Second Master Su had already confessed to the matter of Master Wen, and he had also confessed everything he knew about the Yang family’s affairs. So what was next…?

“These thieves are bandits. How did they come up with the idea of ​​making a living sacrifice?” Wei Fu said, looking at Second Master Su in front of him with scrutiny in his eyes. “Although the Linliu Manor lord you found is extremely wealthy, he’s not stupid! It’s difficult for ordinary people to squeeze a single copper coin out of him. How could these so-called nobles trust you so completely?”

The fact that this whole thing could be done, and had been going on secretly for so many years, meant someone must have been pulling the strings. This connection wasn’t someone like Second Master Su, who acted as a go-between. To make someone like the Linliu Manor lord believe it, a wealthy merchant like Second Master Su, who inherited his “adoptive father’s” property, was far from enough!

Second Master Su was a petty villain, but not stupid. He chuckled twice, touched his nose, and frankly said, “Your officials at the Dali Temple are so powerful, you must have guessed it! Not to mention me, even those people are just pawns in the game. We don’t know who’s really behind it all!”

“You officials are amazing. I saw that sickly Miss Yuan the other day, and she was just a messenger,” Second Master Su laughed. “As for who’s behind her, whether she’s the mastermind, or even just a messenger, I have no idea!”

Although he kept saying he “didn’t know,” after so many years of doing this, he wasn’t completely oblivious.

“Whether it’s us or Miss Yuan, in the end, we’re just knives! The Yuan family is just a merchant family, and what are the local powerful families of Jiangling compared to those outside of Jiangling? I think those who can accomplish so much are probably not ordinary people!” Second Master Su chuckled, looking at Wei Fu, and said, “Of course, you gentlemen are also competent, you will definitely be able to catch those thugs!”

Wei Fu glanced at the grinning Second Master Su, said nothing, but his brows furrowed.

If the person behind that wasn’t powerful, why would they need to coax Lord Zhao away first, making it easier to strike first?

The jailer, returning from relieving himself, took off his raincoat and hung the dripping wet raincoat above the wooden tub, watching the rainwater drip and drip into the tub, which quickly filled about halfway with rainwater.

The jailer who hadn’t gone out stood nearby, staring in shock at the half-bucket of rainwater, his mouth falling open. “Did you go for a swim in the river or something?”

The jailer who had taken off his raincoat and was wringing his hair glanced at his colleague, shook his head, sighed, and pointed towards the cell door. “Go outside and see how heavy the rain is!”

The rain came too quickly; even with a raincoat and preparation, the downpour still caught everyone off guard!

Ah Bing, busy chopping vegetables behind the counter, peeked out, glanced at the torrential rain outside, gasped, and immediately ducked back in, continuing to chop while remarking, “The rain is indeed very heavy. It’s a good thing I told Lord Zhao to leave first; otherwise, knowing his temperament, he definitely wouldn’t have gone out in this weather!” He paused, and before Wen Mingtang and Tangyuan could reply, he couldn’t help but sigh again, “In this weather, I doubt anyone would dare to go out!”

But nothing is absolute, and there are exceptions!

“Don’t run, you thieves!” Liang Hongjin shouted, drawing her sword and leading her men in pursuit!

A flurry of swordplay and shadows flashed through the rain. Even though he was too weak to fight, Liu Yuan still shuddered at the sight of the gleaming weapons. He strained his eyes, straining to see the chaotic battle ahead, and muttered, “Be careful!”

“They’ll be careful!” Bai Zhu, unable to see the fighting clearly through the rain, reluctantly lowered his binoculars, sighed, and patted Liu Yuan’s shoulder reassuringly, “General Liang has been holding back her anger for a long time because of that shoulder injury. Don’t worry!”

“The thugs are cunning, but they ultimately listened to the man surnamed Yang. They were waiting for news from the city while also planning to retreat, spreading out. There’s only a small portion of them here, perfect for us to take them down one by one!” Bai Zhu said, shaking his head as he looked at a firework rising into the sky and falling through the rain in the distance. “This weather is most favorable to us!”

Although the Imperial Observatory’s predictions were usually inaccurate, this rare “accuracy” had been a great help to them!

Even though the signal fireworks weren’t very noticeable during the day, they’re not unnoticed! But now, because of the rain, the fireworks couldn’t rise, and even if they did, they’re knocked down by the downpour after only reaching halfway up, completely cutting off communication between the two groups!

“The only trouble is having to make two trips!” Bai Zhu said, looking up at the dark sky, and couldn’t help but mutter, “But if I’m quick, I should be able to get back by mealtime!”

As for after the evening meal… There was probably still a tough battle to fight!

Mentioning “evening meal,” Liu Yuan’s stomach, which was holding a telescope nearby, rumbled in response. Meeting Bai Zhu’s gaze, Liu Yuan shrugged: “Brother Bai, this stomach won’t listen to me. It won’t shut up just because I tell it to!”

His stomach was craving Master Wen’s evening meal!

…
…

Wen Mingtang, who had been “thought about” by Liu Yuan’s stomach, sneezed. She lifted her head and glanced at the prepared evening meal on the counter, then looked back out at the pouring rain, lost in thought.

Today’s evening meal was timed perfectly, set to come out of the pot right as the evening meal began—exactly when it would be most fitting!

One autumn rain brought one chill; after this rain, Chang’an, already cold and almost winter-like, would probably be completely plunged into winter.

“Master Wen, the sauce was ready!” Tangyuan, who had been mixing the sauce behind the counter, put down the bowl in her hand. She looked at the thick, brown sauce inside the bowl, then looked toward Wen Mingtang with both nervousness and excitement.

Tonight, Master Wen said she would make a dish called Sān zhī mèn guō. This dish was relatively simple to make. The prepared potatoes, onions, lotus root slices, and other vegetables were lightly marinated with salt, oil, and chili powder and then placed at the bottom of a clay pot. On top, marinated chicken wings, shrimp, meatballs, and other meats were placed.

After everything was arranged and the heat was simmered, the most important step—preparing the so-called “three sauces”—was directly handed over to her by Master Wen!

It was rare for Tangyuan to “take on the responsibility of head chef,” so she was quite nervous!

Wen Mingtang hummed in agreement, withdrew her gaze from the fine rain, walked to the counter, and looked down at the sauce that ‘Master’ Tangyuan had prepared!

After tasting the seasoning and finding it just right, Wen Mingtang nodded. Judging that it was almost done, she, along with Ah Bing and Tangyuan, lifted the lid of the clay pot, poured the prepared “three sauces” on top, put the lid back on, and continued simmering.

And so… the rest was left to the stove!

When the bell rang at dusk, the constables returning from outside had barely stepped into the public kitchen courtyard when they were jolted by the rich aroma of the sauce and couldn’t help but take a deep breath: So fragrant!

(End of Chapter)

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