Chapter 76 Legend

Qiu Heng didn't delve into the answer, but she already knew that Xue Han was more intelligent than she had expected.

Perhaps he'll find out who she is sooner or later, because she's destined not to avoid him. Let's leave the question of what to do with him for then.

Upon receiving Qiu Heng's next instructions, Tao Da arranged for Chen San to deliver the account book recording Yuan Chenghai's crimes of seizing fertile land to Imperial Censor Yan.

Censor Yan obtained the account books on his way home from his office.

Just then, the account book, covered in pebbles, flew over and hit Imperial Censor Yan's outstretched foot. Startled, Imperial Censor Yan fell to the ground, his vision blurring.

When he pulled the ledger out from under his buttocks and looked at it, his eyesight and buttock pain immediately disappeared. He grabbed the ledger, got up, and ran away.

That evening, Tao Da and his two companions gathered together. Chen San, recalling Censor Yan's reaction at the time, couldn't help but laugh: "You didn't see how fast that Censor Yan ran—"

Tao Da slapped him: "You still have the nerve to laugh! If you scare that censor badly, it will delay important matters!"

Chen San scratched his head, always cheerful ever since Yuan Chenghai died: "Don't worry, Brother Tao, I know what I'm doing. That censor saw the account book running so fast, he should take it seriously, right?"

Tao Da nodded emphatically: "Definitely. Since Brother Que asked us to deliver the account books to Censor Yan, it means that Censor Yan can be relied upon."

Chen San sighed, "Back then, I said I wanted to use the account books to file a complaint with the emperor, but Brother Que stopped me. It turns out it wasn't that the account books were useless, but that we had to wait until this moment to use them."

Although Chen San was impatient, he was not stupid. He understood that with Yuan Chenghai dead, there would be much less resistance to investigating his crimes.

"Brother Que is truly remarkable. He took Yuan's life without anyone noticing, and he also ruined Yuan's reputation, leaving him infamous for eternity." The usually taciturn Liu Er rarely expressed his thoughts.

Tao Da sighed softly, "Yes, Brother Que is truly remarkable."

I wonder if I'll ever see the Magpie Brothers in person again.

"Brother Tao, Brother Liu, what should we do after Yuan's affair is completely over?"

Chen San's question stumped Tao Da.

Yes, what can they do?

My family is gone; returning to my hometown will only bring sadness. Should I stay in Beijing? But what can I do there?

Setting up a tea stall and working as a peddler, living a peaceful life seemed quite good. But after experiencing such a momentous event as working together to take the life of the traitor Yuan, there was always a sense of unease in his heart.

Perhaps I'll ask Brother Magpie when I have the chance.

Tao Da had this thought in mind and said, "Let's not consider this now. Let's wait until Third Sister and Fourth Sister are completely separated from the Yuan family."

Yuan Chenghai's death is still under investigation, so the Nie Sanniang sisters cannot act rashly. However, Tao Da and the other two know that they won't have to wait too long.

“That’s true, let’s wait until Third Sister is reunited with us.” Chen San chuckled, thinking of the gossip he’d overheard while wandering the streets. “Have you heard what people are saying about Yuan the Traitor? They all say he was punished by heaven for laughing himself to death.”

News of Yuan Chenghai's death gradually spread, but ordinary people were unaware that he had died from poisoning. Besides, dying from poisoning was far less fitting than dying from laughing, a fate more in line with divine retribution for a treacherous villain.

People love to hear that bad people will be punished.

After laughing, Chen San curled his lip and said, "The heavens don't care."

If Heaven had eyes, it wouldn't have allowed the traitor Yuan to commit such evil deeds until now. Those who were killed by Yuan will never come back.

Tao Da patted Chen San on the shoulder without saying a word.

Noticing the somber atmosphere, Chen San laughed again: "I heard something even funnier: a lot of people say it was haunted last night."

"Haunted?" Don't let Liu Er's quiet nature fool you; he loves listening to strange tales.

Tao Da also laughed: "I heard it from the customers at the tea stall too. They probably misread it and it's just a rumor spreading."

Chen San protested, "If one person misread it, surely so many people couldn't have misread it, right? It's said that dozens of people saw it with their own eyes. Last night, a female ghost appeared in Qinglian Lake... Later, the female ghost even came ashore, her long hair trailing on the ground..."

Liu Er listened intently.

The next day, Qiuheng went to Qiansong Hall and found that the first wife Zhao, the second wife Lan, and the Qiuxuan sisters were all there.

The old lady sipped her sweet soup, glanced at the late-arriving Qiu Heng, and was furious.

Her two daughters-in-law and four granddaughters had come to pay their respects and stayed on as a result. Only the sixth daughter had been exempted from paying her respects earlier, and she had sent someone to call her over. And she was still so late!

I excused this girl from paying her respects back then to avoid bringing bad luck, but why do I feel so unbalanced now?

Or else—the old lady had just uttered the word "or else" when she suddenly shuddered.

Let's forget about it.

Qiu Heng quietly sat down with her sisters.

The old lady continued chatting with her two daughters-in-law.

Zhao and Lan were completely bewildered, having no idea what the old lady was up to.

Although the old lady could scold without hesitation, she rarely kept her daughter-in-law talking to her incessantly. Usually, she would just come to pay her respects briefly. What was wrong with her today?

"Ahem." The old lady felt that it was about time, and everyone was present. She cleared her throat. "Have you all heard about the Ghost Festival?"

In the presence of the old lady and Zhao Shi, Lan Shi rarely spoke first, and this time was no exception.

Zhao, eager to please, asked, "You mean—"

The old lady raised an eyebrow: "Qinglian Lake is haunted!"

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions varied, but Qiu Heng's expression was the most interesting: "Grandmother, really?"

Could this be referring to her?

"Many people saw it with their own eyes; it was a water ghost with long, trailing hair." The old lady was most satisfied with Qiu Heng's performance.

With such a sensational rumor, why are all the other people acting like idiots?

Qiu Heng fell silent.

It's confirmed, it's her.

Could she have left behind a terrifying legend about Qinglian Lake?

Upon hearing that many people had witnessed it, everyone pressed for details. The old lady recounted what she had heard, took a sip of tea, and glanced at her granddaughters: "Grandma said earlier that you shouldn't go out in July, was that right?"

“Grandmother is right,” the five said in unison.

The old lady was completely satisfied and put down her teacup: "Everyone, you may all leave."

While ordinary people were discussing the water ghost of Qinglian Lake, the imperial court was alarmed by another matter: Imperial Censor Yan impeached Yuan Chenghai for several crimes.

Many officials exchanged glances, feeling uneasy about Yuan Chenghai's posthumous reputation: it felt so familiar!

Not long ago, Han Wu was like that. He was a key minister of the country and trusted by the emperor. After his death, an investigation revealed that the entire Han family was ruined.

Unlike most people who were secretly waiting to watch the show, the officials who went to the southeast to investigate the "hemp paper" matter felt as if the sky had fallen.

Why did the ledger recording Yuan Chenghai's crimes only appear after he died? Isn't that a trap?

One of the officials, surnamed Huang, whether because he was too easily provoked or for some other reason, hanged himself that very night.

Emperor Jingping was still considering who would be suitable to send to the southeast to investigate the case when this news enraged him. He immediately imprisoned the officials who had previously gone to the southeast and subjected them to severe interrogation.

Under immense pressure, once the first person spoke, they were all forced to confess, weeping and wailing.

(End of this chapter)