Glory

Ye Chongming saw that Ye Hongchang's injuries were indeed not serious—just a slash on the thigh that hadn't damaged the bones or tendons—and finally set aside his lingering worry.

Now that the weather had turned cool, and the Herbalist at the Hall of Returning Spring was quite skilled, with proper care, Ye Hongchang should have no major issues.

However, two Guards under Guan Canghai and one Guard from the Capital Security Company were more severely injured. Additionally, Ye Hongchang's personal Page, who had saved his master, was also seriously hurt.

Fortunately, the encounter with the bandits occurred not far from Lin'an City, and Guan Canghai's group had brought medicine with them while escorting the goods. With timely bandaging and treatment, all of them were out of mortal danger.

"Rest well and focus on recovering. All medical expenses will be covered by my Ye Jia, and there will be an additional reward to thank you all for protecting my son." Ye Chongming bowed deeply to them.

With a wave of his hand, several attendant Pages presented gifts to the injured Guards: silver, valuable tonics, pastries, and silk. Those more severely injured received more silver, while those with lighter injuries received correspondingly less.

The two Guards under Guan Canghai in Lin'an City, due to their serious injuries, had already had letters sent to their families after Guan Canghai discussed it with Ye Hongchang. Their family members had rushed over long ago.

As for the Guard from the capital, he was being cared for by his companions and the servants of Ye Jia.

Regarding Ye Hongchang's Page, since this matter needed to be kept from the rest of the Ye family, no notification had been sent. He was being looked after by the Ye family servants who had accompanied Ye Hongchang on the trip and had not yet returned to the estate.

Although the Hall of Returning Spring would accommodate some patients overnight for convenience, the space was limited, offering only a single room or a bed, and the fees were relatively high, with no provisions for meals or daily necessities.

To express his gratitude to the Guards who had risked their lives to protect him, Ye Hongchang, with his wealth and generosity, rented an entire courtyard to house these Guards and their families or companions for care. Meals were ordered from a restaurant.

Now, with Ye Chongming presenting a large sum of silver to thank everyone, the Guards and their families were deeply moved, repeatedly praising the Ye family for their generosity.

As Guards, they made a living by risking their lives. Once they accepted the escort fee, any injuries or even death were their own burden to bear, with no blame to place on the employer.

Many employers, after encountering bandits and suffering injuries, would only blame the Guards for failing to protect them, causing harm to their family members or loss of property. Using the excuse that the escort fee had been paid, they considered protection the Guards' duty and would not provide additional funds for recovery or medical expenses.

Thus, the Ye family's approach was highly commendable.

"Old Master Ye, there's no need to be so courteous. We make our living by risking our lives—injuries are common occurrences. As long as no lives are lost, everything is manageable." Guan Canghai quickly reached out to support Ye Chongming.

After Ye Chongming had individually comforted the injured Guards and that Page, Guan Canghai said to him in a low voice, "Old Master Ye, let's speak in private."

The two went to a secluded spot, and Guan Canghai said directly, "Has your family offended anyone recently?"

Ye Chongming tensed and asked, "What do you mean by that, Guan Biaotou?"

"From the capital to Lin'an, this route is one we travel often, and it's generally peaceful. Even if we're unlucky enough to run into bandits, they usually only rob valuables and don't take lives.""But it seemed to me those people were intent on taking the elder master's life. Moreover, they must have been tailing the elder master's party for some time. It was only because we arrived promptly and escorted them early that the bandits had no opportunity to strike, hence they held back. Later, seeing we were approaching Lin'an City and realizing it was now or never, they finally made their move."

At this point, he felt a private sense of relief.

Had it not been for their proximity to Lin'an City, even with the golden wound medicine his two companions carried, they likely wouldn't have survived the journey.

"This entire affair reeks of conspiracy. Those men were clearly targeting the elder master's party specifically. You should investigate thoroughly to uncover who's behind this."

Ye Chongming already had his suspicions.

He first raised his hand in a respectful salute. "Thank you for the warning, Guard Guan. I understand."

Then he bowed deeply again. "I've already been to the authorities and reported this to Magistrate Qi. The magistrate instructed me to submit a formal complaint, and he will spare no effort in investigating. Might I ask if Guard Guan happened to get a clear look at the bandits' appearances? If so, could you provide some clues to the authorities?"

He naturally understood that those in the security profession often maintained connections with both lawful and unlawful circles. Unless the highwaymen were wandering bandits, major security companies typically reached understandings with local outlaws: the security company wouldn't provide clues or assistance to official investigations, while bandits would give face and let familiar security companies pass unmolested.

His current request was putting Guan Biaotou in a difficult position.

Therefore, he quickly added, "Rest assured, Guard Guan, you need not appear personally. Simply describe the bandits' appearances to Hongchang, and he can relay the information to the authorities. I will ensure you are handsomely rewarded."

Under normal circumstances, Guan Biaotou might have refused Ye Chongming.

After all, walls have ears. Though he wouldn't appear personally, if Ye Chongming or Ye Hongchang inadvertently revealed even a word or two, his reputation in the underworld would be ruined.

The bandits' methods of retaliation were notoriously brutal.

But these weren't ordinary bandits - they might have been Ye family enemies disguised as highwaymen. Most importantly, they had severely injured two of his brothers. This was a debt he was determined to repay. His entire conversation with Ye Chongming had been leading to this very purpose.

Furthermore, the conduct of Ye Chongming and Ye Hongchang had inclined him to assist the Ye family. Ye Chongming's revealed connections with the authorities also gave him pause for thought.

If Ye Chongming took offense and had the authorities deliberately harass their security company, accusing them of colluding with bandits, they would be finished.

He nodded. "Very well. Have Elder Master Ye summoned now, and I'll tell you both everything." If they were to investigate, they should act quickly.

Ye Chongming waved to Zhou Xiang in the distance, instructing him to fetch Ye Hongchang.

Shortly, Ye Hongchang arrived, and Guan Biaotou shared all the clues he had observed with the father and son.

During the robbery, Ye Hongchang had been utterly terrified, noticing neither the bandits' appearances, their numbers, their attire, nor their accents. He had registered nothing, let alone specific facial features.

But Guan Biaotou, as an experienced veteran, had observed everything clearly and could describe it all in detail.

The Ye father and son were profoundly grateful, resolving to send generous gifts to Guan Biaotou later. They then drafted their complaint and departed together for the magistrate's court.Magistrate Qi was also efficient in his actions. After receiving the petition, he had the clerk record the clues provided by Ye Hongchang and immediately dispatched constables to pursue the bandits.

After leaving the yamen, Ye Chongming took Ye Hongchang back home.

Ye Hongchang had originally intended to stay at the medical clinic until all the Guards were out of danger before returning home. But since they had already left, there was no need to go back.

Sending more silver over would be better than anything else.