Bring back to the capital
After listening to what Yi Shen said, Lin Kuo stood there for a long time, looking at Song Yinxing through the gaps between people.
She walked further and further away, but he remained standing in the same spot.
"I forget which day it was, but I went to find Zhiyun and happened to see a little girl in the Song family making a fuss about going to school. Her parents wouldn't let her. Zhiyun stood aside and asked why the little girl wouldn't go to school. She said that if she didn't have the money, she could pay for it and wouldn't ask for it back."
"But the little girl's parents refused."
“Her parents said that going to school would be a waste of time, as she would neither pass the imperial examinations nor gain any official rank.”
"Zhiyun continued to ask how you knew she couldn't pass the imperial examination. Her parents replied, 'It's not that I don't believe in my daughter, it's that I don't believe in the fairness of this world.'"
If the world were just, there would be one less Li Shuying, one less Zhao Lang, and one less Zhao Xiwei. But the world is the world because those who stand on this land are people with emotions and desires. As long as there are people, there will be people like Zhao Lang and General Wei.
How can there be any talk of fairness?
Song Yinxing naturally understood what everyone else could figure out, but she seemed determined to actually bang her head against this wall and see which was harder, the southern wall or the northern Kun.
"Zhiyun said at the time, 'There is no justice in this world, but there is justice that is closest to justice. So, let your daughter go to school, I will pay for it.'"
After saying this, Lin Kuo smiled and said helplessly, "She's very capable, isn't she? So capable that I want to marry her and give her some support."
"But I forgot that she was already fully grown and capable of soaring through the skies."
So, if I don't want to get married, then I don't want to get married.
The gloom in their hearts dissipated, and the sky seemed to clear up a bit. The road ahead was bumpy, but at least they could walk together. Lin Kuo and Yi Shen quickened their pace and caught up with Song Yinxing and Wu Qi.
Wu Qi held up the fox mask he had his eye on Yi Shen's face from a distance, and said with satisfaction, "Beautiful as a flower, beautiful as a flower, beautiful as a fairy, beautiful as a fairy, I'm very satisfied."
Yi Shen let her make a fuss and paid the money before leaving.
Lin Kuo bumped Song Yinxing's shoulder, and before he could stop himself, he bumped into Song Yinxing, causing her to stumble and almost fall. Before he could even react, his hand was already around Song Yinxing's waist.
After saying, "I'm sorry, Zhiyun, I didn't mean to, I'll kneel down in a moment!" he realized what had happened, and within moments, embarrassment and relief spread across his face.
Song Yinxing glanced at him and said, "When are you going to kneel, and for what purpose?"
If she could still talk to him, it meant she had already forgiven him. Lin Kuo readily put his arm around Song Yinxing's shoulder, loosely and casually, without actually pressing down on her.
"You say when to kneel, and you say what to kneel for, and you kneel for whatever you say."
While holding Song Yinxing in his arms, Lin Kuo reached out and pinched her earlobe, saying softly, "I had forgotten that our Zhiyun has grown up."
Song Yinxing glanced at him and said, "If you're sick, go see a doctor."
She had calmed down, but not completely. Lin Kuo smiled and hugged her tightly, pulling her closer to him. He shamelessly said, "Then you'll come with me."
Seeing that the two of them had almost made up, Wu Qi tugged at Yi Shen's sleeve. Yi Shen leaned down slightly and heard her whisper, "What were you and Brother Lian Shi talking about in the back just now?"
Their conversation just now could not be explained in a few words. Yi Shen said, "We were just saying that you and Zhiyun are both very capable."
"Right? We're pretty amazing, aren't we?" Wu Qi waved the fox mask in his hand, laughing arrogantly and unrestrainedly. "I'm a role model for all of us. History should give me a page."
"Yes, I will," Yi Shen said.
The group had thought they would stay in Pingwu City for another ten days or so, and had even made a list of where to go, what to eat, and what to drink each day, when they suddenly received a message from Li Xi—they would return to the capital in three days.
The four sat at the table, staring at the dozen or so densely packed forms, feeling a little regretful.
Wu Qi slapped the table and said, "If each of you chooses one day, that makes exactly three days!"
Yi Shen asked, "And what about you?"
"As for me, I'll see if any young master surnamed Yi is willing to lend me some time!"
As for who this young master surnamed Yi is, it goes without saying. As for whether this young master surnamed Yi is willing to lend her some time, judging from Wu Qi's opinion, he is willing.
Yi Shen said, "Okay."
"That's wonderful, thank you so much, Young Master Yi." Wu Qi didn't keep them in suspense any longer and said directly, "Before I leave, I'd like to visit Li Xingge and the others."
At the very least, Li Shuying should be given a proper burial.
Li Xingge and her companions used the infamous name of the "woman in human skin" to find a safe haven on East Street, where they could plot their schemes. Although their plans were time-consuming and riddled with flaws, no one's first step is ever entirely without problems.
“Okay, do you need us to accompany you?” Song Yinxing asked.
Wu Qi said, "Let's go together. They are all very nice people. One of them knows the art of disguise and almost fooled Yi Shen. If we didn't have so little time left, I would really like to become their apprentice and learn the art of disguise."
“Then let’s go together,” Song Yinxing said.
The next day, when the group went out, they saw people playing music and singing, women dancing and singing, and even toddlers swaying unsteadily. The smiles on the street seemed even more intense than the blazing sun.
Wu Qi asked, "What's wrong?"
A strange woman said excitedly, "Last night, Lord Li Xi ordered that no one is allowed to force women to draw the line for many children and many blessings. People in Pingwu City often praise Lord Zhou Lang, but I think this Lord Li is no worse than Lord Zhou."
Another unfamiliar woman added, "Yes, yes, what do we mean by male or female officials? We only admire good officials."
Lady Li Xi was swift and decisive in her actions. That very night, she sealed off Zhao Lang's secret chamber, bound Zhao Lang and Sun Fang, and imprisoned all their associates. No matter how many kind words they spoke or how much gold and silver they offered, it was all in vain; she would never release them.
Anyone who speaks well of those people is guilty of the same sin.
After doing all this, Li Xi was not in a hurry to investigate the truth. Instead, he issued an order: anyone who forces a woman to draw a line indicating many children and good fortune against her will shall be executed.
The women threw off their veils, revealing their clean faces. Regardless of beauty or ugliness, black or white, they danced hand in hand in the street, as if they were born of the same kind.
The scene on the street was like something out of a dream.
Pingwu City has undergone a complete transformation, looking brand new.
Wu Qi and his group arrived at the pastry shop at a perfect time, just as Li Xingge's parents had been released from prison by Li Xi.
The two were both over fifty years old. Having lost their daughter and spent some time in prison, they looked incredibly haggard. It was unclear whether they had been tortured, but Li Xingge's mother had two unhealed whip marks on her face.
It was bloody.
Wu Qi looked away, unable to bear to look.
Li Xingge threw herself into her mother's arms and cried like a child. She said she was powerless to avenge her sister and that she shouldn't have taken it upon herself to disguise her kind-hearted sister as a "woman in human skin".
She sobbed uncontrollably, saying, "My sister should be serving in the capital, and she should be laid to rest in peace. She should not be in this state now."
Mending and patching, his body filled with glittering daggers.
Bearing this infamy, I wonder if I will be reincarnated.
A pair of scarred hands touched Li Xingge's face. The elderly mother's eyes were filled with tears, but she smiled kindly and said, "It's not your fault, it's not my Xingge's fault."
She suffered a lot in prison. Every time she spoke out for her daughter, she would be beaten. But the beating was nothing to worry about; the pain would pass quickly.
But her eldest daughter was truly dead, and she didn't know if her youngest daughter would even have enough to eat and wear.
"Singing, singing, we won't cry, Mother is here."
Upon seeing this, Wu Qi burst into tears in the blink of an eye.
Tears streamed down her face uncontrollably, soaking her clothes in various places. She hadn't cried during the previous perilous situations, but now, standing to the side, she wept silently.
Even his fingertips couldn't dry her tears, so Yi Shen rolled up his sleeve with his fingers and wiped away the tears from her face little by little.
Wu Qi looked up, tears still wet on his face, his brows and eyes glistening with moisture, his eyelashes stained with tears, yet his eyes were filled with sorrow.
She said, "Yi Shen, I'm sad."
Her vision blurred again. Wu Qi blinked, and another wave of tears fell. Yi Shen's sleeve was wet, so he changed to another sleeve and patiently wiped away her tears.
"That's too much." Wu Qi hugged his waist. "They really went too far. How could they bully people like this? I don't want to see this at all, and I don't want this to happen to me."
Yi Shen patted her head and said gently, "Do what you want, it's okay."
Wu Qi said, "They've really gone too far!"
Yi Shen said, "Yes, that's going too far."
It actually made her cry.
When Li Shuying was buried, Wu Qi stood at a distance, watching his elderly mother pretending to be strong, his elderly father constantly blaming himself, Li Xingge sobbing uncontrollably, and that small, nameless grave hidden in the mountains.
People who see an unmarked grave will not know who to curse.
Perhaps someone will pass by this place in the future, see this grave, shout "bad luck!" and leave without looking back. But how could that person know that the person in the grave was once someone others missed, someone who could never be brought back to life?
If a person can grit their teeth and stick to what they believe in, and not back down even when facing swords and spears, they can be considered a hero and a role model for their generation.
Thirty-two cuts, the pain was unbearable.
They bled to death, a cruel and brutal death.
Wu Qi greatly admired Li Shuying.
After the group left, Wu Qi stepped forward and placed a newly picked wildflower in front of Li Shuying's grave. A gust of wind blew by, and the wildflower touched her fingers in the breeze.
It's as if Li Shuying transformed into a flower, trying her best to touch her finger as a token of gratitude.
If Li Shuying were this flower...
Wu Qi picked up the flower, its yellow petals trembling slightly. She said, "Let me take you to the capital to have a look."
Regardless of who she was or what the reason, Li Shuying passed the imperial examination and should have been appointed to a post in the capital. However, she encountered the wrong person along the way and suffered this misfortune, and was replaced by someone else.
At this time, even stepping into the capital city had become a luxury.
Wu Qi tucked the flower into her hair, turned around, and saw her sweetheart and two friends standing not far away. The three of them had been waiting there without disturbing her.
Wu Qi said, "Let's go. Let's return to the capital."
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