Chapter 70 (2/2)
Business was good, and more silver was earned. The people naturally easily became happy, but it could also easily give birth to some new problems. Thinking while well-fed and warm, and that today business happened to be good for four or five days, that fake antique shop boss had the intention to take a concubine. Today this deed caused an intense argument, precisely starting a big fight over this matter between this boss and his main wife.
“Relying on your looks, you actually have the gall to want a concubine?”
“Why am I not good enough?”
“Mom says you’re not good enough, then you’re not good enough. If you want to force me, then I’ll sue you in ChangAn court!”
“Empress Mother wouldn’t even care about this matter! Why would ChangAn’s government care! Ning Que that kid can even have a little maid, and you want to kick me out of bed everyday. What’s wrong with dad wanting some warm feet!”
“You want me to give you warm feet? There aren’t any even at the Vermilion Bird Gate! Unless that kid Ning Que becomes the Emperor!”
“He’s not even named Li! Where would he be the Emperor of!”
“Moon Kingdom (Yue Lun Kingdom), South Jin (Nan Jin), Great River (Da He), as long as the world has it, he can become the Emperor of whereever country he wants!”
Ning Que held onto a teapot pleasantly sipping tea, listening in a corner with great interest, while secretly praising that the people of my Tang Dynasty are brave, as open minded as this; in an argument they actually dared to mention the matter of the Imperial Throne. Suddenly his expression became stiff, only now did he understand that this argument actually mentioned him, and he couldn’t help but to feel a bit annoyed.
Just in this moment, the customers of the shop scattered and left. Sang Sang was amidst tidying the furnis.h.i.+ngs atop the table, and he angrily charged inside and shouted, “There isn’t a single day that goes by, that that couple actually used me in their argument, and even absurdly dared to talk about politics of their own Court. Are they treating me, an Imperial Guard as dead? Tomorrow I’ll enter the Palace and report them, and get their whole family executed!”
These words weren’t false, he had a Secret Imperial Guard tablet, and it was originally for the duty of investigating the sentiments of the people of the Empire on behalf of the Court; and in a neighborhood within the city there was someone talking about the Imperial Throne, of course he could report to the higher-ups – just that even though the Tang Dynasty’s laws were harsh, the theories of governance for the people were extremely relaxed. These words of a small argument between husband and wife were in the heat of anger. Without even mentioning the Imperial Guards, even if the case was handed before His Majesty the Emperor, it’ll probably only cause those n.o.bles to laugh.
Sang Sang on the contrary thought of her own worries these past few days, and knitting her thin eyebrows she asked, “Master, when we were little you told me a story that being a spy would always lead to a miserable death. Now you’re a Secret Imperial Guard. Wouldn’t that be troublesome?”
Ning Que put down the teapot, and shook his head saying, “Even though that’s a tablet that can’t see the light, but by itself it’s just an insignificant little role. Who would suspect my ident.i.ty? Further, if after today there really are troubles, then couldn’t I just escape?”
After a short pause, he looked at Sang Sang and softly explained, “I accepted this ident.i.ty also for another reason. In the future if I really have to go investigate those matters, and kill those people – having a great Secret Imperial Guard ident.i.ty will always be a little more convenient.”
Sang Sang was originally a little maid too lazy to think about things. Hearing his explanation she felt it was logical and thought no more of it, and said, “The umbrella cover, the blade sheath and the overcoat are done. Master, when are you going to kill that second person?”
“How’s the blade? Does it need to be resharpened?” Ning Que asked.
Sang Sang seriously replied, “Even if it was to kill a pig, there will definitely be a problem killing more than ten. Of course it needs sharpening.”
This dialogue between the pair of master and servant always skipped along swiftly – between them they would absolutely have no obstacles of communication, with especially calm and normal expressions on their faces. If some outsider heard, they absolutely wouldn’t think that they were talking about the damage of that man-slaying blade on that rainy spring night, and the b.l.o.o.d.y affair of going to kill people yet again.
Just in this moment, at that end of 47th Street, there was a burst of loud talking voices, and there was a crowd flooding from that direction over. Ning Que curiously walked to the shop door, and glanced over at that side, and the expression on his face slightly changed.
He could only see a group of blue s.h.i.+rt, blue pants, and blue booted men in an enveloping protective formation, and that calm and casual middle-aged man in a whole outfit of blue clothing, cupping his hands and talking to the bosses of the shops. His face wrought with a gentle smile; from time to time cupping his hands, talking and smiling, for the most part saying I’m going through, bosses please relax and go about your business, if there are problems use subordinates as much as possible to handle it.
After the middle-aged man’s explanation, the five or six silent men standing behind him cupped their hands in propriety.
That blue-robed middle-aged man went in front of every shop and stayed for a bit, saying a few words, and seemed extremely patient – the group of underlings behind him followed his slow stroll, gradually moving along the street to this end.
On this side of the street there was a shop selling calligraphy called the Old Brush House. …… ……
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