Chapter 008 Picking up money
"Dad, please stop talking, please!" A girl next to Fang Zhi cried and tried to persuade him.
Fang Zhi showed no fear. "These are the only despicable tricks you have. If you have the guts, kill me, Fang Zhi. Do you dare to kill me?!"
The eunuch smiled coldly, seemingly not angry at all. Instead, he elegantly admired the madness of the Fang family's eldest son. "Master Fang, don't provoke me. Everyone knows that your father has many disciples. If I dare to touch you, I'm afraid all the scholars in the world will curse me to death. But -"
The eunuch's eyes seemed to be filled with poison, and a sinister look flashed across his fair face. His cold gaze then fell on the two daughters of the Fang family. "Come here, drag the two young ladies of the Fang family out. It is said that the Fang family is governed by filial piety. Master Fang was disrespectful to me, so these two girls will take the blame for their father."
"No!" Fang Ningmo, the little girl from the Fang family, screamed in fear, "Father! Father!!"
Fang Ruyu struggled uncontrollably, trying to maintain her dignity, her voice trembling slightly: "Let go! I am Prince Ming's fiancée, and the engagement hasn't been broken off yet. How dare you lay a hand on me!"
"Bah, you're still dreaming. Don't worry, Miss Fang. Prince Ming is far away in Qiongzhou and can't even protect himself. How can you still hope to become a princess?"
"Nonsense! My marriage was granted by the late emperor. Even if I want to cancel it, I still need His Majesty's approval. As long as His Majesty doesn't issue an order, I will be Prince Ming's fiancée!"
"Oh, what a big tone! How dare you use His Majesty to pressure me—" The eunuch laughed contemptuously, "This little guy is quite good at talking. Come, drag him out and give him a beating!"
Old Madam Fang was so angry that her face turned pale. She clutched her chest and said, "How dare you, you little brat! This is too much! This is too much! Do you think my master is dead?!"
"Don't worry, old lady. Old Master Fang will be escorted to Guizhou soon. You will be reunited soon." The eunuch didn't care about the Fang family at all. He ordered a few young eunuchs around him to frown and said, "Why don't you take action?!"
In an instant, the cell opposite was in chaos.
Several eunuchs forcibly dragged the two beautiful little daughters of the Fang family. Then, amid screams, the two little girls of the Fang family were pressed to the ground by the eunuchs, their shoes and socks were pulled off, and they were hit on the soles of their feet with sticks as thick as thumbs and with barbs on them.
At first, the two little girls struggled, but how could such weak women raised in seclusion be a match for a few eunuchs?
Later, screams were heard, one louder than the other. The two girls behind were sweating profusely, their faces were pale, and they didn't even have the strength to scream.
The soles of the two girls from the Fang family's feet were covered in blood, with flesh hanging from the barbs, making for a sticky and bloody mess that looked extremely creepy.
The old lady of the Fang family was obviously unable to bear it anymore and fainted from anger.
Zhao, the wife of the Fang family, wept bitterly, cursing the eunuchs as rootless. The Fang family members were in a panic, some with fear on their faces, others with resentment, but few dared to step forward.
After the execution, ignoring the resentful looks from the Fang family, the eunuch chuckled and pulled out a few ingots of silver from his pocket, throwing them on the ground. "Here, take them to treat your wounds. You look so pitiful... You have to leave tomorrow. How are these delicate little feet going to make it to Qianzhou, a thousand miles away? Tsk tsk tsk tsk, it's true that beautiful women have always had such short lives. It really breaks my heart to see you."
"Liu, you will die just as horribly as that traitor Li Ping!" Fang Zhi shouted, his head banging on the ground, as if in grief. "Your Majesty... you mistrusted the eunuchs... you favored villains and distanced yourself from virtuous ministers... With that bastard Zhu Ci in power, and these eunuchs meddling in politics now, our Great Zhou Dynasty is finished... finished..."
The eunuch waved his hand and said to the people around him: "Did you hear that? Go back and report the truth to His Majesty. Say that the Fang family is extremely rebellious and has insulted the royal family with their dirty tricks. Everyone, young and old, is about to rebel..."
The eunuchs immediately crouched down and said with an apologetic smile: "Don't worry, Grandpa, we have heard everything..."
The eunuch snorted coldly, then returned with a few people.
The Fang family was left alone crying and shouting.
The Xu family had just witnessed the whole scene and had previously complained about the unfairness of fate and the cruelty of God. But now, seeing what happened to the Fang family, they all felt like they had survived a disaster.
Fortunately, it wasn’t beheading. Exile...compared to beheading...at least there is still hope.
Look at the Fang family... Such a high-ranking official fell from power at any moment... and was still being bullied...
Even Huang was stunned. It took her a long while to find her voice. She trembled and said, "Exile is good... Exile is good..."
Little Huang was huddled in a corner, trembling with fear, and could only repeat one sentence in her trembling voice, "Oh my God... this... this..."
Everyone was still in shock. Xu Lezhi huddled in Lian's arms, his little face pale with fear, completely devoid of his usual shrewdness and arrogance.
Xu Yinxi remained silent for a long time. The bloody scene and the cries of the Fang family made her heart sink. She even felt a sense of sympathy. "Prince Ming's fiancée... beat her without a second thought... These eunuchs... are too horrible... What are our Xu family worth..."
Xu Zhenying said, "They've been holding a grudge for a long time... Fortunately, the Xu family is nothing..."
Fourth Aunt's face showed reluctance: "We're leaving tomorrow, and these two little girls' feet... they'll only be a burden... they'll definitely be looked down upon along the way..."
Second Aunt sighed, "They did it on purpose. These eunuchs...are nothing."
Everyone was silent for a moment. No one made any noise at this moment, and they all accepted the outcome of exile tacitly.
At least my life is saved, right?
At least they were not targeted like the Fang family.
Thinking about it this way...it doesn't seem so painful anymore.
Everyone was still digesting this outcome, but Xiao Huang's eyes had already lit up. She reached out and calmly picked up the few taels of silver thrown by the eunuch, and put it in her arms with a "whoosh".
Seeing that everyone in the Xu family was looking at her, the eldest aunt glared and immediately protected the silver, "I found this! The Fang family didn't want it! Don't even think about snatching it from me!"
Grandmother was so angry that she wanted to punch her. "What a disgrace! You'll never change your peasant habits!"
"Mother, what you said is quite right..." Little Huang was not ashamed, but rather a little proud. "We will soon be peasants again. We will set off tomorrow, and who knows what life will bring. How can we survive on the journey without some money? If we are thirsty or hungry, we need to spend money to buy food. If we are sick, we need to buy medicine. As escorts, we don't need to take care of things along the way."
Xu Zhenying was almost brainwashed and persuaded by this aunt.
This... sounds somewhat reasonable.
"I know you all look down on me... but it doesn't matter... you'll realize how powerful I am when we're on this journey. You've all become ladies for just a few days, and you've forgotten the hardships you endured in the countryside? Do you know where Yelang County is? It's a full two thousand miles from Bianjing. We've endured hunger and starvation along the way, and we don't even know if we can get there alive."
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