"Moreover, my young lady knows General Chen from the Ninth Mountain’s Colonel."
Little Jiu, the maid, cried out, her voice filled with sadness.
"Wait!"
"What did you say?"
At this moment, the armored soldier leading the guards suddenly spoke, quickly stepping down the stairs and stood before the little maid sitting on the ground, his eyes filled with suspicion as he closely watched her.
......
At the Colonel Palace, after the order to convene a meeting was issued, people from Guang’an Bureau and the Ninth Mountain arrived one after another.
In front of the main hall, there used to be only one main seat, but now another seat was set parallel to it.
The Captain from the Ninth Mountain sat on the left, and the Guang’an Heavenly Patrol Office occupied the right.
As people gathered, Liu Qing and Gou Zhi entered from outside, one on the left and the other on the right, the Captains inside the hall stood up, armor glimmering in succession.
Then, Liu Qing and Gou Zhi proceeded, "Please!" "Please!"
They sat down respectively on the two main seats left and right.
After sitting, Liu Qing first glanced over his own side, then turned his head slightly, inquiring of Gou Zhi:
"Colonel Gou, are your people all here?"
Gou Zhi scanned over the crowd, replied, "Most of them are here; we can start now. You oversee it, Liu Piaoqi, I’ll just cooperate."
Liu Qing nodded, was about to speak when footsteps were heard from outside, and a Green Armor holding a knife was quickly approaching the Colonel Palace.
The person belonged to the Sky Patrol Department.
After the Green Armored Military Officer came in, he didn’t go to his seat but instead walked to the center of the hall, cupped his hands to his own Colonel, then saluted Liu Qing, finally turning to his Colonel, his expression peculiar, hesitated to speak, and couldn’t help but glance at Liu Qing beside him, held back for a moment and then said:
"General, I’ve just dealt with some matters, heard some news, undecided what to do."
With that, he walked to his Colonel’s side. Gou Zhi was puzzled, not knowing what this young man was mysteriously up to but still leaned his ear over.
Then, this Captain bent down slightly, his lips moved as he quietly spoke into Gou Zhi’s ear.
Gou Zhi’s face changed colors, with suspicion, surprise, hesitation, he couldn’t help but turn his head to look at Liu Qing sitting beside him.
Liu Qing also looked at him and seeing his expression, thus asked, "Colonel Gou, do you have something to say?"
Gou Zhi hesitated a little, somewhat troubled, but still spoke,
"There’s a woman at the door, a maid from the deceased former Colonel of the Xiao Family. Her maid somehow heard rumors, knows you are at the Prefecture, and has been kneeling at the door since morning seeking justice from your Ninth Mountain."
He said, looking quite troubled.
"The Xiao Family? Seeking justice?" Liu Qing frowned slightly, a bit puzzled.
"Has Liu Piaoqi forgotten, previously the Six Mountain Demon Tribe hid within our Guang’an Prefecture, and during a banquet at the Xiao Family, it was disrupted by a Demon, stopped by General Chen. The Xiao Family and several others were involved in disobedience, colluding with Demons, major culprits were imprisoned by General Chen and executed in the Heavenly Prison. Miss Xiao came to the Sky Patrol Department several times seeking mercy from me, each time I refused to see her, later on, she was expelled from the Xiao Family, hadn’t seen for a period, this time it’s her personal maid who came." Gou Zhi recounted the past events.
Liu Qing heard this, recalled the matter, but didn’t have a deep impression of Miss Xiao, said expressionlessly:
"This matter was commanded by General, and no one can alter it. Colonel Gou handled it correctly; if master and servant come, just send them away, why does Colonel Gou seem troubled?"
Gou Zhi’s mouth moved, his expression was very peculiar, "That’s how it is, but that little maid just shouted at the door, saying her lady knows General Chen, I also don’t know how to proceed, I hadn’t heard this before, but thinking her master and servant wouldn’t dare to tell such a big lie, plus General Chen is not here, how to discern."
Upon hearing this, Liu Qing’s eyebrows immediately raised, "Knows my General? Why not mention this earlier."
"I’ll send someone to dismiss them." Gou Zhi said.
"Wait!" Liu Qing spoke, "Bring her up and ask, and we’ll know."
"Alright." Gou Zhi glanced at the Captain just now, "Go, bring that little maid up."
"Yes!"
Soon, the Captain quickly exited the Colonel Palace headed straight for the door.
Before long, the Captain brought in Little Jiu with tear stains hanging at the corner of her eyes.
"General, Liu Piaoqi, the person is brought." With that, he stepped aside.
And standing behind, Little Jiu, under the gaze of a hall full of Soldier Armor, her body trembled with nerves, head lowered, pale face, like a little rabbit wandering into a den of merciless tigers and leopards.
But her eyes saw the Ninth Mountain General sitting above, plopped down onto the ground, kowtowed, again and again,
"Slave Little Jiu, greets the Ninth Mountain General!"
"Please, make justice for us!"
"Please, make justice for us..."
She kept repeating, bloodstains appeared on the ground from her kowtowing.
Above, Liu Qing saw this scene, frowned slightly, his hand rested on the armrest, quietly watching everything without interruption.
And the little maid kept kowtowing, her voice growing weak, the bright red bloodstains spreading on the ground.
Finally, Liu Qing spoke,
"This slave is indeed loyal; the matter of the Xiao Family is already settled, your forehead broken won’t change anything."
Yet she heard Little Jiu, with a sobbing voice, said feebly, "The slave dares not, but my young lady is innocent, she is philanthropic, aiding disaster victims, after the Xiao Family’s incident, those collateral kin expelled my young lady, saying she is a sinner, unclean, keeping her would implicate the Xiao Family, but I know, they are taking advantage of my lady’s frail influence, feasting on blood droplets as they say."
"My young lady now is sick from thinking, please save her, save her..." Little Jiu held onto hope like grasping a lifeline, professing her humility forcefully, pleading.
Liu Qing did not speak, this is someone else’s family matter, he posed the most crucial question, his voice heavy, laden with pressure,
"You said your lady knows my General?"
The little maid head buried in the ground, a frail body shaking, tremblingly replied.
"kn... knows!"
"How do they know each other?" Liu Qing continued asking,
"Two years ago, I and my young lady were on a boat in North River of the city, back then my lady’s birthday banquet was approaching, she saw the then plain-clothed General Chen on the shore, impressive in demeanor, hence sent an invitation, then not knowing he is General Chen..."
The little maid wept softly, a frail voice buzzing like a mosquito in the hall, making the atmosphere in the hall perceptibly odd.
And upon the seat, Liu Qing’s expression matched, but his eyes seemed to see through the key, his voice steady,
"You’ve said so much."
"This Piaoqi asks you only one question, does my General know your young lady?"
As soon as this was asked, Little Jiu’s body trembled, almost pressing against the ground.
"Lift your head up, answer me!"
Liu Qing’s voice abruptly deepened, frightened the little maid into a shaky sob,
"I... I don’t know."
Now, the hall’s atmosphere sank.
Turns out to be a one-sided encounter, trying to build ties, seek paths, bit laughable, especially with the principal not here, where to verify truth, you say it is, is it?
Liu Qing’s expression darkened, and Gou Zhi’s heart jolted, yet recalling past incense with the Xiao family, hurriedly waved,
"Quickly take her away from the hall!"
"Don’t let her near the Sky Patrol Department."
"Such reckless words."
As the order went out, someone immediately came up dragging the little maid away, even as she was still murmuring to save her lady.
"Blame not, Liu Piaoqi, the truth of this matter is unknown, unidentifiable, even if true, it’s still undefined and with no need for concern."
Liu Qing pondered for a moment, although what Colonel Gou said makes sense, when it involves the General, he takes it seriously, will not decide in place. Hearing that maid’s implication, her lady noticed the scenery enjoying plain-clothed General by the river years back, even specially sent an invitation, yet the General does not know her, purely a unilateral "admiration."
"Please investigate the character of that Xiao family lady."
"If indeed as the little maid said true, and someone who admires our General and ends up miserably, it isn’t appropriate!" Liu Qing mused, then spoke.
e
"Before long, the two arrived at the Colonel Palace.

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