There is a god in the sky

Chapter 150 Split Operation 3

Fu Qingyan, supporting his mother, said in a coquettish tone, "Mother, I want to eat your Four Happiness Meatballs, as well as chilled plum juice and braised goose in sauce."

Lady Pingyang finally broke into a big smile.

"I'll make it for you, you go and wash up quickly."

With her gone, Aunt Jiang had no rivals.

She was about to lean on the Marquis of Pingyang when he pushed her away.

"I have other matters to attend to, don't bother me." With that, he took the letter and went into his study.

He stood at the study door and yelled at Fu Qingyan, "You brat, get in here right now!"

"Oh." Fu Qingyan reluctantly followed inside.

Aunt Jiang and her son exchanged a glance, both showing shock in their eyes.

"Auntie, what...what's going on? Why didn't Father hit him?"

"How should I know? This kid must have been using sweet talk to deceive your father."

Fu Qingyang frowned unhappily. "When has Father ever been fooled by him? Besides, you know my elder brother's personality. How could he possibly fool Father?"

The father and son were always fighting or arguing when they met; they had never been so harmonious.

As darkness fell, Xiao Ji and his men checked into an inn in the small town.

The closer you get to the capital, the more prosperous the town becomes. Even in an ordinary small town, the inns are always full.

"Excuse me, excuse me..." The waiter held the plate high and squeezed past Shen Lan.

Shen Lan smelled his scent and instinctively reached out and tugged at Xiao Ji.

Xiao Ji was walking behind her when he was pulled and ended up pressed against Shen Lan's back.

Behind him, a dagger appeared out of thin air and brushed past him.

When the man realized he had missed with his first thrust, he adjusted his direction and continued to stab at Xiao Ji.

The crowd erupted in screams, each louder than the last.

Xiao Ji raised his leg and swept it towards the assassin's wrist. The assassin twisted his wrist and pressed the dagger down.

With a sharp clang, Shen Lan used a plate of food to block his dagger.

The plate was shattered into pieces.

Xiao Ji punched the waiter in the face, then grabbed Shen Lan's hand and ran upstairs.

Chen Shi and the others had already reacted, but because there were too many guests, they were unable to reach Xiao Ji's side in time to provide support.

Shen Lan didn't notice that she and Xiao Ji were holding hands. They stood back to back, warily watching their surroundings.

It was dinnertime, and in addition to the guests staying at the inn, there were also people who came to dine.

The scene just now caused the guests to panic and run around in all directions.

As people jostled past, Xiao Ji stretched out his arm to shield Shen Lan against the wall and whispered, "Thanks to you for saving me just now."

The guy acted so suddenly that Xiao Ji didn't notice anything unusual about him.

Shen Lan replied, "That's right. I also noticed that he didn't smell like someone who spends all day in the kitchen, so I suspected him."

"Watch out for that man in the blue cotton robe, he's coming this way." Shen Lan pushed open the door behind her and pulled Xiao Ji inside.

This was a private dining room, and the guests inside stared at the two of them in shock.

"Sorry, it's too chaotic outside. We need to hide here for a bit." Xiao Ji stood in front of Shen Lan, blocking everyone's view.

The guests inside had drunk too much, and their faces were all flushed with intoxication.

Someone stood up and asked, "What's going on outside?"

"Someone pulled out a knife and killed someone; there may be more than one perpetrator."

The guests in the room panicked immediately, "Who are they going to kill?"

"I don't know, maybe they're after the rich." Xiao Ji lied without batting an eye.

The guests in this room were clearly wealthy; they were all dressed in fine clothes, and the table was laden with delicacies and fine wines.

They glanced at each other, then got up and opened the windows, intending to jump from the second floor to escape.

The streets were chaotic.

The guests ran out and spread the news, which caused pedestrians on the street to run as well.

Xiao Ji said to them, "Although the second floor is not high, jumping down could still result in broken arms and legs. It's safer to stay in the side room."

Xiao Ji casually bolted the door as he entered.

His calm and composed demeanor effectively eased the guests' anxiety.

They returned to their seats and warmly welcomed Xiao Ji.

"Young master, how about you sit down and have a drink?"

"There is a screen in this room. Madam, you can go behind the screen to take shelter."

Shen Lan also saw the large screen, wrote a word on Xiao Ji's back with her hand, and then hid behind the screen.

She was in the shadows, ready to launch a surprise attack if Xiao Ji encountered danger.

Xiao Ji glanced over here, then sat down in the empty seat.

"My surname is Fu, and I am from Bianjing. I am honored by your hospitality."

The man who had just offered him a drink smiled and said, "Young Master Fu is clearly from a prominent family. It is an honor for us merchants to entertain you."

He introduced the four people present to Xiao Ji.

They were all merchants passing through the town on their way to Bianjing (Kaifeng) for business. They got together for a meal and drinks because they had business dealings.

The person who introduced them was surnamed Yang, and his family owned a carriage and horse trading company. The other three people were a cloth merchant, a grain merchant, and a bookseller.

The outside gradually returned to calm.

Chen Shi led his men to search for Xiao Ji everywhere, and when they knocked on the door of this private room, he breathed a long sigh of relief.

Xiao Ji went out and said to him, "I hit it off with these gentlemen at first sight. I'll have a few drinks with them and then travel with them tomorrow. You can follow behind."

Chen Shi immediately understood his plan.

It was indeed safer for Lord Xiao to leave the group quietly.

He replied, "Alright, then I'll make the arrangements right away."

Xiao Ji entered, sat down, and chatted with the others about all sorts of things.

Seeing that his guards all carried swords, the four men vaguely guessed that he was a government official.

But Xiao Ji was too young, and they only regarded him as a minor official like a county magistrate.

"So, apart from Brother Yang, the others all brought goods to the capital. I wonder if they have found a place to stay in the capital?"

"To be honest, young master, this is also our first time doing business in Bianjing, and we don't know where to stay yet."

"I also know some brokers who can get lower rents. If needed, I can act as an intermediary for a few."

The four of them said happily, "That's wonderful!"

They appeared happy, but inwardly they became wary.

This kind of good thing that's been delivered to your door sounds a bit unrealistic, doesn't it?

Xiao Ji doesn't need them to believe him; he just needs them to accept him.

As for the dental clinic he mentioned, there must be someone in the family who knows some of them.

"Come, come, let us offer you a toast, young master."

Several cunning old businessmen exchanged glances and began to force-feed Xiao Ji alcohol.

Although they had already drunk quite a bit, this amount of alcohol was nothing to them.

Xiao Ji drank for a couple of rounds before pretending to be drunk, slurring, "I can't drink anymore... I can't drink anymore... My wife is very strict..."

Everyone laughed.

"Young Master Fu is indeed young, and his loving relationship with his wife is the envy of many."

Xiao Ji nodded with a simple smile: "After all, we've shared joys and sorrows."

This sounded like there was a story behind it, so the four of them started asking Xiao Ji about his past.

Xiao Ji began to tell them Fu Qingyan's experiences as a story, but he changed the ending.

Shen Lan, listening from behind the screen, didn't know whether to laugh or cry.

This scene of mutual scheming was something she hadn't expected.