Prime Minister

Chapter 202, Section 201: [Turbulence Appears]

Following Qiao Wangshan's lead, the other guests came forward to toast Tan Mingguang and Xue Huai.

Tan Mingguang had been in officialdom for thirty years. He didn't think he could match Xue Huai in other skills, but he was very confident in his ability to handle official social interactions. In addition, he was in the highest official position today, so he was very good at dealing with the flood of toasts.

In comparison, Xue Huai was indeed not as smooth and natural as him, but few people dared to force him to drink, so they only drank a little.

At this moment, a young servant carrying a delicate soup bowl filled with white fungus soup walked towards the main table without looking to the side.

His steps were steady, his breathing even, and his face showed the same respect as the other servants.

When he was about five or six steps away from the main table, a figure suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Wait a minute."

This silent yet penetrating sound instantly halted the young servant's steps for a moment.

The newcomer was Jiang Sheng. He stepped forward expressionlessly, his tall figure exuding an invisible pressure as he blocked the servant's path. His hawk-like gaze swept sharply over the servant's hands, the bottom edge of the tray, and his cuffs and waist—anywhere weapons might be hidden.

"Was this soup checked in the kitchen just now?"

Jiang Sheng's voice was flat, yet it was an unquestionable inquiry.

"Replying to you, sir, I took it directly from the food preparation station according to the rules, and the kitchen has verified it."

The young servant lowered his head, his voice carrying just the right amount of nervousness and humility.

Jiang Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly because he noticed the young man's body was slightly tense, and his center of gravity shifted slightly backward by half an inch.

The soup bowl was extremely exquisite. Jiang Sheng reached out as if to check the state of the soup, but his fingers did not go straight to the bowl. Instead, they lightly brushed over the rim of the bowl with great skill, and his wrist made a very subtle hooking motion. This is a technique often used by martial arts masters to probe objects with a short-range force.

"Yes, it's a good soup. It's perfect for you to have something light to cut through the richness, Lord Tongzhi."

Jiang Sheng uttered some innocuous words, but as his hand brushed past, his thumb subtly exerted force.

The delicate soup bowl, which was placed steadily on the tray and had a heat-insulating brocade mat at the bottom, seemed to be suddenly pulled by an invisible force and shook violently!
The soup suddenly surged up in waves, about to spill out. The young man's pupils constricted abruptly. He had already sensed the strong wind rushing towards him the moment Jiang Sheng waved his hand. Instinct made him react instantly, his hands subconsciously trying to stabilize the edge of the tray against the sudden force.

At that moment, the muscles in his arm tensed up like steel, his knuckles bulged, and the power he had been hiding was revealed.

In the blink of an eye, a fist suddenly appeared from his side and struck him heavily in the waist!

A sharp pain suddenly struck, and the young servant felt half of his body go numb instantly. The strength he had gathered in his waist vanished without a trace, and a huge sense of panic filled his heart.

Before he could react further, Jiang Sheng had already taken the tray from his hands, pinched the pulse point on his right hand with his other hand, and the person behind him also stepped forward to block the young servant's left side.

The young servant knew he had been seen through. He turned his head and saw that the man who had restrained him from behind was about twenty-five or twenty-six years old. He had an ordinary appearance and no outstanding temperament. If it weren't for the tremendous force that had made him lose control of half of his body just now, the servant would never have believed that this man was actually a master.

Yue Zhenshan clearly had no interest in the young servant's feelings. He exchanged a glance with Jiang Sheng, then quickly left with the young servant on one arm.

This series of changes occurred in less than ten breaths, without attracting the attention of the guests. Tan Mingguang at the main table was chatting with several local gentry, completely unaware of what was happening just a few steps away.

Only Shen Bingwen, sitting at the same table, with his experienced eyes and instinct for danger, keenly caught a glimpse of an unusual murderous aura out of the corner of his eye when Yue Zhenshan made his move and the servants trembled. He paused slightly in the hand holding the wine glass and looked up at Xue Huai across from him.

Xue Huai's warm smile remained unchanged as he calmly exchanged a glance with Shen Bingwen, as if what had just happened was not a thrilling close-quarters battle, but merely a trivial breeze.

Jiang Sheng handed the tray to someone else, then approached Xue Huai with a calm expression and whispered in his ear, "My lord, Commander Ye instructed me to inform you that in the past half hour, the Jing'an Division has apprehended twelve suspicious individuals within the garden, four of whom are quite skilled. Commander Ye assures you that the Jing'an Division will ensure that any thieves who have infiltrated the garden will have nowhere to hide."

Xue Huai nodded slightly, and Jiang Sheng took a few steps back.

Tan Mingguang then turned to look at Xue Huai, a meaningful look appearing on his slightly drunken face, and asked in a low voice, "Is there any trouble?"

"Your Majesty, please rest assured."

Xue Huai calmly replied, "These few rats are nothing to fear."

Tan Mingguang knew how much preparation Xue Huai had made for today's grand feast. Outside the city, there was the Yangzhou Guard; inside the city, there were the Canal Army and the Patrol Office; inside the Shadow Garden, there were the Jing'an Division and government officials; and inside and outside this Qingyu Hall, there were expert guards personally arranged by Xue Huai.

Even if some audacious desperados still tried to take advantage of the chaos, they could not escape the keen eyes of Bai Cong and Yue Zhenshan. After all, these two were elites personally trained by Wu Changling, and they were experts in assassination and guard duty.

Upon hearing Xue Huai's brief response, Tan Mingguang knew that someone was indeed still harboring malicious intentions. Fortunately, Xue Huai's preparations were thorough enough, and no chaotic situation arose that could cause alarm. However, before he could continue toasting with Qiao Wangshan and the others, Zhou Kun, the head of the prefectural government, and Cheng Dong, the inspector of the patrol office, walked into Qingyu Hall side by side and headed straight for the main table.

Upon approaching, the two exchanged a brief greeting. Cheng Dong looked at Tan Mingguang and said softly, "Reporting to Your Excellency, I have just received news that someone set fire to the lantern market in the west of the city, burning down many lantern stalls. The fire brigade has already rushed there, but..."

Tan Mingguang frowned and said, "Why are you hesitating?"

Cheng Dong cautiously said, "This humble servant suspects that this is a feint by the thieves, deliberately leading the firefighters to the lantern market, and then targeting the salt transport warehouse in the north of the city."

The room fell silent suddenly.

Qiao Wangshan and Shen Bingwen exchanged a glance, both with somewhat solemn expressions.

The news that Liu Yi had fled was not a secret. Moreover, he controlled all of the Liu family's hidden men and could command those salt smugglers who lived on the edge. As long as he was alive, he would pose a great threat.

The key is that Liu Yi is now all alone, and he still has the wealth accumulated by the Liu family over decades. That amount of money is enough for him to plan a brutal revenge.

Those seated at the main table were all deep-thinking individuals. Although they were somewhat surprised by Cheng Dong's report, they did not make a fuss or spread the news.

Tan Mingguang frowned, his sharp eyes fixed on Cheng Dong's slightly nervous face.

As Liu Fu's second son, Liu Yi naturally knew everything about the salt industry. He was very familiar with the salt transport office's transshipment warehouse. Moreover, after Xu Guanlan and others were brought to justice, the salt soldiers underwent a reshuffle and reorganization, and had not yet formed sufficient combat power.

If Liu Yi sent people to burn down the salt depot, the imperial court would definitely hold them accountable, because it was the key to the collection of salt taxes in Lianghuai, the food rations of salt workers, and the transportation of official salt!

I fear that the new policies in Yangzhou will be abandoned halfway through.

"Fu Zun."

Xue Huai's calm voice rang out, and he continued, "How about I handle this matter?"

Tan Mingguang nodded and said, "Okay."

Xue Huai then looked at Cheng Dong and said, "The incident at the Lantern Market was probably not accidental. There will likely be more thieves causing chaos in the city today. You should personally lead the patrol officers to inspect all the important places in the city immediately. Just leave a few people to maintain order around the Shadow Garden. Zhou Ban Tou and his men are keeping an eye on things inside the Shadow Garden, so there shouldn't be any major trouble."

Cheng Dong dared not hesitate and immediately replied solemnly, "This subordinate obeys!"

Zhou Kun, standing to the side, dared not be smug. He knew that this was only because Xue Huai was being considerate of him. The safety of the garden actually relied on the elite spies of the Jing'an Division, who were the real experts in this field.

After the two men left, Xue Huai looked to the side, and his personal guard Hu Yan immediately stepped forward and respectfully said, "My lord."

Xue Huai said softly, "Go and tell Commander Yu to arrange another team to assist Huang Yuntai of the Salt Bureau in setting up defenses and capturing the thieves."

"Yes."

Hu Yan bowed respectfully and strode away.

Xue Huai leaned slightly towards Tan Mingguang and calmly said in a voice only those at the main table could hear, “Your Excellency, do not worry. The Salt Transport Depot is personally overseen by Huang Yuntai, and it was built to defensive standards. The garrison soldiers are equipped with powerful crossbows and bows, and there are deep wells inside to protect against flames. I only asked the Canal Army brothers for help as a precaution. If those thieves really want to attack the transport depot, they will surely be courting death.”

Upon hearing this, Tan Mingguang's tightly furrowed brows slowly relaxed. He glanced at the still noisy and joyful scene inside Qingyu Hall, and then carefully said, "Jing Che, now have Cheng Dong lead the patrol officers to inspect the city, and also have Commander Yu of the canal army send troops to assist Huang Yuntai. As for Yingyuan..."

He was well-versed in stratagems such as "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" and "luring the tiger away from the mountain." Judging from the current situation, Liu Yi was still very secretive, and all his actions were more bark than bite, clearly intending to lure Xue Huai into making the wrong decision.

"Thank you for the reminder, Your Excellency."

Xue Huai raised his cup, took a small sip, and said softly, "I know this is somewhat risky, but Liu Yi's survival is ultimately a huge hidden danger. After all, he's not a lone, unruly bandit, but a wealthy and powerful outcast. Although he hates me the most, he doesn't just hate me alone. From the imperial court to the business community of Lianghuai, everyone is considered an enemy of the Liu family by him. If he can't find an opportunity to deal with me, he'll likely become even more manic, and no one can guarantee what he'll do then."

Tan Mingguang was slightly taken aback. Looking at the composed face of his young deputy beside him, he suddenly felt something and nodded, saying, "That makes sense. So what do you think his real methods are?"

Xue Huai glanced at the next table and saw Shen Qingluan's slightly worried look, as well as Xu Zhiwei's expression of still being immersed in her own world. He then glanced at the situation of the doctors at Jimintang in the distance before turning his gaze back to Tan Mingguang and saying, "His men can't openly storm into Yingyuan. If he wants to kill me, he can only try to lure me out."

Before he could finish speaking, a flustered clerk rushed into the Qingyu Hall.

"Sir, something terrible has happened! There's been an accident at Dongguan Wharf!"

These words were like a thunderclap out of nowhere, instantly shattering the cheerful atmosphere in the hall. Almost everyone immediately looked at the pale-faced clerk.

(End of this chapter)