Chapter 32 Prelude before the Upheaval
HAPPY CHINESE NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!! Enjoy your day XD
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Early the next morning, the housekeeper of the Grand Tutor's residence was awoken by some clamorous noise outside. After yawning for a while, he finally got up. Right when he went outside, he collided into a chunk of tofu and was winded.
"Whose the scoundrel who came to mount a sneak attack on me this early in the morning?" The old housekeeper pushed against the top of the tofu chunk, then threw his two long mustache backwards.
Before his voice even transmitted, he saw a cold baby face that was even blacker than the bottom of the wok staring back at him. One of his hands on a piece of tofu chunk, he shouted out loud revealing a mouthful of big white teeth. "It's the strategist!"
Wiping his two eyes, the old housekeeper fixed his eyes on Shao Zitang a while, then cried out in surprise. "Strategist…. Strategist Shao."
"Hahaha…. So basically, you were in the city going around in circles over and over. In the end, you were still unable to find the road back. Until this morning, when you were led by the early morning tofu seller to Yan Ran's residence?" Within the study room, a burst of clear and bright laughter could be heard. Immediately following, the not so good complexion of Shao Zitang became a shade darker when he saw Feng Tingye's gaze become a bit disgraceful.
With a gloomy face, Shao Zitang felt incomparable regret. In that moment, why did he have the idea of telling the old man selling tofu that he wanted to go to the Grand Tutor's residence? He should have went directly back to his own residence. If he did that at least he wouldn't be in his present situation of being jeered at by his group of bad friends!
Shao Zitang had a belly full of words he still hasn't vented out, nevertheless Yan Ran did not even make a meaningful glance. It was with great difficulty that he was finally able to even utter a sound, hating that he was unable to say anything yesterday, all the words he stifled back yesterday came pouring out.
"It wasn't just like that, you guys don't even know. When that selling tofu old man led Zitang to my residence, he was enthusiastically pulling on my gatekeeper and was telling him a bunch of things.
He said that little tiny child is so adorable, how could anyone leave him alone to wander the streets? What would happen if he was kidnapped by a bad person? The little child was lucky he encountered him instead of a bad guy. Ahahahahah! You guys didn't even see Zitang's expression when he arrived at my residence, literally the funniest thing ever."
But, we already did see it!
The people in the room taking the same action without prior consultation, all glanced towards the greenish black face behind Yan Ran. Shao Zitang clenched his fist until it was making cracking sounds. Swiftly a back chilling wind soon made everyone in the room keep quiet out of fear, except for Yan Ran who was still laughing incessantly with a face of extreme joy.
"It seems to me that a certain someone still hasn't learned a lesson yet! Do you need my help in recalling it? ** Master Grand Tutor." Not knowing when he approached, Shao Zitang suddenly appeared close behind Yan Ran, raising his head with a demonic smiling expression on his face. Reaching one hand to pinch Yan Ran's shoulders, the other hand went towards Yan Ran's neck, using strength to give it a pinch.
"Ughhh….." The sad shrill sound couldn't help but cause everyone to draw in a breath. Seeing with a glance that his throat was once again heavily damage, Yan Ran who was in a protective position after falling to the ground looked like he grew two horns out of his head with his whole body emitting a dark sinister air. With an unconcerned appearance, the strategist silently observed Yan Ran for a brief moment, then acting as if nothing happened moved his gaze away from him. Treating as if that atrocity didn't just happen.
Leng Ruofeng coughed out loud, reminding them: "Zitang, talk business."
After Shao Zitang sorted Yan Ran out, finally dissipating yesterday’s frustrations and today's anger a bit, with a cold expression he repeated everything he witnessed and heard from last night without even leaving a single detail out.
After Feng Tingye and Leng Ruofeng heard everything they looked at each other in the eye, appearing pensive. "It appears from what you have just said, you are suspecting that Jiang Zhourou is not just a normal songstress but in fact Xue Country's secret agent that was carefully placed within Ye Country. Not only that, but Prince Rui and Xue Country are also working together with her behind the scenes while Prince Rui is manipulated into selling out his own country?"
Shao Qing laughed coldly. "No wonder, the informer we planted by Prince Rui's side was unable to find any evidence of Prince Rui colluding with the State of Xue secretly. Who would have thought it was her! It looks as if Xue Country in regards to Ye Country had already at an earlier time decided that they wanted to annex them. That blockhead Prince Rui. I don't believe he's stupid enough to believe that the State of Xue would join hands with him for that small little benefit. How reckless! That Ya Tou by Prince Rui's side simply wants to seize the opportunity and incite the strained relationship between Prince Rui and us. This would permit the State of Xue to make opportune of this moment and thread it's way into this open space. Taking advantage as the third party by coming after both sides are injured. Too bad, that man in the black cloak's martial arts was too strong. I was revealed before I finished listening to their entire plan; otherwise…."
"That man in the black cloak had stronger martial arts than yours?" Leng Ruofeng was flabbergasted. It has to be known that Shao Zitang since childhood had been training in Zui Xin martial arts, and even He Wenzhong who was the physically strongest among them couldn't last longer than a hundred moves. That man in the black cloak was capable enough to discover his presence, furthermore making him afraid of the consequences. It seems that he won't be an opponent that will easily be handled.
"We didn't fight, so I am unsure of his strength. However, he definitely is not beneath me."
"Saying it in this way, it seems like this will be pretty troublesome. Zitang encountering this man, we can't say it with certainty but it might even be the same bandit that Yan Ran had captured two days ago."
"I don't think so." Shao Zitang twisted his eyebrows. "The martial arts of the man I encountered yesterday wasn't weak at all. With Yan Ran's power, he was able to subdue the bandit with two to three moves? If it was the same guy, wouldn't that make things too easy?"
Leng Ruofeng knitted his eyebrows. "Maybe the man that Yan Ran captured were just men they were using to create a diversion and they were considering to abandon. Then the people you encountered would be the actual opponent."
"We can't eliminate that possibility."
Leng Ruofeng became silent for a moment. Turning his head, he looked towards the unreadable Feng Tingye who after hearing those things still hadn't said a single thing. "Your Majesty, how do you intend we respond to this?"
Feng Tingye narrowed his eyes and lightly laughed. "Different situations calls for different actions. Since we know their motives, how could we just resign ourselves to this fate, that won't do."
"Although Zitang did not expose his identity, but in the end being discovered is all the same, the chances of them being driven to make a desperate action is still a possibility."
Resting a hand on his chin, he smiled. "What we are afraid of is if they are driven to a corner and they don't make a desperate action. What we are most lacking right now is something that is capable of shaking Prince Rui's reputation. If his reputation wasn't big, how could it cause all these deep rooted problems in the court. We need to in one move wash clean all those rotten filth within the court."
Feng Tingye turned his head to make eye contact with Shao Zitang. "How is Ye Qing's preparations on that side?"
Shao Zitang with his face orderly, acting as if he had a card up his sleeve laughed lightly. "Everything is prepared. All we need is that east wind to blow."
"Make him stay on high alert. That east wind won't be silent for long." The corner of Feng Tingye's mouth lifted up into a smirk. His pair of eyes revealing a bit of a flirtatious appearance, a devilish charm. He lifted his right hand, then grasped the empty space in front of him, clenching his fist. "This time, Zhen is going to thoroughly make the imperial government be under Zhen's complete control!"
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