Two approaching guards glanced at each other. Both turned towards the coachman with silent but questioning eyes for answers to the screaming within the carriage. It sounded like a pig screaming before slaughter.
They were told to fetch the magistrate, not to deal with a lunatic.
"Hey old man, who's screaming?" One guard asked while the other placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, still sheathed in the scabbard tied to his waist.
The coachman noticed the guard drawing his sword. He knew who was screaming inside and he broke into a cold sweat, wondering how to even answer the Grand Prince's guards. His mind went blank. He couldn't think of any excuses except the facts.
"It's our magistrate's boy attendant," the coachman muttered, hoping for some understanding. He held little hope, but any excuse was better than none.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed a masked person in a man's dark clothing of fine silk walking towards them. Little did he know it was Yinyue who got impatient with waiting.
Shorter than the guards, her presence still render a certain aura of authority, especially with the scent of blood exuding from her clothing.
"What's with the screaming?" Yinyue asked. "Has my magistrate gone mad?"
"Your Highness," the guard spoke as the coachman fell to his knees and prostrated upon hearing the honorific title. Both Yinyue and the guard shot him a quick look.
"This old man here says it's the magistrate's attendant. We hear a man's voice trying to calm him down."
"Hmph," Yinyue huffed and rolled her eyes.
First, this magistrate sends three stable boys to her residence and now he has a crazy boy attendant.
Another scream rang out as the carriage rocked. Yinyue's brows furrowed at the commotion. Her eyes narrowed slightly as she pursed her lips. The scream reminded her of something other than a person going mad.
She turned to 02, who arrived behind her and asked in a low voice, "does this magistrate have any weird habits?"
"Weird?" 02 arched his eyebrows at the look on her face. She didn't look angry. More of an awkward expression, especially at the rocking carriage.
He racked his head for the background checks he did on Bian town. They needed to know the important players around the Grand Prince's residence. This magistrate didn't have a bad reputation based on the reports he received from Huangcheng. In fact, his record was clean.
02 glanced around the harsh wild environment. A Huangcheng man coming to a remote, isolate area with no entertainment comparable to the Capital city can change. Human nature changed.
A disgusting idea popped into his head. It isn't like 02 hadn't seen certain perversions before. Some of the nobles in the Huangcheng took a special liking to young children during his old training days. He had the worst luck performing surveillance on them, witnessing how those monsters preyed on the innocence.
"You mean, little boys…," 02 muttered under his breath and shuddered at those images he was forced to watch without uttering a sound.
Yinyue nodded as the other two guards drew their swords in readiness. The coachman quivered uncontrollably at their reactions, wondering if he said something wrong to create a misunderstanding.
"From what I know, the informants in Huangcheng said he is Chancellor Jiaowei's illegitimate son. Name is Ronghe. Known to be intelligent and a gentleman of virtue. Keeps a low profile. Imperial Prince Hushiyi knew him. He was the imperial prince's senior."
Yinyue frowned at his words. Hushiyi had more to explain now, on top of those three dead bodies in her territory. She never interfered in Hushiyi's administrative decisions, but a chancellor's son posted to such a barren area of her territory made her suspicious.
Based on the political connections of Ronghe's father, he could stay in Huangcheng, where his career could rise rapidly. Officials came to Yandi because her Emperor-father punished them or none of the better Dayan territories wanted them.
Why did Ronghe choose to come to the middle of nowhere? To play with little peasant boys who had no power to complain? That would be a dirty family secret.
"You…" Yinyue signaled with her hand for the coachman to step forward. He shuffled his feet forward, showing his reluctance.
"This magistrate and the boy you mentioned…what relationship do they have?" 02 asked him in a low, grave tone.
The coachman's eyes sprung open in shock at the hidden meaning behind her question. His eyes darted around, watching the expression of the Grand Prince's guards. They misunderstood his words and if he didn't explain, the magistrate will be in trouble.
He wagged both of his hands in a panic, gulped and mustered his courage only to stammer, "N-n-no s-sir…tthe m-m-magistrate isn't a beast…he t-took in A-Ahan and…and t-treat him like a s-son."
"Uh huh. You're just covering up, aren't you?" 02 winked at him.
"N-no s-sir," the coachman dropped to his knees, causing Yinyue to shoot a look at 02.
"Get up," 02 said to the coachman, who quickly scrambled to his feet.
Yinyue glanced at the lowered head of the coachman. She doubted he dared to lie.
"H-he is a good man," the coachman hastily added, but his words failed to convince her.
Yinyue smirked at his remark. Many of the greedy and corrupt Dayan officials used to have the facade of being good to the people. That's how they got away with their corruption for long periods of time before the Imperial Court detected a problem. Nothing irritated her more than hypocrisy.
"The villagers who discovered the bodies actually offered to inform the local magistrate," 02 said, noting his earlier exchange with them.
Few villagers in other Dayan territories would dare to report anything involving a death to their local magistrate, for fear of being scapegoated for a crime they didn't commit.
Yinyue deduced the villagers saw him as someone impartial and at least likeable. She never heard a complaint about him from the other officials or the people of Bian town, unlike other towns or cities, when complaints came as rumours and gossip.
Her priority is to protect Hushiyi and herself. If she can blackmail this magistrate, even better. And if his reputation is as good as they say, then all the better when potential investigators come from Huangcheng, especially the Empress's faction, will still create problems.
Another round of shrill screaming caused her head to spin. After a run-in with a snow leopard earlier, now dead in its pool of blood with arrows sticking out of its body, her patience waned away. The possibility of learning lurid details amused her for a moment, but not enough for Yinyue to waste her time when bigger priorities awaited her attention.
"Whenever he has settled his charity case, send him to us over at the site," she replied.
As Yinyue turned away, the carriage door swung open and a small figure of a boy came leaped out.
"NO—"
A man's voice shouted from the inside.
Too late. The guards already drew their swords.
Yinyue swung around and saw the boy with his clothing on, but messed up. Their eyes met. She noticed the wild look in his eyes, like that of an animal. He sprung towards her, past the guards, before they reached. She lunged towards him and grabbed him by the waist. A quick forceful turn and his back faced her, with his hands and legs kicking in the air.
He struggled in a desperate attempt against her hold to break free. She could feel the tensing of his muscles while he writhe in her hold, with his hands trying to claw at her face and arms. His fingers dug into the triple layered silk sleeves covering her arms. The boy took short, labored gasps as he fought against her hold. His hands moved blindly in the air, trying to hit her.
Yinyue knew she couldn't hold him much longer. She also couldn't knock him out, given the awkward position she found herself in.
"I'll RELEASE HIM, GET HIM, UNHARMED," she yelled to her guards.