Step Down, Let Me Come!

Chapter 22: Poison 

The surname of the royal family from the Xin country, was Shen?

Shen Tang resisted the urge to spit out blood and with difficulties smiled: “Even though if I say it you may not believe me, but you really thought too much”. 

Qi Shan said: “I thought too much?”

Shen Tang forcefully nodded: “Yes, you thought too much”. 

Her “Shen” had nothing to do with the Xin country’s royal family.

This really, I mean really, was just a coincidence!

Moreover - 

“Yuanliang, isn’t it beyond belief? If I truly was this person, how could I be in this kind of circumstances today…”

If Shen Tang was not the person involved, she would have believed it – logically speaking, the possibility of Qi Shan’s guess being true was high, but it was established on a major premise that she was a boy. Shen Tang was convinced that her body didn’t have an unfamiliar “tumor”. 

She! Is! A! Real! Girl

!

“Not to mention anything else, the officials escorting the prisoners wouldn’t let me go easily. The Gong clan members who were with me wouldn’t treat me like I was no one…” Therefore, this body cannot be the Gong Cheng he was talking about, let alone the one he spoke of, the illegitimate son of the Lord Xin who stayed in the Gong family.

Even if it was true, could Shen Tang admit it? 

Where was the way out for the prince/princess of the destroyed country? 

Qi Shan pondered.

He looked calm on the surface, so Shen Tang had a hard time trying to pry into his true thoughts – whether he was persuaded by her or whether he persisted on his view.

“I understand”. 

Shen Tang “…” 

Brother, what did you understand?

At that moment, she had the urge to open a hole in Qi Shan’s head.

“Go, fill the sack with the tea, the young master is in a hurry”. 

“There is also young master’s…”

“There is also…”

The shouts of soldiers sounded outside the tea shop.

Because the route was remote and the weather was too hot, the sacks were already empty. They laughed while throwing the sacks at the shop owner’s face. He endured it all. When his face became red and swollen after the slap, he showed an ugly smile and bowed his head. He picked up the sacks and put them in his arms saying humbly: “Yes, yes, yes. Let’s go-”.

He looked worriedly at his wife from the corner of his eyes.

One soldier seeing him dawdling kicked his butt and urged: “What are you doing wasting time? Quicker!”

The owner staggered and almost fell head first on the ground. He was pulled by the soldiers and started trembling all over. He didn’t dare to struggle.

The expression of the married couple who dared not speak out and dare not resist pleased the soldiers. The arrogant laughter sounded and was heard by every customer along with the sobs of the proprietress in fear. Everyone was furious, but dared not to speak out. Even Shen Tang started silently reciting “Bear everything under the sun”.

She mouthed it 3 times. 

“Sh*t, f*ckin world!” 

Qi Shan clearly heard Shen Tang’s cursing: “…”

He didn’t think that the young master Shen, who looked refined and noble, could sound like a gangster so much. These kinds of profanities could only be said by street hooligans and careless fools. Noticing that Shen Tang stood up, he asked: “Young master Shen, do you want to aid them?” 

Shen Tang said: “I’m not a fool”. 

A plan was needed to help others get out of their predicament. Openly helping wasn’t realistic, but this didn’t mean that they couldn’t help in the shadows. Shen Tang rubbed her head against a sleeve. She adjusted her expression to look pure and harmless in order to help the owner for once.

The owner was overwhelmed by a favor and immediately refused.

“Young master Shen, I can’t let…” 

Shen Tang said: “What’s unacceptable? Close to a hundred sacks, when will you fill it all? There are only the two of you. I am worried that it’ll be too much for you and that will make things difficult. It is my wish to dismiss them as soon as possible…”

After the tea shop owner heard it, his eyes became red. 

He choked with emotion: “Thank, thank you very much…” 

The circumstances were difficult for this couple, and only they understood the feelings of helplessness and despair. They also knew that the customers had no obligation to help. Who didn’t know how arrogant the Geng soldiers were? Burning, killing, looting. They were killing for pleasure and doing all kinds of evil. Everyone was afraid of death.

During this period of time, the soldier came to check on them. His line of sight swept over Shen Tang, who was huddled in a corner, while working silently. Because she looked young, worked nimble and was petite, she was mistaken to be the servant of this tea house. After staring for a while, the soldier thought that there is no problem and went out. 

The two people busied themselves for a quarter of an hour, until their foreheads were covered in a sweat. They ended filling the sacks and went to report of finished work.

Qi Shan was curious: “What were you doing?”

Shen Tang took a sip of tea, and even on her eyebrows were written “happiness”, these 4 characters: “Later, Yuanliang will know”. 

Qi Shan raised his eyebrow, guessing: “poisoning?” 

“You guessed right”.

“Where did you get it?” 

When the words fell, Qi Shan suddenly thought of something. 

He asked again: “Magic words?” 

Shen Tang smiled: “Correct”. 

Qi Shan took a deep breath: “Which one?” 

Or which magic phrase was so "devastating" and “overturning”?   

Shen Tang looked mysterious. She chanted slowly: “The green bamboo snake's mouth, the needle on a wasp's tail*”. 

Qi Shan frowned: “this magic phrase?”

It was the same as the previous one, “Zhouyuan is auspicious, pansy tea is like a candy”, both were never used by people before, or it’s better to say that they were deemed worthless. Only literally, the poison should be snake venom and wasp needle venom.

“Okay, I’m afraid the poison won’t kill them, so I added one more thing. Yuanliang, you might as well guess what it was?” 

Qi Shan had the ability to never forget things.

The thing that Shen Tang added was definitely in his scroll with magic words. The one that could be called drug, could only be… 

He reacted instantly: “Poison nut?”

“Correct”. 

It was a pity there was no prize for guessing.

The poison nut may sound unfamiliar, but if they talked about the well-known “mobility medicine” everyone would understand.

Qi Shan “…”

His eyes when looking at Shen Tang became more and more complicated - 

This young master Shen’s “way of princes” was not only related to “farming”. It could make the land fertile, and it could also create medical ingredients from nowhere?

Shen Tang noticed his strange expression and thought that he didn’t approve of this. 

“Yuanliang, do you disdain such matters?”
 

The big-hearted nobleman may not necessarily be accustomed to such matters. 

Qi Shan shook his head: “No, the way you kill them is not important. The crucial thing is the result”. 

When he traveled, he saw many defeated countries. He encountered many women who were forced and became pregnant or suffered from serious diseases. There were numerous funerals in every household. The severed limbs and remains could be seen everywhere. Just looking at the manners of these soldiers, could their hands be clean?

If they died, they deserved it. 

Only - 

“You added so much of it. Do you truly think others won’t be able to notice it?” They would taste it and spit it out.

Shen Tang smiled: “They would notice if it was water, but it’s the tea. The taste is different, and they would think it’s because the weather is so hot”.

Qi Shan: “…”

While the two were chatting, more than a hundred soldiers had already left. They took so much advantage of this couple and only threw three copper coins to the owner of the tea shop, directly at this face. However, the boss had to swallow his anger, put a smile on his face, and thank him.

Seeing that they were already gone, Shen Tang got up and stretched: “Yuanliang, let's go and watch a good show”. 

Shen Tang pulled out the mule, turned over and rode on it.

Qi Shan still preferred to walk on foot.

The two followed the troops unhurriedly, and Shen Tang said quickly: “Yuan Liang, poisoning and assassinating soldiers of the Geng Kingdom is a serious crime”.    

“You know it's a crime, and you still want to do it?” 

Shen Tang didn't care at all: “I don't have to worry if there are too many lice! I am a fugitive who is only half a step away from death. It’s fortunate for me if I live one more day. What are you afraid of if I add another crime to my body? But Yuanliang, you still followed me! Are you not afraid of getting into trouble?”   

Qi Shan raised his eyes, and said in a low voice: “I also said that I am not a good person”.

Name, you need to make up for what is lacking.

If it was the prosperous age - 

Looking at young master Shen, who was riding on a white mule and smiling happily, Qi Shan sighed secretly – that is probably the most beneficial “way of princes” for this world. 

Unfortunately, he was born in the wrong time.