Chapter 23 The Debtor
Fu Mingyi led his ten companions northward.
Xiao Qing then rode in a carriage, slowly entering the city under the protection of Zhao Youchen and dozens of imperial guards.
She slowly loosened her tightly clenched fists in the carriage, thinking to herself, "I've still dragged Mingxiu into this."
But she did not plead for Mingxiu or Physician He. In fact, after the initial shock, she tried to appear as an outsider, no longer showing any emotion.
Because they were traveling incognito, half of the Imperial Guards hid in various places to provide covert protection after entering the city.
Zhao Youchen, accompanied by three men dressed in ordinary clothes, rode alongside Xiao Qing's carriage. The carriage was driven by members of the Imperial Guard.
As Zhao Youchen recalled everything that had happened outside the city, even though he still didn't quite understand what had happened, there was one thing he was very clear about.
The Grand Tutor is very angry with His Majesty.
Perhaps, there is also disappointment.
Thinking of this, Zhao Youchen unconsciously frowned again.
He admired the Grand Tutor, but since taking command of the Imperial Guards, he also often looked at this obedient and sensible emperor.
To be honest, with the country in peril, families destroyed, and the land shattered, this emperor, at such a young age, was able to remain calm, undisturbed, and fearless, and was able to follow the teachings of the Grand Tutor and bear the heavy burden of his studies, as well as the expectations of the entire nation.
Your Majesty has actually done a very good job.
Moreover, although he didn't know what had happened, he arrested Mingxiu and her grandfather without giving any reason...
He thought to himself: Although the Grand Tutor is the Emperor's teacher, he seems to be a bit too harsh on His Majesty.
A gentle breeze blew, and the curtains of the carriage were slowly drawn back, revealing half of Xiao Qing's face from behind.
Zhao Youchen subconsciously looked over, but Xiao Qing didn't look at him. Instead, she looked at the houses and stalls along the roadside and the passersby.
He spurred his horse forward and asked in a low voice, "Does Your Majesty have any orders?"
Xiao Qing shook her head, saying nothing, just watching.
Since Fu Mingyi stormed off, she hasn't said a word, but her expression doesn't seem to indicate sadness or anything like that.
It's just—completely expressionless.
Zhao Youchen couldn't figure out what the young emperor was thinking. Just as he was about to give some instructions on safety, he saw the young emperor raise his head and glance at the sky.
What's in the sky?
Zhao Youchen heard birds chirping.
South of the Xiao River, the climate is always warm, with lush greenery throughout the city and pleasant springtime scenery. Nanhua City is a prime example of this.
And in the season of spring warmth and blooming flowers, there are naturally birds.
He was trying to discern the emotions in Xiao Qing's eyes when he saw the curtain by the window drawn down, and he could no longer see their little emperor.
What is Your Majesty thinking?
He soon had no time to think about these things.
As the carriage passed through the bustling city center, the once wide road was now surrounded by crowds of people, completely blocking the way. If you listened carefully, you could hear several men shouting and cursing, as well as the sounds of fists and kicks hitting people.
A guard approached Zhao Youchen and asked in a low voice, "Sir, should we evacuate the crowd?"
Xiao Qing could feel the liveliness outside, which was especially clear in the quiet carriage.
Even though she didn't have the same martial arts skills as Zhao Youchen, she could still tell from the sounds that there was probably a fight going on ahead.
Zhao Youchen had already dismounted and was leading his horse along the carriage. He was about to order his subordinates to disperse the crowd when he heard the young emperor say, "General Zhao."
He turned his head and saw that the curtains were not open.
So he walked to the window and whispered, "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"
"Since we're traveling incognito, let's not go to all that trouble. Let's see if we can take a detour."
This is the best solution. However, since Xiao Qing himself suggested it, Zhao Youchen perceived it differently.
Since ancient times, imperial power has been supreme. No matter how young His Majesty is, he is still the master of this country. His Majesty has not yet begun to rule in his own right, and may not even understand the state of the country as well as the Grand Tutor. However, His Majesty can choose to take a detour at this time. This decision can at least reflect His Majesty's character to some extent.
"Yes." Zhao Youchen quickly ordered the carriage to turn around, preparing to take a longer detour back to Nanhua Palace.
However, plans can never keep up with changes.
Just as the coachman slowly turned the horse around, a teenager suddenly struggled to break through the gaps in the crowd, which was surrounded by layers of people.
He saw the carriage turning, his eyes seemed to light up, and then he staggered over.
Zhao Youchen frowned and ordered his men, "Stop him."
Although the boy's clothes were tattered and his face and body were covered with marks from being severely beaten, he was surprisingly agile. Even when the two guards rushed forward together, they couldn't stop him, and he managed to dodge and run to the side of the carriage.
As he ran, he shouted, "Help me, benefactor!"
Zhao Youchen had already drawn his sword halfway out.
"Wait!" Xiao heard the sound of swords being drawn.
Zhao Youchen hesitated for a moment, and the boy boldly rushed to the car door to open it.
Behind him, five burly men chased after him, cursing and swearing.
"You son of a bitch, you dare to run away?"
Zhao Youchen's face darkened, and he shouted, "You audacious madman, how dare you... spew such foul language and make such a loud noise!"
Thinking about how he almost exposed his identity, Zhao Youchen broke out in a cold sweat.
The five burly men probably realized that Zhao Youchen was not someone to be trifled with. They exchanged glances, and one of them said, "Who are you people? If you want to play the hero, you should first see if our Grandpa Jiang will allow it."
Zhao Youchen's expression darkened slightly.
If the "Grandpa Jiang" they were talking about was the same Jiang Tianba, the local tyrant of Nanhua City he had heard about, then this disheveled young man probably owed someone money.
Zhao Youchen had no time to concern himself with such trivial matters.
The boy was flustered and couldn't open the door for a long time.
He started banging on the door while shouting, "Help me, benefactor!"
Zhao Youchen grabbed the boy and prepared to throw him back.
"Ask what's going on," Xiao Qing said again.
Zhao Youchen disagreed, so he said in a low voice, "This kid has caused trouble, so it's probably not a good idea to get involved."
Xiao Qing said, "Let's ask first."
Although Zhao Youchen usually obeyed Fu Mingyi, he would not disobey Xiao Qing in this matter since Xiao Qing insisted.
So he had no choice but to grab the boy by the collar and ask in a cold voice, "What trouble have you gotten yourself into?"
The boy was honest. "I owe them thirty taels, and with compound interest, they'll demand three hundred taels in ten days."
Zhao Youchen raised an eyebrow. Three hundred taels of silver is enough for an ordinary family to live on for a year.
Jiang Tianba started his business with casinos. As the casinos grew, he dabbled in all sorts of businesses. However, his favorite was still lending money, specifically usury.
Jiang Tianba was a clever man. He had done many bad things, but he never went against the government. He would even cooperate with the government to investigate cases from time to time. So, although many people hated him, the Dingzhou government was actually quite lenient with him.
Zhao Youchen hadn't originally intended to get involved in this matter, but since he didn't know Xiao Qing's intentions, he remained silent and waited for instructions.
Xiao Qing could definitely hear what the boy said.
"Hey, are you guys planning to help this kid pay off his debts? Let me tell you, he doesn't just owe our Grandpa Jiang three hundred taels, he also owes us brothers a concubine... Hahahaha..."
The five men exchanged lewd glances and burst into laughter.
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