Chapter Nine, Apprentice Zhao He

"Where is this rascal sleeping?" The old lady Ping Zhong, who had finished her meal early, said in a hoarse voice, "He eats so much, could it be that we need to prepare a room for him to sleep in?"

After determining the direction, he jogged back to Niushi Alley in Fengyuli

Oh, my esteemed teacher... I have spent eight years in the archives of Xianyang, and I have finally awaited the person you spoke of... he thought to himself

In addition to the six coffins resting on the bench, there are also some lumber, tools, and a floor covered with shavings and sawdust; in short, the coffin shop is in disarray

Zhao was not unfamiliar with the situation in this courtyard; after just a few steps, he concluded that this courtyard must be a prison

Fortunately, Ping Zhong only mumbled a sentence before leaving. Zhao He closed the shop door, pushed open the coffin lid, and turned over to lie inside.

Oh... you can follow me. " Xiao You stood up and said: " I just went out to arrange some matters, and it should be about ready now. I can take you to have a look.

The torch-bearing constable took a deep breath, thoroughly intoxicated by the scent of the prison, and smiled as he said: "It only benefits this group of scoundrels; I originally intended to torment them for ten days."

In the yamen, he always felt stifled, especially when facing the person Xiao You, this feeling of suffocation was even more pronounced

The so-called "cutting off the lives of the young" refers to the act of wicked individuals torturing healthy children to the point of disability, forcing them to exploit people's sympathy to beg or steal. It is easy to eliminate the wicked, but the real trouble lies in how these children, who are now permanently disabled, will survive in the future

However, Zhao did not refute it either; now is not the time for rebuttal

Zhao He is not afraid of sleeping in a coffin; he grew up in the Copper Palace and has never seen a coffin, so he does not know fear. However, upon hearing Ping Zhong speak of the events that kept him busy fourteen years ago, Zhao He suddenly felt a chill running down his back

Moreover, there was an atmosphere in the yamen that was completely out of place with the bustling streets of Xianyang, making Zhao He feel as if he had returned to the Copper Palace.

Xiao You did not pay him any attention this time, but instead said to Zhao He: "Have you seen clearly?"

In the Copper Palace, although he was taught by learned and wise individuals, he was still just a youth. Even though he developed a suspicious character, he was not yet a match for someone like Xiao You, who was an experienced official.

With that slap on the table, the old woman finally fell silent

Zhao and Xiao You exchanged pleasantries, took two steps back, and then turned to jog away. Watching his retreating figure, Xiao You lightly tapped his right index finger on the door and then revealed a faint smile

The death of the evil beggar and his accomplices means that Zhao He no longer has to worry about retaliation, nor does he have to be concerned that anyone could obtain clues about his origins from the evil beggar. Zhao He senses the goodwill of Xiao You, but the old man in the copper palace had told him that there is no goodwill without reason and no evil without reason in this world. Therefore, before he clarifies Xiao You's true intentions, he will not speak much about himself. Zhao He senses the goodwill of Xiao You, but the old man in the copper palace had told him that there is no goodwill without reason and no evil without reason in this world. Therefore, before he clarifies Xiao You's true intentions, he will not speak much about himself

Then let's go said Xiao You

Rest assured, we brothers have exerted all our abilities, making them suffer even more than through slow slicing or being torn apart. One constable pushed open the prison door, while another constable raised the torch

Zhao struggled to pull open the heavy door panel, and only then did he have the opportunity to see what Pingzhong's family was engaged in.

After Zhao and the others finished their meal, he conscientiously tidied up the dishes. The old woman kept a vigilant eye on him, as if she feared he might break the ceramic bowls in the house. Once everything was cleaned up, Ping Zhong glanced outside and noticed some starlight remaining, then called out to Zhao and said: "Follow me"

Zhao He did not ask many questions, merely following behind Xiao You. Xiao You led him out of the room, through a winding corridor, and walked through an inconspicuous small door, arriving at an inner courtyard of the Xianyang Prefect's office.

"So now, do you have anything to say to me?" Xiao You asked again

Zhao looked at him in surprise, originally expecting to be met with a series of questions, but instead was gently set down by Xiao You

Inside and outside this small door, it seems like two different worlds. As Zhao He stepped through the door, he felt a chill rising from his body, and faintly, it seemed he could hear someone crying out in pain. However, when he listened closely, the sound was elusive and not quite distinct.

What can make him care is the disabled children controlled by the gang of evil bandits

Zhao let out a long sigh after running out of the Xianyang Commandery office

Zhao fell silent for a moment, then looked up and gazed directly into Xiao You's eyes: "What about those... children?"

A bowl of plain rice, accompanied by a small lump of pickled vegetables, is already a rare delicacy for Zhao He, who has long been unable to bear his hunger. In the Copper Palace, his meals are mostly made of bran rice, while vegetables are not lacking, as the former Grand Minister of Agriculture, Cai Pu, has successfully cultivated wild vegetables into household greens.

Zhao handed over the carefully preserved document to Ping Zhong. Upon receiving it, Ping Zhong glanced at it and saw that it was indeed stamped with a bright red seal, instantly beaming with joy: "Good, good... It's getting late, hurry up and come over, there is still much work to be done today!"

The torch-bearing lackeys nodded repeatedly, their faces blooming with smiles: "Doctor Xiao is a learned man, and what he says is indeed reasonable. Our brothers' skills, when applied to such scoundrels, could not be more fitting!"

My name is Xiao You, courtesy name Shun Zhi. I also reside in Fengyu Li, but not in the Cow Dung Alley where Ping Zhong lives, rather in the Yushu Alley, on the side where there is an old elm tree and a *picture* book tree at the entrance.

He repeatedly mentioned "Brother Ji"; judging by his tone, he must be a well-known young adventurer from Fengyu. Zhao He merely responded a few times, and once the meal was served, he devoted himself entirely to dealing with the millet rice.

I will go in and take a look said Xiao You

Work diligently. First, clean this place thoroughly. Do not treat the wood shavings as garbage; pile them all in the woodshed in the backyard. Arrange those tools neatly, and stack the lumber as well. If you slack off, there will be no food for you, and you will also be punished. Remember, you are now my apprentice. You must endure any scolding or punishment from your master; otherwise, you will be taken to the magistrate's office for a beating.

Understood. Zhao He nodded somewhat absentmindedly

Ping Zhong cast a glance at Zhao He and noticed that the young man did not show any signs of fear on his face, which brought him a sense of joy in his heart

What comes into view are six coffins

It was not until the sound of the bang echoed that he sat up in shock

Xiao You gazed deeply at Zhao He, then smiled and said, "If you are interested, in a few days, I will take you to see them. For now, you should leave, lest Ping Zhong becomes anxious waiting."

Thank you, Doctor Xiao. Regardless of what Xiao may be planning internally, at least this person still appears to be well-intentioned. Therefore, Zhao gently lowered his head and expressed his gratitude to the other party

After speaking, he surveyed his shop once more and muttered a curse: "Business is poor these days; if only it could be like it was fourteen years ago, how wonderful that would be... Back then, my father was still alive, and we were busy day and night, yet we still couldn't finish all the work..."

Zhao and Hou Jie moved slightly: "I see clearly now"

They left the prison, and Xiao You handed the three documents to Zhao He, then escorted him to the door: "Do you know the way?"

Ping Zhong impatiently tapped the table and said: "Do not speak too much, I have my own plans!"

Xiao You brought him to a prison partially buried underground, where two constables had been waiting. Upon his arrival, they greeted him with smiles, saying: "Doctor, the matter has been taken care of"

As soon as Zhao and Xin jumped, they knew there was a problem

He is a homeless child who is to be taken in as an apprentice; how could he possibly be literate

Pian Zhongkai unexpectedly runs a coffin shop

The two of them returned to the coffin shop under the starlight. After opening the door, Ping Zhong pointed to an unpainted coffin and said, "From now on, you will sleep here"

Ping Zhong raised his voice to reprimand, and Zhao looked at him. The current Ping Zhong is no longer the same face as when he initially wanted to take him as an apprentice

This is a coffin for adults; he lies down inside, and it does not feel cramped. After a long day of toil, he is physically and mentally exhausted, and shortly after lying down, he falls asleep

Xiao crossed his ten fingers, resting them on his chin, and gazed at Zhao He: "You can read, huh..."

The coffin shop is merely a modest storefront; he does not reside there at night but rather deeper in the alley. His family consists of four members. His mother is a thin, dark-skinned old woman whose gaze towards Zhao He is unfriendly. His wife is taciturn and shows no reaction to the presence of an extra person at the dinner table. However, the young boy, who is only about eight or nine years old, pulls Zhao He aside and speaks to him several times, expressing a desire for Zhao He to join him in confronting the same-aged boys from the Bull Manure Alley, wanting to be like "Brother Ji" and become the "hero" of the entire Fengyu region.

Zhao He pretended not to hear this remark, eating even faster, while his eyes glanced at the bamboo steamer beside him filled with rice. There was still a small lump of rice in the steamer, and although Zhao He initially felt hesitant to take more, he decided to go ahead and get that small lump.

After the official left, only Xiao You and Zhao He remained in the room

In the Great Qin, among the literate individuals, only about five or six out of a hundred can read. In the city of Xianyang, this number is slightly higher, approximately twelve out of a hundred, specifically for adult males. As for the general youth, the number of literate individuals is even fewer. You can read... Xiao You noticed that Zhao He finally showed a look of tension on his face, and he smiled slightly: "This is quite rare. When you reach Ping Zhong, if you are bullied or insulted, you can come to find me, or you can seek out that Mr. Wang. He is a neutral party, and if something happens, he will not be able to extricate himself!"

He did not mention a word about Zhao He not having breakfast, but instead urged Zhao He to return to the shop with him. Before Zhao He could steady himself, he immediately began gesturing and ordering Zhao He to open the door panel in preparation for business.

As soon as I reached the alley, I saw Ping Zhong looking around. Upon seeing him, I immediately extended my hand and asked, "Where is Wen Qi?"

Seeing Zhao and Tian being served more rice, the old woman became even angrier. She hurriedly stuffed a few grains of millet rice that had fallen on the table into her mouth, and with her toothless mouth, she mumbled: "If they can eat like this, who can support them?"

Xiao You nodded: "To harvest life and cut it off... to torment them, in accordance with heavenly principles above and human sentiments below"

Zhao He's gaze was fixed on the cage within the cell

After a busy day, Zhao and He did not have a moment's rest. They engaged in laborious tasks such as cleaning, tidying up, and moving heavy items, and even took on the minor task of painting the coffin—only to be scolded twice by Pingzhong for using too much paint. Finally, when night fell and they closed up, Pingzhong finally said, "Come back with me for dinner"

Xiao You entered with Zhao He and immediately detected the mingled stench of filth and the metallic scent of blood. Xiao You turned his face to glance at Zhao He, who did not make any move to cover his nose.

It was that wicked beggar who deceived Zhao He and his accomplices

Zhao, feeling uncertain and suspicious, paused for a moment, then realized that Xiao did not need any schemes to deal with him, so he followed along again

There, several disfigured bodies lay, each one facing upwards, clearly visible, and it is evident that these individuals are all deceased