Chapter 37 Family Affection

When Li Qu arrived at Jinxiu Hall, Zhou Jin had already left the residence.

She followed suit, placing the dagger beside her face and threatening Huaixiang, who was guarding Jinxiu Hall: "Where did Third Master go?"

Huaixiang knelt respectfully and prostrated herself to beg for forgiveness: "If you, my aunt, harm yourself, I will be guilty of failing to protect you, and my death is not a pity."

"Please think twice before you hurt yourself, Auntie."

"Third Master loves his concubine's stunning beauty. If the concubine loses this charm, how can she navigate in front of Third Master with ease and survive in dire straits?"

Li Qu's appearance is both her weapon of mass destruction and her Achilles' heel.

Huai Xiang, being an outsider, saw everything clearly.

Li Qu tossed aside the scissors hidden in her sleeve, grabbed Huai Xiang by the neck, and threatened her with the knife: "Where is Third Master?"

Huai Xiang remained unfazed: "This servant does not know."

Li Qu had no intention of harming anyone; she simply wanted to see her family safe and sound.

She crouched down to look at her: "Who knows?"

"This servant does not know."

If hard tactics don't work, try softer ones.

Li Qu pleaded, "This concerns lives, Miss Huaixiang, could you please make an exception?"

Huaixiang gently comforted him, "Master won't take the lives of the Li family."

"He will use torture!"

"I just want to make sure that everything I've said is true." Huaixiang lowered her eyelids, her gaze fixed on Li Qu's magnificent robes clasped together.

Li Qu flung the dagger aside and grabbed Huai Xiang's collar with both hands: "He can ask me. Go tell him to come and ask me anything he wants to know!"

Huaixiang let Li Qu hold her: "Auntie, please calm down."

"My mother is six months pregnant, my father is mute, and my second sister is a girl. Who among them can be tortured? Who should be tortured! How can you expect me to remain calm?"

Li Qu was almost unable to contain her emotions and was about to shout it out.

But she knew that yelling was useless, and yelling at Huaixiang was even less effective.

Therefore, her tone was frighteningly calm, and her question went straight to the heart.

But Huaixiang couldn't understand Li Qu's suffering, and could only offer a dry word of comfort: "Auntie, please rest assured."

Li Qu threw Huai Xiang aside and stood up dejectedly.

She couldn't bring herself to fight until she saw Zhou Jin, even if it meant she was covered in blood.

The environment also didn't allow her to be so crazy.

The moment blood was drawn, before she even saw Zhou Jin, the old lady could kill her.

The supreme authority of those in power does not tolerate any challenge from the living.

Li Qu walked weakly down the next step and sat down on it: "I'll wait for him to come back."

Her calmness drew Huaixiang's attention.

The autumn air is slightly cool.

She stared blankly ahead.

When she was at the mercy of others, and her life and death were in the hands of others, involving her family, she felt a profound sense of helplessness.

She thought of her mother's accusations against her.

A troublemaker.

Is she a troublemaker?

She simply didn't want to be swept away by the tide of the times, living a life of oblivion and confusion.

Seeing Li Qu silently weep, Granny Xu felt a pang of heartache.

She comforted Li Qu, "Auntie, no bad news is good news, you understand."

"I don't quite understand."

Why was she born in this era, yet still carries memories of her past life?

"Why me?"

If she had no memories of her past life, she would not have developed the 'rebellious' thoughts that she speaks of.

Her life, lived step by step, and her death, drifted along with the tide, was like that of the millions of people she encountered in this world.

But she came with memories of her past life.

On one hand, there are ideas that are incompatible with this patriarchal feudal society; on the other hand, there are the constant admonitions and instructions from everyone in this era.

Large tears welled up in her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

The exquisite autumn scenery of the courtyard became mottled in tears.

"Auntie." Granny Xu followed closely behind Li Qu, silently giving her strength.

"Auntie!"

Tears rolled down her cheeks, and Cui Guo's figure became clearer in Li Qu's eyes.

She quickly stood up, lifted her skirt, and hurried down the steps to meet Cui Guo, helping her up as she panted for breath: "How are you?"

"I've found out!"

Cuiguo took a breath: "The Li family members were taken away by the state government before dawn, for reasons unknown. My brother asked a beggar about it, and the beggar, attracted by the noise, saw the Li family members being taken into the state prison."

"It was taken before dawn!" Li Qu's hands trembled as he touched the jade pendant at his waist, and he stepped out of the mansion.

Seeing this, Huaixiang turned around, grabbed a curtain, and went after Li Qu and her servant.

This was the first time Li Qu had used the jade token Zhou Jin had given her. She ordered a carriage, left the mansion, and traveled to the prefectural prison; the journey was surprisingly smooth.

Inside the prison.

The cramped and dark passageways led in all directions, and the stench of blood mixed with the nauseating smell of excrement and urine filled the air.

The prison warden bowed and led the way quickly to the interrogation room deep inside the prison.

Li Qu heard Zhou Feng shout, "Nonsense! How can anyone disregard the lives of their family and allow a daughter to offend the Prince of Yan's heir, bringing potentially fatal trouble upon the entire family!"

Li Qu lifted her skirt and ran quickly, overtaking the prison warden who was leading the way.

The stench of blood blew away the veil covering her face, startling the emaciated, vacant-eyed prisoners in the cell. They all stood up unconsciously, walked to the railing near the passageway, and looked up to follow her.

"Why is it impossible!" Li's mother's voice was high-pitched and filled with sobs. "She is the daughter I carried for ten months and gave birth to!"

"She has never cried since she was born!"

"Her first tears were simply because she didn't want to become a concubine for the Prince of Yan!"

"Why can't I fight for her!"

Li Qu's legs felt like they were filled with lead, and she walked slower and slower.

The worry and anxiety in those starry eyes were somehow veiled by a layer of mist.

I still remember how her mother scolded her harshly when she begged her whole family to flee south with her.

"You brat, have you gone mad! Do you know that if the young master catches us, our whole family will be in deep trouble!"

"Crying won't help. You have to marry him, whether you like it or not! Or just die; death will clean up everything!"

"You troublemaker! You won't stop until you've dragged the whole family into this mess! I'll beat you to death, you debt collector! Troublemaker! Debt collector..."

The image of her mother as a monstrous figure in her memory, beating her mercilessly.

Before her eyes, the mother, in dire straits, revealed her bittersweet feelings.

Li Qu, however, dared not face his mother in this manner.

Her feet were as heavy as a thousand pounds, and she couldn't take a single step.

In the torture chamber separated by a door.

Zhou Jin, dressed in a heavily embroidered black brocade robe, leaned back in the judge's seat, eyes closed, seemingly invisible.

The prison window was small, and a beam of light shone on the hem of his robe, which was woven with gold and silver threads, making him appear even more noble as he hid in the shadows.

Zhou Feng, the official in charge of prisons in Hezhou, pointed at Li's mother, his face showing barely concealed impatience: "Do you think what you're saying is credible?!"

Li's mother's ugly face was exposed to everyone without any cover.

Even though her facial features and skin were blurred, her eyes remained clear and bright.

She looked directly at Zhou Feng: "That's the truth!"

As she spoke, tears streamed down her face, her eyes filled with a look of relief and pride that Zhou Feng couldn't decipher: "Do you know how sensible she is?"

“She was drowned in a chamber pot by my biased and patriarchal mother-in-law when she was born. When I took her out of the chamber pot, she didn’t cry or make a fuss, but just stared at me with her eyes wide open.”

"I cleaned her up, and she laughed happily, babbling and wanting me to hold her."

"She peed or pooped, but she just whimpered."

"Once I could walk, she knew how to take care of me, massaging my shoulders and back, and helping me with chores."

"She was clever and cheerful. By the age of six, she was able to feed and clothe her family."

“She had the opportunity to learn to read, and once she learned, she came back and taught her sisters at home.”

“She earned money to buy property for the family. She taught us how to open a shop. Step by step, she helped our family get out of the oppression and exploitation of our clan elders.”

"She gave silently and never asked us to do anything. Her only wish was not to become the prince's concubine!"

Why can't we fight for her?

Recalling the past, Li's mother burst into tears: "Perhaps without her, our whole family would have been gone long ago!"

"What do you know? What do you understand!"

"You are high above, how could you have ever experienced the suffering of humankind!"

Zhou Feng had no understanding of human suffering whatsoever, and his words were sharp: "You woman, if you don't utter a single truthful word, don't blame me for torturing you!"

“Every word I said is the truth. My whole family is willing to offend the Prince of Yan for her sake!”

Zhou Feng sneered, "Don't think I don't know you often beat and scold her! How could you possibly be willing to risk your life for her!"

"I hit her and scolded her because I was angry that she wouldn't take the perfectly good, broad road, but insisted on choosing that thorny path!"

“Her father and I are powerless and incompetent. What’s wrong with having a powerful and influential man protect her?”

"I hope she can live the smooth and carefree life she wants, but I have never walked the path she chose, and I am afraid that it will become more and more difficult for her!"

"I hit her and scolded her simply because I wanted her to take the easy path I thought was best. But she just wouldn't listen!"

“I can’t see her future, and I’m worried she’ll go astray.”

"The pain of a child's beating is felt in a mother's heart; who can truly understand the suffering of a mother!"

Zhou Feng pointed at Li's mother: "Who wants to hear your nonsense? I'm warning you, if you don't truthfully confess the purpose of your trip south, don't blame me for using torture to harm your unborn son!"

"Every word I've said is true! Believe it or not! If I've uttered even a single falsehood, may I remain childless for the rest of my life!!!"

Seeing that Li's mother's emotions were becoming increasingly uncontrollable, her eyes were firm and unwavering, and she had even sworn a solemn oath, Zhou Feng turned to Zhou Jin and said, "Third, Third Uncle."

"What she said may be true. They may not have had any ulterior motives, and it may all be a coincidence."

The cell was silent, except for the crackling sound coming from the brazier.

Suddenly, Zhou Jin stood up and strode toward the prison cell door.

He flung open the door and was met with Xu Mama's tear-filled eyes.

Xu Mama hurriedly raised her sleeve to wipe her tears and bowed to Zhou Jin: "This old servant greets Third Master."

Looking down, Zhou Jin saw the source of the silent tears, which caused the sniffling sound.

Li Qu buried her head in her arms, squatted on the ground hugging her legs, and was shrouded in a sorrow that Zhou Jin had never seen before.

He frowned, grabbed her arm, and pulled her outside.

She glanced back and, through the gaps in the swaying curtains, saw Li's father bound to the cross-shaped rack in the interrogation room, his clothes tattered and his body covered in blood.

As if sensing something, Li's father raised his head with difficulty.

Then Li Qu saw her father shake his head at her, as if to say: It's okay, it's okay.

After shaking it twice, the head drooped limply again.

Li Qu could no longer hold back; tears streamed down her face like a burst dam, completely blurring everything before her eyes.