Master Yan, Master Xiaomei, I didn't expect you all to be here. Is there any misunderstanding here?"
Mei Cheng'an smiled secretly, this guy pretended to be quite convincing.
Jug looked at him.
"Let's put aside the misunderstanding first. What are you doing in the Overwatch Council so late at night?"
Wang Qinian cried out in pain.
"To be honest with you all, I came back to get something! I didn't expect to be caught as soon as I entered the yard. Look at the situation. Is there an emergency in the yard?"
Zhuge didn't bother to explain to him and asked directly.
"What are you taking?"
Wang Qinian said.
"Your Excellency, there are some basic annotations on the desk in my room. In there..."
He looked around and said this a little embarrassedly.
"Here... is the banknote I hid!"
Zhuge found it strange.
"A banknote in the letter?"
Wang Qinian explained.
"Your Excellency, you don't know! My wife searched Wang very carefully, so..."
Wang Qinian smiled helplessly as he spoke.
"Wang can only find another way."
At present, this reason sounds reasonable, but its truth has yet to be confirmed. Zhuge said no more and gave orders to his men directly.
"Go look in his room."
A spy responded and left.
Facing the inquiring gazes of the three people, no, Mei Chengan's amused gazes, Wang Qinian remained calm and just laughed it off.
"Look, this is a commotion, hey..."
……
Inside the dungeon.
After hearing the name, Fan Xian's pupils suddenly dilated. This person was really beyond his expectations.
He stood up suddenly and took a step back, with a look of surprise and doubt in Fan Xian's eyes.
Lin Gong? How could it be him?
The reason why I didn't suspect Si Lili was talking nonsense was that Lin Gong really fit the profile of the murderer.
First of all, he had already made an enemy of himself and was also the prince's disciple, so he had a motive.
Secondly, the son of Lin Ruofu, the first prime minister of Qing State, is in a high position of power and is fully capable of setting up such a scheme.
Finally, Lin Gong suddenly left the city yesterday. Now that I think about it...he was actually running away early!
But, didn't Lin Gong love Wan'er very much? Didn't he consider Wan'er's feelings when he planned to kill me?
Shouldn't I also consider Wan'er's feelings? Should I cover up Lin Gong's crimes? No, this matter is too big. It's the private sale of weapons and collusion with enemy spies. No, it's collusion with high-level officials. I can't bear it, and I can't get over it. But if I expose it, then Wan'er...
Fuck! Damn Lin Gong, he always gives me problems!
Fan Xian paced back and forth in the cage, thinking for a long time but still couldn't figure out what to do next, so he decided to put it aside for the time being and think it through later.
After thinking about it, Fan Xian looked at Si Lili.
"Don't tell anyone the truth about my interrogation today, or about that person coercing you. If anyone asks you what I talked to you about..."
Fan Xian thought for a moment and said.
"There should be quite a few of your people in Kyoto. Give me a list and you can tell me the names on it when the time comes."
Si Lili frowned.
Fan Xian exclaimed
"This is to save your life, big sister. Why are you still hesitating at this time? If you don't tell me, then the other nine people won't tell me either?"
Si Lili looked up at him.
"Are you hiding all this to protect that person?"
Fan Xian paused.
"Don't worry about these. You just need to know that I am the only one in this city who is willing to protect your life."
Si Lili stared into Fan Xian's eyes for a long time, and finally nodded.
"it is good!"
……
Outside the dungeon.
The spy handed the seized documents to Zhu Ge, and Zhu Ge indeed found fifty taels of silver in it.
"Hey, this banknote is mine!"
Wang Qinian took the initiative to speak.
Yan Ruohai looked at Wang Qinian and smiled, then took the banknote from Zhu Ge and took a look at it, and then showed it to Mei Chengan. He originally wanted to give it back to Wang Qinian after only showing it to Mei Chengan.
Unexpectedly, Mei Cheng'an took the banknote from Yan Ruohai, took a look at it, folded it up and stuffed it directly into his arms.
Zhuge: "..."
Yan Ruohai: “…”
Wang Qinian: “…”
"Um, Master Xiaomei, that money... is mine!"
Mei Chengan smiled.
"It's mine now! Remember, you still owe me fifty taels!"
"..."
……
(End of this chapter)
