Old Master Meng looked at the little child, dark as the night. He seemed to be no older than four, with eyes that were incredibly black and bright, like vessels filled with all the purity and beauty of the world.
Old Master Meng was not a man of overflowing empathy, but nor was he cold-blooded enough to ignore a helpless child.
Under ordinary circumstances, the most appropriate action for him, given his temperament, would have been to report to the authorities. freeweɓnovel.cøm
Old Master Meng thought for a moment and asked him, "Did you come out here by yourself? Where is your family?"
The little dark child’s eyes spun around. She couldn’t mention her wicked brother-in-law, or what if the old gentleman sent her back to him?
Clinging tightly to the small bundle in her arms, the child said earnestly, "I’m... I’m going to find my family!"
"Where is your family?" asked Old Master Meng.
"At Tianqiong Academy!" the little dark child said.
He knew Jiaojiao had gone to her wicked brother-in-law’s Academy. The wicked brother-in-law thought he didn’t know the name of that Academy, huh? He, who had put away the documents, would have known!
It was quite the coincidence; Old Master Meng had just visited near Tianqiong Academy today and had played a game of chess with one of the teachers there.
Unable to help himself, Old Master Meng chuckled and asked the little fellow, "Tianqiong Academy is outside the city, so if your family is outside the city, how did you get inside the city walls?"
The little dark child’s eyes spun around again: "A man brought me!"
The man was the wicked brother-in-law!
It turned out to be a child who had been abducted; no wonder she was wandering the streets so late at night, likely having just escaped from the man.
Old Master Meng said to the little dark child, "You come up on the carriage first."
The little dark child, holding her bundle, trotted over, first tossing the bundle up, then clambering up with her little short legs huffing and puffing.
Amused by her innocent and endearing antics, Old Master Meng laughed, "What is your name?"
The child patted the dust off herself, picked up the small bundle from the carriage’s external board, and climbed into the carriage, replying to Old Master Meng, "My name is Jingkong!"
Old Master Meng said, "Jingkong, that’s a really unique name."
It sounded almost like a Buddhist monk’s name.
Old Master Meng asked with some confusion, "Is there... a student named Jiaojiao?"
Wasn’t that the name of a little girl? Tianqiong Academy was all male students!
"Ahem." Little Jingkong regretted speaking too hastily, and quickly corrected herself, "Her name is Liulang, Jiaojiao is her nickname!"
Old Master Meng’s mouth twitched.
Why would a big guy have such a strange nickname?
After much thought, Old Master Meng ultimately decided to take the little one to the Yamen for officials to handle the matter, but since Tianqiong Academy was outside the city, the inner city Yamen generally wouldn’t intervene in outside city disputes.
Old Master Meng drew back the curtain and instructed the coachman, who had returned to the external seat, "Go to the outer city, to Sanhua Street."
Tianqiong Academy was on Sanhua Street.
The coachman whispered, "Master, at this time... aren’t the city gates closed?"
Old Master Meng then said, "No matter, just tell them, and use the National Master’s passage."
With the National Master Hall’s extraordinary influence, there was a dedicated passage at each of the city gates, and as an esteemed guest of the National Master Hall, Old Master Meng could naturally use the hall’s passage in urgent situations.
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: The Prime Minister's Darling