Bab 83: 83. Ying?
Shu Ya calmly drank her tea and snacked on tiny cookies, a shaking man kneeled in front of the Minister and begged for mercy.
"Sir, think about my family. My wife and my children..." Listening to her words Shu Ya just shook her head. This seems more as a threat as begging.
... was about to say something but saw her winking mischievously. What does this child have in her mind? He calmly nodded and snacked as well on tiny cookies with delight.
The man continued to beg and rant about his family, his wife, his kids, his concubines, this and that. It took him a while until he realized that they paid absolutely no attention to his words and just stuffed their faces with sweets.
A sweet scent wafted towards him and strangely he wanted to taste one as well. He greedily looked at the cookie that Shu Ya was munching.
Suddenly a sharp pain made him come to his senses. ... looked at him icily. "Good, very good. So that's all you have to say?"
Shu Ya suddenly stood up and everyone became silent. With a few steps, she went to him and gave him one cookie. "I am gifting you this so you don't become a hungry ghost and follow me around."
He blinked at her in confusion and saw her motion it for him to eat and automatically, without thinking put it in his mouth. The sweetness and fruity sub taste made him close his eyes and then he froze. What did he just do?
He swallowed the sweet cookie and saw Shu Ya sighing.
"Uncle, you must hate your family quite a lot. I had a horrible family as well, so I understand that feeling. But uncle, your children did no wrong. Do you hate them as well? Why do you want them to die, before living properly?" The sadness in her words and eyes could be literally felt.
"I... I love my children." He wanted to say more but saw her sadly shaking her head.
"You hate them. Or you wouldn't turn them into slaves or even worse." She sighed as she walked back to her seat. "Traitors to our country are killed and their families as well. The way I understand it, up to the tenth generation. So anyone related to you and your family will die. Everyone you know or care about will die, as retribution for your doings. Too bad. I feel you did your job as Minister's Asistent very well."
He could hear so much regret in the child's voice that just became silent. He saw her turning her head away from him and somehow it felt like doom was approaching the moment she did that.
''Wait, wait... I'm, not a traitor. I have reasons I can't talk about, but please trust me, I'm really not a traitor.'' He could see on their faces that they don't believe him so he just rubbed his head. He looked at the door intentionally and narrowed his eyes. He was quiet for a few moments and then nodded. ''No wonder, those two men are really good guards. Maybe I should ask Emperor to get them as royal guards.''
He suddenly stood up and imposingly looked at them. ''I am not traitor. I am under secret investigation, appointed directly by the Emperor himself. Sorry, Minister Ying. Fortunately, I am just a simple guard by his side and not many know me, so when he sent me to be your assistant was for the good of the Empire.'' He took a small figurine out his clothes and showed it to Lord Ka and Minister Ying. Both of them knew immediately what it was.
''Seal of direct order? The onyx one?'' There were five such secret orders. Bronze, silver, gold, onyx and jade. Jade was like the ultimate Edict. Like as if the Emperor himself stood there. But those lesser are not less powerful.
With now calm expression he started pleading loudly, looking at the door and at the same time taking out the paper out of his clothes and giving it to Minister Ying.
They all understood what he was doing. Shu Ya saw her Godfather standing up and reading the scroll while Minister Ying angrily pointed at his face and yelled.
"You will need to prove your innocence. If its nothing big I'll release you, but if not... you and your family are doomed. Understood?!" His voice boomed pass Bolin and Shin Young that stood in front of the door like an unbreakable shield and entered ears of few people that listened.
Mingli came and saw a few shadows nearby and scoffed. Do they think Lady Ying's servants were simple? With a big smile, he was about to go there when he saw Bolin slightly shaking head and changed direction. As it seems everyone knew about this.
He was sincerely curious. Looking at The two guards he could see Shin Young rolling his eyes and chuckled. "Fine, fine... I'll exchange places with you."
He could see his brother coming as well. They made a decision to take charge of guarding doors on shifts. Minister Ying appointed few guards as well to guard the estate, but these four didn't trust anyone. So they made medium shifts. Of course, Shu Ya's idea.
They would all have enough time to exchange if each of they watch her only quarter of a day. So they would be always four on shift. So there will be always two, but they would exchange every three quarters. One would be in half shift of the other. Bolin would be than four hours each with Shin Young and Mingli. Shin Young will be four hours each with Bolin and Mingyu, Mingli would be each four hours with Bolin and Mingy. Final but not last Mingy would be each four hours with Mingli and Shin Young.
So each of them would work only eight hours and the rest of the time they had to eat well, sleep well and be safe. Literally Shu Ya's words.
Looking at Mingli, Mingyu just sleepily yawned and went to the kitchen. He just woke up and wanted to eat something before doing his shift.
But just when Mingli arrived, they heard Shu Ya's call. "Bolin!"
Bolin's face became cold and he went in. He saw the traitor standing and waiting for him calmly, while Shu Ya motioned to hurry up. What is this about?
When he came near and bowed respectfully, Shu Ya whispered. "He is not a traitor. I'll explain later. Pretend to be rough and bring him to the small storage. Find guards from the Minister's side to look after him."
So there is a bigger picture behind? Bolin nodded and grabbed the man really rough and dragged him out. Looking at that Shu Ya wanted to say something but Lord Ko stopped her with a shake of his head. "Those people know what is real what is pretence. Bolin is smart. He chose to really be rough so they wouldn't doubt him."
They all knew how soft she was to the innocent people, but this time she can't be soft.
Looking at his complicated expression Shu Ya chuckled. "Godfather, you all sometimes forget one thing. I'm this small and got the fifth level official position. But let's skip that now. I'm actually curious for a while. I'm Ying Daren. Or in this case Lady Ying. But Minister is Ying as well. Why the last name? And aren't you annoyed that some strange child got your name?"
Minister Ying looked at Lord Ka and almost cursed out. "You still didn't tell her?"
Lord Ka shook his head seriously. "I had no chance. The things that happened so far made me temporarily forget about that issue. It's not urgent."
Minister Ying almost blew up. From corners of his eyes, he saw Shu Ya curiously looking at them and struggled real hard to calm down his emotions. He breathed deeply and finally became normal again.
With a stiff smile, he looked at Shu Ya. "Well, to tell you the truth... you are our child... partially. That family..." He didn't want to say their names, but Shu Ya knew who he was talking about. "They have been kicked out, a long time ago from our family. Or better said their Elder. So, somehow you are partially our child as well. So our Ying family chose to sign you under our name, but don't worry. You are completely independent of us. Like a sideline of Ying family. You have Lord Ka as your Godfather, but you have our great Ying family as your back up. And... "
Shu Ya was curious what else could be there as she saw him smiling shyly at her then looking at Lord Ka for help. Her curiosity peaked and she found herself staring at Lord Ka. "What is it?"
He seriously looked at Minister Ying and then with a strange expression on his face grabbed Shu Ya's hands...
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone