Tianliangyuan

Chapter 142 A Pair of Master and Servant

Xu Junting was not far from the ground, and he heard Jian Qi's voice. He suddenly turned around, his eyes like sharp swords, as if he wanted to pierce two holes in Xie Zheng.

How dare you secretly keep a mistress?

They're tired of living!

Xie Zheng was giving instructions to Jian Qi at the moment when he noticed Xu Junting glaring at him, but he didn't think about it that way.

"Jun Ting, tell Zhao Zhao that I have urgent business to attend to and I'll be leaving now."

Xie Zheng didn't give Xu Junting a chance to speak, and immediately used his lightness skill to disappear with Jian Qi.

By the time Xu Junting realized what was happening, the master and servant had already mounted their horses and galloped away!

"You bastard! You're pretty fast!"

Xu Zhaozhao walked over and asked, "Third Brother, are you swearing?"

"They're cursing Xie Zheng! Zhao Zhao, let me tell you, that kid is no good. I overheard his men reporting to him just now, it seems he's hiding a girl outside, and she's disappeared now, so he's frantically looking for her!"

Xu Zhaozhao's eyes flickered slightly. She didn't speak, but she also didn't get angry.

Seeing that his sister showed no sign of anger, Xu Junting couldn't help but feel a surge of frustration at her lack of ambition.

“You usually seem quite shrewd, so why do you become so confused when it comes to your own marriage? Let me tell you, so what if Xie Zheng is the heir of a duke's family? You are the daughter of a marquis, no less than him! If he dares to do the shameful thing of taking a concubine before marriage, you absolutely cannot marry him!”

Xu Junting was taught by orthodox Confucianism, and he did not think there was anything wrong with taking a concubine, but he did have a bottom line.

A man must not take a concubine before his marriage, and even less should he favor his concubine over his wife; this is the proper way for a husband!

If Xie Zheng dares to take a concubine before marriage, then he has no respect for his wife. Therefore, such a man should not be married!

It can be said that Xu Junting's idea is already respectful enough for women.

Xu Zhaozhao smiled slightly: "Third Brother, there's no need to be angry. We'll ask him about it carefully later."

Xu Junting thought about it and agreed; he couldn't convict Xie Zheng based on just a few words he'd overheard.

"Alright, but you still need to be careful and not trust him too much. Men, sometimes they get blinded by lust and may not tell the truth."

"I've noted it down. Has Third Brother been bewitched by any beautiful woman?"

Xu Junting was slightly taken aback, then became somewhat embarrassed and annoyed: "Nonsense! You dare to tease me like that."

The brother and sister stopped discussing Xie Zheng and instead focused on tinkering with the corn.

Xu Zhaozhao and Xu Junting stayed at Baiguoyuan for several days in a row. Firstly, because Baiguoyuan had planted some corn seeds in batches, and now it was time to harvest them. Secondly, because Baiguoyuan was much more comfortable to stay in than the farm they had just bought.

Xu Junting brought several ears of both tender and old corn with him before entering the palace to meet the emperor.

The tender corn was still wrapped in bright green leaves. After Emperor Yong'an saw it, he ordered people to peel it on the spot. Sure enough, it was golden yellow and the kernels were distinct. He immediately ordered people to cook it and taste it.

As for the old, unmanageable corncob, Emperor Yong'an asked curiously, "So, can it be crushed, cooked, and eaten?"

"Your Majesty, that is indeed the case. Moreover, this kind of corn is easier to preserve. Whether it is peeled or not, it can be stored for a long time, regardless of the environment or climate."

Emperor Yong'an was overjoyed; it seemed that Xu Junting was indeed a blessed man.

“Excellent! You must pay close attention to this corn planting matter. If we can obtain a large quantity of seeds this year, we can cultivate it on a large scale in the capital next year. At that time, every household will have surplus grain, and I can sleep soundly.”

"Your Majesty's concern for the people is a blessing to our Great Xing!"

Emperor Yong'an was in a great mood. After all, this kind of grain appeared under his rule, so it was naturally his achievement.

On the other side, Xu Zhaozhao instructed people to keep thinking about the delicacies that could be made from corn. Of course, she couldn't tell them directly how to make them, but she would occasionally give them a word or two of guidance, which was enough to enlighten the cooks!

They were busy until dark when Xu Junting returned from the imperial estate. The two siblings were faced with delicious food in front of them, but for a moment they didn't know where to start eating.

In fact, Xu Junting himself didn't know whether he should eat it or whether it tasted good.

Xu Zhaozhao first tried the corn and pine nut dessert, which was slightly sweet and tasted good.

Xu Junting simply followed suit, eating whichever his sister ate.

The pancakes made by mixing cornmeal and millet flour tasted pretty good, and when paired with the specially prepared sauce, the taste was wonderful!

The brother and sister were enjoying their meal when Mai Dong rushed in to report: "While patrolling outside the manor, I found a master and servant being chased. We chased them away, but the young lady is unconscious. Should we bring her into the manor for treatment? Please advise, Master."

"Could you tell how old that young woman is? How badly she is injured?"

"Reporting to Master, the young lady is about fifteen or sixteen years old. She has several external wounds, but they don't seem too serious. Her face is unharmed. She is accompanied by an old servant who is seriously injured and bleeding profusely. I have ordered someone to stop the bleeding, but she is still in the same place."

"In that case, find a peasant family to stay with temporarily. Arrange for two people to go and take care of them. Also, give that family two hundred coins as their food and lodging expenses."

"Yes, master."

Xu Junting listened the whole time, his brows furrowing the entire time, and he even looked somewhat disgusted.

"Since we've already resorted to violence, sister, we'd better report this to the authorities."

Xu Zhaozhao had the same idea, but it was already late, and even if she wanted to report to the authorities, she would have to wait until tomorrow morning.

Wannian County has always had a good public order, after all, it is under the emperor's nose, and the newly appointed magistrate is very diligent. However, the master and servant are still unconscious, and they do not know the specifics of the case. It would be more appropriate to report to the authorities after dawn.

The master and servant woke up in the middle of the night, but no one reported it to Xu Zhaozhao. It wasn't until dawn, after Xu Zhaozhao had washed up, that Maidong came to report it.

"Now that they're awake, can we find out their origins?"

"No, the young lady woke up first, but then she was too tired and fell asleep again. After waking up in the morning, she had breakfast, but she was reluctant to speak. As for the old servant, he fell asleep again not long after waking up. The doctor said that his injuries were too severe and he should not be moved. He needs to be well cared for."

"Do they have any travel permits or official documents that can prove their identity?"

"My subordinates arranged for two sisters-in-law from that family to take care of them and helped them change their clothes, but they couldn't find any official documents to prove their identities."

"Then they are most likely refugees or fugitives?"

Mai Dong's heart skipped a beat. If they were refugees, that would be fine, but if they were fugitives, then he was in trouble for his master.

Xu Zhaozhao noticed his panic and reassured him, "It's alright, ignorance is no excuse. Besides, yesterday's situation didn't seem like it was government officials who came to arrest you; it did seem more like a cover-up."