The Gilded Cage - Chapter 190

One Year Old (2) This chapter is all about the cousin! (4)

“Your Highness, the news just came that the Beirong people couldn’t hold on, so they plundered the food of a few households. They fled in a hurry. I think it’s just that winter is coming and the supplies are scarce. They just want to fight the autumn wind.”

In the tent on the frontier of Ganzhou, Jin Jiang put the brief military report in his hand on the desk and reported in a deep voice.

Xiao Kezhi lowered his head and glanced at the military newspaper, frowning tightly, remembering the situation in his heart. For some reason, a panicked trance flashed in his heart, and he didn’t answer for a long time.

It was clearly just a small-scale robbery with less than a hundred people, but he felt empty as if something went wrong with something he cared about.

“Your Highness?”

Seeing that there was still no response, Jin Jiang couldn’t help reminding him aloud.

Xiao Kezhi suddenly came back to his senses, stretched out his hand and rubbed the center of his brows, waved away the strangeness in his heart, and said, “I see. Command the generals and soldiers not to disturb the people. If the looted houses are seriously damaged, let the county government appease them.”

“Understood.”

He bowed his hands before turning around, went out to explain a few words, received a secret report from Changan, and then returned to the report,  “Your Highness, something seems to have happened in Changan.”

In the past two years, as the situation in the Ganzhou Army became more and more attractive, Xiao Kezhi began to gradually deploy his own people to various places in Daliang, especially the capital Changan, which was the top priority.

But today, for some reason, when he heard the word “Changan,” Xiao Kezhi paused, his brows that had finally been loosened frowned again, and he silently lowered his head to open the secret report.

Not only did the weird feeling just now come back, it even got worse because of seeing the contents of the secret report.

What was written in the secret report was the Chu Qianyu case that caused a sensation in the government and the public recently.

This case had been going on for three full months, and now, it was finally settled. Chu Qianyu was deprived of his official position and title, demoted to a commoner, and killed in the street. More than a dozen adult males of the Chu family who were officials in the court were also involved and were exiled to Qianzhou. His only daughter, Chu Ning, was demoted to slavery and temporarily detained in the Ministry of Punishment.

“Did Grand Chancellor Chu…”

They lit a fire and burned the secret report he had read, watching the thin sheets of paper quietly burn to ashes. The strangeness in his heart made him even more uncomfortable.

He didn’t send anyone to investigate the matter in detail. He just had a rough idea of the process of the incident. He heard it before, but he was a little bit embarrassed, and he also wanted to help a group of the Chu family. However, his ability was limited now. Although there were channels to inquire about news from, he was still an unknown person.

But today, he thought again.

In this matter, in addition to sighing, there was actually a lingering urgency and panic, especially when hearing about Chu Qianyu’s only daughter, he was even more nervous, as if something was urging him. Do you want it? Grab it quickly.

Could it be because Chu Qianyu once took care of him?

He was indeed not a person who would easily forget the kindness of others.

Not only did Chu Qianyu take care of him and wake him up when they were in the most difficult time, but he was also a person with good conduct and real talents.

Such people should not be treated so unfairly.

Now that Chu Qianyu has been beheaded, what should he do?

Thinking so anxiously and impulsively, he suddenly got up from the couch, waved to Jin Jiang and said, “Clean up and go to Changan tomorrow morning.”

“Your Highness?” Jin Jiang was startled, and hurriedly said, “Rushing to Changan at this time, what should you do if someone finds out? Although Grand Chancellor Chu has taken care of His Highness, he is gone now. If Your Highness wants to repay him, rushing won’t help…”

He knew that Xiao Kezhi seemed indifferent, but in fact, he attached great importance to friendship, so he suddenly decided to rush over because of Chu Qianyu’s past kindness.

However, in his view, Chu Qianyu’s care was nothing more than a small effort, and there was really no need to take such a big risk to rush there.

But Xiao Kezhi ignored his persuasion and just firmly said, “Needless to say, ‘let’s go. We leave early tomorrow morning.”

Jin Jiang knew it would be useless to talk too much, so he had no choice but to leave.

…

More than 20 miles southwestern suburbs of Changan City, in a house used by the Ministry of Criminal Justice to temporarily accommodate the families of prisoners, dozens of women of various ages were working hard with their heads bowed.

Madam Hu, who was in charge, was sitting on a chair beside her, holding a cup of hot tea leisurely in her hand, but her eyes were looking around sharply, and when she saw someone moving slowly, she scolded loudly.

“Move faster, don’t dawdle, and quickly dye the fabric. Otherwise, you won’t eat tonight’s dinner!”

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