Chapter 92 Farewell
Pang Shi raised his eyebrows high: "Do you know how many people want to become my disciples but I refuse them all?"
Li Xiaoxiao said indifferently, "Go find whoever you want. I'm not joining the army, so why would I need to practice such good martial arts?"
Pang Shixin hesitated, sighed, and gave up instantly.
He was overjoyed to see such talent. With just a little guidance, she could definitely become an unparalleled master. But why was she a woman?
If she were a man, he would force her to become his disciple today no matter what.
Seeing his somewhat regretful expression, Li Xiaoxiao couldn't help but step forward and pat him on the shoulder: "I know what you're worried about, but don't worry, I won't be defeated so easily. There's more than one way to kill someone."
In fact, if she were to seriously and methodically confront Pang Shi, she might actually lose to him. But what if she faced a dead end? She had many ways to instantly kill Pang Shi.
Pang Shi's expression hardened: "Just like that night, you took six heads with a single string?"
Li Xiaoxiao felt a chill run down her spine; no one in the Meng family had ever mentioned this matter before.
Firstly, she had been unconscious for so long that they might have forgotten to ask. They were overjoyed to see her awake, and this matter did not attract their attention.
Secondly, apart from Zhao Jian, none of the Meng family members knew martial arts. Coincidentally, he returned with the Qingzhou Guard that night, so he didn't see her using a thin rope to harvest heads.
She didn't expect that even after so much time had passed, Pang Shi would still remember this matter.
That night, the situation was so urgent that she had no choice but to use a life-saving measure to barely hold out until the Qingzhou Guard arrived. After the crisis was over, she realized that the weapon in her hand did not exist in this era, so she quickly put it away.
She hadn't expected that Pang Shi would remember it and even connect her weapon to the closest string on the zither.
This reason doesn't really hold up to scrutiny. After all, how could a peasant girl from a poor rural background have any opportunity to come into contact with something as valuable as a musical instrument string? Let alone use it to kill someone!
She could only feign ignorance: "Why are you making it sound so scary? What I mean is, I'm either at home or with our young master most of the time, what danger could I possibly encounter? I don't need to go to war..."
Pang Shi stared at her for a long time, knowing that she was hiding a secret, but then he thought, who doesn't have secrets? Since she was unwilling to talk about it, why should he pry into it?
Besides, she's Meng Guanqi's person. What kind of danger could a scholar pose to her? She certainly doesn't need to learn those methods of killing.
Pang Shi lost, and the guards who had bet on him wailed in despair, watching helplessly as the old women and maids opposite them happily carried away all their money and slipped back to the inner courtyard to divide it up.
Now that the commotion had subsided, Pang Shi waved his hand, signaling the guards to return to the inn to rest. He then smiled at Li and said, "Our business here is finished. We'll be leaving tomorrow."
Li smiled and said, "You brought so many guards with you this time, is there something else you need to do?"
With over twenty guards, and they even carrying the Crown Prince's name, it's impossible that they were there specifically to deliver palace rewards to them.
Pang Shi sighed: "Besides bringing you rewards, I have two other things to do. One is to exhume Lord Li's body and send it back to the capital, and the other is to find someone to rebuild that dilapidated temple. His Highness the Crown Prince personally vowed to rebuild the golden statue of Half Buddha on the day he escaped danger. Eunuch Rong was entrusted by Eunuch Wan to oversee this matter."
At this point, a shadow crossed his eyes. He had no objection to sending Lord Li's body back to the capital, but the matter of rebuilding the golden body of the Half-Buddha was already a bit off track.
That night, a thunderclap killed all ten assassins. The truth of the matter was revealed by the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review through General Wu and was told to His Majesty as a strange tale. At first, His Majesty thought that the Crown Prince was very fortunate. However, after the story spread from the court to the capital, it gradually changed and people said that the Crown Prince was able to escape this calamity because he had the aura of a true dragon, which alarmed the half-Buddha who had lost his spiritual power and sent down lightning to kill the assassins.
The teahouses and restaurants in the capital were all talking about this, and the scholars even came up with a debate on whether the Crown Prince should personally go and recast the golden statue of Half Buddha.
By the time the Crown Prince realized what had happened, the matter had already spread like wildfire. The Crown Prince was the heir apparent, but His Majesty was still in his prime. How could he spread rumors about the presence of the aura of a true dragon?
The Crown Prince's reaction was swift. As soon as the rumor spread, he went to the palace to plead guilty: "Your Majesty, I encountered danger that day. It is true that a thunderbolt struck down from the sky and killed ten assassins. However, I have always believed that this was merely an auspicious omen, a sign of Your Majesty's great grace. Half-Buddha could not bear to see me separated from Your Majesty by death, so he helped me to eliminate the evil. However, I really do not know what the rumor of 'the aura of the true dragon' is all about. It has spread throughout the entire capital in just two days. It must be someone's doing. After failing to assassinate me, they have now pinned this crime of offending Your Majesty on me. I implore Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"
The emperor's attitude was quite mild. He smiled at the crown prince and said, "The common people are not very knowledgeable, and such strange phenomena are indeed rare. It is possible that the rumors will become more and more exaggerated as they are spread. Rumors can become a tiger with three people, and it is not necessarily the work of someone with ulterior motives. You don't need to worry. The imperial physician said that your injuries have not fully healed. It would be better to return to the palace and rest and recover."
The Crown Prince said sadly, "I'm afraid that Father Emperor will develop a grudge against me because of these unfounded rumors, which will damage our father-son relationship."
The emperor naturally denied it outright, then gently comforted the crown prince for a few more words before dismissing him.
The Crown Prince's expression never improved after returning to the Eastern Palace.
He escaped death and managed to win the emperor's mercy so that the emperor would stand on his side, but a mere rumor was enough to make all his hard work vanish.
The hearts of emperors have always been the most difficult to understand, and the crown prince, who is second only to the emperor, is most afraid of his father becoming wary of him.
Before the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review could even find out who was behind it, he had already begun to be suspected by his father, the Emperor.
The crown prince was so angry he wanted to smash the cup next to him.
Wan Quan hurriedly came in: "Your Highness, you must not be impatient at this time. The dangers after returning to the palace will be no less than those on the road."
The Crown Prince was filled with rage: "I almost lost my life and my most trusted confidant, and I didn't even know who the other party was. Now I almost fell into a trap. If this continues, how much pity will Father have left for me? Investigate! Investigate who spread this rumor! Once you find out, punish them severely!"
Wan Quan quickly replied, "Yes!"
Wan Quan went to the Court of Judicial Review. The Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice were anxious and frustrated because the case had stalled halfway through. When Wan Quan came to ask them to investigate the rumors circulating in the streets, they originally wanted to send a team to investigate at random. However, Tang Min, the Minister of Judicial Review, suddenly had a flash of inspiration: "Brother Zeng, do you think this is the person behind it who can't help but make a move again?"
All the key witnesses in the Crown Prince's assassination case were dead, and this direction had reached a dead end. The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and the Minister of Justice were worried sick when Wan Quan suddenly offered a way out.
Minister of Justice Zeng You'an immediately retorted, "With both our ministries handling the case simultaneously, would the person behind it dare to interfere?"
Tang Min refused to give up: "Is there a better opportunity than this? Strange celestial phenomena are the easiest to exploit..." With just a little guidance, arousing the emperor's suspicion, wouldn't the crown prince's newly secured position be easily shaken?
Zeng Gu'an slammed his fist on the table: "Investigate!"
Before the investigation results from the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review were released, the atmosphere in the Eastern Palace remained very tense, and no one dared to mention the matter of restoring the golden body of the half-Buddha.
Unexpectedly, it was the emperor who brought it up last. He summoned the crown prince and said, "Since it was an auspicious omen that helped you turn danger into safety, as the crown prince, you can't let this incident cause you to forget what you promised. Send someone to do it as soon as possible."
The prince responded softly, and the gloom that had been plastered on his face for days finally began to clear.
Since his father had already determined that this was an auspicious omen rather than the aura of a real dragon, it was only natural for him to do this. Clearly, his father had not been swayed by the rumors and had stood on his side again.
Therefore, Pang Shi and Eunuch Rong took on this task together.
However, he still has the duty of protecting the Crown Prince. After he finishes exhuming Li Wenkui's body, he will first send it back to the capital. Eunuch Rong will stay in Luzhou to oversee the construction of temples and the sculpting of the body. He is expected to stay here for more than a month.
The smile on Li Xiaoxiao's face disappeared when she thought of Li Wenkui's unexpected death. She didn't know him at all and had never spoken a word to him, but that didn't stop her from having a very deep impression of him.
A loyal minister who was seriously injured but never revealed a word to the crown prince until his death.
The crown prince was heartbroken to lose him.
She couldn't help but ask, "Um, has there been any progress with the people who killed you?"
Pang Shi paused, a shadow of gloom flashing across his eyes, but he quickly wiped it away and stared intently at Li Xiaoxiao: "It's better if you don't know."
Li Xiaoxiao immediately shut up.
Pang Shi patted her on the shoulder: "Since you want to stay here and live a peaceful life, don't ask questions or listen to anything."
Li Xiaoxiao nodded quickly and covered her mouth, saying, "I take back what I just asked."
Pang Shi sighed, "After we part tomorrow, it may not be long before we meet again in the capital."
Li Xiaoxiao shook her head and said, "That's impossible. Even if our young master passes the imperial examination, he still needs to study for three more years before he can go to the capital to participate in the metropolitan examination. We won't see each other again for at least three years."
Pang Shi smiled and said, "Who can say for sure? Maybe we'll meet again at the end of this year."
Li Xiaoxiao looked at him suspiciously, but Pang Shi didn't continue the topic. Instead, he brought up another matter: "I think the people in the Meng family treat you very well. You seem to be quite comfortable here, right?"
Li Xiaoxiao nodded proudly and said, "Of course, my whole family likes me very much."
Hearing her use the term "the whole family" to describe the Meng family, a strange look flashed in Pang Shi's eyes: "Magistrate Meng and his wife are indeed rare and good masters, but others may not be."
He whispered something in her ear, and Li Xiaoxiao was stunned, her smile disappearing.
Pang Shi patted her shoulder again: "After all, you saved my life, I would never harm you."
Li Xiaoxiao lowered her eyes: "I will think about it carefully."
When Li Xiaoxiao woke up the next day, Pang Shi and his group had already left.
Magistrate Meng's trip to the countryside did not go so smoothly. After seeing off Pang Shi and his party, he was just about to catch up with his own team to continue his journey when Steward Zhao came in: "Sir, Lord Song has sent someone to see you."
Prefect Song? A knowing glint flashed in Magistrate Meng's eyes. Yes, he should be getting restless.
Meng Wenli sent Lu Weifu in as soon as he made a move. He was in a hurry to distance himself from the matter and did not interfere. But then came the generous reward from the palace for Magistrate Meng, which meant that Magistrate Meng had caught the Crown Prince's eye. If Magistrate Meng was a petty person, then the rift between the two was not small.
So he came.
Magistrate Meng sat down calmly: "Please invite him in."
The one who came was Prefect Song's personal servant, who bowed respectfully to Magistrate Meng: "Greetings, Magistrate Meng. My master has booked a private room at the Gaosheng Inn and would like to have a gathering with you."
Magistrate Meng smiled and asked, "Is Lord Song on official business or personal business?"
The servant lowered his eyes and said, "Master came dressed in casual clothes."
That must be for a private matter.
Magistrate Meng, as if he knew perfectly well what was going on, stood up leisurely: "In that case, I won't change my official robes. Lead the way."
The servant bowed respectfully and walked ahead.
Magistrate Meng and Steward Zhao followed behind.
Gaosheng Inn is the best inn in Biyang County. It is four stories high. Prefect Song booked a private room on the second floor. The open window allows you to see the pedestrians coming and going on the street.
Magistrate Meng stood in front of the inn, and their eyes met.
Both sides remained calm, neither looking away. After a while, Magistrate Meng bowed slightly and said, "Greetings, Lord Song."
Prefect Song smiled and said, "Lord Meng, you are too kind. Please come up and talk to me."
Neither the servant nor Steward Zhao went in. Instead, they closed the door after Lord Meng went in, and the two of them stood guard at the door on either side.
Prefect Song poured Magistrate Meng a cup of tea: "Magistrate Meng's residence has been bustling with people these past few days. I've been staying here for two days now, and I haven't seen Magistrate Meng step out of the gate even once!"
Magistrate Meng's eyes flickered slightly. They'd already been here for two days?
He smiled slightly: "Lord Song, your timing is rather unfortunate. A few days ago, my cousin came all the way from the capital and stayed at my house for a few days. I originally intended to continue my inspection tour in the countryside, but I did not expect to learn that an imperial envoy from the court had come from afar less than half a day after I left. So I have had to be a little busy these past few days."
Prefect Song gave a forced smile: "It's truly a case of 'after all the mountains and rivers seem to have no way out, a new village appears amidst the willows and flowers,' isn't it? Lord Meng was convicted before the New Year and was clearly abandoned by his family, but who would have thought that you would unexpectedly save the Crown Prince? Your sinking ship has suddenly set sail again. Life is truly unpredictable!"
Magistrate Meng said, "Lord Song has been an official for many years. Does he not know that ups and downs are common in officialdom? Why take advantage of someone's misfortune to trample on them to death? If you are not really guilty, why did you arrive in Biyang County yesterday but not dare to knock on the door of the government office?"
The smile on Prefect Song's face vanished, and he stared at Magistrate Meng with a gloomy gaze.
Magistrate Meng calmly drank his tea, completely unmoved.
Prefect Song's official rank was four levels higher than Magistrate Meng's. Although he needed something from Magistrate Meng, he would never speak softly to him.
But there is never only one way to resolve conflicts: negotiation. There can also be a transaction.
Prefect Song took out a stack of silver notes from his sleeve, placed them on the table, and slowly pushed them toward Magistrate Meng: "That day, Wei Fu tried to poison your young master, but although he failed, he still did something wrong. Please accept this small compensation, Magistrate Meng."
Magistrate Meng's expression remained unchanged: "Lord Song, do you intend to use me to rescue Lu Weifu? But it seems you've forgotten that the one accusing Lu Weifu is Baohe's own mother. Lu Weifu killed Baohe, and there is ample evidence and witnesses. Even the emperor is subject to the same laws as commoners. Even you, sir, have avoided this case under the pretext of protecting your relatives. What ability does Magistrate Meng have to rescue Lu Weifu?"
Prefect Song said, “Wei Fu has indeed committed a crime and should be executed according to the law. However, the law is not without human sentiment. If we can obtain the forgiveness of Bao He’s family, the law can change Wei Fu’s death sentence to exile. Bao He’s family is under the jurisdiction of Biyang County. Magistrate Meng is the magistrate of Biyang County. He is usually diligent in his duties and loves the people. He has an excellent reputation. With your mediation, we are willing to make more compensation. Who knows if we can not achieve a happy ending?”
The smile on Magistrate Meng's face vanished.
Prefect Song sighed, “Although I chose to hide my family despite the pleas of my wife’s entire family, Wei Fu is someone I’ve watched grow up, and he’s the only son in four generations. How can I bear to see him die? As long as Bao He’s family is willing to understand, I guarantee that Wei Fu will never return to Lin’an Prefecture, let alone Biyang County, in this lifetime.”
Magistrate Meng pushed the silver note back: "If you want Baohe's family to issue a letter of understanding, why don't you go directly to Baohe's biological mother? It is she who has insisted on finding Baohe, and it is she who has disregarded power, overcome difficulties, and risked offending you powerful people to insist on giving Baohe justice. Shouldn't you go and beg her?"
Prefect Song gave a bitter smile: "We've already tried, but she absolutely refuses to agree. Besides, she's the one who filed the complaint. To get justice for Baohe, she's even divorced her husband's family and moved out on her own..."
Magistrate Meng was moved: "So your persuasion of Bao and his other family members wasn't enough? If you want to withdraw the case, you'll need his own mother?"
Prefect Song nodded helplessly.
Magistrate Meng stood up: "Lord Song, please go back. Murderers should pay with their lives, and debts should be repaid. This is a matter of course. Lu Weifu was born into a wealthy family and was pampered by his family. When he got into trouble, his whole family rushed to his aid. Their love for their son is understandable. But Baohe is also his mother's son, her own flesh and blood. She can choose whatever she wants."
Prefect Song frowned: "Does Lord Meng know how many people are in Baohe's family? Besides his mother, he also has his grandparents, father, two older brothers, and two unmarried sisters. The family of nine is crammed into three small mud-brick houses, living a life of hunger and cold. He took a job at the Zheng family and was the main breadwinner of the family. His sudden death is certainly a tragedy, but as long as the compensation is received, the family can immediately buy a large house in the outer city for the whole family to live in. The unmarried can get married, and the unmarried can get married. From top to bottom, no one in the family disagrees."
“Baohe is already dead. If we insist on making Weifu pay with his life, they will get nothing. They will still be crammed into those few small, dilapidated houses, the brother will not be able to find a wife, the sister will not be able to marry into a good family, and they will never be able to turn their lives around. Moreover, I have already made it clear that after they signed the settlement agreement, Weifu was only spared the death penalty, but he cannot escape the punishment of exile. He will have to go to a barren land thousands of miles away. Isn’t that also a form of suffering and punishment?”
Magistrate Meng interrupted Prefect Song: "You must have already explained these reasons to Baohe's mother, right? And she still won't agree?"
Prefect Song shook his head helplessly.
Baohe's other family members were very easy to persuade. They only asked for one hundred taels of silver in compensation, and the rest of the family nodded and bowed, eager to sign the settlement agreement and take the money immediately. However, the Lu family unexpectedly discovered that the settlement agreement signed by Baohe's family was useless because the plaintiff was Baohe's own mother, Qi. Qi had been insisting on seeking justice for her son, which had aroused the dissatisfaction of the whole family. She had already signed a letter of pledging to leave the court before the new year.
Baohe's grandparents and father were afraid that Qi would offend powerful people and implicate their family, so they separated Qi and Baohe's household registration from their family's.
Therefore, the settlement agreement signed by their entire family was useless. As long as Qi Shi remained firm in her stance, Lu Weifu could only be sentenced to death.
The Lu family kept raising the amount of compensation, which had reached five hundred taels. Qi Shi looked like a dead tree and only said one sentence: "I only want his life for his life."
The woman, whose hair ornaments had turned almost entirely white, had become as thin as a bamboo pole and was practically lifeless. If she hadn't insisted on hearing that Lu Weifu had been sentenced to death, she probably would have given up on living.
Magistrate Meng said, "If that's the case, why did Lord Song seek me out? Even Qi's other children couldn't persuade her to give up, so what can I possibly do?"
Prefect Song said, "The crux of the matter may lie with Lord Meng."
Magistrate Meng was taken aback: "What makes you say that, Lord Song?"
Prefect Song said, "No matter how we try to persuade her, Madam Qi won't budge, but she said something that might be the turning point in this matter."
Magistrate Meng asked, "What are you saying?"
Qi's original words were, "Apart from Lord Meng, all of you corrupt officials are dirtier than the last."
Prefect Song said, “Lord Meng, in Biyang County, you are now the faith of the common people. Moreover, she was able to bring down Wei Fu because your cousin helped her. Therefore, in Qi’s heart, Lord Meng is very important. One word from you is worth a hundred words from us.”
Magistrate Meng slightly moved the corners of his mouth, cupped his hands in a salute, and turned to take his leave.
Prefect Song stood up: "Lord Meng, please wait. If you don't care about the silver, would you like the land register of Biyang County?"
Magistrate Meng turned around abruptly: "What does Lord Song mean?"
Prefect Song walked slowly to Magistrate Meng, his steps measured: "Lord Meng, haven't you been measuring the land and recording the acreage of the people's cultivated land since last year? If you can help with this, this prefecture can also recognize the acreage records you submit."
Magistrate Meng's expression suddenly changed.
He actually said he would acknowledge the land register he submitted?
Biyang County still uses records from twenty or thirty years ago to classify farmland. For example, Xiaoye Village suffered a landslide and then a flood. Not only did the village population decrease sharply, but the mountain roads also became very inconvenient. After several changes, the registered superior and medium-grade farmland had long since become inferior farmland or even wasteland. However, the previous magistrates of County Magistrate Meng did not allow them to change the farmland classification or even reduce the number of households. This led to the people's lives becoming more and more difficult. They could never pay all the taxes on their heads and did not have a full meal for many years.
Such villages are not uncommon in Biyang County.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com