Great Benefactor Wang obviously breathed a sigh of relief and smiled: “That’s good then. You should all go rest quickly.”

“Yes.” The servants respectfully acknowledged and withdrew.

Great Benefactor Wang then said to Qin Yining: “It’s getting late. Why don’t the Princess Consort also go rest and refresh yourself?”

Qin Yining shook her head: “Thank you for your kind intentions, but I’m not tired yet.”

Although her dress was stained with blood and her long hair disheveled, she considered these matters unimportant. She wasn’t comfortable leaving the young man alone with Great Benefactor Wang.

Great Benefactor Wang seemed to perceive Qin Yining’s concerns, smiled bitterly, and didn’t try to persuade her further.

The bright silk lanterns outlined the unconscious young man’s gaunt, pale features. Great Benefactor Wang looked down at him with lowered eyes, and after a long while, began speaking to himself.

“Once there was a man, born in the countryside. His father was a down-and-out scholar, his mother died young. He was poor from childhood, and when he was seven or eight, his father also passed away, so he became a shop assistant at a small store.”

Qin Yining looked toward Great Benefactor Wang without interrupting, listening to his slightly hoarse voice.

“He was a clever child. Having received basic education from his father in childhood, though he couldn’t be called learned, at least reading and accounting posed no problems. Therefore, the shopkeeper at the store took great care to mentor him. Later, due to war chaos, the shop couldn’t continue operating. For the sake of making a living, he became a traveling merchant, journeying north and south, seeing much of the world and experiencing many hardships. As his horizons broadened and his mind became more agile, his business grew larger and larger.

“However, with the world in chaos and him being a traveling merchant, he had not yet married.

“That year he was already twenty-seven. He arrived at a prosperous county town, and while conducting business, met a young lady. He was fairly handsome, and the lady took the initiative to interact with him several times. Later, a matchmaker came to discuss marriage.

“However, that lady was the legitimate daughter of a local prominent family. Her father originally looked down on the traveling merchant, but after several twists and turns, proposed that the merchant marry into their family.

“The merchant was accustomed to wandering and had no relatives in his hometown. Since he truly loved and admired the lady, he agreed to marry into her family. As a son-in-law of that prominent household, with support from his father-in-law, his business flourished tremendously. He established his own enterprise and created a great career. In just a few years, his earnings became even greater than his father-in-law’s family fortune.”

Great Benefactor Wang looked up at the emerald bamboo embroidery on the bed curtains and continued: “Originally, he and the lady were quite loving. But even the deepest feelings cannot withstand the grinding of time. He gradually sensed that the lady had begun treating him perfunctorily.

“One year he went on a long journey. When he returned to the county town, he found an unconscious young man. The young man wore a cross-collared long robe, his feet bare in straw sandals. His appearance didn’t resemble that of Tatars, nor of barbarians like the Baiyue. He carried a strong scent of the sea—clearly not a Han person.

“The merchant felt compassion and rescued the young man, hiring a physician to treat his illness and caring for him for several days. After the young man recovered, he performed a kowtowing ceremony to the merchant and often followed him like a bodyguard. The merchant thought perhaps this young man wanted to serve as a guard to protect him, to repay his life-saving grace?”

Qin Yining’s eyes had widened as she looked toward the unconscious young man on the bed.

Great Benefactor Wang continued: “The merchant originally thought the young man was honest and possessed martial arts skills. Since he often conducted business, having a highly skilled martial artist for protection would be excellent. He wouldn’t mistreat the young man anyway, so he tacitly allowed this arrangement.

“Who knew that after just one day, a great incident occurred in the merchant’s household.”

Great Benefactor Wang suddenly turned to look at Qin Yining, his eyes dark, his voice trembling: “That night, the merchant discovered his wife committing adultery! All these years he had been devoted to his wife. Even though she had grown cold toward him, he had never thought much of it. Suddenly discovering her entangled with her lover, his blood immediately rushed to his head, and he grabbed the adulterer to fight desperately.

“However, in his anger, the merchant forgot he was no expert—he only knew some amateur skills. In two or three moves, he was bound up by his wife and her lover working together.

“From the conversation between his wife and the adulterer, he finally understood that his wife had long been involved with that lover, and his father-in-law from the local prominent family also knew about this matter. He even indulged his daughter’s behavior and wanted to seize the merchant’s wealth!”

“His wealth had become too substantial. His father-in-law was a greedy man who conspired with his wife on this scheme, wanting to use this opportunity to kill him and legitimately obtain his property.

“At that time, the merchant was utterly despairing. But just as his wife and her lover were about to kill him, the young man he had rescued suddenly appeared.

“His blade technique was extremely fast. Before the merchant could stop him, the adulterous pair who were about to kill him were slain by the young man. The merchant was nearly frightened senseless. After his bonds were untied, it took him quite a while to react. Before he could think of solutions or responses, his father-in-law arrived as if he had planned it all along, leading a large group of people to surround their residence.

“Upon discovering his daughter’s corpse, the merchant’s father-in-law sternly questioned them, and the accompanying clan elders and guards were all aggressive. The merchant was shocked, angry, and deeply unwilling. If his father-in-law succeeded, losing his life wouldn’t matter, losing his property wouldn’t matter, but he truly couldn’t swallow this humiliation.

“So, thinking quickly in his desperation, the merchant directly blamed his wife’s death on the young man he had brought back. He said he had kindly rescued someone, never expecting he would commit murder.

“His father-in-law perhaps didn’t want the matter of his daughter’s adultery to become public knowledge. Since his daughter was already dead and he needed to plan carefully, he didn’t immediately investigate thoroughly and outwardly believed the merchant’s words.

“The merchant’s father-in-law wanted to send the young man to the authorities. Although the merchant had sacrificed the young man for revenge, his heart was uneasy. Especially when his father-in-law ordered people to arrest the young man, and the young man looked at the merchant with disbelieving eyes…

“The merchant could never forget that gaze for the rest of his life—that look of ashen despair after betrayal. The young man was such a highly skilled martial artist, yet he seemed to die inside instantly, offering no resistance and allowing himself to be captured.

“The merchant didn’t want the young man to die, so he persuaded his father-in-law not to report to the authorities, saying wouldn’t it be better to keep this person alive, as death would actually be a kind of release? His father-in-law, having lost his daughter, naturally wanted an outlet for his rage, so he agreed to this request.

“The merchant’s father-in-law then began gradually seizing the merchant’s property while ordering people to torment the young man wandering the streets. He told everyone that the young man was an ungrateful wolf cub, unworthy of eating human food, worse than pigs and dogs.

“But only the merchant himself knew that the young man was a loyal person who repaid kindness with gratitude. Though deaf and mute, he understood everything. Having received life-saving grace from the merchant, he acknowledged the merchant as his master in gratitude. He saved the merchant’s life, killing those who would kill him, yet the merchant bit back at him. The young man was betrayed by the master he trusted, which made him so despairing!

“People who value righteousness and gratitude, who treat these as beliefs and faith—when betrayed, they become disheartened and allow themselves to be bullied, even having their arms and legs broken.”

Great Benefactor Wang smiled at Qin Yining, his voice calm: “It’s been over four years. The merchant’s property has been mostly seized. He stands alone, unable to fight against the great clan forces, completely powerless to resist. He lost his wife, his family—all because of his father-in-law’s greed. He too was an innocent victim of betrayal!

“And all these things he experienced—didn’t the people around him know? Those who watched as his properties changed hands one by one—did they really perceive nothing?

“Those people simply received benefits, large or small, from his father-in-law and were unwilling to pay attention.

“The merchant was worthy of everyone. Everything he did in his life was open and honorable. The only person he wronged was the young man who suffered abuse for four years because of him.”

Great Benefactor Wang looked at the unconscious person on the bed, his voice growing even softer: “That’s why this commoner said earlier that the Princess Consort is a good master. If only he had met you sooner.”

Qin Yining pursed her lips and said nothing.

The room was so quiet that breathing could be heard.

After a long silence, Great Benefactor Wang suddenly stood up, clasped his hands behind his back, turned to Qin Yining, and smiled: “For the sake of that loyal person, this commoner will tell the Princess Consort one more thing.”

“What matter?” Qin Yining’s voice was somewhat hoarse.

Great Benefactor Wang said: “The matter of the conscripted laborers not reaching Huichuan County—do you know where the cause lies? Actually, this matter was my idea.”

“What?” Qin Yining suddenly stood up, her voice involuntarily rising.

“Please don’t be surprised. This matter truly was my idea. Although Magistrate Cheng has countless connections with the Lu family, perhaps you don’t know that Magistrate Cheng is also a bleeding heart who wholeheartedly serves country and people.”

Qin Yining stared in amazement, slowly standing up.

Great Benefactor Wang said: “Magistrate Cheng reads the court gazette and knows this year will certainly bring great floods, and after great floods come great droughts. Within a year, the south will definitely face famine! At the founding of the Great Zhou dynasty, the national treasury is empty, and the imperial coffers are also limited. His Majesty doesn’t consider how to provide disaster relief but instead undertakes grand construction projects to build imperial tombs. The limited silver isn’t used to save people but for such matters—Magistrate Cheng has worried until half his hair turned white.”

The corners of Great Benefactor Wang’s lips curved into a smile, but looking closely, there was a hint of mockery.

“I haven’t known Magistrate Cheng long, yet I’m honored to be considered his confidant. Once while drinking, he mentioned this matter. Magistrate Cheng worried that when famine comes, the court will be unable to provide relief, and the newly stabilized dynasty might become unstable again. Then it would be the common people who suffer.

“Clearly, Magistrate Cheng is someone willing to sacrifice himself to save the people. I naturally admired this greatly, so I gave him an idea: slow down the imperial tomb’s construction progress. The most effective method would be to replace a tomb official. As long as problems arise with the tomb official, the court will certainly appoint a new supervisor, and then it won’t be accomplished without a year and a half. After a year and a half, when southern disasters have struck, His Majesty’s silver will naturally have to be used on the people whether he likes it or not.”