ABBLEIP Chapter84

Seeing that his little disciple was about to get angry, Shen Qingzhuo smiled and tried to smooth things over: “I am his master, and it is true that we are one generation apart.”

 

His handsome eyebrows wrinkled deeper and deeper, and Xiao Shen asked in a sinister tone, “Master wants to be my elder?”

 

“How dare I ah?” Shen Qingzhuo suddenly realized something was wrong and changed the subject, “Baobao calls you gege, which means you look young, right, Baobao?”

 

Baobao nodded, not quite understanding, and then called out crisply, “Gege!”

 

Shen Qingzhuo walked to his little disciple while holding the baby girl and asked tentatively, “Xiao Qi, do you want to hold her?”

 

His thin lips parted, and he uttered a word mercilessly: “No.”

 

However, the next moment, Xiao Shen suddenly changed his mind. He stretched out his hands seriously and took Baobao from his master’s arms.

 

The young man was tall and strong. The tiny little girl looked even smaller in his arms. He had a stern face, and his limbs were very stiff. There was an indescribably cute contrast in his look.

 

Shen Qingzhuo couldn’t help but laugh out loud, “You’re really good at carrying ah.”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao Shen quickly leaned over and put Baobao on the ground as if he had received a hot potato.

 

However, his movements were very cautious.

 

Shen Qingzhuo let him hold him and smiled and said, “Baobao, go and play with Uncle Xiangchen.”

 

“Alright!” Baobao answered loudly.

 

Xue Shihang, who was watching from the side, felt an indescribable strange feeling in his heart when he saw His Majesty holding hands with Lord Shen so naturally.

 

Emperor and his subject? Master and disciple? They don’t look like one…

 

But Xiao Shen didn’t care about other people’s opinions. He pulled his master into the room and pressed him against the door. He held him tightly with his strong arms and chest. He didn’t say anything but stared at his master without blinking.

 

“What are you doing?” Shen Qingzhuo raised his hand and pushed him, jokingly saying, “You can’t be jealous because of Baobao, right?”

 

“En.” Xiao Shen responded straightforwardly, “I’m jealous.”

 

Warm breath sprayed on his face. Shen Qingzhuo rubbed the back of his head against the door panel. “Why are you so petty? You’re jealous of a little girl?”

 

The dark eyes became darker, and the deep voice sounded aggrieved, “Master, you never even kissed me.”

 

Shen Qingzhuo was startled. “Ah…”

 

Xiao Shen looked at him eagerly, his tone full of suggestion: “Master can make up for it now, it’s fine.”

 

“But you’ve grown up so much.” Shen Qingzhuo couldn’t help laughing, “If you turn back into a little dumpling, Master will consider it—”

 

A “pop” sound, and the tail tone stopped abruptly.

 

Fortunately, it was just a simple kiss, and Xiao Shen left after the kiss. His nose rubbed against his, and he smiled softly, “This time it was not Master who took the initiative either, I’ll wait slowly.”

 

Wait until his master is willing to take the initiative to kiss and love him.

 

Shen Qingzhuo felt that his heart was out of control again and lowered his eyelashes as if to cover up, “What about the three rules we agreed on…”

 

“What three rules?” Xiao Shen pretended to be stupid and rubbed his high nose bridge to the sensitive ear root intimately. “Come to think of it, didn’t I make Master feel good…”

 

Just then, there was a knock on the door: “Lord Shen!”

 

Shen Qingzhuo suddenly came back to his senses, pushed away his sticky little disciple, and opened the door with a red face. “What’s the matter?”

 

Xue Shihang handed over a secret report, “This was sent back by General Li.”

 

Shen Qingzhuo took the letter and unfolded it, quickly scanning it. “The situation is not good. We have to speed up the process.”

 

Xiao Shen frowned and said in a bad tone, “They are just a bunch of bandits. Li Xinwu’s battle was too shabby.”

 

“According to what Master has learned, the leaders of this group of rebels are very smart, not just ordinary bandits.” Shen Qingzhuo shook his head. “Most of the rebels are civilians from Suzhou. Instead of attacking them by force, it is better to outsmart them.”

 

Xiao Shen raised his eyes. “What Master means is…”

 

Shen Qingzhuo nodded slightly, “Recruitment.”

 

***

 

Two days later, it was a dark and windy night.

 

Shen Qingzhuo followed the officials escorting the rice and grain to the trading destination on the pretext of personally supervising.

 

The amount of disaster relief grain allocated by the imperial court was not small, and one or two wealthy merchants could not eat it all. So Governor Luo found four buyers and conducted secret transactions under the cover of night.

 

Lord Shen was dressed in a green robe and looked indifferently at the officials opening the wealthy businessman’s private warehouse. Although he had made sufficient mental preparations, he still took a deep breath after seeing the warehouse full of grain.

 

There was a severe drought in Suzhou, and the people were starving to the point of eating each other, but the granaries of the wealthy merchants were full to the brim with food, almost overflowing.

 

How many lives could these grains have saved?

 

“Lord Shen, the silver is all here. Please have a look.” Master Chen opened the box with a smile, and the shiny silver was neatly arranged.

 

Shen Qingzhuo loosened his unconsciously clenched fists and smiled: “Master Chen, you are too polite.”

 

When Governor Luo saw the silver, his eyes immediately glowed green, and he could not wait to order his men to take the box and rush to the next house.

 

In one night, Shen Qingzhuo visited the granaries of four powerful families. The grains added up were enough to feed tens of thousands of soldiers of the imperial court.

 

The last wealthy businessman was Tian Yuanwai, who was the relative of the Governor of Suzhou.

 

When Governor Luo was holding the silver and grinning from ear to ear, Shen Qingzhuo clapped his hands gently.

 

Immediately, Xiang Chen grabbed Governor Luo’s neck with lightning speed.

 

“Ah!” Governor Luo was frightened and screamed, “Someone! Help!”

 

The officials of the government office immediately drew their swords.

 

But the next moment, the soldiers who were lying in ambush in the darkness rushed out and surrounded the granary.

 

Tian Yuanwai’s expression also changed, and he retreated in panic, “What does Lord Shen mean?”

 

“Those who steal government grain will be captured.” Lord Shen’s light voice floated in the night wind, “Come, take them back.”

 

In the governor’s office.

 

Luo Cheng knelt on the ground and cried, “Lord Shen! The lower official was just confused for a moment ah! Lord Shen, please have mercy ah!”

 

Shen Qingzhuo sat in front of the hall, sipping his hot tea nonchalantly. “Have mercy? Why should this lord have mercy on you?”

 

Luo Cheng was stunned, thinking that Lord Shen was asking for favors, and quickly said, “The lower official is willing to give My Lord the ten thousand taels of salary he has saved as a gift!”

 

Hearing this, Xiao Shen narrowed his eyes slightly, his gaze cold.

 

But Lord Shen did not say anything, he just lowered his eyes and skimmed off the foam in the teacup.

 

“Twenty thousand taels!” Luo Cheng was anxious and crawled forward two steps. “No! Fifty thousand taels!”

 

With a loud “bang”, Xiao Shen kicked the fat pig away.

 

Luo Cheng fell to the ground and wailed, “Please spare my life ah, My Lord, please spare my life ah… One hundred thousand taels! The lower official is willing to give away all his belongings…”

 

“Good, good!” Xiao Shen waved his sleeves and sneered, “A small governor of Suzhou can easily take out one hundred thousand taels of silver. Zhen finally understands that all the money in the national treasury has gone into all of you greedy thieves’ pockets!”

 

Luo Cheng, the governor of Suzhou, was executed. He wrote a confession several pages long, which explained everything in detail, including the list of corrupt officials who accepted bribes, headed by the Provincial Administration Commissioner, Qi Hongjun.

 

The emperor immediately ordered the arrest of Qi Hongjun, who was in Chenzhou, and ordered a thorough investigation of the corruption case in the three states in the North. He was determined to catch all the corrupt officials who disregarded the law and took bribes.

 

At the same time, the private warehouses of the four richest businessmen in Suzhou were confiscated under legal names. Although the tyrants’ hearts bled when they saw the piles of food, but they could only remain angry and not speak out in order to save their lives.

 

When the victims actually got the food, they were stunned for a long time, and then tears welled up in their eyes without them realizing it.

 

“It’s food…” The old lady, who is over 50 years old, said with trembling hands and tears streaming down her dry cheeks, “It’s really food! There’s something to eat now!”

 

This cry attracted the attention of the other disaster victims, who cried for joy one after another. The whole family, young and old, held onto their food bags and cried bitterly, as if they wanted to cry out all the suffering they had endured in the past few days.

 

As long as they are alive and can cry and have food, there is still hope.

 

Shen Qingzhuo looked at the crying victims, and his eyes became moist.

 

After all, he came too late, he could have saved more people…

 

“Master.” As if sensing his emotions, Xiao Shen raised his hand and held his thin shoulders, “It was Master who saved them. Master have already done your best.”

 

Shen Qingzhuo forced a smile and said, “Master knows.”

 

Xue Shihang asked, “Lord Shen, how to arrange the remaining grain warehouses?”

 

The private warehouses of the four richest businessmen were too full, and the government warehouses could not hold any more, so they simply opened the warehouses on the spot and distributed grain as disaster relief.

 

Shen Qingzhuo leaned over and held up a handful of rice. “After this granary is empty, start selling it at a low price. The price of grain will be set at 80 wen per bushel of rice. It won’t be long before the price in the grain market in Suzhou also drops.”

 

Xue Shihang hesitated for a moment. “Suzhou is poor and waterless. Even if it is 80 wen per bowl, some people may not be able to afford it either…”

 

“Substitution by relief work.” Shen Qingzhuo spread out the grains in his palm. “Let them repair the isolated and residential houses, and let them contribute to the post-disaster reconstruction of Suzhou.”

 

“My Lord, you are also well aware that there are very few young and strong laborers left in the city.” Xue Shihang was puzzled, “How can the old, weak, sick, and disabled repair the houses?”

 

Shen Qingzhuo glanced at him, and finally a smile appeared between his eyes, “Who said there is no young labor force? Don’t worry, there will be one soon.”

 

***

 

In the carriage, Xiao Shen dishonestly reached out to touch his master’s hand.

 

“Cough, cough, cough…” Shen Qingzhuo slapped the back of his hand away and glanced at him, “Be honest.”

 

Little did he know that Xiao Shen was so frightened by this look that he could not help but hug his master to his lap.

 

“Ya!” Shen Qingzhuo cried out, “What are you crazy about again?”

 

“Because of Master.” Xiao Shen answered fluently, adjusted his posture to make his master more comfortable, and moved closer shamelessly, “This carriage seat is too hard, I’m afraid it will hurt Master, let me be Master’s human cushion, alright?”

 

Shen Qingzhuo hit him and said unhappily, “How can Master be so delicate?”

 

Xiao Shen restrained his master with his arms and did not dare to move his hands. He replied seriously, “There is, Master is the most noble in the world.”

 

Unable to persuade him, Shen Qingzhuo had no choice but to give up struggling and lie still against the hot and solid chest.

 

“One million taels were found in the governor’s home alone, and even more will be found on Qi Hongjun. After this corruption case is cleared up, the hole in the national treasury can be filled up a lot.” Xiao Shen rested his chin on the top of his master’s head. “All of this is thanks to Master.”

 

“You are satisfied with just this?” Shen Qingzhuo chuckled, “It’s still too early.”

 

Xiao Shen thought he was calm, kissed his master’s hair, and praised from the bottom of his heart: “How can Master be so amazing?”

 

Shen Qingzhuo looked up sensitively, “Just talk, don’t move your hands or feet.”

 

“It’s unfair ah, Master!” Xiao Shen cried out with an innocent look, “My hands and feet are all properly placed.”

 

As soon as he finished speaking, the carriage suddenly jolted. He lowered his head and fiercely kissed his slightly opened red lips.

 

“Xiao Xiaoqi!” Lord Shen was angry and struggled in his arms.

 

“Don’t, don’t move, en…” Xiao Shen hurriedly hugged his master tightly, all his muscles tensed up, and his voice became even lower.

 

Shen Qingzhuo froze immediately after noticing something was wrong.

 

Fortunately, at this moment, General Li’s voice came from outside the carriage: “Lord Shen!”

 

Shen Qingzhuo woke up as if from a dream and pushed his little disciple away with force, moving off his legs.

 

“General Li.” Lord Shen lifted his robe and got off the carriage, bowing, “My Lord has worked hard in the battle for many days.”

 

“No, no, the lower official is so ashamed!” Lord Li bowed in return, and then he found that the emperor was getting off the carriage, holding his robe with one hand, and his posture was a little unnatural.

 

“Your Majesty.” After kneeling down, Li Xinwu could not help but ask, “May the subordinate ask if Your Majesty is feeling unwell anywhere?”

 

Xiao Shen’s face turned pale and blue, he cleared his throat and replied, “No problem.”

 

Shen Qingzhuo, who was walking in front, looked back and caught a glimpse of his awkward posture and couldn’t help laughing out loud.

 

Looking at his master’s bright and charming smile, Xiao Shen secretly gritted his teeth and replied silently, Master, you wait…

 

The author has something to say:

Today’s Master: I’m waiting!

The upcoming Master: Master was wrong, wuwuwu…

His master has felt comfortable several times already, but the wolf cub has not felt comfortable even once. You can’t blame him for being so angry ah, hahaha!