Chapter 22 – Drink, kill, and have fun!

Chapter 22 – Drink, kill, and have fun!

In the following days, Meng Qingzhou's life was quite fulfilling.

He would wake up in the morning to cook, feed the dogs, water the flowers, and plant vegetables. When he had time, he would share his insights on swordsmanship with Su Qingqiu.

At noon, he would have lunch with Dongfang Liuli. Meng Qingzhou noticed that she was coming home more frequently; whenever she had free time, she would rush back.

In the afternoon, he would discuss and perfect the Empress's birthday banquet etiquette with Wu Die.

However, he couldn't understand why Wu Die always subtly inquired about the Empress. Whenever this happened, the ever-helpful Su Qingqiu would quickly step in to change the subject, preventing Wu Die from continuing her questions.

In the blink of an eye, there were only two days left until the Empress's birthday banquet.

Meng Qingzhou had almost completed his tasks, and the main arrangements for the banquet were in place.

Yet, Wu Die still found various excuses to bother him, trying to spend more time with him.

"Am I really that charming?" Meng Qingzhou touched his face, feeling a bit inflated.

Little did he know.

Wu Die was even more frustrated, almost driven to madness.

It had been several days, and she hadn't been able to stir Meng Qingzhou's emotions or find a way to infiltrate the harem.

"Sir, I have an unreasonable request. Could you help me..." Wu Die's tone was shy and timid, easily arousing a man's protective instincts.

Meng Qingzhou, with an impartial face, immediately waved his hand, "Since it's an unreasonable request, then don't ask."

His intuition told him that Wu Die was working for Zhao Gou, and it was a very important task!

In a novel, this would be a main storyline, and supporting characters should be cautious, or they might meet a bloody end.

"Uh..." Wu Die was taken aback, not expecting such a straightforward refusal. She thickened her skin and said, "I want to ask you to help me get into the harem. I want to see the Empress's husband. Is that possible?"

Meng Qingzhou was puzzled, "Why do you want to see the Empress's husband?"

Wu Die wiped her tears pitifully, "To be honest, I am the current Empress's husband's wife. He abandoned his family for his career, and I want to see if that heartless man has any conscience left."

"He left us to fend for ourselves, sob sob..."

As she spoke, Wu Die began to cry, her sobs heart-wrenching, making those who heard it feel sorrowful and those who saw it shed tears.

Meng Qingzhou rubbed his temples. He certainly didn't believe Wu Die's words. If he hadn't known her true identity beforehand, he might have believed her.

So, Wu Die's target was the current Empress's husband?

Thinking of Zhao Gou and the King of Shu, Zhao Yuhuan, Meng Qingzhou understood the cause and effect and knew what Wu Die was up to.

Wu Die intended to assassinate the Empress's husband to cause political turmoil!

Indeed, this was a main storyline. Luckily, he was smart and vigilant, almost falling into the trap.

This plot wasn't in the novel, likely a butterfly effect caused by a plot collapse.

Meng Qingzhou sighed lightly and said, "It's not that I don't want to help you, but I can't. As a minister, I can't trespass into the Empress's chambers."

Wu Die almost rolled her eyes.

Anyone else could say that, but not you!

The man who charmed the Empress, so mighty and strong, could make the Empress pluck stars from the sky for him.

And you say a minister can't trespass.

Are you a proper minister? You're a rebel against the Empress!

"Then... could you accompany me for a walk?" Wu Die asked.

Meng Qingzhou hesitated for a moment but eventually nodded, "Alright, but not for too long."

Before Wu Die could speak, Meng Qingzhou said calmly, "Your name is not Yu Die, but Wu Die. You are not a sixth-rank official of the Ministry of Rites, but a killer working for Heir Apparent Zhao Gou."

"With cultivation at the peak of the Cloud Ascension Realm, skilled in mental and poison techniques, you are a prodigious talent."

"You must have changed your appearance, intending to use me to infiltrate the palace and assassinate the Empress's husband."

Meng Qingzhou said, "Am I right?"

Wu Die's pupils shrank suddenly, looking at him in shock as if she had seen a ghost.

"How do you know so much!? My real name is known to very few, and even my cultivation techniques..."

At this moment, Wu Die truly felt the pressure from Meng Qingzhou.

When someone reveals your hidden secrets, unable to see the world but seemingly able to see through everything, such a person is undoubtedly the most terrifying!

"Sir, why... why didn't you pretend not to know? We could have been friends." Wu Die felt both guilty and ashamed, not daring to look at Meng Qingzhou.

"I'm sorry, sir."

She gathered her spirit needle, flicking her finger, sending an invisible needle into Meng Qingzhou's forehead.

"Don't worry, I won't harm you. The spirit needle will turn into threads, wrapping around and controlling your soul."

"Afterwards, I'll erase all traces, not implicating you."

Meng Qingzhou stood still, hands behind his back, as if he were controlled.

Wu Die, on high alert, observed for a while before finally relaxing.

"You really gave me a hard time."

Suddenly.

Meng Qingzhou spoke softly, still standing tall, leaning on his blind cane at the edge of the cliff, "If I kill you, I'll be dragged into trouble. If I don't, it's akin to harboring a criminal."

"What do you think..." Meng Qingzhou turned his head, revealing a cold profile, murmuring, "What should I do?"

Wu Die felt as if struck by lightning, horrified, stumbling back a few steps.

She tried to recall the spirit needle, but it had lost contact, disappearing into Meng Qingzhou's forehead like a stone sinking into the sea.

"Who are you?" Wu Die's face turned pale, her voice trembling.

...

Meng Qingzhou said calmly, "Just a lazy person who doesn't want to stir up trouble."

At that moment.

The old man in the straw raincoat took a step forward, causing ripples in the space, breaking through the void in an instant, appearing before Meng Qingzhou.

"Are you done talking?" The Sword Elder spoke coldly, taking out a jar of wine and a cup from his storage ring, filling it with wine, and handing it to Meng Qingzhou, "A drink for the journey, to forget worries on the road to the underworld."

Wu Die turned abruptly, recognizing the newcomer, exclaiming, "Sword Elder! Why are you here!"

What was going on? As Heir Apparent Zhao Gou's protector, why was he in the capital?

The Sword Elder ignored Wu Die, extending his arm to offer the wine.

Meng Qingzhou took it, swirling the liquid in the cup, smiling, "The undertaker—Sword Nameless, Zhao Gou's strongest card, with cultivation at the half-step Sea Covering Realm."

"Likes to offer a drink before killing, a peculiar habit."

The Sword Elder slowly drew the ancient sword from his back, carefully wiping it with a cloth, not answering.

Meng Qingzhou was curious. If he refused to drink the wine, would the Sword Elder still kill him?

After thinking for a moment, Meng Qingzhou drank it all in one gulp, casually tossing the cup aside, saying calmly, "Fine, I'll indulge today. Drink, kill, and enjoy!"