Fish Meat – Chapter 32

The Seventh Year of Shenchu

Delivering the Yin Talisman

The carriage swayed on the road as it headed towards the Wei residence. Lingbi looked at Zhen Wenjun beside her. The pharmacy had been destroyed, and all her efforts had been in vain. She should be exhausted. But this young lady seemed unperturbed, even humming a folk song, which puzzled Lingbi.

Was she forcing herself to appear indifferent, or did she have another plan in mind for later? Lingbi thought the former was more likely. The reason this young lady seemed so calm was because she was fully confident. It was a big joke that this little child dared to imitate the benefactor’s clothing and appearance.

With these thoughts in mind, a hint of a sneer appeared on Lingbi’s face, even her dimples seemed mocking. Zhen Wenjun naturally sensed Lingbi’s thoughts but chose to agree with her without revealing anything.

It seems that Lingbi still hasn’t realized her mistake until now.

She must understand that many secret agents use “verification through characters” to transmit information, but there are more methods beyond that.

In the first month when Zhen Wenjun went to the old courtyard, Jiang Daochang often read 《The Six Secret Teachings》 with her, knowing ‘to understand human nature, observe the enemy’s intentions, and use it as a spy.’ In the beginning, the Four Lords of the Warring States cultivated assassins and scouts in various countries by nurturing scholars and accepting disciples, using them to gather enemy information. The method of using hidden messages was simple, as long as the agreed-upon rules were not revealed externally, it was difficult for the enemy to guess what secrets were hidden within a few ordinary words. However, this method also had drawbacks, as it was too obvious and conspicuous.

Lingbi followed closely by her side, observing her every move. Writing with a pen was the most suspicious action, and Lingbi would definitely destroy the prescriptions she wrote, thinking that the message must have been intercepted.

Lingbi’s reaction was within Zhen Wenjun’s expectations.

Therefore, the prescriptions were just a diversion. There was no information above the prescriptions. Because what she and the Xie family had agreed upon was not the method of hidden messages, but Yin Talisman.

The so-called Yin Talisman is more secretive than hidden messages. Hidden messages rely on words to convey information, and words themselves represent ‘messages,’ which are very sensitive and easily attract attention. But the Yin Talisman can be any object, a wooden stick of different lengths without any symbols can represent different meanings. When used on the battlefield, it corresponds to different meanings such as retreat, defend, reinforce, supply provisions, and supply logistics.

That pharmacy is indeed the hidden stake, but the stake is not the store, but a person. Not the shop’s assistant, but a inconspicuous servant who does odd jobs and sweeps the floor on the side.

Through A Jiao’s mouth, she made an agreement with Qingliu, not with written messages on bamboo slips, but with silver coins used to buy medicine as the Yin Talisman.

She knew the market price of medicinal materials and knew how much silver was needed to prescribe certain medications. If she prescribed one or two taels of medicine, it meant the mission had failed and she couldn’t get close to Wei Tingxu. Of course, if it failed, there was basically no need to use the hidden stake for communication. However, to be prepared for any unclear situations, she included this most likely scenario. Two taels meant the mission was successful and she had already gotten close, so she could act immediately and needed support. Three taels meant success, but the assassination would take time.

This time, she left three taels.

The servant sweeping the floor kept his head down when they entered the house. He had six brown patches on his clothes, proving that he was the stake. Zhen Wenjun, of course, didn’t look at him directly because there was no reason to do so, and it was important to minimize his presence.

The servant didn’t even lift his head, and he didn’t look at how much silver Zhen Wenjun gave. It wasn’t his role to do so. Zhen Wenjun also knew that he wouldn’t lift his head to avoid exposing his identity, so when she put down the silver, she held three broken silver coins in her hand and used her fingers to place them down one by one.

Thump, thump, thump.

One, two, three taels.

The servant quickly tidied up the cleaning tools and went to the backyard. Zhen Wenjun knew that he had left. He might silently climb over the wall, quickly leave the city in a prepared carriage, and meet up with Xie Taihang or Lord Yunmeng to pass the message to Qingliu. By the time Zhen Wenjun and Lingbi left, it would be too late when the Wei family’s shadow guards came in to destroy everything.

Only the innocent pharmacist and his family were implicated, and Zhen Wenjun felt guilty. She would find an opportunity to visit their graves and pay respects.

She believed that Qingliu would receive her message within two days, but now she had another worry. She didn’t know how Qingliu would relay the message back to her. If these thieves dared to harm her mother again to force her to act faster, she would make them regret their actions. She actually had a plan in mind. However, there were still some aspects of the plan that she hadn’t figured out and needed careful consideration.

Adapting on the fly, she transformed the Yin Talisman from a physical object into sound. After the message was sent out, three more days passed, and Zhen Wenjun couldn’t wait any longer in the Wei residence. She estimated that those fools in Qingliu wouldn’t be capable of delivering the message to the Wei residence, and they might not even be able to locate it. If she just sat here waiting for them to come, she was afraid they wouldn’t come.

She had to continue going out and wandering around. The message would surely reappear in a bustling place like the market.

Every day, her feet blistered, her waist and legs were sore, and her eyes were strained, but she didn’t find any potential signals. Lingbi was exhausted, and Zhen Wenjun herself was not feeling well either. She had no choice but to use Wei Tingxu as a shield. Sometimes she had to buy medicine for her, sometimes she bought shoes, accessories, and even a walking stick. She bought and bought, and in just a few days, she almost bought all the items that Wei Tingxu could use.

Of course, Zhen Wenjun didn’t have so much silver. She spent all of Lingbi’s hard-earned money in just a few days. The maid said that she would serve Zhen Wenjun with all her might, and it was just a matter of spending some money. The Wei family could afford it. But this cunning girl always asked to borrow from her, never directly asking the lady for money. In the end, if there was no money, she would have to pay for it, right? Lingbi watched her savings being spent like water, and she hated it with a vengeance.

In the marketplace, Zhen Wenjun diligently searched for new faces or looked for the secret signs used to contact the Xie family. When she grew tired, she sat down at a small food stall and ordered a bowl of soup to fill her stomach.

The stall owner enthusiastically served her, bringing the soup to her side while standing aside with a sorrowful face.

Zhen Wenjun disliked having someone watching her while she ate, especially someone with a gloomy face, which further affected her appetite. So she asked the stall owner if he had any troubles.

The stall owner said he wasn’t a local; he had fled to Taojun City a few months ago. He had some money and a bit of skill, so he set up a small food stall to make a living. However, business had been bad for some reason, and he was barely making ends meet. He couldn’t return to his hometown because of rampant banditry, and he feared he might have to sell his children. At this point, the stall owner wiped his tears with his sleeve and sobbed.

Seeing his graying temples and hearing his accent, Zhen Wenjun asked, “Are you from Anfeng in Suichuan?”

The stall owner sighed and said, “Yes, that’s right. How did the young lady know?”

Zhen Wenjun chuckled and said, under Lingbi’s gaze, “I once wandered around selling medicine with my father and lived in Anfeng for a while, so I can recognize your accent.” In fact, one of Xie Taihang’s concubines was from Anfeng, where the accent is quite strong. This Eighth Aunt had lived in the Xie household for many years without losing her accent, even influencing the accents of many in the household. Xie Taihang found her accent unpleasant and rarely visited her courtyard. This Eighth Aunt was also good at cooking and had once made this kind of soup for Ah Xun, who didn’t like it and gave it to Alai. Therefore, not only the accent but also this bowl of soup could verify the stall owner’s hometown.

“This soup isn’t bad, it’s just too strongly flavored with spiciness and numbness. Anfeng is rainy and cold year-round, so eating spicy food helps to dispel dampness, making the locals addicted to spicy food. But Taojun City is south of Dongchun, warm and humid, and the people here prefer sweet flavors. Naturally, a spicy and numbing soup won’t sell here.”

The stall owner sighed, “I didn’t realize this. This fresh and spicy soup sells extremely well in Anfeng; locals must have a bowl before heading out in the morning. Who knew it would be ignored in Taojun City? What should I do now? Besides making fresh spicy soup, I know nothing else. At my age, I can’t even sell my strength.”

“There is a way out.”

The stall owner quickly said, “I beg the young lady for a wonderful solution!”

“The name ‘Fresh Spicy Soup’ is well-chosen. Its rich, fragrant, and spicy flavor is very invigorating. However, the thick layer of red oil on top deters the people of Taojun City. Reduce the spicy oil on the soup by seventy percent, and prepare several small cups. Fill each cup with a little soup and offer free samples to passersby. Naturally, business will come.”

The stall owner was skeptical and said, “Just let people taste it, and that will work?”

Zhen Wenjun replied, “Give it a try. If it doesn’t work, I’ll buy all the soup you have today and give you a large silver ingot. How about that?”

Lingbi hurriedly clutched her purse tightly.

Anyway, business had been slow for so many days, and the stall owner had no other options, so he might as well give it a try. He took the small cups to the street, and sure enough, passersby were curious and tried it. After trying, they consecutively bought more than twenty bowls, and the snack stall was also filled with customers. Those who drank the soup all praised it as delicious and regretted not discovering this “immortal soup” earlier.

After the busy period, the stall owner wanted to express his gratitude, but Zhen Wenjun’s figure was already nowhere to be seen.

Leaving the snack stall, Lingbi couldn’t help but ask curiously, “Young lady, how did you know that after customers tried it, it would definitely sell?”

Zhen Wenjun revealed the secret in one sentence: “That Fresh Spicy Soup contains night hibiscus seeds.”

“Night hibiscus seeds? Aren’t they poisonous? No wonder the young lady didn’t take a single sip earlier.”

“Yes, my father and I learned this when we bought medicine in Anfeng. Night hibiscus is just an ordinary spice there, but they don’t know that it has mild toxicity that can make people addicted. When night hibiscus seeds are added to the soup, it enhances the fresh flavor, making people want to eat more after tasting it, unable to stop. Due to the layer of red oil, the residents of Taojun City, who don’t like spicy food, wouldn’t even look at the Fresh Spicy Soup, let alone try it. That’s why it never sold. As long as the spicy oil is reduced to make it appear light and refreshing, people will be more likely to try it. Once someone tastes it, they will get addicted, and bowl after bowl will be sold, with word of mouth bringing in a continuous stream of business.”

“So that’s how it is. The young lady is truly knowledgeable and extraordinarily wise.”

Zhen Wenjun sincerely replied, “I don’t dare to accept such praise.”

They turned from the main road to a small path, and then stepped onto the main road again. Zhen Wenjun kept wondering how the Qingliu faction would contact her. No matter what method they used, it would inevitably require contact, which would arouse Lingbi’s suspicion. Actually, whether Lingbi was suspicious or not was irrelevant. After all, Wei Tingxu had Lingbi follow her precisely because she was wary of her. The distrust towards Zhen Wenjun was already clear, but as long as Lingbi didn’t catch any concrete evidence, it would be fine.

Due to the extreme distrust of the Qingliu faction’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances, Zhen Wenjun was always very worried, fearing that they might reveal their true intentions while delivering messages, which would be embarrassing if Lingbi caught them red-handed. It was also possible that they might delay delivering the message due to a lack of opportunity. If any critical information or plans were delayed because of this, who could she reason with?

Just as she was deeply troubled, she suddenly heard the sound of two people arguing on the street. Initially, she didn’t pay much attention, but when she heard a specific phrase, her expression changed, and she immediately understood that this was a coded message from Qingliu’s scouts.

One man was leading a horse while the other man was holding a stick. Behind the man with the stick were three constables, aggressively blocking the man leading the horse. The man with the stick pointed it towards his face.

“You say, you broke three of my servant’s fingers. How will you compensate for that?”

Zhen Wenjun was very sensitive to the phrase “three fingers,” and upon hearing it, she immediately thought of her mother, her ears perking up.

The man leading the horse said, “Aren’t you eager to buy my horse? How about I lend it to you instead? This horse is strong and brave, definitely an excellent horse!”

A strong and brave horse is referred to as “xiao” (骁), which is precisely her mother’s name. That’s right, these two people must be from the Qingliu faction, and what they are saying must be a coded message.

“However, this horse is truly precious, worth more than the lives of ten servants, let alone three mere fingers. I can only lend it to you for a year. Remember that.” The man leading the horse raised one finger and repeated, “A year is the limit.”

Zhen Wenjun did not pause her steps, pretending she hadn’t noticed anything, and walked on directly. However, the words of the man leading the horse were deeply etched in her mind.

They are close to the prey, but need more time.

I will only lend it to you for one year. Remember, one year is the limit.

Understood. The meaning of Qingliu is for her to remember the pain of Xiaoshi’s severed finger and to give her one year to kill Wei Tingxu.

One year.

Although a year’s time is indeed too short, so short that she might not be able to gain Wei Tingxu’s trust, at least she has connected with Qingliu, and her mother’s life should be temporarily safe.

With this period of respite, she can think of a way; there are still variables in the situation.

That night, Zhen Wenjun finally had a good night’s sleep. She needed to recharge her energy to think of more ways to fight against Wei Tingxu, and also against Qingliu.

One year, a short span of just over three hundred days, she must use the fastest time possible to remove Wei Tingxu’s suspicions, becoming an indispensable and commonly used person by her side.

And she should have already successfully planted the seed.