Chapter 252 It’s Time to Set Off
Wang Qinian figured it out quickly, but his mood became even worse. He glanced at Fan Xian, who was feeling guilty, and said to Mei Chengan.
"So if I betrayed him and killed him, then the dean would have... cut me into pieces."
As he spoke, he put on a mask of pain.
Mei Chengan comforted him.
"No, no, I'm not a dead person. You are mine, and I will definitely protect you."
Wang Qinian's eyes lit up.
Mei Chengan hadn't finished speaking yet.
"If that time comes, I will risk my life to keep your body intact, don't worry!"
Wang Qinian: “…”
Fan Xian: "..."
When a road is completely blocked, people can usually make a decision easily, and Wang Qinian is no exception.
Looking directly at Fan Xian, Wang Qinian said.
"I know a good locksmith!"
Fan Xian slapped the table.
"Great!"
Wang Qinian stretched out his hand.
"Don't be so quick to applaud. You can't applaud for nothing."
Fan Xian clicked his tongue and knocked on the table.
"I understand. I understand."
As he spoke, he took out a large silver ingot from his arms, slammed it on the table, and pushed it to Wang Qinian.
"Old Wang, take these twenty taels first."
Wang Qinian stretched out his hand to block the silver, glanced down, and said with dissatisfaction.
"Master Xiao Fan, this is a crime that will lead to the extermination of the entire family. Isn't twenty taels a bit..."
Fan Xian reached out to stop him from continuing.
"Don't be impatient, Lao Wang. I haven't finished yet. Um... the risk you take is indeed not small. You are a bit at a disadvantage for this one-time deal. So let's put it this way. From now on, your monthly salary will be increased by ten taels. Listen carefully, it means every month! I will pay for it!"
Hiss~ Ten taels may not seem like a lot, but if it happens every month, when accumulated over time, it’s really not a small amount.
But who is Wang Qinian? He has never said that. Just take a chance, maybe the price will go up a little more.
"It's just ten taels..."
Fan Xian: "..."
Mei Chengan stretched out his hand.
"Don't look at me. This is between the two of you. I won't get involved. If you want to say something, just say it to him, not me."
Wang Qinian silently gave Mei Chengan a thumbs up in his heart. He was afraid that Mei Chengan would interfere, so he felt relieved after hearing this.
Fan Xian's head was filled with black lines, and he looked helplessly at the shifty Wang Qinian. It wasn't that he cursed at him on purpose.
It was precisely because of the way Wang Qinian's eyes were rolling around and he would glance at him from time to time that he couldn't help but think of this idiom.
After thinking for a while, Fan Xian spoke.
"Old Wang, learn to stop when you have enough. My family's money didn't come from the wind. This is all I can give you. If you are really not satisfied, then I can only ask for help from someone else. I just don't want to trouble Chen Pingping, not that I can't trouble him. Do you understand?"
Upon hearing this, Wang Qinian decided to quit while he was ahead.
"Well! Ten taels is ten taels. Let me make it clear first. I agreed to this not for the money, but for the character of Master Fan. I believe you will not joke with my life. Otherwise, if it were someone else, no matter how much money you gave me, I would never get involved in this matter!"
Fan Xian smiled.
"Understood. Thanks, Lao Wang."
Mei Cheng'an also gave Wang Qinian a thumbs up. Although he knew that the matter was safe, for Wang Qinian who knew nothing.
It is indeed a huge risk and a heavy psychological pressure, so it is not easy to agree.
Afterwards, Fan Xian and Wang Qinian roughly discussed some details and then went to check out the location.
Mei Cheng'an also went with them. Since there was nothing else to do, he just took a stroll. Roujia was going to the temple to pray for blessings today, and there were many female relatives accompanying her, so it was not convenient for him to go with them.
They said they were checking out the locations, but in fact they just took a stroll. They didn't even get out of the carriage, and they communicated and confirmed everything while in the carriage.
After returning to the Mei Mansion, neither Fan Xian nor Lao Wang had any intention of leaving. Fan Xian did so because Lin Wan'er had also gone to the Qing Temple to pray, and Lao Wang was under a lot of pressure and was in no mood to be on duty.
Mei Cheng'an called the two of them and asked Hongshu to come along. They sat around a table and started playing mahjong, ostensibly to help Lao Wang de-stress.
Most of the day passed in the blink of an eye. We had lunch in the courtyard. The battle situation was very intense.
To be honest, although Wang Qinian is very good at playing Pai Gow, his mahjong skills are far worse. If you don't say he is very bad, then he is just mediocre.
But he was lucky today. He got such a good deck of cards that he thought they were not washed.
Mei Cheng'an and Fan Xian were so angry that they didn't even let him participate in shuffling the cards. They couldn't stop playing and both of them lost a lot.
In this way, Wang Qinian, who returned with a full load, successfully relieved his stress, and Fan Xian and Mei Cheng'an's faces were successfully turned black.
I really didn't lose on purpose. I just said it to relieve stress. Who could have thought that it would come true!
……
Changxin Palace.
In the corridor where long curtains fluttered in the wind, the eldest princess lay on her side on a soft couch. Her long sleeves slipped down, revealing her fair and tender arms, which gently rested against the side of her face as she closed her eyes and rested.
At a certain moment, the eldest princess suddenly opened her eyes, parted her red lips, and asked lazily.
"What time is it?"
Lanxiang, who was standing quietly beside him, nodded and said softly.
"It's not yet midnight."
After thinking for a while, the princess asked again.
"Has the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests been decorated?"
Lanxiang replied.
"Yes, we started preparing for the banquet early in the morning."
The eldest princess sat up sideways and looked at her.
"Please find me a seat."
Lanxiang pondered for a moment, somewhat puzzled.
"It's just for the Honglu Temple and the Ministry of Rites. It's not a big deal."
The princess had no intention of explaining and said softly, "Just arrange it."
Lanxiang said no more.
"Yes!"
The eldest princess seemed to be thinking of something funny, her eyes curved and she suddenly smiled.
"Ah, I can't wait..."
……
The Second Prince's Mansion.
"I've asked, and the evening banquet at the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests will be held around twilight hour."
Xie Bian, leaning on his sword, reported to the Second Prince who was eating a copper stove hot pot with gusto.
The second prince squatted in front of the table, holding a bowl of sauce. He scooped a piece of cooked beef from the pot, dipped it in the bowl, and stuffed it into his mouth, almost scalding his mouth. He chewed with a hissing sound and fanned it with his hand.
Xie Bian took a look and couldn't help but speak.
"Your Highness, if you eat and drink like this now, will you be able to eat at the banquet?"
The second prince finished chewing the beef in his mouth, picked up a few more slices of raw beef and put them into the pot, then picked up a piece of potato from the pot and put it into the bowl to dip it, then spoke without raising his head.
"At a banquet like this, we just drink and sing praises. How can we possibly be full? I am preparing for a rainy day and filling my stomach in advance."
After saying that, he picked up the potato from the bowl. This time he learned his lesson and blew hard on it before putting it into his mouth.
Xie Bian nodded.
"Yes, this kind of banquet is just a formality. In my opinion, Your Highness, there is really no need for you to go there specially."
The second prince put down his bowl, reached out with chopsticks and started poking around in the pot, looking for cooked food.
"I haven't seen Mei Cheng'an for a few days. They did a great job in this mission at the Honglu Temple. I should go and congratulate them.
Moreover, this is also Fan Xian's first time to complete a task, so it is necessary to congratulate him in person. Do you think I can not go?"
When Mei Cheng'an's name was mentioned, Xie Bian nodded vaguely, and at the same time unconsciously tightened the hilt of the sword in his hand.
However, when he heard Fan Xian's name, he frowned slightly and spoke in confusion.
"Hasn't this Fan Xian already become the Crown Prince's disciple?"
The second prince groaned when he heard this, pointed at him with his chopsticks, and said something in a bad mood.
"Who told you that?"
Xie Bian has his reasons.
"Why else would the prince let him negotiate with the Northern Qi delegation? It's obvious that he's giving him credit and supporting him."
Hearing this, the second prince picked up a piece of cooked vegetables with chopsticks and put it into the bowl, then shook his head.
"You underestimate Fan Xian. The prince cannot subdue a person like him."
There was a flash of confusion in Xie Bian's eyes.
The second prince stuffed the vegetables into his mouth and spoke while chewing.
“Haven’t you heard that birds of a feather flock together? Although I haven’t seen him many times, I feel like I’ve met a close friend.
Fan Xian, he is the same as Mei Cheng'an, and of course me too. We actually have similar personalities, and neither of us is willing to be inferior to others."
Xie Bian raised his eyebrows and nodded when he heard this.
……
East Palace.
The prince was dressed in a gorgeous robe with dark golden patterns. He stood at the entrance of the hall, gazing into the distance without moving.
A little further behind him in the hall, two young eunuchs were whispering to each other.
"How long has Your Highness been standing here?"
"It's been half an hour, Your Highness is afraid that your clothes will get wrinkled..."
The prince interrupted the two and asked.
"What time is it?"
The two young eunuchs bowed, and one of them clasped his hands.
"Your Highness, it is already the evening hour."
Upon hearing this, the prince gave the order directly.
"Go to the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests!"
"Yes!"
……
Mei Mansion.
The card game ended after half of the afternoon. Fan Xian went home to change his clothes, while Wang Qinian went to exchange silver bills and contact the locksmith.
Mei Cheng'an took a comfortable bath with Hongshu's help. After his hair was dried with Qi, Hongshu combed his hair and changed his hair into a dark red hair tie.
Finally, she changed into the lighter, black, wide-sleeved suit that she had worn when she entered the palace.
He had no intention of wearing his official uniform, not to stand out, but simply because it was uncomfortable to wear on such a summer evening and he did not want to suffer.
At three quarters past the hour of You, Wang Qinian returned to Mei's mansion and drove the carriage. Mei Cheng'an did not sit in the carriage, but sat next to him in the driving seat. They set off towards the Hall of Prayer for Good Harvests in the warm breeze.
While walking, Mei Cheng'an crossed his arms, curled his lips and looked at the bustling street scene with interest.
He was in a very good mood indeed; he was about to see the first scene of the play, so excitement was inevitable.
Wang Qinian beside him glanced at him.
"Master, I can't get in. Please tell Master Xiao Fan later. I've already talked to the locksmith."
Mei Cheng'an had no objection and agreed immediately.
"Okay, I see."
……
Zhuang Mohan's residence.
Zhuang Mohan, dressed in a white scholar's robe, slowly walked out of the room with a scroll of calligraphy and painting on his arm.
The waiter came forward and bowed.
"Mr. Zhuang, the carriage is ready, we can set off."
……
(End of this chapter)
