Xie Ming

"Rest assured, Your Excellency."

"We have the full truth about Mei Cheng'an's affair with the late Emperor's Consort An."

"Don't be afraid he won't commit the crime."

"Come here, I just had a personal discussion with him."

"We must make sure there are no mistakes."

Continuing from the previous article, Liao Gengshen spoke with absolute certainty and full confidence.

Taking advantage of the emptiness of the Xiao family mansion during the New Year, they decided to take action, leaving no way out.

As soon as he finished speaking, some snowflakes, blown down by the north wind, drifted down from the eaves of the waterside pavilion and landed on Li Shichun's shoulder. He didn't bother to brush them off, showing no interest in paying them any attention.

"Ah, the human heart is unfathomable."

"Having weathered many storms in my life, I've long been accustomed to treacherous and disloyal traitors."

"Being careful in everything you do is never a bad thing."

With a push of the stone, the rusty sword made a rustling sound. The old man with white hair had a sharp expression, revealing a ruthless side.

"By the way, has everything been settled with the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Suddenly, the water got on his sword, and Li Shichun immediately raised it to test its sharpness.

As he casually mentioned, a glance at his old eyes revealed a piercing gaze that was quite frightening.

"Ah, Your Excellency."

"Lu Dayou, Deputy Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."

"Also, Ma San'er, the commander on duty at the yamen tonight, was bribed by us."

"We await your command at midnight, and we will act simultaneously from both sides to kill both Xiao the scoundrel and Qiu the young master."

Liao Geng was not afraid, but his eyes clearly showed excitement.

Li Shichun kept a close eye on him, feeling uneasy as he saw him.

"Well, whether or not to kill that kid surnamed Qiu isn't the most important thing."

"This person is very resourceful and quick-witted, and we are afraid that he will ruin our plans, so we have to eliminate him completely."

"You and the others should also be careful."

"Let's hope this last hurdle doesn't lead to disaster."

"You shouldn't go to Lu Dayou's or Ma San's place anymore."

"To avoid giving ourselves away prematurely."

"We'll wait until midnight to make our move."

Li Shichun's words had a hidden meaning, and Liao Gengshen, upon hearing this, immediately looked up.

Look, it seems they are quite dissatisfied with this statement and don't take it seriously.

However, since they are all in the same boat now, and Grand Secretary Li is the one in charge, even if he has some reservations about the strategy, he probably can't dwell on it or say too much right now.

So he swallowed his anger, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed in agreement.

"Yes, I understand."

"Uh, Lin, to Elder Lin's place."

Liao Gengshen changed the subject and brought up Lin Zengzhi again.

Therefore, it can be concluded that, at the very least, Minister Lin was probably already aware of these dealings.

However, unexpectedly, after Liao mentioned it, Li Shichun immediately sliced ​​off the corner of the stool with his sword, his face showing a fierce and ruthless expression.

"Hmph, whether he's here or not, we'll still take action."

"This person is fearful in the face of events, hesitant and timid, and cannot be consulted."

"It's fine if we don't need it." Li Shichun said through gritted teeth.

Without a doubt, Liao immediately realized that this lead was probably hopeless.

"This"

"Your Excellency, this won't ruin our plans, will it?" Liao Tian said, but it was not appropriate to ask any further questions.

"will not."

"He doesn't have the guts."

"If anyone dares to obstruct me, I will stab them to death with my sword."

"Now I see it clearly." "The likes of Zeng Ji and Lin Zhiwan of the Southern Party are all petty villains, not worth discussing their schemes with."

“If this continues, Xiao Fan’s rebellious power will rise, and the disaster may not be as bad as that of Dong Zhuo at the end of the Han Dynasty.”

"I am determined to eliminate this treacherous official, so as to inform the spirit of the late Emperor in heaven."

"If Heaven is on my side, tonight's plan will surely succeed!"

Li Shichun's malicious intent was hard to conceal; his sharp edge had already been revealed, and there was absolutely no possibility of him backing down.

On that day, the Li residence was completely silent, and not a single person dared to approach the back garden.

The lake is covered with a thin layer of ice, the withered lotus leaves stand bare, and the snow falls silently.

A veteran official who served three dynasties and was a high-ranking official in the imperial secretariat, sits alone amidst this desolate scene.

He neither studies, nor brews tea, nor recites poetry, nor plays chess; he only sharpens a rusty sword, foolishly declaring that a single strike will determine the fate of the world.
The 23rd of the twelfth lunar month has passed in a flash.
Let's set aside these ramblings and move on to another matter.

That evening, unlike the desolate and lonely garden with its withered lotus and ice, the Xiao residence was bustling with activity.

The sound of firecrackers hastens the end of the twelfth lunar month, while the vermilion gates remain locked in the deep cold.

Children joyfully celebrate the stove, accompanied by the lively sounds of flutes and drums.

Bright lanterns illuminate the Qilin Pavilion, and the banquet is filled with delicacies from the tortoiseshell feast.

A night of revelry welcomes the year's end, unaware that wind and snow blanket the mountains and passes.

In stark contrast to the desolate state of the Li residence, the Xiao Lang Duke's mansion was more than ten times noisier than usual this evening.

You should know that during this Lesser New Year, if you go to the north for the festival...

Regardless of whether they are princes or commoners, everyone has to perform the Kitchen God Festival and sweep away the dust.

On this day, ordinary people in the city often put up a new image of the Kitchen God in the kitchen and offer candy, maltose, and sesame candy in front of it, hoping for good fortune by calling it "Kitchen God Offering Candy".

When the time is right, the whole family, young and old, will get together. The male head of the family will take the lead in burning incense and paper money to send travel expenses to the Kitchen God, and then setting off firecrackers to send him off.

It is said that this day is the day when the Kitchen God of each household goes to heaven to report on his work.

Whether your family prospers or suffers next year depends entirely on this saying.

Therefore, we dare not be negligent in the slightest.

After the worship ceremony, the whole family will gather together for a reunion dinner. If those who are away from home cannot make it back and are squeezed outside the door, they may not have enough to eat next year.

Thus, this custom and taboo has been established since ancient times and continues to this day.

Of course, the Xiao Jing family and the Duke's mansion would have a much grander and more impressive display when celebrating festivals.

Fortunately, Xiao'e and her child have recovered.

It's a rare opportunity for the whole family to reunite during the festival, so there's bound to be a lot of lively preparations.

So for a time, the whole household was busy, with lanterns and decorations everywhere, creating quite a commotion.

Xiao Jingchuan, even when staying at home, couldn't find any free time.

Being assigned tasks by one person and given instructions by another, I was busy for quite some time.

Just now, Xiao'e came to serve them personally from the main house in the backyard. She changed into a gorgeous formal dress, with wide sleeves and loose robes, and it was hard to get a good deal.

The man and his wife came out of the house shortly after each other, having just finished tidying up inside.

As soon as he looked up, that mischievous girl Hongyu somehow bumped into him and, with a flick of her wrist, stuffed Xiao Lang's mouth full of candied melon seeds.

"Hee hee hee."

"The sugar melon will stick to the Kitchen God's mouth, so that he will speak good words in heaven and not say bad words."

Seeing this brat making fun of him, General Xiao couldn't retaliate and had no way to deal with her.

They awkwardly pried the candied melon seeds out of their mouths one by one, their expressions comical and amusing, which made Xiao'e behind them, along with a group of maids and servants who had gathered around, burst into laughter.

"You wait and see how I deal with you."

"They're treating me like the Kitchen God, stuffing this in my mouth. They have no respect for their elders."

Xiao Duo complained, putting on airs.

However, her words lacked power and authority. With Xiao'e standing behind her, the group felt no fear and were able to act recklessly.

Meanwhile, in the back courtyard, Steward Xue Bo, along with the servants and laborers who had been called in to carry things, did not stop working for long.

The flow of traffic is constant, creating a lively and noisy atmosphere.

Pastries and candied fruits were prepared, as there was an offering ceremony for the Kitchen God later. A shrine had been specially set up in the back courtyard, and whole pigs and sheep would likely be brought in from outside to show respect to the gods and to demonstrate the family's wealth. (End of Chapter)