By the time Jiang Yanchuan reached the small courtyard, everything inside had descended into utter chaos.
A dozen or so children of varying ages held all manner of "weapons," raining haphazard blows on a group of adult men sprawled limply on the ground. Liaochen and the others stood around the perimeter, each clutching a fistful of pebbles, their eyes darting everywhere as they watched for anyone who might muster the strength to resist.
The courtyard was none too clean, and the chaos had stirred up clouds of dust. Jiang Yanchuan had to stare for quite some time before he found his own little girl among them.
Jiang Yingcheng was bouncing around more enthusiastically than anyone.
She brandished a stick half her height, slipping into every opening between the others' attacks to land another blow. Her movements were swift and ruthless-one look was enough to tell she was an "old hand" at striking dirty.
Jiang Yanchuan stood at the courtyard entrance and raised his hand slightly, signaling those behind him to remain quiet.
These children had waited far too long for a chance to vent. They deserved this opportunity.
After watching for only a little while, Jiang Yanchuan suddenly felt that telling his soldiers to remain silent had truly been an unnecessary precaution.
The courtyard was a riot of noise, not just from the children's chaotic attacks, but also from their shrieks, their jubilant cheers, and...
The curses of the men being beaten.
All those sounds mingled together, and Jiang Yanchuan actually felt that the din gave him an even worse headache than the officials' squabbles at court.
"Chaaaarge!!"
-that was Jiang Yingcheng, who had to boost her friends' morale after every couple of blows.
"Aaaah! That's for hitting me yesterday! That's for hitting me yesterday!"
-that was an unnamed boy