Chapter 804: The Beginning of a Major Incident! (1/2)
Translated by: Hypersheep325
Edited by: Michyrr
”Your subordinate understands and will go.”
Chen Bin immediately began to descend the walls. During this period, everyone at Wang Chong's side felt a tension in the air, and when they heard from Qixi that Fumeng Lingcha had been commended by the Imperial Court, they were all endlessly indignant.
And yet, they could sense another undercurrent flowing from Wang Chong.
The people of the Qixi Protectorate had come to show off quite a few times, and all of them had managed to swallow their anger each time. Although the Qixi Protectorate seemed to have completely suppressed them, all of them knew that Fumeng Lingcha wouldn't be able to remain arrogant for very much longer.
Since the marquis had said that he was going to make Fumeng Lingcha leave Qixi, they knew it would be done, and it would be soon.
”Hyah!”
A trail of dust passed through the city gates as Chen Bin swiftly made his way to Qixi.
”Write a letter to Old Eagle in the capital,” Wang Chong indifferently said. ”Have him keep a close watch on the Fourth Prince. Any movement has to be reported to me as quickly as possible!”
There seemed be no one behind him, yet a person replied from the shadows.
”This subordinate will deliver this order!”
The figure quickly vanished.
It was now very quiet on the walls, with Wang Chong left all alone. Now that the initial phase of construction had finished, the City of Steel was much quieter.
This was a period of rest and recuperation.
Wang Chong gazed into the distance, where the overcast heavens met with the earth. Everything was quiet and still, and yet Wang Chong could feel that a massive storm was sweeping toward him from the capital.
The storm had already stirred, and Wang Chong knew that if he wanted to topple Fumeng Lingcha, this would be his last chance. However, Fumeng Lingcha was a wily fox. Whether it was letting Dayan Mangban through his defenses, borrowing the Tibetans to try and kill Wang Chong, or the final act of stealing credit for himself, Fumeng Lingcha had always planned things in such a way that he could always escape almost unscathed.
It was no easy task to find any incriminating evidence about him.
Most importantly, Wang Chong could not attract any attention from Fumeng Lingcha during this entire process.
……
Several hundred li away, in the Qixi Protectorate…
Creeeeak!
There was a creak as the back door of the headquarters was pushed open. An exhausted old woman carrying a vegetable basket walked out.
Her steps were tottering, and each one was taken with extreme care, seeming to sap her of her strength.
Fwoomp!
The old lady walked to the corner of the wall and heaved, dumping out the rotten vegetable leaves in the basket. The rotten vegetables had piled up here, exuding an awful stench.
Suddenly, the back door was kicked open with a bang, and a savage-faced Hu guard dressed in the armor of the Qixi Protectorate strode out, his fierce gaze aimed at the old woman.
”Repulsive old hag, Lord Protector-General has ordered that when going out to buy ingredients, you must return before the Wu Period1 is over!
”In addition, if you make some food, I'll spare you from a round of whipping next time. Serve me some dessert!”
”This old woman understands!”
The old woman trembled and twitched, her face panicked as she hurriedly bowed, her white-haired head almost touching the ground.
The sight of that old and frail body trembling in fear was truly pitiful to behold.
”Hmph, useless hag. If not for the fact that you've served Lord Protector-General for ten-some years, I would have killed you ages ago.”
At the back door, the savage-faced Hu guard cursed some more, giving the door a fierce kick and making it clang against the wall before finally leaving.
For the briefest of moments, a look of resentment could be seen in the old woman's eyes, but this was quickly buried deep down. As she glanced at the gruesome red lash wounds peeking out from under her sleeves, she gave a long and resigned sigh and began to hobble away.
As she left the Qixi Protectorate headquarters and made a turn, she suddenly heard a soft voice calling out to her.
”Grandma, Grandma, over here, over here…”
The old woman shivered as a wary look appeared in her eyes. Scanning the area, she saw that it was a lad of eighteen or nineteen with delicate features, standing in a corner, and she immediately relaxed.
”Little Xu, it's you. Didn't I tell you that you didn't need to go to such trouble? I can go and buy them myself.”
The old woman hobbled over, her expression warm and gentle as she looked at the boy. He was a peddler, and when she had collapsed in the marketplace once after being whipped in the headquarters, he had rescued her. From that moment, she had formed a relationship with this child called 'Little Xu'.
Moreover, Little Xu knew of how she was being treated in the headquarters, so he would always buy the food and deliver it to her.
As a person working for the protectorate, she had many apprehensions and didn't like interacting with strangers, but for some reason, she felt naturally close to this Little Xu, regarding him as she would her own grandson.
”Grandma, did they hit you again?”