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Chapter 503 Young Master Xu Has a Brilliant Plan (10,000 words)
Song Weiming brought along his old subordinates this time.

He has built up a team in Beidu over the years.

During the retreat, one of them grabbed a handful of sand from the ground, muttered some incantations, and then flung it behind him, creating a mist that obscured the group's tracks.

But in fact, what he did was unnecessary.

Neither Xu Yuan nor Mr. Cao showed any intention of pursuing them.

Why chase after him? Are we really going to break ties with Song Weiming?

Song Weiming is, after all, a third-rate person!

When Xu Yuan arrived behind the mound, he made a "searching" gesture, indicating that he couldn't see any mist or trickery at all.

After spending three days eating the "big worm" and almost getting separated from Fanzhezi, Dafu has evolved.

Now I can eat and digest very smoothly.

And... emptying one side.

But this guy has a strong sense of shame now.

Especially after starting a family.

It kept burrowing into bushes and piles of weeds.

Don't let anyone see it.

Ma Tianshou and Mr. Cao arrived shortly afterward, and upon seeing the messy footprints behind the mound, they both snorted coldly.

Mr. Cao spoke in a low voice, seemingly to himself, yet also as if deliberately speaking to the two people beside him: "This debt will be settled with Song Weiming sooner or later!"

Although the matter originated from Xu Yuan.

But you, Song Weiming, are showing far too little respect for His Highness!

Xu Yuan didn't care. "Look at my Dafu, he's eaten until his belly is round and full."

Such "offenses" can happen multiple times.

……

Sun Shou has been placed under house arrest at the military camp.

No one may move freely within the camp without His Highness's order.

Mr. Cao has already arranged for someone to contact the Sun family and send him back to his hometown, so that he will never be allowed to enter Beidu again in this lifetime!
Meng Zhi and Xu Bo were also no longer well-liked.

Among His Highness's retainers, there were some ambitious individuals who wanted to "bet" on the four people on this trip.

But now everyone keeps their distance from them.

Among those three hundred armored soldiers, many admired them as "the pride of our time" and were willing to provide them with some assistance within the scope of their duties.

But now, compared to a certain law master, they seem completely insignificant.

Those feelings of "admiration" vanished.

They then began to strictly adhere to the "official business" approach.

Xu Bo and Meng Zhi's movements became less free in the camp.

Meng Zhi could only sulk with his head down—but this guy was, after all, a martial arts practitioner, and he quickly found new ways to amuse himself:
They pulled Lang Xiaoba and Ji Shuangqiu aside to demonstrate.

His skill level was higher than the other two, so Lang and Ji always played mixed doubles against him.

It was a close call.

But Meng Zhi felt a great sense of satisfaction at being able to act without any scruples.

He became familiar with the two martial arts practitioners under Xu Yuan's command.

He then plotted to ask the two for help, as he wanted to fight Dafu again!
He was defeated by Dafu and was very resentful.

I think Dafu's sneak attack was unsportsmanlike!
Moreover, it was a sneak attack. If he hadn't been a sixth-rate martial artist who had developed an "iron wall" all over his body, Da Fu's attack would have severed his manhood!
He felt that in a formal martial arts competition, he might not necessarily lose to Dafu.

Xu Bo held Meng Zhi's actions in utter contempt.

They were even more convinced that martial arts practitioners were all a bunch of brainless brutes!
Xu Yuan is our competitor.

Instead, you went and befriended Xu Yuan's men. You really aren't smart enough.

Xu Bo was so impressed by Xu Yuan that he dared not confront Xu Yuan directly.

But it's absolutely impossible for him to give up his pursuit of His Highness and hand over the position to Xu Yuan.

Song Weiming was at the camp and asked Xu Yuan to leave, but the prince chased him away.

Xu Bo watched from behind.

His eyes gleamed; he sensed his opportunity had arrived!
……

Song Weiming and his party returned to Champa, where the hunchbacked brothers were seriously injured.

Those twelve hundred ghost-backed worms were connected to their very being.

Dafu ate them all, and both of them were seriously injured.

The two brothers needed a place to stabilize their injuries.

The young man next to him was named Du Jincheng.

The wound on his forehead kept writhing and was moving deeper, revealing the white bone beneath!

He was extremely weak and needed to rest.

Song Weiming, however, did not go to the Shanhe Si Zhancheng Office.

Before he came, he had already found out that Miao Yu and the Zhu siblings in the Zhancheng Shanhe Division were Xu Yuan's "accomplices".

He found an inn, paid them a generous sum of money, and strictly ordered the innkeeper not to reveal their whereabouts.

But just as they had settled the two brothers and Du Jincheng, there was a knock at the door, and someone outside asked, "Lord Song, would you like to have a talk?"

Song Weiming's eyes turned cold, and he gestured. One of his martial arts subordinates drew a broad short sword, hid it behind his elbow, and prepared to open the door.

Another scholar hung a calligraphy scroll behind the door, preparing an ambush.

Song Weiming nodded, and Wu Xiu opened the door with one hand while quickly raising his other hand—

A flash of cold light from the blade landed on the neck of the person outside the door.

Xu Bo smiled and ignored the short knife at his neck, appearing extremely calm.

"Lord Song, please don't panic. I'm here to help you."

……

Two armored soldiers passed by Xu Bo's camp.

He craned his neck and peered into the house.

This was specifically instructed by Mr. Cao.

They were instructed to keep a close eye on Xu Bo and Meng Zhi.

Xu Bo sat at the table, holding a book in his hands and reading.

There was a cup of tea next to me, but I hadn't drunk it; it had gone cold.

The two then continued their patrol.

Two hours later, Xu Bo quietly returned. After entering the room, he waved his hand—the "himself" sitting at the table transformed into a scroll of painting, which Xu Bo rolled up and put away.

……

That afternoon, one of the advisors suggested to His Highness that it was not appropriate to remain in the wilderness for so long, and that for His Highness's safety, it would be better to move into the city.

Mr. Lan and Mr. Cao also agreed.

Mr. Lan has already found accommodations for His Highness.

Princess Ruicheng summoned Xu Yuan specifically, her eyes sparkling as she asked in a sweet voice, "They all think I should move into the city to live. What's your opinion?"

Xu Yuan looked completely bewildered: Why are you asking me?
Even now, Xu Yuan still feels that Princess Ruicheng's visit to Champa was "completely inexplicable".

You, the first princess of the Ming Dynasty, have come all the way to Champa. What are you doing here?

His Highness, Mr. Cao, and Mr. Lan have yet to reveal their purpose.

"It's entirely up to Your Highness to decide," Xu Yuan replied, giving an answer he believed to be "infallible."

But then he saw His Highness purse his lips in displeasure.

Then, Her Highness's beautiful eyes darted around, as if she had suddenly remembered something happy. She became more cheerful and asked, "You all say that I am not safe outside the city. If I enter the city, where is the safest place?"

"This……"

Everyone hesitated.

Mr. Lan did find accommodation, but at that time His Highness planned to enter the city discreetly, without revealing his identity or notifying anyone.

Now, if you ask him to say whether the courtyard he found is safe... he doesn't dare to say.

"The post station?" someone asked tentatively.

This person, without a doubt, is none other than our Lord Xu Yuan!
His Highness glared at him reproachfully.

Xu Yuan scratched his head: Did I answer wrong again?
Your Highness's thoughts are truly hard to fathom!

I used to think I was quite good at reading people's expressions.

Why do you keep making mistakes when it comes to Your Highness?!

Mr. Cao clearly knew His Highness's intentions.

But I don't really want to speak.

He lowered his head, trying to cover it up.

But soon I felt... like I was being pricked by thorns.

She glanced up discreetly—and sure enough, she saw His Highness staring intently at her.

Mr. Cao sighed inwardly, "There's no escaping it."

As His Highness's steward and most trusted confidant, he could often guess His Highness's intentions with remarkable accuracy.

That is why he needs to "play the straight man" for His Highness at some crucial moments.

In recent years, a group of performers emerged from Tianqiao in Beijing. Represented by "Qiong Bupa", they summarized the previous generation's "Cangjunxi" (a type of traditional Chinese opera) and absorbed the advantages of other folk arts, thus developing a new profession: crosstalk.

Humorous and funny, it will make you laugh out loud.

The public loved it immensely.

The roles of the lead comedian and the straight man in this profession have gradually become known to people.

If Mr. Cao doesn't do a good job as the "straight man," then he might as well give up being the head of the Princess's household.

Mr. Cao had no choice but to step forward, cupping his hands in greeting, and said, "The post station cannot guarantee Your Highness's safety. If you ask where the safest place is in Champa, then it is naturally... the Champa Office of the Exorcism Bureau."

As soon as Mr. Cao said this, His Highness stopped looking at him.

Xu Yuan and Ma Tianshou were both taken aback.

Ma Tianshou lowered his head, not daring to express his opinion.

Xu Yuan's first reaction was to decline: "Your Highness, my office is staffed with officers from the Bureau of Purification. They are uncouth and vulgar. Your Highness is a person of noble birth. If you were to offend Your Highness, I would be guilty of a crime punishable by death..."

His Highness couldn't help but say angrily, "If Jinxi can stay here, why can't I?"

"Huh? This..." Xu Yuan was speechless.

The old man Ma Tianshou beside him still kept his head down, his shoulders twitching slightly involuntarily.

I have a profound skill in cultivating my inner energy.

I don't usually laugh unless I really can't help it.

Xu Yuan couldn't say anything more—If Miss Jinxi can stay, why can't His Highness stay?

If you keep refusing... do you think I'm more pretentious than Miss Jinxi? Jinxi isn't afraid of being offended by those officers in your yamen, but I am?
Xu Yuan could only clasp his hands in a bow: "Your Highness's willingness to reside in my humble abode is an honor to my Champa office!"

"Hmph!" His Highness snorted triumphantly, like a victorious general: "Then we will enter the city tomorrow and stay at the Champa government office."

She didn't beat Xu Yuan, but Miss Jinxi.

"You all go and make preparations."

"Yes." Everyone bowed and accepted the order.

Xu Yuan immediately rushed back to the city and directed everyone to clean up the government office.

Then he was troubled again: Which courtyard does His Highness live in?
After thinking it over and over, they couldn't come up with a good solution, so they simply arranged for her to stay in the courtyard where Miss Jinxi used to live.

……

Mr. Cao was furious.

It wasn't because His Highness forced him to be the straight man.

He certainly dared not harbor resentment towards His Highness.

However, he could take his anger out on the advisor who suggested to His Highness that they enter the city.

After returning to his barracks, he called over Captain Shi: "Did Ding Yan meet with Xu Bo today?"

Ding Yan was the advisor who suggested to His Highness that they enter the city.

Commander Shi immediately went to investigate.

Not long after, he returned and reported: "The two did not meet. However, one of Ding Yan's pet mink has been missing for a while."

"Hmph!" Mr. Cao snorted coldly.

His Highness's suitors all have "insiders" in the Princess's residence.

They were informed of some developments within the princess's residence.

In Mr. Cao's view, anyone willing to act as an inside agent is a fool.

"Has Xu Bo made any unusual moves?"

“My soldiers have been secretly monitoring him, but they haven’t noticed anything unusual. He’s been reading in the barracks.”

Mr. Cao nodded and dismissed Captain Shi.

Mr. Cao stroked his chin, thinking that this was most likely done by Ding Yan at Xu Bo's instigation.

But why would Xu Bo do that?
Mr. Cao suddenly had an idea and took out a scroll.

When unfolded, strange light flowed across it.

This is the control core of "Omamori-en".

It serves a similar purpose to the "Dreams Come True" notebook.

His Highness ordered that the Imperial Guard Garden be opened during the day as well.

Under the protection of the "Omamori-en", everyone's movements will be recorded.

Mr. Cao found traces of Xu Bo, and it became clear at a glance.

"When Song Weiming fled, Xu Bo also left the camp, haha!"

……

Early the next morning, Xu Yuan rushed to the camp to welcome His Highness into the city.

Dafu didn't come.

It followed the food tracks back home yesterday, then left without saying goodbye, has been away from home for several days, and has been nowhere to be found. It is utterly heinous!
Immediately...

In short, after a night of exhaustion, Dafu was completely unwilling to move today.

His Highness remained low-key. As his carriage left the camp, he saw Zhu Zhanmei and Xu Miaozhi standing on either side of Xu Yuan by the roadside.

Zhu Zhanmei's face was icy cold.

Xu Miaozhi looked at the carriage with a provocative expression.

His Highness glanced over from inside the carriage and couldn't help but sneer: "You worthless chickens and dogs, you are not worthy to be my opponent."

My only enemy has always been one!
Xu Yuan rode a horse, acting as a bodyguard.

But the person closest to His Highness's carriage is Mr. Wenqi.

There were three hundred armored soldiers on the outer perimeter.

Xu Yuan is actually the most peripheral.

Mr. Cao found an opportunity to quietly approach Xu Yuan, avoiding Xu Bo's gaze, and told him what had happened.

"Xu Bo colluded with Song Weiming to deliberately let His Highness enter the city?"

As Xu Yuan was pondering this, Mr. Cao whispered again, "Xu Bo wouldn't scheme against His Highness; the person he'd scheme against is most likely you."

Xu Yuan nodded.

He glanced at Xu Bo ahead.

This person thought himself clever and treated everyone else as fools.

Didn't Mr. Cao catch him out?

Xu Yuan: "Thank you for the reminder, Master."

Mr. Cao nodded and left.

He believed that Xu Yuan could handle everything.

……

The entry of three hundred armored soldiers into the city still caused a commotion, even though His Highness wanted to keep a low profile.

Rumors began to circulate in the city: A distinguished person has arrived.

Xu Yuan spent the whole morning with His Highness and helped him settle in.

At lunchtime, Mr. Wenqi strolled over again.

His Highness's meals were naturally prepared by the imperial chefs.

The food Liu Hu prepared was only eaten by Xu Yuan and the people from the Exorcism Division.

Liu Hu was truly terrified and dared not approach His Highness again.

But Mr. Wenqi came looking for it by himself, drawn by the fragrance.

Liu Hu couldn't kick people out either.

Mr. Wenqi praised the food repeatedly, saying, "This is what people should eat. The imperial chefs in the princess's mansion are indeed skilled, but they pay too much attention to health and their food is too bland, which makes people feel uncomfortable."

Xu Yuan took this opportunity to make a plan for Liu Hu: "I am also a cultivator, but I entered the wrong sect back then."

Do you know any cooking tips or tricks, sir?

The younger generation is willing to pay a price to obtain it for him.

Mr. Wenqi glanced at him and said, "The Dharma should not be passed on lightly."

Then he wiped his mouth and left.

A gleam of hope burst forth in Liu Hu's eyes.

"My lord..." His voice trembled uncontrollably.

Mr. Wenqi meant that "the law should not be lightly transmitted," not that the law does not exist.

Xu Yuan nodded and pointed out, "During this period... I'm giving you a leave of absence."

Be more attentive and prepare three meals a day carefully, and send them to Mr. Wenqi.

"Do everything you can to win his favor. When His Highness leaves, he'll probably come to me and ask what kind of benefits he wants in exchange for teaching you this technique."

Liu Hu's knees buckled and he was about to kneel down: "Your Excellency's kindness..."

Xu Yuan pulled him up: "Alright, this is what I promised you back then."

Lord Xu did indeed make that promise to Liu Hu.

But Liu Hu also understood that, firstly, this kind of method was rare and not easy to find.

Secondly... those powerful and influential families, once they recruit people, will take at least two or three years to fulfill their promises, no matter what they make.

These two or three years are the time to give our benefactor a chance to do his best and show his loyalty.

It's like an apprentice working for his master for free for three years.

Liu Hu had made this preparation, but he did not expect that Lord Xu would really take his matter to heart.

In just over a month, things have started to look promising.

Liu Hu was extremely excited and couldn't help but ask, "How did you know that Mr. Wenqi possessed this method?"

"I'm guessing," Xu Yuan said. "He has a great appetite, and he's quite skilled and experienced. I guess he might have collected these kinds of methods out of curiosity."

So I asked, and unexpectedly, I got some answers.

Xu Yuan patted Liu Hu on the shoulder: "Alright, go and get ready. You don't need to take care of us for the time being."

"Yes." Liu Hu hurriedly went to the restaurant, quickly reviewing the dishes he was good at in his mind, figuring out how to make Mr. Wenqi most satisfied.

After seeing them off, Xu Yuan thought for a moment, changed into casual clothes, came out through the back door, turned left and right, and entered Xieliu Lane.

A knock on the door...

In the courtyard, the white fox lazily said to the two little foxes, "You two can go out now; your benefactor has arrived."

The two little foxes had their mouths pursed.

Where is this patron?
He's clearly a wicked guest who only makes the fox do things but refuses to give it any benefits.

On the table in front of the white fox, there were some papers and pens scattered about, covered with scribbles and symbols representing the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, the twelve two-hour periods of the day, and so on.

Her brother, the old black fox, recently sent her a secret book and a letter through a messenger.

The letter informed the white fox that this booklet contained the family's secret techniques for calculation and divination.

She can study now.

Black Fox was fair in rewarding and punishing. He rewarded White Fox for his contribution in secretly observing Xu Yuan in Champa.

In addition, two medicinal pills were also delivered—for the fox sisters.

This medicine is quite extraordinary.

After the two little foxes ate, they grew a new coat of fox fur, grew a whole size, and rose to the level of a sixth-rate fox.

The white fox was also filled with envy.

She knew that her brother possessed a special "alchemy" cultivation method.

The path to advancement involves gathering herbs, refining elixirs, taking medicine, and advancing in rank.

As long as one can refine the corresponding medicinal pills, one can improve their skill level accordingly.

However, my elder brother kept this method a secret from everyone.

Moreover, this method naturally has its difficulties.

For example, one might need to venture deep into "uncivilized lands" to gather medicinal herbs.

For example, some so-called "medicines" may be the primordial yang or primordial yin of a high-level cultivator.

If you go to collect herbs, you might end up killing someone, and they will naturally fight you to the death.

This first step, "gathering herbs," is a very difficult hurdle to overcome.

If the fox sisters choose this path, they will have to work diligently for the black fox for their entire lives.

Moreover, the upper limit is clearly visible: it's impossible to surpass Black Fox's level.

But the fox sisters never thought that far ahead.
Inside Champa, Xu Yuan ordered them around, making them do many things that terrified and made them blush.

Now they've finally reaped the real benefits. The two sisters took the medicine and their blood pressure rose. They've been incredibly happy these past two days, jumping and playing around in her garden.

The white fox, on the other hand, has been diligently studying the art of divination. It has made some progress in the past few days, casting a divination yesterday and accurately predicting that Xu Yuan would come to find the two little foxes today.

So when the knock sounded, the white fox told the twin sisters to go and greet the guest.

The fox sisters were unsure whether their great-grandmother white fox's divination was accurate, so they opened the door a crack to take a look.

As soon as the door opened, before anyone could even see who was outside, a large hand pushed the door open without warning.

The door slammed into my sister's forehead.

The older sister cried out in pain, her little face contorted as if she were the one in pain.

My younger sister puffed out her cheeks, looking very angry.

No need to look anymore, it must be that big villain!

When Xu Yuan came in and saw his sister looking pained, he said apologetically, "I didn't notice and bumped into you. I'm sorry."

Then he took out a medicinal pill and handed it over: "This is to compensate you."

The older sister was overjoyed and accepted it.

younger sister:???
Xu Yuan walked in with his hands behind his back, but didn't go inside. He said from behind the door, "I have something I need you to do."

The younger sister drooped her eyes and rubbed her forehead, which had hurt from the impact.

I feel that this world is not beautiful at all.

The older sister said softly, "Please give your orders, sir."

"Keep an eye on someone for me."

The older sister then puffed out her chest.

It was so proud of itself that it shook the glass twice.

What she meant was, "Sir, look again, we are stronger than before."

We're no longer minor evil spirits; we can do so much more now.

Giving us this kind of surveillance work would be a waste of our talents.

Xu Yuan glanced at it a couple more times.

Indeed, he possesses great talent.

But Lord Xu still gave instructions on who to keep an eye on, and how to inform him if he saw the man meeting with anyone, before turning around and leaving.

The older sister felt looked down upon, which made her somewhat sullen.

But he still dragged his younger sister along to carry out the mission.

……

Xu Bo and Meng Zhi did not live in the government office.

After all, neither of them held official positions.

Meng Zhi really wanted to sneak into the government office, since he, Lang, and Ji were in the middle of a martial arts practice and all felt that they had met their match.

But Xu Bo declined, so he had no way to stay in the government office.

Xu Bo found an inn nearby and said he would come to pay his respects to His Highness every day.

After His Highness was settled, Xu Bo quietly went out in the afternoon.

They didn't return until it was almost dark.

……

Xu Yuan was handling official business in the yamen (government office).

Fu Jingyu and Song Lu helped him from the side.

There are also Zhu Zhanmei and Xu Miaozhi.

They are also two "good helpers".

Fu Jingyu is also a blockhead.

But Song Lu saw everything and secretly chuckled to herself.

Xu Miaozhi was not the type to passively accept things as they were. When helping Xu Yuan handle various official documents, she would occasionally say a few words.

They always steered the conversation toward "what Your Highness is doing in Champa."

After a few times, Xu Yuan also became curious: Your Highness, what is your purpose in coming all this way?
Since you're staying in my Champa office, I have to take responsibility.

When are you leaving?
As darkness fell, having finally finished processing the official documents, Xu Yuan stood up and said, "I'll go ask His Highness for clarification."

Xu Miaozhi and Zhu Zhanmei exchanged a glance and secretly smiled.

Xu Yuan didn't see the two of them snickering. He went out on his own and ran into Ma Tianshou in the courtyard.

The old man asked him, "Where are you going?"

Xu Yuan then spoke.

The old man's face hardened: "Go back, and don't ask any questions."

Xu Yuan asked in confusion, "Huh? I can't even ask one question?"

"No way!" The old man's attitude was one of absolute certainty.

Inside the room, Xu Miaozhi's pretty face flushed red with anger.

In her mind, she had already arranged the seating arrangement at the head table of her and Xu Yuan's wedding.

Ma Tianshou was kind to Xu Yuan, and should be ranked fourth after Xu Yuan's stepmother and his own parents.

Now... esteemed senior, please condescend to go to the second table!

Xu Yuan scratched his head and went back.

The old man had always been kind to me; he had never been so strict with me before.

Xu Yuan subconsciously felt that there was some secret involved.

But before he could figure it out, the two little foxes arrived.

Old Qin is still on duty at the gatehouse today.

Old Qin is very considerate of the adults.

Now, in this government office, there are not only Zhu Zhanmei and Xu Miaozhi, but also Her Highness the Princess.

The two vixens that the adults are keeping outside must not be seen by either of them!

So he very considerately led the two little foxes secretly through the back door.

Given their demeanor, no one would believe that there was nothing between Xu Yuan and the two little foxes.

When the fox sisters saw Xu Yuan, they reported, "That man left the city today and went to Luhua Village."

Luhua Village is the closest village to Champa.

Between Champa and the docks.

Many poor porters at the dock rented rooms in Luhua Village.

"What did he do?"

The older sister replied, "He threw it into the village well."

The older sister took out a black object.

Its shape is very irregular, somewhat like a stone, and somewhat like charcoal.

Xu Yuan held it in his hand, and an unusual smell entered his nostrils.

Xu Yuan's brow twitched.

The taste... is somewhat similar to that of the ghost-backed worm.

"You guys go and keep an eye on him."

After sending the fox sisters away, Xu Yuan used his alchemy skills to verify his claim.

This stuff is poisonous.

Moreover, its toxicity is bizarre, causing people to become strange, but the onset of symptoms takes a long time.

What exactly it will become seems to vary from person to person.

If the villagers drink the well water contaminated by this stuff tonight, they won't experience any symptoms until tomorrow morning.

Xu Yuan estimated that it would not take effect until around 9 AM tomorrow.

"This scoundrel is trying to lure me out of the city," Xu Yuan sneered.

Xu Bo's plan was already very clear: by mid-morning tomorrow, all the laborers in Luhua Village would be working at the dock.

If the outbreak occurs simultaneously in Luhua Village and at the dock, chaos is inevitable.

I will definitely lead people out of the city to check the situation.

Song Weiming ambushed him halfway there.

Xu Yuan pondered: Should he inform His Highness about this matter and ask Mr. Wenqi to secretly support him?

Song Weiming was a third-rate person.

Xu Yuan had a third-rate craftsmanship item: a cow horn lamp.

There are also methods used by Lingxiao, such as ancient temples.

Xu Yuan felt that he could put up a fight even against third-rate opponents.

At least Luhua Village and the dock were close to Champa, so he had the ability to escape back and seek help.

If Mr. Wenqi were to stand up for him... His Highness would be left without anyone to protect him.

Xu Yuan still shook his head.

When it comes to one's own life and death, how can one be careless or negligent?
If we were to play along and go out of the city to fight Song Weiming's men tomorrow—even if His Highness agreed to send Mr. Wenqi as the empress, Mr. Cao would not agree.

Mr. Cao will not compromise on this matter.

If Your Highness wishes to watch the spectacle and go with Mr. Wenqi, Mr. Cao would most likely not agree.

Without a third-rate figure to back him up, Xu Yuan didn't want to take any risks.

Xu Yuan suddenly smiled and tossed the piece of poison in his hand:
"Let Xu Bo plot against me, then let him plot his way through."

"The two little foxes are already sixth-rate, the same level as Xu Bo. They're watching Xu Bo, but he won't notice."

"He didn't know what he was doing, yet he ruined his plans!"

"This time, I will not follow their lead!"

……

The next day, Xu Bo, along with Meng Zhi, came to the government office early in the morning to pay their respects to His Highness.

Then he made up an excuse to stay put—in fact, the excuse was ready-made. Yesterday, Meng Zhi made an appointment with Lang Xiaoba and Ji Shuangqiu to have a three-hundred-round battle today!

No one is allowed to rest until they've fought 300 rounds.

In the crude language of martial arts practitioners, it means: Whoever is a coward is a dog!

On the other side, the martial arts practitioners were fighting fiercely, each punch landing with a resounding thud.

Xu Bo was very bored.

Although he was watching the battle, his eyes kept glancing in the direction of Xu Yuan's duty room.

But noon came and no one from outside the city came to report the crime.

Xu Bo was puzzled: "The poison should have taken effect long ago."

Xu Bo was also careful in his collaboration with Song Weiming.

He is actually a dark person with many underhanded tricks up his sleeve.

This poison is one of them.

He had specifically chosen this one, as the smell of the poisonous creature was similar to that of the hunchbacked brothers' poisonous insects.

If Song Weiming were to renege halfway and try to betray Xu Bo, this would be Xu Bo's countermeasure:

Then you can falsely accuse them, saying that you clearly instructed the hunchbacked brother to administer the poison.

Xu Bo is a man who spends all his time scheming and betraying others, so he's also wary of others doing the same to him.

At lunchtime, the three martial arts practitioners, their faces bruised and swollen, stopped fighting.

The three men could barely keep their eyes open, but they stubbornly kept shouting, "That's great! That's great! That's great!"

Xu Bo even saw that when Lang Xiaoba shouted, he used so much force that he spat out a loose tooth mixed with blood and foam...

"We fought 150 rounds in the morning, and we'll fight another 150 rounds in the afternoon!"

"Such fine weather today is perfect for spending it like this!"

"That makes sense; otherwise, it would be a waste of time!"

Xu Bo always felt that this "wasting time" was a reflection of his own inner turmoil.

But then I thought I was overthinking it; martial arts practitioners shouldn't have that many ulterior motives.

Meng Zhi struggled to open one eye and asked Xu Bo, "Shall we go eat together?"

Xu Bo didn't want to eat with them.

Martial arts practitioners only seek a hearty and filling meal.

Heavy salt and oil, large chunks of meat.

It's not elegant at all.

How can eating be just a simple matter?
That would be like having one or two close friends, bringing along three or five beautiful maids, preparing six cold dishes and eight hot dishes, drinking half a catty or eight taels of wine, boating on the lake, playing the zither and listening to others, composing poems and couplets...

However, Xu Bo had no choice but to agree, because if he did, he wouldn't be able to stay in the government office with Meng Zhi that afternoon.

He had no choice but to go along.

It felt like... I'd walked into a pigsty.

These three brutes made a huge commotion while they ate.

Xu Bo endured lunch with great discomfort, and in the afternoon he watched the battle from the sidelines, gazing longingly in the direction of the yamen gate.

All I could hear were the constant thuds of martial arts practitioners' fists, as big as sandbags, slamming into my body.

The sound, which I listened to all day, was like several large drums constantly beating in my ears.

Xu Bo was so shocked that his head was spinning...

As the sun began to set, Xu Bo finally realized what had gone wrong and that his plan had failed.

He stood up and said to Meng Zhi, "I've remembered something, so I'll head back now."

Without waiting for Meng Zhi's reply, he quickly walked out of the government office.

Meng Zhi and the other two all breathed a sigh of relief.

The three of them looked at each other.

With swollen lips, Meng Zhi asked in a muffled voice, "How many rounds have we fought?"

Lang Xiaoba coughed up blood and said, "I remember it was two hundred and eighty rounds, and there are twenty rounds left."

Meng Zhi shook his head, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets: "You must have miscounted. I counted two hundred and ninety-eight rounds, and there are only two rounds left."

Ji Shuangqiu's legs were trembling, and she could barely stand. She said with absolute certainty, "You men are so careless! We've already fought 314 rounds. We've exceeded our mission for today."

Meng Zhi and Lang Xiaoba exchanged a glance and nodded vigorously at the same time: "What the young lady says is right."

Let's stop here for today.

"Tomorrow...we'll fight again another day!"

"it is good!"

The three immediately dispersed.

After turning their backs, they all grimaced in pain and hurriedly took out medicine pills and stuffed them into their mouths.

They all gritted their teeth at Xu Bo: "We never invited you to be a witness, why are you clinging to us like a leech?"

"If it weren't for you, we could have announced this morning that we had completed a three-hundred-round battle!"

"Ouch—, that hurts!"

Because Xu Bo was watching from the sidelines, the three of them had no choice but to keep fighting.

Although martial arts practitioners have thick skin and amazing recovery abilities, all three of them will need to recuperate for ten to fifteen days after this day...

In particular, Lang Xiaoba racked his brains at noon to come up with the idiom "wasting time," but still couldn't get rid of Xu Bo.

……

After Xu Bo came out, he changed his clothes in a secluded place, then went straight to the outskirts of the city and planted a seedling by the official road seven miles away.

Then he turned back and went to see Song Weiming first.

Song Weiming's expression was unfriendly, and he sneered, "Is this what Young Master Xu promised as 'absolutely foolproof'?"

Xu Bo clasped his hands apologetically: "I am unaware of what happened today. However, I have already planted a 'thorny moss' along the official road leading into the city."

Tonight, the yin energy is strong, and this strange creature will surely grow vigorously and cut off the entire official road.

Xu Yuan will definitely leave the city tomorrow!

Song Weiming looked at him with a skeptical gaze: "Really?"

"Absolutely no lies."

"Very well, I'll trust you one more time. Once Xu Yuan leaves the city, without His Highness's protection, he'll never be able to return!"

Xu Bo cupped his hands again and said auspiciously, "I wish Lord Song a resounding victory and the elimination of this great threat!"

……

The fox sisters dug up the entire seedling.

The older sister is in front, and the younger sister is behind.

The younger sister held the wriggling seedling in her hands—and, afraid of being seen, covered it with a black cloth.

When Old Qin saw them, he jumped up in surprise: "You... why are you here again? Quick, quick, come with me..."

He then led the two of them in furtively through the back door.

The two sisters met Lord Xu. The elder sister reported on Xu Bo's movements that day, and then said, "We dug that thing up. Sister, bring it up for the lord to see."

The younger sister brought it up, and when the older sister saw it, her fox fur stood on end: "How come there's only half left?"

The younger sister was still chewing: "Mmm, it smells so good, I couldn't resist taking a bite, and it's actually really delicious, I just couldn't resist... Ouch! Sis, why did you hit me..."

The older sister was exasperated: "We're foxes! Don't you know what a fox is? We eat meat, who told you to eat grass?!"

Xu Yuan looked at the seedling, but didn't recognize it.

A voice rang out from outside the window: "That's thorny moss."

Mr. Wenqi came in, picked a piece, and ate it.

"In terms of food, it is indeed a rare delicacy—as long as you can resist its allure."

Then he told Xu Yuan about these strange characteristics.

The younger sister was delighted to hear this: "This old man is right. Sister, it really is delicious, I'm not lying to you."

Xu Yuan suddenly felt guilty... If Mr. Wen Qi is here, then Your Highness...

A cold snort came from outside the window, followed by the sound of footsteps fading away.

Mr. Wenqi tore off another half from the fox sister's hand, ate it as he walked, and chased after His Highness.

Before leaving, he gave Xu Yuan a look that said, "You'd better watch yourself."

Princess Ruicheng was filled with resentment.

Back in his own courtyard, he remembered the important matter and called out, "Mr. Cao, go and ask Xu Yuan how to deal with the thorny moss."

Mr. Cao went to ask and returned to report the truth.

“Xu Bo?” Princess Ruicheng frowned, then asked somewhat uneasily, “Is Xu Yuan just going to drag this out with Xu Bo like this? Perhaps I should step in and deal with Song Weiming…”

Mr. Cao, unusually, interrupted His Highness, saying with a smile, "Your Highness, Lord Xu is just teasing Xu Bo and Song Weiming."

Princess Ruicheng's eyes lit up: "Then... shall we watch the play together?"

Mr. Cao smiled and nodded.

……

The next day, the fox sisters split into two groups, with the younger sister keeping an eye on Xu Bo inside the city.

The older sister followed Song Weiming and his group from a distance as they left the city.

Xu Bo didn't sleep a wink last night.

Meng Zhi seemed to be doing it on purpose; last night, the guy next door was snoring like a drum.

The noise kept him awake all night.

He wrote a calligraphy scroll that read "No outside noise allowed" and hung it in his room.

However, Meng Zhi was also a sixth-rate person, and his level was comparable.

His calligraphy practice book couldn't block out the other person's snoring.

Xu Bo really didn't understand how he had offended Meng Zhi, that he would be tormented like this.

This morning, he went to invite Meng Zhi to go to the government office together.

Meng Zhi rolled over in bed: "I'm not going. I'm going to sleep a lot today to recover from my injuries."

Last night I was so busy dealing with Xu Bo that Meng Zhi didn't get a good night's sleep either.

Xu Bo had no choice but to go to the government office himself to pay his respects to His Highness, and then lingered there, refusing to leave.

His Highness had a half-smile on his face, which made Xu Bo feel a little guilty, fearing that His Highness would send him away.

Suddenly, Yu Yunhang's voice came from outside: "Is Young Master Xu here?"

Xu Bo hurriedly replied, "Yes, yes."

Yu Yunhang entered and bowed, saying, "My master has asked for your help, Young Master Xu, to write some calligraphy samples."

Xu Bo was overjoyed. He had been looking for an excuse to stay in the government office, so he quickly agreed: "It is my duty."

"There may be quite a lot of calligraphy practice books, so Young Master Xu will have to work hard."

"It's alright, it's alright," Xu Bo readily agreed.

Yu Yunhang then took him there.

They were all simple calligraphy practice books with titles like "Soaring Clouds" and "Riding the Wind."

It was hung on the horse's leg to accelerate it.

Xu Bo found it easy to write.

But after he finished writing fifty sheets, Yu Yunhang brought over another fifty sheets, and after he finished writing those, he came again...

But the person Xu Bo was hoping for to report the crime never appeared.

When Xu Bo finished writing 300 pages, his wrists ached from exhaustion.

Looking out again, the sun was already high in the sky.

"Damn it!" Xu Bo thought angrily, "Another accident has happened!"

(End of this chapter)