Later historical records state that when the prefect surnamed Xu from Anshui County arrived, he was extremely panicked.
The two brothers of the prefect, in particular, were like mice being chased by a cat; once they entered the prefect's mansion, they refused to come out.
Zheng Ruqian looked terrified. "Fang Laosan, why are you hiding? Xiangxiang isn't looking for you."
"How can you be sure it wasn't me?" Fang Heng probed cautiously. "What if it was?"
The two brothers met eyes and remained silent.
Xu Mo coughed again, "Third brother, don't forget the purpose of your trip."
The two brothers' insistence on returning to Anshui County stems from their own unresolved issues.
Fang Heng didn't say much, and the others didn't ask any more questions.
It wasn't until nightfall that he rode his horse, carrying eight pieces of ginger, and quietly arrived at the Bian family's villa.
They chopped down the gate, broke the iron chains, and forced their way in.
The upright young general knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Your unworthy nephew, Fang Heng, is late in coming to welcome your aunt home."
Back then, he had no power or influence, so he could only go to the frontier and watch his aunt suffer.
Now that he has been promoted, he is finally able to return here and be greeted with great fanfare.
Wang Fuliu, a concubine's daughter of the Wang family and the eldest daughter-in-law of the Bian family, was forcibly confined to a separate courtyard by the Bian family after her husband's death. She had to ask her brother-in-law for help if she wanted to take care of her elder sister's children.
Fortunately, after five years of sitting in meditation and chanting Buddhist scriptures, that child returned with power and influence.
A woman with white hair at her temples stepped out, looking at Fang Heng with tears in her eyes, "Good child, I have not let my elder sister down. I am relieved that you are well."
"Aunt, I'll take you home." Fang Heng stepped forward, glancing out of the corner of his eye at the swarm of servants from the Bian family approaching.
Before he could even move, Jiang Yi led his younger siblings to draw their sharp blades.
"Who are you?" the servant of the Bian family shouted angrily. "This is our eldest mistress. She is currently observing a vegetarian fast and chanting Buddhist prayers for the eldest young master. You are forcibly taking a woman from the people. We are going to report this to the prefect's office."
"Go ahead and sue." Fang Heng's eyes revealed a sneer. "She will no longer be your Bian family's matriarch. I'll have someone send the divorce papers over later."
In all the world, there are women who actually ask men for a divorce.
The servant boy was greatly shocked and watched the carriage drive away.
The next day, the Bian family went to the prefectural governor's office to accuse Fang Heng of forcibly taking a woman, but they didn't even get to see the new prefect.
After much searching and effort, they finally arrived at the Wang family's doorstep, only to witness a spectacular scene.
Compared to Fang Heng's straightforward and crude approach, Xu Mo's actions were more methodical and disciplined.
He flipped through the records of the Wang family's misdeeds that Wang Mingyu had collected over the years, reading them aloud to Wang Sanye and his son, sentence by sentence.
"He lured women into becoming his concubines, sabotaged other people's businesses to gain prestige, sought ghostwriters during imperial examinations, and seized thirty acres of fertile farmland from the people..."
All of these actions, though not heinous, caused immense suffering to the people.
Even Master Wang himself might have forgotten about it, but now it's all been brought up again.
"What do you want?" he asked, trembling. "You have a deep relationship with my son. I am his biological father, and this is his biological brother. Even if you don't support me, you can't harm me."
Xu Mo's expression suddenly changed.
Some things are better left unsaid than spoken; once spoken, emotions become uncontrollable.
“You know that I have a close relationship with your son. Then, Third Master Wang, why don’t you guess why I’ve returned to Anshui County? And, as the Prefect of Anshui County, can I seek justice for Brother Fufeng?” Xu Mo said coldly.
"Prefect of Anshui...seeking justice?" Third Master Wang finally remembered what he had done. "What do you want to do? Where is Fufeng? Where is my son? I am still his own father. Does he want to be rebellious and unfilial?"
Xu Mo suppressed his anger, "He had no chance to be unfilial. He was poisoned to death by you and never saw Xue when she was eighteen."
“I’m here to seek justice for him. I’m here to show you how the Wang family was destroyed by you bunch of illegitimate sons.”
Hearing the commotion, Zhou rushed over and, upon hearing the crucial information, staggered and fell to the ground.
“Fufeng will never come back. You two, who abandoned him because of his poor health, are not qualified to be his parents.” Xu Mo blinked away her tears. “The Wang family is destroyed, and the Zhou family will not be better off either. All the blood you sucked from him will have to be vomited out.”
As soon as he finished speaking, several constables rushed forward, grabbed the Wang family's third branch couple, and threw them into the Anshui County prison.
All the bad things they had done in their lives, even killing a maid, were dug up.
Absolute power and absolute justice bring joy to the people.
Wang Haoran was implicated, and the examination hall doubted his true talent and ability, so after reporting the matter, stripped him of all his academic titles.
The third branch of the Wang family completely collapsed, and Wang Mingyu took charge of the entire Wang family. He treated his aunt well and took good care of the younger generation. He even took care of the character of his illegitimate sons and daughters, for fear that the Wang family would repeat the same mistakes.
Wang Fufeng's cenotaph is located on a hilltop in Anshui County, containing the soil from his grave and the world's mourning and remembrance of his passing.
Xu Mo finally vented all his resentment, sitting in the government office with its bright mirror hanging high, "Before Xiao Wu ascended the throne, I was the clear-headed judge of Anshui County!"
He and Wen Zhiyun coincidentally carved tombstones for their parents and moved them to a more spacious and tranquil place, where they often went to pay their respects.
General Fang Heng's identity meant he couldn't stay long, and upon receiving military orders, he returned to the frontier with six pieces of ginger.
Before leaving, he took Jiang Wu back home, intending to vent his anger and mock his parents' preference for sons over daughters. However, when he arrived in his hometown, he only saw empty old houses and spider webs in the corners.
What you hold dear is nothing but fleeting smoke to others.
Jiang Wu finally exhaled and nimbly mounted his horse.
Zheng Ruqian continued to run around non-stop, and his business grew bigger and bigger, from the gold bricks of the imperial city to buying and delivering vegetables, he did anything that could make money.
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