Chapter 6: Don’t Gossip

Chapter 6: Don't Gossip

The young man let out a soft "hmm."

"Changji, come and see, doesn't this girl in the painting look familiar?"

Changji, who was close by, looked over but shook his head. "I have no recollection of her."

He couldn't help but ask, "...Has Madam found another lady for you, Master?"

The young master was the only son of the family, yet he had turned twenty and still refused to consider marriage. This greatly distressed Madam, who would become restless and uneasy whenever she heard about new brides in other households, sometimes even falling ill from worry.

"It might not be Mother." The young man opened another letter, his brows slightly furrowed. "Yu Zeng—"

Changji was extremely surprised. "Why would he send a message to you, Master?"

Yu Zeng was the chief eunuch in the imperial court, overseeing the Palace Office, and enjoyed the Emperor's utmost trust. Ordinary officials would respectfully address him as "Yu Gong."

However, Yu Zeng was notoriously arrogant and aloof, famously indifferent and solitary, never showing anyone a good face, as if everyone had dug up his ancestors' graves and owed him a fortune.

"Even Yu Gong has a day when he needs me to find someone," the young man mused, his gaze returning to the portrait. "It turns out that General Chang's daughter has gone missing..."

"General Chang?" Changji was confused. "If General Chang's daughter is missing, why is Yu Zeng so anxious? Besides, with his many informants, he shouldn't need help finding her. Why would he turn to you, Master?"

"Because he has many informants," the young man said, reading the letter. "Yu Zeng knows I am here in Hezhou on a secret mission from the Emperor and has discovered that the Chang girl is likely somewhere around Hezhou... Since I am already here on official business, his actions could interfere with the Emperor's orders if they are too conspicuous."

As for why General Chang's daughter's disappearance has Yu Zeng secretly worried—perhaps it's related to past events.

Long ago, both General Chang and Yu Zeng served the same person.

Thinking of this, the young man's eyes briefly clouded over.

"Will you help him, Master?"

"Why not?" The young man snapped back to reality and sighed. "This is a rare opportunity to earn a favor from Yu Gong."

"But Master, you don't really need anything from him—"

"That's a big mistake," the young man said, sitting back down. "Whether or not you can use something you find on the road, you should pick it up first. If you don't, someone else will. I can't stand seeing others get free advantages. It keeps me awake at night."

Changji: "..."

The master's half-joking, half-serious remarks were endless.

"The matter of General Chang's daughter being missing is connected to Hezhou, and may relate to our current investigation." The young man pushed the portrait on the desk with two fingers. "Since we've confirmed the situation in Zhou Village, we can proceed immediately. You go there personally and use this portrait to look for anyone matching the description."

"Yes."

As Changji was about to leave with the portrait, the young man called him back. "Wait."

"What else do you need, Master?"

"Don't spread rumors about the missing girl. Just focus on finding her."

Changji's face twitched.

He, Changji, was the best guard in Duke Zheng's household, highly professional, cold-hearted, and deadly with a sword. How could he be the type to gossip?

Such words from the master were not very hurtful but deeply insulting!

Feeling wronged, Changji left the study, and as the door closed, the young man's gaze fell on the rough paper under the paperweight, marked with blood seals.

Then, he raised an eyebrow, lost in thought.

...

In Zhou Village, things were not peaceful.

The village headman had just returned home, cursing, with a swollen red cheek.

Earlier, he had taken money into the city to meet a noble's steward. After a few words, a well-dressed, portly man walked in, introduced as the noble's son. Before he could bow, the young master kicked him in the chest and slapped him, berating him loudly.

Confused and apologetic, he kept bowing, unsure what he had done to offend the young master.

After being beaten for no reason, he couldn't help but ponder the young master's words on the way back. A suspicion began to form in his mind.

The "retired official" in Liu Ke Lane had never shown his true face. Could it be...

And the "good catch" that Lao Shuan had lost was originally meant for Liu Ke Lane...

Now Lao Shuan and his wife were gone, and the "catch" had escaped—

When he went to the noble's house to explain, he hadn't finished speaking before the young master beat him up.

Thinking about all this, the village headman sat on a stool, a suspicion forming in his mind.

At that moment, a limping woman entered with a basin of water, offering it to him quietly. "Wash your hands; the food is ready."

"Get out! What are you doing here now!"

Frustrated, he knocked the basin over, spilling hot water on the woman.

With a numb expression, the woman squatted down and wiped the floor with a rag.

"Didn't you hear me tell you to get out!" The man kicked her, venting his anger from the city on the frail woman.

She clenched her teeth, enduring his blows.

"Stop hitting Mother, stop hitting Mother!"

A girl of six or seven years old cried and rushed over to hug the woman.

"You're also trying to make me angry, aren't you!" The man's anger intensified, and he yanked the little girl up, dragging her out of the main room. "Looks like last time wasn't enough! I'll beat you to death today, you money-losing brat!"

The little girl cried and struggled.

Seeing that pleading was futile, the woman, overwhelmed with fear, grabbed a wooden stool nearby, got up, and chased after them, swinging the stool at the man.

The man's face darkened to its utmost, and he let go of the little girl, grabbing a shovel by the door.

The woman, dripping wet, came to her senses, her face pale as she took a few steps back. The early spring night was bone-chillingly cold.

"Father, something happened!"

A teenage boy, around thirteen or fourteen years old, ran back in, not looking at the woman and the girl, and panted, "There are people outside dressed like officials!"

"Officials?" The man, holding the shovel, frowned but did not panic. "I'll go see!"

"Mother, why do you always make Father angry!" The boy reproached the woman and followed him out.

The trembling woman stepped forward to hug her daughter, whispering soothing words: "Niu Niu, don't be afraid..."

But tears kept falling uncontrollably.

Over the years, she had grown indifferent, but her daughter... Even if she could survive to adulthood, what would await Niu Niu then?

Selling one's own daughter for money was not unheard of in this village, which seemed like a den of demons.

Outside, voices grew chaotic and noisy, and the glow of fire illuminated the night.

The woman held her daughter tightly, instinctively raising her head to look outside, where the firelight reflected in her desolate eyes.