Great Benefactor Wang looked at Qin Yining. Even after saying all these things, his expression remained calm, his smile still refined.
But looking at such a Great Benefactor Wang, Qin Yining felt a chill rise up her spine, followed immediately by anger.
“When Great Benefactor Wang did this, was your consideration truly for the people?” Qin Yining looked directly into Great Benefactor Wang’s eyes, speaking without evasion. “Betrayed by your wife, schemed against for your property by your father-in-law, suppressed for four years, having your hard-earned family business devoured bit by bit, yet unable to resist all at once, only able to watch helplessly. Such a sense of powerlessness is more painful than being killed directly, isn’t it?”
Great Benefactor Wang looked at Qin Yining, his gaze very calm. “The Princess Consort is astute.”
“So rather than saying you came up with the idea because you admired Magistrate Cheng’s dedication to country and people, it’s more accurate to say you wanted to use Magistrate Cheng as your blade.”
Qin Yining sat on the edge of the bed, glanced at the sleeping young man, and said slowly: “You come from another place, so naturally like us other outsiders, you could see at a glance that the local people band together under the three major clans. They can ignore imperial law, but cannot ignore family rules. Their thinking is ignorant and stubborn. These people may not all be bad, but what they do is most unforgivable.
“You hate that they wouldn’t seek justice for you, hate that they help relatives regardless of right and wrong, coldly watching all the injustice and misfortune you suffered, and you even blame every person in this county for the crime of your father-in-law’s family scheming for your property.”
In the quiet room, the lamp wick sparked with a loud pop. Great Benefactor Wang stood not far from Qin Yining and suddenly revealed an interested smile.
“People say Prince Zhongshun’s consort is intelligent. Seeing this today, it’s truly so. What the Princess Consort says is correct. I indeed have such thoughts. I never wronged them. I was always kind to others, loving to my wife, filial to elders, never doing a single bad deed. But how did they treat me? I’ve already said this. I can say with a clear conscience that I wronged none of them—the only one I’m sorry to is him alone. Moreover, this time, he even helped me greatly.”
Qin Yining didn’t immediately understand what help he was referring to.
Great Benefactor Wang smiled: “All along this route you were pursued and killed, he helped me kill so many people of Danfu County—how could that not count as helping? Those ignorant people deserved to die!”
Great Benefactor Wang’s voice suddenly rose sharply due to emotional excitement, beyond his control. Qin Yining looked at his twisted smile and felt a wave of regret and helplessness. If she’d had any choice, she really shouldn’t have brought the young man to rest at a stranger’s home. This Great Benefactor Wang was no kind person. Even if this person wouldn’t harm them now, she couldn’t be certain what schemes he might devise for them in the future.
Qin Yining shook her head, unwilling to try persuading Great Benefactor Wang, because she knew that once a person’s thinking became fixed, it was very difficult for others to change it.
Qin Yining simply stated matter-of-factly: “Grievances have their sources, debts have their masters. What use is killing innocent people? Those who seized everything from you still live in comfort.”
As if Qin Yining had struck his heart with one sentence, Great Benefactor Wang’s voice became even shriller: “What do you understand? You haven’t personally experienced everything I’ve experienced—how could you know my suffering? Besides, are they innocent? Where are they innocent? They’re all birds of a feather! You’re merely standing in a high position now, casually judging others. If you were placed in my position, could you think of better methods?”
“Methods are devised by people. Your schemes are excellent—you could think of such a plan to kill two birds with one stone. If you wanted to revenge yourself on those who seized your property, it would only require time and opportunity. You simply couldn’t wait.”
Qin Yining’s words left Great Benefactor Wang speechless for a long time.
After a while, Great Benefactor Wang suddenly smiled: “People say Prince Zhongshun’s consort is the daughter of the wise Pan An, naturally outstanding in both talent and beauty, with astonishing intelligence. Seeing this now, it’s truly so.”
Qin Yining smiled slightly and said no more. She had said what needed saying—there was no need to anger Great Benefactor Wang at this moment.
However, judging by Great Benefactor Wang’s methods, this person was obsessive and stubborn, with extremely ruthless means. When one person wronged him, he blamed all the resentment on that person’s entire family, even not sparing the other three families in the county. He had just mentioned the people the young man killed today.
What if Great Benefactor Wang had been having people watch the young man’s every move?
Perhaps from her rescuing him, to her being surrounded after coming with Pang Xiao, even the young man charging into the crowd to save her—perhaps it was all within Great Benefactor Wang’s calculations. Even if he didn’t understand others, he understood the young man who always repaid kindness, giving her an opportunity to meet the young man, all for the current result?
Qin Yining thought of many things, reasoning through the reality piece by piece according to cause and effect. This most outrageous scenario that seemed least likely to be true had instead become the most possible fact.
Qin Yining sighed: “Compared to your flawless calculations, I’m truly ashamed of my inadequacy.”
Seeing Qin Yining’s expression, Great Benefactor Wang was about to refute.
Just then, the unconscious young man suddenly opened his eyes.
Both Qin Yining and Great Benefactor Wang looked toward the young man simultaneously.
Qin Yining quickly stood up and felt the young man’s forehead temperature.
“You’re awake? You still have some fever now, but I think your body will recover.”
Even though the young man couldn’t hear, Qin Yining still patiently spoke to him.
The young man took some time to come to his senses. He probably didn’t know where he was, squinting for a long while before seeing his surroundings clearly. After seeing Great Benefactor Wang standing beside the bed, he immediately turned and sat up.
“Ai! Go slowly! Be careful of your wounds!” Qin Yining was afraid he would tear open his wounds, quickly going to support him and bringing him warm sugar water.
The young man looked at Qin Yining’s concerned eyes, then at the bowl close at hand. He finally pursed his lips, nodded slightly, and drank the water.
Qin Yining said: “You should lie down quickly and rest a bit more.”
The young man obviously couldn’t hear what Qin Yining said. He just stood up on his own, grabbed the bamboo blade leaning against the bed edge, took hold of Qin Yining’s wrist with his other hand, and strode toward the outside.
Qin Yining realized the young man wanted to leave this place with her now, and pulled his sleeve to make him stop and turn back.
“Your current condition really isn’t suitable for going out. You should rest and heal properly. Shouldn’t we stay here for now?” Afraid the young man wouldn’t understand, Qin Yining gestured frantically.
The young man looked at Qin Yining calmly, then gave Great Benefactor Wang a cold, indifferent look.
When Great Benefactor Wang’s gaze met the young man’s, his expression returned to its initial gentleness. Compared to what Qin Yining had seen earlier, now he truly showed some guilt.
Qin Yining observed carefully, knowing that perhaps Great Benefactor Wang truly felt guilt toward the young man.
But for such a person who devised schemes that included innocent people in his calculations to feel guilt toward the young man? She didn’t know whether Great Benefactor Wang had genuinely found his conscience or been moved by the young man’s persistent loyalty back then.
If it was the latter, she could understand it. Just like now—although the young man had been a stranger to her just a few days ago, and initially when she was in the encirclement, things hadn’t developed into such complexity, but because the young man took her away, the later events occurred. She actually should blame the young man for meddling.
But all along this route, the young man had protected her completely. With so many wounds on his body, Qin Yining hadn’t even received a scratch.
A stranger, merely because of the kindness of one meal, repaying it this way—such feeling was enough to move people. Moreover, the young man couldn’t hear and didn’t understand what was really happening. Seeing her surrounded by people, he desperately and foolishly brought her out. Such a person—knowing gratitude and loyalty, yet also carrying a foolish air, pure enough to move people.
Great Benefactor Wang and she were the same type—both good at calculating and scheming. Perhaps people like them were easily moved by people like the young man?
As Qin Yining’s thoughts turned, the young man had already shaken his head, not giving Great Benefactor Wang another glance, and again pulled Qin Yining’s wrist to go outside.
The young man was lame and had also suffered serious injuries, making walking very difficult for him.
Without combat, just seeing his struggling appearance, no one could imagine how he had killed in all directions within the encirclement.
Seeing the young man’s insistence on leaving, and thinking of Great Benefactor Wang’s character, Qin Yining decided to follow the young man’s decision. This person wasn’t necessarily trustworthy either—what if he devised other poisonous schemes if they stayed here?
Qin Yining turned back and said: “Thank you for the rescue earlier, but we should go now.”
Her thanks were very sincere, but besides that, she had nothing else for Great Benefactor Wang.
Great Benefactor Wang looked at the young man’s gaunt figure and smiled bitterly: “Fine, I know you don’t trust me. Then you should go.”
Great Benefactor Wang looked at the young man again.
He stepped forward wanting to approach, but the young man struck his bamboo blade into the ground with a “thud,” the warning very clear.
Great Benefactor Wang indeed didn’t continue approaching, only his expression became increasingly difficult.
“Fine, fine, I won’t approach,” he gestured with his hands, then said, “I just wanted to say I’m sorry to you. That day was my fault. I was too selfish and too weak. You saved me, yet I bit back at you. I know this matter made you very sad.”
Great Benefactor Wang’s voice was full of helpless guilt.
The young man looked at Great Benefactor Wang’s eyes, then finally pulled Qin Yining out of the Wang residence.
Great Benefactor Wang stood in place, quietly watching the backs of the young man pulling Qin Yining gradually disappear from his sight, and finally let out a long sigh.
“Don’t stop them.”
“Yes.” A servant who had appeared at the moon gate at some point bowed his head in acknowledgment.
Qin Yining was pulled by the young man’s grip on her wrist as they quickly left the Wang residence.
When they pushed the door to go out, the street was completely quiet. It was now early morning, the time when dawn was about to break, with everything around tinged with blue.
Even so, Qin Yining didn’t dare relax her vigilance at all, carefully leaving the village with the young man to temporarily find a hiding place.
Perhaps to relieve tension, even though the young man couldn’t hear, Qin Yining still spoke in low tones behind him: “We can’t relax our guard. They must still be searching everywhere for our whereabouts. The matter at the government office won’t be resolved so easily either.”