Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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Meanwhile, Zhuang Laoda and Old Master Zhuang were also hiding in the storeroom, whispering: “Lady, do you think Tian’er is an evil spirit?”
“Who cares what she is? As long as she can bring benefits to our family, we’ll acknowledge her. She’s quite lucky; she actually managed to rescue the Qi Wang’s heir during her trip into the mountains.”
“Erbao also said that the young master died suddenly.”
“Bah! How dare this young punk criticize the affairs of the Wang Mansion. Once the young master has recovered from his injuries, I will personally escort him back. When I see the Wang, I will definitely give Zhuang Jiuge a good scolding! He’s cursing the young master!”
“The second son’s family is too heartless. They just left without a second thought, completely ignoring me and the old man. You should also have a good talk with the Wang about this. Ask the Prince what the crime of being unfilial to one’s parents is.”
“Don’t worry, Mother, I will definitely help you and Father get justice,” Zhuang Laoda assured, patting his chest.
As the mother and son were dreaming about the future, a series of hoofbeats and footsteps sounded outside the courtyard. Then, a group of soldiers carrying torches, leading hunting dogs, and wielding broadswords stormed into the Zhuang family’s house, shouting, “Where is Zhuang Tian’er?”
Old Zhuang and his wife rushed out of the outhouse.
Old Zhuang, pretending to be deaf and dumb, pushed open the window and peeked out.
Zhuang Tian’er guessed that this group of people had come to see the young master, so she calmly walked out and replied, “I am Zhuang Tian’er.”
“Arrest her!” At the order of the leading officer, Zhuang Tian’er was pinned to the ground with her hands tied behind her back.
Zhuang Tian’er cried out in panic, “Why are you arresting me? What have I done? The young master is inside! I saved him! I am the young master’s savior!”
“What ‘young master’? Our Qi Wang’s mansion has never had a young master.” The captain of the guards stepped out from behind the crowd with a contemptuous smile on his face.
“No, didn’t your young master fall off the cliff? I saved him. He’s inside. Really, you’ll see if you go in!” Zhuang Tian’er was still struggling.
“Go inside and search!” The guard commander waved his hand, and a group of soldiers rushed into the house.
The eldest son and grandmother of the Zhuang family, who had been somewhat nervous, immediately relaxed, and Zhuang Tian’er, who was being held down on the ground, also secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing the young master alive and well, these people would release her.
To everyone’s surprise, a few moments later, the soldiers dragged the badly wounded Yun Changrong out, threw him on the ground, and then ran back into the house, tearing down the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed), walls, and floor tiles. Clearly, they weren’t looking for the young master at all, but something else entirely.
What was even stranger was that when they saw the young master, not a single one of the soldiers bowed; instead, they showed expressions of disgust and contempt.
Yun Changrong neither scolded them nor revealed his identity. Instead, he kept his head down as if he was ashamed to face anyone.
What’s going on? Zhuang Tian’er was dumbfounded.
The guard captain stared at the top of Yun Changrong’s head and sneered, “From now on, if I hear of anyone using the name of the Prince’s heir to swindle and deceive, I will definitely arrest that person and imprison them until they die. Do you understand?”
Yun Changrong kept his head down and remained silent.
The captain of the guards suddenly raised his voice, shouting with utmost authority, “Did you hear me?”
Forced by the pressure, Yun Changrong had no choice but to raise his head and grit his teeth in extreme humiliation, replying, “I heard you.”
“Don’t you know the proper etiquette for speaking with court officials?” The commander of the guards still wouldn’t let him off the hook.
Yun Changrong held his breath and said in a hoarse voice, “This humble subject heard you.”
The guard commander then let out a cold snort and looked at the Zhuang family’s house, which had been torn to pieces.
Upon hearing Yun Changrong refer to himself as a commoner, Zhuang Tian’er, who had been struggling violently, collapsed instantly. She vaguely realized that something terrible had happened without her knowledge. If these people weren’t here to see the young master, then what were they looking for?
She then suddenly opened her eyes wide, revealing an expression of extreme fear.
The next moment, a hunting dog circled around to the back of the house and dug out the thousand taels of silver that Qin Shi had hastily buried.
These silver coins were not broken; they were still intact, and the base was engraved with the words “official silver,” which was conclusive evidence.
At the same time, all the villagers of Luoxia Village were arrested by the soldiers, and the loose silver that they had taken from the villagers during the day was found.
The two piles of silver were stacked together, and they were exactly the two thousand taels that had been lost.
With a wave of his hand, the commander of the guards lifted Zhuang Tian’er up, put her in heavy shackles and handcuffs, and dragged her out of the courtyard like a dead dog. Zhuang Laoda, Qin Shi, Old Master Zhuang, Old Madam Zhuang, and even ten-year-old Zhuang Haisheng were all shackled, strung together, and put into a prison cart.
The villagers of Luoxia Village were also tied up with ropes by the soldiers and taken to the yamen for interrogation.
Along the way, everyone cursed Zhuang Tian’er. She was labeled an evil spirit, a slut, and a wild ghost, and some people even ran to the prison cart and spat at her.
It was hard to imagine that not long ago, Zhuang Tian’er was the lucky star of Luoxia Village, praised and loved by everyone. Her life changed so quickly that she didn’t even have time to react.
Ignoring the spit that was thrown at her, she squeezed to the edge of the cage and asked in a hoarse voice, “I didn’t rob the silver, I just found it. The court shouldn’t punish me severely, right?”
The guard captain, riding alongside the prison cart, sneered, “You did find it by chance, but afterwards you set a trap and embezzled the money. Your crime is no different from robbing silver, and it wouldn’t be unjust to sentence you to death by a thousand cuts.”
Upon hearing this, Zhuang Tian’er collapsed onto the prison cart, her gums unknowingly being bitten raw, and her mouth filled with blood.
Why is it another slow slicing execution? Could she not change anything even after being reborn?
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