My chat group is full of female losers

Chapter 314 Rainbow
It was in the nearest inn outside the capital.

Changhong just received a message from Su Wanqing in the chat group.

Su Wanqing: "Senior Changhong, I have some fantastic news! That Si Ren has been kicked out of the capital!"

Changhong was stunned for a moment, then a hint of undisguised joy immediately appeared on her face, and she quickly asked, "Really? She's really gone?"

Su Wanqing replied quickly: "It's absolutely true! To be honest, I couldn't believe it at first either, but someone saw her leave the city gate with their own eyes. Later, I specifically sent people out to keep an eye on them. They did run away, and quite far away. There's no mistake!"

Upon hearing Su Wanqing's explanation, Changhong's face revealed a long-lost smile of relief.

—Great, that idiot actually got lost on his own.

So she replied, "You did a good job. I'm not like that fool Si Ren, who is despicable and vile. As long as you work honestly for me, keep a close eye on the situation in the capital, and make sure there's no trouble there, you'll naturally get your share of the benefits when I arrive."

"Don't worry, I understand. I'll definitely handle things perfectly!" Su Wanqing replied immediately.

Changhong gave a satisfied "hmm" and left the chat group.

Squeak.

Just then, the door was gently pushed open, and a young girl walked in. She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old, quite pretty, with a touch of the spirit of someone raised in the mountains, and bright, sparkling eyes. She was Changhong's personal maid, Yun Que.

Yun Que carried a large bundle of dried rations wrapped in oiled paper in her arms, and a bulging water pouch in her other hand. She placed the bundle on the table and said, "Princess, the rations and water are ready. When shall we set off? Shall we leave now?"

Changhong shook his head, his tone relaxed: "No need. Let's rest here for a day."

"Huh?" Yun Que looked surprised. "Don't we need to hurry anymore, Princess?"

Changhong nodded slightly: "Well, there's no need to rush. Besides, you've been running around for so many days, you must be exhausted. Let's take a day off and wander around."

"Yay!" Lark cheered immediately.

The two tidied themselves up quickly and then went downstairs hand in hand.

The inn's lobby was bustling with people. Changhong's gaze casually swept across the room and landed on a calligraphy scroll hanging on the wall. The scroll bore a very common business greeting: "May your business prosper across the four seas, and your wealth flow in from all directions."

The signature, written in a bold and elegant style, read: Qian Gonghe.

Just then, a well-dressed man walked in, followed by several servants, looking quite impressive. The waiter, seeing him, immediately put on a beaming smile and rushed forward, calling out, "Oh! Sir, please have a seat! Our shop just received some pre-rain Longjing tea today, would you like to try it?"

Changhong frowned slightly, but she didn't say anything. She simply walked out of the inn with Yun Que.

Once outside on the bustling street, Yun Que approached Chang Hong and asked in a low voice, "Princess, were you a little unhappy at the inn? Who made you angry? Tell me, and Yun Que will get revenge for you!"

Changhong shook his head, sighed, and said, "It's nothing. I just felt a little emotional seeing those altered words."

"The altered text?" Hibari blinked his bright, lively eyes, his face full of questions.

“That’s right.” Changhong nodded. She looked at Yun Que and began to lecture her: “Take the character ‘公’ in the signature of that calligraphy and painting, and the character ‘爷’ that the waiter used to address a customer. These words originally had nothing to do with men. Think about it, when writing was first created, it was still a matriarchal society. Where did these expressions that specifically referred to men come from?”

Yun Que was completely stunned, speechless. Although the princess spoke with such certainty, these words were entirely different from what she had heard since childhood. She couldn't help but ask softly, "Princess... is everything you're saying true?"

Seeing the doubt on Yun Que's face, Chang Hong wasn't angry. Instead, he became even more patient: "It's not surprising that you have this question. After all, they've been distorting the truth for quite some time now. Let me ask you, look at these eight ancient surnames: Ji, Jiang, Si, Ying, Yun, Gui, Yao, and Ji. Why do they all have the 'woman' radical in their names? That's obvious evidence!"

Changhong's words, full of quotations and unwavering conviction, slowly dispelled the doubts in Yun Que's eyes, like snow melting in the sun. She murmured to herself, "So that's how it is..."

After digesting the information for a while, Yun Que asked curiously, "What about the words that refer to us girls now? Like 'woman' and 'girl,' did they originally refer to men?"

Changhong shook his head and said, "That's not quite it. But it's definitely not the original meaning. Take the character '妇' (woman). Most people think it just means sweeping the courtyard and serving her husband and children. But let me tell you, in oracle bone script, the character '妇' depicts a woman holding a broom in one hand—not for sweeping, but a scepter symbolizing the management of household and tribal affairs—and a weapon in the other, standing tall and proud! It's a term of respect!"

"Ah? Is that so? I only know about women..." Hibari covered her mouth in surprise.

Yun Que had never imagined that behind these everyday titles and terms of address lay so many intricacies. She increasingly felt that the princess before her was incredibly learned, seemingly knowing everything. Looking at Chang Hong with eyes full of admiration, she asked again, "And what about the word 'princess'?"

Upon hearing this, Changhong's eyes flashed with barely concealed smugness as he explained, "Princess, as the name suggests, means ruler of the realm!"

"Wow! Your Highness! That's amazing!" Hibari exclaimed excitedly, her eyes shining. "Now I don't have to change how I address you anymore; a princess is always the most noble!"

Changhong smiled slightly as she looked at Yun Que's adoring expression and said, "Since I have some free time today, I'll teach you more of this knowledge."

"Great! Great!" Lark was overjoyed and nodded repeatedly.

The two strolled side by side down the street. Not far ahead, a crowd had gathered, and in the middle, there seemed to be a storyteller, spitting as he spoke.

"...That General Zhang, single-handedly, took the head of a general amidst ten thousand troops with ease! He is truly a peerless hero!"

The storyteller's melodious voice carried over, drawing cheers from the surrounding audience.

The lark was so engrossed in listening that she couldn't help but exclaim, "Wow, this general is amazing!"

Upon hearing this, Changhong frowned slightly and said softly, "His merits benefit the nation and his name will be remembered in history... People in this world always like to praise the achievements of men. But little do they know how many talented women in our own dynasty have remained unknown."

"Really? Princess?" Yun Que's eyes widened in surprise. "Is there a female general?"

Chang Hong's lips curled into a meaningful smile: "Have you ever heard of Princess Huai Shan Zhao?"

Lark shook his head blankly.

Changhong then slowly said, "Princess Huai Shan Zhao, when Emperor Gaozu raised his army, she was alone in the capital. Not only did she protect herself, but she also gathered a group of heroes and commanded an army of 70,000, making great contributions to the Great Zhou. However, the historical records only mention her after the world was at peace, and then suddenly there is no more information about her, which is unclear."

On the contrary, her brothers divided her troops among themselves and took all the credit. This kind of thing happened far too often.

Let's not talk about anything far back, just take Empress Wu from the previous dynasty. In what way was her intelligence and strategy inferior to men? If she hadn't used ruthless methods to resolve so many issues, how could she have withstood so much pressure, sat on the dragon throne, and become the first female emperor in history? Not to mention that she also created a widow's cabinet that was unprecedented and unparalleled in history, which truly proved the capabilities of women.

But what did later generations say about her? Hmph.

The lark listened with a mixture of longing and anger: "So that's how it is!"

The two continued walking and passed by the courtyard wall of a house, where they happened to hear the sound of arguing coming from inside.

A slightly shrill male voice scolded, "How many times have I told you! When a woman is not clean, she shouldn't do these things! If you offend your ancestors, can you bear the consequences!"

Then a woman spoke in a low voice to defend herself, but she was quickly drowned out by a louder chorus of insults.

Yun Que seemed a little confused and whispered to Chang Hong, "Princess, what do they mean by 'not clean'? Are they sick?"

Changhong glanced at her and explained, "That's a woman's period, which she gets every month."

"Menstrual period?" Hibari blinked. "Is it a bad thing? Why do they all seem to hate menstrual periods?"

“Of course it’s not a bad thing.” Changhong’s voice suddenly turned cold. “Women inherently possess the most direct divine power to create life. Menstrual blood is living proof of that.”

They insist on portraying this as unclean and unlucky. Why? Because they themselves are infertile and driven mad with jealousy, so they try to denigrate and cover it up by smearing women, thus stealing away this sacredness that belongs solely to women!

"Stealing... sacredness?" Hibari muttered in confusion.

“Exactly!” Changhong emphasized. “When a power is defined as corrupt, its sacred aura is stripped away, and its true value is obscured. This is a more insidious form of theft!”

The lark nodded, seemingly understanding, "I see..."

They arrived at the gate of a government office, where they saw yamen runners carrying fire and water sticks patrolling back and forth in a majestic manner. In the main hall, the county magistrate sat upright, as if he were presiding over a case.

She first showed disgust, then her eyes suddenly lit up with longing: "By the way, Lark, do you know what the world was like in a matriarchal society?"

The lark shook her head and said, "I don't know, Princess, could you tell me?"

"Back then, women were all incredibly tall! Before the Eastern Zhou Dynasty, especially before the Shang Dynasty, women often grew to be eleven feet tall, or even more than twelve feet. In some regions, grandmothers could even reach more than thirteen feet tall. They were also incredibly intelligent and possessed the power to create everything. At that time, all things were in harmony and prosperity; that was the true golden age."

The Book of Rites describes a time like that: "When the Great Way prevails, the world is a commonwealth; doors are left unlocked at night; lost items are not picked up on the road; conspiracies are kept secret and do not arise; theft and rebellion do not occur; therefore, outer doors are not locked. This is called the Great Harmony." This actually depicts what that time was like!

The lark was thrilled, but then looked puzzled: "How did it turn out like this?"

A flash of anger crossed Changhong's eyes: "Later? Later, of course, it was all because of a bunch of clueless bastards!"

Lark gritted her teeth and said angrily, "They are so wicked! Princess, you must restore the glory of our ancestors!"

"Of course," Changhong's voice was firm and resolute.

The two continued strolling forward, and before they knew it, they had arrived at the entrance of a theater. The theater entrance was packed with people, incredibly lively. A large, eye-catching banner hung above the stage, proclaiming in bold characters: "Today's Performance—The Holy Emperor's Clever Capture of the Vicious Servant!"
Many passersby stopped to watch the spectacle.

A passerby shook his head and said to his companion, "Hey, have you heard? This is a new play, about how the current emperor has the discerning eye to find out the real culprit who poisoned us!"

"Really? We'll have to take a good look!" his companion said.

Upon hearing this, Changhong abruptly stopped in her tracks. She had initially had no interest in this kind of farcical drama, which was acted by men, watched by men, and believed by men, but upon hearing that it was about Emperor Chu Lu, and considering that this guy was her next target, she changed her mind.

"Yun Que, let's go in and take a look," Chang Hong said calmly.

"Yes, Princess." Lark readily agreed.

The two followed the crowd into the theater, where they found it already packed with people and every seat was taken.

Most of the audience members were very excited, craning their necks and waiting for the show to begin.

Changhong and Yunque found a relatively quiet corner to sit down.

Before long, the drumbeats suddenly intensified, and the show began.

The performance began with a frenzy of banging on props. Then, the real show began. An old actor, playing the current emperor Chu Lu, accompanied by two eunuchs carrying whisks, strode steadily and slowly onto the stage.

He raised his hand and flicked it, his eyes sweeping across the audience, and the whole place seemed to fall silent. Then he began to sing: "The poison case in the Imperial Kitchen has stirred up a storm, and doubts are deeply shrouded in mystery."

After finishing his song, he lowered his voice and began his spoken lines: "Two days ago, the imperial kitchen poisoned someone, and the culprit has yet to be found. I am deeply troubled! Where is Lin Xiao? Guards!"

“Your servant is here!” a eunuch immediately responded.

"Summon Lin Xiao!"

"What!"

Before long, a martial arts actor strode forward, clad in armor, playing Lin Xiao, the commander of the Imperial Guards. He moved swiftly, kneeling on one knee and bowing with clasped hands: "Your subject Lin Xiao greets Your Majesty!"

Chu Lu on the stage simply nodded slightly and asked, "Commander Lin, how is the investigation into the poisoning case progressing?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao lowered his head even further, almost burying it in his chest: "Your Majesty, I am incompetent, and the clues are nowhere to be found. I beg Your Majesty to punish me!"

After listening to the report, Chu Lu paced back and forth a few steps, muttering to himself, "Fine. This case is suspicious; I will investigate it personally!"

As soon as the words were spoken, the entire set changed. Several actors playing the imperial kitchen manager, cooks, and palace maids were brought on stage, trembling like quails. The actor playing Chu Lu sat upright behind the table, questioning each of them one by one, while the kneeling people below were all terrified. The palace maid A Ling was also among them, her head down, constantly twisting her fingers, the silver bracelet on her wrist flashing. Chu Lu on stage noticed it immediately, his expression thoughtful.

Just then, the young eunuch Xiao Luzi scrambled onto the platform, knelt down with a thud, and cried out, "Your Majesty! That night, this servant saw Chief Eunuch Zhao sneaking into the Imperial Treasury!"

"Oh?" Chu Lu's eyes sharpened instantly, and he pressed for details, "Tell me more!"

After Xiao Luzi finished recounting everything he had seen and heard, trembling, Chu Lu slammed his hand on the imperial desk and roared, "Issue my decree: Arrest Zhao Dequan! Search his residence!"

Without a word, Lin Xiao accepted the order and went downstairs. After a while, several imperial guards brought up Zhao Dequan, who was crying and shouting that he was wronged. They were holding a bottle in their hands, saying that it was a bottle of poison that had been found in his room.

"Caught red-handed, yet still dare to deny it!" Chu Lu pointed at Zhao Dequan on the stage, his voice stern and menacing. "Drag him away and interrogate him severely!"

Zhao Dequan was dragged off the stage, crying and wailing. The first scene ended in this tense atmosphere. A few scattered cheers rang out from the audience.

Changhong watched from below the stage, understanding perfectly. She was very familiar with the storyline of the game, so as soon as the stage was set up, she knew what kind of drama it was.

Without giving anyone a chance to catch their breath, the drummers started pounding away again, and the second act began.

This time, two actors playing painted-face roles entered, portraying Fang Xiaozhi and Yan Zheng, members of the Qingliu faction. Wearing black gauze hats and blue robes, they stormed into the imperial study in a huff. The actor playing Fang Xiaozhi flicked his sleeves and immediately launched into a song: "Hearing that Your Majesty has privately punished eunuchs, where is the law of the land, and discipline is in chaos!"

Immediately following, Yan Zheng continued with his lyrics: "If a wrongful conviction is made through torture, the emperor's wisdom will be tarnished and the people will resent him!"

Upon seeing the two men on the platform, Chu Lu immediately sneered and snorted, "Hmph! It's you again! What wrong has it done for me to capture a traitor?"

Fang Xiaozhi stepped forward: "Your Majesty! The courts are responsible for judging cases; how can torture be used in the palace!"

Chu Lu was about to retort when the actor who had played the imperial physician, along with a lowly imperial guard, rushed up in a panic. The imperial physician reported hastily, "Your Majesty! That poison... the vintage is wrong!"

The soldier quickly followed up with a loud report: "Manager Zhao was looking for the account book that night!"

Upon hearing this, Fang Xiaozhi and Yan Zheng were immediately in an uproar. Fang Xiaozhi pointed at Chu Lu on the stage and sang with heartbreaking indignation: "Your Majesty! The witnesses and evidence have all changed, and a loyal and virtuous person has been wrongly convicted, almost resulting in a miscarriage of justice! Stubborn and self-willed, refusing to listen to advice, where can the Emperor's face be preserved!"

Yan Zheng was so angry that he trembled all over, and pointed at Chu Lu's nose, cursing, "A tyrant! A tyrant!"

Enraged by the two men pointing fingers and hurling insults at him, Chu Lu slammed his hand on the imperial desk, jumped up from his chair, and roared at the top of his lungs, "Insolence! Throw these two out of my sight!"

The two loyal ministers were forcibly dragged off the stage by the Imperial Guards, while Chu Lu on the stage was still trembling with rage. And so, the second act came to an end.

Seeing this, Changhong couldn't help but sneer. She said to Yun Que, "Look at him, I wasn't wrong before, was I?"

Lark nodded in deep agreement: "The princess is right."

The two women weren't speaking loudly, but a burly man in the front row still heard them. He had been engrossed in the play, but hearing Changhong's comments immediately displeased him. He turned around and said gruffly, "Lady, you're mistaken! I've seen several acts of this play before. His Majesty's actions have a deeper meaning! You'll understand later. His Majesty is wise; don't talk nonsense!"

Upon hearing this, Changhong merely glanced at him disdainfully and sneered, "Ha, just men protecting each other."

The man suddenly became angry and wanted to say something more, but at that moment the gongs and drums on the stage sounded again, and the third act, "Distinguishing the True Culprit in the Golden Hall," began. He snorted and said, "You two with long hair and short brains, the next act is coming, so you'd better watch carefully now."

After saying that, he was too lazy to argue with Changhong anymore and turned back to focus on watching the show.

The scene for the third act shifts to the Hall of Mental Cultivation. An elderly actress playing the Empress Dowager sits high above, while an elderly actor playing Li Wenyuan and a large group of court officials kneel below, creating a particularly solemn atmosphere.

Then Li Wenyuan began to sing the Erhuang Yuanban: "For the sake of the country and its people, your subject kowtows; Your Majesty's wrong decision has brought calamity upon Heaven. The Purple Star is dimmed, and evil spirits are spreading; rein in your horse at the precipice, do not linger!"

The officials behind him echoed in unison, "Your Majesty, please admit your mistake! Hand the case over to the Ministry of Justice! Restrain the Imperial Guards!"

Chu Lu, standing on the stage, coldly surveyed the crowd and snorted, "Hmph, is this why you've all mobilized so many people?"

The Empress Dowager spoke slowly, her voice carrying a hint of earnestness: "My son, the ministers' words are not without reason. Heaven is giving us a warning; we must heed it."

Upon hearing this, Chu Lu on the platform seemed to soften slightly. He waved his hand and said, "Very well! I'm tired. Bring some tea and snacks."

A eunuch accepted the order and left. A moment later, the actress who had previously played A-Ling returned, carrying a food box, head bowed, her steps slightly hurried. Her face concealed joy as she murmured, "You tyrant, today is your death day!"

Just as A-Ling was about to place the food box on the imperial table, Chu Lu on the platform suddenly grabbed A-Ling's wrist. Accompanied by the rapid sound of gongs and drums, he shouted sharply, "I've been waiting for you—A-Ling!"

The audience below gasped! Ah Ling's face paled instantly, and she nearly dropped the food box. Her voice trembled with tears as she cried, "Your Majesty! What crime have I committed?"

Li Wenyuan, looking astonished and furious, asked, "Your Majesty! Are you making arbitrary accusations again?!"

Fang Xiaozhi had previously said with a sarcastic tone, "Your Majesty really knows how to find a scapegoat!"

Upon hearing this, Chu Lu on the platform burst into loud laughter. He scanned the assembled officials and proclaimed, "Hahaha! Do you all think I am truly foolish and have wrongly judged Zhao Dequan?"

Then, he began to sing a aria: "I knew long ago that Zhao Dequan was a substitute, so I used a scheme to trap him. I only wanted to lure out the real culprit, so that she would think she had succeeded and act ruthlessly! How cleverly this poisonous woman used poison, she was hard to guard against in the end. I personally served her poisoned tea, this woman is the one who will take my life!"

After he finished singing, he raised A-Ling's wrist high, pointed to the silver bracelet on her wrist, and continued, "Look at the silver bracelet on her wrist! It hides a secret, concealing poison powder! With just a light scrape of wax with a fingernail, it will enter her throat and intestines unnoticed by gods and ghosts! Where is the imperial physician? Inspect it on the spot!"

Upon hearing this, Ah Ling's face turned ashen, but a fierce glint flashed in her eyes. She screamed like a mad tiger, pulling a silver hairpin from her hair and shouting, "Tyrant! Prepare to die!"

A chorus of exclamations erupted from the audience: "Your Majesty, be careful!" "Protect the Emperor!"

Li Wenyuan then bravely tried to step forward to defend himself.

In the blink of an eye, Chu Lu on the platform shifted slightly, advancing instead of retreating. With a flick of his wrist, he sent A-Ling off balance. The sharp hairpin in her hand grazed Chu Lu's clothes as she fell to the ground. Chu Lu stood up, flicking his sleeve, and coldly snorted, "Overestimating yourself! Imperial Guards, seize her!"

Several Imperial Guards immediately stepped forward and pinned Ah Ling down.

At this moment, Li Wenyuan, still shaken, suddenly realized what had happened. He hurriedly led his ministers to kneel down and cried out, "Your Majesty is wise and insightful! Your strategies are brilliant! We were foolish and blind to Your Majesty's greatness! We almost ruined Your Majesty's grand plan! We deserve to die!"

The Empress Dowager nodded with satisfaction: "My son is both wise and brave, I am relieved."

Chu Lu, standing on the platform, stepped forward to help Li Wenyuan up and said in a calm voice, "Your loyalty is commendable, and those who are ignorant are not to be blamed. Although this turmoil has been perilous, the nation relies on you."

He turned to his ministers and continued, "The truth has come out, the murderer has been captured, and the palace will finally be at peace!"

Then Chu Lu strode off the stage with great pomp and circumstance, amidst a chorus of praise, with the assembled officials bowing respectfully in farewell.

When the play ended, thunderous applause and cheers erupted from the audience.

"Great! This is a good show!"

"Your Majesty is truly wise and insightful, possessing both intelligence and courage!"

"That heartless palace maid deserved to die! Her acting was so satisfying!"

"I never imagined there were so many twists and turns behind this case; it's truly thrilling!"

The audience whispered amongst themselves, their faces showing satisfaction and a sense of wanting more; clearly, they were quite pleased with the ending of the play. The man who had previously argued with Changhong turned around smugly, raised an eyebrow at Changhong and Yunque, and said loudly, "Well? Ladies, do you understand now? How ingenious His Majesty's scheme is!"

Seeing his smug and self-satisfied demeanor, Yun Que was naturally displeased. She curled her lip and said, "Hmph, it's just a lame play made up to fool people. What's there to be proud of?"

The man wasn't angry; he just chuckled and ignored her.

At this moment, Yun Que turned around and found that Chang Hong's face was ashen and her body was trembling. She thought that Chang Hong was angry because she had been ridiculed by that man and had lost face, so she whispered to comfort her, "Princess, don't be angry. Later, when he is alone, I will go and beat him up to avenge you."

But Changhong seemed not to hear her comfort at all, muttering angrily to himself, "Outrageous...outrageous! How dare they distort the truth like this! How dare they slander her like this! Don't even think about succeeding! You won't succeed! Now that I'm here, I absolutely cannot let this matter remain buried!"

After saying that, she suddenly stood up, pushed through the crowd, and rushed straight towards the backstage area of ​​the stage.

"Princess! Where are you going?" Lark exclaimed in surprise, trying to follow her.

Changhong waved his hand without turning his head: "Just watch, don't follow me!"

The lark had no choice but to stop, staring at the stage with a heart full of questions, unable to understand what the princess was trying to do.

Just then, the opera troupe, who were preparing to pack up and leave the stage, suddenly heard a hurried burst of gongs and drums from backstage. Then, to everyone's astonishment, a figure walked onto the stage.

That person was actually Chang Hong! She somehow got her hands on a palace maid outfit just like the one worn by Ah Ling in the play, and when she stood on the stage, she actually looked somewhat similar to Ah Ling.

The audience erupted in a frenzy of discussion. The opera troupe members were dumbfounded, exchanging bewildered glances, completely bewildered by the sudden appearance of this woman.

"Princess?!" Hibari exclaimed from below the stage.

Changhong stood in the center of the stage, his eyes gleaming as he surveyed the audience. His voice was filled with grief and indignation: "Ladies and gentlemen, don't rush to applaud! The play you just heard, 'The Holy Emperor Cleverly Captures the Vicious Maid,' seemed flawless, but in reality, it was a colossal lie that buried the loyal and innocent and wronged the wicked! Today, I will use this small space to tell you, in detail, the truth that has been covered up and the world that has been turned upside down!"

The audience immediately stirred.

"Who is this woman?"

"What is she trying to do? Is she crazy?"

"How dare they! They actually dare to say that the Holy Emperor's play is a blatant lie!"

Changhong completely ignored their reactions. She closed her eyes slightly, and when she opened them again, she felt as if she were possessed. She began to sing from A-Ling's perspective and in her tone, accompanied by simple movements.

"A poisoning case has arisen in the deep palace, causing great distress to the Emperor. Though I am of lowly status, my discerning eyes are keen and my mind is sharp."

She turned slightly to the side, gently tapping her temple with one hand, as if deep in thought, and continued singing: "Without concrete evidence, I cannot report; day and night, I toss and turn in worry. That day, His Majesty personally questioned me; I lowered my head, my heart uneasy. It is not that I am guilty or have something to hide, but that the truth is hard to ascertain. The silver bracelet on my wrist is just an ordinary thing..."

She raised her wrist high, as if she were actually wearing a silver bracelet, her eyes filled with sorrow: "This is a precious heirloom from my late mother, how could I use it to hide poison powder!"

Then Changhong's tone changed, becoming somewhat anxious: "Although Eunuch Xiaoluzi reported that Zhao Dequan broke into the inner treasury at night, His Majesty is eager to solve the case and has issued a stern order in a fit of rage. The poison bottle was found and the witnesses are present, so it seems that the case is ironclad."

She abruptly flung her arm away and continued, "This servant knows there's something fishy about this. The poison bottle looks too new! Although Zhao Dequan is greedy and hateful, what would he do such a thing? There must be a mastermind behind this, framing him to escape punishment!"

Then, she imitated the two old ministers on the stage earlier, who were in deep sorrow, and even her singing was convincing: "Loyal ministers Fang and Yan, speaking out for justice, earnestly advised, 'Your Majesty! The witnesses and evidence have all changed, and the loyal and good have been wrongly judged, almost resulting in injustice!' But that foolish emperor, stubborn and self-willed, refused to listen and instead banished the loyal ministers from the palace, causing him to lose face and be known throughout the world!"

Her voice held a hint of understanding, as if she could see through Chu Lu's inner weakness: "Only now does he realize the grave mistake he has made, wrongly judging Zhao Dequan. His foolish actions are now obvious! I see it all and I am anxious! If we do not present solid evidence in time, the real culprit will remain at large, and His Majesty's reputation as a tyrant will be difficult to shake off!"

At this point, Changhong's tone suddenly became firm and resolute, and her singing voice became high-pitched: "For the sake of the country and the people, this servant is not afraid of risks and difficulties, and will risk the night to investigate again! Following the previously locked traces, this servant sneaks into its hiding place."

She performed some simple searching and fighting movements in sync with the lyrics. Although they were not complicated, they still made the audience feel a sense of intensity.

"As expected!" she sang loudly, "After much maneuvering, I finally caught the real culprit and found the poisoned silver bracelet on his body!"

She then carefully swapped the murderous bracelet with the old one on her wrist, her eyes gleaming with wisdom: "This servant knows this object is incredibly heavy; if exposed, my life would be forfeit. Therefore, I have replaced this bracelet with the old one. With witnesses and evidence in hand, I only hope to find an opportunity to present it to the King!"

Then, mimicking Ah Ling's manner of carrying the food box into the palace, her steps were deliberately hurried, but her eyes were unusually firm. She walked step by step to the center of the stage and sang: "As I approach the Emperor with this food box, I muster my courage to declare: 'Your Majesty, Zhao Dequan is not the real culprit; the real culprit is someone else hiding! This servant has already found the evidence,'"

She pointed to her silver bracelet, her voice trembling with excitement: "'There's evidence inside the silver bracelet!'"

However, at that moment, Changhong's tone suddenly turned to one of utter grief and indignation. She accused, "Who would have thought that the Emperor's heart is as deep as the sea, capable of turning the world upside down! That dog of an emperor—"

The moment the words "dog emperor" were uttered, a collective gasp swept through the audience.

Changhong continued, "—He was so eager to redeem himself from his muddle-headed reputation that he even stole the credit from this servant!"

He feigned surprise, grabbed the slave's wrist, and shouted, "I've been waiting for you!" He accused the slave of hiding poison in her silver bracelet, a pretext he could always find!

“My loyalty has vanished like a bubble, and I have been falsely accused of being a venomous wretch! They say I personally served poisoned tea, intending to harm the king in an instant! Heaven have mercy! My food box clearly contained only clear tea and snacks!”

"He held up the silver bracelet to show the court officials, saying that it 'concealed a hidden poison powder.' I was speechless and could not defend myself. I only hate that Heaven is blind! That silver bracelet was originally evidence for my investigation, but it has become ironclad evidence to frame me!"

She made a gesture as if pulling a silver hairpin from her hair, her eyes fierce and her voice shrill: "I want to pull the silver hairpin from my hair, not to assassinate, but to commit suicide! My pure body has been defiled, and I will not be able to rest in peace in the afterlife! I only hate that I trusted the wrong treacherous and fickle emperor, and in the end, the court is like a bow that has been discarded after the birds are all gone!"

As he sang the last line, Chang Hong suddenly staggered and collapsed onto the stage in grief and indignation.

She struggled to sit up, scanning the shocked audience below, and loudly denounced: "Look, everyone! This is the real blood, tears, and injustice behind the story of 'The Holy Emperor's Clever Capture of the Vicious Maid'! That emperor is nothing but a shameless scoundrel who steals credit and frames loyal officials! For his own reputation and to cover up his incompetence, he didn't hesitate to sacrifice the life of an innocent palace maid, and even went so far as to smear her name, ensuring she could never recover! This is your so-called 'wisdom'!"

After he finished speaking, there was a moment of deathly silence in the audience, followed by an even louder uproar.

"You vixen! How dare you spout nonsense and slander the Holy Emperor!"

"I think you are crazy!"

"Drag this crazy woman away! Stop letting her spread her lies and mislead the public!"

The curses rose in waves.

Changhong, however, was not afraid at all. He straightened his back and retorted loudly, "Do you think you fools can cover up the truth?! Don't even think about it!"

Just then, Li Si, the man who had argued with Chang Hong earlier, suddenly stood up from the crowd, pointed at Chang Hong, and shouted angrily, "You shrew! I knew something was wrong with you before! I think you're just blaming His Majesty for twisting the truth here!"

Changhong looked at him, sneered, and said slowly, "You? I recognize your face. Three years ago, wasn't it you who drove Widow Wang, who ran the tofu shop at the end of Willow Lane in the south of the city, to jump into the well? Widow Wang had a hard time being a widow, raising her two children all by herself."

You took advantage of her being a widow and her child, thinking she was easy to bully, so you climbed over the wall when no one was home and did that shameless thing! Overwhelmed with grief and anger, Widow Wang threw herself into the dry well the next day! How dare you, a scoundrel who bullies the weak and drives someone to death, stand here pretending to be a good person?!

Li Si was completely stunned after hearing this. He stared at Chang Hong, dumbfounded, and exclaimed in shock, "What... what nonsense are you spouting? Willow Lane in the south of the city? Where did this tofu shop come from? And where did this Widow Wang come from? Are you really crazy, woman? You just spout nonsense like that, have you no shame?"

Changhong just smiled sarcastically and ignored him completely, as if he were making excuses.

The scene was getting increasingly chaotic and was about to get out of control when a series of hurried footsteps approached. Several government officials who had heard the commotion finally arrived at the theater.

"Stop! All of you stop!" the head constable shouted sternly. "Who's making a scene here and disturbing the peace!"

Seeing that things were escalating and even the government officials had arrived, Yun Que became extremely anxious. She quickly squeezed to the edge of the stage, tugged at Chang Hong's sleeve, and whispered, "Princess, let's go quickly! The officials are here!"

Changhong didn't want to waste any more time here. She glanced coldly at the audience and, taking advantage of the chaos, quickly slipped out of the theater with Yun Que.

Once outside, Yun Que breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at Chang Hong with eyes full of admiration, she asked, "Princess, how did you know the truth behind that play?"

Upon hearing this, Chang Hong said calmly, "How could any emperor have come up with such an ingenious and interconnected plan?"

She paused, then added, "Although I don't know that palace maid, I have a friend who does. Before she was dragged out to be beheaded, she told her parents, who came to visit her in prison, the whole story. Her parents were devastated and later told my friend about it. It was from my friend that I learned about this huge miscarriage of justice."

"So that's how it is!" Yun Que exclaimed in realization, her face filled with indignation. "That emperor is truly despicable and shameless! No wonder you were so angry, Princess!"

She remembered something else and asked curiously, "Then, Princess, how did you know about that man? He doesn't seem to know you."

Changhong casually replied, "You went out to buy food before, and I was just wandering around aimlessly when I heard about it."

"The princess is truly amazing!" Upon hearing this, Yun Que's admiration for Chang Hong reached a new level.

Changhong smiled slightly and said, "Alright, we've had enough fun today and watched the show. Let's go back to the inn, get a good rest for the night, and set off for the capital tomorrow."

"Yes, Princess!" Yun Que nodded vigorously.

Meanwhile, on the other side, because of Changhong's commotion in the theater, the performance was definitely going to have to stop, and Li Si had no choice but to go home.

He walked along muttering curses: "What bad luck! I can't even watch a play without running into this crazy old woman causing trouble! And she's throwing mud at me for no reason. What Widow Wang, what Willow Alley, ugh! I've never even heard of her!"

He grew angrier the more he thought about it, kicking pebbles that flew everywhere. As he walked, he suddenly sensed that something was off about the atmosphere around him. Passersby were giving him strange looks, and some even huddled together in small groups, pointing and whispering about him.

"...Have you heard? It's him..."

"...It's Li Si, the one who drove Widow Wang to her death..."

"...Tsk tsk, I never would have guessed, what a beast in human form..."

Li Si could only vaguely hear what they were saying, but the malicious glances and mutterings made him increasingly annoyed.

As he passed by the entrance of a tavern, the people inside noticed him and started pointing and whispering a little louder.

"Look, that's Li Si! I just heard that it was him! He drove Widow Wang, who runs the tofu shop in Willow Lane in the south of the city, to commit suicide by jumping into a well!"

"Yes, yes, I heard that Widow Wang is a pitiful widow with an orphan and a child!"

Li Si heard clearly this time, and he immediately flew into a rage, yelling at the group, "What the hell are you spouting! What Widow Wang? What Willow Lane tofu shop? That's all made up by some crazy old woman in the theater! Are you all out of your minds? You believe that?! There's no Willow Lane in this city at all!"

Those people were startled by his sudden shout and lowered their heads, not daring to utter another sound. But the contempt on their faces became even more obvious.

Li Si returned home seething with anger, intending to vent to his wife and children, but upon entering the door, he noticed that his wife's eyes were filled with fear as she looked at him.

"Husband..." Li Si's wife began timidly, "...now the whole neighborhood knows about how you drove that widow Wang to her death...what are we going to do now?"

Upon hearing this, Li Si flew into a rage: "What do you mean 'people know'! I never did it! How can you believe such nonsense! When did I ever drive any Widow Wang to her death!"

No matter how he explained or how angry he got, his wife just wouldn't believe him.

Li Si felt a mouthful of blood stuck in his chest, unable to go up or down. His face turned pale with anger, and he cursed Chang Hong a few more times.

The next day, something even more terrible happened.

Just as dawn was breaking, Li Si's door was startled awake by a series of urgent knocks. He groggily went to open it, only to find a large, dark crowd standing outside. The group of men and women leading the way, dressed in mourning clothes and wailing loudly, claimed to be distant relatives of Widow Wang from Willow Lane in the south of the city. Behind them followed a large group of indignant neighbors.

As soon as they saw Li Si, they acted as if they had seen their father's killer, pointing at him and cursing him, accusing him of the crime of driving Widow Wang to her death.

Li Si was completely dumbfounded. He found the scene before him utterly absurd and laughable. Widow Wang? Willow Lane? Tofu Shop? These were all fictitious things. How could a bunch of relatives have suddenly appeared out of nowhere?

He initially tried to reason with them, angrily explaining, "What makes you think I harmed someone? Where's the evidence? Who is this Widow Wang you're talking about? I don't know her at all!"

The relative leading the group, a middle-aged woman, pointed at Li Si's arm and shrieked, "You still dare to argue! You still have the scars on your arm from when my poor niece-in-law fought back so fiercely!"

Enraged, Li Si rolled up his sleeves, stretched out both arms, and roared, "Look closely! Where are these scars? They're all perfectly fine!"

Someone in the crowd immediately chimed in, "It's definitely an old injury; it's already healed!"

Li Si was furious. He had explained himself several times, but these people wouldn't listen to him and were convinced he was the murderer. He hardened his heart and shouted, "Fine! You said there was a tofu shop in Willow Lane in the south of the city? Come with me! I'll take you there! I want to see if there really is such a culprit in the south of the city!"

After saying that, he angrily led the way towards the south of the city. Naturally, the group of relatives and indignant neighbors followed in a large procession.

However, the result was exactly as Li Si had expected. They searched almost the entire south of the city, but couldn't find any tofu shop in Willow Lane, let alone the well that supposedly belonged to Widow Wang. They couldn't even find a place with a similar name.

Li Si stood at an empty street corner, pointing around and shouting at the top of his lungs, "Did you see that? Did you see that? There's nothing there! That crazy woman is lying! I've been framed! I'm innocent!"

However, the crowd's reaction completely exceeded his expectations. After a brief silence and staring at each other, the relative who had been leading the group was the first to react, crying out in grief and indignation, "Heavens! Folks! You all saw it! That heartless villain actually demolished that tofu shop and filled in that well long ago! He's trying to destroy the evidence and leave no one to testify!"

Someone in the crowd immediately chimed in with a sudden realization: "That's right! It's been three years, he must have destroyed all the evidence long ago! What's that called again? Oh, it's like trying to hide something obvious!"

Another relative was even more distraught, pounding his chest and stamping his feet: "My poor niece-in-law of the Wang family! You died so unjustly! This villain is too vicious, he didn't even give us relatives a chance to come and find your old place and pay our respects!"

A passerby nodded in agreement, analyzing, "Exactly! It's more suspicious if we can't find it! If such a place really existed, he would be guilty and wouldn't dare bring us here! He clearly calculated that we wouldn't be able to find it, which is why he dared to so arrogantly bring us here!"

Some even began to recall with feigned seriousness: "Hey, now that you mention it, I seem to vaguely remember there used to be an alley in the south of the city with a few willow trees, but then somehow it disappeared... Could it be..."

Li Si stared dumbfounded at the group of people before him. He never dreamed that, with the truth right in front of him, these people not only didn't believe him, but instead fabricated even more outrageous and malicious reasons to accuse him. A chill ran down his spine, rising from the soles of his feet and instantly spreading throughout his entire body.

Meanwhile, the crowd's emotions were further heightened by the new discovery that Li Si was "malicious and wanted to destroy evidence."

They began to curse Li Si even more angrily, calling him cunning, vicious, and utterly depraved.

Li Si finally broke down from the beating. His eyes were bloodshot as he demanded, "What do you want?! What do you want me to do for you to believe I'm innocent?! Huh?! Tell me!!"

The crowd fell silent for a moment because of his sudden outburst, but that silence was then broken by a dull thud.

Boom!
A wooden stick slammed down on Li Si's head.

In that instant, Li Si felt dizzy and everything went black before his eyes. It felt like the whole world had been smashed down. First, there was a loud buzzing in his ears, as if a hornet's nest had exploded in his brain. Then, all the sounds drifted away, becoming distant and blurry, as if separated by a thick wall.

He tried to shout, but no sound came out. His legs buckled, and his knees slammed hard against the cold stone pavement with a thud.

His vision blurred, and the figures in front of him swayed into shapeless patches of color. He tried to open his eyes wide, but could only see a shimmering patch of light. A warm liquid flowed down the back of his head, stickily soaking his neck and collar, and a metallic smell assaulted his nostrils. He tried to reach up and touch it, but his arm felt as heavy as iron and wouldn't obey him.

He knelt on the ground, his body swaying uncontrollably, only managing to stay upright by supporting himself with his hands.

Amidst the excruciating pain and dizziness, he vaguely heard someone ahead yelling and cursing, the voice filled with vengeful pleasure: "Good! Let's see if he dares to talk back! This inhuman bastard deserves to be beaten to death!"

"Yes! He's still trying to fool us! He thinks he can't do anything to us just because we can't find any evidence?"

"Kill him! Avenge Widow Wang!"

These sounds, sometimes near, sometimes far, pierced his brain like needles. He wanted to refute them, to say, "I didn't... I really didn't...", but only a "hoarse" sound, like a broken bellows, could come out of his throat.

He felt more people surrounding him, their shadows overlapping like a giant black net, completely enveloping him.

Immediately afterwards, fists, feet, stones, and anything else that could be picked up were all thrown at Li Si without any regard for the consequences.

He curled up in a ball, futilely clutching his head, but it was no use. The excruciating pain overwhelmed him like a tidal wave; his consciousness sank, sank, deeper and deeper into boundless agony…

And so, amidst cheers of "eliminating a scourge for the people," Li Si was beaten to death on this very street.

(End of this chapter)