Chapter 114 Threatening this person: Keeping him alive is a disaster.
Guan Ye listened intently, her ears perked up. Song Mian continued slowly, "The Heavenly Furnace of Xingguo Ward is incredibly powerful. Legend has it that the Heavenly Furnace doesn't burn charcoal, but rather burns living people, using their blood and flesh to fill the furnace of heaven and earth."
“The rumors are absurd and unbelievable. The Heavenly Furnace burns silver charcoal, which is precious but not for living people.” Guan Ye rejected Song Mian’s first reason.
“If it weren’t for the living filling the furnace, a ship full of promising young men would have been gone.” Song Mian sighed. “It must be because the island’s population is dwindling, and the healthy ones are even fewer. If this continues, in a few decades at most, the island will be deserted. That’s why Xingguo Ward colluded with Hu Xian to smuggle people… No matter the reason, once you’re on the island, you can’t get out. What’s the difference between that and being dead? My grandfather was a high-ranking official of the third rank, and he still has many colleagues in the court. Who knows when he might receive an imperial pardon? But even an amnesty won’t reach Canglang Island. Rather than being trapped on the island and dying of old age, I would rather…” Song Mian’s hand holding the wine bowl trembled slightly, “I would rather jump into the sea and try to find a way out.”
"What if you drown?" Guan Ye couldn't help but ask.
“Even if I die.” Song Mian put down his wine bowl, his eyes resolute. “It wasn’t for nothing that I fought this battle.” He then showed a self-deprecating look and shook his head, saying, “I didn’t die, did I? Although life is stifling, as long as I’m alive, there is hope.”
Song Mian's words were reasonable, and his account of the past was also well-founded. He was indeed a well-educated son of an official. Guan Ye listened and secretly made a mental note of it. She then asked, "There's something I've never quite understood. I understand that the Pei family swore never to leave the island, but why do they smuggle people? If they need more people to live and thrive on the island, they can recruit from outside... Why does Hu Xian use this as a pretext to lure us away, and... and..." Guan Ye's voice fell into a somber tone, "...and even push those who refuse to come to the island...into the sea."
Song Mian clenched his fists. "What else could it be? It's because of the Blood Crossbow Case."
—The Blood Crossbow Case…it’s the Blood Crossbow Case again.
Guan Ye suddenly realized that after the Blood Crossbow Incident, there were almost no blacksmiths left in the world. They were either dead or on the run. The Imperial Preceptor Cui Jin also said that Xingguofang was able to escape this calamity because it lived in seclusion on a deserted island and was not implicated in the Blood Crossbow Incident.
But if the imperial court finds out that Xingguo Ward has long been in contact with the outside world and even dares to smuggle people onto the island… who knows if any of these people are suspects in the Blood Crossbow Case? Guan Ye swayed slightly. Her father had been longing to travel on a large ship… and… Guan Ye, you, the daughter of a fugitive, have already come to the island. If someone reports this to the imperial court, who knows if hundreds of islanders will be implicated because of you…
Song Mian did not notice the strange expression on Guan Ye's face, and said angrily, "The Blood Crossbow Case is frightening, but there is also Hu Xian in Xingguo Ward. Just because you are afraid of being implicated, you can't take the lives of so many people on the ship. How old are they? Guan Ye, they are about the same age as us. Just because they did not want to go to the island, should they be buried at sea? Judging from Hu Xian's attitude, he has done this more than once. There are more than 20 teenagers on the ship. According to my estimate, no less than 100 people died at his hands."
"I will never let this go!" Song Mian's eyes turned red as he spoke, and he picked up the wine jar, filled it to the brim, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Hu Xian...where can we find him?" Guan Ye shook her head. This middle-aged man with two small mustaches seemed to have disappeared from the world. Since she and Ajiu came to the island, Hu Xian had never come to Canglang Island again, nor had anyone mentioned his name. Or perhaps... Hu Xian came secretly, but was not seen by anyone? What she thought was just that she hadn't seen him.
Song Mian slammed his fist on the wine bowl, making all the plates on the table shake. "If we can't find Hu Xian, Xingguofang won't escape this debt either. We'll just put it on their heads."
"Let's settle the score at Xingguo Ward," Guan Ye glanced at Song Mian, noticing his righteous indignation and hatred. On the boat, Song Mian hadn't paid attention to many of his companions; she hadn't realized he was so loyal then. Guan Ye opened her mouth to say something, hesitated for a moment, and then asked, "How should we settle the score?"
"I...I..." Song Mian seemed to have thought of something, but the second half of the sentence was stuck in his throat and he couldn't get it out. He was so angry that the veins on the back of his hand bulged out, which looked quite frightening.
"Are you going to report this to the authorities?"
Guan Ye looked up at the sound. Behind them, A Jiu had been there for who knows how long. His arms hung down naturally, his right hand habitually holding the sword he never parted with. When he saw Guan Ye looking at him, he nodded slightly to her, calmly walked to the table, and placed his rough palm on Guan Ye's shoulder.
"A-Jiu." "A-Jiu?" Guan Ye and Song Mian said in unison.
Ajiu placed his sword on the stool, sat between the two, glanced at the food and wine on the table, picked up the wine jar and took a deep sniff, his left brow squinting. "This wine is quite good. It's not even 7 PM yet, and you two are already drinking?"
Song Mian cautiously sized up Ajiu. The Ajiu before him was completely different from the one he had seen in Xingguo Ward that day. The swordsman in front of him had a gloomy face and indifferent eyes. The scar on his brow bone added to his fierceness. The way he glanced at him when he sat down was exactly the same as the arrogant young man on Hu Xian's ship. Song Mian was certain that the one in front of him was the real Ajiu.
Who was Ajiu, whom he had met last time? Song Mian wondered, but couldn't figure it out.
"You are...A-Jiu?" Song Mian's mind was blank, and his mouth seemed to stammer out the words, which he regretted as soon as they left his mouth.
"Otherwise what?" Ah Jiu had clearly seen through something. She slid her left hand under the table and gently pinched Guan Ye's waist. "You haven't changed much, and I probably haven't changed either. Didn't you recognize me at the fried cake stall?"
Song Mian glanced at Guan Ye in a panic, knowing that they were going to talk about something important today. He tried to recall where he was in the conversation, and then calmed himself down and said, "You're right. I'm going to report this to the authorities. What do you say?"
“Then go ahead.” Ajiu waved her sleeve, making a gesture of goodbye. “The Rongdu government office faces east. You are from an official family in the capital. Your grandfather was a high-ranking official. Perhaps the magistrate of the government office is your grandfather’s colleague. He will definitely stand up for you.”
Guan Ye was secretly annoyed by Ah Jiu's behavior. Heaven knows how long he had been eavesdropping, and he had actually overheard quite a bit.
"Do you think I wouldn't dare?" Song Mian's temper flared, and he adopted a stance of fighting Ajiu to the death.
Guan Ye knew that Song Mian wouldn't dare. He was the descendant of a disgraced official, a refugee, and had risked his life to return to Rongdu to live in anonymity. If he revealed his identity to report to the authorities and brought down Xingguo Ward, his fate would likely be to go to Lingnan to farm. If he were also charged with the crime of a refugee fleeing, it wouldn't be impossible for him to be imprisoned in the imperial jail until death.
Just as Guan Ye had predicted, Song Mian's arrogance in his hatred of evil gradually dimmed and then vanished.
"So they... died in vain?" Song Mian could no longer remember the faces of many of his companions, but he could not forget the vibrant lives they had lost. Everyone thought they were heading towards a new beginning, but little did they know they were falling into an unfathomable abyss.
Seeing Song Mian seemingly possessed, Guan Ye carefully poked him with her finger. "The Blood Crossbow case has implicated tens of thousands of people over more than ten years. There are almost no blacksmiths left in the world. Not only blacksmiths, but also craftsmen, sword slaves, laborers, and even children as young as a few years old... They died without any recourse for justice, and lived in utter darkness. Xingguo Ward's smuggling of people and causing their wrongful deaths is wrongful, but the others on the island are unaware of it. Once Xingguo Ward is punished according to the Blood Crossbow case... not one of the more than two hundred people on the island will survive. Song Mian, is this what you want to see?"
"I'm not a three-year-old. Don't try to use your arguments to blackmail me." Song Mian pretended to be indifferent. "All I know is that a life for a life, and blood for blood."
“You’ve read the classics,” Guan Ye said. “The young master of Xingguo Ward is also a scholar; he’s much more reasonable than you.”
Song barely managed to maintain her composure and glared at Guan Ye, remaining silent as if waiting for her to continue. Ajiu knew what Guan Ye was referring to, and placed her palm on the back of Guan Ye's hand. Guan Ye felt a warmth in her heart, and when their eyes met, Ajiu's eyes overflowed with tenderness.
"Young Master Pei lost his beloved. Everyone knows about it, and everyone witnessed it, but no one was able to stop the tragedy. If it were a matter of settling scores and venting anger like you do, Young Master Pei would be the one who most wants Canglang Island to be wiped out. But he... doesn't hate anyone."
--"Why?"
Guan Ye bit her lip lightly, "The islanders are mostly ignorant and can only be manipulated by others. Everyone thinks they are right, but they don't know that they are being deceived by others. Today it is others who die, but maybe one day it will be their turn. How could Young Master Pei hate them?"
"Young Master Pei... are you just going to let it go like this?"
Guan Ye shook her head fiercely, "Young Master Pei said he is willing to make a bet with his father, Pei Yuan, for the rest of his life."
"What are we betting on?"
"The gambling enthusiasts will definitely return to Canglang Island."
Song Mian asked in surprise, "Doesn't he, surnamed Pei, want the Pei family to stay in the capital? What's so special about Canglang Island that's worth lingering over?"
Guan Ye said with grief, "In the young master's opinion, Xingguo Ward should never have left the island. Master Pei thought that he was leading everyone onto a path to success, but in the young master's opinion, it was nothing more than a road of no return."
Song Mian seemed to understand Guan Ye's words, but he was unwilling. After a moment of silence, he suddenly raised his eyebrows, slammed his hand on the table, and said, "You've been beating around the bush so much, aren't you just trying to persuade me not to report to the authorities? I'm not Young Master Pei. What do you mean by 'road of no return'? I think the main road of Xingguo Ward is getting wider and wider. It's a road stained with blood, and people walk on it without any fear."
"After saying all that, do you really think you can do it now?" Ajiu spoke softly. Song Mian was already somewhat inexplicably afraid of him, and when he heard him speak, he involuntarily shrank back. "Is your grandfather still locked up in the Heavenly Prison?"
“He’s dead.” Song Mian sighed. “When I came back to Rongdu, I went to inquire. Grandpa couldn’t bear the torture in the prison and hanged himself after being locked up for several months.”
Ajiu then asked, "How's the furnace going when you take Tieying to Xingguo Ward?"
Song Mian sneered, "What a magnificent furnace! It illuminates half of Rongdu's sky. The materials personally selected by the Salt and Iron Bureau are being delivered to the workshops by the cartload. The Emperor's grace is boundless, making others envious."
Ajiu smiled slightly, "Xingguofang is at its peak, with even the Emperor and the Crown Prince personally visiting the furnace. I admire your righteousness in standing up for your fallen comrades, but you should think carefully about whether you can beat the drum to denounce Xingguofang today."
Ah Jiu hit the nail on the head, leaving Song Mian speechless for a moment.
Ah Jiu continued slowly, "You said it yourself, people need to live, only by living can there be hope. I'm afraid that before you can even sound the drum of grievance and reveal your identity, you'll be beaten to death with sticks. Once you're dead, you'll have nothing left. Song Mian, you're the smartest and most savvy among us. You understand the complexities involved."
After saying a few words, Song Mian's face grew even paler. He stared blankly at Ajiu's expression, his dry lips opening and closing, but he couldn't utter a single word.
"It takes a hundred years of cultivation to share a boat ride." Ah Jiu stared into Song Mian's deep-set eyes, pointed to her heart and said, "The bond we formed on the same boat is also in my heart. You remember it, and I haven't forgotten it either. Everything needs to wait until we have a firm foothold and are established in Rongdu... It's not too late to make plans then."
"You mean..." Song Mian asked, as if he had misheard, "You also want to avenge them?"
"Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs. No one is born a straw dog." Ajiu filled the empty bowl in front of Song Mian with wine, raised his own bowl and clinked it with his. "If I had been pushed into the sea and drowned by Hu Xian back then... if heaven knew that there was someone who wanted to seek justice for me, I would be very gratified. This cup of wine is for you."
As Ajiu spoke, she winked at Guan Ye, who understood and picked up the wine bowl, mimicking Ajiu's gesture as she handed it to Song Mian.
Song Mian never expected to be so suddenly praised. He was momentarily stunned and stood there for a while before picking up the wine bowl with both hands and drinking it all in one gulp. The wine was sweet and refreshing, and it was truly delightful to drink it down.
Afterwards, amidst the back-and-forth toasts and drinks, Song Mian never mentioned reporting to the authorities again. Guan Ye breathed a sigh of relief. Of course, she knew that what Ajiu said was just to temporarily appease Song Mian. If he acted rashly and actually reported to the authorities... not to mention the group from Xingguo Ward in Rongdu, if the imperial ships came to attack, there wouldn't be anyone on the island who could fight back or protect themselves. Aunt Lou, Ji Yuan, Shi Tou... and Pei Chu, who couldn't go anywhere... They did nothing wrong, they shouldn't have died.
Before long, Song Mian was drunk and slumped on the table, mumbling incoherently, calling out "father" and "grandfather." Was he drunk already? Guan Ye shrugged. Even sons of officials couldn't drink much. More importantly, Song Mian was supposed to treat them. This table was full of good wine and food; she probably couldn't afford to pay for it even if she emptied her pockets.
Ah Jiu saw through Guan Ye's thoughts and took out a silver ingot from his pocket, leaving it on the table. Guan Ye's eyes widened. Ah Jiu was so rich?
"The brothel owner said that even when we travel to the capital, we can't lose our dignity because we're short of money." Ajiu carried the drunken Song Mian on her back, picked up the sword in one hand and stuffed it into Guan Ye's hand. "Let's go."
Across from the tavern, a figure had been watching them for a long time. The dimming light fell on Lou Cangyu's gloomy face. He could see clearly that Song Mian was sometimes pounding the table and sometimes flying into a rage. He must have had a dispute with Guan Ye Ajiu. What else could they be arguing about? Lou Cangyu took a deep breath. He must be trying to blackmail Xingguo Ware with the matter of smuggling people.
"Womanly compassion, utterly foolish." Lou Cangyu bit her lip hard. She had worked so hard to get to where she was today, and Song Mian was determined to ruin everyone's Qingyun Path? Lou Cangyu didn't know what Ajiu and Song Mian had discussed. Song Mian seemed comforted, drinking bowl after bowl until he was completely drunk, but keeping this man around was a disaster, a disaster for Xingguo Fang, and for her own sake. Lou Cangyu's fingertips pressed deeply against the hilt of her sword, as if she could hear the trembling sound of the blade about to break free of its sheath.
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