vstars Chapter 43 Battle of Wits
Chapter 43 Battle of Wits
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Old Mai bid farewell to the gatekeeper and led a few men pushing the cart toward the inner courtyard. On the way, they encountered several patrolling guards, who, seeing that they were emptying chamber pots, did not ask them any questions.
Upon reaching the door of a room, Old Mai, seeing that no one was around, said to the men behind him, "Heroes, this is Master Gao's room. I can only lead you to the door. I'm too timid to go in. You can do whatever you want with me. May I leave now?"
The men behind him were Liu Ye and his companions, along with Mai Rong. After Mai Rong led them to his third uncle's house, Liu Ye didn't waste any words, brandishing a knife and explaining their purpose. Although Old Mai hated his good-for-nothing nephew for causing him trouble, he dared not resist in the face of the knife and could only obediently follow orders. Under his leadership, the group easily infiltrated the Gao family's residence.
Liu Ye said in a low voice, "We can't leave yet. If you leave, we'll be easily discovered. Please wait at the door with your nephew for a while. We'll be out soon." He instructed the two men to keep watch at the door before he and Lin San went into the room.
Upon entering, using the sliver of light filtering in from outside, the two saw a person lying on the bed. Lin San raised his knife to strike, but Liu Ye stopped him, making a pinching motion. If the person screamed before being killed, alerting the guards, their escape would be uncertain.
Lin San realized what was happening and lunged at the man, grabbing his throat. The man, unable to breathe, awoke with a start. His throat was being choked, preventing him from shouting. He tried to pry Lin San's hands off, his body twisting, causing the bed to creak. Lin San's grip was strong; soon the man stopped struggling, his body went limp, and he was clearly dead.
The operation went so smoothly that the two were very excited. Lin San lit a tinderbox to check if the other person was truly dead. What he saw stunned them both: the person on the bed had disheveled hair, delicate features, and was actually a young woman!
Had they been tricked by Old Mai? That shouldn't be the case. He's just a night soil collector; he has no vested interest in either side. It's impossible for him to help Gao Hongtu when his life is threatened. Liu Ye took Lin San's tinderbox and looked around.
Upon closer inspection, the problem became clear: it was a suite, with a door leading to a larger bedroom inside. It seemed the outer room was for the maids who helped the master with his washing and grooming, while the inner room was for the master himself.
Liu Ye felt a pang of shame; these two country bumpkins, who had never seen the world, almost ruined things because of this detail.
The maid had struggled just now, and it was unclear whether anyone inside could hear her. Liu Ye didn't bother to extinguish the fire and rushed in.
Upon entering, Liu Ye's heart skipped a beat, and he inwardly cursed. Inside, there was a large sandalwood bed, and a middle-aged man sat calmly on the edge of it, watching them. He was wearing undergarments, clearly having just woken up. Behind him, a woman huddled in the corner of the bed, trembling.
Lin San followed him in and saw the man as well. He placed his hand on the hilt of his knife, looking for instructions from Liu Ye. However, Liu Ye simply stared at the man without uttering a sound. Lin San could only remain on guard, waiting for Liu Ye's command to pounce and attack. He had no time to worry about whether he could escape safely.
This person was undoubtedly Gao Hongtu. He didn't shout, and Liu Ye, having alerted his servants, didn't dare to act rashly. The two sides were locked in a brief stalemate.
After a brief standoff, Gao Hongtu spoke up: "Two heroes have sneaked in late at night, presumably either seeking wealth or taking my life. May I ask when I offended you two? If it is only for wealth, there are gold and silver items in the cabinet in this room; feel free to take them."
Liu Ye gestured for Lin San to temporarily lower his hand holding the knife to avoid provoking him, and smiled as he asked, "I admire Mr. Gao's composure in the face of danger. I wonder why you didn't call out immediately after waking up? You have quite a few servants patrolling your courtyard."
“I woke up when you were killing the maid. If I had shouted, the servants would have rushed in and hacked you to pieces. But if you had taken me down with you before you died, what good would it have done to kill you?”
Liu Ye thought to himself, Gao Hongtu was a shrewd and capable man who could weigh the pros and cons in the brief moment he was awakened. The current situation was that if they couldn't kill Gao Hongtu and the woman in bed silently, even if they succeeded, they would inevitably be surrounded. Even if Lin San could fight ten people at once, he might not be able to protect everyone's safe retreat.
Gao Hongtu continued to undermine their morale: "You two can take whatever money you want. If you have offended us in any way, feel free to bring it up and talk it over. As long as it's not a life-or-death feud, we can resolve it ourselves."
Pretending to be attracted by the money, Liu Ye walked to the large wooden cabinet he mentioned, knocked on the locked door, and asked, "Is the money Boss Gao mentioned here?"
Gao Hongtu pulled a key from under his pillow and tossed it to Xia Tiannan, saying, "Yes, you two can take as much as you want."
"I'm afraid that if we take the money and step out of this room, we'll be hacked to death," Liu Ye said as he unlocked the door.
"I'm a businessman, and I keep my word. I guarantee I won't harm you two today. As for what happens after tonight... well, let's not beat around the bush. I will definitely use all my resources to find out who you are and why you want to harm me. Whether you can evade my search in Hangzhou is up to your own luck." Gao Hongtu's expression was serious, making it hard not to believe him.
If it were an ordinary petty thief, he might have been swayed by these words. Killing is only for money; if there's no need to kill, and the servants aren't alerted, why create unnecessary trouble if the money can be obtained safely?
While pondering a solution, Liu Ye opened the cabinet door. Just as Gao Hongtu had said, the cabinet contained gleaming gold bars and exquisite jewelry—it was essentially an ancient version of a safe. Next to the gold bars were several account books. Locked together with the gold bars and jewelry, these account books must contain very important records. He casually picked one up and flipped through it.
When Gao Hongtu saw that he ignored the gold bars and other valuables and even started flipping through the account book, his previous calm and composed demeanor immediately vanished. He stood up and stretched out his right hand: "Take any silver notes you like, but don't touch the account book. Knowing some things may not be a good thing!" His tone was no longer gentle, and by the last few words, his voice was stern.
Seeing how anxious he was about the ledger, even neglecting his own safety, Liu Ye became intrigued. He had a feeling that the information contained in the ledger was more important than whether or not to kill Gao Hongtu. He ordered Lin San, "Keep an eye on him, don't kill him, and don't let him move around." Liu Ye thought that keeping him alive might still be useful.