041
The girl nodded: "Yes."
Qin Sang asked, "Then the Lu Tong Academy you mentioned is in this city?"
The girl nodded again: "That's right, it's only three or four miles from here."
Qin Sang pinched the embroidery on her cuff and smiled, "What's the background of this Lu Tong Academy? How come so many missing children are all safe?"
The girl said, "You're from out of town, so you may not know this, but Lu Tong Academy in this county is very famous. Wealthy families from neighboring counties would rather rent a house near the academy to accompany their children to study here, simply because Lu Tong Academy has produced many officials, even high-ranking officials of the third rank... Moreover, the rules set by the previous headmaster stipulate that the academy does not discriminate based on social status; children from poor families can also enter if they have the aptitude and pass the examination. Therefore, every year many people want to study at Lu Tong Academy. It's also thanks to my fifth son's own hard work that he passed the examination and was able to enter the academy. I was hoping that he might have the opportunity to bring honor to our ancestors and change our family's fortune... but unfortunately..."
Qin Sang listened, glanced at Lingding, whose eyes also wavered. After a moment of contemplation, she said, "Now that all the evidence has been taken away, without evidence, dealing with this matter will be time-consuming and troublesome. The local academy has always been linked to officials and gentry; it's not something our young ladies can handle with a mere flick of their wrist..."
Her meaning was clear: this matter was troublesome and she couldn't get involved.
Qin Sang was rather curious, wondering who the current headmaster of Lu Tong Academy was, that he would dare to do such a shameless thing.
Just then, there was a knock on the door.
Lingding went to open the door and saw Qin Baoyun standing at the door.
He looked over Lingding's shoulder and saw a strange woman kneeling inside the room. He frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"
Qin Sang knew that Qin Baoyun would definitely not agree to her meddling in other people's business, so she didn't tell him right away. She just smiled and said, "It's nothing serious. I picked up a poor person on the roadside. He's having some troubles and is telling me about it. Where did you go, Uncle Qin? Did you just come back from outside?"
Qin Baoyun nodded: "I went out to meet a friend. I heard you brought someone in, so I came to check on you." He then looked at the girl and said, "Child, is something the matter? If it's not urgent, leave the person to me."
Qin Sang, however, remained smiling: "Uncle Qin, you actually have friends here?"
Qin Baoyun then said, "I had worked on official business here some years ago and have two old acquaintances with me."
"oh……"
Qin Sang's "oh" was somewhat meaningful.
Qin Baoyun secretly escorted Qin Sang out of the capital back then. He was a subordinate of Su Chengyi, the original owner's grandfather. After Su Chengyi was convicted and his entire family was executed, these guards were also implicated. Some died and some went into hiding. Qin Baoyun also went into hiding under the protection of the Prime Minister. Now he actually dared to meet his old friend... It can be seen that he has a lot of feelings for this old friend.
Seemingly sensing Qin Sang's concerns, Qin Baoyun cupped his hands and said, "It was my oversight. However, these two friends, like me, have already changed their names and no longer concern themselves with the court. They are simply living in seclusion here. I only met them by chance on the road and exchanged a few pleasantries and had a cup of tea at a nearby teahouse."
Qin Sang naturally trusted Qin Baoyun. Over the years, Qin Baoyun had taken care of and protected her while also contacting people in Kyoto to bring back information about the current situation and news. He was the one who most wanted to overturn his grandfather's case and the one who most wanted Qin Sang to be safe.
He knew his place, and Qin Sang had no other intentions. Seeing his politeness, she said, "Since Uncle Qin has old friends in this area, why don't you help me find out some information?"
Qin Baoyun: "What news?"
Qin Sang: "There is a Lu Tong Academy in Rongcheng. I heard it is very famous. This academy does not discriminate based on background and does not reject students from poor families. Many outstanding students have come from it. Uncle Qin, could you help me find out more about this academy? I would like to sponsor a few promising students from poor families. It would be a talent investment. Perhaps these talents will be useful in the future."
Qin Baoyun glanced subconsciously at the girl standing next to Qin Sang, who was clearly trembling: "Why would you suddenly think of this, young lady?"
Qin Sang then introduced the girl beside him in a generous manner, saying, "Otherwise, why do you think she knelt down to me just now? Her family is poor, but she has a younger brother who is very ambitious and talented in his studies. Unfortunately, his family cannot afford his tuition, so she has to go out to sell goods even in the rain and almost got hit and killed by a carriage. I felt sorry for her, so I had this idea."
Qin Baoyun pondered for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, "In that case, I will go and inquire about it."
After Qin Baoyun left, the woman suddenly said, "It's not that there's no evidence."
Qin Sang: "What?"
The woman said earnestly, "Actually, not all the evidence was taken away. I still have a copy at home."
"Although I am illiterate, I have loved copying since I was a child. Ever since my family bought the Four Treasures of the Study for my nephew, I have liked to draw landscape paintings to pass the time when I have nothing to do. After my brother got those portraits and names, he felt that one copy was not enough, so he asked me to make a copy exactly as they were."
Lingding chuckled lightly: "Do you know that imitations are inaccurate? The appearance can be completely different from the real thing. How can it be used as evidence?" She herself had studied painting, and she knew how difficult it was.
The girl blushed and said, "Of course I know, but I copied each one several times until it looked very similar before I put it away."
Qin Sang thought to herself, "Then can you take it? If you trust me, I will have someone keep an eye on this matter."
"Can't we investigate right now?" the woman exclaimed, but then realized it was inappropriate. The other person was neither a relative nor an official; we should be grateful that they were willing to take care of this matter. How could we ask them to help immediately?
Moreover, they even paid for her to collect her brother and sister-in-law's bodies.
Her eyes immediately welled up with tears as she knelt down again, saying, "Thank you so much, young lady. I'll go back and get it right away."
When she got up again, Qin Sang called her back: "Is it safe for you to go back and get it now?"
If she were to suffer the same fate as her brother and sister-in-law, wouldn't that mean taking another life?
The woman wiped away her tears: "I will disguise myself and be careful." Without another word, she was led out of the room by Lingding.
After Lingding returned, the master and servant remained silent for a moment, both feeling heavy-hearted.
There are too many injustices in this world; if we try to manage everything, we'll never be able to.
Qin Sang also sighed.
But wasn't her mission in descending to the mortal realm precisely to unravel the mystery, peeling back the layers to find the wicked monsters who bring ruin to the country? In this world, trouble at the lower levels often affects those above. If you haven't encountered such trouble, all is well; but if you have, you still have to intervene. It's like clearing tree roots—they're tangled and chaotic, and you don't know where to begin, so you grab any root you can and won't let it go.
For example, the investigation into the tea plantation incident went all the way up to the prefect of a prefecture. As for anything above the prefect, we'll deal with that when we get back to the capital.
"Alright, let's wait for Uncle Qin's news first." Qin Sang straightened her handkerchief and said, "Don't think about it anymore. I'm just bored. Let's go downstairs and listen to the storyteller."
****
The next morning, the rain had lessened considerably, and the girl who had lost her nephew and whose brother and sister-in-law had died arrived as promised.
She disguised herself as a boy and came carrying a bundle.
The package was opened, and sure enough, it contained portraits and a list with the missing child's family information and home address.
"Although this is not enough to convict anyone, it's just a statistic of missing persons, but those people were also scared. They were willing to kill to get the list back, which shows that they are ruthless and have a huge force behind them. They are not easy to deal with," Lingding analyzed.
“Yes,” Qin Sang looked at the portraits one by one and found that all the children were indeed handsome. One of them had a high nose bridge and a beauty mark in the center. He was very good-looking. He said, “This kidnapper is quite picky. Where does he need so many handsome and knowledgeable children? He has gone to such lengths to kidnap them.”
Lingding pondered for a moment and shook her head. The girl also shook her head. They were both born in small towns and had never encountered such a thing before. How could they imagine it?
Qin Sang, being well-informed, harbored some vague worries.
She instructed Lingding to carefully put the painting away and to make another copy of the list for future use. After offering a few more words of comfort, she saw the girl off.
Rain drifted in through the window, bringing a chilly feeling of late spring. Qin Sang shivered and got goosebumps.
Seeing this, Ying'er brought her some clothes to put on her.
The two maids now have a clear division of labor, ignoring each other but also avoiding conflict. Ying'er herself understands that she can't help Qin Sang much, and has gradually reduced her hostility towards Su Qingyan.
In the afternoon, as the rain stopped, Qin Baoyun returned with his intelligence.
The story of Lu Tong Academy is rather complicated.
This academy was originally founded by a failed scholar from Rongcheng. He had repeatedly failed the imperial examinations and was unfamiliar with the intricacies of officialdom. Disheartened, he gave up his official career and, relying on his family's wealth, returned to Rongcheng to open this academy.
He was gentle and unconventional in his teaching methods, and soon several of his students passed the imperial examinations, with two even passing the palace examination and being appointed to official positions.
As a result, Lutong Academy became famous, and wealthy families from surrounding counties flocked to study there. With so many students, the old headmaster, overwhelmed with work, sought the help of one of his most promising students. This student, like the old master, was a kind-hearted, unskilled scholar who had failed the imperial examinations and was unfamiliar with officialdom; he was well-suited for teaching.
However, not long after, the old gentleman passed away suddenly due to illness. Before his death, he entrusted the academy to his favorite student, who lived up to the trust and managed the Lutong Academy very well. Every year, students would break through the ranks and achieve excellent results.
"Died of illness?" Qin Sang interrupted, seizing the key point, "What illness? It's such a coincidence that the old headmaster passed away not long after his prized student returned?"
Qin Baoyun's expression darkened slightly: "What exactly does the young lady want to find out?"
Qin Sang realized what was going on and smiled, "I'm not asking about anything, I just think it's quite remarkable that in such a small county, two generations of master and apprentice have passed down their knowledge and skills in an unconventional way, providing talent for the country. I'd like to sponsor a few poor students, does the headmaster have anything to say about that?"
“It was refused,” Qin Baoyun said. “I didn’t see the headmaster, but I did see his assistant. He said that because the academy has a good reputation and the students who have passed the exams have provided a lot of assistance to the academy, there are scholarships and subsidies available for poor but talented students, so there is no need to trouble outside help.”
“Oh, I was being nosy,” Qin Sang nodded, then added with a hint of doubt, “But if that’s the case, why did I see that woman yesterday, and why was she working so hard to save money to support her brother’s schooling?”
Qin Baoyun remained silent.
Qin Sang then laughed: "I really don't know what's true and what's false, Uncle Qin... You went to that academy, what did you think of it? Was there anything strange about it?"
Qin Baoyun stared at Qin Sang, remaining silent for a long time, his eyes seemingly hiding a restrained desire to speak.
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