Volume 1 Chapter 20 A Beauty Has an Appointment [2]

  "Oh, you've finally decided to come up? I thought there was some kind of treasure on our stairs that made you stand downstairs for half a day! When Xu Wuyan came up, the seductive man looked at a position next to him, poured himself a cup of tea and said in a mysterious tone..."

  Xu Wuyan looked at Shao Qian, who was calm and collected, without any surprise. Another man was also familiar, Fang Zhuoheng - the man who had been searching for his wife's portrait all over the street; Fang Zhuoheng was slightly surprised by Xu Wuyan's arrival

  Xu Wuyan walked directly to the charming man's side without any courtesy, sat down, glanced at Fang Zhuohan and Shao Qian with a slight smile, and then picked up the tea in front of him and drank it.

  "Hey! Can't you show some manners? As a woman, your behavior is so unbecoming and rough, it's really a loss of face for everyone!" The seductive voice beside him seemed to have found its target in Xu Wuyan, spitting out words that made Xu Wuyan want to hit someone.

  Xu Wuyan put down his teacup, staring at the man who was speaking, not saying a word but staring at him so hard that he wanted to stare a hole in this perfectly delicate face.

  "What's wrong? Do I have something written on my face?" The man couldn't help but ask, feeling uneasy under Xu Wu Yan's stare.

  Xu Wuyan withdrew his gaze and continued to hold up the teacup, sipping tea, saying in a low voice: "Someone, today's yin hall is yellowish and middle court is greenish, an ominous sign!"

  "Are you talking about me? What's wrong with me? Tell me, tell me quickly!" The seductive man asked without any reserve, pulling on Xu Wuyan's arm.

  "Hey!" Xu Wuyan looked at the slender fingers grasping his arm, reminded with utmost disgust, then turned to Shao Qian and Fang Zhuohan, asking casually: "What are you two doing here?"

  "We've been old friends with Ziya for many years! Today, we gathered for a small drink, and unexpectedly, Brother Ziya also invited you, Miss Xu!" Shao Qian said with a light smile, explaining in a gentle and natural tone.

  "What about you? How are you?" Xu Wuyan asked with a hint of deeper meaning, looking at Fang Zhuohans. Today's Fang Zhuohan wore a black long shirt with a light blue gauze outerwear, his face was rosy and his eyes were bright, it seemed that there was no problem anymore;

  "I didn't expect to meet my benefactor here! On that day, I didn't have a chance to thank you, Miss. Your kindness is etched in my heart and will never be forgotten!" Fang Zhuo Han looked at Xu Wu Yan with tea instead of wine, paying respects to Xu Wu Yan.

  "Hey! You all know each other?" Zi Yaqi looked around at the familiar faces, some of whom were puzzled and scratching their heads, and asked.

  Xu Wuyan smiled lightly and picked up the tea cup, sipping it gently. Shao Qian and Fang Zhuohan nodded slightly in tacit understanding, each lost in their own thoughts as they savored the excellent Keemun black tea in their cups.

  "Tell me, what's the bad omen? What's the bad omen?" Zi Ya continued to shake Xǔ Wúyán's arm back and forth, asking repeatedly without letting go.

  Xu Wuyan slowly turned to look at Zi Yaqi, "I charge 5,000 taels of gold for a single fortune-telling session. Are you sure you can afford it?" Xu Wuyan's eyes, like a serene and deep pool, held a hint of provocation as he gazed at Zi Yaqi.

  "You! You're blackmailing me!" Zi Yaqi's face changed immediately upon hearing this, staring at Xu Wuyan as if looking at a street thug, her eyes full of disdain and anger.

  Xu Wuyan remained silent, no longer paying attention to Zi Yaqi's repeated accusations. He sipped on the rare Qimen red tea that few officials' families could afford, leisurely gazing at the scenery outside the pavilion.

  "Miss Xu, regarding the black-headed snake incident at the Jun Guo Gong Fu, have you made any progress?" Shao Qian asked, looking at Xu Wuyan. Due to Xu Qinghe's obstruction, the Ministry of Justice's investigation had almost no progress;

  Xu Wuyan glanced at Fang Zhuohan and Zi Yaqi, and Shao Qian's gaze told Xu Wuyan that these two people were absolutely trustworthy! Only then did he open his mouth to answer: "Someone has already died in the mansion, and Uncle also sent the housekeeper to search carefully, but still nothing was found! Uncle didn't want to spread family shame outside, so he handled it quietly! Now, both Madame and Third Madam are bedridden due to excessive fright!"

  "What?" Shao Qian was somewhat surprised. "I didn't expect this snake to be so ferocious! Zhuo Han, have you ever heard of the Black-headed Krait species?"

  "Black-browed viper, this snake I've heard my master mention before! It's known as the king of poisons in southern Xinjiang!" Fang Zhuohans expression turned grave upon hearing the name Black-browed viper, "I heard from my master that this snake can kill a person within three steps!"

  "What?" Shao Qian started to listen to Xu Wuyan's words, and at first, he just regarded it as a giant poisonous snake. Now hearing Fang Zhuo Han say this, he couldn't help but feel a shock in his heart. A small snake actually had such great attacking power;

  "Not only that, but the venom of the Black-browed viper is still incurable to this day. Anyone poisoned by it will undoubtedly die!" Xu added.

  Fang Zhuohan nodded, "However, the black-headed cobra grows in dry and desert-filled southern Xinjiang. If no one is familiar with its habits and deliberately breeds it, it will not appear in the humid air and lush bamboo forests of the capital."

  "Xu Niang!" Shao Qian stared at Xu Wuyan, wanting to say something but hesitating.

  Xu nodded silently, "Just call me Xu! If there's something to say, just say it!"

  Sha Qian nodded, "The black-headed snake is a serious matter. Now it can be basically determined that someone in the Jun Guo Gong Fu is deliberately raising black-headed snakes. As long as the case is not solved, the Jun Guo Gong Fu will be in danger every day! At present, the Jun Guo Gong does not allow outsiders to enter the Jun Guo Gong Fu, even if it's a matter of life and death, the Ministry of Punishment cannot intervene without evidence. Therefore, please cooperate with us, the Ministry of Punishment, if there are any abnormalities in the future, let's work together to bring the culprit to justice!"

  Xu Wuyan smiled and said, "I'll thank Lord Shao first on behalf of Wu Yan!"

  "If need be, Fang would rush into boiling water and walk through fire, even if it means dying ten thousand times!" Fang Zhuo Han stood up and said to Xu Wu Yan, it seemed that the previous blow on the head had been a great kindness to him;

  "Shao Qian, the person bitten to death by a venomous snake in the Jun Guo Gong Fu is actually the wet nurse of Fourth Miss Xu Qingli! Please send someone to examine the body and inform me of any results!"

  "Rest assured! I, Shao, will definitely do my best for this matter!"

  "This matter, don't alarm the Emperor for now! If there's any movement at the Jun Guo Gong Fu, I'll definitely inform you first! As it concerns the reputation of the Jun Guo Gong Fu, it's best to handle it quietly!"

  Shao Qian nodded, "Don't worry, we won't make any rash moves. We'll wait for your news!"

  Xu Wuyan finally felt at ease, with Shao Qian as a reliable backup, things would be much easier to handle; suddenly remembering the purpose of today's visit, Xu Wuyan looked at Zi Yaqi beside him with a sour face, "Where is what I want?"

  Zi Yaqi looked at Xu Wuyan as if still in a dream, "What?"

  "Last time, I asked you to investigate that matter!" Xu Wuyan was speechless at Zi Yaqi's infatuated expression.

  "Ah!" Zi Ya Qi handed a thick envelope to Xu Wu Yan, then pulled on Xu Wu Yan's sleeve and said sorrowfully: "What kind of bad omen is it, you tell me!"

  Xu Wuyan, with a head full of black lines, looked at Zi Yaqi and said, "Your ominous sign is that this pot of Qimen red tea, worth thousands of gold, is now not even a single drop left!" It's really incomprehensible how someone like Zi Yaqi, who is almost superstitious about physiognomy, could be the master of Tongsheng Hall.

  "Ah! What? You guys!" Zi Ya Qi only realized now that the full pot of Keemun black tea was completely gone, and could only helplessly blame herself while looking at the three innocent faces.

  "Alright! Zi Yaqi, you owe me 5,000 taels of gold! Remember that!" Xu Wuyan said with an air of triumph after getting what he wanted. He glanced at Shao Qian and Fang Zhuohan, "You two continue your reunion, I'll take my leave first!" With a flourish, Xu Wuyan walked down the loft and disappeared from their sight.

  "Xu Wu Yan! You!" Zi Ya Qi stared in the direction Xu Wu Yan had disappeared, her face twisted in anger and speechless; the other two people, on the other hand, had a look of three parts sympathy and seven parts schadenfreude, watching this Zi Ya Qi who never suffered losses, being shut down repeatedly today, their hearts were full of satisfaction!