Le Premier ministre stupéfiant

Chapitre 83

"San'er, explain yourself clearly. How did they kill your mother and the people in the county?" Chu Junfeng was also taken aback, wondering what this child was up to.

“It’s them, I know it’s them…” San’er was still crying, and it took her a long time to say, “They came and offered a lot of money to buy clams. Mother and the others went to the beach to collect clams, it was all them. If it weren’t for them, Mother would never have gone to the beach. They are all bad people…”

The little girl's words left the three adults speechless for a moment. They knew perfectly well that what she said was not true, but they didn't know how to refute her.

"People die for wealth, birds die for food; it's been like this since ancient times, so what does it have to do with us?" Suddenly, someone outside the courtyard said coldly, "Children don't understand anything, are you just going to let her talk nonsense?"

"Boss Mo!" Mei'er, standing at the front, naturally saw Mo Xibei first. She had never seen Mo Xibei with such a face before. Even when she and Xiu Wen had just arrived at Mo Xibei's side in Tong County, when Mo Xibei was still recovering from serious injuries, he was not as pale as she had seen before. Not only was he pale, but he was also sharp, like a sword drawn from its sheath, radiating cold light.

San'er shuddered and buried her head even deeper into Chu Junfeng's long robe, refusing to lift it.

"He's just a child who just lost his mother. He's just talking nonsense. Why take it seriously?" Xiu Wen noticed that Mo Xibei's expression was off and quickly changed the subject. "Is today's news accurate? Did he really see Young Master Mu?"

"Who knows what's true and what's false?" Unexpectedly, Mo Xibei's answer was completely irrelevant. At this moment, she saw Chu Junfeng standing in the courtyard. She was stunned for a moment, then smiled slightly. She didn't seem surprised by his appearance. She just said, "Thank you for today. If it weren't for you, I'm afraid I would have had to collect the corpses of the people in my house when I came back."

"Huh?" Mei'er, also wanting to ease the tension, quickly said, "Boss Mo, Ah Xiu always says you're smart, and I didn't really believe it before, but you weren't home just now, so how did you know when Master Chu arrived, and how did you know it was him who saved us?"

"Besides him, who else in the family knows martial arts and can repel the Japanese pirates? Do you think I don't know?" Mo Xibei's cold sharpness had vanished without a trace, replaced by an indescribable sense of vicissitude. "Four servants died in the family, more than a dozen men on the beach, and more than thirty women and children in the county. I never thought that in the short time I turned around, these Japanese pirates would come at such a time." "The Japanese pirates would come at such a time, Xibei, what do you mean?" Chu Junfeng was stunned. He gently pulled San'er away from his side and handed her back to the maid waiting at the door. Then he stood in front of Mo Xibei and examined her closely. In the past six months, Mo Xibei had become noticeably thinner, making her eyes appear even larger. However, the carefree joy she once had had had also disappeared. What had changed her? Chu Junfeng's heart clenched heavily, and he had to forcefully hide his heartache. "I just think it's too coincidental. You know, I haven't left Tongxian for a month. I even went to the beach this morning. And then, someone sent me a message, and the Japanese pirates came as soon as I left. How coincidental!" "Mo Xibei sneered, "I've been to the beach. The Japanese pirates' methods of killing were truly swift and efficient. To survive such a massacre, this little girl is incredibly lucky."

"What news have you been talking about? What news is it about Brother Mu?" Chu Junfeng knew he shouldn't ask, but he still asked anyway. "Have you seen him? The explosion was so bad last time. If you're alright, then he should be alright too."

As soon as the words left his mouth, Mo Xibei's expression changed slightly. He bit his lower lip lightly, as if trying his best to suppress his emotions. After a long while, he squeezed out a few words from between his teeth, "Who knows about his affairs!"

Two updates today, haha, I kept my word! Thank you to all my dears who voted for me, *kiss*!

Shout out more recommendation votes, give me more encouragement, and I'll update more tomorrow, haha, I'm so smug I'm going to climb down now.

Volume 3, Chapter 8: Clues

"What happened?"

Is this news true?

Seeing that Mo Xibei's expression was becoming increasingly strange, Chu Junfeng and Xiu Wen asked almost simultaneously.

"Let's talk about these things later. There are too many things to deal with right now." Mo Xibei waved his hand, not wanting to discuss the matter further. He only said to Chu Junfeng, "Since you're here, Brother Chu, please stay here for now. However, the house is a bit messy today, so I'm afraid I might not be able to take good care of you. Xiuwen, go and gather everyone and check inside and outside the mansion. Besides what I saw at the gate, are there any other casualties? Don't move anything at the scene yet. Mei'er, take the uninjured maids and get the medicine box. Follow Xiuwen and give the wounded a simple bandage. There are probably quite a few Japanese pirates who have landed this time, and it's probably not safe outside yet. We can't go out to fetch a doctor for the time being."

"And you, what are you going to do?" Chu Junfeng asked hurriedly after seeing that Mo Xibei had settled everyone in the family. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"I plan to go out and see if there are any other Japanese pirates in the streets, and then go to the county government office to ask the county magistrate, who sits around doing nothing all day, when the county will report the attack by the Japanese pirates to the imperial court, and when we can get the imperial court's support." Mo Xibei patted the dust off the corner of his clothes, and glanced at the little girl San'er, who refused to leave with her maid and was sticking to Chu Junfeng's side, staring at him with wide eyes. He suddenly said, "If I let you go to your room to rest now, you probably won't be able to sleep. Why don't we go out together and take this little girl home with us?"

"That's for the best. I thought you were going to make me stay here and look after the house." Chu Junfeng smiled, bent down and said to San'er, "Brother will take you home right away. Okay?"

San'er remained silent, but her body shrank back without a word.

"Let's go." Mo Xibei's lips twitched, his smile enigmatic. He gave the greeting, turned, and left.

This street was inhabited by merchants and wealthy people from the small county town. They weren't necessarily incredibly rich, but their wealth had accumulated over generations. The two men quickly walked around and found that about four or five houses had been looted. The methods were largely the same: murder, robbery, and then moving on to the next house. However, whether they had finished looting or received news of their companion's serious injury at Mo Xibei's house, the Japanese pirates who had participated in the looting had all fled. Those left behind were only people who had managed to seize the weapons, cowering and watching the gates, wailing.

Mo Xibei recognized most of these people. They exchanged greetings and words of comfort.

Then they took San'er home, but the girl's words were evasive. She kept pointing east and west, as if she couldn't find her way home.

"How big can a county town be? A seven or eight-year-old child can't even find his way home?" Mo Xibei frowned, his gaze turning slightly cold as he stared at the three children.

"I can find it, but I've never been here before. It's the way home from here, that's why I can't find it." San'er pouted, her eyes instantly reddening, tears welling up.

"Really? Then where will you find your home?" Mo Xibei pressed.

"Big brother just brought me back to the city gate." San'er shrank back a little under Mo Xibei's gaze, leaning against Chu Junfeng's back, and said in a small voice.

“It seems the Japanese pirates have all left. Let’s go back to the city gate and let her learn the way.” Mo Xibei nodded. Seeing her attitude, Chu Junfeng also thought through the process of meeting San’er again, but he didn’t show it on his face. He just took the little girl’s hand and walked in front.

The town was really small; in less than fifteen minutes, they were back on the main street they had just left behind. People were already walking around on the street, tidying up the things they had just left behind. San'er pulled Chu Junfeng along step by step until they reached a pile of rubble.

It was an inconspicuous alley in the west of the city. The entire alley, along with several neighboring houses, was now covered in dark bluish-black grime. The air was filled with the stench of burning. Several middle-aged men stood by, carrying buckets, shaking their heads and sighing.

"Dad!" San'er let out a sound almost like a small animal howl, broke free from Chu Junfeng's hand, and rushed towards the ruins. He was stopped by a quick-handed person standing in front of him. "Let me go, my dad!" San'er kicked and hit, but he was no match for the strength of the adults.

“Little girl, the place is all burned to the ground. No one escaped. Where is your father?” the person who stopped her advised.

"You're lying to me! My dad's home! He's home!" San'er screamed, unable to break free, and turned to Chu Junfeng, "Big brother, this bad guy won't let me go home! Help me!"

Chu Junfeng felt a pang of pity. He had also tasted the bitterness of losing his parents. He thought that time had taken away all the pain, but unexpectedly, under San'er's tearful eyes and heart-wrenching cries, everything that was far away suddenly came to his eyes again. His hands and feet were cold, and he was about to walk over when his hand was suddenly pulled tightly by a warm hand.

"Northwest?" He looked at the woman beside him with a slight bewilderment.

Mo Xibei smiled slightly at him, pulled him back without saying a word, and instead looked carefully at the rubble in front of him. After a long while, he asked the middle-aged men in front of him, "Excuse me, do you gentlemen all live around here?"

Several men nodded and pointed to a spot not far away, saying, "Our families all live over there."

"What happened here? Who burned down these houses?" Mo Xibei asked again.

"It was the Japanese pirates. There couldn't be anyone else. The Japanese pirates came just now. We heard shouts in the street that something was wrong, so we quickly closed the doors and hid inside the houses, not daring to breathe. Luckily, the Japanese pirates left quickly and only burned down less than two streets." A man, still shaken, said, "We could all smell the thick smoke, but no one dared to come out to put out the fire. Later, Brother Liu from the backyard came out first and shouted that the Japanese pirates were gone, so we brought buckets of water to put out the fire. We could only stop the fire from spreading." "Do any of you know this child? Her name is San'er," Mo Xibei asked again.

"There are so many children here, boys and girls, and many named San'er. It's a pity they live here; they're so young and already orphaned." Several men glanced at San'er. Children this age used to be everywhere, each more mischievous than the last. Every family had many children; who could remember them all?

"Thank you." Mo Xibei nodded, reached out, and pulled over three...

"Let me go! You're a bad person! You killed my mother! It's all your fault! If it weren't for you taking the document, mmm!" San'er twisted her whole body, refusing to be pulled by Mo Xibei. At the same time, she swung her little fists and started hitting Mo Xibei. She didn't stop talking either, but as soon as she finished speaking, Mo Xibei covered her mouth with his hand.

Several middle-aged men looked puzzled upon seeing this, but seeing that Mo Xibei was dressed smartly and had an outstanding demeanor, and considering that the Japanese pirates had just left and the place was in chaos, they decided to avoid trouble. When Mo Xibei smiled and nodded at them, they remained silent, thinking that the government would handle the matter if the place was burned to the ground, so they dispersed.

"Northwest you!" Chu Junfeng saw that San'er was struggling so hard and was about to speak when he saw Mo Northwest nimbly raise his hand and press on the Fengchi and Fengfu acupoints on San'er's neck. The little girl immediately collapsed.

“It was too noisy. I told her to calm down and clear her head,” Mo Xibei explained, handing San’er to Chu Junfeng. “Let’s go to the county government. We killed the Japanese pirates, so it’s time to hand them over to the authorities.”

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