Chapter 286: Cutting Out the Middlemen
Upon hearing that Hongshu was not there, Mei Cheng'an asked Wang Qinian to move a stool inside, then glanced at Fan Xian and asked.
"How did you get in?"
Fan Xian shrugged.
"I was going to go through the main entrance, but you told me you weren't in, so I couldn't get in, so I had to climb over the wall."
Mei Chengan pointed to the tea table.
"What about these?"
Fan Xian took a look, reached out and picked up a plate of melon seeds, and asked back.
"What's wrong with these?"
"Who prepared this for you?"
"Sweet Potato Sister, what's wrong?"
As he spoke, Fan Xian picked up a melon seed and started to eat it.
Mei Chengan raised his eyebrows.
"She prepared it for you?"
"Tui! Puff, puff!"
After tilting his head and spitting out the melon seed shells, Fan Xian nodded.
"Yeah, I'm handsome, sweet-talking and have a good temperament. It's easy for me to exchange some food for my looks."
Mei Chengan was about to say something when a voice came from the gate of the courtyard.
"Master, you are back!"
Hearing the sound, they both looked towards the gate of the courtyard and saw Hongshu walking in holding an empty wooden basin.
Walking closer, she glanced at Fan Xian, then pouted and complained to Mei Chengan.
"I told Master Fan that you were not here, but he insisted on climbing over the wall to wait for you. That would have been fine, but he also..."
"beep!"
Fan Xian interrupted him directly, put down the melon seed plate, stood up to block Mei Cheng'an's sight, stood in front of Hongshu, and bowed with his hands clasped together.
Then he took out a silver bill from his sleeve, spread it out for Hongshu to look at, and handed it to him, while winking at him.
Hongshu calmly took the banknote and put it into his sleeve, then made an OK gesture to Fan Xian, a gesture he learned from Mei Chengan.
Fan Xian made an OK gesture to indicate that he had received it, turned around and glanced at Mei Cheng'an. Seeing that he was looking at him with a half-smile, Fan Xian coughed lightly, turned around and sat back down.
"I'm sorry to interrupt you just now, so please continue."
Mei Cheng'an looked at the sweet potato, caught a glimpse of the small half-cent silver bill sticking out of her sleeve, and kindly reminded her.
"The banknotes are showing."
Hongshu was startled and quickly stuffed it in. When he reacted, his face turned red and he stood there pinching the corner of his clothes, at a loss.
Fan Xian: "..."
Mei Chengan asked curiously.
"Can I ask how much it is?"
Sweet potato blushed and lowered his head, his voice as soft as a mosquito's.
"Fifty taels."
Mei Cheng'an looked at Fan Xian.
"Fifty taels! You are willing to spend it just to save face."
Fan Xian covered his face.
Stop swearing, stop swearing, your face is already red.
Mei Cheng'an looked at Hongshu again and smiled.
"Fifty taels for your words. You don't usually get such a good deal. Fine, I'll take it. Go away."
Hongshu was almost crying, and she took out the silver bill.
"Master, why don't I return this money to Master Fan..."
Upon hearing this, Fan Xian quickly waved his hands.
"no, I'm fine."
Although I spent money and lost face, if I really want the money back, I will lose all my dignity and face. I can't afford to be embarrassed.
Mei Chengan smiled.
"Why give it to him? Just keep it. I'm not angry."
Sweet potato raised his head.
"Really?"
Mei Chengan burst out laughing.
"Why would I lie to you? I dream of meeting a rich and stupid person like this. It's free money, so don't refuse it!"
Fan Xian snorted, but was too embarrassed to say anything more. His behavior was indeed like that of a wealthy man, and there was no way to refute it.
Mei Chengan smiled and looked at the sweet potato.
"Okay, let's go down and check on Lao Wang. Let him move a stool. He hasn't come out in half a day."
"Yes, Master."
Hongshu stuffed the banknotes into his sleeves and walked inside with the wooden basin.
After a while, she came out again carrying a small stool, and Wang Qinian came out carrying a recliner.
Mei Chengan took a look and was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.
"A stool is enough, why move a recliner?"
Wang Qinian put the huge recliner on the ground with a huff, wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled.
"I just want the young master to sit more comfortably. Thanks to Miss Sweet Potato for helping me, it's not difficult for either of them to move alone, but moving them together is really a hassle for me."
Sweet Potato put down the stool and said.
"Master, do you need to prepare anything else?"
Mei Cheng'an glanced at the tea table and thought for a moment.
"Go get a few more plates of broad beans."
"Yes."
Sweet potato left immediately.
Mei Cheng'an adjusted the position of the recliner, and he and Wang Qinian sat down. As soon as they sat down, Hongshu brought them the broad beans.
Holding a stack of broad beans, Mei Cheng'an picked up one and put it into his mouth, chewing it with a crunching sound while looking at Fan Xian.
"What do you want to see me for?"
Fan Xian shrugged.
"Nothing, I just got bored waiting for news at home, so I came to look for you, but you weren't here yet. Oh, you haven't told me where you were just now."
Mei Chengan said bluntly.
"Guo Youzhi was arrested. I just went to Guo's residence to comfort Young Master Guo."
Due to the relationship between his fellow villager and the Guo family, although Fan Xian was happy in his heart, he couldn't show it too happily, so he changed the subject and spoke.
"If that's the case, then Chen Pingping in the palace should have been dealt with."
Mei Chengan glanced at him.
"Not necessarily. Guo Youzhi was arrested because of irrefutable evidence, but the princess is not that easy to deal with."
Fan Xian sighed.
"Yes, that depends on Chen Pingping's ability. He came to see me this morning and I explained everything to him. He said he would find a solution."
Mei Cheng'an looked up at the sky.
"Old Wang, what time is it?"
Wang Qinian also looked up.
"Almost. It's the beginning of the afternoon."
Mei Chengan nodded.
"Then I guess Chen Pingping should have come out of the palace by now."
Fan Xian said.
"As soon as I arrived at your place, I asked Zi Jing to go to the palace gate to wait for news. This means he should be back soon." Mei Cheng'an looked at him with a smile.
"Oh, so this is why you have to wait here so stubbornly."
Fan Xian cried out in fear.
"We can still be good friends even if we don't say it out loud."
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a movement outside the courtyard gate.
"Master, Master Fan's guard Teng Zijing is here. Do you want to see him?"
Mei Chengan smiled.
"Well, if you mention the devil, he will appear. Old Wang, go and bring the man in."
"Yes!"
After a while.
"What? Are you pulling my leg?"
Teng Zijing nodded.
"The princess said that you met Yan Bingyun when you entered the capital, and she wanted to betray her own spies, so you are also a suspect."
"Ah this..."
Fan Xian scratched his head.
Teng Zijing hissed.
"What's your reaction? Have you really seen Yan Bingyun? That's not right. I was there at the time, but why didn't I see Yan Bingyun in the team? Could he be in the carriage?"
Fan Xian nodded with a twitching mouth.
"..."
Teng Zijing thought for a while and asked.
"I remember now that you went to see your teacher. Was it Yan Bingyun you met at that time?"
Fan Xian said helplessly.
“We didn’t meet, but we did run into each other.”
Wang Qinian, who was listening, spoke at this time.
"If it's just an encounter, there shouldn't be any problem, as long as you don't know he's going to Northern Qi."
"Ah this..."
Fan Xian scratched his head again.
Wang Qinian: “…”
Teng Zijing: “…”
Mei Chengan smiled.
"Did your teacher tell you?"
Fan Xian nodded awkwardly.
"The teacher said that he went to Northern Qi because of me. I asked casually out of curiosity, and the teacher told me the whole story..."
Upon hearing this, Teng Zijing folded his arms and shrugged.
"have to."
Wang Qinian was very puzzled.
"This is top secret. You are curious and asked, but Mr. Fei knows everything. Why did he tell you this? This is just to trick you."
Although Fan Xian was extremely embarrassed, he still managed to cover up for his teacher.
"Blame me, not the teacher."
Wang Qinian wanted to say something but was interrupted by Mei Chengan.
"Okay, Lao Wang, the suspicion has been firmly pinned on him now. There's no point in dwelling on it. Just stop embarrassing him."
When Wang Qinian heard this, he immediately shut his mouth. That made sense.
Mei Cheng'an looked at Teng Zijing.
"What else did Chen Pingping confess?"
"Oh."
Teng Zijing seemed to have just remembered something, so he put down his arm and glanced at Fan Xian.
"President Chen asked me to bring you a message. I want you to go meet him."
Mei Cheng'an felt something was wrong.
"No, wait a minute, shall we?"
Teng Zijing nodded.
"Yes."
Mei Cheng'an was a little puzzled.
"How did he know that Fan Xian and I were together, you said?"
"Forehead…"
Teng Zijing scratched his head.
"He casually asked where Fan Xian was, and I told him without thinking much. Did I... say the wrong thing?"
Mei Chengan waved his hand.
"No, no, it's okay since he asked. But what I can't understand is, why did he ask me to do this?"
Teng Zijing shrugged.
"I do not know then."
Fan Xian cried out in fear.
"Just go and meet him and you'll know."
Mei Cheng'an curled his lips, looked at Wang Qinian, put down the plate of broad beans, slowly stood up, and looked around at the few people.
"Then, let's go!"
Fan Xian stood up immediately afterwards.
"Let's go!"
Wang Qinian spoke.
"Then I will drive the carriage."
……
Speechless all the way.
One stick of incense later, in the office of Chen Pingping of the Supervisory Yuan.
Mei Cheng'an, Fan Xian and Wang Qinian walked in one after another. Chen Pingping was leaning on the soft couch, drinking tea with his legs propped up.
Upon seeing the three of them, Chen Pingping hummed, quickly put down the teacup, swallowed the tea in his mouth, and smiled.
"Everyone is here, sit down, sit anywhere."
Mei Cheng'an glanced at the soft couch. Apart from the space occupied by Chen Pingping and the small coffee table, the remaining space was barely enough for two people.
He didn't want to squeeze, so he just sat in his wheelchair.
Fan Xian naturally sat directly on the couch.
Wang Qinian first looked around, but didn't see any stools. He then looked at the few remaining spaces on the couch.
Well, he decided to stand. He stood directly behind Mei Chengan, raised his arms, crossed them and placed them horizontally on the back of the wheelchair.
Chen Pingping glanced at the three of them, pointed at the tea on the table next to them and smiled.
"Freshly brewed tea, try it."
Fan Xian unceremoniously picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup first.
After he put it down, Wang Qinian went over and poured a glass for himself and Mei Chengan respectively.
Mei Cheng'an took the steaming teacup and took a look at it. He didn't rush to drink it. He looked at Chen Pingping and asked.
"You can just talk to Fan Xian privately about the palace matters. Why did you call us over?"
Chen Pingping held the teacup and looked at him with a smile.
"After I finished talking to him, he couldn't bear to tell you all about it again. In that case, I might as well just tell you all at once."
(End of this chapter)
