Chapter 11: What a Tyrant of a Ruler!

Hearing this, Cheng Qiuyun didn't leave either. She sat down at the table next to the big fellow and ordered a pot of tea, sipping it half-heartedly.

The big fellow beside her went on talking.

"I have a distant cousin who guards the gate at the County Magistrate's Residence. Last night someone delivered a box, and they say after the County Magistrate received it, he was scared out of his wits, and then he was killed."

"There were also a few honored guests from the Capital staying at the County Magistrate's Residence, and they were all killed too."

"They say their heads were chopped off — died a terrible death. Ma County Magistrate's head still hasn't been found; his body is laid out in the residence right now."

A scholar at a nearby table slammed the table and cheered.

"Well killed! All these years Ma De bullied men and dominated women, oppressed the common folk, and plundered how much of the people's wealth? That person can be considered to have rid the people of a harm!"

"It's just a pity about those few guests, but anyone who kept company with a treacherous scoundrel like Ma De surely can't be a good person either…"

What happened afterward, Cheng Qiuyun and her two companions didn't know, because they were very busy.

The three of them first went to the county office, then to a carriage and horse shop, where they bought two Horse Carriages, and then bought dry rations and medicine.

Meanwhile, on the other side, the Jiedai were escorting the Cheng Family as they continued on their way.

On the road, at noon, the sun was too fierce, so everyone found a small grove to rest briefly.

Wu Meng called over a Jiedai to deliver food to the Cheng Family.

But upon hearing his words, that Jiedai instantly went pale, his eyes darted away, and he stammered as he spoke.

"Colonel Wu, I — I have a stomachache, I'll go relieve myself first!"

Before he even finished speaking, the man had run off into the distance.

With no choice, Wu Meng called out to another person, but that Jiedai also began making excuses to try to slip away.

Feng Shan grabbed that man by the collar in one swift motion.

"What's the matter with you lot, one by one?!"

That Jiedai glanced toward the direction of the Cheng Family womenfolk, a trace of terror surfacing in his eyes.

"Brother Feng, this Cheng Family is awfully uncanny!"

Feng Shan also glanced over in that direction.

"You little brat, you're not just making excuses for your own laziness, are you?"

That Jiedai moved closer and said in a low voice.

"It's true! Last night Huzi and I stayed in the courtyard to keep watch. We saw with our own eyes during the fight that those bandits couldn't move for no reason at all!"

"The blade tip was just a tiny bit away from Cheng Old Madam, but it simply couldn't cut down!"

Recalling last night's scene, even though it was high noon with the sun at its most vicious, that Jiedai instinctively shivered.

"Brother Feng, you tell me — isn't that uncanny?"

Hearing this, Feng Shan's eyes flickered for a moment, and he stretched out his big palm and clapped the Jiedai on the shoulder.

"It must have been the dark night and heavy rain, plus being scared — you lot saw wrong."

"Alright, hand the dry rations over to me, I'll distribute them."

Watching his retreating back, the Jiedai scratched the back of his head.

"Could it really be that we saw wrong?"

"Ladies!"

Feng Shan handed out a few hard biscuits to them, then he squatted beside Cheng Old Madam.

"Although we've all changed clothes and are pretending to be ordinary travelers, just to be safe, from now on we can only spend the nights out in the wild."

Thinking of last night's events, a shadow passed through Cheng Old Madam's eyes, and she then nodded.

Feng Shan didn't hurry to leave, and let out a sigh.

"To this day, does Cheng Old Madam feel chilled to the heart? Have you ever regretted it?"

That person who has hunted the Cheng Family so relentlessly — has he ever regretted helping that man onto the Dragon Throne?

Hearing this, Cheng Old Madam smiled and shook her head.

"The Cheng Family Army has protected the country; from beginning to end, the ones they've guarded are the common folk of Da Yin. What is there to feel chilled about?"

"As for regret…"

Saying this much, she let out a long, quiet sigh, her expression falling into loneliness, her tone heavy.

"Last night we shouldn't have stopped for the night in that village."

Feng Shan's mouth opened and closed several times; for quite a while he couldn't get a single word out, and in the end it all turned into a self-mocking smile.

That village was indeed pitiful, but now he was a man who couldn't see tomorrow from today — what right did he have to pity others?

At this moment, Cheng Qiuyun and the guards arrived driving the Horse Carriage.

"Grandmother, I'm back!"

Cheng Qiuluo trotted up to greet them, her tone unusually excited.

"Big Sister! I have something big to tell you!"

Cheng Qiuyun, wanting to quickly share her guess with Grandmother, patted her hand and said one line.

"Qiuluo, I have something to discuss with Grandmother; I'll come find you in a bit."

Cheng Qiuyun supported Cheng Old Madam as she walked to the Horse Carriage, looked around, saw no one else, and only then slowly began to speak.

"Grandmother, I heard in the city that the County Magistrate of Hede County has been killed!"

As she spoke, her eyes uncontrollably grew moist and reddened, and in a trembling breath she uttered half a sentence.

"Grandmother, I went to examine the corpse. The cut on the blade looks exactly like that Xuan iron short dagger you gave him the year Shengxuan turned twenty."

"What do you think — could it be Shengxuan? If Shengxuan is fine, then what about Father and the others…"

Hearing this, Cheng Old Madam's body trembled slightly, and the hand gripping her walking stick suddenly tightened, but her emotions only slipped for a few seconds. She raised her hand to cut off Cheng Qiuyun's words.

"Don't mention this matter to your mother and your Second Aunt for now."

Cheng Qiuyun sniffed, blinked hard, and nodded heavily.

"Don't worry, I understand."

Even if it had to be said, it shouldn't be said at this time, let alone on the road to exile.

Because only when they were certain that her father and uncle had died on the battlefield would those people believe it.

……

The group continued on their way. With the Horse Carriage and horses Cheng Qiuyun and the guards had brought back, their pace quickened considerably.

Everyone also changed into new clothes, pretending to be the family and guards of a wealthy merchant, and the journey was remarkably peaceful.

That evening, the group suddenly heard a burst of crying and shouting from the road ahead.

"No! Give me back my daughter!"

"Don't take my daughter away!"

"Mother, save me! I don't want to go!"

Hearing the voices, the group came to a halt.

Not far off, several official constables were dragging a few little girls, hauling them onto a Horse Carriage.

Several women were chasing after them from behind.

The constables, looking thoroughly annoyed, drove them back with whips, cursing all the while.

"What are you wailing for?!"

"If she's chosen as a Maiden, she'll be serving at the immortal's side in the future — that's your family's ancestral grave sending up green smoke!"

"And even if she isn't chosen, at the Daoist abbey she'll eat well and drink well, never wanting for clothes or food — that's your daughter's good fortune!"

"What's happening over there?"

Cheng Qiuyun glanced in that direction, then signaled Cheng Feng to go take a look.

Soon, Cheng Feng came running back with the news, his face dark with indignation.

"Old Madam, this subordinate has found out clearly. Those constables are selecting Maidens for the sacrificial rite three months from now."

Hearing this, Cheng Old Madam furrowed her brow tightly.

"Selecting Maidens?"

Indeed. In recent years the Emperor had listened to the National Preceptor's Slanderous Words, not only building Daoist abbeys on a grand scale, but also holding lavish sacrificial rites every year, each rite requiring two girls under the age of eight as human sacrifices.

The crying and shouting gradually faded into the distance, eventually dying away from their ears, but the eyes of the Cheng Family people were filled with raging fury.

When the National Preceptor first proposed this method, the Pingnan Marquis had openly opposed it at the Imperial Court, submitting memorials time and again to make clear that the National Preceptor was nothing but a fraud who hoodwinked the world and beguiled the masses with demonic talk.

It was precisely at that time that the Pingnan Marquis Residence earned the National Preceptor's grudge, and he targeted the Cheng Family both openly and in secret.

Cheng Qiuyun slammed her fist against the Horse Carriage.

"They want peace and prosperity for the realm, yet instead of governing diligently and caring for the people, they pin their hopes on such ethereal, unverifiable talk of ghosts and gods — building Daoist abbeys on a grand scale, exhausting the people and draining the treasury, and still demanding living human sacrifices!"

She clenched her teeth so hard they nearly cracked, bloodshot veins filling her eyes.

"The Cheng Family Army shed their blood and sacrificed their lives on the battlefield to defend Da Yin, yet those people behind the lines are butchering innocent children!"

"What a foolish ruler!"