novelraw Chapter 563 - 497: One Got Away
Chapter 563 - 497: One Got Away
Yu Xiaolian cleared her throat, "To be honest, tomorrow night, I’ll be going to Juming Pavilion to auction a solar-powered handheld fan. This is a new invention by my master, and there’s only one."
That’s right, it was something she recently found in the junk room.
"What is a fan? What’s it used for? Can you show us?" Old Hu’s eyes widened in surprise.
"This handheld fan is a device that can rotate without wind. In the stifling heat of summer, using it for a while instantly dries sweat and cools you down significantly.
However, I can’t show it to you just yet. It’s still with my master and I’ll only receive it tomorrow night."
Her purpose tonight was to sell the solar-powered small night light, while the handheld fan was a pre-sold product, just setting the stage for the two wealthy patrons.
"Just one?" Old Hu glanced sideways at Old Bao, "What to do?"
"Do you want it too?" Old Bao pulled a long face.
"Of course, who wouldn’t want something good!" Especially something made by a reclusive genius; getting one is a huge opportunity.
At this moment, both old men were silently complaining about Yu Xiaolian, wondering why she didn’t approach one of them individually.
How could this one handheld fan be divided?
"Gentlemen, if you both really want it, I can part with mine." Earning double so easily, she might as well earn double. After all, she doesn’t lack this item; it’s not worth being sentimental over.
"Really?" Both old men spoke in unison, unable to conceal the excitement in their voices.
Yu Xiaolian made a conflicted expression, "This thing is really useful in the summer, and I really don’t want to sell it. After all, my master put a lot of effort into making this."
Indeed, it took some effort; she remembered sweating profusely while searching in the junk room.
"Little brother, can we privately negotiate for the solar-powered handheld fan without going through Juming Pavilion?"
Juming Pavilion takes a commission from both buyers and sellers. Though it’s only a tenth of a percent for buyers, even a morsel is still meat.
Both old men looked at Yu Xiaolian with hopeful expressions.
Yu Xiaolian appeared to ponder for a moment, then asked, "Do you still want these two small night lights?"
The implication was clear: if they wanted to buy the lights, they could proceed with the next transaction.
"Yes, yes, we’ll take them at the price you said, seventy-thousand silver taels. Bring the items here at noon tomorrow, and we’ll meet as planned."
Yu Xiaolian nodded, "It’s settled then, at noon tomorrow."
If she couldn’t agree on the price for the handheld fan with these two old men, it wouldn’t stop her from continuing to Juming Pavilion tonight.
Yu Xiaolian left the gambling den, the outside was already dark, with only a few shops still open. The dim light of oil lamps cast shadows through the door gaps onto the street.
Because Bohai City is near the sea, even the night wind carried a faint fishy smell.
Fishy smell?
Yu Xiaolian sniffed; it wasn’t just any fishy smell but the scent of blood.
The further Yu Xiaolian walked, the stronger the scent became. Suddenly, she stopped at an alley entrance; the smell was coming from the alley on her right. She frowned and listened closely to any movements inside.
The hurried breathing of a person in the alley seemed to be right next to Yu Xiaolian’s ear. Curiosity drove Yu Xiaolian to take a few steps inside.
The person seemed to hear Yu Xiaolian’s footsteps and suddenly held their breath.
Yu Xiaolian took out a flashlight and shone it into the alley, only to have a blood-stained dart come at her against the light. Cursing, she sidestepped to avoid it.
Coming here was a mistake; she didn’t need to be involved. Turning off her flashlight, Yu Xiaolian quickly left.
"Help...?" The person unexpectedly pleaded with Yu Xiaolian.
"Help your damn leg!" Yu Xiaolian retorted as she strode away.
Anyone could deal with this; after selling her items tomorrow, she planned to collect some seafood by the shore before heading home.
If she returned late, people might think the County Magistrate’s Wife had fled to avoid fulfilling her five-tael promise.
Yu Xiaolian found the Tongfu Inn with its hanging lantern; earlier that day, she had booked a room there.
In her room, Yu Xiaolian’s mind was still on the dart that had flown at her, making her feel a lingering fear.
The next morning, Yu Xiaolian got up early, knowing that most fishing boats docked in the morning. To get fresh goods, she needed to catch the first batch. Remembering past experiences, she bought more crabs, shrimp, and other seafood this time.
However, she didn’t see the old couple who previously sold her crabs at the dock.
As usual, the fishermen delivered the seafood Yu Xiaolian bought to a secluded warehouse on the dock. Taking advantage of the absence of others, she stored the goods in her space.
After buying seafood, Yu Xiaolian found a stall selling seafood soup noodles at the dock and enjoyed a bowl of fresh seafood noodles.
After finishing the noodles, she checked the time. It was nearing eleven, so she headed towards the gambling den.
On her way there, Yu Xiaolian put on her mask and hat, only revealing her eyes.
Fully wrapped in black, she stood out in the bustling main street of Bohai City, drawing many curious glances.
Old Hu and Old Bao sat on chairs at the entrance of the gambling den, craning their necks waiting for Yu Xiaolian.
Yu Xiaolian, however, was delayed on the road. It was because of that alley from yesterday; the person was dead.
The Government was handling the corpse, and Yu Xiaolian usually wouldn’t stop to watch the commotion. But the Government said the person was a Hu Kingdom spy who attempted to assassinate the King of Linzhou.
Yu Xiaolian squeezed forward, frowning as she tried to discern familiar features in the blood-smeared face.
"It’s a pity that one got away. How will we face the Prince?" Two men whispered on the rooftop at the end of the alley.
"Just find a death row convict to take the blame. If the Prince finds out we couldn’t even handle this, our heads are as good as gone."
"Sigh... the An Family brothers were loyal to the Prince, but who would have thought... sigh..."
"There’s no choice; the Prince needs to give an explanation to the King of Linzhou. Sacrificing the An Family brothers for the greater cause is nothing!"
After a mournful conversation, the two men leapt from the roof and left.
Having heard their conversation clearly, Yu Xiaolian was now in disbelief.
So... the one who asked for her help yesterday was one of the An Family twins?
Weren’t those twins supposed to belong to Li Guangpu? How did they end up being Prince Jin’s people?
Although the two men never mentioned Prince Jin’s title, Yu Xiaolian was certain the Prince they referred to was none other than Prince Jin.
Outwardly, Prince Jin seemed to share a deep bond with Jun Mobai. Yet, who would’ve thought... who would’ve thought that if she were to tell Jun Mobai it was his dear uncle behind his poisoning, he probably wouldn’t believe her, would he?