AWB Chapter 291 You...this tea...
Chapter 291 You...this tea...
The air inside the pavilion seemed to freeze at that moment.
The night breeze rustled the light gauze curtains around them.
Mi Yueyao's slender fingers, which were holding the teacup, paused slightly.
She then placed the cup back on the table with a soft click.
She suddenly laughed!
There was no cover-up, no explanation.
"Young Master Zhang not only understands the immortal methods of steelmaking, but his mind is also exceptionally sharp. No wonder he was valued by Ying Zheng and sent to be this imperial envoy!"
Mi Yueyao stood up, walked to the edge of the pavilion, looked down at the lights of Changzi County, and admitted without hesitation:
"That's right. Most of this batch of coal was secretly transported to Jiangdong via waterways."
Zhang Fan's pupils suddenly contracted:
"Are you crazy? Do you know what the Xiang family needs so much coal for? If they're secretly setting up copper smelters and mass-producing weapons and armor, that's a solid crime of treason! If it gets out, we'll all lose our heads!"
"Of course I know what they're doing."
Mi Yueyao turned around, her red dress fluttering. The gentleness in her eyes vanished, replaced by a chilling sharpness.
"The Qin dynasty destroyed my Chu state, and this blood debt must be settled. The Xiang clan needs a vast amount of bronze weapons and armor to restore Chu, and even more so, an endless supply of fuel! And I happen to possess the inexhaustible coal resources of Shangdang County!"
"I gave them coal, and in exchange, they had to deal with the Black Ice Observatory's investigation and cover up all traces."
At this point, Mi Yueyao walked back to the tea table and leaned towards Zhang Fan:
"Young Master Zhang, we've already reached a cooperation agreement. You just need to collect your share of the profits; who the coal is ultimately sold to and what it's used for is none of your business, is it?"
Zhang Fan felt a chill run down his spine.
He originally thought he was just partnering with local forces to make some profits, but he never expected that his actions over the past few days would inadvertently make him one of the initial capital accumulators for Xiang Yu's rebellion!
"The Xiang family has now set their sights on me to silence me!"
Zhang Fan gritted his teeth and said, "If I die, the Qin Dynasty court will be thrown into turmoil, and the Black Ice Guard will mobilize in full force. Do you think your deal with the Xiang family can still be kept secret?"
Seeing Zhang Fan's angry expression, Mi Yueyao was not angry at all. Instead, she took out a black token that was neither gold nor jade from her sleeve and gently pushed it in front of Zhang Fan.
"Therefore, Yueyao invited you here tonight, young master, to resolve this matter!"
Zhang Fan lowered his head and saw that the token was engraved with the character "Chu" and the back was engraved with totems of wind, rain, thunder and lightning.
"Bribing the person from the Wind and Rain Pavilion to kill you is indeed a problem! But he doesn't know that the real master behind the Wind and Rain Pavilion is actually me."
Mi Yueyao's expression suddenly froze.
"However, a bounty will be placed on whoever kills you! Because the rule of the Wind and Rain Pavilion is not to inquire about buyer information, so I don't know who it is..."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Fan felt a sudden swelling in his head and immediately experienced a severe headache.
What kind of nonsense is this?
Mi Yueyao's subordinate Fengyuge accepted a job and sent assassins to kill her, but Mi Yueyao herself sent guards to rescue her in the alley!
After going through all this trouble, she still didn't know who the sugar daddy was who paid for her life.
Seeing Zhang Fan's speechless and devastated expression, Mi Yueyao smiled nonchalantly.
She picked up the teapot from the small red clay stove, poured Zhang Fan another cup of hot tea, pushed it towards him, and said softly:
"However, Young Master Zhang must have been quite frightened tonight. Let's have some tea first to calm our nerves before we talk in detail..."
After a night of turmoil, and the near-death experience of running through the alley, Zhang Fan was parched. Without thinking much, he picked up the teacup on the table, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.
The instant I put down the teacup.
Zhang Fan noticed out of the corner of his eye that the curve of Mi Yueyao's lips seemed to deepen. A hint of cunning was clearly visible in that exquisite smile.
Zhang Fan's heart skipped a beat.
He looked down intently at the empty teacup in his hand, his expression suddenly changing. Pointing at Mi Yueyao, he spoke with difficulty:
"You...this tea..."
"Um."
Mi Yueyao looked at him, and let out a soft hum, calmly confirming his guess.
The voice just fell.
Zhang Fan suddenly felt a dizzying sensation as the world spun around him, and a strong feeling of vertigo rushed into his brain, causing him to lose sensation in his limbs.
Before he could even utter another curse, everything went black, and he slammed onto the tea table with a loud thud, completely losing consciousness.
……
at the same time.
Outside Ji Honglou, in a hidden alley.
Unlike the assassins who had just been killed, they had quietly gathered here.
One of them stepped forward and whispered a report to the leader, who was standing in the shadows:
"Boss, look closely. Zhang Fan was just brought into this brothel!"
The leader slowly raised his head, his gaze coldly fixed on the brightly lit Ji Honglou, his brows furrowed tightly.
He hesitated for a moment, then gave the order in a cold voice:
"Investigate Ji Honglou's background immediately!"
"For an ordinary brothel to secretly harbor so many highly skilled assassins, it's definitely not simple!"
"Furthermore, immediately send a message by carrier pigeon to Lord Zongyu! Report truthfully on Zhang Fan's rescue tonight and Ji Honglou's unusual behavior!"
"Here you go!"
Several subordinates responded in hushed tones, then vanished into the night in a flash, disappearing without a trace in the blink of an eye.
……
The next day.
Just as dawn was breaking, the entire prefectural governor's mansion collapsed.
Just because Zhang Fan disappeared!
Zhang Fan's room was empty, and the bed was made neatly, indicating that he hadn't returned home all night.
"It's all my fault... Waaah... It's all my fault for not watching my master properly last night..."
Luo Li stood in the center of the room, her eyes red and swollen, tears streaming down her face. She wiped away her tears while sobbing, filled with self-reproach.
Fusu, standing to the side, was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, pacing back and forth in the room, his fists clenched tightly.
"The teacher is always very discreet; she would never leave without saying goodbye. Something must have happened!"
Just half an hour ago, upon discovering Zhang Fan's disappearance, Mo Feng rushed out of the mansion in a panic and headed straight for the Changzi County government office to notify the new prefect to immediately seal the city gates and search the entire city for Zhang Fan.
But as time went by, Fusu's unease grew stronger.
Shangdang County is now a mixed bag; the waters run deep!
Teachers bear a heavy responsibility and cannot afford to make the slightest mistake!
Fusu abruptly stopped, walked to the desk, grabbed a writing brush, and said in a deep voice:
"We can't wait any longer! The local government may not be reliable. I must immediately write a letter and send it to Xianyang by express courier, requesting my father... requesting His Majesty to dispatch the Black Ice Guard and a large army to search for and assist us!"
After saying that, he prepared to sit down and write a letter.
"Whoosh!"
Just as the pen tip was about to fall, a whooshing sound suddenly rang out!