GBP Chapter 903 Detention
Chapter 903 Detention
"Hey..." the woman couldn't help but reach out and call out.
Biting her lower lip, she hesitated and said, "Young master, you have saved me twice. I must ask my mother to repay you, otherwise I will feel uneasy. Why don't you stay in Yangyuan County for the night and set off tomorrow? There's no rush. Where do you want to go? I can ask my uncle to send a boat to escort you. Perhaps that can be of help!"
Officer He was a shrewd man. Seeing the situation, he quickly darted around and immediately spoke up in his defense.
"That's right, that's right. Since you are our young lady's benefactor, then you are also our county magistrate's benefactor. Now that we're here, we can't just leave like this. Come, come, men, bring the luggage down, tie the boat up, and let's go back to the county office first!"
With a few jokes and a bit of force, they managed to drag the person onto the street.
Although Xiaoyuer came from an extraordinary background, he was not ignorant of human relationships. On the contrary, he was very clear about the ins and outs of these government offices and understood the temperaments of these people.
At this point, it would be inappropriate to refuse forcefully, as it might arouse suspicion in the other party.
The king of hell is easy to deal with, but the devil is difficult to deal with.
After a moment's thought, Little Fish made a concession.
After politely bowing and thanking them, he remained calm and followed the group to the county government office.
Magistrate He of Yangyuan County came from a family of farmers and scholars and did not have a strong background in the imperial court. However, he was lucky enough to pass the imperial examination at the beginning of the new dynasty.
Later, through his brother-in-law's connections, he successfully secured a position as a county magistrate.
Yangyuan County is neither too far nor too close to the capital, neither too wealthy nor too poor, making it the most suitable choice for Magistrate He's background.
Before everyone arrived, Constable He had already instructed someone to return to the county office and report the whole story to Magistrate He.
Therefore, as soon as the woman entered, Magistrate He came out to greet her, looking very distressed. "Oh dear, Rongrong, why did you come here alone with your maid? It must have been dangerous. You must have suffered a lot on the way. Come in, come in and sit down to talk."
"Uncle!" Upon seeing her relatives, the woman burst into tears, wiping them away with her handkerchief as she turned her back to everyone.
After comforting his niece for a while, Magistrate He stroked his beard and looked Xiaoyuer up and down.
His eyes gleamed with a shrewdness, clearly those of a sycophant.
From childhood to adulthood, Xiaoyuer had been to the palace countless times and met countless important figures, so he was not afraid of being scrutinized and remained calm.
I only planned to exchange a few polite words later before taking my leave.
Unexpectedly, it was precisely because of his calm and composed demeanor that Magistrate He concluded that he came from a prominent family and had an extraordinary background.
When it comes to judging people, Magistrate He considers himself quite astute.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have betrothed their sister to a nobody from a family far inferior to their own.
After his thoughts raced through his mind, Magistrate He quickly composed himself and forced a warm smile.
With a friendly voice, he said, "May I ask your name and home, sir? I heard that you were the one who saved my Rongrong just now. I see that you are dressed in fine clothes and have an extraordinary demeanor. You must come from a prestigious family. I hope that her father will come to thank you in person another day."
Xiao Yu'er politely replied, "It's nothing, just a small matter. As long as Miss is alright, there's no need for thanks."
After speaking, he briefly answered Magistrate He's question, "My surname is Zhang, and I am from the capital."
“Eh,” Magistrate He disagreed, waving his hand and saying, “That’s not how it works. If it weren’t for Young Master Zhang’s help, Rongrong might be dead by now. A life-saving grace should be repaid with a thousandfold gratitude, how can it be glossed over with just a few words!”
As he spoke, he racked his brains, trying to recall which wealthy family in the capital had the surname Zhang.
After a moment, seeing that Xiaoyuer had no intention of introducing himself, he remained calm.
Magistrate He, relying on his status, temporarily stopped asking questions and instead waved his hand, instructing his servants to prepare a meal.
His words remained very polite: "It's lunchtime now. Since you've come to Yangyuan County, it's only natural for me, the magistrate, to act as a host. It's not too much to ask you to stay for a meal, is it? Otherwise, people will say that I've been impolite!"
The woman looked over expectantly upon hearing this.
Xiao Yu'er cupped his hands and smiled, "Then I shall accept your hospitality. Thank you for your hospitality, Magistrate He."
Not long after, the woman was taken to the backyard by servants, and she kept looking back as she left.
Xiao Yu'er followed Constable He and others to their seats. During the banquet, Magistrate He tried to get information out of them several times but failed, which made him feel somewhat uneasy.
He was used to being arrogant, and his expression immediately turned sour.
Little Fish pretended not to know anything and planned to take his leave after the banquet, since he wouldn't have much contact with anyone else in the future.
Because of this incident, when drinking tea after the meal, Magistrate He suddenly became indifferent and put on airs like a county magistrate.
Little Fish didn't try to stop him when he said goodbye.
Just as Xiaoyuer was about to leave with the people, shouts came from behind.
Looking back, three people rushed out of the backyard.
One of them is the woman from earlier.
Looking at the two people next to her, Xiaoyuer guessed that they were probably her mother and younger brother, as the three of them looked very similar.
The woman was clearly a fiery and impulsive person. After glancing at Xiaoyuer, she thanked him generously.
The woman's younger brother looked to be no more than thirteen or fourteen years old. His name was Cui He, and he was very strong, like a little calf, and looked very powerful.
During the conversation, Xiaoyuer learned that the brother-in-law that Magistrate He had mentioned was none other than Cui Ling, the garrison commander of Juyong Pass.
Cui's mother didn't expect her daughter to come looking for her on her own. She seemed quite regretful as she spoke, "I should have brought her along. Luckily, nothing bad happened."
Cui Rong was the kind of person who didn't hold grudges, and she comforted her mother in a coquettish tone, "Mom, I'm fine, aren't I? Don't worry, I'm..."
"Ahem, it's good that you're alright," Cui's mother coughed lightly to interrupt.
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to Xiaoyuer once again.
Little Fish did it on a whim, without expecting anything in return.
However, speaking of Cui Ling, although Xiao Yu'er was not very familiar with this person, he had heard his father say that this person was the emperor's confidant. He looked ordinary and had a low official position, but in fact he was the emperor's hidden sword.
You never know when you might need it.
Such people may not appear to be very prestigious in the imperial court, but their words and actions have an influence on the emperor no less than that of a first-rank minister.
"So it's Miss Cui. Please forgive my rudeness this morning. Now that you've found your family, I'm relieved," Xiaoyuer said with a smile.
Although Cui Rong was somewhat reluctant to part with him, she dared not overstep her bounds and asked with concern, "Are you leaving now? Where are you going? I can ask my uncle to help you."
“I’m going to Xi’an. An uncle of mine passed away there, and I’m going to pay my respects at my father’s request. I don’t need any help. Thank you for your kindness, Miss Cui.”
Upon hearing this, Cui Rong believed it to be true and looked somewhat apologetic. "Oh, I see. Please accept my condolences."
Compared to her naivety, Cui's mother was much smarter and could tell at a glance that it was mostly an excuse.
But she didn't expose it, just went along with what was said, and then had her servants present a thank-you gift, which was a practical brocade.
Little Fish knew that the other party wouldn't feel at ease if he didn't accept it, so after declining a couple of times, he finally accepted it.
He then left with his men.
However, he ultimately did not make it. Shortly after leaving home, news of Zhou Ziming's death was delivered by messenger on horseback, and the county government quickly issued a notice.
Everything must be done strictly in accordance with the standards of national mourning.
Although Xiaoyuer was surprised by the timing of His Majesty's death, he was unaware of what had happened in the capital.
But for now, all I can do is buy mourning clothes.
Because it happened so suddenly, the white cloth was snapped up by the entire city, and it took some time to buy it.
Before long, it got dark.
Xiaoyuer thought he could gather more information in Yangyuan before leaving the next day, so he stayed in Yangyuan that very day.
The next morning, just as he was about to leave, Cui He and his men came knocking on his door again. He was just a little kid, but he acted all high and mighty, like he was some kind of big shot.
"Hey, you pretty boy, let me tell you, don't even think about hitting on my sister. My sister's destiny is incredibly noble, she's not someone you can possibly befriend! You've only met her once and you've already bewitched her? Pah, shameless!"
Little Fish's face darkened when he heard this.
Although he generally didn't take these immature brats seriously, he had a strong urge to teach a brat with a foul mouth a lesson.
"Hehe, if I weren't in such a hurry, you wouldn't have had the chance to hop around here. Get out of the way!"
Cui He, young and fearless, was used to running rampant in Juyong Pass and was a man who feared nothing. He stood tall, arms crossed, and said, "I won't let you go. What are you going to do about it? Unless you promise me that you will never see my sister again, I won't let you leave. Get as far away from me as possible."
"Xiao He, you've gone too far! How could you say that? When your father comes back, believe me, I'll make him punish you by making you copy the Tao Te Ching a hundred times."
"Sister!" Cui He was very dissatisfied, his tiger-like eyes glaring as if he was about to explode.
"Huh?" Cui Rong was even more defiant than him, putting her hands on her hips and glaring back.
The bloodline suppression from his older sister quickly defeated Cui He, who retorted, "You're just bullying me!"
After arguing for most of the day, and wasting a lot of time, it's almost noon again.