Chapter 67: The Hidden Story of the Concubine, The Death of Mi Fu...

“This world is tough. We are in the midst of a great upheaval. It’s already good enough that we can do our best.” Zhang Shu sighed deeply. “Xiao Lu, don’t take things too seriously.”

Lu You shook his head sadly, looking up at her: "Auntie, but you also know that this difficult world is caused by man-made disasters..." Before he could finish speaking, Zhang Shu whispered to him: "Silence!"

Zhang Shu looked around, noticing nothing amiss, before saying, "Watch your head!"

“The manor is heavily guarded, and all the servants have signed death contracts.” Lu You’s voice was hoarse, and she forced a stiff, strained smile. “If one day my niece wishes to die, she will certainly not implicate her husband and children.”

Zhang Ting went to the table, poured a glass of water, and brought it to her.

Lu You slowly accepted it and said, "Thank you, Junior Sister Zhang."

"Senior Sister, please clear your throat." Zhang Ting smiled slightly and asked, "The man-made disaster you mentioned earlier, Senior Sister, is it His Majesty?" When she was in the capital, she had heard Cui Jingji talk about hundreds of women carrying timber into the capital. Now, several months later, the scale of the disaster had become even larger. Apart from the one sitting high in the Mingtang, she could not guess who else would dare to act so recklessly.

"What is the purpose of this large-scale construction project?"

Zhang Shu looked at the two audacious individuals, shook his head helplessly, and let out a sigh.

Lu You turned to look at her intently, his eyes filled with admiration, and told her, "His Majesty is getting older and older, and he even fell seriously ill at the end of February."

"On the first day of the third month, His Majesty went to offer sacrifices at the ancestral temple."

"On the way back, we encountered a group of Taoist priests who spread rumors and claimed that as long as His Majesty is sincere, the Heavenly Venerable will bestow blessings upon him, protecting His Majesty so that he may live a long and healthy life."

As for what constitutes sincerity, it is naturally to acquire land, build temples, and ensure that incense continues to burn.

"We also need to build a Hall of Longevity in the palace to enshrine the Emperor of Longevity. When there isn't enough wood in the north, we bring it from the south; when the women laborers die, we order the government to requisition more. This process is repeated, and more than a thousand people in Taizhou Prefecture have already died."

She closed her eyes in sorrow and sighed, "His Majesty has been deceived by treacherous people."

The people of Fuzhou have already lost their able-bodied men, and this year's scorching summer has brought poor harvests. I wonder how they will survive the harsh winter...

Zhang Ting remained silent as a stone, her gaze lowered, her two fingers unconsciously rubbing together, the rhythm slow and light. Her view was not optimistic either; she simply thought: after a severe drought, there will inevitably be floods.

Will her lychee orchard be flooded then?

She shuddered, her hair standing on end. She couldn't let her hard-earned foundation be destroyed. She'd have to discuss the waterproofing issue with Zong Suyi when she got back.

Seeing Zhang Ting tremble, Lu You thought he had frightened her, so he raised his weak hand to gently pat her back and murmured, "Junior sister, don't be afraid, the darkness will always pass." It was unclear whether he was speaking to Zhang Ting or to himself.

At noon, the master and apprentice stayed for lunch.

In the afternoon, Zhang Shu invited another doctor to examine Lu You. The doctor's diagnosis was consistent with the previous one: mental illness requires mental medicine, and he asked his relatives and friends to comfort him.

In the following days, Zhang Shu stayed by Lu You's side and talked to her. Sometimes, when Lu You was feeling better, she would test Zhang Ting's knowledge.

Since Lu You was an examiner for the previous imperial examination, Zhang Shu asked her how her apprentice was doing.

By then, Lu You was already able to walk. Upon hearing this, she turned around, leaning on a wooden pillar, and firmly replied, "There is much to be done." Looking at Zhang Ting, who was playing with his youngest daughter, her eyes were filled with anticipation, hoping that this extraordinary young man could bring about a change in the fate of the people!

"Ha ha!"

The following day, Zhang Shu declined Lu You's offer to see him off, and the three of them set off again for Tongzhou Prefecture.

In the ninth year of the Chengtai era, Zhang Ting was to take the provincial examination. She and Zong Suyi discussed it and decided that since they had some spare money, they might as well buy some properties in the prefectural city so that they wouldn't have to rush to find a house to live in later.

After spending two days in Tongzhou Prefecture and successfully obtaining the contract, the group was about to set off when they suddenly heard a commotion. Two groups of soldiers were escorting a prisoner over; the man was disheveled, his prison clothes stained with blood, and he walked slowly forward with his head down.

The soldiers, annoyed that she was wasting their time, kicked her hard in the back of the knee to teach her a lesson, and shouted, "You troublemaker, get out of here!"

She felt a sharp pain in her knees and was caught off guard, falling to her knees. She swallowed dust and coughed violently.

The soldiers were amused by her disheveled appearance, laughing heartily.

"Hahaha, look at this pig eating dirt, what a cheapskate!"

She brushed the messy hair from her face with the shackles, glared fiercely at the soldiers, her eyes so cold they seemed to want to slowly torture them.

When Zhang Ting saw her face clearly, he raised an eyebrow in surprise. Had Boss Mi been arrested?

Enraged by her provocation, the officers grabbed her hair and dragged her forward, baring their teeth and sneering, "You prison thief in prison uniform, how dare you glare at your grandma?"

The people around gathered together and whispered among themselves. Someone said angrily, "She's that traitor who ate human blood rice in Green Field! My cousin's aunt starved to death because of her."

"Huh? Didn't you say you were going to run away?"

"Tch! You have no idea, she actually dared to stop Prefect Liu's carriage in broad daylight! I heard that she even grabbed the county magistrate from Lütian, accusing him of accepting bribes from her and harming the people."

"What happened in the end?" the man pressed.

"Let's go check out today's court hearing!"

Zhang Shu turned his gaze to his beloved disciple and said slowly, "Since it concerns the aftermath of the events in Lütian County, let's go and take a look."

"Yes," Zhang Ting nodded in agreement. She turned and went to arrange the carriages and horses.

Zhang Ting was worried about leaving Zong Suyi alone in the carriage, so she put a veil on him and they got off together.

Even though she knew he wasn't a coward, she still gently instructed him, "If the scene becomes bloody later, hide behind me."

Zong Suyi wasn't afraid to go to a mass grave alone late at night, so why would he be afraid of such a small scene?

But he blinked, nodded obediently, leaned lightly against her shoulder, and secretly hooked his hand around her little finger from his sleeve, saying sweetly, "Okay."

When they arrived at the main hall of the yamen, the case was already being heard.

In the center of the main hall hung a plaque that read "A Clear Mirror Hangs High," with wooden signs reading "Silence" and "Avoidance" placed side by side. Officials stood on either side, holding fire and water sticks. Prefect Liu sat on a high platform and angrily slammed his gavel. "Bang!"

Her expression was solemn, dignified, and imposing. "You thief in the hall, you have slandered an official of the imperial court. Do you know your crime?"

Boss Mi knelt on the cold, hard stone slab, her cheeks sunken. When she looked at Prefect Liu, she slightly raised her hand, causing the iron chains to rattle.

As if understanding Prefect Liu's intention, a mocking smile appeared on her lips. "The evidence and confession I have presented are all true. What? Does Your Excellency intend to protect one another among officials?"

Boss Mi looked back and smiled, saying, "There are so many people watching from behind."

Prefect Liu sneered, "You're all glib and you don't tell the truth!" This lowly commoner had dared to block her carriage in broad daylight, making it known to everyone. This forced her to take on the commoner's case, almost causing her to offend the Song family of the capital!

However, dealing with her wouldn't be difficult. Prefect Liu pulled out a punishment warrant and threw it on the ground. "Disrespecting an official appointed by the imperial court, this is punishable by thirty strokes of the cane as a warning to others. Strike!"

Upon receiving the order, two officers stepped forward and grabbed Boss Mi by the shoulders. "You corrupt official! I refuse to accept this!!" Her eyes were bloodshot, and she struggled violently like a mad dog, as if she wanted to tear everything in the world apart.

Seeing her go berserk, Prefect Liu was furious: "How dare you!"

Seeing their superior's anger, the other officers quickly went over, pinned the man down, and dragged him onto the wooden bench.

Before long, the officer pulled down her pants, gritted his teeth, and slammed the water-and-fire stick down hard.

The muffled thuds continued until the execution was complete, leaving Boss Mi's buttocks raw and bleeding. Throughout the ordeal, she gripped the wooden stool tightly, her fingertips bleeding from the effort, her lips bitten until they bled, yet she made not a sound.

She was drenched in cold sweat and her face was deathly pale. She was dragged to the front of the hall by two constables like a dog.

Still a tough nut to crack!

Prefect Liu squinted at her, then slammed his gavel down suddenly. "You thief in the courtroom, confess the truth!"

After a long while, sweat dripped from Boss Mi's damp hair, and a string of laughter escaped from her mouth as she wiped away blood: "Hahahaha..."

Outside the fence, the people were furious: "This traitor has done so many evil deeds! How can he still laugh?!"

A relative of someone starved to death in the green fields. Seeing the rice merchant being flogged, he still felt unsatisfied and roared, "I beg the prefect to beat this traitor to death!"

The others chimed in, "Please, Your Excellency, kill this traitor!"

Mr. Mi, supporting himself on his arms, shakily got up, but laughed even louder.

Prefect Liu smiled kindly, quite satisfied with the reaction outside the hall.

Zhang Ting's eyelashes trembled slightly, vaguely realizing something. She stepped forward to block Zong Suyi, then turned her gaze to the teacher beside her.

Zhang Shuchao gently shook his head at her, then turned his gaze back to the hall.

Prefect Liu's smile vanished, replaced by a solemn expression as he ordered: "Investigate the criminal Mi Fu. He has driven up prices, causing many to starve to death, and falsely accused an official of the imperial court. His crimes are unforgivable! He is sentenced to immediate execution. Verify his identity at noon the day after tomorrow, and then carry out the beheading!"

Mi Fu slowly rose from the ground, the chains clanging crisply. His eyes, like those of a venomous snake flicking its tongue, glared menacingly at Prefect Liu. Pointing a finger at her, he said, "You're nothing but a dog begging for food from the Song family! What right do you have to judge me?!"

The officers tightened their fire-and-water clubs, keeping a close watch on Boss Mi's movements, wary of her suddenly launching an attack on their superiors.

Mifu staggered around, her body trembling, and glanced menacingly outside the hall. Her pupils were like ink that could never be dissolved, eerily black. She spread her arms and said, "Laugh, laugh all you want! My Mifu today is your tomorrow!!"

The people outside the fence were so frightened by her fierce expression that they backed away, muttering under their breath, "Oh dear, this villain has gone mad."

Suddenly, Mifu laughed maniacally, her facial muscles twitching grotesquely. Her ten bloodied fingers curled into claws, and her index finger stabbed straight at the sky. Her eyes were filled with resentment as she turned her head and hysterically roared, "Damn you, God! You're blind! I refuse to accept this!!" Her voice was torn and filled with hatred, piercing everyone's eardrums.

The officers were terrified by Mi Fu's ghostly appearance and were somewhat disoriented. But at that moment, she suddenly turned around and rushed towards the pillar in the hall like an arrow.

"Thump!" A tremor resounded throughout the hall, and a blinding red spray exploded on the pillar. Warm blood splattered onto the official, causing her to retreat in terror.

The people outside gasped in surprise, and even Zhang Ting's breath caught in his throat, his pupils contracted, and his mouth gaped open in astonishment.

A long trail of blood snaked across the stone slab. Her fingers were still twitching as she scratched at the ground. Her eyes rolled back and stared straight up, but the corners of her mouth were strangely upturned, as if mocking everyone inside and outside the hall.

After a short while, she stopped convulsing.

Thus, Mifu's 35-year life came to an end.