Chapter 47 Identity Crisis
The county government office was not far from the examination hall. When Wu Laoqi struck the yamen drum, the examinees heard it immediately.
"But is there anyone beating drums to complain?"
"Ever since the county magistrate arrived in Qingyuan County, he has redressed many unjust, false, and wrongful cases, leaving the people with no grievances to redress. The yamen drum has not sounded for three to five years."
"Now that we've seen the list, why not go and see what's going on?"
"That's what Zhu is thinking!"
The candidates who were on the list flocked to the county government office, and those who unfortunately failed hesitated for a moment and then followed.
The ending is set and cannot be changed, so why not go and watch the fun and take the opportunity to relieve the boredom in your heart.
Du Qingtang turned to look at Fu Wen: "Are you going?"
In Fu Wen's impression, Du Qingtang didn't like to join in the fun. Apart from studying, he was indifferent to everything. Today was the first time he took the initiative to ask for it, so she naturally wouldn't refuse.
"I've only heard people talk about beating drums to appeal for justice before, but I've never seen it with my own eyes. I have to take a closer look today." Fu Wen said as he pulled Du Qingtang to the county government office.
Cao Xingcan stood in front of the long desk, like a silent statue.
People were passing by and someone recognized him.
"Is this Mr. Cao from Xiajing?"
"It's said he's very competitive, so he must be feeling bad for coming in second."
"This year's top candidate is truly remarkable. I still remember her poem 'Village Day'. If I had the chance, I would really like to meet her."
As the voices of conversation faded away, Cao Xingcan's eyes moved downwards from "Du Qingtang" who was at the top of the list to "Cao Xingcan" who was second only to her.
Second again.
Fu Wen said something very right. As long as Du Qingtang is around, he can only be second place forever.
Since we have Yu, why do we need Liang?
Qingyuan Academy already has Cao Xingcan, so why is there another Du Qingtang?
When the news that he ranked second in the county examination reached Xiajing, his grandfather would surely be extremely disappointed in him.
And there is also the eldest brother and those half-brothers, they will definitely gloat over his misfortune and laugh at his joke.
Thinking of that possibility, Cao Xingcan felt cold all over even though it was already March.
......
Du Qingtang didn't know that Cao Xingcan had once again walked into a dead end and couldn't get out. She and Fu Wen came to the outside of the county government office and squeezed through the crowd to the front.
In the court, Wu Laoqi banged his head on the ground and explained with tears streaming down his face.
"I've been begging for a living since I was young. I'm homeless, so I might be staying at the City God Temple outside Dahe Town. The temple is plagued by rats and insects, so I've saved up a lot of arsenic and use it to kill rats and insects every once in a while."
"Last December, I saw Yuansheng in town. He had been running around various medical clinics, trying to buy arsenic. Seeing how much he needed, the doctors refused to sell it to him. At that point, I hadn't eaten for two days, so I sold it to him."
"That night, I woke up to urinate and saw Yuan Sheng driving a donkey cart past the City God Temple. I smelled a strange odor from the cart and followed him out of curiosity."
Having said that, Wu Laoqi paused, his body trembling, as if he was extremely frightened.
"Then I saw him carry three bodies out of the donkey cart..."
Before he could finish his words, the crowd was in an uproar.
"What? A corpse?!"
"Could it be that these three people were poisoned to death by Yuan Sheng with arsenic?"
Fu Wen arrived a little late and hadn't heard Wu Laoqi mention "Yuan Sheng, the candidate who cheated in the imperial examination." He stroked his chin thoughtfully and said, "That name sounds familiar."
Du Qingtang reminded: "Thank you Guang."
Fu Wen slapped his head: "I remember now, isn't it Qingtang's..." vicious cousin?
Du Qingtang nodded: "Don't say anything yet, listen to what he says."
Fu Wen pricked up his ears and listened to what Wu Laoqi said.
"Yuan Sheng buried the body and left. The next day, I went to the town to inquire and learned from his neighbors that there were four people in the Yuan family. His parents and sister had returned to their hometown yesterday."
"I went to Taoyuan Village to inquire again, but was told that Yuansheng's parents were expelled from Taoyuan Village for some reason and they never returned!"
"So those three bodies are Yuan Sheng's father, mother, and sister."
"Is Yuan Sheng crazy? Why would he do this?"
The crowd's noise drowned out Wu Laoqi's voice.
County Magistrate Meng slammed the gavel and said, "Silence!"
The yamen runner struck the killing stick: "Powerful - powerful -"
Everyone fell silent. County Magistrate Meng looked at Wu Laoqi and asked, "If that's the case, why did you wait until today to come to the county office to report Yuan Sheng?"
Wu Laoqi prostrated himself on the ground, his voice trembling as he said, "I'm...I'm afraid. Yuan Sheng bought the deadly arsenic from me. I'm afraid of death, so I'm...I'm..."
"This guy is completely unaware. If he knew Yuan Sheng bought arsenic to poison his parents and sister, he definitely wouldn't have sold it to him."
"But he knew about it but didn't report it, which is an even greater crime."
"Let's see how the county magistrate decides the case."
"That's right. The county magistrate has always handled cases impartially and will never let the murderer go unpunished."
"First, he cheated in the imperial examination, then he murdered his father and mother. I'm afraid Yuan Sheng can't escape death."
After Wu Laoqi finished speaking, he fell to the ground and cried bitterly.
Magistrate Meng then asked, "Why did you wait until now to report Yuan Sheng?"
Wu Laoqi hesitated for a long time before finally saying, "My conscience is troubled, and I heard that Yuan Sheng was imprisoned for cheating in the imperial examination, so..."
At this point, Wu Laoqi kowtowed, not daring to stop even when his head was bleeding: "I beg you, sir, to spare my life for the sake of my denunciation of Yuan Sheng!"
County Magistrate Meng twirled his beard and pondered.
In fact, just yesterday evening, news came from Zhili that even if the test questions were fake and Yuansheng was deceived, the imperial examination cheating was true. According to the laws of Daxia, the governor decided to sentence him to twenty years of imprisonment.
Yuansheng is eighteen years old this year. In twenty years, he will be thirty-eight, and his life will be over.
County Magistrate Meng originally planned to announce the verdict on Yuan Sheng after the results were announced, but he didn't expect Wu Laoqi to show up and accuse Yuan Sheng of poisoning his parents and sister.
"Someone come!"
The bailiff came forward.
"Go find the bodies of the Yuan family members, and then go to the area near the Yuan family to interrogate them..."
A series of orders were issued and the bailiffs left.
County Magistrate Meng added, "For the time being, imprison Wu Laoqi. Once everything is investigated, we will make a final decision."
Wu Laoqi's face turned pale with fear: "Sir, please spare my life! I am innocent. I know nothing!"
The bailiffs ignored his struggles and dragged him to the county jail.
"Adjourn!"
"mighty--"
County Magistrate Meng disappeared in the front hall, and when everyone saw that there was nothing exciting to watch, they scattered like birds and beasts.
"This Yuan Sheng is such a piece of shit! What did his parents and sister do wrong that he killed them so cruelly!" Fu Wen shook his fist at the air and said angrily, "I hope the county magistrate will gather evidence as soon as possible and sentence him to death by slow slicing!"
Seeing Fu Wen's indignant look, if she hadn't planned it herself, Du Qingtang would have really thought that Yuan Sheng was the murderer.
"Yes." Du Qingtang thought for a moment and added, "The county magistrate is a good official. He will seek justice for the deceased."
Fu Wen turned around and patted his friend's shoulder sympathetically. "Qingtang, thank goodness you had the foresight to break off your relationship with the Yuan family. Otherwise, with Yuan Sheng's viciousness, maybe... Bah! Bah! Don't say that! Slap! Slap!"
Du Qingtang: “…”
Fu Wen had already said everything. She was silent for a long time and chose to change the subject: "This is a major case. The result will surely be known to the whole county. Then you and I will know. Since we don't have class today, why don't you come with me to the shop and have a nice meal to celebrate?"
Fu Wen was easily fooled and was led astray by Du Qingtang's few words: "Okay, I haven't seen the sisters for a long time, so I'll go over and help."
When we arrived at Du Ji Snacks, the girls were busy.
There are many diners in the shop, including old customers who have been there since they set up a stall at the night market.
When they saw Du Qingtang, they all greeted her warmly: "Young Master Du is here."
Du Qingtang nodded and went to help Du Qingzhu collect the money, while Fu Wen went to the kitchen in the backyard to help.
Du Qingzhu lowered his voice and asked, "Tang'er, how did you do on the exam?"
Du Qingtang also responded in a low voice: "First place in the case."
Du Qingzhu was stunned at first, but after he realized what was happening, if he hadn't been concerned about the outsiders around, he would have jumped three feet high.
She pinched it hard to calm herself down, but her voice was still trembling with excitement: "Great! I'll go tell my fifth sister and the others!"
Du Qingtang followed her, collecting money while listening to the diners chatting.
"I heard the county exam results are out today. My neighbor is taking the exam, and the whole family left home before dawn. I don't know what's going on now, or whether he passed the exam."
"Studying is good. In two years, I will send my naughty boy to school too."
"Young Master Du, when are you planning to take the county exam?"
"A serving of fried rice is three cents." Du Qingtang took the money and looked at the diner who asked the question, "I've already passed the exam."
The diner was stunned: "When?"
Du Qingtang: "This year."
The customer asked, "How did you do on the test?"
Du Qingtang was about to answer when Du Qingmei rushed in from the backyard and announced loudly: "Today all snacks in the shop are half price!"
Diners will naturally be happy to save half of their money.
Someone asked curiously: "What good thing happened to the boss?"
Du Qingmei held her head high, her face brimming with pride and her mouth stretched from ear to ear. "My Tang Ge'er got first place in the county exam!"
The shop suddenly became quiet.
The diners all gasped, their mouths opened wide enough to fit an egg.
"What's the ranking of the county's top case?"
“It should be number one.”
"Wow, Young Master Du is truly amazing!"
"Congratulations to the boss! Congratulations to Young Master Du!"
Amidst the congratulations, the girls' faces were filled with smiles.
Du Qingtang held his cheek and suddenly chuckled.
Fu Wen came over from the backyard at some point, stared at her for a few seconds, and said with a sigh, "Qingtang, I've noticed that you love to laugh more and more."
Du Qingtang was slightly startled, and his fingertips touched the corner of his lips.
Fu Wen added, "That's great. I hope Qingtang can be happy every day. Always be carefree and at ease."
Du Qingtang turned his head and met Fu Wen's eyes.
They looked at each other without saying anything, yet it seemed as if they had said everything.
-
There was a happy atmosphere inside Du Ji Snack Shop. Meanwhile, the county government was conducting an intensive investigation into Yuan Sheng.
Based on Wu Laoqi's confession, the bailiffs quickly dug out three bodies, two of which were intact, and one was a headless female corpse.
Three months had passed and the bodies had already rotted away, but based on the unrotten cloth hanging on the skeletons and the recollections of the Yuan family's neighbors about Zhu, Yuan Ping, and Yuan Xue's clothing, it was preliminarily determined that the bodies were indeed the three members of the Yuan family.
Afterwards, the bailiffs questioned many people, but apart from the deceased's clothes, they could not find any other useful information.
The bailiff was somewhat disappointed. Based solely on Wu Laoqi's confession and his clothing, he probably couldn't convict Yuan Sheng.
Just as he was about to go back, Mrs. Wang, who lived in the alley, came out of her house tremblingly, leaning on a cane. "Sir, I suddenly remembered that night when the young man from the Yuan family drove out in a donkey cart. He said he was sending his parents back to the village. When I passed by, I smelled a strange smell. It must have been the smell of blood."
Several yamen runners were overjoyed upon hearing this, and the leader said, "Grandma, please accompany us to the county yamen."
Mrs. Wang readily agreed and went to the county government office as a witness.
"If I can make that ruthless Yuan family kid pay for his sins, I'll crawl all the way to the county government office!"
After returning, the bailiff reported the situation to County Magistrate Meng.
Even though he was used to big scenes, County Magistrate Meng couldn't help but feel terrified when he learned that the female corpse suspected to be Yuan Xue had been beheaded.
He took a sip of tea, suppressing the churning in his stomach. "Let the coroner perform an autopsy first. This matter has been widely reported in the county. We must get the results as soon as possible and give the people an explanation."
"yes!"
The next day, the coroner completed the autopsy and concluded that the bodies were Yuan Ping, Zhu and Yuan Xue.
There are both witnesses and evidence, and Yuansheng needs to confess and sign next.
Out of deep disgust at Yuan Sheng's behavior, County Magistrate Meng personally went to the county jail and threw the relevant evidence in his face: "Yuan Sheng, you have disgraced the scholars!"
Yuan Sheng didn't understand, but he still picked up the papers and looked at them in the dim light of the cell.
When he saw the contents of the paper clearly, his face changed drastically.
What does it mean that he killed Yuan Ping and Zhu?
What does it mean that the headless female corpse buried in the mountains is Yuan Xue, and he is the murderer of Yuan Xue?
Didn’t that bitch Yuan Xue steal the family’s money and run away overnight?
At this time, County Magistrate Meng threw in another piece of paper: "This is a confession of guilt. I hope you will not resist stubbornly and sign it as soon as possible."
Yuan Sheng was completely dumbfounded. It wasn't his fault, so why was he admitting to it? Why was he signing a pledge?
"Your Excellency, please understand!" Yuan Sheng felt as if he was in the middle of a huge conspiracy, but he couldn't explain why. He could only kowtow in vain. "I have been wronged. Please investigate!"
County Magistrate Meng sneered repeatedly. He was indeed a man who could do such a despicable thing as cheating in the imperial examination. He dared to do it but not to take responsibility for it.
Yuan Sheng felt the cold gaze falling on him and couldn't help but shiver.
In a few breaths, he thought a lot.
He was caught cheating on the day of the county examination. Not only was he unable to pass the imperial examination and become an official, it was even a question whether he could survive.
Since his official career was over, he didn't need to hide the truth for Yuan Xue.
So Yuan Sheng told County Magistrate Meng that Yuan Xue had poisoned his parents and absconded with the crime.
"It is true that I buried my parents, but I have no ill intentions. I just want them to rest in peace as soon as possible!"
It’s a pity that County Magistrate Meng didn’t believe a word he said.
"Since they are to be laid to rest, Taoyuan Village has a cemetery specifically prepared for the Yuan clan, and Dahe Town also has a cemetery. Why bury them in the wilderness?"
Yuan Sheng was speechless.
He didn't dare say that he did this for his future and career.
Magistrate Meng, however, took his silence as a sign of guilt and said gravely, "If this hadn't happened, you would only have served twenty years in prison. But now... I'm busy with official duties and don't have time to waste with you. If you don't want to suffer, then confess your guilt and sign your name immediately."
After saying this, County Magistrate Meng turned around and left.
The green official robe disappeared from sight, and Yuan Sheng seemed like a punctured balloon, losing all his strength and collapsing on the damp and smelly straw mat.
“Ahhhhhhhhh!”
He collapsed and screamed, scattering the so-called evidence everywhere, causing a burst of curses in the prison.
The jailer slammed the bars with a wooden stick in his hand: "Shut up! Behave!"
The prisoners spat and lay on the straw mats to catch lice.
The jailer banged and hammered all the way and stopped in front of Yuan Sheng's cell.
He looked at the aisles on both sides and found that there was no one in the aisles, so he squatted down and poked Yuan Sheng with a wooden stick.
Yuan Sheng opened his eyes alertly and found the jailer outside the cell. He forced a smile and said, "What can I do for you?"
The jailer curled his lips and said in a voice that only they could hear: "Yuan Sheng, the results are announced today."
Yuan Sheng's facial muscles twitched. Was he deliberately poking at his sore spot?
"The first in the county case is Du Qingtang."
Yuan Sheng's pupils suddenly shrank and he clenched his hands into fists.
Du Qingtang!
Du Qingtang, who caused his family to be destroyed!
How did she qualify to be the top candidate in the county?
She should be imprisoned like him, with her life in danger!
The jailer continued, "It was Du Qingtang who tricked you into buying the fake exam papers. It was also she who pinned the crime of patricide and matricide on you."
Yuan Sheng's eyes were bloodshot: "What did you say?"
The jailer laughed, but did not explain. Instead, he asked directly: "Yuan Sheng, do you want revenge?"
Of course Yuan Sheng wants to!
He wished he could cut Du Qingtang into pieces, eat his flesh and drink his blood!
The jailer's voice was low and full of temptation: "I can help you, but the premise is that you confess your guilt and sign it."
Confess and sign?
Yuan Sheng hesitated for only a moment before agreeing.
Cheating in the imperial examination is a serious crime. Even if you survive by chance, it is worse than death. It is better to die quickly with a single blow.
If I could drag Du Qingtang to die with me, I would die with my eyes closed.
......
"Sir, Yuan Sheng pleads guilty." The jailer presented the confession but did not immediately withdraw. Instead, he continued, "Sir, Yuan Sheng also asked me to bring you a message."
Magistrate Meng looked at the red fingerprints on the confession and asked casually, "What did you say?"
The jailer said, "He said that the top candidate in this case, Du Qingtang, is a woman."
County Magistrate Meng suddenly raised his head.
The jailer continued, "Yuan Sheng and Du Qingtang are cousins. I think that when a dying person is about to die, his words are kind. Yuan Sheng would not lie."
County Magistrate Meng did not express his opinion: "I understand. You can go."
"Yes, I'll take my leave."
The jailer left the second hall where County Magistrate Meng was handling official business, and headed east out of the government office.
"Done?"
"Everything is as you ordered. The county magistrate is aware of it now."
"Yes, come forward."
The jailer thought the other party was going to reward him with silver, so he stepped forward happily and said, "Thank you... Uh!"
The jailer was struck by severe pain and looked down. He saw a dagger piercing his abdomen and blood gushing out.
The jailer opened his eyes wide in disbelief and fell to the ground with a bang.
A dark figure was reflected in those eyes that were still open in death.
-
Du Qingtang had lunch at Du Ji Snacks, worked for an hour, and then returned to the academy with Fu Wen.
"I was busy with the county exam a while ago and didn't have time to draw illustrations. I have to finish the remaining drawings as soon as possible and send them to my employer."
Du Qingtang flipped through the illustrations, and there were four left: "Then let's start drawing now."
After saying that, he spread out the drawing paper and started painting with ink.
Soon, there was a knock on the door.
Du Qingtang went to open the door and saw Grandpa Liu and the yamen runners dressed in red and black clothes.
Grandpa Liu's eyes were filled with worry: "The two officials said they had something urgent to discuss with you, so I brought them here."
The yamen runner showed his token: "Are you Du Qingtang?"
Du Qingtang bowed and said, "I am Du Qingtang. I wonder what you two can do for me?"
The yamen runner kept silent, saying only, "The county magistrate has summoned you, so please come with us."
Du Qingtang's eyes flickered slightly, and he had a vague guess in his heart.
She had already prepared herself mentally as soon as she learned that the letter of accusation had disappeared.
When the enemy comes, we will fight him; when the water comes, we will block it with earth. It is still uncertain who will win or lose.
Du Qingtang remained calm, without a trace of panic on his face: "The county magistrate has summoned me, and I dare not disobey."
Fu Wen called anxiously from behind: "Qingtang..."
Du Qingtang didn't say anything, just gave him a reassuring look, and then left with the yamen runners.
After they left, students living nearby surrounded Fu Wen.
"What does the county magistrate want to see Mr. Du for?"
"Is it because of the county exam?"
"Fu Wen, do you know what's going on?"
Fu Wen didn't know, she sent these people away with a few words and ran all the way to find Cao Xingcan.
After much difficulty in finding out Cao Xingcan's address, he was stopped outside when he arrived.
Fu Wen's eyes were red with anxiety, and she did not miss the solemn expression on Du Qingtang's face when he left.
Qingtang must be fine!
Fu Wen made a lot of noise outside Cao's house, which alarmed the housekeeper, and only then was he able to see Cao Xingcan.
Cao Xingcan was reading with a gloomy look on his face.
Seeing Fu Wen's disheveled clothes, he couldn't help but frown: "What's going on?"
Fu Wen rushed over and grabbed Cao Xingcan: "Classmate Cao, Qingtang has been taken away by the yamen runners. Please help me, help Qingtang!"
......
Du Qingtang came to the county government office and successfully met County Magistrate Meng.
"I greet the County Magistrate."
"Get up." County Magistrate Meng's expression was a little subtle, but he still asked directly, "Is Yuan Sheng, who cheated in this county exam, your cousin?"
Yuan Sheng?
Shouldn't it be a letter of accusation?
Could it be that Yuan Sheng reported her?
Considering Yuan Sheng's character, Du Qingtang felt that this was possible.
But that letter of accusation...
Something flashed through Du Qingtang's mind, but it disappeared before she could grasp it. She simply put it aside and focused on dealing with the present: "Your Excellency, Yuan Sheng is my cousin."
"Not long ago, Yuan Sheng asked the jailer to tell me that you are a woman." County Magistrate Meng twirled his beard. "What do you want to say?"
admit?
Or prove your innocence?
In fact, County Magistrate Meng did not believe it, but when the jailer spoke, there were officials such as the county magistrate in the second hall.
If Du Qingtang can't prove his identity, I'm afraid...
If a woman disguises herself as a man to take the imperial examination, it is a crime of deceiving the emperor, and if she is not careful, she may lose her head.
Du Qingtang's eyes flickered slightly. "Excuse me, sir, my humble cousin only asked the jailer to tell you that I'm a woman, and didn't say anything else?"
County Magistrate Meng was puzzled: "What do you mean?"
Isn’t this serious enough?
Du Qingtang said seriously, "I thought he would frame me for cheating in the county exam, or that I poisoned my uncle and aunt."
County Magistrate Meng: “???”
County Magistrate and other officials: “???”
Du Qingtang bowed and said, "To be honest, sir, my relationship with my cousin has been strained. We severed our relationship last year. The village chief witnessed and signed the document of severance."
County Magistrate Meng: "What does this have to do with Yuan Sheng accusing you of being a woman?"
"I just think it's ridiculous. If he wants to drag me into this, he can just accuse me of fraud or make me his accomplice." Du Qingtang laughed as if he had thought of something extremely funny. "My cousin must have lost his mind in jail. He even fabricated such a lie that I'm a woman."
County Magistrate Meng: "...Du Qingtang, you should be aware that regardless of whether Yuan Sheng's words are true or false, you must prove your identity to me and the others present."
The county magistrate's expression was serious: "This concerns the imperial examination, as well as your own innocence and future. I hope you will treat it with caution."
Du Qingtang said: "I understand, and I am willing to accept the inspection of you gentlemen, but——"
She paused and said, "I wonder how Your Excellency will verify my identity?"
As Magistrate Meng raised his hand, an old doctor with white hair and beard walked in.
Du Qingtang took a closer look and found that it was an acquaintance.
Isn’t it the old doctor who helped her stop suffering from menstruation!
Magistrate Meng said, "Later, follow this doctor into the adjacent room. Remove all clothing and we'll be able to tell for sure whether it's a man or a woman."
The doctor doesn't care about gender. If it's a man, it's fine, but if it's a woman... her life is in danger, so he won't care about anything else.
"Yes, I will follow your orders."
Du Qingtang walked into the next room first, with a smile in his eyes.
There is always a way out.
With a creak, the door closed tightly.
The old doctor twirled his beard and said solemnly, "Young master, please take off your clothes and allow me to verify your identity."
Du Qingtang unbuttoned his shirt: "Thank you for your help."
The old doctor paused while twirling his beard.
This voice...seems familiar?
Not sure, take another look.
This is an amazing sight!
Although her skin became whiter, her nose became straighter, and her whole face became more than ten times more beautiful, but those eyes as dark as stars were clearly the same as the girl who asked him to take medicine to stop her menstruation that night!
The old doctor's eyes moved downward, and the protruding Adam's apple on Du Qingtang's neck rolled slightly.
etc!
Adam's apple?!
What the hell?
How can a woman have an Adam's apple?
The old doctor swore in his decades of medical experience that he had never seen anything so outrageous.
So is this person a woman, or half man and half woman?
The old doctor stared at Du Qingtang's Adam's apple with his eyes wide open.
While he was stunned, Du Qingtang had already arrived in front of him.
“You know what to do.”
I know what to do...
How can I do this?
Aiding the evil?
Or expose her disguise?
"You may not know this, but this is a conspiracy against me."
Based on Du Qingtang's understanding of Yuan Sheng, if he wanted to report her, he would never just say that she was a woman.
He would also mention the two-timing incident, the real and fake banknote incident, and perhaps even the broken limbs incident, to portray her as an unforgivable and scheming woman.
It is absolutely impossible that the only thing that "Du Qingtang is a girl" is true!
Then there is only one possibility, there is someone else behind the jailer.
When Du Qingtang learned from County Magistrate Meng that it was the jailer who passed the message, he immediately thought of the man in black who had taken the letter of accusation away first.
Who is he?
Why do you want to kill her?
No!
wrong!
If you really want her life, why beat around the bush and use Yuan Sheng to expose her identity? You can just hand over the letter of accusation directly.
Du Qingtang thought of another possibility.
What if, from the very beginning, the man in black’s goal wasn’t her life, but her person?
Once her identity is exposed, she will surely die.
The man in black, through Yuan Sheng, most likely wanted to let "Du Qingtang" die openly.
Du Qingtang thought, maybe she knew who the other person was.
"If I die, you can't live."
The old doctor stared at Du Qingtang intently, not missing any subtle changes on her face, trying to catch any signs of lying.
Unfortunately not.
The old doctor was skeptical: "You didn't lie to me?"
Du Qingtang: "If I lie to you, I will be struck by lightning and die a miserable death!"
......
With a creak, the door opened.
The old doctor and Du Qingtang walked out one after another.
County Magistrate Meng asked, "How is it?"
The old doctor bowed tremblingly and said, "Sir, I have examined this man's body and felt his pulse. It is indeed a man."
County Magistrate Meng did not respond, but raised his hand again.
Another doctor came in.
The old doctor's heart sank.
County Magistrate Meng pointed at Du Qingtang and said, "Go and take her pulse."
"Yes." The young doctor stepped forward.
During this period, more than ten pairs of eyes were fixed on Du Qingtang.
Du Qingtang calmly accepted their glances and even had the mood to straighten his clothes.
After a moment, the young doctor said, "My Lord, this man's pulse is steady and strong. It is indeed a man's pulse."
The old doctor's pupils trembled and he breathed a sigh of relief.
County Magistrate Meng dismissed the two doctors, and just when Du Qingtang thought the matter was over, he ordered again, "Du Qingtang, take off all your clothes."
Du Qingtang did as he was told.
The buttons were undone one by one, revealing the neck and collarbone. If they were unbuttoned a little further, the flat chest without a trace of ups and downs would be exposed.
County Magistrate Meng met Du Qingtang's eyes, which were clearly black and white, with a hint of humiliation left in them. Feeling guilty, he urgently stopped her before she could take off her shirt.
"Enough!" County Magistrate Meng cleared his throat. "When it comes to the imperial examination, no matter how cautious you are, it's never too late. However, for scholars, face is often more important than life. There's no need to take off all your clothes. I trust you."
Several others also agreed.
Du Qingtang has an Adam's apple and a flat chest, clearly a man, while women of her age already have curves in their bodies.
"I heard you won first place in the county exam. Take these books back with you. They will be of great help to you in the prefectural exam in April. I hope you will keep up the good work and win first place in the prefectural exam."
Du Qingtang took the book and bowed, "Thank you, sir. I'll take my leave."
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