RPAGF Chapter 37 A Visitor in the Night
Chapter 37 A Visitor in the Night
Of course, the doors to the inner rooms wouldn't have any security features.
Moreover, Li Chong's residence was located in the backyard of the yamen, which was teeming with yamen runners. What thief would dare to come here to steal anything?
Therefore, when Li Chong went to sleep at night, he simply used a latch to lock the door, without locking it securely.
Moonlight streamed through the window and shone on the dagger hidden in the crack of the door, making it gleam with a cold, sharp light.
The dagger slid slowly from top to bottom and landed easily on the latch, then began to swing horizontally.
It didn't take much effort for the latch to be opened easily, and then the door was slowly pushed open a crack.
Following the crack, the person slipped into the room; judging from their slender figure, they were clearly a woman.
Once inside, she casually bolted the door to prevent it from falling to the ground and making a sound, and also to prevent anyone from noticing the door was open and becoming suspicious.
Then she looked into the inner room, where Li Chong slept.
By the moonlight, the visitor took the opportunity to look around the room and muttered something to himself.
"There's nothing in this corrupt official's house. I thought he had embezzled a lot of money, which is why he didn't dare let anyone in."
She tiptoed forward a few steps, then nodded thoughtfully, "You never know, what if they've all been exchanged for seeds and hidden away?"
After giving Li Chong her critique, she smoothed her hair, revealed the dagger again, and then took out a piece of paper and stuck it in the dagger.
Then, gripping the dagger in her other hand, she quietly crept towards Li Chong's bedside.
At this moment, Li Chong was still lying in bed, breathing evenly, completely unaware that there was an uninvited guest in his room.
"Hmph, sleeping like a log." The newcomer smugly rubbed his nose and chuckled.
But just as she was feeling smug, she suddenly stopped in her tracks and realized something was wrong.
A thin thread was faintly visible in the moonlight, the other end of which was tied to a teapot. The person who came forward tripped over the thread.
A single thread can't trip someone up, but the teapot on the other end is a different story.
Just as the visitor realized something was wrong, the teapot suddenly fell to the ground, followed by a loud crash.
At that moment, her mind went blank, and she instinctively turned to run away.
But she had just closed the door herself, so how could she reopen it so quickly?
Just as the intruder was frantically trying to unlock the door and escape, a deep voice came from behind: "Baoqin?"
Li Chong woke up.
Of course he was awake. With such a loud noise in his ear, if Li Chong hadn't woken up, he wouldn't have been sleeping; he would have been unconscious.
Moreover, he already had something on his mind, so he didn't dare to fall into a deep sleep and naturally sat up immediately.
Seeing the figure's back in the moonlight, Li Chong felt it looked familiar, so he tentatively called out.
Baoqin froze, too afraid to turn around, and only instinctively replied, "You've mistaken me for someone else!"
But that very sentence betrayed her.
Li Chong chuckled: "People can mistake one for another, but these voices are exactly the same, how could you possibly mistake one for another?"
Baoqin was filled with regret. Why did she have to speak up? Couldn't she have just opened the door and run away?
Now that my identity has been exposed, I can't escape anymore.
Knowing that the county government office was outside, and that even if she ran away, her attire would be too conspicuous to escape, Baoqin had no choice but to stop what she was doing.
She turned around sheepishly: "Master, I just wanted to come and see if you need any care, so I could cover you with a blanket."
Li Chong lit the lamp while wearing his shoes, and sure enough, the person in front of him was Bao Qin.
She was dressed in a black, fitted short outfit, looking sharp and capable. She even tied her hair up, giving her a modern look that caught Li Chong's eye.
"You're dressed like this to cover me with a blanket? Do you think I'd believe that?" Li Chong sat on the bed, looking at her with a half-smile.
Baoqin was a little embarrassed. She knew that this excuse was terrible, but what excuse could she come up with in a short time?
She immediately chuckled and said, "I believe you, of course I believe you. Seeing that you're sleeping well, I'm relieved. I'll be going now!"
As she spoke, she still intended to turn and leave.
Baoqin prayed silently, "I hope I haven't alerted anyone else. As long as no one is blocking my way, I'm sure I can escape."
"Stop right there," Li Chong said calmly. "If you dare to open the door, I'll shout 'Stop thief!' I want to see if you can scale walls and roofs."
He placed his hand on the door latch and remained motionless while holding the zither.
She was truly at her wit's end.
But Li Chong's actions made her determined. Her eyes narrowed, and she gripped the dagger in her hand tightly.
"Then what do you want to do?" Baoqin met Li Chong's gaze without fear. "You've recognized me as a thief, yet you haven't called for my arrest. What are you planning to do?"
Li Chong looked her up and down, his focus falling on the dagger in her hand: "You're not pretending anymore? Why don't you call yourself a servant anymore?"
Baoqin remained silent for a moment, then adopted a nonchalant attitude: "What's it to you? Either let me go now, or call your men to take me. I'd rather fight you to the death!"
As she spoke, Baoqin gripped the dagger tightly, took a few steps forward, and her threatening demeanor was fully displayed.
Li Chong chuckled, reached behind him, and pulled a long knife from under his pillow: "A fight to the death? How about we have a little duel?"
Baoqin's face stiffened. She looked at her small dagger, then at the large sword in Li Chong's hand that was longer than her arm, and she felt completely horrified.
Women are inherently weaker than men, and if they had weapons, Baoqin would have a better chance of taking hostages, since the other party was a scholar.
But if the weapon difference is so great, what chance does she have of winning?
After looking at the knife several more times, Baoqin almost burst into tears. She shouted angrily, "Why do you, a county magistrate, keep a knife under your pillow? Are you that afraid of death?"
Li Chong brandished the knife for a moment, still feeling lingering fear.
Fortunately, he was cautious. After all, Zhu Zhicheng's attitude was ambiguous, and he had unclear dealings with the bandits in the mountains. Although Li Chong accepted the two men Zhu Zhicheng sent, he was still somewhat uneasy.
Logically speaking, as long as his identity remains undiscovered, his life should be safe for the time being.
But since it wasn't 100% certain, Li Chong installed a warning device in the house and also got a knife for self-defense.
It turned out to be very timely, having been completed just a few days ago.
"Never mind whether I'm afraid of death or not, the question now is whether you're afraid of death or not." Li Chong pointed his knife at Baoqin. "Tell me, what's Zhu's scheme in arranging for you to get close to me? Does he dare to kill an official?"
Baoqin glanced at Li Chong and said irritably, "Who does that Zhu guy think he is? Does he even have the right to order me around?"
"Oh? It sounds like you, Baoqin, have quite an impressive background."
She retorted irritably, "My name isn't Baoqin! Don't call me that lousy name of yours!"
Li Chong wasn't annoyed; it seemed there was more to the story: "So what's your real name? Shouldn't I address you?"