Chapter 335
The fragrant grilled skewers were in hand, and a group of children shouted excitedly. After taking a bite, they held up the skewers and went to find their parents who were shopping.
"A Nuan, let's eat too." Zhan Feiyu held a skewer in each hand, and handed the remaining large bunch to He Sheng and He Nuan beside her. "We'll have lamb soup later."
He Nuan agreed. Her young lady studied diligently, so it was good for her to relax a bit today.
In the noisy street market, various hawking sounds merged into a cacophony. The pedestrians were already numerous, and with everyone carrying baskets to hold their purchases, the crowd seemed even more congested, but it also felt more festive after the New Year.
"Get out of the way..."
"A startled horse! Get out of the way!"
Suddenly, a commotion erupted from ahead, accompanied by screams of panic. Unsuspecting passersby craned their necks to look forward.
Amidst the chaos, the fine horse neighed, its hooves clattering on the bluestone road. The driver sitting on the carriage shaft not only failed to stop the horse but also waved his whip, deliberately lashing out at the panicked pedestrians nearby.
"Miss, be careful!" He Nuan immediately dropped the half-eaten skewer in her hand and shielded Zhan Feiyu as they retreated to the steps of a nearby杂货铺 (general store).
Cries and the sounds of overturned stalls followed. In the blink of an eye, the carriage galloped forward.
He Sheng frowned sharply. "That horse isn't mad!"
When He Sheng first heard the sound of a startled horse, his immediate thought was that the horse had gone mad and lost control. But with just one glance, He Sheng knew the horse was not crazed but was being deliberately driven at full speed through the market by the driver.
"Is it aimed at me?" It wasn't surprising that Zhan Feiyu reacted this way. She encountered trouble almost every time she went out, and it had become a conditioned reflex.
Perhaps the plan was to use the ensuing chaos to make their move.
He Nuan's right hand had already fallen onto the hilt of her soft sword. Not only He Sheng, but also the four guards secretly protecting Zhan Feiyu, immediately became more vigilant.
With the incident at Aozi Kou as a precedent, their priority was to ensure the young lady's safety. The potential injury of passersby in the market was no longer within their consideration.
"Waa..." Suddenly, a wail of crying broke out. In the middle of the road, a chubby child, holding a skewer, was frozen with fear. Looking at the galloping carriage, the little胖墩 (chubby kid) was so scared that he didn't know to dodge, only instinctively crying out.
Zhan Feiyu, standing on the steps, recognized the little fellow who had wanted to buy five skewers earlier. "A Sheng, save him!"
He Sheng hesitated for a moment. He glanced around and saw that the four guards had already appeared and were guarding this side. He Sheng instantly shot towards the little胖墩 like an arrow.
"Ah!" Some timid children were also scared into crying. The adults nearby quickly covered their children's eyes, not daring to watch the impending tragedy.
The little胖墩's eyes widened in terror. The horse's hooves were raised high, and the proximity made it seem as if one could feel the horse's warm breath on their face.
In a flash, He Sheng scooped the little胖墩 into his arms with his left hand and, with his right hand, unceremoniously swung his long sword at the carriage shaft.
If it were an ordinary axe or saw, it might not have cut through the thick carriage shaft in a short time, but He Sheng's sword was a divine weapon that could cut through iron.
Everyone heard a few cracking sounds. The runaway horse continued to gallop forward, but He Sheng, holding the little胖墩, landed on the horse's back, tightened half of the reins, and finally managed to stop the horse.
The carriage, however, had already crashed to the ground with a bang. The driver, who had been wearing a smug expression, was bleeding from his head and twitched a few times on the ground.
Painful screams then came from inside the carriage. Looking at the carriage, which was close to falling apart, one could imagine how miserable the people inside were, likely only slightly better off than the driver.
"Miss!" Another neighing sound from the horse. Those who arrived a step later were a troop of guards, all on tall horses. They were robust and strong, armed with weapons at their waists, clearly skilled martial artists.
With so many guards present, it was impossible that they couldn't control the galloping carriage. They had clearly deliberately allowed the carriage to rampage through the market, thus deliberately falling behind by a certain distance, which prevented them from rescuing when He Sheng took action, even if they saw it.
"Serves them right!" Zhan Feiyu, standing high up, had a clear view of the scene. Her usually smiling, rounded face rarely showed such disgust and coldness.
Not to mention how many passersby were injured from falling when the carriage sped along, and how many small stalls were overturned by panicked pedestrians in the chaos. The aunt who had just bought skewers and lamb soup also suffered. A large pot of steaming lamb soup was overturned on the ground, scalding a mother and daughter who were drinking lamb soup nearby.
He Nuan remained vigilant. She glanced at the guards who had dismounted and were rushing towards the carriage, and whispered, "Miss, those are Qiu Jingyuan's guards."
Earlier, at the inn in Linzhou Prefecture, there had been a conflict. Although they hadn't fought, He Nuan recognized the guards at a glance. Recalling the painful screams from inside the carriage, which were sharp and belonged to a child, she surmised it was Qiu Jingyuan.
"What is she going crazy about?" Zhan Feiyu was taken aback.
The third branch of the Qiu family was, after all, an official family. Even in Xiangwu County, which was thousands of miles away, if Qiu Jingyuan caused trouble by riding a horse recklessly in the market, and if someone died, an impeachment memorial from the Censorate would be sent to the emperor, and the third branch would definitely be reprimanded by the emperor.
As for the main branch, Minister Qiu would not only not plead for the third branch but would also severely punish them. Although they shared the same surname, the third branch harbored ambitions. Now that they had an opportunity, Minister Qiu would certainly not show any mercy.
Four or five guards surrounded He Sheng, who had dismounted. The remaining guards quickly pulled Qiu Jingyuan and her maids and wet nurses out of the carriage.
Although they had fallen badly, Qiu Jingyuan was lucky. She had fallen on her maid Qinghong, and Qinghao had fallen on Qiu Jingyuan's head wet nurse. Therefore, apart from being disheveled, Qiu Jingyuan only had her forehead scratched by the silver hairpin on Qinghao's head; she had no serious injuries.
Qinghong was less fortunate. Although she fell on wet nurse Huang, her left hand hit the carriage wall. She was now crying out in pain, her left wrist broken.
As for wet nurse Huang, she was the most miserable. Not only did two people press on her, but her head also fell out of the carriage and onto the ground. She fell heavily, her forehead directly receiving a bloody gash, and her face hit the ground first, becoming red and swollen when she was pulled up.
Perhaps due to her age, as soon as the guards let go, wet nurse Huang's legs went weak, and she collapsed to the ground again, breathing more out than in.
Qiu Jingyuan, still shaken, had a pale face, her hair and clothes in disarray. The arrogant and overbearing demeanor was gone. Supported by her guards, her body was still trembling, likely having never encountered such danger in her life.
"Go find your parents." He Sheng put down the little胖墩, who still had tears on his face, withdrew his long sword, and looked coldly at the guards blocking his way. "Get out of the way!"
"You..." One of the guards was about to shout but was pulled back by his companion.
"Follow the young lady's orders." The round-faced guard glanced at He Sheng warily, then quickly scanned the crowd. He indeed saw Zhan Feiyu and He Nuan on the steps.
Earlier, at the inn in Linzhou Prefecture, they couldn't even defeat a martial maid, let alone the male guard in front of them. Moreover, this was a young lady whom Magistrate Zhang treated with the courtesy of equals. They, as guards, absolutely could not afford to offend her.
Seeing that the guards dared not stop him, He Sheng said nothing further. He returned to Zhan Feiyu's side in a few steps. Even after seeing Qiu Jingyuan, He Sheng and the others did not lower their guard.
"Lord Gao will be here soon." Zhan Feiyu watched coldly as Qiu Jingyuan, who had finally calmed down under the guards' reassurance. Today, if it were any other county magistrate, given the background of the Qiu family's third branch, Qiu Jingyuan would at most be reprimanded for her recklessness. However, the incorruptible Magistrate Gao would surely enforce the law impartially.
The newly appointed magistrate of Xiangwu County was Gao Mingda. Originally, even if a new magistrate were to be appointed, it would have to wait until after the New Year. However, Magistrate Zhu had fled with the county government's treasury silver, and the registrar had followed suit.
The officials in the county yamen who couldn't escape also did the same, looting items from the storeroom and fleeing home to hide. It was said that they even took the ink, brushes, paper, and inkstones. Although they couldn't sell them for money, they wouldn't have to spend money to buy them themselves in the future.
In the end, only County Lieutenant Feng and the constables were left guarding the city wall of Xiangwu County. The affairs of Xiangwu County, big and small, were handled by the elder General Yang and Commander Dou.
Later, the Prefect of Weizhou sent Magistrate Gao. Zhan Feiyu also learned that Magistrate Gao and Gu Qingzhou had been fellow scholars, having taken the provincial examination together.
Unlike the incompetent and greedy Magistrate Zhu, Magistrate Gao was rigid, serious, and upright, even to the point of being unapproachable. Therefore, his career had been mediocre, serving as a seventh-rank official in the Weizhou Prefecture yamen.
Although a county magistrate was also a seventh-rank official, he was, after all, the parent official of a region. Magistrate Gao's previous position as an official was responsible only for the yamen's clerical work and had little power. This time, it could be considered a promotion.
"Miss, it's good that you're alright. This servant was almost scared to death. Fortunately, this servant held onto Miss at that time." Qinghong, holding her broken left arm, cried out, not forgetting to praise herself.
Qiu Jingyuan looked at Qinghong, whose face was pale with pain, and remembered her loyalty. "How is wet nurse Huang?"
"There is bleeding from her nose and mouth. She must be sent to the doctor's." A guard who knew a little medicine replied. Wet nurse Huang was old, and the carriage was moving fast. Even skilled martial artists like them couldn't withstand such a fall.
Qiu Jingyuan nodded. She had originally planned to have two guards send wet nurse Huang to the doctor's, as she was her head wet nurse. But then she thought about settling scores with the culprit, and if the guards were fewer, the killer might escape.
"Miss, Miss, I deserve to die. It was all my fault for not driving the carriage properly, which caused Miss to be injured." The driver knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowing and begging for mercy. He had already been bleeding from his head, and with this kowtow, half of his face was covered in blood.
"I deserve to die, but if that person hadn't suddenly rushed out and cut off the carriage shaft, Miss wouldn't have been injured." The driver stared at He Sheng not far away with a murderous gaze.
Qiu Jingyuan followed the driver's指 (finger) and looked over. Upon seeing Zhan Feiyu and her group, her old and new grievances surged. She gritted her teeth and said, "Did they cut the carriage shaft?" The driver nodded repeatedly, wanting only to absolve himself and avoid punishment. "It was that young man with the sword who almost killed Miss!"
"Go, kill that lowly girl!" A sharp and piercing roar erupted. Qiu Jingyuan pointed at Zhan Feiyu with one finger and sternly ordered the guards to act. "Today, either that lowly girl dies or you die!"
The guards were stunned for a moment. They knew how favored Qiu Jingyuan was in the Qiu family. If they backed down today, the third branch would not openly do anything to them, but in secret, these dozen or so people would surely meet a violent end.
So, amidst Qiu Jingyuan's screams, the guards exchanged glances and charged forward with gritted teeth. Even if they were beaten half to death, it would be better than returning to Qianzhong Dao and being killed by the third master and third madam.
Seeing the guards charging with swords and sabers, the surrounding pedestrians were frightened and made way. Instantly, a large area was cleared in the crowded market.
Although there were more than a dozen guards charging, Zhan Feiyu's side only had He Sheng to act. He Nuan remained in place, and the other four guards also stood aside. At first glance, they looked like onlookers.
The sound of clashing swords and sabers rang out. The guards were only acting to avoid punishment, so after He Sheng made his move, in less than fifteen minutes, the ground was littered with people lying in all directions.