Chapter 241 My Lord, Please Give Me a Chance
“Lord Zhao, Xiao Bo has had a hard life. From the flood until now, he has been helping the villagers. We can all see his efforts. He may have acted impulsively today, and he must be regretting it now. Please give him another chance, sir!”
"Yes, sir. Killing Xiao Bo is easy; one slash is enough. But if you give Xiao Bo a chance, he will definitely do better."
“Sir, Xiao Bo is the one who damaged these seedlings. Why don’t we let him save them? If he does, he can atone for his mistake. If he doesn’t, we can discuss it later. Sir, Heaven cherishes life, and you are a good official. You have done all this for our Fangjia Village, and we are very grateful. But Xiao Bo is from our Fangjia Village. He might be sick. We can’t abandon him…”
The villagers each had their own opinion, which sounded a bit chaotic, but every single one of them was in defense of Fang Bo. This situation was unexpected not only by Zhao Yunjing, but also by Fang Bo himself.
He pointed at himself and asked stupidly, "Aunt Xiang, I killed the seedlings you worked so hard to plant. Don't you hate me?"
“How could I not hate you? But when I think about how I couldn’t have planted those rice seedlings by myself without you, I don’t hate you anymore. Xiao Bo, you’re a good boy. You’re the most promising young man in our Fangjia Village. I believe that God let you live so that you could do great things. This is just a test for you!”
The village teacher said, "Xiao Bo, you are the best student I have ever taught, and a very filial son. You are kind to your wife and children, and you are also considerate and warm to the villagers, always ready to help them in times of trouble. You just went astray because of our negligence. As long as you get back on the right path, you will definitely walk more steadily and properly in the future."
Is it possible to get back on the right track? Is it possible to walk it more steadily and safely?
Fang Bo had no idea what the future held. The descriptions his teacher gave him were not concrete enough, and he couldn't imagine what it would be like. He was extremely frustrated last night.
He returned from outside the village, looking at the candlelight in other people's homes and listening to the laughter and joy coming from them. It was all so joyful and wonderful. But all that beauty vanished when he arrived at his own home, replaced by endless loneliness and solitude.
Later he thought that if he had opened the door and found a cup of hot water or a candle, he wouldn't have been so overwhelmed by the desolation of his home.
It turns out that physical fatigue isn't the real fatigue; the real fatigue is the inescapable loneliness that comes with reaching your physical limits.
He lost both his parents when he was young. His adoptive parents took pity on him and took him home. Even though they couldn't feed themselves, they still managed to give him a portion of food so that he could survive. His adoptive parents, his adoptive brothers, and his sister-in-law and sister-in-law were all very kind people. His wife was also the gentlest woman in the world, and his son and daughter were the most adorable children in the world. But a natural disaster took everything from him.
He returned to that helpless and alone state, not knowing for whom he lived or for whom he fought.
Hearing the villagers plead for him, Fang Bo burst into tears. He knelt down and kowtowed to them, saying, "I'm sorry, I've let you all down. Sir, please give me a chance. I will try my best to make amends for the mistakes I've made. If I can't make amends, I'll give you my head!"
All the villagers looked at Zhao Yunjing, and the eagerness on their faces surprised him.
Li Changyi said, “Brother Zhao, as the saying goes, a prodigal son who returns is more precious than gold. I met Fang Lizheng yesterday, and I believe he is not a bad person at heart. Moreover, no one knows what poison he used except himself. Rather than beheading him and then wasting time finding out the type of poison and devising a countermeasure, it would be better to let him save the seedlings himself. If the seedlings cannot be saved, it will not be too late to cut them down later. If they are saved, it will be a good deed for him, allowing him to atone for his sins.”
Zhao Yunjing frowned, and a woman's voice came from behind: "A sin is a sin, and it doesn't cease to exist just because he has made amends. If everyone tries to use the tactic of redeeming their sins to gain attention, how can our promotional efforts proceed?"
Zhao Yunjing and Li Changyi turned around at the same time and saw Zhou Mujiao walking quickly from the back of the crowd. Zhao Yunjing's lips curved into a smile.
For some reason, seeing her made the oppressive feeling in his heart seem to lighten considerably. He went to greet her: "Why don't you go back and rest first?"
"I was planning to rest, but I really wanted to see you, so I came first."
Zhou Mujiao has always been very straightforward with Zhao Yunjing, because she knows that if she holds back, Zhao Yunjing might start to overthink things. Didn't he want her to find him a partner in the first place?
Zhao Yunjing's handsome face flushed slightly. Even though he was already used to Zhou Mujiao's way of getting along, he was still a little shy in front of so many people. He made a fist and coughed lightly to cover up his awkwardness.
Li Changyi, watching with envy, spoke first: "Then, in Doctor Zhou's opinion, how should this matter be resolved?"
Zhou Mujiao gave Zhao Yunjing's arm a light pinch before raising her eyebrows to look at Li Changyi: "I am a doctor. There is a saying that medicine and poison are inseparable. You may not be able to distinguish between poisons, but I can."
Fang Bo's expression changed, and the villagers of Fangjia Village all stared at her, afraid that she would ruin Fang Bo's future with a single sentence.
Zhou Mujiao ignored them and turned to Zhao Yunjing: "I came not to ask you to kill Fang Bo immediately, but to let you know that you are willing to give him a chance, not out of desperation, but because you originally wanted to give him a chance. On the contrary, if you are not willing to give him a chance, then I will be your support. Brother Zhao, I will always be with you."
Zhao Yunjing felt a warmth in his heart. He gently squeezed her hand and looked at Fang Bo: "Fang Bo, I have been in Nanjiang City for nearly two months. You have had the most contact with me. You know better than anyone what kind of person I am. Today you made a big mistake first. I will behead you in public according to the laws of Daliang. You should not have any complaints."
Fang Bo then looked away from their clasped hands and prostrated himself: "My lord, I have made a grave mistake. I have no complaints."
A buzz of discussion arose from the crowd. Some looked at Zhao Yunjing with disapproval, while others nodded in agreement. However, most of the people from Fangjia Village looked regretful and sad. Several older women even wiped away tears on the spot.
But no one pleaded for Fang Bo anymore, because they all knew that he had really made a big mistake.
Li Changyi's gaze swept over the crowd, then he turned to look at Zhao Yunjing. Just as he was about to speak, Zhao Yunjing said, "However, there is compassion beyond the law, and since you have shown remorse, I will grant you a chance. If you can save the seedlings, I will report this matter to the court, and I will plead for you. If the court is willing to pardon your crime, then you must not commit any further wrongdoings. If the court believes that the law is as firm as a mountain and does not tolerate leniency, then…"
Fang Bo nodded repeatedly: "I am already very grateful that you have given me the opportunity to correct my mistakes. I dare not ask for anything more. I will accept whatever judgment the court gives me."
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