eurekapd Chapter 295 Lan Zhi's Guess
Chapter 295 Lan Zhi's Guess
She then looked at Wei Jianning.
"My lord, who do you think sent this assassin?"
After pondering for a moment, Wei Jianning shook his head.
"Many people want me dead, but I can't guess who it is even after thinking for a long time."
Lan Zhi's lips curved slightly, revealing a helpless smile.
"I can guess."
Hearing her say that, everyone's eyes were on her face, but she didn't say it directly, instead shaking her head to herself.
"Don't stay here, go back and rest! Life has to go on..."
Although she spoke lightly, Wei Jianning could sense the sadness in her eyes.
He pulled her back to the room and eagerly pressed her for answers.
"My wife, you said you guessed who wanted to assassinate you. Who is it?"
Lan Zhi looked at him with tender eyes and gently shook her head.
"It's just a guess, so let's not talk about it."
"No, your guess must not be unfounded. Tell me..."
Lan Zhi hesitated for a moment, as if she had made a great decision, and then said:
“If it were the Empress, Wei Jiande, or someone from an enemy country, the first person they would want to kill might not be me. But there is one person who wants me to leave you, and the only way for her to do so is to kill me.”
She paused for a moment, and Wei Jianning looked at her with disbelief, as if he had just realized something.
"You mean, these two assassins were sent by my mother?"
Lan Zhi nodded firmly.
"She is the only one who can do it."
Wei Jianning couldn't believe it and gently shook his head.
"Will not……"
"I'm just guessing. If you don't believe me, just consider it a wild guess."
Wei Jianning paused for a moment, then suddenly clenched his fist, gritted his teeth, and nodded.
"To be honest, during the time you were treating Aqi's injuries, I thought of everyone and even suspected that she was the one who did it. But I kept finding all sorts of reasons to excuse her, just because she is my mother. But... but I slowly realized that my mother didn't really want me to be happy. She just wanted me to become the person she envisioned."
"We left the capital without consulting her, or even informing her. She'll be furious. Knowing her personality, she'll definitely think you encouraged me to resign and return to my hometown..."
"Hmm, that explains it. She sent an assassin to kill you, thinking that if I killed you, I could live the life she had planned for me..."
After saying a lot of things, Wei Jianning suddenly smiled, but there were clearly tears glistening in his eyes.
Seeing this, Lan Zhi quickly stepped forward and hugged him, nestling in his arms and softly comforting him:
"Don't worry, my husband. This is just my guess and it hasn't been verified yet. Don't be so upset."
“Your guess isn’t just made up. We’ve lived in the capital for so long, I know better than anyone what she’s done and what she’s thinking. I just don’t understand. Even if she’s selfish, she shouldn’t forget the good things you’ve done for her. Without you, I, Wei Jianning, wouldn’t be where I am today. So why can’t she tolerate you?”
As he spoke, he buried his head in her shoulder, his fists clenched tightly behind her back.
Lan Zhi felt a little regretful; she shouldn't have voiced her guesses, causing him unnecessary trouble.
But apart from Consort Liang, she couldn't think of anyone else who wanted to kill her...
This night seemed much longer than usual.
They lay on the bed fully clothed, embracing each other tightly, telling many stories about when they first met, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing, and sometimes falling silent.
Even if Wei Jianning knew that the assassin was sent by Consort Liang, he had no other choice. He had to stay by Lan Zhi's side at all times, so he couldn't go back to the capital to find her. Besides, even if he did go, she would definitely not admit it.
Ultimately, the two of them decided that they would stay by her side at all times, whether at home or in the clinic, to ensure her safety.
three days later
Zhi Ning Medical Clinic officially opened, and firecrackers were going off loudly outside. Many people came to watch the excitement, but no one went in to buy medicine or seek medical treatment. The firecrackers did attract the attention of the government officials.
The man at the head of the group was Hu Erqiao, a clerk in the Xingcheng government office. He had a pair of small, shrewd-looking eyes. He glanced up at the plaque hanging high above his head and raised his hand, saying:
“Brothers, this pharmacy has opened without registering with the government. They really don’t take our government seriously. I’m shutting it down.”
Upon hearing this, a dozen or so officers rushed forward. When Wei Jianning and Lan Zhi came out, they happened to encounter the officers who were about to rush into the clinic.
Their gazes frightened the officials, who retreated repeatedly until they reached Hu Erqiao's side. Hu Erqiao angrily pushed aside the two officials blocking his way and strode aggressively towards Wei Jianning and his companion, pointing at them and demanding:
“Out-of-towners, this is Xingcheng. You haven’t registered with the government and you dare to operate privately. Do you really not take the government officials seriously?”
They both understood the principle that even a powerful dragon can't suppress a local snake, so Lan Zhi quickly stepped forward to explain.
"Sir, this pharmacy was registered with the government before. We just took over the business. It's not even the end of the year yet, so why would we need to register?"
"fart!"
Hu Erqiao stared at Lan Zhi with wide eyes.
"Has your clinic changed its name? Has the manager changed too? It's no different from reopening."
Wei Jianning pointed at Hu Erqiao and angrily rebuked:
"Watch your mouth. If you dare to utter another swear word, I'll shut you up."
"Oh, so this is a tough one? I, Hu Erqiao, am not afraid of tough guys. If you've got the guts, hit me. See if I can shut your shop down right now!"
Seeing this, Lan Zhi quickly stepped forward and pulled Wei Jianning aside, whispering a reminder in his ear.
"Husband, don't argue with this kind of person."
After comforting Wei Jianning, she looked at Hu Erqiao.
"Then tell me, what should we do if we didn't have time to register with the government office?"
Seeing that Lan Zhi's attitude had improved, Hu Erqiao immediately assumed that his official authority had worked. He rested his chin on his hand and said smugly:
"Your shop lacks proper permits. It will be closed for one month and you will be fined one hundred taels of silver."
"One hundred taels? Are you crazy?"
Standing behind him, Ah Qi blurted out in anger, and Yuan Tianxiong immediately followed up with:
"Is Xingcheng not part of the Northern Wei Kingdom? I've never heard of a shop being shut down and fined in the Northern Wei Kingdom for not registering with the government. We can just complete the paperwork now."
Hu Erqiao snorted disdainfully.
"Fix it? What do you think Xingcheng is? Let me tell you, this place is far from the emperor's reach. The local officials are the emperors here, and I, your humble servant, am the grand tutor. You think you can just fix things as you please? Do you think this is your home?!"
Seeing his arrogant demeanor, Yuan Tianxiong immediately crossed his arms, took two steps towards him, and smiled disdainfully.
"You, Grand Tutor? I think you'd be more like Grandfather. At your age, what are you pretending to be? Let me tell you, I could wipe you all out with a mere clench of my fist. You try me if you don't believe me."