The Hwangbo Clan’s Beloved Live-In Son-in-Law - Chapter 53

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 53

 

Chengdu is a large city.

 

As the center of Sichuan Province, it was built upon such fertile land that it was called the Land of Abundance.

 

Rivers flowed throughout the city, and water transportation developed along these rivers.

 

The vast plains produced abundant grain, while the surrounding forests were filled with trees, medicinal herbs, and wild animals.

 

Particularly, Shu silk was famous throughout the nation, so much so that it was called Shu brocade as a separate category.

 

“How magnificent.”

 

A massive market street spread out beyond the west gate.

 

Xie Baowei and his companions slowly led their horses inside.

 

Even Yingying, who had been dejected with her hood pulled low, lifted her head slightly and kept looking around.

 

“We’ll visit Dangjia tomorrow.”

 

Namgung Bin turned to look at Xie Baowei as he spoke.

 

His tone and voice were gentle, but contained an irresistible force.

 

It was always like this. He would explain the schedule to the group and seek agreement.

 

Sometimes decisions would change according to someone’s opinion, but once a decision was made, there was no wavering.

 

Whether it was natural disposition or cultivated authority, it was sufficient ability to command others.

 

It was the same now.

 

Though it was a small thing, even the appearance of seeking Xie Baowei’s agreement was not an easy matter.

 

For Xie Baowei, who had served countless superiors in numerous battles, this was quite curious…

 

The incomprehensible kindness shown to him reminded him of that lofty someone, making him feel uncomfortable.

 

Of course, this decent fellow was much better than that one…

 

-You know, right? Otherwise, why would she hang around with Bifeng like that? And, eh? When you spend that much time together, feelings that weren’t there before can develop between men and women, right?

 

No. What he disliked was the same whether it was this one or that one.

 

No, thinking about it, this side seemed even more detestable.

 

“…I’ll follow.”

 

Xie Baowei answered briefly and fell silent.

 

Namgung Bin smiled broadly and took the lead.

 

No matter how much the Wulin Alliance wanted to avoid conflicts with local sects, in a city as large as Chengdu, they would operate at least an inn that served as a liaison office.

 

The reason for deliberately entering the city was precisely this.

 

It was also to gather information about Chengdu’s atmosphere and situation.

 

“Hey there. Get in line.”

 

Despite being children of a prominent family, Namgung Bin and Namgung Seol always tended to follow order.

 

That didn’t mean they were overly rigid, as they would readily win over guards’ favor with a few coins.

 

With faces and names that would work anywhere in the country, plus appropriate spending…

 

Until now, the group had no particular problems passing through checkpoints.

 

That should have been the case.

 

“We’ll stay outside.”

 

The sentries’ eyes were sharp.

 

Like the people’s gazes were harsh.

 

Though passing through the city gates should be routine, this chilly atmosphere was strange.

 

Thinking about what happened with Yingying on the way, it was clear that the Guizhou incident from a year ago was still having an impact.

 

Even so, it was a strange matter.

 

“…Let’s do that.”

 

Xie Baowei pulled his bamboo hat low, avoiding eye contact as he muttered quietly.

 

Namgung Bin matched his pace and answered without turning his head.

 

He thought there must be some unknowable reason.

 

It was inexplicable trust, but it worked.

 

“Huh? What’s wrong? So suddenly?”

 

Namgung Seol moved close to her brother and whispered.

 

She too was quick-witted, so though puzzled, she followed Namgung Bin without looking back at Xie Baowei.

 

Her reluctance was probably because she wanted to give Yingying slightly better food or a better place to sleep.

 

“Early morning hour, market entrance.”

 

Dangjia was in the northwest direction from Chengdu. So meeting around here would be fine.

 

Saying this, Xie Baowei slipped away from the procession.

 

It was because he made eye contact with one of the guards. The sentry’s gaze moved between Xie Baowei who was retreating and the child with the hood pulled low.

 

“There. Stop and let me see.”

 

When Namgung Bin and Namgung Seol looked back as if they weren’t part of the group, Xie Baowei had already melted into the crowd gathered at the market.

 

Chun-gil’s large frame would be a hindrance, but after turning through a few alleys, this much would be buried.

 

-Shrill!

 

A whistle blew and instantly the sentries cut through the crowd.

 

Namgung Bin and Namgung Seol, who were nearby, were also caught by them and questioned about various things.

 

“He was just someone we met on the road. We are these kinds of people…”

 

Namgung Bin took out his identification plaque as he spoke. The guard who saw it widened his eyes and looked back.

 

The siblings were of too high a status for a mere soldier to handle.

 

Immediately, the stern-eyed garrison commander came running.

 

“May I have a word with you for a moment?”

 

His manner of speaking was polite. But his gaze remained cold.

 

This was a matter that couldn’t be resolved with a few coins.

 

Namgung Bin nodded calmly.

 

“Is there some trouble?”

 

“…It seems the seeds of Yedang have managed to survive after all.”

 

Namgung Bin’s face darkened.

 

This was truly a damned situation.

 

Yingying’s eyes flickered in his mind.

 

.

 

.

 

.

 

Xie Baowei and Yingying spent a long time circling around to shake off their pursuers.

 

Chengdu was excessively vast. Moreover, countless people came and went. No matter how much of an outsider one was, once the trail was lost, it would be difficult to find.

 

There were many inns outside the city walls too.

 

Among the lodgings where outsiders mainly stayed, there were often places where people didn’t ask or pry and just spent the night, but they didn’t stop there.

 

They avoided beggars as well as those who picked fights, and just let one pickpocket rob them.

 

It was only a few coins anyway.

 

Avoiding attention as much as possible while wandering naturally, they found a small shrine on the mountain slope outside Chengdu and spent the night there.

 

The young child knew well that the current hardship was her fault.

 

In truth, it was more because Xie Baowei had brought the girl along rather than because of the girl herself, but the girl didn’t think that way.

 

Unable to say anything, she just stared blankly at the fire before falling asleep.

 

The child’s flushed cheeks had stiffened with tears.

 

Xie Baowei barely slept at all.

 

He couldn’t even tell the child that everything was alright.

 

Because somewhere in Sichuan Province, on this land, there would be someone who stirred his heart.

 

He had barely made it this far.

 

“Yulhee…”

 

Yulhee was somewhere here.

 

Though this was a journey to see her, now that he had arrived, he was afraid.

 

-Master, that position belonged to grandfather, and to father, so now it should become mine. I will make it so.

 

Will you help me?

 

The girl Hee who had lost her memories in the mountain valley and Yulhee, the heir of a prominent family, were completely different people.

 

The three weeks living with Hee-mae had been happy,

 

and the three years after she left, he had lived on those memories.

 

The three years spent with the returned Yulhui were days of sorrow and frustration.

 

Hui was a girl full of dreams, and Yulhui was the same.

 

Hui was a girl who could accomplish anything, and Yulhui was the same.

 

They were clearly the same person.

 

And yet.

 

The girl who had been talkative, full of laughter, bright, and vibrant had changed.

 

No, perhaps Hui had been Yulhui’s transformed appearance.

 

-You fool. The more comfortable side would be her true nature. However, living in such a way is something only people like you do. Well, how could an ignorant fool like you understand the ways of a great family, follow its rules, or comprehend life.

 

…An officer who happened to serve guard duty together under General Guo said this.

 

-If you want something, you must act accordingly. She simply wanted to possess it. You were just hanging beside her like a single flower. …Hmph. It would be fortunate if you were at least a flower, but you must have been quite a heavy burden.

 

To obtain something, you must fight.

 

Whether it be an enemy, a competitor, or the original owner.

 

What did you do?

 

So said the officer who turned out to be more than just an ordinary officer.

 

He fought and fought and fought again as he said, later rising above General Guo, and now even aims for the heavens.

 

“I should try everything.”

 

Looking up at the sky, the stars were thick.

 

-Wow. What’s that star?

 

-I don’t know.

 

-…Dummy. That’s the North Star. You don’t even know that?

 

-Why ask if you already know?

 

-Sometimes you have to pretend not to know even when you do.

 

Among the pouring stars, Xie Baowei recalled the nostalgic voice from the past as always.

 

-Right. Pretend not to know even when you do. I understand.

 

-Hmph. You understand?

 

“Yes, so you too should always shine like that star. I will always remain by your side.”

 

He muttered the words he couldn’t say and closed his eyes.

 

She had done so.

 

After meeting her, she was always present in his life.

 

He had failed to do the same.

 

He had run away.

 

***

 

“It’s not good.”

 

Namgung Bin and Namgung Seol, whom he met the next day, looked clearly tired.

 

It was because they had been detained for a long time due to the gate incident.

 

Moreover, it seemed they hadn’t rested while gathering various news.

 

Namgung Seol took Yingying to see the market.

 

Perhaps because of yesterday’s incident, she didn’t want to go, but the young girl was quick-witted.

 

“Strange rumors are circulating in Sichuan.”

 

“…It must be related to the rebellion.”

 

“Yes.”

 

The current ruler of Sichuan Province was Son Yuqian, who held the concurrent positions of Right Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Duchayuan and Sunmu.

 

Originally, the Pojeongsa (highest provincial governor) of Sichuan was a man named Zhang Jinghe, but after the Guizhou rebellion, Son Yuqian was newly dispatched above him.

 

Considering that the Duchayuan was a supervisory agency and Sunmu was a high-ranking position encompassing administrative, military, and supervisory duties, the existing officials’ dissatisfaction must have been quite severe,

 

But thinking that the Guizhou rebellion was behind all of this made it understandable.

 

“He wasn’t originally such a strict person. There wasn’t much friction with the existing Pojeongsa or Anchashi, and he wasn’t particularly interfering.”

 

Like any official, the Sunmu who took office in the province after paying massive bribes did take his share moderately.

 

It seemed he wasn’t too excessive, but he changed recently.

 

“They say he completely changed after an envoy came down from the capital recently.”

 

“…An envoy.”

 

The seeds of rebellion seek to take root in Sichuan.

 

At the envoy’s words, the officials of Chengdu were turned upside down.

 

Soldiers patrolled the streets almost daily, and anyone who looked even slightly different was arrested and suffered hardships.

 

Especially those from Guizhou received visits from soldiers, regardless of how many generations their families had lived in Sichuan.

 

Foreigners? Mixed-blood? …Their lives, which were already below the bottom, plummeted even further down.

 

Currently in the city, those with even slightly light hair and bright eyes couldn’t establish themselves, even if they had lived their entire lives as Central Plains people.

 

“It seems we were rather lucky. They say entering Shu is becoming increasingly difficult.”

 

Were they really lucky?

 

Thinking about it, most of the checkpoints on the Shu Road side where they entered could be passed through easily.

 

Even at Jian Ge, which was said to have strict surveillance, there was no one examining faces.

 

“It must be Qitian.”

 

“Most likely.”

 

It was a coincidental matter at a coincidental time.

 

Though he had only seen him once, it seemed like he could somehow deceive even the Sunmu at the top of a province.

 

Wasn’t he the one who had arranged a false marriage even to the Emperor’s Daughter?

 

“…It’s dangerous.”

 

He probably wasn’t targeting only Yingying.

 

He probably wasn’t targeting Xie Baowei or Namgung Bin either.

 

There must be something he wanted, but that wasn’t something the two could know.

 

“Using reb…ellion to control and manipulate people…”

 

It was completely incomprehensible.

 

Just saying the word made one’s heart pound and spine chill.

 

That madman was indeed mad.

 

It was natural that the Sunmu and Pojeongsa showed no doubt and were alarmed at those words.

 

“Where is that bastard? At the government office?”

 

“That’s the thing…”

 

Namgung Bin smiled bitterly.

 

As Xie Baowei said, Qitian’s whereabouts were at the government office.

 

However, how could they touch someone in the government office?

 

Moreover.

 

“Let’s go to Dangjia first. It seems we’ll need the Chokmaeng’s help. …Yingying too.”

 

Even as he said this, Namgung Bin’s expression wasn’t good.

 

It seemed like it would be no easy task.

 

“Right. I hope it can at least be a place where we can rest comfortably.”

 

Xie Baowei nodded with a sigh.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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