Jun Jiuling

ily have a decree?”

“Why did the Fang family turn Yangcheng upside down?”

This was asked four times.

But that man didn’t care about the details of the answer.

“I don’t know.” He said, “It seems that one in the family has had a grudge against an official in Yangcheng.”

Saying this indicated an end to the inquiries.

“Hurry up, the prefect has already left.”

Everyone dared not neglect and ran out in a hurry.

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The servant stood there with a complicated expression.

“Do you still want to ask?” The official asked cautiously and looked at the girl who withdrew behind her parents.

What’s the problem?

The servant’s brow uncreased and he no longer looked at the girl.
Instead, he watched the lights become brighter.
People shouted outside.

“Imperial edict, the Fang family is really…” He had a slight smile on his lips.
“Bold.”

After saying that, he looked at the old man’s family again, glanced at the trembling girl, and turned around and walked away.

“Let’s go.” He said.

The darkest moment before dawn slowly passed, and the east gradually turned white.

The hustle and bustle in the city gradually stopped, and many people began to probe out into the streets.

Last night’s movement stirred up the whole county town.
It was more terrible than when the door to the county government office was smashed.
Instead the people’s homes were knocked open in the middle of the night and people broke in

Those who shouted for the decree were not officers or soldiers, and there were no officials to accompany them.
As for the imperial decree, it could not be seen.

This time, the gangsters really made trouble.

Fortunately, those people just searched around the house and asked if they had seen Official Lin.
They didn’t beat people, let alone kill people, and their belongings remained unmoved.

Although it was frightening, it wasn’t so much as to leave them terror-stricken.3

The searchers gradually retreated, and the light replaced the darkness.
The people dared to go out of their homes to inquire about the news.

“So it turns out that Official Lin was part of Magistrate Li’s group?”

“Was the Fang family actually ordered to investigate?”

“So it’s not actually about a feud, but spies and scoundrels?”4

“In fact, that Fang’s family aren’t actually merchants, but officials?”

“No wonder the Fang family is so rich.”

All kinds of comments spread and speculation was chaotic.

Fang Jinxiu, who had been sitting on the street in front of the city gate, turned an unseeing eye to the people who were gradually gathering behind her.
She just looked outside the city.

Behind her came a sharp sound of horses’ hoofs.
Fang Jinxiu turned around and saw a team of men on horses galloping.

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Chen Qi, who had been sleeping on her shoulder, almost fell to the ground.
He woke up in a daze, rubbing his face.

“What time is it?” He wiped his mouth and said, “Has she been found?”

Fang Jinxiu ignored him.
She had stood up and was looking at Fang Chengyu and Old Lady Fang coming.
There were more people coming together in the distance.

The torched had already gone out, and everyone’s face was full of fatigue and anxiety.

Not found.

There was no need to ask.
Fang Jinxiu could tell just by looking at their expressions.

“It’s just one night’s search.” Fang Chengyu’s expression remained the same, and even a smile appeared on his face.
“Grandma, mother and sisters, go back and rest.
I’ll continue to look for her.
It will be fine in the day.
The news spreads faster.
Sometimes it’s not a bad thing to alert the enemy.”5

Old Lady Fang looked at him.
Fang Chengyu was already thin and weak, and his face was even more haggard at this time.

Not long after his poison was detoxified, while he was still weak, he experienced the robbery and killing in Runan and rushed back.
He joined the interrogation in the prison cell and asked for the beheading.
It can be said that he had not even caught his breath yet.

How could he stand to keep going like this?

“Chengyu, you go back to rest first, and we’ll continue to look.” She said.

“Yes, elder sister and I will go.
Both you and grandmother will go back to rest, and then later come and replace us.” Fang Yuxiu also said.

Fang Chengyu shook his head with a smile.

“I’m not tired.” He said, “I’m really not tired.
You don’t know that people won’t be tired if they don’t stop moving.
I won’t stop at this time.
It’s not good to stop and be discouraged.”

What’s the reason for this?

Madam Fang looked at Fang Chengyu with an anxious expression.

“What if she still can’t be found today?” She blurted out.

Fang Chengyu smiled.

“Then I’l look for her tomorrow.” He said and the emotion in his eyes was sincere and firm, “If I can’t find her today, I’ll find her tomorrow.
If I can’t find her tomorrow, I’ll look for her the day after tomorrow, and look for her day by day, until I find her.
In short, I have to find her.”

1– 狼心狗肺 – “heart of a wolf, lungs of a dog”; idiom meaning cruel and unscrupulous, ungrateful and heartless, etc.

2– 锦衣玉食 – “brocade garments, jade meals”; idiom meaning life of extravagance/luxury

3– 心惊胆战- “heart alarmed, trembling in fear”; scared witless
魂飞魄散 – “soul flies away and scatters”; frighted stiff/terror-stricken

4– 乱臣贼子 – “rebels and traitors”; general term for scoundrel

5– 打草惊蛇 – “beat the grass and startle the snake”; inadvertently alert the enemy