Chapter 1012: The Shy Young Lady

A young girl suddenly leaped out from the thicket, thrusting a sword towards Wu Zhirong’s chest.

Wu Zhirong turned around and was immediately struck by a chill, causing him to panic and lose control of his bowels. He had fallen behind the main force, was unskilled in martial arts, and the girl’s sword strike had been charged with momentum; he was already doomed. However, being timid by nature, the fright caused his legs to buckle, and he tumbled down the ladder in front of the temple, narrowly avoiding the girl’s lethal strike.

The girl missed her target and was momentarily taken aback. She had planned to kill him in one blow and then flee far away, but she never expected to miss. If she didn’t retreat quickly, she might end up in danger herself. Yet, thinking of the deep-seated blood feud with the Zhuang family, she bit her lip and continued to chase after him, willing to perish alongside Wu Zhirong rather than let him escape unscathed.

At that moment, the nearby guards had already reacted and rushed over.

Although the girl was skilled, the guards of the ministers from the Jin and Qing dynasties were formidable, and soon the situation became perilous for her.

Song Qingshu had now clearly seen the girl’s face and was shocked.

Wasn’t this Shuang’er, whom he hadn’t seen for a long time? How did she end up in Yangzhou?

Just as he was about to shout a warning to his subordinates, Suo Etu spoke up first: “Don’t harm that girl; capture her alive!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the guards had already sealed the girl’s acupoint from behind, and several steel blades were pressed against her neck.

Song Qingshu hesitated for a moment. Since Shuang’er was now restrained, unless he openly intervened, it would be impossible to help her secretly under the watchful eyes of everyone. Moreover, from Suo Etu’s earlier words, it was clear he still remembered his past ties with Wei Xiaobao, so Shuang’er would be temporarily safe in his hands. Given this, it was best to hold back for now and wait for an opportunity to rescue her after returning to the government office.

Suo Etu coughed lightly and instructed his guards, “Take this girl back; I need to interrogate her thoroughly about any plots she may have and whether there are other accomplices.” While speaking, he discreetly signaled Shuang’er not to resist unnecessarily and hurt herself.

At this moment, Shuang’er also recognized Suo Etu. Being intelligent and perceptive, she understood that he meant no harm, so she subtly nodded in acknowledgment.

Although their small gestures were discreet, they could not escape the eyes of the observant.

Song Qingshu smiled faintly, feeling a weight lift from his heart.

However, the officials in Yangzhou were looking at the scene with strange expressions, thinking to themselves that the noble from the Jin dynasty had captured a pretty young lady to “interrogate,” while their own noble had also taken a beautiful girl back for “interrogation.” What exactly were they planning? Did they think they were fools?

These thoughts were only dared to be entertained in their minds; none of them would dare to utter a word. They didn’t even dare to show a hint of expression, merely suggesting with great tact to escort the two gentlemen back to the government office. After all, who would be so foolish as to occupy the time of two distinguished gentlemen when they were clearly eager to attend to certain matters with their lovely companions?

Cheng Yaojia was arranged to sit in Song Qingshu’s sedan chair, while Shuang’er was originally supposed to be placed in Suo Etu’s chair. However, given Suo Etu’s past ties with Wei Xiaobao, if word got to Kangxi, it would be a serious issue. Thus, he dared not engage in such questionable behavior.

Initially, he wanted Shuang’er to stay in the sedan chair while he rode a horse, but given her current identity as an assassin, that would be too obvious. Therefore, Suo Etu had no choice but to have the guards escort Shuang’er to follow behind.

Song Qingshu furrowed his brows deeply; he couldn’t bear to see Shuang’er suffer such treatment. He spoke up, “This girl looks so delicate and weak. Those who don’t know the situation would find it hard to believe she is an assassin. If the townsfolk see her later, they might think we are forcibly taking a maiden, which would inevitably tarnish the court’s reputation. I suggest we prepare a sedan chair, tie her up, and keep her inside. This way, she won’t be seen by the townspeople.”

Suo Etu had the same thought and was overjoyed to hear this: “Brother, you really think ahead. Let’s do it this way.”

The officials in Yangzhou exchanged glances, wondering whether they were treating a criminal or a precious young lady. They spoke so grandly, but weren’t they just worried that the little beauty would be harmed by the sun? However, since both imperial envoys had spoken, who would dare to oppose? Soon, an official even volunteered to give up his own sedan chair for Shuang’er to ride in.

Once Shuang’er was settled, Song Qingshu finally felt relieved and directly stepped into his own sedan chair.

When she saw the curtain being lifted, Cheng Yaojia visibly trembled and said shakily, “Y-you… don’t come over here.”

Song Qingshu couldn’t help but chuckle: “It’s broad daylight, and there are so many people outside. I wouldn’t do anything to you.”

However, Cheng Yaojia trembled even more and weakly replied, “Are you going to do something to me when no one is around?”

Song Qingshu sat down with a thud and laughed heartily, “That depends on how you behave.”

Cheng Yaojia hurriedly shifted her body, as if even brushing against him was a great sin.

Unfortunately, the space in the sedan chair was limited, and no matter how she tried to avoid him, it was hard not to touch him.

“I… I don’t want to sit here.” Cheng Yaojia’s face turned red, and she didn’t dare to look him in the eye as she hurriedly stood up. Her acupoints were sealed, and she couldn’t circulate her True Qi, but it didn’t affect her daily movements.

Just then, the bearers lifted the sedan chair, and Cheng Yaojia lost her balance, directly falling into Song Qingshu’s arms.

Song Qingshu was taken aback by the fragrant wind and felt a soft b0dy tumble into his embrace. He looked at her with a hint of amusement: “So you wanted to sit in my arms, huh? Why didn’t you say so? What was all this fuss for?”

Cheng Yaojia was so anxious she was on the verge of tears: “N-no… I’m not…”

Song Qingshu stretched out his arm and directly pulled her closer: “Since I have the favor of a beauty, I won’t be polite.”

Cheng Yaojia gasped and struggled: “Let me go!”

However, her strength was too weak to make any difference.

Seeing the tears welling up in her eyes, Song Qingshu said at the right moment, “Answer me one question, and I’ll consider letting you go.”

Cheng Yaojia quickly replied, “Just ask!”

Hearing her angry voice sounding so delicate, Song Qingshu thought that a w0man like her was born to be pampered by men. Any man who saw her timid and shy demeanor would inevitably feel a surge of protective instinct.

“What’s your name?” Although he had roughly guessed her identity, he still needed to confirm it.

“My surname is Cheng…” Cheng Yaojia said softly, lowering her head.

Song Qingshu waited for her to continue, but she only mentioned her surname and fell silent, feeling frustrated: “What about your given name?”

Cheng Yaojia shook her head and, after being pressed several times, finally whispered, “According to our Han customs, a woman’s given name can only be known by her husband aside from her parents.”