"Such a scaredy cat."
That lady huffed. "If not for how rich he looks, I wouldn't even bother with him."
"Ain't that right."
I told you so!
The two ladies also went off together. This little play was entirely nonsensical!
Seeing this, Ji Yunshu had a dumbfounded expression on her face.
Jing Rong just couldn't hold back his laughter. He put away the dagger on the desk as he asked Ji Yunshu, "do you understand now?"
She shook her head again.
"Just look at that Young Master Qiao -- he practically has no temper at all -- in fact, he is astonishingly timid. Could someone like that really commit murder?"
Ah! Evidently, everything he did just now was in a bid to infuriate Qiao Zihua. Ji Yunshu pondered over that scene of Qiao Zihua fleeing in a panic. Could such a person kill another?
But...
"Don't forget that he frequently comes here to drink. Under the influence of alcohol, people frequently will do things they normally would never dare to do. Thus, it could still be reasoned that he killed someone after getting drunk."
"Then, why don't we… continue following him."
"What?" Jing Rong tugged her upright and out of the brothel, hurrying to catch up to the fleeing Qiao Zihua.
On the street, Qiao Zihua fussed at his tea-drenched robes as he walked, flapping them as if to dry them. He certainly was one who liked cleanliness.
It was noon and the streets were filled with people. Qiao Zihua was either not looking where he was going or was hurrying somewhere when he bumped into an old man carrying a basket of chickens.
"Cluck cluck cluck…" The basket burst open and the chickens in the basket escaped in all directions.
Some of them ran directly into the crowd of pedestrians, while others flew up and leapt onto the stalls of nearby hawkers and destroyed wares with each flap of their wings. The surroundings descended into chaos.
The old man sat on the ground, slapping the dirt with both hands as he wailed loudly, "My chickens, my chickens…"
They were his lifeline! He had painstakingly raised a few chickens and bring them to the market to sell, but they just ran off like this. He might as well give up his life too.
At the moment the chickens escaped from the two baskets, Qiao Zihua looked as if he had seen a ghost. He let out a frenzied scream and hunched his head and shoulders down into a ball, eyes growing large and round as he looked at the scene full of chickens running and flying around. Qiao Zihua seemed to be scared dumb. His legs trembled for a long while before he gave a full-body shiver and dashed into the crowd and disappeared.
The old man looked on as the culprit fled while he himself was still unable to stand up after being knocked over, and started shouting at the top of his voice. "Aiya, he ran! My chickens, compensate me for my chickens!"
A dozen of chickens had already wrecked havoc on the area.
The clean bolts of cloth on sale had been trampled and dirtied by the chickens, while the noodle stall which was right next to the cloth seller, was filled with flying feathers…
Seeing this, Ji Yunshu tugged at Jing Rong. "Quick, help catch the chickens."
"What?" He turned his head, but she had already rolled up her sleeves to catch chickens.
Jing Rong looked helplessly at the chaotic scene before him, and could only follow suit. He rolled up his sleeves and joined the chicken-catching team.
Within 15 minutes, every last chicken had been recaptured and put back into their baskets. Phew!
The old man thanked them profusely.
Their clothes were both unbelievably dirty, covered with claw-marks, and blanketed with feathers from head to toe. Even their faces were smudged with dirt.
Pfft! Ji Yunshu couldn't resist laughing as she looked at Jing Rong in such a state.
On the other hand, Jing Rong was perfectly composed. He could bear it. After all, what hasn't he done after meeting this woman? [1]
At this moment, the nearby stall owners rushed out in a fury, all demanding repayment from that old man.
"Look at what your chickens have done to my wares? Quickly pay for the damage."
"My lanterns have all been clawed to shreds and can't be sold any more."
"And my fabrics - look at how dirty they've become!"
"My noodles have also been pecked at by your chickens. Who would dare to eat here now?"
"Quickly pay up!"
"Compensate us!"
……
The creditors have caught up!
The old man hunched over, face twisted in despair and frustration as he spread his upturned hands in supplication. "Honorable young masters, please be charitable and take pity on me -- I have no money."
"Enough with the nonsense. If you can't produce the money to compensate us, we'll just take these chickens of yours."
"No, no. My family depends on these chickens for a living. My old wife still needs me to sell these chickens to buy medicine for her."
"We need to make a living as well!" As they spoke, those people started towards the cages to grab the chickens.
"Wait." Jing Rong took out a pouch of silver taels, drew out a few ingots and tossed it at one of them. "Is that enough?"
Enough! It's enough!
That person cradled the taels as he smiled ear-to-ear and hurried to distribute it.
Next, Jing Rong shoved the rest of the silver taels at the old man. "Consider these chickens bought. Send them to the yamen."
Someone from the yamen? The old man stared dumbly for a moment. He quickly regained his wits and exclaimed, "you are my great benefactor!" His eyes filled with tears and started to kneel in thanks, but was quickly stopped.
"No need. Quickly send the chickens to the yamen and get the medicine."
"Yes, yes. Many thanks to the two gentlemen!" The old man shouldered his wares again and headed towards the yamen.
Only then, did Jing Rong turn towards Ji Yunshu, who had a devilish grin, and shot her a stern look. "You're no better than this prince. Alright, let's quickly head back." With that, he started walking.
She hurried after him.
When they reached the yamen, Jing Rong led her towards the back door and carried her over the wall with a leap. It would be damaging to their image if they encountered anyone while in this state. But on the way back to the North Courtyard, they just had to bump into Zuo Yao.
At the sight of the two in filthy clothes and tangled hair, covered in chicken feathers, Zuo Yao was dumbfounded. "The two of you are…?"
Jing Rong maintained a stern and chilly expression as he brought all his princely dignity to the forefront and tucked an arm behind his back. "What? Magistrate Zuo can no longer recognise this prince only after a few hours?" [2]
However bedraggled and unkempt his clothes and hair were, his awe-inspiring bearing and princely manner were entirely unaffected.
Zuo Yao started and quickly cupped his hands in greeting. "So it's Your Highness. This official is blind and didn't know that Your Highness had returned. I beg your pardon."
"This prince and Teacher Ji have been tired out and have returned."
"But, Your Highness, this is…?" He looked him up and down.
"There's no need for you to know. You're dismissed."
"Yes." Zuo Yao didn't dare to say too much and quickly left.
Ji Yunshu covered a smile and walked to his side. "Your Highness truly has what it takes to catch chickens, one for each grab."
These words were clearly compliments, but he instead heard some mockery within. Jing Rong wanted to say something in reply, but that lithe figure had already left ahead of him. He suppressed a sigh and called out, "Lang Po."
Lang Po emerged from the shadows and came to his side.
"Where were you?"
"I was always with Your Highness." Lang Po blinked at him with an innocent and earnest expression.
Pfft. Jing Rong felt like vomiting blood at the revelation and glared at him. "Since you were following us, why did you not come out to help catch the chickens?"
"Your Highness…" I'm innocent! "Your Highness said that we should only come out if you and Teacher Ji met with danger. Otherwise… we should not disturb you." [3]
He dug this hole for himself, and must jump down even if it killed him!
[1] Aru: Yes, you two already entered a brothel together, what else will you NOT do, Jing Rong?
[2] JR (in his head): This effing Zuo! Why must you appear now when you're the least wanted??
[3] This is called an experiential date that money cannot buy ok!