Chapter 116 Chapter 116 Update.
Ji Xu and the others followed You Lu and settled down at an inn in the city.
The officials coming in and out here were all assigned to handle the case of treason. They worked in the county court during the day and stayed in the post station at night.
"There are two or three hundred slaves alone, and it would take a lot of manpower to interrogate them."
Yulu led them to the side room and said on the way that those who had been interrogated and were clean had been taken to the West Market to be sold.
The West Market is next to the post station. You can see a group of people in the stall. The traffickers are shouting:
"The county magistrate's slave! Sold cheap!"
Because of the uproar over the confiscation of the county magistrate's residence, most people were afraid to buy, fearing they would be implicated. Most people just stood there to watch the excitement. The trafficker said:
"These have all been inspected and are harmless, so you can buy them with confidence!"
Manager Zou, who usually looked so arrogant, was inside the fence, but now he looked dejected, allowing people to pick and choose. His daughter He was leaning against her. The second master wanted to ask the governor of Qingzhou to protect her, but she refused to stay and stayed with Manager Zou, only hoping to be sold to the same place as her mother so that they could still be together.
Seeing Ji Xu watching over the slaves, You Lu said, "The trial of that Madam Lai you asked me to inquire about has concluded, but she used to work as a mining slave and is now involved in a case, so she can't be sold for the time being. I'm afraid she'll have to work as a city laborer after the trial is over."
Even Ji Xu's three sisters and Xiaoyao later responded to the officials. Although Xiaoyao was recorded as a slave in the county magistrate's household register, she was abducted and sold, which was related to Mrs. Xiao's abduction case that had not yet been solved.
The little girl remembered that her home was in Chang'an, but she couldn't remember anything else. Because her civilian status was restored first, she was temporarily taken care of by Ji Xu.
According to You Lu, Marquis Muping was traveling between Zhuo County and the State of Yan, and the King of Yan had been taken into custody, waiting to present evidence of his conspiracy and awaiting the emperor's decision.
"This is the ointment my brother found for you."
When Youlu sent them back to the inn's room after questioning them at the county court, he took out a small bronze box with fish and goose patterns from his arms.
Ji Xu opened it and found the paste inside was as white as jade, and a refreshing scent filled his nose.
"I'm afraid you can't bear the constant rush of horses. Apply this ointment to the sore spot. That's what my brother said."
Yulu, the rough man, finished his words with a blush on his face and ran away quickly.
After riding a horse for a long time, Ji Xu's legs were swollen and painful as if they were congested. The palms of his hands holding the reins were also thicker than usual. There was a noticeable swelling when he gripped them, and they were also a little worn out.
When Tian and her two sisters recognized each other, they asked her what was wrong with her hand. They had originally planned to buy some medicine to apply on it, but they had few spots on their bodies.
The pair of jade belt hooks and rings that Ji Xu had originally kept close to him were also handed over to the second master on the way back. They should have been confiscated by now.
Tian had earned five taels of silver from selling the mines, and she had already spent one tael on postage to send two taels back home. Later, she had repeatedly asked the railway officials to buy materials to honor Mrs. Lai and send messages to her daughter, and all the money was gone.
The five of them together only had sixty sons that Ji Feng brought out from the mansion, and they couldn't afford medicine for the time being. Ji Xu got a small box of high-quality ointment like this, which felt cool and refreshing, and relieved pain and swelling. He felt much better after two days.
"Sister, the county magistrate's mansion is still guarded like an iron barrel. I asked the armored soldiers how long they would guard it, but they ignored me and just drove me away.
The kind-hearted people over there said that once the case was understood, people could be allowed in. I said that after the understanding, they could be allowed in?
They shook their heads at me and said that this was a private residence. The current county governor had fallen, and the new governor of Zhuo County had moved in, so you were not allowed to come in and out as you pleased.
What should we do? Won't our 75 taels of silver be buried there forever? The people said that when they searched their houses, they dug three feet into the ground. I don't know if the soldiers have taken it. This is all my sister's hard-earned money. If it is really confiscated as the property of the county magistrate, where can we go to complain?"
When Ji Feng returned to the post station, he was filled with regret. When he escaped, he should have dug out the family assets.
"Damn you old thief Wang! Not only did you harm our family, you also want to harm our money. My mother is too old to be shameless. I'm going to cry in front of the mansion. Seventy-five taels, my aunt, my dear A Jiao, you are so capable. You saved this money. It will last you for many years."
Tian was feeling angry and happy at the same time, and was about to go out while talking.
Her body was still black, especially between her nails. The black color of the iron ore seemed to have penetrated into her skin and could not be washed away in a short time. It would take time to heal it.
Ji Xu stopped her, "Don't worry, mother. Those soldiers are just following orders from their superiors. Even if you cry your heart out in front of him, he won't let us in. Wait a little longer until he comes back. He asked me about this."
On this day, an extremely overbearing aroma wafted from the kitchen of the post station, making the officials who had been working on the case for several days hungry.
"Has the chef come to his senses today?"
"It smells so good! Finally I don't have to eat sorghum rice with pickled vegetables."
Most of them were officials from Xijing or even transferred from all over the country, and they were not used to the food in Youzhou.
The people of Youzhou eat sticky Liang rice. The chefs who cook Youzhou cuisine are rough and bold, and they roast meat and stew vegetables repeatedly.
The roasted lamb was delicious at first, but after eating too much, it caused blisters in the mouth. The stews made by the stingy cook were all kinds of strange, such as pear stewed with bitter vegetables, pomegranate stewed with philadelphus, which were neither sweet nor salty. After a while, people started to eat it with salted pickled vegetables and rice, or with meat jerky soaked in rice. After eating it for a long time, they became thinner.
After dinner was served, everyone sat down to look at the strange fruit stew. It didn't smell the same alluring fragrance as before. The officials below shouted:
"Chef, what delicious food did you make that you enjoyed without telling us?"
"Bring it out, let us have a taste!"
"That's right, but we still eat the same old stew."
"How could such a thing happen? Perhaps the aroma of baked cakes from the West Market drifted here."
The chef lied and said that he knew it was the aroma created by the girl named Ji who borrowed his kitchen.
According to the girl, one dish was stir-fried chicken with chestnuts, another was stewed bacon with yellow sprouts, and the third was quail soup. They were all served in pottery at the post station, but they were presented very skillfully and attractively.
"Nonsense! I clearly smell the scent of chestnuts and chicken!" someone with a sharp nose retorted.
"Where can we get fresh chestnuts at this time of year? Stop guessing! If we don't eat now, the food will get cold."
The chef evaded the question by saying that there were indeed no fresh chestnuts at this time of year, but there were plenty of dried chestnuts for sale in Yan. The girl used dried chestnuts, and the fried chestnuts were just as fragrant and delicious. He tasted some and found them to be really good.
The officials still refused and asked him to bring the good stuff over.
Ji Xu cleaned up the kitchen and borrowed three stacked trays from the post station. She was just putting the dishes in when the cook came and stopped her, asking:
"Now, those officials are like black cats sniffing out fish, constantly asking me to give them delicious food. Even when I tell them the truth, they pretend not to believe me. They're picking on me, both openly and covertly. If I don't make some for them myself, it'll be embarrassing for me!"
Ji Xu said, "It's not difficult. I'm just busy right now. Tomorrow, I'll make more for you just like that. They won't make a fuss after eating it."
The cook nodded repeatedly and said this to the front.
Ji Xu heard from You Lu that the trial in Yan State was basically completed and Marquis Mu Ping would come to Zhuo County today, so he specially prepared food and sent it to Marquis Mu Ping's room.
This rice is the rice from the south. Although his ancestral home is in Qingzhou, he grew up in Wu. He must be more accustomed to eating this rice than Liang rice and wheat rice.
She heard the sound of horses being reined in outside. After finishing everything, she was about to get up and go out. Yulu said:
"If you leave, I can't even think of a word about the fancy dishes. It's better to say a few words to my brother before leaving."
The words were rough but the truth was there. Besides, she came for something, so she waited at the door. She saw that Marquis Mu Ping was not like those civil officials who wore loose clothes and wide belts and wore Jinxian crowns on their heads. He was wearing a black robe with lacquered ribbons tied around his hands and feet. He stepped over the threshold in riding boots. His skin color became more like wheat after running between the two places, and his imposing aura made him look more like a leopard crossing a wheat field.
"I heard that you were coming back, so I cooked some dishes. I wonder if they suit your taste." Ji Xu said.
Marquis Mu Ping sat down to eat and asked her to sit down as well. Ji Xu sat at the table opposite and served him food as usual.
"This is quail soup."
When I was about to give him another piece of yellow sprouts with my chopsticks, I saw his face darken.
"Is this soup bad?"
"No, it's delicious."
Hearing this, Ji Xu continued to serve the dishes and add rice, but he grabbed his hand, took the bowl of rice, and said:
"Aren't you hungry yourself?"
Ji Xu said, "I just ate with my mother and the others."
"Then just sit down. I don't need you to serve me."
Ji Xu then sat down and asked, "How is the situation in Yan State?"
"The imperial edict only ordered the execution of the son of King Ai of Zhongshan, the grandson of King Xiao of Qi, and officials such as the governor of Wang County who conspired with the conspiracy. As for the King of Yan, the emperor, out of consideration for their brotherly relationship, has not yet made any decision."
He ate politely and slowly. After all, he was strong enough to lift a tripod, and he had an extraordinary appetite. He ate all the dishes on the table.
Ji Xu was also pleased to see it, which showed that it was to his liking. He was just considering asking him for help when he saw him stand up and say:
"Come on, I'll go with you to the County Magistrate's Mansion."
Long before entering Zhuo County, when the cook was preparing food on the road and the soldiers were taking a break, she was still with the Second Master. Marquis Mu Ping called her over and said:
"Is there anything in the mansion that belongs to you? I'll keep it for you."
Ji Xu thought for a moment and said, "Everything else can be given up, except for the seventy-five ounces of silver buried under the ground in the lower courtyard, which we sisters saved."
After a pause, she confessed, "Fifty taels of silver were earned by selling a valuable reward. I wonder if I can keep it?" She asked this specifically because she was afraid of being implicated in treason.
He looked at her for a while and said, "You are serious. Is there anything else you want to stay?"
Ji Xu hurriedly waved his hands and said that they were gone. It was not good to trouble others with all those miscellaneous food and clothing items. She could not lie and say that the antiques and curios in the mansion were hers. She would not feel at ease even if she took them.
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