11/24/22, 7:25 PM Qiang Jin Jiu – Chapter 19 : Truth vs. Lies – Lianyin @ CangJi.

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Qiang Jin Jiu

QIANG JIN JIU – CHAPTER 19 : TRUTH

VS. LIES
Lianyin April 30, 2020

S H ARE ON

b d

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The breeze caressed past the hot summer night, whilst the moon hung
over the lush treetops.
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Xiao Chiye was in tiptop form, so the rush of wine promptly made him
P
hot. At the moment, he was irritable. He stared at Shen Zechuan as the
latter made his way down. He said, “So Zhao Zui Temple can still teach one
to purify one’s heart of desires and change one’s temper.”

Shen Zechuan dismissed the waiter and said, “I’m the best at grinning
and bearing it.”

Xiao Chiye accepted the waiter’s tea to rinse his mouth. Then he wiped
his mouth and said, “At least do a decent job if you want to make it up. You
probably don’t even know how to spell those last four words.”

“We are all just playing along for fun.” Shen Zechuan wiped his hands
and smiled at him. “Yet, you took it seriously.”

Xiao Chiye did not look at him. He simply threw the handkerchief onto
the tray and said, “The show is over. Who would believe that? Someone has
to play that particular role, no? I, Xiao Ce’an, was just perfect for it. Didn’t
you feel good watching it too?”

“That blade is a treasure.” Shen Zechuan’s eyes wandered down.

Xiao Chiye raised his hand to block his view and said, “And the person
isn’t?”

One of the lanterns upstairs went out. Shen Zechuan sighed and said
“How do you expect me to reply to that? That’s rather inappropriate.”

“You have a good eye.” Xiao Chiye moved his hand away and stared at
him ruthlessly and fiercely. “Few people can recognize a good blade.”

“The man himself is precious.”1 Shen Zechuan went along with his
words, “So naturally, everything he wears is quality stuff. Even a blind cat
can stumble upon a dead mouse.2 I was merely guessing.”

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“Why is it that when you praise me,” Xiao Chiye said, “I feel as if I’ve
seen a ghost?”

“You hardly get praised, huh?” Shen Zechuan comforted him and said,
“I haven’t even voiced my most sincere ones yet.”

The surrounding people had all dispersed.

Xiao Chiye said in a lukewarm tone, “You sure can endure.”

“Grand plans are ruined by a lack of forbearance. There’s more of my

capability to come.” Shen Zechuan smiled, “Don’t be so anxious.”

“Grand plans.” Xiao Chiye said, “Qudu is only this big. What else is
there for you to strive this hard for?”

“I was just saying.” Shen Zechuan paused and looked affectionately at

Xiao Chiye. “And you really believed it. Second Young Master, I really
couldn’t tell that you are the kind who are naïve and artless.”

“I’m just a frivolous young master who’s just loafing around drinking
and dining and waiting to die.” Xiao Chiye said. “How would I know how
treacherous the world is? There’s even someone like you to coax me.”

“My bad.” Shen Zechuan moved a step. “I saw how pitiful you were with
your talons and fangs sealed off. Slaying with your blade tonight must have
been pretty gratifying for you.”

“A little.” Xiao Chiye lifted his leg to block Shen Zechuan’s way and
said, “Where are you going? We aren’t done talking yet. “

“Sending you back to your residence.” Shen Zechuan said, “You helped
me out a tight spot tonight. I’m so grateful I’m shedding tears. There is no
way I can ever repay you for this kindness.”

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Xiao Chiye smiled and said, “You are so full of lies. You must have
deceived quite a number of people, huh?”

“There aren’t many who have been taken in.” Shen Zechuan looked
back. “A man always has to tell a few lies, like ‘I’ve lots of money’ that kind.”

Xiao Chiye withdrew his leg and said, “I’m nothing compared to you.”

“See.” Shen Zechuan said gently, “You’re being polite again.”

There was simply no way to chat with this man.

Because there was no way he could tell which of his words were the
truth and which were the lies. Every sentence was like the superficial
surface of muddied water. Even if he circled around it, he could still not pry
anything out of it.

Xiao Chiye turned around and whistled for his horse. He said, “It was
because of the incident tonight that you speak on such close terms to me.
Everyone is gone now. It’s meaningless to keep on pretending.”

“Then what can I do?” Shen Zechuan picked up the lantern and looked
at him gently and obediently. “Give you another bite?”

Xiao Chiye swiftly took a step closer and said with ease, “You use this
mortal flesh of yours to bewitch others. What do you want me to think by
looking at me like that?”

Unperturbed, Shen Zechuan said to him in a soft voice, “I was born with
such a pair of expressive eyes.”

Xiao Chiye used his whip to point between Shen Zechuan’s eyebrows
without touching it. He said derisively, “What a waste of those eyes. All they
contain within are machinations.”

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“I was born to be lowly.” Shen Zechuan lifted his finger and slowly
pushed aside his whip. He said, “If I don’t machinate, then how am I going to
have my fun?”

“I did what I did tonight for myself.” Xiao Chiye said mercilessly. “Don’t
you go around thinking it was because I’m interested in you.”

“The moon is so beautiful tonight.” Shen Zechuan said, “Why do you

have to spoil the mood and stop me from thinking so?”

Xiao Chiye flipped onto the horse and looked at him for a moment as he
held the reins. He said frivolously, “I fear that you will latch on to me
because of this bit of kindness and get on my nerves with all those weeping
and wailing.”

“Did you have too much to drink?” Shen Zechuan insinuated. “You are
beyond cure.”

“Who knows about that?” Xiao Chiye said. “It’s not like you have never
made such an unreasonable scene before.”

The night quietened down.

Xiao Chiye withdrew his eyes. This could be said to be a small victory.
He spurred his horse on a few steps when he suddenly heard the man
behind him say with a smile.

“Have you found what you lost five years ago?”

Xiao Chiye abruptly looked back and instantly reined in his horse. He
demanded in a frosty voice, “Return me the thumb ring.”

Shen Zechuan looked at him, but Xiao Chiye found the expression in his
eyes wicked.

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Shen Zechuan said, “Want the thumb ring? Easy. Bark twice like a dog,
and I’ll give it back to you.”

The gyrfalcon swooped down and landed on Xiao Chiye’s shoulder.

Together with its master, it stared frostily at Shen Zechuan. It was in the
dead of night. An unnamed watchman3 struck his clapper4 and startled the
lantern in Shen Zechuan’s hand into extinguishing.

The road went dark.

It was several days later before Li Jianheng dared to show his face
before Xiao Chiye. He was surprised to find that Xiao Chiye’s anger had yet
to subside. Ice fragments kept scattering all around them while they were
listening to the music, scaring those delicate, smooth-skinned ladies so
much that not one of them dared to come over to wait upon them.

Li Jianheng held the teacup in his hands to shield himself and

whispered, “Are you still angry?”

Xiao Chiye chomped the ice to pieces and said, “Nope.”

Li Jianheng’s hair stood on end as he heard those “crunch” sounds. He

said, “Autumn is right around the corner, so don’t eat ice like that. It’s rather
terrifying.”

“Such a big cellar of ice is prepared every year. It’d be a waste to leave
it there.” Xiao Chiye propped up both his legs and leaned back.

“Then, I’ll tell you something happy.” Li Jianheng could not help but
shift his butt over. He said, “That Feng Quan. You know who he is?”

“Who?”

“Remember that little lady I told you about.” Li Jianheng beamed and
said with shifty eyes, “Feng Quan is her younger brother. She has now won
the favor of Pan Rugui, so how could Pan Rugui not promote Feng Quan?

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This Feng Quan is such a glib talker. He even coaxed Ji Lei until Ji Lei was
over the moon and wanted to take him as his son!”

“From the looks of it.” Xiao Chiye propped up his head with one arm and
glanced at Li Jianheng. “You really have your heart set on that little lady.”

“Of course.” Li Jianheng said, “So, the incident that day was all done by
that bastard, Ji Lei. As his son, how would Feng Quan dare to defy his
father’s order?”

“So, you are saying you want me to let him off?” Xiao Chiye asked.

Li Jianheng was a flexible man who did not have the aspirations
expected of the descendants of the imperial clan. He hurriedly slipped
down from his chair and squatted before Xiao Chiye to implore him.
“Buddy, please let him off this once for the sake of my romance. Besides,
didn’t we make him eat until he puked? He’s Pan Rugui’s man, after all. It
isn’t good not to give him face. It has only been a few days since Xiaofuzi’s
incident. His Majesty is still watching us.”

Xiao Chiye suddenly stared at him. He sat up and asked, “Did you
touch her?”

Li Jianheng hummed.

Xiao Chiye said, “You touch Pan Rugui’s woman right under his nose?”

“If he were a real man, I wouldn’t do it.” Li Jianheng reluctantly stood up

and said, “He’s just an old eunuch with just that bit of trick to liven things
up. He beat up a delicate and ravishing beauty all day long until she wept!
This beauty was originally mine. If you were in my shoes, would you do it or
not?!”5

Exasperated at Li Jianheng’s failure to live up to expectations, Xiao

Chiye said, “No!”

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Li Jianheng pleaded again, “Ce’an, we are buddies! How big an issue

can it be? Hm? Just turn a blind eye. If you let Feng Quan off, I’ll give you
something else to play with!”

Xiao Chiye lay back again and said nothing.

If Pan Rugui found out about this incident, then Xiaofuzi’s episode
would be nothing in comparison. That old dog would definitely think of
ways to kill them both. His promotion of Feng Quan alone was sufficient for
anyone to get a glimpse of how much he doted on that woman.

Pan Rugui was already sixty-five years of age. He had no biological son,
and none of the pretty women around him these years could remain by his
side for so long. If he truly regarded this woman as his wife or concubine,
then he might even dare to hack Li Jianheng to death.

Xiao Chiye listened to Li Jianheng’s incessant chatter and said, “Since

you dared to do this, does it mean you already have a plan thought out?”

Li Jianheng sat on the carpet and lowered his head to study his moso-
bamboo fan. He said in a small voice, “… Not really… It’s just that I’ve heard,
heard that Pan Rugui had once kept a toy boy. All I have to do is to just
have to send him one to play with, no?”

Xiao Chiye said, “There aren’t many who could surpass that beauty of
yours, are there?”

Li Jianheng was on tenterhooks and did not dare to hide it from him. He
said, “Lately, quite a number of people have been asking around about
that… Shen Lanzhou.”

“Asking about what?”

“Asking about his price, and whether they could afford to raise him.”
Seeing Xiao Chiye’s expressionless face, Li Jianheng hurriedly grabbed the
chair and said, “Money is not an issue. But I don’t dare to look for him. If he

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were to take desperate measures after being pushed into the corner…
Ce’an, help me this once! You just need to send him to Pan Rugui. After the
job is done, I’ll give him silver! Or even gold!”

Xiao Chiye rested his hands on his knees in silence.

Thinking there was hope, Li Jianheng said again, “Don’t you hate Shen
Wei? Once you fix him this time, Shen Zechuan would not dare to throw his
weight before you in the future! Think about it. If he didn’t die, he would be
able to turn things around. But if he were to be involved in such a shady
deal in Qudu, he would lead a life worse than death! Furthermore, isn’t the
Empress Dowager also thinking of…”

“I thought you were using your brain while speaking.” Xiao Chiye slowly
pulled out his legs and said, “Turns out it’s all fucking mush inside.”

“Ce’an, Ce’an!” Seeing him leave, Li Jianheng lifted the hem of his robe
and chased after him out of the door.

Xiao Chiye stepped out of the building and mounted his horse. Without
even turning his head back, he left.

Even if they let Shen Zechuan be Pan Rugui’s forbidden pleasure,

would Pan Rugui dare to accept him? This man was the man the Empress
Dowager was always watching with the intent to protect. If Pan Rugui dared
to take him, then he would be burning his own bridges. Li Jianheng was out
of his mind!

But, if Li Jianheng really dared to do that.

If Li Jianheng really dared to do that…

How would he suddenly dare to do that?

Shen Zechuan got off work. He had only just removed his authority
token and stepped out of the door when he saw that excellent, handsome

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steed of Xiao Chiye.

He descended the stairs and asked, “Here to ask for your thumb ring
back?”

Xiao Chiye snapped off a branch with leaves and held it between his
teeth. He looked at him for a moment and said, “It’s broad daylight, and you
are still not sober? Return it to me. Stop bullshitting me.”

“You weren’t this short-tempered that other night.” Shen Zechuan

looked at the sky. “It would be too humiliating for the Viceroy if you were to
stand here and bark like a dog. Which means you aren’t here for the thumb
ring. So what’s the matter? Spit it out.”

“Aren’t you well aware of what’s the matter?” Xiao Chiye sat on the rock
with his long legs to prop up his elbows and arms. “Prince Chu wanted to
give Xiaofuzi a thrashing, and you could even get a line on it from inside the
temple. I forgot all about it at the turn of the head. But now that I think
about it, you must have planted a man by his side, right? If he wasn’t an
informer, then he was the instigator who told him to do so.”

“If I were that capable.” Shen Zechuan said, “I would not have been
reduced to raising elephants.”

“Who knows if that’s the truth or a lie?” Xiao Chiye’s eyes were aloof and
cold. “You have to give me a clear account before I can decide whether or
not to believe it.”

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GLOSSARY : Characters GLOSSARY : Places

Footnotes

1. 宝贝 baobei; treasure, or precious, but can also mean darling or baby.

e.g., parents may call their children baobei, or lovers may address each
other as baobei too. 

2. 瞎猫撞上死耗子 literally, a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse. i.e.,

by sheer luck. 

3. 更夫 (or 打更人) A night watchman who typically patrolled the streets at

night with a wooden clapper or a g/ong and a mallet and regularly
sounded the instruments at certain intervals to remind the others of the
time and to look out for potential fire hazards. (See next footnote for a
watchman with a clapper.) 

4.

梆子 watchman’s wooden or bamboo clapper. 

5. 干 the word means “do” (an action), but it can also mean to screw
(someone sexually). So when Li Jianheng said “do it”, it could also mean

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“screw her” or “do her”. 

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Synopsis

◈ Nan Chan
◈ Qiang Jin Jiu
◈ Time-Limited Hunt
◈ Right on Target
◈ Fox Demon Cultivation Manual

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