novelhk Chapter 358 The King of Qin Understands the Whole Story (Part 3)
Chapter 358 The King of Qin Understands the Whole Story (Part 3)
Chapter 358 The King of Qin Understands the Whole Story (3)
The man, his face contorted with rage, slammed his wine cup down on the table with a loud crash, spilling some of the wine. His eyes widened as he stared intently at Wei Ji, shouting, "Young man, how dare you spout such nonsense? Let me tell you, in this Pei County, from a seventy-year-old woman with faltering steps to a newborn infant still in swaddling clothes, there's nothing or no one I, Zhang Mazi, don't know!"
Upon hearing Zhang Mazi's words, Wei Ji was stunned and speechless, his mouth agape for a long time. However, he quickly regained his composure and realized that his words had offended the other party. So he hurriedly stood up, bowed repeatedly to apologize, and quickly called over the waiter to order another pot of fine wine for Zhang Mazi.
After the fine wine was served, Wei Ji personally poured a full cup, presented it to Zhang Mazi with both hands, and said respectfully, "Brother Zhang, I apologize for my earlier rudeness. Please be magnanimous and don't be angry. To be honest, I came to Pei County on a very important mission. My elder brother lived here for a while, during which time he unfortunately encountered some rogue landlords who forcibly robbed him. Just when my brother was at his wit's end, he was fortunate enough to be helped by a kind man named Liu Bang, who saved his life. Since then, my brother has been very grateful to him." Liu Bang had always been grateful for his life-saving grace and longed to repay his kindness in person. However, despite his extensive inquiries and searches, he found nothing. Adding to his woes, a sudden family emergency forced him to return home. Even back home, he remained preoccupied with the matter, unable to eat or sleep, his mind consumed by the desire to find Liu Bang and express his gratitude. Therefore, at his brother's request, I have come to Pei County to continue the search. I hope that Brother Zhang, seeing my sincere heart, will help me carefully recall the past.”
After hearing what Wei Ji said, Zhang Mazi's expression softened slightly. He picked up his wine cup, took a small sip, and slowly put the cup down before saying, "I see. It seems your brother is indeed a grateful and thoughtful person."
Wei Ji nodded and replied, "Yes, Brother Zhang. If we can't find Liu Bang, I'm afraid you'll be uneasy and unable to let go for the rest of your life. I really have no other choice, so I'm shamelessly begging you, Brother Zhang, to put in some more effort to help me think of a solution."
Zhang Mazi frowned, pondering for a long time, his fingers constantly rubbing his chin, his eyes darting around. After a long while, he finally shook his head slowly, sighed helplessly, and said, "No, there aren't many families with the surname Liu in Pei County. There's only Liu Ji's family and his uncles' families. Besides them, there's absolutely no other family with the surname Liu! Maybe your brother remembered the name wrong?"
Wei Ji nodded slightly after hearing this, but a hint of doubt still lingered on his face. He pondered for a moment before saying, "Hmm... perhaps that's true. However, this matter is of great importance and cannot be taken lightly. I plan to find a way to send a letter home to inquire about the specifics and get to the bottom of things."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Mazi nodded repeatedly and replied, "Excellent, excellent! If you need any help, just tell me, brother. Don't underestimate me just because I'm a nobody; I still have some connections in Pei County." With that, he patted his chest, looking very confident.
Upon seeing this, Wei Ji couldn't help but smile, and bowed, saying, "Then thank you very much, Brother Zhang. If there is anything I can do for you in the future, please just let me know."
Zhang Mazi laughed heartily and said, "Haha, why be so formal between brothers! Come, come, let's chat for a while longer." So the two exchanged a few more pleasantries and pleasantries.
Before long, Wei Ji felt it was time, so he stood up, clasped his hands in farewell to Zhang Mazi, and took his leave. Zhang Mazi quickly rose to see him off, repeatedly reminding Wei Ji to be careful on his journey. And so, Wei Ji waved goodbye to Zhang Mazi and turned to leave.
After Wei Ji hurriedly returned to the inn, the others also returned one after another. Seeing that everyone had returned, Meng Yi gathered them together again to report his findings. Wei Ji recounted the information he had painstakingly gathered to everyone. The others, like Wei Ji, had also found nothing, and they all concluded that there was no one named Liu Bang in Pei County.
Meng Yi listened quietly to the reports from the people in front of him. As each person finished speaking, his previously relaxed brows gradually furrowed. After everyone finished speaking, the entire guest room fell silent.
After a long while, Meng Yi slowly raised his head, his gaze deep and solemn, as if trying to pierce through the void before him to see the target hidden in the shadows. However, no matter how hard he tried, his mind remained shrouded in mist, preventing him from seeing the truth.
Finally, Meng Yi said in a deep voice, "Continue the search!" His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable authority. And so, the days passed quietly in this relentless search.
These dozen or so people searched desperately for any trace of Liu Bang, but to no avail. Every time they asked the local people with high hopes, the answer they received was always the same cold, hard statement: "There is no such person as Liu Bang in Pei County."
As time went by, Meng Yi's doubts deepened. He began to wonder if they had come to the wrong place from the start. The Chu Kingdom was vast and boundless; could there really be another place called Pei County? Thinking of this, Meng Yi couldn't help but feel frustrated and confused.
Several times, he wanted to immediately contact the King of Qin in Xianyang and ask him for clarification. But each time, just as the words were about to come out, he hesitated, swallowing back the words that were already on the tip of his tongue. After all, as a subject, if he frequently bothered the king over such a trivial matter, it would likely incur the king's displeasure.
After careful consideration, Meng Yi finally decided to temporarily put aside the idea of contacting the King of Qin. He thought that since following the clue of the name had yielded no results, he might as well try a different approach and start with the other characteristics that the King of Qin had provided.
He tried hard to recall every important clue and instruction given to him by the King of Qin when he issued the order. After a while, Meng Yi seemed to suddenly think of something, and he raised his head sharply, saying with a firm gaze, "As far as I know, Liu Bang has two close friends by his side, and both of them are martial artists and are very brave."
As Wei Ji listened to Meng Yi's explanation, an indescribable feeling welled up within him. The more he listened, the more he felt that the characteristics of Liu Bang and his friends described by General Meng Yi bore a striking resemblance to Liu Ji, whom Zhang Mazi had mentioned to him before! However, considering that the information he currently possessed was not conclusive enough, and fearing that it might interfere with or even mislead Meng Yi's judgment, Wei Ji ultimately chose to suppress his inner thoughts for the time being and did not fully reveal his doubts.
After careful consideration, Wei Ji secretly made up his mind to conduct further exploration. Only when all the evidence was clear, undeniable, and irrefutable would he tell Meng Yi his findings without reservation and await his next instructions.