Chapter 1389: Preliminary Preparation

## Chapter 1374: Preparations

Ever since he started paying attention, he noticed that trucks delivering fresh produce came twice within two hours, which was quite frequent. It made sense; Qi Manor had been bustling with guests recently, with one group after another, making their demand for supplies exceptionally high.

Weng Su patted his younger brother's shoulder, a smile spreading across his face. "I've thought of a way!" Weng Xing opened his mouth to ask, but Weng Su shushed him, reminding him to be mindful of their surroundings. In broad daylight, especially at the back gate of Peach Blossom Villa, how could he reveal everything openly?

"By the way, did you bring your tools?"

"Yes, I have them," Weng Xing said, rubbing his hands together. "Just waiting for a big job!"

He Lingchuan's time management was perfect. His group actually arrived in Zhuo'an three days earlier than planned! While Zhuo'an couldn't compare to the prosperity of Mang Province, the county had several prominent families who were both local elites and designated official merchants. Therefore, food, drink, and entertainment were plentiful, with restaurants and taverns everywhere, and pleasures readily available.

Meanwhile, Xue Zongwu's party wouldn't arrive in Mang Province for at least two more days, giving He Lingchuan over thirty hours to make his arrangements. After entering Zhuo'an, He Lingchuan suggested to Fan Shuang that they rest for a day and enjoy themselves. Zhuo'an was not far from the capital, so even if they took their time exploring scenic spots along the way, they could still reach the capital before King Yao's birthday celebration. Fan Shuang readily agreed, as his stamina was far inferior to He Lingchuan's, and he also wanted to rest before continuing.

Since the chosen location for the operation was Qi Yuncheng's Peach Blossom Villa, He Lingchuan's first task was to obtain a map of the villa and estimate Qi Yuncheng and Xue Zongwu's movements there. Considering his mission was to assassinate a General of the Yao Kingdom on the territory of the Great Elder of Qingnie Mountain, completing all preliminary preparations within a little over thirty hours was quite pressing.

What was more critical was that He Lingchuan only had a maximum of ten hours for independent activity before he had to return to Zhuo'an to avoid Fan Shuang looking for him. He still had several consultation meetings in Zhuo'an. So, after bidding farewell to Fan Shuang, he and Dong Rui immediately set off on the Snail Toad, heading for Mang Province, forty *li* away.

Thanks to the damp ground after the rain, the Snail Toad's burrowing speed was much faster than horses on the surface, and they didn't have to take detours. However, the round trip alone would take over two hours of travel time. Thus, He Lingchuan truly had only eight hours for activities in Mang Province.

"Within these eight hours, you need to survey the entire Peach Blossom Villa and gather basic information on Qi Yuncheng." Dong Rui rubbed his hands together. "Where do we start?" With the tight schedule and heavy workload, he felt the familiar thrill from before the Xu Mountain project.

"There's a very suitable candidate," He Lingchuan said, as the Snail Toad emerged from underground. He glanced at the sky. "My people noticed the old gardener at Peach Blossom Villa, whom everyone calls Liu Sou. He's maintained Qi Yuncheng's garden for twenty years and is intimately familiar with every flower, tree, brick, and tile there."

Dong Rui understood. "You want to discreetly extract information, don't you?" He knew He Lingchuan possessed a secret technique that allowed him to get intelligence from informants without their knowledge.

He Lingchuan nodded. "Then, we need to estimate the location where Qi Yuncheng will meet Xue Zongwu, and then deploy the Eyeball Spiders for surveillance."

When Xue Zongwu arrived, Qi Yuncheng would certainly meet him. "Isn't it usually in the study?"

"Not necessarily," He Lingchuan said, maintaining his usual caution. "Peach Blossom Villa has been bustling with activity recently, with a continuous stream of visiting officials and nobles. Can you and I predict where Qi Yuncheng will choose to receive his guest?" Peach Blossom Villa was certainly not small. Who could dictate where the master of the villa chose to receive guests?

"How will you estimate that then? There's a lot of randomness."

"If Xue Zongwu's visit is just for a casual chat between master and disciple, they could meet anywhere," He Lingchuan said, cracking his knuckles. "It's only when discussing confidential matters that they'd need to close the door and whisper." When discussing secrets, people subconsciously go to the most familiar and secure place.

Dong Rui propped his chin on his hand, intrigued. "What topic do you think would be most suitable for them to discuss?"

"Xue Zongwu is a staunch royalist, and so is Qi Yuncheng," He Lingchuan retorted. "Who do you think their biggest enemy is?"

"Uh..." Dong Rui faltered. "Isn't that too broad a question?"

"Oh no, wait," he said, then remembered. "Qingyang?"

"Exactly, Qingyang," He Lingchuan smiled. "So, we need to find a way to make them discuss Qingyang's regency in private."

"You already have an idea?"

"I'll send someone to deliver a gift to Peach Blossom Villa, specifically for Xue Zongwu. I believe General Xue will gladly accept it." He Lingchuan changed the subject. "By the way, you can't directly ride the Snail Toad into Qi Manor. Qi Yuncheng is a Daoist elder and not short on money, so his residence likely has various formations." He was worried the Snail Toad might get in but not be able to get out.

Dong Rui asked him, "Aren't you afraid of getting in and not being able to get out?"

"Peach Blossom Villa isn't a city, after all; its outer walls are at most two *zhang* tall," He Lingchuan said, stroking his chin. "As long as I'm not caught by both Xue Zongwu and Qi Yuncheng at the same time, I'm confident I can leave."

Three hours later, Mang Province.

When Liu Sou returned home from work, he found a matchmaker at his door, proposing marriage for his granddaughter. Before the matchmaker could even finish listing the conditions, he scowled and drove her away. His wife couldn't help but complain, "You're so ill-mannered! This whole market relies on Old Woman Wang for matchmaking. If you chase her away, she'll go around saying our family is too picky. Then who will marry our granddaughter?"

Liu Sou sneered, "Don't listen to her flowery words. Let me tell you: the truth is, the man isn't from Mang Province and owns no property here. Do you want my granddaughter to marry him and starve? That shameless Old Woman Wang praises people endlessly for a few coins."

"You stinky gardener, you still dare to look down on others?"

"Our family has been in Mang Province for three generations. Even if I'm just a gardener, I'm the gardener for Qi Manor! My salary, the people I know, the connections I have—which of those isn't better than theirs?" Liu Sou spat. "They're marrying above their station trying to marry my granddaughter! Unless they show some sincerity, there's nothing to discuss!"

The couple disagreed and had a big argument. Depressed, Liu Sou skipped dinner and went out for a few drinks. As it happened, two drunkards started fighting at the tavern, almost overturning his table. Liu Sou stumbled from the collision, but fortunately, his wine pot wasn't knocked over. The commotion finally passed, and the drunkards left, but Liu Sou had a particularly low tolerance for alcohol that night; after just one pot, he was too sleepy to keep his eyes open. He stumbled home, ignored his wife's nagging, and collapsed into bed. He slept soundly and sweetly.

When he woke up the next day, he had a persistent feeling that he had talked to someone in his dream. It seemed they had discussed his granddaughter's marriage, and other things—mostly other things—but he couldn't quite remember what.