Chapter 147: Chapter 147
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Father, have a steamed bun!”
Just as Ji Shuisheng and old master Qin thought they were hallucinating, Su Qing handed old master Qin a mantou. The white mantou in his hand was fragrant and soft to the touch. One look and one could tell that it had just been steamed and not dried food left in the oven for a long time.
Su Qing passed a bamboo tube of water to old Qin and Ji Shuisheng.
“Where did you get it?”
Ji Shuisheng looked at Su Qing in shock. He and his grandfather had only gone out for half a cup of tea’s time, and Su Qing had already conjured up steamed buns and water.
“I bought it from someone.”
Su Qing said indifferently. Otherwise, no such thing as mantou would fall from the sky. This was the best excuse.
Ji Shuisheng was still looking at her with eyes full of doubt. Bought it? Who did you buy it from?
At this time, money was not as good as food, so who would sell their food?
Just as he was feeling puzzled, he saw chaos in front of him. Everyone was fighting to be the first to run forward as if there was gold in front that they were fighting for.
“What’s going on?”
Ji Shuisheng looked at the escapees running before him and muttered to himself strangely. Su Qing didn’t reply and started eating the steamed bun. He took a bite of the sweet and soft bun. When he was hungry, the simple steamed bun tasted better than the palace desserts.
The armored soldiers rode on their horses with cold faces. They did not care about the trampling of the refugees. Many weaker refugees could not win against the stronger ones and were ruthlessly trampled under their feet. Screams rose and fell.
When Ji Shuisheng drove the carriage to the front, he saw someone holding a steamed bun and shouting, “I bought it.”
Ji Shuisheng turned back to look at Su Qing. So someone was selling steamed buns.
Su Qing found it strange as well. She had only mentioned it casually, but someone had come to sell mantou.
The people who couldn’t buy the mantou became red-eyed and began to fight for it. The public road was in a mess.
Seeing that the interrogation was delayed, the armored soldiers raised their whips and lashed out, killing several people in a row before the riot was stopped.
After Su Qing ate two steamed buns and felt full, she exchanged with Ji Shuisheng into the carriage. The steamed buns were like gold and silver and could not be exposed.
After three consecutive checkpoints, the armored Army stopped following the refugees and galloped away on their horses.
They didn’t care if there were civilians on the road. They galloped on their horses. The civilians trampled by the hooves screamed and rolled on the ground in pain, but no one cared.
Qin Feng is furious when he sees this. He already knew that the Wan family Army was lawless, but he is still burning with anger after seeing it with his own eyes today.
He looked at the poor people. Some were kicked to death by horse hooves, some had their intestines pierced, and some had limbs broken. It was indeed a tragic sight.
“Grandfather, can we still keep such a dynasty?”
Ji Shuisheng clenched his fists tightly, his eyes filled with anger. Why would father protect such a cruel and unkind dynasty?
“Wan Yulin and the others did this. The current Emperor is a puppet.”
Qin Feng sighed. After thinking for a long time, he sighed. In truth, his heart had also wavered. The Emperor was stupid and incompetent; only then did the officials below him dare to threaten the Emperor and order the Dukes.
“The black wooden box I gave you contains your father’s tiger head commander’s seal. I won’t stop you if you want to do that.”
“Really?”
Ji Shuisheng asked his grandfather excitedly. If a commoner did not have an Army, how could he overthrow this dynasty? He would need military power and weapons if he wanted to take revenge.
“Yes, that commander’s seal can mobilize the Xiao family’s Army. When your father returned to the capital, he sent someone to hand over the Tiger head seal to me for collection to prevent any accidents. Your father was framed by Wan Yulin and conned into entering the capital. He was charged with treason and was sentenced to death by the Emperor. The Xiao family’s Army disappeared overnight, and the Emperor and Wan Yuxi racked their brains to find them. The only thing that can mobilize the Xiao family’s Army is the Tiger head seal, which the Emperor and Wan Yulin tried every means possible to get their hands on.”
The old Qin master was thoroughly disappointed in the current court. After getting along with his grandson these few days, he found he had great talent, strategy, and ambition. He was decisive and bold in killing.
He was not like Xiao Heng, who was foolishly loyal and would rather die than betray the Imperial court.
The old man had a rebellious streak in his heart. At least he wasn’t like Xiao Heng, who didn’t rebel even though he knew it was a trap.
If he had Ji Shuisheng’s courage back then, the Wan family Army wouldn’t have been able to stop the Xiao family’s Army and wouldn’t have ended up in such a miserable state.
Ji Shuisheng gritted his teeth in anger. Although this was not the first time he knew that his father had been framed and died a tragic death, he still could not calm down when his grandfather mentioned it again!
“Huang’er, calm down. You’re not fully grown yet!” Seeing his grandson’s furious expression, Qin Feng hurriedly tried to persuade him!
“I saw that the black box had a lock. I wonder if the key is in grandpa’s hands?”
Ji Shuisheng suppressed the boiling anger in his heart and asked his grandfather the most critical question.
“Your father made the wooden box himself. There’s a mechanism inside that requires a special key to open. If you try to open the box without a key, you’ll destroy the Tiger head charm.”
Qin Feng rejoiced that Ji Shuisheng was not reckless and did not destroy the box to see what was inside. Otherwise, such a valuable commander’s seal would have been destroyed.
“Where’s the key?”
Ji Shuisheng also felt a wave of lingering fear. He would have used brute force to open the box if it wasn’t to save his grandfather. He would regret the rest of his life for destroying the commander’s seal left behind by his father.
“Grandpa doesn’t know either. Your father only asked someone to give me the commander’s seal, but he didn’t tell me where the key was. Perhaps it’s to prevent me from giving the commander’s seal to the Emperor!”
Qin Feng smiled bitterly. Because he was the Emperor’s teacher, it was understandable for his son-in-law to be on guard against him.
“Where would the key be?”
Ji Shuisheng was frowning and had no clue at all. He could only go to Jingshi Dao first before making plans.
“Did your foster father have any special instructions for you to go to the Jingshi Dao?”
Qin Feng asked Ji Shuisheng. That was a bitterly cold place where criminals were first sent to prison.
“My foster father said that it’s my land of fortune. He didn’t tell me the details and only said that the secrets of heaven must not be revealed.”
Ji Shuisheng shook his head. If it was to escape, it was far better to be in the Central Plains than to go to Jingshi Dao. However, since his foster father wanted him to go, he must have his reasons.
“Your foster father’s original name was Chen Jingxiang. He was an impressive figure known as little Zhuge. He was skilled in martial arts, excellent in medicine, outstanding in literature, proficient in the five elements and eight trigrams, and good at observing the weather. If your father had listened to him and not entered the capital, he would not have been killed. Fortunately, he protected you and your sister. He is the benefactor of the Xiao family.”
Old master Qin was grateful to Chen Jingxiang for saving the Xiao family’s blood.
The eyes of the people who ate human flesh were blood red, as if the Yakshas and the man-eating demons had reincarnated.
The timid disaster victims were so scared that they gathered together, afraid they would be captured and eaten by these man-eating demons.
Even if Su Qing was cold-blooded, she was still shocked to see this scene of people eating people. This was living hell.
Ji Shuisheng also saw the tragic situation of people eating human flesh and was even more worried about the villagers of Peach Blossom Cove. He did not know if they were still safe..