Chapter 1337: Little An

How many powerful and influential individuals could participate and actively profit from it? Why were more and more mandatory projects for a city wall being added? They seemed useful, but in reality, they were flashy and impractical. The two present had both been in official circles and understood the situation, so they couldn't help but chuckle knowingly.

"Oh, we've strayed off topic," Fan Shuang said, taking a sip of wine. His words flowed out again. "But I estimate Huang Shen will have to rush back home soon. Something major has happened to his family."

"What happened?"

"His father was the Garrison Commander of Tianshui City, our capital in the Yao Kingdom. Four months ago, he was found guilty of dereliction of duty and corruption, and was executed five days after his conviction."

He Lingchuan asked in surprise, "Only five days? That's too fast, isn't it?"

Fan Shuang sighed deeply, "Indeed. There's no precedent for such speed."

"Why such haste? Was it a major case?"

"No, it wasn't," Fan Shuang suddenly came to his senses, thinking why he was talking about this, and quickly pulled the conversation back. "In short, Huang Shen must have already received the bad news and should be on his way back home by now."

He Lingchuan didn't ask further and casually said, "I heard your esteemed monarch's birthday is approaching?"

"Yes, in another month, it will be our monarch's fifty-ninth birthday! It will certainly be a nationwide celebration," Fan Shuang smiled. "Brother He, if you also come to attend the ceremony, my King will surely welcome you."

Local custom dictates that milestone birthdays (every ten years) are celebrated a year in advance. So, the Yao King's fifty-ninth birthday is effectively his sixtieth, and it will be celebrated with great solemnity.

He Lingchuan shook his head repeatedly, "I will prepare a gift, and then I'll ask Brother Fan to submit it on my behalf."

Since he wasn't going, Fan Shuang naturally couldn't force him.

The meal ended with both host and guest thoroughly pleased, and Fan Shuang departed in high spirits. This trip to Ju City had been very fruitful; he could submit several pieces of important intelligence upon his return, all of which would count as his achievements.

He Lingchuan strolled back to Yangshan Merchant Guild along the riverside, enjoying a cool breeze all the way.

The Soul-Capturing Mirror asked him, "Are you trying to leverage Grand Master Shuangye's reputation to bluff the Yao Kingdom and Qingyang?"

"Mm-hmm. To add a couple more chips to my hand." He Lingchuan knew very well that given Yangshan's current size and influence, the Yao Kingdom didn't really take him seriously. He needed to add one or two weights to his scale to appear more significant.

The mirror chuckled, "Grand Master Shuangye shouldn't mind striking at his old rival Qingyang; he'd probably be quite pleased, wouldn't he?"

"You're wrong. You're underestimating Grand Master Shuangye."

"Huh?" The mirror retorted, "Where did I go wrong?"

"Shuangye and Qingyang have been old rivals for years; when they were both in power, they wanted to strangle each other," He Lingchuan explained. "Now Shuangye has won and forced Qingyang to flee thousands of miles away. If there's no personal grudge between them, this struggle should be over."

"There's an old saying, 'When you can forgive, forgive.' An old hand in officialdom like Shuangye should best understand its essence," he continued. "Qingyang has already fallen from power. If he were to relentlessly pursue him, he would actually be inviting trouble for himself."

The mirror seemed to understand but not quite, "So, you're causing trouble for Shuangye, aren't you?"

"Exactly." He Lingchuan smiled. "He probably won't be too pleased when he hears the news. But I never mentioned his name; the Yao people are just making their own assumptions." He had done far worse things before, and Shuangye hadn't reacted. What was this in comparison?

Returning to Yangshan Merchant Guild, it was rare to find Dong Rui there. He Lingchuan inquired about Wan Qifeng's whereabouts. That fellow had been missing for two days.

He asked casually, but Wan Qiliang instinctively straightened his back the moment he saw him. "The patriarch went out to gather targets; it seems he's already near the suburbs of Liuxian County, around Greenery Villa." He was a member of the Black Armored Army. So-called targets, of course, were the next individuals the Black Armored leader intended to deal with! Wan Qiliang clearly remembered how brutal and formidable his lord became after donning the Qianglong Battle Armor. Although He Lingchuan was in civilian clothes now, Wan Qiliang's awe for him remained undiminished.

"How's your back injury?"

"Just a minor injury, I can move!" His lord even remembered where he was injured.

He Lingchuan glanced at him. The young man stood at attention as soon as he saw him, seeming a bit nervous. Was it because he was frightened by Dong Rui's zombie puppet last time? "Greenery Villa happens to be not far from Liuxian County in Pei Kingdom. Notify Wan Qifeng; let's meet in Liuxian County."

"Yes," Wan Qiliang replied without a word, turning to carry out the order.

"Liuxian County?" Dong Rui paused, then remembered, "Are you talking about Old Fu's job?" He Lingchuan had just started talking about this when Fan Shuang's visit interrupted him.

"Fu Liushan originally wanted to go, but he's currently rushing to finish two scripts. He needs to give them to the theater troupe for rehearsal in three days, and they'll be performed five days after that. He can't spare the time, so he asked me for help. He even told me that this job is more suitable for the Nine Nether..." He Lingchuan uttered the term with difficulty, "...Great Emperor, rather than a Celestial Master."

Fu Liushan's original words were: "If you're willing to take action, I'll be relieved." Killing dozens of people at once, whether the culprit was a demon or a ghost, was quite ferocious. He had personally witnessed He Lingchuan's and Dong Rui's abilities. Besides, weren't these two starting to engage in acts of upholding justice and bringing peace?

Dong Rui laughed uncontrollably.

He Lingchuan thought for a moment, then called for Jiang Lishui: "How many merchant guilds do we have contact with in the Yao Kingdom right now?"

"Six."

"I have an old friend named Huang Shen, who has just rushed back to Yaodu from Lingxu City. His father was the Garrison Commander of Tianshui City and was dismissed from office and executed a few months ago. It seems there's something hidden about it. Send someone to inquire about the circumstances surrounding his father's downfall."

"Yes."

Thirty li west of Liuxian County, a mule cart was heading towards Greenery Villa.

In the cart, the tooth merchant was dozing, while two young girls sat facing each other, both curiously observing the other.

One of the girls, aged eleven or twelve, spoke up: "My name is Tingting, Han Tingting. What's your name?" Her coarse cloth dress was faded from washing, ill-fitting, and had three or four patches, but these couldn't hide the nascent beauty of her features. The girl sitting opposite her was only five or six years old, like a beautiful porcelain doll, with large, round eyes, strikingly black and white. She hugged her knees, chin resting on them, silent.

Tingting noticed that her socks were torn, revealing two toes.

"Take off your socks; I'll help you mend them."

She urged twice before the little girl finally took off her socks and handed them to her.

Tingting took them and looked: "These socks are so big, they don't fit snugly, do they?" They were bigger than her own feet.

"Aunt Wu gave them to me."

Tingting naturally didn't know who Aunt Wu was. She glanced at the tooth merchant beside them, then asked the little girl, "What's your name?"

This time, the little girl replied, "Xiao An."

"How did you end up in this cart? Were you also sold by your family?"

Xiao An shook her head, "I fell asleep by the roadside, and when I woke up, I was in the cart. Different people came to see me. Then I was brought here, and that's when I saw you."

It took Tingting a long time to process these few sentences before she finally understood, "So, you were picked up by them?" Not sold, but just picked up?

Xiao An blinked, as if she didn't understand.

"Where's your family? Your mom and dad?"

"My dad is scary; I don't want to be with him." Xiao An's expression turned somber. "My mother is gone; she passed away just two days ago."

Han Tingting gasped, "You're so pitiful too. Don't be afraid, I'll help you from now on."

Xiao An tilted her head, looking at her, "Where are we going? Why are you in the cart?"

"Greenery Villa. We're being sold to Greenery Villa to be maids," Han Tingting told her while mending the sock. "My family is just too poor. My parents sold my younger sister for only ten catties of coarse grain, which was gone in a few days. My mother cried and begged me, so I agreed. Anyway, even if I stayed home, I would eventually starve to death." She smiled at Xiao An, "The tooth merchant told my mother that Greenery Villa bought me not to be a servant girl for rough work, but to be a young master's personal maid, with food and lodging, and a monthly wage of five mace of silver."

Xiao An didn't understand. "What's a personal maid?"

"I heard it means serving the young masters with their meals, helping them dress, fetching things, and waiting for their commands."

The tooth merchant also woke up and irritably told the two girls, "What's all this noise? Aren't you going to sleep?"

Tingting quickly asked him, "How many young masters are there at Greenery Villa?"

"Two."

"Which one will I serve?"

The tooth merchant glanced at her twice, "Probably the second young master."

"Is he kind?"

"Yes," the tooth merchant smiled. "The second young master of Greenery Villa is most fond of little girls like you."

His smile made Xiao An feel a surge of malice, but Tingting was very happy and pointed at Xiao An, "Then where will she go? Can she be with me?"

"That's Greenery Villa's arrangement. How can I control that?"

Amidst the rattling of wheels, the mule cart finally entered Greenery Villa. Behind it was a mountain path, making the stone archway seem like the gaping maw of a giant beast.

Tingting peered out the window, full of admiration. "Wow, I've never seen such a grand archway before."

"Is it very big?" Xiao An blinked. "The place I lived also had an archway, much bigger and prettier than this, with red, white, and black colors."

"Ah, so you're a young lady from a wealthy family?" Tingting looked at the tooth merchant. Was Xiao An kidnapped and sold?

"What is 'wealthy'?"

"It means your family has money, you can eat lots of delicious food, wear pretty clothes, and have many people at your beck and call."

Xiao An thought for a moment, "Yes, my family has all of that."

The tooth merchant's face darkened, "We're here, stop chattering!"

The mule cart stopped behind the woodshed. Someone came to meet them, and the tooth merchant bowed to him, "Steward Zou, I've brought the two little ones!"

Steward Zou looked at the two little girls in the cart. "Dirty, but they look pretty good. Are you sure neither of them is from nearby?"

"Neither of them," the tooth merchant said, pointing at Tingting. "This one is from the county, and the smaller one was picked up by the roadside in Chen Family Village; both are far from here."

Only then did Steward Zou hand him a few taels of silver, and then he said to the girls, "Come down now."

The two girls got out of the cart, and the tooth merchant, having received his money, drove off in the mule cart.

After sending him away, Steward Zou said to the two, "Follow me. You two smell too bad; you need a good wash, or the young masters will blame me again."