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Chapter Forty-Two:
The Second Scandal of My Life (Part 2)
This memorable, tranquil moment ended with a loud shout from Physician Cheng, “Blood is still flowing!”
Two guards restrained his person but not his mouth. As an honest doctor, he couldn’t watch the injured person sit and bleed in front of him while he stared blankly.
Shaoshang regained consciousness and glanced sideways at the bleeding wound on Ling Buyi’s shoulder. She took a step forward and said displeasingly, “The arrow has been pulled out. Why are you still lingering there? Why didn’t you come up to treat the wound?! Doctors should have the heart of a parent, why are you not in a hurry?!”
As soon as this statement was uttered, Physician Cheng couldn’t help but howl in sorrow and anger! Without waiting, the two guards next to him moved away from each other, and now he couldn’t even speak.
From the girl’s perspective, it was really hard to see that the physician had his arms held behind him.
Liang Qiu Fei wanted to laugh, but was forcefully pulled by his brother next to him. The young man quickly fixed his face.
Li Wu Lang couldn’t keep looking anymore and turned his head to stare outside the door. Old Master Li smacked his lips and realized that his beloved beard had been touched a few times, so he let go of his hands and went to sit on a stool.
Physician Cheng silently stepped forward to fulfill his duties. Shaoshang took a step back and wanted to go back to her original position. She turned around and saw that the stool she’d been sitting on had at some point been moved to the right side of Ling Buyi’s seat, slightly lower than his.
“Madam, please sit first,” the Scar Guard gave a friendly smile.
Shaoshang was startled and then sat down quickly.
She recalled that in the Cheng house, as long as Old Madam Cheng wasn’t there, when Father Cheng was sitting in the Jiu Long Hall to meet guests, Madam Xiao’s seat was placed in such a position. Did this mean respect to the landlord? But the house belonged to Old Master Li, although she arranged it. Was that because the Cheng family was above the Li family…?
Old Master Li wrinkled his nose and commented with a smile, “This is the best wine of the past decade.”
Liang Qiu Fei showed a hint of pride. “You have good eyesight,” he said. “This is an aged wine found in the warehouse of the Chen Palace, and I don’t know how long it had been hidden. It was given by His Majesty at the beginning of the New Year and was originally intended to be consumed during the celebration banquet.”
Shaoshang took a deep breath and thought to herself that the wine was indeed strong, but not aggressive, with a mellow and fragrant aroma. She really wanted to say that she could purify high concentration alcohol for them. Don’t waste such good wine, why not give it to her Father Cheng?
Of course, this could not be said. They saved your life and didn’t even pay the interest and you still want to take from them?!
Ling Buyi glanced at the girl and looked at the bundle of brocade handkerchiefs held in his own hand – when the arrow had been pulled out, she immediately handed back the handkerchief and then looped the necklace into her own hand. Although she was young, she had a clear and cheery heart, without any intention of being entangled by the vine.
At this point, Physician Cheng began to cut off the rotted flesh.
The rustling sound of cutting flesh, strands of black and red swelling and rotting were cut and placed on a plate, causing Shaoshang’s scalp to numb. The man with the bare shoulders quietly placed his hands on his knees, his expression calm, except for his pale face and slightly pursed mouth, as if nothing was happening.
Looking sideways at the crimson corners of his mouth on his snow-white skin, Shaoshang inexplicitly thought that he was too young for this level of authority.
After cutting off the rotten flesh, cleaning the wound, and applying medicine, Physician Cheng went out with the medicine bag on his back without looking back. Li Wu Lang felt that the doctor had been greatly insulted.
Ling Buyi was served by Liang Qiu Fei, putting on his robes one by one, and drank a half bowl of wine before taking a slow breath. He raised his hand and called for someone to come in.
Two soldiers carried a long silk scroll in and slowly unfolded it in front of everyone. It turned out to be a map marked with mountains, rivers, and villages. Shaoshang was confused, but Old Master Li knew it was a map of Yanzhou.
Ling Buyi looked solemn. “I have passed by Langzhou a few times, but Dongjun has never been there. Currently, there are several remaining soldiers scattered and causing chaos here. I have killed two batches in the past few days, but another one disappeared after Xiaozhuang, south of Qing County. Could you please give me some guidance? Now that the Imperial army is blocking the east, which direction are they likely to flee in?”
Old Master Li was startled and blurted out, “It’s just as Mistress Cheng guessed, that something happened to His Majesty?”
Everyone looked at the girl sitting on the right side of the room. Shaoshang was extremely embarrassed and cursed that old man Li for speaking too quickly!
“What did you guess?” Ling Buyi looked interested.
Shaoshang repeatedly waved her hand. “No, no…” she said nervously. “I was just guessing.”
Old Master Li quickly helped to fill everyone in. “Mistress Cheng said that some people were planning to cheat and delay the Imperial journey first, and then suddenly getting into trouble, so no one would know about going west.”
Shaoshang laughed hollowly.
Ling Buyi smiled and looked at her for a moment. “You guessed half right,” he said. “There are indeed people with ulterior motives, but His Majesty has already noticed it but hopes he can repent on his own. The thief is malicious. As soon as he saw the situation didn’t succeed, he dispersed the remaining soldiers who had just been gathered from Qing County recently, and spread rumors that the emperor wants to kill them all. The culprit then took advantage of the chaos and escaped.”
Old Master Li couldn’t help but exclaim in regret as he thought that the easily recuperating countryside would suffer again. “His Majesty is also too kind. If you want to show any affection, you should immediately deal with the disorderly officials and thieves!”
Shaoshang remembered the unconscious Madam Sang and the injured members of her convoy and said, “Yes, yes.”
Ling Buyi found her approachable demeanor very likeable, so he smiled and said, “Frontier officials, if you make a move, you will lead your whole body. His Majesty has already controlled the situation, but I didn’t expect them to be so malicious.”
Old Master Li let out a sigh and pat his knee. “Frontier officials?!” he said. “Is it the chaos caused by our state’s herdsmen? Thanks to our county governor’s hard work to maintain it, we didn’t have any trouble extending to the west!”
Ling Buyi tilted his lips. “No, it was the chaos created by the instigation of your county governor. The Yanzhou herdsman faithfully defended the monarch and worked hard to quell the chaos. Only to the west of Qing County will everything basically be safe. His Majesty will announce it to the world in a few days.”
This time, without the need for Old Master Li to be quick-witted, Ling Buyi turned his head directly towards Shaoshang. “Is this also what you guessed?” he asked.
Shaoshang’s embarrassed ears turned red and she could only continue to laugh hollowly. “I’m just an ignorant little girl… haha…”
Realizing the girl was staring at him, Old Master Li felt embarrassed and stroked his beard, checking the map before he casually asked, “I don’t know where those thieves escaped from.”
“It started in Hua County,” Ling Buyi said.
Old Master Li turned around excitedly. “You guessed it right!” he exclaimed. “It was indeed in Hua County that the accident happened. Fortunately, Madam Sang and Young Mistress didn’t go to Hua County, otherwise they would be entering the tiger’s mouth! Mistress Cheng is so smart!” He was a kind person, thinking to himself that the little girl’s face was thin. She had just lost face twice in a row, and now she could always win back a game.
Ling Buyi couldn’t help but smile. “That’s not true, either. As His Majesty was already on guard, he was stationed in a village east of Hua County, and the chaos was immediately extinguished. Therefore, if you had gone to Hua County yesterday, it would have been calm and safe.”
Old Master Li chuckled twice and quickly lowered his head to look at the map. Lian Qiu Fei and Li Wu Lang each turned around and snickered, while the guards in the behind the scarred guard, along with the two soldiers holding the map, silently suppressed their laughter.
Shaoshang thought, ‘Grandfather, I beg you to stop talking!’
Dongjun covered a large area and was bustling with people. Old Master Li stood in front of the map for a long time, hesitating and indecisive. “…Lord Ling, to be honest, I dare not say that I know this place as well as the roads and rivers. However, where the bandits will go along this road, it is really difficult for old people…”
Before he could finish speaking, Shaoshang stood up vigorously and said in a broken voice, “Don’t be embarrassed, Grandfather. People have traces, and thieves have plots! If that bandit is for plundering and killing, it will naturally go to places where there are many people. If you want to disturb the situation and escape while His Majesty’s troops are suppressing the bandits, you must find a remote way to escape, especially the gap between the mountains and forests that’s not easy to be noticed by others!”
This time, Old Master Li didn’t dare praise her casually. He quickly went to look at Ling Buyi to see what his correction would be, but saw him looking at the girl with a slight smile. “You’re right,” he said. The general, who was known for his ability to suppress and kill the capital, smiled with a particularly youthful and handsome expression.
Shaoshang finally lifted her eyebrows and a bit of a small corner of her mouth with a light smile.
Ling Buyi looked at the girl. “If there were chaos in the early years, even if the land was abandoned, all regions would form a brave guard to protect the village. But, in recent years, brave people have scattered back home to cultivate. Suddenly encountering chaos, there is no doubt that wolves will enter the sheep flock. Therefore, His Majesty ordered to ignore everything and suppress the bandits first. Grandfather, this bandit was one of the top criminals, preparing to flee south to Jingzhou and borrow a way to enter Shu.”
Old Master Li stroked his beard and nodded his head repeatedly, then turned to look at the map.
Li Wu Lang thought to himself, “Master Ling, what you said is very good, but can you face my father when speaking?’
“So, since Master has been busy chasing bandits these days, it has delayed your healing?” Shaoshang understood this time.
“Tigers are easy to slaughter, and ants are difficult to exterminate,” he said with a smile. “Besides, as spring is about to break through, people might make mistakes for a while, and people make mistakes for a year. The people can easily eat a safe meal, but they can’t make mistakes.”
Shaoshang felt that the person in front of her had a towering image, probably like the loyal officials and generals mentioned in ancient texts. She replied with a sweet smile, “I think what you said is also correct.”
Ling Buyi smiled but remained silent. He looked into the girl’s eyes, as bright as a star and full of vitality.
Li Wu Lang silently looked at his father: Father, they seem to be flirting.
Old Master Li: Shut up for me.
Finally, the old man pointed to two places on the map. “If you want to escape, you should take these two routes.”
Ling Buyi nodded and thanked him, ordering the soldiers to collect the map. Shaoshang also asked after her pig-headed uncle. “The magistrate of Qing County is loyal and brave,” Ling Buyi said. “Upon hearing the news, you can rush to Qin Wang. When I arrived, the magistrate of Gongsun was answering in His Majesty’s tent. If your uncle enters Qing County, the city walls are tall and it’s safe there.”
Shaoshang smiled and felt guilty – stupid uncle, with such a bad brain, he deserved to be a big pig’s hoof! ‘Just wait for me to report this to my aunt. If I don’t add insult to injury then my mother’s surname isn’t Cheng!’
At this moment, the elderly guard entered, and the arrow that had previously pierced his left arm had been removed and wrapped with a bandage. He approached and clasped his fists. “Young Lord, there are a total of forty-two captured thieves. The screening has been completed, and everyone has blood on their hands.”
Ling Buyi frowned slightly and asked, “Why have we captured so many?” The implication was that we didn’t kill them all.
Both father and son of the Li family were heartbroken. Shaoshang was also surprised and couldn’t help but to look at Ling Buyi.
In an instant, the young and handsome man seemed to have changed his demeanor. Just then, he was gentle and polite, benevolent and righteous, but when it came to thieves and bandits, he downplayed them with a bloody aura, completely ignoring them as ‘people.’
She thought, ‘This person is actually a good person, he’s just a bit murderous.’
The senior guard seemed accustomed to this and smiled. “These useless bastards have the courage to rob women and children. It seems that if they can’t defeat, they surrender quickly!” As he spoke, he brought in the leading thieves and bandits.
A total of five people were brought in, covered in sweat and blood stains, as if defecation had fallen on their clothing. As they entered, the stench overflowed, and Shaoshang frowned in disgust.
As soon as these five came in, they cried loudly. Ling Buyi was also very patient, and slowly waited for them to finish crying before he said, “So, were you all forced to become bandits due to helplessness?”
A bandit leader with a large bruise on his face wailed. “I was originally a military commander under his Majesty’s command, so I took good care of myself. However, when everyone rebelled, I became confused and followed…”
The bandit leader beside him who lost one ear hurriedly continued, “General Mingjian, we obey orders! Even if we became bandits, we were also ordered by the general. We also want to be good people, marry wives and have children…”
Then, he said something to the other bandit, crying while talking, crying so much that saliva dripped out. The other three bandits were not so eloquent and they could only respond with ‘exactly’ and ‘yes, yes.’
“Did you come around Cong Township in the southeast of Qing County?” Ling Buyi asked.
The five people were puzzled and could only nod.
“Do you still say that you are all under Zhang Shi’s command?” Ling Buyi had no doubt.
Those five people desperately claimed it so, and the bruised face said, “If General Zhan had died early, we wouldn’t have committed a big crime like a headless fly!”
Ling Buyi nodded. “Speaking of it, when I was young, Zhang Sui even taught me how to use knives.” He seemed to think of something and sighed. “The world is so unpredictable. Although Zhang Sui was born as a bandit, since he was captured alive by Fan Chang, he has kept himself safe as a general. After a long period of time, Fan Chang didn’t think that the world would turn upside down. Fang Chang listened to the provocation and wanted to do something wrong. The first person in the account to object sharpy was Zhang Sui. As a result, Fan Chang was killed on the spot, his limbs were torn off and he was beheaded.”
The five people’s eyes were filled with hopeful joy, and they begged for mercy even louder. They mentioned how General Zhang was benevolent and magnanimous, etc., etc.
Ling Buyi didn’t even move his fingertips and lightly said, “Drag them out and kill the rest.” He pointed to the big bruise and one ear bandit. “Those two are buried alive.”
The Li family father and son both cried out, thinking that Ling Buyi was going to spare them, but unexpectedly, the change was so abrupt.
Shaoshang was also startled and thought to herself, “This person is actually a good person, but he is a bit moody.”
The guards were about to drag those five people out, but when the heard the bruised one still howling hoarsely, Ling Buyi raised his hand and asked the guards to stop for a moment. He smiled. “You rabble, who have been disbanded for a few days now, did you also use this set of rhetoric to deceive the soldiers of the Cong Township? Then at night, all the people at the guard station, old and weak, women and children, were slaughtered, and after stealing you’ve come to loot again.”
Having said that, he turned cold. “Kill them all, leave no one behind.”
The five people were shocked, they didn’t expect the young general in front of them to figure out what happened. The bruised one still refused to accept his fate and was still crying, “…they will hand me over, will we still be alive then? It is absolutely necessary!”
At this time, even father and son of the Li family, who had always been kind, felt hatred in their hearts.
“Hmm,” Shaoshang said in a resentful tone. “General Zhang Sui fell into the grass and became a bandit only in times of chaos. I believe that wherever there was a second way to go, he was determined to not be a bandit. You, however, can’t wait to plunder the people as soon as there is a little chaos! Was there no other alternative?! Couldn’t you find a cave to avoid the wind? Couldn’t you become an anonymous commoner? Would His Majesty still issue an arrest notice to catch a few of you little bugs and grasshoppers?!” Feeling that she had said too much, she quickly turned her head and apologetically smiled. “Master Ling, right?”
Ling Buyi couldn’t hold back and he chuckled softly. “Couldn’t be more right.”
Li Wu Lang looked back at his old father: Father, aren’t they really flirting?
Old Master Li was irritable and ignored his son. He came forward and said, “Those despicable thieves are not worth killing. It’s better to kill these leaders and the rest will be punished by hard labor. Master Ling, since ancient times, it’s been unlucky to kill after surrender.”
Ling Buyi’s tone was still gentle but his words were not polite. “The old man said that too late. In the past few days, I have killed bandits several times. Can you see that I am carrying prisoners?”
Old Master Li rubbed his hands in embarrassment. “Yes, but this killing after surrender… after all, after all…”
Ling Buyi’s expression was indifferent. “Bai Qi killed nearly 500,000 Zhao soldiers in Changping pit, which was killing after surrender. King Xiang Xin’an took advantage of the night to kill 200,000 Qin troops, that was killing after surrender. Because those soldiers could have fought to the death. But these…” He pointed to the five bandit leaders, with a sarcastic expression in his eyes. “The sword was placed on the neck and they surrendered. They just didn’t surrender, so what?” After reading for a few years, it was just so pedantic.
[Bai Qi (d. 257 BCE) served as the commander of the Qin Army for more than 30 years and was most infamous for ignoring the killing after surrender unspoken rule. I can’t find who this Xiang Xin’an was but I’m assuming he also ignored the killing after surrender.]
At this moment, Shaoshang suddenly spoke out. “Master Ling, how about handing these bandits over to me? I’ll kill them.”
As soon as those words were said, everyone was surprised. Old Master Li nearly pulled his beard off, and Li Wu Lang almost choked to death on his saliva – what was happening in this world?!
The guard with the scar and the older guard exchanged glances. Their young master was already weird enough, they didn’t expect such a delicate young lady to be so weird as well.
“It’s inauspicious to kill after surrender, but they haven’t surrendered to me, have they?” Shaoshang turned to Old Master Li and said, “It’s okay if I kill them, right?”
Old Master Li was speechless, and it was his turn to look over to his son, Li Wu Lang.
Ling Buyi was about to speak, but saw Shaoshang turn around and ask, “Is there anything more powerful than burying alive?” She was not very familiar with the popular punishments of this era.
It was Liang Qiu Fei who was asked. He saw his young master also staring at him and stuttered, “…Tear limb from limb?”
Shaoshang nodded with satisfaction, stood up in a very dignified manner and took two steps forward. The guards who were about to drag the bandit leaders out saw Ling Buyi’s expression and quickly pushed them back into the room, forcing them to kneel.
“Last night,” Shaoshang said, “you captured a few maidservants from my house. Where are they now?”
The five bandit leaders looked at each other and quickly denied it, saying that it wasn’t their doing, but the action of other leaders who were already killed.
Shaoshang pointed at the one-eared bandit and sneered. “Don’t pretend, you were among the people who crossed the fence that night! I remember it very well. Didn’t you also catch a maid when you retreated?”
The one-eared bandit saw that it was undeniable and repeatedly begged for mercy, saying that he had not mistreated the maidservants.
Shaoshang’s eyes glinted with bloodlust, she said word by word, “Our generals have investigated and found out that eight had been kidnapped, and now there are only two left.” Fortunately, the two women were plump and graceful, and the bandits wanted to continue their lewdness and humiliation before they were killed. Although it was unbearable, they managed to survive. In the future, Shaoshang would have to make comprehensive arrangements for them.
As soon as they heard that, the bandit leaders knew it was over. If they had killed all of them and left no survivors, they could still deny it. Now that there were two that survived, what else was unclear?!
“I don’t dare to call you upright gentlemen, you think it’s okay to rape and humiliate. You will vent your anger at those innocent and weak women for the delay in breaking through the Cheng family defenses. You will torture and beat them all night long, even cook and eat several women this morning!” Shaoshang didn’t hesitate and revealed it all.
Old Master Li had seen such a tragic event before, and his heart was greatly shaken. His whole body was cold. Li Wu Lang had already been frightened to the point of stupidity.
The guards in the room were not aware of this matter, and upon hearing, they were all indignant and speechless.
Shaoshang spoke slowly word by word, “You abused and killed the maidservants, and you cook them after raping and killing them?! Is there no more prey in the forest?! Did you not bring any dry food? You’re just a beast, eating human flesh for fun, are you so worthy of being called human?! Since you don’t want to be human and act like an animal, then I will treat you as animals and slaughter you as I want?!”
The one-eared bandit knew that he could not escape death, and he rushed forward a few steps bravely, roaring, “Do you dare?! Our brothers turned into ghosts and we will tear you up all night!” Before he finished speaking, the guard blocked his mouth, but he was still grinning and growling, his eyes as fierce as wild animals. Li Wu Lang couldn’t help but be afraid.
Shaoshang was frightened and took a step back. Then she remembered the tragic situation of her maidservants being torn apart. If it weren’t for the family’s efforts to stop her from seeing the food distribution scene, she might have seen the gnawed-on bones and heads.
She was furious and took two more steps forward. “Don’t play this game with me!” she sneered. “If you become ghosts, you will only be judged by Yama’s hell for so many injustices! Go to the eighteenth floor of hell to be tortured! You still have the time to find me?! Ha, you are so capable that you can exploit the weak. Now that it’s in my hands, I can exploit you too. Right now, I want to tear you into as many pieces as you want! I have asked the surviving women to identify you, those who have eaten human flesh, and killed. Let’s have capital punishment for them all!”
[By capital punishment, she means the tearing limb from limb and beheading.]
The four remaining bandit leaders wanted to curse and struggle. With a gesture from Ling Buyi, several guards forcefully dragged them out.
Shaoshang suppressed her fear and was determined to understand the matter at once, so she cupped his hands to the Li family father and son. “I’m going to preside over the punishment so I will take my leave for the time being… ah…”
Ling Buyi had already stood up at some point, gently pushed her back to the mat, and said softly, “Don’t go. It’s too troublesome to tear limb from limb with five horses. I’ll go to the execution.”
Shaoshang refused and stood up again. “No need. I’ll go to the execution.”
“Don’t go,” Ling Buyi looked at the stubborn girl. “You haven’t seen such a scene before, you’ll get nightmares.”
“I won’t have nightmares,” Shaoshang held her head up high. “I never have nightmares! If you don’t let me do this, I will go and see how those animals die with my own eyes!”
Ling Buyi closed his eyes and, after a moment, calmly said, “Do you like to look at bridges? There are many arch bridges in my mansion which were made with the skills of the public transportation class.”
The words were so nonsensical that only one person in the whole household could understand them.
Shaoshang felt dizzy. Sure enough, he had guessed it.
She sat down on her stool, feeling powerless and trying to calm down. “Since Master Ling’s kindness is difficult to resist, I won’t be disrespectful.” An outstanding talent knew when to submit to circumstances. In the future, she would try to avoid this person as much as possible!
Ling Buyi shook his head helplessly and went to walk out the door. As he approached, he suddenly turned back and said to Shaoshang, “It’s not your fault those maidservants were kidnapped. You’re young, and your actions are already remarkable. And…” He paused. “Remember to drink a bowl of calming soup before going to bed tonight, okay?”
Shaoshang was in a daze and nodded.
She thought to herself, ‘This person is still a good person, but he has a strong desire for control.’
Watching Ling Buyi and his group walk out the door, Li Wu Lang breathed a sigh of relief and went over to support his father: Father, I still think they are flirting.
Old Master Li: …I’m going to tell Madam Sang and Young Master Cheng.