Chapter 535 "This humble servant, Niu Sangeng, greets the General!"
On the seventeenth day of the first lunar month, the chill in the early morning was even more biting than in the previous days.
The remnants of snow that fell last night have frozen into thin ice on the eaves. It is not yet fully light, but some people have already woken up.
Niu Sangeng didn't sleep all night.
He had been feeling uneasy ever since he heard from his neighbors yesterday that Li Shiyue had led the Xuanjia Army to fight a fire in Sixi Hutong in the north of the city all night and rescued dozens of families.
After his shift at Jian'an Prison during the day, he made a special detour to Sixi Hutong to take a look.
Not only did he see the houses that had been burned black, but he also went into the teahouse next door, ordered a pot of coarse tea that cost only ten copper coins, and listened to the people inside talk for a while.
Thus, he learned that the cold wind had blown over a food stall's lantern, and the embers from the candle inside the fallen lantern had landed on an overturned oil jug, which caused the fire to spread and spread to the surrounding houses.
Thanks to the timely arrival of the Xuanjia Army and Li Shiyue's command, many people were rescued before the fire grew stronger and larger.
Although many houses were destroyed, it was fortunate that no one was injured or killed.
It was because of this incident that Li Shiyue's reputation in Jian'an City improved dramatically.
Even the infamy of the dozens of heads she had previously chopped off was suddenly transformed into—General Li is a person of great righteousness, she is a living righteous goddess, she has come to uphold justice for the people!
Because she had worked hard the day before, Lu Erniang slept soundly all night and did not notice anything unusual about Niu Sangeng.
Niu Sangeng turned to look at his wife, Lü Erniang. Yesterday, she went to the military supply depot converted from the Zhao family mansion, but she only worked for half a day before returning home with thirty copper coins.
Niu Sangeng remembered clearly that yesterday, Lü Erniang happily showed him the handful of thirty copper coins in her palm and said to him, "Manager Wang said that my needlework is fine and I am a good hand, so he will give me a first-class job!"
She said that if I do well in the future, I can choose piecework instead of the thirty-copper-a-day job.
"My dear husband, I was thinking, if I'm quick, I could probably earn fifty copper coins a day!"
As dawn broke, Niu Sangeng quietly got up.
Looking at Lü Erniang, who was still sleeping on the bed, Niu Sangeng carefully took out the silk cloth he had hidden under the bed, folded it up, and stuffed it into the hidden pocket of his inner garment close to his chest.
He moved very lightly, afraid of waking Lü Erniang.
The piece of silk cloth was now pressed against the inside of his chest, like a red-hot branding iron, making him uneasy.
He stood by the bed and looked at Lü Erniang for a moment.
Lu Erniang still had a faint smile on her face, a smile that she had given after receiving her wages yesterday.
Niu San clenched his fist, and the hesitation in his heart was completely suppressed again.
He didn't understand any grand principles; he only knew that keeping this thing in his hands was not only useless, but could very well be a disaster.
As time went on, it became clear that Li Shiyue was indeed a good official.
Niu Sangeng thought that handing over this thing might change his future.
Although he and Lü Erniang don't have children yet, he doesn't want his child to become a lowly jailer!
Niu Sangeng went into the kitchen, washed his hands and face with the hot water from the bottom of the pot, and then went out.
Instead of going to Jian'an Prison to report for duty first, he headed straight for the government office.
His steps were initially a little unsteady, but the closer he got to the government office, the more steady he became.
Black-armored soldiers were still on duty at the entrance of the government office, looking like they were not to be trifled with.
"Halt! What is it?" The Xuanjia soldiers guarding the gate blocked Niu Sangeng's path.
Niu Sangeng took a deep breath, trying his best to keep his voice from trembling: "I am Niu Sangeng, a jailer in Jian'an Prison."
"I have...something extremely important to discuss with General Li."
The black-armored soldier looked him up and down a few times. Seeing that he was indeed dressed as a jailer and that his tense expression did not seem to be fake, he said, "Do you think you can just see the general whenever you want?"
"If there is anything important, you may first report it to Zhou, the legal officer."
Niu Sangeng shook his head, lowering his voice but remaining unusually insistent: "Sir, this matter... is of great importance, and I can only speak to General Li about it."
"Yes...yes, it's really important!"
The Xuanjia soldier's expression turned serious, and he exchanged a glance with another Xuanjia soldier opposite him.
The armored soldier hesitated for a moment, then said, "You shall wait here and not move."
After saying this, he turned and strode into the government office.
The waiting time wasn't long, but for Niu Sangeng it felt like an eternity, like enduring a winter.
He kept his head down, feeling the scrutinizing gaze of the Xuanjia soldiers. Despite the cold weather, his palms were sweating with nervousness.
Finally, the soldier in black armor returned, followed by Sun Xiaoliu, Li Shiyue's personal guard.
Sun Xiaoliu's sharp gaze swept over Niu Sangeng like a hawk: "So you have confidential matters to report to the general?"
"Yes, sir, I really have something important to tell you!"
Niu Sangeng was going all out, and he looked at Sun Xiaoliu and said it word by word.
Looking at Niu Sangeng, Sun Xiaoliu could tell that he didn't seem like the kind of person who played tricks on people, nor did he seem like a spy.
Sun Xiaoliu then said no more, simply waving his hand and saying, "Come with me."
Niu Sangeng followed Sun Xiaoliu into the government office. The area was heavily guarded, with a black-armored soldier standing every few feet. Niu Sangeng was so nervous that he didn't dare to look up to see what the government office looked like inside.
Keeping their heads down and following closely in Sun Xiaoliu's footsteps, Niu Sangeng and the others arrived at the study in the backyard.
Sun Xiaoliu led Niu Sangeng into a small corner room next to the study. "You sit here and wait. If the general wants to see you, I will come to find you again!"
Niu Sangeng stood awkwardly at the door of the corner room, only bowing his head and replying with a "Yes".
After saying this, Sun Xiaoliu went out. A little while later, Sun Xiaoliu came back in carrying a basin of charcoal, and also had someone bring him hot water and a plate of cakes.
"The general said he would see you. Eat and drink something first, so you won't be speechless when you see him."
Niu Sangeng didn't have to wait long; half an hour later, Sun Xiaoliu came over and called him into the study.
Inside the study, Li Shiyue was standing by the window, looking out at the old pine tree covered in snow in the courtyard.
She was not wearing armor, only a black casual dress, with a silver crown on her head. She was tall and slender, and even from behind, she exuded an indescribable sense of solemnity and pressure.
Hearing footsteps coming from the doorway, Li Shiyue slowly turned around.
Niu Sangeng knelt down with a thud, his head bowed deeply: "This humble one, Niu Sangeng, greets the General!"
"Stand up and speak."
Li Shiyue's voice was calm, devoid of emotion. "Captain Sun said that you have confidential matters that you can only discuss with this general?"
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