Chapter 126 – County Court Tour
“Don’t be like that. Eldest aunt-in-law was just casually asking, not wanting to take yours,” said Ms. Li.
In her heart she coveted that glowing rock, but with Yao Jin present she didn’t dare snatch it openly. She could only reluctantly shift her gaze away.
Yan Shujing glanced at the glowing rock, a hint of speculation in her eyes.
Could it be because Yan Xiaosi obtained this treasure that the noble wanted to see him? If Yan Xiaosi succeeded in presenting the treasure, wouldn’t Yan Shuqin and her sisters also fly up to become phoenixes?
Thinking this, Yan Shujing was extremely jealous.
Why didn’t she obtain this treasure?
Ms. Li and her daughter, as well as Ms. Hu and her daughter all felt very unbalanced.
How could this third branch have such luck to obtain this kind of treasure?
Yao Jin was in a hurry to bring Yan Xiaosi back to the county court to meet the noble and had no time for idle chatter with the Yan family. He bid farewell to Old Master Yan: “Master Yan, I still have duties to attend to so I won’t disturb you further. I will come visit another day.”
After exchanging some pleasantries with Old Master Yan, Yao Jin turned and boarded his carriage.
There were two carriages in total. Yao Jin sat in the first while Ms. Zhong and the others sat in the second.
Seeing the county court carriages about to depart, Old Master Yan signaled to Yan Bozhang and Yan Wenfeng: “Eldest son, Wenfeng, you two follow them to the county court to take a look.”
Old Master Yan was weighing things in his mind. If Yan Xiaosi impressed the noble this time and gained his favor, from now on the Yan family would have to treat Ms. Zhong well. Through her, they could make Yan Xiaosi reconnect with his ancestry.
Yan Bozhang’s thoughts were the opposite. He hoped to see Yan Xiaosi offend the noble at the county court and get thrown into prison or executed. Then no one would be left to threaten his and Wenfeng’s status in the Yan family.
“What are you still dazing around for? Hurry and prepare a carriage. The county court carriages are already far ahead,” he berated a nearby servant, who quickly went to prepare a carriage.
The road was difficult to navigate at night, and it would take nearly an hour to get from Shaoyao Village to Xize County by carriage.
By the time the five members of Yan family’s third branch arrived at the county court with Yao Jin, it was nearly midnight.
At midnight, the lights of thousands of households were extinguished, and the bustling Xize County during the day had fallen into a deep sleep. Two officials who were on duty at the entrance of the county office were lethargically dozing off.
Hearing the sounds, the two attendants hurriedly opened their eyes. Seeing it was Yao Jin’s carriage, they said in unison, “You’re back, sir.”
The carriage stopped in front of the county court. Ms. Zhong and the five Yan family members disembarked after Yao Jin.
It was the first time Yan Shuqin and her sisters had come to the county court. Seeing the two attendants in official robes made them very nervous. Ms. Zhong stood protectively in front of her four daughters.
Sensing the tense atmosphere, Yan Xiaosi said, “Mother, eldest sister, second sister, third sister, don’t be afraid. If that noble wanted to make trouble for us, Magistrate Yao wouldn’t have personally come to Four Sisters Mountain to fetch us, and we wouldn’t have ridden in this grand carriage here.”
Feeling that Yan Xiaosi’s words made sense, the four relaxed a little.
Yao Jin glanced at the two attendants and asked solemnly, “Has General Zhan rested?”
When Long Yu suddenly appeared at the Xize county court, he had not revealed his true identity, only telling Yao Jin he was surnamed Zhan and was a border general.
As a vast country, Great Chu had many generals surnamed Zhan, so Yao Jin believed it when he saw the general’s seal.
One attendant replied, “This subordinate does not know. General Zhan’s guards are in the east wing. Us night patrollers can’t even enter the east wing.”
Not knowing if Long Yu had rested, Yao Jin could only first settle Ms. Zhong and the Yan family members in a side hall while he went to the east wing to see Long Yu himself.
Outside the east wing, Long San, Long Si, and Long Wu stood guard while Long Yi and Long Er were close protectors. The five Dragon Guards made the east wing as secure as an iron barrel.
Yao Jin had just arrived at the east wing when Long San blocked his path.
“It’s late, my master has rested. Magistrate Yao, if you have any matters, come again tomorrow,” he said.
“Since General Zhan has rested, this official will not disturb him.”
Yao Jin could only turn back. On the way, he thought – General Zhan was not urgent to see that Yan Xiaosi boy. It seemed the boy did not hold much significance to the general. Thus, he ordered the maidservants to settle them randomly.
After waiting in the side hall for a long time, a county court maidservant finally came for Ms. Zhong and the five Yan family members.
Seeing their clothes, the maidservant looked at them disdainfully. “It’s late. General Zhan has rested. The master ordered me to lead you to the side chambers to sleep. Come pay respects to General Zhan early tomorrow morning.”
After that long carriage ride, Yan Xiaosi was exhausted anyway, so it was just as well that this General Zhan had no time to see them.
“Please lead the way, sister,” she said.
The haughty maidservant walked ahead while Yan Xiaosi and the others followed behind. After a bit, she stopped in front of a small room.
With a creak, the maidservant pushed open the door and a moldy stench wafted out of the pitch-black room.
Yan Xiaosi peeked in and saw a messy interior lit dimly by the maidservant’s lantern. Two shabby wooden plank beds stood at the back.
This was a side chamber of the county court? More like a wood shed.
The maidservant said arrogantly, “You five will sleep here tonight. Remember, this is the county court. Don’t wander at night lest you’re mistaken for thieves and suffer punishments.”
“Thank you for reminding us, sister.”
Watching the maidservant leave haughtily with the lantern, Ms. Zhong’s expression relaxed and she called her daughters into the room.
“This room is better than the dilapidated temple we lived in before. The bedding seems soft too. Qin’er, Xue’er, Yun’er, Xiaosi, you’re all tired. Go to sleep.”
While the room was better shelter than the temple, the moldy stench was too strong.
Yan Xiaosi’s nose kept itching. After Ms. Zhong and the others fell asleep, she brought them into her portable space and placed them in the third floor bedroom of the small villa. She lit some soothing incense by the bed.
The soothing incense would allow the four to sleep for four to five hours.
With them asleep in the bedroom, she went to cultivate in the cultivation room.
Closing her eyes, she practiced the spiritual force techniques in her mind. Unknowingly, she found herself in her spiritual sea of consciousness again.
In the dark space, a wisp of white mist floated. Within it was her silhouette, only compared to before, the mist and silhouette had clearly grown bigger. The mist was now the size of a white melon while her silhouette had expanded to the size of a child’s fist.
