Chapter 31: Little Beggar

"Reporting to the Hall Master."

Zhang Wenkui panted heavily, his face flushed with indignation. "I ran all the way here because I have urgent news. When that rogue's army passed through Wufeng County, it just so happened that the County Magistrate was out touring with his family. The women in the magistrate's household are all exceptionally beautiful, and the rogue spotted them. Driven by lust, he led his troops on a chase after the magistrate's family. He failed to catch them, but as a result, he has completely surrounded Wufeng County. Even if he manages to take the county, he won't make it here by the day after tomorrow."

After speaking, Zhang Wenkui spat fiercely, his face full of disdain.

Two flanking armies had slipped into the heart of Jiangzhou; the general of one of those routes was the very rogue Zhang Wenkui was describing.

This man was named Wang Liu, a lecherous glutton. Relying on his status as a confidant of the Heir, no one dared to discipline him. He acted willfully and had caused numerous troubles in Yingnan Commandery, earning him the nickname "The Rogue General."

Unexpectedly, even when it concerned the grand strategic affairs of the entire Eastern Route Army, he still dared to act so recklessly.

Upon hearing this, Shui Houzi cursed loudly, "Damn it! That bastard is going to die on a woman's lap sooner or later!"

Qin Sang also felt a headache coming on upon hearing this. The County Magistrate of Hening was clearly capable; although the garrison had been redeployed, the local militia and constables at the city gates had undergone strict training.

The original plan was for the two flanking armies to merge at dawn the day after tomorrow to launch a surprise attack on Hening County. To ensure nothing went wrong, they needed full strength, but now that Wang Liu had taken his troops to chase women, their strength here had been drastically reduced. How much certainty was there left to break the city?

And once the city was taken, would there be any strength left to suppress the rioting civilians?

If they delayed by even a day, they feared the news would leak.

Staring at the gates of Hening County for a long while, Qin Sang spat out a straw stem and said in a heavy voice, "If he doesn't want the credit being handed to him on a silver platter, don't blame the brothers for eating alone. We'll have to work a bit harder this time. Help General Mu take Hening County. Once it's done, I will personally request a reward from the Princess for you all!"

A sudden commotion broke out among the refugees on the main road. A few refugees were shouting and shoving, only to be driven out of the porridge tent by the servants of a wealthy household.

The refugees along the entire road craned their necks to watch the spectacle, but no one dared to leave their group.

Qin Sang looked over curiously and noticed that one side consisted of three powerful, muscular men who looked similar, likely brothers. The other side consisted of seven children, both boys and girls. The eldest boy looked to be about thirteen or fourteen, though it wasn't certain; in this era, children from poor families were often malnourished.

After listening to the discussions of those nearby for a while, Qin Sang understood the situation.

These three men called themselves the Kong brothers. They had always relied on their physical strength to bully others. They never queued for porridge and often used broken bowls to extort people, even snatching food from the elderly and the weak.

In front of wealthy households with established rules, they didn't dare to act out, but if the family distributing porridge didn't want to get involved in trouble, they would succeed.

These children had been targeted by them; they didn't just want to steal the porridge, they wanted to steal the children as well.

With a mission at hand, Qin Sang usually wouldn't interfere in such trivial matters, but the leading boy was quite interesting, so he watched for a few more moments.

"My sister broke your bowl, we'll pay you for it! You can't take her away!"

The boy spread his arms like a hen protecting her chicks, shielding the other six children behind him. A filthy little girl was hiding behind him, sobbing uncontrollably; it was likely she was the one who had broken the bowl.

Qin Sang had a keen eye and noticed that although the girl was covered in grime, her features were well-formed. She was only a little over ten years old; if she were cleaned up properly, she could be sold for a good price. No wonder those three wanted to snatch her.

"Pah!"

The eldest of the three brothers spat fiercely, pointing at the shards on the ground of the porridge tent. "What do you know, you brat! My bowl came from that... Black Kiln..."

The third brother whispered, "Big brother, White Kiln, White Kiln..."

"Ah, right! A bowl from the White Kiln! You little beggar, do you know what a 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; consider it a favor to you lot!"

The eldest stared lecherously at the little girl. "Little sister, come with big brother. I guarantee you'll eat and drink well. What's the fun in staying with these hairless brats? Haha..."

The three men laughed obscenely.

The children were filled with righteous indignation, while the little girl trembled in fear.

Qin Sang was almost laughed into anger. The White Kiln produced the most precious porcelain of the Great Sui, all of which were imperial tributes. Even wealthy merchants usually weren't qualified to use them; he had never heard of a refugee using White Kiln porcelain to beg for porridge.

"Damn it!"

The second brother suddenly took a step forward, pressing his chest against the boy's face as he growled, "You little beggar, she's not even your real sister, and you're meddling! Be smart and get lost!"

Qin Sang's eyes narrowed. The man was holding a knife, pressing it against the boy's stomach.

Zhang Wenkui, who hadn't yet recovered his breath, 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 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 instantly, and he lowered his head, not daring to speak again.

Unexpectedly, the boy, despite having a knife at his throat, showed no fear. He stood perfectly still, head held high, his bloodshot eyes staring death at the brute in front of him as he screamed like a madman.

"Fuck your mother! If you've got the guts, stab me! Stab me dead, and you can take whoever you want!"

The second brother was startled by the boy's madness and instinctively took a step back. Then, overcome by shame and rage, he didn't dare use the knife but instead grabbed the boy by the collar, preparing to strike.

The boy was equally fierce, lunging forward to bite.

Qin Sang called out in a low voice.

"Old Zhou!"

Shui Houzi understood immediately. He scrambled up from the ground, rushed into the middle of them, shoved the brute aside, and lunged at the youth. Grabbing the boy's face, he wailed and cried, "Son! Son! It really is you! I'm your father! I'm your father!"

Qin Sang rubbed his forehead, thinking to himself, *What a talent.*

The boy reacted quickly as well, throwing his arms around Shui Houzi and wailing loudly, "Father! I finally found you! Father, why did you take so long to come..."

The crowd was startled by Shui Houzi's sudden appearance, but before they could recover, they witnessed this scene of a father and son reuniting, and they couldn't help but marvel at the coincidence.

Although Shui Houzi was only two years older than Qin Sang, his face was covered in a thick layer of yellow mud, and his acting was superb. The "father and son" cried so passionately that no one realized it was a performance.

The three brutes were a bit stunned, but seeing that Shui Houzi had a broken arm, they began to stir with intent again.

Qin Sang gestured with his chin, and only then did the eager Zhang Wenkui dare to move. He ran over, staring 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 get revenge for you!"

Zheng Kun also quietly approached, pulling aside his upper garment to reveal the hilt of a knife at his waist.

Seeing that there was no profit to be had, the three brutes finally walked away, cursing under their breaths.