Chapter 130 130 End of Official Career
At the gate of the government office, the woman tripped over her left foot and fell straight in front of Du Qingtang.
Whether intentionally or unintentionally, the woman grabbed the corner of Du Qingtang's robe and pulled her so hard that she staggered.
"grown ups!"
Du Qingtang managed to steady himself, raised his hand to stop Zhou Tongzhi and the others from moving forward, and pointed to four yamen runners: "Go after them."
"yes!"
The bailiffs rushed out like a gust of wind.
Du Qingtang leaned down slightly and stretched out his right hand: "Can you get up?"
"I......"
The woman looked at the white hand that was held out to her, and after a moment she timidly raised her face.
Everyone present held their breath.
The reason is simple: the woman is just too beautiful.
Different from Du Qingtang's cold and elegant beauty, the woman's beauty is more like a deer in the woods, pure and harmless.
At this moment, her eyes were filled with tears and were full of panic. Like a drowning person grabbing the only piece of driftwood, she tightly grasped the corner of Du Qingtang's robe.
Du Qingtang's eyes flickered slightly, and his tone was gentle: "Don't be afraid, this is the government office, you are safe."
The woman lowered her head in shock, and suddenly realized that she was holding the edge of the prefect's robe in her palm. She retracted her hand as if she had been electrocuted. When she realized that she had stained the cloth, her face turned pale. "Sir..."
Du Qingtang glanced at the handprint on the corner of his robe, seemingly unconcerned. "The floor is dirty, get up first."
The woman pursed her lips timidly, placed her dirty hand on Du Qingtang's palm, and used the force to stand up.
"Come in."
At the prefect's command, everyone walked into the government office.
The woman followed Du Qingtang closely, with her head down the whole time, like a frightened bird. She was extremely tense, with the word "want to escape" written all over her body.
Du Qingtang stopped in the lobby and said, "Tell me, why are they chasing you?"
The woman looked up at Du Qingtang, then quickly lowered her head, rubbing the corner of her clothes nervously: "My brother and sister-in-law sold me out. I didn't want to be a secret prostitute, so I ran out when they weren't paying attention. I didn't get far before they found me and chased me..."
"Whore?"
"There's a brothel in the city?!"
"Daxia's laws clearly prohibit the opening of brothels. These people are so audacious and lawless!"
All the officials were outraged and denounced this behavior.
Zhou Tongzhi subconsciously looked at Du Qingtang, but saw her standing with her hands behind her back, her expression cold and without a trace of anger.
Zhou Tongzhi suddenly realized that the prefect was too calm.
Hasn't the prefect always been compassionate to women and not gone on a killing spree for the sake of women, killing all the men in the village?
When he was confused, he heard Du Qingtang ask, "You know where the government office is, so you led them here, right?"
Zhou Tongzhi's mind moved, and he looked at the woman with a thoughtful look in his eyes.
The woman seemed oblivious, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and she spoke in an inaudible voice, "I've been to the capital once before."
Did you remember the location of the government office after coming here once?
Even the way to the government office was memorized?
Zhou Tongzhi looked around and saw that his colleagues all had expressions of sympathy and approval on their faces, and he sighed inwardly.
What a bunch of idiots, have your vigilance been eaten by dogs?
Du Qingtang lowered his eyes: "Do you want your brother and sister-in-law to be punished?"
The woman's eyes flashed with water, and she bit her lip lightly: "Although they sold me to a brothel, these two are the only relatives I have left..."
The officials sighed.
"This girl is too kind. If I were her, I would make those two pay the price."
"Gu Lian's family affection also depends on who the other person is."
"Let's see how the prefect handles it."
Du Qingtang asked again: "Do you want to go back? If so, I can send someone to take you back."
The woman hesitated for a long time and shook her head: "I don't want to go back. If I go back, they will sell me again."
Du Qingtang respected her choice: "Now that you are homeless, why don't you stay at the charity house temporarily and decide whether to stay or go after you settle down?"
The woman's eyes widened for a moment: "Charity Hall?"
Du Qingtang nodded: "You can go to work in the garment factory, or you can stay and work in the charity hall."
Both of these are my territories, and your every move is under my control.
The woman lowered her head in thought. After a while, she hummed, "Thank you, sir. I do."
Du Qingtang summoned two yamen runners and said, "Send her to the charity hall and follow the rules."
The bailiff took the woman away, and the officials no longer had any reservations and immediately started talking.
"This woman is also a pitiful person. If she goes to the charity hall, at least she will have enough food and drink."
"Sir, I was unaware that someone in this city was operating a brothel, openly buying and selling women. Please punish these criminals severely!"
"I believe there may be more than one brothel in Shaoqing Prefecture, but they are hidden so well that we have not discovered their existence."
Du Qingtang looked ahead, watching people coming and going on the street.
There were many dirty things going on in brothels allowed by the imperial court, not to mention the shady brothels that were hidden from the public.
Du Qingtang rubbed his fingertips. It seemed that Shaoqing Prefecture needed a campaign to crack down on pornography and illegal publications.
At this time, the yamen runner who was ordered to chase the strong man came back.
"Sir, they've caught them. They're thugs from the brothel. The woman just escaped, and the brothel's madam asked them to take her back."
Du Qingtang asked, "Where is the brothel?"
The yamen runner paused and said, "Your Excellency, it's on the street behind the government office."
Du Qingtang laughed with an ambiguous tone: "Is this what they call the darkest place under the lamp?"
It seems that the person who runs this brothel is well aware of the principle that "the most dangerous place is the safest" and has run this dirty business right under the noses of the government, but the government has never noticed it.
The officials could sense the subtle anger hidden in the prefect's laughter. Just this tiny bit was enough to burn the brothel to the ground. They all held their breath and remained silent.
The bailiff swallowed and continued, "According to the confessions of those men, the women in that brothel were either abducted from other places or bought from their relatives. In short, they were all involved in illegal business."
"How could there be people in this world who would sell their own relatives to a brothel?"
"Some people will do anything for money."
"It's so abominable! Why doesn't God just strike them to death with a bolt of lightning?"
"Sir, what are you going to do with these people?"
Everyone looked at Du Qingtang.
They all knew that women were like the prefect's Achilles' heel, and that the brothel's actions were tantamount to seeking its own death.
Du Qingtang adjusted his sleeves slightly and glanced sideways at Co-Governor Zhou. "From today on, I will establish an anti-prostitution team to eradicate the trend of prostitution in Shaoqing Prefecture. This matter will be handed over to you, Lord Zhou. Do you have any objections?"
Having witnessed too much of the ugliness of human nature during this period, she no longer has the anger she had in Sanli Village, and can even give orders calmly.
If someone breaks the law, just execute him directly. Why bother with your own breasts?
Zhou Tongzhi bowed and said, "I will obey your orders, sir. I will destroy all the brothels and bring all the perpetrators to justice!"
Du Qingtang turned and went to the duty room, with the officials following behind her.
"It seems that I am still too lenient. The practice of abandoning baby girls still exists, and now there is the practice of buying and selling women."
"Sir Wu, please post a notice later, announcing to the entire prefecture that no citizen of Shaoqing Prefecture is allowed to buy or sell their children against their will. A reward system will be implemented for reporting the incident. Anyone found guilty will be beheaded."
I agreed to her decision and she didn't care. Buying and selling people against their will is equivalent to illegal human trafficking and is a capital crime.
Wu Tongzhi responded respectfully.
Du Qingtang walked into the duty room, and all the officials stopped there and dispersed.
After sitting for a while, Du Qingtang went to the third hall and asked Du Yi and Du Er to investigate something, then turned back and worked on official documents at his desk.
......
Wu Tongzhi was extremely efficient and the notice was posted in just one stick of incense.
The clerk read it aloud in front of the notice wall, attracting countless people to watch.
"First, they increased the penalties for adultery, then they banned the killing of baby girls, and now they're increasing the penalties for trafficking. The government is truly becoming more and more harsh."
"Those who committed these crimes deserved death, so why would you say they were harsh?"
"It's fine if it's adultery. Anyone who can't control their lower body deserves death, but the child is ours. As parents, they gave birth to them, so naturally they can decide whether they stay or go."
"Look at what you're saying. Children are human beings too, not puppets in a puppet show, manipulated by others. Even kittens and puppies know to run away when they're wronged. Do they deserve to be drowned at birth and sold when they grow up?"
"I suddenly remembered that the prefect was informed of the girl's identity by her own mother. Her mother was not a good person. The prefect had a hard life in the past, so he understood the difficulties of girls and punished those who bullied them severely."
"You're right. Only women can understand the difficulties women face. Those who say the laws in Shaoqing Prefecture are harsh, I suspect you have some shameful thoughts in your hearts. We just feel happy and don't think it's harsh at all."
The woman who had just complained froze, stiffening her neck and saying, "What nonsense are you talking about? Be careful or I'll pull your tongue out!"
After saying this, he did not put it into action. Instead, he turned around and squeezed out of the crowd.
"Look, she's clearly guilty!"
The people in front of the notice wall all showed expressions of approval.
"No wonder they oppose government decrees. It turns out they have something to hide."
"You look like a decent person, but why don't you do anything?"
When the woman heard this, she ran away, which further proved her guilt.
On the other hand, Zhou Tongzhi went to the military camp and personally selected 200 strong and healthy soldiers to form an anti-pornography team.
Watching Zhou Tongzhi and two hundred soldiers leave the barracks, Ma Qianzong sighed, "The prefect has so much to do. A man has to earn money to support his family, and he has to look after people outside. What's wrong with going out for some entertainment?"
Huang Qianzong disagreed: "The imperial court does not allow ordinary people to run brothels privately. The prefect is only acting according to the law. Her original intention is to make Shaoqing Prefecture better."
Commander Ma Qian was about to refute, but suddenly he thought of something, his eyes flashed, he just sneered, and turned around to train the palace soldiers.
Unlike the uniforms of the supervisory team, the anti-prostitution team only wore coarse cloth shorts. They were scattered throughout the city, blending in with the crowd, reducing their presence to a minimum, and silently searching for traces of brothels.
The brothel located in the back street of the government office was a three-story house. When the anti-prostitution team broke into the house, the house was filled with lewd sounds and both men and women were naked, which was extremely disgusting to watch.
"Officials are investigating cases, and idlers should stay away!"
Screams rang out as men and women fled in panic without even having time to put on their clothes.
The brothel owner hadn't expected the authorities to discover this place. She panicked for a moment, a fierce look flashing in her eyes: "Go! Kill them!"
As long as they take these people's lives and destroy their bodies, even the government can't do anything to them.
A dozen thugs rushed towards the anti-pornography team, and the brothel owner took the opportunity to escape.
But they were no match for the government soldiers. Within the time it took to stick an incense stick, the prostitute, the men who came for entertainment, the thugs, and the brothel owner were all tied up together, put on black hoods to cover their faces, and taken to the government prison.
The brothel owner and the thug are the principal and the accomplice, and are sentenced to be beheaded in public at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow.
After interrogation, prostitutes were forced to change their names and surnames and sent to charity houses. Before leaving, they had to register their place of origin. The government was responsible for contacting their families or arresting the people who sold them into brothels. Those who volunteered were treated as accomplices and beheaded together with the brothel owner as a public display.
As for those men, they were sentenced to three years for gathering together for adultery and promiscuity.
Most of them came from well-off families, and many of them even had families. Du Qingtang did not cover up for them and directly sent the yamen runners to inform them at their homes.
"The prefect said that either he must serve three years in prison or pay a ransom."
Most of their families are too proud to lose face and can only pay the ransom.
The government was also straightforward and released the person after receiving a ransom of 12,000 taels.
When these men returned home, they were greeted with beatings from their old fathers.
It's a disgrace to the government. I'd rather not have this son than beat him to death!
On that day, shrill wails were heard from many homes in the city, and they lasted for an hour or two.
-
After finishing his official business, Du Qingtang returned to the third hall as the gong sounded for the end of his shift.
I went back to the house and changed into my regular clothes. Du Yi and Du Er also came back.
Du Yi reported, "My subordinates and Du Er went to Liutiao Village where Zhang Caiwei was staying to investigate. Her parents died young, her brother and sister-in-law were unkind, and her brother owed money at the gambling house, so he sold her into a brothel."
"In addition, the Zhang family has been in Shaoqing Prefecture since Zhang Caiwei's great-grandfather's generation and has always lived in Liutiao Village. The villagers are very familiar with them, and there seems to be nothing unusual at the moment."
After Du Yi finished his report, he bowed his head respectfully and waited for his master's next instructions.
It sounded like there was nothing wrong, as if Du Qingtang was just being paranoid.
But is it really so?
Soon, the meow of a cat brought Du Qingtang back to reality.
Du Qingtang frowned, thinking it was an illusion, and listened attentively.
"Meow~"
The cry was soft and sounded a little weak.
There is no cat in the inner house, so where does the cat's meow come from?
When Du Qingtang was confused, he heard voices again. It was Du Qingzhu and Du Qingju who came back.
"You two should step back first and keep an eye on the charity hall."
"yes."
Du Qingtang opened the door and saw Zhu and Ju sitting at the stone table with their backs to her, doing something unknown.
The closer we got, the clearer the cat's meowing became.
"Where did the cat come from?" Du Qingtang walked forward and asked, while also seeing the cat's appearance clearly.
It was a tabby cat, a cub at that, slightly larger than a palm. Its hind legs were injured, bloody and mangled, and its thin body was trembling slightly. It looked extremely pitiful.
Du Qingju was treating its wounds when Du Qingzhu replied, "On the way back, I saw some kids throwing stones at it. It was meowing in pain. Its hind legs were injured and it couldn't run away. I felt sorry for it, so I brought it back."
Du Qingzhu raised her face, a hint of pleading in her tone: "She is very young and injured. Can we keep her?"
Perhaps realizing that Du Qingtang was the one in charge, the kitten raised its head and called softly, as if begging: "Meow~"
Du Qingtang stared for a moment, then relaxed: "Since you have raised her, you must be responsible for her."
Du Qingzhu's eyes lit up and he nodded rapidly: "Xianyu, don't worry, I will definitely take good care of her!"
Du Qingzhu has liked furry things since she was a child. She still remembers that they bought a few chicks. They were so cute and fluffy, just like a bunch of little balls of fluff, which made her love them so much.
Du Qingzhu wanted to raise a cat, but the girls in the Du family were all very busy, so she didn't want to bring it up.
Now that the kitten is right at his doorstep, Du Qingzhu is unwilling to give her up.
Du Qingju smiled aside. The youngest one seemed cold, but in fact he was the softest-hearted one.
Besides, who can resist a cute and pitiful kitten?
While Du Qingju was treating the kitten's wound, Du Qingzhu strolled with his hands behind his back to the lotus pond behind to check on the growth of potatoes, sweet potatoes and peppers.
Du Qingju lowered her head to sew up the wound and asked her youngest son, "I saw a group of people with black cloths on their heads at the clinic this afternoon. They were heading to the government office. What happened?"
Du Qingtang told him what happened in the morning.
Du Qingju was silent for a moment, then sighed, "Some people just don't know how to appreciate the blessings they have. They don't realize how many people in this world cannot have children."
Since Xinglintang opened, someone has come to seek medical treatment for infertility almost every three to five days.
Those couples took many kinds of medicine, worshipped many gods, and tortured themselves beyond recognition in order to have children.
But some people don't know how to cherish their children and sell them to such vile places as brothels.
"I really don't know how they could have the heart to do that." Du Qingju said with disdain, "And the people in that brothel, they knew the law but broke it, they deserved to die. It would be great if they could be eradicated completely."
Du Qingtang sat down at the table, tapping the stone table with his fingers. The kitten tilted its head and meowed twice. "As long as there's profit to be made, these shady black industries will continue to thrive. Aside from a small number of people who do it voluntarily to make a living, the majority are forced into it. This thing can't be completely eradicated. We can only hope that the anti-pornography team can save as much as possible."
Du Qingju sighed: "I took it for granted."
Du Qingzhu returned from the lotus pond and learned of the existence of the brothel. He angrily slammed the table and said, "There are too many people in this world who have lost all conscience. In my opinion, whether it's beheading or beheading, it's too easy for them!"
Du Qingtang propped up his chin and changed the subject: "How are the ones in the flowerbed growing?"
Du Qingzhu's expression softened slightly, but he was still sullen. He frowned and said, "Some have already sprouted. I estimate we'll be able to harvest in two months at the earliest."
Du Qingju kept her hands busy, trying to comfort the kitten, telling it not to move around so as not to get the needle stuck in the wrong place. "The batch we sent to Xiajing earlier is almost ready for harvest."
Du Qingzhu counted on his fingers and said, "It's true, but the number is too small, only about a thousand in total. If we want every household to grow potatoes and sweet potatoes, I don't know how long it will take."
"Take your time. Everything starts from small to large, step by step." Du Qingju took out a pair of scissors, cut the mulberry thread, touched the kitten's head, and said softly, "Be good and don't move around. I'll find you a little nest."
"Meow~"
Du Qingju went to the west wing. Du Qingtang crossed his arms and said seriously, "I'll go to the market again in a couple of days. If I'm lucky, I might even run into someone selling potatoes and sweet potatoes."
"I heard that there are many foreigners setting up stalls in the market. Who knows, maybe there really are some." Du Qingzhu pinched the kitten's paw pads, which were soft and comfortable.
The kitten seemed to know that it was this two-legged creature who saved her, and she did not resist. She looked at people with her big, round, watery eyes.
"So cute." Du Qingzhu muttered, her face full of ecstasy making people unable to bear looking at her. "Xianyu, I want to give her a name."
Du Qingtang was not interested in the furry thing and just responded casually.
"What should I call her?" Du Qingzhu pondered for a moment, and suddenly an idea struck him. "Xiao Ba and I found her at the hour of You, so let's call her You You."
"Youyou? It sounds nice, let's call it that." Du Qingju came over from the west wing, carrying a small bamboo basket covered with a layer of soft cloth. "Seventh sister, put Youyou in here."
Du Qingzhu did as he was told, muttering, "I'll make a little nest for Youyou later. After all, the bamboo basket isn't very comfortable."
Du Qingju echoed: "After all, he is the child of the Du family. We should not wrong anyone but the child."
Du Qingtang: “…”
In short, this cat named Youyou settled down in the inner house of the government office.
Because Youyou was still a cub and was injured, Zhuju and the others were worried about her sleeping alone. After discussing it, they decided to each take care of her for a day.
Du Qingzhu will be in charge tonight, and Du Qingju will be in charge tomorrow night.
Du Qingtang went with them. After dinner, he went to the study, read a few pages of a book, and then returned to his bedroom to rest.
-
The next day, Du Qingtang postponed his official duties and took Du San and Du Si to the market.
As Du Qingzhu said, there are still too few potatoes and sweet potatoes, and it will take at least two to three years to popularize them nationwide.
It will take too long, and people will surely die from famine during this period.
Du Qingtang had experienced the feeling of hunger and it was not a pleasant experience. For the sake of the people of Daxia and to make a contribution, she decided to go to the market again to try her luck.
Since its opening in November last year, the market has undergone two expansions and now has more than 8,000 stalls.
In fact, eight thousand is still not enough. According to the report of the clerk, vendors are turned away every day because all the stalls are rented out.
However, Du Qingtang is well aware of the principle that too much is as bad as too little, and does not plan to continue expanding in the short term.
The market was very lively in the morning, with Xia people and foreigners jostling each other, and the crowds were so dense that every step was difficult.
With plenty of time, Du Qingtang started from stall No. 1, paying special attention to potatoes and sweet potatoes, two high-yield crops.
I walked around most of the market and was stepped on several times. The huge footprints on the uppers of my shoes looked a bit funny.
Du Qingtang didn't care. He squatted in front of the stall and negotiated the price with the foreigner: "I'll buy both of them. I'll take whatever you have left. They'll all be five cents per pound."
The translator relayed Du Qingtang's meaning to the foreigner, who was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly, gesturing and chattering something.
Du Qingtang didn't understand and wondered whether he should take a foreign language course.
The translator relayed, "Actually, yam and taro are very common there. Every household grows them, and after the harvest, there's so much they can't even be stored in the cellar, so they're enough to last for a long time. He's the only one at home, so he eats very little and there's a lot left over. If you want some, he'll bring it to you tomorrow or the day after tomorrow."
But this crop, which every household has, is not found in Daxia.
Du Qingtang left an address and asked the outsiders to deliver it there, paid a deposit and left.
The market has two doors, one entrance and one exit.
When she was about to reach the exit, Du Qingtang heard someone calling her: "Huh? Isn't this Commander Du?"
Commander...what an old title.
Du Qingtang looked in the direction of the voice and saw a man in casual clothes, as strong as a brown bear, carrying a little girl on his shoulders. Who else could it be but General Feng?
Du Qingtang nodded and asked, "Why did General Feng come to Shaoqing Mansion?"
General Feng handed the little girl on his shoulders to the woman beside him and strode forward, a smile on his dark face. "It's a day off today. My wife heard that a market had opened in Shaoqing Prefecture and that many foreigners were setting up stalls there, so she dragged me and my little granddaughter over to play."
Du Qingtang glanced at the woman and the little girl not far away, and said with a bow, "I haven't congratulated General Feng on his promotion yet."
Last year, due to Tian Xiu's improper command, the third prince was captured and had his fingers cut off by the Qi army, leaving him crippled.
Later, the third prince was adopted by a royal prince, and Tian Xiu was demoted to deputy general.
The vacant post of general was taken over by Pei Yuchun, and General Feng was promoted to a third-rank lieutenant general for his meritorious service in the rescue.
General Feng, mindful of the large number of people around him, lowered his voice and said, "There's also an element of luck involved. If it weren't for... I wouldn't have been promoted to Lieutenant General so quickly."
"The right time, place, and people are all essential." Du Qingtang changed the subject, "What did General Feng and Ling Zheng buy?"
General Feng glanced at his wife and granddaughter, grinned, and counted off the details on his fingers. Finally, he stretched and said with a sigh, "Commander Du, you don't know, from the beginning of the first month of the year until now, we haven't had a single day of rest. Even a donkey pulling a millstone isn't as tired as us."
Du Qingtang was a little surprised.
In Daxia, both civil and military officials had a day off every ten days.
However, Loushan Pass is a military fortress and the fatal throat of Daxia. Except in wartime, it is closed once a month at other times.
Last year, the Great Qi submitted a peace proposal. Even if the enemy still has the will to attack, they will not make a comeback in a short time as gunpowder and muskets have severely damaged the Qi army.
Even if there is harassment from a small country, it will not lead to a period of five consecutive months without holidays.
General Feng noticed Du Qingtang's confusion and looked around. Seeing that no one was paying attention to them, he pulled her aside and whispered, "Commander Du, you may not know that General Pei was ambushed during the first month of the year and was struck by a poisoned arrow. He was in a coma for four months."
Du Qingtang frowned slightly.
"The military doctors say General Pei won't wake up, and we dare not publicize it. What if the Qi rebels take advantage of this moment to attack, and the Xia army is leaderless? Wouldn't that be troublesome?"
"We waited for nearly a month. Seeing that General Pei hadn't woken up yet, General Tian wrote an urgent report to Xiajing, informing His Majesty of the situation. During this time, he was in charge of all military matters."
"To prevent the news of General Pei's poisoning and coma from leaking out, we have been guarding Loushan Pass and the military camp non-stop for the past four months. We even slept with one eye open, fearing that we would sleep too soundly and be exploited."
"Until last month, His Majesty sent Dean Lan from the Imperial Hospital. You know what? Dean Lan is quite capable, worthy of being the head of the Imperial Hospital. He only took ten days or so to bring General Pei back from the brink of death."
"Commander Du, you don't know. The military doctor initially said that if General Pei didn't wake up within a month, he would most likely be lost. But he managed to hold on for four months. Even the head of the Lan Academy said it was a miracle!"
"Look, General Pei has woken up. There's no need for martial law in the army. We can finally take a break and go out and have some fun."
Du Qingtang stroked his waistband with his fingertips. He was silent for a long time, then asked calmly, "I wonder when General Pei was poisoned?"
Strictly speaking, this is a military secret and must not be known to outsiders.
But in General Feng's view, Commander Du was mostly one of his own. They had fought side by side before. If it weren't for Commander Du, who knows how many people would have died in last year's battle.
So he answered without hesitation, "The first day of the first lunar month."
Du Qingtang paused for a moment.
"I remember it very clearly. I had already gone to bed that night when my wife woke me up in the middle of the night. She said someone from the military camp had come and asked me to go back urgently."
"I braved the snow to rush to the military camp. The military doctor was pulling out the arrow from General Pei. General Pei's head and body were covered in snow particles, and most of his body was stained red with blood. He was already unconscious and kept yelling about Ah Yu."
"After extracting the arrow, the military doctor discovered it was poisonous, so he scraped General Pei's bones to remove the poison. He was incredibly resilient, and even without taking the Ma Fei Powder, he didn't even utter a word and persevered through it."
Having said that, General Feng rubbed his arms and grimaced, as if the pain was on his own body.
"General Pei fell into a coma after that and didn't wake up until last month."
Du Qingtang frowned slightly: "How is General Pei now?"
General Feng was incredibly forthcoming, saying, "General Pei lay down for a few more days after waking up. Commander Du should know that people who lie down for too long can't walk properly. General Pei spent more than ten days recovering."
"Actually, according to Dean Lan, General Pei was poisoned and then bedridden for four months. He should rest a bit. There's nothing important to do in the army anyway, so even if there are people under him, they can handle it. General Pei doesn't need to worry about it."
"But General Pei insisted on getting out of bed for rehabilitation as soon as he recovered a little. He was so anxious that anyone who tried to dissuade him would think he was in a hurry to meet someone."
"I suspect it was the Ah Yu he kept talking about on the first night of the Lunar New Year."
"It's really strange. There's no one named Ayu in the barracks. General Pei spends all day in the barracks. I've never seen him get close to any woman. I don't even know who Ayu is. General Pei is still thinking about her even when his life is hanging by a thread."
Du Qingtang turned her head to look at the palace soldiers in the distance. The sunlight shone on the spear in his hand, and the reflected cold light made her eyes feel uncomfortable.
"Is he okay now?" Du Qingtang withdrew his gaze and gently blinked his dry eyes.
General Feng thought for a moment, then nodded and shook his head. "General Pei is twenty-one this year. He's young and strong, so he recovered quickly. He was almost fully recovered in just over ten days. However, due to the poisoning, he's lost a lot of weight. He looks more like a civilian than a military officer."
Du Qingtang pursed her lips and asked, "Have you found out the culprit behind this?"
General Feng twirled his beard, shook his head, and said, "We investigated at first, but found nothing. General Tian said we might alert the enemy, so we had to give up. Now that General Pei has woken up, we've handed the matter over to him to investigate, but I don't know how the progress is."
"I'm glad you're safe. I believe General Pei will be able to defend our country with you all soon." Du Qingtang turned sideways. "There's something important going on at the government office, so I need to go ahead."
General Feng scratched his head and said, "Official business is urgent. Commander Du, please go quickly."
Du Qingtang bowed and said goodbye, then strode out of the market.
Du San and Du Si hung the potatoes and sweet potatoes they bought on the horse's back. On the other side, Du Qingtang sat high on the horse's back, looking into the distance at the wilderness ahead.
"I already told you, the snow is so heavy, you shouldn't have come."
"Master, what did you say?"
Du Qingtang shook his head, flicked the whip and galloped away, with Du San and Du Si following closely behind.
After entering the city, I met a group of young girls on the way.
"grown ups!"
Du Minjing was the first to notice the person on horseback. Her eyes lit up and she waved and called out.
The other girls looked over and greeted him softly, with shyness and admiration in their eyes.
Du Qingtang tightened the reins and stopped, looking at the girls who lived in the charity hall. His eyes passed over Zhang Caiwei inconspicuously, faster than a dragonfly skimming the water, without anyone noticing. "What are you doing?"
Du Minjing's eyes sparkled as she spoke clearly, "Your Excellency, we are going to the Qiong English Club to learn how to read."
Du Qingtang raised his eyebrows slightly: "How many words do you know?"
Du Minjing held her head high and answered loudly, "We've already learned the Three Character Classic, and now I can write 76 characters."
"I have thirty-nine characters."
"I have sixty-two characters."
“…”
The girls rushed to speak, fearing that if they spoke too slowly, the prefect would not be able to hear what they had learned.
In the crowd, Zhang Caiwei looked at the female prefect who was surrounded by the girls. She lowered her head imperceptibly, with a hint of thought in her eyes.
Considering that this was a street with many people around, Du Qingtang gave the girls a few simple words of encouragement before going their separate ways.
When I returned to the government office, the documents on the desk were piled half a person's height.
Du Qingtang paused slightly, took a deep breath, sat down, picked up the pen and dipped it in ink to prepare for work.
Just at this moment, hurried footsteps were heard at the door.
The clerk appeared breathlessly, holding a stack of documents. "Sir, these documents must be processed today."
Du Qingtang looked at the taller document: "......"
-
It is said that on the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month last year, Guo Qian took the child back home and named him Guo Wangfei that day. The next day, he took Du Qingmei back to his hometown and registered Guo Wangfei under the names of both of them.
The next year, on the third day of the first lunar month, the Guo family invited relatives and friends to hold a full-moon banquet for Guo Wangfei.
The four sisters of the Du family also went.
During the meal, Du Qingqin saw Guo Wangfei and whispered to her three sisters, "Look at his eyes and nose, they're just like Guo Qian's. If he weren't his biological son, I'd eat this table."
Du Qingshu resisted the urge to roll his eyes, curled his lips and muttered, "I really don't know what Xiaowu is thinking. I'm embarrassed to say she's my sister."
Du Qinghua sighed, "If Xianyu knew about this, she would definitely not let Guo go."
Du Qingqi said in a very low voice: "Guo Qian and Xiao Wu are husband and wife. Xianyu will definitely take Xiao Wu's feelings into consideration."
Du Qinghua's fists hardened. "So the problem still lies with Xiaowu. On the 28th day of the twelfth lunar month, I shouldn't have given in to her wishes. I should have taken people to the Guo family to cause trouble. Let's see if they dare to bring back a child born out of wedlock!"
Guo Qian knew that Du Qingmei's sisters looked unhappy, but he didn't care.
He has been married to Du Qingmei for many years, and his classmates of the same age have become fathers one after another, but he is the only one who has no children.
Now that he has a child, he has become more confident.
As long as he could keep Du Qingmei stable, he wouldn't be afraid of her sisters.
As for Du Qingtang, she was far away in Shaoqing Prefecture and had no time to care about what was happening in Baoding Prefecture.
"Come on, come on, drink, drink!"
"I won't go home until I'm drunk today!"
Guo Qian came to his senses and continued drinking with his classmates.
After the full moon banquet, Du Qingmei sent a letter to Shaoqing Mansion.
Adoption is a big deal, but it’s better to know that you will have several younger sisters.
Although there was a mistake on the way and the letter was lost, fortunately it was repaired in the end and sent again to Shaoqing Prefecture.
In April, a letter came from Shaoqing Prefecture, specifically addressed to Du Qingmei.
Du Qingmei was a little nervous. What would Xianyu and the others say?
Should I respect her decision, or let her divorce Guo Qian like my elder sister and the others?
Du Qingmei opened the envelope and after reading only the first paragraph, her heart sank.
Xianyu asked her to divorce Guo Qian.
Du Qingmei thought that after the previous persuasion, Xianyu knew what she wanted.
After hesitating for a long time, Du Qingmei still insisted on her original decision.
Men and children are not important, she just wants to be Mr. Du and Mrs. Guo.
Today she is the wife of a juren, and tomorrow she will be the wife of a jinshi or an official.
The letter was sent, but there was no reply for two months.
Du Qingmei felt inexplicably uneasy. She could hear Guo Wangfei crying, which made her upset. She asked the nanny to take him to the next room.
The crying faded away, and Du Qingmei's ears felt much quieter.
She couldn't help but think that if Xianyu was in Baoding Prefecture, she could persuade Xianyu to stand on her side as she did before.
At noon, Guo Qian came back from the academy to eat.
Before leaving, Guo Qian held Du Qingmei's hand and said gently, "Madam, there is a poetry gathering tonight, so I may be back late. You should rest early and don't have to wait for me."
Du Qingmei agreed with a smile, watched Guo Qian leave, and went to teach her students.
In the evening, Guo Qian and his classmates from the Juren class went to the place where the poetry meeting was held.
During the banquet, everyone was reciting poems, composing couplets, and toasting each other, having a great time.
As the hour of midnight approached, the poetry gathering ended and everyone dispersed.
Guo Qian drank a lot of wine, but he was only slightly tipsy and still remembered the way home.
The night is dark, with only moonlight illuminating the road ahead.
Passing through a narrow alley, two dark shadows appeared like ghosts and dragged Guo Qian into the alley without saying a word.
"Bang!"
Guo Qian only felt a pain in his knee as it hit the stone slab. The pain woke him up instantly.
Guo Qian looked at the man in black and felt a bad premonition in his heart. He swallowed his saliva and warned the other party in a timid manner.
"Who are you?"
"Who told you to do this?"
"I'm telling you, I'm a successful candidate in the imperial examination, and the brother-in-law of a fourth-rank official. If you dare to do anything to me, I'll make you suffer a fate worse than death!"
"laugh--"
Guo Qian responded with a scornful smile.
The other party was laughing at him for overestimating his own abilities.
When Guo Qian realized this, veins on his forehead throbbed and he felt extremely angry.
"I'm telling the truth. You can ask around. My wife's younger sister is a fourth-rank official in the imperial court. She disguised herself as a man to take the imperial examination. We're best friends. If she knew you dared to do this to me, she would definitely not let you go..."
Before he could finish his words, the man in black kicked him in the back and Guo Qian fell to the ground.
Guo Qian's nose hit the stone slab, causing him to see stars in pain. He growled, "What on earth do you want to do?"
The man in black said nothing, but just took action.
One of them sat on Guo Qian's back like a mountain, pressed his head into the ground, and covered his mouth with his other hand.
The other person leaned over and held Guo Qian's right wrist.
The temperature of the black-clothed man's palm was so high that Guo Qian shivered and broke out in a cold sweat.
What does he want to do?
What did he want to do with his pen-holding hand?
Guo Qian wanted to ask questions, but the man in black covered his mouth and he couldn't say a word. He could only struggle hard.
Unfortunately, this little bit of strength was like a drop in the ocean and he was unable to break free from the two men in black.
The man in black pulled and folded, and his right hand fell limply.
Guo Qian trembled all over as severe pain struck him. Veins popped out on his forehead. He reflexively tried to raise his head, but was pressed to the ground. His entire face was rubbed bloody by the hard stone slab.
A shrill scream escaped from his throat, but was blocked at his mouth, and he could only make a low growl like a trapped animal.
His hand!
The hand he holds the pen to answer the questions!
But this is just the beginning.
The man in black followed suit and removed Guo Qian's hands and feet one after another.
Severe pain came over him like a flood, and Guo Qian's eyes went dark from time to time. However, his body could only spasm slightly under the control of the man in black, and only broken cries of pain came out of his throat.
It hurts so much!
Help!
Who will save me?
Unfortunately, he couldn't make a sound and no one saved him.
Guo Qian's limbs hung limply, and he collapsed on the stone road like mud.
He was crying and gasping for breath.
Hatred and fear burst like a dam, almost drowning him completely.
Guo Qian thought that the torture of him by the man in black had ended here.
The next moment, he heard a "bang".
It was the sound of a dagger being unsheathed.
Guo Qian's eyes widened in fear. He hadn't passed the imperial examination yet, hadn't entered the imperial court as an official yet, and he didn't want to die! He didn't want to die!
In my peripheral vision, the man in black squatted down, and the dagger in his hand flashed coldly in the darkness.
He grabbed Guo Qian's hand, and the sharp tip of the knife dug into his flesh, stabbing and prodding, just like that—
Guo Qian's tendons were cut.
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