Chapter 45: The silken arrow pierces the villain's skull; the red-robed figure's rage remains unquenched. ...
Su Jinxiu's embroidery workshop, which she had been preparing for, was set to open for business in two days.
However, before the matter could even begin, Huayun Pavilion encountered a significant challenge.
Huayun Pavilion has always relied on the supply of high-quality silk from Sangyuan Village on the outskirts of Beijing. However, this year, Sangyuan Village suffered a locust plague, which drastically reduced the production of silk. The local tyrant landlord in Sangyuan Village then monopolized all the remaining silk for the year and wanted to sell it to Huayun Pavilion at ten times the price.
The next morning, Su Jinxiu changed into coarse cloth clothes and a straw hat, disguising herself as a mulberry picker, and took two servants with her to Sangyuan Village to investigate the situation. Upon entering the village, she saw vast stretches of destroyed mulberry fields, the mulberry leaves riddled with wormholes, withered and yellow. Several old farmers squatted on the ridges of the fields, stroking the tattered mulberry leaves, sighing incessantly.
Su Jinxiu stepped forward, greeted an elderly man with gray hair, and asked softly, "Uncle, look how ruined these mulberry leaves are. I'm afraid this year's harvest is doomed."
The old man looked up at her, saw that she was a strange village girl, and sighed, “That’s right! We suffered a locust plague, and there was no harvest to begin with. That heartless landlord not only didn’t reduce the rent, but he also embezzled the disaster relief grain given by the government. We’re having a hard time even eating, let alone getting medicine for our children. My little granddaughter has had a high fever for two days. If it drags on any longer… sigh!”
Su Jinxiu listened silently, already having made up her mind.
On the third day, she returned to Sangyuan Village disguised as a village girl, carrying several large bags of medicinal herbs and food. She distributed the supplies to the affected villagers, especially giving the old man enough fever reducers and millet porridge.
Seeing her kind heart and genuine willingness to help, the villagers gradually lowered their guard and began to trust her more.
After becoming completely familiar with the villagers, Su Jinxiu gathered them together and stood under an old locust tree, saying loudly, "The villagers are all aware of the landlord's evil deeds. I implore you all to give me a chance, and to give Sangyuan Village a chance! Tell me all the evidence, confessions, and witnesses of his evil deeds. As long as the evidence is conclusive, I will ask the officials to bring him to justice and restore peace to us!"
"Once this is done, as long as you agree to provide Huayun Pavilion with a stable and long-term supply of silk, I guarantee that you will receive your full wages every year. If any natural disasters occur, Huayun Pavilion will bear all the losses."
Su Jinxiu thought that getting these villagers, who were used to being bullied, to stand up and take the lead would be harder than climbing to heaven.
But as soon as he finished speaking, someone in the crowd started to move.
First, there was the old man she had chatted with a few days earlier, who was unusually determined: "We're already struggling to make ends meet anyway, so let's take a gamble; maybe there's still a way out!" With one person taking the lead, the villagers echoed: "Yes! Let's fight! We can't let the landlord bully us anymore!" "Miss Su, we believe in you! We'll work with you!"
"Alright! Since everyone is willing to believe me, I will come again tomorrow. I ask you all to think carefully today and remember every single evil deed that Jiang Fuci has committed over the years!"
Upon returning to the capital, Su Jinxiu immediately used the Xie family's connections to contact an honest official in the Ministry of Revenue. With everything arranged, Su Jinxiu went to Sangyuan Village again to collect evidence. The process went exceptionally smoothly; the villagers had already prepared their testimonies, signed and sealed them, and there were no obstacles whatsoever.
The smoother things went, the more uneasy Su Jinxiu felt. She dared not delay and hurriedly headed to the waiting carriage outside the village after collecting the evidence.
Just as she was about to reach the carriage, several people suddenly rushed out of the bushes and covered her mouth and nose. Su Jinxiu felt dizzy and instantly lost consciousness.
In a daze, a bucket of cold water was splashed on her face. The biting cold instantly woke her up. After struggling to open her eyes, she found herself lying in a luxurious courtyard.
She struggled to sit up and saw a wealthy-looking gentleman dressed in fine silks and satins standing in front of her. Beside him, bowing and scraping, was the same old man who had led the way in supporting her a few days ago.
Su Jinxiu felt a chill rise from the soles of her feet.
The most common trick of a true exploiter who wants to exploit a group of people for a long time is to first raise a lapdog from among those people.
The portly old man revealed a smug smile: "Let me introduce myself, I am Jiang Fuci."
No sooner had he finished speaking than the courtyard gate was pushed open, and the servants who had been responsible for the reception were also shoved in, all with bruises and swelling on their faces. Several villagers who had responded with the old man were also brought in, bound and looking terrified.
Jiang Fuci looked at them with a forced smile, his tone sarcastic: "We're all from the same village, how could you do something so treacherous?"
The old man immediately stepped forward and kicked a thin young man. These villagers were already malnourished and emaciated. With this kick, the young man groaned in pain and fell to the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
In a moment of quick thinking, Su Jinxiu decided to stall for time, so she deliberately raised her voice: "I have already contacted Chief Chen of the Ministry of Revenue in the capital, and he will bring people over today!"
Jiang Fuci suddenly burst into laughter: "Oh? Manager Chen, is that right? Hmm... let me think... Manager Chen's superior is named Jiang Huai'an, isn't he?"
"I am not very talented, but my surname is also Jiang!"
It should have been known that local bullies like Jiang Fuci, who dare to act arrogantly, usually have a protective umbrella behind them.
Jiang Fuci revealed a lewd smile, stepped forward and pinched Su Jinxiu's chin, his tone flippant: "Oh my, I didn't expect that Boss Su, who manages such a large Huayun Pavilion, is also such a beautiful woman."
Su Jinxiu suppressed the humiliation and anger in her heart, knowing that she must not provoke him at this moment, so she followed Jiang Fuci's gaze and revealed a meaningful smile.
"Master Jiang, do you think that I, Su Jinxiu, have made it this far in the capital solely because of my embroidery skills?"
Jiang Fuci paused, her hand holding her chin, clearly intrigued.
Su Jinxiu continued, "I know a few friends who have influence in official circles. They can help you optimize the tax system in Sangyuan Village, and even get you an official document. From now on, when you buy silk, you won't be negotiating with the villagers, but will be buying it by imperial decree. Who would dare to refuse? This is much more prestigious than embezzling a few small sums of money. What do you think?"
Jiang Fuci looked at her suspiciously, clearly weighing the pros and cons.
A moment later, he waved his hand, ordering someone to untie Su Jinxiu. He then dismissed the bystanders, leaving only the three of them to negotiate in the courtyard.
She suppressed her nausea and began to feign politeness with Jiang Fuci. After a heated exchange, Jiang Fuci made her write a guarantee, sign it, and the two finally reached an agreement.
Just as Su Jinxiu breathed a sigh of relief, the old man suddenly slammed the courtyard gate shut. She froze, but pretended to be calm and quickly walked to the door: "Uncle, please open the door, I have to get going."
"On the road?"
Su Jinxiu turned around and saw Jiang Fuci slowly unbuckling his belt, a greedy look on his face: "If it's just a piece of paper, I really can't trust Boss Su. How about... Boss Su just become my man, and we can run our little family together from now on? What do you think?"
Without further hesitation, Su Jinxiu kicked the old man hard in the groin. Taking advantage of the moment he cried out in pain and bent over, she suddenly opened the door and ran out without a care in the world.
Jiang Fuci was heavily pregnant and couldn't catch up. But Su Jinxiu hadn't run far when several villagers who wanted to curry favor with the landlord jumped out from the side and blocked her way.
Poor and desolate places breed unruly people!
Jiang Fuci caught up from behind, panting, but with a smug smile on his face: "Well done! After this is done, I'll make you long-term laborers and put you in charge of the others!"
Su Jinxiu's heart tightened, and she quickly turned around to run in another direction, but was caught by the villagers again.
Is it really a doomed day?
She struggled desperately, her nails even digging into his flesh. Jiang Fuci was getting closer and closer; he grabbed Su Jinxiu's wrist and tried to drag her into the courtyard.
"call out!"
An arrow pierced the air.
Jiang Fuci's head was ruptured and he collapsed to the ground, dying instantly.
Su Jinxiu dared not look at his tragic death. She could only turn her head and see dust billowing in the distance as a troop of government officials galloped toward her.
She breathed a sigh of relief instantly, and tears almost welled up in her eyes.
"May you be blessed with good fortune and a long life, may Buddha protect you!"
Before she could even catch her breath, the leader was already close by.
The man rode a tall horse, looking down at her with a red robe and a black cloak, his expressionless gaze fixed on her.
"May Buddha protect me?"
Su Jinxiu was stunned and hadn't reacted when she heard Feng Chen continue, "You don't even have the ability to protect yourself, yet you dare to force your way in alone?" He then waved his hand and pointed to the villagers blocking the road, "Those people don't need to be spared. Just execute them first and report later."
"Yes, sir!"
The guards behind Feng Chen were clearly elite soldiers who had been on the battlefield. Upon hearing this, they did not hesitate, drew their swords and charged. After a few clean, muffled thuds, the villagers fell into pools of blood.
Su Jinxiu felt a wave of nausea wash over her.
She quickly covered her mouth and turned away to catch her breath.
When he turned around again, Feng Chen was still in the same posture as before, like a general holding a sword under Guan Yu's command, with no warmth or emotion in his body.
She forced a smile and whispered, "Thank you for arriving in time."
"No need." He then let out a light snort, his tone distant. "We're all just passing by, each going our own way."
As soon as he finished speaking, he reined in his horse, turned around, and left without looking back.
"Why!"
Feng Chen rode ahead on horseback, kicking up dust as he went, like a streak of crimson lightning.
Su Jinxiu chased after them with all her might, panting heavily, her hair disheveled.
After finally staggering out of the village, he saw Feng Chen dismount his horse with swift and graceful movements. He then lifted the carriage curtain, entered the carriage, and did not look back.
She stood there, unsure of what to do. As she looked around, the carriage curtain was lifted again. Feng Chen frowned slightly, his dark eyes fixed on her, and he said impatiently, "What are you standing there for? Do you want to go back to the village and try to die again?"
Upon hearing this, Su Jinxiu, not even bothering to catch her breath, quickly lifted her skirt and hurried onto the carriage. The carriage was not spacious, and as soon as she was settled, she felt the carriage sway slightly, clearly indicating that the driver had already whipped the whip and set off.
The two sat facing each other, so close that they could see the emotions in each other's eyes.
Su Jinxiu's knee accidentally bumped into Feng Chen's, and she quickly pulled back.
Feng Chen seemed unconcerned. Just as he was about to speak, a soldier's respectful voice came from outside: "Commander, the village's population has been completely controlled. Should we begin the investigation immediately?"
"Keep the man under guard for now, and I will interrogate him personally after nightfall."
"yes!"
The carriage continued its swaying journey, and silence fell once again inside.
Su Jinxiu's heart was still pounding from the near-death experience. She secretly glanced at Feng Chen and saw that he was resting with his eyes closed, looking cold and stern. So she wisely kept quiet and just sat there, processing what had just happened.
Su Jinxiu ultimately felt that the debt of gratitude for saving her life could not be ignored. Besides, even if their relationship was distant, they were still considered half-family. She wanted to start a conversation, but she had already said "thank you" and couldn't think of anything new to say.
After hesitating for a long time, she finally managed to blurt out, "Are you here to investigate a case?"
Upon hearing this, Feng Chen slowly opened his eyes: "Case handling? Why do I need to make this trip myself to handle a case?"
He paused, his dark eyes locking onto her intently, and said, word by word, "It's because of some fool, an idiot, a self-righteous person!"
In the past, no matter what the situation, she was the one who disciplined him. Now, being scolded like this by him, Su Jinxiu felt really bad.
"Alright, alright, I admit it was my carelessness."
Unexpectedly, these words completely enraged Feng Chen.
"Careless? You make it sound so easy!" His voice suddenly rose. "You were careless this time, but do you think you'll change next time? You're only concerned with being righteous! Why didn't you bring more servants or more backup today?"
He became more and more agitated as he spoke, launching into a long tirade against her. Su Jinxiu was rendered speechless by his words, feeling both angry and anxious, truly baffled by his sudden accusations of disciplining her.
Finally, she simply covered her ears.
Seeing her unrepentant and unwilling to listen to his lecture, Feng Chen's anger intensified. He pulled her over, forcibly dragging her to his side instead of letting her sit opposite him.
"If you hadn't said you were here on business, I would have thought you were here to die!" Feng Chen's voice was filled with suppressed anger. "Don't cover your ears!"
He shoved Su Jinxiu's hands away from her ears. Su Jinxiu bit her lip, lowered her head, and looked like a stubborn rock that had been scolded but was still unconvinced.
Feng Chen took a deep breath, as if trying his best to calm himself down, and finally uttered two words coldly.
"Get down."
Su Jinxiu suddenly looked up.
"Go down."
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