Chapter 042: Storm (V)
After leaving the Meng Mansion, the palace gate was locked. Han Qing did not go to the Night Watch, but returned to his private residence outside the palace. The eunuch who came to open the door respectfully handed him a paper umbrella.
"Is my sister asleep?"
Han Qing took the umbrella and asked as he walked into the courtyard.
"The lady said she wanted to wait for my brother to come home..." Neizhi glanced at Han Qing cautiously.
Han Qing said nothing and did not let him follow him. When they reached the eaves, they met a maid coming out of the room with a medicine bowl and a sad face.
"grown ups."
Upon seeing Han Qing, the maid bowed immediately.
"Give it to me."
Han Qing saw the dark medicine with steam rising from the bowl, put his umbrella aside, and took the bowl.
"Ah Qing? Is Ah Qing back?"
A female voice came from the room, with a hint of joy, and Han Qing quickly responded, "Sister, it's me."
He walked in with the medicine bowl in his hand. He saw the woman turned around in front of the dressing table. She smiled on her weathered face. She stood up and walked quickly to him. "Ah Qing, where have you been?"
"I went outside to work."
Han Qing said with a smile.
The woman frowned when she heard that. She walked up to him, held his hand, and said angrily, "Didn't I tell you not to go out to work? You like studying. I'm getting married soon. When I get married, you'll have money to pay for your studies!"
When working outside, Han Qing did not often wear eunuch's robes. This made it convenient for him to hide his disability in front of his sister when he returned to his private residence.
But every time he heard his sister mutter these words, he felt uncomfortable, so his smile was a bit forced. He suppressed his emotions and said, "Sister, I... don't want to study anymore."
"Why do you suddenly stop studying? Didn't you say you wanted to make a name for yourself? Didn't you say you wanted me to be a sister who passed the imperial examination?" The woman held his hand tightly.
"Sister, don't get married, okay?"
Han Qing didn't answer her, but just asked.
"Why? I think their family is pretty good. Most importantly, if I go there, you can study with peace of mind, and we can also have money for our mother's medicine..."
The woman shook her head and said firmly, "Listen to me. You don't have to worry about the family affairs. Even if I marry into their family, I will still be a member of our family. You are my brother, and I will definitely take care of you."
“They are not good… ”
Han Qing's throat was dry, and the edge of the porcelain bowl burned his palms and made them sweat. "Sister, they won't treat you well."
If she were better, she wouldn't be beaten and tortured.
If it were better, he would not have not seen his sister for several years. In desperation, he entered the palace as a slave to exchange money for his mother's medical treatment.
If it were better...she wouldn't be like this now.
"What are you talking about?"
The woman looked at him in confusion.
Han Qing collected his thoughts, scooped up a spoonful of medicine, and said, "Sister, you have caught a cold, so you should take medicine."
"I have a cold?"
The woman murmured, "How much does this medicine cost?"
"Don't worry, sister. I bought this medicine with the money I earned from working outside. I didn't steal it or rob it. But if you don't drink it, it will be a waste."
When the woman heard this, she really didn't dare to waste it, "Well, I'll drink it."
She didn't want him to feed her spoonful by spoonful, so she took the bowl and drank it like water. Han Qing reminded her to be careful of the heat, but she heard Neizhi's cautious voice from outside: "My dear, someone is coming."
Soon, someone stepped onto the steps. He was wearing a neat black robe, with a sword at his waist. He came with a lot of water vapor on his body and called out from outside, "Your Excellency."
The porcelain bowl fell to the ground with a bang.
Han Qing turned around and saw her sister's pale face. She trembled and screamed sharply: "Ah Qing! The people who want to kill me are here! I'm going to die!"
"Sister..."
Han Qing immediately wanted to go forward to comfort her, but the woman pushed him away, knelt down with both knees bent, and kowtowed to the young man outside the door: "Sir, I was wrong! I dare not kill my husband! He beat me! I can't stand it anymore, don't kill me..."
Zhou Ting immediately retreated to the other side of the porch and blocked his figure with the door so that the woman could no longer see him.
Han Qing squatted down and supported the crazy woman who had lost control. He patted her back and said, "Sister, no one wants to kill you. Have you forgotten? You have been released by the government..."
"...Really?" The woman had a blank look on her face.
"yes."
Han Qing looked at the few strands of white hair on her temples. She was only about forty years old. "Sister, no one can hurt you now."
The autumn rain is hazy, beating against the window frames.
Han Qing suddenly remembered what Mr. Meng had just said in the Meng Mansion.
The king's momentary joy or anger can change the existing laws.
When the law is unfair, it is like his elder sister, who endured years of humiliation and beatings from her husband's family, but her husband's family was innocent. She could no longer bear it and hurt her husband in anger. Although her husband did not die, she was also sentenced to death.
But with just one word from the official, my sister was acquitted.
When the law is fair, there will be cases like the emperor's uncle Wu Jikang, who abused his power for personal gain and committed fraud, plotting to murder the lives of candidates taking the winter examination, and he is guilty of his crime.
However, the government was determined to protect Ni Su, so he had no one to turn to for help. He could only risk his life and go to the Dengwen Court to be tortured and appeal for justice.
It is true that the king is above the law.
"What is it?"
After comforting his sister, Han Qing walked out of the room and ordered the maid to help her go to bed, and then asked Zhou Ting.
"Wu Jikang has been sentenced to death."
"Has the date of execution been set?"
Han Qing was not surprised. The government's purge of the two houses had already begun to come to an end, and Wu Jikang's matter could no longer be postponed until next year.
"It's settled. It'll be on the fifteenth of this month."
Zhou Ting said.
Han Qing said "hmm", thought for a moment, and then asked, "Have you visited Ni Su?"
"I went to see her once after she was tortured in the Drum Court, but I was busy with work at the night office and could not get away."
Zhou Ting has been busy with the affairs of the two courts and has not had a good night's sleep for a long time.
"A woman was beaten with more than ten sticks, but she still managed to survive. Even we have to sigh that she is chaste." Han Qing looked up at the misty rain in the courtyard. "It's almost the New Year. We have some good things here. I'll ask someone to pack some up. When you go to visit her, you can also send them to her on our behalf."
Zhou Ting was stunned. In the past few years in the Night Bureau, he had never seen this envoy show any pity or admiration to anyone. But when he thought of the woman in the room, he understood something.
Perhaps it was the similar circumstances that eventually led to the change from one person to another.
"yes."
Zhou Ting nodded in agreement.
…
On the fifteenth day of the twelfth lunar month in the nineteenth year of the Zhengyuan reign, the emperor's brother-in-law Wu Jikang was beheaded at Caishikou in Yunjing City.
It was winter, and everything was withered.
There were many onlookers below the execution platform, and Wu Jikang was only wearing a thin shirt, and his legs were so limp that he could not walk, so he had to be carried up by the soldiers.
When Wu Jikang saw the guillotine, he was so frightened that he trembled all over. He looked down at the platform and saw the crowd of people. All he could hear were the curses from unfamiliar faces.
The executioner sat at the desk, stroking his beard and looking up at the sky, calculating the time in his mind, not caring whether the people below were throwing rotten vegetable leaves onto the execution platform.
Ni Su was still unable to walk, so she was supported by Cai Chunxu as she walked to the bottom of the execution platform. She saw He Zhongping and others had also arrived. They saluted to Ni Su one by one through some people.
Ni Su leaned forward to return the greeting.
Someone in the crowd recognized her as Miss Ni, who had sought justice for her brother who had been tortured at the Drum Court that day. As they talked, they made way for her.
At this time, Wu Jikang on the execution platform happened to see her standing below. Just like that day outside the gate , she was wearing mourning clothes and looked thin, but her eyes were clear and bright.
At that time, he was sitting on a sedan chair surrounded by people, looking down on people from a high position.
Today he is still looking down from a high place, but this high place is the execution platform where his head is about to be chopped off... Wu Jikang couldn't bear it when he thought of it.
The executioner waved his hand and pressed him to the guillotine. He struggled and raised his head to look at the sharp and heavy guillotine. He screamed in fear: "Official, save me! Sister, save me! I don't want to die!"
But today, under the execution platform, there were no servants who used to surround him, no strict father, and even less was there his sister, the imperial concubine who loved him so much in the deep palace.
There were only those scholars who looked at him coldly, those common people who pointed fingers at him, and that...Ni Qinglan's sister.
Wu Jikang felt extremely cold. He had never felt so helpless and terrified as he did today. He cried out "Master" and "Sister", but he could not break free from the ropes that tied him up.
"The time has come."
The executioner's voice fell.
The winter sun didn't have much warmth, only dazzling light. Wu Jikang was shouting nonsense, tears and snot flowing. He saw the young woman standing under the execution platform.
A smile appeared on her pale and thin face.
Wu Jikang was driven even crazier by her smile. His pupils constricted and he cried and laughed at the same time.
As soon as the executioner raised his hand, the jailers standing on both sides of the execution platform began to untie the ropes holding the guillotine above. Ni Su looked at Wu Jikang being pinned down underneath. Amid the noise of the crowd, the guillotine above suddenly fell down, and suddenly a hand blocked her view.
The sound of the sharp blade cutting flesh was dull, and Wu Jikang's crying stopped abruptly.
"It's better for Miss Ni not to watch it."
A young man's deep voice was heard, and Ni Su turned her head to meet Zhou Ting's eyes.
Amid the noise all around him, Xu Hexue, who was standing beside Ni Su, stared at his own palm, which was so pale and translucent under the sunlight. He clenched his knuckles, lowered his eyes, and silently withdrew his hand.
But the next moment, he suddenly felt something, and when he stretched out his palm, an animal bead appeared out of thin air, flashing a faint light.
That is the glow of soul fire.
There was blood splattered on the execution platform. Ni Su pushed Zhou Ting's hand away and immediately saw the head in the blood that had not yet been picked up by the police.
His eyes were wide open, capturing the extreme fear in his last moment of life.
She turned her head sharply, leaned forward and retched.
Tears flowed from her eyelids like beads with broken strings. Ni Su clutched her dress tightly. After a while, she looked at the head again, forcing herself to overcome her fear and remember the tragic appearance of the murderer who killed her brother.
"Brother Jiming, rest in peace!"
He Zhongping choked and shouted.
Other scholars also shouted along with him, and even the common people present were moved by them, calling out the name "Ni Qinglan" and asking him to rest in peace.
The cold wind was howling, making Ni Su's ears numb. She looked at the blood-stained execution platform with tearful eyes, and then looked at the people who were shouting her brother's name one by one.
Brother, did you see it?
If possible, I hope that you can devote yourself to a better world in your next life, not be disturbed by the secular world, not be forced by your father's orders, and live for the true ambition in your heart.
My little sister Ni Su can only take you here.
