Chapter 11: The End and the Beginning

It was perhaps for the best that two beggars were gone from the county town; even if a pampered young lady left under the escort of a guard, such a trivial matter would not cause even the slightest ripple in Lu County.

Ji Ying, the Inspector who still resided in Baima Town, was even less aware of it, as his mind was entirely occupied by the letter he had just received from Duke Ding'an.

"Duke Ding'an says to bury them locally, to let his sister and niece rest in peace, and that he will come to pay his respects in person later," he said after finishing the reading.

The officials of Lu County breathed a sigh of relief. This meant that Duke Ding'an had accepted the conclusion that the bandits were the perpetrators and that the Yang family lady had met with a sudden misfortune; he would not pursue the Lu County officials for their lack of strict governance, nor would he be relentless.

"Duke Ding'an is quite easy to deal with."

"The old Duke Ding'an is famous for his kindness; it is clearly a family trait."

Everyone offered their praises, though some officials muttered quietly to themselves: *However, he doesn't seem to have much affection for his sister, either.*

Setting aside the fact that he had lived here for over ten years without any contact—the county hadn't even known of them—now that they were dead, his family hadn't even sent anyone; he simply said he would pay his respects "later"...

In many cases, the word "later" was synonymous with "indefinitely."

However, they did not dwell on other people's family matters.

Ji Ying's expression remained calm, as if he had expected this. He said, "In that case, you shall bury the mother and daughter of the Yang family properly on behalf of Duke Ding'an."

The officials of Lu County responded in unison, "Please rest assured, Excellency."

Ji Ying once again instructed them not to be negligent in clearing out the bandit menace, to which the officials responded with assent.

"In that case, I shall stay no longer. I will set out tomorrow," Ji Ying said.

An Inspector was meant to patrol the various prefectures and commanderies and would not stay in one place indefinitely; it was only because Ji Ying had arrived in Lu County just as the bandits had massacred Baima Town that he had been forced to stay and personally oversee the matter.

The officials thanked him once more, but Ji Ying cut off their flattery, stating he needed to rest, only then did the group of officials take their leave.

Standing inside his tent, Ji Ying's expression shifted for a moment. He looked at his attendant beside him. "Has the Marquis sent a reply?"

The attendant whispered, "The Marquis said there is no point in mentioning those who are already dead, and besides, it is someone else's business."

Ji Ying's face darkened.

The attendant asked in a low voice, "Does Excellency feel there is something strange about this matter?"

Ji Ying looked at him. "It didn't happen earlier, nor did it happen later; it happened precisely while I was inspecting."

If he hadn't known the inside story and immediately moved to suppress the matter, if this had escalated and been reported to the capital, then...

The attendant knew the truth but dared not utter a single word of it. He hurriedly said, "It was three years ago that the Marquis recommended you for office in the capital, and the Emperor personally appointed you as Inspector. As you know, although the Marquis is the father-in-law of the Emperor and is highly respected, the Marquis cannot interfere in matters of state. Our Emperor built this empire with his own hands."

The current Emperor was a founding emperor who had crawled through the chaos of a turbulent era and fought his way out from among many ambitious warlords; he was not an emperor raised in the deep palace who could be manipulated by his ministers.

Ji Ying was naturally well aware of this. He kept telling himself it was a coincidence, but where in this world were there true coincidences? This matter was by no means simple...

Although he had continuously demanded that the Lu County officials continue their thorough investigation into the bandits, he knew in his heart that they would never find any trace of them again.

He was no fool; he could see the strangeness in the banditry of Baima Town. What kind of bandits could appear so silently to wipe out a town and then vanish without a trace?

This was clearly a meticulously arranged affair, and the ones mobilized were most likely government troops...

Thinking of the corpses of the mother and daughter embracing each other, Ji Ying could not help but close his eyes.

But what could be done?

The Marquis was right; there was no point in mentioning those who were already dead.

They were dead; should the living be denied peace as well? Besides, the Duke Ding'an's estate clearly did not care and did not wish to inquire further. So be it.

"You stay and personally oversee their burial," Ji Ying instructed his attendant. "Ensure it is done with dignity."

The attendant hurriedly complied.

As Ji Ying picked up his cloak to walk out, the attendant thought of something else.

"Magistrate Huang of Zhao County sent word the day before yesterday, hoping Excellency could help," he said. "The Embroidered Uniform Guard has made a mess of Zhao County. If they continue to investigate, the entire Zhao County will be branded as being in rebellion."

Ji Ying remembered. "You mean the matter where Wei Jiao claimed Jiang Wangchun of Zhao County was committing treason and was subsequently silenced?"

The attendant nodded. "He had previously tracked the investigation here, but because he found nothing, he turned back toward Zhao County."

And then the entirety of Zhao County was thrown into turmoil.

Ji Ying frowned.

On the surface, his side of the matter used death row prisoners to replace the bandits, and even if discovered, it would only be a crime of dereliction of duty. However, it actually concealed secrets that could not be seen by the light of day. It was best not to invite unnecessary trouble; if Wei Jiao were to latch onto him, it would be problematic.

"I cannot help," Ji Ying said, then instructed his attendant, "Tell Magistrate Huang to do nothing. Wait until Wei Jiao has finished tearing himself apart."

The attendant complied and accompanied Ji Ying outside. In front of the town entrance, a squad of soldiers stood in formation, prepared to escort him on his journey.

Ji Ying suddenly raised his hand to look at the sky; dense droplets of rain were falling.

It was raining again.

It had also rained heavily the night Baima Town met its disaster.

Ji Ying looked over. The constables and soldiers had withdrawn, and the survivors of Baima Town were preparing to rebuild their homes. Some merchants had also arrived upon hearing the news to buy up land. In just over ten days, the mournful atmosphere of Baima Town had dissipated. In a few months, there would be new houses, and in another year, this place would become a prosperous town once more.

As the dead were buried, everything was buried with them.

Ji Ying withdrew his gaze, threw on a rain cloak, and mounted his horse, galloping away under the escort of the soldiers.

...

...

The rain grew heavier.

Mo Zheng deftly threw a piece of oilcloth over the roof of the carriage, the large raindrops hitting it with a dense, rhythmic sound.

"A-Sheng, come inside to avoid the rain," Yang Luo called, lifting the carriage curtain.

Mo Zheng stepped on the wheel to smooth out the cloth, then moved to the front of the carriage the next moment to lead the horse.

"There are large trees ahead; we can let the horse take shelter from the rain there," he said.

Yang Luo could only watch him lead the horse forward. The rain was heavy and the road was slippery, making it difficult for the horse to pull the carriage, but the horse was very obedient in Mo Zheng's hands. Before long, they reached the shade of a large tree. Only after the horse's body was also covered with a rain cloth did Mo Zheng enter the carriage.

After untying the rain cloth and placing it outside the carriage, Mo Zheng took the blanket Yang Luo handed him to wipe the rainwater from his head and face, then wrapped himself in it.

"Hot tea," Yang Luo said, handing him tea that had been warmed on a small clay stove.

Mo Zheng drank it in one gulp and thanked her.

"Why thank me? I didn't do anything," Yang Luo said. "A-Sheng, you are truly amazing. You are so well-prepared for the journey; you have everything, and you even handle the horse so well."

In her previous life, her eldest uncle had come personally to pick her up for the trip to the capital, accompanied by over a dozen servants, and there were even government officials to host them along the way. Even then, she had felt traveling was troublesome and exhausting. Now, A-Sheng could manage everything so well on his own.

Mo Zheng said, "Traveling is much like hunting; it's just about preparing the right things. I've grown used to it."

*There are many people who hunt, but very few who can become bandit leaders capable of giving the imperial court headaches,* Yang Luo thought. *A-Sheng truly is remarkable.*

"We have left Lu County now, right?" She looked outside. "Where are we heading next?"

She was told they were going to the capital, but she didn't even know the route.

Mo Zheng had also made preparations. He set down the tea and pulled a piece of paper from a small rack inside the carriage.

"I haven't been to the capital either, so I don't know the way. However, when I bought the carriage, I asked the shopkeepers who frequently travel to the capital," he said, unfolding the paper. "I also had them draw a simple map for me."

Yang Luo leaned in to look. The map was indeed very simple, with lines outlining the path, ink dots marking cities, and indications of water and land routes.

"A-Sheng, you really are so thoughtful," she praised him once again.

"It is also thanks to the Young Lady's wealth," Mo Zheng said. "Being thoroughly prepared costs money."

*A-Sheng is still so humble,* Yang Luo thought with a smile, watching Mo Zheng's gaze wander over the map before he tapped on an ink dot.

"Let's stop at Zhao County," he said. "Then we will head south and switch to water routes; it will be faster."

Yang Luo nodded without even looking. "Alright, alright, I'll listen to you."

(End of Chapter)