Chapter 23 It's Hard to Be a Woman
"The sting of a wasp is most poisonous than a woman's heart. A woman's heart is the most poisonous and also the most foolish. She only knows how to act on her emotions and doesn't know how to be rational. Besides, Qiu Zhaolan once saved Wang Mama's life. In the heat of the moment, what can't she do?!"
His tone was deep and unquestionable, tinged with a hint of displeasure at being refuted.
"But…"
"Outrageous! Are you questioning my judgment?! Do you even respect me as the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review?!"
Zhao Li was about to say something when a furious rebuke exploded in his ears like a thunderclap from a clear sky, and he immediately knelt down in a panic.
He gritted his teeth and said, "My lord, please forgive me. I didn't mean that."
Wang Suyi stepped forward gracefully, her cold voice carrying a subtle warning: "Zhao Li, you must remember the Dali Temple, and I am the Minister of the Dali Temple. You only need to do what you are supposed to do, and swallow the rest of what you shouldn't say or do."
The young man before him bowed his head and said with difficulty, "Yes, sir."
Her clothes fluttered, a gust of wind swept past her, followed by the sound of a door closing.
A breeze blew in through the window, and a chill swept over him. Only then did Zhao Li realize that his back was soaked with sweat.
This matter is definitely not that simple, but he was just a magistrate, what could he possibly do...?
A silent sigh escaped his lips.
A high-ranking official, the Vice Minister of Works, died for such a reason. The infighting in the inner court, the place where the fire started, was just as deadly as the treacherous situation in the imperial court.
Aunt He deliberately concealed her venereal disease, and was guilty of spreading obscenity and murdering a high-ranking official. Granny Wang committed insubordination and premeditated murder. Both of them were punished for their crimes, and their entire families were executed. They were beheaded at noon today as a warning to others.
He Wan came from a brothel and had no extended family, so the brothel was shut down and the madam was executed.
Granny Wang was a servant of Qiu Zhaolan, the First Madam of the Chen family. She rarely knew that Granny Wang had relatives, and Qiu Zhaolan kept the news from her, thus protecting her younger siblings and their families.
It was midday, under the blazing sun.
The market was packed with onlookers, chattering excitedly.
He Wan squinted, looking up at the blinding sunlight, which scorched her body with its intense heat, making her feel alive.
But you won't feel it for long.
Wang Mama was by his side. After weeping bitterly in the face of death last night, she was now ashen-faced, withered and numb, her limbs stiff and cold to the point that even the scorching sun could not drive away the chill that came from her bones.
Women scorned and despised her, calling her shameless and a filthy piece of trash who had been ridden and trampled by thousands.
The men took the opportunity to admire the alluring figure of He Wan, the courtesan whose curves were fully revealed under her thin prison clothes. Their eyes were lewd and obscene, and their mouths were full of foul language.
If the older women heard this, they would spit on He Wan again, their jealousy fueling their venomous insults against this beautiful woman, who was still in a sorry state.
Spitting saliva stained with thick yellow and white phlegm onto her hair and clothes, the stench was overwhelming, and He Wan could only shed tears in humiliation.
Being in a brothel was not what she wanted; she was just a beautiful but powerless woman who couldn't protect herself.
Sold to a brothel by her father at a young age, she began serving customers at the age of twelve. With nowhere else to turn and no way to escape, she thought she had finally escaped her misery, but there were still people who couldn't tolerate her.
Others despised her, and she loathed her own sordid life, but what could she do? She only wished to be a pure white, free bird in her next life.
He Wan slowly closed her eyes, a single tear rolling down her cheek onto the dusty ground. The sharp blade, gleaming with a cold light, reflected her despairing face.
It also reflected Tao Tao's seemingly expressionless face, but in reality, an indescribable emotion welled up inside her.
Tao Tao stood in the crowd, listening to the screams of terror and excitement that erupted from them, and their eyes darting away.
I watched as blood gushed from the severed wound, and the beautiful head fell to the ground with a thud, rolling into the rotten vegetable leaves.
A pair of cloudy, lifeless eyes met hers, and she simply smiled faintly, her eyes containing a hint of sadness for the deceased.
After being beheaded and displayed to the public, the body would be left in the market for a day. If no one collected the body the next day, it would be thrown into a mass grave to be fed to dogs by the officials early the following morning.
Gradually, as people moved about, the crowded scene, devoid of excitement, dispersed on its own.
She ordered a bowl of wontons from a nearby stall, adding some chili oil, which was her favorite.
During this time, a servant came to collect Granny Wang's body.
It's obvious without even thinking that it's Qiu Zhaolan.
Only He Wan's body remained unattended.
After finishing the last sip of soup, she put down the bowl, paid the bill, and left.
Just as she was thinking that the time was almost up, someone called her name.
Tao Tao looked back and saw Yu Shan and Yu He driving their carriage over.
All the officials from the yamen have left.
"boss."
Yu Shan jumped off the carriage and turned his head unintentionally, only to see a headless corpse. His face immediately turned pale, and Yu He was so frightened that he ran to the tree to vomit.
Tao Tao chuckled, "You've seen dead people before, what are you still afraid of?"
Seeing that she remained unfazed and even seemed to be in the mood to make fun of them, the two were immediately filled with admiration, their eyes brimming with worship.
At least the person was intact before, but seeing a dead body for the second time was a real visual shock to them. It was so shocking that their hearts couldn't take it.
So this line of work isn't for just anyone. Not to mention women, even some men can't do this kind of funeral work.
She reached out and picked up the basket on the cart, walked to the head that was covered by rotten eggs and vegetable leaves not far from her body, squatted down, picked it up, and put it into the basket.
"You guys carry her up there, be careful."
"good."
The two men suppressed their discomfort and carried the headless female corpse onto the cart behind them.
"Boss, where to? The mortuary?"
"Come to my house, let's clean up the mess first."
I reckon my mother and younger brother are probably at the shop right now, so no one should be home.
"Huh? Isn't this a bit inappropriate?"
Yu Shan glanced back at the horrific corpse. To prevent the blood from continuously seeping from the severed head, it had already been wrapped in cloth.
Since I can't see the gruesome wounds, I'm not so afraid.
But he dared not put it in the basket at all, especially those unseeing eyes, which he feared would give him nightmares in the middle of the night.
"What's wrong with it?"
He whispered in her ear in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, "What bad luck! And this person is decapitated! I'm afraid this death row inmate harbors deep resentment and might become a vengeful ghost!"
"Even if she becomes a vengeful ghost, she won't come after me, so what am I afraid of? The ones who should be afraid are those who wronged her. If it's true that evil deeds are punished, then it's their retribution."
Tao Tao turned to look at him, "Aren't you right?"
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