Chapter 1109 – In This Land of Nine Provinces and Four Seas, I Want a Hundred Percent (Part 8)
As the crowd dispersed, Qin Gong took a glance at the couple who had been beaten to a pulp.
His eyesight was exceptional; it was evident that the pair had suffered greatly, but their bones were unscathed—only their skin bore the brunt of the assault.
It hurt, for sure, but it wasn’t fatal.
Fifty lashes, if they landed squarely on someone, could easily send even a trained fighter to their grave, let alone a couple like this.
Just as he was deep in thought, Qin Gong felt a tug at his sleeve.
He spotted a seven or eight-year-old girl standing beside him, her hair styled into a bun, her chubby cheeks flushed with color, and her eyes as clear as unblemished jewels. Dressed in a blue and white scholar’s robe, she wore a delicate badge at her waist, clearly not the child of an ordinary family.
“Why are you pulling at me?”
Could this little girl possibly want to marry him as well?
Qin Gong couldn’t help but chuckle at his own fanciful thoughts.
The girl spoke clearly, “Please, kind sir, could you help me give these items to them?”
Qin Gong took the bag she handed him and found that it contained healing herbs for external injuries, along with a small bag of coins.
“Who are you to them?” Qin Gong asked curiously.
The girl glanced at her parents, who were shoving each other while crying and hurling insults. Her calm gaze held a complex mix of emotions. The nursery took in abandoned children, and the caretakers had not hidden the truth; many girls had known since they could remember that they had been left behind by their parents.
They had no parents, but they had siblings from the nursery and the protection of the governor.
“Completely unrelated.”
Qin Gong’s eyes widened in surprise as he began to piece together the girl’s identity.
He was about to express admiration for her filial piety when she interrupted, “If they die here, it won’t reflect well on the governor.”
In other words, if they had to die, it would be better to do so far away.
Qin Gong: “…”
Kids these days are getting sharper!
Playing the good Samaritan, Qin Gong tossed the herbs and coins toward the couple.
“You’re the child from the nursery?”
When he looked back, the girl was still standing there.
She nodded, then shook her head, pointing to the badge at her waist, puffing out her flat chest proudly.
“I’m now a student at the Golden Scales Academy.”
The nursery had set up separate departments for boys and girls, mirroring the Golden Scales Academy. Besides studying, all activities were segregated by gender.
The girl was in the Jia Ding class, ranking just after Jia Jia class.
This time, the Golden Scales Academy was expanding its enrollment, adding three hundred new spots; the nursery was lucky enough to secure fifty of them. She had earned her spot through her own talent. On the day she moved to the academy, her parents had tried to kidnap her, almost scaring her to death.
Once she calmed down, she had to navigate her way through the situation with them while searching for an opportunity to escape.
This experience had completely severed her desire for the term “parents.”
What was this idea that if she was dutiful and supported her younger siblings and brothers, they would later arrange a good marriage for her?
What kind of nonsense was that, to claim they were the best people in her life while secretly slandering the governor?
If they truly cared for her, they wouldn’t have sold her to the nursery back then!
After learning to read, she had come across the records of her being sold to the nursery, which detailed her parents’ motives, actions, and expressions during the sale. Did they really think she was illiterate and clueless?
“From your accent, I gather you’re not from Xiangyang, but your elegant speech indicates you’re not an ordinary person either, right?”
Elegant speech referred to the official dialect. Many people spoke it with a local accent; unless they had studied it thoroughly, it was hard to sound so refined.
Qin Gong was secretly astonished that this little one was testing him!
Indeed, she was sharp.
“I’m from out of town, here looking for someone,” Qin Gong replied. “I’m searching for Xu Ke, the chief steward of Wanzhou.”
Other than Xu Ke, the chief steward, being a designated NPC, everyone else was free to wander around and was frequently dragged into battles by Jiang Pengji.
If he wanted to meet Jiang Pengji, he needed someone who could engage her in conversation.
It was difficult to locate others, and he wasn’t certain if they were in Wanzhou. Xu Ke was his best lead.
The girl was astonished, “Are you a relative of Steward Xu?”
Qin Gong shook his head. “No, I’ve been entrusted to deliver a family letter to him.”
Despite being only eighteen, Qin Gong was quite shrewd.
He didn’t reveal his true intentions, instead using the pretense of delivering a family letter to Xu Ke.
The little girl said, “You look like you probably won’t get to see Steward Xu.”
A regional chief steward was not someone one could just drop in on!
Qin Gong chuckled wryly. “I was planning to try my luck; maybe the doorman will be kind enough to relay my message.”
Of course, there was a higher chance he would be kicked out. He didn’t possess any legitimate documents other than a secret letter, which made it impossible to prove his identity.
The girl thought for a moment and said, “Is the letter urgent?”
Qin Gong replied, “Extremely urgent.”
“I actually know a way that might speed things up,” the girl said. “However, if you’re lying, you’ll lose your life.”
Now that she was a new student at the Golden Scales Academy, she could send a message to the older student Feng Yi.
Though Feng Yi was the son of a minor official, he was gentle and well-mannered.
If Qin Gong’s words were true, Feng Yi would likely be willing to help.
Qin Gong maintained a straight face. “Of course it’s true.”
The girl’s luck seemed to be on her side; when she arrived, Feng Yi happened to be finishing class.
“Looking for me for something?”
The girl explained her intent, and Feng Yi frowned, asking detailed questions about Qin Gong’s behavior and appearance.
“You might have been fooled; Steward Xu’s family members have been settled in Wanzhou for years; how could there be a letter from outside?”
Upon hearing this, the girl’s complexion paled.
“However—I’d like to meet this person. Since you’re just starting at the Golden Scales Academy, feel free to come to me if you have any questions.”
Feng Yi stood up and called for his attendant.
Since the incident with the girl’s kidnapping, both the Golden Scales Academy and the nursery had increased security. As a minor official’s son, Feng Yi’s safety measures had also been ramped up. He couldn’t travel alone or meet strangers without taking one or two capable guards.
Qin Gong waited at the agreed-upon place, but after a long while with no sign of the girl, a young boy dressed in blue and white appeared instead.
Calling him a boy didn’t quite fit; he was in between a child and a youth. He looked delicate, with refined features and an extraordinary demeanor.
Seeing Feng Yi’s outfit, Qin Gong realized that this blue and white attire must be the standard outfit for students at the Golden Scales Academy.
“What brings you to Wanzhou? If you can’t explain yourself, I’m afraid you’ll be invited for a trip to the prison,” Feng Yi took a seat, his gaze fixed on Qin Gong, “Don’t you know, there’s no one from Steward Xu’s hometown here, nor could there possibly be a family letter—”
Qin Gong interrupted, “And who might you be?”
“Feng Zhen is my father.”
Qin Gong paused, seemingly questioning Feng Yi’s identity.
“I want to see Steward Xu.”
As soon as he said the words, Feng Yi’s gaze turned sharp.
“Still not willing to tell the truth?”
Qin Gong grinned inwardly.
Wow—
Has this young fellow also turned into a genius?
“I wish to see Liu Xi,” Qin Gong replied, “I’ve been sent to deliver a letter to Liu Xi.”
