Chapter 13 Corrupt Officials
The setting sun gradually dyed the sky a brilliant orange-red color, and the whole world seemed to be shrouded in a warm halo.
Bai Li brought back the two little kids who were soaked all over. When they heard the two kids complain that they were wet because of their sister who splashed water on them, everyone was speechless.
Li Mingyue had no choice but to symbolically scold Bai Li a few words, comfort her two sisters-in-law, and turned around to wipe her hair with a dry towel in a bad mood.
"Mom, be gentle, it hurts!"
"You still feel pain? How old are you and you still bully your brothers and sisters? You are so capable!"
Bai Li felt a little embarrassed when talking about this, and she didn't want to do it.
Who told that kid Bai Liulang to throw the fish at her while playing? She subconsciously fought back... and that's what happened.
Bai Yu was purely implicated by the two of them. In the end, she got angry and poured water on both of them, and as a result, all three of them came back soaked.
Mrs. Li listened to her three grandchildren complaining about each other, and her face was full of wrinkles when she laughed. She kept wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.
Dawn Moon: ...
She suspected that her daughter's wild nature was caused by the old lady's pampering.
That night, in addition to wild boar meat and rice, the Bai family also added two dishes: fried fish cakes, braised small fish, and a crucian carp and wild vegetable soup.
Ma Dehai looked at it with envy and kept swallowing his saliva.
Although he had rice as his staple food and the black-faced steamed buns distributed by the yamen runners, he had to be frugal with the little rice he had, so he ate thin white porridge with the black-faced steamed buns every day.
If the yamen runners were in a good mood, they would ask them to dig some wild vegetables and add them to the porridge. Adding a little green vitamins to the bland white porridge was the best food.
Compared with the Bai family, they eat wild vegetable porridge every day, while the Bai family eats fish and meat every day.
The attitudes of the yamen runners towards them were also very different.
The Bai family doesn't have to wear shackles, but they do.
Except when it is convenient, they are allowed to untie themselves for half an hour to move around, and they are kept with them the rest of the time.
Even during the half hour when he was released, the yamen runners were watching and restricting his freedom.
When it comes to horse-drawn carriages, there is no comparison.
Ma Dehai's carriage was just a flatbed cart without a carriage. Not only was it exposed to the wind and sun every day, but it was also so cold that he couldn't sleep at night.
The Bai family's carriage was spacious and had a canopy, which protected them from the wind and the sun, and they could even sleep in it at night without having to worry about the elderly and children catching a cold.
Comparing the two, they are like real exiled prisoners, while the Bai family is like officials who have brought their families out for fun.
Is there any justice in the world?
The Bai family sat together, enjoying a simple but delicious dinner, with laughter floating in the quiet valley.
At this moment, they also felt that they were not on the road of exile, but on a different kind of journey to enjoy the mountains and rivers!
Although the future is still full of unknowns, at least for now, they are enjoying this rare comfort and peace.
Ma Dehai endured it again and again, but was finally annoyed by his youngest son. At the urging of his concubine, he still walked over with a thick face.
He did not beg the yamen runner, but walked straight up to Bai Li and knelt down.
Bai Li jumped away and looked at him with an unhappy frown.
"Miss Bai is beautiful and kind-hearted, and has great martial arts skills..."
Ma Dehai is indeed a veteran in officialdom, and he is very good at boasting and flattering others. Unfortunately, Bai Li rolled his eyes when he heard it.
"Stop it, just say what you want to say, and fart now!"
Ma Dehai laughed awkwardly twice before explaining his intention.
"My family hasn't seen any oil or water for many days. Can you..."
"Okay, what do you want in exchange?"
It’s not easy to get some meat. She can’t finish it in a few days if she goes up the mountain.
But she couldn't be a sucker. Even the yamen runners only got a small portion, which was given to them because they helped in slaughtering the fish.
Ma Dehai was a corrupt official, so it was a good thing she didn't kill him. Why should she give him away for free?
What can I exchange for it?
I was very happy to hear that I could exchange Ma Dehai. But I couldn't find anything valuable on him anymore, what should I do?
This little thing is not difficult for Ma Dehai.
He rolled his eyes a few times and then came up with an idea.
He climbed up and moved closer to Bai Li, whispering, "I know there's a gold mine. I wonder if you dare to collect it."
When he said "conquer", he meant that she conquered him with her fists.
With her skills, she could easily go and seize the gold mine secretly and then come back to serve her sentence, and the yamen runners would definitely not care.
But he didn't know that Bai Li's collection was simply to empty the place, and he didn't need to do anything at all.
Bai Li also wanted to steal some gold secretly, as the journey was too boring.
"Tell me about it."
"This gold mine is managed by someone under the King of Wei. It has not been reported to the court. It is the King of Wei's private mine..."
Bai Li was not interested in knowing about the struggles within the royal family. She only picked out important information: the gold mine, which was located in Lion Mountain in Yuzhou and was heavily guarded.
"Why did you tell me? If anyone finds out, you're dead!"
"I believe in Miss Bai's ability and character. She will definitely not betray me."
Bai Li got the information he wanted and casually gave him a large piece of meat weighing more than ten pounds.
Even though there is a lot of meat, his tribe is large and this is not enough to fill their teeth.
Li Mingyue accidentally saw this scene and hurriedly pulled her daughter aside to ask questions.
“Why did you give the meat to that corrupt official?
If he hadn't embezzled military funds, your grandfather wouldn't have suffered a disastrous defeat in the Battle of Pingxi due to the delay in the arrival of food and fodder, resulting in the loss of several thousand Li family soldiers. Your grandfather would have been seriously injured, your uncle would have lost an arm, and your second brother would have been captured while trying to protect your grandfather and uncle while diverting the pursuers..."
Bai Li widened her eyes. There were still things she didn’t know!
"You bastard, I'm going to take his life!"
"Wait! If you kill him, you'll become a murderer and be sentenced to immediate execution. Are you going to go against the entire court?"
No matter how good your martial arts skills are, you are still subject to the control of the court, unless you rebel against the entire country and become emperor yourself.
Bai Li's eyes lit up, as if he had discovered a new world.
Li Mingyue regretted telling her daughter. The good days of the past few days made her forget that they were exiled prisoners and were still on the road to exile.
If my daughter were to go crazy, the consequences would be disastrous.
"Then I'll go get the meat back. I'll throw it away and feed it to the dogs instead of giving it to that dog official!"
"Forget it, it's just a piece of meat, just eat it.
His people were also implicated innocently, and their crime does not deserve the death penalty."
"Besides, he is just a lackey. What's even more hateful is the master behind him."
Li Mingyue looked at Ma Dehai with anger and hatred in her eyes. Her second son was still in the hands of the enemy country, and she didn't know what kind of torture and humiliation he would suffer.
"Mom, where is my second brother? I'll go get him."
"No, a great country cannot allow a little girl like you to rescue someone. If you are killed, your mother will die!"
"Mom, don't cry, I'm just talking."
Bai Li couldn't bear to see his mother cry, so he had to coax her and agree to everything.
Li Mingyue asked her to assure him again and again before she felt relieved.
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