499 Little Sly Jiang Is Here (2)
Helian Beiming sighed and said, “What a coincidence. Chao’er went out. Young man, he’s bored out of his wits staying in the manor all day, so I asked the guards to bring him out for a walk.”
“Ah.” The Queen nodded in understanding and smiled. “Actually, it’s not a big deal. I’ve spoiled Xi’er too much. She doesn’t like to stay idle, either. I don’t want word to get out that Xi’er bullied the eldest grandson of the Helian family.”
Helian Beiming said solemnly, “I guarantee to Your Highness that such a thing will never happen.”
The Queen smiled and said, “I’m relieved to hear that. As you know, Xi’er is seventeen years old. It’s time for a marriage proposal. I’ll have a headache if her reputation isn’t good.”
“I understand.” Helian Beiming bowed.
The Queen said warmly, “It’s getting late. I should return to the manor. These are a small token of my appreciation for Old Madam and the two children.” The Queen raised her hand and pointed at the few brocade boxes on the table.
Helian Beiming said, “Thank you for your kindness, Your Highness.”
The Queen stood up and bade farewell.
Helian Beiming sent her out of the reception pavilion. The Queen asked him to stop and left with the guards and maidservants. The two maidservants followed behind without looking sideways. Mo Sang followed and whispered to the Queen, “Your Highness, is that young master really from the Helian family?”
The Queen asked, “What kind of person is Helian Beiming in your heart?”
Mo Sang thought for a while and said, “He’s loyal to the country and has a heart of iron. He’s an impeccable subject.”
The Queen smiled faintly. “But he’s also a rare filial son.”
Mo Sang was stunned. “Your Highness, you mean…”
The Queen said, “I remember that one year, Old Madam wanted to eat the lychees in the county, but that year, the bridge to the county was broken and the road was blocked. The caravans were unwilling to go there. Helian Beiming applied for leave from the Emperor and personally went to the county to buy the lychees. In the end, Old Madam didn’t want to eat them after he bought them. A few days later, Old Madam talked about the lychees in the county again. He knew that Old Madam would forget after talking for a few days, but he still went resolutely. He’s such a person. He’s willing to do anything to please Old Madam.”
“Your Highness, you’re saying that the child is fake and he was the one who found them from the outside to satisfy Old Madam’s wish?”
“When we were talking about that child, he was very cautious. He even refused to let me see him. I couldn’t help but suspect him. However…” The Queen didn’t finish her sentence.
If that child was not his biological child, then the only person in the world who looked similar was the princely heir of the Great Zhou. The Queen selfishly felt that this was unlikely. After all, that princely heir was the culprit who killed Helian Qi. No matter how much Helian Beiming wanted to please the Old Madam, he would not bring the enemy who killed his brother home.
“Um… um… um…” As the two of them spoke, the sound of a child using all his strength came from not far away. The two of them looked in the direction of the sound and saw a child who seemed to have crawled out of a haystack. As he walked towards the reception pavilion, he clumsily grabbed the grass crumbs on his head with his chubby little hands.
He was about two or three years old, chubby like a little black egg, and looked extremely cute. He was uncomfortable with the grass but he couldn’t get it down.
Helian Beiming pushed the wheelchair out. The child slipped towards him and handed him his head. Helian Beiming carefully plucked the grass off his head. “Did your brothers bully Dabao again?”
The three of them played hide and seek. Dabao let his two younger brothers trap him in the haystack. Dabao itched and felt uncomfortable. Helian Beiming took off his grass-stained clothes, leaving only a cool undergarment. He climbed onto Helian Beiming’s lap naked and sat in his arms, holding his head with both hands.
“Don’t scratch. It hurts if you scratch it. Eldest Grandpa will blow on it for you.” Helian Beiming removed his chubby hand and gently blew on his head.
The Queen had never seen Helian Beiming like this. He was so gentle that it was as if he was not him anymore. He called himself Eldest Grandpa. In that case… that little black egg was his grandnephew?
Dabao was still itchy. His little head rubbed against Helian Beiming’s arms, messing up his clothes. His little hands grabbed Helian Beiming’s face uncomfortably, and his face was scratched.
Helian Beiming did not care about his disfigurement at all. He said gently, “Dabao doesn’t feel uncomfortable. I’ll bring you to take a shower now, okay?”
Dabao nodded obediently. The two of them returned to Wutong Courtyard. The Queen looked in the direction where the two of them had left and was in a daze for a long time.
“What are you thinking, Your Highness?” Mo Sang interrupted her thoughts.
“They’re too similar,” the Queen murmured.
“Similar?” Mo Sang didn’t pay much attention to the little black egg, he was monitoring Helian Beiming.
The Queen said in a daze, “He’s too similar to the child back then.” He had just gained some weight and his skin was much darker.
Mo Sang did not understand.
The Queen paused. “Send someone to the Great Zhou to investigate someone.”
“Who?” asked Mo Sang.
The Queen said, “The Princely Heir of Yan City.”
As long as they found out that he was not in the Great Zhou, then this “young master” who came to acknowledge his family was most likely him.
Mo Sang sent a pair of twins under him. One of them was a sacrificial soldier and the other was a scout. They were a perfect combination similar to Shadow Thirteen and Shadow Six. The difference was that the training the two of them underwent was even more stringent. The elder brother was a golden-masked sacrificial soldier, and the younger brother was a supreme scout. The two of them had never failed the mission.
After the two of them accepted the order, they rushed to the border without stopping. On a dark and windy night, they left West City and arrived at Qinghe Town, which bordered the Great Zhou.
The Yuelai Inn was the largest inn in Qinghe Town and also the shadiest shop. However, ever since it was robbed twice, the inn had been closed for a long time and only opened again today. In view of the painful lesson history had taught them, they decided to turn over a new leaf.
In the evening, the first guests of this month came to the inn. They were a pair of twins with cold temperaments and powerful auras. The shopkeeper felt a chill run down his spine. He mustered his courage and asked, “Sir, are you staying or eating?”
“Staying.” The younger brother slammed an ingot on the table. “An upper room.”
Aiya, it was good to turn over a new leaf. He could earn so much money even without robbery!
The younger brother took out another ingot. “Feed the horse.”
The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up and he nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes, yes! I’ll definitely feed the horse!”
The shopkeeper put away the silver ingot and called the shop assistant to lead the two of them to the Heaven Room. Then, he personally went to the horse shed to feed their Ferghana horses.
The shopkeeper had never seen such a good horse in his life. He almost wanted to do the dirty business again, but when he thought of the murderous gaze of the twins, he suppressed his courage.
The inn had been closed for so long. He thought that business would be terrible, but not long after, another guest came. This time, it was a carriage. The driver was a burly man in his thirties. He was tall, with strong facial features, a handsome face, and an extraordinary bearing.
Another esteemed guest… The shopkeeper gulped and quickly went forward. “Sir, please come in! Our small shop has all the dishes and drinks. They’re all the best in town!”
The man said, “My wife likes quiet. Is there a quieter upper room?”
The shopkeeper patted his chest and said, “Yes, yes! It’s the quietest here! I guarantee that you won’t even be able to hear the birds chirping at night!”
The man said, “Please wait a moment. I’ll ask my wife.”
The shopkeeper rolled his eyes. What? A man had to ask for a woman’s opinion?
The man lifted the curtain. The shopkeeper stole a glance and saw a pair of embroidered shoes inlaid with pearls.
The man said gently, “Ah Shu, how about staying in this inn tonight?”
“Okay.” The owner of the embroidered shoe nodded softly and got out of the carriage with the man’s help.
