Chapter 179 Chapter 179 is the only genuine version...

Gu Zhizhuo seemed to be thinking about something, but didn't think about it too much.

She supported herself on the window sill with one hand and was about to climb out when Xie Yingchen grabbed her. He pressed her shoulders and made her turn around to face the door of the private room.

"Go that way."

“It’s too late!”

"There's still time."

Qingping craned his neck to look outside and urged, "Junior Sister, hurry up! He's about to run away after cutting my purse."

It was impossible for her to jump out of the window, so Gu Zhizhuo had no choice but to run up the stairs obediently. When he ran out of Tianxi Building, the little beggar was gone.

Xie Danling leaned on the windowsill and pointed, "He turned left and went into the alley ahead."

Okay.

Gu Zhizhuo rushed out and strode straight towards the alley in front.

The alley was a bit dark, with walls on both sides. As soon as I turned in, I saw the little beggar tearing open a green purse and pouring all the contents onto the ground.

There were only a few small pieces of silver in the purse. The little beggar sighed softly and put the silver into his pocket. Just as he was about to stand up, he suddenly noticed the approaching shadow. The slender reflection covered him.

The little beggar pretended not to know and continued to fiddle with the bits and pieces on the ground, quietly concentrating his strength on his calves.

He pushed his hands against the ground, gained some strength, and ran wildly into the alley.

This kid was quite clever. Gu Zhizhuo shouted, "Stop."

Obviously the other party ignored her.

She picked up two small stones, weighed them, and threw them forward with force.

Her aim was excellent. Bang! The stone hit the beggar's knee. The beggar's knees gave way and he fell to the ground with a plop.

Gu Zhizhuo walked at a leisurely pace, looking down at him condescendingly, playing with another small stone in his hand: "Aren't you a good runner? Look at you running faster, or I have more stones. Hmm?"

"Auntie, please spare my life!"

The little beggar was perceptive and immediately knelt down and kowtowed.

He felt around his body and pulled out a few pieces of silver, a handful of copper coins, and some miscellaneous items, and put them all on the ground.

"It's all here."

He hunched his shoulders cautiously and secretly looked at Gu Zhizhuo's face. He knew that he couldn't offend anyone in the capital. This little beggar knew it well.

The girl was dressed in luxurious clothes and had an imposing demeanor. He absolutely did not dare to provoke her.

There are many nobles in the capital, but also many fools.

If you want to steal, steal from those stupid scholars or silly Taoist priests, like the silly Taoist priest a few days ago. He looked tattered and stupid, but there was a lot of silver in his purse.

The little beggar's eyes rolled around. He thought for a long time but couldn't figure out how he had offended such a noble man. Until a voice came from above his head: "Have you touched the purse of a Taoist priest?"

ah?

He actually stood up for that stupid Taoist priest!?

The little beggar was shocked. He lowered his head and stammered, "Yes, yes."

"Aunt, please spare my life. Don't send me to the authorities. I know I was wrong."

The little beggar sobbed and wiped his face with his dirty hands. As he stroked his cheeks, he rubbed the chili seeds hidden in his hands on his eyelids, and tears suddenly burst out.

"I will never dare to do that again."

He kowtowed repeatedly, then looked up at her in fear. The falling tears instantly soaked his face, leaving black streaks on it.

His forehead was still bleeding, and his small body was curled up, looking extremely pitiful.

"Grandma, please spare me."

Gu Zhizhuo stretched out his hand towards him: "Come back."

The little beggar kept trying to be pitiful, but she didn't seem moved at all. The corners of his mouth twitched, and he rubbed his eyes with chili seeds, crying even more sadly: "It's all used up."

"oh?"

Senior Brother Qingping said that he had more than one hundred taels of silver in his purse, which he had saved for several months by performing rituals, reading feng shui, and giving advice on good and bad luck.

Having learned from his last lesson, he never left his precious wallet, but ended up losing it again.

A little over a hundred taels of silver is enough to support a family of several people for several years. Even if things are expensive in the capital, it should be enough to last a year, right?

He spent it all in just half a month?

"Oh."

The little beggar shuddered at the sneer.

He raised his eyes quietly and saw her standing in front of him, with her arms folded over her chest, looking unmoved. He couldn't help but grit his teeth secretly.

Damn it! How could he be so stubborn and have no sympathy at all! He was so angry that his expression became even more pitiful. He sobbed and said, "My mother is sick."

The little beggar had said this many times to many people. In the past, his craftsmanship was not good, and he would often be caught red-handed. Fortunately, he was young, and after shedding a few tears and complaining, most people would let him go. If he was lucky, he would even get a few copper coins.

He cried until his eyes were red: "My father died when I was young, and my mother and I depended on each other for survival. My mother had tuberculosis, and she had no money to buy medicine, so I had to steal."

"I used all the money from the Taoist priest to buy medicine for my mother. The doctor said she needed a hundred-year-old ginseng, but we really don't have any now." He crawled forward a few steps on his knees, crawled in front of Gu Zhizhuo, knelt down, and cried, "Aunt, please spare me. I will work like a slave in my next life and repay your kindness."

After saying that, he wiped his eyes with his hands again.

Gu Zhizhuo stared at his hand and could tell at a glance that he was hiding something in it.

Gu Zhizhuo chuckled and was about to call him out on his pretense, when suddenly, her eyebrows moved and she noticed an inconspicuous piece of black iron on the ground.

The iron piece was round, about the width of two fingers put together, and on it was a single word: "Gu".

On both sides of the character "顾" are a spear and a sword, with the blades touching each other, as if they were fighting.

This is……

The military emblem of the Northern Frontier Army.

Gu Zhizhuo's heart tightened. She bent down to pick it up and wiped off the dust with a handkerchief. It was covered with embroidery marks and looked like it had been there for some time.

Gu Zhizhuo had never been in charge of the military affairs of the Northern Frontier Army before. She only vaguely remembered that this military emblem was no longer used after her father died in battle.

The little beggar knelt on the ground with his head bowed, feeling that the shadow above his head was pressing on him, making it hard for him to breathe.

Then he heard her ask, "Where did this come from?"

ah?

The little beggar looked up and recognized the round card in her hand.

His eyes darted left and right, he wiped away his tears and cried, "This is the relic my father left me."

"Is your father from the Northern Frontier Army?"

The little beggar was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, "Yes, yes, does my aunt also know about the Northern Frontier Army?"

"I ask questions and you answer them."

“Yes, yes!”

Gu Zhizhuo stared at the round card in his palm and asked, "Who does your father serve under?"

"My lord."

Gu Zhizhuo's heartbeat suddenly quickened. She remembered what her master said when she chased him out, and her eyes narrowed slightly.

The little beggar was only about eleven or twelve years old. He was thin and his clothes had several patches on them. The exposed skin was covered with mud and his features could not be seen clearly. However, his eyes flickered and it was obvious that he was telling lies.

The corners of her phoenix eyes raised, and she asked in a calm voice, "What is your father's military rank?"

"Hundred households."

The little beggar didn't know why she asked these questions.

Before I knew it, I had gone from being confident to being nervous.

"Little aunt, I really didn't steal this sign." The little beggar wiped his face, his eyes red from crying, and bloodshot at the corners of his eyes, "It's the only thing my father left for me and my mother."

He suppressed the pain in his voice and said while crying, "My father followed the Duke of Zhenguo to fight in the western border, and later died in the swamp with the Duke, leaving only my mother and I to depend on each other. The uncles in the clan took away our land, and they scolded my mother for being an unlucky star and a jinx for her husband, and they also scolded me for being an jinx for my father. We have nowhere to go, and my mother is sick again and has never recovered..." He seemed to have thought of something, and his crying this time was much more real than before.

There were familiar footsteps behind him, but Gu Zhizhuo didn't turn back.

The little beggar also heard it and was frightened to death.

Gu Zhizhuo held the round card.

Only soldiers with the rank of centurion or above could obtain this small round plaque. Apart from the Northern Frontier Army, no one else would know about this.

She asked, "What's your father's name?"

The little beggar was staring at Gu Zhizhuo's back. Upon hearing this, he hurriedly said, "Jiang, Jiang Wu. It's the name given by the Duke."

Gu Zhizhuo's eyes fell on him. The little beggar's scalp tingled. His heart was hanging in the balance for a long time. Finally, he heard her compassionate voice: "In that case, you can go."

The little beggar breathed a sigh of relief, and his thin shoulders slumped.

He kowtowed heavily and promised flatteringly, "Thank you, young lady. I will never steal anything again."

After he finished speaking, he ran away without even daring to pick up the silver on the ground, nor did he ask her to return the round card. In a short while, he disappeared at the end of the alley.

"Young Master."

Gu Zhizhuo turned his head to look at Xie Yingchen, raised his chin, and snorted, "That kid doesn't tell the truth."

She said, "Chongjiu, go and take a look."

Chongjiu chased after him quietly.

Gu Zhizhuo showed him the small round plaque and thought, "This must be from the Northern Frontier Army. I've seen it at my father's place. It's so rusty, it must have been there for at least several years."

Xie Yingchen took it over.

He had also seen similar round plates. When he was in Liang State, the people of Liang used them as trophies to show off.

"Master said you have great luck." Gu Zhizhuo pulled his sleeve and walked out of the alley, skipping and jumping. "This kid will definitely be useful."

Full of lies.

At least nine out of ten sentences are false. Instead of wasting time examining him, it would be better for him to reveal his true colors himself.

"Let's go and take a look."

Xie Yingchen always listened to her. After they left the alley, Chongjiu came back not long after: "Miss, he ran away and returned to his home. It's just ahead."

Chongjiu leads the way.

Actually, it’s quite close. Just walk to the end of the street and turn into an alley.

This alley is similar to Yanziwei Lane, even dirtier and messier. The ground is covered with unknown liquids and there are children running around everywhere. Seeing them, many people are curious, and some children follow quietly behind them.

After wandering around the alley for a while, Chongjiu pointed to a small house in front of him and said, "This is it."

The house was extremely shabby, with only a tattered bamboo mat blocking the entrance. Before I could even get close, the little beggar's voice rang out from inside: "...I've been caught. I have no money today! Don't ask me for it."

"Useless thing, what's the point of me raising you!"

There was a shout, followed by the sound of a cane whipping flesh.

The little beggar cried out in pain and said angrily, "Then just sell me out. I'm useless? If I were useless, you would have been hacked to death by those people in the casino. How could you still have the energy to beat me up?"

The voice was completely different from when he pretended to be pitiful just now, and it was filled with stubbornness and hatred.

Gu Zhizhuo glanced at Xie Yingchen and walked in.

The ground was covered in dirt and there was almost no place to stand.

On Chongjiu day, the door curtain is lifted.

The moment the tattered curtain was lifted, the sunlight pouring into the room made the two people who were arguing inside raise their hands to cover their eyes and look towards the door.

When he saw Gu Zhizhuo, the little beggar was startled and instinctively shrank back.

There was a deep red mark on his face, still bleeding, and the man was holding a cane in his hand.

The man was stunned. He hurried to see his son, and seeing his guilty look, he immediately guessed what had happened.

"You bastard, you actually let someone follow you home. I'm going to kick you to death."

As he said that, he pulled his arm.

The little beggar pushed the man away and wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His face was no longer as cautious as before, but instead full of resentment.

For that money bag, they even followed him. Are these nobles so idle?

The pearls on the embroidered shoes on her feet must be worth hundreds of taels of silver. She is not afraid of ruining her shoes by stepping on such a dirty place!

The little beggar said nothing.

The man rubbed his hands together, leaned forward and said with a humble smile, "Sir, this kid has offended you. I will definitely punish him... Damn boy, why don't you come over and kowtow to you!"

His face was sallow, even the whites of his eyes were yellow, and he reeked strongly of cheap alcohol. His belly was unusually large, and his face was one of flattery and fawning. But when he faced his son, he looked ferocious and murderous.

Could this man be under the command of the Northern Frontier Army father? Gu Zhizhuo instinctively didn't want to believe it.

"Is this your father?"

"yes."

"Didn't you say your father was dead?"

The little beggar turned his head away, without the slightest hint of guilt after his lie was exposed. He said coldly, "He might as well be dead."

"How dare you curse me to death out there?!"

The man was furious and raised the cane to hit again, but Chongjiu grabbed him and he staggered and almost fell face down.

Seeing how drunk he was, Gu Zhizhuo didn't hold out much hope. If it weren't for her master's words, she might have just walked away.

Xie Yingchen whispered, "Yaoyao, look at his wrist."

Gu Zhizhuo looked in the direction of the sound and saw a round scar on the lower end of his forearm. The shape of the scar was very familiar. It was an arrow scar.

The skin around the scar was uneven and somewhat torn, indicating that the arrow tip had a barbed hook, as was the case with the arrows commonly used in the Liang Kingdom.

"Let's go."

Gu Zhizhuo's eyelashes trembled slightly, and he pulled Xie Yingchen and turned around as if to leave.

The man stared at his sons, waiting for them to leave so that he could drag them over and beat them up.

When Gu Zhizhuo reached the door, she suddenly paused and turned around to shout, "Northern Frontier Army Captain Jiang Wu, obey your orders!"

Her voice was clear and loud, and the man subconsciously stood up straight and answered loudly: "Yes!"

This is an instinctive reaction, as if it has been done countless times, again and again, and is deeply imprinted in the deepest part of the soul.

He stood up straight, finally reacted, and his face turned pale.

He pulled the corners of his mouth and revealed a stiff smile: "Sir, did this kid say something nonsense... He doesn't tell a single truth..."

Before he could finish his words, Gu Zhizhuo had already unsheathed his dagger and placed it against his neck.

"Captain Jiang. Jiang Wu."

Gu Zhizhuo lowered his voice, and she threw the round card upwards and caught it steadily in her palm.

She spoke word by word, "My last name is Gu."

As soon as these three words came out, Jiang Wu's pupils suddenly widened, and fear and horror flashed across his eyes.

The little beggar looked at Gu Zhizhuo, then at Jiang Wu, and laughed with glee.

"Miss...you, please don't trust this guy."

Press the dagger down.

Jiang Wu suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck. He was so frightened that his legs trembled. He laughed dryly and said, "I don't know what you are talking about."

"You, deserter."

"I'm not!"

He blurted out these words subconsciously, and without a doubt, he admitted that he was Jiang Wu.

Gu Zhizhuo took a step closer to him. Jiang Wu was so frightened that he stepped back repeatedly, shouting, "Not a deserter, not a deserter."

"oh?"

Jiang Wu was so frightened that his legs trembled and he sat down on the ground.

Three years ago, a great victory was won in Western Xinjiang. My father, the Duke of Zhenguo, was ordered to pursue the victory, but he ended up being buried in the swamp along with the elite troops of Northern Xinjiang.

The reason is unknown.

"Why do you live?"

"Not a deserter? Then he must be Nei Xi!"

"no!"