Heaven's Formula

Before Chen Qiran finished speaking, he picked up the teacup on the table.

This is already the meaning of seeing off guests.

The latter could only swallow the words into his mouth, stared at him for a while and then cupped his hands helplessly, "If you change your mind, you can come to me at any time."

"It's easy to leave." Zhou Sheng snorted softly.

"By the way." When he reached the door, Mr. Chen suddenly turned around, "Did you know? Miss Liu is getting married."

"What did you say!?" His fingers trembled violently, almost knocking the cup to the ground.

"The person who married her is also an official in the Bureau. I heard that her background and background are quite good."

"She's just a girl in Chunlou, how could someone—" Zhou Sheng gritted his teeth.

"That was all in the past." Chen Qiran's tone was slightly emotional, "Now Miss Liu is a famous figure in the Ministry of Education, and half of the students who come out of the school have been taught by her. In a few years, Maybe she will be directly promoted to an official of the Ministry of Education, and in the past at least she would be a sixth-rank assistant official, how can such a person be a concubine?"

"..." Zhou Sheng felt a fire burning in his heart.

He thought that he had long forgotten about this person, and even if he noticed her occasionally, it would be condescending to look down on how miserable her life was.

When the rebel army disintegrated and everything in Jinxia City returned to normal, she would naturally understand what a stupid mistake it was to reject herself.

However, when he found that things were contrary to his wishes, the name pierced into the bottom of his heart like an awl.

"When the time comes, Mr. Hu and I plan to go to celebrate, and we can say goodbye to the previous absurdity." Chen Qiran rubbed the back of his head, "In short... I think I should tell you about this, even if you don't want to go, we You can also celebrate on your behalf. Then... I will take my leave first."

The gate of the courtyard was closed, and silence returned to the house.

Zhou Sheng sat in front of the table blankly, completely lost his drink.

Liu Ruyan was actually going to marry someone, and he was still marrying the way of a bright matchmaker, and the partner was not high-ranking. This situation was completely beyond his acceptable range.

What's even more unreasonable is that Mr. Chen and the others actually approved of this situation, and they didn't think it was absurd for a brothel woman to be the official wife, or even an official of the bureau.

Sixth grade officer...

Even if he ranks among the top three in the palace examination, the starting point is around the sixth rank.

Wouldn't his hard study for so many years become a joke?

Of course, reading books is definitely not a mistake. What is wrong is that these rebels treat the regime as a trifling matter!

After a while, Zhou Sheng clenched his fists and made up his mind.

He dug out the pen, paper and ink cartridges from the mess, and began to write letters—he had written many letters like this, and at the beginning, there would be secret agents from the Privy Council to contact him. I commissioned a caravan to send it to Gyeonggi without interruption every month.

These letters are full of information he has collected, such as where the Jinxia Army is stationed, and what weird things have been concocted by the Machine Building Bureau. Unfortunately, all the secret letters have disappeared, and he has never received a single reply.

Until recently, Zhou Sheng also became disheartened and buried himself in a wine bottle all day long to suppress his fear of exposure.

But the news brought by Mr. Chen cheered him up again.

After finishing writing the letter, Zhou Sheng folded it carefully, stuffed it into an envelope, and then walked out of the compound—this time, he didn't bring the flagon.

……

Two weeks later.

In a private house in Jinxia West District, Zhou Sheng was making final preparations.He had lost a lot of weight these days, his clothes were no longer as neat and clean as before, and layers of stubble appeared on his face.

When the house was sold, he got a lot of cash.Originally, he planned to rent a smaller house with the money, and send the rest to his parents, neither taking responsibility for himself nor the Zhou family.But now, the money has a more important use.

"My lord, the carriage is ready." A servant rubbed his hands and said.

The quality of these helpers hired from the surrounding towns is far lower than that of his own servants, but now he has no better choice.Zhou Sheng lifted the curtains calmly, and looked out with his head. It was already the third watch, and according to Jinxia's new timing method, it was one o'clock in the morning.Logically speaking, during this time period, most people would fall asleep early, and the city would be shrouded in darkness. However, even in the middle of the night in Jinxia City, some fires can still be seen in the yard area and the direction of the harbor pier.He heard that the sea fishing of the elves will continue until the evening. In order to ensure the freshness of the food, some fish will be slaughtered after midnight, and those merchants who are looking for high-quality products will also gather in the harbor and warehouses at the first time. Your favorite goods.

Thanks to this group of people, even if he drove the carriage in the early morning, he would not attract the attention of the surrounding residents.

"Very good, let's go with me." Zhou Sheng said in a deep voice.

Chapter 8 and Chapter [-]

Soon, two carriages came out of the alley and drove quietly towards the city wall in the northwest.

In the past two weeks, Zhou Sheng has verified in detail what Mr. Chen said - the Jinxia City Affairs Bureau is indeed carrying out a massive water supply project, and it is advancing at an extremely fast speed. Now it has been able to send water to the West, two northern districts.No matter in the streets or alleys or teahouses, people are discussing this matter enthusiastically. It doesn't take him much effort to confirm that this seemingly incredible project is not a rumor, and the Bureau of Affairs really wants to solve it for the residents of the city. This is less than a hundred steps to fetch water.

And all the water comes from the Jiujiang.

Jinxia City has opened up a new factory area in the west, covering an area of ​​about [-] mu. The surrounding areas are separated by simple fences, and there are many reservoirs inside.A large amount of running water from the downstream is continuously pumped into it, and then transported to various urban areas. Even if they are separated by hundreds of feet, they can still hear the sound of rushing water and the rhythmic roar of mechanism creations.

Zhou Sheng decided not to wait any longer.

He wants the people above to see his abilities.

Even an unarmed scholar can explode with great strength in the face of adversity.

"Go to the street on the left, yes, it's here - stop two hundred steps ahead." He sat on the front edge of the carriage and instructed.

The coachman did as he was told.

The two cars slowly stopped by the fence of the water plant.

"Quick, do it now!" Zhou Sheng was the first to jump out of the carriage, "Get me a saw and cut a hole in these fences!"

The subordinates he recruited approached one after another, but they didn't obey the order immediately.

"Uh...Young Master, this is the territory of the Bureau, right?"

"Yeah." Others showed signs of hesitation, "Are you sure you want to make a hole here?"

Zhou Sheng was laughed out of anger for a moment. In order to move smoothly, he went to the surrounding towns to recruit people, and they all claimed to be ruthless characters who killed people without blinking an eye.Judging from their attire and style, they are also quacks who are willing to risk their lives for a chance. They didn't expect that even sawing a fence would make them look embarrassed.

He didn't know whether to say that he had found the wrong person, or that the Bureau's reputation was so strong that even outsiders would be afraid of it.

"Don't you want money!?" Zhou Sheng lowered his voice and said viciously, "I won't let you kill others, and second, I won't let you rob others. It's just to help me deliver some things! Even if you are arrested by the government afterwards Now, it’s just a few years of hard labor, what are you afraid of?”

"This..." Everyone couldn't help but looked at each other.

Young Master Zhou's heart began to sink.He didn't expect that the plan would encounter such obstacles at the very beginning.Before recruiting people, in order to avoid leaking the plan, he naturally didn't explain his thoughts clearly, but each of the group patted their chests and said that there was no job they dared not do, and he didn't take the matter of cutting the fence to heart.Seeing the passing of time now, there will be patrols passing by in a quarter of an hour or two, and he obviously can't delay any longer.

How to do?

Temporarily increase the bounty to encourage them?

This is not a good choice, Zhou Sheng is well aware of the greedy nature of these people, once they open their mouths, it may make them sit on the ground and raise the price.

"My lord is right, what's the matter with the Bureau? The fence of his house can't be touched?" At this moment, a small man relieved him, only to see the man spat out the thatch in his mouth, took a saw and started sawing at the fence. . "Stop talking nonsense, hurry up and finish this job, the young master still has money to spend!"

"That's right," another strong man echoed, "Sawing a piece of wood is easier than killing people. If anyone doesn't want to do it, just leave me now, and save a lot of money."

Seeing someone start, the remaining few became more courageous.

What's more, the strong man is honest, he only gets paid for his work, even if he goes to prison for a few years, as long as he gets the reward, he can still live a good life when he comes out.

The fence set up around the water plant is basically made of wood, and the height is only about one and a half people, so it is not difficult to cut it.After working for about a quarter of an hour, everyone opened a "gap" on the fence for carriages to pass through.

Zhou Sheng let out a long breath.

He called the coachman to drive the carriage into the factory, then took out the prepared rivets and hemp rope, rejoined the cut wooden frame, and reserved a section of pulling rope—in this way, the patrols did not look carefully. It is difficult to find that the fence here has been damaged, and when the time comes to retreat, you only need to pull the rope hard to reopen the gap.

"Go to the pool." He ordered, and at the same time, took another look at the two "early birds".The little man has scars on his face, and he doesn't usually talk much, but his eyes are quite fierce, and he can tell at a glance that he is not a good person.The brawny man is much more ordinary, he is the kind that cannot be recognized when thrown in the crowd, but the bulging muscles on his upper arm prove that this man's origin is not ordinary, and his hands and feet are also very neat, which can make people unconsciously think of him in the past. Veterans of the battlefield.

Considering that after the defeat of the Allied Forces of Ten States, many routs flowed into the civilian population, such speculation is reasonable.

A hint of solicitation rose in Zhou Sheng's heart.

He is currently short of manpower. If he can bring these two under his command, he will be able to reduce a lot of worries when he leaves Jinxia and goes north to Gyeonggi.

The night provided the best cover for the carriage, and it was already early morning, so the huge factory area was empty and silent.It's just that those organs are still running rumblingly, as if they never get tired.

For Zhou Sheng, this is actually a good thing.

These noises are enough to cover the abnormal sound of horseshoes pedaling.

When he came to the pool, he impatiently picked up a sack on the car, tore off the seal, and dumped the contents of the bag into the pool.

Watching these maroon "dust" fall into the turbulent running water, Zhou Sheng felt a strong pleasure in his heart.

Want to provide a convenient and unified water supply for the whole city?I'll let you feed yourselves!

"Young master... what are you doing?" Someone couldn't help asking.

"You'd better not ask, it's for your own good." He raised the corner of his mouth and said in a cold voice, "What are you still doing in a daze, help me and move all the bags here, and I will do the rest myself."

That's right, he's going to destroy the Bureau's entire water plan.

Since ancient times, poisoning has been the most effective method of destruction.

After two weeks of secret observation, Zhou Sheng confirmed one thing, that is, the water plant built in a hurry was not as strictly guarded as other factories of the Machinery Engineering Bureau.This is also easy to understand. The water plant is too big. After the west city wall was demolished, it almost continued from the Jiujiang River to the urban area. In addition, there are still many houses under construction on the east side of the plant, and construction teams come in and out. It is also difficult for the government to carry out strict management.

Another key point is that there are pitifully few employees in the entire factory area!I don't know what new gadgets the mechanism building bureau has come up with. Those mechanism creations operate all day long, but they don't need people to guard them.Sometimes he stays all day long without seeing much movement by the pool, let alone at night.

After staying in Jinxia City for a long time, Zhou Sheng also learned a lot of new words.He knew that the water supply facility hadn't really been completed yet and was currently in a trial run, and this was an opportunity he couldn't afford to miss!

Chapter 8: The Shadow in the Fire

As for the choice of poison, the easiest to obtain is undoubtedly arsenic.

As long as this kind of thing is mixed into the water, even if you don't drink it, just use it to wash your body, there is a chance of poisoning.Thanks to the increasingly prosperous business in Jinxia City, it is not difficult to buy arsenic as a medicine.In order not to arouse suspicion, he specially entrusted a group of people to help him buy separately, and in just two weeks, he gathered more than a dozen sacks of primary refining products.

This kind of arsenic that has not completely removed impurities is not suitable for stealthy murder of money, but it is perfect for large-scale poisoning.When it was transported to the homes of residents in Jinxia City through water pipes, it was hard for anyone to imagine that it was mixed with deadly toxins.

After working for about half an hour, all the arsenic was finally poured into the pool.

"That's enough." Zhou Sheng said in a deep voice, looking at the turbulent water.

With her victory in the Shenzhou War, Her Royal Highness' popularity among the people has reached a peak.He already understood that the right way to destroy such conspirators was to start from the inside.Think about it, people drank the living water sent by the bureau with gratitude, but one by one showed symptoms of poisoning and collapsed, what would happen to the situation?

At that time, the Bureau will become a veritable executioner!

And no matter how they quibble, they are ultimately to blame.

Afterwards, he added a little fuel to the flames, and he would definitely stir up trouble in the city.Once the prestige drops and doubts arise, Her Royal Highness will definitely take repressive measures, and there will be a high probability of loopholes in Shenzhou's defense.

In fact, Zhou Sheng clearly mentioned this point in the secret letter to Gyeonggi—he is willing to step forward and open a gap for the Seven Stars: At that time, there will be many poisoned people in the city, and the princess’s regime will have internal and external troubles. At this time, the Seven Stars will gather again Power, rushing into Shenzhou in one go, Jinxia will be hard to resist!

And Liu Ruyan's mistake will be corrected accordingly.

Thinking of this, Zhou Sheng couldn't help raising the corners of his mouth.

"Okay, it's none of your business here. After leaving here, I will reward you with money, and the farther away from Jinxia the better." He turned and walked towards the carriage, "This city will soon be engulfed in flames. "

"Can you tell me what you just threw into the pool?" Someone asked suddenly.

what happened?

Zhou Sheng frowned impatiently. Hasn't someone asked this question before?He turned around, "I've said it all, the less you know, the better, unless you think your head is too heavy! Give me the money—"

Before the word get out, it got stuck in his throat.

Because Mr. Zhou was surprised to find that this sentence was not asking himself.

I saw the short man holding a small bottle in his hand, blocking the strong man.

This... what's the situation?

The burly man's complexion was also obviously gloomy, "Which side are you from?"

"Me?" The short man took off his hood and showed a generous smile, "Of course I belong to Xia Fan."

His voice changed suddenly.

Instead of being cold and capable before, it became light and sweet, sounding like a... girl.

Wait... Xia Fan?

This name shocked Zhou Sheng, isn't that the culprit that made Liu Ruyan dare to confront him?No, that's not the point... Why did he hear the name of Fu Cheng from the Bureau of Affairs from a bastard?

And the strong man's reaction surprised him even more.

"Lishu returns to you, earth fire!" The man waved his big hand, and the talisman instantly turned into smoke and dust in his palm.

This is—Fang Warlock?

The pillar of fire rising from the scene verified Zhou Sheng's idea.Streams of fire gushed out from under the short man's feet, instantly surrounding him in the center.The churning heat wave made others flee screaming, fearing that they would be engulfed by the flames.The darkness and tranquility of the night were also broken by this spell, and for a while the surrounding area of ​​the pool was as bright as day.

Dead, dead!

Zhou Sheng's face was pale, and he could feel the heat of these pillars of fire even after tens of steps away, not to mention the people trapped in the center of the pillar of fire, they might be roasted into charcoal in less than a few breaths!In fact, he also saw that the short man was burning all over, and his clothes turned into pieces under the flames.

But the scary thing is that the opponent did not fall down!

Not only that, he didn't even make a shrill cry, but instead raised his hands, posing in a posture of bowing.

What is this doing?

Everyone was in a carriage before departure, and he didn't have a bow at all!