Chapter 235 People Who Shouldn’t Appear
It was embarrassing for her to go back?
Liu’er could also understand.
Even if she were only a young lady, no one would bully Fang Jinxiu. But now that everyone knew Fang Jinxiu’s biological mother did something like that, even though her mother had nothing to do with her, it was hard to avoid feeling a grudge.
It’s not just the Fang family’s people who hold grudges, but how about Fang Jinxiu?
Even if the people of the Fang family could let it go, she herself couldn’t let it go.
In this way, it was better to cut off ties. Don’t see each other or miss each other.
“Old Lady, Chengyu and the second lady will look after her secretly. Don’t worry.” Miss Jun continued.
What the young lady said must be right. Liu’er smiled again and put aside her worry.
“Miss, try this.” She said, holding a bag of food in her hand.
At this point, there was a little noise in front of them, and the two stopped to look over. At this time, they had already walked to the county government office. A group of officials came out with their entourage, and it seemed that they were about to get onto their horses and leave.
There were many officials involved in the Yangcheng incident this time, and not all officials needed to be beheaded. Everyone had come out for a long time and now that the things were over, everyone was leaving one after another.
Because the people gathered at the execution table and the county government office were finally quiet, these officials did not need officers and soldiers to open the way for travel. Everyone laughed and urged their horses on casually.
Miss Jun also withdrew her sight and she and Liu’er continued to move forward. These officials and their entourage walked along the street without chaos, and both sides passed by each other.
After two or three horses passed by, Miss Jun stopped abruptly, as if thinking of someone, and suddenly turned over.
Her gaze fell on the horse that had just passed.
Liu’er was not careful and kept walking before she found that Miss Jun had stopped and turned around.
“What’s wrong with Miss?” She asked puzzledly.
Miss Jun didn’t answer her, but looked at the crowd passing by in the street.
After all, Miss also wanted to watch the fun. Though it was too scary to watch a beheading, it was rare to see these officials from the prefecture so it was inevitable she would want to have a look at them.
Liu’er also looked at them.
Most of these officials were civil servants, thirty or forty years old. Like all civil servants, they had the same literary spirit and majesty of officialdom.
They were used to the gazes of everyone. Therefore, although they noticed that the two girls on the roadside were looking, they didn’t care at all. They didn’t squint and kept their upright posture. Only one official in blue looked over.
Miss Jun’s eyes were also looking at him.
This was a man in his thirties or forties. He had a fair complexion and a moustache. He looked ordinary and had a simple and honest atmosphere.
He didn’t care much when he saw two young ladies. He stretched out his hand and stroked his whiskers, and pulled back his gaze.
Miss Jun’s eyes also moved away, but it was difficult to hide the surprise in her eyes.
“Why did he come here?” She muttered.
Liu’er heard it.
“Who? Does the young lady know anyone?” She also looked at the people who passed by quickly, “Is it the master’s colleague?”
He was not Jun Yingwen’s colleague.
Miss Jun had looked over because that man was not an official at all.
Her eyes fell on the entourage and the man in blue.
He was part of an entourage alright, but not an entourage of any of these officials. He was Yuan Bao, a eunuch.
Eunuch Yuan Bao was not a famous eunuch. On the contrary, he was very inconspicuous. Even the king of Qi did not have him work a job in the palace after having ascended the throne.
The reason why Miss Jun remembered him was that when the king of Qi was still the king of Qi, one of the few people who came to Beijing to visit the East Palace had brought him with them.
At that time, she was being punished by her mother to kneel outside her father’s study. Even Jiuli couldn’t coax her. Yuan Bao, who was standing outside the door, made her laugh with a few tricks. She was very happy to reward him with a piece of jade, and had asked him what his name was, and wrote down his name.
Later, the king of Qi ascended the throne, and the newcomers in the palace were replaced by the old ones. She also asked after Yuan Bao.
The king of Qi said that Yuan Bao was not in good health and didn’t want to leave his hometown, so he guarded the hidden residence in Shandong.
So many years had passed. Because of her deep impression when she was a child, she still recognized Yuan Bao at a glance.
Although he had more mustache, he had reached out and stroked it exactly like Yuan Bao.
Did she remember it wrong? Does this person just look like Yuan Bao? Otherwise, it would be so strange. How could the guard of a residence run out to be an attendant with others?
Who could afford the old eunuch from when the last Emperor was buried?
Were these officials placed here to monitor the place like the Jinyiwei?
Or was it related to what happened to the Fang family this time?
Miss Jun’s expression changed for a moment.
“Liu’er.” She said calmly, “You go back first and wait for the old lady and tell them that I think something is wrong. I’ll go and have a look. Maybe I’ll be home late.”
Liu’er looked nervous.
“What’s up?” She asked.
“I don’t know what’s going on yet.” Miss Jun said.
“Well, I’ll go with the young lady.” Liu’er was even more nervous. She said, “What if anything happens? Miss is alone.”
“It’s more convenient for me to act alone.” Miss Jun said softly, “And tell the family that in case something happens, you will be able to help me best.”
Although Liu’er was worried, she nodded obediently.
“Miss, be careful.” She said.
Miss Jun nodded and waved to her. Liu’er reluctantly looked back as she walked, watching Miss Jun walk along the street.
………
“Miss Fang, Miss Fang.”
Chen Qi shouted, looking at Fang Jinxiu, who was still walking fast in front of him.
Fang Jinxiu ignored him, and Chen Qi had no choice but to speed up his pace and circle in front of her and reach out his hand to stop her.
“What are you doing?” Fang Jinxiu said angrily, “What are you doing with me?”
Chen Qi exhaled.
“Miss Fang, what are you doing wandering around in this alley?” He asked.
Fang Jinxiu looked ahead, and there was a street outside the entrance of the alley.
“I’m going out of town.” She said, “I’m leaving.”
Chen Qi looked outside and recognized that it was the street out of the city. He looked up at the sky again, and the sun had tilted.
“Miss Fang, if you want to leave, don’t leave at this time. It will be getting dark long before you leave the city.” Chen Qi said, “Have you figured out where to go? Where you can sleep when it’s dark? Are you going to rent a carriage?”
Fang Jinxiu hadn’t thought about these things. She left home in the middle of the night last night and had only sat in the middle of the street corner. She originally decided to leave early in the morning, but she still wanted to see the beheading and the memorial service at home, which was obvious for a Fang family’s daughter’s wishes.
As for where to go after leaving, she hadn’t thought about it at all.
“Anyways, I’m leaving.” She said, pushing Chen Qi away and walking out quickly.
Chen Qi had to keep up again.
“I say, you look clever enough so why are you so confused?” He said, “Since you have decided to leave the Fang residence, you are a girl with an idea. You have to think about what to do in the future. Seriously, what are you planning to do? Are you angry?”
As he spoke, he bumped into Fang Jinxiu’s back and took a startled step back, but the girl didn’t turn around and hit him, like he expected. Instead she was looking out towards the wall.
By this time, they had already walked to the entrance of the alley, and one step further was the main street.
“What’s the matter?” Chen Qi asked puzzledly and also followed the direction of her gaze.
There were many more people coming and going on the street than before. It seemed that the execution was over, and the people watching the fun had dispersed. The people in the street danced excitedly, obviously retelling the excitement from the beheading.
Was it taboo to talk about the Fang family?
Chen Qi followed Fang Jinxiu’s sight and saw two people standing and talking not far from the entrance of the alley, a middle-aged man and a girl.
He couldn’t help but speak out.
“That’s not the one from just now?” He stretched out his finger.
Before he had finished speaking, he was beaten by Fang Jinxiu.
“Don’t talk.” She whispered and looked at Miss Jun, and her eyes fell on the man again.
Although he looked much more depressed than back in Jinyun Tower, she still recognized at a glance that it was Lin Jiner’s father, Master Lin.
Why is she with him?