Chapter Thirty-Four: Plea of Guilty

  Qin Langjun put down his pen upon hearing this.

  "What?" he raised an eyebrow and asked, "Did Liu Lang go to kidnap someone?"

  The young servant nodded in response.

  "It's all messed up on the streets," he said, with an inexplicable weird expression, wanting to laugh but holding back.

  "This little rascal, I thought he'd come up with some plan, but it's actually like this." Qin Langjun shook his head, his expression solemn and serious. "Not good, not good, this is adding fuel to the fire."

  Then he looked at Xiao Shunzi.

  "Has he returned to Zhou's home yet?" he asked, putting down his pen.

  "We haven't even reached the street yet." The young servant said, finally unable to hold back his laughter. "The people from the Chen family were chasing after us from behind and caused a commotion, but were stopped by the soldiers from the Wucheng Army."

  The streets were originally crowded, and now they are even more packed to the point of bursting. Those who came later couldn't squeeze in, and couldn't see anything, getting anxious and frustrated. The sounds of laughter, scolding, and commotion filled the air, making it a lively scene.

  Hyōe couldn't help but wipe his sweat and looked at the person in front of him and the car.

  "Are you saying he stole your family's carriage?" he asked, pointing at Shūroku.

  The steward of the Chen family and the house servants exchanged a glance and nodded heavily.

  This is the simplest and best excuse.

  It's better than saying that someone kidnapped their own cousin, this kind of absurd and ridiculous explanation can easily lead to unfavorable speculation.

  "Little Shōrō, did you steal our family's carriage?" Heihachi repeated once more, his expression strange.

  Zhou Lang sat in the car all along, even when he was stopped, he didn't intend to get out.

  The car remained quiet and still, as if there was no one inside.

  "Don't ask what's going on, this is our family's carriage." The Chen family manager said, pointing to the emblem on the carriage, "Look, it's ours, ours."

  The young servants pointed at Zhōu Liùláng.

  "He is not from our house, he is not from our house." they shouted.

  The guards look at me, I look at them, and we exchange a bitter smile.

  It's hard to be an official in the capital, that's just how it is. With any incident, big or small, a lot of people are inevitably involved.

  The Minister of Personnel's carriage was stolen by someone from the Gu De Lang family! What a thing!

  "Did you steal the car or did you kidnap someone?"

  "Is there anyone on the bus?"

  The idlers on the street shouted out, causing a burst of strange laughter.

  Yes, what's there to steal from a horse carriage? The guards' gazes swept over the vehicle with an air of uncertainty.

  As expected, this would lead to unfavorable speculation, and some people in the Chen family were getting anxious. This was exactly what they were afraid of!

  A hand lifted the car curtain and suddenly scared everyone.

  Indeed slender jade-like hands.

  "I've offended you." The maid said. "Thank you, Lord Chen, the carriage will definitely be returned."

  The Chen family let out a collective sigh of relief.

  They've been chasing for so long and still don't know what to do, it seems they haven't chased in vain, at least this woman understands the adult's intentions.

  The adults knew that the daughter did not want to go to the Zhou's house, so when the young master of the Zhou's jumped out and caused trouble, they did not try to save face or use the excuse that outsiders should not interfere in family matters. Instead, they directly chased after him. But this was all they could do.

  Blood is thicker than water, outsiders can't really interfere.

  "Let's take your family's carriage when we send off your sister on her way home, how can you be so stingy?" Zhou Liulang, who had not spoken until now, also murmured.

  Although they knew there must be an inside story, for now, the show couldn't go on, and the crowd watching from the sidelines let out a hiss of disapproval. They dispersed with discontented murmurs.

  Outside the crowd, looking at the scattered crowd, two young men happily turned around.

  "Mr. Lang, Mr. Lang, you can go now, you can go now." they shouted.

  A young nobleman on horseback behind him also withdrew his gaze.

  "It's Kyoto after all." He still had a look of surprise on his face from the first time he saw the prosperity of the capital, "Such wide streets can still be crowded to the point where you can't walk."

  The snow is getting heavier and heavier, a gust of wind blows by, stirring up a flurry of snowflakes.

  The young gentleman couldn't help but cover his mouth and cough, then blew on his hands to warm them up.

  "Older brother of the Yuan dynasty!"

  A shout came from the street, and the young master immediately looked around to see two young men rushing out of a nearby store, excitedly waving at him.

  "Ha! You guys are here too." Han Yuan Chao laughed and dismounted his horse, rushing towards them.

  "You've come a bit late, aren't you reluctant to leave the warmth and comfort of your hometown?" The two laughed and patted Han Yuanchao's shoulder. "Fortunately, we booked an inn earlier, adding one more room for you, otherwise, you might have had trouble finding a place."

  Han Yuanchao hastily expressed his gratitude and walked hand in hand with the two of them.

  "Thus, today in the capital, you and I reunite as fellow disciples, we must certainly drink to our hearts' content."

  "Alright, there are many famous buildings in this capital city, let's choose one at random."

  "What's all the commotion about?"

  "I don't know, anyway, whatever excitement there is has nothing to do with you and me."

  The three of them walked ahead, laughing and chatting, and disappeared into the bustling crowd.

  Zhōu Láng's horse stopped at the second gate, where a lively scene was already unfolding inside.

  "Rokurō, did you bring your sister back?"

  "Jiaojiao, my child, you've finally come back."

  Mr. and Mrs. Zhou hastened over surrounded by a crowd of people, gazing at the carriage with great delight.

  "My sister is tired, Father and Mother. Let's send my sister to rest first. Whatever you want to say, we can talk about it later." Zhou Liulang said with a straight face, then turned around and walked away quickly.

  From start to finish, it was quiet inside the car.

  Zhou's parents exchanged a glance, Zhou's father cleared his throat and waved his hand, and the servants who had come to watch the commotion immediately dispersed, lest this foolish child make a scene.

  "Jiaojiao." Madame Zhou stepped forward, lifting the curtain with one hand. "What's going on? Let's get out of the carriage and talk about it, okay?"

  The curtain was lifted, and what first came into view was a maidservant sitting upright, followed by the figure reclining in the carriage.

  Mrs. Zhou was so frightened that she gasped in a mouthful of cold air.

  "Jiāo niáng!" She cried out in a loud voice, nothing will happen, right?

  "Shh." The maid made a hushing sound at her, with a hint of displeasure. "My mistress is taking a nap, don't wake her up."

  Sleep?

  Can you sleep in a carriage?

  Really?

  "You can't sleep in the carriage, let's get down and sleep." said Mrs. Zhou.

  "It doesn't matter, my mistress's body is not good, she needs to sleep for a while every day, and can fall asleep anywhere, it won't take long. If she falls asleep and wakes her up, her body will feel very uncomfortable." The maid said in a low voice, moving outwards slightly, "Let's wait until the mistress wakes up, we'll talk again, it won't be long."

  Really? Is it true?

  But the maidservants who came back said that this young lady must take a short nap during the day.

  The scene was momentarily somewhat stagnant, and the snow pattered on the car and the ground, making a rustling sound.

  Just standing for this moment, Mrs. Zhou felt her feet a bit numb.

  "It's too cold here. Let's go in and sleep instead." she said again.

  "It doesn't matter, I've prepared everything." The maid said in a low voice. She pointed to the heater inside the carriage, and then at the large cloak covering Cheng Jiaoniang's body, her own feet were also under the cloak.

  Mrs. Zhou was about to say something when the maid rushed over and whispered in her ear again.

  "It's windy, I'll put down the curtains first," she said, putting down the curtains.

  Mrs. Zhou stood outside and swallowed what she wanted to say.

  "Milady?" asked the maid holding an umbrella in a low voice.

  Should we leave or stay here with you? She asked with her eyes.

  Mrs. Zhou glared at her, what a shameless fool, leave? Leave a group of maids to accompany? Wouldn't she, as the aunt-in-law, be ridiculed by others?!

  But if I have to wait...

  Mrs. Zhou couldn't help but pace back and forth twice.

  "Go get the foot warmer." she said in a low voice.

  Fortunately, this maid did not deceive people. Before the servant woman brought over the hand warmer and foot warmer, Jingniang woke up.

  The maid hadn't spoken yet when Mrs. Zhou hastily lifted the curtain.

  "Jiao jiao." She cried out, tears streaming down.

  "This is it, where?" asked Jingniang, while taking over the hot water handed by the maid.

  The car was indeed fully equipped, and Mrs. Zhou felt her hands and feet getting even colder.

  "We're home now. Good child, it's cold in the car, let's get down and talk inside the house." she said.

  "It's not cold on the bus." said Jingniang, looking around and taking a sip of hot water.

  But I'm cold.

  Mrs. Zhou stamped her foot, this child is really foolish. Why can't he speak clearly when listening and speaking?

  This is not about discussing whether it's cold or not.

  "All right, Jiao Jiao, you're home. Let's hurry inside, the snow is falling heavily." She said, waving her hand to urge the servants to bring in the sedan chair quickly.

  The servant woman brought over a foot warmer and a stool, and the sedan chair also arrived. After much persuasion from Madame Zhou, Jingniang finally got out of the carriage.

  No tears, no fuss, her expression under the hood didn't change in the slightest, as if she had come here of her own accord, rather than being dragged here halfway.

  This made Mrs. Zhou, who had prepared a lot of words, suddenly unsure of what to say.

  "Jiao Jiao, let's go inside first. We can talk about it in the house." She said, not even bothering to take care of herself as she had the hand warmers and foot warmers all stuffed into the soft sedan chair, and then was escorted by the maidservants towards the courtyard.

  "Jiaojiao, this is all arranged according to your habits at the Chen's house. Do you like it?" Madame Zhou said as she led her up the steps and pointed out the layout. "This place is closest to my courtyard, so everything will be convenient."

  Just as they were about to enter the house, two maidservants came in from outside the door.

  "Madam, the master is calling for you," they said.

  Mrs. Zhou smiled and patted Cheng Jiaoniang's hand.

  "In your own home, be at ease and don't be restrained. I'll go see what your uncle is doing, and we'll all come over to see you in a bit," she said, following the servant as they walked away.

  From start to finish, neither Cheng Jiaoniang nor her maid said a word.

  The servant woman who was left behind hastily knelt down at the corridor and opened the door.

  Standing under the corridor, I can feel the warmth inside the door.

  "Please come in, young lady," they said respectfully.

  Jiang Yao was about to take a step when she heard footsteps behind her and the maid's cry of surprise.

  "Sixth Master! What are you doing?"

  Jiangniang and her maid turned around, the maid let out a loud "ah" first, covering her face with her hands.

  Zhou Liulang strode into the courtyard, bare-chested and carrying a bundle of thorns on his back. He stood still in the snow, then turned around to face Cheng Jiaoniang, presenting her with his sturdy back and the thorny bundle.

  "Sixth Brother has committed three wrongs, and he has come to beg for forgiveness from his sister-in-law." He said, clasping his hands together in a fist and kneeling on one knee. "Firstly, I did not consider my sister-in-law's frail health and took the maid away; secondly, I did not consider my sister-in-law's wishes and forced her to stay; thirdly, I did not consider my sister-in-law's helplessness and coerced her into listening to my confession."

  In the snowy ground, the boy's bare upper body had already been covered with a layer of snowflakes, and the melting speed of the snowflakes falling on him was getting slower and slower.

  The maids around her covered their mouths with their hands and trembled with fear, wanting to persuade but not daring to.

  Jiang Niang turned around, her eyes didn't show any shyness or evasion, scanning the young man's bare back.

  "You're sending your mother away just so I can see this." she said slowly.

  Saturday back against body.

  This girl is indeed not a fool, she actually saw that her mother was intentionally being kept away.

  "He gritted his teeth and turned around, pulling out a thorny branch to hold in front of him as if ready to strike, facing the woman under the corridor."

  This was actually his second time seeing Cheng Jiaoniang, he thought he had already forgotten the woman's appearance, but unexpectedly when he saw her now, it seemed as if they often met and were familiar.

  Under the corridor, wearing a cloak, the woman who had already taken off her hood, under her neat hair curtain, those eyes stared at him woodenly, to be precise, staring at his bare chest.

  Whether it was cold or something else, Zhou Liulang's skin began to turn red.

  Saturday Lang had never seen a woman look at a man with such eyes, and that man was naked from the waist up, rather than covering her eyes like the maid beside her.

  Jiang Nang slowly shifted her gaze onto his face.

  "She took over Zhou Liulang's words, her hand stretched out from the cloak with one finger pointing at him, 'Take off your clothes, it doesn't look good.'"

  One update today~