Chapter 4: A Startling Blade

As he watched that small figure dart into the shadow of the willow tree, Young Master Qin had no choice but to abandon his efforts to promote public health, quickly finishing off the remaining half of the pancake.

Then consider whom to seek refuge with. In a year, the Manchu army will be coming, and Qin Mu does not wish to have a shaved head and serve the Manchus as a servant

"What are you following me for?" Qin Mu had only taken a few steps when he realized he was being followed by a mysterious figure

But who are we seeking refuge with

"Would you like to eat?" The young master Qin felt a softness in his heart

What are your strengths?

And this principle will become his lifelong motto

"I am a good person? Who told you I am a good person? Let me tell you, I am so bad that I have sores on my head..." Uh, now I really do have a big "sore" on the back of my head. Qin Mu couldn't help but touch the back of his head. Damn traitors, just don't let me run into you, or I will definitely give you a beating.

Qin Mu sat under the willow tree by the river, gnawing on the pancakes that he had exchanged for his shattered integrity, while contemplating what to do in the future. The first step was to make some money to address the pressing issue of survival; if this problem was not resolved, everything else was mere talk.

Are you sure you really want to eat? Young Master Qin extended a half-eaten pancake, hesitating again. He had not forgotten how his principles had shattered just moments ago. The number of refugees pouring into Jinling City was no less than eight thousand, can we really afford to be so pitiful?

After wandering for half a day today, Qin Mu did not return empty-handed; at the very least, he had chosen a place to stay for the night. Behind Wuyi Alley, there is a large family's ancestral hall, which he noticed was being cleaned during the day. It is very tidy, and while it will certainly be locked at night, this is not a problem.

A large and a small shadow flashed to the front of the ancestral hall like a ghost. Soon, a faint sound came from the door lock, and then the main door creaked open. Inside was pitch dark, and a chilling wind seeped out, causing one to involuntarily shiver.

"Quickly hide, don't..." Qin Mu was startled and, without thinking much, swiftly covered the hand of the shadow that was holding the knife, while urgently calling out.

Qin Mu's voice abruptly stopped mid-sentence, and a chilling light flashed in the eerie ancestral hall. "Whoosh!" A steel knife, accompanied by a fierce gust of wind, slashed horizontally towards his neck, startling Qin Mu so much that he shivered, his legs feeling somewhat weak.

At that moment, the little beggar who had been silently following Qin Mu suddenly darted out like a civet cat, grabbing the thigh of the shadow inside and biting down.

The bright eyes of the book flickered silently under the moonlight, and Qin Mu speculated that his motto was: Silence is golden

At such a young age, how could one play tricks in front of a benefactor, pretending to be a man

"You won't, you are a good person." Finally speaking up, Qin Mu noticed that she was deliberately lowering her voice, seemingly trying to make it sound rougher, but Qin Mu still discerned that she was a young girl.

Before he could make up his mind to take back the pancake, a small hand swiftly swooped in, and the pancake vanished without a trace

Gulu! A soft sound echoed, and Qin Mu was all too familiar with this noise. Instinctively, he protected the pancake in his hand, for he had been tormented by this gulu sound for an entire afternoon

Zheng Chenggong is quite good; he should currently be studying literature under Qian Qianyi. It is likely that he returned to his hometown in Fujian only after Beijing fell.

Spare me, I only intended to stay here for one night and have no other intentions

Come in quickly

The little beggar nodded vigorously

Apart from this sentence, did you say anything else? Let me tell you, a docile dog, once it becomes homeless, in order to compete for food with its kind, will gradually become fiercer than a wolf... uh, phew phew phew! Although we have lost our home, we... www.hetushu.com

Just as he thought of this, a dirty little face suddenly appeared before him, indistinguishable in gender, with a head of hair so messy it resembled a chicken's nest. However, the pair of eyes gave Qin Mu a very special feeling; they were bright, as bright as two stars in the sky.

Moreover, there are the courtesans on the sixteenth floor, adorned in new makeup and splendid attire, attracting visitors from all directions. In this scene of intoxication and dreamlike existence, one wonders if anyone might recall those two lines of poetry: "The merchant's daughter knows not the hatred of a fallen nation, still singing across the river the song of the garden flowers."

Haha, alright, for the sake of what you just said, I will accept you as my little assistant. Now, tell me, what is your name?

Do not follow me anymore, the pancakes are gone, even if I have lost all my dignity, I can only fill my stomach halfway!

What is the use of over three billion in assets? At the very least, Young Master Yang has deeply understood one principle: only what you eat and digest truly belongs to you

Of course, one can also form a team on their own; however, given the current situation, this is quite difficult. This body is too weak to accomplish anything, and the risks of raising a banner in rebellion alone are too high

Perhaps these two lines of poetry are not entirely appropriate, at least the Ming Dynasty has not yet perished, has it not

Do not act like a dog

The young women residing in the riverside houses wore light gauzy garments, adorned with jasmine flowers in their hair. Together, they lifted the Xiang curtains and leaned against the railing to listen quietly. As soon as the sound of the lantern boat's drums echoed, the curtains on both sides were drawn open, and the fragrant smoke of ambergris, agarwood, and other scents from the riverside houses wafted out, merging with the moonlight on the river, creating a scene reminiscent of celestial beings from the Celestial Realm and the Jade Palace.

The slender figure appeared very fragile under the dim moonlight, remaining silent

Hey! Look at how dirty you are. You should wash your hands before meals. Has no one taught you that?

Li Zicheng pursued the Chongzhen Emperor too relentlessly, chasing him all the way to the underworld, and before he could even seize power for himself, he likely met his end.

This has led to a problem: Zheng Chenggong himself did not have the opportunity to cultivate his own power before returning to Fujian, which hindered preparations for future power struggles. Moreover, the Zheng family operates as a family business, leaving little room for development, making it even more difficult to take advantage of the situation.

You still put on a fierce and menacing look in front of Young Master Qin

The sky darkened, and the lanterns on both sides of the Qinhuai River lit up in the taverns, with thousands of lights illuminating every street as if it were daytime, and the pedestrians did not carry lanterns

In front of the ancestral hall stand several tall pine trees, blocking the moonlight from above and casting an eerie shadow over the surroundings

Those bright eyes were still staring hungrily at the pancake in his hand, constantly swallowing saliva. Looking at his small frame, he was probably not yet ten years old, what a pity

I am called Xiaoqiao

It is you! The shadow in the ancestral hall gasped in surprise, the large knife narrowly stopping in front of Qin Mu's neck, the chilling aura of the blade causing him to involuntarily take half a step back

Indeed, this issue can be contemplated gradually; addressing the immediate concerns of food and clothing is the top priority

The small figure was startled and took a few steps back, but after Qin Mu walked a few steps, he found that the figure had silently followed him again.

As a scholar with the title of "juren," I am still quite sought after among those peasant armies. First, we shall seek refuge with them, and then look for opportunities to seize power.

You are a good person

A half-moon hangs in the sky, gently swaying on the river's surface alongside the lights, while a delicate singing boat glides by, evoking a poignant and enchanting atmosphere that touches the soul

After a whole day of busyness, I have gained nothing. It seems I am so hungry that my head is spinning, and my strategic direction has gone awry. It's like Bill Gates trying to compete with someone for a serving tray; can you really outcompete him?

The tall dark figure lifted a leg and threw the little beggar into the corner of the room, then forcefully pushed Qin Mu, causing him to stagger back two steps and sit down abruptly at the edge of the threshold

You are still following me, right? Good, you can keep following. When I get hungry, I will roast you and eat you

A soldier who cannot unlock a door is not a good soldier, especially considering that in front of the beautiful lady at the kindergarten, he vowed to become a great general