Chapter 48 Ping'er and Qiu Shiyan were also killed by her.
"Has the person been found?"
In the main hall of the post station, Geng Ting, the Commandant of Chong'an County, pasted a map on a blank wall and discussed military deployment with Zhao Mingqin. Chen Liangyu and Xie Wenjun sat on chairs to the side, listening.
Du Peisun lifted her robe and jogged across the threshold.
"Found him, but I'm afraid he can't come." Du Peisun handed over a file, the ink still fresh. "He's in death row."
Zhao Mingqin rushed over and snatched it away, exclaiming, "How could this be?"
Du Peisun was then serving as a fifth-rank prefect, while Zhao Mingqin had been exonerated and appointed as a fourth-rank general of Huaihua. Therefore, when Zhao Mingqin asked him a question, Du Peisun first bowed to him and addressed him as "General Zhao".
"There were some beggars living in the Liangxi Mountain God Temple. After the mountain god festival this year, more than a dozen beggars were all killed. It was this woman named Bu Ping'er who did it. She has confessed and signed the confession. She will be executed in the autumn."
Zhao Mingqin said, "Lord Du, is there some misunderstanding? Ping'er is kind-hearted. She would take a wounded wild rabbit home to bandage and care for it. She would never kill someone."
"General Zhao, she has killed more than just this group of beggars."
Du Peisun looked around at everyone in the hall, and under the scrutinizing gazes, he bowed to Xie Wenjun and Chen Liangyu, then steeled himself and turned the case over to the table.
"Your Highness, General Chen, Prefect Qiu Renshan once served in the Ministry of Personnel in Yongdu, where he was then the Vice Minister of Personnel."
“Not bad,” Xie Wenjun said.
"In the seventeenth year of Xuanyuan, on the fifteenth day of the first month, the Lantern Festival, the case of Qiu Shiyan, the third son of the Qiu family, being murdered at home remained unsolved for a long time."
"I have a vague recollection of it," Chen Liangyu said.
“According to Bu Ping’er’s own confession, she also killed Qiu Shiyan.” Du Peisun then presented a piece of hemp paper with Bu Ping’er’s signature and fingerprint.
It was her own signature, which Zhao Mingqin was very familiar with.
Zhao Mingqin looked incredulous, the dossier crumpled in his hand. "This is utter nonsense. Ping'er is in Cangnan, how could she travel thousands of miles to Yongdu to kill the Qiu family's young master?"
Du Peisun said, "If she is safe and sound in Cangnan County, how do you explain that General Chen saw this person in Yongdu and Liangxi City? If General Zhao doesn't believe it, he can go to the dungeon and ask her himself."
Zhao Mingqin stood there, his expression shifting rapidly.
"Princess, this humble general..."
Xie Wenjun anticipated what he wanted to say and said, "Take care of your family affairs as soon as possible, and if there is any injustice, report it to me immediately."
"Thank you, Princess."
Chen Liangyu stood up and said, "I'll go with you."
Zhao Mingqin: "There's no need for General Chen to make the trip."
Chen Liangyu smiled and said, "I've taken a liking to this person and want to recruit him. I'll go with you to ask him about it. If there's anything he's hiding, we can deal with it promptly."
The dungeon entrance was narrow, allowing only one person to pass at a time. A jailer led the way, and Zhao Mingqin and Chen Liangyu descended the narrow steps one after the other.
The base of the wall was covered with dark green moss, damp and decaying, with water droplets seeping from the cracks in the stones, making the passageway wet as if it had been splashed with water.
The dungeon ceiling was low, creating a very oppressive atmosphere.
Rows of cells lined both sides of the passageway, with only a single, half-person-high, weathered iron door providing ventilation. Through almost every door, one could see the desperate and numb prisoners.
Bu Ping'er was in one of the death cells.
Having just been tortured, he was on the verge of death. The dungeon ceiling would be damp and water would accumulate, and when the water droplets reached a certain level, they would "plop" onto the ground.
The sound of the water falling was exceptionally clear in the deathly silence.
She dragged her badly injured body, moved over the moldy straw, and sat down against the wall.
He leaned his head against the wall, counting the sound of water droplets falling.
One sound, two sounds, three sounds...
It's almost over! It's almost over, just like the blood she's losing, it's almost dried up.
She struggled to raise her hand, her fingers tracing and drawing on the wall.
Draw the shape of a house gate.
That was the door that Zhao Zhouqing pointed to when he carried her home, as she remembered it.
He grabbed her by the back of her collar in a simple and forceful manner, pointed to the front door, and said to her, "This will be your home from now on." He pointed to himself: "I'm your father." He pointed to a woman: "Your mother."
Then he pointed to a group of people one by one, "Your eldest brother, eldest sister, second sister..."
She was born with a charming appearance, a cheerful personality, and was not shy around strangers. All the older brothers and sisters would vie to hold her, pinch her little face, and tug at her little braids.
Although they were called her older brother or sister, they weren't much taller than her.
The oldest, Zhao Mingqin, was only half a head taller than her.
Zhao Zhouqing was a military household member, and he was conscripted into the army when he reached a certain age, marrying much later than others. When he was in the army, he would read military books and historical records when there was no fighting, which led people to laugh at him, asking if a military man was studying so hard to become the top scholar in the imperial examination.
He was nearing thirty and still hadn't found a wife, and he wasn't really bothered by it. Later, he caught the eye of an old general who betrothed his daughter to him.
He was laughed at again.
The wife is not like a wife, but like a daughter; the husband is not like a husband, but like an old man.
Naturally, many people envied his good fortune, saying to his face and behind his back that he was a fool with good luck.
Bu Ping'er was thus taken back to the Zhao family mansion.
Zhao Zhouqing made her kowtow to a memorial tablet, saying that it was also her father.
"Why is Dad a nameplate?" she asked.
Zhao Zhouqing said, "When people die, they turn into pai pai. Ping'er, remember, your father was a general when he was alive."
"Then I'll become a general too."
When she turned fifteen, Mr. and Mrs. Zhao Zhouqing became somewhat anxious.
The child will be of marriageable age next year, but has not yet been registered in the household. Their family holds official titles, and having an extra person in the family will lead to a thorough investigation into their background. In this way, it will be impossible to hide the fact that the child is the daughter of a disgraced official.
Zhao Mingqin was even more anxious than his parents.
After a light snowfall that day, she was weaving tassels in her sisters' room. Her second sister was complaining that she had grown taller quickly, and that last year's padded jacket was already too short this year.
Zhao Mingqin stealthily called her out, led her to the back garden, and gave her a sword.
It was Zhao Mingqin's personal sword, which Bu Ping'er had coveted for a long time.
I've asked him for it many times, but he won't give it to me.
"Big brother, you've finally decided to let go." Bu Ping'er's bright eyes instantly curved into two crescent moons.
Zhao Mingqin waved his hand and said, "I'm willing to give you anything. However, I have one condition..."
Bu Ping'er snorted, "I knew I couldn't get your things for free. What are your conditions?"
Zhao Mingqin said, "Your parents want to arrange a marriage for you, but you must not agree."
Bu Ping'er tilted her head, looking at his face, which was red to the roots of his ears.
"The marriage is arranged by the parents and the matchmaker."
Zhao Mingqin grew anxious, "Those people are all bad. The Xia family already has two mistresses outside, and that Wu guy is unambitious, he can't even study well, he'll definitely fail the imperial examinations, how can he be worthy of you? And then there's the Sun family, the Li family..."
He couldn't explain it clearly, only saying, "...It looks obviously no good."
Bu Ping'er burst out laughing.
She turned around, her back to him, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said, "Then go tell your parents."
As expected, Zhao Mingqin went to Zhao Zhouqing and his wife and spouted wild words. After much arguing, he was beaten.
Zhao Zhouqing took off his shoe and smashed it on his forehead. "You unfilial son! That's your sister! What kind of filthy thoughts are you harboring!"
"What kind of people did you choose for Ping'er? Which one of them is better than me?"
Zhao Mingqin has now been granted the title of Zhaowu Colonel.
Although he is only a sixth-rank military officer at present, he has already achieved so much before he is even twenty years old. He can be called a dragon among men and has a bright future.
Zhao Zhouqing took off his other shoe and shouted, "Get out!"
The sole of the shoe traced a perfect straight line in the air, striking Zhao Mingqin squarely in the face.
Zhao Mingqin returned empty-handed.
After watching the commotion to their hearts' content, the Zhao sisters, Panzhi and Guzhi, pulled Bu Ping'er into the room, closed the door, and began to devise a plan.
Finally, after pooling their wisdom and incorporating various ideas, they came up with a brilliant but terrible plan: first, cry; second, make a scene; third, threaten to hang themselves!
Zhao Panzhi said, "The trick may be old, but it works."
Zhao Guzhi took a rope to measure her size, intending to make her a new jacket. "I don't think your older brother is any good. He didn't even send Ping'er a new jacket when hers was too short. He sent her a broken sword instead. Who would want that?"
Bu Ping'er blushed and stammered, "It's rare."
Zhao Guzhi pushed her out, saying, "Go hang yourself."
As the thin layer of snow on the treetops began to melt, Bu Ping'er carried a bundle of hemp rope and waited for Zhao Zhouqing on his way to the study.
Seeing Zhao Panzhi and Zhao Guzhi frantically gesturing, they exclaimed, "They're here! They're here!"
Bu Ping'er hung the hemp rope on the tree branch and tied a knot.
Then, with a poignant air, he recited a line of poetry: "After the rain in the empty mountains, I hang myself from a branch in the southeast."
He put the collar around his neck, kicked off with his feet, and was suspended there.
Zhao Panzhi and Zhao Guzhi rushed out shouting, "Father, Mother, Ping'er doesn't want to live anymore!"
Zhao Zhouqing put his hands behind his back and said, "Ignore her, let her hang herself. You little brat, you've even learned to threaten your old man."
Who said this old trick is still effective?
She couldn't really hang herself, so Bu Ping'er stepped on a tree branch, removed the hemp rope from her neck, and jumped down from the tree.
He knelt down with a thud.
"Whose idea was this?" Zhao Zhouqing glanced at the two sisters, Zhao Panzhi and Zhao Guzhi.
The two of them quickly knelt down.
Just then, Zhao Mingqin returned from outside and looked around the courtyard. What was going on?
"father……"
Before the last word had even faded, a shoe flew through the air and landed with a "smack," leaving a clear shoe print on his face.
That afternoon, Mr. and Mrs. Zhao Zhouqing carried two bags of their treasured brown sugar to the home of their friend, Mr. Shao.
There was no need to ask too many questions when registering people's household registration. The couple thought that they would let Ping'er enter the Shao family and be recognized as their daughter, and then have Zhao Mingqin marry her into their own family. This would be a logical and proper arrangement and would not disrupt the proper order of things.
That year was the sixteenth year of the Xuanyuan era, and the eve of the Lunar New Year was just one day away.
Just after the New Year, Zhao Zhouqing returned home with a solemn expression. He packed her clothes and travel expenses and sent her to a remote county in Cangnan Prefecture overnight, entrusting her to a farmer.
That year, the people of Cangnan suffered a great loss, and many officials were dismissed or beheaded.
Zhao Zhouqing was taken to Yongdu for trial.
She ran from the farmer's house and all the way home, only to find the Zhao family mansion's gate sealed off. The white paper and black ink were a stark contrast. The vast mansion was deserted, only the chaotic traces of the ransacking remained.
She stripped a piece of clothing from a man who had frozen to death by the roadside; the man appeared to be a porter.
She went to Yongdu.
Without a travel permit, she clung to the underside of a caravan's wagon to avoid roadblocks.
After traveling for nearly half a month, they arrived. To prevent the refugees from causing trouble, Yongdu kept its city gates tightly closed. A notice was posted outside the city to appease the refugees: Yao Fucheng, the prefect of Cangnan, Zhao Zhouqing, the chief secretary, and a group of other officials were beheaded.
She looked at the notice and saw that it was today, the day of the execution.
But she was dressed in filthy clothes, looking like a refugee, and had no travel permit, so she couldn't enter the city no matter what. She looked at the magnificent plaque above the city gate of Yongdu, her hands clasped together, pacing back and forth in place.
Just when she was at her wit's end, a young man in fine clothes walked up to her, used his fan to lift her chin and take a look. With a wave of his hand, two servants stepped out from behind him and helped her onto a carriage.
She struggled. The young man in brocade said, "Follow me, and you can enter the city. Once you're in the city, you'll have a way to survive."
Go into the city?
“I’m going to the execution ground,” she said, pointing to the notice.
Qiu Shiyan treated her like a refugee, wanting to watch those people beheaded to vent his anger. He smiled and said, "Alright, get on the bus, anywhere is fine."
The carriage stopped in front of a mansion. She heard Qiu Shiyan instructing someone to take her to bathe. She became wary, sensing his ill intentions, and prepared to escape.
Qiu Shiyan said, "Yongdu doesn't allow refugees to enter the city. If you don't tidy yourself up, you won't walk far before the soldiers arrest you and throw you in jail. Didn't you want to go see the corrupt official beheaded?"
Bu Ping'er gritted her teeth and followed him into the mansion. She asked the servants who were supposed to be attending to her to leave, and quickly soaked herself in the water to rinse herself clean.
Qiu Shiyan prepared a set of men's clothing for her.
The man mistook her for a man.
She changed her clothes and was led to a room where the door was locked.
I glanced at the sky; it was almost noon. The execution time was fast approaching.
She pounded on the doors and windows desperately, but no one paid any attention to her.
When dusk had completely fallen, Qiu Shiyan returned. He opened the door a crack, came in, and then closed it again.
She begged Qiu Shiyan to take her to the execution ground.
Qiu Shiyan pressed closer and closer, pinning her to the bed, the sound of tearing fabric ringing in her ears.
She stared at a candlestick.
One end of the candlestick was extremely sharp, resembling a fine weapon.
She didn't know how she managed to hold the candlestick in her hand, but the warm blood that splattered when the sharp end pierced Qiu Shiyan's throat brought her back to her senses.
"You shouldn't... bully someone who has nothing left to lose."
There was a dagger on the table, its sheath brand new, covered in a layer of dust. It seemed that the dagger's owner had forgotten about its existence.
The dagger was drawn, circled Qiu Shiyan's neck once, and his head was separated from his body.
A window opened from the other side, and a pair of eyes peeked in through the crack—the eyes of a woman. The window crack widened, and the owner of the eyes saw Qiu Shiyan's two pieces lying on the ground, startled for a moment, but not too surprised.
"Let's go, let's go quickly."
Bu Ping'er still gripped the dagger tightly.
The woman slipped some clothes in through the window; they were the same clothes she had come in wearing. "Change quickly, or you won't be able to leave if someone finds you."
She was like a walking corpse, letting the woman pull her along to evade the patrolling servants, leading her to a room. It must have been the kitchen in the mansion where the servants were fed in large pots of food; there were stoves and a chimney large enough to hide a servant.
The woman pointed to a spot and said, "You can climb out through the chimney."
With tears in her eyes, Bu Ping'er said, "Thank you. What's your name?"
She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth. Asking someone's name now was not a good idea; it was as if she had the chance to implicate them and betray her.
The woman realized this as well, but did not answer.
Bu Ping'er said, "Until we meet again," and then turned and disappeared into the chimney.
During the Lantern Festival in Yongdu, Kongming lanterns filled the night sky, creating a dazzling spectacle.
All of this felt out of place to her, and in the end, she couldn't collect Zhao Zhouqing's body. She didn't know the way, nor did she dare to ask.
What's worse, she is now penniless.
She stole a mustache from a stall at the lantern festival to make a mask, stuck it on her mouth for a week, and started working as a porter at a small dock in Shangyong City.
Being a woman, she was slender and appeared even shorter when dressed as a man. As a result, she could never get any work, and merchants who needed to move goods were unwilling to hire her.
She lived like this, sometimes hungry, sometimes full. When she was too weak to eat, she stopped trying to find work when the cargo ship docked and just sat there in a daze.
Until she met Chen Liangyu.
Dressed in brocade robes and holding a sword, he exudes such spirit and confidence.
But on what basis?
A murderous thought arose in her mind.
Kill her! She's the one who deserves to die.
Suddenly, a few copper coins fell to the ground, a gift from a merchant. She hurriedly picked up the coins that had fallen to the ground.
Humiliation and the will to survive clashed within her soul, and she seemed to hear the sound of her dignity shattering. Before her enemy, her self-respect crumbled into rubble.
A delicate purse dangled before her eyes. It was handed to her by Chen Liangyu.
This money is enough for her to return to Cangnan, and perhaps even go further. If she's lucky enough, she might be able to find her mother, her eldest sister, her second sister, and Zhao Mingqin.
As if afraid that Chen Liangyu would change her mind, she snatched the money bag and ran through the streets and alleys like a gust of wind.
After traveling thousands of miles, she learned that her mother had died in prison and that Zhao Mingqin had been exiled to Ma Cang in the south. She still had no news of her two older sisters, Zhao Panzhi and Zhao Guzhi.
She eventually settled down in Liangxi City.
From the mountain god temple in Liangxi City, you can see Macang to the south.
She knew Zhao Mingqin was there.
The mountain god temple was a hideout for a group of beggars. They voluntarily cleaned the temple and offered incense to the mountain god when no one was worshipping. The people of Liangxi believed that the mountain god was tolerant of her believers and tacitly allowed the beggars to settle there.
Bu Ping'er carried firewood to the restaurant to earn some copper coins. Every day, she gave ten coins to the beggar leader in exchange for a corner to sleep in the mountain god temple.
Those beggars are not good people; they are in the business of harvesting and mutilating animals.
The beggars would take the money they collected and then use it for drinking, gambling, and visiting brothels.
She was too busy taking care of herself to do anything but coldly watch the beggars being beaten for not getting enough money.
She was exhausted just from simply surviving. She no longer had the enthusiasm or chivalrous heart to care about the filth of the world.
She thought she would just eke out a living like this and slowly get used to it.
But misfortune never comes singly; it seemed even the heavens wouldn't grant her a chance to survive. While carrying firewood, a dry branch tore her clothes, revealing the cloth covering her breast underneath.
The beggars looked at her with longing and excitement.
A pack of hungry wolves, their eyes gleaming green, approached her step by step.
She broke off a dead branch, used it as a blade, and began killing again.
Author's note: Thank you for reading this far!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com