Chapter 128 – Meeting Again
Yao Jin had already heard these things from the Yan family and didn’t have the patience to hear it all again.
He frowned at Yan Wenfeng. “Get to the point.”
Only then did Yan Wenfeng get to the crux of the matter: “Sir, their family of five currently lacks money to buy land and build a house. Sir, you just need to spend a little money to buy that glowing rock from them.”
It would be best to buy that glowing treasure by spending just a bit of money.
Yao Jin pondered for a moment. “Would they agree? This official saw those three young ladies cherish that rock greatly.”
Yan Bozhang said, “After my third younger brother died, that family of five never left Xize County. Their sights and knowledge are very limited. As long as you’re willing to pay money, this subordinate dares to guarantee they will definitely sell that glowing rock to you, Sir.”
Hearing Yan Bozhang father and son speak so certainly, Yao Jin believed them.
The next morning, Ms. Zhong, Yan Shuqin and the others woke up in the county court woodshed.
The four all looked refreshed and relaxed.
Sitting on the wooden plank bed, Yan Shuqin stretched and yawned, “I slept so well last night. I didn’t expect these county court wooden beds to be so comfortable.”
Yan Shuxue chimed in, “I was worried I wouldn’t be able to sleep in a strange bed, but fell asleep as soon as I closed my eyes and slept until dawn.”
“Me too, I slept wonderfully last night,” said Yan Shuyun, getting off the bed and tidying her hair.
Yan Xiaosi yawned, dark eye circles making it look like she’d been punched twice. Her gaze shifted between the four.
Last night she had tossed her mother and three sisters into the small villa in her portable space and let them sleep on the spacious, soft mattresses until almost dawn before taking them out. Of course they slept well. Only she hadn’t rested, staying alert all night on the hard wooden bed in case the county magistrate and nobleman from the capital made trouble. She had barely slept a wink.
“Morning, mom, eldest sister, second sister, third sister,” she greeted them listlessly.
Seeing the dark circles, Yan Shuqin was shocked. “Xiaosi, did you not sleep well last night?”
Yan Xiaosi yawned. “Eldest sister, I’m not used to the bed.”
“Poor Xiaosi,” Yan Shuqin hugged her.
Yan Xiaosi took the chance to lean on her shoulder. “Sister, I can’t see clearly. Let me rest my eyes on your shoulder a bit.”
Just as she was leaning on Yan Shuqin’s shoulder, a county court maid appeared outside the woodshed.
“Young Master Yan, are you all awake?”
Ms. Zhong quickly responded, “We’re up. May I ask if Magistrate Yao has any orders?”
The maid’s voice sounded again, “Since you’re awake, hurry and follow me to wash up and go to the east wing to pay respects to the nobleman from the capital.”
The family of five left the woodshed and followed the maid to wash up in a side room. Then, they went with Yao Jin, Yan Bozhang, and Yan Wenfeng to the east wing.
At the east wing’s outer courtyard, Long Yi blocked their path.
Yao Jin was just a seventh-rank insignificant official. He didn’t dare provoke the personal guards of General Zhan. He could only stop in his tracks.
“Guard Long, didn’t General Zhan summon Yan Xiaosi? This official has brought Yan Xiaosi here.”
“This is the Yan Xiaosi General Zhan summoned.”
Yao Jin looked towards Yan Xiaosi.
Following Yao Jin’s gaze, Long Yi also looked at Yan Xiaosi.
The scarlet mole at the corner of his eye made the sallow, thin youth look very spirited. Aside from being emaciated, the youth’s features were exquisite.
Knowing Yan Xiaosi had saved his master, Long Yi regarded him very amiably.
“Except for Young Master Yan, the rest wait outside.”
Yao Jin, Yan Bozhang and Yan Wenfeng wanted to take this chance to curry favor with the noble. Hearing Long Yi’s words, the three immediately frowned.
Yao Jin said, “Guard Long, this official and Steward Yan and his son want to go in to pay our respects to General Zhan.”
Last night, Yan Bozhang and his son had given him valuable advice. He had agreed to bring them to meet the noble and give them the chance to obtain official positions.
Long Yu had only said to see Yan Xiaosi. Long Yi didn’t dare take matters into his own hands and let them in.
“Magistrate, you should go back. My master only said to see Young Master Yan. If you go in and provoke my master, the consequences would be unaffordable,” Long Yi said firmly.
Yao Jin wanted to say more, but seeing Long Yi’s staunch attitude and Long Er and Long San’s cold faces beside him, he could only swallow his words.
He watched resentfully as Yan Xiaosi followed Long Yi into the inner east courtyard. Yan Bozhang and his son were also resentful and jealous.
Ms. Zhong and her daughters couldn’t enter either. The four anxiously stared at the inner courtyard gate, fretfully waiting.
Yan Xiaosi followed Long Yi through two covered corridors until they stopped in front of a hall.
The hall doors were open. Two men currently sat inside.
On the left sat a man in black robes with a masked face. On the right sat a man in red robes with ink-black cascading long hair draped casually over his shoulders. He had narrow, spirited phoenix eyes, beautiful enough to seize souls. His distant, sword-like brows and straight nose were sculpted exquisitely.
This was the first time Yan Xiaosi had seen such an ethereally beautiful yet faintly sinister man. She blanked for a moment.
Inside, Murong Qinjian saw Yan Xiaosi’s expression as she stared at him and hooked his mouth in satisfaction.
He had always been rather confident in his peerless looks.
See, even a man was dazed by his transcendent beauty.
“Long Yu, your toy is dazed by the sight of me,” he said.
Long Yu glared at him. “Mu Rong Cheap Slut, I don’t have the time to keep toys like you do”
“If you don’t keep toys, why did you order Yao Jin to bring this boy? He has a delicate figure and exquisite features, perfect for a catamite. Very capable of evoking a protective instinct,” Murong Qinjian said.
His words made the corners of Long Yu’s mouth flatten slightly.
That boy could evoke other people’s protective instinct? Murong Qinjian was really blind. After interacting with the boy these past days, he knew well that boy was only superficially harmless.
“Do I need to report to a wandering quack like you what I want to do?”
Seeing Yan Xiaosi enter with Long Yi, Murong Qinjian casually replied, “You’re the boss, of course you don’t need to report to me.”
Following Long Yi into the hall, after glancing at Murong Qinjian, Yan Xiaosi shifted her attention to Long Yu.
Based on the aura, she could tell that the masked man in front of her was the nobleman from Xijing, the General Zhan mentioned by Yao Jin and others.
However, neither her predecessor nor she recognized this nobleman from Xijing.
After carefully examining the masked man for a while, other than finding his figure somewhat familiar, she had no other thoughts.
