The Long Night (15)
Chapter 15 The Long Night (15)
Li Qi lowered her eyes and did not respond.
He did not continue the topic and said, "I will find an opportunity to send you back to the County Lord's Mansion openly and honestly, so that you can surrender to me and kill Feng Siji."
Li Qi asked back: "What are you going to do?"
Zhang Zhouzhu said, "I have my own way. You can go now."
As soon as he finished speaking, a serious servant walked in from outside the door. Li Qi recognized him as Zhang Zhouzhu's close attendant, Qingsong.
Li Qi knew that Qingsong was the first person to follow Zhang Zhouzhu, and even his name was given by Zhang Zhouzhu.
Zhang Zhouzhu is obviously a man of extremely evil heart, but he likes things that pretentiousness, like the name Qingsong and the white clothes he wears, which are so elegant that they are interesting to ponder.
Zhang Zhouzhu holds a high position, but his age is not much different from Li Qi. As far as she knows, he is now twenty-five years old, only five years older than her.
As the youngest prime minister in Daliang's history, he was once just a lowly bastard in a county marquis's mansion who was bullied by everyone.
Since he was a child, he had been treated coldly, harshly criticized and beaten in the Marquis' Mansion, and all the mistakes made by his brothers outside were blamed on him.
He has to take the blame and be beaten on behalf of others.
The year he came of age, his eldest brother raped and killed a woman outside. As usual, his eldest brother put the blame on him.
The woman's family stood guard at the gate of the mansion day and night, crying and demanding that the blood debt be paid with blood. At that time, Feng Siji's father, Feng Yijun, was still alive, and Feng Yijun vowed to seek justice for the woman.
However, Feng Yijun was powerless and let the eldest son of the marquis escape punishment, and Zhang Zhouzhu was imprisoned in place of his elder brother.
In prison, Zhang Zhouzhu was beaten until he vomited blood every day. Once, he was beaten unconscious. The jailers thought he was dead and hurried to report to Master Hou.
The young man thought he would be saved, but he didn't know that because of the crime of raping a woman, he would be a shame that would last for a hundred years to the Marquis' Mansion. Everyone in the Marquis' Mansion hoped that he would die quickly so that they could take the shame of the Marquis' Mansion with him.
The Marquis's Mansion ignored him and he was thrown into a mass grave.
Just when everyone thought the matter was over, Zhang Zhouzhu unexpectedly returned to Kyoto and passed the imperial examination.
He assisted the late emperor with all his heart and became his favorite minister.
After he gained power, he began to undermine the Marquis's Mansion and sent his eldest sister to the Eastern Palace to become his spy.
Later, when the previous emperor passed away, Zhang Zhouzhu supported the crown prince to ascend the throne, and his elder sister became the current Empress Zhang.
No one knows how he managed to come back alive, but Li Qi knows.
That year, he met Shengxiang at a mass grave. Thanks to her treatment and care, he was able to study with peace of mind and rise to prominence.
He had never felt love since he was a child. Once he received the warmth from Shengxiang, he became addicted and could not let go. Shengxiang became the person he wanted to control and hold on to.
Because he cared about Shengxiang, he didn't care what Li Qi did. As long as there was still hope, he would not kill Li Qi.
His success was cursed by most people, but also admired by them.
There was a creaking sound of the door being pushed open, and Li Qi came to her senses, realizing that she had followed Qingsong to the place.
Qingsong arranged a small courtyard for her and assigned two maids to serve her. He gave her a change of clothes and told her that it was not appropriate to go out and then left.
Li Qi knew it was not the right time to go out, as there were people everywhere who wanted to kill her. But if she could just obey, then... she wouldn't be herself anymore.
Li Qi wanted to understand the situation in Kyoto City. She didn't know whether Shengxiang and Li Ke had successfully retreated from Qingqi Temple, but she hadn't heard any rumors, so they should be peaceful.
After all, Li Ke is the eunuch of the Imperial Palace. If something really happens to him, the news will spread quickly throughout Kyoto.
But she was worried about Ye Lan who was staying in the county lord's mansion.
She quietly mixed in with the crowd to see the county lady's mansion. Everyone inside had left, and the group of people were still waiting outside the door.
Ye Lan was a weak woman. What was her situation when the gate of the county lady's mansion was broken down?
She secretly looked around the county lord's mansion for several days, but did not see Ye Lan. Instead, she saw Feng Siji every day.
He kept wearing the snow-blue gown she made for him, standing in the corner, looking in the direction of the county lady's mansion, standing there for the whole day, as if waiting for something.
Li Qi didn't dare to appear in front of him. Every time she saw him, she felt so guilty that she almost suffocated.
While she was watching him from afar, she was also asking about the situation in the city.
She assassinated the daughter of an important official and Envoy Feng, and Zhang Zhouzhu issued a warrant for her arrest.
Every ten steps she took in the streets and alleys of the city, she could see a wanted poster for her. She could not return to the county lord's mansion, and had to watch those people spit and curse at her wanted poster every day.
It was not until the news of He Mu's death came from the He Mansion that He Mu's death brought the people's anger to a peak.
They came in groups and broke down the threshold of Qingqi Temple. The temple's incense became more and more popular day by day. There was always endless burning incense in the incense basin. There were always countless people kneeling around the statue of Yama, and the statue just looked at them with either ferocious or compassionate expressions.
It can only watch.
Willow twigs and peach branches were hung in front of every household, and the twelve statues of the twelve gods of Yama were placed in front of the door, saying that they were used to drive away the evil woman Li Qi.
There were many toy statues of Li Qi in the streets. Some people gave the statues to children without charging a single copper coin, and the children used her statues as balls to kick.
It is said that this method was used to get rid of the evil woman Li Qi.
Li Qi watched all this in the corner, quietly and without saying a word.
The only remaining door on one side of the county lady's mansion was violently knocked down, and the people ransacked almost every part of the mansion. They took away valuable items, claiming they were the witch's compensation. They destroyed the worthless items, claiming they were her filth.
Li Qi thought inappropriately that fortunately the door lock and white walls of her Gold and Silver House were special and they could not break it open, so Ye Lan might be hiding inside.
But she also heard someone discussing that if she didn't show up tomorrow, they would burn down the county lady's mansion.
The people were so angry that they beat up everyone they met. At first, there were some fearless officers and soldiers who tried to deal with the matter, but after they were beaten black and blue, no one wanted to interfere anymore.
Besides, Li Qi is not very popular, and no one will stand up for her at all costs.
Perhaps there was an Emperor Liang, but for some reason, Emperor Liang seemed not to have heard any news.
After watching these farces, Li Qi quietly returned to the Prime Minister's Mansion.
Today, when she pushed open the door, she saw Zhang Zhouzhu sitting in her room. Seeing her, he asked, "Where's Shengxiang? She left before you that day, and hasn't looked for you since?"
Li Qi hummed: "What?"
"Aren't you worried about her?"
Li Qi shook her head. She believed in her own judgment of people. Even if Li Ke died, she would not let Shengxiang get into trouble.
She said, "He Mu is dead, and there's been a rebellion in the capital these days. I heard from those people today that they're going to burn down the county lord's mansion tomorrow to force me out. My gold and silver house can't withstand the fire, and there are so many gold, silver, and jewels in it. You have to help me."
"I'll take you back to the County Lord's Mansion tomorrow."
"I don't want to go back."
How could he withstand so much public outrage and send her back? As long as Zhang Zhouzhu took action, she felt it was not a good method.
"You must come back. Only then will I ensure that you survive the wanted warrant."
"In that case, why do you still have a warrant out for my arrest?"
"I don't need to explain what I do."
Zhang Zhouzhu stood up and walked away.
-
The next day, Li Qi was invited to get on the carriage by Zhang Zhouzhu without hesitation.
Behind the carriage followed two rows of soldiers.
Li Qi lowered the curtain of the carriage, feeling increasingly uneasy. He was just sending her back home, so why was he bringing troops with him?
She had witnessed with her own eyes how intense the public anger was. They even beat officers and soldiers. How could Zhang Zhouzhu calm the public anger?
Even if some people are arrested by officers and soldiers because they are too excited, there will always be new people to take their place, and public anger can never be completely eliminated.
The carriage creaked and after about a cup of tea, it stopped outside the county lady's mansion.
Li Qi heard the noisy people outside suddenly become quiet. She lifted the curtain and looked out in confusion. The people who were squatting outside the county lord's mansion did not leave. They were a little at a loss when they saw Zhang Zhouzhu's carriage.
It can be seen that they dared to fight against officers and soldiers, but they still had a trace of fear towards Zhang Zhouzhu, who slaughtered all his relatives as soon as he came to power.
The silent crowd suddenly erupted in a roar of noise: "It's the witch! The witch is coming, come on!"
There was a loud commotion, and the group of people drew out the short knives, daggers, and even stones that they had prepared long ago. They rushed towards the carriage in groups, deliberately avoiding Zhang Zhouzhu in front.
Even the common people who were not waiting nearby put down what they were doing and rushed to the carriage with their bare hands.
Zhang Zhouzhu calmly signaled Qingsong, who drew his sword and walked forward, caught the man who spoke first, raised his sword and stabbed him directly in the chest.
He drew his knife, and blood spurted out from the man's abdomen, flowing all over the ground. The man covered his stomach in pain, curled up and fell to the ground.
Li Qi was startled, the curtain was pinched into tight folds in her hands, and she looked at the man who died with his eyes open with her pupils shrunk.
She gasped for breath. It turned out that this was Zhang Zhouzhu's method, fighting violence with violence.
The two groups of soldiers behind the carriage drew their swords and rushed forward one after another, killing the civilians one by one. It was obvious that this was a premeditated and malicious massacre in her name.
For a moment, the painful groans and the soldiers' roars mixed together in the entire street, and Li Qi's hearing was almost numb.
She stared blankly at the river of blood on the long street and the pile of corpses outside the county lady's mansion.
The people, who were rioting and excited at first, began to calm down slowly when they saw so many corpses lying on the ground. They huddled in the distance, looking at the piles of corpses and the endless flow of blood in panic.
Several women seemed to recognize their sons or husbands. Those who were carrying vegetable baskets dropped them, and those who had children pulled their children with them, and they all lay down beside the pile of corpses and wailed miserably.
One of them raised her head while crying, staring at Zhang Zhouzhu and Li Qi with red eyes, crying bloodshot: "There is no law! A witch, a corrupt official, you are made for each other. People are watching yesterday, and sooner or later you will get your retribution..."
Her last cry was stuck in her throat, and she couldn't shout it out because Qingsong had cut her neck with a knife, and the knife was so cruel that it cut half of her neck, leaving only a little flesh hanging together.
Her body fell straight down, leaning against the man she was holding and crying. The child she had pulled over burst into tears, calling for "Dad" and "Mom" in his tender voice.
The child cried for a long time but his parents didn't respond. He grabbed the stone that fell beside him after his father died and rushed towards Qingsong angrily.
The poor child didn't even know who the real culprit was. The person he was resentful of was just Qingsong, who was just following orders. Li Qi couldn't bear to watch it anymore and wanted to lower the curtain, but he couldn't move for some reason.
She saw Qingsong, without any mercy, raised the blade stained with the blood of his parents and pointed it at the child's heart.
Not daring to look down again, Li Qi suddenly lowered the car curtain. Her heart was gripped tightly, and she closed her eyes escapingly, tears rolling out one after another.
Knowing she had no right to cry, Li Qi quickly wiped away her tears. At this moment, a familiar voice came from outside: "Stop."
Clear and low, it is like the dawn hitting the early morning, bringing hope to everyone.
"It's Lord Feng! Our great judge, our savior!"
“…”
The crowd, which had been silent, became excited again and shouted loudly for Feng Siji to capture the witch.
Li Qi wanted to lift the curtain and look outside, but she didn't dare.
I don’t dare to face Feng Siji.
She heard Zhang Zhouzhu say, "This child is young, so let him go this time.
"But you all must remember this: I issued a warrant for the Yun'an County Lady, and later captured her in the mountains. However, I have painstakingly investigated and found that she had nothing to do with Miss He Mu's death, nor did she assassinate your savior.
"She is innocent. I, under His Majesty's orders, am sending her back to the County Lord's residence. But look what you have done, daring to raid the County Lord's residence. However, I am kind and merciful, and will not pursue you this time. If anyone dares to offend the County Lord again, the fate of these corpses will be yours!"
The people who were just angry became quiet again.
How could they not be afraid? No matter how good Feng the Savior was, he only knew how to handle cases. How could they expect him to save them from Zhang Zhouzhu? Not to mention that the Feng family was no longer the same as before.
The streets were completely silent, and one could almost hear the sound of blood flowing. The air was filled with the smell of blood, and the snow on the road melted into blood water by the blood, flowing into the ditch through the cracks in the stones.
"County Lady, please come down." Zhang Zhouzhu shouted.
Li Qi clenched her fingers together. Thinking that Feng Siji was outside, her heart beat faster. She didn't dare to go out or face him.
But at this point, she had to come out, so she gritted her teeth and got out of the carriage.
She was still standing on the carriage when the sound of rapid horse hooves suddenly broke out from the end of the long street, mixed with a sharp duck voice that reached everyone's ears: "Your Majesty has a decree!"
"Whoa--" As the flatterer approached, the man on horseback reined in the horse in time. Li Qi looked over and saw that it was Li Ke.
He jumped off his horse, picked up a bright yellow scroll, and shouted, "Your Majesty has an order!"
Li Qi and everyone else knelt down, their cheeks pressed against the bleeding ground, the bloody smell in their nostrils becoming stronger.
Li Ke imitated Emperor Liang and read from the scroll he was holding, "Before her death, Concubine Li entrusted me with a final request, asking me to take good care of her sworn sister, Princess Yun'an. However, I have heard that Princess Yun'an has been the subject of much criticism and hatred in the city lately. I am deeply distressed and feel deeply sorry for Concubine Li. Therefore, I have decreed that Princess Yun'an will be brought to the imperial palace in one month and will continue to bear the title of Concubine Yun'an. Anyone who disrespects Concubine Yun'an again is disrespecting me. Prime Minister Zhang will execute them on my behalf, no matter who they are, as a warning to others!"
Li Qi's brain buzzed and she looked at Feng Siji nervously. Her palms were full of sweat and her whole body was drenched in cold sweat. She had never felt like this before, caring about his opinion of her, worried that he would misunderstand, be disappointed or draw a line between them. She looked at him with panic.
It was quiet all around, and the wind left a sound.
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