Translator: Dj22031
Editor: Dj22031
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Five days before New Year’s Eve, fifteen days had passed since the late Liang Wang’s coffin lay in state. The urgent report from the capital finally reached Mu Zhao’s hands.
As expected, Governor Yu was severely reprimanded.
He sweated profusely as he read the reply, breaking out in cold sweat again and again. The reply clearly implied a demotion, but due to the severe famine situation outside Weizhou Prefecture and the potential for an epidemic, the court allowed Governor Yu to remain in his position.
The implication was that the matter of dealing with the famine and epidemic should be resolved first, and his performance would be comprehensively evaluated and dealt with accordingly after the New Year.
Mu Zhao lowered his eyes and handed the memorial to Lu Qian.
“This matter has only spread within the cabinet. The Emperor convened a small court assembly; although he was furious, he will likely have to cover it up for the sake of the imperial family’s reputation.”
Lu Qian had already skimmed through the memorial and snapped it shut. “Wang Baitian is to be executed before the end of the year? Doesn’t this need to be submitted to the Ministry of Justice for further review?”
“The Emperor means that the fewer people who know about this, the better.” Mu Zhao gave Lu Qian a deep look. “Go and make arrangements; I want to see Wang Baitian again tonight.”
Lu Qian stood up, his face filled with sorrow, and nodded. “Alright.”
That evening, Mu Zhao, Lu Qian, and Wang Baitian met again.
He wasn’t as haggard as they had imagined; though dressed in tattered clothes, his tiger-like eyes still shone brightly.
The two looked at him and couldn’t help but sigh.
“Wang Baitian, do you regret it?”
Wang Baitian, somewhat delirious, burst into laughter. “I only regret not killing that old bast**d sooner, so he wouldn’t have killed so many people.”
“The imperial court has approved your execution before the end of the year, it should be in the next couple of days.” Mu Zhao looked at him with a deep gaze. “Do you have any unfulfilled wishes? Speak freely.”
“I already knew the outcome, there’s nothing to be disappointed about.” Wang Baitian scoffed. “Once I die, this long-standing case will be completely closed, and it will also preserve the face of the royal family. Heh, why not?”
“The prefectural government led the way in deceiving the poor people, saying that the female corpses unearthed all died in accidents. Do you think the people don’t understand? They actually know everything. They just dare not disobey the government’s orders, so they pretend to be confused. After all, the dead are dead, but the living still have to continue living.”
“So what if it’s an accident? At least we can take our loved ones’ bodies home and give them a proper burial,” Wang Baitian said with a mocking smile. “Maybe we can even get a generous funeral allowance, which is quite a generous gesture.”
Mu Zhao gave him a deep look. “One last question, you… initially wanted to imitate demons to confuse the public?”
Wang Baitian sneered again. “No, humph, murder is murder. Who do I need to imitate? It’s just a coincidence. Doesn’t Your Highness think these scumb*gs deserve to die like this? I want to cut open their bellies and see if their hearts, livers, spleens, lungs, and kidneys are completely blackened.”
With that, he burst into loud laughter.
“Life and death hang by a thread on the great path, what do I have to fear? If I die today, who knows if a hundred or a thousand Wang Baitians won’t rise up one day to fight against the darkness buried deep underground? Your Highness, I do have a wish. Please give me ten jars of strong liquor, so I can get thoroughly drunk before I die!”
Mu Zhao smiled slowly, his bright eyes shining as he looked at Wang Baitian, his voice gentle and calm as he said, “Alright, this young master will drink with you to your heart’s content.”
Wang Baitian and Mu Zhao exchanged a glance, then suddenly burst into laughter.
….
At the Prefectural Governor’s Mansion— Yulan Garden, Ba Liang respectfully handed over the rubbing of a memorial, “An urgent document delivered by express courier, the master should have received it last night. I saw he was worried all night and didn’t sleep well; he went out this morning with dark circles under his eyes.”
Yu Linlang flipped through it quickly, a hint of mockery creeping into her expression.
“The Emperor ordered Prince Lu and the others to suppress this royal secret scandal at all costs, claiming to the public that the old prince died of illness.”
“Hmph.” Yu Linlang sneered, “To show his compassion, the Emperor even specially bestowed the title of Prince of Pingkang upon Ye Wuchen.”
“As expected, there is no justice or fairness. The Liang Wang’s family committed numerous evils, yet his descendants can enjoy wealth and glory forever simply because they bear the surname Ye. The principles of this world are all the royal family’s own. What they say and do is entirely up to the dog emperor’s word.”
“Miss…”
Yu Linlang raised her hand, “You don’t need to worry about this matter; I will handle it myself.”
Ba Liang and Jiu Jin exchanged a glance and agreed in unison.
That night, Yu Linlang changed early into a light gray brocade short dress, her long hair tied up high.
After she nimbly slipped out the window, Ba Liang hurriedly closed it, blew out the lamp as usual, and sat with Jiu Jin at the table to wait for their young lady to return.
Yu Linlang leaped onto the roof, and in a few quick movements, she had silently scaled the back wall of the governor’s mansion.
After a clear, short whistle, a pair of eyes emitting a ghostly green light suddenly appeared in the corner of the wall.
A lone black wolf, half a person’s height, suddenly darted out from the shadows.
Yu Linlang flipped onto it, lightly patted the wolf’s head and pointed in a direction, and the black shadow shot forward like an arrow.
In a flash, Miss Yu’s long, black hair, tied up high, flew through the air.
In a moment, the lone wolf carried Yu Linlang to the governor’s prison.
Yu Linlang took out the slender jade bamboo flute and played a melodious tune.
“Who goes there?” The jailer guarding the prison gate, having just caught a glimpse of Yu Linlang hidden in the darkness, felt dizzy and his vision blurred before he could even make out her face, and collapsed to the ground with a thud.
Yu Linlang lightly touched the jade bamboo flute and descended the dark corridor.
As if entering an empty room, she left a trail of fallen bodies in her wake.
Reaching the innermost small dark room, Yu Linlang flicked her sleeve, and the copper lock on the door shattered into three pieces as easily as cutting tofu.
Miss Yu stepped inside, and several bursts of true energy shot out simultaneously, severing the copper locks hanging on Wang Baitian’s body.
Wang Baitian fell to the ground with a thud, face down, motionless, already unconscious.
Yu Linlang stepped forward and picked him up.
The six-foot-tall man in her hands was like a fragile, boneless chick.
After a few ups and downs, Miss Yu arrived outside the prison with a blank expression.
She mounted the wolf’s back, gave a soft whistle, and the lone wolf galloped down the wide street, heading straight for the eastern mountains.
He didn’t know how much time had passed when Wang Baitian was awakened by gusts of cold wind. He sat up abruptly, only to realize he wasn’t in the government prison.
Cold winds rushed in from all sides, and before him lay a desolate expanse of swaying grass.
Wang Baitian shivered, his mind clearing somewhat.
Looking up, he saw a slender, dark figure with her back to him, gazing at something in the cold moonlight.
“Heroine…heroine?” Wang Baitian tentatively asked, “Did you rescue me from prison, heroine?”
Yu Linlang slowly turned around.
“Heroine, I will never forget your life-saving grace.”
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