Chapter 34: Oath If you can’t figure it out, just hate me.
Fang Yilan said in a deep voice in the house: "There is something strange in this village."
And just when they separated, Lu Qi even reminded her to be careful with her diet. He was definitely not a complete fool. On the contrary, he was deliberately hiding his incompetence.
Zhao Huaixu nodded. "There are so few women in this village, yet there are so many children. Something is clearly wrong."
He took out a silver needle from his bosom and probed it into the food on the table with skillful movements. Sure enough, the tip of the needle turned black. He picked up the chopsticks and took a bite.
"Hey hey hey, how can you eat it!" Fang Yilan didn't have time to stop him.
"It should be something like Ma Fei San, which will make people feel weak all over." Zhao Huaixu chewed it twice and spit it out, then rinsed his mouth with warm tea, mixed up the dishes on the plate, took out some more, and sent it out.
Sure enough, when it got dark, I saw two people sneaking in.
In order not to alert the enemy, Fang Yilan squatted on the beam and took deep breaths frequently. However, when he heard the disgusting words of the village chief, he decided not to bear it anymore. Just as he was about to fly down, a drop of blood fell from the beam without warning and dripped onto Wang Erniu's forehead.
Wang Erniu's eyes squinted together, and he rubbed his finger across his forehead, saying bewilderedly, "Dad, it's raining."
When he looked up again, two shadowy figures fell from the sky, and each of them knocked the Wang father and son down with a punch.
Blood was still seeping from between Zhao Huaixu's fingers. Fang Yilan turned over his palm and saw four arc-shaped wounds closely connected. The wounds were horribly deep, and the skin and flesh were slightly curled outwards, revealing the bright red flesh inside.
Fang Yilan looked at him, not knowing what to say.
Zhao Huaixu just curled his lips comfortingly, indicating that she didn't need to worry.
Then he fed the Wang family father and son a pill each, tied them up, took out a dagger and stabbed them in the legs, almost piercing their legs through.
The Wang family father and son woke up from their coma immediately with pain, their eyes wide open, their mouths stuffed with rags, they wanted to scream in pain but could only make muffled "whimpering" sounds, their hands and feet tried frantically to break free, but instead they tore the wounds wider.
Zhao Huaixu said coldly, "I've given you poison. It will only take three days for your skin to fester and your entire body to itch uncontrollably. You'll want to die but can't."
Wang Erniu was so scared that his nose and tears were running. After hearing what Zhao Huaixu said, he felt itchy all over his body. He twisted his body and rolled on the ground with an ugly look on his face.
"Tell me, where are you holding people?"
Seeing that the two were still pretending to be deaf and dumb, Fang Yilan stabbed each of them in the leg again. Looking at their disgusting appearances, he said with disgust: "If you don't want to be stabbed, stop shouting."
The two of them nodded quickly, and Zhao Huaixu then took off Wang Erniu's cloth.
Wang Erniu sobbed fearfully, "There's an iron plate just below the haystack in Daddy's firewood room. We can just lift it up and get down."
Fang Yilan was about to cover his mouth again, but Zhao Huaixu suddenly reached out and snatched the rag away.
"It's too dirty, I'll do it."
Time was running out, so Fang Yilan didn't say anything more. She stood up, unbolted the door and prepared to go out. Then she saw a clay pot coming towards her. Fortunately, she reacted in time and dodged to the side.
Lu Qi stumbled forward due to inertia and almost fell to the ground. He looked particularly funny holding the clay pot in his hand that was almost out of his hands.
"General? Are you okay?"
Fang Yilan teased, "County Magistrate Lu really wants something bad to happen to us?"
Lu Qi finally came to his senses and followed Fang Yilan's gaze into the room. He saw several people kneeling on the ground. He breathed a sigh of relief and exclaimed in admiration, "The general is indeed very skilled."
"There's no time for nonsense. The people in this village are clearly in collusion. We must make a quick decision." Fang Yilan threw a token to Lu Qi. "County Magistrate Lu, time is running out. I'll trouble you to go down the mountain and mobilize the troops."
Lu Qi took the token and lost his old, mischievous demeanor. His voice was filled with sincerity. "I will definitely live up to your trust and return as soon as possible."
...
After Lu Qi left, Fang Yilan and Zhao Huaixu immediately took action, walked out of the yard, and slipped into the woodshed in the village chief's yard.
The two men carefully groped around the haystack and indeed came across an iron plate. They exchanged a glance and moved the plate away, revealing a slightly worn wooden ladder with a few dark red bloodstains on it. A cold, decayed smell filled the air.
Fang Yilan frowned, took off his sword and threw it to Zhao Huaixu: "Take it, be careful."
As he said this, he went to the woodshed and found two axes for chopping wood. He weighed them in his hands to test the weight, and then walked down the wooden ladder.
After descending the wooden stairs, there was a long corridor inside, pitch black, and I couldn't see my hand in front of me. I could faintly hear the sound of stones hitting the wall, and it seemed to be mixed with the sound of soft sobs.
Fang Yilan took out a tinderbox, and a faint flame lit up, barely dispelling some of the darkness. The two of them walked cautiously towards the depths of the corridor in this tiny light.
When Zhou Chuchu heard the approaching footsteps, she began to tremble like a sieve and huddled deeper into the corner, crying so hard that she was gasping for breath.
Suddenly, a hand gently patted her shoulder. As if she sensed the harmless touch, she stopped crying and raised her head, meeting a pair of heroic eyes.
She had a vague feeling that the person in front of her was the handsome young man in the storybook who was sent by God to save her from danger.
Fang Yilan cut the chain locking the wooden door. The moment the door opened, a petite figure threw herself into her arms. Zhou Chuchu hugged Fang Yilan's waist tightly with both hands, refusing to let go, crying out, "Master, please, take me away from here."
Fang Yilan was a little confused by this sudden action. The little girl in her arms was petite and should not have reached marriage age yet. She was dressed like a lady from a wealthy family, with disheveled hair and tear marks on her face. She was obviously frightened and had lost her composure.
Her heart softened, she raised her hand and patted Zhou Chuchu's back, comforting her softly: "Don't be afraid, it's okay."
Zhao Huaixu pulled Fang Yilan back and forcibly pulled the two apart. His voice suddenly rang out, "General, look inside."
Fang Yilan then looked past Zhou Chuchu and into the depths, only to see more than a dozen pairs of eyes reflecting faint light in the darkness.
In this small cell, these women huddled together with their legs curled up, their eyes empty and numb, their bodies skinny and bony, their cheeks sunken, their souls sucked out, leaving only corpse-like bodies.
They were neither sad nor happy about the sudden arrival of Fang Yilan and the other two, nor did they care about the purpose of their visit. They just raised their heads reflexively to prove that they were still alive.
Many of them had their ankles twisted into a strange arc, obviously broken.
Fang Yilan's back teeth ached from biting them. This was a cannibalistic village.
Then he raised his axe and cut off the shackles on their hands and feet. However, several women raised their arms and begged for mercy as if they had seen a murder weapon: "Don't hit me, don't hit me, I will be obedient."
It was not until he discovered that his hands could be separated that he began to cautiously test whether the restraints were still there.
She said to Zhou Chuchu, who was still relatively sober among the group, "Listen, the girls here have difficulty walking, and there are still bad guys outside who haven't been dealt with. It would be dangerous to take you out now. First, lead them slowly to a position closer to the exit. There is a wooden ladder there, and I will come to meet you when the time comes."
"No, I'm scared, I can't do it!" Zhou Chuchu pulled Fang Yilan's sleeve and shook her head desperately.
"Look at me, you are a smart girl, you can definitely do it, try to believe in yourself, okay?" The tunnel was dim, but Zhou Chuchu felt that her eyes were as bright as night pearls.
Zhou Chuchu's eyes also became firm. After hesitating for a moment, she finally nodded.
Fang Yilan and Zhao Huaixu returned to the entrance and met Wang Tie who came with a group of strong men. They had obviously discovered that the village chief had been kidnapped.
"There, catch them!"
Fang Yilan rushed forward, chopping and slashing with her axes. Wang Tie took her sharp blow, his arm numb from the shock, and shouted to the strong men behind him: "You guys, hurry to the tunnel!"
Zhao Huaixu also quickly drew his sword from its sheath. His sword moves were sharp, and the blade pierced the strong man's throat like a poisonous snake, forcing them to retreat, but their clothes were still cut by the sword.
More and more villagers, hearing the commotion, rushed over with shovels in hand, surrounding Fang Yilan and Zhao Huaixu. Fang Yilan chopped down one villager who attempted a sneak attack with his axe, but two more attacked from both sides. Zhao Huaixu held his sword horizontally, blocking the attacks. Back to back, Fang Yilan and Zhao Huaixu fought and retreated, each bearing a slew of wounds.
Fang Yilan found a gap and swung his axe upwards, attacking Wang Tie again. Wang Tie finally managed to step back to avoid the cold light, but was kicked over by Fang Yilan. He fell heavily to the ground a few steps away and spit out a mouthful of blood. He didn't bother to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth and shouted frantically at the top of his voice: "Don't worry about anything else, light the fire first!"
Seeing a villager rushing towards the iron gate with an oil lamp, Fang Yilan threw the axe in his left hand with force. With a scream, the villager's hand was chopped off along with the oil lamp. The oil lamp fell heavily to the ground, and the wick fell out. The flame flickered for a few moments and finally went out, leaving only a wisp of green smoke.
Fang Yilan and Zhao Huaixu looked at each other, and then they ran towards the iron gate together.
At the same time, another villager threw the torch in his hand, which landed on a haystack nearby. The flames suddenly jumped up and continued to spread around. Thick smoke rose up with heat waves, and the pungent smell of burning filled the air.
If the fire continues like this, not only will the haystack be burned, but even the wooden ladder in the tunnel will most likely be burned. There is no time to find water to put out the fire now.
Fang Yilan picked up another fallen axe. Seeing the villagers rushing towards her again, she became more ruthless and chopped at the artery every time. The villagers fell one after another and were kicked towards the source of the fire by her. Blood gushed out of their bodies and gathered into dark red streams on the ground.
Although the fire was not extinguished, it did slow down its spread towards the iron gate.
Fang Yilan and Zhao Huaixu cooperated again, cutting the haystack fiercely, cutting the haystack connected to the iron gate apart to prevent the fire from spreading to the middle. They kicked the iron plate fiercely, not even taking a breath, and shouted loudly to the inside: "Come out now!"
Zhou Chuchu led the group of women, and they escaped by supporting each other. Zhao Huaixu and Fang Yilan protected them from the encirclement.
Suddenly, there was a flurry of footsteps in the distance. Reinforcements had arrived. County Magistrate Lu came back very quickly. He had obviously set up defenses in advance and returned with a large group of people in less than half an hour.
"General!"
“Put out the fire first!”
The yamen runners were well-trained and acted quickly, rushing back and forth carrying buckets of water.
But how could this wooden house withstand the erosion of flames? Although Fang Yilan evacuated as quickly as possible, several women with poor mobility were left behind and could not keep up.
Seeing the house collapsing and about to hit them, Lu Qi suddenly leaped forward and pushed the two women out, his already messy hair being burned into pits.
Fang Yilan breathed a sigh of relief, and attacked together with Zhao Huaixu and the yamen runners who had arrived. They soon succeeded in subduing the villagers. These villains who had been so arrogant and domineering just now were now lying on the ground in a mess.
The women trapped in the tunnel were still stunned and dazed when they learned that they could finally escape from the nightmare. After their hopes were dashed thousands of times, a faint ray of dawn shone on them. Who could easily believe that this dawn would not bring another illusion?
Lu Qi ignored the burning pain in his body and shuttled back and forth among the group of women, carefully looking at their faces one by one. The familiar little face in his mind became clearer and clearer, but he still couldn't find the face in his memory.
Repeatedly having expectations and then being disappointed tortured his heart again and again.
But the reality was so cold and cruel that it unfolded before Lu Qi. He could no longer hold on and knelt on the ground, letting the huge grief and despair overwhelm him.
Suddenly, someone climbed out of the crowd, his iron chains jingling, and he suddenly pulled out a guard's sword and rushed towards Wang Tie.
The guard reacted immediately and turned around to grab the sword, but Fang Yilan stopped him.
The woman stabbed Wang Tie in the heart, and blood spurted out like a fountain, splashing on her face. The warm touch instantly made her heart beat violently again.
At the moment of stabbing, she seemed a little bit unbelievable that the revenge she had repeated tens of millions of times in her dreams actually succeeded. She let out an indistinct whimper in her throat, then wiped the blood on her face with the back of her hand and brought it to her mouth to taste. It was still warm, with a fishy smell of rust, no different from the blood of livestock.
Blood oozed from the corner of Wang Tie's mouth. He looked down at the sword stuck in his chest in disbelief, then back at the woman before him. The woman stared back at him, as if to engrave the scene of his death in her mind. The corners of her mouth curled up, widening until they reached her ears. She looked up at the sky and laughed, a laugh so wild and unbridled that it echoed through the mountains for a long time.
She pulled the sword free, and the blade separated from the flesh with a chilling sound. The woman lowered her eyes, staring at the blade. Drops of blood continuously dripped down, falling to the ground, creating a pattern of crimson flowers. Her eyes suddenly shone like cold stars, gleaming with a glint of madness and pleasure.
The next moment, without any pause, she raised her arm, stabbed and drew the sword, her movements becoming faster and faster, until holes the size of a man's fist appeared on Wang Tie's body.
With the last strike, she placed the sword where his legs were connected, as if she was erecting a tombstone for him.
The guards beside him were completely shocked by Shao Xian.
"Mom!" Wang Zheng trotted over and looked at his mother covered in blood and his father lying in a pool of blood. He felt like the sky was falling.
"I'm not your mother, my name is Shao Xian."
Shao Xian threw away her sword and walked up to Fang Yilan: "They all call you General... It turns out that women can also be generals."
Fang Yilan's face was calm: "Even if I'm not a general, you can still be the first person to create the world."
Shao Xian suddenly realized something and was about to kneel down: "I am willing to serve under the general and beg the general to give me a chance for a new life."
Fang Yilan refused to let her kneel: "You don't have to kneel to me, nor to heaven or earth. I am not your savior, you are the one."
She was then handed over to the official doctor who arrived later.
"You can't leave! What rights do you have to take my mother away!" Wang Zheng's face was covered with tears and his eyes were red. Like an angry little beast, he kicked and punched the guard who caught him, and then opened his mouth and bit the guard hard. The guard let go in pain, and he rushed towards Fang Yilan desperately and grabbed the corner of her clothes tightly.
Fang Yilan looked down at Wang Zheng's clear eyes and asked calmly yet sharply, "Are you really unaware of what happened to her?"
The hand that was pulling at the corner of her clothes suddenly let go.
"Take back everything that's still alive, and throw the ones you can't take back into the cesspool."
"yes!"
...
The afterglow cast a warm yellow hue on the eaves of Zhou’s mansion.
Zhou Ting'an had just driven his horse back to the mansion, and before the sound of horse hooves had died down, a servant came running over, his face filled with joy, and shouted loudly, "Master! The fourth young lady has been found! The Marquis of Ding'an sent her back!"
When Zhou Ting'an heard this, his originally calm expression suddenly tensed. He turned over and dismounted, and asked as he walked, "What happened?" The servant hurriedly told Zhou Ting'an everything.
Soon, Zhou Ting'an arrived at the back door of the mansion. Zhou Chuchu's face had been wiped clean, and Fang Yilan was holding her hand. She was still wearing her old, slightly disheveled clothes, and over them, she was wearing Fang Yilan's white cloak, which looked particularly thin in the cold wind.
As soon as Zhou Chuchu saw Zhou Ting'an, her originally aggrieved emotions instantly burst out. She pouted her lips and burst into tears, "Brother!" She cried and threw herself into Zhou Ting'an's arms.
Zhou Ting'an felt deeply distressed and patted her back gently to comfort her. Then Yi Lan bowed and thanked her: "Thank you, General, for saving my sister. This is such a great favor. I will never forget it."
Fang Yilan clasped his fists in return, his expression gentle as he said, "Minister Zhou, you're too polite. Chuchu might have been a little frightened, so there's no need to go through all that formality."
"Now that the person has been sent, I will take my leave first." After saying this, she turned around and got on the carriage without saying anything more.
Zhou Chuchu nestled in her brother's arms, watching the carriage drive away, and asked with sobs, "Brother, was it Sister Yilan who saved me?" Thinking that she had mistaken the person for a man, a blush appeared on her face.
Zhou Ting'an's body stiffened slightly: "Hmm."
The scene at Xiyuepo flashed through his mind, and he fell silent again.
The expression on his face was complicated, but it was like a mirror, allowing his sister Zhou Chuchu to catch a glimpse of the clues and guess most of the answer in her heart.
"Sister Yi Lan and that young master..." Zhou Chuchu bit her lip, her eyes full of pity for her brother, "Brother...you..." She hesitated to speak.
Zhou Ting'an maintained his elegant and dignified demeanor and spoke calmly, "She and I were just childhood playmates. We were not engaged, nor did we make any promises. Childhood sweethearts are never taken seriously."
Zhou Chuchu shook Zhou Ting'an's arm, trying to cheer him up: "It's okay, brother. I heard that Mr. Zhao doesn't come from a good family. Old Madam Fang will definitely not agree to this marriage. Maybe you still have a chance!"
Zhou Ting'an shook his head helplessly and said sternly, "My Zhou family has a clean and upright family tradition. We never marry or take concubines. We will definitely not allow her to bring a mistress into the family."
He spoke seriously, as if he had already begun to consider the various possibilities of his future with Fang Yilan.
Zhou Chuchu almost laughed out loud when he saw his brother like this. His brother was really in trouble. He had already started secretly planning before anything was even decided.
However, I am afraid that this deep love is just my brother's wishful thinking.
...
As soon as Fang Yilan entered the carriage, Zhao Huaixu grabbed him and knelt on him.
Fang Yilan's hands had become cold in less than a cup of tea after being outside. She held Zhao Huaixu's face with both hands to keep warm: "My dear, you are not jealous, are you? I can't just not say hello..."
Before she finished her words, the last syllable was intercepted by someone. Zhao Huaixu gently stroked the back of her neck, pulled her down irresistibly, and pressed his thin lips against hers, enveloping her in a refreshing breath.
Fang Yilan gladly accepted his intimacy, climbed onto his shoulders, lowered her head and deepened the passionate and lingering kiss. The obscene sound of the kiss stirred the ambiguous atmosphere in the small carriage and escaped outwards along the curtains blown by the wind.
Zhao Huaixu took her hand and placed it on the side of his face. His eyes were as wet as the rain curtain under the eaves, tickling his heart.
"Alan, don't be unhappy."
Fang Yilan paused, then smiled again: "Our Yu'an is so generous. It just so happens that I have something to ask Mr. Zhou."
As he said this, he made a gesture to stand up.
As expected, she was pulled back again, and both her hands were held tightly by Zhao Huaixu. His lips fell on her forehead, the center of her eyebrows, and the tip of her nose, but he did not continue to move down. Instead, he retreated an inch, his eyebrows and eyes fixed on her lips with a smile.
Fang Yilan was seduced by him and bit his red earlobe, then lowered her head and leaned close to him again, kissing him lightly. Zhao Huaixu raised his head as if he was picking something, accepting all her love.
When their lips and tongues parted, Zhao Huaixu greedily licked her lip beads and uttered two words in a slightly hoarse voice: "Not allowed."
Tsk, he is so arrogant because of his favor.
"It's a pity that we couldn't have fun this time. After Jingzhe is over, shall we go to Xiyuepo for a boat ride?"
"good."
...
The Feng County case was like a huge rock dropped into the water, causing a huge uproar in the court and the country. Emperor Jingwen was furious and handed the case over to Fang Yilan for full handling.
Fang Yilan gave the choice to the group of poor abducted women. A small number of them timidly stood up and chose to leave with their young children. Fang Yilan then selected reliable soldiers in the army to escort them back to their hometown.
She also paid out of her own pocket and found a secluded courtyard in Shangjing, named Jingchanyuan, to shelter the remaining homeless people. However, her assistance did not include the money these women needed for their lives. Instead, she found various teachers for them to teach them knowledge and skills, hoping that they would learn a skill through their own efforts and be able to become independent in the future.
Shao Xian and several other women took the initiative to find Xun Yun and learn martial arts, just to be able to go to the battlefield to kill enemies in the future. Xun Yun happily agreed and taught them everything he knew.
In the dungeon, wailing sounds were heard one after another.
Inside the yamen, candlelight flickered. The village chief and Wang Erniu were disheveled and kneeling on the blue brick floor like a pool of mud. They were shaking like sieves, and fear completely overwhelmed them like a tide.
Fang Yilan was playing with a thumb ring in her hand as she watched the yamen runner beside her use a hammer to break the village chief's knuckles inch by inch. Broken bones mixed with flesh, blood gushed out, leaving a shocking crimson stain on the ground.
"I... can't remember clearly." The village chief's voice trembled, as if his bones and muscles were pulled out. Beads of sweat rolled down his cheeks and dripped into the pool of blood.
"I'll ask again." Fang Yilan's voice was wrapped in the frost of December, cold and biting, without a trace of warmth.
"Yes... yes!" The village chief nodded hurriedly.
“Where are the people now?”
The village chief swallowed hard and spoke tremblingly, "That girl was quite cunning. I don't know how she managed to get rid of the shackles, and she even got a few other girls to run away with her. But they got lost in the mountains and didn't get far before Wang Tie and his men caught them."
"No... It's none of my business." The village chief's forehead was covered in sweat. He waved his hands frantically, trying to distance himself from the matter. "It was Wang Tie who said that keeping her would sooner or later be a nuisance and would reveal this matter to others. So... he killed her and buried her in the back mountain."
For the next three days, Fang Yilan practically lived in the yamen, interrogating the people from Wangjia Village in rounds.
On the third day, the village chief and Wang Erniu screamed without any warning: "Ah! Hahaha! It's so itchy!" The sound was crazy and weird, which was creepy.
The two men fell to the ground as if possessed by evil spirits, twisting their bodies wildly and scratching themselves with their hands, as if countless lice were burrowing into their flesh. However, no matter how hard they tried, the piercing itch did not subside at all.
They climbed towards the rough stone wall using their hands and feet like crazy, banging their heads and bodies against the stone wall. The rough wall was like a blunt knife, instantly cutting their skin into pieces. The cracks in the stone were stuck with broken flesh and blood, but they seemed to be insensitive to the pain and just wanted to get rid of the endless itch.
Fang Yilan stood aside with a cold look on her face, and gestured to the guards, "Remove their shackles."
The guard took the order and quickly stepped forward to open the shackles.
As soon as their hands were free, the village chief and Wang Erniu seemed to be controlled by evil thoughts. They scratched themselves frantically with their nails, leaving blood marks. Soon, the two were scratched into a bloody mess.
"It's so itchy! Let me die! Let me die!" They screamed and laughed wildly while hurting themselves.
"Watch them. If they faint, splash them with salt water to wake them up." Fang Yilan's eyes were cold, as if he was looking at two pieces of rotten meat.
"Yes." The yamen runners responded tremblingly, with a tremor in their voices. They never thought that a woman could look at such a scene without changing her expression.
The afterglow shone through the mottled window lattices and fell on the corridor of the marquis's mansion. Fang Yilan walked hurriedly towards Zhao Huaixu's house.
Stepping into the house, she closed the door casually, turned around, and the gloom on her face seemed to be able to squeeze out water: "Zhao Huaixu, the medicine you fed Wang Erniu and the others..." Having said this, she paused slightly, her eyes fixed on Zhao Huaixu's eyes, as if she wanted to find something from the depths of her eyes.
Looking at Zhao Huaixu's subconsciously clenched fists, he looked like a puppy who had done something wrong and made his owner angry, with his head drooping and an air of uneasiness all over his body.
Fang Yilan couldn't help but burst out laughing. With a sly glint in her eyes, she asked expectantly, "Are there any more? Can you give me a few more?"
Seeing no response, Fang Yilan tilted her head and took a step forward, looking at him with a half-smile: "What's wrong? Do you think I'm going to call you a vicious person?"
Zhao Huaixu finally raised his head, his eyes filled with autumn water, and held the person in his arms: "Alan... you'd better pray that you will love me forever."
"Is this a threat?"
Zhao Huaixu shook his head, his pupils filled with indelible ink: "This is my oath."
Because he will do everything he can to stay with her, whether she wants him to or not.
...
After many twists and turns, the Feng County case finally came to an end. The entire village, regardless of gender, age or status, was sentenced to be beheaded in public.
On the day of the execution, the streets of Shangjing were abuzz with activity, with people thronging the execution grounds. Some stood on tiptoe, necks stretched out, and clapped their hands in delight, while others shook their heads silently, expressions of pity on their faces.
The prisoners were brought in. The crowd became restless, cheering and throwing the vegetable leaves and rotten eggs they had prepared at them.
The village chief and his family of three were hung alive on the city wall. Every intact piece of their flesh was scratched, but they could not scratch it. They could only cry and beg for death, but they could only wait to be eaten by black crows every day until they died. Their heads were cut off and hung for a whole month.
Wang Zheng was pinned to the executioner's bed by the yamen runners. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Fang Yilan fiercely: "You devil, you've ruined my parents. Even if I become a ghost, I won't let you go! You shall not die a good death!"
Fang Yilan, dressed in white, stood before him with a cold and calm gaze, and spoke slowly, "This is why you must die."
"If you can't figure it out, then hate me."
The guillotine chopped down, severing flesh and bones, but no blood splashed on her.
A dark shadow loomed over her head. Before her eyes was the still-swaying glaze-green feather pendant. A clear voice rang in her ears: "How could their filthy blood stain you?"
Lu Qi was in the crowd looking at the criminal stand stained with blood, but he did not break down and cry as others expected.
A hint of relief flashed through his eyes, and he spoke calmly, "After all these years, I've had a premonition that she was most likely murdered. Thank you, General, for taking the trouble to find out the truth for me."
Fang Yilan remained silent, and just brought his men and accompanied Lu Qi back to Wangjia Village. In just the past few days, the village was filled with desolation and had become a deserted village, spreading into ruin.
When they arrived at the open space on the back mountain indicated by the village chief, everyone picked up their tools and started shoveling the soil.
Again and again, the soil was turned over, making a dull rustling sound. After digging for an unknown amount of time, someone picked up a few glass beads from the soil. The beads were small and the color was not bright. It was obvious that they were not valuable at first glance. Perhaps that was why they were not snatched away by those villains.
But when Lu Qi saw the bead, his eyes became bloodshot, and his hands trembled as he gripped the shovel tightly. He dug down madly, shovel after shovel, and mud splashed all over his clothes.
As the soil gradually opened up, a sliver of gray and white came into view. Seeing this, Lu Qi's legs gave way, and he fell to his knees. With trembling hands, he peeled away the layers of earth. Soon, a small skeleton emerged, the slender bones of a child.
Lu Qi's hand touched the white bones, his lips trembled, but he could not make a sound. Only tears flowed uncontrollably and dripped onto the yellow earth.
"Wanwan!"
"My little girl." His hands were already full of cracks and bleeding, but he was completely unaware. He just held the pile of bones tightly in his arms almost devoutly, and collapsed to the ground, crying inconsolably.
For seventeen long years, he abandoned the prosperity of Beijing, traveled thousands of miles, and experienced hardships, but all he got in return was the cold corpse of his daughter.
Fang Yilan turned her head away, unable to bear watching this scene any longer. Zhao Huaixu stretched out his arm, put his arm around her shoulders, and slowly soothed her back with his palm.
After a long time, Lu Qi slowly raised his head. His face was still covered with undried dust, and he looked extremely haggard, with his eyes dull and lifeless.
He looked at Fang Yilan, his voice hoarse but sincere: "Thank you, General."
Fang Yilan looked solemn, bowed slightly, and said softly, "County Magistrate Lu, I express my condolences."
Lu Qi led Fang Yilan to a corner of Wangjia Village, and then he slowly spoke: "Lu Qi has nothing to repay you, so I can only tell the general some of the half-understood things I knew back then."
"Back then, the late emperor was seriously ill, and the late crown prince suddenly rose to power and usurped the throne. Your father was urgently recalled to Shangjing, and Xiling State took advantage of the chaos to annex the five northwestern cities of Ruining. But before he arrived in Shangjing, the emperor had already completed the coronation ceremony and purged the court. Your mother was also a close friend of the former crown princess, and perhaps because she was wary of this relationship, she insisted on keeping Fang Canghong in Shangjing and refused to let him leave without permission."
"Later, the Xiling Kingdom became increasingly aggressive, but His Majesty simply avoided fighting, attempting to cede territory and pay compensation. He even sent the fifteen-year-old Seventh Prince as a hostage in exchange for peace. However, within a few years, Xiling invaded again. Fortunately, many military officials earnestly persuaded His Majesty to reluctantly agree to Fang Canghong's dispatch of troops to the northwest to resist the foreign enemy."
"Two years ago, I was the prefect of Yichuan. The grain carts that Emperor Jingwen sent to the northwest were requisitioned from the south. However, when they passed through Yichuan, they were actually empty. When I discovered this, I immediately submitted a letter to He Huaijiu, the then Assistant Governor of the Southwest, but he suppressed the matter. I guess it was because of the food shortage that General Cen attacked Xiling and was ultimately ambushed."
"He Huaijiu has now been promoted to Shangjing and has become the Minister of War. I'm afraid there are some shady things going on. General, you might want to investigate secretly."
"He Huaijiu? Is he from the He family in the southwest?" Fang Yilan asked.
"He was indeed from the He family, but he was weak and incompetent in martial arts, so he was never taken seriously and held no real power. It was only by marrying his daughter into the Yuan family that he was able to slowly climb the ladder and reach his current position."
Lu Qi, who seems to be oblivious to the world outside and only knows how to play with his grandchildren all day long, is actually a man with a deep mind and has been secretly observing the situation in the officialdom.
Fang Yilan thought for a moment and felt that He Huaijiu was indeed a breakthrough point.
"I've told the general everything I know," Lu Qi said slowly, gazing into the distance with a hint of desolation on his face. "Now I'm alone, with no ties to this world. Wanwan is gone, and it's time for me to retire and return home. I'll send her remains back to her hometown, so she can rest in peace."
"County Magistrate Lu, how can you guarantee that there is only one Wang Village in this world? Since you have great righteousness in your heart, you should realize your ambitions and benefit more people."
County Magistrate Lu's expression darkened, and he said with a wry smile, "I've wasted half my life now, and I'm afraid I can no longer shoulder this heavy responsibility."
Fang Yilan provoked him, "County Magistrate Lu rose from a poor village to become a third-rank official in just three years, relying on his own abilities. How ambitious he was! Have you forgotten all that now?"
Lu Qi looked into Fang Yilan's eyes, and he saw a vitality like that of wild grass. Through those eyes, he seemed to see himself more than ten years ago, the unruly and arrogant top scholar who made impassioned speeches in the court and worked for the welfare of the common people.
With tears in his eyes, he bowed to Fang Yilan and said, "After I have taken care of my daughter's funeral, Lu Qi is willing to serve the general."
...
The golden crow hung high in the sky. Inside the Taikang Palace, all the ministers stood in silence. Emperor Jingwen sat upright on the dragon throne, his expression unable to tell whether he was happy or angry.
In the court, someone took the initiative to mention the verdict of the Feng County human trafficking case and pointed the finger at Fang Yilan.
The Vice Minister of Justice, Lord Yin, was the first to step forward. He bowed and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I believe that the sentence imposed by the Marquis of Ding'an on the Fengxian kidnapping case is far too harsh. Those implicated, while guilty of serious crimes, do not deserve the death penalty. Furthermore, the entire village, young and old, should not be beheaded in public. Such a punishment is far too harsh and will likely discourage the people!"
Minister of War, Lord He, also hurried forward, filled with worry. "Your Majesty, Lord Yin is absolutely right. General Fang's actions go against our dynasty's philosophy of benevolent governance. Punishment should be based primarily on education, supplemented by punishment. Those implicated elderly people and children are all innocent. Such a massacre is truly unfair."
Fang Yilan looked at He Huaijiu without saying a word, but He Huaijiu felt a chill on his back.
Zhou Ting'an was probably the only one who spoke up for Fang Yilan: "The abduction and trafficking case in Feng County is no ordinary crime. Those evildoers abducted and trafficked women and children with cruel methods, and the victims are countless. If they are not sentenced severely, how can we comfort the souls of those victims? If the children of Lord Yin and Lord Sun were tortured by them, would they still be able to say such words now?"
"What do you mean, Lord Zhou? Even if the crime is serious, the sentence should be determined individually. How can you generalize? Such disregard for human life is no different from a tyrant. I'm afraid Fang Yilan is abusing his power."
"General Fang, a woman, holds military power and has access to the imperial court. This is against etiquette and law. Women should remain in their homes, supporting their husbands and raising their children. Yet, she is now out in the open, participating in important military and national affairs. This is clearly disrupting the order of the court."
For a time, voices of support and opposition rose and fell, arguing fiercely.
Fang Yilan stood aside, quietly listening to the criticisms, and asked in a neither humble nor arrogant manner: "Your Majesty, gentlemen. I have been strictly following the laws of Ruining. How can you say there is a severe punishment?"
Grand Tutor Yuan, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly stood up, bowed to Emperor Jingwen, and then slowly spoke: "Your Majesty, I believe that the crime of kidnapping and trafficking, if not severely punished, will not be enough to appease public anger, nor will it deter those with evil intentions. The Fengxian case has had a serious impact, and a heavy sentence must be imposed according to the law as an example to others."
Emperor Jingwen raised his hand to signal for silence, then slowly said, "Alright, General Fang's actions are also intended to uphold the dignity of national law and deter evil. His heart is commendable, and there is no need to discuss this matter further. I just received a letter of Xiling's surrender a few days ago, and the envoy will arrive in Shangjing soon. This is a matter of great importance to our national security, and there is no room for error. The important task of receiving the envoy and negotiating the details will be handed over to the Crown Prince."
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