Chapter 403: Chicken Soup for the Soul

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

At the sound of the rapid, continuous gongs, Yan Yu’s face fell. She instinctively looked around for anything she could use as a weapon. Spotting a carrying pole at a nearby noodle stall, she snatched it up.

“Brother San Tie, grab your gear!”

San Tie quickly pulled two Bamboo Crossbows from the basket he always carried on his back. He handed one to Xiao Er, then stuffed a bundle of tied Bamboo Arrows into her hands.

The noodle vendor was about to shout in protest, but when he saw the other two men draw short daggers out of nowhere, he was too terrified to utter a single word and scrambled backward.

Yan Yu was just wondering why the Heir Apparent’s two bodyguards were pointing their blades at her and Brother San Tie. Were they stupid?

Just then, a man’s voice called out in a long, drawn-out shout, “Clear the way for the Magistrate!”

Yan Yu: …

She was so embarrassed she could have dug a cellar with her toes^[1]…

Seeing Xiao Er’s stunned and awkward expression, the Heir Apparent’s face turned red as he tried to hold back his laughter, his shoulders shaking.

“Sheathe your blades. Let’s go, quickly,” the Heir Apparent said. Covering his face with his sleeve, he grabbed Xiao Er, who had yet to recover, shielded her small face as well, and ran off with her.

San Tie was quick-witted too. He stuffed the Bamboo Crossbow and arrows back into his basket, slung it onto his back, and ran after them.

The two bodyguards sheathed their daggers and hid them away. Before leaving, they did not forget to toss a handful of copper coins onto the noodle stall.

…

The Heir Apparent had originally intended to slow down to accommodate Xiao Er, but to his surprise, the child ran incredibly fast, not lagging behind in the slightest.

San Tie followed closely behind as well, without even breathing hard.

The Heir Apparent recalled that the children of Xiao’an Village trained diligently every day and had even killed Northern Rong soldiers. He silently reminded himself never to underestimate them just because of their youth.

Reflecting on Xiao Er and San Tie’s reactions just now, they were hardly any different from regular soldiers.

And that faint hint of murderous intent, he never expected to feel such a thing from a child.

Yan Yu had dropped the carrying pole while being dragged along. She had no idea if the noodle vendor had picked it back up.

She felt utterly helpless.

She hadn’t wanted to overreact like that. It was all because of the gongs. Her brain had been half a beat too slow, while her body had been half a beat too fast.

And so… it was incredibly embarrassing…

“Big Brother Prince, did I cause trouble?” Yan Yu asked in a low voice.

She had just snatched someone’s carrying pole and grabbed a Bamboo Crossbow, and the Heir Apparent’s bodyguards had even drawn their blades.

And of all times, it had to happen right when the Magistrate was traveling. Could it cause some kind of misunderstanding?

“It is fine. No one should have noticed us,” the Heir Apparent said.

Yan Yu quickly explained, “That gong just now, I thought it was…”

“Xiao Er!” The Heir Apparent interrupted her, bending down to look her in the eye. “Do not panic. With your Big Brother Prince here, you are safe.”

In a gentle, measured voice, he explained, “The gongs used to clear the way are different from warning gongs. The latter are rapid, while the former are either struck slowly or in a specific sequence. Just now, the gong sounded seven times, which signifies the county magistrate is traveling.”

…

Ever since that misunderstanding, Yan Yu noticed a change in Big Brother Prince.

He began telling her amusing stories about his childhood martial arts training, as well as his past experiences in the military: the first time he went to battle and killed an enemy, the first time he bled from a wound, the first time he watched someone beside him die under a Northern Rong blade…

He candidly admitted to his own past panic and helplessness.

He told her not to be afraid of facing that side of herself, and to bravely break free from her shackles…

In short, Yan Yu was fed a bellyful of chicken soup for the soul.

Her own influence on her younger brother Fengnian was subtle and gradual, gently guiding him out of his dark memories.

But Big Brother Prince was using himself as a living example, selflessly sharing his own mental and emotional journey with her.

Though their methods differed, their intentions were the same.

Alright, she admitted she had overreacted a bit before, but where on earth did Big Brother Prince get the idea that she needed psychological counseling?

She accepted the stories, but as for the rest, she hoped she could bounce it right back…

Perhaps because he had shared so much about himself, the Heir Apparent treated her with growing closeness.

And the way he showed this closeness was…

Taking a keen interest in her schoolwork!!!

Yan Yu was so very grateful to him, but really, there was absolutely no need!

When the day of the court session arrived, Yan Yu had the privilege of accompanying the Heir Apparent. Standing in the courtroom, she watched the entire trial up close.

All the perpetrators were brought forward and questioned one by one. Some bore injuries, while others were listless and dejected, but all of them confessed to their crimes honestly.

Their accounts were crystal clear.

The sentencing proceeded without a hitch. The band of swindlers was exiled to military service, and the confiscated silver was returned to the victims.

With that, the court adjourned.

“Big Brother Prince, those fake Taoist priests, are they going to be exiled to Crouching Tiger?” Yan Yu asked.

“Xiao Er is indeed clever,” the Heir Apparent praised with a smile.

“What about the money? They didn’t say how it would be divided!” Yan Yu truly felt like she had listened to a whole lot of nothing. She had sat through the entire trial, yet it felt as if she hadn’t heard a thing.

The Heir to Prince Ying thought about it and decided to tell her the truth. “Before the court session, Changping, Gufeng, and Yongning had already agreed on the amounts with Guiyuan. By now, they should be heading back with the money.”

“They already agreed?” Yan Yu muttered. “So quickly? Hadn’t it been dragged out for a long time? Big Brother Prince, you came here specifically for this… Ah, that’s it. Because you came, it was resolved so quickly, right?”

The Heir Apparent laughed. “You are right, Xiao Er. Your Big Brother Prince’s reputation is quite useful even outside of Guanzhou. Once Magistrate Lou saw that I had arrived, he could no longer drag the case out. In truth, this fake Taoist case was only difficult because of the return of the stolen silver. As long as all parties made some concessions, the case could be closed.”

Yan Yu said, “But they didn’t come to the inn!”

Not only had no one come, but Big Brother Prince hadn’t gone out again either.

The Heir Apparent shook his head. “They should not have come either.”

Seeing that Xiao Er did not understand, he explained patiently, “We of the royal family hold a transcendent status. If we interfere too heavily in local administration, we risk showing bias.

“Had I not come, there is no telling how long this case would have dragged on. The people of Changping, Gufeng, and Yongning would have lingered in Guiyuan indefinitely, and the runners of the three cities would not have been able to complete their duties.

“But by showing myself in Guiyuan, I only needed to let them know I was here, and everything would be resolved.

“So, what harm was there in making this trip?”

…

After resting at home for a day, Yan Yu went to Crouching Tiger.

She recounted everything she had seen and heard on the road to her grandmaster, her uncle, and her father.

Every time Magistrate Tian heard of the Heir Apparent’s words and actions, he would nod in approval.

Yan Huaiwen was the calmest of all, his expression as serene as a still well.

Yan Lao’er was most concerned with whether the Heir Apparent had opened the chest to see what was inside. When he heard from his daughter that she hadn’t seen the chest again, he was incredibly disappointed.

Hearing that the prices of grain and medicine in Guiyuan had both gone up, his brow furrowed in deep worry.

“Magistrate Tian! Old Tian! Old Tian!”

The doorkeeper of the Government Office ran after him, nearly in tears. What on earth did this Banner Commander Xue want? Couldn’t he just wait to be announced instead of barging straight in?

Banner Commander Xue had been to the Crouching Tiger Government Office more than once or twice, so he knew the way well.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw the Magistrate coming out of the room. He dashed forward and excitedly grabbed him by the shoulders.

“Old Tian…” He paused when he saw the two adults and one child coming out behind him, but he still couldn’t contain his excitement. “Let’s get a drink! Yes, let’s get some wine and have a few cups!”

Yan Lao’er tried to pry his hands off, saying anxiously, “Let go of him! Don’t shake my teacher!”

Only then did Banner Commander Xue realize what he was doing. He pulled his hands back with a sheepish grin and said apologetically, “Look at me, I got so excited I didn’t even notice…”

(End of Chapter)