Chapter 1270: Restless
Chapter 1270: Chapter 1270: Restless
On New Year’s Eve of the twenty-second year of Shengping, it was destined to end unrestfully. During such a festive occasion, some people enjoyed family reunions while others suffered casualties, yet no one dared to wander around outside. This was because soldiers were searching everywhere for rebels, and no one wanted to be dragged to prison for interrogation during the New Year.
The closer it got to midnight of the New Year, the fewer people traversed the streets. Some shops, like medicine stores or clinics, had long closed their doors. However, a steward or an assistant, still concerned, would occasionally go to inspect the shops to prevent any trouble, in case the premises were vandalized or sullied. Encountering filth at the start of the New Year would indeed be considered bad luck.
At Chunhe Hall, one usual attendant named Liu San was among those inspecting the premises. During his check, he discovered, to his surprise and alarm, that the door lock had been dismantled. Hastily lighting a lamp, he saw that the medicine cabinets inside the shop were wide open, and many herbs had vanished without a trace.
Liu San, dumbstruck, finally let out a shout after a long pause: "Damn it, we’ve been robbed!"
The cry was swallowed by the silent night.
Some shops kept their doors tightly shut, while others flung their doors wide open, welcoming guests, such as those opulent and extravagant entertainment venues.
Yet there were military inspections being carried out, ignoring the madam and pimp’s attempts to block them. Soldiers kicked open the tightly closed doors, scaring many who were in the act of copulation into impotence on the spot.
At the Wanchun Building, a military guard paused by one door, sniffed the air, then led his men to kick it open.
A scream echoed from inside.
"Officer, officer, this is our girl, Hong Chun. She’s not feeling well tonight and isn’t receiving clients," the madam hurriedly rushed over.
Inside, a person sat there pale, clutching her skirt and gazing at them in terror.
"Why is there a smell of blood?" the leading soldier asked his men behind him, "Search the room."
The room’s furnishings were simple and clear. Hong Chun stammered as she replied, "Officer, sir, my... my menstrual cycle has begun, I was just about to clean up."
Disregarding her embarrassment, she raised her skirt, revealing white undergarments, with a patch of crimson red on display.
The soldier’s face grew dark, and the other two soldiers, after glancing briefly, shook their heads, finding it inauspicious.
"Let’s go."
As they left, the madam pointed at her, quickly closing the door and following them, realizing there would be no business tonight.
Once they were gone, Hong Chun wiped the fear from her face and approached the window. After a while, seeing the search party leave Wanchun Building, she moved the bathtub aside, lifted the floorboard, and revealed a hidden compartment that could only hold two or three people.
Out jumped Zhang Zhi, a man from the side of Mr. Ning. He then helped out Mr. Ning, whose wrinkled face was ghostly pale. His abdomen was stained with red, blood soaking through his clothes, and he had already fallen unconscious.
There was a rustling from the window, startling them. Hong Chun walked over and asked, "Who?"
"It’s me."
Hong Chun quickly opened the window as Tong Qian leapt in, carrying a large package of medicines, and hurried to the bed: "How is the sir?"
While asking, he opened the bundle, signaling Zhang Zhi to tear apart the cloth for bandaging. Hong Chun remained vigilant, occasionally glancing toward the bed, eyebrows furrowed deeply.
Tong Qian saw the wound and said, "The cut is quite deep."
Zhang Zhi clenched his teeth tightly, cursing, "Damn it, that sickly bastard, he should be torn to pieces."
"The man is dead already, there’s no point talking about that. We need to figure out what to do next," Tong Qian said, frowning.
No one could have expected that Lord Wu’s grandson would recognize the sir as not being his grandfather. He took a weapon hidden away, pretending to be coquettish, claiming he wanted to say a few words to the sir. The sir, showing a moment of empathy, approached him, only to be stabbed in the abdomen by the other’s dagger.