Chapter 58: Sell Oneself to Bury Wife

58. Chapter 58: Sell Oneself to Bury Wife

As for how Wang Deshun, Zhao Muqing, and Li Zaiye played power politics, Shen Yunyao was completely unaware.

She is now faced with a multiple-choice question!

In the movies and TV shows I've seen before, a plot often pops up where a pretty, pitiful little girl sells herself to bury her father, and then brings trouble from vicious youths and the like.

But at this very moment, what Shen Yunyao encounters is not a little girl selling herself to bury her father, but a man selling himself to bury his wife.

"Shen Popo, Ma Popo, shall we go over and take a look?"

A man, selling himself to bury his wife!

In this male-dominated, female-subjugated Dayong, it's even rarer than the once national treasure giant panda.

Shen Popo and Ma Popo exchanged a glance, nodded, and escorted Shen Yunyao closer.

"How pitiful!"

"Who says otherwise? Ma Sheng favors cutting fine, and misfortune especially seeks out the unfortunate!"

"This is unjust!"

"Shhh! You'd better pay attention!"

"Trouble comes from the mouth!"

"Yes, yes, yes, I'll definitely pay attention from now on!"

Listening to the bystanders' words, anyone who isn't a fool can tell that this young couple has suffered a man-made disaster.

And from the cautious tone of these people's words, it's clear that this human-caused disaster carries considerable status and power in Linlang City.

"As the saying goes, when the road is uneven, someone steps on it."

Shen Yunyao immediately whispered two sentences into Shen Popo's ear; Shen Popo nodded, took two steps forward, took a silver ingot from her money pouch, and placed it before the man.

"Your life, my young mistress has bought!"

"Give yourself three days to arrange your wife's funeral; three days later, go to the government office and beat the complaint drum."

Selling oneself into slavery means one's life is in the master's hands.

So Shen Popo had him go beat the complaint drum; he couldn't possibly refuse.

Of course, he could also choose to flee.

Ultimately, how this man would choose, Shen Popo actually didn't care.

Shen Yunyao didn't care either.

A silver ingot, only five taels.

To her, it really wasn't much.

But this man would thus lose the chance to avenge his wife and to clear his own shame.

"Thank you, grandma, thank you, young mistress!"

The man took the silver ingot and immediately handed over a deed of sale to Shen Popo; together with the deed, he also handed over a document proving his identity.

"Do you have the status of a licentiate?"

Shen Popo looked at the document and was also stunned for a moment.

This man actually is still a licentiate.

In Dayong, scholars are well treated.

Not having to kneel before officials is the scholars' most basic privilege.

Besides that, scholars also enjoy the privilege of exemption from labor service.

Of course, taxes that are due must still be paid.

In Dayong, even officials and nobles must pay taxes, and even the imperial clan is no exception.

Having looked at some of Dayong's statutes, Shen Yunyao sometimes suspects that its founder might have been a time traveler from before, after all many of its laws and institutions are quite advanced.

Unfortunately, she has no evidence.

In the populace, records about the imperial family are rarely passed down, for after all, a slight misstep could earn one a hat of slander against the monarch, which ordinary people cannot afford to wear.

"Indeed, I was once a licentiate, but now I have been stripped of my status!"

The man replied respectfully.

Shen Popo then nodded and waved her hand, indicating the man could leave.

At the same time, the surrounding onlookers all retreated, as if avoiding some flood or ferocious beast.

Shen Yunyao looked up and saw at the street corner a young master dressed in moon-white silk, holding a folding fan, accompanied by four attendants, striding over arrogantly.

"Master Xin the licentiate, I heard your wife died?"

"Tsk tsk, what a pity, I, the young master, haven't even gotten my hands on her yet!"

The young master stepped forward and spoke very arrogantly.

"Oh, I forgot, you're no longer a licentiate!"

"You say you, being a perfectly good licentiate, for no reason showing off your literary talent, composing poems to express your ambitions, daring to slander the current emperor—how many heads do you think you have?"

"Li Mao, if one wants to frame someone with a crime, what need is there for lack of excuse?"

"If you have the guts, kill me; otherwise, go to the capital and beat the petition drum, and I will seek justice for my deceased wife!"

"Quite the big talk!"

"I hope you have the fate to make it alive to the capital!"

"Just yesterday, the Manichaean Sect rebelled; their followers are many, killing and setting fires everywhere!"

"Hahaha, hahaha..."

The young master laughed loudly, leading his four attendants away swaggeringly.

As he left, his gaze caught sight of Shen Yunyao standing under the shop awning on the street.

However, Shen Yunyao wore a veiled hat with a light gauze covering her face, and did not let the other person see her appearance.

"She must be a beauty!"

"Unfortunately, now it's a tumultuous autumn, and that dead old man has strictly ordered that this young master must not cause trouble!"

Li Mao glanced at Shen Yunyao several times, ultimately leaving with regret.

Meanwhile, one of his four attendants suddenly had a change of heart, temporarily leaving the group on the pretext of feeling unwell midway.

While Shen Yunyao hadn't noticed yet, the imperial palace guards secretly protecting them discovered the person tailing them.

"Don't worry about it for now!"

After learning that she had been tailed, Shen Yunyao was also quite surprised.

Indeed, beneath this peaceful world, many things are hidden.

No wonder the ancients said, reading ten thousand scrolls is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles.

Only by traversing myriad rivers and mountains can one see the true state of human affairs.

Shen Yunyao, accompanied by Shen Mama and Ma Mama, quickly entered the inn they had tentatively chosen.

And not long after they checked into the inn, the person who had been tailing them entered the inn, and without any effort, learned all about the three of them.

Upon learning that Shen Yunyao was a destitute young lady from Liu Cheng who had come to rely on relatives, that person left elated.

"Outrageous!"

"What about the prefect's son?"

"Young Lady, should we notify Lord Wang and them?"

"Of course, not only Lord Wang, but also our prefect!"

Shen Yunyao then understood why the Manichaean Sect chose to rise in Beautiful Jade Prefecture: from the misdeeds of the prefect's son, one could see what kind of atmosphere prevailed in Beautiful Jade City.

After all, superiors' behavior influences subordinates!

The prefect's son is no good bird; so, how could those who flatter him be any better?

A bunch of good-for-nothing young masters gathering together—who knows how many grievances are hidden in Beautiful Jade City?

Shen Yunyao is not a meddling saintly white lotus, but having encountered this and being capable of doing something, she naturally would not turn a blind eye.

She does not possess a boundless compassion to save the suffering.

She can only do what is within her ability.

"Young Lady, but what if the prefect makes excuses, saying this is just the misconduct of his subordinates, then what should we do?"

Shen Mama, upon hearing Shen Yunyao say she wanted to summon the prefect as well, felt it was somewhat improper.

As for the people in officialdom, setting aside their ability to get things done, their talent for shifting blame is top-notch.

"Well, that's not something we need to worry about!"

"The imperial court naturally has its own laws!"

Shen Yunyao smiled faintly; she had merely discovered the problem.

As for how to solve the problem? Professional matters should be left to professionals!