Mass graves

"Yuanjing, stop the carriage."

Just as the group left the city gate, Yuan Jing heard the soldiers guarding the city demanding bribes, and he knew that the young general would not ignore the matter.

"Bring here the official in charge of guarding and maintaining order in this city."

The soldier didn't think much of it when he saw a groom approaching.

It wasn't until the coachman produced his military enlistment token that his heart skipped a beat. "Sir, what business do you have with Lord Cai?"

He slumped his shoulders slightly, displaying an extremely humble expression.

Yuan Jing snorted coldly, "When did Shengjing start charging entry fees? My brothers and I have been in and out of the city so many times, and I've never heard of it before."

"Your subordinate... Your subordinate is just following orders from above. It seems to be a newly established rule that the inns in the city provide free food and clothing for these scholars taking the imperial examinations, only requiring them to pay some money..."

"Since it's free, there's no reason for us to pay," Yuan Jing said coldly.

"Well, I don't know either. Our superiors said so, so we did it..."

Gu Jin stepped down from the carriage. His tall stature and aloof demeanor gave the soldier a vague idea of ​​who he was, even though he had never seen Gu Jin before.

Yuan Jing shouted, "Young General, I just met Cai Yan a few days ago. I didn't expect him to make a mistake today. It's my dereliction of duty."

He said calmly, “Go back to the army and receive twenty strokes of the cane.”

"yes."

Gu Jin did this to send a signal to the officers and soldiers guarding the city.

He punished his own confidants so severely, let alone those who worked for Cai Yan.

The soldiers standing in front of them couldn't help but tremble.

He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice trembling, "I was just following orders from above. I beg General Gu to forgive me this time, considering that I have guarded the city for more than ten years and have not made any other serious mistakes. I will definitely not do it again."

Yuan Jing's expression was cold and stern. "You are not part of the camp, so I cannot punish you according to military law. Go and tell Cai Yan that if he does not return the city entry fee to the scholars who came to the capital for the imperial examinations, he will lose his position and be required to request a one-year salary deduction as a warning to others."

As for you, you will also be fined six months' salary, and this is a one-time exception. If I encounter this situation again, you will all be subject to military law, and then you will know what it means to lose half your life.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare."

The soldier guarding the city felt bitter. Guarding the city gate was a good job. People would often give him money to ask him to be lenient. He had turned a blind eye to many things.

So when he heard that Yuan Jing's punishment was only a deduction of his salary, he suddenly felt relieved.

He hurried off to deliver a message to his superior.

On the other side, two young men in purple and gray robes hesitated for a few steps before stepping forward.

"My name is Dongfang Hongyao. I am truly grateful to both of you for this matter." Dongfang Hongyao smiled and bowed respectfully to express his gratitude.

Wei Cong extended his hands, red from the cold, and bowed in greeting, saying, "I am Wei Cong."

Gu Yu lifted the carriage curtain and quietly watched the scene, only seeing the two people's backs to her.

Given the current situation where civil and military officials in the court dislike each other, Gu Jin's unique good reputation among civil officials is not unfounded. At least some officials who consider themselves upright and honest like Gu Jin appreciate his straightforward nature.

"Brother, I rarely see you so angry."

She lifted the curtain for Gu Jin as he boarded the carriage, and in the blink of an eye, she met Dongfang Hongyao's slightly probing gaze. She then nodded slightly to the purple-robed young man.

Gu Jin entered the carriage, and the curtain quickly covered their conversation. When Dongfang Hongyao saw the carriage swaying away, he couldn't help but feel lost and disoriented.

Seeing Dongfang Hongyao's stunned expression, Wei Cong waved his hand in front of his eyes, "Brother Hongyao, let's go into the city soon, otherwise we won't be able to find a quiet and secluded room."

Dongfang Hongyao murmured, "Brother Cong, did you see that young lady? She's a rare beauty."

Dongfang Hongyao loved beautiful women. Because of his wealthy family background, he had taken in two concubines since he was old enough to understand matters between men and women. Although he had never married a wife, he could be said to have grown up surrounded by women.

Therefore, he had his own set of standards for judging women.

Gu Yu has a beautiful and gentle appearance, which cannot compare to those with stunning looks, but her temperament is rare and pure, like a fairy who is not mortal.

"Not seen."

Wei Cong shook his head indifferently, only urging Dongfang Hongyao to walk faster. He didn't care about cosmetics and fine clothes, but only about poetry, literature and policy.

Sun Gu holds great power in the court today, and has ruined the careers and destinies of countless upright officials. Since he has chosen to enter officialdom to serve the country and eliminate treacherous factions, he naturally has no interest in matters of men and women.

Beauty and money are useless to him, and he doesn't care whether he can curry favor with the powerful or become the son-in-law of some official.

"Hey, Cong-di, wait for me..."

Gu Yu didn't take the two young men seriously; the remains she had been longing for were still in the mass grave.

Once they reached the outskirts and entered the woods, the lack of snow removal made it difficult for the carriage to proceed.

Yuan Jing called out from outside the carriage, "General, this horse just won't move forward."

It turned out that the wheels were covered in snow, which piled up more and more, making it increasingly difficult for the horses to pull the cart. As a result, the two horses pulling the cart at the front stopped wearily in place.

Gu Jin frowned and turned to Gu Yu, saying, "Ayu, you stay in the carriage. If Tang Qingning's remains are in the mass grave, Yuan Jing and I will find someone to collect them."

Gu Yu shook her head, her tone firm, "No, brother, this is the only thing I can't listen to you on. I'll get out of the carriage and walk there with you. Besides, you've never seen Qing Ning's face..."

How could anyone recognize her after she had been tortured beyond recognition?

Although Gu Jin wanted to stop her again, he saw Gu Yu's resolute expression and realized that no matter what he said, he couldn't change Gu Yu's mind.

“Okay,” he conceded.

He dismounted first and then instructed again, "Then you will step in my footprints. The road is slippery in the snow, so be careful not to trip over the weeds."

"Okay." Gu Yu nodded obediently, but her thoughts had already drifted away. That day, when the two men carried her to the mass grave, she was still on her last breath.

At that moment, she only felt the cold wind in the snow, and the biting chill spread throughout her body.

At this moment, she stepped on Gu Jin's footprints, walking step by step toward the place she hated most.

She reached out and grabbed the back of the man's cloak. Gu Jin seemed to notice and slowed his pace.

The originally gray sky gradually brightened.

Gu Yu felt much more at ease.

The north wind whipped up snowflakes that pelted the bare branches, making a sound like shattered jade.

The stench of decay mixed with the smell of blood lingered in the air of the mass grave, yet, in this desolate place, human voices could be heard.

"They say it's best to kill on a dark and windy night," Yuan Jing said, gripping the hilt of his sword and looking around, his fox fur collar damp with snowflakes. "And yet, in broad daylight, I've stumbled upon this kind of charade—"

The words came to an abrupt halt.

Deep in the dead forest, a dozen or so agile young men were dragging several bloodied and mangled bodies into the pit.

A deep red trail snaked across the snow, ending at a young man draped in a white fox fur cloak. Beneath his jade crown, his eyes were gentle, and a smile on his lips held no emotion.

"Young General Gu, it's been a long time." Xu Qiu smiled faintly, his voice startling the crows in the cold air. "What a coincidence..."

Gu Jin shielded Gu Yu behind him, the fur on his black cloak rising and falling with his breath. "Young Master Xu, you seem to be in high spirits."

"Seeing off a few travelers." Xu Qiu lightly kicked the edge of the pit with the tip of his boot, startling a few gray rats that scurried out of the pile of corpses. "General, are you a rare guest?"

"I've come only to collect the remains of my deceased friend..."

"Oh? General Gu's old friend is actually in this mass grave? That's quite a strange thing."

Before Xu Qiu could finish speaking, a clear, crisp female voice suddenly rang out behind him.

"—Not my brother's old friend, but my old friend."

Xu Qiu looked in the direction of the sound and saw a girl in a plain silk hood emerge from behind Gu Jin.

The snow made her moon-white jacket and skirt gleam coldly, but a striking red silk ribbon was tied around her waist, with the jade ring hanging down without moving.

Gu Yu looked up and met the man's deep black eyes.

His eyes were different from Gu Jin's. Gu Jin's eyes were clear and bright, exuding righteousness, while this man's pupils were larger than the whites of his eyes, making him appear somewhat gloomy.

Xu Qiu smiled, but his eyes were devoid of any emotion, like a pool of dark, stagnant water, devoid of any light.

Who is this?

“I am naturally my brother’s sister, Gu Yu.”

When she curtsied, her eyes remained completely calm, and when she glanced at him, she showed no fear whatsoever, which made Xu Qiu pause for a moment as he was fiddling with the red coral beads.

Even the most notorious criminals in the Eastern Depot's torture chambers would go weak at the sight of him, but this girl saw such a hellish scene as casually as if she were seeing her neighbor building a wall.

Gu Yu wasn't afraid of this man. She had already died once, and she wouldn't tremble in the slightest when she saw this demon in the human world, especially since this man was a handsome, smiling gentleman.

Of course, Gu Yu also knew that this person had no good intentions towards her whatsoever.

Gu Yu came to send off the dead, while Xu Qiu came to see off the living.

She looked at the campfire behind the plainclothes officer and walked towards the pit in the center of the mass grave. "Young Master Xu, may I borrow your torch?"

Xu Qiu squinted, raised an eyebrow, and gestured for someone to hand the torch to Gu Yu, his eyes growing increasingly thoughtful.

Gu Jin reached out and stopped Gu Yu from taking another step forward. "A Yu, don't be silly." For the first time, Gu Jin, who was disrespectful to ghosts and gods, panicked.

Gu Yu turned to Yuan Jing and said, "Brother Yuan, could you please help me find Qing Ning's body?"

"She once told me that if misfortune were to befall us one day, it would be better to burn our bodies to ashes than to leave us with nothing but broken bodies in this world..." Gu Yu's expression was calm, but her eyes were full of sorrow.

Xu Qiu suddenly clapped his hands and chuckled, "Let's go all the way and help Miss Gu find the person."

As the shovels flew, the frozen corpses clattered against each other with dull thuds.

Before long, the straw mat was lifted, revealing a bluish-purple female corpse. Her fingers had been broken by torture, her leg bones were fractured, and her plain-colored quilt was stained with filthy blood.

“She is… she is Qingning.” Gu Yu looked at Tang Qingning as if she were looking at someone else.

The plainclothes officers worked together to carry the person out.

"Should we add some more firewood? Otherwise, it won't burn well in this freezing weather."

Xu Qiu's tone was gentle, like the banter between young ladies in their boudoirs, but her gaze was fixed on Gu Yu's trembling fingertips.

His words were mostly sarcastic; he knew there was more to the Tang family case than met the eye, and he also knew that Tang Qingning was a pitiful person.

But there are too many pitiful people in this world, and if we really talk about it, Tang Qingning is definitely not the most miserable one.

"There's no need for Young Master Xu to trouble himself with that. With the imperial examinations approaching, Young Master Xu might as well put more effort into the examinations and try to get first place so that it will bring honor to Minister Xu."

Although Gu Jin was a military general, he had studied poetry and books since childhood, and the virtuous character of the sages in the books seemed to be engraved in his bones.

When he said this, Xu Qiu couldn't detect the slightest hint of disdain.

Xu Qiu smiled and said, "Now that I've finished my work and helped out, I'll head back first."

"Thank you very much, Young Master Xu. Please take care." Gu Yu gave a slight bow in thanks. Xu Qiu smiled and, without turning his head, led a group of plainclothes guards out of the woods.

The three remaining people stared at each other, bewildered, as they faced Tang Qingning's corpse.

Gu Jin said, "Yuan Jing, go and buy some firewood from the nearby villagers."

"Understood, subordinate." Yuan Jing went to do his work, leaving the brother and sister behind in the mass grave, but Gu Yu was not afraid.

“Ayu”.

"Huh?" Gu Yu stared blankly at Tang Qingning, clearly only snapping out of her daze when Gu Jin called her.

"Do you know who that young master Xu was?"

"I've heard that he's not a good person."

"Yes, he is not a good person. You should stay away from him if you see him in the future. You and Miss Tang have a close friendship, so I will not stop you from seeing her off on her final journey."

"But don't get involved in things like this anymore. Just settle down and get married. If Shen Changqing isn't a good man, your father and I will find you another one."

Gu Yu knew that Gu Jin was doing it for her own good. If she were just Gu Yu, marrying a high-ranking official and becoming a noblewoman, she would enjoy endless wealth and honor for the rest of her life, which would naturally be wonderful.

But she is Tang Qingning. She has never been blinded by the comfort and preferential treatment she enjoys, nor has she forgotten her father who died unjustly and her mother who committed suicide in humiliation.

Once the sound of horses' hooves had faded into the distance, Yuan Jing led the villagers to bring firewood.

Gu Yu knew that the bodies of the dead were not pleasing to the eye.

Fortunately, after being frozen in the snow for seven days, it did not rot or emit any foul odor. Its skin was bluish-purple, and its face was calm, as if it were simply sleeping in the snow.

Gu Yu threw the torch into the pile of firewood. The flames leaped up and turned a ghostly blue. The villagers screamed and scattered, but Gu Yu stood in the snow, the firelight making her eyes appear blood red.

The relentless flames that climbed upwards resembled the karmic fire of hell, displaying an eerie blue-green hue.

Gu Yu turned to look at Gu Jin, but he wasn't afraid. "Brother, why aren't you afraid? This kind of fire monster is terrifying."

Having fought on the battlefield for several years, Gu Jin had naturally witnessed countless mountains of corpses and seas of blood, and had also burned many fallen soldiers to prevent the spread of disease. He had naturally seen such scenes.

"There are so many corpses in this mass grave that such a scene seems quite common."

She suddenly grabbed the hem of Gu Jin's cloak, "Brother, don't you think it's because Qing Ning died so unjustly that there are these eerie fireworks?"

"There are too many pitiful people in the world, Ayu. I can protect you and the people of Dasheng from foreign invasion. That is all I can do."

Gu Jin knew there must be something hidden in the Tang family's case, but he had neither the standing nor the ability to uphold justice.

He said to Gu Yu, "Let's wait a little longer. When Father returns after winning the battle, it will be time for His Majesty to purge those cronies."