assassination
Qiufeng and Jinxiu waited for Liang Hongyu at the door every day, but it had been three days and there was still no news.
It was not until the third day at 5 p.m. that Liang Hongyu, covered in bruises and battered all over her body, was dragged out by two servants.
Seeing their daughter being beaten like this, they both burst into tears and said, "Girl, you have suffered."
Liang Hongyu heard the crying and looked up and said, "Why are you crying? I'm not dead yet."
When Mother Yan saw Liang Hongyu being carried in covered in blood, she couldn't help but feel distressed. She was her cash cow, so how could she be beaten like this?
"Go find a doctor quickly." Mother Yan ordered.
Jinxiu hurried to find a doctor.
After the doctor prescribed the medicine, he said, "He's only hanging on by a thread. Take good care of himself."
During the days Liang Hongyu lay in bed recovering from her injuries, she had a lot of thoughts. She had many questions about the deaths of her grandfather and father.
The current emperor has always been obsessed with music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and rarely intervenes in state affairs. Someone must have slandered her to the emperor, which led to the destruction of her family. She is determined to find this person.
The reason she encountered such a misfortune was that her power was too small. She wanted to unite the power of the Liang Mansion to form a greater force.
After thinking about it for a few days, she already had the answer in her heart.
She decided to establish a secret guard organization. Those who came to the Jiaofangsi were all high-ranking officials and dignitaries, and her identity as an official prostitute would allow her to find out more information.
A month later, her injuries were almost healed and she was able to walk again.
She glanced at Jinxiu who was eating non-stop and said, "Jinxiu, come out with me."
Jinxiu wiped the osmanthus cake crumbs from her mouth and said, "Miss, what are you doing out here?"
"Keep it secret for now." Liang Hongyu said with a smile.
Jinxiu suddenly felt that the girl was very different today, as if something made her particularly excited. Ever since the incident at the Liang Mansion, and after being beaten like that, the girl seemed to have never smiled before.
She glanced at Liang Hongyu who was walking beside her. After a month of recuperation, her lips and teeth were rosy and white, and she was smiling at the moment. Jinxiu also became happy.
"Wait for me, girl."
"Hurry up and catch up."
They arrived at Wuhuaer Street, Jingkou's bustling main street. Lined with restaurants, it was bustling, no less bustling than the Imperial Street in Bianjing. Peddlers carried heavy loads along the street, their shoulder poles bobbing up and down with their steps. On either side of the poles were seven tiers of shelves. It's said the peddlers carried over 300 items.
Liang Hongyu thought to herself: What kind of skilled craftsman could make such a shelf?
A childish little boy broke free from a woman's hand and clamored for a bamboo dragonfly. The woman had no choice but to follow him and gave the peddler a few copper coins.
The little boy took the bamboo dragonfly he had been longing for and smiled happily. Liang Hongyu looked in the direction of the bamboo dragonfly in the boy's hand and saw a vivid bamboo dragonfly inlaid on a wooden stick.
Her eyes, which had not been red for a long time, were filled with tears again. This bamboo dragonfly reminded her of her grandfather.
When she was little, her grandfather had bought her an identical bamboo dragonfly and patiently played with it. She was the only child in the family at the time, and her grandfather and father had always raised her as a boy, teaching her horseback riding, archery, martial arts, and even the art of war.
Although her mother passed away early, she still felt that her childhood was happy because of the company of her grandfather and father.
"Girl, why are you crying?"
"Maybe I was blinded by a flying insect." Liang Hongyu rubbed her eyes and continued walking forward.
After Jinxiu had eaten at one restaurant after another, Liang Hongyu followed suit to try some of the flavors. Whether it was the Dingsheng cake at Fengle Tower or the blood tripe soup at the stalls, the flavors were exactly the same as in Bianjing. It seemed that Wuhuaer Street was modeled after the Imperial Street in Bianjing.
"Girl, this is the first time we've gone out for a walk since we came to Jingkou." Jinxiu said while smacking her lips while eating.
Liang Hongyu thought about how she had been feeling down for the past few months and how she had to be taken care of by Jinxiu, so she said to Jinxiu, "We can hang out together more often in the future."
"Really? Girl!" Jinxiu asked with wide eyes.
"Yes." Liang Hongyu nodded, looking at Jinxiu's eyes filled with excitement. Perhaps time like this was running out. With the current emperor's rate of squandering, I'm afraid... then let's cherish every day we have left.
After they finished eating the blood tripe soup, they got up and left. There were a lot of people gathered not far ahead. When they approached, they saw a disheveled young man lying on the ground, being beaten with a whip.
Liang Hongyu stepped forward, grabbed the whip, and shouted at the man, "Why are you bullying a powerless person?"
The man wanted to pull back the whip, but he couldn't break free. He looked up and saw a girl with a rosy face.
A young girl could have so much strength. The man thought so and stopped struggling. He explained to her, "This boy stole three of my buns. He has hands and feet. Why did he steal things when he could do so well? Do you think he should be beaten?"
Liang Hongyu then let go, and the man snorted coldly and stood aside.
"I paid for the buns he stole." After saying that, he took out a few coins and gave them to the man. The others stopped joining in the fun and dispersed.
Liang Hongyu and Jinxiu helped the young man up. It was the first time the young man saw such a beautiful woman, and he was stunned for a moment.
"Are you very hungry? These are the buns I just bought, have some." Liang Hongyu said as she stuffed a few buns in her hand to the boy.
The boy devoured the food ravenously. When he felt his stomach was full, he asked, "Why don't you ask me why I stole the buns?"
"Not all places are as prosperous as this. I've walked all the way from Bianjing to here, and along the way I've seen many refugees who, like you, have nothing to eat. Starvation is not a pleasant feeling, and I've experienced it myself."
"Girl, are you from Bianjing?"
"Yeah." Liang Hongyu nodded.
The boy suddenly fell to his knees and begged, "Girl, please take me in. My family has passed away and I have nowhere to go."
"this……"
"I came out to do something, and it's not convenient to bring you along," Liang Hongyu said to Jinxiu, turning around. "Take him to the Jiaofangsi and let him take a bath first. I'll be back when I'm done."
Jinxiu pouted and said, "Miss, you have to come back quickly. I'm afraid I won't be able to explain myself when the monk comes back."
"Okay, I'll be back as soon as possible."
Liang Hongyu walked to the end of the street and saw the two doors of a house wide open. It didn't seem to be a shop because there were no goods on display inside.
She jumped onto the wall and found a large yard behind the house, exactly where she wanted.
The courtyard is shaded by layers of beautiful trees and bamboos. The afterglow of the sun shines through the bamboo forest into the courtyard, further highlighting the everyday atmosphere of an ordinary family.
After jumping off the wall, she walked into the house and saw a man using an abacus.
"Shopkeeper, is this room for rent?"
When the shopkeeper saw that it was a girl, he said impatiently: "You can rent it, but not to women."
"I can offer double the price."
The shopkeeper looked up and asked, "What do you want to do with it?"
"Do a little business."
After the two parties signed the contract, Liang Hongyu felt light and happy.
After she returned to the Jiaofangsi, she saw a young man with a handsome appearance, but a dark complexion. The young man was sweeping the fallen leaves on the ground with his head down.
"Who are you? I don't think I've seen you before?"
The man looked up, ran over excitedly and said, "Girl, don't you remember me? You were the one who took me in just now."
Liang Hongyu looked him over and said, "I didn't expect you to look quite good in this new outfit." She patted the man on the shoulder and said, "Follow me from now on." The man staggered after being patted. He didn't expect a girl to be so strong.
"Of course," he said with a silly grin.
"By the way, what's your name?"
"My mother never gave me a name. She always called me Asen. You can just call me Asen."
"Okay, Asen, my name is Liang Hongyu."
After Liang Hongyu finished speaking, she went back to the inner room.
Asen looked at Liang Hongyu's departing back. Just like her name, she was dressed in red and had a beautiful face.
"Girl, are you saying that we should secretly set up a spy organization?" Jinxiu said with her eyes wide open.
"Keep your voice down. It's a secret. Are you afraid others won't know by speaking so loudly?"
"I'm sorry, girl. I'm just a little surprised why you have such an idea."
"I want to use my current identity as a courtesan to find out the cause of death of my father and grandfather."
"Isn't that an order from the government?"
"I'm afraid it's not that simple."
"Okay, girl, whatever you do, I'll support you."
"Then go and call all the sisters from the Liang Mansion over."
"I'll go right away." Jinxiu said and went to the Jiaofangsi to call someone.
After a while, more than twenty people came in.
After Liang Hongyu glanced at all the people who came, she turned to Jinxiu and said, "Go and call Asen over as well."
Everyone was discussing who Asen was, but then a handsome young man, about sixteen or seventeen years old, walked into the house.
Seeing that everyone was doubting Asen's identity, Liang Hongyu explained, "I picked Asen up on the street today, and he'll be with me from now on."
Asen nodded to everyone.
Liang Hongyu continued, "I'd like to teach you some self-defense techniques in your free time. Are you willing?"
Everyone looked at each other and nodded in agreement.
"I also want to establish a secret spy organization, using our identities as court prostitutes to specifically collect intelligence from the court. If you are willing to join, please nod your head. If you don't want to join, I won't force you. But this matter must be kept secret for me. If anyone tells anyone about this, I will not forgive them easily."
Seeing that everyone was silent after listening to this, Qiu Feng was the first to break the silence and said, "Miss, I'm willing to join."
Seeing this, others also expressed their willingness.
Seeing that the matter was settled, Liang Hongyu continued, "Then please come here from 1:00 AM to 1:00 PM for training. I will pay you extra wages."
When everyone heard that they could receive double wages, their previous hesitation disappeared and they all dispersed happily.
"Asen, please stay for a moment." Hearing Liang Hongyu call him, Asen stopped and waited for instructions. "You don't have to go back to the Jiaofangsi with us. I'll buy some tea and turn the front room into a teahouse. You can guard the teahouse to avoid suspicion. I'll have Qiufeng come and help you when she's available."
"Girl, you took me in. I'll do whatever you say without a single complaint."
"Then come with Jinxiu and I to buy some tea and furniture for this place, and your bedding as well."
Asen asked doubtfully, "My bedding?"
"Of course, this will be your home from now on."
When Asen heard this, tears welled up in his eyes. He had been wandering outside and couldn't even get enough food to eat. Now he finally had a home.
After Liang Hongyu decorated the teahouse, she hung up a sign that read "Liang's Teahouse" and arranged Asen in a room in the inner courtyard.
Soon after, people on the streets were talking about the cause of Xin Xingzong's death.
Some people say that Xin Xingzong was killed by a female ghost and even his body could not be found. Some people say that Xin Xingzong offended his enemy and was secretly killed by him, but no one knows who his enemy was.
The county magistrate has not found his body since Xinxingzong's men reported the case.
When Tong Guan learned about this, he was furious and traveled all the way from the capital to Jingkou to investigate the case. Even though he sent the greyhound raised in the Grand Tutor's Mansion, he still couldn't find Xin Xingzong's body. After a week, he returned empty-handed.
The people were talking about this a lot. They thought that Xin Xingzong had the support of Tong Guan and often abducted women. The people were angry but dared not say anything. As soon as they heard that Xin Xingzong had come to Jingkou, they locked their daughters at home and did not let them go out.
Now that Xin Xingzong is dead, no matter how he died, it is a relief to the people. People say that Xin Xingzong did too many bad things, and the ghost of the woman who was raped to death by him came to take his life.
Liang Hongyu was eating wontons with Jinxiu at a stall. After hearing this, the corners of her mouth curled up, revealing an imperceptible smile.
Jinxiu stared at Liang Hongyu with a pair of dark eyes and said, "Miss, how did Xin Xingzong die? Was it really killed by a female ghost? Think about how Xin Xingzong beat you..."
Liang Hongyu interrupted Jinxiu and said, "Stop talking, let's go..." Then she pulled Jinxiu and left.
Jinxiu was pulled by Liang Hongyu. She turned around and glanced at the unfinished wontons and said, "But, Miss..."
Liang Hongyu pulled Jinxiu to a deserted place before saying to her, "Don't ever mention the beating I received again."
"But why not let us mention it?" Jinxiu asked puzzledly.
"The government is looking for Xin Xingzong's enemies now. If you bring up the fact that I was beaten, won't the government start to suspect me?"
Liang Hongyu analyzed the relationship to Jinxiu.
"Oh...girl, I promise I won't mention this again."
Jinxiu added, "But the murderer wouldn't suspect a woman!"
Liang Hongyu thought to herself: Maybe the government officials have the same idea as Jinxiu, so they didn't suspect her.
Ever since Liang Hongyu was released by Xin Xingzong, she has been thinking about how to kill Xin Xingzong without anyone knowing.
In order to avoid suspicion from the government, she took action several months later. Fortunately, Xin Xingzong also stayed in Jingkou for a long time, giving her the opportunity to kill him.
After Xin Xingzong let her go, he still had lustful thoughts and came to Zuixinlou to harass her several times. Due to Tong Guan's power, Yan Mama agreed to his requests every time. After the loss she suffered last time, she didn't dare to refute him in person and could only pretend to be nice to him. However, her aversion to him became more and more serious. Perhaps because he saw that she was stubborn and would rather break than bend, he never touched her again.
That day, he came to Zuixinlou to harass her again, so she put a small note in his clothes when he left, asking him to meet in the woods on the mountain at 11:00 the next night, and only he was allowed to come.
Liang Hongyu hid in a tree that night. If Xin Xingzong came with his men, she would go back and find another way to get rid of him. Perhaps it was because of lust that Xin Xingzong dared to come alone.
That night, Liang Hongyu descended from the sky in a red dress, like a blood-red rose in full bloom, breathtakingly beautiful under the moonlight.
The moment Xin Xingzong saw her, he wanted to eat her up.
He forgot everything and ran towards her, towards that beauty on earth, but at the moment when he was about to touch her, the ground under his feet suddenly collapsed, as if he had fallen into a bottomless abyss. When he felt that his body had stopped falling, he looked around and found that he had fallen into a big pit about three meters high and two meters wide.
When he raised his head, he met Liang Hongyu's scarlet eyes. She was holding a crossbow, nodding an arrow and shooting at him. He felt a sharp pain in his chest as an arrow pierced through it. He roared, "You want to kill me, why are you so cruel to me?"
She opened her red lips, revealing a strange smile. "You have abducted women and committed all sorts of evil. You don't deserve any woman's love."
He shouted desperately: "But, I am sincere to you."
She smiled lightly: "Do you think I will believe it?"
Then another arrow whizzed in and pierced his knee.
He felt a chill in his heart, as if he had seen the arrival of the god of death. "If there is a next life, I will not like other women anymore. I will live only for you."
"Then let's wait for the next life." She said and shot another arrow, which pierced his throat directly.
She looked at his corpse and sneered, "A beast pretending to be affectionate."
Once when Liang Hongyu came here for an outing, she suddenly discovered a three-meter-deep pit. It might have been dug by a hunter to catch animals. Seeing the pit, she thought of a way to kill him.
If Xin Xingzong's body was buried here, there would definitely be traces left, so she pulled his body up, carried it to the manure pit in the forest and threw it in. The smell of the manure pit would disturb the sensitive sense of smell of the greyhound, so even the greyhound could not find Xin Xingzong's body.
She killed him alone and never told anyone. Let this be a secret in her heart forever.
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