Yuzhou (Part Two)
Qu Linghan and Liu Ziju quickly exchanged a glance.
"benefactor?"
The two stood up from behind Bai Hui, one on each side.
Before me were two little boys with youthful and innocent faces.
Bai Hui tried to help the two boys up, but they seemed unwilling and even tried to lie on the ground.
"My benefactor, please save me and my brother!"
"Okay. But you two need to get up first."
After hearing the request, the two staggered to their feet.
Before Bai Hui could ask a question, Liu Ziju spoke first.
"Children, do you know where there's an inn around here?"
The two people in front of him looked timidly at Bai Hui.
"We really need to find an inn to talk things out."
Bai Hui's voice was somewhat calm.
“My benefactor, there were indeed many inns here in previous years. However…”
The older child seemed to be threatened and didn't dare to continue speaking.
Liu Ziju took out a gorgeous pouch embroidered with gold thread and pulled out the token inside.
Even in the darkness, the token still shone.
"Seeing this token is like seeing the Marquis of Zhenbei."
Liu Ziju controlled his voice, trying to make sure only a few people could hear it.
The two children in front of him knelt down in front of Liu Ziju with a "whoosh".
Qu Linghan looked puzzled and speechless.
No wonder this child was crippled.
"You may tell me any grievances you have."
Liu Ziju glanced sideways at Qu Linghan and Bai Hui.
"I have brought my family here today to thoroughly investigate corruption."
Liu Ziju put the token back into his waist pouch and hid it under his brocade robe.
The person in front of me was in tears.
"My lord, Cui Hongju, the prefect of Yuzhou, is corrupt, derelict in his duties, and oppresses the people."
Qu Linghan helped the two children up. The wind, rain, and tears all vanished together.
“My mother was originally an ordinary clothing shop owner in Yuzhou. Although she was not rich, she was content. However, this winter, natural disasters and man-made calamities struck. All the livestock died, all the grain was eaten, and all the grain was handed over.”
"The prefect of Yuzhou, Cui Hongju, along with Liu Keli, Li Yadong, and other officials, colluded to embezzle the disaster relief funds allocated by the imperial court. My brother and I were starving. When our mother tried to ask them for some food, she was poisoned to death."
Qu Linghan stared at the two emaciated children, speechless with shock.
A gust of wind swept in, bringing back a message.
The coachman was standing in front of them.
"Young master! Miss! We've found the inn."
Liu Ziju frowned.
When did he leave?
Qu Linghan replied, her voice choked with emotion.
"I have no idea."
Okay, okay.
"Okay, let's go now."
"Keep up, keep up."
The group braved the rain and trudged through the mud.
We finally arrived at the inn the driver had mentioned.
This was a rather shabby inn; the signboard was dilapidated, and the words on it were barely legible. Most of the white plaster had peeled off, revealing the blue bricks underneath.
Inside the wagon house in front of the house, their horses were grazing happily.
"It seems our horses have adapted to this place."
"But I haven't gotten used to it yet."
Liu Ziju pinched his nose to block the stench.
Qu Linghan rolled her eyes at Liu Ziju, "It's good enough to have a place to stay, why are you being so picky?"
He then shoved Liu Ziju, saying, "Let's go."
Bai Hui and the coachman, along with two children, followed behind them into the inn.
The inn's reception desk is located behind a wooden counter at the entrance. It doesn't look old, but there are two deep cracks on the counter, which probably indicate that it has been damaged in the past.
Behind the counter sat a shopkeeper in his fifties or sixties, his clothes faded from washing. As Qu Linghan and his group entered, he weakly opened his eyes, his voice hoarse.
"A hotel?"
Bai Hui responded, "Yes."
After the shopkeeper pointed out the direction to the group, Liu Ziju suddenly approached him.
"Shopkeeper, has there been any natural disaster or man-made calamity here recently?"
The man immediately perked up and spoke in a trembling voice:
"No, no, never. Where did you hear that from? It's all fake, fake!"
Liu Ziju swung his jade pendant, striking a nonchalant pose.
"Look at you, I was just joking, why are you so nervous?"
No sooner had he said this than Bai Hui pulled Liu Ziju away and took him upstairs.
Liu Ziju looked just like a student who had made a mistake and was being scolded by the teacher.
“Brother Zhaoming, I know what I should and shouldn’t do.”
Bai Hui ignored him and silently escorted him into the room.
Just as he was about to close the door and leave, Bai Hui, much like an old father, spoke earnestly.
"Did you see the plaque that was about to fall off when you came in, or the scratches on the counter? He was threatened and won't talk."
"I understand." Liu Ziju lowered his head, a smirk on his face.
"Get a good rest tonight and try to reach Yuzhou before sunset tomorrow."
"Um."
Bai Hui left Liu Ziju's room and saw two children waiting at the door.
"Come with me."
They had talked all night, and when Qu Linghan saw Bai Hui this morning, he looked undeniably haggard.
"Bai Hui, you're still injured, why are you being so stubborn?"
"It's alright."
Qu Linghan's anxious expression was reflected in Bai Hui's eyes, and he suddenly felt a sense of relief.
"Brother Zhaoming, Linghan, what are you two doing?" Liu Ziju asked sleepily, walking in a roundabout way.
"Nothing, hey, watch out."
Qu Linghan found Liu Ziju's appearance quite distasteful.
She looked away and stood side by side with Bai Hui.
Black robes, a crown, phoenix eyes—my aesthetic sense is still developing...
"Brother Zhaoming, where are the two children?"
"In the room."
Aren't you taking them with you?
"No, I won't bring it."
"Where did they go?"
"The capital city, the Bai residence."
Liu Ziju: "Oh."
Qu Linghan: "Let's go to our house."
Bai Hui: "Mm."
Okay, let's start with me in upholding justice.
"Please sit down and prepare yourselves. Today, after the three of us arrive in Yuzhou, the coachman will take the two children back to the capital. So..."
Liu Ziju interrupted Bai Hui with a sob.
"Does that mean I won't be able to ride in a carriage for the next few days?"
"right."
"Just think of it as exercise," Qu Linghan said, pulling Liu Ziju, who was hanging his head, onto the carriage.
In order to reach Yuzhou before dark, the four set off before sunrise, when a wisp of mist was still hanging in the air.
About four hours later, the light shone brightly, and Qu Linghan lifted the curtain of the carriage to look outside.
The dewdrops on the withered leaves on the ground reflected the sunlight, creating a scene that should have been peaceful, but the lingering wind scattered the fallen leaves, swirling them up and trampling them.
A strong gust of wind aimed at Qu Linghan and swept towards her.
The wind was invisible, and she suddenly sneezed. She immediately pulled the curtain down.
The wind was no longer felt, but perhaps because we were approaching the border of Yuzhou, the temperature had become very low.
Qu Linghan touched his forehead; thankfully, it wasn't hot.
Liu Ziju was catching up on sleep, Bai Hui also had his eyes closed, and Qu Linghan put down his hand and was about to close his eyes and join them.
Bai Hui suddenly lowered his voice and draped his coat over Qu Linghan's shoulders, "Put it on."
Those who practice martial arts are never afraid of the cold; it seems that even their clothes are exceptionally warm. Qu Linghan's body and heart instantly felt warm.
Qu Linghan was woken up by Bai Hui after an unknown amount of time. He opened his eyes and saw Liu Ziju stretching.
"We've arrived. Get off the bus."
It was Bai Hui who was reminding the two of them.
Qu Linghan and Liu Ziju got off the carriage one after the other. Bai Hui walked to the carriage entrance and took out the luggage inside.
"Driver Xu, you should go back and meet the two children first."
"Alright, my lord, be careful on your journey!"
Bai Hui nodded to the coachman.
"He's really leaving? We'll really have to walk in Yuzhou. Walking, walking, that won't do!"
Liu Ziju started complaining again.
Bai Hui ignored him, picked up his bag, and headed towards the inn in front of them.
"Bai Hui, I'm here to help you."
Qu Linghan strode towards Bai Hui and stood beside him.
This is Yuzhou, where people have made a living by growing grain and raising livestock since ancient times.
It is said that a timely snowfall promises a good harvest, but if the snow is too heavy, the grain will often freeze to death.
Last year, a heavy snowfall in Yuzhou destroyed most of the crops. This summer, the grain harvest was poor, and to make matters worse, the local government raised taxes.
The farmers had little grain stored up and were then struck by natural disasters.
People here either ran away or fled, and those who escaped became refugees in the capital.
Those who couldn't escape became starving corpses on the streets.
Nowadays, the Kitchen God Festival is just a few days away.
The streets here are deserted, even though it should be the busiest time for buying New Year's goods.
"Bai Hui, there's no one on the street, how are we supposed to investigate?"
Qu Linghan leaned close to Bai Hui and complained in a low voice.
"I will really need you on this trip."
"Do you need me?"
Qu Linghan pointed to himself.
"Are you freezing? I'm new here and don't know anyone. What can I do?"
The place where the coachman dropped them off was only a few dozen meters from the nearest inn. As they talked, Qu Linghan and Bai Hui arrived at the inn's entrance.
The lights were on in front of the inn, but the door was tightly shut.
Bai Hui put down his luggage and knocked on the door.
Before anyone could respond, Bai Hui pointed his finger at Qu Linghan's cheek.
"Face."
Concise and to the point.
"A honey trap?"
"Um."
If Bai Hui hadn't been watching him, Qu Linghan would have rolled his eyes at Bai Hui.
Bai Hui finally discovered her beauty, but he wanted her to use that beauty to bewitch others.
Qu Linghan was somewhat annoyed, but there was nothing he could do. The city registration for his shop and the capital for renovations all depended on Bai Hui, the big boss.
She nodded.
"Oh. Then you'd better make sure I'm safe."
"must."
With a click, the door opened.
The warmth from inside the room seeped through the crack in the door, instantly enveloping the three of them.
Bai Hui bent down to pick up his luggage, while Qu Linghan and Liu Ziju rushed into the inn.
"Wow, it's so warm."
Bai Hui carried his luggage to the counter and took out a string of copper coins.
Place it on the countertop.
"Three rooms, three nights' stay."
After a long day of travel, Qu Linghan and Liu Ziju couldn't wait to go to bed and rest.
Liu Ziju put his hands under his head, tilted his neck, closed his eyes, and pretended to be asleep.
"Hahaha, you're hilarious. Do you think you're a child?"
Liu Ziju was making faces at Qu Linghan when Bai Hui came over with two signs that had room numbers on them.
"There are only two rooms left."
Qu Linghan and Liu Ziju looked at each other in bewilderment.
Unexpectedly, taking advantage of Qu Linghan's inattention, Liu Ziju swiftly snatched a plaque from Bai Hui's hand.
"There are only two rooms left, so I wish you and Sister-in-law Ling Han a sweet and happy life together."
Liu Ziju ran as fast as he could, afraid that Bai Hui and Qu Linghan would catch him in the slightest.
"Oh my, look at this child."
Qu Linghan pointed at Liu Ziju, not knowing what to say, but there was nothing she could do.
"Let's go."
Bai Hui and Qu Linghan went upstairs together. To be honest, Qu Linghan wasn't nervous at all.
Until she opened that door.
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