Chapter 31

"Report to the Hall Master."

Zhang Wenkui, panting heavily and with a furious expression, said, "I ran here to report something important. That rogue passed through Wufeng County with his troops. It happened to be the day when the Wufeng County Magistrate was out with his family. The women in his family were very beautiful, and the rogue saw them. Lusting after them, he led his troops in pursuit of the magistrate's family. He didn't catch them, but ended up surrounding Wufeng County. Even if he could capture Wufeng County, he wouldn't be able to arrive here by the day after tomorrow."

After finishing, Zhang Wenkui spat angrily, his face full of disdain.

One of the two flanking forces that had infiltrated deep into Jiangzhou was led by the rogue Zhang Wenkui mentioned.

This man was named Wang Liu, a lecherous fiend who, relying on his position as the Prince's confidant, acted with impunity, causing many troubles in Yingshan County, earning him the nickname of 'Rogue General.'

Unexpectedly, he dared to act recklessly even in matters concerning the entire Eastern Army's strategy.

Shuimohou cursed loudly, "Damn! That guy will die in a woman's arms sooner or later!"

Qin Sang also felt a headache when he heard this. The Magistrate of Hening County was clearly capable. Although the garrison had been redeployed, the city gates were still strictly guarded by trained militiamen and constables.

They had originally agreed to join forces with the two flanking forces at dawn the day after tomorrow to launch a surprise attack on Hening County, ensuring a sure victory. Now, with Wang Liu chasing after women, the troops here were significantly reduced. How confident could they be in capturing the city?

Even if they captured the city, would they have the strength to suppress the rebels?

If they delayed for a day, they feared the news would leak.

Staring at the city gates of Hening County for a while, Qin Sang spat out a blade of grass and said in a deep voice, "If he doesn't want the credit that's handed to him, don't blame us for taking it. This time, we'll put in extra effort to help General Mu capture Hening County. After the mission is completed, I'll personally recommend you to the Princess for commendation!"

Suddenly, the refugee column on the main road was in an uproar. A few refugees were arguing and shoving each other, and were driven out of the soup kitchen by the servants of a wealthy household.

All the refugees on the road were watching the commotion, but no one dared to leave the column.

Qin Sang watched curiously and noticed that one side consisted of three strong, muscular men who looked similar, possibly brothers, while the other side was a group of seven half-grown children, both boys and girls, with the oldest boy looking about thirteen or fourteen, though it was hard to tell as children from poor families were often malnourished.

After listening to the people around him for a while, Qin Sang understood the situation.

These three strong men were known as the Kong brothers, who had always bullied others with their strength. They never queued for soup, often extorted others with their broken bowls, and even stole food from the elderly and weak.

They didn't dare to misbehave in front of wealthy households with rules, but if the soup providers ignored them, they would get away with it.

These children had caught their attention, and they not only wanted to steal their soup but also kidnap them.

Qin Sang usually wouldn't get involved in such trivial matters, but the leading boy was interesting, so he watched a bit more closely.

"My sister broke your bowl, we'll pay you, but you can't take her away!"

The boy spread his arms protectively, shielding the other six children behind him. A dirty little girl was hiding behind him, sobbing, likely the one who broke the bowl.

Qin Sang, with his keen eyesight, noticed that although the girl was dirty, she had a well-proportioned face and was only about ten years old. If cleaned up, she could fetch a good price, which was why the three men wanted to kidnap her.

"Spit!"

The eldest of the three brothers spat angrily, pointing at the broken pieces on the ground, "You know nothing! My bowl is from the Black Kiln..."

The youngest brother whispered, "Big brother, it's the White Kiln, White Kiln..."

"Ah, right! The White Kiln! Little beggar, do you know the White Kiln? One bowl is worth hundreds of taels of silver. Selling all of you wouldn't be enough! I'll just take the little girl, it's a favor to you!"

The eldest brother leered at the little girl, "Little sister, come with big brother, and I'll make sure you eat well and drink well. What fun is it to stay with these half-grown brats? Ha ha..."

The three men laughed lecherously.

The children were indignant, and the little girl was trembling with fear.

Qin Sang almost laughed out of frustration. The White Kiln produced the most precious porcelain in the Great Sui Dynasty, all of which were imperial tributes. Even wealthy merchants didn't have the right to use them, and he had never heard of a refugee having a White Kiln bowl for soup.

"Damn!"

The second brother suddenly stepped forward, his chest pressing against the boy's face, and said viciously, "Little beggar, she's not your sister, why are you meddling? Be sensible and get out of the way!"

Qin Sang narrowed his eyes, noticing that the man was holding a knife against the boy's stomach.

Zhang Wenkui, who was still out of breath, saw this and couldn't help but feel angry, saying, "Hall Master, these children are pitiful. Should we do something?"

Qin Sang turned to stare at Zhang Wenkui and asked coldly, "Should I start calling you Zhang the Hero? How many pitiful people have you saved?"

Zhang Wenkui's face turned pale, and he lowered his head, not daring to speak.

Unexpectedly, the boy, despite the knife at his stomach, showed no fear. He stood still, his head held high, his red eyes fixed on the muscular man, and shouted wildly.

"Damn you! If you have the guts, stab me! Stab me to death, and you can take whoever you want!"

The second brother was taken aback by the boy's madness, instinctively stepping back, then became furious and, not daring to use the knife, grabbed the boy's collar, ready to strike.

The boy was fierce, biting down.

Qin Sang called out softly.

"Old Zhou!"

Shuimohou understood and quickly got up, running over and pushing the muscular man away. He pounced on the boy, pinching his face and crying out, "Son! Son! It's really you! I'm your father! I'm your father!"

Qin Sang rubbed his forehead, thinking, "What a talent."

The boy reacted quickly, hugging Shuimohou and wailing, "Father! I finally found you! Father, why did you take so long to come..."

The crowd was startled by Shuimohou's sudden appearance and the dramatic scene of father and son reuniting, marveling at the spectacle.

Shuimohou, though only two years older than Qin Sang, had a thick layer of yellow mud on his face and acted convincingly. The 'father and son' cried passionately, and no one suspected it was an act.

The three muscular men were taken aback but, seeing Shuimohou's broken arm, began to move again.

Qin Sang nodded, and Zhang Wenkui, who had been eager to act, finally dared to move. He ran over, staring fiercely at the three men, "Brother! Is it really my nephew? Nephew, don't be afraid. Tell your uncle who bullied you, and I'll get revenge for you!"

Zheng Kun also quietly approached, pulling open his shirt to reveal the hilt of a knife at his waist.

Seeing no benefit, the three muscular men cursed and walked away.