Chapter 59
Chapter 59
Song Yi rode back home at top speed. He noticed his wife was in a strange state. Unlike her usual self, she was flustered, smelled of urine, and her bloodshot eyes made her look like a madwoman. However, he simply thought she was distraught over their son and didn't suspect a thing. To be so heartbroken as to lose control of her bladder—it showed just how much she loved her son.
“Wife, Chong'er… he passed away before his injuries could be treated!”
Mrs. Song's body trembled violently as she looked at her husband. Although she already knew, tears welled in her eyes the moment she heard the news of her son's death. Though she was a greedy, vile, and selfish person, she wasn't so heartless as to be unaffected by the death of her own son. Had her son become a eunuch in the palace, she wouldn't have been this sad...
*Brother Ghost, you truly didn't deceive me. You didn't! Tian Heng, you are too vicious, killing my son. And Song Yi, you're no better than a beast.*
Mrs. Song's face twisted into a vicious expression, her eyes filled with resentment. Song Yi said in a hoarse voice.
“Wife, stay strong. If we kill Shen Lang and get our revenge, our boy will be able to rest in peace in the heavens.”
Mrs. Song sneered inwardly.
*If it weren't for Brother Ghost, I would have been fooled by a beast like you.*
“Don't worry, wife. The City Lord's Manor, the Prefect's Office, and even the Governor's envoy will be on our side. You are the only witness who saw Shen Lang kick our son to death. You must point him out and make him pay with his life. Do you understand?”
Mrs. Song looked at her husband with bloodshot eyes and said in a strained voice.
“I understand. I know what to do.”
“Quickly, change into mourning clothes, and let's go to the Count's estate. We'll take Chong'er's body and demand justice! Shen Lang must pay with his life.”
Song Yi remembered Tian Heng's instruction to make his wife look miserable, to show the grief of a mother who had just lost her son. He looked her over again. Her current state was wretched enough that she needed no extra makeup. Just in case, he told her not to change her pants, despite the smell of urine. This would surely be enough to evoke sympathy.
Song Yi took his wife and drove the carriage toward Xuanwu City.
* * *
They arrived and met with Tian Heng. Tian Heng looked Mrs. Song up and down for a long moment, then pinched his nose shut. Her act was so masterfully vicious that her appearance was utterly wretched. Her hair was disheveled, her eyes were sunken and bloodshot, and she wore a dazed yet menacing expression.
There were burns and wounds on her body, and she had even wet her pants. To be able to treat his own wife so brutally—Tian Heng thought Song Yi was quite a promising talent.
“I, too, am deeply saddened by your son's death. But please, do not be too heartbroken. As your husband's superior, I will see this through to the end and ensure that justice is served for you both!”
After speaking, he drew his greatsword and fiercely split the table in front of him in two.
“A life for a life! Even Shen Lang, the son-in-law of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, cannot be an exception! Let's go. I will take you to the Count's estate and demand justice for you!”
Tian Heng said to Mrs. Song.
“Sister-in-law, do you know what to do?”
Mrs. Song lifted her head, her body trembling as she stared at Tian Heng with eyes full of resentment.
“Of course, I know what to do. A life for a life.”
Her words dripped with a bone-deep hatred. Tian Heng was very pleased with this sight.
*Yes, this is what I wanted. This kind of heaven-piercing resentment is what's needed.*
“Let's go to the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. To claim Shen Lang's life!”
At Tian Heng's command, several warriors from the Black Clothes Gang lifted Song Chong's bluish corpse and set off toward the Count of Xuanwu's Estate, radiating a murderous aura. Following behind them were several hundred people—ruffians from Xuanwu City, all subordinates or disciples of Tian Heng. As they made their way to the Count's estate, many other hooligans and ignorant commoners, eager to watch the spectacle, joined their ranks, and the crowd swelled from a few hundred to one or two thousand in an instant.
Tian Heng grew even more smug inwardly.
*My Lord Count, you claim to love the people as your own children, don't you? Well, I'm bringing a few thousand of your "children" to demand justice. Let's see if you still refuse to hand over Shen Lang. And Shen Lang, I'll be watching to see how you die!*
The members of the Black Clothes Gang shouted loudly as they marched.
“A life for a life! Hand over Shen Lang! A life for a life! Hand over the murderer!”
* * *
Around evening, the Count of Xuanwu's Estate welcomed the envoys sent by the Tiannan Provincial Governor's Office: Governor Zhu Rong's advisor, Yan Wuqi, and the Prefect of Nuojiang Commandery, Zhang Chong. Accompanying them were the Lord of Xuanwu City, Liu Wuyan; the former City Lord, Zhang Baiyan; and the commander of the Xuanwu City garrison, Zhang Jin.
To welcome the two high officials, the heir, Jin Mucong, and the young lady of the estate, Jin Mulan, personally led over two hundred cavalrymen to greet them some twenty *li* from the estate. The Count, along with the Countess, Shen Lang, and other close family members, waited at the entrance of the estate to receive them.
This was the first time Shen Lang had made an official appearance at such an important occasion since becoming the Count's son-in-law. Before greeting them, Shen Lang had studied up on the two men, Yan Wuqi and Zhang Chong.
Yan Wuqi, male, fifty-three years old. He had placed third overall in the palace examination of the State of Yue, the highest imperial exam in the land. What an incredible man, wasn't he? To place third in the entire nation, in a great state like Yue with a population of nearly twenty million. A man this brilliant should have become a high-ranking official on his own merit, so why was he merely an advisor to Governor Zhu Rong?
The truth was, he had been on the path to a higher office, but a family member caused trouble, and he was implicated by association, forcing him to resign from his post. Afterward, he returned to his hometown, opened an academy, and spent over a decade teaching students and cultivating his character. In time, his reputation grew to fill the entire State of Yue.
Later, the Governor, having heard of Yan Wuqi's fame, wished to appoint him as an advisor. Yan Wuqi did not easily accept, and it was only after the Governor visited him three times that he finally agreed to take the position.
Thus, he was a man who had earned the Governor's absolute trust, and so his words and actions outside the office could be taken as representing Governor Zhu Rong's will. Some even said that it was better to offend the Governor's son than to offend Yan Wuqi.
The Prefect here, Zhang Chong, was also a formidable man. His father was merely a common military officer, but he himself was skilled in both literature and martial arts. On horseback, he led soldiers into battle; off horseback, he governed the people.
For twenty years, he had moved from place to place, serving as a city lord five times. He achieved remarkable success in every post, but due to poor timing, his career never truly took off. Without a patron to support him, there was only so much he could do on his own. However, a war three years ago made his name shake the State of Yue.
At the time, he was serving as the Lord of Wang'ai City in Dongjiang Commandery. For the past hundred years, the reputation of the Count of Dongjiang's Estate had been renowned, and everyone held it in awe. Almost everyone believed the Count of Dongjiang's Estate was the true master of Dongjiang Commandery.
But unlike the Count of Xuanwu, the Count of Dongjiang relied on his power and fame to run rampant, using aggressive tactics to suppress the commandery's prefect until he could barely breathe. Thanks to this, Wang'ai City, where the Count of Dongjiang's Estate was located, became known as the "graveyard of officials," and the State of Yue's new policies could not advance a single step in Dongjiang Commandery.
It was then that Zhang Chong spent five years cornering the Count of Dongjiang's Estate. The rampant Count, finding himself in such a situation, led his army to attack the City Lord's Manor. Zhang Chong, leading a small force, fought against the large army and won a great victory. As a result, the Count of Dongjiang's Estate lost all its previous military power and fiefdoms. Enraged by his desperate situation, the Count of Dongjiang chose to take his own life. After the Count's death, the King showed mercy and did not execute the people of the estate, nor did he strip the Xie Clan of their title, but the Count of Dongjiang's Estate was left a hollow shell.
After Zhang Chong gained great fame from that war, the King summoned him to the capital, where he spent three years by the King's side, waiting for another chance to soar. Then, last year, he was dispatched to Nuojiang Commandery as its Prefect to oversee its administration. And who was the local military power in Nuojiang Commandery? None other than the Count of Xuanwu's Estate. In other words, Zhang Chong's sword was now pointed at the Count of Xuanwu's Estate.
In the past, when he was merely a city lord, he had eliminated the Count of Dongjiang. Now, as a Prefect holding the great power of military administration, the Count of Xuanwu had no choice but to be on pins and needles, acting cautiously in every minor matter.
However, after taking office, Prefect Zhang Chong did not engage in the sharp confrontation or major conflict with the Count of Xuanwu's Estate that people had imagined. Instead, he maintained a passive stance.
* * *
The two high officials' appearances were not much different from what Shen Lang had imagined. Yan Wuqi was a handsome middle-aged man who appeared gentle on the surface, but in reality, he was very lofty and arrogant. His clothes were scented with incense, and his eyebrows were slightly drawn, a detail Shen Lang couldn't possibly miss.
Where there's smoke, there's fire. The rumors weren't entirely false, it seemed. Zhang Chong's skin was very dark, but his face was handsome. However, he was excessively thin, like a piece of wood split by an axe, which gave him a very grim appearance. He was a man of few words, but his eyes shone as sharply as a hawk's.
While Yan Wuqi was dressed in splendid attire, Zhang Chong wore a simple cotton robe and had no accessories on his person. Judging by the Prefect's attire alone, one would never guess he was a scholar-official who had passed the imperial examinations; he looked more like someone from a military background.
Yan Wuqi exchanged greetings with the Count of Xuanwu and also inquired about the Countess's family. In contrast, Zhang Chong spoke only a single sentence to the Count from beginning to end.
“Zhang Chong greets the Count of Xuanwu.”
After that, the Prefect stood to one side and said no more.
“Lang'er, come and pay your respects to Master Yan and Prefect Zhang Chong.”
The Count called Shen Lang over. Shen Lang stepped forward, clasped his hands, and bowed. These two men held official positions comparable to the Count's, so his father-in-law had to treat them with courtesy. However, Shen Lang held no office or position, so it didn't matter if he wasn't truly respectful.
Besides, as a mere live-in son-in-law, the two officials wouldn't pay any mind to his actions or appearance. Yan Wuqi offered a stiff smile, while Zhang Chong simply nodded before ignoring Shen Lang completely. The Count of Xuanwu led them into the estate and held a grand banquet.
During the banquet, Shen Lang was engrossed in eating the food and drinking the sweet wine. While diligently eating and drinking, he was also preoccupied with stealing glances at the curves of his wife, Mulan's, body. Mulan, unable to do anything about her husband's lewd behavior, could only pretend not to notice.
* * *
“Count of Xuanwu, another twenty years have passed.”
At Yan Wuqi's words, everyone put down their chopsticks. This remark was equivalent to getting down to business.
“The Governor has sent me here this time to ask for your thoughts, Count of Xuanwu. Regarding the Gold Mountain Island dispute, what are your intentions? Will you allow the Governor's Office to mediate a peaceful resolution?”
This was the very purpose of the two officials' visit.
The Gold Mountain Island fief dispute had originated from a scheme by a former king decades ago. The details of the process weren't important, but the conclusion was that the Count of Jinhai to the north claimed Gold Mountain Island belonged to his lands, while the Count of Xuanwu's Estate asserted it belonged to the Jin Clan.
The two families had fought tooth and nail for over a hundred years, but the lawsuit never ended in a clear victory for either side. Both families could list hundreds of pieces of evidence proving their inviolable claim to Gold Mountain Island. In the end, the former king decreed that once every twenty years, the two families would compete in both civil and martial contests, with the winner gaining dominion over Gold Mountain Island for the next twenty years.
If Gold Mountain Island were an ordinary island, the two families would not have fought so fiercely over its ownership. But Gold Mountain Island not only produced top-grade iron ore but also possessed other mines. Gaining development rights to the island would allow one to financially dominate other nobles and increase their basic annual income by more than threefold.
Twenty years ago, the Count of Xuanwu's Estate lost the competition and thus forfeited control of Gold Mountain Island, which resulted in a major financial blow. The current financial crisis facing the estate was partly due to a certain parasite, but the more direct cause was the loss of Gold Mountain Island. One could say that losing Gold Mountain Island had half-broken the back of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate.
“Then, what are the Governor's intentions?”