AWB Chapter 360 The King of Qin Understands the Whole Story (Part 5)
Chapter 360 The King of Qin Understands the Whole Story (Part 5)
Chapter 360 The King of Qin Understands the Whole Story (5)
After Wei Ji returned to his inn, he immediately found Meng Yi and recounted in detail his encounter with Liu Ji that day. After listening to Wei Ji's account, and combining it with the in-depth investigation of Liu Ji by everyone over the past few days, Meng Yi had already made a judgment in his mind—this man named Liu Ji in front of him was most likely Liu Bang, the target they had been searching for.
However, what puzzled Meng Yi was why this person had two different names. Moreover, according to him, Liu Ji was just a lazy, good-for-nothing wanderer who had neither a distinguished family background nor any outstanding talent. Why would his king want to take his life? These questions lingered in Meng Yi's mind like a fog, and he could not find the answers.
Despite his deep suspicions, Meng Yi knew that this matter was of great importance and could not be overlooked. Therefore, he secretly resolved: "No matter what, it is better to kill the innocent than to let any potential threat to the King's safety slip by!"
Now that the target had been identified, the next step was naturally to closely monitor Liu Ji. After several days of covert surveillance and tracking, Meng Yi gradually realized that Liu Ji's movements were completely unpredictable. He would occasionally meet with Fan Kuai and Lu Wan at taverns for drinks, but most of the time he either stayed indoors at Widow Cao's house or frequented brothels like Yingchun Tower. Even more surprising was that Liu Ji rarely seemed to return to his Liu family home, as if it weren't his true home.
Faced with such an unpredictable situation, Meng Yi, Wei Ji, and several other companions meticulously planned and repeatedly deliberated for several days before finally settling on a relatively safe action plan—to strike on the day the magistrate of Pei County was holding a grand banquet. The reasons for this decision were multifaceted: firstly, the venue would be bustling with people and extremely noisy, making it less likely that their actions would attract too much attention and expose their identities; secondly, based on Meng Yi and his group's careful observation over the past few days, Liu Bang was now penniless, with very little money left, and unable to continue his extravagant spending. Therefore, it could be inferred that Liu Bang would most likely remain hidden at Widow Liu's house as usual in the coming days. Furthermore, it's worth mentioning that Widow Liu usually needed to take on embroidery work to make a living. Therefore, waiting until Widow Liu left home for work would undoubtedly be the best opportunity for Meng Yi and his group to strike.
Soon, the day arrived for the magistrate of Pei County to host a banquet for his guests. On this day, the entire Pei County was immersed in a jubilant and lively atmosphere, with crowds thronging the streets and alleys, and carriages flowing endlessly. Numerous magnificent carriages formed a long line, slowly making their way towards the magistrate's residence.
Not far from Widow Cao's house, Meng Yi and the others waited quietly. They stared intently at Widow Cao's gate, eagerly anticipating her appearance. However, as time passed, they waited anxiously, but Widow Cao did not step out of her house.
Just as everyone was losing patience, an unexpected figure appeared in their sight—Liu Ji! He first hurriedly went to find Fan Kuai, and after the two talked for a while, they left together; then, Liu Ji went straight to find Lu Wan, and the three of them walked arm in arm, chatting and laughing, swaggering towards the magistrate's mansion.
Seeing this, Wei Ji's eyes widened in astonishment as he turned to Meng Yi and asked, "Is Liu Ji also going to the magistrate's office?"
Meng Yi was equally incredulous. He frowned and muttered to himself, "I heard there's a sign at the magistrate's office that clearly states: 'Those who offer gifts of less than a thousand taels of silver are not allowed to enter.' Where did Liu Ji get such a huge sum of money?"
Faced with this question, Wei Ji and the others shook their heads, indicating they knew nothing about it. They were filled with curiosity. Through various inquiries, they had learned that Liu Ji had no legitimate business, idled away his days, and often lived on credit. How could such a destitute man have a thousand taels of silver to attend a banquet at the magistrate's mansion? They simply couldn't understand how Liu Ji could be qualified to step into the magistrate's mansion. Therefore, the group cautiously followed Liu Ji and his entourage from a distance, hoping to uncover the truth.
And so they watched helplessly as Liu Ji swaggered into the magistrate's residence, seemingly oblivious to the sign. Meng Yi's face grew increasingly grim. He bit his lip and asked again, "Could it be that Liu Ji knows the magistrate? Do they have some special relationship?"
The group exchanged glances, then unanimously shook their heads. After a moment of silence, Wei Ji finally broke the silence, saying softly, "I've never heard of such a thing..."
Seeing the situation before him, Meng Yi felt a deep sense of helplessness. He had planned meticulously and was full of confidence in completing this operation, but things had not gone as planned, and now he had no choice but to give up.
The next day, after making inquiries and searching around, they finally learned the truth. It turned out that it was Lü Gong who pleaded for Liu Ji and the others, and the magistrate of Pei County was a close friend of Lü Gong. Out of respect for Lü Gong, the magistrate made an exception and allowed Liu Ji and his companions to enter the banquet.
Speaking of this Lord Lü, Wei Ji had actually heard some things about him from Zhang Mazi before. It is said that Lord Lü was originally from the State of Wei, and his family had been engaged in commerce for generations, accumulating enormous wealth, making them a very powerful and influential family. Moreover, Lord Lü was of noble birth, with a very distinguished background.
After Wei Ji told Meng Yi all the information he knew about Lü Gong, Meng Yi couldn't help but feel puzzled: How could someone as noble and wealthy as Lü Gong have any dealings with Liu Ji, who was penniless and struggling, and even be willing to stand up for him? It was truly perplexing.
However, what truly troubled and troubled them was yet to come! Meng Yi and the others were eager to take action against Liu Ji again, but the series of events that followed were completely unexpected.
Whenever they finally made thorough preparations and were about to strike Liu Ji, all sorts of inexplicable changes would always interfere. Sometimes, just as they were about to act, the city's patrolling troops would suddenly appear before them as if descending from the sky; other times, they would encounter ordinary people around them without warning. These people would either curiously watch or kindly step forward to dissuade them, making it impossible for them to carry out their plans smoothly.