Gu Qingli tightened her large cloak around herself and examined the two children. Apart from their clothes being dirty, they had no injuries.
"Get into the carriage quickly." Gu Qingli breathed a sigh of relief and led the two children toward the carriage.
"Is this the person who bought you?" Gu Qingli asked, noticing a black-robed man tied up on the ground.
"Sister, he’s just one of them," Dashuang said.
Gu Qingli acknowledged with an "Oh" and walked over. Wuqing brought the lantern closer so she could see better.
Seeing his desperate expression, Gu Qingli thought, He must have been thoroughly dealt with by Xiao Yunjing. With a gentle flick of her finger, she gestured for the two children to get into the carriage.
She lifted the carriage curtain to look inside. Blankets, good, she thought.
"Cover yourselves with the blankets and get so sleep. We have matters to attend to at sunrise."
"Alright. Are you not sleeping, Sister?" Xiaoshuang asked.
"You two sleep. We’ll talk later."
The two obediently nodded, covered themselves with the blankets, and went to sleep.
"Is there anyone in that other carriage?" Gu Qingli turned her head to ask Wuqing.
"Ah, yes, Miss. They are the three young won we rescued. Miss, shall I have them co down?"
"No need. You go to the other carriage and get so rest first," Gu Qingli waved her hand.
"What about you, Miss?"
"I’ll co over in a bit."
"Alright then."
Wuqing went to the other carriage, made sure it was secure, and climbed inside to rest.
On the ox-cart, the three Xiao brothers were discussing sothing. anwhile, Gu Qingli went to a dark corner and secretly took a sip of spiritual spring water.
As soon as the spiritual spring water went down her throat, the chill in her body subsided noticeably, and her hands and feet gradually ward up.
The three brothers didn’t talk for long. Eldest Brother Xiao and Second Brother Xiao drove the ox-cart back, leaving only their two carriages at the city gate.
"Are you still cold?" Xiao Yunjing held her in his arms and touched her hand.
"I’m better. Aren’t you cold?" Gu Qingli touched his clothes; they felt sowhat thin.
"Not cold. Co, get in the carriage and sleep for a while." Saying that, he led her to the carriage where the twins were. He lifted her in before climbing up himself.
The twins were already asleep. Xiao Yunjing found a spot to sit and cradled Gu Qingli in his arms, letting her sleep.
Gu Qingli removed her large cloak and draped it over him before snuggling into his arms and closing her eyes.
Neither of them was asleep yet, but drowsiness soon overca them, and before long, they both drifted off.
「As dawn broke」
Xiao Yunjing and Wuqing were the first to wake, but neither of them got out of their carriages.
Xiao Yunjing looked down at the girl nestled in his arms, sleeping soundly. His heart softened.
The information he’d uncovered in the Capital City was not sothing he could easily tell Li’er. He decided it would be best to resolve Dashuang and Xiaoshuang’s situation first before speaking to her about it.
At that mont, a carriage approached from the direction of the town. Seeing that the city gate was not yet open, it stopped not far from them to wait.
Inside this carriage sat Master Xu. He had risen before dawn. On his way, he had encountered Eldest Brother Xiao and Second Brother Xiao, who were returning, and had learned the gist of what happened before continuing to the County Town.
He also knew that Dashuang and Xiaoshuang were in the carriage nearby. Perfect, he thought, they could all go in together shortly.
「At Chen hour」
The city gate opened on schedule, and by then, everyone was awake.
"Let’s enter the city." Xiao Yunjing took off the large cloak Gu Qingli had lent him and handed it back to her. He then jumped down from the carriage and hauled the bound, black-robed man into the driver’s seat.
Gu Qingli shook her head. Xiao Yunjing’s grand cloak was very long, dragging on the ground like a gown with a train.
Xiao Yunjing touched her hand, which was warm, nodded, and put his grand cloak back on.
"Excuse , are Gu Qingyun and Gu Qingyang here?" Master Xu asked, approaching Xiao Yunjing as they were about to enter the city.
Xiao Yunjing nodded. "Are you their Master?"
"Master!" Hearing Master Xu’s voice, the three siblings imdiately lifted the carriage curtain, poked their heads out, and called in unison.
Master Xu smiled and nodded. "It’s good that you two are unhard. Let’s go to the county yan first."
The last sentence was addressed to Xiao Yunjing.
"Alright, let’s go into the city."
Master Xu did not return to his carriage but walked into the city alongside Xiao Yunjing, asking him to elaborate on the events as they went.
They stopped at the entrance of the county yan. Master Xu said, "Young Xiao, you and the others wait here for a mont. I’ll go in first."
Xiao Yunjing pursed his lips and nodded. "Alright. Thank you, Master."
Master Xu waved his hand and walked straight in, ignoring the yan runners at the entrance.
A yan runner even bowed deeply to him.
Xiao Yunjing watched Master Xu enter, a thoughtful expression on his face.
Master Xu navigated the yan with familiarity, heading straight for Magistrate Xu’s office. He knocked on the door before pushing it open.
"Eh? Brother, what brings you here so early?" Magistrate Xu looked up in surprise. His elder brother rarely visited his humble yan without a pressing reason, and certainly not this early. Truly a rare occurrence, he thought.
"There’s a matter requiring attention." Master Xu sat down and succinctly explained the situation.
"Oh? This man has quite so nerve, daring to cause trouble for my brother! Let’s go. This matter isn’t simple." Magistrate Xu grinned and rose. He adjusted his official robes and led Master Xu to the main hall.
Upon arriving at the main hall, Magistrate Xu obsequiously moved a chair for Master Xu to sit. He then ordered the yan runners to bring Xiao Yunjing and the others into the hall.
Outside, Gu Qingli had instructed Wuqing to take the three rescued young won to an inn first—the sa one she had stayed at previously, which Wuqing could find.
Wuqing acknowledged the order and departed.
"The Magistrate summons all of you inside," a yan runner announced, coming out and gesturing towards them.
"Understood." Xiao Yunjing cupped his hands in salute to the yan runner, then hauled the black-robed man into the yan.
Gu Qingli led the twins, following behind him.
"When you see the County Magistrate later, don’t be afraid. Whatever he asks, just tell the truth as it happened."
"Mhm," the twins nodded obediently.
In the courtroom, yan runners holding water-and-fire sticks stood on either side. The County Magistrate was seated at the head of the hall, with Master Xu to his left and slightly below him.
As soon as they entered, Gu Qingli rely glanced at the scene in the hall before lowering her head.
"Might—!" the yan runners on both sides shouted, drawing out the cry.
Everyone knelt.
"We, your humble commoners, pay our respects to the County Magistrate!" the four of them declared in unison, performing a salute.
"Who stands before this court, and for what purpose? State your case quickly!" County Magistrate Xu declared, striking his gavel with an air of authority.
Xiao Yunjing imdiately cupped his hands. "Your humble commoner, Xiao Yunjing from Qinghe Village, accuses Gu Dahe, also a villager of Qinghe, of illicitly selling my two younger brothers-in-law, Gu Qingyun and Gu Qingyang."
With that, he produced the deed of sale.
A yan runner imdiately took the deed and presented it to County Magistrate Xu.
Magistrate Xu’s advisor read it first before passing it to the magistrate.
After reading the deed, Magistrate Xu thought to himself, This Gu Dahe has audacious courage, daring to collude with martial arts factions! My brother just ntioned that Gu Dahe is a student at the Qinghe Private School. I fear the Qinghe Private School itself will be implicated this ti.
Imperial law dictates that scholars must not collude with martial arts factions. Once such a connection is verified, the scholar’s qualifications are revoked, and their entire family is barred from producing scholars for generations.
The Imperial Court and the martial arts world have, since ancient tis, been two symtrical yet unequal societal systems.
The martial arts world operates among the common people. The Imperial Court may tolerate the formation of sects and alliances, and even their efforts to benefit society and the populace, but it strictly prohibits any entanglent between them and court officials or scholars. The martial arts world must remain distinctly separate from the Imperial Court.
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