Chapter 206 The Prefect's Son
Old Han sighed and looked at Lin Changning's arm, asking, "How deep is the wound? We'll bandage it when we get back. This kid really went for it."
Lin Changning shook his head, looking at the faint bloodstains on his wrist. "It's nothing serious, just a superficial wound. I'll apply some medicine and it'll be fine in a couple of days."
Old Han muttered, "This kid doesn't appreciate kindness."
Lin Changning sighed, his face filled with sorrow: "It must be that his family members died at the hands of the Tartars. It doesn't matter, there's no need to hold a grudge against a child."
Old Han sighed as he mentioned the people who died in Datong.
They are truly pitiful.
After the Tartar slowly stopped breathing, the child seemed to calm down. After sitting on the ground for a while, large tears suddenly fell from his eyes.
Once the emotions are released, it's like a floodgate being opened; the five- or six-year-old child can no longer hold back and sits on the ground, wailing loudly.
He kept wiping away his tears with his dirty clothes.
It was no longer the fierce wolf cub it had been just moments before.
Lin Changning felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this, and turned to Lao Han, saying, "Let's go back. We should have searched most of the other places by now."
The two were about to leave when the child behind them suddenly scrambled to his feet, wiping away tears as he followed Lin Changning with his short legs.
Lin Changning paused and looked back, feeling a pang of sympathy upon seeing the child's dirty face.
He beckoned a soldier over: "Go, settle him in, and have the cook prepare some food for him."
The soldier clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Yes, Commander."
Then he prepared to pick up the child following behind Lin Changning.
The child shoved the soldier away, still sobbing, and ran towards Lin Changning, his little hands, stained with blood, tightly gripping the hem of Lin Changning's clothes.
The eyes, washed clean by tears, held less hatred and gained a childlike innocence.
Lin Changning raised an eyebrow, not understanding what this child wanted to do.
After exchanging a glance with Lao Han, he squatted down and said, "There are no bad guys here anymore. The bad guys are either dead or arrested. You can go with him to get something to eat first."
The child remained silent, but his hand continued to grip Lin Changning's clothes tightly.
Lin Changning clicked his tongue, and couldn't help but feel that it was a bit troublesome.
Is anyone still at home?
As soon as the question left his mouth, Lin Changning realized he had made a foolish mistake. Just as he was about to make amends, the child shook his head and said in a hoarse voice, "They're all dead."
Lin Changning sighed again: "I have some other things to take care of. Why don't you go with the others to settle in first?"
The child pouted as if unwilling, and his other dirty little hand tugged at Lin Changning's clothes.
Lin Changning reluctantly picked up the child below, and Old Han gave Lin Changning a disapproving look.
They probably felt that Lin Changning was too careless. A child of unknown origin who had just killed a Tartar didn't seem like a normal child at all.
Lin Changning shook his head slightly when he saw the look in Lao Han's eyes.
It's just an extra accessory on her body. If a child could hurt her, she wouldn't need to be a commander anymore.
Moreover, he noticed that the child's clothes did not look like those of an ordinary person. Although the clothes were dirty and worn, they were made of good materials.
Most of the city's inhabitants have been slaughtered, and the remaining ones are hiding and difficult to find. This child might be a breakthrough.
When the Tartars plunder, they naturally target wealthy households first.
Lin Changning carried the person back to the military camp, handed the baby to Lu Shan, and prepared to have someone take the person to wash up first.
The child smelled terrible. I don't know how long he had been next to the corpse, but he reeked of the stench of death.
Lu Shan took the child, but the child still clung tightly to Lin Changning's clothes.
Lin Changning reassured him, "Go take a shower first, I'll come find you later."
The child sniffed, seemingly realizing how smelly he was, and let go of Lu Shan's hand, allowing Lu Shan to carry him into the tent.
Lin Changning sniffed his own body with some disgust, said goodbye to Lao Han, and went to find Wan Jin to instruct him to make sure that everyone in the military camp washes their hands and feet frequently in the next few days, and that they must wash their hands before taking food.
He then instructed Wan Jin on the precautions for handling the body, as well as the various procedures for burying it after cremation, before returning to his own tent to prepare for a bath.
Having just finished showering and with his hair still damp, Lu Shan stood outside the door shouting at the top of his lungs.
"Commander, the commander wants to see you."
Lin Changning responded, tossed aside the towel she was using to dry her hair, tied her hair up, and went straight out the door.
After they went outside, Lin Changning asked, "Is there anything you need, Commander?"
Lu Shan scratched his head: "A few people came looking for us outside the camp just now. The commander is meeting with them inside. It must be something related to them."
Lin Changning nodded to indicate that he understood. After arriving at the tent entrance, he called out and heard Qi Rong say, "Come in."
Upon entering the tent, you noticed several raggedly dressed men standing below you, and you couldn't help but feel a little curious.
Qi Rong looked at Lin Changning and went straight to the point: "Xiao Liu, did you run into a child today? Did you bring him back?"
Lin Changning paused for a moment and then nodded: "That's right. Today, when I went to cremate a corpse, there was a child hiding in a bamboo basket next to the body. I felt sorry for the child, so I brought him back."
Qi Rong breathed a sigh of relief and introduced, "These three are members of the Cui clan of Qinghe. The child you brought back today is the son of Cui Heyan, the prefect of Datong."
Qi Rong and the three men below him had a hint of sorrow between their brows. Seeing Lin Changning's confusion, Qi Rong explained in a deep voice, "After Datong was occupied by the rebels, the prefect's family refused to surrender and were imprisoned. Later, when the rebels withdrew, the jailers released the prefect."
Prefect Cui led two thousand able-bodied men from Datong to hold out for three days. Later, the city gates fell, the Tartars massacred the city, and Prefect Cui's entire family, except for his youngest son, perished in the battle.
A trace of sorrow appeared between Lin Changning's brows and eyes. During his year in Daxing, he had heard of this prefect. Everyone said that he was upright and honest, a rare good official.
I never imagined it would end up like this.
The three clansmen below were in tears, and bowed deeply to Lin Changning and Qi Rong: "We thank you, sir, for saving our young master from dire straits and preserving the last bloodline of our master."
Qi Rong sighed and bowed to Lin Changning in return, saying, "The Prefect sacrificed his life for the country, his loyal spirit shines brightly, and it is our duty to protect his bloodline."
The three men wiped away their tears: "We, the Cui family, will never forget the kindness of you gentlemen who have protected our bloodline today. If there is ever a need for our service, the Cui family will surely stand by you, armed and ready!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
