Chapter 1569 Extra: Except for Wushan, there are no other clouds (Part 1)

“The family whose daughter died made a huge fuss, while the family whose son died pretended to be dead…” Qian Yong stuffed a handful of lamb skewers in his left hand and another handful in his right, eating with his mouth full of oil, occasionally burning himself from the heat and breathing to relieve the pain. “What a pathetic situation.”

Wei Shou brushes oil and sprinkles seasoning on the lamb skewers.

He delivered the best-grilled skewers to his wife, Jinrui.

"It's not like it's only been a day or two. That's Wu Zhaode. How can ordinary people understand his strange and eccentric mind?"

Wei Shou casually made a couple of sarcastic remarks.

The royal court was filled with fierce generals, most of whom had their own social circles. Wu Xian was the most unique among them. It wasn't because Wu Xian had been defeated by Shen Tang, but because Wu Xian's peculiar and stubborn personality made him unpopular with most straightforward military generals.

I disliked it even more after this happened.

Even an ordinary person would cry a little if their son died.

Where is Wu Xian?

This guy's reaction is astonishing.

Although the son was ultimately responsible for his own actions, a closer examination reveals that the maid was indeed killed by Wu Xian's daughter-in-law. Wu Xian's son did not commit murder; he only forced the maid into marriage. If he could have privately offered a large sum of money to negotiate a written settlement with the victim's family, he would have received a lighter sentence, and death would certainly not have been the death penalty. If Wu Xian had stuck to this excuse and sacrificed the maid to save himself, he could have truly fought Gu Chi to a standstill. But Wu Xian did not do that. He wasn't acting out of a sense of justice; he genuinely didn't care at all.

Gu Chi, still holding onto the fact that Wu Xian's son had forcibly broken into a private residence using force and threatened the victim's entire family, refused to let go, thus cutting off all of Wu Xian's son's chances of survival. Those unaware of the situation might have thought that Gu Chi and Wu Xian had some deep-seated, unresolved grudge.

"What shall we talk about?"

Jin Rui smiled and looked in the direction of the voice: "Brother Yu is here."

Chu Yao took off his thick cloak, which was covered in wind and snow, and draped it over the clothes rack.

Jinrui handed him a hand warmer to warm his hands.

"Thank you, elder sister."

Wei Shou moved to the side to make room for Chu Yao: "What else is there to talk about? It's just about Wu Zhaode's family matters. After all, it's a blood feud for killing one's son. Wu Zhaode's reaction was far too cowardly."

“If Wu Zhaode doesn’t manage his household strictly, he won’t be able to stand up for himself.”

"That's what they say, but to just let your son die like that..." Wei Shou put himself in her shoes and felt he couldn't do it. Every child he had was the fruit of his love with Arui. They were his own flesh and blood, whom he had watched be born and raised with his own hands. "On the other hand, the family that lost their daughter is making a fuss and is now privately pleading for their daughter's innocence."

The consensus was that the penalty was too harsh.

Chu Yao warmed himself by the fire for a while: "What are they complaining about? If someone is killed, a life should be paid for with a life. If they're complaining about this, why bother changing the world? It's still the same old skin."

Things are different now than before.

Back then, who didn't have a life on their hands?

Kangguo unified the four continents, and everyone enjoyed the peace and tranquility it brought. Therefore, they were required to abide by Kangguo's laws.

Wu Xian's daughter-in-law was extremely domineering even when she was young.

It was common for her to beat and humiliate servants, but her parents would pay to settle the matter, and the aggrieved parties would tolerate it for the sake of the money. Perhaps because her parents had backed her up so many times, after she married into the Duke's mansion, thinking that her father-in-law, Wu Xian, was one of the most powerful Dukes of Lu in Kang State, she became even less restrained.

In a fit of rage, he killed him.

Wei Shou: "That makes sense."

He said that, but he had other thoughts in his heart.

He agreed with Chu Yao's words, but if you ask others, they don't agree—they have spent so much effort and sweat to get their current official positions. If they have official positions, their lives and those of their relatives are still just as important as ordinary people, how can they be content with that?

How can ordinary people compare themselves to "themselves"?

The female ruler who killed someone probably had the same idea.

What right does a commoner have to pay for another's life with the death of a lowly person? Even if the law says so, her family—parents, siblings, in-laws, and husband—will protect her, turning a major issue into a minor one, and a minor one into nothing. At most, they'll give the victim a sum of money that she can never spend in a lifetime.

This amount of money is more than that lowly servant woman could earn even if she worked her whole life to serve others. What could she possibly be dissatisfied with in the afterlife?

What grievances could the relatives of the common people possibly have?

The dead are dead, but the living must continue to live.

Who would have thought that what she thought was not what she thought?

Qian Yong, who had remained silent until now, asked, "Does Lord Shang know what Gu Wangchao intends to do upon his return this time? He claims to be establishing his authority and intimidating others, but how can he kill children so soon after the New Year? Before this, not a single word had been leaked..."

Qian Yong suspected that Gu Chi had been traumatized outside.

It's only because Wu Xian is an easy target that he's easy to bully. If it were anyone else, they might have engaged in a free-for-all with Gu Chi in a fit of anger.

Chu Yao said, "I can guess a bit of it."

Wei Shou became interested: "Tell me quickly, tell me quickly."

Chu Yao slowly picked up a piece of meat and asked, "Leaving aside the years of Yuanhuang, let's just talk about the time from the first year of Yanhuang to now. Have any servants filed complaints against their master?"

Wei Shou thought for a moment: "There should be... right?"

Based on his understanding of certain groups, he couldn't expect them to truly treat their servants as human beings. They were only restrained by the law to protect these servants, who were not considered lowly and could not be killed at will. Not killing them didn't mean they wouldn't find ways to mistreat them.

Where there are contradictions, there will be conflicts. There are bound to be examples of servants suing their masters, but whether they can win is another matter entirely.

Chu Yao: "Yes, there are, but they're mostly about demanding back wages. I haven't heard of any case where a servant sued their master after being beaten or scolded. Yuanyuan, do you think those people would be so well-behaved?"

Qian Yong and Wei Shou both shook their heads.

These people are all from chaotic times, where human life is cheap and killing someone for a mere whim is commonplace, and no one would hold them accountable. Accustomed to killing without any legal consequences, why would they obediently comply after more than a decade of constraints?

"Besides those killed this time, were there any others before?"

Qian Yong and Wei Shou both fell silent.

Chu Yao said, "There will definitely be such cases, but no one has exposed them, and no aggrieved parties or their relatives have spoken out. Firstly, they feel that the master's family is too powerful and unshakeable, and secondly, they are afraid that if the lawsuit fails, it will bring them to their deaths. They need a valuable asset."

Gu Chi targeted Wu Xian's son specifically for this horse bone!

This was to let everyone know that the laws of Kangguo were not a joke, and that the relationship between servants and their masters was merely one of employment. The latter paid money, and the former provided labor; the latter could not arbitrarily take the life of the former without paying a price. Even someone as high-ranking and powerful as Wu Xian would face death if his son and daughter-in-law crossed the line. With this example in mind, Chu Yao could foresee how lively the next few months would be.

Upon hearing this, Qian Yong nodded in understanding.

Chu Yao then reminded him, "To put it bluntly, you two should go home and thoroughly investigate your children, grandchildren, and nephews. I'm certain that Wang Chao won't be targeting officials for the next year or two; instead, he'll be targeting their children and families. Colleagues who commit crimes might be able to struggle against him, but their families don't have that ability. I'm afraid he'll arrest them and have them all executed..."

Qian Yong was stunned when he heard this.

He was about to question Gu Chi about not being afraid of retaliation regarding the household registration book when he suddenly remembered that Gu Chi's household registration book only listed him, and his only daughter was an adopted daughter he had taken in two years ago, with no blood relation to Gu Chi. There weren't many things in this world that Gu Chi cared about and could call a weakness; his master was one, and Bai Su was another.

Which of them could be killed? Gu Chi, the lone, barefoot bachelor, certainly had the capital to be arrogant. His colleagues probably couldn't even kill Gu Chi himself, let alone use indirect tactics to make him suffer. In other words, Chu Yao's guess would come true.

Gu Chi is about to be promoted to captain of the abortion squad.

They were pregnant with adult fetuses who were in their twenties or thirties or older.

Wei Shou and Qian Yong quietly ate their lamb skewers.

After a long silence, Qian Yong said, “Don’t let my carefree attitude fool you, I’m still pretty clean. All my former concubines remarried after the monogamous system was implemented. Those who wanted to take their children with them did so, and they have nothing to do with me anymore. Those who didn’t take their children have all grown up and separated from their families for many years. They are all mediocre people with no talent, and their whole families depend on the monthly allowance I give them.”

It wasn't that Qian Yong was stingy, but rather that he had quite a few sons, daughters, and grandchildren—about twenty or so if you counted them all. Even though he earned a considerable amount of money each year, it was still difficult to divide it equally. Qian Yong didn't expect them to bring him honor, so he deliberately restricted their household expenses.

Make sure the children are well-fed and live well, but don't let them squander their resources.

To be honest, my wife is the one who pays for the children's household expenses.

Qian Yong was constantly traveling and had no idea what these little brats were up to in private. Thinking about this, Qian Yong became restless and wished he could sprout wings and fly back right now to bring the little brats over and interrogate them one by one.

Wei Shou said, "I'm about the same..."

If Gu Chi is going to make a move, he probably won't use them as a scapegoat, right?

Chu Yao reminded, "Pay special attention to the grandchildren."

Given Gu Chi's cunning and caution, if he were to strike a second time, he would definitely start with Yuan Cong's key officials, but he wouldn't directly target Yuan Cong's children. He would most likely start with his grandchildren. There are many grandchildren, and the emotional bonds between them are relatively shallow, making them a suitable target for exploitation.

Wei Shou and Qian Yong: "...Should we remind the others?"

Chu Yao said, "There's no need."

What he really meant was that there was no need to offend Gu Chi.

If Gu Chi's plans are ruined, he might be attacked.

Chu Jie was the last one to arrive.

He didn't come empty-handed; he casually caught one or two deer to add to his meal, only to hear them say something like, "There's no need."

Chu Jie looked at them questioningly, as if asking what they had been talking about.

Qian Yong was already annoyed and said irritably, "It's none of your business."

One is Chu Jie, and the other is Chu Yao.

These two, like Gu Chi, are both bachelors and have nothing to worry about. They don't need to worry about their children being taken by Gu Chi to be used as sacrifices.

Just as Chu Yao had predicted, Gu Chi went extremely far this time.

However, he killed about ten more people in two months.

One of the families was implicated and was demoted to commoner status.

As long as Gu Chi is around, this family for three generations will never have a chance to rise above their circumstances. Gu Chi's practice of killing offspring has attracted considerable resistance, with constant criticism and attacks. One of the "victims," ​​enraged, even went so far as to challenge Gu Chi to a free-for-all.

It would be good to kill this scourge, Gu Chi.

Hey, what happened in the end?

They failed to kill him; they didn't even touch a hair on his head.

The lord happened to pass by the side door and happened to see the "victim" revealing a dagger under the cover of his long sleeves. The lord grabbed the man's wrist and lifted him up: "I usually tolerate your violent behavior because I feel that some grudges should not be left until after court, and I should not encourage the bad atmosphere of intrigue and scheming in the court. But I did not allow you to attack your colleagues. Do you still have any respect for the lord?"

Gu Chi hid behind Shen Tang and rubbed his sore wrist.

He urged, "My lord, don't let him go."

Shen Tang glared at him.

Gu Chi immediately knew better and kept quiet.

The other officials who witnessed this scene felt as if they had thorns in their backs, overwhelmed by Shen Tang's imposing aura and unable to conceive a single thought of rebuttal. They cursed this fool who was taking things seriously a thousand times over in their hearts. The officials of the royal court had fought thousands of times in court assemblies; the most serious incident had only resulted in broken bones. Such injuries were trivial for scholars and gentlemen, let alone martial artists. No one had ever died.

And this idiot actually dared to do it!

If the Imperial Censor were to suffer any mishap today, there is no doubt that the Emperor, who has not shed blood for many years, would use fresh blood to cleanse his house.

The officials who wanted to assassinate Gu Chi also calmed down.

"He is unworthy of the title of Imperial Censor!"

Instead of begging for mercy, the man was making a accusation: "I have only one son, and he has only ever had one child in his lifetime. He has been a bit arrogant in his upbringing, but he has never committed a crime deserving of death. Gu Wangchao, that treacherous official, has abused his power for personal gain and has imposed such a severe punishment in his revenge!"

Wu Zhaode didn't dare utter a single word.

He was different; he knew his grandson's crime didn't warrant death.

"Traitors! Traitors are a scourge to the country!"

Gu Chi stood behind Shen Tang, a slight smile playing on his lips, glancing sideways at the old man spewing spittle, and silently mouthing a few words—

[You old fool, you only found out today?]

He just wanted to kill a few of them.

Only when you die will you truly feel the pain and learn your lesson.

Having spent the last two years far from the court, his observations of the world's various aspects made him realize that the human heart has never truly changed. The end of the chaotic era hasn't made things any clearer; it's just that some people are suppressing it, afraid to let the dark side easily show itself. In the nooks and crannies unseen by the officials of the royal court, oppression, exploitation, and bullying still exist.

The only difference is the degree of weight.

Since we can suppress evil from emerging, let's continue to suppress it. As long as it exists, it shouldn't be allowed to show its face.

Gu Chi watched with a cold smile as the man was dragged away.

"My lord, wouldn't this be considered attempted murder?"

Does it mean it's not a big deal if no one dies?

"Calculate."

Those civil and military officials who overheard the conversation between the emperor and his ministers were all worried for the unfortunate young man who had been the only son in several generations. It was understandable that families with many children couldn't keep an eye on them all, given the demands of royal court affairs. But this family had been the only son in several generations, and the number of family members could be counted on one hand. If they still couldn't keep an eye on them, it meant that they spoiled the child rotten.

Is that better now?

If revenge fails, you might end up in jail.

Given Gu Chi's petty nature, this unlucky son, who has been the only son in his family for generations, might die of a sudden illness just days before his release from prison.

This guy is absolutely capable of killing someone by destroying their spirit.

Gu Chi's gaze swept over indifferently.

The officials who were being targeted immediately felt a chill run down their spines.

Gu Chi suddenly smiled and said, "We need to provide evidence when we do things."

How can you use something that didn't happen and has no evidence to slander him?

|ω`)

This chapter was supposed to be a side story about Gong Su, but I ended up writing too much... I don't want to change the title, so I'll just keep using it.

(End of this chapter)