You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 11 Nearly Trapped in a Thief's Den
Jiang Qingyun suddenly noticed that Song Er's right hand was missing several fingers.

"what happened?"

"Please forgive me, sir, I broke it on purpose."

"Ok?"

“My family originally lived in the suburbs of Shengjing, under the banner of the Red Banner. After entering the pass, my father was seriously wounded in the Battle of Shanhai Pass. Before he died, he told me, ‘Little Songzi, I have fought all the battles for you in this life. From now on, you can do whatever you want, just don’t fight anymore, and our family and our descendants should never fight again.’”

After saying that, Song Er nervously looked at his superior.

Jiang Qingyun neither confirmed nor denied it.

"I've heard you're particularly knowledgeable about the food, drinks, and entertainment in the southern part of the city. I'd like to take a stroll around today; you can arrange it." Jiang Qingyun handed over a silver ingot.

"okay."

……

The Flower of Shengjing, a remnant of the Plain Red Banner, who listens to his father and has a great love for life, Song Er is indeed an excellent travel guide.

The southern part of the city is divided into two sides.

The secluded alley is the shady side, while the bustling commercial street is the sunny side.

Upon arriving at the commercial street, a bustling scene unfolded.

"Sir, please try this sesame seed cake. It's crispy and has a rich texture, unique in the southern part of the city. The baker who makes it is four feet tall, and it's said that his ancestor was the posthumous son of Wu Dalang."

"Sir, please try this pig's head. The southern city has always been poor and lowly. The laborers pooled their money to buy a big pig's head, cleaned it up, and simmered it slowly over a low flame. It's savory, tender, and melts in your mouth."

"Sir, please try this roast duck. It's roasted with fruitwood, so the skin is crispy and the meat is tender. The roast duck chef's surname is Zhu, and he's from Nanjing. He has a special skill."

"Sir, please try the mutton hot pot here. It's sliced ​​thinner than paper, cooks quickly in the pot, and you can eat it right away. The mutton isn't filling, so no matter how many pounds you eat, as long as you can finish it, you can digest it."

"Sir, it's getting hot. How about a bowl of shaved fruit to cool you down? The woman cutting the fruit has such delicate, white hands; it looks authentic."

"Sir, would you like a candied hawthorn and a piece of hawthorn cake to help with digestion?"

Jiang Qingyun accepted all comers.

Zhou Cang also benefited, eating until his belly was round and full. Since his father died, the family had been struggling financially, and it was difficult to even get enough to eat.

……

"Sir, let's go in and listen to some Henan opera. Although it can't compare to the Qingyin Xiaoban, it's more down-to-earth."

It wasted almost half an hour, but the Henan opera was indeed quite good.

Even after they came out, Song Er's enthusiasm remained undiminished.

"Sir, let's go to Tianqiao again to see acrobatics, breaking stones on the chest, snake charmers, monkey charmers, magic tricks, jumping through fire hoops, and selling miracle pills."

Jiang Qingyun, with her sharp eyes, spotted several smallpox patients near the overpass. The festering sores and pustules on their faces were clearly visible, a truly shocking sight.

"Let's go."

"Hey, hey."

Before leaving, Song Er didn't forget to throw a handful of copper coins at the acrobat.

Jiang Qingyun immediately gained a deeper understanding of this lean subordinate.

……

Heading west, you'll pass the Henan Guild Hall, Wuxing Guild Hall, Taiyuan Guild Hall, Sichuan Guild Hall, Panyu Guild Hall, and Dongguan Guild Hall in that order.
"The West City is noble, the East City is wealthy, and the forbidden area is for the imperial family and nobility, but what does that have to do with us? Only the lively atmosphere of the South City belongs to us. My lord, look at this bustling South City, isn't it wonderful? This is your empire."

The term "rivers and mountains" was clearly presumptuous. Jiang Qingyun was hesitating whether to pretend to be ignorant or point it out when someone bowed their head and brushed past him.

Jiang Qingyun reached out his hand, only to find that the jade pendant at his waist was gone.

"You little thief, grab him!"

Zhou Cang drew his short knife and followed the man into the depths of the alley. Immediately afterward, a scream echoed from the darkness.

"Help! Help! There's a thief!" It was the thief who had been stabbed by Zhou Cang who was shouting.

Jiang Qingyun immediately thought of a phrase—"the thief cries 'stop thief!'"

So that's what it meant. Our ancestors really knew how to live!

He roared:
"Zhou Cang, come back."

……

Thieves like to operate in groups of three to five, and they are extremely vengeful. Ordinary people who expose the thieves' deeds often face retaliation.

A moment later, Zhou Cang emerged from the dark alley, clutching a blood-stained dagger and an ear, and came running over.

"My lord, this is outrageous!"

Jiang Qingyun stopped his complaining and pulled a short knife from his boot.

In the alley, the thief with half his ear cut off continued to howl pitifully.

"Help! Help!"

"Thief! Robbery! Help!"

There were figures moving around, as if they had disturbed a den of thieves.

...Jiang Qingyun didn't want to get entangled in a fight with a group of scoundrels under these circumstances. His sword was short, he had no armor, there were few of them, and the lighting was poor, making him very vulnerable to injury.

Fortunately, the Panyu Guild Hall is right next door.

He pounded on the door.

"Open the door! We've been robbed! Let us hide!"

The door didn't open.

"Sir, let's retreat first."

"withdraw."

The three of them ran backwards quickly, looking quite disheveled.

Behind them was a large, relentless horde of thieves, their figures numerous, perhaps a dozen or twenty or thirty in number.

……

During the escape, Jiang Qingyun tried to scare the group away.

"I am from the Southern City Military Command. Are you planning a rebellion?"

"If you're the Military Commander, then I'm the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture."

Clearly, the thieves didn't believe it.

When truly distinguished guests come to the southern part of the city, they either go to the Eight Great Hutongs or Liulichang, or at the very least, they go to Dashilan for food, drink, and entertainment. And they certainly won't walk; they'll choose between riding a horse or being carried in a sedan chair.

One of the thieves quickly caught up with Zhou Cang, who was covering the rear, and the two engaged in a fierce battle, their blades flashing.

The thief is incredibly skilled with a knife.

Zhou Cang's arm was cut in two places, putting him at a disadvantage.

Jiang Qingyun picked up half a brick from the roadside, seized the opportunity, and threw it hard, hitting the thief in the shoulder and successfully getting out of trouble.

"Zhou Cang, run!"

……

We encountered many people along the way, but no one dared to intervene.

When they reached a hutong on the north side of Caishikou, a man sitting by the roadside eating a pancake offered his help. He pulled an axe from his waist and blocked the road.

The bandits roared in fury:

"Xuan Nan Qi Qiao Gang is doing business, so get out of the way, or I'll smash you to pieces first."

"I'm from the Axe Gang."

In an instant, the arrogance of the bandits vanished.

The leader, unwilling to give up, asked in a low voice, "Sir, how am I supposed to know if it's true or not? What's your name? What's your nickname in the martial arts world?"

"The Axe Gang, Yan Mou!"

Instantly, the bandits fell silent, as if the tide were receding.

……

Jiang Qingyun swallowed hard, swallowing the bloody taste in his throat, and helped the injured Zhou Cang forward.

He bowed and said:
"Thank you for your rescue, brave man. Please leave your address, and I will repay you handsomely in the future."

Under the moonlight~
The man who called himself Yan Mou left out a sentence:
"It is a basic human duty to help those in need. I am a man of the martial world, and I do not like to deal with you government officials. Farewell."

After saying that, he strode away.

Jiang Qingyun secretly memorized the man's facial features and then hurriedly left.

When they arrived at Tianqiao, they found a quack doctor to bandage Zhou Cang's wounds and bought him a bottle of so-called ancestral wound medicine.

……

By the time the three returned to the backyard of the Military Commandery, it was already late afternoon. In a little while, the first rays of sunlight would return to the world.

"Brother Qingyun, the bleeding has stopped. When are we going to send troops to arrest the man with the missing ear?" Zhou Cang held up the half-ear.

"You should have a good rest first."

After a terrifying night, Jiang Qingyun was also quite exhausted.

With tears welling up in her eyes, the maid Green Pearl took the opportunity of changing clothes to check the young master from head to toe, left to right, until she was sure that he was completely intact and that not a single part was missing.

"Young Master, you should take more people with you when you go out in the future. This southern city is too chaotic."

……

Outside~
The trusted soldiers sent by his father, Jiang Zhongcheng, knelt silently, with a group of fully armed and indignant "Qin Wuyang" behind him.

Jiang Qingyun walked out of the house and burst into laughter as he looked at the huge crowd in the courtyard.

"Uncle Zheng, this is none of your business, get up."

"Brothers, right under the emperor's nose, in the capital of our nation, how could it be in such a state of chaos? I will go to the Censorate now to request orders to use force to investigate the southern city, wipe out all the evil spirits, and restore peace and order to the people."

(End of this chapter)