“Reporting to the Hall Master.”
Zhang Wenkui panted heavily, his face filled with indignation. “I ran all the way here; I have an urgent matter to report. When that scoundrel’s troops were passing through Wufeng County, it just so happened that the County Magistrate was out traveling with his family. The women in the Magistrate’s household were all quite beautiful, and the scoundrel caught sight of them. Driven by lust, he led his troops in a chase after the Magistrate’s family. He didn’t manage to catch them, so he ended up surrounding Wufeng County instead. Even if he manages to take the county, he won’t be able to make it here by the day after tomorrow.”
After finishing, Zhang Wenkui spat fiercely, his face full of disdain.
Two flanking divisions were infiltrating the heart of Jiangzhou, and the general of one of those divisions was the very “scoundrel” Zhang Wenkui spoke of.
This man’s name was Wang Liu. He was a glutton for lust who relied on being a trusted confidant of the Heir Apparent; no one dared to discipline him. He acted recklessly and had caused quite a few messes back in Yingnan Commandery, earning him the nickname “General Scoundrel.”
It was unexpected that he would act so wantonly when it concerned a major strategic operation for the entire Eastern Army.
After hearing this, Water Monkey cursed loudly, “Damn it! That grandson is going to die in a woman’s crotch sooner or later!”
Qin Sang felt a headache coming on upon hearing this. The Magistrate of Hening County was clearly capable. Although the garrison had been transferred away, the militia and yamen runners at the city gates had been strictly trained.
Originally, the plan was for the two flanking divisions to join forces at dawn the day after tomorrow to launch a surprise attack on Hening County, which would have guaranteed success. Now that Wang Liu had taken his troops off to chase women, their forces here were severely reduced. How much certainty was there left to break the city?
And if they did break the city, would they still have the strength to suppress the rioting populace?
If they delayed by a day, they risked the news leaking out.
Staring at the gates of Hening County for a long while, Qin Sang spat out a blade of grass and said in a low voice, “If he doesn’t want the credit delivered to his doorstep, don’t blame us brothers for eating alone. We’ll have to put in more effort this time, brothers. Help General Mu take Hening County. Once it’s done, I will personally request rewards for you all from the Commandery Princess!”
A sudden commotion broke out among the refugees on the main road. Several refugees were shouting and shoving each other, having been driven away from the porridge stall by the wealthy family’s servants.
Refugees all along the road craned their necks to watch the spectacle, but no one dared to leave the line.
Qin Sang looked over curiously and discovered that one side consisted of three burly, powerful men who looked similar—likely brothers—while the other side consisted of seven half-grown children, both boys and girls. The oldest boy looked to be about thirteen or fourteen, though it was hard to say for sure; children of poor families in this era were all malnourished.
After listening to the discussions of the people nearby for a while, Qin Sang understood the situation.
These three burly men were known as the Kong brothers. They had always relied on their strength to bully others, never waiting in line for porridge, often using a broken bowl to extort people, and even snatching porridge from the elderly and weak.
They didn’t dare act out in front of wealthy families who enforced rules, but if the people serving the porridge didn’t want to get involved in trouble, the brothers would get their way.
These children had been targeted by them; they not only wanted to snatch the porridge but also wanted to snatch the children themselves.
With a mission at hand, Qin Sang usually wouldn’t bother with such trivial matters, but this lead boy was interesting, and he took a few extra looks.
“My sister broke your bowl, and we will pay you for it, but you cannot take her away!”
The boy spread his arms like a hen protecting her chicks, shielding the other six children behind him. A dirty little girl was hiding behind him, sobbing; it seemed she was the one who had broken the bowl.
Qin Sang had sharp eyes and noticed that although the girl was covered in filth, her features were delicate. She was only in her early teens, and if cleaned up, she could be sold for a good price. No wonder those three guys wanted to snatch her.
“Pah!”
The eldest of the three brothers spat fiercely and pointed at the shards on the ground of the porridge stall. “What the hell do you know! My bowl was from that... what was it, Black Kiln...”
The third brother whispered, “Big Brother, White Kiln, White Kiln...”
“Ah, right! A bowl from the White Kiln! You little beggars, do you even know what the White Kiln is? A single bowl is worth hundreds of taels of silver! Even if we sold all of you little beggars, it wouldn’t be enough! I only want that little girl; it’s a bargain for you lot!”
The eldest stared lecherously at the little girl. “Little sister, come with big brother, and I guarantee you’ll have fine food and drink. What’s the fun in staying with these wet-behind-the-ears brats? Haha...”
The three burly men laughed obscenely.
The children were filled with righteous indignation, and the little girl was trembling with fear.
Qin Sang almost laughed in anger. The White Kiln produced the most precious porcelain in the Great Sui, all of which were tributes. Even ordinary wealthy merchants weren’t qualified to use them; he had never heard of refugees using White Kiln porcelain to beg for porridge.
“Damn it!”
The second brother suddenly stepped forward, pressing his chest against the boy’s face, and said viciously, “Little beggar, she’s not even your real sister, so stop meddling in other people’s business! If you’re smart, get lost!”
Qin Sang narrowed his eyes. The man was holding a knife, pressing it against the boy’s stomach.
Zhang Wenkui, who hadn’t fully rested yet, couldn’t help but feel a surge of anger at the sight. He said indignantly, “Hall Master, these children are pitiful. Should we intervene?”
Qin Sang turned his head to stare at Zhang Wenkui and asked coldly, “Should I start calling you ‘Hero Zhang’ from now on? How many pitiful people have you saved?”
Zhang Wenkui’s face turned pale, and he lowered his head, not daring to speak again.
Unexpectedly, the boy didn’t show the slightest fear despite the knife pressed against him. He stood there motionless, head held high, his red eyes staring fixedly at the burly man in front of him, shouting like a madman.
“Screw your mother! If you’ve got the guts, then stab me! Stab your grandfather to death, and then you can take whoever you want!”
The second brother was startled by the boy’s madness and subconsciously took a step back. Then, fueled by shame and anger, he didn’t dare use the knife but grabbed the boy by the collar, ready to strike.
The boy was fierce, too; he opened his mouth and bit down.
Qin Sang called out in a low voice.
“Old Zhou!”
Water Monkey understood immediately. He scrambled up from the ground, darted between them in a few steps, shoved the burly man aside, and threw himself onto the boy. He grabbed the boy’s face, crying and shouting, “Son! Son! It really is you! I’m your father! I’m your father!”
Qin Sang touched his forehead and muttered to himself, “What a talent.”
The boy reacted quickly, too, hugging Water Monkey and wailing, “Father! I’ve finally found you! Father, why did you take so long to come...”
The crowd was taken aback by the sudden appearance of Water Monkey, and before they could recover, they witnessed this scene of a father and son reuniting, which left them marveling.
Although Water Monkey was only two years older than Qin Sang, his face was smeared with a thick layer of yellow mud, and his acting was superb. The ‘father and son’ were crying so intensely that no one suspected it was a performance.
The three burly men were a bit stunned, but seeing that Water Monkey had a broken arm, they began to stir again.
Qin Sang pursed his lips, and Zhang Wenkui, who had been eager to act, finally dared to move. He ran over in a few steps and stared fiercely at the three men. “Second Brother! Is it really my little nephew? Don’t be afraid, little nephew, tell your uncle who bullied you, and your uncle will avenge you!”
Zheng Kun also quietly moved closer, pulling back his jacket to reveal the hilt of a knife at his waist.
Seeing that there was no profit to be made, the three burly men cursed and walked away.