Chapter Fifty-Seven: Dragging Him Into the Mire

At this moment, little Ling Shuno had no idea that the entire city was in an uproar searching for him. Although he had anticipated this outcome, he was far too absorbed to dwell on it now. Presently, he was happily playing with the old man's granddaughter.

When he first arrived at this humble thatched cottage in the mountain valley, he felt rather despondent. Never in his life had he seen such a dilapidated house, such crude furniture, and such a tiny room. Then, at noon, he ate a very simple lunch here.

During lunch, he met the old man's granddaughter, a six-year-old girl named Little Flower. She was adorable, with two small braids.

Because Ling Zetian had no children of his own, Shuno never had companions his own age. In the palace, he could only play with the young eunuchs and maids, but they all knew his status, treating him with either complete obedience or excessive care, never daring to do anything untoward. He never truly enjoyed himself, and gradually became accustomed to playing alone.

After lunch, Little Flower asked his name and promptly dragged him outside to play.

Children in rural families are often shy, but since they were of similar age, they quickly grew familiar with each other and treated him as one of their own. Little Flower's family kept a dog—a common village mongrel, yellow-furred and agile.

Thus, the two of them joyfully went to play in the fields and hills. Shuno felt genuinely happy; after all, it was rare for him to be so close to nature, breathing the crisp air and witnessing the bleakness of winter. Little Flower even took him to the river to catch fish and showed him the ducks her family raised.

...

Unfortunately, good times never last. As they played, a fierce-looking man with a bushy beard suddenly strode toward them.

Little Flower noticed him first. Seeing that the man was a stranger, clearly not from the village, she was immediately terrified and hurriedly retreated a few steps.

Shuno was still engrossed in play. When he saw Little Flower suddenly stop, he was puzzled. Following her gaze, he saw the burly man approaching them.

"Little one, what's your name?" the man squatted before them, smiling at Shuno.

"My name is Little Grass." Shuno answered calmly, though Little Flower was already on the verge of tears.

"Are you telling the truth, kid?" Shuno had never encountered such a suspicious character before. Seeing this, he grabbed Little Flower's hand, preparing to run. He had never seen palace guards who looked like this, and since the man had come straight for him, he suspected either he was being sought or this was a kidnapper. In such a situation, fleeing was the wisest course.

But they hadn't run far before the bearded man effortlessly scooped them up, one in each hand. With their short legs, escape was impossible.

The man examined Shuno closely, then declared, "You're coming with me." He put Little Flower down and threatened her, "Don't you dare tell anyone, or I'll come back for you." With that, he left, carrying Shuno away.

When Little Flower ran home in tears and told her parents and grandfather, gathering villagers to search for the man, he was already gone.

And thus, Shuno formally fell into the jaws of danger.

**

Meanwhile, Feng Qiuji was racking her brains in the Axe Gang, trying to figure out how to secretly release Ying Xuanyu without arousing suspicion about herself.

Maybe frame someone else, claim another had let him go.

But who could she frame? She had just arrived, didn't know anyone well, and a reckless attempt might backfire, exposing her instead. These people, no matter how decent, were still bandits—each had blood on their hands, and if she angered the wrong person, her life could end in a flash. That would be a senseless death.

Alternatively, perhaps she could consult the bandit chief? That seemed unlikely too. Bandits lived by robbery, and having caught such a big fish, how could they let him go without maximizing their profit? If she tried persuading them to release Ying Xuanyu, the chief would surely suspect she had ties to him, further exposing herself. Worse, he might discover she was the Empress and decide to kidnap her as well, demanding ransom from Ling Zetian.

At this thought, Feng Qiuji broke out in cold sweat. The prospect was terrifying.

Maybe she could stage a scene, have Ying Xuanyu knock her out and escape? That didn't seem feasible either. She was terribly afraid of pain, and Ying Xuanyu, pampered all his life with attendants dressing him, was hardly likely to fight his way out of a bandit den alone. If he angered the bandits, they might even kill him, and then she would be branded a villain for all time.

Nothing seemed to work. What should she do?

"Qiuqiu, what are you doing?" Yang Siyuan approached, seeing Feng Qiuji pacing back and forth, distressed as if grappling with a thorny problem.

"Ah, nothing," Feng Qiuji was startled by his arrival. Seeing his concerned face, an idea formed in her mind.

To be fair, Yang Siyuan was a decent man—educated, sensible, clever, receptive to advice, and genuinely kind to her. He was her best comrade in the Axe Gang and the only one who knew she was actually a woman disguised as a man.

"Nothing? You seem rather odd lately," Yang Siyuan muttered, but since she denied it, he let it go, shaking his head and preparing to leave.

"Wait," Feng Qiuji called out suddenly, "Brother Yang, there's something I want to discuss with you."

"Hm? What is it?"

"This isn't the place. Let's talk somewhere else." Without waiting for his consent, Feng Qiuji dragged him behind the house to a small grove.

Yang Siyuan was even more puzzled by her behavior.

"Qiuqiu, what do you want to say?"

"I want to ask—would you partner with me to release Ying Xuanyu?" Feng Qiuji had rehearsed how to broach the subject, but in the end decided directness was best; subtlety was not her style. She had considered it carefully: for this, she needed someone from the Axe Gang involved, and Yang Siyuan was the ideal candidate. He was the strategist, second only to the chief, and if things went wrong, having him on her side would lessen the consequences.

"What?!" Yang Siyuan was astonished, thinking he must have misheard.

"The truth is this," Feng Qiuji began, "I just discovered Ying Xuanyu is my distant cousin. Of course, we're not close—his family is the richest in the country, mine is terribly poor. But since he's family, I can't just stand by and let him suffer, so I want to let him go, to spare my relatives any worry."

"But..." Yang Siyuan was troubled by this revelation. The gang had many brothers, all with families to feed. Banditry was a risky, capital-free business; if caught by the authorities, it meant certain death. Their unwritten rule was to avoid killing when possible, focusing on robbery rather than harm to minimize future consequences.

Capturing Ying Xuanyu was a windfall; with the ransom, the gang could rest easy for the rest of the year, sharing the bounty and enjoying a good New Year. Releasing him would surely upset the brothers.

"As for the ransom, don't worry. He can write an IOU if needed, and I can guarantee the money will be delivered. His parents are elderly and couldn't bear the shock, so could we at least let him go home to report his safety?" Feng Qiuji was desperate, assuring Yang Siyuan that money was no issue for Ying Xuanyu's wealthy family; the priority was getting him out.

"Let me think about it and give you an answer before dinner," Yang Siyuan said gravely, unable to promise immediately.

Feng Qiuji was delighted—his willingness to consider meant hope. She nodded eagerly.

After Yang Siyuan departed, Feng Qiuji was elated, ready to share the news with Ying Xuanyu and discuss how much he should donate to the Axe Gang. Just then, two people strolled by the corridor, chatting and laughing.

"Hey, isn't that Qiuqiu?" Er Gou spotted his apprentice, Feng Qiuji. Though she'd only cooked for him a few times, he saw potential and planned to teach her more. Perhaps she could work in a restaurant or a wealthy household someday, bringing honor to her master.

"Ah, Brother Er Gou, such fine weather today. Where are you off to?" Feng Qiuji had hoped to ignore them, but since they greeted her, she managed a forced smile.

"Since the weather's nice, San Gou and I are heading to the back hill for a bath," Er Gou said, patting the shoulder of his companion.

Feng Qiuji recalled that this was Er Gou's younger brother, the third in the family, hence the name San Gou.

"Oh, then you go ahead. I'll head back," she said, waving and preparing to leave.

"Wait, come with us!" Er Gou grabbed her, smiling. "I remember you haven't bathed since you came here. The weather's perfect—join us!"

"No, no, that's not necessary." Feng Qiuji shook her head vigorously. Bathe with two men? Was she insane? Absolutely not. "It's too cold—I don't like the cold. You two go ahead."

Er Gou ignored her protests, dragging her along. "If you don't bathe today, you'll be filthy. You won't be allowed to sleep in the house tonight!"

-----Author’s Note-----

A life of dilemmas.