bookrandom Chapter 661: The grudges have long been written off
Chapter 661: The grudges have long been written off
Wang Wen felt hot all over and was extremely anxious.
He paced back and forth, each step heavy and quick, as if he wanted to trample a hole in the blue bricks under his feet.
The image of that girl kept circling in my mind, but I couldn't connect her with the theft.
She smiled sweetly, and her words and actions were full of grace and elegance. Her figure was as light as a willow, her face was whiter than snow, and her eyes were full of vitality. How could such a beautiful girl like the warm spring sun become a thief?
The two taels of stolen silver were a lot of money for Wang Wen, whose family was not well-off.
He had worked hard for a long time to save these two taels of silver. He had intended to use it to buy some urgently needed items for his family to improve his difficult life, but now it was gone.
But in comparison, the diary is even more precious to him.
Li Chengqian stood quietly by, taking in Wang Wen's anxious look. He couldn't help but shake his head slightly, a gentle smile appearing on his face.
He raised his hand and gently patted Wang Wen's shoulder.
"Don't panic. The things can't be lost. We can find them back soon. Come with me and take a look. Maybe we already have a clue."
When Wang Wen heard this, he suddenly realized his mistake. He lowered his head and said apologetically, "Master, I'm really sorry for causing you so much trouble for no reason."
"It's all my fault for being so careless that the thieves took advantage of me. I... I was so stupid."
Li Chengqian waved his hand, his tone still gentle, without the slightest hint of blame: "What's there to apologize for? It happened right under my nose, and even I didn't notice it, let alone you."
"You know, even the famous Xian Huai was kept in the dark by that little girl. Her tactics are so clever that you can't guard against them. That's why you were tricked."
"So, when you're out and about, people's minds are complicated, so you have to be careful and cautious about everything."
Outside the courtyard, there were densely packed Jinyiwei standing there. They were wearing Feiyu uniforms. Not only that, but even on the roof, there was a row of Jinyiwei neatly arranged.
In just half an hour, the place was surrounded and an impenetrable net was laid.
The girl was standing in the middle of the yard at this moment, looking at the Jinyiwei who were facing a formidable enemy, with flames of unwillingness burning in her eyes.
She clenched her teeth so tightly that a white mark was left on her pink lips. Fine beads of sweat on her forehead slid down her cheeks and wet the hair on her temples.
Her chest heaved violently, and she was obviously still making her final struggle.
Suddenly, she stomped her foot hard, tapped the wall with her toes, and used her whole body to perform light martial arts, stepping on the wall to escape.
But just as she jumped up, she heard a series of "clicks" and a row of shining crossbows were aimed at her and the children in the yard.
Seeing this, the girl froze in her tracks, the light in her eyes dimmed instantly, she sighed helplessly, her shoulders slumped, and finally she slowly lowered her hands and surrendered.
Inside the room, Li Chengqian sat on a wooden chair, flipping through the detailed information just delivered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The paper made a slight sound as his fingertips rubbed against it.
From time to time he looked up at the group of children kneeling below.
They were dressed in rags, with patches of various sizes on their worn clothes. They were so thin that they looked as if they could be blown down by a gust of wind.
Every young face was filled with fear.
Li Chengqian gently put down the information in his hand, leaned forward slightly, his eyes fell on the girl in the lead, and spoke in a calm voice.
"Cui Wanying, this name is quite elegant and gentle."
"Who is Cui Jingming to you?"
When Cui Wanying heard this, her whole body trembled violently, as if someone had touched the most sensitive nerve in her heart.
She suddenly raised her head, her teeth clenched, and cursed viciously: "You dog emperor, if you want to kill me, just kill me. Why ask so many questions?"
"Cui Jingming is my grandfather."
When Li Chengqian heard this, he was slightly stunned, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
He really didn't expect that the stubborn girl in front of him was Cui Jingming's granddaughter.
When Zhang Xianhuai, who was standing by, heard the three words "Dog Emperor", his eyes widened with anger and a hint of ruthlessness flashed in his eyes.
He waved his hand and was about to send someone forward to teach this ignorant girl a lesson.
As soon as he raised his arm, Li Chengqian stopped him.
Li Chengqian's eyes slowly swept over these trembling children. They were all descendants of the Five Surnames and Seven Noble Families, and had never experienced the glory of aristocratic families.
Seeing the fear in their eyes, Li Chengqian couldn't help but frown.
He leaned forward slightly, his voice unconsciously softened, and asked, "Why don't you go to school and study instead of stealing? Isn't it better to study and learn to read, and seek fame and fortune?"
Upon hearing this question, all the children lowered their heads instantly, not daring to look directly into Li Chengqian's eyes.
Their heads hung low. Then, a childish voice rang out from the corner, like the chirping of an oriole on a spring day, breaking the oppressive silence: "We can't go to school. Everyone hates us and will beat and scold us whenever they see us."
The person who spoke was a little girl who looked no more than four or five years old. She was thin and had a clear and innocent look in her eyes. She didn't understand who the person in front of her was and was simply recounting her experience.
When Cui Wanying heard this, her face changed suddenly.
She hurriedly shouted: "Xiaojiu, don't talk!"
As if it was a conditioned reflex, everyone quickly pulled Xiaojiu behind them, trying to use their bodies to block her from facing Li Chengqian's inquiring gaze.
Li Chengqian was silent for a moment after hearing what the little girl said.
Seeing this, Cui Wanying gritted her teeth, as if mustering up all her courage, and continued, "Your Majesty, you are naturally remarkable. Since ancient times, victors have been kings and losers have been bandits. There is nothing to argue about."
"You haven't exterminated all of us descendants of the aristocratic families. This is already a sign of your mercy."
"But will you really let us live a peaceful life?"
"Do you think we want to be thieves? We are just desperate."
"In this world, no one respects us. We are like a group of rats crossing the street, and everyone wants to kill us. If we don't do this, how can we survive?"
"Xiaojiu is still young and doesn't understand anything."
"Now that we are in your hands, you can kill us or chop us up, and we will have no complaints. This can be considered as atonement for our family."
When Li Chengqian heard the word "atonement", he was stunned for a moment.
He slowly raised his head and looked straight at Cui Wanying with a hint of compassion in his eyes.
He stood up, walked slowly to Cui Wanying, and looked down at her.
"Your sins have been atoned for with blood on the battlefield."
"Those aristocratic warriors who fought bloody battles for the Tang Dynasty defended their country with their lives and washed away the mistakes of your ancestors."
"Now, you are not guilty of any other crime except the theft."
"I have never intended to target you, the children of aristocratic families. I have already written off all past grudges with your elders."
"As for you... in my eyes, you are all citizens of the Tang Dynasty."