Chapter 199: Testing
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The children were a little surprised. “Mother, what happened?”
“It’s okay. Let’s go home first. Let’s go and make you some delicious food to eat.”
The children were still young, so they didn’t know much about the dangers and viciousness of the outside world.
Just as she entered the door, He Cheng ran over with red eyes and tears in his eyes.
“Mother is bad! Brother is bad! Sisters are bad!”
Han Chi picked him up. “We’re not bad. We went to catch crabs for you. Come on now, I’ll bring you to see the crabs.”
Sun Xiu and Sun Yi also went to coax him.
Looking at the crabs, He Cheng immediately stopped crying.
However, he soon started crying again. One of the crabs pinched his hand.
It hurts! Mother, it hurts!”
Han Qiao didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
She looked at his reddened fingers, hugged him, rubbed his fingers, and blew air on him.
Children did not have long memories. After a while, they would forget about this matter.
This time, he learned to be smart. He used a small stick to flip the crab instead of using his hands, afraid that he would be pinched again.
Han Qiao was in the kitchen instructing the servants to pluck the petals of the white magnolias and wash them.
“Madam, do you only want the Magnolia petals?”
“Yes, I only want the petals. 1 don’t want the heart or the stalk.”
After washing them, she placed them in a small colander to drain them.
The crabs were washed one by one, and the part under the abdomen was removed.
Then she asked the maids to prepare tofu and potatoes.
She decided to make meatb.a.l.l.s.
There was also the glutinous rice cake that she had made in the morning, and they were cut into strips.
The children watched on eagerly.
Han Qiao planned to start cooking when Heng Yi got home.
Heng Yi left home and went straight to the government office.
County Magistrate Wu was surprised to see him, “What’s the matter?”
Heng Yi didn’t come to the office for no reason.
If there was nothing, there would be no reason for him to visit.
“In the past two days, have there been any murders near Puyi County?”
County Magistrate Wu glanced at Heng Yi, “Why do you ask?”
“1 went out with my family today and found blood in the gra.s.s by the stream, so 1 came to ask you.”
County Magistrate Wu frowned.
“There are some things that 1 want to tell you. What you plan to do will be your business.”
“Prince Wu failed to force the abdication a few months ago and was demoted to a commoner by the emperor. Sent him to the Imperial Mausoleum to repent.”
It’s just that a month ago, Prince Wu escaped from the Imperial Tombs and his whereabouts are unknown.”
“He’s the emperor’s son after all, the emperor can’t kill him. However, if a prince who was once favored returned to the court, or if he was favored again, it would be a great threat to the other princes.”
“Earlier, there was news that Prince Wu was escorted by his subordinates to Lingzhou.”
“To go to Lingzhou, you have to pa.s.s by Chenzhou and Puyi County.”
“The bloodstain that you saw might be someone who was accidentally injured. It could also be Prince Wu, his subordinate, or someone who came to a.s.sa.s.sinate the prince. It could even be a mountain bandit from another…”
“In short, there are many possibilities. You need to verify them yourself.”
“No matter who it is, as the chief constable of Puyi County, I wouldn’t be able to leave, so you have to make a trip personally.”
County Magistrate Wu looked at Heng Yi, “Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Understood.”
“It’s good that you understand. Now, go.”
Heng Yi walked out of the government office.
He realized that there were very few people he could use to look into this problem.
When he got home, Han Qiao immediately went to the kitchen to make a crab pot.
The children were all leaning against the kitchen door, enjoying the fragrance of the food.
“It smells so good…”
Meanwhile, Heng Yi and Bai Cha were discussing Heng Yi’s findings.
“Big Brother, you mean that it might be Prince Wu?”
“I’m not sure. Do you know what the prince looks like?” Heng Yi asked.
“I have seen him from afar in my early years.”
“Will you recognize him if you see him again?”
Bai Cha nodded.
“Alright then, come with me into the mountains later.”
“Alright.”
It wasn’t difficult for Heng Yi to travel at night.
Bai Cha’s martial arts were not bad, so it was not difficult for him to travel at night either.
The fried magnolias were served, but the children did not have much expectation until the crab pot was served.
There were sesame seeds on top, which only made the children gulp from how enticing these dishes looked.
Heng Yi helped Han Qiao sit down, “Let’s eat.”
“Eat the big crab first.”
He Cheng wanted to eat too, but he was still feverish. Han Qiao picked up some tofu for him, “Cheng’er, you can only eat crabs when you’re better.”
“But…”
“Mother won’t eat crabs with Cheng’er. When Cheng’er can eat it next time,
Mother will eat it too.”
Han Qiao said she wouldn’t eat, so she really wouldn’t eat.
They only ate tofu, potatoes, and meatb.a.l.l.s.
Seeing this, He Cheng was obedient and did not cry or make a fuss. He obediently ate the tofu, potatoes, and meatb.a.l.l.s.
Han Qiao laughed.
She wouldn’t eat the next meal, let alone this time.
Before this child healed, there were some things that she would never touch.
Even the things stewed in this crab pot were not enough for her to break her promise.
He Cheng, the sweet child, scooped a meatbail for Han Qiao with a spoon. “Mother, eat meatb.a.l.l.s!”
Han Qiao’s heart softened.
So what if she wasn’t his biological mother? So what if he had a mother? He had been raised since he was young and still had feelings for her. He knew how to dote on her mother.
“Our Cheng’er is so nice.”
He Cheng laughed. He was obedient and cute.
After dinner, Heng Yi and Bai Cha were about to go out. Han Qiao knew what they were going to do, so she advised them, “How about going out during the day? It’s dark at night, so you won’t be able to see anything clearly. At least we can find some clues during the day. Even if you couldn’t find him, you could still hunt some prey.”
“And if you go at night, what if that person is really Prince Wu? He will think that you are an a.s.sa.s.sin and will hide. It’s dark and the forest is so big that it will be difficult for you to guard against hidden arrows.”
Han Qiao didn’t want Heng Yi to go.
Heng Yi thought for a moment.
“Then 1 won’t go. 1’11 leave early tomorrow.”
“Alright.”
It was good that he could listen to advice.
In fact, Heng Yi and Han Qiao didn’t care who the injured person was.
They were afraid that that blood trail belonged to a heinous mountain bandit.
If they belonged to mountain bandits, it would be better to capture them as soon as possible.
If it was the prince, it would be another matter whether they saved him or not.
The couple lay on the bed. Han Qiao asked Heng Yi, “You want to save the prince?”
“It might not be a true scam.”
“And I think that is to find someone to back you up,” Han Qiao said.
Heng Yi nodded.
“I don’t think it’s necessary. You should figure out why Magistrate Wu told you all this.”
At this moment, Han Qiao had already guessed that County Magistrate Wu might be one of the prince’s men.
If so, he was probably testing Heng Yi.
He could also be someone from another prince. He wanted to use Heng Yi to find Prince Wu.
Han Qiao told Heng Yi about her suspicions.
“What if that person isn’t Prince Wu?”
“Should 1 ask Constable Qin and Constable w.a.n.g if they were sent out on missions these past two days?”
“Or where did the others go these past few days?”
Han Qiao knew that if Heng Yi outright asked this to them, he would most likely expose himself.
“Hmm… You better not ask. If you ask them, it might quickly reach County Magistrate Wu’s ears. Bring some medicine into the mountain tomorrow. No matter who that person is, when you find him, you must say that you didn’t find him.”
If he and Bai Cha entered the mountain, it was up to them to decide whether they could find him or not.
“Alright.”
The husband and wife chatted for a while. Han Qiao was pregnant, so she couldn’t stay up for long. She quickly fell asleep.
Heng Yi, on the other hand, thought about what Han Qiao had said, and combined it with County Magistrate Wu’s tone and demeanor when he spoke to him. He finally figured something out.
County Magistrate Wu was deliberately telling him this.
Was he testing him?
Or did County Magistrate Wu want to borrow his hand to catch Prince Wu?
What if that person wasn’t Prince Wu?
When he heard a rustling sound coming from the roof, Heng Yi instantly sat
up.
He got off the bed and grabbed his saber.
Then he heard a clear sound of swords clashing against each other right outside of his house..