Chapter 110: Brotherly Affection, Younger Brother's Respect

What did you say?!!

Boom——!

The sky light suddenly broke, and human voices rose together with the thunder.

Streaks of lightning flashed across the sky, lighting the curtains of the county office's study; Ouyang Wu sprang to his feet, rare for him to fail to maintain a gentleman's composure:

"When that couple arrived, they actually encountered those two fugitives, the boss and the Nineteenth Young Master!!"

The attendant had already been startled once in the inn, so his reaction now is fairly quick:

"In reply to the Fifth Young Master, I have inquired clearly; there is no joking."

"The couple's description of their appearance and build is extremely detailed; if they hadn't truly met those two, they surely couldn't have said so."

Therefore, as soon as he heard the news, he hurried back.

All so he could inform his own young master as soon as possible.

Outside the rain still fell; Ouyang Wu paced, walking slowly inside for a few breaths, then asked thoughtfully:

"Did you ask about their whereabouts?"

The attendant, knowing his master would ask this, hurriedly replied:

"Naturally I found out where those two unrepentant servant slaves are!"

"The couple said they were originally escort agents; earlier, entrusted by their master to deliver goods to Ju Cheng, on the way they met one big and one small; seeing that the two had no money, yet feeling compassion, they brought them to Ju Cheng......"

The words trailed off here.

The attendant wanted to speak but held back, it almost showed on his face.

Ouyang Wu, rarely feeling vexed, frowned slightly and said:

"Just say it; why act like a woman?....."

"Furthermore, who gave you the gall to call them servant slaves in my presence?"

Since the boss and the Nineteenth Young Master fled together, this Fifth Young Master has also sincerely sought them, unable to rest or eat.

Now that we have finally found their whereabouts, why hesitate?

The attendant stared, for the first time unsure of his master's meaning, and without hesitation slapped his own face, saying:

"It is the attendant's nonsense; I hope the master will not blame me."

"The couple said that after the two young masters were sent to Ju Cheng, the Eldest Young Master quickly relied on his looks to attach himself to the magistrate who likes men, dressing in women's clothes all day, applying heavy makeup to serve the magistrate......"

"They could bear it no longer, thus they severed ties with that person......"

Ouyang Wu had been frowning; hearing this, his shoulders, which had been straight by the window, slumped, and the expression on his face instantly went blank.

The attendant had served the master for twenty years and had never seen him so at a loss.

But he himself was also quite at a loss!

Heaven knows how utterly distraught he was when he heard these things in the inn.

At that time, he simply couldn't find a word to say!

The attendant's face showed an expression hard to put into words; seeing the master silent, he could only continue muttering to himself:

"I feel that what the lady said is probably true."

"Earlier, when surveying the surrounding cities, I had heard that the magistrate of Ju Cheng is named Qian Youde, now seventy-six, and he has long kept male favorites......"

"Enough!"

A sudden shout came from the window lattice, cutting off the attendant's words.

The attendant fell to his knees with a thud, head bowed, eyes watching his nose, nose watching his heart.

Although he couldn't be sure why, clearly the whole royal family regards the Eldest Young Master and the Nineteenth Young Master as nobodies, yet our master refuses to call them servant slaves and flies into a rage over those two who fled as servant slaves......

But first kneel and admit fault; that is never wrong.

The master's affairs are never something these servants should meddle in.

The attendant fell silent, and only the rain's sound remained in the room.

Ouyang Wu's refined, handsome face was indeed somewhat gloomy.

He turned his back and began to pace again in the study.

His steps were unhurried, from the bookshelf to the table, from the table to the door's edge, then back from the door's edge.

His sleeves were rolled up, revealing his wrists; with his hands behind his back, his fingers tapped lightly on his own wrist bones, one after another.

One circle.

Two circles.

When he reached the third circle, he stopped in front of the table.

The tea on the table had gone cold, a thin film of tea forming on the rim of the cup.

He lowered his head to look at the cold tea for a moment, then suddenly extended a finger and wrote three characters on the edge of the cup's saucer——

Qian Youde.

The fingertip had no ink, merely gliding lightly over the dry wood grain.

Having written it, he stared at the invisible characters for a while, then lifted his head and gazed out the window.

Fine rain drizzled in the corridor, heavy water weighing down the branches.

Ouyang Wu drew his hand back, tucked it into his sleeve, and then said:

"You go find a few more people to sway the county office's yamen runners in Ju Cheng, or do it as you did in Cang Cheng."

The attendant stared, then promptly replied:

"Yes!"

Which time was that? As the master's confidant, he certainly knows.

Nothing more than having swayed a few greedy, lustful yamen runners, then coaxing them to open the granary and secretly selling his city's grain stores to them.

But that bunch of idiots never thinks—since ancient times, which traitor to his lord ever ends well?

They secretly sold the grain tax that should have been sent to the imperial court—let alone the court sending investigators, even if other people in the county office wanted to look into it, how could they keep it hidden?

As expected, a few days ago those constables, seeing the deadline for grain tax delivery approach, finally realized something was wrong, and came running over, faces ashen, begging for help......

How can this be saved?

Fortunately, our young master is clever; he told them that since the chief clerk is going to investigate, they'd definitely need something in hand to do so.

Those few left, half-understanding, and a few days later, sure enough, word came that they had rallied the mountain folk, raided the county office, and set a great fire......

Idiots.

A bunch of idiots.

But it's also fortunate they're idiots; otherwise, how could the lord later keep them busy and win over the people's hearts?

Now that we're going to move against Ju Cheng......

"Cang Cheng just suffered a great fire; once Ju Cheng runs out of grain and faces an uprising, the Lord Crown Prince will surely be able to enter this place as if it were uninhabited."

Ouyang Wu relaxed a little, muttering to himself:

"Although the Northern Dynasty's cavalry is brave, they cannot pass Zhao Ling; naturally, someone capable must hold the south."

"That person can only be the Lord Crown Prince."

The Lord Crown Prince is also the legitimate son born of the Queen of An Nan.

From birth he brought with him wealth and honor.

It's a pity, a slight flaw in the jade.

The Lord Crown Prince's birth order, because an eldest son was born covertly to a slave woman above him, he can only be ranked second.

The attendant felt indignant but dared not speak it.

Our young master won't let him call those two slaves 'house slaves,' so he also can't fathom the young master's intentions.

If it ever comes to light and the master is displeased, the one who will get beaten and punished will still be him.

The attendant carefully got up from the ground, preparing to go attend to his duties.

Who would have thought, just as he was about to leave the study.

Behind him came a warm, moist voice.

That voice said:

"Right..... I didn't let you call the eldest and the nineteen slaves 'young masters' meaning you should address them as such."

The attendant startled, turned around, and happened to see his master sitting again before the desk.

Ouyang Wu's brows and eyes were gentle, utterly kind, so his words didn't sound so harsh.

But for some reason, to those listening, it always gave them a chill.

Ouyang Wu picked up his pen, wrote the heading of the letter to the Lord Crown Prince, and spoke softly with a smile:

"Not everyone can be called a house slave."

"We are the Lord Crown Prince's house slaves, while those two can only be called ungrateful beasts."

"Go on; when I inform the Lord Crown Prince of this...... there will come a time when those two are flayed and have their tendons pulled."

?? This is truly 'brotherly affection, fraternal respect,' huh, no deceit~