Chapter 305: The Vicious Purple Steals the Crimson [Seeking Monthly Tickets]
Shen Tang ignored the beggar's reaction.
He said to himself, "However, I have a few conditions."
The beggar instinctively replied, "Please speak, Mr. Shen."
After she finished speaking, she herself was taken aback for a moment.
A hint of annoyance lingered in the corners of his eyes and brows.
She seemed to be complaining that she was too hasty and heartless, which would leave a bad impression on Shen Tang. After all, in the eyes of the world, the grudges of the previous generation are the previous generation. As a granddaughter, she was connected to the old couple by blood and should not be so rebellious.
Her eagerness might make others shudder, thinking that this woman might be a reincarnation of an ingrate.
Even the minor official who had been taking care of her for several days showed a hint of disapproval, with a touch of disappointment in his eyes.
Surprisingly, Shen Jun showed no sign of reproach.
Shen Tang said, "You write the complaint."
The beggar didn't understand, but nodded nonetheless: "Of course, it's just that my knowledge is limited, and I may not be able to write it well..."
Her early education was all taught by her mother, who guided her step by step.
It is limited to being able to recognize characters, write, and understand some principles.
As for literary talent and eloquence, she had none at all. She had deliberately inquired about how to write a petition, and she had always had a wish in her heart—to overturn her mother's case, seek justice, and clear her name—but her hands were severely frostbitten, and her handwriting was not good.
Shen Tang then said, "You can beat the drum and cry for justice."
The beggar paused for a moment upon hearing this, then understood slightly.
Shen Tang continued, "You shall appeal."
The beggar did not answer.
Looking at the beggar's pitiful appearance, Shen Tang's heart softened for a moment: "Are you sure you want to do this? As the granddaughter of that old couple, you personally wrote the petition and beat the drum to appeal. If the matter is true, they will at least be sentenced to five punishments!"
What is meant by "all five punishments"?
Everyone in Fugu City knows this.
The high platform trial provided numerous examples of the seven local tyrants being subjected to the "five punishments," which, in layman's terms, is equivalent to being dismembered.
The beggar was somewhat educated and understood the situation better.
so--
Is she really going to personally send her blood relatives, her "grandparents," to their deaths? Is this an act of extreme filial impiety, deserving of public scorn?
At this moment, the clerk who had been silent spoke up softly: "...Lord Shen, since the old couple's crimes are undeniable, just send someone to arrest them. Why make this young lady file a complaint?"
The minor official sympathized with the plight of the widow and her daughter, but the fact that the granddaughter had killed her own grandparents was simply unacceptable.
How will beggars survive in this world from now on?
Shen Tang said, "The meanings are different."
The official greatly admired Shen Jun, but he disagreed on this matter and couldn't understand Shen Tang's decision—why force an orphaned girl who had lost her parents? There were clearly gentler ways to resolve the issue.
He said, "I cannot agree with this."
Shen Tang said, "Because you look at it with worldly eyes, you naturally can't understand. But if you look at it from that lady's perspective, then doing this will truly bring her comfort and peace. Older men buying and selling women isn't just about having a woman to warm their bed..."
She scoffed when she heard the word.
The minor official couldn't understand her joke.
Shen Tang suppressed her smile.
Regain your usual calm and rationality.
"...It's not just about having someone take care of their food and clothing; the fundamental purpose is to use women's wombs to produce their own offspring. They consider their offspring to belong to 'their own people,' while women are outsiders. Therefore, no matter how much a woman resists, it's just considered 'disobedience.' At most, it will enrage them rather than make them reflect or fear, because this disobedient woman can be replaced by a human trafficker who is more obedient. Only when they truly consider someone 'one of their own' to stand up will they have any deterrent effect..."
"But...but..."
The minor official couldn't come up with a rebuttal after a long time; it wasn't that he couldn't refute it, but rather that he couldn't say anything.
“But there are too few people with that kind of courage.” Shen Tang said with a regretful expression, “Because even the children often think that this is a family matter, and family scandals should not be aired in public. Compared to a ‘mother’ who was bought with money, a ‘father’ or ‘grandfather’ who was bought with money is more worthy of affection. Losing one relative or losing three relatives, there is no hesitation in choosing. Even if there is some conscience that cannot be resolved, they will use worldly conventions to excuse themselves… Therefore, I think that lady was extremely brave.”
His family fell into decline and ruin. He was abducted and sold to his father and two brothers in the deep mountains. His wife refused to accept her fate and was often beaten, scolded, and humiliated. She still tried to seize every opportunity to abort her father's child, which was considered unlucky. As a weak person, she did her best to resist the misfortune of reality.
If she hadn't been mentally confused and being watched, she probably wouldn't have had that son and the beggar in front of her. After learning that her parents were dead, the woman should have resigned herself to her fate and felt that it would be better to raise her two children in peace, but then Diao's incident happened.
She was left with only one choice—
She resigned herself to her fate, protected her son, and let her in-laws sell her and her daughter into prostitution. After all, she was already so corrupt, it wouldn't matter if she continued to degenerate. But she refused to comply with their wishes.
They took a different path that is incomprehensible to the world.
As the most insignificant ant in this world, I used the most powerless way to prove my innocence, or rather, my last act of resistance.
The minor official muttered, "But it's a case of a mother killing her son..."
Shen Tang: "Did she choose to become a mother voluntarily?"
The minor official choked for a moment: "Although it wasn't voluntary, but—"
Shen Tang smiled but remained emotionless: "But what's done is done, so we should accept it? This is exactly what the buyers want. Women who are bought become obedient after having children, so if you want to keep a woman, all you have to do is let her have children."
The official said, "But she is a mother, and that means she is her own flesh and blood. How could you do this to her..."
Shen Tang sighed, “A mother, alas, does the world ever truly regard her as a person? She’s not even a person, so how can she be called a mother? As for how she could do such a thing, the reasons are probably very complicated—because her memories returned, and she discovered that her child’s grandparents were her enemies, her hatred was boundless, and she couldn’t accept it; because the situation forced her, without proving her innocence, she and her daughter would have no choice but to become prostitutes; and also because, if this son survived and grew up, another woman would follow in her footsteps… I think there must be many other women in that village with similar experiences, and children with similar backgrounds. She has already seen the predetermined future in her descendants passed down through generations…”
The minor official's expression shifted slightly upon hearing this.
Their attitude is no longer the same as before.
Shen Tang looked at her with pity: "Perhaps she also had another concern—the child she brought into the world, she would personally send away. Mother and child reunited in the underworld, with her personally taking care of and raising the child, would give her more peace of mind than leaving the child in the world. No one knows what the world after death is like... In this world, living is like going through tribulations."
Snap!
Snap!
Tears rolled down the beggar's cheeks.
Soaked and with deep welts running down his coarse linen clothes, the beggar cried out in distress, "So, has my mother abandoned me?"
In short, it still cannot be resolved.
She screamed hysterically, "She really abandoned me!"
That's why his eyes looked like that during their last meeting!
Seeing her unstoppable tears, Shen Tang felt a sharp pain in his head and said helplessly, "That was just my guess."
The beggar felt that Shen Jun's words were about 80-90% true. His mother was a well-educated and sensible rich girl who had been taught gentleness, kindness, respect, frugality and humility since childhood. No matter how hard life was, she would get up early every day and dress herself up meticulously.
She felt out of place in that numb and filthy village.
Those vulgar, mediocre women scorned her as a "vixen."
When the elderly couple were in a bad mood, they would make veiled insults.
At first, she and her younger brother were too young to understand, but they only felt that their mother was indeed shameful, with every move she made carrying what others called "evil air".
Even when they threw tantrums at their mother, her mother wouldn't get angry, only saying: "You're too young to understand; you're only pleasing yourself, not others."
After years of wandering, she still didn't understand that the person who understood her mother best was Shen Jun, whom her mother had never met.
The beggar cried so hard he almost fainted.
Seeing her like this, Shen Tang decided not to press her any further.
Just send someone to arrest that elderly couple and kill them.
Unexpectedly, the beggar stopped her.
Sobbing, he said, "I...I have never been unwilling to clear my mother's name. This is the very reason I have survived until now. But...I dare to ask that I also take the lives of the three brothers who previously humiliated my mother!"
The beggar took a deep breath to suppress his surging emotions and said, word by word, "I want to see them die without a burial place!"
Shen Tang, however, began to look at this beggar with new respect.
To appeal to the elderly, one must not only overcome the mental hurdle but also have the courage to face the endless insults and misunderstandings from the world.
No one will understand her choice.
The stigma may stay with her for the rest of her life.
Shen Tang said, "You are as brave as your mother."
Only those who refuse to accept their fate can defy destiny and change it.
That's really rare.
She said, "There aren't many literate people these days. Since you know a few characters, why don't you stay at the government office and help out?"
The beggar's eyes suddenly lit up.
His voice was dazed: "Is...is it okay?"
Shen Tang replied, "Of course."
She admired the beggar's courage in seeing things through to the end. Besides, Shen Tang wasn't a completely innocent person at heart; she would do anything she believed was right and in accordance with her code of conduct.
As for whether it is accepted by the world?
Who cares!
Let's do it!
Shen Tang hired people to arrest the person and bring them to justice.
The administrative office was short-staffed, with almost everyone working themselves to the bone. Even Kang Shi, who disdained the cutthroat competition of the workplace, hesitated repeatedly before finally joining Shen Tang in the same competitive overtime mode. However, he still couldn't outcompete Shen Tang, the ultimate king of competition.
He only summoned a wisp of literary energy, which lasted for an hour before forcibly withdrawing it, making his work efficiency much faster than before.
With increased work efficiency, one naturally appears "leisurely".
So he was conscripted.
Upon learning of the beggar's plight, Kang Shi felt great sympathy.
He was mentally prepared for these atrocities and bad habits—in fact, he didn't even need to go out and inquire; a fool could tell that there were plenty. Poor and desolate places breed unruly people; there's nothing these unruly people won't do.
This matter will inevitably come to Shen Tang's attention sooner or later.
It's just a matter of time.
Some people will intervene, while others will choose to turn a blind eye—because those troublemakers only behave themselves once they have wives; if their wives aren't allowed to carry on the family line, they'll cause trouble. Since the die is cast, why not just maintain a facade of peace?
As for what hasn't happened yet?
Well, of course we must try our best to guard against it.
The old official thus offered Shen Tang this tactful advice.
“Shen Jun, there are precedents throughout history of severely punishing those who traffic in others, but the problem persists and cannot be eradicated overnight. Your foundation is not yet secure, so it would be better to proceed slowly. Rather than die a noble death, you should endure this hardship… Alas, why bother?”
They actually knew all of these things.
Such incidents are common in the villages of Heyin.
But we can't do anything about it.
Firstly, the administrative center was in decline, and these minor officials didn't have the ability to manage it; secondly, the area under the jurisdiction of the River Governor was small, and even a casual investigation of any two people could uncover some ancestral connections, making it difficult for them to intervene; thirdly…
Shen Tang raised her hand to signal him to stop.
He only said one sentence—
“I, Shen Youli—from Sibao to Fugu, built a mound of corpses from seven families on a high platform within the city. What do I have to fear from petty villains?”
Let alone a bunch of troublemakers, even if these troublemakers had the martial prowess of someone like Gong Xi Chou, she wouldn't show any mercy.
Furthermore—
She came to govern Heyin County, not to provide nourishment for these insects or create a comfortable breeding ground for them.
As for persuading people with reason...
Reasoning is always meant to be spoken to others.
Because animals can't understand.
On the road.
Seeing the beggar's barely concealed excitement and joy, Kang Shi thought to himself, "What an extraordinary person!" and took the initiative to start a conversation.
"Miss Zhu..."
The beggar replied indifferently, "I am not surnamed Zhu."
Kang Shi asked in confusion, "But isn't that Zhu Family Village?"
Zhujia Village is mainly a village where people with the surname "Zhu" live. People with other surnames are mostly women who "married" into the village.
The beggar said, "I am determined to take my mother's surname."
Since the "grandfather and grandmother" distinguish between "our own people" and "outsiders" based on bloodline and surname, and their persecution of Mother was also to perpetuate this surname and bloodline—even selling her as a child to an old widower to use the money to continue their "family line"—she is naturally no longer suitable to live with the surname "Zhu." Just like Mother, their wishes must not be granted!
Kang Shi asked, "What is the young lady's name?"
The beggar was momentarily stunned upon hearing this.
After a long pause, he said in a dry voice, "Yu."
When Mr. Kang asked, she suddenly remembered that her mother was always referred to as "the Zhu family's" or "the widow of the Zhu family" by others. No one called her by her original surname or maiden name. Even she, as the daughter, only found out by chance.
Her mother was very fond of the poem "Yu Meiren".
She also held the beggar boy in her arms and wrote him stroke by stroke when he was young.
Who is Yu Meiren? Was she very beautiful?
No, Yu Meiren is a song from the Imperial Music Academy, later becoming the name of a ci (lyric poetry) title. It doesn't refer to any person, much less a beauty. But—I'll let you in on a secret—it was my mother's given name.
The beggar boy exclaimed in surprise: "Is Mother a beauty?"
The widow feigned a pained expression, clutching her heart and frowning, to deceive her naive and innocent daughter, saying, "Isn't your mother beautiful? Since you're a beauty and called a beauty, what's wrong with that?"
The beggar pondered, seemingly somewhat ashamed: "That girl is still young; should I call her 'Little Beauty' now?"
The widow chuckled: "So what will you be called when you grow up?"
[A stunning beauty.]
The beggar was amused by his own memories.
"My surname is Yu, and my given name is Zi."
She seemed to be speaking to Kang Shi, or perhaps to herself, or maybe to someone who is no longer here.
He added, "The purple that usurps the red!"
Upon hearing the meaning behind the name, Kang Shi frowned.
This young lady...
Sexually active!
ヾ(■_■)
To reiterate, this has nothing to do with trending topics and contains no insinuations whatsoever.
Longtime readers who followed the original books may know that Xianggu has mentioned similar elements more than once, either directly or indirectly. It's not about using these topics to stir up discussion or to get more subscriptions; I don't need that kind of money. Everything serves the plot, the character development, and the characters.
During the serialization of "Empress," some readers wondered why there weren't many outstanding female characters. Besides the protagonist, only Jiang Nongqin participated in military and battlefield combat (the women's camp was mentioned, but mostly indirectly, without specific descriptions). As for political affairs, Shangguan Wan and Wei Jingxian were only occasionally mentioned. Later in the novel, Mi Hua and Bai Yuexia were added, but they didn't have much screen time. This led to some people labeling "Empress" as a sycophantic and misogynistic character even after the serialization ended (which is utterly absurd, ridiculously absurd).
Why not consider the context before asking this question?
Pengpeng transmigrated and fought her way to the top, which took eighteen years. In a typical ancient chaotic world where women were confined to their boudoirs, how many female characters could step out and stand behind Pengpeng?
We can only wait until the world is at peace before gradually promoting and cultivating them.
This book features a concept of "literary spirit and martial courage," where female characters gain the power to step out of their boudoirs and grow very quickly. Therefore, it was foreshadowed from the beginning that a variety of different female characters would appear one after another, but they also needed to awaken and grow (after all, before Tang Mei appeared, women did not have martial courage and literary spirit).
I hope that every character, regardless of gender, can be fully developed.
(End of this chapter)
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