Chapter 199

“The Solitary Journey” has been completed, but Li Qingzhi didn’t relax.

If there’s one thing he cares most about in this world, it’s definitely his safety.

Even in the perilous apocalypse, he was single-mindedly focused on surviving. Compared to the apocalypse, this world was a thousand times better, and he wanted to live a long and comfortable life, hoping for the safety and happiness of his family and future generations.

But now… it seems someone has set their sights on him.

Strike first, then suffer the consequences later. He needed to find out who was behind him.

Li Qingzhi hired six laborers from Juewei Restaurant, assigning two to guard the school and the remaining four to accompany Jin Xiaoye when she went out.

When these laborers first arrived in Chongcheng County, their physical condition was poor, but after a year of recuperation, they had recovered.

Among the people protecting Jin Xiaoye, there was one who had looked near death a year ago, but now he had developed muscles and appeared strong, reputedly a skilled butcher.

“Mr. Li, rest assured, we will protect Shopkeeper Jin.” The others expressed their determination.

“Thank you all.” Li Qingzhi thanked them earnestly.

However, Jin Xiaoye felt a bit uncomfortable. “Is it a bit excessive to bring so many people with me when I go out? Even Zhu Qian, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, doesn’t bring so many people when he goes out in Chongcheng County.”

“It’s not excessive at all. Safety comes first,” Li Qingzhi said. “Xiaoye, those people dared to attempt assassination on even Guo Tongzhi. There’s nothing they wouldn’t dare to do, so you must be careful.”

“I will.” Jin Xiaoye nodded.

After Jin Xiaoye left with the laborers, Li Qingzhi looked at Zhang Zao. “Xiao Zhang, we’re going out.”

Zhang Zao responded and followed.

Seeing this, Li Laogen was somewhat displeased. “You don’t let me go out, yet you’re going out yourself…”

“Do you want to come with me?” Li Qingzhi looked at Li Laogen.

Li Laogen shook his head vigorously like a rattle drum. “I’m not going out!”

If there was an assassination attempt on Guo Tongzhi and Li Qingzhi had so many people follow Jin Xiaoye… it must be very dangerous outside, so he wasn’t going out!

Li Laogen was as reluctant to risk his life as Li Qingzhi.

He hadn’t lived well before, and now that he finally had good days, he wanted to live for a few more years.

Thinking like this, Li Laogen continued, “Ah Qing, you’d better not go out either. If you have to go out… bring a few more people with you? You’re thin and small. What if someone beats you?”

Li Qingzhi said, “Ordinary people can’t beat me.”

Li Laogen didn’t believe him. “You boast even more than me!”

Li Qingzhi didn’t talk to Li Laogen anymore, and left with Zhang Zao.

Watching Li Qingzhi leave, Li Laogen went to the school.

It was morning, and the students were in class. Since the teachers were busy, Li Laogen went to the kitchen and chatted with the kitchen maids, “Do you know? Mr. Li said that in the future, when he goes to the capital for the imperial examination, he will take me with him!”

“That’s the capital, where the emperor lives. Few people in Chongcheng County have ever been there, but I can go!”

“My Mr. Li is really filial!”

…

The kitchen maids: “…”

In the hot summer, cooking in the kitchen was very hard, and their clothes were soaked with sweat!

Li Laogen, on the other hand, sat next to them, fanning himself with a fan and talking like this!

Jin Xiaoye scooped up a ladle of water from the water jar and splashed it on Li Laogen. “Stop being a nuisance here!”

Li Laogen didn’t get angry even though he was splashed. “I’m not leaving!”

What’s a little water in the hot summer! He had been splashed with manure before! Anyway, with a son like Li Qingzhi, these people wouldn’t dare to do anything to him. Li Laogen continued talking.

Jin Xiaoye: “…” What kind of person is he!

On the other hand, Li Qingzhi went to find Ding Xi.

Initially, he wrote an autobiography for Zhu Qian. Later, through Zhu Qian’s introduction, he wrote another autobiography for Ding Xi and thus got to know Ding Xi.

But he didn’t have much contact with Ding Xi. In the past, whenever he had something to do, he always went to Zhu Qian.

However, Zhu Qian had gone to the capital and wasn’t in Chongcheng County now, so it was okay to find Ding Xi. In fact, this matter might be more convenient for Ding Xi to handle.

Ding Xi had many escorts under him, providing bodyguard services to merchants in Chongcheng County and surrounding counties.

When Li Qingzhi first wrote his autobiography for Ding Xi, he felt that Ding Xi’s life experiences were like a martial arts novel.

Because of his occupation, Ding Xi knew many people from all walks of life.

Back when Zhang Yunquan was rampant in Chongcheng County, he didn’t dare to offend Ding Xi, and Ding Xi wouldn’t offend Zhang Yunquan either.

Li Qingzhi went to Ding Xi to ask him to keep an eye out for any suspicious strangers in Chongcheng County.

In addition… Li Qingzhi also asked Ding Xi to keep an eye on the Hong family.

Very few people knew about Li Qingzhi’s identity as the Wanderer, and those who knew wouldn’t leak it out.

In the eyes of outsiders, he was just a scholar with some fame and outstanding knowledge.

Although he had written books praising Guo Tongzhi and Governor Zhang, it wasn’t a big deal. Nowadays, scholars writing poems and articles to praise a certain official were common, and most people would think he was doing it just to please Guo Tongzhi.

The Prince’s people wouldn’t necessarily target him for such trivial matters, but if others got involved, it would be different.

Li Qingzhi had always been wary of Hong Hui. He didn’t have a good feeling about this person.

“Speaking of Hong Hui, Mr. Li, not long ago, my men saw Hong Hui in Chongcheng County.” Ding Xi informed Li Qingzhi.

Li Qingzhi immediately asked Ding Xi to keep an eye on him.

Ding Xi readily agreed.

Li Qingzhi was very knowledgeable, and if everything went well, he would definitely pass the imperial examination. Being on good terms with Li Qingzhi would only bring benefits without any harm.

Li Qingzhi chatted with Ding Xi for a while before inviting him to have dinner at a restaurant.

As usual, Li Qingzhi had a good appetite, which prompted Ding Xi to ask, “Mr. Li, why do you eat so much but never gain weight?”

Li Qingzhi laughed: “I have a lot of muscles.”

Ding Xi didn’t believe it. Li Qingzhi had gained a lot of weight compared to before, but he still looked a little thin.

These scholars are too weak!

Ding Xi thinks that a man should be strong and sturdy, be able to stand on his fists and walk like a horse on his arms, that’s what is called powerful!

After dinner, Li Qingzhi took Zhang Zao back home.

He was very careful, but in the next few days, nothing bad happened around him and his life remained peaceful.

At most… Li Damao and Li Ermao were reluctant to give him the eggs laid by Dabao and Erbao, so they did not respect him.

Now these two children eat the eggs themselves after touching them.

They asked Chang Zhan to fry some eggs for them, and they ate them with relish every day. After eating, they would feed the eggs to Dabao and Erbao, and then praise Dabao and Erbao for laying good eggs.

It was at this time that Ding Xi found Li Qingzhi and said that one of his men had seen Hong Hui in the provincial capital.

On that day, Fang Xiuniang, whom Li Qingzhi had not seen for a long time, came to Chongcheng County and found Li Qingzhi: “Mr. Li, I saw Fang Zijian in the prefectural capital!”

After ruining her own face, Fang Xiuniang continued to bask in the sun, which made her face much darker.

Her appearance is very different from before.

She lived a good life in the capital city and made a lot of money from her braised food shop. A man even offered to marry her, but of course she didn’t agree.

Fang Xiuniang didn’t want to get married. She planned to earn more money, and then come to find Fang Jinniang when she was old, live with Fang Jinniang, and let Fang Jinniang’s descendants take better care of her.

Then… she saw Fang Zijian in the capital.

“I paid someone to watch him and found out he’s staying in a shop selling northern goods, but I don’t know what he’s up to. My mother also disappeared… Mr. Li, ever since the assassination attempt on Guo Tongzhi, he hasn’t left the house. Perhaps it has something to do with that incident.”

The more Fang Xuiniang thought about it, the more suspicious it seemed. That’s why she had someone watch the shop while she followed the person delivering braised meat to Chongcheng County.

“Thank you for informing me,” Li Qingzhi expressed gratitude. After confirming Fang Zijian’s whereabouts, he immediately wrote a letter and had someone deliver it to Guo Tongzhi.

Since the assassination attempt on Guo Tongzhi, he had been searching for the culprit but hadn’t found them yet.

Fang Zijian and Hong Hui might not necessarily be related to the culprit, but even if they wrongly apprehended someone, it wouldn’t be a big deal. They could just release the person later.

Not long after Li Qingzhi sent the letter out, Jin Xiaoye returned.

At first, Jin Xiaoye felt a bit uncomfortable with the four people following her, but after a few days, she got used to it.

Not only that, she found that having four people with her made things much easier. She hadn’t been dealing with matters at Jin Ye Embroidery Workshop recently. Instead, she had been looking for craftsmen to work on the glass. Initially, because she was a woman, the craftsmen or jewelry workshops didn’t take her seriously. But since she had the four strong men with her… when these people talked to her, their voices were much gentler than before, and they wouldn’t overcharge anymore.

All the glass should be made into jewelry by September.

Jin Xiaoye discussed the glass matter with Li Qingzhi and asked about the assassination attempt on Guo Tongzhi.

Li Qingzhi updated her on the progress and said, “In theory, the King Jin people wouldn’t target me. But I’ve had a vague feeling that someone’s been observing me. Also, things aren’t quite right on my father’s side. I suspect Hong Hui and Fang Zijian might be working for the King Jin people or even for the Prince of Yan.”

“These two are really persistent,” Jin Xiaoye frowned.

“They probably hate me to death,” Li Qingzhi remarked.

Li Qingzhi’s thoughts were accurate; Hong Hui and Fang Zijian harbored intense hatred towards him.

They had been wanting to retaliate against Li Qingzhi, but they couldn’t find the opportunity.

Recently, because of the assassination attempt on Guo Tongzhi, they had been forced to stay indoors and didn’t dare to go out.

“If I had known earlier, I would have paid some money to find a desperate person to directly attack Li Qingzhi!” Hong Hui exclaimed. “I want someone to chop off his hands and see how he can participate in the imperial examination.”

Compared to killing Li Qingzhi, he preferred seeing Li Qingzhi living in agony.

Fang Zijian also strongly agreed.

As they were discussing this, suddenly someone broke through the door…