Chapter 258 - 229: Madam Zhao’s Secret

Chapter 258: Chapter 229: Madam Zhao’s Secret

After hearing what Liu Bing said, Tang Wen moved to the woodshed’s entrance to get a clear look at his expression.

There wasn’t the slightest hint of insincerity on Liu Bing’s face; he spoke with great earnestness.

Tang Wen was both enraged and stunned. ’So what he’s saying is, Zhao Zhe has really taken a fancy to Ah Shui and her mother, so he sent Liu Bing to scout things out and prepare to abduct them?’

’I don’t know whether to call him absurd or just suicidal.’

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He wanted to act immediately—grab Liu Bing and interrogate him thoroughly.

Suddenly, as if sensing something, Liu Bing glanced toward the doorway.

Nothing was there.

That one glance was enough to make Tang Wen calm down.

’The wilder my emotions get, the more it affects my Spiritual Power, which in turn disrupts the Concealment effect.’

The maid opposite him spoke with deep worry, "Tang Wen’s concubine?"

Tang Wen snorted to himself. ’So they do know to be cautious?’

Liu Bing scoffed, "Hah! They call her a concubine, but she’s really just a maid."

A sinister killing intent rose in Tang Wen’s heart. ’Forget a maid. Even if she were a servant who cleaned my toilet, she’s not someone you can touch.’

The maid sounded surprised. "A maid? Is she some kind of peerless beauty?"

"Peerless beauty, my ass. At best, they’re a mother-daughter pair who are somewhat attractive."

The maid sighed. "So the Young Master is having one of his episodes again. But you should still take Madam’s matter more seriously. It’s just a matter of secretly moving some grain out of the city."

Hearing this, Tang Wen couldn’t help but shake his head.

’What does she mean, *just* secretly moving some grain?’

The drought had been going on for nearly a year, and the common people were all scrimping and saving on everything.

Even many wealthy families with stored grain were mixing their rations with things like leaves and grass seeds.

The poorest families had started mixing their grain with sawdust.

Food was scarce everywhere outside the city. Secretly transporting grain out now was no small feat, even for an Extraordinary.

Liu Bing put a hand to his forehead and said with a wry smile, "Miss Lin, have you forgotten? The drought has been going on for a long time. The farmers harvested nothing this autumn.

"Never mind transporting a large amount of grain out of the city right now.

"Even a Martial Artist carrying two bags of rice wouldn’t make it a hundred li before his hands were stained with the blood of a hundred people.

"I’ll stick to my original suggestion. We don’t know how long this drought will last, and this winter is going to be rough.

"It would be best for Madam Lin to bring her relatives into the city."

"That... might be for the best." Lin Ya Huan also came from a poor family and immediately recalled the tragedies she had experienced as a child.

’Lin Ya Huan, Madam Lin?’

’It seems the madam this maid serves is likely Zhao Zhe’s wife, Lin Shi.’

’Lin Shi has relatives living outside the city?’

’That doesn’t seem right.’

’Also, the person living in Liu Bing’s quarters isn’t his wife.’

’It’s his mother.’

’Mm, a filial son with a clear weakness.’

Tang Wen’s eyes flickered as a bold idea began to form in his mind.

’The Eldest Young Master and I are brothers in name. If something were to happen to him, it would only be right for me to take in his wife, concubines, subordinates, and so on, to take good care of them and make arrangements!’

’It would be my duty, after all!’

’A perfectly logical course of action.’

Tang Wen’s eyes lit up. ’Assassinating Zhao Zhe would be easy, but what’s in it for me?’

’I’d just be letting off some steam.’

’The power and influence he leaves behind would just be carved up by others.’

’His backers might even retaliate against me in secret.’

’All risk and no reward!’

’His wife, Lin Shi, would just find another man for protection.’

’No matter how I look at it, it’s a complete loss.’

He made up his mind.

Just then, Lin Ya Huan was about to leave to report back to her madam.

Tang Wen took the opportunity to follow her carriage.

The carriage moved slowly, eventually arriving at the Zhao Mansion.

As expected, Tang Wen saw Lin Shi.

Lin Shi’s temples were slightly damp, and a light sheen of sweat suggested she had just been exercising. She was tall, standing around five-foot-nine.

A well-tailored white shirt and black pants clung to her figure, accentuating her graceful curves.

Below her shorts, her fair calves were slender and long.

’As the saying goes, a woman is prettiest in white.’

’It’s a shame Madam Lin is only wearing a white shirt. If she were dressed in all white, she’d be even more beautiful.’

’There will come a day for that.’

A slight smile touched Tang Wen’s lips.

’Zhao Zhe dares to have designs on my maid. I hope he’s prepared for the consequences.’

Lin Ya Huan recounted everything she had learned that day.

Tang Wen now understood the full situation.

Zhao Zhe had given Liu Bing one month to capture "Ah Shui" and her mother.

Tang Wen lowered his head and mused, ’My courtyard doesn’t have any strong protectors.’

’In the Beast Taming Garden next door, the strongest person, Wu Hao, is only a Martial Artist.’

’If Liu Bing had actually tried, he could have abducted Ah Shui and her mother long ago.’

’Is he delaying on purpose? Has he grown tired of Zhao Zhe’s unreasonable demands?’

At this point, Lin Shi and her maid fell silent. Tang Wen didn’t linger; taking advantage of his Invisibility, he began to explore the Zhao Family estate.

The layout of the Zhao Family estate was very similar to Tang Wen’s own courtyard.

At the front was a training ground, and behind it were gardens, rockeries, and bathing pools.

In the gardens on either side, water gurgled as it circulated, nourishing the flowers and trees.

Although the great drought was upon them, making a single satisfying drink of water a luxury for the lower classes, inside the deep courtyards of Ganshan City’s grand manors, the trees remained lush and verdant, watered every few days.

A drought, no matter how severe, never truly affects the upper class.

The fields of commoners yielded nothing.

The Black Water Gang had long since built reservoirs, dug irrigation canals, and sown carefully cultivated, drought-resistant maize seeds.

Compared to previous years, their yield had barely decreased.

The drought brought high temperatures, which killed off more than half the pests. Since their fields didn’t lack for water, the yield naturally didn’t drop.

Storerooms, stables, woodsheds, kitchens, cellars.

Tang Wen visited each one, memorizing the layout of the Zhao Mansion.

Finally, he arrived at a courtyard where the maids lived.

He had just overheard some cleaning women chatting and learned from their envious tones that this entire courtyard was for Lin Ya Huan’s exclusive use.