Chapter 961 - 955: Severed Throat
The little boy held on tightly and wouldn’t let go.
Xingxing, mindful of his young age, didn’t dare to use too much force.
She tried twice but couldn’t lift him, so she applied a bit more strength.
Seeing that she was just about to pull him away, the little boy started wailing loudly.
What could Xingxing do?
She quickly let go.
Su Jin, who was almost free from being held, was hugged tightly again.
Tears smeared all over her brocade robe.
Su Jin’s head was throbbing.
She glanced around, but no one was looking for this little lord; instead, passersby frequently cast disapproving glances her way.
How could one be so cruel to a child?
If you don’t like kids, then don’t have them.
Housekeeper Zhou crouched down and coaxed the little boy, "Where are your family members?"
"This is my dad," the little boy said.
"..."
Housekeeper Zhou was suddenly at a loss for words.
He looked at Su Jin.
Su Jin rubbed her temples and, looking at the leg accessory, gently asked, "Can you let go of me for a moment?"
The little boy shook his head.
Su Jin negotiated, "But if you hold me like this, I can’t walk."
"Then dad can carry me," the little boy compromised.
"...Alright."
Seeing Su Jin agree, the little boy finally let go.
His little face was covered in tear streaks, and his eyes were swollen from crying.
Su Jin looked at what he was wearing, smooth and soft satin, something the average family couldn’t afford.
Such a little lord traveling must have maids and servants with him.
How could he be walking alone on the street, dragging a little basket?
Su Jin was about to carry him, but Housekeeper Zhou said, "Better let me do it."
The Princess Consort Zhenbei was pregnant, what if something happened?
The little boy clung to Su Jin, insisting that she carry him.
Su Jin said, "It’s alright, he’s not heavy."
Su Jin lifted him up, and the steward instructed the servants, "You all help around nearby and try to find this child’s family."
A child couldn’t possibly have walked far.
The little boy lay on Su Jin’s shoulder, hugging her neck tightly. Seeing the basket getting farther away, he pointed and said, "Dad, can I take that home?"
Su Jin turned back with him in her arms and saw the basket.
Still broken.
"What do you want that for?" Su Jin asked curiously.
"To play hide and seek at home," the little boy said.
"..."
Su Jin had to say something.
This kid really has a big heart.
Lost from his family, yet he’s thinking about playing hide and seek.
Even recognizing her as dad, he wants to take a broken basket home; could she refuse?
Xingxing went over and picked up the basket.
The little boy, satisfied, continued to lie on Su Jin’s shoulder.
The Zhou Family’s Servant searched around and came back to tell Housekeeper Zhou that there was no one nearby looking for the child.
Housekeeper Zhou looked at the child lying on Su Jin’s shoulder, feeling a headache.
Even if they couldn’t find anyone, they had to help look; surely they couldn’t keep a child with them?
Moreover, they had to set off early tomorrow.
After walking a while, they saw some soldiers. Housekeeper Zhou went over and said, "We just found a child by the roadside and don’t know which family he’s from. It’s too late now, and we have to leave Yuzhou Prefecture early tomorrow morning. Please help find his parents."
Housekeeper Zhou spoke kindly, but the soldiers had a bad temper.
The Prefect’s wife was celebrating her birthday with a grand lantern festival for everyone.
But then someone tried to snatch a child, ruining the festival’s atmosphere. If the matter got big and someone reported it, should Lord Prefect fall out of favor with the Emperor, his career could end.
The Lord Prefect was in a bad mood; naturally, his subordinates weren’t in a good mood either.
Especially having to scour Yuzhou Prefecture at night for the suspected kidnapping; it’s exhausting. And here they effortlessly picked up a child...
This was boasting!
This was provocation!
The soldier snapped, "Can’t you see we’re busy catching assassins?!"
"Wherever you found the child, you wait there for his parents to come."
Housekeeper Zhou wanted to say more, but the soldier impatiently said, "Are you trying to obstruct official duties?!"
After dropping that line, the soldiers continued searching ahead.
Housekeeper Zhou, after a futile attempt, decided to let it go.
The child got lost; it’s the parents’ negligence. Let them worry for a bit, or there might be a next time.
The servant ran back to the inn, drove the carriage back, and stopped in front of Su Jin.
Su Jin carried the little boy into the carriage, climbed in herself, followed by Xingxing.
Except for Housekeeper Zhou and the coachman sitting on the shafts, the other servants were following behind.
The carriage headed straight back to the inn, narrowly passing by a man avoiding a search by soldiers.
The man walked to the front of the alley, looked around, and upon confirming it was empty, he entered.
Under the faint starlight, the assassin didn’t notice anyone in the alley.
He opened the fire, only to see the place where he had hidden someone was empty.
Where is the person?!
...
Inside a quiet small courtyard.
A crashing sound was heard as something shattered.
"What do you mean the child was snatched and then rescued?" The man’s cold, deep voice sent a chill down the spine.
Two men knelt down to plead for forgiveness.
He had knocked the child unconscious and hidden him under the bamboo basket.
Other than being rescued, he couldn’t think of another possibility.
The man’s face was terrifyingly dark.
How long had he planned for today, only to be told it had failed?!
The middle-aged man standing beside him said, "Things may not be as bad as we think."
"Speak," the man said coldly.
"The soldiers are still searching the streets, which means the Li Family hasn’t found the child. Although the Li Family’s young master isn’t in our hands, as long as the Li Family believes so, we can still achieve our goal," the middle-aged man said.
The man pondered.
The assassin kneeling on the ground said, "Please give us a chance to make amends... ."
Before he could finish speaking, a sword pierced his throat.
The two fell to the ground, wide-eyed, unable to rest in peace.
Blood dripped from the sword.
The man threw the sword on the ground, "You go and handle it immediately!"
In front of the inn.
The carriage slowly came to a stop.
After Xingxing got off, Su Jin emerged from the carriage.
Housekeeper Zhou saw the little boy asleep and quickly reached out to take him.
"Be careful, don’t wake him," Su Jin said.
As soon as they got into the carriage, the little boy had fallen asleep leaning against him.
Back on the road, the light was dim; upon entering the inn, it was visible the little boy had not only blood but also mud on him.
Su Jin held him all the way, with his brocade robe getting quite stained.
Upstairs, Steward Zhou asked, "What about this child?"
"Let him sleep with me tonight," Su Jin said.
Xingxing disagreed, "What if he kicks you?"
Steward Zhou was also worried, "Better if he sleeps with me."
Su Jin asked Steward Zhou to take good care of him, then returned to his room.
Steward Zhou’s room was right next to Su Jin’s.
After returning to the room, he first placed the child on the small couch, helping him take off his outer garments.
After removing the thick cotton clothes, the clothes underneath were revealed.
The material made Steward Zhou pause in awe.
This... this seemed to be the Heavenly Silkworm Armor?
The Zhou Family’s business spanned across Great Zhou, and Old Master Zhou had only obtained a palm-sized piece, resistant to blades and bullets, sewn at the heart, saving his life.
This child was actually wearing an entire piece...
What identity does he have?
Housekeeper Zhou sensed something unusual.
He placed the child on the bed, pulled the quilt over him, and planned to inform Su Jin.
Just as he reached the door, Xingxing opened it to receive hot water from a junior attendant, instructing, "Bring another bucket later."
After speaking, Xingxing closed the door.
Clearly, Su Jin was preparing to rest after his bath.
Housekeeper Zhou thought for a moment and decided to speak in the morning; there wasn’t much urgency.
Housekeeper Zhou turned back to his room.
Su Jin took a soak, then went to bed.
Xingxing slept on the small couch.
In the midst of deep sleep, the noisy crying from next door woke Su Jin up.
Hmm.
It wasn’t just Su Jin.
The entire inn was awakened.
"I don’t want you!"
"I want daddy!"
"I want daddy!"
Waking abruptly from a deep sleep, the guests were somewhat annoyed, the inn’s junior attendant went to knock on Steward Zhou’s door.
Steward Zhou was trying to soothe the child, and the junior attendant said, "The young master is crying fiercely and disturbing other guests."
Steward Zhou didn’t want the child to cry either, but how could he help it?
Letting him cry wasn’t a solution, so with no other choice, Steward Zhou carried the child to see Su Jin.