"Haha, you little official are really cunning and sly, as sly as a loach. I almost got away with it by you."
In the darkness, a girl wearing a black veil giggled, covering Zhu Ping'an's mouth with one hand and holding a dagger against Zhu Ping'an's neck artery with the other hand. She had a very good grasp of the position and any more would have cut the artery.
Zhu Ping'an half-raised his hands as if in surrender, and cooperated very well with the masked woman as she took him into the inner room.
"Haha, you are very sensible. I will let go of my hand. Don't shout, little dog officer. I am timid and my hands will tremble easily when I am scared. If my shaking hands scratch your neck, don't blame me, little dog officer."
The masked woman giggled and said to Zhu Ping'an, while deliberately putting the dagger close to Zhu Ping'an's neck.
After threatening, the masked woman slowly released her hand that was covering Zhu Ping'an's mouth.
"Cool, cool..."
The first thing Zhu Ping'an said when he opened his mouth was "cold", and his neck shrank back a little, as if he was chilled.
"Puff..." The masked woman couldn't help but burst out laughing when she heard that. She stared at Zhu Ping'an with interest with her fox eyes. "I thought you, a little official, would ask the lady to spare my life as soon as you opened your mouth. I didn't expect you to say "let me cool down". You, a little official, are really different from others."
"Ahem, it's really cold. Could you please hold the knife a little further away?"
Zhu Ping'an coughed, stretched out two fingers and tentatively pushed the dagger outwards.
"Still trying to play tricks... Let me hold the dagger farther away, will it be easier for you to escape?!" The masked woman sneered, and the dagger did not retreat but advanced, using the sharp edge of the blade to teach Zhu Ping'an a lesson.
"Haha, how could that be? Lady, you are overthinking. I am a weak scholar who can't even tie a chicken. How can I be a match for you? Playing tricks in front of you is just asking for trouble. As the saying goes, a man who knows the times is a hero. Now that I have fallen into your hands, I am prepared to be a prisoner."
Zhu Ping'an curled the corners of his mouth slightly and spoke softly, gently shaking his half-raised hands to show that he was very self-conscious.
"Haha, a dog can't spit out ivory. Not a word uttered by a little official like you can be trusted."
The masked woman giggled, slapped Zhu Ping'an's face several times with the dagger, and sneered at him.
Damn it! Don’t hit someone in the face!
Zhu Ping'an was hit three times on the cheek by the masked woman with a dagger. He cursed in his heart but forced a smile on his face.
Dog official, dog official, you keep calling me a dog official. It seems like you have a deep prejudice against me. Are you here to seek revenge? !
Zhu Pingan smiled, but his brain was working rapidly. If she was here to seek revenge, then who was she seeking revenge for? !
Zhu Ping'an's first suspects were Li Dianshi, Zhang Xiancheng, and Yao Zhubu, who he had dealt with last month. Li Dianshi was exiled to Liaodong, Zhang Xiancheng and Yao Zhubu were demoted to civilians and never employed again, and the other three families had their property confiscated. Speaking of hatred, in Jingnan, these three people naturally hated him the most. Could it be that this masked woman was sent by Zhang Xiancheng and his men to seek revenge on me? !
However, it does not seem like that. If the masked woman was sent by County Magistrate Zhang and his men to seek revenge, why would she be talking nonsense to me at this time? She should have fought back long ago.
Since you didn't kill him right away, that means you still have a chance. Don't be in a hurry, take your time.
The most urgent thing now is to paint.
Zhu Pingan asked with concern, "Lady, may I ask where is the girl in this room? She has a little baby fat on her face. Is she okay? I am a dog official. She is innocent. This girl has never killed a chicken. Please be kind and let her go."
"As expected, a word you say cannot be trusted. You said she has never killed a chicken? Then tell me, where did the chicken soup in the pot come from? Did it fall from the sky?"
The masked woman rolled her eyes and giggled, her tone full of sarcasm.
"The chickens are killed by others," Zhu Ping'an explained.
"What's the difference?! You didn't kill Boren, but Boren died because of you. You little dog official are really hypocritical!"
The masked woman glanced sideways, her fox eyes full of contempt.
"Lady, these two are not comparable. Whether Hua'er bought it or not, the chickens at the market had already been slaughtered. But Boren was different. Boren died because of Wang Dao's hatred. Wang Dun entered Shitou City and allowed his soldiers to plunder. He asked Wang Dao what happened to Boren. Wang Dao didn't answer, and Wang Dun understood and killed Boren."
Zhu Pingan shook his head and said lightly.
"You are quibbling!" The masked woman glared at Zhu Ping'an.
"No, I'm saying the truth, not sophistry." Zhu Ping'an continued to shake his head and said lightly.
"Hmph! The mouth of a scholar is full of lies!" The masked woman sneered and launched an AOE verbal damage.
"Lady, you are prejudiced against me. This is not how sophistry works." Zhu Ping'an looked helpless.
"So what do you think sophistry is like?" The masked woman seemed very interested, staring at Zhu Ping'an with interest with her fox eyes.
"I can say it, but before I say it, could I ask, lady, is Huaer okay?" Zhu Ping'an said.
"It depends on whether your sophistry can satisfy me. If it does, it's fine for you, a little official, to meet your little lover. But if it doesn't satisfy me, hehe... you know..."
The masked woman giggled, her fox eyes narrowed, staring at Zhu Ping'an with a half-smile.
What little lover?!
I understand your sister!
Zhu Ping'an was secretly complaining in his heart, but the smile on his face became much more natural... If you are satisfied, it would be fine to let you, a little official, meet your little lover... At least he got a definite message from the masked woman's words, that Hua'er was fine, otherwise, how could she let him see Hua'er.
This makes me feel relieved.
"If you're using sophistry, just give me an example and you'll understand, lady." Zhu Ping'an said with a smile.
"Raise it!" The masked woman blinked her fox eyes and giggled, "You won't not raise it, will you?"
Your sister!
Zhu Ping'an rolled his eyes. He was at the mercy of others and could only let the masked woman take advantage of him verbally.
"Two friends came to visit my county government office. One friend is very clean and the other is very dirty. I invited them both to take a bath. Lady, which of them would take a bath?" Zhu Ping'an looked at the masked woman and asked.
"Of course you go take a shower if you're dirty?" the masked woman said without thinking.
"You are wrong. It was the clean friend who went to take a bath." Zhu Ping'an said, "Because the clean friend has developed the habit of taking a bath, and the dirty friend is used to being dirty, and he thinks there is nothing to wash. So, lady, who went to take a bath?"
"Clean?" The masked woman raised her eyebrows.
"No." Zhu Pingan shook his head.
"Not right?!" The masked girl was angry and glared at him.
"No." Zhu Ping'an nodded, "The dirty friend went to take a shower. Because the dirty friend is very dirty, he needs to take a shower; while the clean friend is clean, he doesn't need to take a shower. So, may I ask, lady, who went to take a shower?"
"It's dirty." The masked woman gritted her teeth.
"Wrong again, of course they both went to take a bath." Zhu Ping'an pulled the corner of his mouth, revealing a hint of sarcasm, "The clean friend has the habit of taking a bath, and the dirty friend needs to take a bath, so they both went to take a bath. So, may I ask the lady, which of them went to take a bath?"
"Both of them go take a shower." The masked woman was shivering all over.
"Wrong again. Neither of them took a bath. The dirty friend has no habit of taking a bath, and the clean friend doesn't need to take a bath."
Zhu Ping'an pulled the corner of his mouth, but before he could finish his words, he saw a flash of cold light in front of his eyes, and a tuft of hair from his temple fell off. The masked woman opposite him was so cold that she almost froze Zhu Ping'an to death.
Zhu Pingan shrugged his shoulders, his face calm, and said lightly, "See, this is sophistry."