CHAPTER 373: CHAPTER 373 SOMETHING HAPPENED

Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

Young Master Su and two other little beggars, after eating and drinking to their fill, paid the silver contentedly and walked out the door.

Of course.

Content was only Young Master Su.

The two little beggars were pained.

Fifty-six taels of silver.

That was fifty-six taels!

They might never in their lifetime beg for that much money.

Today they had the extravagance of a meal worth fifty-six taels of silver.

While eating they didn’t feel it, but watching Young Master Su take out the money, their hearts and organs ached.

If years ago his family had even two taels of silver, more medicine could have been bought, and his mother wouldn’t have died.

In the years of famine, had there been a bit of rice at home, his father and sister wouldn’t have starved to death.

Thinking of those days with no rice to cook, eating wild herbs to quell hunger, the two little beggars were teary-eyed.

Young Master Su knew they were reluctant about the money and said, "Don’t be sad, if you work hard, you can eat this well every meal."

"I want to become a corrupt official in the future!" declared the little beggar.

"And eat well every day!"

"... ."

"Me too!" said the other little beggar.

Young Master Su, "... ."

"If you become corrupt officials, you’ll be in trouble; my father specializes in robbing corrupt officials," said Young Master Su.

"I will continue the family business."

"... ."

The two beggars’ dreams of becoming corrupt officials were thus crushed in the cradle by Young Master Su.

"And being an official requires studying and literacy, which you lack," added Young Master Su.

"If you want to live like this, you’ll have to work hard with me, practice horse stance, hit wooden stakes, and strengthen your physique to someday go to battle, kill enemies, and make a name for yourselves."

The two beggars looked at him, "Your family is so rich, yet you still work so hard?"

"My dad says life is like rowing against the current, without progress, you regress. If you don’t work hard, others will work hard to trample you," said Young Master Su.

"Especially since my dad and elder brother are particularly troublesome, and my family has many enemies; if I don’t work hard, I’ll become a piece of meat on someone else’s cutting board, and I don’t want to be chopped," Young Master Su said with a melancholy face.

They walked forward, rubbing their full stomachs.

When they reached a deserted place, Young Master Su noticed a shadow in front with a stick.

"Run!"

He just shouted.

As he took a step, his neck ached, and he fell down.

Two men, each one with a blow.

Deserted surroundings, one kept lookout, the other searched for money.

They found a silver note and dozens of taels of silver on Su Yang, while the two little beggars only had a few copper coins.

The two men, looking at the silver note, laughed uncontrollably.

I don’t know whose little child this is, adults not guiding them properly, it’s good to let them learn a lesson.

The two were about to leave when one looked at the three lying on the ground and said, "They’re quite good-looking, why not earn another sum?"

"A bit too young?"

"I’ve seen even younger ones, they might not sell for a high price, but they can be exchanged for a night for us brothers in the brothel."

"Good idea!"

The two men put the three onto a carriage and took them to the back yard of the brothel.

The exchange of Su Yang and the others for a night at the brothel was considered a no-cost trade, so the brothel naturally agreed.

But a quarter of an hour later.

The two men and Su Yang were thrown out from the back yard together.

"Get out!" shouted the Madam of the brothel.

"Bringing three boys disguised as girls into my brothel?!"

"If you don’t leave, I’ll break your legs!"

The two men were dumbfounded from the beating.

How could they be boys?!

Young Master Su never thought, he who always joked about his elder brother and sister being unsellable,

Never expected he’d be the first not to sell.

But soon, he was indeed dealt with.

Though at a low price.

The three together only sold for two taels of silver.

When they were thrown out of the back yard of the brothel, a man just happened to be riding by on a horse.

The man, riding on horseback, saw Su Yang’s face.

He frowned.

Why did this child look so much like Marquis Dongxiang’s son?

The more he looked, the more alike; thus, the man bought all three.

Duke Chong’s Mansion, study room.

When the man entered the study, a snow-white pigeon happened to land on the window sill.

He walked over, grabbed the pigeon, and took off the letter tied to its foot.

At this moment, a servant came in and said, "Duke, Chunxiang is back."

"Let her in," said Duke Chong.

Chunxiang was the maid in charge of taking care of the Old Duke Chong.

Duke Chong had sent her to see if there was anything unusual at Dongxiang Marquis Mansion; she had come back to report this.

Chunxiang entered the study and greeted Duke Chong.

"Is there any trouble at Dongxiang Marquis Mansion?" Duke Chong asked.

"Indeed, there is trouble," replied the maid.

Is there really trouble?

Duke Chong eagerly asked, "What happened?"

"The youngest son of Dongxiang Marquis ran away from home," replied the maid.

"... ."

"The security at Dongxiang Marquis Mansion is tight, I couldn’t get in, so I waited outside for a whole day until the cook from Dongxiang Marquis Mansion came out to buy groceries," the maid replied.

"On the day of the lotus appreciation banquet at Prince Yu Mansion, it just so happened to be the day Marquis Dongxiang left the capital to suppress bandits, and Young Master Su ran away from home."

"So, does that mean on that day at Prince Yu Mansion, the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion rushed back to Dongxiang Marquis Mansion not because of guilt for poisoning someone, but because of this matter?" the man asked.

"It should be," replied the maid.

With such a big incident as the younger brother running away from home, the elder sister naturally had no mood to attend any banquets and hurried back anxiously.

Duke Chong waved his hand, and the maid withdrew.

The man handed Duke Chong the letter to read.

After glancing it over, Duke Chong’s face turned grim.

"What a Marquis Jibei!"

"To actually send both grandsons to Dongxiang Marquis as amulets!" Duke Chong gritted his teeth.

Prince NanAn sent their sons to be under the care of Dongxiang Marquis, who took them to suppress bandits, was enough to infuriate Duke Chong.

But Duke Chong didn’t know Marquis Jibei did the same.

This carrier pigeon message came from a post station on the way to Yu State.

Duke Chong had decided that Marquis Dongxiang should not return from this mission.

He just didn’t anticipate that Marquis Dongxiang would eat and live with the soldiers, not separately.

This meal one might sit with you, but the next he might be with others.

Eating and chatting, making it impossible to start.

Can’t poison seven hundred soldiers and Prince NanAn altogether, can he.

Going around in circles not knowing how to proceed, the message was sent back for Duke Chong’s decision.

No solution, only a belly full of anger.

"Didn’t Marquis Dongxiang’s son run away from home? Find him for me!" Duke Chong’s eyes glinted with cold light.

"I have already brought him back," the man smiled.

Duke Chong was slightly taken aback.

The man recounted the story to Duke Chong.

Imagining Marquis Dongxiang’s son disguised as a girl being sold to a brothel, Duke Chong recalled his own Baihua Building being closed down.

A hint of murderous intent flashed in his eyes.

"They are selecting suitable little eunuchs in the palace to play with the Ninth Prince," Duke Chong said coldly.

"Send them into the palace."

The man’s body stiffened, "Duke, isn’t this too... ."

Duke Chong shot him a glance.

The man quickly straightened, "Yes, Your Grace."