Chapter 119: Ruthless and Merciless

After hearing this, Jin Ridi felt empathy, let out a long sigh, and a hint of desolation and sorrow showed in his eyes.

He spoke slowly: "Sang brother, you are absolutely right. I am not only an old subject, but also a foreign minister who surrendered from the Xiongnu, and my situation is even more difficult. Although the emperor outwardly shows increased trust and entrusts me with important tasks, many officials in the court harbor prejudice against me and marginalize me everywhere."

"They think I am a Xiongnu, untrustworthy, and constantly trip me up in secret. In this court, I find it increasingly hard to stand firm; every step feels like walking on thin ice."

"So this time I also want to use this opportunity to secure a retreat for myself; after finishing this, I will retire and return to my hometown, staying far from this place of right and wrong, and live a peaceful life for a few days."

After their discussion, they quickly found common ground, both realizing that only by joining forces could they cope with the present crisis.

They fully understood that in this treacherous and ever-changing court, only by supporting each other could they preserve their status and family's glory.

After a moment of silence, a flash of ruthlessness appeared in Sang Hongyang's eyes; he lowered his voice, leaned close to Jin Ridi, and spoke slowly:

"Jin brother, the plan now is to go all‑or‑nothing. I intend to use my connections to engineer Xu Wei's accidental death in exile, while at the same time having his wife Li Shi deliberately seduce Xu's father, then falsely accuse him of rape and have him executed."

"Afterward, we will also eliminate Li Shi on the charge of adultery. Thus the Xu family will have no chance to rise again, the matter will be completely settled, and there will be no further worries."

Jin Ridi heard this, blinked slightly, and a hint of hesitation flashed in his eyes.

His mind struggled between morality and profit, for this is an extremely cruel and immoral scheme that would cost innocent lives.

But soon he thought of his perilous situation and of the retreat he wanted to secure for himself and his family, and his gaze gradually became resolute.

He slowly nodded and said: "Things have come to this; we can only do this. But these means are perhaps too cruel, those innocent people…"

Sang Hongyang gritted his teeth, a flash of resolve in his eyes, and said: "Jin brother, we now have no other choice. If we do not do this, we will both be doomed. For our families and for ourselves, we must resort to this desperate measure. It is a helpless act; if we ever get the chance, we will make some amends to those innocent people."

Just as the two finished plotting their scheme against the Xu family, Sang Hongyang's gaze suddenly grew deep.

He pondered for a moment, then spoke slowly:

"Jin brother, even if we settle the Xu Wei matter, we will still be constantly sidelined by the new aristocrats in court, and our days will be hard. In my view, we need to make more plans for ourselves."

Jin Ridi heard this, a flicker of doubt in his eyes, and asked: "Sang brother, what do you mean?"

Sang Hongyang lowered his voice and spoke cautiously: "In the current situation where imperial authority does not extend to the counties, local powers have great room to develop. Those local magnates and gentry control vast amounts of land, population, and wealth, and wield tremendous influence locally."

"If we could ally with them and draw on their strength, perhaps we could counterbalance the emperor and those new aristocrats in court."

A hint of hesitation flickered in Jin Ridi's eyes; he frowned and said: "Sang brother, this is a grave act of treason. If the emperor notices, we will truly be doomed."

Sang Hongyang snorted coldly and said: "Jin brother, we have no retreat left. Rather than sit and wait for death, we should go all out. As long as we act carefully and leave no evidence, how could the emperor easily notice? Moreover, those local powers have long desired a representative in court; our cooperation with them would be a perfect match."

Jin Ridi pondered for a long time, then finally nodded and said: "All right, Sang brother, as you say. But this matter is of great importance; we must be exceedingly cautious."

Soon they sent people to find Li Shi and brought her to a secluded place.

Li Shi saw Sang Hongyang and Jin Ridi, and her heart filled with fear and unease.

Her body trembled slightly, and her eyes showed a hint of confusion and helplessness.

Sang Hongyang stepped forward, looked at Li Shi, his eyes holding no pity, only cold threat.

He said: "Li Shi, your situation is very dangerous. If you do not do as we require, not only will your own life be in jeopardy, but your family will also be implicated."

Upon hearing this, Li Shi's eyes filled with fear; she hurriedly knelt and cried: "Sir, I beg you, spare me and my family. I am willing to do anything, as long as you let us go."

Sang Hongyang nodded satisfactorily and said: "Good. As long as you follow our plan, once it succeeds I will give you a large sum of money so you and your family can live well."

Next, Sang Hongyang detailed the plan to Li Shi; after hearing it, her face showed hesitation and struggle.

But under Sang Hongyang's threats and inducements, she eventually agreed.

A few days later, at dusk, the lingering glow of the setting sun spread over the land, cloaking the whole world in a veil of gold.

Xu's father sat alone at home, his expression forlorn and sorrowful.

His son Xu Wei had been falsely accused and exiled to the frontier, his fate unknown, filling his heart with anguish and despair.

At that moment, Li Shi, dressed in gorgeous attire, quietly came to Xu's father's home.

Her face was made up heavily, her eyes flashing a hint of charm.

Li Shi gently pushed open the door of Xu's father's house and entered.

Seeing Li Shi, Xu's father felt puzzled and asked: "How did you come? What business do you have with me?"

Li Shi said nothing, slowly walked to Xu's father's side, and sat beside him.

Her body lightly leaned against Xu's father, her eyes revealing a hint of allure.

Xu's father was startled by Li Shi's action, quickly rose, and said: "What are you doing? Leave this place at once."

Li Shi ignored Xu's father's words, continued to pester him, gripping his clothes tightly with both hands.

Xu's father struggled desperately, trying to break free from Li Shi's entanglement.

Just then, Li Shi suddenly shouted loudly: "Help! Help! Xu's father raped me!"

Xu's father was stunned by Li Shi's cry; before he could react, Li Shi's maidservant brought a crowd rushing in.

Li Shi's maidservant glared at Xu's father angrily and said: "You old lecher, daring to rape my sister. Today I will certainly not let you off."

Xu's father wanted to explain, but Li Shi and her maidservant would not listen to him.

They insisted that Xu's father had raped Li Shi, and claimed many people had seen it.

Xu's father could not defend himself against a hundred mouths; Li Shi and her maidservant took him to the government office.

In the office, Li Shi stubbornly insisted that Xu's father had raped her, and even produced some so‑called "evidence."

The officials of the office, having taken bribes from Sang Hongyang and Jin Ridi, refused to hear Xu's father's defense and sentenced him to death on the charge of rape.

A few days later, Sang Hongyang and Jin Ridi arrested Li Shi again on the charge of adultery.

The death sentence was carried out shortly thereafter.

The woman with a heart like a scorpion also came to no good end in the end.