Miss and farmhand

Shen Xuying interrupted this conversation. Her upbringing taught her that it was impolite to reopen old wounds. Since Huang Muyun had shown remorse, no matter what had happened in the past, he was repentant and didn't need outsiders to bring it up.

Huang Chu didn't believe it, but he remained cautious.

The day after the incident was mentioned, the man went out.

It's not unusual at all. Unlike women, men don't face many restrictions when going out, and they don't attract much attention. Huang Muyun has been going out quite often lately for reasons such as household registration and making clothes.

He hadn't had time to assign any servants to him yet, or perhaps he simply didn't want them, saying he wasn't used to it. Huang Xingtong didn't rush him, as if she understood his carefree and unrestrained nature.

He went out for several days in a row without anything unusual happening.

The place they went to included the alley where they used to live, and they met several acquaintances and elders who were also lacquerers. It wasn't that they gave them money or anything; Huang Muyun currently had some silver given to him by Huang Xingtong, part of which was his wages from work, and part of which was pocket money given to him privately.

The amounts are actually not much; they're not enough to improve one's life, but they're enough to treat old friends to a simple meal and a few drinks.

Besides these senior colleagues, he met other people one after another. This part was more fragmented, and they were all men of all ages, doing various odd jobs and odd jobs in different industries. It seemed that apart from Huang Muyun, they had nothing in common and there was no conspiracy. They would meet once, have a meal and drinks together, chat for a few words, and some would even part ways quickly.

These people need to be investigated by someone with a keen eye. Only after asking around can it be found that they were actually people who fled south together during the same period and on the same escape route.

They weren't even from the same village. The refugee caravan always grew larger as it moved, with people constantly joining and dying along the way. They weren't from the same place, didn't share the same surname, and didn't speak the same accent, making it difficult to find common ground.

Those who ultimately survived together had very complex relationships. They would never meet unless there was a reason, because seeing each other would bring back painful memories. But they would never forget that they were always a part of each other's lives.

Therefore, it was impossible to directly ask them what they had said to Huang Muyun.

These people do the hardest, most menial labor to make a living, and their resilience to risk is even weaker than that of a house made of paper. They say nothing, know nothing, and instinctively avoid anything in life that might disrupt their hard-won balance.

It's really hard to coerce or interrogate such a person.

Fortunately, the man gradually broadened his circle of conversations. He began to walk towards the docks, mingling among the merchants and dockworkers. After several twists and turns, he finally made contact with the clerks of the Maritime Trade Office.

The local maritime shipping industry has always been prosperous and lucrative. Because of its dealings with overseas countries, the officials have a broader perspective than those in the mainland, which gives the clerks of the Maritime Trade Office a kind of arrogance that is different from that of other minor officials.

At first, when Huang Muyun asked someone to announce his arrival, the clerk didn't bother to see him. Only after his scribe whispered a description of Huang Muyun's clothing and the coral and mother-of-pearl pendant at his waist did the clerk let him in.

He was still arrogant when he said the first few words, but Huang Muyun subtly revealed his identity as someone representing the Huang family of Jianshan. The clerk immediately changed the tea and offered him a seat, treating him as a proper guest.

After a long discussion inside the house, Huang Muyun met with several scribes and treasury ambassadors a few days later, guided by the clerk. After many twists and turns, he finally got the result he wanted.

The money he had previously given to his acquaintances and elders when he returned home in glory came in handy here.

He bribed Ambassador Ku with a small portion of the money, asking him to find someone to do a favor, giving him a cut and the lion's share after the job was done. Ambassador Ku handled too many private jobs on a daily basis; he was used to doing them and didn't really care about Huang Muyun's small sum. He was just giving the "Huang family" face, offering a smile and a guarantee, and arranging a time. If anything went wrong, he would send someone to contact them again, without needing to write letters. Such things couldn't leave any evidence.

Huang Muyun agreed to all of them.

He kept track of the time, trying not to get nervous, but he never expected that he would actually have the chance to get this done smoothly.

Even just a few months ago, he wouldn't have dared to think this way. After this trip, he fully understands how many obstacles the Huang family's name has shielded him from. His previous naive plan—that he could simply gamble everything and risk everything—was far too foolish.

Huang Muyun even suddenly laughed during the tense wait.

Just a few months ago, he was thinking that when he could no longer bear Zhao Dong's abuse, he would rather die outside than die at Zhao Dong's hands.

The youthful determination to burn one's bridges back then, once acquired with power, took on a desolate and laughable quality.

When the time came, he went to see Ambassador Naku.

The fat, greasy-faced thug glared at them: "What? Didn't you send someone to pick them up yesterday?"

Huang Muyun was stunned.

"Yesterday? We agreed on today."

Ambassador Ku said, "Yes, I was wondering yesterday how you were so well-informed. Did you release him at the dock and keep an eye on me all day? We found him yesterday afternoon, and before we could even rest and have a meal, your family sent people to pick him up."

"Our home?"

"Yes, the Huang family showed us their insignia and even paid us."

Ambassador Ku recalled, confirming that he hadn't made a mistake with his identity information, then suddenly became shrewd again, his greasy eyes glancing sideways at Huang Muyun, "But you, you really don't know anything? Surely you weren't the one running all the work, and now someone else is stealing your credit. Why don't you go back and find out, be careful someone isn't trying to harm you behind your back?"

Huang Muyun pursed her lips.

He didn't refute Ambassador Ku's misunderstanding, but instead played the role of a manager whose credit had been stolen, asking, "I won't let them off when I get back. May I ask who those two are, what they're wearing, and what they look like, so I can have a better idea?"

Ambassador Naku described it, and Huang Mujun's already slumped heart became even heavier.

He had never seen two people who looked like that in the Huang residence before.

On his way back, he kept thinking about where things had gone wrong, but no matter where he went, it seemed unlikely. He even began to suspect that Ambassador Ku was simply taking the money and not doing the job, just fooling him, and that he hadn't been able to find anyone in the first place, so he made up a lie to shift the blame and get himself out of trouble.

This is actually the most likely hypothesis.

He hesitated, wondering whether to go see Ambassador Ku again. He was unwilling to swallow this bitter pill. But then he thought that someone as slippery as Ambassador Ku wouldn't leave any evidence, and if he made a scene, he would definitely get into legal trouble, which would be a losing proposition.

What other options are there?

Thinking this, he walked back to the Huang residence and saw someone standing at the gate in the distance. For some reason, he was certain that the person was waiting for him.

It turned out to be a girl I'd never seen before.

Huang Muyun even looked up at the signboard with a touch of amusement to make sure she hadn't gone to the wrong place.

The maid smiled and said, "It's no wonder you're surprised, Young Master Huang. I'm a maid from Madam Luo's house next door. A while ago, Miss Huang came to visit my mistress and had the honor of showing her face in front of her. Miss Huang told me to wait for you at the door and tell you that she's waiting for you in the small pavilion in the garden when you return."