Chapter 141: The Tian Family's Backup Plan

When Meng Di returned to the post station, Bo Ren stepped forward to report.

"My Lord, the State of Lu has already sent envoys to the State of Qi to protest Gao Zhang's detention of you. The envoys from Lu will arrive shortly."

Upon hearing this, Meng Di immediately understood why Gao Zhang had suddenly released him at this moment. It turned out to be because the State of Lu had already dispatched envoys.

However, he felt a bit puzzled in his heart: why was the State of Lu reacting so strongly this time? Given Yang Hu's temperament, he was not someone of such resolute character. It seemed that something must have happened without his knowledge.

With these thoughts in mind, he asked, "When you went to deliver the message to the Tian clan, did the other party say anything?"

Seeing Bo Ren shake his head, Meng Di let out a cold smile inwardly. On one hand, Tian Qi wanted to use his own strength to set a trap for Gao Zhang, but on the other hand, he did not dare to take the slightest risk. Cooperating with such a person truly made one feel uneasy.

Regardless, having regained his freedom meant that his current danger was resolved. Next, he would wait to have an audience with the Marquis of Qi to see what kind of person he truly was.

He did not expect that later the next day, Zishu would come looking for him. Meng Di asked with some surprise, "I have already left the Prime Minister's Mansion. Why have you still come to study swordsmanship?"

"Do you take me for joking? I am truly sincere about learning swordsmanship from you. Besides, I brought you a generous gift today."

"A generous gift? What do you mean? Your brother played a huge role in helping me escape this time. I was planning to visit his residence later to express my gratitude. Why are you going out of your way to send me gifts?"

"This gift wasn't sent by me. Younger Sister Qian specially entrusted me to deliver it to you, saying she wants to thank you for the advice you gave her previously. Her complexion has improved much since then."

Mentioning this, Meng Di recalled the casual remark he had made while they were admiring the night-glowing pearl together. He immediately shook his head and politely declined, saying, "I merely offered a suggestion back then, and I had no idea whether it would actually work. To receive such a generous gift for it makes me feel uneasy. You had better take it back for me."

Zishu shook her head immediately upon hearing this, looking quite displeased. "Do you take me for a servant? Running back and forth for such matters! I've already brought the items here; you can keep them if you want, or take them to the Prime Minister's Mansion yourself if you don't."

Hearing her say this, Meng Di felt somewhat helpless. Although Zishu's temperament was a bit willful, her nature was not bad, and she never hid her true feelings—she belonged to those straightforward types.

Seeing him remain silent, Zishu waved her small hand, and the servants following behind filed in, placing numerous gifts throughout the main hall. She then grasped the bronze sword in her hand and said directly, "I've brought the things to you. Can we practice swordsmanship now?"

Meng Di needed time to prepare for his upcoming audience with the Marquis of Qi, while also considering how to handle relations with the Tian clan. In addition, he needed to visit Guo Xia before his departure—all of which required time.

Seeing Zishu's serious expression, it seemed inappropriate to refuse flatly. Then, catching sight of Bo Ren standing behind him, an idea struck him immediately, and he pulled Bo Ren forward.

"Wanting to learn swordsmanship is simple. This is an officer from my army who rose through the ranks step by step based on military merits. What you usually learn are merely forms; if you want to truly improve your swordsmanship, you naturally need to learn some combat techniques."

At this, a look of disbelief appeared on Zishu's face. She looked Bo Ren up and down, seeing only a look of awkwardness and the clear appearance of an honest, dependable man. How could someone like this be an expert? She questioned doubtfully, "Why do I feel like you're fooling me? He doesn't look capable in the slightest."

This was hardly surprising. Bo Ren had originally been a farmer tilling the fields, but because of his good aptitude, fierce combat capability, and considerable personal martial prowess, he had been specially trained by Liu Xia tuo.

That was why Meng Di had taken a liking to him. Hearing this, Meng Di said to Bo Ren, "You are a man of my army, and now you are being looked down upon. You should know what to do next, right?"

Upon hearing this, Bo Ren nodded heavily. His eyes locked onto a nearby tree, and with a swift reach, he snapped off a branch, tossed it into the air, and drew his sword with lightning speed, executing a series of continuous slashes. By the time he landed, the branch had been split into several pieces.

Without a word, he stepped back and stood quietly to the side. This display left Zishu dumbfounded; she had never expected that the undistinguished Bo Ren before her possessed such superb swordsmanship, and a bright light instantly ignited in her eyes.

Seeing that she had shifted her target, Meng Di slipped away immediately. Returning to his study, he pondered deeply before summoning an accompanying scribe and instructing him to write a secret letter back to Meng Yi, asking Ji Ran to pay attention to whether anything unusual had happened recently in Qufu.

At the Tian Clan's Residence:

Tian Qi held a tree branch, concentrating intently on practicing calligraphy in the sand table, his expression meticulously focused. At that moment, Tian Chang strode in hurriedly and waited until Tian Qi finished writing before speaking.

"Father, Gao Zhang released Meng Di today. Since we took no action earlier, it will surely leave Meng Di somewhat resentful. Shouldn't we do something at this juncture?"

Hearing this, Tian Qi paid him no mind, instead admiring his own calligraphy with a slight nod of satisfaction. He handed the tree branch to a nearby servant before turning to look at Tian Chang.

"Have the supplies destined for Meng Yi been prepared?"

Tian Chang did not understand why his father brought this up at such a moment, but he replied anyway, "They are already prepared, and the quantities exceed what we promised Meng Di, especially the horses."

Without haste, Tian Qi washed his hands leisurely. Only after finishing did he nod and say, "Since the goods are ready, there is no major problem. You should go visit Meng Di shortly and tell him that you have been busy procuring supplies and traveling around lately, which is why he could not do without the Tian clan's assistance during this time."

"Furthermore, the State of Lu's behavior this time is somewhat unusual. You had better send people to investigate and find out what has happened so we can prepare in advance and avoid being caught off guard."

At this moment, Tian Chang was filled with admiration for his father. No wonder he had been instructed earlier to procure supplies with all his might—it turned out his father had already prepared a contingency plan.