Chapter 845: Congratulations, Congratulations
The man in black pondered, wondering if General Tang understood the meaning behind it.
As Chu Qingzhi had guessed, Xi Zhaoping had indeed become corrupt, colluding with certain individuals in the eastern border. This incident was designed by Xi Zhaoping to demonstrate his loyalty, but more deeply, it was his way of using this opportunity to convey some messages to Tang Jinghong.
Xi Zhaoping’s apparent defection absolutely could not be known to the people of the eastern border, or countless innocents might suffer.
To make it convincing, Xi Zhaoping had only informed three trusted confidants about this matter, keeping it a secret from his other subordinates. Unexpectedly, this led to many complications.
However, these complications made the situation appear more genuine, convincing the opposition of Xi Zhaoping’s loyalty even more. If Tang Jinghong could understand Xi Zhaoping’s message, then the plan would be perfect.
Now that everything was in motion, it was all up to fate.
The man in black ordered, “Have our people withdraw immediately and return to the eastern border.”
“Yes, master.”
Ji Youshan, dragging the bewildered Mou Yongfeng, left the room and Wan Garden, heading back to the eastern border overnight.
The man in black picked up his pen again, intending to write a letter to Xi Zhaoping.
At that moment, the room door was pushed open, and Chu Qingzhi walked in.
She did not disguise herself. If he was an enemy, he would surely die; if a friend, she could gain his trust.
The surrounding watchers were all misled by her, ensuring they detected nothing unusual.
The man in black was shocked to see Chu Qingzhi, “You, you are Miss Chu?”
His tone was polite, not at all like that of an enemy, making Chu Qingzhi even more puzzled, “I’ve dealt with everyone around us. No one will know what we say here, and no one knows I’ve been here. Can you explain?”
The man in black knelt with a fist, “Miss Chu, please, save the people of the eastern border…”
Chu Qingzhi was perplexed. “? ? ?”
Indeed, the eastern border had become hell, just as the assassins described.
The king of the eastern border was tyrannical, and corruption ran rampant among officials and merchants. Streets were filled with opium dens and brothels…
Moreover, the king of the eastern border had sealed off the news and the roads to the capital, limiting the flow of information to the imperial court.
Now referred to as hell, the description was not exaggerated for the eastern border!
Chu Qingzhi silently noted the complexity of the situation, realizing it fell upon Jinghong’s shoulders to resolve. No wonder Jinghong mentioned he would go to the eastern border after the new year.
“Tell me what your superior wants to communicate to Jinghong, and I’ll relay it. Rest assured, I won’t harm the people of the eastern border.”
The man in black said, “Our superior wants to inform General Tang that the eastern border is on the brink of collapse and urgently needs his help.”
Chu Qingzhi commented on the complexity, “Your superior really went to great lengths with this intricate plan. Only the slightly smarter ones could understand.”
The man in black thought to himself that there was no other choice; being too direct could lead to catastrophic consequences.
Relieved, he knew Chu Qingzhi was trustworthy and would inform Tang Jinghong, hopefully leading to the eastern border’s salvation.
“Miss Chu, I entrust this to you.”
After thinking, Chu Qingzhi took out a vial of anesthetic from her bag and handed it to the man in black, “If you’re really out of options, use this. This vial contains a lethal dose for twenty people. Using this to kill will ensure no one can trace the cause of death.”
For dealing with extremely wicked individuals, resorting to extreme measures was necessary.
The man in black accepted it with both hands, “Thank you for the medicine, Miss.”
Having discussed everything, Chu Qingzhi still had doubts, “What is the prince doing in the eastern border?”
The man in black explained, “He’s the crown prince of Chen’an, Dong Dengyu, who came to the eastern border seeking help. Smallpox is ravaging Chen’an, and they’ve heard that Miss Chu can cure it, hence his visit.”
Her reputation had even reached a vassal state?
Continuing, the man in black said, “Originally, the smallpox was contained in one city, but after a heavy rain, it spread to several nearby cities, plunging the entire Chen’an into crisis. If left unchecked, the nation might collapse!”
Chu Qingzhi connected this to a previous epidemic in Dalin, realizing the source might have been Chen’an.
“When did the smallpox outbreak start in Chen’an?”
“About four or five months ago.”
Chu Qingzhi internally noted, then, it’s linked. Someone deliberately spread the infected corpses in the forest, infecting animals and villagers, trying to drag Dalin into disaster.
This person… deserves condemnation!
“I’ll convey exactly what you’ve told me to Jinghong. Be cautious.”
“Thank you, Miss.”
With a swift movement, Chu Qingzhi left Wan Garden.
The man in black moved to the window, staring at the bleak moon, murmuring, “Master, your efforts weren’t in vain. Your wishes will surely be fulfilled.”
…
Chu Qingzhi returned to Chu’s village.
The parrots followed her back, having learned everything necessary, so there was no need for further surveillance.
Immediately upon her return, she wrote to Tang Jinghong, detailing everything she had learned and sent the letter via an eagle, urging Jinghong to prepare in advance.
Chu Qingzhi took out many small green worms and placed them on a plate for the parrots to eat, then infused them with some spiritual power.
“You’ve all done well on your mission. Enjoy the green worms; tomorrow, I’ll cut some meat for you.”
The parrots joyfully gathered around, munching on the green worms before obediently retreating to their nests to sleep, exhausted from the past few days.
Chu Qingzhi also lay down to rest. Having used her spiritual consciousness and soul attacks frequently in recent days, she too was tired.
…
The sound of firecrackers was heard.
“The Chu’s village general store is now open!”
After days of preparation, the general store in Chu’s village was finally open.
People from nearby villages crowded in front of Chu’s village general store. Fortunately, a small square had been built in front of the store, otherwise, it wouldn’t have accommodated so many people.
“Congratulations, congratulations!”
“Qingyu, congratulations!”
“Congratulations on the opening of the general store. It’ll be more convenient for us to shop now.”
Li Qingyu was beaming, “Welcome, everyone, to the general store. Today, everything is 10% off. The more you buy, the more you save…”
She called out with great enthusiasm. The Chu family members who couldn’t squeeze in stood aside, smiling at the radiant Li Qingyu.
Li Qingyu stepped aside, welcoming everyone with a wide smile, “Please, come in.”
The villagers swarmed in, eager to explore the new store.