Chapter 78 Noble Assistance

Chapter 78: A Timely Helper

The heavy rain continued, its noisy patter and the rumble of thunder hammering at Jiang Wang's thoughts.

Was this the guy he was looking for, the one with the red birthmark behind his ear?

If so, why had he appeared with a bunch of bandits and lied about being a vegetable seller?

His outstretched hand slowly lowered, and the order for the guards to detain the man died on his lips.

Jiang Wang was on the fence, unsure how to judge the situation.

Got it!

He pulled up the system interface and glanced at it. The points, originally at 60, had now become 80.

A sudden increase of 20 points—so did that mean this task was already completed?

The person before him was indeed the one he needed to find.

Although this man wasn't telling the truth, Jiang Wang's worries eased up.

Who doesn't have their secrets?

Forget it. If he didn't want to say, then so be it. Jiang Wang knew he could trust him.

After dealing with the bandits, the rain still hadn't stopped. Holding a map, Jiang Wang stood at the doorway, fretting over the two forked paths ahead.

Perhaps this map was a bit outdated; the routes marked hadn't kept up with the actual changes on the ground.

Choosing the wrong path wasn't the issue; what mattered was whether they could bear the consequences.

If they took the wrong path, with good luck they could turn back; with bad luck, they'd be lost in this dense forest...

Troublesome.

Jiang Wang felt like crying just looking at this map.

At that moment, Kang Fei, who had been quietly crouching in a corner, walked over and asked, "My lord, are you planning to enter the mountains?"

"Yes, we're here on orders from the court to deliver disaster relief to Dong County." Jiang Wang pointed to the carriages in the courtyard. "This is all grain and supplies from the capital, Zhaojing."

As soon as he finished speaking, Kang Fei's eyes lit up with excitement.

"My lord! Follow me! I'll show you the way!"

The people in the county were in urgent need of food, waiting for this lifeline.

"Follow you? Why should I follow a vegetable seller?"

Jiang Wang knew this was meant to help him, but on the surface, he maintained a stern demeanor, sizing Kang Fei up, trying to figure out his true identity.

Sure enough, the question caught Kang Fei off guard. He paused, then anxiously scratched his head as if wrestling with a decision.

After a moment, Kang Fei tried again.

He glanced around, checking the others who were dozing in the distance, ensuring no one was paying attention, then whispered into Jiang Wang's ear.

"My lord, you seem kind, and I trust you. To tell you the truth, I am actually a teacher in Dong County. It's just that I usually enjoy reading books related to water conservancy. Before the river embankment collapsed, I noticed something was wrong and reported it to the county yamen, but the magistrate paid no attention."

Kang Fei no longer concealed anything; his tone was measured, truly resembling a teacher.

"Later, when the embankment collapsed, I heard someone was looking for me. Sensing something was wrong, I disguised myself as a vegetable seller and fled in a hurry."

Jiang Wang nodded.

"So, you mean someone was trying to kill you, and I happened to run into you, incidentally helping you deal with those bandits?"

"Yes, thank you for saving my life, my lord."

"Do you know who was trying to kill you?"

Kang Fei also looked puzzled. "I've been honest and haven't offended anyone. If I've had dealings with anyone, it could only be the magistrate..."

After all, he had only reported the issue before; apart from that, he truly hadn't had contact with anyone else.

While Kang Fei was still deep in thought, Jiang Wang had already pieced everything together.

No wonder!

No wonder that bandit leader's beard was fake. No wonder he had a county yamen waist token hanging from his belt. It seemed this person was actually someone from the yamen in disguise.

Combined with Kang Fei's account, this fully proved that the authorities and the bandits were in cahoots!

And their goal was actually to silence a commoner who had discovered problems with the embankment early?

It seemed the Dong County yamen was far more interesting than he had imagined.

Now, with "a timely helper," he wouldn't have to worry about getting lost in the mountains, and could even save some effort and time.

Jiang Wang saw the rain had finally stopped and decided it was time to move on.

However...

"Everyone, listen. Take off your official robes and change into ordinary commoners' clothes before entering the mountains. Those not in official robes should also change into simpler attire. Keep a low profile."

"Why, young master?"

Changle didn't understand. After all, the clothes he was wearing were newly made for him by the young master just two months ago and were quite expensive.

"We don't know if those we'll meet are friend or foe yet. We need to scout things out first!"

Jiang Wang swiftly removed his official robe and put on the most inconspicuous one he could find.

If their group swaggered in openly, they'd only see a harmonious scene of 'everyone getting along.' Who would know how rotten Dong County truly was, or how much of the grain they brought would actually reach the people?

*

In the distance, the sky began to brighten. Under Kang Fei's guidance, Jiang Wang and his group reached the edge of the forest. In about the time it takes to burn one stick of incense, they would arrive at Dong County town.

Jiang Wang ordered the carriages to stop.

"Let's rest here for now. In a little while, Eunuch Wu and two guards will stay here to find a hidden spot and watch over the provisions. The rest will split into small teams and enter with me to investigate the real situation."

Wu Zhong didn't mind being left behind; after all, the provisions were also crucial. He just had a small reminder.

"Lord Jiang, you can rest assured leaving me here. However, you still need to pay attention to the issue of address."

Right, Jiang Wang remembered. Having long resided in the palace, he was used to addressing everyone as 'my lord' or 'eunuch.' Now that they were outside and had shed their official identities, they naturally needed to change how they addressed each other.

"All of you, follow Changle's example and call me 'young master.' Treat me as a merchant here to purchase medicinal herbs."

After all, when you're out in the world, you forge your own identity.

"Wu Gong [using an honorific]... uh, Wu Zhong," Jiang Wang corrected himself in time, "I'll leave this in your hands."

"Yes, young master, rest assured. I'll wait here for your return."

Once they had rested, Jiang Wang and the others followed Kang Fei's guidance into Tong County, only to be questioned by several soldiers right outside the city gate.

The soldiers, with swords at their waists, looked them up and down suspiciously and asked impatiently.

"What's your business?"

Jiang Wang gave their rehearsed story, and only then did the soldiers at the gate let them pass.

Afterward, they heard the soldiers behind them whispering.

"Look at their plain clothes—they don’t look like officials sent by the court. Why bother checking so carefully? By our count, they aren't due for another two days or so."

"The county magistrate ordered us to check, so we must. What if we slip up and our rice rations get cut?"

"True, it’s not easy to get this bit of rice. Every family is scraping by, yet the county magistrate’s family is still living high on the hog..."

"Shut up, keep your voice down! Do you want to lose your life?"

"Ouch, why hit me? No one’s listening anyway. Fine, I’ll stop talking."

Author's Note:

Hey everyone, I had some things to take care of today, so this chapter is a bit shorter. I’ll make up for it next time with more content!