Chapter 329: The Shang Family's Secret
Chapter 329: The Shang Family's Secret
Tan Er asked in surprise, "Where did he die?"
Meng Qianqian gently patted the coffin and said, "It's empty. Some people prepare their funeral arrangements before they die. A coffin made of golden threaded sandalwood is rare. It was probably prepared by the Chancellor for himself after his death."
Tan Er hugged herself, "A hundred years? He won't live that long!"
Meng Qianqian pushed open the coffin lid.
Xiaolangzai immediately tried to crawl inside.
Meng Qianqian lay down in the coffin.
Bai Yuwei's face changed, "Hey, why is a living person lying in a coffin? Don't you fear bad luck—"
"I want to try too!"
Tan Er giggled and crawled into the coffin, lying next to Meng Qianqian.
Xiaolangzai started digging frantically at the coffin.
"I understand, I understand." Bai Yuwei picked up the little guy and placed him inside as well.
Tan Er hugged the little one.
Meng Qianqian said to Bai Yuwei, "Little sister, Tan Er and I will go down first. You can follow when it's safe."
"No! We're going together!"
Bai Yuwei firmly joined them.
Tan Er was squeezed and stuck out her tongue, "So crowded!"
Meng Qianqian lifted the coffin lid with both hands.
In the instant it closed, the bottom of the coffin suddenly opened, and the three of them, along with Xiaolangzai, fell down.
"Grab me!"
Bai Yuwei quickly whipped out her whip, wrapping it around the lamp holder on the wall.
However, no one reached out to grab it.
Bai Yuwei became anxious, "You two, grab me!"
Tan Er tilted her head back and patted the little wolf in her arms, "You come down too."
Bai Yuwei looked down and saw that she was less than a foot from the ground.
She cleared her throat, reeled in her whip, and jumped down.
Meng Qianqian smiled.
Bai Yuwei frowned, "Don't laugh at me!"
Tan Er stuck out her tongue, "I'm laughing at you, silly!"
Xiaolangzai couldn't wait any longer. He jumped out of Tan Er's arms and hurried forward, panting.
Meng Qianqian took out a fire stick and lit it, illuminating a long secret passage.
Bai Yuwei was shocked, "Such a long secret passage, how big is the secret chamber under the Chancellor's Mansion?"
Meng Qianqian held up the fire stick and said, "Perhaps there's more than one secret chamber."
The larger the secret chamber, the greater their rewards would be.
Bai Yuwei suddenly sighed, "Your Central Plains court is so complicated. We don't have such troubles in Miaojiang."
Tan Er curiously asked, "What's Miaojiang like?"
Bai Yuwei replied with pride as she followed, "In Miaojiang, we don't have chancellors or ministers. We only have tribal elders. The Miao people revere the Majestic King above all, and no one's power can surpass his. My grandfather's word is law in Miaojiang. If anyone dares to plot behind his back, the elders of the eight tribes would tear that person apart! The unity of Miaojiang is not just an empty phrase!"
Tan Er spread her hands, "Even if there are, you wouldn't know!"
Bai Yuwei argued, "Miaojiang would never produce traitors! Unlike your Central Plains, where the emperor is said to rule, but the Chancellor's power is growing stronger."
Tan Er said, "That's why we must get rid of him!"
Bai Yuwei asked a question that had been on her mind for a long time, "Can't the emperor just issue an imperial edict to execute him? Don't you have a saying in the Central Plains, 'When the ruler wants a subject dead, the subject must die'?"
Tan Er looked at Meng Qianqian, "Is that true, sister?"
Meng Qianqian nodded, "Yes, there is such a saying."
Bai Yuwei straightened her back, "See! That's why I say you're asking for trouble."
Meng Qianqian spoke softly, "If the emperor could execute a great military achiever without reason, there wouldn't be the Three Provinces and Six Ministries. The Chancellor's influence is too deep. He's also highly respected among the people. If he's killed without cause, it will lead to internal strife and may even push him to rebel, causing great casualties."
The Great Zhou has been in a state of turmoil for years, and it can't withstand such a drain."
Tan Er spoke with emphasis on each word, "This is called securing the nation and stabilizing the country!"
Bai Yuwei whispered, "You're the only one who understands."
Tan Er placed her hands on her waist and retorted, "I understand more than you!"
"We're here."
Meng Qianqian gazed at the wall at the end of the corridor and spoke.
Xiaolangzai stood on its hind legs, constantly scratching the wall with its front paws.
Bai Yuwei ran her hand along the wall, "This is just a wall, could the secret chamber be behind it?"
---
"What do you mean by the heir of Qianji Pavilion?"
In the dimly lit secret chamber, Lu Yuan's expression turned slightly more solemn.
Chen Long explained, "My foster mother is the senior sister of Qianji Pavilion, one of the direct disciples of the retired pavilion master. She grew up with her fellow disciple, and they were hailed as the Golden Boy and Jade Girl of Qianji Pavilion. Her fellow disciple also intended to marry her, but unfortunately, during a training mission, my foster mother met my foster father, and the two quickly made a private agreement to marry.
"I don't understand the rules of Qianji Pavilion very well. I heard about it from several uncles and aunts. My foster mother gave up the position of pavilion master to marry my foster father."
Lu Yuan's heart formed a hidden guess, "The pavilion master is—"
Chen Long continued, "My foster mother's fellow disciple, who later became the pavilion master of Qianji Pavilion."
Lu Yuan asked, "Because of this, Qianji Pavilion harbored resentment towards the Shang family and colluded with the people of Loulan to take revenge on them?"
Chen Long spoke in a cold voice, "That's ridiculous, isn't it?"
Lu Yuan sighed, "This isn't ridiculous, it's evil—an evil that cannot be pardoned."
Not even sparing children, this was an evil that was deeply ingrained.
"The sound of water has stopped."
Chen Long suddenly stood up, looking warily at the ceiling, "Is the water about to start pouring in?"
As soon as he finished speaking, a crack suddenly appeared in the ceiling, and a drop of water fell with a plop.
Chen Long reached out to catch it.
Lu Yuan pulled him away, "Be careful!"
The drop of water hit the ground, and under the candlelight, it emitted a silvery-white glow.
Lu Yuan said, "It's vermilion powder, it's poisonous! Hold your breath!"
Chen Long held his breath and looked up. The crack widened, and the vermilion powder dripped more and more. At first, it was just individual drops, but soon they formed a continuous stream.
Lu Yuan's face turned grim.
This was happening too fast.
He had been injured before, and his internal strength couldn't hold out for long.
Xiaojiu Meng, if you don't come soon, you'll really have to be a widow again.
Boom—
The stone door was opened.
"Older Brother!"
Meng Qianqian quickly pulled Chen Long out.
Lu Yuan, who had been ignored by his beloved daughter-in-law, was speechless.
When Meng Qianqian was pulling Chen Long out, she had already seen another person in the secret chamber. But by the time she came to her senses, she had already called out 'Older Brother.'
It's over, we've really stirred up a hornet's nest this time.
Lu Yuan, his face dark, exited the secret chamber.
Meng Qianqian quickly pressed the switch, closing the stone door of the secret chamber, and then looked at him with a smile, "Husband, what are you doing here? According to the plan, there was supposed to be only Older Brother, right?"
"Plan?"
Chen Long frowned.
The next moment, the back of his foot felt warm.
Xiaolangzai had finally peed.
After finishing, it lifted its little head, revealing an expression of pride identical to Bao Shu's.
At this moment, was there anything Chen Long didn't understand?
"Lu—Yuan—"
Chen Long roared like an angry dragon, drew his sword, and chased Lu Yuan through the secret passage.
Meng Qianqian shook her head helplessly, finding the situation both amusing and frustrating.
Was it like this between Older Brother and Chu Nan in the previous life? Or was Chu Nan not as annoying as Lu Yuan?
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(End of Chapter)
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