Chapter 86 Masks From that moment on, they were...
"Why are you here so late at night?" Tang Li asked, sitting up from the recliner in surprise.
Qingduo stared at him: "Father, who is it that made your hands unable to paint anymore?"
Tang Li was taken aback: "You all knew?"
"Is it that bastard Liao Pingju?!" Qingduo gritted her teeth.
Tang Li sighed: "That's right, it's him."
"It really was him!" Qingduo exclaimed angrily. "He actually tortured you! What right does he have! Father, let's sue him! I'll ruin his reputation!"
“What if what he did wasn’t vigilante justice?” Tang Li said slowly.
Qingduo gasped for breath, unable to speak. Zeng Zhengqing asked, "Father-in-law, what exactly is going on?"
“Originally, I never wanted to mention this matter again in my life,” Tang Li said, looking very tired. “I think your father felt the same way.”
He glanced at Qingduo, whose eyes were blazing with anger, and then at his son-in-law, whose face was grave. He said, “But if I don’t tell you today, I’m afraid you’ll start to overthink things and cause trouble. So I’ll just tell you. However…” He changed the subject, “I want you to agree to one condition.”
"What are the conditions?" Qingduo asked immediately.
"You have to promise me first."
Having no other choice, Qingduo said, "Fine, I agree. What are your conditions?"
"I want you to promise me that you won't go to Liao Ping to report him for revenge." Tang Li said, enunciating each word clearly.
Qingduo's eyes widened in anger: "This is impossible!"
“You just promised me,” Tang Li leaned back and closed his eyes, “If you go back on your word, then forget it.”
Just as Qingduo was about to speak again, she suddenly felt Zeng Zhengqing grab her wrist. She turned her head angrily and saw him wink at her and squeeze her hand, indicating that she should agree.
Qingduo had no choice but to suppress her anger and say, "Fine, I promise you."
Tang Li looked up at the ceiling and slowly said, "That year, I came to the capital and met Brother Zeng. Later, we visited Lord Xu, a fellow townsman. Little did we know that Lord Xu would later become one of the chief examiners."
"After the list of successful candidates was announced, an imperial censor impeached Lord Xu for accepting bribes and leaking the exam questions to us. His Majesty was furious and immediately imprisoned us for a thorough investigation."
“Strangely, after being imprisoned, Brother Zeng was tortured for days on end. He couldn’t bear it any longer and confessed, but he never admitted to bribing Lord Xu. He only said that he obtained it through other channels. As for me, not only was I not tortured, but the jailers treated me with respect every day. When I asked them why, they never said.”
“At first I thought the food was poisoned, but then I thought, at worst I’ll just die, and that would be clean. So I ate and drank without any worries, and nothing happened. As time went on, there was no interrogation or torture, which made me feel that there was a bigger conspiracy waiting for me, so I threatened to go on a hunger strike to get to know the person behind it all.”
"That was probably the fourth or fifth day of my hunger strike? I can't remember. I only remember that I was weak and dizzy when I suddenly heard the clanging of the chains on the cell door. I barely opened my eyes and saw a person in a black cloak walk in."
"Is it Liao Pingju?" Qingduo couldn't help but ask.
Tang Li nodded: "It's him. I really didn't expect it to be him. After all, he and my mentor are not on the same side. He tried to win me over several times before, but I politely declined. Now that I'm a criminal, I have no use to him. I really didn't expect that the person who helped me would be him."
“He said that with my talent and ability, there was no need for me to bribe the examiners. Based on his understanding of me, I would never stoop to such a thing. He was looking for evidence to help me and Lord Xu clear my name and prevent the jailers from torturing me. He loved my paintings and was afraid that I might accidentally hurt my hand.”
“I was naturally very grateful for his words, but being in prison, I had no way to repay him, so he asked me to paint a few pictures for him as a token of my gratitude.”
"Of course I was willing. First, I wanted to thank him for his efforts on behalf of Lord Xu. Second, I had nothing to do in prison, so painting was a way to pass the time. So I painted for him for several months until one day, I overheard the jailers talking and learned that Lord Xu had fallen ill and passed away shortly after we were imprisoned."
Qingduo exclaimed in surprise, "Liao Pingju is lying! He just wants your painting!"
Tang Li smiled bitterly, "After learning the truth, I refused to continue painting. I've seen through this man. When he couldn't use me, he started to torture me. At first, he avoided using my hands, but when he saw that I still wouldn't submit, he sneered."
"What I can't have, no one else can have either."
"So, the next place to be tortured became the fingers..."
Tears streamed down her face. Qingduo raised her sleeve to wipe them away, but as soon as she wiped them clean, new tears welled up again.
As Zeng Zhengqing listened to his father-in-law's account of his torture, he seemed to see the suffering his own father had endured. He lowered his eyes and stared at a point on the ground, his hands clenched into fists on his knees, his anger causing his hands to tremble uncontrollably.
"Fortunately, we didn't suffer for long. In the end, due to the lack of evidence of bribery, the case was dismissed for 'misconduct,' and we were stripped of our official titles and sent to a remote place to serve as minor officials. My brother Zeng and I were of the same mind, and this was a humiliation. So we resigned and left."
"Perhaps if we met again, we would be reminded of this past event, so we tacitly agreed not to see each other again. If Yuanbai hadn't come looking for me, I would have even forgotten about my children's marriage arrangements. I thought I would see my brother Zeng one last time, but I never imagined that he would no longer be alive..."
As he finished speaking, a long silence fell over the room, as if the three of them were all sinking into a swamp of memories.
Tang Li turned his head and saw his daughter and son-in-law's sad and angry state. He was the first to pull himself out of the mire and smiled slightly: "To say that I don't care about the past at all is not human nature. But I want to put all my heart into my present and future life, and into your happiness, Azhao. I just want you and Yuanbai to be a harmonious couple and for you to be able to fully display your talents. That would make me satisfied."
"I'm not satisfied!" Qingduo's voice trembled, her face covered in tears. "That villain is right in front of me, and I've seen him constantly doing hypocritical things to elevate his own reputation, but behind the scenes, he must have his own schemes!"
"Father, you want me to just watch him enjoy his privileged life while he hurts you as if it never happened? I can't do that!"
Tang Li sighed, "Ah Zhao, the reason I didn't tell you before was because of these hardships. I hoped you would never understand. These are the grievances of our parents' generation. You don't have to bear them. You and Yuan Bai have your own paths."
“It’s all in the past,” he said, his words sounding like an unfinished sigh, yet also like a sense of relief.
"It's all in the past now."
The carriage slowly started moving, and Qingduo could no longer hold back. She threw herself into Zeng Zhengqing's arms and burst into tears.
"Qingqing, I was so bad," she sobbed. "Dad has already had it hard enough. When I was little, I didn't understand him at all and always complained about how poor we were, wanting this and that. How difficult it must have been for Dad!"
"I was always so willful, never listening to him. I knew perfectly well that he was wronged, that the whole world was wronging him, but I, but I, only thought about my own grievances..."
She clutched Zeng Zhengqing's clothes, sobbing uncontrollably. This shattered Zeng Zhengqing's heart, which had already broken into pieces, into dust once more. He gently stroked Qingduo's back, his voice steady yet filled with an intensity, or rather, hatred, that he had never felt before.
"This isn't your fault, none of this is your fault. We can't let the real culprits get away scot-free, we have to do something."
Qingduo gradually stopped crying. She straightened up, her eyes blurry with tears, but her determination was undeniable: "What should we do?"
"Since storybooks can spread your chivalrous deeds throughout the streets and alleys, they can also expose Liao Pingju's evil deeds to the public."
Qingduo's eyes lit up, then immediately dimmed: "No, this is my family's business. Don't drag Sister Lu Nong into it."
“I’ll write it,” Zeng Zhengqing said.
"you?"
“Although it may not be as good as what Miss Lu Nong wrote, it shouldn’t be a problem to write a story,” Zeng Zhengqing said.
The next day, Zeng Zhengqing locked himself in his study from morning till night. When Qingduo saw the stack of crumpled drafts on the desk, she sighed inwardly.
Yes, she shouldn't have any expectations; she had read his poems.
Meeting Zeng Zhengqing's embarrassed gaze, Qingduo said, "Qingqing, I have a new idea."
*
Have you seen the new catalogue from Mingzhu Art Shop?
"What are you talking about? I'm just a roughneck, how could I possibly understand any paintings!"
"You don't know this, this picture book is called 'Mask'. Each page is a picture, and each picture is a scene. The whole book is a complete story. There are no words in the whole book, so everyone, regardless of age, gender, education level, or education level, can understand it."
"Oh? There's this kind? What story does it tell?"
"It is said that there was a high-ranking official who was a great lover of painting. One day, he happened to save a celestial being. Knowing that he loved painting, the celestial being used his magic to paint a picture for him. As a token of gratitude, the official was delighted with the painting. Soon after, he had evil intentions and imprisoned the celestial being in a cage, forcing him to paint a picture for him."
"The immortal was insulted and refused to paint. In a fit of rage, the official was about to cut off his hands. Unexpectedly, just as the axe was about to strike, a flash of light appeared, the official's hand went limp, the axe flew away, and after a few spins, it ended up killing him instead."
"That's satisfying! This is what they mean by 'evil gets its just deserts,' I'm really looking forward to seeing it!"
"Buy one, it's only five coins! That painting was painted and reproduced by Tang Qingduo. A painting by Tang Qingduo costs several hundred taels of silver, but this one is only five coins, it's practically free! You'd be lucky not to buy it!"
His words captivated the listener, and the man whispered, "Everyone is guessing whether that high-ranking official is Lord Liao. After all, it's common knowledge that Lord Liao loves painting more than anything. And his favorite paintings are those of Tang Li."
His voice lowered even further: "Could that immortal be Tang Li? What did he do to Tang Li?"
Who doesn't like rumors!
The listener exclaimed, "Quick, take me there! I want to buy a copy too!"
When the two arrived at Mingzhu Painting Shop, they saw a long queue outside, already turned into the next alley. A man dressed as a shop assistant came running from the end of the long queue, panting as he rushed into the shop and shouted, "Is the owner here?"
The shop assistant recognized him as someone from Qingyuan Bookstore and led him inside.
Zeng Zhengqing was talking with Manager Fang when he saw him rush in, his face full of panic. He said:
"Boss, something terrible has happened! Someone reported that our bookstore is illegally possessing banned books. The authorities have come to raid it and shut it down!"
Although Qingduo and Zeng Zhengqing had anticipated that Liao Pingju would take action and were prepared, when the news of the bookstore being sealed off came, her heart seemed to stop beating.
Possessing forbidden books is punishable by caning at best and exile at worst. This is clearly a frame-up by Liao Pingju. How can I prove my innocence?
This will be a fierce battle.
but,
From that moment on, they stood side by side, walking hand in hand.
"Young Madam, someone has brought a box, saying it's for you." Fangqing carried the wooden box into the room.
"Who sent it?" Qingduo asked curiously.
"I don't know." Fang Qing shook her head. She suspected that the gift sent during the festival was not meant to be friendly. She said, "Young Madam, let me open it."
Qingduo also felt that the box was strange. Not wanting Fangqing to take any risks, she placed the box in the yard. The two of them kept their distance and used a clothesline pole to open the lid. A fishy stench wafted through the yard.
Qingduo and Fangqing covered their mouths and noses and slowly approached. Inside, they saw a wad of red and black rags. Qingduo picked up the rags and shook them on the ground, and dark brown fragments fell off the rags.
Looking inside the box, there was nothing else. But what exactly was this tattered cloth? Although it was tattered, you could vaguely see its two sleeves, indicating it was a garment.
"Ah!" Fang Qing screamed in terror. "This is prison clothing! Who brought prison clothing here? What does he want?"
Qingduo's mind raced; she realized that the dark red stains were dried blood. Although the clothes were covered in scabs, a chill ran down her spine when her gaze fell on the cuffs.
Large clumps of blood were congealed on her cuffs, forming a thick layer that had shattered into a spiderweb-like pattern after she threw them.
Qingduo's heart clenched into a knot: This is the prison uniform her father wore when he was tortured!
It lay there quietly, as if it were both a powerless lament and an arrogant threat.
Qingduo could no longer bear it; her stomach churned violently, and she bent over and began to dry heave violently.
*
It was a moonless night, the darkness flowing outwards like spilled ink.
Under such darkness, two people walked through the dark alley. A few rays of light shone from the courtyards of the houses, illuminating their faces. It was Lu Nong and Zhu Yi.
"Lulu, what could it be about that he asked to see you at this time?" Zhu Yi asked.
Lu Nong shook her head and sighed softly: "I can't figure it out. That day, Qing Duo said that her brother-in-law was number one and insisted on dragging me to see the ranking list, and that's when I ran into him."
“He didn’t make the list again this time. Although I said last time that we wouldn’t contact each other anymore, I didn’t expect him to call me out and ask me to meet him tonight.”
"I didn't intend to pay him any attention, but seeing the dejected aura he exuded, so different from his previous demeanor, and his hunched back, I couldn't bear it and agreed. Sigh, you didn't see him like that, it was really frightening."
Zhu Yi squeezed her hand and said softly, "Don't be afraid, I'm here with you."
He then added, "Even if he dares to have any ill intentions, you've witnessed my skills. Let alone just him, even if there are ten or twenty of them, I can take them down one by one, and two by two."
"What if there are thirty or forty?" Lu Nong teased him deliberately.
"That's a bit tricky," Zhu Yi said with a chuckle, looking down. "I'll have to ask you to throw a few more handfuls of sand!"
When Lu Nong heard him mention what she had done when he saved her last time, she couldn't help but chuckle and gently shook his hand.
The two walked sweetly to Shen Bingyan's house, only to find the gate wide open.
"Why isn't the door closed so late at night?" Zhu Yi frowned. "Isn't he afraid of thieves? But he's just a poor scholar, so he probably doesn't have anything worth stealing."
As soon as he stepped into the courtyard and smelled that scent, his expression changed drastically, and he pulled Lu Nong behind him to protect her.
"It smells of blood..." Lu Nong's voice trembled, "Brother Shen...I hope nothing bad has happened to you."
Zhu Yi quickly scanned his surroundings. Various odds and ends were piled up haphazardly in the courtyard, showing no signs of having been disturbed. He looked up into the house, where the smell of blood was strongest.
He drew his dagger and handed it to Lu Nong: "Wait for me in the courtyard, I'll go inside and take a look."
"If you give me the knife, what will you do?" Lu Nong handed over the dagger. "Take it for self-defense."
"No need, you forgot, my boxing skills are very good." Zhu Yi reassured her, "There aren't many who can beat me, don't worry."
After settling Lu Nong in, Zhu Yi lit a torch and went inside. A strong, fishy smell hit him right in the head. He held his breath and caught a glimpse of a foot sticking out from the edge of the bed. A bad feeling crept into his heart. He went over and called out, "Brother Chen?"
When the light from the tinderbox shone onto the bed, Zhu Yi's pupils instantly contracted.
Shen Bingyan lay quietly on the bed, her face pale, her abdomen pierced by several knife wounds, and dark brown blood soaked the bed beneath her.
Zhu Yi's limbs went weak, his scalp tingled, and his mind went blank. Just as he was wondering what to do, he heard the sound of a blade cutting through the air behind him, heading straight for his neck.
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Author's note: Two more chapters to go, updated next Thursday.
Thank you to all the readers who are still following along. [Please!]
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