Wolf-Raised Cub with a Space: Surviving the Disaster Years

Chapter 210: Chapter 210: Doting Favoritism

The door was forced open. Inside, the room was neat as a pin.

The bed didn’t even have a mattress, looking as if no one had ever lived there.

Xie Mingxu and the Zhi Jinwu entered at the same time and began searching everywhere.

Shen Ningning stood at the entrance, peeking in with her pink lips pursed.

Xie Mingxu walked to the only wooden cabinet in the room. He opened it, and his expression changed in an instant.

He slammed the cabinet door shut.

"There’s no one here," he said.

The Zhi Jinwu turned back. After a moment of thoughtful observation, he said, "General Xie, allow me to check it myself, just to be absolutely sure."

After all, the cabinet was large enough to easily hide a person.

Xie Mingxu was silent for a moment before stepping back. "Be my guest."

The Zhi Jinwu walked to the cabinet, deliberately turning his head to glance at Shen Ningning’s expression.

The little girl’s fair, innocent face was veiled by a hazy fog, as if she knew nothing at all.

But the anonymous letter had been explicit, even mentioning the times the person hiding in this granary came and went each day.

The Zhi Jinwu suddenly yanked the cabinet door open and looked inside.

There were only two old pieces of clothing.

He frowned, running his hand over the cabinet’s top board and inspecting it carefully, but he found nothing else.

Finally, the Zhi Jinwu led his men to the doorway and bowed to Shen Ningning. "Commandery Princess, my sincerest apologies for the disturbance."

Shen Ningning blinked her lively dark eyes. "It’s okay. It’s only right to help with the investigation."

Beside her, Xie Mingxu’s expression did not relax.

When he had opened the cabinet just now, the first thing he’d seen was also the clothes.

However, he was a little more observant than the Zhi Jinwu and had noticed the distinct wet marks on the sleeve.

’They were freshly soaked by the heavy rain. That means the person hiding here just escaped not long ago.’

The Zhi Jinwu changed the subject. "Commandery Princess, who usually lives here and guards the granary for you? Please hand that person over so I may question them."

Then, as if fearing Shen Ningning would refuse, he added another sentence.

"This matter concerns the crime of desertion, which is extremely serious. I must ask you to hand the person over today."

Shen Ningning opened her mouth. "But he..."

Before the little girl could finish, a government soldier rushed to the door.

"Sir! General! A man named Chen Ye has gone to the government office to confess! He says he’s the soldier who returned from the border."

The Zhi Jinwu’s expression changed. He immediately headed outside. "What are you waiting for? Follow me back to the government office."

Shen Ningning quickly moved aside to make way.

As Xie Mingxu passed her, he looked down at the little girl.

A guilty look finally surfaced in Shen Ningning’s eyes. "Brother, I..."

"It’s cold out. Go back to the mansion first." Then, he added two soft words: "Don’t worry."

Shen Ningning watched his tall figure disappear into the curtain of rain.

Her large, dark, round eyes held a hint of sadness.

’I hope I was right to have Chen Ye turn himself in.’

In the carriage back to the mansion, Shen Ningning’s clear eyes stared out at the world turned upside down by the heavy rain.

One hour before the Zhi Jinwu went to the granary, she had been there too and had met with Chen Ye.

"Brother Chen, you’re not a deserter! Back then, the Deputy General found fault with you and kicked you out of the barracks. You have a registered jade slip with the government!"

"You didn’t desert on your own; you were driven out. So there’s no need to be afraid. As long as you go to the government office and request the military order, everything can be cleared up."

"Besides, and most importantly, Brother and the others are investigating you because they’re afraid you’re still sick. But the plague you had was cured long ago, so you don’t need to hide at all."

Shen Ningning had been inspired by a letter from Mo Lingwei.

’What really counts as a deserter? Someone who flees the battlefield without the knowledge of their commanding officer or deputy general!’

But Chen Ye could prove he was driven out. He even had the writ of expulsion from the barracks to prove it.

Both Shen Ningning and he had overlooked one problem at first.

It was true that Chen Ye had left the barracks due to illness, so when he heard someone was investigating, his first reaction was one of guilt, and he wanted to run.

Just like that old farmer from Beitai Country.

But with an Identity Jade Scroll as proof, what was there to be afraid of?

Chen Ye was worried the government would convict him of a serious crime, and he’d never get out of prison.

Shen Ningning’s voice was soft and sweet, but her words were sharp enough to awaken a person’s senses.

"Brother Chen, if you don’t go to the government and confess, you’ll spend your whole life on the run, hiding. You’ll never see Granny Chen again. How is that any different from being in prison?"

It was this sentence that made Chen Ye decide to turn himself in to the government.

He would admit he was a soldier who had returned from the border.

Shen Ningning waited at the Xie Mansion until evening.

Xie Mingxu finally returned.

"Brother~" The little girl hurried forward, offering him a handkerchief with both hands. Her big, bright dark eyes shimmered with caution. "You’re back."

Xie Mingxu took the handkerchief from her and wiped the rain from his face.

Then, he gave the little girl a deep look and said, "Let’s talk in my study."

Shen Ningning hung her little head and followed silently behind him.

Once the door was closed, Xie Mingxu spoke first, his tone light. "You don’t need to worry anymore. The Ministry of Justice and the Capital Governor discussed Chen Ye’s case. He’s not a deserter."

"However, he must be punished for failing to report his return to the Capital City after leaving the army. For the next three months starting tomorrow, Chen Ye will be required to perform manual labor, hauling stone and sand to reinforce the city walls. It’s a minor punishment to serve as a major lesson."

Hearing this outcome, Shen Ningning was, of course, happy for Chen Ye.

But she looked at Xie Mingxu and said, "Brother, I’m sorry. I kept it from you at first. I didn’t tell you where Chen Ye really was."

The little girl silently pulled a wooden paddle from behind her back and held it out.

"Brother, you can strike my palms. I was wrong."

Xie Mingxu looked at Shen Ningning, his gaze deep, but it concealed a subtle heartache and indulgence.

"Why would I punish you?"

"Because Ningning lied... Brother is so good to me, I shouldn’t have deceived you."

"So, you were the one who had Chen Ye turn himself in to the government, weren’t you?"

"Yes." The little girl nodded silently.

"If that’s the case, why did you cover for him in the first place?" he pressed, his voice low.

Shen Ningning’s voice was soft and full of apology. "Granny Chen is sick, and Brother Chen just wanted to see her. If I had a mother, I would also come back for her no matter what. So I understood how he felt, and that’s why..."

As she spoke, the little girl felt like she was just making excuses.

So she hung her little head in shame, holding her two small, fair hands up high in a pitiable display, ready to accept Xie Mingxu’s punishment.

Xie Mingxu picked up the paddle. He raised it high, and Shen Ningning squeezed her eyes shut.

Suddenly!

There was a sharp CRACK.

Xie Mingxu had thrown the paddle directly at the door. The sound was of it breaking into three pieces and clattering to the floor.

Shen Ningning waited for a long time, but the pain never came.

Instead, she heard a low, emotional sigh from Xie Mingxu.

"Ningning, I’m your brother. Not only will I not punish you, I’ll even cover for you."

"If Chen Ye had been any slower in turning himself in, the scapegoat I arranged would have already gone to the government."

At this, Xie Mingxu gave a bitter smile. "I pride myself on being upright and self-disciplined, but when it comes to you, all I want to do is show favoritism."