Chapter 26: The Injured Qian Dafu
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“Lieutenant Lu!”
Upon seeing him, the soldiers escorting Qian Dafu immediately dismounted and knelt on one knee, their faces filled with guilt. “Your Highness, Lieutenant, we failed to protect Steward Qian. Please punish us.”
“What happened?”
Xiao Ming’s anger flared. He had just survived an assassination attempt, and now Qian Dafu was injured.
The lead soldier explained, “Your Highness, we’ve been searching for mineral deposits for the past month as per your orders and have made significant discoveries. We were on our way back to report to you when we were ambushed by mountain bandits. Although we fought our way out, Steward Qian was hit by an arrow.”
“Mountain bandits?” Lu Fei frowned and said worriedly, “Your Highness, winter is approaching. Many starving commoners turn to banditry, relying on looting to survive. If they are now bold enough to attack government officials, this year’s bandit crisis is likely to be worse than ever.”
There was a peculiar look in Lu Fei’s eyes, as if blaming Xiao Ming. The implication was clear—though Xiao Ming hadn’t made any grave mistakes in the past five years, he hadn’t achieved much either. The chaos from the barbarian invasion three years ago had only worsened the poverty and disorder across the six prefectures.
“Take Steward Qian back for treatment first!” Xiao Ming ordered, ignoring Lu Fei’s subtle rebuke.
The lead soldier responded immediately, carrying the unconscious Qian Dafu back toward Qingzhou City at full speed.
Xiao Ming and his group quickly followed. Upon entering the city, Xiao Ming immediately summoned the governor’s medical officer to treat Qian Dafu.
The commotion in Qingzhou soon caught the attention of Pang Yukuan, who promptly arrived at Prince Qi’s residence.