Chapter 4: Mysterious

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  The night is cool as water, this early April sun is neither warm nor hot, but tonight is quite refreshing.

  Moreover, perhaps due to the fact that there is no greenhouse effect yet, Tan Zong feels that the overall temperature at this time of year is much lower than in later generations. It's already early April, but at night it still has a chilly feeling that makes people feel cold.

  Fortunately, the carriage was tightly closed on all sides, so no night wind blew into the compartment, and Tan Zong did not catch a cold. However, the driver seemed to be unfamiliar with the road, and he drove the carriage in a shaky manner, even bouncing violently along the way, making it impossible for Tan Zong to close his eyes and rest, forcing him to sit up reluctantly.

  Heaven have mercy! Tan Zong guaranteed that with his current skill level, he could count a thousand sheep in no time!

  He quietly lifted the curtain in the direction of the carriage, and Tan Zong looked around, only to find that the horse was still wandering near the tavern. He felt a little strange in his heart. But looking at the small barbarian sitting in the front seat with a serious expression, Tan Zong didn't know what to say either.

  She slightly measured it in her heart, and Tan Zong quietly put down the car curtain again, lay back, and opened his mouth with a drunken expression: "Xiao Man, have we arrived at Wenyuan Hall?"

  Tan Zong's voice was completely devoid of energy, looking like a drunkard who had just woken up.

  "We're still two streets away, but we'll be there soon. Master, take a short rest for now, and I'll call you when we arrive."

  Listening to the crisp sound from outside the carriage, Tan Zong's heart was shocked. Just now, he clearly saw that the horse-drawn carriage was just lingering near the wine shop, and it was four or five streets away from Wenyuan Academy. Although it would take only ten minutes or so to rush past in a horse-drawn carriage, why did Xiao Man want to deceive him?

  With these thoughts in mind, Tan Zong's face finally showed a solemn expression, knowing that there must be some unknown things happening here. But this is easy to say, only the matter of checking the scroll can't be delayed, so he can only put all his thoughts in his heart, thinking for a moment, and continuing with a drunken tone: "You help me pull open the car curtain, let me blow some wind, it's stuffy for one person to lie in this carriage."

  "Huh?"

  Listening to this inexplicable tone, Tan Zong thought that his sentence must have hit the other's weak point: if you don't listen and want to cover up, then you must hurry the carriage over quickly; if you do listen and really lift the curtain, then the matter will be exposed.

  No matter what, it was clearly unacceptable to the other party. Weighing the two evils and choosing the lesser one, Tan Zong could almost be certain that the other party would tactfully decline and then order the coachman to speed up and rush to Wenyuan Temple, making up for the time difference.

  As long as Xiao Man really did it, then Tan Zong's purpose would be achieved. As for other so-called conspiracies and tricks, Tan Zong didn't consider them. It must be known that the matter of checking the volume is a major event related to one's life: if missed, it cannot be re-examined in three years, not to mention the fact that this matter will inevitably leave a stain on Tan Zong's personal file, which may be impossible to wash away for a lifetime.

  So, Tan Zong is now aware that there are tigers on the mountain, but he is forced to head towards the tiger mountain. The only thing Tan Zong can do now is to be more cautious and think thrice before making any move.

  "Husband, just be patient a little longer, and after half a cup of tea's time has passed, we will arrive."

  Listening to Xiao Man's expected answer, Tan Zong felt a hint of bitterness. This kind of betrayal was what Tan Zong hated the most. It's just that it's not clear if Su Jin is involved in this matter, and if she really is, Tan Zong will have to think carefully about whether there's something mysterious about his own identity.

  What's the point of having a clever plot like switching princes, or pretending to be a beautiful monkey king? Isn't it all just a ruse? So I say, as long as there's a conspiracy, there must be a weakness. If there isn't one, then it's not a conspiracy, it's an open plan! After watching so many movies, TV shows, and magazines over the years, if you still don't have this kind of intuition, then you've wasted your time. You've also wasted the time you spent struggling in the official circles, and you've let down your elders who taught you with such care.

  Feeling the carriage speeding up beneath him, Tan Zhong suddenly flipped over and stealthily lifted a corner of the front curtain. He caught sight of Xiao Man's face with an undisguised cruel expression. His heart skipped a beat as he quickly turned to look at the coachman, only to realize that although his driving skills were not impressive, his hands grasping the reins were exceptionally steady, like holding a sharp weapon.

  If the wooden expression on the car husband's face were to be replaced with a fierce and sinister look, Tan Zong would probably have taken this person for a demon from the underworld.

  He quietly pulled down the car curtain again, and Tan Zong turned over once more, as if he was uncomfortable lying in the carriage.

  I don't know which book I read it in, but I remember it clearly: any conspiracy must have a premise, that is, the target that the other party wants to seize. This target can be a person, an object, or even a social relationship, but ultimately it belongs to you. As long as you can think clearly about the other's purpose, all conspiracies are just a joke.

  Such philosophical words, Tan Zong must have remembered them well. He had also relied on these words to ride the wind of officialdom and had planned for a gray income that everyone knew about. But all of those had their own advantages: he himself was a regular staff member of the tax bureau, his uncle was the head of the municipal transportation bureau, and in the previous generation, there were people who served as standing committee members of the provincial party committee. Now, what is worth plotting for someone like Tan Zong with this appearance and status?

  "I have nothing valuable on me, and there are only a few dozen taels of silver left in the inn. I'm afraid it's not even as much as Xiao Man's private savings. Tan Menghua's family is ordinary, with only a few dozen to over a hundred mu of land, making them a moderately wealthy peasant household at best. As for me, I'm just a soul who has been reborn, and I didn't bring any remarkable items with me. After thinking about it, the only thing that might catch people's attention is an unmarried wife..."

  Thinking of Xiao Man's indifferent and perfunctory attitude towards him in the wine shop that afternoon, Tan Zong had a slight epiphany, knowing that he had almost found the crux of the problem, and what he needed to do next was just to counter each move.

  "As long as you hold on to justice and don't violate the law, with your current identity as a Nanjing Fu official, I'm afraid no one would dare to touch you. After all, this is not like later generations, the officialdom is relatively clean here, and at this time, Nanjing Fu also has people from the Imperial Censorate who are in charge - these people are all wolves that eat people without spitting out bones, I'm afraid there hasn't been an official in the Great Shun dynasty who dares to commit a crime under their noses."

  Thinking of this, Tan Zong's heart was slightly at ease, but then he continued to ponder: "If the other party's intention is indeed Su Jin, then it's clear that they hit a snag in front of Su Jin, but opened up a breakthrough with Xiao Man. In other words, Su Jin can be trusted, but Xiao Man has obviously been bought off. Therefore, Xiao Man's words are definitely not to be believed."

  Thinking of this, Tan Zong couldn't help but feel a little self-satisfied in his heart. After all, Xiao Man's betrayal had highlighted Su Jin's loyalty. However, Tan Zong didn't indulge in this feeling for long and quickly put it aside to continue thinking: "In order to deal with me, they must necessarily consider my identity as the Yuan of Nanjing Prefecture. Given the attitude of the Great Shun Dynasty towards scholars and martial artists, the other side will absolutely not dare to openly bully me, which is also the main reason why they want to come secretly. So, the first thing the other side must do is..."

  At this point, Tan Zong's heart was shocked, and he knew that he had finally grasped the outline of his opponent's conspiracy. Although he was not very clear about the details of the plan, the main body was correct. Therefore, Tan Zong's heart was both surprised and calm, which was indeed strange.

  Unfortunately, before Tan Zhong could think carefully, he heard the driver outside give a soft "heh" and the carriage came to an abrupt stop. Suddenly, the rear curtain was lifted from the outside, and a pleasant fragrance wafted in on the night breeze. Even without the dim light of the carriage lamp, Tan Zhong knew that the person who had entered must be Xiao Man.

  "Master, Wen Yuan has arrived." Gently shaking Tang Zong's body, Xiao Man softly said: "Now it's probably almost nine o'clock, if we're late, I'm afraid we'll miss the timing."

  "Oh? So late?" Tan Zong looked like he had just woken up from a drunken sleep, and with Xiao Man's help, he straightened up, his eyes half-closed, occasionally rubbing his forehead.

  This scene fell into Xiao Man's eyes, and it further verified the fact that Tan Zong was drunk and unbearable. A few more sarcastic expressions flowed out in his eyes. In Xiao Man's eyes, the drunken madman in front of him was no different from a dead man, and he didn't need to make any more excuses on his face.

  Tan Zong's face was drunk, but his heart was as clear as a mirror. Not only did he notice the mocking expression on Xiao Man's face, but also the subtle changes in the car driver's face were all taken into account by Tan Zong.

  However, what was terrifying was that Tan Zong observed the car driver for half a minute under the cover of night and Xiao Man, yet he didn't see even a hint of change on his face. Moreover, this person wore mourning clothes; if not for Tan Zong's deliberate attention, he might have overlooked him in his own eyes.

  This kind of stealthy and mysterious skill was only seen in some high-flying martial arts novels of later generations, it's really frightening.

  "This person's emotions are hard to discern, if not a seasoned veteran of the battlefield, then he must be an emotionless killer. Either way, whoever can move someone like him is probably no ordinary character, even the esteemed Wang family in Nanjing might not be able to invite him."

  "Could it be an outsider?" Tan Zong's first thought was to be startled, but then he put this idea down: "If it were really an outsider, wouldn't they just take Su Jin away directly? Why bother making a big fuss and coming after me?"

  Tan Zong's mind was racing with thoughts, thinking back and forth, but no matter how much he thought about it, he couldn't find the mastermind behind this whole thing. Although this matter wasn't a big deal in the grand scheme of things, Tan Zong was someone who held grudges, and if he didn't find out who was behind this, even if they managed to escape today's danger, he would still be unable to rest easy in the future.

  As he thought back and forth, Tan Zong's footsteps stumbled, and his slender body leaned against the small gate of Wenyuan Courtyard, which was already unevenly stepped into the front yard. However, at this moment, Wenyuan Courtyard was dark and deserted, if not for the lantern held in Xiao Man's left hand, Tan Zong might not have been able to see the road clearly.

  If Tan Zong was really drunk, he would naturally not be able to discover the subtlety here. But now that Tan Zong is sober-minded and clear-headed, even if he used his toes to think, he would know that at this late hour, the gate of Wenyuan Academy is wide open, yet there is no one guarding it, which means something fishy is going on. It can't be said that the people in Wenyuan Academy have also been bribed, and they want to put on a good show right under the noses of the examiners and inspectors.

  "But he didn't know what the other person wanted to do, and now that things had come to this point, he could only take it one step at a time. Tan Zong comforted himself slightly in his heart, but what needed to be done hadn't changed in the slightest. Not only did he keep shaking his head with the excuse of being drunk to observe the surroundings, but from time to time, he would also mutter and ask Xiao Man questions."

  Unfortunately, this little savage was unexpectedly clever and didn't leak a single word from start to finish, except for saying "we're almost there" and nothing else.

  "Xiao Man, hasn't he arrived yet? I feel like we've been walking in this Wen Yuan Temple for a long time. Even during the provincial exam a few days ago, we didn't walk for this long."

  "You're worrying too much." Xiaoman said softly: "Perhaps it's because you've had too much to drink, and your steps are slower, that's why you have this misconception. Wait until you walk through this corridor again, and when you reach the front courtyard, everything will be fine."

  "That's good, that's good. Once this matter is settled, you can follow me back to the inn, and we'll settle accounts with Su Jin, then go redeem her." Tan Zong seemed to laugh drunkenly, and intentionally breathed on Xiao Man, a pungent smell of wine and meat enveloping her entire face.

  Just looking at Xiao Man's face, which was full of shame, anger and sarcasm, Tan Zong couldn't help but smile to himself: compared to himself, although Xiao Man was still quite clever, his life experience was far inferior, and at this critical moment, the difference between them was like heaven and earth.

  Encountering such an opponent, if Tan Zong didn't ask for some interest first, that wouldn't be Tan Zong's style.

  After a few more minutes, a single-family courtyard house came into view. Just looking at the quiet surroundings all around, Tan Yong thought that if he couldn't think of any tricks here, he would lose face as a section-level cadre. Especially when the two had just come out of the corridor earlier, there were still a few cicadas chirping behind the gate of the courtyard house.

  If it were someone who didn't understand the trade, that would be fine. But Tan Zong's leader at the tax bureau was particularly fond of this dish, so Tan Zong had also put in some effort to learn that these natural cicadas are only available in autumn. But now it's only April, where did the cicadas come from? It's really a case of being careless in one spot despite being meticulous everywhere else!

  Under the influence of countless movies and TV shows, Tan Zong made his own judgment with his toes: it was obvious that this frog's call should be Xiaoman's secret signal to her opponent, indicating that everything inside was ready, just waiting for Tan Zong to enter the already set trap.

  Tan Zongluo thought for a moment, and then realized that all the strange calls along the way were actually the other party guiding Xiao Man and himself, but was afraid of arousing their suspicion. This road didn't have any repeated calls, it was really a meticulous plan.

  "Is it time now?" Tan Zong struggled slightly, but pretended to be drunk and fell on the moon gate of the small courtyard, making a weak appearance, no matter how hard Xiao Man pulled, she couldn't move him.

  Such a performance, Tan Zong had done countless times when drinking with classmates while reading at university in the past, and had never been discovered. Today, he brought it out, and it was really familiar, not afraid of being seen through by Xiao Man at all.

  Moreover, even if Tan Zong was seen through by Xiao Man, he was not afraid in his heart. Now that he had grasped the crucial point of this matter, unless the other party used force, Tan Zong would still continue to disturb the other party's whiskers and see what kind of background and character they had!

  The little servant girl pulled and pulled, but couldn't budge Tang Zong. Suddenly, a look of anxiety appeared on her face: "Sir, you must first get up and go to the courtyard to check the volume, sign your name, and draw a seal before anything can be done."

  "It doesn't matter, we've already arrived at the courtyard gate, are you afraid of wasting half a cup of tea's worth of time? Just let me catch my breath and I'll talk." Tan Zong smiled to himself, knowing that Xiao Man had indeed been forced into a corner by his move and was even less willing to get up now.

  Tan Zhong refused to get up, even in death. Xiao Man's heart grew more anxious, and tears almost burst forth from her eyes. She hastily lifted Su Jin out and said: "Sir, please go and take care of the matter, you should know that Sister Su Jin is still waiting for your return at the inn."

  "Oh?" Tan Zong's face was stunned, but he thought that the other party had brought up Su Jin, and he was afraid that he couldn't pretend anymore, so he pretended to be suddenly enlightened, and then pretended to be out of breath, leaning against the wall to stand up, waiting for his body to stabilize before speaking: "What you said is right, it's better to get this thing done as soon as possible."

  Tan Zongfang lifted his leg, saw Xiao Man with a look of relief and wanting to watch him die. He couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart, and put down the foot he had just lifted. He turned his head to Xiao Man and said: "You support me over there, I'm afraid it's not easy for one person to walk."

  But it was Tan Zong who thought that although he had grasped the general idea of this matter, the details were not very clear. Therefore, being able to act against his opponent's intentions at this moment would be the most wonderful thing. Even if nothing really bad happened, his heart would still feel a little more comfortable.

  As soon as Tan Zong said this, Xiao Man's face changed immediately, and then he quickly put on a wronged expression and said: "Master is joking, how can I, a lowly person like me, enter such a place? Even entering the Wen Yuan Academy was taking advantage of Master Ah Yuan Gong's good fortune, let alone such a secret place, how could Xiao Man possibly enter?"

  "You're quite right. But since you've never been here before, how did you manage to lead me here so smoothly?" Tan Zong didn't bother to uncover the underlying meaning of her words, and the second half of the sentence was spoken in his heart.

  "Then I'll go in?" Tan Zong asked, glancing at Xiao Man with a slanted eye. In his heart, he had an idea to test Xiao Man: if Xiao Man's expression was struggling, it would mean that this person still had a conscience and might have been forced by someone; if he looked relieved, it would be likely that there was no more room for emotional connection.

  "My husband will leave and I'll be waiting at the gate. As soon as he comes out, I'll follow him back to the inn and meet with Sister Su Jin. That's all." Xiaoman smiled slightly, but her expression was calm and collected, and for the second time, she brought up Su Jin to tempt Tan Zong.

  "In that case, I'll leave early and return early." Tan Zong sighed in his heart, thinking that from this moment on, the two would be enemies, and he didn't even look at the beautiful girl again. He lifted his legs and walked inside, and a heroic spirit arose in his heart.

  "I'll take a look and see what kind of lair this courtyard is!"

  "Drunk Black" is an author who wrote a book called "The End of the World".

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