299. Salesman the Spy
Translator: 洋葱头
Xiao Baoshan said, “I don’t know if they would let you defend against Beiqing or fight against a conspiracy. I know if you go back this time, you would possibly fall into danger. Back then, you resisted the order of the State in the crackdown against me. The State Preceptor mustn’t forget a slight. He will settle this debt with you.”
“Actually, I’ve always set my men in the capital. One of them told me the day before yesterday that this Yan Ziyan was originally a commoner, but later he occupied a hill and became a local villain. They drove away the Beiqing Army of Heihe City. His Highness and State Preceptor even put this person in an important position. I don’t think this is a simple issue.”
Xiao Baoshan said, “That’s right, State Preceptor is not a generous person. With his way of doing things, he will not treat Yan Ziyan well.”
“Therefore, the Emperor called me back to the capital at this time must be because he wanted me to suppress this Yan.”
After Qian Qi said this, he slammed the table and said, “Who will suppress me if I can suppress Yan Ziyan? The imperial court uses a person like this! It is pus.h.i.+ng the people into a pit of fire.”
Xiao Baoshan asked, “Then what do you decide to do? If you don’t go back, you can say you are ill as an excuse.”
Qian Qi shook his head. “This is more suspicious. I’d better go back, alas!”
Xiao Baoshan stopped talking and the yurt fell silent.
Ye Xiaoxian stood outside the yurt, thinking that this was not something she should listen to, so she left with the desserts and went back to work on her own business.
……
Soon, Xiao Baoshan found Ye Xiaoxian.
Ye Xiaoxian was cleaning the room. When she saw Xiao Baoshan came, she asked, “Where’s General Qian?”
Xiao Baoshan said, “He left.”
She was surprised. “So fast?”
“Yeah, he has something to do,” Xiao Baoshan said, “You should’ve heard about his matter just now.”
Ye Xiaoxian was a little embarra.s.sed and said, “I just wanted to give you tea and desserts. I knew you were discussing something important, so I didn’t go in.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Xiao Baoshan said, “You are not an outsider.”
Ye Xiaoxian blushed and asked, “General Qian wants to go back, what about you? Are you leaving with him?”
“No way!” Xiao Baoshan said, “The Emporer and State Preceptor might not know that I am still alive.”
“But…” Ye Xiaoxian thought about that Xiao Baoshan usually read military books, so she believed that Baoshan loved the battlefield and must return to it one day.
Xiao Baoshan said, “It’s not time for me now, General Qian can handle this.”
That is to say, sooner or later, he will leave.
Sure enough, he added, “Little Ye, if one day General Qian needs me, or imperial court needs me, I have to temporarily leave here..”
Ye Xiaoxian interrupted him without waiting for him to finish. “Come back alive.”
He was stunned.
She added, “I mean, you can leave but you must come back alive.”
Xiao Baoshan was stunned for a while then walked over and carried her into his arms.
……
One month ago, Mahal and Dati finally arrived at Da’an county.
However, after arriving at Da’an county, Mahal felt that it was inappropriate to report to the police officer there. The Da’an county and Baoning City City were not far from each other. It was told currently that officers from different districts should protect each other, so what if the county magistrate from the Da’an county has some affiliation with the Sixth King and the Seventh King?
Therefore, the couple gritted their teeth and returned to Dinghe county.
When they arrived at Dinghe county, they were relieved.
There were many people from the Zhongyuan Area in the county and the county’s government looked more professional than that of Da’an county.
After Mahal arrived at the government office, he went to ask the guards, “I seem to have found a wanted criminal, but I’m not sure, so I’d like to ask the official to show us the portrait of the former criminal.”
The guard asked him, “You mean, you found someone who is suspected to be a criminal?”
“Yes, yes, yes…” Mahal looked around, then said, “It’s a child.”
The guard thought that Mahal was here to make jokes, so he wanted to chase him away, “Go, don’t disturb me. How could a criminal be a child?”
“Really? I remember last year, wasn’t there a Prime Minister Xun? He took his grandson and fled here.”
The guard was stunned. After a while, he ran back into the government office.
Mahal and Dati were very nervous outside.
Although the two of them were arrogant in the tribe, once they left the tribe and be at a place with Zhongyuan people everywhere, they would be much more restrained.
After a while, the guard came out again to let the couple in.
The two of them entered the government office and saw an officer sitting in front of the desk in the middle. That person should be the county magistrate of Dinghe county.
Last year, when the soldiers came to hunt down Prime Minister Xun, they only got his corpse but couldn’t find Little Xun. The soldiers spread the news to the government office along the way, and immediately reported to the office whenever they got any news of Little Xun.
This was an opportunity to make a contribution. The county magistrate dared not forget it. Now that he saw Mahal, he immediately asked, “You said that you have some news about Prime Minister’s grandson?”
Mahal nodded. “But… I’m just suspicious of it, because last year, there was a little boy in the tribe who was about seven or eight years old. He is… this tall, and looks quite good, like a fortune boy in the Chinese painting…”
County magistrate interrupted him, “Nonsense, how can criminal be compared to a fortune boy? What did you say he looked like specifically?”
Mahal quickly changed his wording, “He has bi… big eyes, white skin, rosy lips and white teeth, with a little ponytail on his hair.”
County magistrate immediately pulled out his past portrait and found a child’s portrait among the pile of criminals’. He asked Mahal, “Is it him?”
Although Mahal could recognize that the person on the portrait was Little Xun at a glance, he still looked at it carefully to avoid making a mistake.
If he made a mistake, the consequences would be very serious. Perhaps he and Dati’s heads would be chopped off.
Dati couldn’t wait any longer. She said, “That’s right, it’s him. The little boy from the tribe is the person in this portrait.”
Mahal confirmed and said with certainty, “That’s right, it’s him.”
Mahal told county magistrate his ident.i.ty, saying that he was originally the tribal leader of the tribe. Who knew that the tribe received a lot of refugees. Now that their tribe had been ruled by others. He told him how those new leaders did evil in the tribe, and how they protected the criminals, and how pitiful he was.
……
The county magistrate sent Mahal away and immediately wrote an emergency letter to State Preceptor’s residence.
As soon as State Preceptor dealt with Yan Ziyan, he received the urgent letter.
He stared at the urgent message and narrowed his eyes.
Baoning City… Tribe… tribal leader? And a group of Zhongyuan people?
Previously, he sent a subordinate to investigate, but returned with no success. It turned out that the tribe was hidden at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains.
This time, State Preceptor avoided attracting attention in his visit. Instead, he sent one of his commanders to investigate. This commander knew Little Xun and it was impossible for him to recognize this kid wrongly.
In addition to the commander, there were dozens of soldiers following him to prepare for any emergency.
He not only wanted to find out the relations.h.i.+p between the Zhongyuan people and Little Xun, but also the relations.h.i.+p between Little Xun and the Sixth King and the Seventh King. If they were related, the Sixth King and the Seventh King could not escape the responsibility!
……
As soon as the commander received the order, he left.
When he arrived at Da’an county, he pretended to be a salesman.
Mahal was still waiting in a small inn in Da’an county. As soon as he arrived, he led the commander directly to the tribe.
Mahal grew up in the tribe since he was a child, so he knew how to avoid Baoning City and to reach the tribe directly. In addition, he was a local and had been doing business all year round. He had brought back salesmen before, so he didn’t attract the attention of the relevant people as he brought the commander in.
When they arrived at the tribe, Mahal asked the commander to pick two big burdens and go from door to door to call for sale.
Soon, he arrived at Ye Xiaoxian’s tribe.
The children in the tribe loved when the salesman came. As soon as there was a salesman, they would rush out excitedly to see what the guy who came today was selling, and whether there was any delicious candy or something.
Apart from daily necessities, there were also some candies from the Zhongyuan Area and jujube cakes.
He called out to sell while observing the children.
One of the little boys following behind had fair skin, rosy lips and pretty white teeth. Isn’t that Little Xun?
Although he was wearing local clothes and was mixed with a bunch of dirty children, the commander was certain that he was Little Xun.
The commander further looked at the surroundings.
The people here looked very busy. It looked like a workshop. They were busy killing cows, sunburning beef, picking cotton, chopping wood. Everything was in order.
In addition, most of the people from Zhongyuan Area were speaking the Zhongyuan dialect.
The commander heard from Mahal that these people came two years ago. They shouldn’t have much to do with Little Xun. He wondered if they just temporarily kept Little Xun.
But the commander didn’t dare to drop his guards. He heard that these people were very close to the Seventh King, so they might be collecting money for the Seventh King.
They had been here for two or three days and have even met Xiao Baoshan.
Fortunately, he had only heard of Xiao Baoshan’s name before and had not met Xiao Baoshan himself. He just felt that this man was tall and did not look like an ordinary tribesman.
In any case, the commander had confirmed one thing, that is, Little Xun was in this tribe.
After leaving the tribe, he immediately prepared a letter and sent it to the capital.
……
The imperial palace.
State Preceptor rushed to see Li Chengkun with the letter.
“Your Majesty, I have recently found out about something, which really puts me in anger. It turned out that former Prime Minister’s grandson was in Baoning City. The Sixth and the Seventh Kings hid him.
Li Chengkun was also surprised, “Oh? Is this true? ”
State Preceptor said, “At first, I didn’t believe it. Later, I sent someone to investigate. He used to be my man in the Prime Minister’s residence. No one knows Little Xun better than him. The letter he sent can never be false!”
Li Chengkun’s eyes were instantly covered with a layer of fog, “Sixth Brother, Seventh Brother, why did they do such things?”
“I think they must have wanted to rebel. Even if they do not, they are still going against you, Your Majesty， I suggest that we recall the two of them to the capital first and then capture Little Xun. At that time, we will see if they will admit it!”