Chapter 119 - 119: Shall I Change Your Dressing?
Qi Heng was stunned for a moment. Before he could answer, the supervisor winked and pushed him forward. “Hurry up and go forward, Scholar Qi. This lady is a benefactor.”
If it were any other place, the status of a scholar would indeed be useful. Perhaps it would be unavoidable to address him as “Master Scholar.” However, the supervisor had been managing this White Horse Post for many years and had seen countless scholars of various rankings. He had even seen many Zhuangyuans who had stayed here before, so he spoke more casually.
Bai Xianyu smiled at him through her cone hat and took the lead to go upstairs.
Although Qi Heng was certainly excited these few days, he had not forgotten that this was the capital. Judging from the woman’s bearing and attire, she might be a young lady from an aristocratic family. Moreover, even the supervisor of the White Horse Post said that she was a benefactor, so he could not neglect her.
He did not hesitate for long before following Bai Xianyu up.
On the second floor, Bai Xianyu stood in front of the corridor. Qi Heng bowed and stood there as well.
She looked at his humble and respectful appearance and became even more puzzled.
At this moment, Green Pearl brought something over. “Miss, this is the gauze and medicinal wine you wanted.”
Bai Xianyu’s eyes quickly flashed with curiosity. She took the items from Green Pearl’s hands and smiled. “Young Master, I see that you have injured your hand. This place is far from the medicinal hall. 1 happen to have some medicine here. Shall I change the dressing for you?”
Qi Heng widened his eyes in surprise and was at a loss. He stammered, “Medicine wine, I… 1 don’t need it. I appreciate Miss’s kindness.”
Bai Xianyu secretly gauged his expression, but other than panic, there was no look of guilt.
She glanced at his hand and asked with a smile, “You really don’t need it? How did Young Master Qi get injured? You are too careless.”
Qi Heng’s face immediately turned red. This woman’s voice was like a melodious song. He usually studied hard. Not to mention interacting with a girl, even boys, he had only interacted with a few, let alone being shown concern by a girl.
He looked at the girl’s concerned gaze and the medicinal wine in her hand.
Qi Heng pursed his lips, and his psychological defense instantly broke. He comforted himself that there was nothing embarrassing about it, but when he spoke, he still felt a little inferior. He touched the side of his hand and said, “1… was born with six fingers, but I was going to go south to Zhi Zou to be a magistrate soon. 1 was afraid of scaring others, so… 1 cut myself.”
He had been wise since he was young. When he was with his deceased parents, his six fingers were inauspicious, so he had wrapped his hand in gauze since he was young and tied his little finger in, not showing it at all.
It had not been easy for him to become a scholar, so Qi Heng made up his mind to chop it off. He was afraid that he would scare the noblemen one day.
Bai Xianyu froze when she heard what he said.
He was born with six fingers!
“How could you be born with six fingers?” She felt her scalp tingle. She grabbed his hand and asked seriously again, “Are you really born with six fingers?”
Qi Heng opened his mouth. It was not so difficult to admit it again. “Yes, I’m ashamed to say it. I’ve been studying hard, but I’ve always been depressed. I often feel inferior in my heart and have never told outsiders. However, when I saw you, I knew that you were a kind person. I didn’t want to lie to you.”
As he spoke, he unwrapped some of the gauze.
Afraid that the wound would scare this girl, Qi Heng only lifted it a little, but it was enough for Bai Xianyu to see clearly.
Qi Heng did not know that she had recognized him, nor could he have predicted that she would look for him.
That meant that what he said was true.
A thought that made her hair stand on end appeared in Bai Xianyu’s mind.
This Qi Heng was completely different from the Qi Heng in her previous life.
In her previous life, Qi Heng, the Minister of Ministry of Public Works, not only had a completely different personality from the Qi Heng in front of her, but his hand was also very normal. She had even seen his hand up close.
There were five fingers.
And the Qi Heng in front of her was clearly a man who had six fingers.
Then why did the two of them look exactly the same?
Bai Xianyu asked solemnly, “Are you a twin?”
Qi Heng was slightly surprised and really thought about it. “I don’t think so. If I’m a twin, why haven’t 1 seen him before?”
Just because he had not seen him before did not mean that he did not exist.
Just now, she heard from the supervisor that Qi Heng’s parents had died when he was young, so it was very likely that the other twin had been taken away before he could remember. Otherwise… how could she explain the Qi Heng she saw in her previous life?
Bai Xianyu linked the assassination attempt that day to the strange incident and asked in a low voice, “When have you become the magistrate of Zhi Zou?” Qi Heng said, “Originally, I was going to set off in a month, but my local colleague sent me a message saying that there was a lot of work and I had to go early. When the letter arrived, the carriage that was coming to pick me up was also arriving soon… I should be able to reach the capital tomorrow and set off for Zhi Zou.”
Bai Xianyu’s gaze froze. In that case, everything made sense.
That day, the person that the assassin had wanted to kill might be Qi Heng.
It was all for the sake of making the other “Qi Heng” take his place.
“Miss, is there a problem?”
Bai Xianyu frowned. “Nothing for the time being.”
This area had already been sealed off. As the closest place to the imperial guards, the White Horse Post was also surrounded.
In other words, Qi Heng was temporarily safe.
“Young Master Qi, I know this is very sudden, but 1 have to tell you… someone wants your life.” Bai Xianyu saw his face gradually turn pale, but she continued, “You don’t have to worry now. I’ll get someone to protect you later.” Qi Heng looked around cautiously and nodded.
If she could save him this time, Third Brother would have one less powerful enemy in the future.
Bai Xianyu took one last look at him. It was better to be safe than sorry. She immediately left, asked for a brush and ink, and wrote a letter to the minister of the Court of Judicial Review.
She did not say to get someone to protect Qi Heng.
Instead, she said in the letter that there might be clues in the White Horse Post and asked him to send some imperial guards to guard it.
In this way, they should not act rashly.
If the matter on the five and six fingers was discovered, it would be a crime of deceiving the Emperor. Qi Heng was poor now, and interacted with very few people. Once Qi Heng took office and interacted with more people, then the secret about his hand would not be wrapped. Only then, would he be safe.
The mastermind would not be able to kill all the bureaucrats he had come into contact with.
After Bai Xianyu explained some matters to Qi Heng, he went downstairs with Green Pearl. Qi Heng was secretly grateful. Actually, he had long realized that something was wrong. He kept feeling that someone was secretly observing him. It was only after the assassination attempt on Fifth Miss Bai from the Bai Family of the capital, that the feeling was gone.
So now that this kind-hearted girl explained it, he believed her.
After getting someone to dispatch a letter to Li Yu, the White Horse Post was soon surrounded.
Bai Xianyu sat in the General Manor’s carriage and looked at the moonlight outside the curtain absent-mindedly.
When they left the White Horse Post, the sky was already dark.
The imperial Qionglin Garden was quiet and there was no one on the streets.
The way to the General’s Manor was also the way to the Northern Garrison Marquis Manor. Just as she was about to lower the curtain, she heard an extremely subtle sound, like a heavy object falling to the ground..