pappabearbooks Chapter 646: Take Him to Beijing
Chapter 646: Take Him to Beijing
next day
Zuo Xiu woke up slowly, his pair of dark and bright eyes looking around curiously.
"You're awake, get up and eat something."
Yan Shu walked into the tent carrying a bowl of egg noodles that had just been cooked the night before, and looked with a smile at Zuo Xiu, who was lying on the mat with a confused look on his face.
When he saw Yan Shu, Zuo Xiu thought of how they were going to send him to the capital last night, so he immediately got up and tried to escape.
The little town that followed him into the tent grabbed him by the collar.
"Little guy, what are you running around for?"
Zuo Xiu was very afraid of Xiao Zhenzi. He was so frightened that he dared not struggle and escape. Xiao Zhenzi carried him in front of Yan Shu like a chicken.
Yan Shu put down the bowl and chopsticks in his hands, walked to Zuo Xiu, and ruffled his messy hair.
"Don't be afraid, we won't hurt you. The reason we want to take you to the capital is because you are still a child. It is very dangerous for you to stay outside alone. I hope you can tell us about your experience. Maybe we can help you."
She didn't know what this child had been through. He said yesterday that all his family members had died. She thought there might be relatives or other people he knew in the capital who could be trusted, but she didn't expect that his reaction would be so big when she mentioned returning to the capital.
Zuo Xiu looked at Yan Shu with red eyes: "A group of bad guys broke into my house late at night and killed my relatives. My mother took advantage of the chaos to hide me in the woodshed so that they wouldn't find me. If I go back, I will definitely be caught by them."
Yan Shu took up the handkerchief and wiped his tears distressedly: "Do you know who killed your family?"
Zuo Xiu shook his head: "I don't know them."
The town man asked, "If you were to see those murderers, would you be able to recognize them?"
Zuo Xiu carefully recalled that horrific night and nodded with a firm gaze: "I remember what the man who killed my grandfather looked like."
Yan Shu pondered secretly. It had only been four or five days since Zuo Xiu ran away from the capital. The murder of an entire family under the emperor's feet was no small case. Once he arrived in the capital, he would be able to find out his identity with a little inquiry.
"Xiao Zuo, can I call you that?"
Zuo Xiu stared at Yan Shu: "As long as sister likes it."
Yan Shu smiled, reached out and gently held his little hands.
"Listen to my sister. You are still young. It will be difficult for you to survive outside without the protection of your family. Besides, where will you live and what will you eat? This is a big problem. I originally thought that if there are relatives of yours in the capital, they could send you there. But right now, the murderers may still be looking for you. So are you willing to follow us for the time being?"
Zuo Xiu was silent for a while, thinking seriously about what Yan Shu said.
He had no relatives in the capital whom he trusted, so instead of going to them, he would rather follow his sister. He believed that she was a good person.
"I am willing to follow my sister."
Yan Shu smiled and pinched his chubby little face.
"Then let's eat something first, we'll be on our way soon."
Zuo Xiu nodded obediently: "Okay!"
After leaving the tent, Yan Shu told Mr. Cui his thoughts.
Cui Laodao: "Such a young child has no home. If we don't take care of him, I'm afraid he will have a hard time surviving."
"I am also worried about this, so I want to take him to Beijing first and find out about the child's family situation."
"Well, take him with you then."
After discussing with Mr. Cui, the group packed their luggage and continued on their journey, finally arriving in the capital city around noon.
Yan Shu and Zuo Xiu sat side by side in the carriage. Several soldiers guarding the city were checking all the people entering and leaving the capital under the city wall.
There were hundreds of people waiting in line in front of their team. The screening for entry into the capital was very strict, and it was finally their turn after half an hour.
Cui Mengsheng personally stepped forward and took out the pass.
When the soldiers learned of Cui Mengsheng's identity, they immediately showed flattering expressions on their faces.
"It turned out to be the Cui family's convoy. My lord, I am sorry to have kept you waiting for so long. Now we need to search the belongings before entering the city. The people in the carriages must get off and walk into the city. I am sorry to inconvenience you, my lords."
"No problem, I'll arrange for them to come over right away."
Cui Mengsheng thanked them and was about to turn around and return to the team when several armored soldiers in the city rode towards him.
Seeing the person coming, the soldiers guarding the city immediately stepped forward and bowed.
"Greetings, gentlemen."
The leading soldier Gao Zuo was on horseback, looking down at the horse and asking, "Have any of you seen this child today?"
The guard said, "Sir, we have been carefully checking the children who have left the city these days, and we have not found the child in the portrait yet."
Cui Mengsheng turned around and looked at the portrait curiously. When he saw the child in the portrait clearly, his eyes suddenly darkened.
He immediately turned around and hurried to the front of the carriage. After telling the coachman to put down the stool, he stepped on the stool and got into the carriage.
"Grandfather, Sister Shu'er, several soldiers came to the city gate. They were holding a portrait in their hands. I think the child in the portrait looks very similar..."
Cui Mengsheng looked at Zuo Xiu.
The expressions of Mr. Cui and Yan Shu both changed. Zuo Xiu was very smart. After hearing what Cui Mengsheng said, he guessed that the person in the portrait must be himself.
He nervously grabbed Yan Shu's sleeve and looked at her helplessly.
"Sister, are those people here to arrest me?"
Yan Shu comforted him softly, "Don't be afraid. Your family has suffered such a big incident, and you are missing. The government officials will definitely conduct a routine investigation, and they will naturally look for you as well."
Cui Mengsheng said: "Everyone who enters and leaves the city gate must come down and be carefully checked. I am worried that if Zuo Xiu's whereabouts are exposed now, there will be trouble."
Yan Shu and Cui Lao were also worried about this. At present, they still didn't know what had happened in Zuo Xiu's home that alarmed the soldiers and sent them all over the city to search for Zuo Xiu. There might be something more complicated behind this matter.
Cui Lao said to Cui Mengsheng, "You take the others to queue up to enter the city first. I will find a way to deal with Zuo Xiu's problem. Go ahead."
"Yes!"
After Cui Mengsheng got out of the carriage, Old Cui reached out and pressed under the table. Then the wooden board under the carriage opened, and a mezzanine space appeared under his feet.
The space is not very big, but it can accommodate a child of five or six years old.
Yan Shu's eyes lit up. In fact, she had already thought of knocking Zuo Xiu unconscious and putting him into the space, but she didn't expect that there was something else in Mr. Cui's carriage.