Thousand Dusts Ferry Me - Chapter 88

Yun Qing’s heart suddenly skipped a beat as she looked toward Jiang Baiyu.

He was also looking at her, meeting her gaze openly and squinting his eyes slightly.

Helan Qing muttered to himself. “Ah, it must have been when I accidentally spilled vinegar during yesterday’s banquet? I must go back and pay proper respects… By the way, Immortal Lady, the reward notice has been written. I’ll personally go to the yamen today to oversee this matter.”

Yun Qing nodded with satisfaction, feeling that this Helan Qing was quite sensible after all.

Who would have known that before they could set off for the yamen, people from the yamen came to summon Helan Qing instead.

“Young Master He Lan, please come with us. Someone has beaten the grievance drum and accused you of intentional murder!”

This was too sudden. Yun Qing and the others looked at each other in bewilderment. Fu Xue said, “Senior Sister, should we also go and see?”

Yun Qing nodded, sighing inwardly that ever since they had arrived in Mengliang City, nothing had gone smoothly. They really should have their horoscopes read properly.

Unfortunately, among the several of them – herself, Fu Xue, and Baiyu were all orphans, and Ci Li wouldn’t remember his birthdate from when he was a cat. Among the six people, only Suiyan and Muyu had clear horoscopes.

Moreover, according to what she heard from Master Muyu, she had also been born from the Hundred Seeds. Yun Qing wasn’t sure whether horoscopes of someone who jumped out of a big watermelon could still accurately predict one’s fate.

So among the six people, the only one with normal horoscopes was Suiyan alone.

How absurd.

….

Though they said they were going to court, Helan Qing’s procession looked more like a street parade, with a great crowd of family servants following behind him. On the way, he chatted and laughed with the yamen runners, who knew he had power and influence and all fawned over him.

But when they arrived at the courthouse, he could no longer smile.

Kneeling on the ground was his brother-in-law, but that didn’t frighten him. What did was another person standing beside him, looking at him with a cold sneer.

Liang Xiao!

At the thought that it was this lowly prostitute who had placed the Shared Fate Gu on him, Helan Qing’s temples throbbed, and he wished he could beat this woman to death with clubs right then and there.

He gritted his teeth, suppressing his hatred, and first bowed to the county magistrate seated above. Since he held the title of xiucai scholar, he didn’t need to kneel like Chen Fengchun.

The county magistrate nodded faintly, and seeing that half of Helan Qing’s face was swollen, he looked at him with puzzlement.

Helan Qing stared venomously at Liang Xiao. “Vile woman.”

Liang Xiao curved her lips: “Young Master Helan, I heard you were looking for me?”

Outside the courthouse, behind the railings, many common people were watching the excitement, all pointing and whispering about Helan Qing. With a group of door-god-like family servants standing nearby, the people didn’t dare discuss loudly and only whispered among themselves.

This Helan Qing was quite a celebrity in Mengliang City, known by many people on the streets.

Seeing a woman standing beside the plaintiff, and knowing that Helan Qing was a libertine, many people guessed that this case was related to romance and pleasure. This made everyone even more excited.

Yun Qing and her companions also folded their arms and watched the drama unfold. Fu Xue took out a handful of roasted peanuts, tossing them into her mouth one by one.

At this moment, Helan Qing glared viciously at Liang Xiao and said, “Quickly remove the gu for me, or else I’ll—”

Liang Xiao raised an eyebrow. “Or else what, kill me?”

Killing wasn’t an option.

Helan Qing said, “I’ll make you wish you were dead.”

Liang Xiao snorted disdainfully and slowly drew a dagger from her sleeve. This startled everyone, and the county magistrate at the head of the court struck his gavel heavily:

“Audacious! In the courthouse, you dare brandish weapons! Someone, seize her dagger!”

Several yamen runners were about to step forward, but Liang Xiao suddenly drew the dagger and pressed it against her own throat, the blade touching her slender neck. “Don’t come any closer!”

The yamen runners stopped in their tracks and looked up at the county magistrate.

This county magistrate’s surname was Chang. He was about forty years old, with two unruly eyebrows, a pair of fox-like eyes gleaming with cunning, and two sparse mustaches beneath his nose.

Magistrate Chang was baffled by Liang Xiao’s behavior. “You’re not even the plaintiff, you’re just a witness. Why are you doing this! Put down the knife!”

“Daren, don’t mind me, please continue,” Liang Xiao said, glancing at Helan Qing. “Young Master Helan, I hope that every word you speak in court today is true. If there’s even half a lie, neither of us should live. I mean what I say.”

“You…!” Helan Qing’s face turned iron-blue, so angry that the muscles in his face twitched slightly.

The magistrate struck his gavel again and repeated his question. “Who kneels in the hall below, and what is the accusation?”

“This humble person is Chen Fengchun, and I accuse my brother-in-law Helan Qing of beating my sister Chen Jinshu to death!”

This statement caused a commotion among the watching crowd. Oh my! It wasn’t a matter of romance after all, but a murder case!

Everyone began discussing Chen Jinshu. Indeed, she had died too young, and many people had felt sorry for her at the time, but no one had expected that she had been beaten to death! How could this Helan Qing be so vicious as to beat his own wife to death? Could this be a false accusation?

Chen Fengchun held up the written complaint with both hands, and a bailiff took it and presented it to the magistrate.

Magistrate Chang quickly scanned the complaint and habitually raised his finger to stroke his mustache. According to procedure, he should ask some questions, so he put down the complaint and asked routinely. “Helan Qing, do you confess your guilt?”

“I—” Helan Qing was about to deny it when he caught sight of Liang Xiao glaring at him from the corner of his eye, gripping her dagger even tighter.

Helan Qing: “I confess my guilt.”

Magistrate Chang: “!!!” He was completely dumbfounded.

Just like that, he confessed?

Usually when trying cases, regardless of whether the defendant was guilty or not, they would always argue and make excuses. Never had anyone confessed so readily.

Magistrate Chang had originally felt quite at ease after reading the complaint. The complaint had no evidence whatsoever, and with the person having been dead for over a year, it would be difficult to exhume the body for examination now. Even if Helan Qing had really killed someone, as long as he didn’t confess himself, no one could do anything to him.

But he had gone and confessed directly!

This, this, this – what was this ancestor thinking!

Just because your grandfather was a minister, did you really think you could be completely lawless and fearless?

How was he supposed to show favoritism when there wasn’t even a step down to offer!

Magistrate Chang felt like his buttocks were on fire, unable to sit still. He winked at Helan Qing, but Helan Qing seemed to have gone blind.

“You confess, you confessed…” Magistrate Chang was exasperated with amusement. “You killed Chen Jinshu?”

“Yes.”

“Why did you kill her? How did you kill her?”

Having come this far, Helan Qing had nothing left to hide and recounted everything that had happened that day.

When he described the specific details, the listeners all frowned, and some with quick tempers, forgetting about the door-god-like guards nearby, began cursing outright.

“What a beast! He should go to hell!”

“Let him die! A life for a life!”

“Son of a turtle, may he be reborn as a pig or dog in his next life!”

(TL: “烏龜” (turtle) is often used as a euphemism for a cuckold (a man whose wife has been unfaithful), or to mock someone as cowardly or disgraceful.)

“Wives who don’t listen should be beaten; the more you beat them, the more obedient they become.”

“What did you say?!”

“Did I say anything wrong? Marry a rooster, follow the rooster; marry a dog, follow the dog. If you beat one to death, just get another. Helan Zhang is so rich, it’s not like he can’t afford it.”

“Good heavens, there’s a beast among us!”

Well now, the common people started fighting among themselves. Those few people argued and actually began pushing and shoving each other.

Chen Fengchun beat his chest and wailed, looking up at the patch of blue sky outside the courthouse:

“Little sister, can you see this! I’ve made everyone witness this wolf’s crimes! Brother has avenged you! You can rest in peace in heaven!” Then he wailed again.

Among the watching crowd, some were fighting, others were moved by the crying and couldn’t help wiping their eyes.

Seeing the crowd getting agitated, Magistrate Chang hurriedly struck his gavel. “Court is adjourned for now! Take the defendant into custody!”

Helan Qing was pressed by several yamen runners toward the jail in the back. As he walked, he held his head high and chest out, coldly glancing at Liang Xiao and Chen Fengchun with a mocking smile at the corner of his mouth.

Several more yamen runners went to maintain order. The people stopped pushing and shoving but still didn’t want to leave, standing in place chattering and discussing.

Magistrate Chang came down from the bench to help the wailing Chen Fengchun to his feet and offered a few words of comfort.

Yun Qing never would have imagined that this Helan Qing was actually a murderer, and that he had killed his own wife no less.

To be honest, though her divination skills were quite good, her physiognomy was rather ordinary. She hadn’t been able to tell from his face that he had a murder case on his hands – quite an embarrassing failure.

This proved that ever since arriving in Mengliang City, nothing had gone smoothly!

Fu Xue angrily crunched her peanuts and said, “This Helan Qing is truly worse than a pig or dog!”

Ci Li asked, “According to human laws, how should Helan Qing be sentenced?”

Jiang Baiyu said, “Death by strangulation would be reasonable. If the magistrate intends to show favoritism, he might spare his life.”

But Cheng Suiyan shook his head with a smile, pointing at them with his index finger. “Naive.”

Ci Li: “What do you mean?”

Cheng Sui Yan said, “In my opinion, this Helan Qing will ultimately be released without charges.”

“What kind of joke is that? In broad daylight, he confessed himself. Even if the magistrate wants to show favoritism, there’s no way to resolve this.”

“Tsk, you understand the law, but you don’t understand officialdom. Want to make a bet, little cat? If you lose, you have to let your ears out for all of us to touch.”

Ci Li was about to refuse when Yun Qing suddenly pulled him behind her, taking a protective stance. “We’ll take that bet.”

Ci Li: “???” A bunch of perverts.

After Magistrate Chang comforted Chen Fengchun for a few moments, he went to the back hall. Liang Xiao and Chen Fengchun turned to leave together.

Two yamen runners came over to stop Liang Xiao, saying, “Lady Liang Xiao, you’re suspected of poisoning someone. You can’t leave.”

“Is that so?” Liang Xiao took out her dagger again to play with it, saying:

“Go in and tell him that I’m physically weak and can’t endure prison hardships. If I accidentally die in this yamen, someone will regret it. Tell him exactly that, go on.”

Fu Xue moved close to Yun Qing and whispered, “This Liang Xiao has quite some courage.”

The two yamen runners heard Liang Xiao speak this way and looked at each other. One stayed to watch Liang Xiao while the other went suspiciously toward the jail. Before long, he came running back and waved to his companion. “Let, let her go for now.”

Liang Xiao smiled with her red lips curved.

When passing by Yun Qing’s group, Liang Xiao suddenly stopped, turned aside, and walked up to Yun Qing with a smile, curtsying gracefully.

Yun Qing remained composed, her gaze intentionally or unintentionally sweeping over Liang Xiao’s slender neck, but she didn’t see any red thread – it must have been covered with powder.

Liang Xiao smiled. “I forgot to mention, I must thank the Immortal Lady.”

Yun Qing clasped her hands behind her back and raised an eyebrow slightly. “Oh? What thanks?”

“Fortunately, you discovered and exposed the Shared Fate Gu. Otherwise, to make that wretch believe in the existence of the Shared Fate Gu would have taken quite a bit of persuasion on my part.”

Yun Qing shook her head with a rueful smile. They had watched this entire drama unfold, never imagining that they too were players in the drama.