Chapter 111: The Schemer and the Father (Part 2)

  Jinyiwei Nanzhentuofuqu Wenhutang.

  Since Zhang Yong took over Zhu Houxi and Tianji Society's case, he and Jiang Xia borrowed this Wenwen Hall as a temporary office in the Nanzhen Fu government office. For the Nanzhen Fu government office which was notorious for its harsh laws and punishments to have an office with such a literary name, Jiang Xia felt very strange.

  At this moment, there were only three people in the Wen Tang Hall: Zhang Yong, Zhong Bin and Jiang Xia. Jiang Xia was holding a copper token about the size of a palm, with the words "Tianji" written on the front and a dragon pattern from the Han Dynasty engraved on the back.

  Jiang Xia couldn't believe that this was the "Tianji Order" that could put Zhu Youxiao to death. To be honest, he had never thought that Zhu Houxi would succeed in stealing the "Tianji Order". The purpose of doing so was no more than two: one was to annoy Zhu Youxiao and let him know that his son had betrayed him; the other was to let Zhu Youxiao send Zhu Houxi back again, and then he would loudly publicize Zhu Youxiao's "great righteousness" and "noble behavior", giving him a reputation for being ruthless and killing his own flesh and blood.

  But what Jiang Xia didn't expect was that Zhu Houxi actually succeeded? He actually stole this Tianji Order from the cunning and treacherous Zhu Youxiao?

  Although his intuition told him that this "Tianji Order" was real, he still couldn't help but ask: "Is this thing really real?"

  "It's absolutely true, absolutely true......" Zhu Houxi nervously repeated three times. At this moment, he was still the arrogant and domineering young master Wang, standing in front of Jiang Xia, trembling like a startled quail.

  Zhu Houxi pointed to a small circular button on the Tianji Order and said, "As long as you press these two buttons, this Tianji Order will open, and inside is the sworn brotherhood gold plaque of my father, the king, and He Qizong."

  "Oh?" Jiang Xia immediately pressed down on the small round button, and the token popped open, with a piece of paper falling out.

  Jiang Xia picked up the paper and took a look, with signatures and fingerprints, it was indeed Zhu Youhuan and He Qizhen's sworn brotherhood certificate. Jiang Xia slightly furrowed his brow, originally he should have been delighted to see this thing, but for some reason he felt a cloud of doubt rising in his heart, and his mood was also somewhat heavy.

  Sitting beside Jiang Xia, Zhang Yong excitedly took the golden orchid letter from his hand. He glanced at it twice before exclaiming: "It's this one, it's really this one! Someone come quickly and bring me Xing Wang Zhu Youxiao's handwriting to compare, then call two masters of penmanship identification to verify whether this golden orchid letter is genuine or not."

  Zhang Yong was still excited, but Jiang Xia suddenly stood up. As he passed by Zhu Hou Xi's side, he couldn't help but pat Zhu Hou Xi's shoulder and sneer: "You have the potential to be a good dog, but you will never be a good son in this life."

  After finishing this sentence, Jiang Xia walked out of Jiwentang.

  Zhong Bin was specifically in charge of protecting Jiang Xia, so he followed him out as well.

  Zhu Houxi, standing inside the Jiwentang, suddenly burst into tears without knowing why. He cried more and more sorrowfully, finally collapsing to the ground in a loud wail, like a child. In fact, he himself was still not grown up, just a seventeen or eighteen-year-old youth.

  Jiang Xia got out of the Nan Town Fu Si government office and directly boarded a horse-drawn carriage. Zhong Bin jumped onto the carriage and sat in the driver's seat. Jiang Xia said, "Go to Yun Ge Guest House."

  Zhong Bin didn't say a word, swung his whip in the air with a crisp sound, and then the carriage began to move slowly forward, getting faster and faster.

  Soon, Zhong Bin brought Jiang Xia to the Yun Ge Inn. After Jiang Xia got off the carriage, Zhong Bin was about to accompany him inside. Jiang Xia said to Zhong Bin: "You just wait outside the door, I'll go see him myself."

  "Danger." Zhong Bin said calmly.

  Jiang Xia smiled and shook his head, saying: "A great pot of He Qi's thirteen flying eagles, with four nine-middle pots of masters, couldn't do anything to him. If he wants to make a move on me, you going there would be useless."

  "Then I won't go." Zhong Bin was still cold and still sparing with his words.

  Jiang Xia shook his head and said, "I must go, I must go... or else my heart will be uneasy."

  "I can give you a chance to escape with my life." Zhong Bin's sudden words made Jiang Xia's heart skip a beat, he knew that Zhong Bin was serious, if he really followed him in, if anything unexpected happened, he would definitely fight to the death to protect him and help him escape.

  But Jiang Xia still shook his head and smiled at Zhong Bin: "Trust me, good brother."

  "Who is your brother." After finishing speaking, Zhong Bin turned around and obviously was no longer insisting on following Jiang Xia into the guest house. Although he didn't acknowledge Jiang Xia's "good brother" title with his mouth, his slightly trembling right hand still betrayed his inner thoughts.

  Jiang Xia smiled and walked into the inn, but after stepping across the threshold, he suddenly stopped and took two steps back, saying to Zhong Bin: "You don't acknowledge me as your brother, do you still have feelings for me? Give up, Ah Bin, I really only like women."

  Killing intent! Thick killing intent! Zhong Bin's right hand had another urge to draw his sword, but unfortunately Jiang Xia had already rushed into the inn laughing loudly.

  Jiang Xia went straight upstairs and arrived at the door of Zhu Youhuan's residence. Fu Bo was guarding there, with the door wide open.

  You can see Zhu Youxiao sitting at a round table with a sumptuous feast on it.

  Jiang Xia walked into the room, Zhu Youxiao looked up at Jiang Xia and smiled: "You're here."

  "Did you know I was coming?"

  Zhu Youxiao picked up the wine jug and poured two cups, while on the round table there were only two wine cups.

  "If you don't come, it proves I overestimated you; if you do come, it proves I underestimated you."

  Jiang Xia walked over to the round table and sat down, saying lazily: "Alright, speak normally, don't make those witty remarks, I'm not well-read and can't understand them."

  Zhu Youxiao smiled and picked up his wine cup, saying to Jiang Xia: "Let's have a drink first before we talk?"

  Jiang Xia shook his head, stretched out his hand and pressed down Zhu Youxiao's wine cup, saying: "I never drink with people I don't acknowledge. Let's make things clear first, then I'll decide whether to accompany you in drinking this cup of wine."

  Zhu Youxiao smiled and nodded, saying: "Actually, since you've already come here, it means you've already guessed everything. What's the point of asking again?"

  "If I don't ask you, won't you die in vain?"

  Jiang Xia smiled and said: "Alright, first ask three questions that interest you the most. What conditions do you have?"

  "I hope you keep your promise and spare Ruo Hua Xi's life."

  "Okay, then what?"

  "Let me be the only one to die, and spare the other people in the Xingyuan Wangfu."

  "Alright, anything else?"

  "Don't tell Houxie the truth."

  After saying this, Zhu Youxiao let out a bitter laugh, "I, Zhu Youxiao, have always thought of myself as extraordinary, but it turns out I couldn't even teach my own son properly. How tragic..."

  Jiang Xia took a slight breath and said: "Now it's my turn to ask questions. Why do this? This doesn't seem like something you'd do."

  Jiang Xia's words were hinting at something, and the moment he confirmed that Tianji Order was real, he understood that it was intentionally let stolen by Zhu Youxiao to save Zhu Houxie's life. The purpose was clear: Zhu Youxiao wanted to use his own life as a bargaining chip to exchange for Zhu Houxie's life. This was a transaction, with Zhu Youxiao making the first move and giving Jiang Xia the power to decide whether to accept it.

  Zhu Youxiao smiled faintly and said, "Hou Xi's child has been spoiled by me since childhood, so he is somewhat unlearned and arrogant. This time you let him out, I just took a look and already understood your intention. That child is not the material for playing politics, when deceiving me to drink poisonous wine, his hands were trembling."

  I deliberately let him steal the Tianji Order, because I believe in you and also believe in myself. I believe that you are a person who must repay kindness, but at the same time, I also believe that you are not someone who likes to harm innocent people. Hou Xi is young and ignorant, his crime does not deserve death, I believe that as long as I entrust my life to you, you will not make things difficult for him, I firmly believe in my judgment."

  Although he had already guessed the fact, Jiang Xia was still shocked when he heard it from Zhu Youxiao's mouth. He sighed: "If I had known this earlier, why bother at the beginning?"

  "You don't understand, there are some things you don't do, but someone will push you to do them. This is the trend of the times and also fate. Moving forward may mean death, but retreating absolutely won't keep you alive, so I must move forward."

  Jiangxia understood somewhat after hearing this, Zhu Youjian's coveting of the throne was not only due to those grudges and grievances but also because Zhu Houzhao had no heir to inherit the throne, and he as the closest relative in the imperial bloodline, the son of Emperor Xianzong. Even if he didn't covet the throne, there would be ministers who would urge him to do so, and there would be Zhu Houzhao's hundred ways of being wary and taking precautions against him everywhere.

  Jiang Xia smiled and picked up his wine cup from the table, saying: "Alright, I can drink this cup with you now."

  "Thank you." Zhu Youjian raised his wine cup and said: "This thank you is not for you to thank me for drinking this cup of wine with me, but for thanking me for making me realize that emotions are more precious than anything else. You can truly consider Zhu Houzhao as a friend, while I almost killed my own son with my own hands. Fortunately, after listening to your words, I decided to pull back from the precipice, so I thank you. If there's an opportunity, I really want to be friends with you and try out what it feels like."

  "It's sour, and I'm not drinking this cup with you because I want to make amends with you, but because I appreciate that you're a qualified schemer at the same time, and also successfully became a qualified father. People like you can't be friends with me, I don't like my friends being much smarter than me, it makes me feel too much pressure."

  After finishing speaking, Jiang Xia and Zhu Youxiao looked at each other and smiled, then drank up the wine in their cups in one gulp.

  After drinking, Zhu Youxiao smiled at Jiang Xia and said: "Don't you fear that I would poison the wine? If I were you, I would choose to exchange cups with me."

  "I'm scared, I'll come and drink with you. Aren't you tired of living with so many wicked thoughts in your heart every day?" Jiang Xia rolled her eyes and said.

  Zhu Youhuan's mouth suddenly overflowed with a thread of black blood, and he smiled and said: "Actually, this is also a test. If you had asked me to switch wine cups, then the wine you are drinking now would be the one from my cup that has been poisoned. Don't worry, although the wine was poured out of the same jug, but that jug has its own way. Your wine doesn't have poison..."

  P.S: Can I say that I'm touched? I was sleeping at 7 am, when my editor called me to tell me that I had to get up and update a chapter. He said many book friends were supporting me and I couldn't let them down. As a result, I got out of bed and my eyes became moist. Night Deep, Big Generous Supporter directly became a Master, Black Pig Fragrant Chicken Big Brother, Wu Wang's Big Brother, Eat Full Not Hungry Big Brother, Slow Boat Big Brother, Ning Medical Big Brother. Thank you all, first come a burst of extra updates, this afternoon I'll post another chapter. As for tomorrow's explosive update, I can only do my best to fight to the death, and won't discuss it for now.