freenovelworld Chapter 554 Protecting the Master
Chapter 554 Protecting the Master
"I want to see!" Fangcao said with unwavering determination.
"Okay!" Zhang Hu slowly lifted the white cloth, revealing a bloody, mangled face with indistinguishable eyes and nose, and skin covered in bruises and knife wounds.
"Ahhh..." Fangcao clutched her aching chest and cried out in anguish.
"Brother Shan... what am I going to do?" Her eyes were tightly closed, and two lines of bloody tears streamed down her face. Sister-in-law Nie sobbed beside her, supporting her and crying along with her. When did this child get together with Wang Shan? Nobody knew! They actually had such deep feelings for each other.
The onlookers, seeing this, had tears welling up in their eyes and were shedding tears on the sidelines.
Fangcao was crying when she suddenly fell to the side. Luckily, Sister-in-law Nie was watching her and caught her.
That's good. Zhang Biao and the others breathed a sigh of relief, loaded the car, and slowly dragged the coffin forward.
The sky was filled with white snow, and the white cloth was blinding. Chen Xuanyu and the others looked at all this, and all they could think about was being angry and wanting to kill those people. Their mother, such a good mother, worked hard until late at night every day for the people of this city, just so that these people would not starve or freeze to death. And what happened? She was captured again.
When the children saw Wang Shan's body, they felt a chill run down their spines. Thinking of their mother, they wished they could start tracking her right away. Their eyes met, and the three of them quickly exchanged ideas. Since it wasn't their first time running away, their big eyes darted around and they began to plan their escape.
However, it seems that Sister-in-law Nie received Mr. Lin's instructions and found two new young soldiers, Ning Jiang and Ning Song, to guard the three of them. They stayed by their side without leaving for a moment. It has to be said that these two young men, who had just turned eighteen, were really earnest and followed them very closely. During the several hours they were in the mansion, the three of them did not find a chance to escape until Fangcao returned from the workshop and ran out into the street after hearing the news. The three of them quickly followed her out, preparing to find a chance to slip away.
But when they saw the carriages covered with white cloth that almost filled the entire street, a sense of shared hatred arose within them, and this time they wanted to go to their mother openly and honestly.
Zhang Biao tore off several strips of white cloth and put them on their heads. He then took the white banners given to him by the people and had the three of them carry them, walking directly in front of him.
These are all young men; only they are suitable to carry the banner.
The carriage moved forward step by step, passing through the main street and entering the western quarter.
Before even reaching the military camp, they encountered Brother Nie's two companions, Li Changbai and Zhao Yizhi. Brother Nie, worried about unrest in the city, sent them back to the West Ward. The two walked slowly and happened to run into the city covered in white cloth.
"What's going on?" Li Changbai stared blankly at the soldiers whose faces were full of sorrow.
"They must be Lady Chen's guards, but they're all dead." Zhao Yizhi couldn't bear to look away from the group.
"What do you want? You're hitting me and stealing my things!"
"Who stole it? Why shouldn't they sell it to me even though I have the money! This land originally belonged to the Guan family!"
“Who said that? Madam Chen bought it a long time ago,” a wanderer argued, tilting his head.
"I'll beat you to death, you brat!"
"No one is allowed to move. Listen to my master."
A sudden commotion broke out in the West Market. Hundreds of people gathered on the street in front of Wang's shop, arguing about something, while a group of soldiers stood nearby.
"Brother, do you want to go take a look?" Zhang Hu asked as he pushed Wang Shan's bicycle frame.
"Don't worry about it, let Zhang Yuntai handle this." Zhang Biao didn't even look at it and walked forward.
The West Market was bustling with people and was still in chaos.
The army's funeral procession, carrying white banners and scattering paper money, passed through the streets. Someone noticed the procession and stopped. One person noticed, and then another, and soon they all stopped and stared at the scene.
In the distance, a tall, burly man stood hidden at the entrance of the ronin's dormitory, looking at the soldiers covered with white cloths, only their feet showing, with extreme surprise. A deep sadness was evident on his face.
Zhao Yizhi had already noticed him. Ever since Li Changbai told him that this person was from the Liao Kingdom, he had been keeping a close eye on him.
At this moment, staring at the complex expression on the man's face, Zhao Yizhi couldn't care less about the fallen soldiers on the street. He had only one thought in his mind: this man was not simple. The Liao people lived a hard life, and the slaves below them had an even harder time, not to mention that their hands were as beautiful as jade shoots. For the safety of Youzhou City, this man had to be found out.
The procession slowly moved on until it disappeared completely around the street corner.
In an instant, the once-still crowd erupted into noise again.
"Lord Zhang, please be the judge! Our Guan family has lived here for nearly a hundred generations. This land originally belonged to our ancestors, and I have the land deed." Guan Tianlai, the patriarch of the Guan family, leaned on his cane and, supported by his clansmen, held up the land deed and argued vehemently.
Zhang Yuntai sighed, "Patriarch Guan, you're mistaken. Land deeds from the previous dynasty are no longer valid."
Doesn't he know about this land? Before the initial construction, Madam Chen had Lin Er make arrangements, and later sent silver over. It's unclaimed land belonging to the county government. Now that the shops are built, the houses are built, the roads are repaired, and there are more people, the Guan family is now vying for it, hoping to reap the benefits. How wishful they are.
"How can you speak like this, Lord Zhang? Do you really think I'm joking?" Guan Tianlai put on a stern face, cursing inwardly. They had received so many benefits from the Guan family, yet in the end they sided with others and even brought troops to suppress them. Otherwise, with these thousands of clansmen, wouldn't these shops and houses be easily within their grasp today?
Zhang Yuntai was displeased at being publicly humiliated. "Patriarch Guan, watch your words! Do you really believe that arrows from the previous dynasty can behead officials of today?"
"You!!!" Guan Tianlai's eyes darted around, and he clutched his chest, pretending to fall to the ground.
"Oh dear, what's wrong with Patriarch Guan?" Zhao Yizhi saw something was wrong and immediately rushed in, throwing his hand that was supporting Guan Tianlai and pinching his tiger's mouth hard. Guan Tianlai grimaced in pain, but he didn't faint.
"Zhao family brat, what are you doing here?" Unable to pass out, Guan Tianlai had no choice but to stand up, pull his hand away, and couldn't help but turn his face away and roll his eyes.
"Patriarch Guan may not know, but I am appointed by the West Market and am considered the market magistrate here." Zhao Yizhi smiled frankly, displaying the demeanor of a superior.
When Zhao Yi arrived, Zhang Yuntai stood aside as if no one else was there, letting the two aristocratic families argue among themselves. It was perfect to let the Zhao family boy manage who came up with the idea. In terms of seniority, who could compare to the Zhao family?
"Patriarch Guan just mentioned land deeds. Why don't you let me see them? My family also has land deeds from the previous dynasty. I can see if they're genuine or not." Zhao Yizhi pretended to reach out to take them.
Guan Tianlai quickly put it away with a speed that was unusual for an old man, looked around, and said, "Fine, for Lord Zhang's sake today, let's let this matter go."
As soon as Guan Tianlai made his statement, the Guan family members began to consider backing down.