OBS Chapter 249 Return of the property to its original owner
Chapter 249 Return of the property to its original owner
Upon hearing Old Man Song's question, Li Qingqing was first taken aback, then speechless.
Who would willingly seek death?
I just saved his life!
The reason why Imperial Censor Ruan was killed in one blow was simply because this man had altered Old Man Song's letter and participated in framing him.
Even without today's events, I would still settle this score with Imperial Censor Ruan in the future.
Today, I just happened to witness Censor Ruan committing the crime, and I was only focused on saving the old man. In my haste, I didn't care about the consequences.
Li Qingqing thought for a moment, and suddenly remembered the image of Old Man Song crying his eyes out in front of that mound of earth a while ago.
It seems that the "secret letter" incident has troubled him for most of his life and has become a knot in his heart.
Alright, alright, since the old man already knows about me, let's just appease him!
“Every wrong has its perpetrator, and every debt has its debtor. Censor Ruan deserves his punishment and should indeed die! I will not blame you for being framed and involved, nor will I kill you.”
Li Qingqing glanced at Old Man Song; his dejected appearance was truly pitiful.
Clearly, he has been experiencing severe mental strain over the years.
According to the investigation by the Shadow Guard, Old Man Song had stayed in the border city for more than ten years, following the rules and regulations, and had never slandered or defamed any soldier. He even often repaired the soldiers' armor.
This was incredibly kind to the Li family father and son, who had been stationed here for a long time!
Some old memories flashed through Li Qingqing's mind. She hesitated for a moment, then took out a ceramic jar from her spatial storage and handed it over.
"Old man, don't overthink it! Here, this last jar is yours, consider it repayment for the wine I promised you back then! You're lucky, you'll have to wait until next year when the sorghum is ripe to drink this wine again!"
Upon hearing this, Imperial Censor Song looked abruptly at Li Qingqing, his beard trembling slightly.
He didn't take the pottery jar, but said hurriedly, "Please come with me, I have something to give you!"
"Oh?"
Li Qingqing placed the pottery jar on a round table in the hall, and followed Imperial Censor Song through the main hall with a puzzled look, into a... bedroom?
The bedroom of Imperial Censor Song was simple and unremarkable.
Li Qingqing watched him walk towards the bed, puzzled, and then stopped in front of the wall cabinet next to the bed.
What's in the cabinet? Is it to give her the diary from back then?
Li Qingqing was pondering to herself.
Suddenly, Old Man Song turned around and leaned against the wall cabinet, braced one foot against the foot of the bed, and pushed hard with his back, instantly pushing the wall cabinet away from its original position.
Li Qingqing: ...
She was surprised to see that there were signs of digging under the spot where the wall cabinet used to be placed.
After the Imperial Censor Song pushed aside the cabinet by the wall, he immediately squatted down, dug away the fresh soil on the ground, and a large old wooden box was revealed.
He laboriously lifted the old wooden box up, took out his key, unlocked it, and opened the lid.
After doing all this, Imperial Censor Song turned to Li Qingqing and said excitedly, "It can finally be returned to its rightful owner!"
Li Qingqing looked at him with a puzzled expression, then shifted her gaze to the old wooden box.
The moment she saw the objects inside the wooden box, it was as if time and space around her froze, instantly pulling her back to a distant past.
"Silly girl, what woman goes to the battlefield to kill the enemy?"
"Mother, I want it! Please make me a set, okay? I want to be a majestic general like Father when I grow up! Please, Mother!"
"Yes, yes, yes—I promise, on your birthday next year, I will definitely give you the best armor."
"Mom is the best, I love Mom the most!"
"Pfft—, you little rascal..."
A voice, tinged with indulgence and helplessness, echoed in my ears.
Li Qingqing's body suddenly stiffened, and her eyes under the mask instantly turned red.
This is her armor!
It was the black lacquered fish scale armor that her mother had been pestering for a long time, and her mother had asked a skilled craftsman to make it for her!
To reduce the load and improve flexibility, all the iron armor plates were forged through countless hammerings, becoming as thin as fish scales yet stronger than metal and stone. They were then woven together with cords soaked in tung oil and vermilion lacquer, mixed with dark gold thread. She had longed for this for a year before finally receiving it.
Later, she donned this armor and joined the army...
I never expected to see it again!
Li Qingqing's breath hitched, and she took a big step forward, carefully lifting her body armor with both hands.
A crisp, short rustling sound suddenly rang out.
The armor, wiped clean, gleamed faintly under the dim oil lamp.
The inner walls of the fine shells, with varying shades of color in the connecting cords, clearly indicate that they have been reinforced with new cords.
Li Qingqing glanced at the wooden box again. Inside the box, which was lined with a soft cloth, the other protective parts of the armor were neatly arranged, presumably having been repaired and restored.
She remained silent for a moment, carefully folded the armor, placed it inside the box, closed the wooden box, and bowed to Imperial Censor Song with clasped hands.
"Thank you! Consider it a favor I owe you!"
Li Qingqing's voice was a little hoarse as she continued, "I have other matters to attend to and cannot delay. I hope Lord Song will continue to take care of all matters on the border in the future!"
With a little effort, Li Qingqing lifted the wooden box and walked outside.
Night had already fallen, and she wondered if Li Feng was getting impatient with the plans she had made with him.
Li Qingqing had no time to reminisce about the past. After leaving Imperial Censor Song's residence, she took advantage of the fact that no one was around and put the wooden box into her spatial storage.
All around was a desolate emptiness, devoid of stars and moon.
In a few days, it will be the Minor Snow solar term in the lunar calendar. At this time, it is already quite chilly outside.
Zhang Haoyi's residence was brightly lit; it was unclear whether he was waiting for Imperial Censor Ruan.
The area outside was surrounded by black-armored soldiers on night watch. They were new to the border and couldn't stand the biting cold, so they were a bit lax in their guard.
However, with so many people around, Li Qingqing dared not sneak in rashly.
She circled the outermost perimeter of the residence twice, but still couldn't find a single opportunity to take advantage of the situation.
To run from the shade of the big tree to the base of the wall in one go, and then climb over it, is quite a long distance.
Moreover, this process requires getting past the soldiers on night duty and also keeping an eye on the patrol squads.
Li Qingqing continued searching for a flaw in the plan, feeling frustrated.
Suddenly, she noticed a soldier in black armor standing in a secluded corner of the wall, seemingly unable to withstand the cold wind.
He sniffed, wrapped his hands tightly around his clothes, and kept pacing and moving his body, trying to dispel the chill.
The patrol squad leader had already warned him once.
He restrained himself slightly, but before long, he couldn't help but jog back and forth in small increments within his assigned area.
Li Qingqing's eyes lit up, and she hid in the shadow of the big tree, slowly approaching the soldier.
While the soldier had his back to her, she immediately took out a small stone and threw it from a distance, hitting the soldier's sleeping pressure point.
At the same time, Li Qingqing instantly emerged from the shadows.
She rushed towards the soldier like an arrow released from a bow, and just as he was about to fall, she pulled him into the space.
The sound of running footsteps was very loud in the quiet night, startling two black-armored soldiers nearby.
The two of them came over to investigate.
A voice called out softly, "Wu Fu! Did you make a noise again?"
The surroundings were deathly silent; Li Qingqing had already hidden herself in the space.
The two soldiers looked around, muttering, "Strange, they were just here a moment ago."
"Where the hell did that damn guy go! Don't let him drag us down with him!"
The two searched everywhere, even in the corners.
Wu Fu seemed to have vanished into thin air.
A soldier stopped and looked at his comrade not far away, saying with some concern,
“Vice Envoy Yao is currently arguing with Lord Zhang inside the house. If he is found to have abandoned his post, he might be beheaded.”
Upon hearing this, his companion immediately responded, "I have a feeling something's not right. Wu Fu has always been law-abiding. Even if he deserted his post, he should be back by now."
Unable to find Wu Fu, the two could only make wild guesses.
"Could there be an assassin?" Both soldiers became alert simultaneously, one of them urging them on.
"Quick, I'll stay here and guard this place. Go find the captain."
Li Qingqing peered out from inside the space, feeling a headache coming on as she looked at the soldiers who remained in place.
She wanted to bring the soldier into her space as well, but she didn't dare to alert him!