"Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, don't believe the rumors in the streets. They're all false and not to be trusted!"
"I don't think so," Shi Muyuan snorted.
"I'll surely investigate everything clearly and give the Empress Dowager an explanation. You don't need to say more. Guards, take them away and await my order," Shi An said resolutely. Shi Muyuan was still regretting that she hadn't had enough fun showing her might, but then thought of her real purpose and let it go.
"Brother, you should still send someone to look for the national master. What if something unexpected happens to him while he's looking for me?"
"Didn't I tell you not to worry about him? He's very capable," Shi An and Huo Qizhou had always been at odds. They were even more confrontational in the court, neither giving in to the other. Even when they had the same opinion, they would still quarrel fiercely.
"You can't be too careful! Besides, he's the national master of the Great Liang. If something happens to him, the Great Liang will surely be in chaos," Shi Muyuan tried to persuade him.
Shi An held his temper and thought his sister was right. "Fine, I'll send someone to look for him. You go back and rest first. Clean yourself up."
"Okay, brother," Shi Muyuan replied obediently. She didn't look like an empress dowager with three grandsons at all.
...
Before Shi An's men could find Huo Qizhou, the national master had already arrived at the entrance of Qingshui County.
In the past two days on the road, he had heard many rumors. It was said that the evildoers in Qingshui County had finally met their match. They had abducted the wrong person and were caught red - handed by the imperial court. Qingshui County was finally going to be cleansed.
After hearing their descriptions, Huo Qizhou was sure it was Shi Muyuan. He immediately quickened his pace towards Qingshui County. Before he got close, he noticed that the atmosphere in the county was unusually quiet, not as bustling as an ordinary market. There were also many soldiers from the capital walking in the streets.
It seemed that the people from the palace had already found Shi Muyuan.
Huo Qizhou went straight to the county magistrate's mansion. The guards at the door recognized him and quickly led him in. They also called for Shi An.
Shi An rushed into the room angrily with a sword in his hand. Soon, the two of them flew out of the room. A glance into the room would reveal a mess on the floor.
"What do you mean, General?"
"Huo, I should be asking you that! You took my sister to jump off the city wall and let her be abducted twice. She was almost captured by that despicable villain. Aren't you very capable? Who knows if you did it on purpose. You deserve to die a hundred times under my sword," Shi An roared.
Huo Qizhou knew that he had indeed been careless this time, which had caused Shi Muyuan to suffer several setbacks. On the way here, he had also roughly understood the situation in Qingshui County. So he put down his defensive posture and tidied up his ruffled robe.
"General Shi, please understand. I have no such evil intentions. It's my duty to protect the Empress Dowager. It's indeed my fault that I didn't protect her well. I'm willing to take a blow from General Shi," Huo Qizhou said.
Seeing that he really didn't show any intention of resistance, Shi An felt rather uncomfortable. A lot of words were stuck in his throat. He didn't know whether to say them or not. In the end, he simply threw the sword in his hand and punched Huo Qizhou twice, making him take several steps back.
When Shi Muyuan came, she saw her elder brother beating the national master unilaterally. She was shocked and lifted her skirt and ran up. "What are you two doing?"
Shi An stopped punching. Being seen by his sister bullying someone, his voice was rather uncomfortable. "He deserves it."
"This is my fault. I'm willing to take the punishment," Huo Qizhou coughed lightly. His voice was a bit hoarse and his lips were chapped, as if he hadn't drunk water for several days.
After several days of tiring travel, he no longer looked as unapproachable as he did in the palace. His originally sharp eyebrows were fluffy, matching his fox - like clear eyes, looking a bit cute. Coupled with the two punches he had just received, when he coughed, there were tears in his eyes, looking very aggrieved.
Shi Muyuan felt very distressed. She gave Shi An a disapproving look and led Huo Qizhou away, leaving Shi An speechless on the spot.
Goodness, he had never noticed that Huo Qizhou was such a person.
He was actually using the beauty trick!
"I'm sorry, National Master. My elder brother is a military general and doesn't know how to control his strength. Are you okay?" Shi Muyuan's voice was full of worry.
Huo Qizhou didn't expect her to care about him so much. He was stunned for a moment. "It's understandable for General Shi to be angry..."
"Don't say that. You've saved me several times. Everyone makes mistakes. It's normal to slip up. You don't need to blame yourself," Shi Muyuan interrupted him.
Huo Qizhou felt as if he had been insulted.
Moreover, it was the first time he had been interrupted. This feeling was really infuriating.
"You rest well. We'll leave after my elder brother finishes dealing with the matters here," Shi Muyuan accompanied him all the way to the door of the room. She waved and was about to leave. Huo Qizhou nodded and watched her back as she left, then turned around and entered the room.
The matter in Qingshui County had already been well - known for a long time. But since Lord Zhang hadn't extended his reach to harm people outside, no one had bothered to care.
The court was busy with the death of the previous emperor, the enthronement of the new emperor, and the matters related to the envoys. Naturally, no one had the time to take care of this. The people below had evil intentions. If Shi Muyuan hadn't accidentally walked into Qingshui County, no one knew how long this matter would have continued.
On the day he decided to stay, Shi An sent a message to the palace, saying that when they were looking for the Empress Dowager, they passed by here. After learning about this matter, he had issued an order to investigate the case clearly before returning to the palace. This also explained why the Empress Dowager had appeared here.
When Ji Heng received the news, he was discussing the classics in the book with Shi Li. Shi Li was relieved to learn that his sister was safe. The worry in his heart was finally alleviated a bit.
"Your Majesty has just ascended the throne. This matter is neither very serious nor completely insignificant. Moreover, the county magistrate of Qingshui County is just a seventh - rank official. You can use this opportunity to intimidate other officials and serve as a warning to others," Shi Li said.
Ji Heng thought for a while. Indeed, the county magistrate of Qingshui County was a good breakthrough. He could use this opportunity to establish his prestige in the court. So he sent someone to deal with this matter specifically.
Shi Muyuan remembered Sister Qiu who had helped her before. She led some people to look for her. When she went to the wonton shop, she didn't see her. After inquiring, she learned that Sister Qiu had closed the shop for several days. With the guidance of others, she finally found her home.
Shi Muyuan waved away the soldiers who wanted to knock on the door. Afraid of scaring the people inside, she stepped forward to knock on the door herself.
As soon as Sister Qiu opened the door, she saw a yellow - clothed woman with apricot - like cheeks and willow - like eyebrows. She looked very familiar. When she saw the armored guards behind her, she realized who it was. It was her.
Sister Qiu quickly performed a clumsy salute, with a blush on her face.
"Auntie, there's no need for such formalities," Shi Muyuan helped her up.
"I didn't know it was the Empress Dowager. I've offended you. Please forgive me, Your Majesty," Sister Qiu said.
"Sister Qiu, what are you talking about? Thank you for reminding me that day. But this matter is not easy to talk about. I hope Sister Qiu will keep it a secret," Shi Muyuan said.