Chapter 227: A Set of Interlocking Stratagems

The group of people arrived at the Taibai Tavern, all in high spirits, heading directly for the third floor where private rooms were. Fortunately, there were still some private rooms available, and it didn’t take them much time to settle themselves in a suitable one.

“Order whatever you want, guys. None of us is going home sober today.” Students of the Oriental Rite Academy seemed much more unstinting than those of the Imperial College.

Ji Feng and the others, who found these people the very kind they liked to mix with, rolled up their sleeves and started ordering dishes without any hesitation, showing no concerns whatsoever about how much students of the Oriental Rite Academy would have to pay for this meal.

Tao Yi, watching Ji Feng and the others launch into ordering dishes, pulled a wry face, squeezing his wallet and sighing in his head, ‘It seems that I’m doomed to suffer a hemorrhage today.’ As his eyes fell on Ling Zhang, something occurred to him and he said, “Brother Zhang, given your arm injury, I suppose it’s inadvisable for you to drink liquor, isn’t it?”

Ling Zhang inclined his head. “I’m not drinking any.”

Though students of the Oriental Rite Academy felt it rather regrettable that Ling Zhang couldn’t drink liquor with them, Ji Feng quickly said, “It’s okay. We’ll handle all the liquor that Ling Zhang is supposed to drink but couldn’t on this occasion. None of you are to order less liquor on the pretext of this, not even a single pot.”

“You may rest a.s.sured that n.o.body’s going to find himself short of liquor today, and we will take offence if the cup of any of you is not empty at the end of this meal,” said a student of the Oriental Rite Academy.

Ji Feng and the others giggled, rubbing their hands.

As the liquor was served and Ling Zhang had smelled it, he suddenly had a feeling that he indeed shouldn’t have come here, for the liquor smelled so good but he could only watch others drink it. It struck him that he had made a rod for his own back.

“Wow, this is the best liquor people could find in this tavern. My goodness, it’s really so generous of you to order this,” exclaimed Yuwen Jin, his eyes glittering.

The couple of students of the Oriental Rite Academy exchanged glances, smiling. Though they were not studying at the Imperial College and their status might not be as high as that of Ji Feng and the others, they were definitely no less rich than Ji Feng or any of the others. One of them was even son of the richest man of a prefecture. If there was anything these people would never have to worry about, it was money.

At the sight of the liquor, Tao Yi, who was begrudging the money he’d have to pay, came to realize that his worry was unnecessary. As things stood, he probably wouldn’t have to pitch in a single coin.

Ling Zhang was the only one in misery. It was virtually a torture for him to smell the liquor knowing that he couldn’t drink it. Frustration was was.h.i.+ng over his face.

All others burst into laugh at the sight of this, showing no compa.s.sion for him whatsoever. “Alas, what a pity. This liquor is so good, but you cannot drink a single drop of it, Brother Zhang.”

Ling Zhang frostily looked at him, his face impa.s.sive. “Cheer up, Brother Zhang. I’ll drink it for you,” snickered Yuwen Jin, thrown his arm around Ling Zhang’s shoulders.

Ling Zhang jabbed Yuwen Jin with his left elbow. “Beat it.”

He could barely refrain from kicking his a.s.s.

After all their courses were served, a waiter entered bringing their place settings. He walked around the table getting everything ready very quickly. Ling Zhang, who was the last one to be served and was talking with Tao Yi sitting beside him, subconsciously gave a downward glance and saw the waiter make a strange hand movement when setting his bowl and chopsticks – fingering the brim of his bowl, and whether it was intentional or unintentional was unknown to Ling Zhang.

Ling Zhang didn’t get suspicious immediately and was still listening to Tao Yi, but then he flicked a look at the waiter only to find that his eyes quickly moved away after a brief eye contact with him.

Ling Zhang felt even stranger. After the waiter left, he fixed his bowl with a gaze and pondered for a few moments. Seeing Yuwen Jin and the others had started to pour the liquor, he said, “Wait.”

On hearing this, all the others looked at him and were fleetingly surprised at the sight of the serious expression on Ling Zhang’s face, and they all involuntarily put down their wine pots.

“What seems to be the problem, Brother Zhang?” asked Yuwen Jin.

“Don’t touch the liquor yet.” Ling Zhang told them to stay put and then summoned Xie s.h.i.+ who was waiting outside. “Guard Xie, I want you to check my bowl and see if there’s anything wrong with it.”

Xie s.h.i.+’s face slightly changed. He immediately picked up the bowl in front of Ling Zhang, scrutinized it carefully and even sniffed at it. After a while, with an uncertain look on his face, he simply fished a porcelain phial out of his bosom and tipped a droplet of potion of a somewhat weird color out of it onto the brim of the bowl. Instantly, the droplet of potion hissed with white bubbles where it touched the brim and a very foul odor started spreading.

“What is this?!” All the others were shocked.

Ling Zhang’s face also went cold, his eyes looking at Xie s.h.i.+.

Xie s.h.i.+’s also had a rather grave countenance. “Poison. It’s colorless and odorless but dries very slow, which was why I perceived something weird.”

“Just now that waiter stroked the brim of my bowl with his finger pulp before leaving, and he showed signs of guilty conscience when his eyes met mine,” Ling Zhang informed them and then described the looks of that waiter.

Xie s.h.i.+ immediately put down the bowl and said to Ling Zhang, “Stay here and don’t go outside, Childe Ling. I’ll be back soon.”

Ling Zhang inclined his head.

Xie s.h.i.+ walked out of the room, exhorted the guards at the doorway not to let anybody in and then hastened off.

“There’s no telling whether your bowls were poisoned as well. Anyway, just don’t touch them,” Ling Zhang told the others.

It was after hearing his words that others in the room realized how serious this was. Yuwen Jin immediately rose from his seat and said with a worried face, “Why did someone try to have you poisoned?”

Ling Zhang shook his head. “I don’t know what’s going on either, but I’m afraid we won’t be able to continue this meal.”

He had a faint inkling that these two attempts on his life this day had been a set of interlocking stratagems. They had thought that they would be fiercely attacked in the racecourse, but it turned out that only a groom had made his move and been easily overpowered, who clearly had been designed to have them lower down their guard. It was in the Taibai Tavern that they had planned to deal him a deadly blow.

This was probably the reason why there hadn’t been a ma.s.sive attack in the racecourse. Those who wanted him dead had known that he would come to the Taibai Tavern, which meant that he had been aware of the bet they had made with students of the Oriental Rite Academy. No matter if they won the bet or not, their coming to this tavern was certain, and once he entered this tavern, they would have a chance to poison him. Had he not observed the waiter’s strange conduct and flicked a glance at him, he’d probably have fallen prey to the poison already.

Ling Zhang had a sneaking suspicion but didn’t tell anybody in the room about it for fear of alarming his enemies.

Either the bet concerning a meal in the Taibai Tavern was disclosed on that day or one of them had been in collusion with his enemies. If he expressed his suspicions right away, it would be very difficult to find out who that person was.

The mood in the private room had instantly gone grave. This turn of events had been so unexpected that all of them had been caught flat-footed.

“Do you have any idea whom you might’ve offended, Brother Ling?” inquired a student of the Oriental Rite Academy.

Ling Zhang’s reputation had even come to the knowledge of students of other colleges. After all, he was now a real celebrity of this city.

Ling Zhang smiled wryly, “A lot of people have taken a dislike to me ever since I arrived in the capital city. Honestly speaking, I really don’t have a clue who wants to poison me.”

The couple of students of the Oriental Rite Academy looked at each other in dismay and then one of them said, “It surprises me how difficult life has been for you, Brother Ling.”

Ling Zhang responded, “Well, I wouldn’t use the word ‘difficult’. Actually I’d antic.i.p.ated it before I chose to come to this city.”

Tao Yi quietly fixed him with a gaze for a few moments and then sighed, “I’m not envious of you at all now.”

Ling Zhang was astonished. “What did you once envy me?”

“I envied you being engaged to the Marshal, of course,” replied Tao Yi.

Ling Zhang was not at all surprised by this answer.

And then Tao Yi continued in a serious tone, “But this time they really went too far. On that day they tried to a.s.sa.s.sinate the Marshal in the hunting ground in the western suburbs, and now someone attempted to poison you. This is outrageous!”

“We got him, Childe Ling.” Xie s.h.i.+ walked inside and added, “The Marshal is here.”

As expected, before long, Yuwen Tong entered the room. All others inside hurriedly rose to their feet to pay their respects to him.

Yuwen Tong just briefly gave a bob of his head and then looked at Ling Zhang. “It’s time to go back.”

Ling Zhang, who was also aware that he shouldn’t stay here long, stood up and said to the others, “I have to return now, guys. As for this meal…”

“We’ll find another time. Our word cannot be fulfilled without your presence,” said Tao Yi.

All others left the table, obviously agreeing with Tao Yi.

Ling Zhang smiled, “Okay, then. Let’s arrange a meal some other time. Since I’m the one responsible for this wasted meal, next meal’s on me.”

“Then it’s settled.”

…

Ling Zhang’s face darkened the moment he walked out of the Taibai Tavern.

“Where’s that waiter?”

“Dead.”

Ling Zhang rubbed his forehead. “This is so troublesome.”

“Don’t worry. We’ve already got a clue,” said Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang looked at him in amazement. “What kind of clue?”

Yuwen Tong said, “Let’s go back first and talk later.”

The two of them got on the horse-drawn carriage and left the Taibai Tavern.

In the carriage, Yuwen Tong first checked out Ling Zhang’s injured arm. With a darkened face, he observed, “It went somewhat swollen.”

Ling Zhang, who knew that this had been caused by his insisting on partic.i.p.ating in the horse race, felt fairly guilty.

“You are not to do anything else without my prior consent until you fully recover.” Yuwen Tong stared at him.

Sure enough Ling Zhang immediately gave a nod of agreement. “You’re the boss.”

Yuwen Tong seemed to have really gone mad, and Ling Zhang didn’t dare anger him any further.

“What kind of clue is it?” Ling Zhang couldn’t help but query.

“The King Hui,” said Yuwen Tong.

Ling Zhang was amazed. “The King Hui? Not Shan Congwen?”

Yuwen Tong said with a flinty and darkened face, “Shan Congwen is not above suspicion yet. I just found a clue pointing to the King Hui.”

Ling Zhang, who got a general idea of what Yuwen Tong meant, was eager to ask for details, but at the sight of the scowl on the face of Yuwen Tong who was still examining his wounded arm, he came to realize it was not persisting with his questioning but coaxing Yuwen Tong out of his temper that was what he should do first.

…

“How’s it going?” Yao Yi was leaning against the door of the private room, watching Xie s.h.i.+ who had just finished checking all bowls, chopsticks, food and wine in the room.

Xie s.h.i.+ shook his head. “Childe Ling’s bowl is the only thing poisoned.”

“They were indeed targeting Childe Ling,” huffed Yao Yi, his face falling.

The reason why the two of them had been uncertain was because that waiter had committed suicide not by poisoning himself but by stabbing himself. To be on the safe side, they had still checked everything in this private room lest there be a mistake.

“Did you send some men to look into the couple of students of the Oriental Rite Academy?” inquired Xie s.h.i.+.

Yao Yi inclined his head. “I did. The results should come out by dusk.”

Xie s.h.i.+ said, “What about that groom?”

“I locked him up in the residence. The Marshal personally interrogated him and he made a full confession, but there wasn’t much useful information. That groom was bought by someone, not sent there by the mastermind. The one who hired him only provided him with a method of communicating, which is probably useless now, but the Marshal has found something else.”