Chapter 21 Old Customs Rise "This humble official, Zhao Yue, greets Lord Xie."...
It was still quite a distance from the village to the city. Ning Lu was lucky; she turned onto the main road and met a man from a neighboring village who was going to the city to do business. She hitched a ride on his donkey cart.
After nearly an hour of bumpy travel, she finally arrived at the main street of Pingcheng County. Following her elder brother's directions, Ning Lu, holding the pawn ticket, walked along the central axis of the county town.
The atmosphere in the city was different from usual; there were fewer people strolling on the streets, but more soldiers patrolling back and forth.
Upon arriving at the pawnshop, Ning Lu saw several soldiers surrounding it. She glanced around and then retreated to a steamed bun stall on the side, where she took out two copper coins and bought two steamed buns.
One tucked into his pocket, while the other ate in small gulps. He leaned close to the shopkeeper and whispered, "Brother, why are there so few people on the street today? It's not lively at all."
"It's been a while since I've been to the city. The magistrate has returned, bringing back several detachments of soldiers from Changzhou. He says he's going to investigate the rebels."
Ning Lu squeezed into the stall: "Is this going to cause trouble again?"
"It's just a matter of collecting grain. We were hoping that Prince Jing could uphold justice and make life a little better for everyone. Who knew that the emperor would issue an imperial edict that the dikes along the southeast coast would be breached, and that all prefectures and counties would be required to collect grain to support the effort. Prince Jing was helpless."
The diners eating nearby also chimed in.
"Exactly, this is unbearable."
"You want to add more?" Ning Lu was surprised.
"Yes, to be honest, the world is really going to be in chaos. When the late emperor was alive, Prince Jing was in charge of us, and under his benevolent rule, everyone could barely make ends meet. After the new emperor ascended the throne, he indulged Xie Qinghe's monopolization of power, becoming increasingly harsh and even suppressing Prince Jing in a roundabout way..."
"Isn't the new emperor supposed to be kind and benevolent?" Ning Lu shuddered when she heard Xie Qinghe's name again.
“Generosity? Who knows if it’s generosity or incompetence? That Xie fellow is quite something. The first thing he did after entering the Censorate was to kill Prince Xian, and the second thing was to kill his teacher’s entire family. Did you see what the emperor said?”
"Hey, shut up. Do you even care about your life?"
The owner of the steamed bun shop looked around and quickly waved his hand to stop the customer from talking nonsense.
"Those are matters of the imperial court; we can't discuss them."
"Then it all comes down to how lenient and benevolent the emperor is, doesn't it? Girl, am I right?"
Ning Lu chuckled twice, giving a perfunctory reply, but what she was thinking about was something else entirely.
If additional grain is to be levied, the villagers may not be able to afford it, and it's uncertain whether they will submit the necessary documents. If something goes wrong, it could potentially affect Ji Ming.
She needed to finish her business quickly and go back to tell Ji Ming, urging him to leave as soon as possible.
"It's alright that the capital is so far away from us. Do you know who those two inside are?" The shopkeeper squatted down, pretending to wipe the table. "They are Xie Qinghe's two trusted confidants, Lord Wei Zhan and Lord Wei Chun."
Ning Lu was just about to cross the street when she heard this, her legs went weak, and she knelt down in front of the two men, her eyes wide open.
"Wei Zhan? Wei Chun?"
"Are you scared already? If you're scared, then ask less questions and inquiries."
Seeing their pale faces, the boss was satisfied. He shook the towel off his body and continued, "Have you heard about the Prince Xian's Mansion? Those thousands of body parts were done by that tall guy inside, Wei Zhan."
The meat-filled buns she had just swallowed were churning in her stomach, so Ning Lu quickly covered her mouth with her hand and peeked behind her.
Just then, Wei Zhan and Wei Chun came out from inside, and the pawnshop owner, Mr. Kong, saw them off with a forced smile.
Sure enough, one was the one who stopped her at the foot of the mountain that day to smell the fragrance, and the other was the one who inquired about Ji Ming's whereabouts in the rain.
Upon seeing them, the steamed bun shop owner and customers immediately fell silent, and Ning Lu also quietly raised her hand to cover her face.
The pawnshop owner bowed respectfully and replied with a smile, "Zhu Dacheng has come twice, once to pawn this flint and once to pawn a jade pendant. If you like the flint, please take it; there's no need to be polite. However, the jade pendant was taken away by General Zhao, who came to check the accounts a few days ago."
"Zhao Yue?"
"I don't know about that. He's a general who came back from Changzhou with the county magistrate. He said he was going to investigate the rebels."
"What does that jade pendant look like?"
Wei Zhan frowned and asked in a cold voice, but before the boss could answer, Wei Chun interrupted him.
"Who cares what the jade pendant looks like? Just find Zhao Yue and snatch it."
As they spoke, the two exchanged glances and simultaneously looked in Ning Lu's direction.
After exchanging glances again, they hastily ended their questioning of the pawnshop owner and headed towards the city gate.
Ning Lu shrank back and hid behind the steamed bun stall again.
This Ji Amin even said that he had no deep-seated hatred for Xie Qinghe.
If there were no enmity, would his people be searching for him everywhere?
She wished she could never have any entanglements with anyone in this life, yet she still wanted to take him with her.
She simply transmigrated, gained a different body, but lost her courage.
Seeing Ning Lu trembling and dodging, the owner of the steamed bun stall couldn't help but laugh at her: "Scared already? If you really saw a high-ranking official, wouldn't you be terrified and cry?"
“Then I can kowtow to him three times right here and now.” Ning Lu smiled bitterly, patted her clothes and stood up. After thinking for a moment, she added, “If he can spare my life, I’ll kowtow ten times.”
While I was distracted, the two people had already walked far away.
Ning Lu was about to step forward and stop Boss Kong when she remembered what he had just said.
The jade pendant has been taken away under the pretext of investigating traitors.
The confrontation between the original owner and the pursuers on the cliff kept flashing through his mind.
Investigate the traitors...
Isn't the point to investigate her?
Ning Lu bit her lip hard, suddenly realizing that neither she nor Ji Ming were in a better situation than the other.
We need to go back as soon as possible and make him leave quickly.
Without bothering to confirm with the pawnshop owner again, Ning Lu turned around, took a shortcut, left the city through a side gate, and ran all the way to Zhujia'ao.
There wasn't a soul in sight on the official road. Occasionally, dust would rise and metal clanging would come from the direction of Zhujia'ao. Ning Lu broke out in a cold sweat and kept walking without stopping.
Whether it was because she had unlocked a more advanced skill from the original owner or because of her adrenaline, she touched the dry branch with her toes, leaped three zhang high, and then glided more than a hundred meters after landing.
Stepping on the tiles, touching the stones, a fleeting shadow, and then I saw the locust tree at the village entrance.
Ning Lu jogged into the village and bumped into Yu Niang, who was pacing under a tree carrying a child. The woman, who had been looking around, immediately stepped forward to block her path when she saw Ning Lu.
"Grandma, why are you back so soon?"
What are you doing here?
"I... I was afraid you'd come back, and I was thinking that maybe I could talk to you."
Yu Niang put the child on the ground, pulled Ning Lu back two steps, and lowered her voice: "This morning, as soon as you left the house, a group of soldiers entered the village and went to the village chief's house."
“I went to inform Young Master Ji, and he told me to wait for you at the village entrance. If I see you there, he will tell you not to go back.”
"What do you mean?" Ning Lu asked, puzzled. "I just saw government soldiers in the city. How could they have arrived so quickly?"
"I don't believe you."
She composed herself and was about to enter the village when Yu Niang gave her a hard push.
"What do you mean they saw it in the city? They were already waiting at the village entrance early this morning. The magistrate came back to increase the grain tax, and the village chief and the others had no choice but to hand over the document. The magistrate was furious and arrested the people, asking who wrote it..."
"Then what?"
Ning Lu was stunned for a moment, then guessed what was going on. She angrily raised her hand to block Yu Niang's attempt to grab her, her eyes filled with disbelief.
"They were just at the village chief's place, but they're probably heading home now."
Yu Niang tugged at her sleeve and lowered her voice: "Yesterday Da Cheng came back and said that someone saw our pawned items at the pawnshop, saying they were items belonging to the rebels, and they want to find the owner. Things have been really chaotic lately, one thing after another..."
“That official wouldn’t let go of Da Cheng, and today he arrested him to lead the way… You know him.”
"I know." Ning Lu pulled her hand away, ignoring her, and walked quickly towards the courtyard.
Seeing that she couldn't stop him at all, Yu Niang picked up the child again and chased after him, speaking faster: "Ning Meizi, I know you're angry with me. It's our family that has wronged you."
“But this time, I’m telling the truth. Young Master Ji told you to leave on your own and not to worry about him anymore. He said he can handle this on his own.”
“What can a sickly man like him handle?” Ning Lu sneered. “Besides, I asked him to write the letter, and the items were handed out for pawning by me. None of them can be traced back to him.”
"The soldiers who came today are the most capable in the prefecture. You're quick on your feet, you can still run now. Besides, you're just a young woman, who can you possibly protect!"
The voice was choked with sobs, and Ning Lu slowed her pace and turned to look at her.
Yu Niang lagged far behind her. Seeing that she had stopped, she quickly caught up, panting as she spoke, still struggling to persuade her: "There's something I've wanted to say for a long time. You're clever and capable, but that Young Master Ji isn't in good health. You won't be able to go very far with him."
"He's a sensible man, and he's been thinking of you a lot. Since he brought it up himself, why not take this opportunity to end things? In this world, survival is the most important thing."
Upon hearing this, Ning Lu frowned, belatedly realizing that her palms were covered in cold sweat.
She knew, of course, that no matter what had happened in the past, Yu Niang's words at this moment were truly for her own good.
She had thought about those things.
The child in Yu Niang's arms was sallow and thin from a long illness, with only his eyes still bright. At this moment, the child was reaching out to try to touch her flowing hair, grinning at her innocently.
“I don’t know what your relationship is, but people, even husband and wife, are all the same. Why risk your life for a man? I have no choice…” Yu Niang looked at the child in her arms and didn’t finish her sentence.
Ning Lu quickly bit her lip: "I have one last question for you."
"you say."
“That day, Ji Ming was unconscious and Zhu Dacheng came to me asking for money. I couldn’t pay him, and you just happened to come to my rescue. That time, were you genuinely helping me, or were you playing the good cop and the bad cop to gain my trust?”
"I……"
Yu Niang was embarrassed and speechless. She swallowed hard, not knowing what to say.
"Tell me the truth, it's very important to me."
Although she didn't know why she brought it up again, Yu Niang still answered as instructed: "I know you were having some trouble back then..."
"Okay," Ning Lu interrupted, "that's enough."
She took two steps back, waved to Yu Niang, and ran deeper into the village.
Although she and Ji Ming had been in dire straits for a long time, she wasn't particularly bothered by the money Yu Niang and the others had taken. After all, the most difficult days were over.
She was getting stuck in a rut. She couldn't understand whether Yu Niang had been forced to scheme against and deceive her because life was too hard and her child was sick, or whether she had always been this kind of person and she just hadn't seen through it.
She always wanted to know whether Yu Niang's initial help to her was genuine or feigned.
It's childish, but she just really wants to know.
Stepping on the fallen leaves, Ning Lu stopped in front of the village chief's house. Looking at the mess inside, her heart clenched suddenly.
The midday sun streamed into the room. Ji Ming, dressed in a dark blue robe, sat at the table, his fingertips, tinged with a faint purple aura, gently tapping the medicine bowl.
The container had long lost its luster from being handled and stored day after day, and its interior had changed color due to the long-term soaking of the medicinal soup.
At this moment, he lowered his eyes to examine it, his expression calm, which made the object appear even more luxurious.
Footsteps were scattered throughout the courtyard, accompanied by Da Cheng's almost fawning and ingratiating tone.
The wooden door was kicked open from the outside with a bang, and a group of people rushed in in twos and threes. Their shadows stretched across the table, and their swords flashed coldly.
The fingertips resting on the bowl paused slightly, the man's eyelashes fluttered slightly, and then he pinched the rim of the bowl, tilted his head back, and drank.
The leader, carrying Da Cheng, walked at the back. The moment he stepped into the room and saw Ji Ming, his expression changed drastically.
Almost simultaneously, the medicine bowl clattered onto the table.
The two or three soldiers on the other side finally got a clear look at his face, looked at each other, and took two steps back side by side.
The leader, carrying Da Cheng, walked at the back. Before he could finish reprimanding them for their timidity, he saw the person sitting in the highest position.
A moment of silence fell, and the pupils beneath the scar contracted sharply. The man bowed and said, "This humble official, Zhao Yue, greets Lord Xie."
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