Chapter 9

With Wang Dahǔ’s skills, dealing with Li Zhongyi, a weak scholar with no practical use, would be a piece of cake.

"Since my elder brother has already made the arrangements, I will follow your instructions. No matter how things go tomorrow, I will return early," Li Zhongyi quickly expressed his stance to avoid arousing unnecessary suspicion.

Huang Jingsheng looked at Li Zhongyi with a serious expression and said, "This matter is of great importance and cannot afford any mistakes. We must carefully deliberate and ensure everything is foolproof."

Thus, Li Zhongyi and Huang Jingsheng discussed the plan back and forth for over two hours, finally settling on the entire action plan.

The next morning, Huang Jingsheng led a young man of similar build to replace Li Zhongyi in the prison cell.

Li Zhongyi, already dressed in the guard’s uniform, followed Huang Jingsheng with his head down and smoothly passed through the four iron gates along the way.

As they were about to leave the main gate, Huang Jingsheng deliberately told a dirty joke to distract the guards, causing them to burst into laughter.

After successfully leaving the prison, Wang Dahǔ and Li Zhongyi boarded a carriage that had been arranged in advance.

Once the carriage started moving, Wang Dahǔ leaned close to Li Zhongyi’s ear and whispered, "Change your clothes quickly."

Even when getting into the carriage, Wang Dahǔ’s right hand never left the hilt of the knife at his waist.

Wang Dahǔ’s vigilance was not ordinary! Li Zhongyi understood this in his heart but acted as if he was completely indifferent, taking out the clothes from the bundle and changing into them one by one.

"I scouted around the Zhao family’s residence yesterday. The old man Zhao rarely goes out, and it’s difficult for ordinary guests to see him," Wang Dahǔ quietly introduced some details about the Zhao family, explaining them in great detail to avoid missing any point.

Li Zhongyi nodded inwardly, knowing that while human plans can be made, success is up to heaven, but the devil often lies in the details.

Now, the more detailed Wang Dahǔ’s introduction, the easier it would be for Li Zhongyi to take appropriate action.

"Do you think we can see the old man Zhao if we just go to his door directly?" Li Zhongyi pondered for a moment, testing Wang Dahǔ’s ability to handle emergencies.

"The news of your family’s troubles has spread throughout the streets and alleys of Chengdu, and it must have reached the Zhao family’s residence," Wang Dahǔ paused and continued, "If you just report your name directly, not only will you not see the old man Zhao, but you might be captured immediately."

Li Zhongyi nodded repeatedly and asked Wang Dahǔ with a smile, "What do you think I should do?"

Wang Dahǔ was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I am a rough man, illiterate, and know little about the affairs of the nobility."

Li Zhongyi’s eyes flickered. Wang Dahǔ was not only smart and capable but also clearly aware of his own shortcomings, making him a valuable talent.

"You are right. If we just go to the Zhao family’s door directly, it will likely cause trouble," Li Zhongyi had hardly slept the night before, thinking about how to enter the Zhao family’s residence.

Not to mention the difficulty of entering the Zhao family’s main gate, even the small gate of the Li family’s residence was not easy for ordinary people to enter.

"What should we do then?" Wang Dahǔ scratched his head, at a loss.

Li Zhongyi smiled and asked Wang Dahǔ, "Brother Dahǔ, you are more familiar with the Zhao family’s situation. I have a few questions I’d like to ask."

"Sir, there’s no need for such formalities. I will tell you everything I know," Wang Dahǔ politely bowed to Li Zhongyi.

"Brother Dahǔ, does the Zhao family have any daughters who are married far away?" Li Zhongyi asked the crucial question.

Wang Dahǔ thought carefully and said, "Yesterday, while drinking tea at the teahouse opposite the Zhao family’s residence, I overheard the teahouse attendant, who is quite talkative. He said that the eldest daughter of the Zhao family is married to the Zhang family in Xingyuan Prefecture of Liangzhou (modern-day Hanzhong, Shaanxi), whose husband is the eldest son of the military governor Zhang Qianzhao. When the Zhao family married off their daughter, the grandeur and luxury of the wedding procession were so impressive that it left a lasting impression."

Li Zhongyi pursed his lips and nodded, "Brother Dahǔ, thank you for your hard work. This information is very important."

Wang Dahǔ grinned, "To be honest, sir, before following Huang Tou, I worked in Chengdu. I enjoy walking through the streets and alleys, gathering all sorts of gossip."

No wonder Wang Dahǔ was so shrewd; it turned out he had once been a kind of ancient police officer.

Li Zhongyi smiled slightly, "Brother Dahǔ, please help me get some pig’s blood. It will be very useful."

"What do you need the pig’s blood for, sir?" Wang Dahǔ looked at Li Zhongyi suspiciously, unsure of his intentions.

Li Zhongyi smiled, "Since we have no name card and no acquaintance to introduce us, we must use some special means to see the old man Zhao."

Wang Dahǔ’s eyes darted around, and in no time, he understood Li Zhongyi’s plan.

"Sir, you are truly brilliant. I am extremely impressed," Wang Dahǔ looked at Li Zhongyi with admiration, thinking that despite being only a teenager, Li Zhongyi was already so meticulous in his actions, and he would only become more formidable in the future.

On the way, Wang Dahǔ stopped at a butcher’s shop and obtained a basin of pig’s blood.

"Once we reach the Zhao family’s residence, you should not go in. If anything goes wrong, you can return to inform your elder brother," Li Zhongyi kindly advised Wang Dahǔ not to take the risk with him.

Wang Dahǔ thought it over. As a local, his accent was heavily influenced by the Chengdu dialect, which could easily arouse suspicion from the Zhao family’s servants.

During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period, the various states that claimed to be the legitimate successors of the Tang Dynasty used the "He-Lo official language" as their official language. The He-Lo official language, also known as "Jing-Lo language," is similar to modern Hakka language, according to linguistic research.

In the previous Tang Dynasty, Li Zhongyi’s ancestors had moved to the mountains of southern Jiangxi to avoid trouble, and the entire town was made up of Hakka people who had fled together. Li Zhongyi spoke Hakka until he left for university.

When Li Zhongyi first possessed his body, he was cautious about speaking to avoid revealing any inconsistencies in the He-Lo language, which could have been noticed by Li Dahe.

Now, even if the Zhao family’s servants were suspicious of Li Zhongyi’s accent, it would not be enough to expose him immediately.

On the way, Wang Dahǔ successfully obtained pig’s blood, soil, and a charcoal basin. Li Zhongyi scooped up the pig’s blood and soil, splashed it on the hem of his clothes, and then crumpled the clothes, placing them on the charcoal basin to dry.

After all the preparations were made, Wang Dahǔ found an excuse to send the driver away and personally drove the carriage to the back gate of the Zhao family’s residence.

Under the watchful eyes of the servants at the gate, Li Zhongyi staggered off the carriage and stumbled toward the back gate of the Zhao family’s residence, shouting, "Liang... Liangzhou... Madam... is in trouble..." and collapsing into the arms of a male servant who rushed to help.

"What? What happened to Madam?" The male servant stared in shock at Li Zhongyi, who was covered in dust and blood, and was momentarily at a loss.

Li Zhongyi had achieved his goal, rolled his eyes, and feigned fainting, collapsing into the servant’s arms.

"Zhao Shiliu, what’s going on?" The fifth steward, who was guarding the back gate, noticed the commotion and quickly ran out, standing on the steps and shouting.

Zhao Shiliu, who was holding Li Zhongyi, regained his senses and turned to report, "This person... this person says that our Madam is in trouble..."

"Ah..." The fifth steward saw the blood on Li Zhongyi’s clothes and gasped, wondering if the powerful Zhang family in Liangzhou was planning a rebellion and had harmed the Madam.

"Quick, bring him in, to the Changyou Pavilion..." The fifth steward, who was responsible for external affairs, had some experience. He noticed that passersby had stopped to watch and quickly ordered, "Zhao Wu, you fool, what are you waiting for? Go get a doctor. I will inform the old man..."

The Zhao family, being a prominent clan, had well-trained servants. With the fifth steward’s orders, everyone quickly followed, carrying the feinting Li Zhongyi into the Zhao family’s residence.

The fifth steward hurried to the outer study and found the old man Zhao, reporting the incident at the gate.

Upon hearing that his daughter, who was married far away in Liangzhou, was in trouble, the old man Zhao’s right hand, which was writing, paused slightly, but he did not immediately question the fifth steward.

After finishing the calligraphy, the old man Zhao put down his brush, turned around, and asked the fifth steward calmly, "Where is the person who brought the news?"

The fifth steward admired the old man’s composure and reported, "In response to the importance of the matter, I took the liberty of placing the person in the Changyou Pavilion."

"You did well," the old man Zhao nodded. The Changyou Pavilion was in the most secluded corner of the back garden, a place where he often went to enjoy flowers and fish, and no servants were allowed to approach without permission.

The fifth steward, feeling relieved by the old man’s approval, was also secretly pleased. The old man rarely praised the servants, and this time he had made a good impression.

"Have you called a doctor?" the old man Zhao asked after a moment of thought.

The fifth steward quickly replied, "I saw that the person was in a bad state, covered in blood, so I sent someone to call the famous doctor Xie, who often treats our family."

The old man Zhao stroked his beard and nodded, "Since it’s Doctor Xie, there’s no problem. Follow me to the Changyou Pavilion."

By the time the old man Zhao arrived at the Changyou Pavilion, Li Zhongyi had been placed on a bed in the east wing.

"No one is to approach this place," the old man Zhao stood at the door, his eyes sharp as he stared at the head steward, Zhao Da.

"Yes," Zhao Da, understanding the old man’s intent, shivered and immediately ordered the strong servants to surround the east wing, making it airtight.

Zhao Da pushed open the door and, after the old man Zhao entered, quickly closed the door behind him.

With the candlelight illuminating the room, the old man Zhao slowly walked to the bed, his expression grave.

Li Zhongyi, lying on the bed, had clearly heard the old man’s orders outside the door, his voice old and commanding, with the authority of someone in a high position.

Now, hearing the door open and close, and the slow footsteps, Li Zhongyi knew that the old man Zhao had arrived.

To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, Li Zhongyi did not wait for the footsteps to stop at the bed but deliberately groaned to indicate that he was awake.

At this moment, Zhao Da stepped forward, using his broad body to partially shield the old man Zhao’s left side, his right hand always on the hilt of his knife.

"Sir, you are awake?" The old man Zhao stopped and asked Li Zhongyi, who had opened his eyes, his gaze slowly sweeping over Li Zhongyi’s dirt- and blood-streaked face.