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Chapter 167: Chapter 167 Love Flower Poisonous Insect
Xiao Chen held back his anger, gritting his teeth and said, "Come with me, my master wants to see you!"
"You expect me to just go because you say so? Wouldn’t that be embarrassing for me!" Huang Gun replied with a face expressing that wealth cannot be lewd.
Xiao Chen was speechless and pulled out a silver ingot from his bosom, "Will you go or not?"
"Just say so earlier! Yeah, yeah, yeah!" Huang Gun instantly changed his face and followed Xiao Chen with a sycophantic attitude.
The two followed Zhan Lan’s carriage and came to a secluded alley.
Huang Gun felt nervous and patted Xiao Chen on the shoulder, saying, "Hey, big brother, is your master planning to buy my butt?"
Xiao Chen truly didn’t expect the pre-enlistment Huang Gun to be so shameless.
Sitting in the carriage, Zhan Lan laughed and said, "Huang Gun, let’s make a bet. In less than half a month, you will be one of the top three in the Martial Arts Examination."
Huang Gun skeptically looked at the carriage curtain that wasn’t lifted, and Xiao Chen’s master turned out to be a girl, "Miss, you must be joking. Even though I think today’s top three are not so great, they are indeed better than me; skill surpasses me, and I admit that!"
Sitting in the carriage, Zhan Lan smiled with a crooked lip, that was the charm of Huang Gun. Though he often spouted nonsense, was vulgar, and frequently embarrassing, he lived sincerely.
"How about we make a bet? If in a few days, you make it to the top three ranks, you come and find me in the furthest estate down Jinchan Alley, terms set by me. If I lose, this one thousand taels of silver note is yours!"
Zhan Lan stretched out her hand from behind the carriage curtain, shaking the one thousand taels silver note in hand.
Huang Gun, eyes gleaming at the sight of the silver note said, "Ah, miss, you can’t use silver notes to test my determination... I will go to your house to work as a Protector now!"
Zhan Lan curled her lip, "The top three ranks of First Rank Scholar are top scorer, second best, and third place. After His Majesty confers military ranks, they become Deputy General, Assistant General, and Garrison Commander. How could I have an official as a Protector?"
Huang Gun pinched his thigh to believe what he just heard.
Right now, he was utterly broke and had nothing to lose.
Might as well take the bet!
After all, even if he doesn’t make it to the top three, he could still take those thousand taels from the girl!
Why not do it!
He excitedly said, "Alright, miss, I’ll take this bet with you!"
Sitting in the carriage, Zhan Lan said to Xiao Chen outside, "Give him another ten taels of silver, don’t let him find himself in a brothel before he hears any news!"
"Yes!" Xiao Chen pulled out another ten taels of silver and handed them to Huang Gun.
Huang Gun’s eyes welled up, moved, he said, "Miss, for your kindness, I’ll remember it in my heart forever, I’ll dedicate myself to no one but you... ah no, I mean, I won’t go to anyone but you!"
Zhan Lan: "..."
Xiao Chen: "..."
They left the alley without looking back, if not for the bond in their past life, they really didn’t want to deal with Huang Gun.
...
During Zhan Lan’s competition, Mrs. Li secretly went to seek her newly arrived nephew Li Changlong in Ding’an City.
Li Changlong stayed in the upscale Yunlong Inn, waiting for Mrs. Li.
It was Mrs. Li who said that there was a recent opportunity to let him meet Zhan Lan.
Mrs. Li, in a fluster, hurriedly left behind her maids Tie Chui and Tie Tou, and finally arrived at the inn.
Her nephew, Li Changlong, with a wine-stained nose, a pancake face, and a big belly, sat in the hall, eating a plate of braised lion’s head meatballs, belt fish, as well as peanuts and pork skin jelly.
With greasy lips, he said, "Aunt, staying at an inn costs quite a bit of silver every day. When will the task be done?"
Mrs. Li patted Li Changlong’s hand and whispered, "Don’t worry, your aunt will give you the silver. I will find a chance to drug her in the next few days. If you two end up in bed, she will have no choice but to marry you!"
Li Changlong chuckled slyly, "What does Zhan Lan look like?"
Mrs. Li made a silencing gesture to Li Changlong and whispered, "She’s a great beauty, rest assured, you won’t be at a loss!"
During their conversation, the shopkeeper glanced at them seemingly unintentionally and then told a servant to go somewhere.
Inside a room in the second branch of Zhan Family’s courtyard, Zhan Liluo was sobbing and hugging her mother, Mrs. Zhang, "Mother, you saw it, Mu Yan seems interested in Zhan Lan. What should I do to win Mu Yan’s heart?"
Mrs. Zhang thought for a moment and said, "Liluo, don’t rush. Mother went back to her parental home yesterday. Your grandfather pays five million in tax to the court every year and knows quite a few court officials. Mu Yan will definitely give face to your grandfather. When the time comes, I will arrange your encounter."
Zhan Liluo wiped her tears and smiled, "Really? But what if he doesn’t like me when he sees me?"
Mrs. Zhang’s eyes filled with schemes, she smirked sinisterly, "Liluo, why do you think your father only has me as his official wife and never dares to take a concubine?"
Zhan Liluo firmly said, "It’s because mother is strong-willed and grandfather’s family is powerful, so father naturally doesn’t dare."
Mrs. Zhang tapped Zhan Liluo’s nose and said, "Silly girl, you just see the surface. Actually, it’s because mom has a secret weapon. Once you meet Mu Yan, I can make him devoted to you, marrying only you in his lifetime."
Zhan Liluo, burning with curiosity, cooed, "Mother, what is it? Tell me!"
Persuaded by her daughter’s persistent questioning, Mrs. Zhang whispered, "You must never tell your father about this. I accidentally learned that there is a special kind of Love Flower Poisonous Insect in Miao Border. Miao women use this ’love poison’ on their lovers. Once a man is poisoned by the ’Love Flower Poisonous Insect’, he will fall in love with the woman who poisoned him. If the poisoned man’s heart changes, the ’love poison’ will cause him unbearable pain, making him wish for death or even die for love."
Zhan Liluo’s eyes widened as she listened to the unheard of, and she eagerly asked, "Mother, how do we get the Love Flower Poisonous Insect?"
Mrs. Zhang smiled and said, "Don’t worry, Liluo. When you were twelve, I already found a Poisonous Insect Witch and nurtured two poisonous insects with your blood."
Zhan Liluo was overjoyed and said emotionally, "Mother, you are the best to Liluo!"
"You are my only daughter, of course, I want you to be happy. As long as Mu Yan comes, I have ways to make him fall in love with you," Mrs. Zhang hugged her daughter tightly.
Zhan Liluo blushed and said shyly, "Mother! You’re embarrassing me!"
Mrs. Zhang curled her red lips and laughed, "You, being shy now? When I was your age, I already had you!"
Zhan Liluo blushed and asked, "Mother, when will..."
Mrs. Zhang patted her hand and said, "Look at you, so eager, tomorrow!"
"Mother, you are terrible..." Zhan Liluo covered her face, pushed Mrs. Zhang out of the room, and leaned against the door with rapid breathing.
Blushing, she thought: After tomorrow, will Mu Yan fall in love with her?
Will he marry only her for his entire life?
Just thinking about it excited Zhan Liluo so much that she couldn’t sleep.
...
