Chapter 10

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Yang Shouwen watched as Yang Rui left, then收回目光，walked over to Youniang’s side.

"Youniang, what’s wrong? You look unhappy. Did someone bully you?"

"Brother Sizi, don’t be nice to Second Young Master. He bullied Mother and Youniang yesterday. How can Brother Sizi be like this?"

Youniang pouted, looking clearly unhappy.

Yang Shouwen laughed, squatted down, and tried to hug her, but Youniang quickly dodged and ran to the flower bed. Yang Shouwen shook his head, walked to the flower bed, and picked up Youniang. This time, Youniang didn’t try to dodge.

"Don’t be upset, Youniang. Brother Sizi was just using Second Young Master, so I had to be nice to him. Brother Sizi loves Youniang the most. After I’m done with Second Young Master, I’ll find a way to deal with him for you, okay?"

"Really?"

"Of course!"

Youniang’s face finally showed a smile. "Brother Sizi, you must avenge Youniang."

"Got it."

Seeing Youniang happy, Yang Shouwen finally relaxed.

"Where’s Auntie?"

"Mother is making a fire to prepare dinner for Brother Sizi."

"That’s perfect. I also have something to ask Auntie."

Yang Shouwen walked into his bedroom, picked up a stack of paper from the desk, held Youniang’s hand, and headed straight for the kitchen.

He asked Yang Shi if there were any craftsmen in the village. She told him that Old Hu at the village entrance was the best craftsman in the area. After hearing this, Yang Shouwen took Youniang out of the house. It was already mid-afternoon, and the sun slanted across the village path. There were no pedestrians along the way, and the entire village was quiet, exuding a tranquil and enchanting atmosphere.

Old Hu lived at the village entrance and was a blacksmith.

He looked to be in his early fifties, with a dark and shiny face. His voice was full of energy and particularly loud.

"What are you going to use these tools for, Young Master?"

Old Hu looked at the blueprint Yang Shouwen handed him and couldn’t help but show a puzzled expression.

I hate 'Young Master'!

Yang Shouwen forced a smile. "Old Hu, don’t call me Young Master. Just call me Sizi."

"How can I do that? Young Master is the eldest son of County Magistrate Yang. It’s only right to call you Young Master. What’s the problem with that? Besides, if you call me Old Hu, it will be too much for this old man. Why not just call me Old Hu like the villagers do?"

"How can I do that?"

"Why not?"

Old Hu was also a stubborn person and argued with Yang Shouwen over the title.

The Tang Dynasty was still a time of strict hierarchy.

Although the Yang family wasn’t a high-ranking family, Yang Chenglie had been a county magistrate for over a decade and had a good reputation in Changping. Old Hu was just a craftsman and couldn’t possibly bear the title 'Old Hu.' If it got out, people would laugh at him.

In the end, they reached an agreement: Yang Shouwen would call him Old Hu, and Old Hu would call Yang Shouwen 'Sizi.'

At least he was free from the magical title 'Young Master.'

Yang Shouwen held the blueprint, showed it to Old Hu, and explained.

"These tools can be made, but it will take some effort. The whole set will cost at least 300 coins... It will take two days to complete. Can Sizi wait that long?"

Two days seemed acceptable.

Yang Shouwen left 500 coins as a deposit, agreed on the delivery time with Old Hu, and then got up to leave. When he was about to leave, he noticed that Youniang had fallen asleep on a nearby couch.

Looking at the sky, it was almost dusk.

No wonder Youniang fell asleep after explaining all afternoon.

Yang Shouwen gently picked up Youniang, said goodbye to Old Hu, and walked back home along the village path.

At dinner, Yang Rui returned, exhausted and out of breath.

He handed a leather pouch to Yang Shouwen. "A total of 3,400 coins. Big Brother, please check."

"What’s there to check? We’re brothers. Do you think I don’t trust you? You gave me 500 coins earlier, so the total is 3,900 coins. Let’s round it to 4,000... I’ve already made arrangements. We can start in three days at the latest. Second Young Master, you might need to help out with some details then."

"That’s only right, that’s only right."

Unintentionally, he became a partner with Yang Shouwen.

Yang Rui’s attitude changed, and he treated Yang Shouwen with even more respect.

After dinner, the two sat in the main hall and talked.

Yang Shi took Youniang to tidy up the room, preparing for the arrival of Song Shi and her daughter in a couple of days.

"Second Young Master, what do you think about the murder case today?"

To be honest, it was hard for Yang Shouwen to find common ground with a thirteen-year-old. After chatting for a while, he suddenly changed the subject to the body they found in the morning.

Yang Rui’s face turned pale when he heard this.

He hesitated for a moment and said softly, "What can I think... This place is on the border, and fights and brawls happen often. I don’t mind telling Big Brother, I’ve been a constable for a year, and I’ve heard about deaths countless times. Last year, I heard the head constable say that in the county town, people died, and their bodies weren’t even intact."

During the Tang Dynasty, the people were fierce, and the culture of knights-errant was prevalent and highly esteemed.

Yang Shouwen remembered an incident from the Tang Dynasty. A wealthy man was a die-hard fan of knights-errant. Whenever a knight-errant visited, he would warmly welcome them. One day, a rough-looking knight-errant came with a bloody bag, saying he had killed a corrupt official and was planning to run away. He asked the wealthy man to lend him 100,000 coins, offering the official’s head as collateral.

This was a bizarre request, but the wealthy man eventually agreed.

The knight-errant took the 100,000 coins and disappeared. Later, the wealthy man found something wrong and opened the bag to discover a pig’s head inside.

It sounded ridiculous, but it also reflected the popularity of knights-errant.

It was in this environment that Li Bai wrote his famous poem "The Knight-Errant."

Seeing that Yang Rui wasn’t interested, Yang Shouwen’s eyes twinkled, and he came up with a plan.

"That’s true, but as a child, one should ultimately help their parents. If such a case happens, it will eventually fall on Father. If Father catches the murderer, that’s fine, but if he doesn’t, he will be punished by his superiors. I heard that the current county magistrate is a man who doesn’t tolerate any sand in his eyes."

Yang Rui nodded in agreement.

"You’re right. Father also said that County Magistrate Wang is different from the previous ones. The previous magistrates came to Changping to gain experience, but County Magistrate Wang seems to genuinely want to do something. Since taking office, he has been very diligent and is known for his excellent judgment. Father said that County Magistrate Wang comes from a prestigious family, possibly a descendant of the Taiyuan Wang clan. He has been in Changping for more than two years and has never gone home to visit his family. During holidays, he stays in the county to celebrate with the people. He still lives alone in the county office and doesn’t indulge in pleasure, like a hermit."

"Big Brother, what is a hermit?"

"A hermit is someone who is strict with himself and focuses on seeking the truth."

Yang Rui scratched his head, seemingly understanding but not quite.

Yang Shouwen said solemnly, "Since the county magistrate is such a person, he will certainly take this case seriously. Second Young Master, to be honest... this morning, I found some clues and want to help Father."

To his surprise, Yang Rui shook his head. "Big Brother, it’s best not to get involved. Father told me that the murderer has many accomplices and is quite skilled. Father took me to Yang Weibei at noon and said that was the murder scene. This is not something we brothers can get involved in. Since Father has entrusted the head constable, he must have his reasons."

Yang Chenglie had already found the crime scene before he told me?

Yang Shouwen was stunned and felt very surprised.

It seems I underestimated Father. He has been a county magistrate in Changping for ten years, so he must have his ways. No wonder he was surprised but not overly eager when I told him earlier.

It turns out he found the crime scene at Yang Weibei.

But the more he thought about it, the more curious Yang Shouwen became.

"Second Young Master, this is a good opportunity for you."

"How so?"

Yang Shouwen pointed at Yang Rui and said solemnly, "Although you are already a constable, everyone knows you got the position because you are Father’s son, not because of your abilities. You are still young and won’t be taken seriously. You are only thirteen, and without a convincing achievement, you will be ridiculed. If you and I work together to solve this case, Father will praise you. Then, you can hold your head high in the office, and even the head constable will look at you differently."

Yang Rui’s expression was uncertain. He lowered his head, clearly hesitant...