You Promised to Be an Idle Son-in-Law, How Could You Become a Land Immortal? : Chapter 233: What Audacity!

Chapter 233: What a Bold Fellow!

If it were only Liu Tao-fang by herself, or if a gathering of young noblemen from other elite families in Shu Zhou were present, Chen Yi might not have given it a second thought.

But it just so happened that Liu Tao-fang and Mr. Ling Chuan were the ones there, forcing him to proceed with caution.

After all, the backgrounds of these two were no ordinary affairs.

Liu Tao-fang was the son of Liu Hong, the Left Chancellor of Shu Zhou, while Ling Chuan was the younger brother of Zhu Hao, the Deputy General of the Imperial Guards in Shu Zhou.

Moreover, Liu Hong held sway over the taxes and grain supplies of Shu Zhou, and Zhu Hao controlled the salt and iron industries there. They wielded power and had no lack of resources.

To this, one might add certain officials from the Censorate, whose influence placed them under the protection of the three most powerful departments in Shu Zhou.

Such individuals, when gathered together, would surely discuss matters concerning "bajia." How could Chen Yi fail to give it thought?

As Chen Yi pondered these things, he crept silently into the Lin residence, trailing the footsteps of the middle-aged man.

At this hour, the night was deep and still.

Yet within the mansion, the halls were brightly lit.

From the front courtyard to the back, a guard stood every ten paces.

Especially outside the rear courtyard, the defenses were even stricter.

Dozens of guards in blue short tunics and long blades encircled the back courtyard, sealing it off completely.

"Does a respectable merchant require so many guards?"

"Even Bao Caotang, with a monthly income of tens of thousands of silver strings, would have no more than a hundred guards."

"And these numbers include the disciples of the Tian Shan Sect who have just gained guard status."

The more one observed, the more certain Chen Yi became that this place was no ordinary one.

After a brief investigation, he took to the shadows, slipping past the guards one by one.

With his current cultivation and martial path, a middle-third rank martial artist of idle leisure would find it hard to detect his presence.

Not to mention that he bore the perfected art of [Martial Way—Footwork] upon his body.

Soon, Chen Yi reached the rear courtyard, taking shelter in a corner thick with foliage.

He surveyed the area, his eyes flickering with a faint light.

Using the technique of sensing qi, he probed the atmospheres within the several chambers of the rear courtyard.

In total, there were dozens of people.

Most were maids without any martial cultivation, while a few were members of the household.

At this point, the middle-aged man had not retired to a chamber but remained seated alone in the study.

Through the candlelit window, Chen Yi glimpsed a shadowy figure bent over writing something.

Just as he was about to rise and approach, voices drifted from the hall.

"Green Willow, bring the brewed ginseng soup—I need to give the master a dose for his health."

"Yes, sir."

Then Chen Yi saw a middle-aged woman in a silk robe push open the study door, carrying a bowl.

"Master, it's late and cold—drink this ginseng soup to warm yourself."

"Leave it for now."

"Sir, why are you so attentive? Did Lord Liu's son, Mr. Ling Chuan, and the Censorate official Ye come to see you? What has prompted such concern?"

The middle-aged man stiffened, his voice edged with irritation: "It's a matter of business."

"Is there something you need from your younger brother?"

Hearing this, the man's expression darkened: "I know the mistress cares for her family, but that brother of hers is no better than mud—he cannot be relied upon."

"Last time I ordered him to find trustworthy people to spread rumors, he ended up hiring lowlifes from the countryside, nearly ruined everything."

"If it were known that I was behind the scheme to slander General Hong, my family and I would all end up dead."

"Forgive me, my lord. My younger brother reads little and knows little—he needs more cultivation."

"Cultivation? I've given him more chances than enough."

"Madam, let this matter rest. Go rest."

After a pause, the woman spoke again: "Master, you should drink that ginseng soup while it's hot."

"Understood..."

As the middle-aged woman left the study, Chen Yi waited quietly for a moment before sneaking past.

He confirmed this Lin family was one of the "patrons" involved.

—Outside the incident of burning the three cities with summer grain, this was the only other time such rumors had been spread against General Hong.

In the space of three breaths, Chen Yi rushed to the study door, peeking inside.

To his surprise, the middle-aged man remained motionless on his chair.

With a soft hiss, Chen Yi slipped into the room. After closing the door, he leaned close and used the qi-sensing technique to assess the man's condition.

Two black currents coiled within him—one rising from the internal organs to the forehead, the other descending, devouring his internal organs with countless holes.

In plain terms, this man was near death.

Chen Yi scanned the room, his gaze settling on the empty bowl on the table. Suddenly, he understood the man had been poisoned.

"They didn't kill me early enough, nor late enough—they chose precisely now."

Chen Yi frowned, then snapped the ends of several brush pens.

From them, he withdrew a few thin bamboo needles, quickly driving them into the major points on the man's chest.

Then, channeling true energy to repel the poison with the needles, he dispersed most of the venom and mended the man's pulse.

In less than a minute, he revived the man.

"I worked hard to find someone who knew the truth—I can't let you die."

Chen Yi muttered to himself, then gently pressed his finger to the man's temple.

"Awaken."

No sooner had he spoken than the man slowly opened his eyes, his face as pale as polished paper.

After a moment, his pale face crept with irritation, his lips trembling: "She... she dared..."

Even so, with his body riddled with wounds and near collapse, his voice was weak.

Chen Yi understood exactly who he meant. He fetched a chair and sat beside him, saying:

Your time is limited, so it’s best to conserve your strength.

He had indeed revived the man, but that did not mean the man was cured.

Had it not been for his profound mastery of medical arts, combined with the fact that the middle-aged man’s poisoning had been brief, there was no way he could have awakened the man.

The venom’s power was truly terrifying, devouring the victim’s organs and marrow within just a few breaths, leaving him in a state of decay from head to foot.

The middle-aged man, fully aware of his condition, gazed at him for a moment before letting out a sigh and saying, “Thank you.”

Chen Yi merely shook his head. “How about something more genuine as a token of gratitude?”

“I’ll answer a few questions, and you can leave a final words for posterity.”

After a pause, he fixed his gaze on the middle-aged man. “I suppose you don’t want your life’s work, built through years of hard work, to vanish like this?”

Though Chen Yi couldn’t be certain whether the poison had been administered by that lady, he knew that someone so brazen as this would not simply accept death so easily.

A moment of silence.

The middle-aged man slowly nodded, murmuring a low “Yes.”

Chen Yi did not surprise him, and directly asked, “Tell me about what happened tonight.”

“What were you and Mr. Ling Chuan discussing with Lord Liu?”

The middle-aged man seemed unprepared for that question, and after a pause, replied, “Business.”

“Lord Liu’s estate has abundant fields, storing tens of thousands of sheng of grain, so he wanted me to act as an intermediary.”

“So you manipulate grain prices?”

The middle-aged man hesitated, then asked, “How do you know?”

Chen Yi thought to himself, “Of course. I came here with purpose.”

The middle-aged man, after considering, continued, “Lord Liu required vast sums of silver, which ordinary market prices couldn’t satisfy, so I devised a plan.”

“What plan?”

“Burning the summer grain in the three counties, creating famine? Or capitalizing on the opportunity when the Xiao family purchased grain in bulk, driving up prices?”

“You—you…”

Seeing the man’s expression, Chen Yi realized he had guessed correctly.

These people were after money, all right.

Their scheme was simple.

By burning the summer crops in the three counties, whether by the Xiao family’s governor’s own hand or by the remote military’s doing, a large quantity of grain would be required in Shuzhou. Naturally, grain prices would soar.

Then, Liu Tao could conveniently sell his stored grain at a profit.

The same logic applied here—Grandfather Xiao needed to replenish the grain for the Iron Wall Fortress as penance from the Son of Heaven.

These people exploited the situation to inflate prices, mostly aiming to buy grain from the elderly patriarch at a higher cost.

Even more outrageously, they might later shift the blame for their crimes onto the Xiao family.

Such schemes were indeed venomous.

After thinking it through, Chen Yi asked coldly, “Was the grain depot in the east market also burned by them?”

The middle-aged man’s surprise was profound. “The grain depot was burned?”

“Not by them?”

“No, not by us. The east market holds ten thousand sheng of grain—I couldn’t possibly commit such an act.”

It seemed the matter in the east market had a different cause.

Chen Yi made a mental note and continued, “Was Mr. Ling Chuan here to sell grain as well?”

The middle-aged man shook his head. “No, he wasn’t.”

“Mr. Ling Chuan’s elder brother, Lord Zhu, has a batch of iron weapons. He came to entrust me with completing a transaction with the bandit king Lan Duo of the Mo and Shu regions.”

Bandit king, Lan Duo… horse bandits?

Chen Yi furrowed his brow—this was the second time he’d heard that name.

The first was when he’d heard it mentioned by Yu Xue in the presence of Jin Qiang, a White Tiger Guard officer, who claimed to seek contact with him.

But he hadn’t expected Lan Duo to be merely a bandit leader, not a noble of the Mo and Shu states.

What was the White Tiger Guard seeking from him?

But now was not the time to investigate further. Chen Yi simply said, “Selling iron weapons to foreign nations is treason.”

The middle-aged man nodded grimly. “I’m just a merchant, seeking profit. I didn’t wish for any other consequences.”

Chen Yi understood this perfectly. “One last question—any other motives behind your actions against the Xiao family?”

“No, nothing else. We simply saw an opportunity, and our actions helped drive prices up even faster.”

“Just that?”

The middle-aged man nodded repeatedly, coughing weakly. “We only sought silver. We didn’t wish to harm the Xiao family…”

As for whether they intended harm, Chen Yi knew all too well.

Their reason for targeting the Xiao family was simple—the Xiao clan was weakening, and they refused to ally with them.

Even if someone else held the Xiao family’s position, they would not hesitate to strike.

Thinking this, Chen Yi gave him a deep, lingering look. “You have half a day left. Report your affairs.”

After speaking, he rose to leave.

But as his eyes caught a sheet of paper spread on the table, he suddenly stopped and bent to pick it up.

It wasn’t written in the characters of Wei, but in strange, unfamiliar script.

“Is this the writing of the Mo and Shu king?”

The middle-aged man opened his mouth, wanting to reclaim it, but seeing Chen Yi clutching it tightly, he could only nod. “Yes.”

“Written to King Lan Duo?”

“Yes…”

Chen Yi murmured, then tucked the paper away and left the room.

The middle-aged man watched him disappear, a trace of Xiao Suo’s expression crossing his face.

“Don’t blame me, alright…”

“I was already nearly dead. What could I possibly care about all this?”

Before he could finish his sentence, he summoned all his strength, scattering everything on the table to the floor, screaming hoarsely, “Help!

“Lin Hui, Lin Cheng, hurry!”

In an instant, several guards rushed to the courtyard, their faces urgent as they raced toward the study.