With a bang, a head fell out and was caught by Ning Yi. In the yard, lime flew everywhere.
After a while, Ning Yi held up the head and looked at it. In the afternoon, there was a lot of screaming and chaos.
This scene happened in the small yard of Qin's Mansion. Ning Yi came to attend the banquet, accompanied by his wife, Tan 'er, and his maid, Xiaochan. There were quite a lot of people in the courtyard. In addition to the maids carrying the boxes and luggage, there was also Madam Qin who came out to welcome them. Qin Siyuan, accompanied by his eldest son, also appeared at the side door of the courtyard not far away. Not far away, a handsome young man and a fierce man who rushed over to help carry the boxes looked at each other.
Today's banquet was held because Elder Qin received a message from his second son, Qin Shaoqian, saying that he would be home this afternoon. So, he invited Ning Yi and his wife. Firstly, this had the nature of a welcoming banquet, but most importantly, it was because Ning Yi had saved Old Qin. This was a great favor. Although Old Qin only kept it in his heart and didn't express it too much now, as a son, whether it was Qin Shaohe or Qin Shaoqian, they all had a need to formally express their gratitude for this matter. Furthermore, Ning Yi's relationship with Old Qin could be considered to be that of good friends despite the difference in age, so he simply made an invitation at this time, using the form of a family banquet to express the closeness of the two families.
So, this became the first meeting between Ning Yi and Qin Shaoqian.
For Tan 'er, it was a very important thing to come to the Qin family to attend the banquet. Although he had followed Ning Yi to Qin Manor a few months ago to pay his New Year's greetings, at that time, Ning Yi had treated this old man as a chess friend.
Tan 'er was a sensible person. She knew that this old man was knowledgeable and had a high status. But in the past, she admired those literati and yearned for the friendship between her Husband and others. When she visited, she only regarded herself as his wife and didn't have any utilitarian thoughts. This time, it was inevitably a little different.
On the one hand, she knew more about the old man's past. It was only after she met with Qin Shaohe that she knew the former Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. In her heart, he was a high-ranking official who was one step lower than the Emperor. Hearing his name, she would be dizzy. It was like a modern Chinese suddenly discovering that he knew a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China.
On the other hand, it was also because Qin Shaohe chatted with her the last time they met. At that time, Qin Shaohe was very humble. He knew that the Su family was doing business, and Su Tan 'er was even at the helm, so it was inevitable that he would say some kind and sincere words. In the officialdom, such words were a clear hint. Naturally, Su Tan 'er understood it. She knew that the Su family's business would be under Qin Shaohe's care, at least in Jiang District.
Actually, Qin Shaohe wasn't showing favoritism, and Su Tan 'er wouldn't be in fear and trepidation with just a hint. But just like that day when she was happy to have the support of a Zhizhou, she couldn't help but realize that the Qin family had a very high status. From now on, the Su family would be different from ordinary families. So when she went out today, she dressed herself especially dignified and beautiful. She tossed around in her room for half the afternoon, like a little girl. Ning Yi also watched helplessly and amusedly from the side. In the past, Su Tan 'er had also received the education of a young lady from a noble family. If she was indifferent, she would have the dignified and elegant temperament of a young lady. With this effort, she appeared even younger and covered up her confident and calm temperament.
But it was also quite interesting.
In the end, when the three of them came, the second young master of the Qin family had arrived home. The servant girls and servants in the manor were busy moving the luggage in. A young servant girl beside Ning Yi carried a long box and trotted in. In the courtyard, a bearded man saw it and shouted, "Be careful, be careful! Cui 'er, be careful … "He rushed over.
The diligent servant girl named Cui 'er's line of sight was blocked by the long box. When she heard the shout, she suddenly stopped and swayed a few times. "Huh? What … what? What did the Second Master say … "Ning Yi kindly wanted to reach out and help her up. The bearded man also rushed over. In the midst of the confusion, the top grid of the long box opened with a bang. Something fell out like a rubber ball. Ning Yi reached out and grabbed it. For a moment, he thought that he had been ambushed. Fortunately, the lime was not thick.
After a long time, the courtyard was in a mess. Some people shouted, "Head, head, head …" Some people shouted, "Head, head, head …" They all dragged their voices. The bearded man was also a little embarrassed. It seemed that he wanted to take the thing from Ning Yi's hand. He hesitated and didn't know what to say. Just as he was about to make up his mind and reach out his hand, the young servant girl who was holding the box stretched her head forward several times. When she realized what was in the box in her arms, her eyes rolled back and she fell straight to the ground. The bearded man hurried to catch her, "Xiao Cui, Xiao Cui, don't faint. I told you not to move it …"
The feeling of holding a dead man's head in one's hand was naturally not too good. Moreover, it was held in one hand. Fortunately, Ning Yi's calmness was very good. After holding the head for a long time, he turned it in front of his eyes and looked at it. Then, he nodded and looked at the bearded man who was holding the young servant girl, "This is the head of the assassin …"
At this moment, the head in his hand was the head of the burly man who had one eye injured by the explosion of the gun. Ning Yi knew that this group of people were brave. Previously, he had asked Lu Agui about it. He felt that among this group of people who fled to the north, one of them was probably comparable to Lu Hongti in terms of martial arts. That person's name was Lu Tuo. He was not a Liao people, but a famous bandit in the south. He was known as the Fierce King of Hell. He had killed officials and rebelled. Later, it was said that he was subdued and disappeared without a trace.
This time, this group of Liao people were able to escape mainly because there were forces close to the Liao people operating among them. Lu Tuo, a martial arts expert, must have been sent by them to protect him. These days, there was no trace of them. Unexpectedly, this second young master of the Qin family returned home only a few days late, but he had already brought back their heads.
In the past, it was said that this Qin Shaoqian was a deputy general in the army and did not have any great achievements. Now, it seemed that these two sons of the Qin family were not simple.
When he held the head in his hand to look at it, Qin Siyuan had also come over. So, Qin Siyuan also showed it to him. The old man was not afraid of the dead head. He only frowned and looked at it. Then, he nodded at Ning Yi, confirming that it was one of the assassins that day. Qin Shaohe looked happy. Big-bearded Qin Shaoqian, who was holding the maidservant in his arms, laughed. "Haha, it's them. These blind fellows fled all the way and exposed their whereabouts. They were discovered near Crow Mountain, south of Xuzhou. At that time, I happened to be there. I gathered a group of strong people and beat them to death. Hahahaha, there was a powerful fellow covered in scars who escaped. Damn it …"
When he said this, he looked at his father and mother, who were not far away, and changed his words. "Cheng, Cheng, it's fine. Sooner or later, we will catch him …"
Qin Shaohe rubbed his chin. "The one who escaped was called Lu Tuo. He was the most difficult to deal with, but he did not participate in the assassination that day. Did you kill the other three?" Big-bearded Qin Shaoqian nodded.
"Of course. Ah, Xiaohu, come here quickly and put the thing in this brother's hand into the box. My mother doesn't like to see this thing … I've said it before. They killed them, so why did you come up with such a stupid idea? Bringing the heads back to show off. They tried to assassinate my father. This is a public case and should be handed over to the authorities. If we bring the heads back, wouldn't it become a personal grudge? We can't do this next time … No, there won't be a next time … Father, this really wasn't my idea …"
Qin Siyuan looked at his son and sighed. Qin Shaohe, on the other hand, looked like he wanted to laugh but didn't find it funny. The handsome man who was called Xiaohu hurried over to take the head and put it into the box. At this time, the box was still in the arms of the maidservant, Xiao Cui. She woke up swaying in Qin Shaoqian's arms. She blinked her eyes, and then her eyes widened. Her head tilted and she fainted again. Suddenly, there was another round of chaos. Someone hurried over to help support her. Qin Shaoqian frowned in distress. "This … this is not good for the body. Should I call a doctor over …" He was usually in the army, so he didn't care much about dead people. However, he was helpless when it came to this kind of delicate maidservant. He was afraid that he would scare them to the point of falling ill.
With this sudden turn of events, they didn't seem so distant when they introduced each other after a while. Qin Shaoqian was much younger than his older brother, Qin Shaohe. He was only in his early thirties this year. It was said that the two of them had a brother, but he died not long after he was born. He had a big beard on his face. At first glance, he looked rough, but in reality, his eyes and the outline of his face were very young. If he had shaved his beard, he might have had a childish face like a scholarly general. The young man beside him was called Xu Xiaohu. He was tall and had a handsome appearance. According to Qin Shaoqian, he was extremely skilled in martial arts. Therefore, he was often dragged into fights in the army camp, and they became sworn brothers.
Although Qin Shaoqian tried to portray himself as a ruffian soldier, from Ning Yi's point of view, the actions of these two people were very different from those of ruffian soldiers. He wasn't very familiar with the soldiers of this era, but he had a faint feeling about them.
After that, Madam Qin called for Ning Yi to go to the side room to wash his hands. After all, his hands were covered in dead people's skulls and lime, so he had to wash them several times. Tan'Er followed and helped Ning Yi wash his hands. Ever since she saw the skulls, she had been pursing her lips as she stood beside Ning Yi. At this time, Ning Yi couldn't help but feel that his hands were a little sticky, but she wanted to help him wash his hands. He felt a little bad, so he smiled and said that he could do it himself. However, Tan'Er just shook her head.
She had dressed herself up exquisitely today. When she shook her head, her red lips were tightly pursed. Obviously, she was holding back a lot. However, she still took a towel and wiped the lime off Ning Yi's hands. Ning Yi was a little confused. He wondered if they wanted to show off their deep love in front of the Qin family. However, when he looked back, except for Xiaochan, who was preparing to change the water at the door, Qin Siyuan and the others didn't come over at this time. In the blink of an eye, Tan'Er had already taken his hand and dipped it into the basin. Then, she took the osmanthus water and washed it for him. After washing once, she changed the water several times. In addition to washing for him, Tan'Er also washed her own hands several times.
Ning Yi frowned and asked a few times. Then, he saw her frown a little distressed. "That … that's a human head. It's scary to look at …"
"En."
Tan'Er pursed her lips. "Husband touched that thing with his hand. Tonight, when he touched my body, I … always felt goosebumps …"
"Uh … Do you still have to wash it for me personally?"
Talking about being touched by Ning Yi's hand in someone else's house made Tan'Er's face slightly red. However, she still lowered her head. "After washing it, I know that my hands are clean. Then, I won't be afraid at night …"
Ning Yi was slightly stunned. Then, he laughed. Su Tan'Er's temperament was different from ordinary women. If Ning Yi washed it himself, no matter how many times he washed it, she would probably feel that Ning Yi's hands were dirty. This was something that couldn't be helped. She had to overcome the barrier in her heart. So, she pulled Ning Yi to wash their hands together. The two of them used the same basin of water. In short, she was the same as Ning Yi, and there was no barrier in her heart. Ning Yi looked at the ten fair fingers that were still washing his hands in the water even after washing it several times. For a moment, he was also a little touched.
After washing like this a few times, it was about time. Then, he saw the two brothers, Qin Shaohe and Qin Shaoqian, coming in from the door with a smile. After greeting them, Qin Shaoqian patted Ning Yi's shoulder hard and said with a smile, "I'm really sorry for what happened just now. But Brother Ning, Brother Ning is really a man. I've never seen a refined and elegant scholar who could grab a person's head like that and not bat an eyelid. But that's the head of the Liao people. We can just treat it as a dog's head. Haha. "
"I can only hold on to my life." Ning Yi smiled and cupped his hands. "But just now, Brother Qin said that those people were ganged up on and killed by the strong people. I'm afraid that's not true."
He didn't have much confidence in his heart. He just looked at Qin Shaoqian's expression and tried to sound him out. Sure enough, after he asked, Qin Shaoqian laughed loudly. Qin Shaohe also smiled and said, "Father said that Liheng has a good eye. It's indeed true. This kid usually plays with swords and spears. This time, it's really useful." At this time, he was almost forty years old, and Qin Shaohe was in his early thirties. But he still called Qin Shaohe "this kid". The relationship between the two brothers of the Qin family in the past could be seen.
At this time, Qin Shaoqian smiled and curled his lips. "Ha, fortunately, he died in my hands now. Otherwise, if there's a flaw in the future, I'll definitely kill Liao and take the lives of his whole family." As he said this, hostility gathered on his face. His young face was gradually dyed with a dignified aura like that of Elder Qin. But this aura gathered for less than a moment. In the blink of an eye, it turned into a grimace. It was his elder brother who patted his shoulder a few times in praise. He didn't know what he patted, but it immediately made his expression change.
"What's wrong?" Qin Shaohe asked doubtfully.
"Big, big brother … I have an injury on my back …" Qin Shaoqian took a cold breath and raised his finger to point at his shoulder. Qin Shaohe picked up his collar and looked inside. "Is the injury very serious? You … "
"Don't tell mother, don't tell mother …" Big Beard Qin Shaoqian endured the pain and waved his hand desperately. He whispered, "Damn, it was only me and Xiaohu at that time. These Liao dogs were not easy to kill. I was stabbed in the back in exchange for their three lives … Oh, it's worth it. But it hurts. Don't tell mother. I didn't dare to apply too strong medicine. I was afraid that it would be smelled. Brother Ning, please help me cover it up. I'm most afraid that I'll cry …"
Qin Shaohe frowned. "You are so seriously injured. You have to stay at home for so many days. Mother cares about you the most. How can you hide it?"
"I, I can only hold on …"
This was what Ning Yi said just now. At this time, when he said it with a grimace, the people in the room all laughed. In their laughter, there was also a bit of admiration. Ning Yi remembered that there were still a few medicines left by Lu Hongti at home. Some were for external injuries, but the smell of the medicine was not strong. He immediately asked someone to send them over at night. Qin Shaoqian was a straightforward person, so he was grateful again.
Then they went to the living room. When they were halfway there, they saw Yun Niang and two women carrying some things and passing by. Qin Shaohe and Qin Shaoqian both called Yunniang's concubine. Obviously, they had a good relationship with this concubine of Elder Qin, who was also in her early thirties. But the two women following Yun Niang made Ning Yi slightly stunned. One of them was Nie Yunzhu, and the other was Yuan Jin 'er. The reason why Qin's Mansion held this family banquet was to express their gratitude. Yunzhu had a good relationship with Qin's Mansion. This time, Ning Yi didn't know that they were invited here. At this time, it seemed that they were helping to prepare the banquet as if they were members of Qin's Mansion.
Yunniang probably had something to do with them. After a brief introduction, she went to the backyard. Tan'Er naturally knew Yuan Jin 'er, but she would not show her curiosity in someone else's home. When Yunzhu saw them, it seemed that she had already known that Ning Yi would come. When Tan'Er was not paying attention, she gave Ning Yi a slightly mischievous smile, bowed gracefully, and went to the backyard.
After a while, she went to the living room and chatted with Elder Qin. When Yunzhu and others came back, they clearly saw that old man Qin Siyuan also showed a slightly mischievous smile. Ning Yi also felt a little helpless. The old man knew about his relationship with Yunzhu and the troubles between them. In the past, he used to laugh at Ning Yi for worrying about nothing, but he also had a good impression of Nie Yunzhu. This casual invitation made Ning Yi feel a little like the old man's killing move when they played chess on a daily basis.
Usually, when they played chess, Ning Yi would either play unconventional moves or make big moves. In short, his style was obvious. The old man, on the other hand, was neutral and peaceful. This time, when he placed a chess piece, it could really make people feel the pressure that they could not avoid. On the other hand, it was really quiet, making people unable to get angry at all …
*****
I'm back. I could have updated before midnight, but I crashed once.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
