Free Web NovelChapter 659: Chapter 659: Pulling Strings
The old man’s survival instinct suddenly surged, and he felt he couldn’t die so soon; he needed to live a few more days to torment this clueless fellow in front of him.
Liu Ji shamelessly said, "It’s better to hit the road on a full stomach, right, teacher?"
Gongliang Liao elegantly replied, "Scram."
"Alright then, I’ll come back in a few days." Liu Ji flashed a grin, quickly packed the empty bowls, and jumped out the back window with the snack box.
Qin Yao glanced inside the window and saw Gongliang Liao rubbing his head, looking as if he was having a headache because of his disciple.
She shrugged, closed the window, and left, along with Liu Ji, whose smile had instantly disappeared.
After leaving the National Master Mansion, as they walked into the crowd, Qin Yao noticed a certain someone becoming gloomier and curiously asked, "What’s wrong? Not happy after seeing the teacher today?"
Liu Ji turned his head to glance at her and said mournfully, "The teacher told me to scram." ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com
Qin Yao probed, "Are you feeling wronged?" fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm
Liu Ji shook his head, feeling sorrow instead, "Wife, you must know that the teacher doesn’t have much time left."
Qin Yao nodded; she had already guessed it. The room was filled with the scent of incense and medicine, unable to hide the stench of decay.
Liu Ji pouted, "The teacher’s leg is really in big trouble."
Qin Yao acknowledged, "With limited medical conditions, healing the wound after amputation is very difficult, particularly given his age. Self-healing is almost impossible."
Liu Ji’s nose tingled; he inhaled sharply to hold back the moisture in his eyes and fell silent again.
Qin Yao didn’t say more; the couple silently walked home. Halfway, Liu Ji suddenly let out a loud yell, startling Qin Yao, who punched him on the shoulder, "Why are you yelling, are you crazy?"
Liu Ji, gasping for air, excitedly pulled Qin Yao into an alley, "I get it, wife, I get it. I know why the teacher doesn’t want me to go to the National Master Mansion..."
Qin Yao looked like she wanted to kill, "Speak."
Liu Ji, seemingly unfazed by her murderous look, leaned closer to her ear, using a shocked and fearful tone:
"We’ve definitely been discovered by people from the National Master Mansion; that’s why the teacher doesn’t allow me to visit him again. If we go again tomorrow, we’ll surely fall into the trap set by the State Preceptor!"
Qin Yao listened without expression, "That’s it?"
"Yes, that’s it." Liu Ji finally realized his dear wife’s reaction wasn’t quite right, and asked suspiciously:
"You’re not surprised? Not scared? That’s the State Preceptor esteemed by even the Crown Prince!"
Qin Yao calmly walked out of the alley, mocking him with her mouth, "You just realized that."
Liu Ji paused, wait, what does she mean by "just realized"? Should he have known long ago?
Seeing her walking away, Liu Ji snapped out of it, hurriedly caught up, and asked in horror, "Wife, do you mean we’ve been discovered long ago?"
Qin Yao nodded, "You’re not that dumb."
"Don’t you think it’s been excessively easy for us to visit the teacher these past few days?"
And this, even after they were exposed posing as servant girls. The defense of Pu Courtyard hadn’t changed a bit, and the two servants weren’t replaced. It was incredibly unusual.
Qin Yao recalled the first time they visited the National Master Mansion, just because Gongliang Liao choked on a mouthful of porridge, the two servants were immediately dragged away.
Now, they even allowed strangers close to the teacher, feeding him. What a huge oversight, yet the servants were unharmed.
Anything strange must have a reason, but Qin Yao was too lazy to speculate about the twists and turns behind it. She just played dumb and continued to take Liu Ji to see the teacher every day.
The other side clearly had intentional motives, so since everyone wanted Gongliang Liao to eat and get healthy, why expose it?
Liu Ji nodded fervently, "I definitely felt it was too smooth, I was a little scared, but then I thought again, wife’s skills are so great, it’s also normal for it to be smooth, so I felt I was overthinking."
"After all, I am confident in your abilities, wife." Still not missing the chance to joke.
Qin Yao let out a light snort, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.
She only said, "The teacher still cares about you."
Gongliang Liao had probably noticed it long ago. The reason he cooperated was likely because he didn’t want Liu Ji to face danger.
Of course, it couldn’t be ruled out that he was genuinely hungry.
But the person who turned a blind eye might change their stance any day, so it’s best to know when to quit.
Who knows, one day you might not be able to leave after entering.
"Listen to your teacher, and don’t go for the next few days. See how things go before deciding,"
Qin Yao teasingly tugged Liu Ji’s hair draped on his shoulder. When she saw him turn around in surprise, she laughed and said,
"I think the teacher found a new will to live because of you. He should cooperate and eat and take his medicine. We can relax for now and focus on our own matters."
Liu Ji lightly coughed twice to cover his embarrassment. He didn’t intentionally irritate the teacher, and asked curiously, "Wife, who do you think opened the back door for us?"
It mustn’t be who he thought, right?
Qin Yao nodded at him, it’s exactly who you thought.
Liu Ji was confused, "But why would he?"
"Who knows him,"
Qin Yao shrugged, stopped a sugar-coated hawthorn seller, and bought eight sticks in one breath, for a family of eight, everyone gets one.
...
Meanwhile, inside Pu Courtyard.
No sooner had Qin Yao and Liu Ji left than a voice came from outside the courtyard gate: "Lord State Preceptor, you’re here."
With his head aching from his little disciple riling him up, Gongliang Liao leaned against the headboard, massaging his temples, and his expression immediately darkened.
Soon, the door was pushed open, and bright sunlight streamed in. Sikong Jian, draped in a black robe, walked in with a broad smile and asked, "Teacher, are you feeling better?"
His nose twitching slightly, smelling the lingering scent of mung beans in the air, his brow arched, so they’re here.
Seeing the visibly improved complexion of Gongliang Liao in bed, Sikong Jian mocked inwardly: I underestimated that countryside bumpkin!
Sikong Jian had expected someone to come but didn’t know when they would. So he deliberately left a flaw for them to conveniently enter.
He did this, firstly to make the teacher cooperate with taking medicine and eating, to recover his health.
After all, when a person has something to look forward to, they want to live, don’t they?
Secondly, to test the skill of the village woman who made Bai He quiver at the mention.
The fact proved that the village woman’s skill, which made Bai He shudder, was indeed astonishing.
For several days in a row, neither the guards at the National Master Mansion nor the five Imperial Guards detected when the couple infiltrated the mansion.
Each time, only after they had left, did someone report the presence of different food smells in the teacher’s room.
This level of skill was enough to make Sikong Jian’s scalp tingle just thinking about it.
If this woman intended to take his life tonight, would he not see the sun tomorrow?
Thus, he urgently ended the foolish backdoor scheme and came in person to see if he could catch any flaws.
As expected, they were long gone, leaving only Gongliang Liao, headaches induced by the antics of his little disciple, inside the room.
