Chapter 29 The Tyrant Punishes His Homosexual Follower in His Wrath, Loses His Wife…
Some of the shy maids were embarrassed and found an excuse to slip away. Wu Tianqi didn't care and just stared at Shanhe with a smile: "Whether you play the flute or not, I have never seen it myself. I have only heard rumors from people who have seen it with their own eyes."
In an instant, her internal organs trembled. Shanhe suppressed her nausea, clutching her chest, and couldn't help but recall the way Liang Shao had hugged her earlier. She felt both angry and ashamed. She put her teacup down on the table and bit her lip: "I never thought he was this kind of person."
Wu Tianqi's smile vanished, and he said coldly, "What kind of person is he? Look, I haven't even finished speaking, and you've already made a judgment about him. You were even his bedmate. That's how he got his nickname 'Tyrant'."
Shanhe paused, carefully considering the implications of his words. She clutched her chest, finally managing to clear her head, before slowly saying, "Yes, gossip is a fearsome thing, that's true. Even I almost believed it." She hesitated for a moment, torn between not wanting to hear any more and being genuinely curious, before finally raising her eyes: "So, what exactly happened four years ago?"
Wu Tianqi twirled his teacup with his fingers, raised an eyebrow, and asked Qingyue, "Qingyue, what does your second master look like?"
Qingyue was suddenly pulled out by her. She was stunned at first, and then recalled Liang Shao's appearance and said, "Second Master has practiced martial arts since childhood. He is much taller and stronger than ordinary young men."
Wu Tianqi smiled and added, "Moreover, he is handsome and has an extraordinary appearance, isn't he?" Although he was referring to Qingyue, he was actually asking Shanhe.
Shanhe lowered her eyes and used the back of her cold hand to soothe her burning cheeks.
Wu Tianqi continued, "Four years ago, Liang Shao was fourteen years old, already taller and stronger than other young men his age. It's said he had two favored weapons, a Green Frost Sword and a Red Tassel Spear. The young man was handsome and dashing, with a forthright and generous nature. He wielded the Red Tassel Spear with remarkable skill, attracting not only the hearts of women but also many scions of noble families vying to befriend him. At that time, the governor of Mizhou was named Qiu Hongyuan, now the Minister of War, in charge of the military and political affairs of the Great Yan. Qiu Hongyuan had a third son, known to all as Qiu Sanlang. At that time..." At seventeen, he was only three years older than Liang Shao. That Qiu Sanlang was frail and thin-skinned, with a penchant for homosexuality. After seeing Liang Shao wield his red-tasseled spear, he immediately considered him a close friend, neglecting even his usual playmates, focusing solely on befriending Liang Shao. Liang Shao, young and naive, and never concerned with such matters, treated Qiu Sanlang as just an ordinary friend. Moreover, Liang Shao was naturally sociable and had friends everywhere, so he was completely unaware of Qiu Sanlang's lewd intentions.
"Until Qiu Sanlang held his birthday banquet and invited Liang Shao to drink at Pingkang Lane. Apart from Liang Shao, the guests at the table were all the dissolute young men that Qiu Sanlang usually associated with, and they all knew Qiu Sanlang's intentions. During the banquet, they took turns urging Liang Shao to drink while subtly flirting with him. Even so, Liang Shao did not realize Qiu Sanlang's deeper meaning. Seeing that Liang Shao was clueless about this matter, Qiu Sanlang became amused and asked Liang Shao directly: 'Would you like me to play the flute for you?' Liang Shao was not quick to react and actually thought it was a refined musical activity. He happily replied that his grandfather had a fine purple bamboo flute in his study, and if Qiu Sanlang liked it, he would bring it out for him to appreciate next time. Qiu Sanlang thought he had finally succeeded and was overjoyed. He immediately leaned over to untie the handkerchief at Liang Shao's waist."
Hearing this, Shanhe was shocked. She never imagined such a scoundrel existed in the world, and that such a scoundrel would be born into such a wealthy and powerful family! She exchanged a glance with Qingyue, their faces flushed with shame. But Wu Tianqi stopped there, stirring their thoughts. Shanhe couldn't help but ask, "What happened next?"
Wu Tianqi took another sip of tea slowly before continuing, "What happened next? Don't you know how skilled Liang Shao is? Their private room was by the water, and Liang Shao kicked Qiu Sanlang into the water with one kick. Luckily, the pool wasn't deep, so no one drowned. Liang Shao himself jumped into the water and beat the guy up. But that wasn't all; after all, Qiu Sanlang was in the wrong first. But then what happened next..."
Qingyue hurriedly asked, "What happened next?"
Wu Tianqi raised an eyebrow and laughed, "Although Liang Shao is skilled, he knew this was the governor's son, so he stopped after giving him a few bruises. But Qiu Sanlang, despite suffering such a great loss, not only wasn't afraid, but also started yelling at Liang Shao. His frivolous and dissolute nature naturally resulted in vulgar and offensive language. Seeing this, Liang Shao laughed, grabbed Qiu Sanlang by the collar, and said to him in a gentle voice, 'There are too many people here, and I feel embarrassed. Since you want to be with me, at three-quarters past midnight, there's a thatched hut across the Three-Step Bridge north of the city. I'll be waiting for you alone. Remember, only you are allowed to come. If anyone else comes, I...'" But then he left. Qiu Sanlang, his mind still reeling, truly believed that Liang Shao had been teasing him out of shyness, and naturally agreed repeatedly. At three-quarters past midnight, Qiu Sanlang arrived as promised, and indeed found Liang Shao waiting for him there. He thought his wish was finally fulfilled, but instead, Liang Shao punched him, knocking him into a stinking ditch. Then came a barrage of punches, and before leaving, he stuffed a lump of ditch mud into his mouth, tied him up, and threw him into the ditch, where he spent a miserable night in the wind and rain. When the Qiu family found Qiu Sanlang, he was alive, but his face was badly beaten. It is said that he still has a scar on his forehead, and even the Imperial Hospital could not help; it will never disappear for the rest of his life.
Shanhe asked in surprise and disbelief, "Is this true? How do you know so much?"
Wu Tianqi sneered, "Among those who attended the banquet that day was a nephew of my Wu family. He happened to be visiting relatives in Mizhou for the past two years and stayed at my house. Ha. What a good-for-nothing, all he knows is how to fawn over Qiu Sanlang. If Liang Shao had beaten him up that day, I would definitely have asked a poet to write a poem praising Liang Shao, with the title 'The Good Tyrant Angrily Punishes the Homosexual.'"
Seeing her expression, Shanhe knew that what she said was true. He felt saddened, and the image of Liang Shao from the past floated before his eyes. He said with a sigh, "Then how will this matter be resolved? Qiu Sanlang's father is the governor of Mizhou."
Wu Tianqi said, "With things escalating to this point, it's naturally difficult to resolve peacefully. Qiu Hongyuan's official career is thriving, and the Qiu family is at its zenith, while the Liang family is only supported by the retired Old Master Liang. Liang Shao is bound to suffer losses. Fortunately, this matter is vulgar and sordid, and since Qiu Sanlang is currently engaged, the Qiu family doesn't want to publicize it. They only sent Liang Shao to apologize in person, refusing even gifts—ha, their family usually accepts plenty of gifts, so they don't lack for such pomp. Old Master Liang had no choice but to use family discipline to deal with Liang Shao, intending to save face and let it pass with a beating. But Liang Shao refused to bow his head, stubbornly insisting that he was right and refusing to visit the Qiu family. This angered the Old Master so much that he was bedridden for three days, and Liang Ye had to discipline him afterwards."
At this point, Wu Tianqi smiled and said, "I overheard the old woman who used to work in the kitchen of the Liang family chewing on maggots. She said that Liang Ye asked him, 'Do you know who you hit?' Liang Shao was not intimidated and only said, 'Whoever is the little prisoner with a bird in his mouth, I will hit him.' Liang Ye had no choice but to go to the door to apologize in person. Liang Shao couldn't bear to see his brother compromise for such a sordid matter, so he reluctantly went with him. In the end, he gave in."
Shanhe was stunned, her mind in turmoil. No wonder Liang Shao said that day, "A real man also has chastity and virtue," and no wonder Liang Ye cared so much about the Liang family's reputation and was determined to pass the imperial examination. It turned out that there was a reason for all of this.
After Wu Tianqi finished speaking, he stroked the cup without saying a word, only squinting at everyone. Qingyue, Miao'er, and the other maids looked at each other, speechless with astonishment.
Wu Tianqi smiled and said, "Alright! It's late, time to retire. Miao'er, take Madam Xue and Miss Qingyue to their rooms."
Hearing her say this, everyone had no choice but to get up and go back inside. Shanhe felt lost and followed Miao'er blankly, but then she heard Wu Tianqi call her name from behind: "Madam Xue, I have a few more words to say to you alone."
*
At the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), the east began to lighten with the first light of dawn, followed by a rosy glow that painted the sky and spread out in an instant.
Liang Shao slowly woke up on the narrow couch, feeling dizzy and disoriented, unsure of where he was.
He lay there for a while, and as his thoughts settled, he suddenly remembered what had happened the night before. Liang Shao abruptly sat up, the thin blanket on his body and the red musk bracelet on his palm falling to the ground. He looked around the empty cabin, where Shan He's traces were everywhere, yet Shan He was nowhere to be seen. A wave of sorrow washed over him.
Liang Shao sat there blankly for a moment, then bent down to pick up the red musk bracelet, numbly slipping it onto his wrist. His heart pounded, and he wished he could escape this broken body and go with Shan He. But if he went with her, wouldn't she also be tormented? She had gone to such lengths to get rid of him, resorting to this desperate measure. If he left, wouldn't she have to start all over again? At this thought, Liang Shao felt as if his internal organs were burning. He'd rather drink another bowl of tea laced with sleeping potion and completely pass out than endure this torment.
He wiped away his tears, his face pale, and stood up. He stumbled to the table and vaguely saw a thin divorce agreement under the paperweight. It was lightly placed there, yet it felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, severing his marital bond with Shanhe.
Upon closer inspection, the handwriting on the divorce papers became strangely familiar—it included Shanhe's, his, and Liang Ye's! —He used to study with Liang Ye, and he was extremely familiar with every style of calligraphy that Liang Ye had diligently practiced.
His hand, clutching the divorce papers, trembled even more violently. Liang Shao subconsciously bit his lower lip, almost drawing blood. No wonder! Shanhe never left the house; how did she manage to find the sleeping potion, how did she secretly forge his handwriting to write the divorce papers, and how did she manage to get them to the government office for stamping? Only his good brother could be so meticulous!
The next instant, a metallic taste surged in his throat, and with a "plop," a mouthful of blood gushed from his heart, spraying directly onto the divorce papers, staining the ink characters beyond recognition. He lost all five senses and six senses, only feeling a sharp pain in his heart, as if it were being torn apart by a thousand knives. Liang Shao clutched his chest, bent over, and squatted down, leaning against the table leg, panting heavily.
Several spots of crimson blood splattered on the ground. Liang Shao, panting heavily, closed his eyes, thinking about Shan He's departure and Liang Ye's secret help, while keeping it from him like a block of wood! His blood was churning. Only when the bloodstains dried did Liang Shao calm down a little.
Looking up, I noticed a pair of black court boots that had appeared before me, seemingly having been there for quite some time.
Liang Ye lifted his robe and squatted down, holding up a handkerchief to wipe the bloodstains from Liang Shao's lips, then sighed, "Why bother?"
Liang Shao remained expressionless, turning his head away, but his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.
Before Liang Ye could say anything, Liang Shao uttered a single, crisp word: "Get lost."
In an instant, a fierce glint appeared in Liang Ye's eyes, his face darkened, and his lips tightened: "My heart is set on doing all this for your own good."
As soon as he finished speaking, a punch flashed by, swift as lightning, grazing Liang Ye's cheek and slamming straight into the table leg. Liang Shao opened his bloodshot eyes, his eyes bulging with rage, and gritted his teeth: "My relationship with Shan Shan is none of your business."
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Author's Note: I made it onto a ranking list this week, which requires me to update 20,000 words per week, so I might be updating daily [glasses emoji].
My drafts are under so much pressure! [crying][crying][crying]
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