spoiled brat

Chapter 152, Section 151: Startling Frost (Part 1)

There was a restrained melancholy in Xiao Duo's eyes, and the bright sunlight dazzled Xie Xiaoqing, making him see a resemblance to Zhao Zhao.

He paused for a moment, and the clerk leaned down to remind him, "Young Master Xie, once you've chosen someone skilled in horse breeding, the servants below are waiting."

Xie Xiaoqing registered Xiao Duo and his group on his name, and they could start working as soon as the horses arrived.

The unemployed refugees looked at him expectantly, also hoping to find work. Xie Xiaoqing briefly explained the auxiliary soldiers' benefits, and at the end, he didn't forget to remind them:
"...Our official school is full of rich kids who are used to being arrogant and domineering, and it's impossible to manage them all. When the auxiliary soldiers accompany them in training, they inevitably suffer some bullying and beatings."

When the students practiced archery on horseback, the auxiliary soldiers had to help lead the horses and collect the arrows. When the students practiced close combat, the auxiliary soldiers had to act as human punching bags.

The work was difficult, but the monthly pay was high, so the refugees were willing to risk their lives and eagerly raised their hands to help.

Looking at the gaunt faces, Xie Xiaoqing hesitated for a moment before choosing only a few slightly stronger men—he dared not choose the skinny ones, fearing they wouldn't be able to withstand the abuse from those lawless playboys.

As for the refugees who weren't selected, Xie Xiaoqing instructed the minor officials to send them to reclaim wasteland so they could at least get something to eat.

After the crowd dispersed, Xiao Duo stepped forward and said, "Young master, I can raise horses, and I can also do auxiliary military duties."

"You?" Xie Xiaoqing muttered subconsciously. It wasn't that he looked down on people, but Xiao Duo was just too thin. If he wasn't mistaken, Xiao Duo walked with a limp, clearly having suffered a serious injury to his leg.

He bent down and unexpectedly pulled up Xiao Duo's tattered trouser leg. Sure enough, there was a long scar on his thin right leg, and also on his ankle...

A deep red mark.

Xie Xiaoqing froze; he had seen similar marks before.

When exiled prisoners traveled far in shackles, the shackles were heavy, and the hard lump weighing more than ten kilograms would constrict their flesh and blood, leaving marks that would be difficult to heal for life.

Xiao Duo took a step back and said calmly, "Young master, do you think I am not up to the task?"

Xie Xiaoqing slowly stood up, and instead of answering, asked, "Why do you work two jobs?"

As the sunlight rippled, Xiao Duo's expression darkened: "I want to save some travel money to return to Yunzhou as soon as possible. All my elders have passed away, leaving only my two younger sisters wandering outside... I can't rest easy about them."

Xie Xiaoqing could tell that his words were half true and half false. He really wanted to go home, but he was not sure whether his two younger sisters were alive or dead.

Fearing Xie Xiaoqing would refuse, Xiao Duo patted his thin chest: "I may be thin, but I used to practice martial arts."

Having said that, he leaped up and did two somersaults, spinning around in the air like a little leopard before landing steadily.

Xiao Duo was indeed capable, and he had a touching reason. Xie Xiaoqing put the matter of his impersonation out of his mind and nodded in agreement.

Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from the horizon. Under the setting sun, a herd of horses galloped, raising dust and a pungent, salty smell of horses. In the blink of an eye, they had arrived outside the training ground.

"Young Master Xie!" A young boy rushed over and pointed outside, saying, "Eunuch Wang from the Imperial Horse Stables has arrived. My master requests that you come out to greet him!"

Xie Xiaoqing looked over and saw about a hundred horses being driven into the training ground. As the dust settled, a dozen or so figures gradually appeared below the gate tower.

Those were all from the Imperial Horse Administration; a dozen or so eunuchs dressed in purple robes surrounded a large eunuch.

The eunuch sat high on his horse, his eyelids drooping, speaking to Li Qingwen in a lukewarm manner.

Xie Xiaoqing hated the eunuch's arrogant attitude the most, but out of respect for his authority, he still stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting: "Eunuch Wang."

Wang Da Dang glanced over, completely ignoring Xie Xiaoqing: "Which department are you from?"

Before Xie Xiaoqing could answer, Li Qingwen smiled and said, "You may not know this, but Young Master Xie has not yet entered officialdom."

Wang Da Dang scoffed, "Then why should I go on errands with you?"

“Although Young Master Xie is not an official, he is exceptionally resourceful and highly regarded by my teacher,” Li Qingwen said. “This time, the method of using work relief and having refugees help raise horses was his idea.” Wang Da Dang’s face darkened, and he shot a dagger at him.

Xie Xiaoqing, now at the mercy of others, had no way to defend himself: "I..."

He cursed Li Qingwen's ancestors for eighteen generations in his heart. This beast made the suggestion, but he pushed the blame onto himself.

Xie Xiaoqing was somewhat intimidated, but Wang Dang composed himself, changed the subject, gave a few instructions about raising horses, and then left.

Before leaving, he patted Li Qingwen on the shoulder meaningfully: "You really know how to handle people."

Li Qingwen nodded respectfully and said, "Please take care, sir."

-

"That eunuch only glared at you with venom, yet you didn't resent him at all?" Zhao Zhao raised an eyebrow.

Xie Xiaoqing regretted being such a hothead and sighed, "...He went to the Imperial Stables to make contact first, so naturally he got to decide everything."

In the same room as last time, there was a porcelain jar or fish tank on the table.

Zhao Zhao stared at the swimming carp for a while, then said, "That's not right."

"What's wrong?"

“The Imperial Horse Administration is a lucrative position. Now that the profits have been shared, how can we let it go? You two are working together, so if you have a grievance, you should complain together.”

Xie Xiaoqing pondered for a moment: "Perhaps it's because the man surnamed Li was the second-place scholar in the imperial examination and is also the betrothed of Minister Jiang's daughter, while I am a pushover with no family background or official rank—"

Zhao Zhao shook her head: "Do you know that the ancestor of these eunuchs is Li Fu? It's strange, Li Fu is clearly a close minister of the emperor, but he is very obedient to the crown prince."

Xie Xiaoqing was stunned. The Crown Prince and Minister Jiang were only superficially on good terms. In this matter, Wang Da Dang should hate Li Qingwen more. It was really inappropriate for his resentment to spread to him.

"Could it be..." Xie Xiaoqing recalled that day when Wang Da Dang said Li Qingwen knew how to get along with people, "Could it be that he gave that eunuch some money?"

Eunuchs have no roots; they can't have sex with women or climb the ladder of power. All they can hold onto is money.

But how could Li Qingwen, a minor official of the seventh rank, possibly earn enough to fill the mouths of the eunuchs?

Zhao Zhao pondered for a moment: "How much grain did the Ministry of Revenue allocate for this mission?"

Li Qingwen handled all the liaison work at the government office. Xie Xiaoqing wasn't deeply involved and could only give a rough estimate. He sighed and said, "The war is intense. Most of the Ministry of Revenue's money and grain have been allocated to the front lines. They're so poor they can't even afford to eat. The money and grain that should have been allocated haven't been distributed yet."

"The horses have all been moved to the training ground, and the refugees responsible for feeding the horses and accompanying them in training have been hired, but there is no food or money, and the people and horses are eating bran porridge together."

“Li Qingwen loves to put on an act, pretending to be a champion for the people. He went to the Ministry of Revenue to ask for money and grain time and time again, but each time he returned empty-handed. Although the refugees didn’t have enough to eat, they all remembered his kindness… I later wanted to frame him, but I’m afraid I won’t be able to do it.”

"Wait a minute." Zhao Zhao frowned. "He's gone to the Ministry of Revenue repeatedly to ask for money and grain?"

Xie Xiaoqing nodded.

"Having spent a considerable amount of time with him, what do you think of him?"

Putting aside his heartlessness and ingratitude, Xie Xiaoqing had to admit that Li Qingwen was very shrewd and tactful. He always did things perfectly, and his faint smile was just as flawless as his actions.

He is a snake that appears harmless.

They are also enemies not to be underestimated.