My Nascent Soul Ran Away Again

Chapter 164: Lu Xuan Rebels, Qin Fu Steals Books

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Qian Chong hastily intervened: “A solution… of course, there is one. My Black Lotus Sect can dispatch five hundred elite troops.”

“Only five hundred?” Lu Xuan looked at him.

“These five hundred are the elite of my sect, capable of defeating the Great Kang Dynasty’s official soldiers in battle. They will wait outside the city, and once the time is right, you open the city gates, and my brothers will rush in,” Qian Chong explained.

Lu Xuan nodded slightly, listening as Qian Chong continued, “As for inside the city, I can also muster a group of followers. These wealthy households all have servants and workers. While they may not be the main force, they can still stand against the Qingxian Society’s men to some extent.”

“Leave the matter of rallying the public and overthrowing the three major families to me,” Lu Xuan said crisply.

“The matter of my joining the sect is significant, and the power to mobilize troops is not in my hands. Please allow me to write a secret letter to contact my superiors,” Qian Chong requested.

“Granted, ” Lu Xuan agreed.

At Qian Chong’s signal, his subordinate brought a sheet of paper with a special pattern and prepared the ink. Qian Chong thought for a moment and then wrote swiftly. Within the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the secret letter was ready.

After writing the letter in front of Lu Xuan, Qian Chong handed it to him for review. Lu Xuan thought for a moment and stamped his official seal on it.

“Brother Qian has been honest with me, and I shall not be insincere in return,”

Lu Xuan said, handing the sealed letter back to Qian Chong. “This is my gesture of sincerity.”

An official seal like this could only be used by a county magistrate. To Qian Chong, Lu Xuan’s act of stamping his seal on the paper was like handing over evidence of his rebellion to him. It seemed that the Qingxian City Magistrate was determined to join the Black Lotus Sect.

Qian Chong thought to himself.

Qingxian City, County Yamen.

“Lord,” Lu Ping reported, “Qin Fu… Met with Bo Chang today.”

“I know,” Lu Xuan nodded. “Keep monitoring them, but don’t let them notice.”

“Yes, my lord,” Lu Ping acknowledged and withdrew.

“Li Ming,” Lu Xuan called.

“Lord, I am here.”

“How did the porridge distribution go?”

“Everything went smoothly,” Li Ming replied. “There were many refugees lining up. In just an hour, all the porridge prepared this morning was distributed.”

“How are the physical conditions of the refugees in the west of the city?”

“Those who managed to escape to our Qingxian City are generally in good health, not much different from ordinary people.”

“Good. Continue distributing porridge tomorrow. The county can afford this expense.”

“Yes.”

Three days later.

Lu Ping reported: “Lord, Qin Fu… didn’t return home last night.”

“They’re progressing faster than expected,” Lu Xuan was satisfied. “There’s no need to monitor her anymore.”

“Yes.”

“Li Ming.”

“I am here, Lord.”

“Post a notice tomorrow, recruiting able-bodied men in the west of the city. Set up a large cauldron next to the porridge stall, and those who sign up will get meat.”

Lu Xuan instructed: “Then tell them that after enlisting, they can eat meat every day and will receive a monthly salary… Make sure to screen the applicants, we don’t want those with weak physiques.”

“Yes.”

Li Ming received the order and hesitated for a moment before adding: “Lord, daily porridge distribution is something our county treasury can sustain for a while, but recruiting militia and forming troops…”

“Just recruit the people. As for the military expenses… someone else will foot the bill for us.’

“Yes!”

Two Days Later.

In the afternoon of that day, at dusk.

In the yamen warehouse.

“Sister Qin, let’s go home,” Gu Rong stretched and began to pack up. These days, she had become accustomed to her daily routine of signing in and managing documents in the yamen warehouse.

“Um, you go ahead,” Qin Fu blinked her eyes. “I… I won’t be coming home tonight.’

“Going to see your Master Bo again?” Gu Rong deliberately emphasized the

“your. ”

“Go on, go on,” Qin Fu laughed and lightly hit her. “What are you talking about,

‘your’ and ‘mine’? That’s for the grown-ups to worry about, not kids like you.” “Ah, ever since you got a man, you’ve been drifting away from your sisters,” Gu Rong sighed heavily. “After all, a sister can only warm you with words, but a man…”

“Okay, enough,” Qin Fu knew she was about to make another inappropriate remark and quickly interrupted her. “Hurry up and go back, it’s almost curfew.”

“Sister Qin,” Gu Rong straightened up. “Jokes aside, Master Bo of the Bo family is not someone you can rely on…”

“I know that,” Qin Fu smiled lightly, unclasping a pendant from her neck. The jade pendant had a smooth texture and exquisite carving.

“Lengyu Pavilion product, worth three hundred silver taels,” Qin Fu shook the pendant. “He’s not serious, and neither am I… Do you think I’m foolish?”

Relieved, Gu Rong replied, “As long as that’s the case, I’ll head back first. Sigh, I’ll be alone in an empty room again tonight…

“Go on, go on,” Qin Fu pushed her back, somewhat irritated. “Hurry up and leave, don’t delay my important business.”

Once Gu Rong left, Qin Fu’s smile gradually faded. She looked around, lit an oil lamp, and closed the warehouse door.

She had urged Gu Rong to leave quickly because she had her own plans.

That morning, Bo Chang had given her the pendant. Then Bo Chang made a request to Qin Fu—

To help him find a dossier from five years ago.

Only then did Qin Fu realize why he had approached her.

However, she did not hesitate for long.

Bo Chang approached her with a purpose, and she did not give him her true feelings.

Both parties were taking what they needed; a single dossier was a good deal.

Although taking a sealed dossier from the yamen was a violation of the Great Kang Dynasty’s law, Qin Fu thought it was not a big problem.

An old case from five years ago, stored in the warehouse, was of no concern to anyone.

Qin Fu walked among the wooden shelves, holding the oil lamp. She had mastered the method of dossier classification during this time.

That morning, Bo Chang had also told Qin Fu the information about the dossier he was looking for.

In less than the time it took to burn an incense stick, Qin Fu found what she was looking for.

The dossier was placed in the middle of a wooden shelf, easily reachable by Qin Fu’s height.

After confirming it again, she wrapped the dossier in her clothes and quietly left the yamen.

But she didn’t know that two figures were silently watching her from an alley outside the yamen.

Bo Residence.

“Indeed, indeed…’

After reading the dossier brought by Qin Fu, Bo Chang’s expression fluctuated.

“My grandfather and father were killed by that beast, Gu Yang!”

He smashed a cup on the ground.

The dossier stated that the cause of death for the old master of the Bo family was an encounter with bandits outside the city, resulting in the annihilation of the entire convoy.

However, several pieces of evidence found at the scene pointed to the Gu family.

The dossier’s pages were yellowed and incomplete, with the last few pages torn off and replaced.

Bo Chang knew that the previous county magistrate must have been unwilling to offend Gu Yang, so he blamed the incident on bandits and covered it up.

The death of his father and grandfather had always been a dark shadow in Bo Chang’s heart.

He had always wanted to investigate the truth, but at that time, Bo Chang was just a young man, not yet in control of the Bo family, and powerless to investigate.

As the biggest beneficiary after the assassination of the old master of the Bo family, Gu Yang had always been on Bo Chang’s list of suspects.

Today, this “suspicion” was confirmed.

Bo Chang thought of many things, not only the revenge for his father’s death but also the future of the entire Bo family.

When the old master of the Bo family passed away, someone from the Bo family should have stepped in to take over the position of the head of the Qingxian Society, but it was vetoed by Gu Yang.

Given his way of doing things, Gu Yang probably wouldn’t return those five years to the Bo family.

Bo Chang was furious, but his anger did not last long.

He took several deep breaths to calm himself.

The Gu family was powerful, and confronting Gu Yang head-on would cost the entire Bo family a great deal.

Bo Chang knew he had to find an ally to cooperate with.

Whom to find?

After much thought, Bo Chang finally made up his mind..