Free Web NovelChapter 699: Chapter 699: The Meat Bun
"Come back."
The two words from Qin Yao successfully stopped Liu Ji, who was ready to go and stab someone in his rage.
"Darling~" Liu Ji glared at Ah Wang, feeling vexed, but didn’t dare to disobey his wife’s words. Stopping there, he was neither advancing nor retreating.
Qin Yao ignored him, got up, and walked over to Ah Wang, asking in confusion, "Do you know who the mysterious expert protecting Wang Jin is?"
Ah Wang nodded, "If I’m not mistaken, it should be that person beside the Holy Empress."
Which person?
Liu Ji curiously leaned forward, giving up on stabbing, repeatedly asking, "Ah Wang, who are you talking about? How does this person relate to the Empress?"
Ah Wang pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly in a reminiscing tone, "There aren’t many people with such skills in the Capital, narrowing it down to those Wang Jin could encounter and associate with, there are only two left."
Saying this, Ah Wang turned to Qin Yao, looking as if he had more to say but was hesitating.
Qin Yao understood and pointed at Liu Ji, "You, go make dinner."
"Why should I?" Liu Ji instinctively retorted, glaring at Ah Wang, "I’m the master, you go cook!"
Ah Wang: "..."
"Liu Ji, don’t make me slap you," Qin Yao squinted impatiently.
Liu Ji shrank his neck; he didn’t dare to resist, not in this lifetime, so he could only honestly retreat to the kitchen to cook.
He gave Qin Yao a resentful glance, hoping she’d say again what she had just said—come back.
However, there was no such luck.
Confirming there was no third person there, Ah Wang’s expression changed visibly, his entire face tensed up as he solemnly said:
"Last night a person came into Kuanzheng Square; it was the expert who had captured me alive back then and kept watching me to prevent me from committing suicide."
"That person never shows their true face, so their gender is unknown, but they have a distinctive scent. Last night, they flew over our rooftop, heading towards the Wang Family across the alley."
At the time, he thought he had been exposed, frightened for quite a while, but it turned out to be a false alarm.
Thinking about it afterward, if the person was coming for them, his wife would have already sat up from her dreams in alarm—it was him being paranoid, a startled bird.
Qin Yao had slept quite well last night, unlike Ah Wang, who was so vigilant.
After all, no one in the Imperial Capital was watching her.
So she curiously asked, "What kind of scent?"
Ah Wang, with a look of reluctance, said, "The scent of meat buns."
"Ah? He likes to eat meat buns?" Qin Yao raised an eyebrow, intrigued—this expert was quite grounded.
Ah Wang nodded. The person had followed him out of the Capital back then, and during those months along the way, he often caught the scent of meat buns.
That scent had etched itself into his being, instantly making him tense whenever he smelled it.
Qin Yao sympathetically glanced at Ah Wang twice, "So, when we eat meat buns at home, you’re in torment?"
"It’s alright," Ah Wang stubbornly denied, unwilling to admit it.
Qin Yao patted his shoulder, "Then that’s it. I recommended Wang Jin to seek the Empress’s help. That day, he said it wasn’t possible, but it seems he’s had to face reality."
Ah Wang asked in surprise, "How did you know the Holy Empress would help?"
Qin Yao smiled softly, looking at him. Does it need to be said?
Ah Wang slapped his forehead; of course, Prince Feng sent him to assassinate the Holy Empress, the feud was long-standing.
Now that they had Prince Feng’s weakness, how could she pass up such a great opportunity?
"No more talking, let’s eat," she said, feeling hungry.
Ah Wang glanced at the ruined vegetable garden, wondering if this was the result of her entire afternoon’s effort?
"Let’s go, what are you looking at?" Qin Yao urged as she turned.
Ah Wang suppressed his shock and nodded, following her.
He sighed inwardly; he’d have to come back later to plow it again.
The dinner turned out carelessly, reflecting the cook’s dissatisfaction.
But no one cared.
Liu Ji poked at the white rice in his bowl, muttering silently, "I’m so mad! I’m so mad!"
...
The rainy season arrived in the Capital City.
It rained again at night, stopping only at dawn.
The sky was gray and gloomy, making it hard for people to lift their spirits.
Liu Ji just couldn’t hold on and didn’t manage to wake up before dawn to study; he slept through it all.
The Da Lang Brothers and Sisters carried their book boxes and, along with the neighbors’ children, went to school with umbrellas after he finally got up.
This morning, the National Master Mansion’s carriage had already been waiting outside.
Liu Ji lazily took a couple of bites of the buns Ah Wang had made early in the morning, casually teasing the driver, only hopping into the carriage when the driver gave him a glare of anger he didn’t dare to express.
Sikong Jian didn’t seem to need to attend the morning court and stood under the porch, watching him make breakfast again.
Remembering that his wife would come to pick him up after work in the afternoon, Liu Ji felt quite content.
He hummed a tune while preparing his teacher’s breakfast and his own snacks, brought them inside, and ate, laughing and chatting with his teacher.
Today, Gongliang Liao didn’t say, ’Sikong Jian and dogs are not allowed inside.’
So Sikong Jian sat down at the Eight Immortals Table in the room, talking to himself about changes in the court and speculations about the mysterious expert.
No one responded, and he didn’t feel embarrassed.
Only after he finished speaking did he turn to look at Gongliang Liao, who had already finished eating, and asked with a smile, "Teacher, who do you think is helping Wang Jin behind the scenes?"
Gongliang Liao sneered coldly, "This old man can’t even go out the door, yet you, Lord State Preceptor, ask me about the outside world, don’t you find that laughable?"
"Teacher is too modest," Sikong Jian asserted, "With your abilities, even without stepping outside, you surely understand the world’s situation as if palm of your hand."
Gongliang Liao: "I don’t know."
He signaled to Liu Ji with a glance, "Third one, bring the pen and ink; let me see if your handwriting has improved."
Blind to Sikong Jian’s remarks.
Liu Ji responded with an "aye," smugly shooting a glance at Sikong Jian, feeling completely secure and arrogant.
Sikong Jian furrowed his brows, remembering how frightened he was yesterday, fleeing from the National Master Mansion without even taking the carriage.
Today he doesn’t feel scared?
Sun Jiang had said that Liu Ji actually held little sway in front of his formidable wife.
Watching Liu Ji earnestly writing at the desk, Sikong Jian couldn’t help feeling a bit curious.
Could it be his writing skills that have gained the teacher’s favor?
Sikong Jian stood up and strolled over; Liu Ji immediately looked up warily, "What are you doing?"
Sikong Jian didn’t answer, owning the entire National Master Mansion; in his own home, did he need to stand on ceremony?
He directly reached out, picked up the piece of xuan paper in front of Liu Ji, glanced at it, and couldn’t help but cringe at the lack of expression control.
"Truly ugly," he remarked, dropping the paper, not missing the chance to ridicule, "It seems the teacher is getting old, his eyes failing."
Without giving Liu Ji a chance to retort loudly, he turned and left Pu Courtyard, sleeves billowing.
This intimate display between master and student—out of sight, out of mind!
"What taste... my writing is clearly good." Liu Ji scrutinized his handwriting, heavily clicking his tongue at the back retreating from view.
Gongliang Liao laughed.
It turns out that when a person is speechless, they really do laugh.
