Three Kingdoms: Jiangdong is no longer a rat

Chapter 3 Si Qing
crunch.

The wooden door of the Yan Mansion's stable was pushed open by a man in his twenties, and a unique smell mixed with hay and horses hit the face.

The stable was very clean, with the floor covered with moisture-absorbing sawdust and various horse equipment hanging on the walls, from saddles to reins, each piece showing signs of careful maintenance.

The man placed the rattan basket in his hand on the long table, grabbed a few handfuls of grass and put them into the basket, then added soybeans, wheat bran and other things, stirred them a few times, and poured them into the trough little by little, carefully observing the horses eating.

Several servants in coarse linen clothes squatted outside the stable, eating loquats and playing chess.

Gambling has been prevalent since the Qin and Han Dynasties. Chess games include Liubo and Saiqi, and there are countless others like Cuju, cockfighting, and dog running.

"Si Qing has gone to work. Should we go over and lend a hand?"

"Just let him do it. He's been acting like a sullen fool all day. I think he's almost treating those horses like his wives."

"But since this kid came, we feel much more comfortable."

"I've finished the process, haha, give me the money!"

"Bad luck! I'm not going to play anymore. I'm going back to my room to get some sleep."

A thin, dark-skinned servant watched irritably as his opponent snatched away more than twenty five-zhu coins from his feet. He then shouted into the stable, "Si Qing, do my part of the job for me this afternoon!"

Si Qing, who was feeding the horse, paused slightly and continued to add grass to the trough with a calm expression.

The thin and dark servant stood up and stretched his numb legs. Suddenly, he saw his companion beside him looking terrified. He subconsciously turned around and saw several people walking towards the stable.

The leader was a young man with a tall and upright figure. He wore a green brocade robe, a scholar's cap on his head, and a jade belt around his waist. When he walked, he had an appearance and temperament that stood out from the crowd.

The thin and dark servant trembled, lowered his head with a pale face, and dared not breathe.

"Greetings, Young Master!"

Several servants stood in a row in a panic, and one of them kicked the chess pieces and five-zhu coins on the ground aside.

Yan Yi glanced at the ground and asked, "Where is Si Qing?"

"My lord, Si Qing is feeding the horses in the stable." A servant answered in a trembling voice.

Yan Yi walked past several servants and headed towards the stables, calling out loudly, "Si Qing, Si Ziyue."

Upon hearing the sound, Si Qing came out of the stable with a look of surprise on his face. He hurriedly brushed off the straw on his linen clothes and was about to bow.

Yan Yi quickly supported him, held his arm, wiped away the remaining grass debris, and looked at the somewhat embarrassed man with a smile.

A memory then came to mind.

A year ago, the original owner went into the mountains to hunt. When he came out, it was already late. So he found a wealthy family to rest in Yongxinli near the mountain. He fell in love with the daughter of that family and wanted to spend the wedding night with her that night.

Unexpectedly, the woman had a strong temper and swore to die rather than obey. The original owner accidentally beat the woman to death. When he was about to leave, Si Qing persuaded him to stay and be properly resettled on the grounds that the original owner's identity had been known to the villagers.

The original owner refused to listen and returned to Wucheng overnight. Si Qing stayed behind alone and took the blame for beating the woman to death. He spent all his private wealth to appease the victim.

This memory filled Yan Yi with emotion. The more he looked at the handsome man in front of him, the more he liked him. He took his hand and said softly, "Zi Yue, come with me. I've asked someone to prepare some food and wine. Let's get drunk today."

Si Qing glanced at Yan Yi in surprise, then withdrew his hand and bowed, saying, "I, a guilty person, failed to provide adequate care for you, causing you to fall from your horse. I am ashamed and embarrassed. How dare I eat at the same table with you?"

"This matter has nothing to do with you. You have committed no crime. Please get up!" Yan Yi sighed, and turned his gaze towards the servants, his expression as cold as a knife: "You guys are so relaxed!"

Several servants knelt on the ground, pounding their heads like garlic.

"Young Master, I was wrong!"

"Please forgive me, young master!"

Yan Yi glanced at Xu Yan, then turned and left with Si Qing.

Xu Yan's cold voice came from behind: "Twenty lashes!"

Si Qing secretly observed the young man beside her, noticing a significant change in his speech and behavior, which filled her with uncertainty. She arrived at a wing room in the front yard and saw several maids coming in and out, placing various meats, vegetables, and fruits on a lacquered table in the center of the room.

Next to the table was a gilded bronze wine jar about two feet high, filled with fine wine.

Si Qing stood beside the table, looking hesitant, and did not dare to sit down for a long time.

Yan Yi dismissed his attendants and forcibly pulled Si Qing to sit down. He said with a smile, "It's just the two of us here. There's no need to talk about host and guest etiquette. Just be casual."

Si Qing looked at the food and wine on the table, then suddenly stood up, knelt on the ground, and bowed solemnly: "I have something to report to the young master."

"What's the matter?"

Yan Yi pulled him to sit down again, picked up the silver spoon, scooped a spoonful of wine from the wine jar and poured it into the wine cup.

Si Qing said word by word, "Young Master's fall from his horse was no coincidence. Someone had tampered with the horse, intending to harm him."

Yan Yi looked up in surprise.

Si Qing clenched his fists and spoke in a low voice, "That day, the young master wasn't riding Xuelibai, but a Liangzhou horse given to him by Yan Yong. The scent of that horse was a little unusual at the time. I regret that I wasn't able to dissuade him in time. I feel extremely guilty!"

As if a word awakened a dreamer, a series of vague memories emerged in Yan Yi's mind, causing him to feel a slight tingling in his head.

Yan Yu's son Yan Yong offered a horse to Si Qing, who dissuaded him. However, the original owner ignored the advice and sent Si Qing away, causing him to fall off the horse.
Yan Yi carefully recalled every detail before and after the fall from the horse, and then thought of Yan Yong's expression at the time and the abnormality that the original owner felt when riding a horse, and he was already half convinced in his heart.

Fearing Yan Yi might not believe her, Si Qing quickly replied, "Afterwards, I went to Shicheng Mountain to collect some horse manure. I found it was black and soft, so there was definitely something wrong. The horse disappeared afterwards, so someone must have killed it."

As his own safety was at stake, Yan Yi became more and more frightened the more he listened, anger filling his chest, and he wished he could pick up a knife and chop Yan Yong to death immediately.

This matter must be dealt with, but it is not easy to deal with.

The key to the matter lies in whether Yan Yu was aware of and involved in it.

Yan Yi thought for a moment and said in a deep voice, "This matter is of great importance. Let's not make it public for now. I will discuss it with my mother before making a decision."

Si Qing nodded, and most of the worries in her heart disappeared.

As long as Yan Yi is on guard, it will be difficult for Yan Yong and others to cause trouble again.

From Yan Yi's expression, it can be seen that the other party has completely believed his words, which was unimaginable before.

"Young Master has indeed changed a lot."

Si Qing pondered in his heart, remembering the rumors in the mansion recently.

"Stop talking, eat and drink!" Yan Yi put a piece of mutton into Si Qing's bowl and smiled gently. "I'm sorry you've suffered because of my affairs. I've already started leading the troops, so you should return to my side and take up the position of military marquis."

"Marquis?"

Si Qing's eyes were full of confusion, and he almost choked on a mouthful of wine.

"Father has appointed me as the assistant military commander and given me three groups of soldiers."

Yan Yi smiled slightly and briefly recounted the incident.

"Congratulations, Young Master!" Si Qing's face was filled with excitement, but he lowered his head somewhat reservedly. "Qing is a crude person, and I'm afraid I haven't lived up to Young Master's kindness."

"For the past two years, you've followed me around like a horse, working tirelessly. What's a Marquis Qu to me?" Yan Yi sighed, then gave Si Qing a mischievous smile. "A man born into this world should establish his reputation and build a family business. Zheng Jiang is still waiting for you to marry her."

Si Qing blushed at first, then her face became solemn and she bowed, "Young Master, I have no way to repay your kindness. I am willing to give my body to you and let you command me!"

Yan Yi was overjoyed and quickly helped him up.

The two of them sat down, toasting each other, and they seemed much closer than before.

(End of this chapter)