Chapter 24 Taking an Inch and Wanting a Mile
The boy's voice was restrained yet filled with anger. "Respect for the dead! Aren't you afraid of being struck by lightning for doing this?"
Xiao Qing quickly conjured up a story in her mind.
"Haha, struck by lightning? Debts must be repaid, it's only right. Your father sold your mother to us as a concubine, but I never expected your unfortunate mother to be such a sickly woman. We haven't even met her yet, and you've already come to provoke us. Three hundred taels, not a tael less!"
"You still have to pay back the money for finding me a concubine!"
"It should be at least five hundred taels!"
The five of them talked at once, and when they finished speaking, they looked at each other and burst into laughter, their raised eyebrows exuding arrogance.
The boy gritted his teeth and fell silent.
He probably knew that nothing he said would make a difference.
Zhao Youchen couldn't stand these people, so he pursed his lips tightly.
"Hey, didn't you want to save this kid? Hand over the five hundred taels, and we'll consider him incredibly lucky. We won't bother arguing with a kid who hasn't even grown his first beard yet. Otherwise, get out of here and stop getting in my way!"
Zhao Youchen glared at him, "Who are you calling grandpa?" He didn't care about the boy's reaction and charged forward with his sword.
They dare to be so presumptuous before the Emperor! They deserve to be beheaded!
The five men, upon seeing this, laughed and said, "A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle. I see you're a man, but coming alone is a bit too arrogant..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zhao Youchen had already placed his sword against his neck.
He was agile; he didn't seem particularly fast when he came over, but in that instant, no one saw him clearly, and no one stopped him.
The five of them were momentarily dumbfounded.
When they looked at Zhao Youchen in his casual clothes again, their eyes held a different kind of interest.
"Damn it, how dare you point a sword at me..."
Zhao Youchen didn't move the hand holding the sword, but reached out with his other hand and grabbed his neck without even looking, then tightened his grip and slowly raised his arm.
He was tall and had a stern face. At this moment, his eyebrows were raised and he gave a cold snort, which made him look very imposing.
He held his sword still in one hand, while using his other hand to lift up a large man of similar build. The man struggled desperately but couldn't break free from his grip, and his limbs were gradually losing strength.
"You...you...who are you..." All five people were terrified.
Zhao Youchen sneered, kicking the one in front of him far away, startling the crowd of onlookers who scattered in all directions. Then he casually threw the one he was holding in his hand away as well, and it landed right next to the previous one.
Immediately, cries of agony rose up one after another, a truly pitiful sight.
He slowly turned his head to look at the other three.
Seeing this, the three men knew they had probably bitten off more than they could chew, so when Zhao Youchen's gaze swept over them, they obediently shut their mouths and didn't say a word.
"Go back and ask that guy surnamed Jiang if his head is worth five hundred taels," Zhao Youchen coldly said before turning and leaving.
As he walked, he sheathed his sword, and when he returned to the carriage window, he whispered, "Master, it's done."
Throughout the entire process, the other imperial guards never left the carriage. Those imperial guards who had scattered and hidden among the crowd after entering the city also remained inactive, having received no orders from Zhao Youchen.
Just as Zhao Youchen admired Grand Tutor Fu Mingyi, Fu Mingyi also valued Zhao Youchen. Otherwise, he wouldn't have recommended Zhao Youchen to Xiao Qing to become the commander of the Imperial Guards.
Zhao Youchen was actually quite skilled at managing troops, as this incident demonstrates.
Xiao Qing had already heard the commotion outside.
Now that the matter is resolved, they should naturally leave.
Zhao Youchen heard Xiao Qing hum in response, but when he turned around, he saw the young man still standing there. He frowned and said, "Kid, your matter has been resolved. You can leave now." He thought to himself, "This kid is too ungrateful. He's still blocking the way at a time like this."
But the boy was even more clueless than he had imagined.
He suddenly knelt down and said, "Thank you for saving me, sir. But I have no family left. Even if I go back now, I will have nowhere to make a living. Moreover, although they were driven away by you today, they may come looking for me again in the future, and my life will be in danger. I beg you to take me in. Even if you ask me to be your slave, I will do it willingly without hesitation!"
Even though Xiao Qing was already in a bad mood, she couldn't help but feel a mix of amusement and exasperation at this moment.
This is considered a classic scene in those storybooks.
It's truly remarkable that she encountered such a situation.
but……
Thinking of what happened at Yujun Pavilion outside the city, Xiao Qing's heart stirred.
Zhao Youchen's face darkened.
Is this kid really that arrogant and delusional? We solved a huge problem for him, and now he wants His Majesty to take him in? How much more important does he think he is?
"big……"
"Zhao Qing," Xiao Qing said softly.
Zhao Youchen opened his mouth but then shut it, turned around and walked back to the window.
"master?"
"What the child said makes sense. We're not short of food at home, so let's make arrangements accordingly."
Zhao Youchen was stunned.
Does this mean you want to take it back to the palace?
He looked at the boy kneeling on the ground with his head bowed, his expression somewhat inscrutable.
He had observed the boy carefully when he rushed up. He looked like a farm boy, without any martial arts skills, but he was very agile and had the potential to become a martial arts student.
But why did he specifically stop His Majesty's carriage?
Now he even needs His Majesty to take him in...
His Majesty has made this request, and he cannot refuse. However, he must report this matter in detail to the Grand Tutor.
Zhao Youchen calmly ordered his men to take the boy away. Seeing that there were still some people gathered in twos and threes on the street watching the excitement, he turned the carriage around and escorted Xiao Qing back to Nanhua Palace.
When he arrived at Nanhua Palace, the Grand Tutor's first letter had just arrived.
In fact, after calming down in the carriage heading north, Fu Mingyi realized that he had once again been influenced by Xiao Qing, and seemed to have lost control, just like last time in the Hall of Diligent Governance.
He looked dejectedly at the empty carriage in front of him, recalling when they fled south from Beidu. Little Xiao Qing lay obediently in the narrow carriage. Sometimes, even though her wounds hurt so much that she couldn't sleep, she would still try to turn over very quietly, as if afraid of waking him.
The carriage traveled south, and she went from being cautious and wary to being fearless and undaunted.
After arriving at Nanhua Palace, she learned to wear a mask and act, and to lie through her teeth.
Xiao Qing is a child, but he is already an adult.
The late emperor appointed him as the emperor's tutor before he was even twenty, partly because of the Fu family and partly because of him, Fu Mingyi.
He was well-versed in classics and history from a young age, and by the age of ten, he had already begun to learn about the Fu family business from his father. He was never an impulsive or easily angered person.
But this young emperor always seems to have a way of provoking his anger.
He sighed softly, recalling what he had said at Yujun Pavilion, and finally took out a pen, ink, paper and inkstone from the carriage drawer. While thinking, he wrote a letter to Zhao Youchen.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
