Chapter 166 His Son (Third Update)
"Thank you, Brother Xiao. I can finally have a good New Year. I'll come see you again next time!" A student from the Imperial Academy saw Xiao Liulang out of the house.
This person was Feng Lin's classmate, a year younger than Xiao Liulang. He got in through connections and wasn't particularly talented in literature. However, during holidays and festivals, when there were many relatives at home, they would always ask him to say a few words. With the poems and essays written by Xiao Liulang, he was no longer afraid of not being able to answer them.
Xiao Liulang's poems and essays were written according to his own standards; they were neither too flamboyant nor too lowbrow.
"Please stay." Xiao Liulang didn't let the other party see him off any further and left the house himself.
The sky was overcast, and it seemed even colder than before.
Xiao Liulang got into the carriage and headed to the house where Gu Jiao was making her house call.
When the woman saw him, she said, "Are you looking for Doctor Gu? You're too late. Doctor Gu has already left. She said she went to buy candied hawthorns across the street."
As she spoke, she pointed to the dessert shop diagonally across the street.
This is a long-established dessert shop, run by people from Jiangnan. Surprisingly, it does very well in the capital. Xiao Liulang used to come here often when he was a child, but back then they didn't sell candied hawthorns.
When Xiao Liulang arrived at the shop, he found that the owner had changed.
The original owner was getting old and was enjoying his retirement in the backyard, so now it's his son who's running the business.
"boss."
Xiao Liulang greeted them and was about to ask if Gu Jiao had been there when he heard the other person shout, "Young master, are you looking for someone?"
Xiao Liulang was slightly taken aback.
Does his face say he's looking for someone?
The boss hadn't taken Gu Jiao's words to heart at first, but the moment he saw Xiao Liulang, he couldn't help but recall Gu Jiao's words: "If a very handsome young man comes to see me later, the most handsome kind, tell him to wait for me here."
To put it in more literary terms, this is what scholars refer to as "a gentleman as jade, unparalleled in the world."
It's really beautiful.
So beautiful that one feels this person should only exist in heaven.
"How did you know?" Xiao Liulang asked.
The boss chuckled and repeated Gu Jiao's exact words.
The best looking?
Did she say that about herself?
Xiao Liulang's lips curled into a smile he himself didn't even realize. After a moment, he looked at the boss and asked, "Did she say what she was going to do?"
The boss shook his head: "They didn't mention that."
"How long have you been walking?" Xiao Liulang asked.
The shop owner thought for a moment: "It's been a while, and I'm almost out of candied hawthorns."
A slight unease crept into Xiao Liulang's heart: "Did you see which direction she went?"
The innkeeper pointed and said, "It looks like that inn."
Xiao Liulang went to the inn.
As soon as I entered the lobby, I heard two diners talking.
"Have you heard? Something happened at Qingfeng Music Hall."
"You mean that newly opened music hall? What happened to it?"
"It looks like the house collapsed. Sigh, that used to be a wine cellar, there were so many pits dug underground, I knew it was bound to collapse sooner or later!"
Xiao Liulang's unease grew more and more apparent.
Is anyone trapped inside?
"Yes, I heard it's a woman!"
Xiao Liulang had never heard of Qingfeng Music Hall before, but when they mentioned the wine cellar, he understood. There was indeed a wine cellar on this street that had changed hands many times and had always been used to sell wine.
After all these years, it's become a music hall?
Xiao Liulang strode toward Qingfeng Music Hall.
From afar, he could see that the area around the music hall was filled with people. It seemed that something serious had indeed happened, and even the officials had come.
The officials cordoned off the scene, and the people could only stand on tiptoe to look.
Chaos erupted inside the music hall. All the guests were cleared out, leaving only the Crown Princess's two maids, government officials, and the music hall's owner.
The museum owner knew that the person buried below was the Crown Princess, but the officials did not.
Maid A said, "Hurry and save them! It's too dangerous down there! We can't let our mistress stay buried down there forever!"
The official summoned the innkeeper: "What's the purpose of this place?"
The owner said, "The area below was originally a wine cellar, but I converted the back into a basement, which is usually used for storage."
The officer asked, "Is there only one basement? What's over there?"
The owner replied, "That's also a basement, it's very small, and it's used for storing miscellaneous items."
The officer surveyed the messy and dilapidated scene: "Is anyone in the small storage room?"
Maid A said impatiently, "How could there be anyone there?"
She's had it checked, okay?
Maid B tugged at her sleeve, signaling her not to let anything slip.
She coughed lightly and said, "Stop dawdling! My lady is suffering terribly down there, she can barely speak, didn't you hear?"
The fact that she could barely speak meant that she was still able to speak.
That's right, although she was buried underneath, she was not injured, and she was still able to move around a little.
Gu Jiao, in the small storage room, was in a much worse situation than her. Two stone slabs formed a triangle, sandwiching her between them, with the larger stone slab pressing down on top of the triangle.
Due to the weight of the stone slabs, the two smaller slabs are being squeezed to the side, and the corners are getting bigger. When they become flat, the huge stone slab on top will completely crush her, splattering her brains all over the ground.
This huge stone slab was placed on Gu Jiao's side at one end and on the Crown Princess's side at the other end.
Hoisting them all up would be too difficult and time-consuming. The best way is to hoist one end and rescue the Crown Princess.
But this would completely destroy the small storage room over there.
The official said, "Once we're sure no one's around, we'll start hanging the stone slabs."
"Wait!"
Xiao Liulang walked in, leaning on his cane.
The officer frowned: "Who let him in?"
The guards at the gate were quite helpless. They hadn't paid much attention to him because he was lame, but in the blink of an eye, he had squeezed his way in.
Xiao Liulang said solemnly, "There are still people down there."
Maid A said, "You're talking nonsense! There's clearly no one here!"
Xiao Liulang said coldly, "If you don't believe me, listen to it."
The officer gestured for everyone to be quiet.
He crouched down, put his ear to the ground, and listened. Sure enough, there was a tinkling sound, like small stones tapping on the wall, very faint.
The official hesitated.
Since there are people below, this method is a life for a life, which is too cruel.
Maid A said, "What are you waiting for? Hurry and save them!"
It's getting late. If we delay any longer, not only might the Crown Princess get hurt, but the palace will also become suspicious.
The official sighed, "Young lady, it's not that we don't want to save them, but there are two people below. If we rush to rescue them, we might crush one of them to death!"
The two maids exchanged a glance.
That small storage room is so secluded that there shouldn't be anyone there. If there is, they must be spies lying in wait there, trying to get rid of the Crown Princess!
Maid A said, "Who says it must be a person down there? It could be some random cat or dog. If you don't believe me, ask the owner. Has anyone been to that little storage room?"
The curator naturally said no.
The officials were in a dilemma.
Judging from the rhythmic knocking sound, it's unlikely to be a cat or dog; it's more likely a person, and someone in a rather critical situation.
"Do you have a better idea?" asked Maid A.
It's even harder for government officials now.
Of course... no.
Maid A fidgeted with her fingers, whispered a few words to her companion, and finally decided to reveal her identity as the Crown Prince.
She took out the token.
Upon seeing the imperial edict, the official was so frightened that he knelt down on the ground with a thud.
Maid A said, "To tell you the truth, the people imprisoned below are from the Eastern Palace. If you dare to let anything happen to her while she's in your hands, I guarantee you, the Crown Prince will make sure you all pay with your lives!"
Judging from her tone, the other person holds a high position in the Eastern Palace; she might be a favored concubine, a married man, or even—
The officials dared not think any further.
One is the Crown Prince's daughter, the other is a commoner; it's obvious who should be saved.
The officials ordered people to prepare ropes to hoist the stone slab at the Crown Princess's side.
Xiao Liulang's eyes turned cold: "What are you doing? Don't you care about the other person's life or death?"
The official said earnestly, "Young man, I know you have a kind heart, but those people being held captive over there are... members of the imperial family. We can't afford to lose the lives of the imperial family."
Xiao Liulang had heard similar words more than once, but only now did he truly understand the importance of status and position.
Sometimes, a peaceful life isn't guaranteed just because you don't compete or fight for anything.
Because he wasn't standing high enough, no one heard what Xiao Jingkong said.
Because he wasn't high enough, Gu Jiao's life wasn't as important as that of the people in the Eastern Palace.
Xiao Liulang clenched his fists little by little.
His eyes were red, and his heart felt completely cold.
The ropes have already been attached, and they're ready to hoist the stone slabs.
Xiao Liulang suddenly threw away his cane, leaped down, and slid down through the crack in the stone slab.
The officer was shocked: "What are you doing? Are you crazy! It's dangerous down there! Get up here! All of you, stop! Stop!"
The yamen runners who were hanging the stone slabs stopped.
Maid A was furious: "Stop what? Who told you to stop? He's asking for trouble! Why are you interfering? Doesn't he know it's dangerous? They're in cahoots! They're plotting to kill the Crown Prince! Are you all in cahoots with them?!"
With such a heavy label pinned on them, who would care about the life or death of two ordinary people?
Xiao Liulang glanced back at the officer through the gap and said something coldly, which froze everyone.
...
On the bustling street, a seemingly inconspicuous carriage travels at a leisurely pace.
Marquis Xuanping and Steward Liu were sitting inside the carriage.
Steward Liu had just run into his master and boarded his carriage.
Marquis Xuanping asked calmly, "How did things go?"
Manager Liu gave a guilty smile.
When he left the capital, he boasted that he would definitely bring that illegitimate son back to his mansion for the New Year. Now, it's almost New Year's Eve, and that illegitimate son won't even admit his own identity.
Marquis Xuanping said casually, "Just say so if you mess it up."
Manager Liu said awkwardly, "I have found the person, but the young master... may still be resentful about what happened in the past and refuse to come back."
"Hmm." Marquis Xuanping gave a faint "hmm," his tone revealing neither joy nor anger. "If you're not going to reply, then forget it."
Marquis Xuanping did not like to force people to do things they could not do.
Manager Liu breathed a sigh of relief; thank goodness, he wasn't punished.
Marquis Xuanping generally does not punish his servants. People who are new to his residence will think that this marquis is different from the rumors. He is clearly very kind and generous and does not hold grudges against his servants.
That's because all the people who angered the Marquis are dead.
Those who survived were all those who had never offended the Marquis.
The Marquis was actually quite capricious.
He can be chatting and laughing with someone one second, and then the next second he'll be wielding a knife and killing that person.
Of course, the Marquis was indeed very tolerant in most matters.
After all, without that magnanimity and vision, he wouldn't be where he is today.
"My lord!"
A bodyguard rode up on horseback.
Marquis Xuanping slightly raised his eyes.
Manager Liu understood and stopped the carriage.
Marquis Xuanping lifted the curtain: "What is it?"
"The Crown Princess has had an accident. It happened shortly after you left. The basement of the music hall collapsed, and the Crown Princess was buried underneath. In addition, another person was buried in the storage room inside."
There are people in the storage room; this is very important information.
This suggests that the meeting between Marquis Xuanping and the Crown Princess may have been discovered by the other party.
Marquis Xuanping's expression remained unchanged.
Manager Liu, standing to the side, became worried.
The guard continued, "Two people were trapped under the same large stone slab. The officials couldn't lift it, so they had to pry it up. Saving one meant killing the other. The Crown Princess's maid revealed her identity as a member of the Eastern Palace, and the officials decided to save the Crown Princess. At that moment, a scholar jumped down and said to the officials..."
At this point, the guard glanced at Marquis Xuanping, then hesitated to speak.
Marquis Xuanping said casually, "What? Does this matter concern me?"
The guard said awkwardly, "That scholar said the other person buried underground... is you, Lord Marquis!"
It's almost the end of the month, so don't waste your monthly passes!
Three updates tomorrow.
(End of this chapter)
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