Chapter 73: The Person Who Should Not Have Appeared

Asking her to return posed a difficulty for her?

Liu'er could somewhat understand it.

Even with Miss Jun there, no one would bully Fang Jinxiu, but since Fang Jinxiu's mother had done such a thing, everybody knew it wasn't related to her, yet they couldn't help but feel some discontent in their hearts.

Not only did the people of the Fang Family harbor discontent, but how could Fang Jinxiu herself not feel the same?

Even if the people of the Fang Family let her off the hook, she couldn't forgive herself.

With things as they were, it might be better to make a clean break, to neither see nor think of each other from now on.

"Old Lady Chengyu and both Misses have been looking out for her in secret, so there's no need to worry," Miss Jun continued to speak.

What Miss said must be right, Liu'er's smile returned, and she cast away her worries.

"Miss, try this," she said, holding out a packet of snacks in her hand.

Just as they were speaking, some commotion arose ahead, and the two stopped to look. By this time, they had entered the vicinity of the county government. A group of officials with their entourage seemed to be preparing to mount their horses and leave.

Many officials had come for the matter in Yangcheng, and not all of them needed to witness the execution. As their exit was not brief and today's affairs had come to an end, they were leaving in succession.

Because the crowd was gathering at the execution ground, the area near the county government was very quiet. Thus, these officials could leave in a relaxed and casual manner without the need of government soldiers to clear the path, chatting and laughing as they mounted their horses.

Miss Jun also turned her gaze away and continued walking with Liu'er. The officials and their followers were numerous yet orderly as they made their way along the street, brushing past one another.

Just as they passed by a couple of horses, Miss Jun suddenly stopped, as if she had thought of someone and abruptly turned around.

Her eyes fell on the group of riders they had just passed.

Unawares, Liu'er continued walking before realizing that Miss Jun had stopped and rushed back.

"What's wrong, Miss?" she asked, puzzled.

Miss Jun did not answer her, instead continuing to watch the group of people making their way down the street.

After all, Miss was also curious to see the spectacle. Beheadings were too frightening to watch, but it was rare to see these officials from the prefecture city, and it was inevitable to take a special interest when encountering them.

Liu'er followed her gaze.

These officials were mostly cultured bureaucrats, aged around thirty to forty, with the scholarly air typical of all bureaucrats, as well as an authority honed by their experience in the officialdom.

Since they were accustomed to being watched by the public, they did not pay mind to the two girls looking at them from the roadside, proceeding straight with dignity and neither of them deviating their eyes, except for one attendant in green robes.

Miss Jun's gaze was fixed on him.

This was a man in his thirties or forties, with fair skin and two small mustaches, of average appearance, exuding a simple and honest air common among attendants.

Seeing that they were just two fourteen- or fifteen-year-old girls, he did not take much notice, simply stroked his mustaches and looked away.

Miss Jun's gaze also shifted away, but surprise lingered in her eyes.

"How could he be here?" she murmured to herself.

Liu'er overheard her.

"Who? Does Miss know him?" she asked eagerly, peering at the riders moving past, "Is he one of Father's colleagues?"

He was not one of Jun Yingwen's colleagues.

Miss Jun looked over because that man was not an official at all.

Her eyes rested on the green-robed attendant.

He was an attendant, but he was not accompanying any of those officials, he was the eunuch Yuan Bao.

Eunuch Yuan Bao was not a particularly famous eunuch, on the contrary, he was quite inconspicuous, and had not even served in the imperial palace after Prince Qi ascended the throne.

Miss Jun remembered him because when Prince Qi was still a prince, he was one of the few who had come to the East Palace during a visit to the capital, bringing Yuan Bao with him.

At that time, she had been punished by her mother to stand, and she simply knelt outside her father's study. Princess Jiuli couldn't coax her down, and the eunuch Yuan Bao, standing outside the door, performed several little tricks to make her laugh, and she was so pleased that she gifted him a jade pendant. She also asked for his name, and made a note of it.

Later, when Prince Qi became emperor, the palace underwent changes of personnel, and she had inquired about Yuan Bao.

Prince Qi said that Yuan Bao was in poor health and did not want to leave his homeland, so he stayed to watch over the secret mansion in Shandong.

So many years had passed, and because of her vivid memory from childhood, she recognized Yuan Bao at a glance.

Although he now sported two mustaches, when he raised his hand to touch them, he inadvertently covered them up, perfectly matching Yuan Bao's appearance.

Had she mistaken him? Did this man look just like Yuan Bao? Or else, this was truly strange, how would someone guarding the secret mansion run out to follow someone as an attendant?

Who else could afford to use a former eunuch from the emperor's secret mansion as an attendant?

Could it be like a Jinyiwei, implanted to surveil local officials?

Or is it related to this incident with the Fang Family?

Miss Jun's expression changed in a moment.

"Liu'er," she regained her composure and said, "You go back first and wait for Old Lady and the others. Tell them I feel something is not quite right; I will check it out and might return late."

Liu'er looked tense.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"I don't know yet," Miss Jun said.

"Then, I'll accompany you, Miss," Liu'er said, even more tense. "What if something happens? You're alone."

"It's more convenient for me to act alone," Miss Jun said gently. "Besides, by telling the family, they can help me better if anything happens."

Though Liu'er was uneasy, she obediently nodded.

"Please be careful, Miss," she said.

Miss Jun nodded, waved at her, and Liu'er reluctantly turned around, continuously looking back as she walked, watching Miss Jun stride rapidly down the main street.

..............................

"Miss Fang, Miss Fang."

Seventh Chen called out, watching the still swiftly moving Fang Jinxiu ahead.

Fang Jinxiu ignored him and Seventh Chen had no choice but to quicken his pace and block her path.

"What's the matter?" Fang Jinxiu said annoyedly, "Why are you following me?"

Seventh Chen sighed.

"Miss Fang, you're darting through these alleys; where exactly are you going?" he asked.

Fang Jinxiu looked ahead; outside the alley was a main street.

"I am leaving the city," she said. "I'm taking my leave."

Seventh Chen looked outside and recognized it as the street leading out of the city, then glanced at the sky, as the sunlight was already slanting.

"Miss Fang, even if you're determined to leave, this isn't the time for it. Once you're out of the city, it will soon be dark," Seventh Chen said. "Have you thought about where you're going? Where will you stay when it's dark? Are you going on foot, or will you rent a cart?"

Fang Jinxiu had not thought about these things; she had left home in the middle of the night, sat desolately at a street corner, and had initially decided to leave early in the morning, yet she still wanted to see the bad people beheaded and the family's memorial service as a last gesture of being a daughter of the Fang Family.

As for where she would go after leaving, she had not given it any thought.

"Anyway, leaving is all that matters," she said and pushed past Seventh Chen, stepping briskly outside.

Seventh Chen could only follow again.

"I'm telling you, you look rather smart; why be so rash?" he said. "Since you've decided to leave the Fang Family, you're a girl with plans; you need to carefully consider what you will do in the future. Take it seriously; what is this, acting on a whim?"

Mid-sentence, he bumped into Fang Jinxiu's back, got startled and hastily took a step back, and yet did not see the young lady turn around to hit him. Instead, she was looking out from the edge of the wall.

They had reached the alley mouth; one step more, and they'd be on the main street.

"What's going on?" Seventh Chen asked, puzzled, also peering out.

The street was bustling, much busier than before; it seemed the execution at the platform was over, and the crowd had dispersed. Small groups of excited people, animated in their conversations, were evidently sharing the thrills of the beheading.

Was it out of a taboo to hear people talk about the Fang Family matter?

Seventh Chen followed Fang Jinxiu's gaze and saw two people talking not far from the alley's entrance: a middle-aged man and a young girl.

He couldn't help but utter, "Isn't that the same one..."

Before he could finish, Fang Jinxiu interrupted with a hand gesture.

"Quiet," she whispered sharply, her gaze lingering on Miss Jun, then landing on the man.

Even though he seemed much more disheartened than when she'd seen him at the Jin Yun Hall, she instantly recognized him as Lin Jin'er's father, Registrar Lin.

Why was she walking with him?