Chapter 108
Chapter 108
Ji Yan’an found the antidote on Jiang Yunsui.
“Good. You’re not completely hopeless.”
He opened the little medicine bottle and held it beneath everyone’s nose. Before long, they would wake up.
Jiang Yunsui had inhaled the most and even eaten some, so she was the last to come around.
She opened her eyes groggily, only to find several enlarged faces staring down at her in confusion.
Song Jin was still poking her cheek.
Jiang Yunsui’s mind was still completely blank, but her mouth opened on instinct and snapped at him.
Song Jin quickly pulled his hand back.
“Tsk, tsk. You really do bite.”
“You little dummy. You actually knocked yourself out with your own knockout drug.”
Jiang Yunsui came back to her senses and sat up.
“I was trying to help,” she said with a serious face.
She even explained her flawless plan to them.
“There were too many enemies. If everyone passed out, I could wake you all up, and then we could win without fighting.”
Song Jin nodded. “If we couldn’t beat them, that method might actually have worked.”
“But what gave you the idea that we couldn’t even handle those useless sacks of wine and rice, hm?”
“And if everyone really did pass out, what if there were still other people in the county office who hadn’t come over yet? Tell me, would your drug take effect first, or would they arrive first?”
Hearing that, Jiang Yunsui immediately wilted.
It seemed she had meant well but made things worse.
“I’m sorry. I was wrong.”
She reflected on it seriously and obediently admitted her mistake.
Everyone patted her head. “As long as you know what you did wrong. Next time, think more before you act, or ask someone first.”
Jiang Yunsui nodded. “Okay.”
They were all much older than her. For a child of only a few years old to think of helping in that situation was already good enough. Besides, there had been no losses; she had been the unluckiest one. So no one blamed her.
“All right, time to eat.”
Nanmo picked her up. They had just fought a battle and spent some strength, and the food had already been laid out.
Jiang Yunsui sat together with Ji Yan’an.
She was at her most serious when eating. Not only Ji Yan’an, but everyone else ended up eating a little more just from watching her, until they were almost too full.
“The Li Family should have received the news and be coming soon.”
No sooner had Ji Yan’an spoken than someone came in from outside to report that the Li Family had indeed arrived.
The one who came was the Li Family Head himself.
“Fan He, you may be the county magistrate, but that doesn’t mean you can act so recklessly and imprison all the bailiffs and the County Deputy Magistrate. Aren’t you afraid the Prefect will hold you accountable for this?!”
The Li Family Head had rushed over in a hurry and immediately launched into a scolding the moment he saw Fan He.
Fan He said, “Li Family Head, I had my reasons for imprisoning them. Even if the Prefect came, he would not be able to do anything to me.”
The Li Family Head glared at Fan He. “What reasons? I think you simply want to turn Liaoyang County into your own private domain!”
Ji Yan’an and the others walked out.
“Li Family Head, why don’t you go ask the Prefect, then? County Deputy Magistrate Ma tried to extort Young Master Ji and even locked the Young Master in prison for a day. Tell me, should County Deputy Magistrate Ma be arrested or not?”
The Li Family Head looked at the people walking out. Then, hearing what they said, cold sweat instantly broke out across his forehead.
“Young… Young Master Ji…”
He was not truly stupid. His gaze quickly locked onto Ji Yan’an.
“Could… could there be some misunderstanding here?”
Nanshu gave a cold snort. “A misunderstanding?”
“That County Deputy Magistrate Ma threw his authority around grandly today. He had us brought here for interrogation, and even after we revealed our identities, he wasn’t afraid at all. He openly declared that Liaoyang County was his territory, and that even a dragon would have to coil up obediently once it came here.
He called in the bailiffs from his residence and tried to have us forcibly beaten to death right here. If Magistrate Fan had not arrived in time, who knows what state we would be in now?”
The Li Family Head’s vision went black.
Ma Hongwen, that idiot!
He gave an awkward laugh. “In that case, I won’t disturb you all any further.”
With that, he hurried away.
The truth no longer mattered. Ma Hongwen was finished. What he needed to do now was report Young Master Ji’s presence here to the Prefect.
Jiang Yunsui said, “So he’s that Li Family Head.”
Everyone tilted their heads and looked at her.
“What, you know him?”
Jiang Yunsui shook her head, then nodded again.
“I heard people talking about him.”
“What did they say?”
Jiang Yunsui stroked her little chin. “His youngest son isn’t his. He has a pair of twins, a boy and a girl, and they aren’t his either. Also, the concubine he dotes on most has been putting poison in his food.”
Everyone: “…”
What kind of ultimate sucker was this man?
Nanshu asked, “How do you know all this?”
Jiang Yunsui said, “I heard it yesterday.”
Yesterday, after she had delivered food to Ji Yan’an and the others, she had gone out to watch the excitement and followed Lady Ma.
Because Lady Ma said she was going back to complain, Jiang Yunsui felt there was still more drama to see.
She followed Lady Ma all the way to the Li Family. That night, she did not even return to the inn and simply absorbed moonlight in the Li Family courtyard.
While absorbing moonlight, she wandered around eating up gossip.
Then she saw a concubine having an affair, and the person she was having an affair with turned out to be the butler’s son. At the time, the two of them were nestled together and talking.
From what they said, it was obvious the son that concubine had given birth to was actually the butler’s son’s child.
After that, she successively overheard a conversation between the mother of the twins and a man.
“Oh, right. That man seemed to be the Li Family Head’s younger brother.”
Then she saw the Li Family Head’s favorite concubine put medicine into a bowl of soup and smilingly deliver it to the Li Family Head.
Even Song Jin’s mouth twitched. “Your life last night was truly exciting.”
Nanshu felt miserable. “Why didn’t I see any of that?”
“Forget it. You don’t have Little Yunsui’s skills.”
Jiang Yunsui’s skills were practically made for gathering information.
Ji Yan’an said, “First, find County Deputy Magistrate Ma’s son.”
Jiang Yunsui said, “I know! I know where he is.”
Ji Yan’an raised a brow. You know that too?
Jiang Yunsui smiled shyly.
She had been curious about Widow Liu’s side of things too.
“You all have no idea. After I watched Lady Ma complain, I rushed back without stopping. I was exhausted.”
“But I happened to run into County Deputy Magistrate Ma sneaking Widow Liu and his son away.”
“He sent them outside the city, to a village. That village is pretty remote, and it seems to have some connection to his mother’s family.”
At that, everyone gave Jiang Yunsui a thumbs-up.
They had learned this from Jiang Yunsui, and they knew it meant amazement and praise.
At that moment, they did not know what else they could use to express their shock, so they could only give her a thumbs-up.
Truly, for the sake of gossip, she had run around all day without complaining once. With that kind of perseverance, they had nothing to say except that they admired her.
But they had to admit, Jiang Yunsui had brought them a lot of good news.
“Ji San, Ji Si, take Jiang Yunsui and bring County Deputy Magistrate Ma’s son back.”
“Yes.”
Ji San and Ji Si appeared and left with Jiang Yunsui.
Song Jin clicked his tongue twice. “I wonder if the Li Family Head will be so angry he dies when he finds out about all that.”
Nanshu rubbed his hands together. “Heh heh. I kind of want to stir up trouble.”
Song Jin said, “Great minds think alike!”
Then the two of them huddled together and began discussing how to let the Li Family Head find out about everything and drive him into a breakdown.
Ji Yan’an glanced at them speechlessly, but did not stop them.
He was a tolerant master.