Chapter 940: The Whole Story [Three-in-One, Requesting Monthly Tickets]
"puff--"
The Ministry of Justice official was caught off guard by Shen Tang's sudden attack and was struck head-on. His chest felt as if it had been trampled by a wild beast, and he immediately vomited blood.
Shen Tang's almond-shaped eyes turned cold and sharp: "Capture him alive!"
Two guards lifted the Ministry of Justice official, who had almost collapsed into a limp mess, and Shen Tang raised his hand, conjuring a simple, narrow longsword. He pressed the blade against the official's neck, using the shaft to lift his chin, his anger surging within him: "You've got some nerve, daring to risk coming back!"
The broker is an informant specially arranged by the other party.
This move not only allowed her to monitor Shen Tang's movements but also deliberately misled her towards the so-called clues, making her suspect that the mastermind behind the loan sharking was the Prefect of Jinli County. Once she reached this conclusion, out of caution, Shen Tang naturally would not directly contact the Jinli government office.
This naturally leads to the so-called clue about the flower boat.
As for informing Zhechong Duwei of Shen Tang's identity in advance, it was also to mislead Shen Tang, implying that Zhechong Duwei's identity was problematic, thus drawing her attention to the latter and muddying the waters.
In this way, they successfully delayed the situation for three days.
Kang Shi arrived shortly after and saw this scene.
The Ministry of Justice official, who had been arrested, was pale-faced, with blood obscuring half his face. His breathing was unsteady, clearly indicating he had suffered serious internal injuries. He vaguely remembered this man; he was the Commander of the Ministry of Justice's Revenue Department, and recalled that he was a man of resolute character, taciturn, gentle, and peaceful nature.
In a flash, countless guesses flashed through Kang Shi's mind.
The one with the strongest presence—
There's a traitor in the Ministry of Justice; it's been infiltrated by the enemy!
The second theory is that someone stole the identity of this clerk, infiltrated the Ministry of Justice, and intended to commit treason. Regardless of the reason, Kang Shi, as the Minister of Justice, bears responsibility for inadequate supervision.
He waved for his men to surround the area.
From the moment Shen Tang kicked down the door to the moment Kang Shi surrounded them, only four or five breaths had passed. The clerk of the Ministry of Justice had also caught his breath, and looking up at Shen Tang with a blood-stained face, he said mockingly, "Is the emperor a benevolent ruler who kills his subordinate without distinguishing right from wrong?"
Teeth were stained red with blood mixed with saliva.
His eyes, however, were surprisingly bright.
"We're all old foxes, what kind of ghost story are you playing with me for?" Shen Tang's sword was incredibly steady, completely unaffected by the clerk's charm. "Refuse to admit her identity? Fine, Ji Shou, drag this corpse out and smash it into powder! Then boil it into soup and feed it to her, see if she'll recognize it!"
The "corpse" Shen Tang mentioned was the one dug out of the mass grave. Although Kang Shi found this horrifying and cruel, he didn't object. Instead, he solemnly ordered his men to take the body away. Upon seeing this, the commander of the Ministry of Justice's mockery turned into overwhelming rage!
"You dare?"
"Do you think I dare? Do you take me for some kind of saint, someone who can be provoked to the door and still have a good temper and not hold a grudge? Is that right, courtesan?" Shen Tang sneered, revealing the true identity of the Commander of the Ministry of Revenue. "Or rather, Chief Secretary Liu?"
This information startled Kang Shi, who turned to look at the clerk.
The latter showed no fear when his identity was exposed.
The blade of the Mother's Sword made a small cut on her neck, and a bright red snake slithered out and disappeared into her collar.
Beneath Shen Tang's seemingly calm tone lay a volcano that had been suppressed for a long time: "I guess you didn't expect that the body buried in the mass grave would be your elder sister, instead of Zheng Yu, the censor you brutally murdered... Aren't you looking forward to seeing what kind of expression I'll have when I dig up the grave following the broker's lead, only to find not the lead, but the long-lost Zheng Yu?"
Ling Shi stared blankly at Shen Tang, then suddenly grinned.
He revealed a manic yet somewhat regretful smile.
"Yes, it's a pity I didn't get to see it. You know, I personally watched Zheng Yu's body being buried. I just never expected there to be a traitor..." Mentioning "traitor," the man's face showed undisguised disgust. "Useless—"
Shen Tang cut to the chase: "Where are the provisions and money?"
Ling Shi let out a gurgling laugh, his eyes mocking as he looked at Shen Tang. He said sarcastically, "I thought Your Majesty was so intelligent that you would be able to find out. Now that you've spared my life, is it because you have no clues? Heh heh heh, would I say that?"
Shen Tang pushed the sword forward slightly: "You don't have to tell me, but I can guarantee that you will enter the Ministry of Justice prison alive."
Blood dripped continuously, yet Shi remained completely unafraid.
She coughed up blood with a laugh: "I've survived hell on earth, let alone a mere prison in the Ministry of Justice of Kang Kingdom!"
Seeing that she was unmoved by reason, Shen Tang added indifferently.
"Gao Guo".
Ling Shi's smile suddenly froze.
Shen Tang lowered her eyes slightly: "You should be from the Northern Desert. Although there is trade between the two places, the border army commander is Gong Shuwu. He has no father, mother, wife, children, or sons. The tricks you used in Jinli County failed to win him over. It is not feasible to transport goods out through this route. Therefore, the neighboring Gao Kingdom has become the best target. The relationship between Kang Kingdom and Gao Kingdom has been good in recent years."
The two countries traded freely, and trade regulations were lax, making this route the best option for goods destined for the Northern Desert. Shen Tang was more than 50% certain that the goods embezzled under the guise of official debts were in the Gao Kingdom. "50% certain," Shen Tang said with absolute confidence.
She raised an eyebrow slightly: "Given the friendship between Kang and Gao, do you think I can recover the losses?"
Although the brotherly bond between Shen Tang and Wu Xian was superficial, relations between nations are based solely on interests. Shen Tang's rapid and powerful development in recent years has greatly benefited Wu Xian. Furthermore, Wu Xian comes from a prestigious family and genuinely despises the likes of the Northern Desert. He would never secretly ally with the Northern Desert to harm Shen Tang's interests. A single letter might be enough to mitigate the damage.
However, time is tight, so I'm hoping for a 50/50 chance.
Upon hearing this, Shi ignored the sword still pressed against her chin, lowered his head and laughed, his chest heaving more and more.
Her smile shifted from somber to arrogant to mocking. Completely unconcerned about the sword wound on her neck, she let the blood gush out and soak her collar, laughing arrogantly, "Haha... then you try. Why don't you try? Is it because you're not entirely confident, are you?"
Shen Tang's expression suddenly turned serious.
The clerk laughed so hard that tears were about to stream down his face.
Shen Tang sheathed the Mother's Sword, blood dripping from the tip of the blade: "Take her away, at any cost, as long as we can get her to talk, Wang Chao will handle it."
The guards escorted the clerk away.
Ling Shi was seriously injured and could barely walk.
She was dragged past Shen Tang, and Ling Shi finally stopped laughing: "Do you know how my older sister died?"
The guards stopped what they were doing when they received a look from Shen Tang.
Although the clerk had the appearance of a man, his voice was exactly the same as that of the courtesan from yesterday: "...My sister and I are twins. She was sold into a brothel and became its leading lady within two years. In any case, she survived. But His Highness ordered the brothels to be shut down and the courtesans to be released and regain their freedom. How come she died a tragic death instead?"
The clerk's face contorted in a grimace as the last sentence ended.
She smiled sinisterly and turned to look at Shen Tang.
"Did you see the wounds on her body?"
Shen Tang glanced at the clerk: "Take him away for questioning!"
Ling Shi alone couldn't possibly manage such a large-scale operation. Shen Tang wanted to know her status and identity in the Northern Desert, and what had happened within the Gao Kingdom—heh, she hoped Wu Zhaode wouldn't disappoint her, otherwise he would be the next one to destroy the Northern Desert!
Not long after, Yu Zi brought in a corpse with her men.
"Minister Kang, a body has been found in the well."
This corpse is the real clerk of the Ministry of Justice.
Kang Shi crouched down, looking at the Ministry of Justice clerk whose throat had been slit, and said gravely, "This person who was arrested should have a similar scholarly approach to Yuan Liang. Such a flawless disguise, I didn't even realize 'she' was an imposter at first glance..."
He stood up and instructed Yu Zi: "Be extra careful when interrogating this person, and make sure she doesn't slip away unnoticed."
Yu Zi cupped her hands and said, "Yes!"
Kang Shi looked at Shen Tang standing beside the skeleton and asked, "How did the master know that this person would come at this critical moment?"
Why aren't you in a hurry to run away after causing such a big mess?
They actually turned back.
Shen Tang: "Because we found out about the owner of the skeleton, the intelligence said that she was a leading lady on a pleasure boat. A few years ago, she was released from prison and married Niu Er. Niu Er treated her well at first because of the money she had, but he quickly revealed his true nature and squandered all her money. Her life soon returned to its original poverty. She couldn't come up with any money, so Niu Er used her as a punching bag."
Niu Er likes to use violence when he's drunk.
One time, he hit the flower girl in the head.
She's gone mad, sometimes lucid, sometimes delirious.
Niu Er's family couldn't keep an eye on her, and she started running around in the street. A crazy woman is very dangerous outside. Niu Er soon noticed that her belly was getting bigger every day.
She gave birth last winter.
On the day her water broke, she was fortunately rescued by a passing female doctor, and gave birth to her child without any major complications. She also regained a lot of her senses afterward.
And her death...
Just as the broker said, she suddenly went mad and went out into the street to curse Shen Tang for not being able to give birth to a son, and was tortured and killed to silence her.
"...Her body was carelessly dumped into a mass grave by Niu Er's family. Someone prepared her body and buried her. The younger twin, the one from earlier, probably also found out where her older sister was and replaced the body in the grave with Zheng Yu's."
This move can only be described as provocative.
That's practically a face-to-face attack.
However, Zheng Yu's remains were switched back midway through the journey.
Kang Shi frowned: "Who switched them?"
The answer to this question was quickly found. Shen Tang had met the person who secretly switched the bodies once before; she was the female soldier who, disregarding the orders of the Commander of the Vanguard, led her men to search the pleasure boat.
How did Shen Tang know?
Because the female soldiers recruited themselves.
To be precise, it was her suicide note that revealed it.
Many people in Zhechong Prefecture had fallen victim to the official debt scam. When the scam was exposed, chaos reigned, and no one noticed the female soldier's situation. By the time she was discovered, she was already dead in her room. Her body had been cold for some time, and a suicide note was found beneath it.
Before enlisting, the female soldiers worked as kitchen helpers and cleaners on pleasure boats.
When the courtesan was released and returned to her social status, her indenture was bought, granting her freedom. She possessed great strength and unexpectedly received a conscription quota. Coupled with the good treatment in the women's camp, she conceived the idea of joining the army to try her luck.
In this world, women have no one to rely on and their lives are difficult, so the courtesan prepared generous travel expenses for her.
The female soldiers would stay for two or three years at a time.
The courtesan's fate also caused the two to lose contact.
When the two met again, it was the dead of winter last year. The courtesan had suffered greatly and was emaciated, unrecognizable as the once stunning star she once was. To repay a debt of gratitude, the female soldier planned to help the courtesan divorce Niu Er, but Niu Er refused.
He demanded an exorbitant sum of money, his triangular eyes gleaming with calculation: "I'm just a few dollars short of getting this job. If you can afford it, you can take this woman with you!"
The female soldiers' savings were far from enough.
But she still agreed immediately.
She quickly found a way to make money.
The profits from government bonds are astonishingly high, and the funds can be raised very quickly.
The female soldier relayed the good news to the courtesan, but the courtesan sensed something was amiss: "...Many of my past patrons were merchants, and they told me about the profits from trading. Giving out so many government loans at once—even if these merchants were skinned alive, they couldn't repay them. What kind of business can yield a 50% profit in such a short time? Something's not right. You need to find out more."
The female soldier asked, puzzled: "What are you asking about?"
[Of course, I'd like to find out how much government debt has been lent out! These savings of yours were earned with your life on the line; you can't just hand them over so easily. What if the merchants run off with the money?]
The female soldier chuckled, "Many big shots above lend money to officials; they lend out huge sums. My meager amount is practically worthless; no one would even bother picking it up if it were lying on the ground..."
However, she still did as the courtesan said.
Female soldiers may not have access to those at the highest levels, but they have many comrades-in-arms around them. The soldiers of the Zhechong Prefecture spend most of their time farming and training, so it's easy for them to get information out of each other.
She told the courtesan the information she had found out.
The courtesan did some mental calculations.
Her pretty face grew even paler: [Something terrible is about to happen.]
The female soldier was confused: "What's so important?"
The courtesan tried to explain, but the female soldier thought it was unnecessary worry: "If we can all think of this, why wouldn't those big shots think of it? Since they're all at ease, there's definitely no problem."
Even if the sky falls, there are always tall people to hold it up.
A few days later...
Because she had received treatment from a female doctor during childbirth, the courtesan's spirits improved. However, Niu Er and his mother treated her poorly. Despite the help from female soldiers, they often skimped on her food, leaving her hungry one day and full the next. Out of desperation, she could only embroider handkerchiefs and sell them on the street.
The courtesan met the female doctor who had delivered her baby that day.
The female doctor also recognized the courtesan.
He smiled and asked her how her recovery was going.
The courtesan naturally reported only good news and not bad, and then hesitantly asked about the condition of her newborn daughter. Because Niu Er still hoped that she would carry on the Niu family line, and forcing her to have an abortion would harm her health, Niu Er allowed her to give birth to the child, but did not want the child to live.
When the midwife learned of this, she was willing to adopt the child.
The female doctor's eyes were filled with compassion: "Over the years, following my teacher in practicing medicine, I've discovered that many families dislike baby girls, and many drown them in toilets or abandon them in the wilderness after birth. These children are so pitiful; they die before even a day has passed. Fortunately, my family had some assets, so I decided to build a charitable institution specifically to house these abandoned baby girls."
After each delivery, she would ask the family if they wanted the child. If not, she would waive her fees for the delivery and treatment in exchange for the child. The child would grow up in the charity center, and if the parents regretted their decision, they could take the child back. However, in the four years since her charity center was established, the number of children had only increased, and no parent had ever regretted taking the child back.
The courtesan was aware of her situation.
Furthermore, because the child's father was someone she had fathered during her period of madness, and she didn't know which scoundrel had fathered the child, she thought it over and decided to entrust the child to someone else. But after all, it was her child whom she had carried for ten months, and the courtesan was gentle and kind-hearted, so she still cared about the child.
I happened to run into the female doctor and couldn't help but ask about the child's situation.
The female doctor wrote her an address: "The child is doing well. If you have the chance in the future, you can go to the charity hall outside Fengluo City. She now takes my surname, is the ninety-ninth child, and is called Qi Jiujiu. Jiujiu is her nickname; we will give her a formal name when she is older and has begun her formal education."
The courtesan, still somewhat confused, asked: "Enlightenment?"
A sense of unease crept into her heart.
The courtesan, after being sold into the pleasure boat, was "enlightened" for a long time.
To sell at a higher price, you have to learn a little bit of everything.
If they show talent, then send them to a proper school.
The female doctor's words were perfectly reasonable.
The courtesan remained silent for a moment.
Before the ninth day, there are still ninety-eight children...
How much does it cost to go to school?
The female doctor said, "There are nineteen more after her."
Kunzhou was the poorest region in Kangguo. The people there had no money to spare, and were especially stingy and harsh towards baby girls, unwilling to raise them as a waste of food. The female doctor hadn't even finished her rounds of free medical consultations when she had already adopted a whole bunch of children.
The courtesan looked at the female doctor with reverence.
Just then, someone came over.
The young man was dressed in a maroon robe and had an unremarkable appearance.
My name is Zheng Yu.
The courtesan had seen many patrons on the pleasure boat, and she could tell at a glance that the young man was not particularly handsome, but he had an extraordinary temperament and was no ordinary person.
She thought the two were husband and wife.
Upon hearing this, Zheng Yu hurriedly waved his hand to explain.
It turned out that the female doctor had cured the young man's mother of a long-standing, embarrassing gynecological ailment, and the two happened to meet again in this place, becoming acquainted over time. When the young man needed the female doctor's help, she had easy access to the inner quarters of wealthy and powerful families, making it convenient for her to inquire about matters.
The courtesan, wanting to repay a debt of gratitude, subtly inquired about the matter. Having met many people before, she might know something.
Zheng Yu hesitated for a moment, then looked at the female doctor.
After the female doctor gave a barely perceptible nod to indicate that there was no problem with the courtesan's identity, Zheng Yu then evasively inquired about the merchant's business.
The courtesan, quick-witted and astute, soon sensed something was amiss.
She spoke evasively about the government debt.
Zheng Yu was overjoyed upon hearing this, as it was exactly what he wanted to know.
However, evidence is hard to obtain.
If he rashly submitted a memorial, it would alert the corrupt officials here, and he feared that no evidence would be left behind. Zheng Yu then asked the courtesan where she had learned of this information. The courtesan didn't think too much about it, and only vaguely said that she had a friend in the Zhechong Prefecture and that's how she found out.
Zheng Yu's expression changed: [The Zhechong Prefecture?]
The courtesan instinctively tensed up, worried she might say the wrong thing, and even more afraid of causing trouble for the female soldier: "She only heard about it."
Fortunately, Zheng Yu did not press the matter further.
The female physician did not stay in Jinli County for more than a few days before moving on to other clinics. Zheng Yu stayed behind and had several encounters with the courtesan. Although Zheng Yu did not reveal his specific identity, the courtesan guessed that he was working for the royal court and subconsciously felt a sense of closeness to him.
She knew that without the royal court, she would still be a prostitute making a living, and might have died of illness on the ship long ago.
We will do everything we can to help Zheng Yu.
One day, Zheng Yu suddenly appeared and instructed her that no matter who came to ask her, she should insist that she had never seen him.
Lord Zheng, why is this?
Zheng Yu: [It seems someone has noticed.]
He wants to suspend the investigation and leave the area first.
Just then, a lot of searching noises came from outside.
Zheng Yu didn't expect the people to arrive so quickly.
At that moment, the courtesan grabbed him.
You hide here first, I'll handle this.
She feigned a relapse of her madness and stumbled outside, only to find that the people outside were government officials, led by Chief Secretary Liu. If that were all, it wouldn't have been so bad, but she saw the keepsake of her twin sister on Chief Secretary Liu, and was horrified!
How did my sister's keepsake end up with a man?
Liu Changshi keenly noticed the change in her eyes.
Seeing that the man was about to approach, the courtesan gritted her teeth, ripped off her clothes, and charged barefoot into the crowd, cursing the king for his licentious behavior in the court, saying that if the king couldn't have a son, what was so strange about her not being able to have one either? She cried and laughed, jumped and hopped around.
Shen Tang's control over public opinion was not lax, but at most, such insults would only result in a few lashes as a warning to others.
The courtesan successfully distracted the group, allowing Zheng Yu to escape.
That night, the courtesan was murdered.
The next day, the body was hung at the city gate.
In Jinli County, most commoners were extremely dissatisfied with the royal court and Shen Tang because of her bad reputation. The death of the courtesan undoubtedly tarnished Shen Tang's reputation even further. Niu Er threw the body into a mass grave, and the female soldiers only learned of the tragedy when they returned from their rest period.
She buried the courtesan's body in the ground.
Not long after, a person who looked exactly like the courtesan appeared. She claimed that she and the courtesan were twin sisters, and that she had searched for a long time to find her, wanting to inquire about her elder sister's whereabouts.
The female soldier concealed part of the truth, only telling her about the courtesan's death.
【I am sorry for your loss. 】
The courtesan's sister was also a "courtesan".
However, she was a loan broker specializing in lending money to powerful figures and directing merchants who came to her door to borrow money.
The female soldier frowned: "Government bonds are no good."
Get out of there as soon as you can while you still can.
The courtesan probed subtly without making a sound.
Why isn't it a good product?
The female soldier sighed and recounted the courtesan's earlier assessment.
【You're her sister. Your elder sister said it's no good, so you shouldn't touch it either. Powerful people are ruthless. You're still young; save some money and buy your freedom as soon as possible. These days, even courtesans aren't allowed to sell themselves in Jinli County. I'll pretend I didn't hear what you said today, but if you get caught next time, you'll be spending a few days in the Zhechong Prefecture prison.】
The "court lady" only verbally agreed.
The female soldiers actually caught her a few times during their anti-pornography and anti-illegal publications campaign.
Disappointed that they are not living up to their potential.
The elder sister desperately wanted to regain her freedom, but the younger sister was greedy for the wealth offered by the pleasure boat and became addicted to it, which was infuriating!
Because of the courtesan's words of wisdom, the female soldier realized the dangers of official debt and decided to quit—with the courtesan gone, she had no goal in saving money. A month ago, she unexpectedly discovered that the courtesan had committed murder; a young man's body was found in the room.
He tried to rape me, and I accidentally killed him.
The female soldier silently stared at the wounds on the young man's body.
With so many fatal wounds, you call this a slip-up?
The courtesan begged her to help, pleading with her not to report the incident to the police. Out of gratitude for the courtesan's older sister, the female soldier agreed to help cover it up. When the man was buried, a token fell from his arms; the female soldier recognized all the characters on it.
[Censorate, Inspector General Zheng Yu]
The female soldier felt a chill run down her spine.
|ω`)
I need to add some more words, I'll refresh the page later.
P.S.: Finished! Let's continue with the three-in-one tomorrow! Please vote!
P.S.: Yuanliang loves raising cats, and Qimiao loves raising kids. Both of them have a bright future ahead of them going bankrupt _(:з」∠)_
PPPS: The saying "a hen crowing at dawn" is actually a biological mutation. If a flock of hens lacks a rooster for a long time, some hens will eventually become roosters. In ancient times, it was used to criticize women for usurping power and causing chaos, but we should see the true nature of this phrase! (*▽*)
(End of this chapter)
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