Chapter 90: The Young Master Has an Ailment
The courtyard was blanketed in white snow.
In the corner, charcoal fire warmed some water.
The aroma of wheaten food wafted from the kitchen next door.
“The wind rises and the dust swirls, the trees and grass wither and fall, the season is bleak.”
Mr. Gang recited a bit of poetry.
He let out a sigh that sounded impressively profound, even if no one quite understood it.
Jiang Mianmian tilted her head and looked at him.
Father took off the hat on her head, revealing her crooked little hair bun, and then straightened it.
Only then did he clasp his hands in a salute to Mr. Gang.
Little Mianmian also stretched out her small hands to return the salute.
Mr. Gang had brought the Young Master to visit because he had heard there was a very remarkable person here.
It was said that he had lured bandits in to wipe out the local gentry of their village, then wiped out the bandits, occupied the gentry’s land, and subsequently led the villagers to raid other bandits.
Nearby villagers had come to join them, and they had already formed a small force.
Elsewhere, bandits ran rampant and refugees increased, but only here in Ming County had the bandits actually been wiped out by a group of villagers.
The number of refugees hadn’t increased, the county seat hadn’t fallen into chaos, and it was surprisingly like a utopia.
There were many stories about their leader, Mr. Jiang.
Some said he was a scion of a great family, expelled for being unfilial and lacking brotherly love.
Others said he had a graceful bearing and an extraordinary appearance, destined for greatness.
Regardless of the rumors, he was clearly a man of great depth.
Now, with the New Year approaching, their lord had already captured the Prefecture City and could not send troops again in the short term.
Therefore, Gong Qichi, as a retainer, had volunteered, stating that he could take the nearby county without wasting a single soldier.
Of course, “not wasting a single soldier” didn’t mean not bringing any; there were still plenty of soldiers.
It was a matter of courtesy before force; avoid fighting if possible, but fight when necessary.
He had truly relied on his eloquence to take the nearby He County.
It was just that there was a small mishap in the middle; the County Magistrate had committed suicide.
It wasn’t a big problem.
Now, he had arrived in Ming County and encountered something interesting.
Unlike the chaos elsewhere, the villagers around Ming County were surprisingly quite stable, and there were very few refugees.
As a result, he inquired about this Mr. Jiang.
Everyone praised him, saying he helped those in danger and need, was righteous and generous, was resourceful and decisive, and possessed great talent.
Gong Qichi brought the Young Master along to visit.
His main task, besides planting the flag, was moonlighting as a nanny.
Gong Qichi’s background was quite remarkable; he had actually once placed first in the imperial examinations as the top scholar.
“Top scholar talent” was just a description, but this man actually possessed that talent and had truly won the title.
Later, however, he was dismissed from office on trumped-up charges.
Now he had become a retainer for the Rebel Great Marshal Zi and served as the tutor for Great Marshal Zi’s only legitimate son.
Great Marshal Zi had appeared out of thin air, with an extraordinary bearing, surrounded by many capable people.
On the surface, he was a cultured mountain bandit.
Upon appearing, he used thunderous force to gather refugees, attack county seats, and occupy the Prefecture City.
That Gong Qichi could become the tutor for Great Marshal Zi’s legitimate son showed that his status within the team was quite high.
The young boy before them was the Rebel Great Marshal Zi’s legitimate son, Zi Congheng.
Great Marshal Zi had several adopted sons, but only one legitimate son.
Although Gong Qichi felt honored to be the teacher of his lord’s only legitimate son, he was also very worried.
The lord’s adopted sons were all outstanding, each with their own strengths.
But the Young Master, while good-looking, did not resemble the lord.
His intelligence was superior, but he seemed to have an ailment.
Gong Qichi brought the Young Master whenever he went out, not to travel the world, but because he was truly worried.
In the cold weather, after the snow, Zi Congheng sat upright like a little adult, holding a bamboo cup.
He didn’t interrupt, just earnestly observing the person before him.
Zi Congheng looked at the young man earnestly, and after a while, turned his head to look at the little cub.
She had just fallen, then earnestly crawled up by herself, only to fall again.
She didn’t cry or shout, just obediently lay on the snow~~
She looked exactly like the long-lived turtle he raised.
Gong Qichi was also observing.
He discovered that Mr. Jiang before him did not match the rumors; at least what he saw was not in the rumors.
Mr. Jiang loved his wife and children dearly, without a hint of affectation; it was a look of sincere affection.
Of course, if this was also an act, then his depth was truly unfathomable.
“May I ask what brings Mr. Gang and Young Master Zi to my humble abode?”
After fixing his daughter’s hair and placing her on the small cushion beside him, Jiang Changtian sat up straight and asked the distinguished guests gently.
Gong Qichi was somewhat stunned; he hadn’t even introduced himself, and the Mr. Jiang before him hadn’t asked.
The young man who had come to report earlier had seemed quite rash, yet he hadn’t expected Mr. Jiang to accurately call out their names.
Young Master Zi’s expression didn’t change.
“How did Mr. Jiang know we were coming?” Gong Qichi asked curiously.
Jiang Changtian took a sip of water and gestured for them to drink as well.
After moistening his throat, he continued: “Ever since Commander Zi arrived at the Prefecture City, we have been hoping that Commander Zi would come to rescue us.”
“To tell you the truth, my family only ate our first meal of dumplings yesterday. It was because the original local gentry was killed by bandits, and that gentry’s daughter was a favored concubine of the County Magistrate. We were all very afraid, and we drilled soldiers every day only for self-preservation.”
“Moreover!”
He gave a bitter smile, looking at Mr. Gang opposite him with sincere eyes.
“I am just an unfilial person abandoned by a great family, with no qualifications for the imperial examinations and no path for advancement. I only hope that Commander Zi can rise all the way to the top, soaring into the sky, so that I may also display my ambitions.”
Once these words were spoken, they instantly struck a chord in Gong Qichi’s heart.
Even he, a newly appointed top scholar, had been dismissed and exiled on trumped-up charges, with no path for advancement, forced to follow the Rebels and rebel.
And he hadn’t expected this Mr. Jiang to address him as Commander Zi immediately. This title was excellent—better than he, a former top scholar, could come up with.
Zi Congheng turned his head to glance at the young man, then continued to look at the little cub.
Seeing Father’s eyes sincere and moist, with his brows slightly furrowed, Jiang Mianmian knew that Father was about to activate his “Sincere, Kind, Affectionate, and We-Are-Family” emotional resonance buff skill again.
The last time Father talked to someone here, she saw that the person had come in fiercely to complain, but as they talked, the person suddenly knelt down, weeping and repenting, saying he was wrong, he accepted punishment, and he was guilty…
Gong Qichi had come full of caution, but in front of this person, he had unconsciously opened his heart, wishing he could sit and talk with him all night.
Scholars were always full of emotion.
Gong Qichi felt he had met a soulmate, and his attention to the Young Master lessened slightly.
Besides, it was right under his nose, so nothing should happen.
Jiang Mianmian noticed that the little boy next to her kept staring at her, and she also looked at him curiously.
After a long time, Jiang Mianmian saw a rich person from this era again.
Her family could eat their fill now, and her clothes weren’t covered in patches, but Jiang Mianmian felt that she was still some distance away from being rich.
They had achieved warmth and fullness, but nothing more.
The little friend before her was fair, tall, with delicate features, and dressed very well.
The fabric of his clothes had the feel of silk, and it didn’t look thick, but thin and warm; he must have been wearing fur, unlike her, who was dressed like a ball.
He also had a jade pendant hanging on him; she had one too, which Mother was keeping for her.
Big Sister had one too, which Big Sister kept herself.
But the other party had a sword, which looked very nice, with a suitable length.
It even had gemstones on it, very symmetrical.
Jiang Mianmian didn’t have one; her family didn’t really let her play with sharp things.
Jiang Mianmian earnestly sized up the other party, while Young Master Zi looked at this little cub even more earnestly.
Her hair was crooked; the little braid she had tied had been straight, but she had tugged at it herself just now, and it was crooked again.
Her collar was crooked, and her little robe was crooked too.
“Commander Zi knows how to use people well, and having a great talent like Mr. Gang by his side, he has the support of the people. Young Master Zi is extraordinary for his age, fearless in the face of danger, which is admirable.”
“It snowed last night; I hadn’t expected it to be because of the arrival of distinguished guests. My humble abode is dilapidated, but the snow has added a touch of pristine elegance, just right for welcoming guests.”
Jiang Changtian’s words were sincere and earnest, making the former top scholar Gong Qichi, who had fallen to this place with all his ambition and knowledge, feel perfectly at ease.
His favorability shot up, up, and up.
But Young Master Zi Congheng had no reaction.
He suddenly reached out, grabbed the little tuft of hair on the head of the little cub sitting on the cushion beside him, and pulled the crooked little tuft to the center.
And said: “You have a bit too little hair; tying it like this will make it even less.”
Jiang Mianmian didn’t believe it. How could she go bald when she drank spiritual spring water every day?
Could it be that she had really been rubbed bald by her big brother?
She was too surprised, seeing everyone staring at her.
Her big eyes slowly filled with tears, and the tears rolled and rolled in her eyes…
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