mtl008 Chapter 1248 Doing a Favor for Old Master Ma
Chapter 1248 Doing a Favor for Old Master Ma
At midnight, the moon was bright and the stars were few.
There are still twelve hours left until the three-day deadline.
"Master, it's almost time." Hua Duo rode up to Shen Zheng's side, watching Chen Zhikuan's departing figure, and whispered, "The men we sent out should have already left the city. After we change our clothes and leave the city, I'll escort you back to Liuyang Prefecture via another route. It's farther, but safer..."
Looking at the pitch-black road ahead, Shen Zheng nodded: "Let's go, let's change our clothes first."
Having lived in Da Zhou for over a year, this was the first time she had dressed as a man, and not just any ordinary man's clothing.
......
The night was quiet. Inside the city gate of Yuanzhou Prefecture, the soldiers were gathered in twos and threes, chatting quietly about what they had seen and heard earlier.
"What do you think Shen Zheng was doing in Yuanzhou? She came, but why did she leave in the middle of the night?"
"Who knows what those officials are thinking! But that woman is really arrogant. Not only was she all covered up, but she didn't even glance at us once from beginning to end. She doesn't treat us brothers like human beings at all!"
"Exactly! I couldn't even tell if she was fat or thin, and I don't know why she was wrapped up so tightly. She's a high-ranking official, does she think she's afraid of being seen?"
"Forget it, she's gone. Let's not talk about her anymore, it's bad luck!"
"Yeah, what bad luck! By the way... why hasn't Si'er come back yet?"
"What's the rush? It's quite a distance to the government office. Let's wait a bit longer. Anyway, once we've sent the news of Shen Zheng's departure back home, we'll have some free time in the latter half of the night."
"How about... a drink? Old Zhou hid some wine in the booth last night... hehe! I found it!"
"Old Zhou hid it? It must be something good!"
"Drink?"
"drink!"
"Alright! Send someone to keep watch! We'll switch shifts later!"
"I'll go. I'll drink with Si'er after he brings the news back."
"Alright, thanks for your hard work, brother!"
In no time, the rich aroma of wine filled the city gate.
The clinking of bowls and cups, mixed with the boasting and laughter of the soldiers, created a bizarre and noisy night scene.
"Ta-da-ta-da-"
Two quarters of an hour later, the sound of horses' hooves grew louder as they approached.
The guards keeping watch smiled and were about to turn around and call the people in the guardhouse to change shifts when they suddenly realized that the sound of horses' hooves was a bit strange.
—Only Si'er went to the government office to report the news earlier.
But at that moment... two hoofbeats approached from the same direction.
wrong!
The guard on watch broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly whispered to the group drinking inside the booth, "Shh! Don't make a sound! Someone's coming!"
somebody is coming? !
The guards inside the booth froze in fright, hurriedly put down their wine bowls, and tiptoed to the door, peering out through the crack in the door.
Sure enough, within moments, two figures on horseback appeared in their sight, heading straight for the government office.
As the two figures drew closer, the soldiers could make out their attire by the firelight—both were dressed in faded white cloth, wearing old felt hats with the brims pulled low, obscuring most of their faces.
Seeing this, the guards on watch breathed a sigh of relief, muttered a curse under their breath, and then raised their spears, pointing them at the guards: "The curfew is in effect. Anyone who trespasses on the city gates will be arrested according to the law. Get out of here at once!"
Upon hearing this, one of them did not retreat but instead advanced, dismounting from his horse.
With just a cupped-hand gesture, the man presented a bulging money bag to the guard: "Sir, this is urgent, could you... perhaps make an exception?"
Having said that, the man leaned forward slightly, sniffed the air, and added, "This humble servant invites you gentlemen to drink..."
The money bag in front of him looked heavy, and the guard watching him paused, his eyes gleaming with greed: "What urgent matter requires you to leave the city in the middle of the night?"
"Oh dear..." The man who dismounted stamped his foot quietly. "The old master of the Ma family in the eastern suburbs is gone! Before the city gates were locked, they sent someone to invite my master to come and look at the feng shui, but my master was performing a ritual at the Xu family in the south of the city at that time, so he missed it! You see... Oh dear, the important matter of burial cannot be delayed, sir. Do you think it would be alright to do Old Master Ma a favor?"
"Grandpa Ma?"
The guard on watch was terrified by the last sentence, his eyes darting around in mid-air: "W-where did this Old Master Ma come from...?"
"If you can see that, then it's terrible!" The man who dismounted shook his head hastily and handed the money bag forward again: "Sir, the dead should be respected, please have mercy?"
The guards, both fearful and greedy, swallowed hard as they looked at the money pouch.
His last shred of reason allowed him to ask, "But...but I remember there aren't any families with the surname Ma in the eastern suburbs."
"Yes! Yes!" Before Shen Zheng could even begin to deny it, a tall, thin soldier rushed out of the guardhouse.
He snatched the purse from Shen Zheng's hand, weighed it in his palm, and then said with even greater certainty, "There are two families surnamed Ma in the eastern suburbs. The old men in the families are both in their seventies or eighties. I reckon it's only a matter of time before they pass away. It's not surprising that they're leaving today."
"Is...is that so?" The guards keeping watch began to doubt their own memories.
"Of course!" The tall, thin guard showed a hint of apprehension on his face, and pulled the guard who was keeping watch over him, whispering, "It's late at night, so don't keep asking, it's bad luck... Aren't you afraid that Old Master Ma will keep bothering you?"
The guards on watch felt their hair stand on end upon hearing this. Before they could think any further, the tall, thin guard had already spoken, letting them pass: "Go, go, go quickly, don't linger at the gate!"
A strange feeling flashed through Shen Zheng's mind, but she still bowed and thanked him, saying, "Thank you for your leniency, sir. Thank you, sir. If Old Master Ma is watching over you from heaven, he will protect you!"
"No need for blessings." The tall, thin soldier weighed the money bag again, then turned and opened the side door. "Just don't say we let you out, and hurry up and leave!"
"Yes, yes, I'll be going now." Shen Zheng didn't mount her horse, but instead held her own reins in one hand and Hua Duo's reins in the other, and trotted out the door.
In a short while, the two figures disappeared into the night.
The tall, thin soldier closed the small door, opened the money pouch, and exclaimed, "Wow, the dead are a lucrative business! Brothers, don't tell anyone about this! We'll continue drinking tomorrow!"
The people in the booth responded loudly and raised their wine bowls again: "Come on, let's drink!"
"Drink!" The tall, thin soldier smiled and went inside to pick up his wine bowl.
The clinking of bowls and cups rang out again, and the absurd clamor once more enveloped the city gate.
......
On the path outside the city, Shen Zheng took off her dirty felt hat and mounted her horse.
Hua Duo secretly wiped the sweat from his palms on the horse's neck and whispered, "Master, these soldiers in Yuanzhou are truly outrageous, daring to openly drink alcohol while on duty..."
If this had happened in their Liuyang Prefecture, those people would have been punished with countless beatings.
The tall, slender figure flashed through Shen Zheng's mind as she pulled on the reins: "The person who let us out of the city probably recognized me, but..."