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As the sounds of armor and horses' hooves grew closer, Qin Sang felt an indescribable excitement mixed with a sense of unease. If Lu Yao didn't cooperate, she feared she might be easily exposed.
Both sides in the battle were stunned.
Wu Fang waved her hand with a grim expression, and the samurai who were slaughtering the enemy stopped and all looked down the slope.
However, accompanied by a long eagle cry, the first person to appear, Qin Sang, looked somewhat familiar.
They weren't familiar faces, but their uniforms made them look familiar; I had seen them just two days ago.
The solemn black robe, trimmed with dark green, and embroidered with two breezy patterns on the cuffs, belonged to the luxurious carriages heading to Li County.
Why are they here?
Qin Sang looked at Xie Sui'an again, only to find that Xie Sui'an had somehow appeared behind her and swept her up in his arms.
Over there, with its gilded saddle and jade reins, the magnificent steed neighed loudly, its head held high. The rider, oblivious to his surroundings, steed the gleaming horse slowly through the crowd, walking directly to Xie Sui'an and Qin Sang. He pulled on the reins, dismounted, and knelt on one knee in a single, fluid motion.
"Please forgive us, Second Young Master, for our late arrival."
Qin Sang suddenly realized that these people were the reinforcements that Xie Sui'an had ordered Cang Ying to find.
Xie Sui'an: "Not too late, you've arrived quite quickly, just in time. Chen Que, take down those shameless bastards!"
The leader was named Shen Que, a private guard of the Prime Minister's residence. He had a long face with distinct features, a hooked nose, sharp eyebrows, and piercing eyes, which made him awe-inspiring.
He led everyone to their feet, but said, "We are not needed at this time." As he spoke, he turned to the side, showing Xie Sui'an the army that had come with them.
Xie Sui'an narrowed his eyes slightly.
Of course, it wasn't just these few guards who arrived in a grand procession; it was a regular army.
Master Wu's face was now ashen, as if he had lost his parents. Gone was his earlier composure and arrogance. He turned to flee, but was blocked by the army lined up neatly below the slope.
Qin Sang, held in Xie Sui'an's arms, said, "A garrison soldier from Quzhou Prefecture."
Xie Sui'an was speechless, but he had no time to think about anything else. He asked Shen Que, "Did you bring the Mind-Concentrating Pill?"
"I brought it." Shen Que took out a medicine bottle from his pocket.
"Come with me."
Xie Sui'an carried Qin Sang to the tree where they had just rested. After letting her lean against the tree stump, he took out a medicine bottle, poured out two pills, and they each took one before he said, "Have you found the person Grandpa is looking for?"
Shen Que looked at the two of them without speaking for a moment. When Xie Sui'an turned to look at him, he suddenly knelt down on one knee again, clasped his hands, and said, "May I ask if you are the third young lady of the Qin family on Linshui Street, Qin Sang?"
Qin Sang: "...I am."
Shen Que cupped his hands again and said, "I am Shen Que, a guard of the Right Prime Minister's Office in the capital. I have been ordered by the Prime Minister to bring the young lady back to the capital to recognize her family."
Qin Sang: "..."
really.
He had come to pick her up.
And the "Lu Yao" young master she had been guessing about was indeed a noble young master from the Prime Minister's mansion.
Xie Suian's heart sank, and his brows furrowed. If he had previously suspected that Qin Sang was Su Yun'er because she looked somewhat familiar, after spending the past few days together, he had already dismissed that idea and hoped that she wasn't, that she was just an ordinary woman.
She didn't know what kind of elixir Xie Sui'an had given her, but her shoulder, which had been throbbing with pain just moments before, now seemed numb. She solemnly returned the salute to Chen Que: "Thank you for your hard work, Brother Guard. However, there are still some troubles at the moment. I need to return to Li County to pack up and say goodbye to my grandmother before I can go to the capital with you."
Shen Que nodded: "That's how it should be."
After the two finished speaking, during the silence, Xie Sui'an finally had a chance to acknowledge his relatives: "So you remember your identity?"
"..." Qin Sang was speechless for a moment. How to put it, she did remember, but her memories of the original owner were only superficial, and many details were indeed unclear.
For example, she didn't recognize the childhood friend in front of her now that he was grown up.
Young Master Xie: "Then do you remember me?"
Qin Sang stared at him with a pair of sincere, bright black eyes: "You know me?"
He was so angry he laughed, wondering if the other person genuinely didn't remember him or was just playing a trick on him.
However, Shen Que interjected at the right moment: "Second Young Master, the Prime Minister has also ordered us to bring you back to the capital."
Xie Sui'an sneered and remained silent.
Qin Sang didn't know what he was angry about, but she knew the atmosphere was a bit off, so she smiled and said, "What a coincidence. I just guessed randomly, but I didn't expect to be right. You really are the young master of the Prime Minister's family."
Xie Sui'an casually picked up a clod of soil, crushed it, and nodded: "Alright, since you're coming back to Kyoto with me anyway, we'll settle this score later!"
"What's there to settle?! Oh right, you helped me, so I owe you," Qin Sang said with a fawning smile. "I'm clear about gratitude and resentment, so it's only right that we settle accounts."
Xie Sui'an was speechless again. Faced with such a face, no one could truly be angry.
At this time, apart from Shen Que and his guards, the garrison general of Quzhou Prefecture had already escorted Wu Yuanwai and Wang Tongpan and confiscated the weapons of the warriors present.
The garrison general strode forward, looked down at Xie Sui'an, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "This must be the young master of the Xie family. He is truly young and promising. He has helped our family solve a shocking case as soon as he arrived. He is a promising young man. The Prime Minister has a worthy successor."
Xie Sui'an cupped his hands in greeting, composed himself, and said respectfully, "General, you are too kind. I just happened to be passing by and was almost buried here by your richest man, Master Wu. I had no choice but to ask you for help. Your swift action in dispatching troops shows your skill in commanding an army. I will definitely report back to my grandfather and thank you properly for saving my life!"
The general cupped his hands in greeting again, his tone even gentler: "Young master, you are too kind. It is our duty to eliminate evil and suppress bandits. I see that the young master seems to be seriously injured. I brought a military doctor with me, and I will call him here to treat the young master." After saying this, he nodded to Shen Que, turned around and strode away.
Qin Sang hurriedly whispered to Xie Suian, "That Magistrate Wang is a good man who led troops to suppress the traitors."
Shen Que said, "This humble servant will inform you, young lady."
Xie Sui'an was about to get up when the other guards rushed over to help him. Just then, they heard the sounds of fists and feet clashing.
Jinyun and that crazy beggar are fighting again!
The two fought bare-handed, their moves swift and precise, displaying highly skilled martial arts techniques that dazzled the onlookers.
Shen Que was about to make a move to help Jinyun, but Xie Sui'an stopped him. Xie Sui'an shouted to Jinyun, "Just fight him however you like, it's not shameful to lose to him! Take this man back, I still need him!"
Upon hearing that his position was in jeopardy, Jinyun blushed and made even faster moves.
Shen Que, standing beside him, frowned and asked in confusion, "The Sighing Mountain Palm?"
Xie Sui'an: "What?"
Shen Li immediately withdrew his gaze and nodded respectfully: "This person's movements are extraordinary; he may be of great use."
"Of course he's very useful. He was the one I took a liking to first. Is Guard Shen trying to steal him from me?"
"Your subordinate dares not."
Xie Sui'an then shouted to Jinyun, "Lure him over here and let Guard Shen fight him!"
Qin Sang: "..."
Shen Que: "..."
***
The evidence against Master Wu for keeping a private army and illegally mining gold was conclusive, and he was escorted back to the city by the garrison troops of Quzhou Prefecture.
After returning to the city, Qin Sang intended to go straight to Linlang Pavilion to find Ying'er, but unexpectedly encountered a maidservant squatting quietly waiting at the city gate.
Qin Sang was somewhat surprised and asked her how she escaped. She gestured that someone had released her.
A thin chin and a cold, downturned lip flashed through Qin Sang's mind. So, it was that kind young master who, while rescuing her, also released her maid?
However, since Master Wu's matter has caused such a big commotion, Linlang Pavilion, as his family's villa, is likely to be raided. I wonder if that kind-hearted person will also be implicated... If possible, I would like to find out some information and save him, which would be a way of repaying this kindness.
She pulled Ying'er into the luxurious carriage, unaware that a pair of indifferent eyes were staring at them from the boudoir of a restaurant not far away.
Bai Yiqing used his slender fingers to pick some tea leaves from the tea canister and put them into the teacup, then carefully pounded them.
The guard, Lian Qing, bowed his head and whispered, "Young Master..."
However, Bai Yiqing interrupted him calmly: "No need to say anything more. Pack your things and get ready to return to the capital."
***
The group returned to the inn in a grand manner to rest. Because they had been framed by the waiter of Zhaixinglou the day before, Qin Sang and his companions changed their accommodations in the middle of the night. Although this inn was not bad, they rarely saw distinguished guests like Shen Que's group. Therefore, the innkeeper personally came out to greet them, arranged food and drinks and rooms, and was very attentive and busy.
Qin Sang herself was practically a doctor. As soon as she entered the room, she asked for pen and ink and wrote prescriptions for herself and Xie Sui'an, asking the waiter to fetch the medicine and decoct it.
She had bruises on her shoulder; if not treated properly, they might hinder her ability to fight in the future. But these bruises were nothing compared to the ones on Xie Sui'an's back, which was covered in bruises. He wondered what the guards would say to the prime minister when they saw them.
She let Ying'er change her clothes. Because she hadn't slept much last night and today had been too exciting, she took a nap on the way back to the city. She was still sleepy and went back to sleep after washing up.
She slept until dark, when Ying'er shook her awake to give her medicine. Still feeling dizzy, she mumbled, "Has he taken it yet?"
Ying'er shook her head, then nodded. Qin Sang didn't understand. After drinking the medicine, she lifted the blanket and got out of bed: "Never mind, I'll go check on him."
As soon as he stepped out of the room, he saw two guards standing upright on either side of the door, like two door gods. Xie Sui'an's room was next door, and there were also two door gods there, one of whom was Shen Que.
Upon seeing her emerge, Shen Que bowed respectfully: "Miss, you're awake."
"Where is your young master? Has he taken his medicine?" Qin Sang asked softly.
Shen Que said, "I've already taken the medicine and I'm resting now."
"You can't get your back wet, you need to apply ointment..."
Shen Que nodded: "The doctor has cleaned and bandaged everything carefully, so don't worry, young lady."
"Can I go in and see him?"
Shen Que raised his eyes and glanced at her quickly, then gently pushed open the door: "Please, miss."
Xie Sui'an lay on the bed, quiet and well-behaved when his eyes were closed, unlike his arrogant and domineering self when he was awake.
Yes, he was good-looking to begin with.
Qin Sang tiptoed to the bedside, reached out and touched his forehead. It was slightly feverish. Seeing the thick blankets on his back, she gently lifted them.
Shen Que was about to say something when Qin Sang turned back and whispered, "Bring a thin blanket, not too thick, otherwise the wound will get infected if it gets too stuffy."
Shen Que nodded and turned to give the instructions.
When he returned, he saw Qin Sang squatting next to Xie Suian, talking to him. But she quickly stood up, nodded slightly to him, and went out.
He couldn't help but frown slightly, recalling the words the Prime Minister had instructed him before he left—if anyone asked, just say that she was the adopted granddaughter I had taken back at the request of an old friend.
Shen Que had not expected that the young master would find this young lady before him, nor had he expected that this young lady would be so beautiful, to the point that the young master's gaze towards her seemed particularly different.
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