DiploNovel #603 - The truth is revealed
#603 - The truth is revealed
To gain Zhang Chen's trust, Zhang Gaoqiu was going all out.
At this moment, the only thought in Zhang Gaoqiu's mind was: "A heaven-sent opportunity! If I stand up for this kid now, I'm not afraid he won't be grateful and devoted to me. When I want to harm him in the future, he might even thank me for it."
Zhang Gaoqiu's heart was full of pride; he had to seize this opportunity. Looking at Wang Xifeng across from him, whose face was filled with anger, Zhang Gaoqiu quickly transmitted a secret message with his divine sense: "Aunt, I've heard about your situation. Just rest assured and follow my instructions, and I will definitely give you a satisfactory outcome. Not only will I take back the spot that this kid snatched away, but I will also ruin his reputation and completely make him a disgrace in the circle of the powerful and influential."
Hearing Zhang Gaoqiu's transmission, Wang Xifeng's eyes turned towards Zhang Gaoqiu, the light in her eyes changing slightly. Then, she took a breath, her face turning ashen as she turned to look at the seventh-order god beside her: "Didn't you hear what the young master said?"
The seventh-order god's face changed color upon hearing this: "Madam..."
"At worst, after you die, the family will recast a golden incense body for you, ensuring that you continue to live on in the form of a god. The family will also never mistreat your descendants," Wang Xifeng said, her voice full of coldness.
The seventh-order god's body trembled, his eyes filled with grief. He glared at Zhang Chen, and in the next moment, he slammed his palm fiercely on his own forehead. In an instant, the seventh-order god's divine light dissipated, and his entire body collapsed to the ground like a pile of rotten flesh.
A seventh-order god, dead just like that!
Zhang Chen's pupils shrank at the sight. This was a seventh-order god, no less powerful than a cultivator of the same rank. Once a fight broke out, even an eighth-order bloodline user might not be able to defeat him, but he had directly ended his own life simply because of a word from the mistress of the house. The Shen family was truly wealthy and generous.
Before Zhang Chen could express his opinion, his eldest cousin Zhang Gaoqiu had already turned around to look at Zhang Chen: "Cousin, have you vented your anger? I wouldn't dare to be disrespectful to my aunt. It's good that you've vented your anger, but we are still relatives after all. If someone really dies, it will damage the relationship between the two families, and it won't end well."
As he spoke, Zhang Gaoqiu came to Zhang Chen's side and lowered his voice: "You snatched someone else's son's spot to enter the academy; aren't you going to let them cause you trouble?"
Zhang Chen remained silent upon hearing this. He turned to look at his family, and then at Zhang Gaoqiu beside him, knowing that this kid had no good intentions. He wanted to see what tricks this kid wanted to play and whether he had the opportunity to take advantage of the situation to trick the other party.
Besides, he hadn't gotten the spot to enter the academy yet, so it wasn't a good time to directly fall out with them.
"Since that's the case, let's just drop it. I hope Aunt can control her own dogs. If you can't even control your own dogs, how can you manage the vast Shen family?" After Zhang Chen finished speaking, he pulled the three little ones and gave Zhang Shi a look. The family walked into the house, closed the door, and ignored Wang Xifeng and Zhang Gaoqiu.
Faced with Zhang Chen's attitude, Wang Xifeng's body heaved with anger. Then, her eyes turned to Zhang Gaoqiu, who quickly whispered: "Please calm down. I will take revenge tomorrow and ensure you are satisfied. However, you need to act in a play with me tomorrow. This play can't do without you, and I guarantee you will get that spot back."
Hearing Zhang Gaoqiu's words, Wang Xifeng snorted coldly and turned to leave with a flick of her sleeve: "I hope so."
Watching Wang Xifeng's departing figure, Zhang Gaoqiu turned to look at Zhang Chen's courtyard and quickly pushed open the door to enter. He comforted Zhang Chen for a long time, hoping to temporarily stabilize him. After saying a lot of 'we are all family' and 'don't fall out' and 'damaging the relationship between the two families' kinds of words, he temporarily reassured Zhang Chen and patted his chest to guarantee: "Cousin, just stay here. With me here, I will never allow anyone to bully you."
Then, he made another guarantee: "I will invite you to drink tomorrow and explain the various intricacies within the Shen family to you. The matters within the Shen family are not as simple as they seem on the surface."
After trying to build a relationship with Zhang Chen, he turned to leave to prepare for tomorrow's affairs.
Watching Zhang Gaoqiu walk away, Zhang Shi came out from the side, tidying her disheveled hair, her voice filled with seriousness: "Something seems wrong. That Zhang Gaoqiu and Wang Xifeng were exchanging glances; I'm afraid there's something fishy between them. The Shen family is a place of trouble; why don't we just leave now! If we really fall out with the Shen family, how can our orphaned mother and children contend with the Shen family?"
Hearing Zhang Shi's words, Zhang Chen smiled softly: "Mother, you can stay here for now. After I accomplish one thing, it won't be too late for us to leave the Shen family."
Seeing that Zhang Chen was confident, Zhang Shi stopped trying to persuade him, as long as Zhang Chen knew what he was doing.
Meanwhile, Zhang Gaoqiu went all the way to Shen Ling's residence. After the two met, they entered the house and engaged in some intimacy. Then, Zhang Gaoqiu put his arms around Shen Ling and stroked her delicate skin, saying: "I'm ready. Everything will happen tomorrow, but this matter still needs Aunt's cooperation."
Shen Ling hesitated upon hearing this: "Can't we change someone?"
Zhang Gaoqiu said: "Change to whom? If we change to a Shen family woman, I'm afraid the master and madam will go along with it and directly fulfill that little savage's wishes. If we change to another madam, they won't be willing to cooperate with us. Besides, even if others are willing to cooperate, I wouldn't dare to use them, in case the plan is leaked, we'll be in big trouble."
Hearing this, Shen Ling hesitated. Zhang Gaoqiu stroked Shen Ling's skin and said: "Now, even the spot for your eldest cousin to enter the academy has been snatched away by that kid. It will be difficult to get the spot back otherwise. This matter only requires Aunt to show her face, and you won't really be taken advantage of."
Shen Ling made up her mind upon hearing this: "Okay! I'll go talk to my mother. As long as that thief can be cut into a thousand pieces and torn to shreds."
He wanted to take the opportunity to play a trick on Zhang Gaoqiu.
The servant returned to report, and Zhang Gaoqiu raised his eyebrows upon hearing this, then walked out the door with a look of resentment: "Damn little savage, he's even putting on airs! Don't let me get my hands on him, or I'll definitely make him suffer."
Meanwhile, Zhang Gaoqiu went all the way to the outside of Zhang Chen's courtyard, tidied up his emotions, and then put on a hypocritical smile before pushing open the door and walking into the courtyard. He saw Zhang Chen looking at the sun in the sky in the courtyard.
"Little brother, I invited you to have a drink, why didn't you go?" Zhang Gaoqiu said with an affectionate smile on his face, revealing a hint of blame in his words.
"Little brother really has no heart for drinking because of what happened last night," Zhang Chen said.
Zhang Gaoqiu smiled upon hearing this: "That's not true. You have to go to today's drink no matter what."
"How so? Could there be something special about this wine?" Zhang Chen asked.
"Think about it, you and Shen Ling are engaged, and Wang Xifeng is Shen Ling's biological mother, your future mother-in-law. I'm setting up this banquet today, but it's not just me setting it up; I want to mediate and reconcile you and Madam Wang."
Zhang Chen nodded after hearing Zhang Gaoqiu's words: "I see, then it seems I have to go no matter what."
"You have to go no matter what! You should know that Cousin Shen Ling is also there. If you don't go, Cousin Shen Ling will be unhappy," Zhang Gaoqiu said.
Zhang Chen no longer refused upon hearing this. He went all the way to Zhang Gaoqiu's place, and saw Zhang Gaoqiu instructing the maid: "Serve the dishes."
As the two took their seats, six exquisite dishes and a soup, along with fine wine, were brought up shortly after.
However, Zhang Chen looked at the food and wine, feeling a little hesitant. He didn't understand the medicinal properties of herbs, and if Zhang Gaoqiu poisoned him, he would be in big trouble.
He made up his mind that he would stare at Zhang Gaoqiu, and if Zhang Gaoqiu refused to use his chopsticks, he would never use his chopsticks.
Zhang Gaoqiu also didn't use his chopsticks, but asked the servant beside him: "Have Miss Shen Ling and the Madam arrived yet?"
The servant shook his head upon hearing this. Zhang Gaoqiu said: "Go urge them!"
The servant acknowledged and left. Zhang Gaoqiu said to Zhang Chen: "Little brother, please wait a moment."
Then, he poured a glass of wine for Zhang Chen, picked up the wine cup, and said: "Let's have a drink first."
The two clinked glasses. Zhang Gaoqiu took a small sip and then put down the cup. Zhang Chen also pretended to take a sip and put down the cup, thinking to himself: "This kid refuses to drink, could there be something in the wine?"
Zhang Gaoqiu was also looking at the wine in Zhang Chen's cup, which hadn't decreased, thinking to himself: "This kid is really cautious, but luckily I was prepared."
So, he pointed to the table full of food and said: "Let's not wait, let's eat first."
Zhang Chen picked up his chopsticks, his eyes watching Zhang Gaoqiu, but he didn't dare to use his chopsticks easily. He had seen previous dramas and heard the term 'combination poison'.
The so-called combination poison is that a single item is not poisonous, but if they come together, they become poisonous.
Zhang Gaoqiu glanced at Zhang Chen, and seeing that he refused to use his chopsticks, he took the lead in using his chopsticks, picking up a certain dish.
Zhang Chen also stretched out his chopsticks and took a bite, following suit. He also knew a way to poison people, which was that the wine was poisonous, and a certain dish on the table was the antidote. If he didn't eat it, he would be poisoned.
Just like that, Zhang Gaoqiu ate a dish, and Zhang Chen also followed suit, which made Zhang Chen's eyelids twitch. He cursed in his heart: "What a cunning fox, luckily I was prepared. No wonder this kid was able to come to Jiangnan from the north, with this cautious personality, he's really a complete old fox."
But no matter how slippery you are, you can only drink my foot washing water. I already have a prepared method, making it impossible for you to defend against it.