The carriage driver said, "There’s no help for it, I’m most familiar with this place, and I can’t rest easy about the other areas."
"But it’s inconvenient for us to come and go," Daji said. "There are too many people here, and the streets are small. Neighbors recognize and are familiar with each other; it’s quite a mix of fish and dragons."
"From now on, I’ll accompany you in and out. As for the county magistrate, he has his own ways. I often entertain relatives and friends here, so you can rest assured. It’s normal for the place to be bustling; the neighbors are used to it." The carriage driver stepped aside. "The person is inside, do you want to take a look?"
Daji looked towards Bai Shan and Manbao.
After glancing at Manbao, Bai Shan stepped forward and went inside.
As the curtain was lifted, the two saw a young man standing by the table, holding a medicine jar. He turned around upon hearing the noise and was taken aback upon seeing the three of them, standing guard in front of the bed, "Who are you?"
Bai Shan and Manbao stopped in their tracks and looked back at Daji.
Daji was startled by the young man for a moment, then asked, "Bo’an?"
Before the boy could speak, the person lying on the bed had already propped himself up halfway and said to Daji, "Bo’an, this is your father."
Bo’an was stunned for a second, then quickly glanced at Daji before looking down without saying a word.
Daji looked at him, led Bai Shan and Manbao forward, and helped Erji, who was half-propped up, while saying to him, "This is the young master, this is Miss Man."
Erji was stunned and looked at Bai Shan for a good while, his eyes moistening. He tried to get up to pay his respects, then remembered he was paralyzed and couldn’t move at all.
After wiping away his tears, Erji then looked at Manbao and asked with confusion, "Miss Man?"
"It’s the orphan of that couple from back then."
Erji was slightly taken aback and, after trembling his lips for a moment, was at a loss for words.
These matters had not been mentioned to him by the Old Madam and Daji, so it was only now that Erji learned of them.
Daji said in a low voice, "They were killed back then, and nobody knows where the items were hidden. Bringing you here this time is to look for things, and there’s more..."
He paused, then continued, "County Magistrate Tang is going to investigate this case; he has some questions for you."
Erji, suddenly brought to this place, had been anxious all along. Only upon seeing his older brother did he feel somewhat better, but he was still very worried, "It sounds like just a county magistrate..."
"His father was Lord Tang from the Ministry of Justice who was on inspection that year."
Daji didn’t finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear, and Erji understood.
Daji said, "The Old Madam told you to disclose whatever you know, there’s no need to hide anything."
While they were speaking, someone knocked on the courtyard door. Daji looked at Bo’an, and the boy, who had been dazed by the side, came to his senses, hurried to the window to look outside, and saw the carriage driver happily welcoming three people in. He quickly turned around to tell his father, "Uncle Dafu brought some people. I don’t recognize them."
Manbao also took a glance outside and said, "It’s County Magistrate Tang and Mingli."
The carriage driver led County Magistrate Tang and Mingli over, first reported from outside, wanting to get permission before entering.
Bai Shan promptly opened the door, saluted County Magistrate Tang standing outside, and then stepped aside, "My lord, please come in."
County Magistrate Tang stepped in with a smile, asking, "You’re here early, have you already asked?"
Bai Shan replied, "We’ve just arrived as well, please come inside and take a seat, my lord."
County Magistrate Tang nodded with a smile and entered with Mingli.
Then Dafu followed them inside. Upon seeing Bai Shan, he knelt down and kowtowed, "I pay my respects to the young master."
Bai Shan vaguely remembered seeing him and pointing at him asked, "Did you visit Qili Village?"
Dafu broke into a smile, "The young master has a good memory. I visited the Old Madam during New Year’s to report on accounts and pay respects, and I’ve seen the young master a few times."
Bai Shan smiled at him and reached out to help him up, "Uncle Dafu, there’s no need for such formality."
Dafu got to his feet and then bowed deeply to Manbao, "I pay my respects to Miss Man. I’ve also seen Miss Man before; I don’t know if you remember me?"
Manbao studied his face for a long time before shaking her head, as she had no recollection.
But Dafu laughed and said, "It’s normal for Miss Man not to remember. You were only five or six years old at that time."
Manbao wasn’t particularly pleased because Bai Shan was only one year older than her, yet he could remember.
County Magistrate Tang had already scanned the room, memorizing the scene in his mind, and then turned his attention to Erji, who was leaning against Daji.
He stepped forward, glanced at the blanket covering Erji, and asked, "May I take a look at your legs?"
After studying County Magistrate Tang for a while, Erji nodded.
County Magistrate Tang gently lifted the blanket and reached out to touch Erji’s legs. Upon touching them, he saw that Erji’s legs had shrunk to a very small size. He pressed down and inquired, "Do you still feel pain?"
Erji shook his head, "The doctor said if I knew it hurt, it might be a good sign. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel the pain at the time."
County Magistrate Tang nodded, looked at the empty pant leg, and asked, "Was it amputated?"
Erji nodded, "It was necrotic; I wouldn’t have survived without the amputation."
Daji was obviously unaware and was slightly taken aback.
Erji explained, "It was amputated a couple of years ago. Brother Dafu found me a good doctor; I didn’t feel any pain when it was removed."
All Daji could do was nod.
County Magistrate Tang looked at Daji and then back at Erji before simply sitting down by the bed to question him, "Erji, how did your leg become ? Was it hit by an assassin?"
Erji gritted his teeth for a while before shaking his head, "No, they slashed my back. I ran to the edge of the slope, it started raining, and I slipped. I fell into the slope, my waist, and legs crashing into rocks and tree trunks. A hunter who was going into the mountains to hunt dragged me out. It was my older brother who found me later."
"How many assassins were chasing you?"
Erji continued, "Two."
"And how many were after County Magistrate Bai?"
Erji shook his head, "I was just running for my life then, I didn’t count."
"What’s your estimate?"
Erji paused for a moment before saying, "Maybe three..."
"So, in total, how many were after you both?"
Erji shook his head, "I don’t know..."
County Magistrate Tang suddenly changed the subject, "How many people were escorting you?"
"Eight," Erji said without hesitation, "besides the Bai Family guards, there were four guards from the County Governmental Office; none survived on the road."
"So, how many assassins were there trying to kill you?"
Erji’s mind was racing, for years he had been continually remembering that day, certain memories had been set in stone, and what he could not remember he assumed was gone. But now, as County Magistrate Tang asked more and more rapidly, with such insistent gaze, images that had once been blurry suddenly became clear again. He silently counted, "There were also eight, no, that’s not right, maybe nine... or ten. Our men killed several of the assassins too."
"By the time only the two of you were left, how many were still chasing?"