178 Untitled (2/2)
Subsequently, she fell asleep, still holding onto a towel. When she awoke, the sky was already brightly lit. Ya Lanzhu was lying on her stomach, and Lord Yuan Bao was lying on Ya Lanzhu's stomach. A monotonous voice was announcing something outside—Zhan Nancheng was inviting her to go hunting at the imperial grounds.
Ever since she became the True Martial Arts champion, Meng Fuyao had moved house. She had no intention of revealing the secret location of Zhan Beiye's camp to the Tiansha Emperor and besides, she had money. Yao Xun had earned quite a sum while doing business in Wuji, especially that Young Master Li from the Jiangbei magistrate's manor; both of them were truly born to business, both equally unscrupulous. They had managed to earn quite a large sum from ladies, selling silk fabrics, clothing, shoes, cosmetics and the like. Yao Xun had arrived several days ago to deliver some silver, intending to promote Meng Fuyao's elegance and talent. Hence, Meng Fuyao's money pouch was filled to the brim, and even Lord Yuan Bao's chamber pot was switched to one made of gold.
Meng Fuyao's new manor was extremely eye-catching. She had bought three entire yards at the same time, totaling seven or eight layers from the outside to the innermost side, each layer more lavish than the previous. Ordinary people could only enter up to the second layer, but in actual fact, she simply wanted to own the nearby plots of land and build a secret underground passage from a room in the courtyard of the sixth layer leading directly to Zhan Beiye's secret base camp.
Zhan Nancheng's invite was but another round of investigation of each other. Meng Fuyao quickly switched her outfit and was about to leave only to be blocked by Zong Yue in the garden. The vicious-tongued man glanced at her carefully-prepared outfit and remarked, ”Out to cheat people again?”
Meng Fuyao looked up at the sky. 'When will this human learn to say something nice? Such exemplary disposition is truly wasted on him.'
”Since you're out to lie, I might as well help you lie even more convincingly.” Zong Yue tossed a little wax capsule. ”Open it when you have the chance and sprinkle it on Zhan Nancheng's sleeves.”
”Got it.” Meng Fuyao caught it, not bothering to ask about its purpose. Out of the blue, she thought of something and asked, ”Actually, I really want to know when we can kill Zhan Nancheng so that I don't have to hold my vomit in and tolerate his interaction. It's just a pity that ever since that time, he's even more careful now and nobody can get close to him at all.”
”There's no use killing him now. Zhan Nancheng has successors and still holds the power to influence the three top officials in the imperial court. If he dies, there'll be some disturbance, but it might not be enough to cause great upheaval.” Zong Yue dismissed her words and rushed her. ”Why are you saying so much anyway, you're blocking the sun from shining on my herbs!”
In a fit of rage, Meng Fuyao trampled on a clump of evening primroses, knowing that Zong Yue treasured his flowers like they were his life. Before he could murder someone, she sprinted out, remembering to send a signal to Lord Yuan Bao, who was perched on the window ledge watching the show. When Zongyue left Lord Yuan Bao would help her ”take good care” of those precious medicinal herbs, using his excrement as fertilizer and whatnot.
The horse carriage that Zhan Nancheng had sent to receive her was waiting outside the door, and when she arrived at the Tiansha Imperial Palace's Nanyue Mountain Hunting Grounds, she saw that almost half the mountain slope was covered with tents, surrounding the biggest tent in the middle. The tent had a golden roof, and quite a number of people were congregated outside, awaiting orders. Meng Fuyao scanned them closely and beamed as those were all people she knew.
'That guy, isn't he the one who had thrown a sword in front of me and demanded me to commit suicide just several days back at the palace hall, Lord something something? And that guy, isn't he the General something who had told a certain princess who was trying to ”commit suicide” to ”not take her life lightly” and very kindly saved that certain princess?'
Smiling gleefully, Meng Fuyao headed over, and when the various lords and noblemen saw her, they immediately stopped whatever they were discussing. They hastily stroked their beards and stared at the sky, changing the topic. ”Ah, Lord Zhang, the weather today is excellent, truly excellent, indeed, haha…”
”Eh, General Wang, the robe you are wearing today is splendid and full of vigor, hahaha…”
”Ah, Lord Zhang, the weather today truly is excellent, look at the clouds and the dragonflies flying about. Ah, there's a dragonfly on your headdress, let me get it for you. Ah, no need to be shy, I'll be done at once—pa!”
Meng Fuyao slapped Lord Zhang's headdress off his head with a smack of her palm and smoothly stepped on it, crushing it to bits. Finally, she turned to a purple-faced Lord Zhang and smiled. ”I've finally gotten rid of that damned dragonfly…”
Lord Zhang's eyebrows slanted downwards, and he looked ready to explode with anger when Meng Fuyao exclaimed again, ”Aiya, Lord Zhang's sword is really exquisite. That day, if you had thrown this sword at me instead, perhaps I might have really fallen for it and used it to commit suicide. Dying by such a magnificent sword, even as a ghost I would be honorable… Can you let me take a look at it? … Aiya, don't be so petty, just a little look, just one look—cha!”
The ”magnificent sword” broke cleanly into two and Meng Fuyao stared innocently at the sword. ”It's actually a fake!”
Pretending to be respectful, she returned the two halves of the sword back in Lord Zhang's hands and smiled. ”I'm sorry, Lord Zhang. You can try wielding it as a double sword.”
By now, Lord Zhang's veins were popping out with rage, and he desperately wanted to raise his fist, yet Meng Fuyao had just broken his sword like it was nothing.
Meng Fuyao patted his shoulder, laughed loudly and turned around; the lord and noblemen who were congregated in one group earlier had scattered like wild beasts.
Shrugging, Meng Fuyao strode towards the head tent where Zhan Nancheng was standing by the entrance. He had seen everything that had happened clearly but did not react, merely smiling amicable and saying, ”General Meng really loves to joke around, but this kind of personality will offend others easily.”
”I am but a ruffian.” Meng Fuyao stroked her chin. ”I am the same wherever I go, if those pretentious people can't get used to it, that's their problem. If I like it, I like it, if I don't then I don't. If they offend me, I'll beat them up!”