Union

Chapter 53 The Shang Family Injustice
The arrival of the miracle doctor brought tears to Aunt Ding's eyes, and their will to live grew even stronger.

However, when this "miracle doctor" saw several patients who were emaciated, with purple lips and dark circles under their eyes, his brows couldn't help but twitch.

Although he already knew the general condition of these patients when he arrived, and knew that by the time he arrived, they would probably be on their last breath, Dr. Yao still couldn't help but be shocked to see them clinging to life like the living dead.

Fortunately, having seen such scenes before, Doctor Yao quickly calmed down, sat down next to Aunt Ding, and calmly began to take her pulse.

As expected, Aunt Ding's condition was far from optimistic. The two toxins were mixed together, both extremely potent and fatal upon contact with blood. She had only managed to hold on until now thanks to the antidote she had taken earlier. Even so, due to the insidious nature of the poison and the prolonged delay, some of Aunt Ding's organs had begun to rot and fail.

Not only Aunt Ding, but also Mu Jin and Qiu Ning are the same.

None of the three were in much better shape than the other.

Qiu Ning ate a lot, Aunt Ding was old, and Mu Jin was already weak. She had also stayed up for several nights in a row making bone fans for the Second Master, which made her body sway and frail...

In short, the situation for all three is far from optimistic.

After pondering for a long time, Doctor Yao finally wrote out a prescription. Even so, he dared not say that it could cure the poison in the three people, but only said, "Take two doses first and see how it goes. If it doesn't work, we'll change to a new prescription."

Upon hearing this, Yunying didn't say anything, but quickly instructed the servants to fetch the medicine and prepare it, and personally watched as Aunt Ding and the others took the medicine.

Not only Aunt Ding and the other two, but Yunying also asked Second Master for his opinion and specially sent a bowl of medicine to Ruizhu.

Fortunately, after taking the two doses of medicine, the poisoning symptoms of all four people were alleviated.

Although he can only sit up briefly and eat some simple porridge, this is much, much better than before when he couldn't eat or drink anything and would break out in a cold sweat even with the slightest movement.

This transformation not only boosted Yunying's confidence, but also changed the spirits of Aunt Ding and the others.

But Doctor Yao's ideas were completely different from the others.

This white-haired, short and stocky doctor, with a kind face like Maitreya Buddha, privately told Yunying, "Even if we are lucky enough to cure the poison, these people's physical condition will definitely not be as good as before."

Yunying felt somewhat heavy-hearted, but she also agreed with the old doctor's words.

After all, as the old doctor had said before, the group had delayed for far too long. If he had prescribed medicine and treated them immediately after the poisoning, their condition might have been better.

"But nothing can be said to be so absolute."

"What do you mean?" The old doctor stroked his beard and looked at Yun Ying, saying, "If we can use some good medicines like Jade Spring Pills, I think we can recover some of our health. I can't say we'll be as healthy as before, but at least the negative symptoms of poisoning shouldn't be too obvious."

At this point, the old doctor sighed, "That is the Jade Spring Pill, a legendary secret medicine of the imperial court. It's a pity that I arrived too late and was unable to see this legendary divine medicine. It's such a shame."

Yunying: "As you know, Jade Spring Pill is a secret medicine of the palace. We are just maids who serve others, so how could we possibly obtain such a precious thing as Jade Spring Pill?"

The Jade Spring Pill is the antidote pill that Aunt Ding and the others took before.

Aunt Ding had previously said that the pill was specially given to the Second Master by the Duke of Rong for self-defense, but Yunying hadn't really paid much attention to it.

But when Doctor Yao explained the noble origins of the Jade Spring Pill to her, Yun Ying felt a pang of heartache and started bleeding from her eyes when she thought about how she had already used up all four of the pills she had.

According to Physician Yao, the Jade Spring Pill was made by the imperial physicians based on a secret formula. Every ingredient used was rare and precious; even for the royal family, it would take years or even decades to gather enough for a complete prescription. And each batch of Jade Spring Pills produced was only a mere hundred pills.

Just think about it, a hundred or so pills, yet all the royal family and nobles of the Great Xia had to share them. The fact that the Duke of Rong had a bottle of Jade Spring Pills was truly the best proof of his favor with the Emperor.

However, the Duke of Rongguo gave the bottle of Yuquan Pill to his second son, and the second master, eager to save lives, instructed her to feed the medicine to Aunt Ding and the others.

Although things are inanimate and people are alive, and human life is of paramount importance, and being alive is more important than anything else, they really don't deserve it!

It was already a blessing from their ancestors that they had taken a single Jade Spring Pill. To need to take medicine as precious as the Jade Spring Pill to barely improve their health, Yunying completely gave up on the idea of ​​improving Aunt Ding's and the others' health.

Yunying was heartbroken, but Aunt Ding and the others gradually brightened up.

There was no other reason than that, because of the use of several prescriptions, Aunt Ding and the others had progressed from being able to sit up, to being able to get out of bed, and then to being able to walk around the room a few times.

But they only needed to wander around inside; they dared not go outside.

As we enter the middle of November, the weather in Yungui County has become a bit cooler.

It's a bit better at noon, but you need to wear a padded jacket in the morning and evening to keep warm.

Even in such cold weather, mosquitoes stubbornly survive and fly out every now and then to make their presence known, which is quite annoying.

Just as a light rain began to fall, Magistrate Fan and his accomplices were finally brought to the yamen for a public trial.

County Magistrate Fan, Wu Shixun, Zhao Xiong, and Qi Sou, along with Jiao Niang who has fled and whose whereabouts are unknown, colluded with officials at the salt fields to illegally trade government-owned salt. Because the profits were substantial, they also opened up wasteland as private salt fields and even incited the people of Lingqu Village to extract well salt and trade with them.

During the illicit salt trade, most of those who discovered their illegal dealings were executed. A few, however, joined them in time, becoming their vassals and profiting alongside them.

Leaving aside other crimes, the Xia Dynasty was particularly strict in its control over the illegal sale of salt. While salt and iron were nationalized, anyone who operated privately and sold more than two hundred shi (a unit of dry measure) of salt would be sentenced to death.

For over ten years, Magistrate Fan and his associates had been smuggling salt. The amount of smuggled salt that had flowed to other places through their hands was far more than just two hundred shi (a unit of dry measure); it was probably several thousand, tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of two hundred shi.

These people are definitely going to be executed.

Because of the severity of his crimes, his family members were implicated. Anyone who knew about the crimes but failed to report them was also imprisoned and sentenced to three years in prison. In addition, all of his family property was confiscated.

Furthermore, since Lingqu Village was involved in the crime as a whole village, with too many people involved, but most of the villagers were fooled and thought they were working for the government, the ringleader was severely punished, and the rest, regardless of gender, were all sentenced to three years of hard labor.

This punishment was considered lenient. The villagers who had committed the evil acted naturally knelt down and bowed in gratitude, thanking the magistrate for his leniency. The other villagers did have some objections, but most people pitied the weak and, seeing those families broken and dying, crying their hearts out, they were unwilling to pursue the matter further.

It is worth mentioning that after the downfall of Magistrate Fan and his associates, many ordinary people quickly came forward to file lawsuits against them.

Some accused Zhao Xiong of forcibly taking women, leading to the tragic death of their younger sisters; others accused Wu Shixun of being utterly depraved, tricking their families into signing indentures or selling their land and houses at low prices; still others sued the relatives of Magistrate Fan, Zhao Xiong, and Wu Shixun, saying that they had taken advantage of these men's power to seize their chickens, encroach on more land when building houses, or fail to repay loans...

The county government office was in a constant uproar. For several days, the crowds blocked the gates, making it impossible for anyone to leave.

Among all the people who filed complaints, the case of the descendants of the Shang family accusing Magistrate Fan of colluding with Magistrate Zhao to embezzle the Shang family's property, fabricate false cases, and cause the tragic deaths of many members of the Shang family is the most noteworthy.

Yunying had been keeping a close eye on the affairs of the county government from the back of the house. When she heard the maids say that the descendants of the Shang family had jumped out, she was quite shocked.

You should know that the day after she stumbled upon the secret passage in the Shang family's artificial hill, rumors circulated in the county government that the descendants of the Shang family had appeared, wanting to file a lawsuit and clear the Shang family's name.

The people who impersonated members of the Shang family at that time were naturally people arranged by the Second Master. Their purpose was to find a reasonable excuse to prevent the Shang family mansion from being sold, while not alerting the magistrate and his men.

That was indeed a scheme, and the person who jumped out was truly someone Second Master had hired to impersonate him.

But who could have known that after all this time, a real descendant of the Shang family would emerge?

Yunying asked Hesui, "Weren't all the Shang family's closest relatives beheaded, and their relatives within five degrees of kinship all exiled? So who is it that has jumped out now?"

When the topic of the Shang family's exile came up, Yunying couldn't help but think of the Shang family's crimes.

She went to the Shang family with the Second Master, and after returning, she consciously learned a lot of information about the Shang family.

According to the information she received, the Shang family was a powerful and influential family in the area, enjoying great prestige among the people. They were also known for building bridges and roads, distributing porridge and medicine, and were well-regarded in Yungui County.

No one knows exactly when the change began, but all that is known is that bandits came to the coast, and Yungui County had to send soldiers to fight them. At that time, the Shang family donated a large sum of money to cover the expenses of this war.

However, for some unknown reason, the Shang family later became known to have ties with river bandits.

The state government personally dispatched soldiers to besiege the family. The head of the Shang family tried to explain, but no one listened. Finally, the soldiers broke down the gate, and the head of the Shang family led his descendants to resist, but was killed on the spot.

What happened next is common knowledge.

All of Shang's closest relatives, regardless of gender, were beheaded, and his relatives within five degrees of kinship were exiled. The Shang family's fortunes collapsed overnight, and they were despised and scorned by the people.

The downfall of the Shang family benefited two people, one of whom was the magistrate of Yungui County at the time. Because of handling such a major case, the magistrate was promoted but was soon transferred.

The other person was undoubtedly Magistrate Fan.

At that time, Magistrate Fan was just an unknown official in the River God's Office.

He played a significant role in the Shang family's case, earning the county magistrate's appreciation and being promoted to county assistant. As he became a pivotal figure in Yun Gui County, Assistant Magistrate Fan gradually gained power, eventually becoming a truly influential figure in the county.

Regardless of who benefited the most after the Shang family's downfall, Yunying felt that there were probably many shady dealings involved when she first heard about the case.

First and foremost, the Shang family was a true family that valued both farming and scholarship. The clan produced Jinshi (successful candidates in the highest imperial examinations) and Juren (successful candidates in the provincial imperial examinations), and one of their ancestors was even a retired fourth-rank official. Desiring to relive their ancestors' glory, the Shang family placed extremely high demands on their children, requiring them to study diligently, achieve success, and honor their ancestors' illustrious name.

Such scholarly families are ambitious, but their ambition lies in their official careers. Their family traditions have always been upright, and the scholars in the family are raised to be aloof, arrogant, and disdainful of others.

Yunying didn't believe for a second that they were colluding with river bandits.

They have great ambitions, but if they get entangled with river bandits, they risk disaster. How will they then be able to enter the court as officials?

Moreover, if they were truly entangled with the river bandits, they wouldn't have spent large sums of money to support soldiers to attack them, nor would they have sat idly by and waited for death when they were desperate, instead of secretly colluding with the river bandits to seize control of Yungui County and expand their power. When Magistrate Fan was desperate, he even wanted to kill the Second Master and seize control of the county government to overturn his case. Couldn't the Shang family have thought of this method?

In short, this matter doesn't make logical sense if you just think about it for a moment.

In Yunying's opinion, this was undoubtedly a miscarriage of justice.

Yet, this case, so full of contradictions, was quickly adjudicated, turning a once-prominent family that valued farming and scholarship into dust and annihilating them from the world.

It's chilling to even hear about it; I really want to have a talk with the magistrate who handled the case back then.

Yunying had been preoccupied with this case for quite some time, but she had been too busy to deal with it and didn't want to have too much contact with the Second Master, so she didn't ask any questions.

But now that new witness testimonies have emerged in the case, Yunying's curiosity has been completely piqued.

She wanted to know if there was anything fishy going on in the Shang family's case, and whether someone was behind it all, deliberately trying to harm the Shang family.

He Sui obviously couldn't answer this question for Yun Ying. If Yun Ying wanted to know the answer, she could only go to Second Master.

Fortunately, Yunying had been getting to know the Second Master better these past few days, and she was no longer resistant to going to find him.

She waited until the Second Master had some free time and then went to the front yard.

The people outside the Second Master's courtyard saw her coming and let her pass without even asking any questions.

The truth is, she's now in charge of the backyard, and she comes to see the Second Master every now and then. Whenever the Second Master is in the courtyard, he always sees her, and over time, the gatekeepers stopped questioning her and simply let her pass.

Yunying used to come to the front yard either because of Aunt Ding's illness, or because Aunt Ding and others needed expensive medicine and needed to spend a lot of money to buy herbs; or because she needed to send New Year's gifts to the Second Master's relatives and friends; or at the very least, because she was in charge of some accounts in the front and back yards, and she also had to report to the Second Master regularly.

In short, although she came frequently, it was always for official business. But this time, she came to satisfy her own curiosity, which could be considered a personal matter.

The gatekeeper, unaware of what was going on, let her through without hesitation, but Yunying felt somewhat uneasy.

But having already entered the courtyard, Yunying couldn't very well turn back now, so she gritted her teeth and continued forward.

Today, Mo Xue was guarding the door of the study. When he saw Yun Ying coming, he nodded slightly to her and then stood at the door and said to the Second Master inside the study, "Second Master, Miss Yun Ying has come."

The Second Master's voice came from inside, telling her to come in.

Mo Xue stepped aside and said, "Please go in, Miss. Don't keep Second Master waiting."

Yunying responded and pushed open the door to go inside.

At this moment, she already felt that coming to inquire about the Shang family from the Second Master had been somewhat impulsive. She desperately wanted to turn back, but Mo Xue had already informed him, and the Second Master had already agreed…

Yunying walked in unhurriedly and stood still at the door.

After a while, the second master, not hearing her make a sound, looked up from a stack of official documents at her.

His features were cold and aloof, his face sharp and piercing. When he frowned in thought, even his gaze seemed to become more intimidating.

As Yunying was pondering how to begin, the Second Master raised an eyebrow and asked her, "Aren't you cold? Close the door first, come in and sit down to talk."

"Oh".

Yunying responded, slowly closed the study door, and then slowly walked to the stool furthest from the Second Master and sat down.

She frowned, pursed her lips, and gently twisted the handkerchief in her hands with her slender, white fingers.

Her fair and delicate face was flushed with a light pink, while her clear and bright almond-shaped eyes were filled with a deep sense of guilt and contemplation.

She would glance up at him every now and then, and just as he was about to look up at her, she would quickly lower her head and pretend to be thinking.

This was the first time the Second Master had ever seen Yunying like this. She looked like she had something on her mind and seemed to have done something wrong.

He suddenly became genuinely curious about her purpose in coming here.

However, if it wasn't for official business, then it must be a private matter.

Thinking back on what happened that day, Second Master's eyes showed a look of realization, and a faint smile appeared on his face.

He wasn't in a hurry to ask Yunying anymore; he just slowly reviewed the official documents in his hand, keeping his ears open to listen to her movements.

Sure enough, the Second Master was no longer in a hurry, but Yunying couldn't sit still.

She finally spoke, "Second Master."

"Have you thought about how to bring it up?" The Second Master's gaze held a hint of teasing, and Yun Ying's cheeks flushed red as if her thoughts had been read.

But so be it. Even if he can't see through it, she's going to say it now.

With a "what the heck" attitude, Yunying explained the purpose of her visit. Finally, fearing that the Second Master would be in a difficult position, she added considerately, "If this case has not yet been resolved, or if it is not convenient to disclose the results to outsiders for the time being, then please just pretend that I never asked this question. I will go back now and not bother you any longer."

As she spoke, she stood up and walked out, looking relieved, and even her steps were much lighter.

The second master watched her light and quick steps, and couldn't help but chuckle. "You came and went in such a hurry, it makes me think that you came to me to inquire about something, but you really wanted to see if I was busy with official business. What, when did you stop being in charge and start being a supervisor?"

Yunying paused, unable to resist glaring at the Second Master.

What are you saying?

She can't even manage a task properly, how dare she be a supervisor?

In this entire Yungui County, who would be so foolish as to dare to spy on the county magistrate on his official business? That person probably has a death wish.

After glaring at the Second Master, Yunying realized that the person was indeed the Second Master, her master. How dare this little brat show her master any respect? She must be someone who didn't want to live.

Thinking of this, Yunying looked left and right, front and back, but never looked at the Second Master. Her appearance only made the Second Master find it more amusing, and he wanted to tease her a little more.

But then I thought better of it. This girl is easily embarrassed; if I really upset her, she might just run away.

The second master pointed to the stool where Yunying had just sat, gesturing for her to go back and sit there. He then asked Yunying, "Why are you suddenly concerned about the Shang family's case?"

Seeing that the Second Master had regained his composure, Yunying's unease vanished, and she immediately said calmly, "It's not that I've only started caring now. Ever since you took me to the Shang family to look at their house, I've been secretly inquiring about the Shang family."

The second master raised an eyebrow: "Who did you ask? Did you find out everything?" Yunying replied, "This servant doesn't go out often and doesn't have any other way to gather information. If I want to know something, I can only ask the maids and servants in the mansion. Most of them are from Yungui County and know everything about what's going on there."

She added, "I know everything I need to know, but the news that the maids and servants have been passed through so many mouths that it's probably been distorted beyond recognition." Subconsciously, she meant that the information she received was likely distorted and unreliable, so she hoped that the Second Master could provide some accurate information.

Yunying didn't say these words aloud, but that was clearly the meaning in her bright eyes.

Seeing her earnest and inquisitive expression, the Second Master's smile deepened. He held the official document to his face, afraid that Yunying would see his obvious smile and become angry and leave.

Then he won't have any fun for today.

After laughing, the Second Master didn't hide anything from her and told her roughly what Yunying wanted to know.

It turns out that this was indeed a miscarriage of justice.

This case sounds complicated, but it's actually quite simple.

It was only because the eldest son of Magistrate Wu, who was serving as the magistrate of Yungui County at the time, took a fancy to the girl from the Shang family and wanted to forcibly take her as a concubine.

The reason it was called taking a concubine instead of marrying a wife was because the county magistrate's wife looked down on the Shang family's social standing and only wanted her son to marry a real daughter of an official.

Therefore, when the son insisted on marrying a woman from the Shang family, the county magistrate's wife, though not giving a firm consent, relented and said she could take her as a concubine.

Now, let's talk about Magistrate Wu's eldest son. Despite having the title of a second-generation official, he was actually quite unattractive. If it were just a matter of being a little less handsome, that would be one thing, but he was spoiled rotten by the magistrate's wife. Not only was he incompetent in both literature and martial arts, but he was also dissolute and promiscuous, skilled in everything from eating and drinking to gambling and whoring.

Such a son of an official, let alone taking a concubine, even if he were to marry a daughter of the Shang family, the Shang family would not approve.

The Shang family was a family that valued both farming and scholarship, and all members of the clan considered it their duty to become officials and restore the glory passed down from their ancestors. As a family of noble character, they naturally disdained the act of selling their daughters for personal gain.

Moreover, the magistrate's family still wanted to take a concubine, not marry. If they really sent their daughter into the county government office without proper explanation, their family's reputation would be tarnished.

The Shang family naturally refused the marriage proposal outright.

The Shang family wasn't exactly old-fashioned; they subtly made up an excuse, saying that the girl was already engaged and would get married when she reached a certain age.

The magistrate's wife naturally didn't believe this, thinking that the Shang family looked down on her son and therefore didn't want this marriage between the talented scholar and the beautiful woman to happen.

The magistrate's wife harbored resentment and naturally whispered in the magistrate's ear, causing the magistrate to also become dissatisfied with the Shang family.

If the county magistrate is dissatisfied, he will deliberately make things difficult for the county.

During the county-level examination in Yungui, several students from the Shang family, who were guarantors, were unable to enter the examination hall for various reasons.

Afterwards, the head of the Shang family sought an explanation from the county magistrate, but the magistrate evaded the question and could not provide a proper explanation.

This escalated the conflict between the two sides, and in a fit of anger, the head of the Shang family said behind his back that "Wu Changyong is unfit to be a parent to his family."

When these words reached Magistrate Wu's ears, his hatred for the Shang family intensified.

Later, Yun Gui County was hit by a flood, and the large amount of rice donated by the Shang family was replaced with moldy rice; the private school built under the supervision of the Shang family suddenly collapsed for no reason, killing two young children...

The Shang family's reputation gradually deteriorated, and the people of Yungui County grew increasingly dissatisfied with them.

The Shang family belatedly realized that someone was behind this. Unfortunately, before they could find out who was behind it, the river bandits landed, and Yun Gui County had to send troops to reinforce them.

At the same time, the county magistrate personally visited the Shang family, hoping that the powerful clans, led by the Shang family, would donate rice, grain, and money to support the soldiers in fighting against the river bandits.

The county magistrate personally visited, discussing matters of great importance concerning the people's livelihood. Even though the Shang family harbored resentment towards the magistrate, they had no choice but to swallow their pride and hand over a large sum of money as military funds.

But this was only the first time. Afterwards, Magistrate Wu went to the Shang family three more times, citing the difficulties of the war and the need to replace military equipment, as well as the county government's inability to provide financial assistance.

It was during these four visits that the Shang family's fortune was almost completely depleted.

By this time, the Shang family also realized Magistrate Wu's sinister intentions, but they still underestimated him, thinking that he was deliberately trying to disgust them and make them suffer heavy losses.

The Shang family had no way to retaliate, simply because they couldn't stand by and watch their fellow villagers bleed and die. Even though they clearly had the ability to help, they couldn't remain uninvolved and had no choice but to contribute money again.

This time, however, they were more cautious and suggested that they send several clansmen to personally oversee the delivery of the purchased weapons to the soldiers, in order to prevent the money from being embezzled or misappropriated by Magistrate Wu.

The Shang family thought they had made a brilliant move, but little did they know that it was precisely their suggestion that would cost the lives of their entire clan.

—The weapons that were sent out by the Shang family did not end up in the hands of the able-bodied men of Yungui County, but instead fell into the hands of the river bandits.

It was because of this turning point that the Shang family was labeled as collaborators with bandits.

Magistrate Wu wanted to arrest the entire Shang family, but the head of the Shang family naturally refused. He locked the doors and windows in resistance and summoned all the members of the Shang family together.

Upon seeing this, Magistrate Wu used the excuse that the Shang family was colluding with bandits and that the militia of Yungui County was insufficient to resist them to request the prefectural government to send troops to capture the bandit leader.

The officials from the prefecture only cared about arresting people and not about investigating the case. The head of the Shang family knew that if they fell into the hands of Magistrate Wu, the calamity of extermination of the clan would be imminent.

In order to survive, they took up arms and resisted. But their resistance only confirmed their guilt of colluding with bandits.

In the end, the head of the Shang family died in the battle, and the rest of the Shang family members were captured alive.

Yunying knew what happened next.

Because colluding with bandits was a capital offense, all of Shang's descendants were imprisoned and later sentenced to immediate execution. Relatives within five degrees of kinship were spared, but were exiled to the Northwest and forbidden to return in this lifetime.

In just three to five months, the once-famous Shang family of Yungui County became a thing of the past, a fleeting memory in people's minds.

The Shang family's affairs are not complicated; they can be summed up in just a few words. But the information revealed in them is truly suffocating.

Yunying felt that she was having difficulty breathing.

She raised her hand, wanting to loosen her clothes to let in some air. It was at that moment that she saw the Second Master in front of her.

The Second Master sat calmly in the rose-carved armchair, his gaze deep and clear as he stared straight at her.

Yunying jolted awake, her mind instantly clearing. She quickly deflected her hand from her clothes and instead touched the hair by her ear, as if she had planned to do so beforehand.

Yunying coughed lightly and asked the Second Master stiffly, "What role did Magistrate Fan play in this case?"

Second Master looked away, pretending not to have seen Yunying's loss of composure.

He spoke in a deep, unhurried voice: "The magistrate's wife was furious with the Shang family for refusing to marry her. At that time, Magistrate Fan bribed the maidservant who served the magistrate's wife to say some unpleasant things to her. The magistrate's wife hated the Shang family to the bone, so she went to Magistrate Wu's ear and whispered in his ear."

Second Master then said casually, "Magistrate Wu was already dissatisfied with the Shang family, and the incident at the examination hall was just a minor punishment to serve as a warning. Unexpectedly, the head of the Shang family spoke ill of him behind his back, saying that he was unfit to be a local official. Magistrate Wu harbored resentment towards the Shang family and wanted to deal with them as soon as possible. Assistant Magistrate Fan saw through Magistrate Wu's thoughts and offered him that ingenious plan of feinting to the east while attacking in the west."

The feint attack, ostensibly aimed at the river bandits, was actually a ploy by Magistrate Wu to retaliate against the Shang family.

I must say, this plan is truly insidious.

Even more insidious was that, long before this plan was implemented, Magistrate Fan had been gradually undermining the Shang family's prestige in Yungui County and eroding their wealth.

Therefore, when the Shang family was driven to ruin, the common people, for various reasons, did not speak up for them; and without that large sum of money, the Shang family could not get in touch with the powerful and wealthy, and could not afford to pay them for their help.

In short, the downfall of the Shang family was part of Magistrate Fan's plan. To achieve this goal, Magistrate Fan was meticulous and determined to succeed.

This only fueled Yunying's curiosity even more. "What deep-seated hatred does Magistrate Fan have for the Shang family? Why is he so determined to destroy the Shang family?"

The Second Master happened to know the answer to this question, so he explained to Yunying, "County Magistrate Fan once wanted to become the disciple of Patriarch Shang, but unfortunately he lacked some talent in studying, so Patriarch Shang did not accept him after the test."

Yunying frowned, "Could it be that he harbored ill intentions towards the Shang family because of this trivial matter?"

"This is no small matter. In the eyes of scholars, this is tantamount to denying his future and cutting off his path to success. Magistrate Fan has always longed to become an official, and now that everything has been rejected, he is naturally resentful. Furthermore, Magistrate Fan once sought to marry a girl from the Shang family, but was refused by the Shang family."

Yunying was speechless upon hearing this. She wanted to say, "Is the Shang family known for producing beauties? How come one after another they've taken a fancy to the girls from the Shang family?"
But then she thought about Magistrate Fan's character and conduct, and felt that he couldn't be that kind of superficial person. So, "Is Magistrate Fan trying to achieve his goal indirectly, hoping to use becoming the Shang family's son-in-law to bring up the matter of studying under the Shang family head again?"

Second Master nodded slightly, praising Yunying's keen insight, "You're not stupid after all."

Yunying: "..." Thank you for praising me.

Having finally figured out the ins and outs of this situation, Yunying's mood was not at all relieved; on the contrary, it became increasingly heavy.

She felt sorry for the Shang family and hated Magistrate Fan's ruthlessness, but what angered her even more was Magistrate Wu's pettiness and incompetence.

The head of the Shang family said that cursing Magistrate Wu as unfit to be a local official was too lenient. In her opinion, Magistrate Wu was not only unfit to be a local official, but he was not even worthy of being a human being.

Yun Ying huffed, "Then Magistrate Wu got promoted? He climbed to a high position by stepping on the lives of dozens of members of the Shang family. Doesn't he fear that the Shang family will come after him in the dead of night?"

Second Master nodded slightly. "That's a good question. If you have the chance, you can ask Magistrate Wu about it when you meet him."

Yunying: "..."

Once again, Yunying was speechless, and couldn't help but cast a longing glance at him.

Some people seem perfect no matter how you look at them, but unfortunately, they have a mouth.

Yunying, unable to bear it any longer, finally said, "Second Master, you don't have to speak if you don't want to."

The second master chuckled, "Use people when you need them, and discard them when you don't. Only women and petty men are difficult to deal with."

Yun Ying was even angrier; her fists hardened.

But Yunying dared not lay a hand on the Second Master. Firstly, she couldn't beat him; secondly, she had a few questions that she needed his help to answer.

"I heard that Magistrate Wu was promoted after he judged the Shang family's case. More than ten years have passed. I wonder if Magistrate Wu is still in officialdom?"

The second master glanced at her and said, "You seem to have a lot of questions."

"It's about average," Yunying urged Second Master. "Are you aware of this matter? If so, could you tell me about it?"

The second master didn't answer whether he knew or not, but his gaze fell on the teacups on the table...

Okay, she knows what that means.

Yunying got up and walked to the desk in front of the Second Master. She took a teacup and made tea for him. She even personally brought the tea to his ear and hand.

"Second Master, please try this tea. Is the temperature suitable? If it doesn't suit your taste, I'll go and brew some more for you."

The second master stretched out his precious hands, lazily took the teacup, took a sip, and put it down. "The tea temperature is just right. The person who brewed the tea is not skilled enough and needs more practice."

Yun Ying: "..." It was clearly not her who brewed the tea; she had only poured him a cup at most.

But Yunying dared not say these words at the moment. She could only urge the Second Master to answer her question quickly and not keep her in suspense.

“That Magistrate Wu…”

Yunying leaned closer: "What happened to Magistrate Wu?"

Second Master looked at the lotus-shaped face that appeared before him.

She stood to one side of the desk, within his reach.

This distance was a bit too far, but Second Master only glanced at it before looking away.

In the past, Yunying would have wanted to stay at least 800 feet away from him, as if getting even slightly close would spread the plague. This time, however, she unconsciously moved quite close to him, and she wondered if she would feel regret and fear when she came to her senses later.

Second Master continued, "That Magistrate Wu's career is going very well. Just at the beginning of this year, he was holding an important position in Lingnan Prefecture."

"At the beginning of the year, he was still holding an important position, serving in the prefecture, so his official career was truly booming. And now? Has Magistrate Wu stepped down?"

The second master said, "He died in office before he was relieved of his post."

Yunying stared in disbelief. "How could he be dead? He should only be around fifty years old this year. Did he commit too many sins and get revenge?"

Second Master shrugged: "I can't say for sure about this either. The people I sent to investigate only said that Magistrate Wu died suddenly. He was bleeding from all seven orifices, and his death was gruesome. Three days after he was buried, the coffin exploded and the body disappeared."

Yunying: "..."

"Has the body still not been found?"

Second Master: "I'm afraid it's gone. It might have been stolen and fed to the dogs."

Second Master's mouth is really sharp!
While inwardly marveling at the Second Master's ruthlessness, Yunying felt a chill run down her spine at his conjecture. But for some reason, although she felt a little disgusted, she also felt a strange sense of pleasure.

However, although Magistrate Wu received his just deserts, he had enjoyed so many years of good fortune before his death. On the other hand, the Shang family had done nothing wrong in their lives; in fact, they distributed porridge and medicine whenever there was a disaster in Yun Gui County. So what was their ultimate fate?

Not only did they die young, but almost the entire clan was wiped out.

Yunying said indignantly, "That Magistrate Wu got off easy!"

Second Master: "It's not fair to let him off easy! The Shang family's case has been thoroughly investigated, and all the files will be sent to Lingnan Prefecture, and then from Lingnan Prefecture to the Ministry of Justice. Magistrate Wu's evil deeds will be known to the world, and he will be vilified after his death. Three generations of his descendants will also be implicated and unable to enter officialdom."

Yunying breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that this retribution was more or less fitting.

Seeing that she had stopped scolding and getting angry, but instead looked thoughtful, the second master couldn't help but ask her again, "What are you thinking about now?"

"I'm wondering, isn't there a network of secret passages beneath the Shang family's house? Did the Shang family dig those passages, or did Magistrate Fan dig them after he occupied the Shang family's house? Also, who exactly is that descendant of the Shang family who jumped out today to speak up for the Shang family?"

Second Master couldn't help but glance at Yunying again, "You really do have a lot of things you're curious about."

Yunying smiled sweetly, then hurriedly came forward to serve tea to the Second Master. Unfortunately, the Second Master wasn't thirsty at the moment, and waved her hand, telling her not to be so attentive.

Second Master was in a hurry to deal with official business and just wanted to get rid of Yunying as soon as possible, so he didn't hide anything from her and told her everything she wanted to know in one go.

It turns out that the tunnel beneath the Shang family's house had existed for a long time.

That tunnel was used by the Shang family ancestors to escape.

Because the security situation in Lingnan Prefecture was very bad, there were not only river bandits and mountain bandits, but also Japanese pirates who could land at any time.

The Shang family patriarch was farsighted; he had long ago dug a network of secret passages beneath the house for his descendants to escape to. In the middle of those passages was a spacious hall, which was used to store the Shang family's valuable books.

Initially, only a few members of the Shang family knew about this secret passage.

Just as the prefectural government sent troops to assist Magistrate Wu in capturing the Shang family bandits, the head of the Shang family, in order to preserve his bloodline, allowed a branch of his descendants to escape through a tunnel.

The descendants of that lineage escaped, but afterwards, Magistrate Fan found that the number of people arrested was insufficient, so he sent people to search the entire city.

The search uncovered those who had escaped, and the tunnel was revealed as a result.

After that, Magistrate Fan kept the secret about the secret passage a secret, and it later became the location for their secret meetings and transactions.

One update today, but this one's over 1 words! That's all for today. I'm tired and sleepy, everyone, I'm going to eat now. See you all tomorrow at the same time!

(End of this chapter)