"Reporting to the leader."

Zhang Wenkui panted, his face flushed with anger. "I ran all the way here with urgent news. That scoundrel, while marching past Wufeng County, happened upon the county magistrate and his family on an outing. The women in the magistrate's household are all exceptionally beautiful, which caught the scoundrel's eye. Driven by lust, he led his troops in pursuit of them. Though he failed to capture them, he ended up surrounding Wufeng County. Even if he manages to conquer the county, there's no way he'll make it to the rendezvous by the day after tomorrow."

After finishing his report, Zhang Wenkui spat on the ground, his face full of disdain.

One of the generals leading the two flanking forces that had infiltrated the heart of Jiangzhou was the scoundrel Zhang Wenkui had just mentioned.

This man, named Wang Liu, was infamous for his lechery. As a trusted confidant of the prince, no one dared to rein him in, allowing him to act as he pleased. He had caused numerous scandals in Yingnan Commandery, earning him the nickname "The Rogue General."

No one expected that he would still dare to behave so recklessly in matters concerning the entire eastern army’s strategy.

"That bastard will die under a woman's skirt sooner or later!" Water Monkey cursed loudly upon hearing this.

Even Qin Sang felt a headache coming on upon learning of the situation. The magistrate of Hening County was clearly a capable man. Though the garrison had been deployed elsewhere, the local militia and guards at the city gates were well-trained.

The original plan was for the two flanking forces to merge before dawn the day after tomorrow and launch a surprise attack on Hening County, ensuring absolute success. But now that Wang Liu had diverted his troops to chase women, their strength was significantly reduced. How confident could they still be in breaching the city?

And if they did breach it, would they still have the strength to suppress any ensuing chaos?

Delaying the attack by a day risked the news leaking out.

Qin Sang stared at the city gates of Hening County for a long while before spitting out the grass stem in his mouth. In a low voice, he said, "If he doesn't want the credit handed to him on a silver platter, then he can’t blame the rest of us for taking it all. This time, we'll have to work harder, and help General Mu capture Hening County. Once it’s done, I'll personally ask for rewards from the commandery lady on your behalf!"

Suddenly, there was a commotion in the line of refugees on the main road. A few of them were quarreling and shoving each other before being driven out of the porridge tent by the household guards of a wealthy family.

The other refugees along the road craned their necks to watch the spectacle, but none dared leave their spots in line.

Curious, Qin Sang looked over and saw that on one side were three burly men who looked alike, probably brothers. On the other side were seven children, boys and girls alike. The oldest boy appeared to be around thirteen or fourteen years old, though it was hard to tell for sure since children from poor families in these times were often malnourished.

After listening to the chatter around him for a while, Qin Sang pieced together the story.

The three burly men were known as the Kong brothers, notorious for bullying others due to their strength. They never bothered to queue for porridge, often using a broken bowl as an excuse to extort others, and they would even steal porridge from the elderly and weak.

In front of strict, rule-abiding wealthy families, they didn’t dare cause trouble. But when dealing with those who preferred to avoid conflicts, they often succeeded in their schemes.

These children had caught their attention, and the brothers not only wanted to steal their porridge but also had their eyes on one of the girls.

Normally, Qin Sang wouldn’t involve himself in such trivial matters, given his mission. However, the boy leading the group intrigued him, so he watched a bit longer.

"My sister broke your bowl. We'll pay for it, but you can’t take her away!"

The boy spread his arms wide, shielding the other six children behind him like a mother hen protecting her chicks. A little girl, dirty and tear-streaked, was hiding behind him, crying softly. She was likely the one who had broken the bowl.

Qin Sang, with his keen eyesight, noticed that although the girl was filthy, her facial features were quite delicate. She was just over ten years old, and with a little cleaning up, she could fetch a good price. No wonder those three men were trying to take her.

Bah!

The eldest brother spat on the ground, pointing to the broken shards on the ground. "What do you know, you little beggar? That bowl was from the Black Kiln—" �

"The White Kiln, eldest brother, the White Kiln," the youngest brother whispered.

"Ah, right! The White Kiln! That bowl is worth hundreds of taels of silver! Selling all of you little beggars wouldn’t cover it! I’m letting you off easy by just taking the girl!"

The eldest brother leered at the little girl. "Come with me, and I guarantee you’ll live a life of luxury. What’s the point of hanging around these brats who can’t even take care of themselves? Hahaha..."

The three brothers laughed lecherously.

The children were filled with righteous indignation, while the little girl trembled in fear.

Even Qin Sang nearly laughed out of anger. The White Kiln produced the most exquisite porcelain in the Great Sui, all of which was reserved for tribute. Even wealthy merchants rarely had the privilege of using it, let alone some refugee carrying a White Kiln bowl while begging for porridge.

"Damn it!"

The second brother suddenly took a step forward, his chest nearly pressing against the boy's face as he sneered. "Little beggar, she’s not even your real sister, so why stick your nose where it doesn’t belong? If you know what’s good for you, get lost!"

Qin Sang narrowed his eyes. The man had a knife in his hand, pressing it against the boy's stomach.

Zhang Wenkui, still catching his breath, couldn't help but feel a surge of anger at the scene unfolding before him. He asked indignantly, "Leader, these children are pitiful. Shouldn't we do something to help?"

Qin Sang turned his head and stared coldly at Zhang Wenkui, asking, "Should I start calling you Hero Zhang from now on? How many pitiful souls have you saved so far?"

Zhang Wenkui's face turned pale, and he lowered his head, not daring to say another word.

Unexpectedly, the boy, despite having a knife pressed against him, showed no fear. He stood his ground, unmoving, his eyes bloodshot as he stared unblinkingly at the burly man in front of him. Suddenly, he shouted like a madman.

"To hell with you! If you've got the guts, stab me! Kill me! Then you can take whoever you want!"

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The second brother, startled by the boy's crazed demeanor, instinctively stepped back. But then, embarrassed and enraged, he didn’t dare use his knife. Instead, he grabbed the boy by the collar, ready to strike.

The boy was just as fierce, immediately opening his mouth to bite.

Qin Sang called out softly.

"Old Zhou!"

Water Monkey, catching on instantly, scrambled to his feet and dashed over to the group. He shoved the burly man aside and threw himself onto the boy, gripping his face while wailing loudly, "Son! Son! It’s really you! I’m your father! I’m your father!"

Qin Sang rubbed his forehead, silently marveling at Water Monkey's quick thinking.

The boy reacted swiftly too, latching onto Water Monkey and crying out. "Father! I finally found you! Father, why did it take you so long to get here...?"

The onlookers, shocked by Water Monkey's sudden appearance, were further taken aback by this tearful reunion. They could only watch in amazement.

Though Water Monkey was only two years older than Qin Sang, he had smeared a thick layer of stage makeup on his face, and his acting was flawless. The "father and son" cried so passionately that no one suspected it was all a ruse.

The three burly men were momentarily stunned, but upon noticing that Water Monkey had one arm in a sling, they started to stir again.

Qin Sang subtly signaled with his mouth, and Zhang Wenkui, who had been eager to act, finally moved. He rushed over and glared menacingly at the three men. "Brother! Is this really your nephew? Nephew, don’t be afraid. Tell your uncle who’s been bullying you, and I’ll make sure they pay!"

Zheng Kun also quietly approached, lifting his shirt to reveal the hilt of a knife at his waist.

Seeing that there was no advantage to be gained, the three burly men cursed under their breath and walked away.