Chapter 314: Chapter 314. A New Official Makes Three Fires
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The new and old governors of Luo City had not been seen alive or dead. The city guards did not dare to delay such a significant matter and reported it to the imperial court.
Luo City was an important city that could not do without a Zhizhou. The imperial court had appointed a new Zhizhou to take up his post in Luo City.
A new official would do three things at once. The first thing the new Zhizhou did after taking office was to investigate Qin Zhizhou’s disappearance.
The city guards locked up the families who had lost their children. The New Zhizhou did not make things difficult for these people. Firstly, the law did not punish the ma.s.ses. Secondly, these were just ordinary people who could not rob a prison cell and kill a Zhizhou.
After some investigation, they found that Su Hanxuan was the most suspicious person in the matter of the New Zhizhou.
One reason was that Luan Zhizhou was his brother-in-law. Luan Zhizhou was imprisoned because of Prime Minister Wan and his child. When Su Hanxuan heard that Luan Zhizhou was in trouble, he begged people to save him at all costs.
Secondly, Su Hanxuan was the wealthiest man in Luo City. He was rich and had made friends with some people in the martial arts world. When he learned that money could not save Luan Qingshan, it was very likely that he would take the risk and find someone to save Luan Qingshan and his family.
Third, it was because he was an official for money. Su Hanxuan was too rich, and the New Zhizhou had taken a fancy to his family’s a.s.sets and was prepared to take this opportunity to swallow his family.
Therefore, even if nothing happened to the Su’s, he had to accuse them.
Besides, he still wanted to make a name for himself by solving this case!
The New Zhizhou brought people into the Su family’s courtyard and arrested Su Hanxuan, disguised as the butler. The soldiers searched like wolves and tigers, wishing to turn the ground upside down.
They had even found the Su family’s secret chamber. The New Zhizhou’s eyes lit up with excitement. Seeing the underground chamber was equivalent to finding the Su family’s wealth. He immediately ordered someone to open the secret chamber.
The New Governor greedily walked into the secret chamber, which was empty. There wasn’t even a straw stick. He was so angry that he rushed to Su Hanxuan, disguised as the butler, and started beating him up.
The butler was also shocked. He did not expect Second Master to be prepared and have transferred the a.s.sets. When the soldiers found the secret room, he closed his eyes and felt guilty for not guarding the Su family well.
“Where’s the money? Where was the treasure? Where did you hide it?”
The New Zhizhou roared at him in exasperation.
“Old Master, the Su family has long been strong on the outside but weak on the inside. They can’t make ends meet.”
The butler put on a sorrowful expression and cried to the New Zhizhou.
“Where did Luan Qingshan’s family and the Zhizhou go?”
When he did not get the money, the New Zhizhou gritted his teeth in hatred. He was even more determined to harm Su Hanxuan.
If he didn’t have money, he still had a.s.sets. The Su family’s business was profitable, so he had to get it.
Su Hanxuan didn’t know that the butler had gone to jail for Su Hanxuan and that the New Zhizhou had taken over the Su family’s business.
Since he and Luan Zhizhou decided to be teachers for the children, they had been busy making lesson plans. The two good relations discussed the lessons from morning to night. They not only taught the children culture but also taught them chess, music, and other colorful lessons.
The school was built in an abandoned house near the government office. During the day, the children would attend cla.s.ses in school and stay at Madam Li’s home at night. Xiaoying and Madam Li took on the responsibility of looking after them.
Luan Hong also went over to help out every day. She used to be a young lady who never touched the water of the spring. After she came to Mo City, she became a tough woman and fought with Xiaoying for work.
Luan Hong liked this kind of life very much. She was happy even when she was free and tired. She would go to the winery to help Su Qing when she had nothing to do. Today, when she heard Xiaoying say that her cousin was going to the border of Tartan to do business with the prince, her lively heart could not stay idle.
Su Qing returned to Mo City and restored her original appearance. She usually wore women’s clothing, but today, she was going to deliver ointment at the border of Tartan. She changed into a blue silk robe and a cloak made of fox skin. She tied her hair up and transformed into a graceful young master. Her handsome face and heroic eyes made her even more attractive than men.
“Cousin, I heard from Xiaoying that you’re going to Tartan?”
Luan Hong entered the room as she spoke. Su Qing was walking out of the door when the two of them b.u.mped into each other at the door. Luan Hong widened her watery eyes and looked at Su Qing in disbelief.
Su Qing blinked and remembered how her cousin had chased after her in Luo City. Because of that, she was taken away by Prime Minister Wan’s men.
“Young Master, do you still remember me?”
Luan Hong looked at Su Qing excitedly with her big, bright eyes. She blushed shyly, and her heart was beating fast.
In Luo City, Luan Hong fell in love with Su Qing at first sight. After she lost her, she never saw her again. When free, she would sit in the teahouse where she met Su Qing and look down, hoping to see her master again.
However, he seemed to have disappeared and was never seen again. Who would have thought she would run to the distant Mo City at the border and see the young master she had been thinking of day and night?
Su Qing facepalmed. She had forgotten that her cousin was infatuated with her. It seemed that her cousin could not forget her.
She quickly revealed her ident.i.ty.
“Luan Hong, it’s me.”
Hearing Su Qing’s voice, Luan Hong’s bashful smile disappeared. She widened her eyes in shock and looked at Su Qing in disbelief. She stuttered.
“Watch… Cousin?”
“It’s me.”
Su Qing nodded and watched as the joy in her cousin’s eyes disappeared. She didn’t want to either. She had charmed her cousin. Who knew that she would be so charming in a male outfit?
“Aiya, 1 thought you….”
Luan Hong covered her face and ran away. Was she too ashamed to face others? Did she fall in love with a woman?
When she reached the door, she stopped and stomped before returning.
Su Qing looked at her cousin, who had returned, and smiled without saying anything. Was there anything else she wanted to ask?
Luan Hong pouted at Su Qing’s face, which she had been longing for day and night. She acted coquettishly with Su Qing, feeling wronged.
“Cousin, my heart is hurt; you must compensate me!”
“How?”
Su Qing asked her in amus.e.m.e.nt. She couldn’t possibly conjure a young master for her, right?
“I’ll go and do business with you.”
Luan Hong raised her delicate chin. She wanted to see Tartan. The only way to relieve her worries was to relax.
“The place I’m going to is dangerous. Aren’t you afraid?”
Su Qing looked at her cousin with her hands behind her back. They were going to Tartan, a dragon’s and a tiger’s den. She wanted to see how bold she was.
“I’m not afraid. If you dare to go, I dare to go.”
Luan Hong shook her head. It was not like she did not know how to ride a horse. Anyway, she was going today.
“Alright, let’s go together.”
Su Qing agreed. It could be considered compensation for letting his cousin have deep feelings for her!
“Sister Su Qing, I’ll go too.”
Xiaoying wore a new cotton jacket that her G.o.dmother had rushed to make. Her face was flushed red from the cold. Madam Li was skilled with her hands and sewed a white fox fur around the collar of her cotton jacket, making her face look even more beautiful. She looked at Su Qing expectantly.
“Let’s go!”
One went, two went. Now, Tartan was not as dangerous as before. The warlike First Prince had been killed, the Second Prince had his military power taken away by the Emperor, and the scheming Empress was grounded.
The Emperor trusted the Third Prince, who had cured his illness and entrusted him with an important task. The Third Prince’s status in the Tartan Kingdom was like the noon sun.
Before leaving, Su Qing asked Xiaoying and Luan Hong to dress up as men to avoid unnecessary trouble.
But she didn’t expect that someone would remember Xiaoying..