There was no longer any need to inquire door-to-door at the remaining several hundred households.

The common people who had suddenly emerged were already sufficient to serve as witnesses for Xue Huaiyuan. When these people heard Jiang Li say she wanted to go to the capital to overturn Xue Huaiyuan’s case, they all expressed their willingness to go together. This way, there was no longer any need to worry about whether there would be enough people, as they had feared before.

Ye Mingyu was overjoyed and patted his chest, guaranteeing that he would personally pay for all the carriages, horses, food, and lodging for the journey to the capital. Tong’er and Baixue were also very happy. When Ye Mingyu found time, he asked Jiang Li: “A Li, now that we’ve completed the task ahead of schedule, what can we do?”

“With so many people, and Feng Yutang having lost most of his forces, while these unarmed common people have long harbored deep resentment against Feng Yutang, it’s time to let them vent. The execution order from Xiangyang will come down sooner or later. Since Feng Yutang likes to act like a tyrant in Tong County, this time, let him experience what it feels like to be tyrannized. Uncle, take these common people to the county office. We’re going to perform a play called ‘Binding an Official to Court.'”

“I’ve only heard of ‘Binding a Son to Court,’ never ‘Binding an Official to Court.'” Ye Mingyu was amused.

“I haven’t seen it either, so we should witness it properly. There’s no time to waste. I expect that once Feng Yutang gets wind of what’s happening here, he’ll plan to flee. We can’t let him escape—we must capture him. Then we can wait peacefully for Tong Zhiyang’s order to arrive, release County Magistrate Xue from prison, and escort the official to the capital.”

Upon hearing this, Ye Mingyu shouted a hearty “Excellent!” He most loved doing things this straightforwardly and satisfyingly. These past days had been suffocating, and now he could finally hold his head high and capture Feng Yutang, whom he had long found extremely disagreeable. What a wonderful thing!

“Let’s go, let’s go!” Ye Mingyu couldn’t wait.

…

At the county office today, all was quiet.

Feng Yutang sat in his room, waiting for people to transport his luggage.

He couldn’t leave from his residence because this escape route would be full of dangers along the way. He knew this well, so he hadn’t even brought his most beloved concubine. He only brought the gold, silver, and treasures he had plundered over the years as a parent official in Tong County. If the servants in his residence or those concubines discovered that he was rolling up his bedding and fleeing, they would certainly make a scene. By then, Jiang Li’s group would be alerted, and even if he wanted to leave, he wouldn’t be able to.

When Feng Yutang learned yesterday that Jiang Li was leading people household by household to ask if the Tong County residents were willing to be witnesses, he understood what Jiang Li was planning. No wonder, no wonder Jiang Li’s people could silently eliminate Princess Yongning’s assassins yet wouldn’t lift a finger against him. Now thinking back, since Jiang Li wasn’t even afraid of Princess Yongning, how could she fear such a small player as himself? Keeping him alive and refusing to kill him was to save Xue Huaiyuan!

Only if he remained alive could his crimes help clear Xue Huaiyuan of injustice when the case was retried!

When Feng Yutang realized this, he was both anxious and resentful. Back when Xue Huaiyuan had driven him out of the county office, he deeply detested Xue Huaiyuan’s merciless methods. Later, fortune turned. Who told Xue Huaiyuan to offend Princess Yongning? When Xue Huaiyuan was imprisoned, he had frequently ordered the jailer to “take good care” of Xue Huaiyuan. Just as he was riding high, halfway through, the daughter of the Chief Minister suddenly appeared, wanting to overturn Xue Huaiyuan’s case, and was about to succeed.

Xue Huaiyuan was truly his nemesis!

Though Jiang Li had this plan, Feng Yutang was unwilling to comply. Xue Huaiyuan was now a useless person who had gone mad. Just for such a useless person, he would have to make enormous sacrifices. Moreover, once Xue Huaiyuan’s case was overturned, the person who replaced him would be himself. Though Princess Yongning was his master, she would never make a big fuss for such a small character as him.

Jiang Li had said one thing correctly: when immortals fight, the little devils suffer. He had self-awareness—he wasn’t an immortal but a little devil who could suffer at any moment, so he had to find his own way out. He could no longer stop Jiang Li from overturning Xue Huaiyuan’s case. Having botched the job, Princess Yongning could snuff out his life at any time, and he had also offended the Chief Minister’s daughter. If not now, when should he leave? Therefore, early this morning, Feng Yutang had gone to the county office. All the boxes he’d moved were here. He brought several trusted confidants, just waiting for the carriage to arrive so he could hurry on his way.

By the time Jiang Li found willing witnesses in seven days, he would long have fled far away. As for how Jiang Li and Princess Yongning would fight each other, let them do as they pleased. He would have escaped, and everything would have nothing to do with him!

Just as he was thinking about these things, Feng Yutang suddenly heard some commotion outside. His spirits lifted. He immediately stood up from his stool and ordered his confidants to quickly carry the boxes filled with bank notes and antiques. He himself led the way out, saying discontentedly: “I told you to keep it quiet. What if someone discovers us?”

Just as he finished this sentence, Feng Yutang happened to walk to the main gate of the county office. His voice quickly disappeared as he froze in place.

Standing before him were none other than Ye Mingyu and Jiang Li.

“Magistrate Feng,” Jiang Li smiled at him.

Ye Mingyu also reluctantly returned a smile. His heart suddenly felt somewhat uneasy. Jiang Li’s smile was gentle, and even Ye Mingyu showed him a meaningful smile. This man who looked like a bandit had always treated him with cold hostility. When had he ever been so amiable?

“Second Miss Jiang.” Feng Yutang concealed the assessment in his heart and asked Jiang Li: “What brings you two here so early? Is there something I can help with?”

This attitude was worlds apart from when he first met Jiang Li on the first day. A flash of contempt crossed Ye Mingyu’s eyes. This bootlicking sycophant—even one more glance at him felt like dirtying one’s eyes.

Jiang Li didn’t answer Feng Yutang’s question but instead looked past him toward his back, asking curiously: “Why has Magistrate Feng moved so many boxes? Are you going on a long journey?”

Feng Yutang’s heart skipped a beat. He quickly turned back and used his eyes to signal his subordinates to move the boxes back, saying with a forced smile: “How could that be? These are things that were taken out before and are being brought back now.”

“I see,” Jiang Li smiled. “That’s good. I was worried that Magistrate Feng was going on a long journey. I was just feeling troubled, because if Magistrate Feng went on a long journey, it would be difficult to handle things later. I have a matter I’d like to ask Magistrate Feng to help with.”

Though Jiang Li looked amiable and gentle, Feng Yutang knew clearly in his heart that this little beauty wasn’t as kind as she appeared on the surface. When he heard that Jiang Li had something she wanted his help with, not only did he not feel better, he broke out in a cold sweat and asked tentatively: “What does Second Miss want this humble official to help with?”

“It’s very simple,” Jiang Li said lightly. “Just to have Magistrate Feng accompany me back to the capital to testify for County Magistrate Xue’s case at the Court of Judicial Review.”

Feng Yutang stood frozen in place.

Jiang Li looked at him quietly. Her eyes were excessively calm, yet Feng Yutang could see the mockery contained within them.

He said: “What kind of joke is Second Miss making…”

“I don’t like making jokes,” Jiang Li shook her head.

A surge of humiliation suddenly welled up in Feng Yutang’s heart. Jiang Li’s petite figure blocked his way, as if blocking his path to survival. He wanted nothing more than to rush forward and wring Jiang Li’s neck, to carve out a bloody path to survival again. But he didn’t dare. Ye Mingyu stood beside Jiang Li, and the large blade tucked at his waist still emanated a cold aura.

“Is Second Miss absolutely insisting that this humble official do this?”

Jiang Li smiled and nodded.

The more gentle she was, the more frustrated Feng Yutang felt. Anger rose from his heart and evil grew at his gallbladder. He suddenly asked: “What if this humble official refuses?”

“Refuse?” Jiang Li’s smile slowly faded. She looked at him expressionlessly and said coldly: “I’m afraid Magistrate Feng won’t be allowed to refuse.”

Feng Yutang refused to show weakness: “Second Miss Jiang is pushing people too far. Do you plan to kill this official?”

“This has nothing to do with me,” Jiang Li shook her head. “The ones who won’t let you go are them.” She shifted her body slightly to the side.

Feng Yutang saw it.

Behind Jiang Li, blocked by Ye Mingyu’s guards outside the main gate of the county office, stood densely packed common people of Tong County. He didn’t know how long they had been standing there, just quietly watching Feng Yutang. Their eyes were full of anger and agitation. As if, were it not for Jiang Li’s presence here, they would rush in and kill Feng Yutang to vent their fury.

“Look,” Jiang Li smiled.

Feng Yutang’s body swayed. His feet involuntarily took a step backward. He shook his head, murmuring: “That’s impossible…”

When the people returned to report yesterday, they said that over several consecutive days, Jiang Li and Ye Mingyu’s group had inquired household by household among the Tong County residents, yet had only found three people. Out of Tong County’s five hundred-plus households, finding three people really wasn’t many. Feng Yutang had been quite smug at the time, believing his prestige among Tong County residents was extremely high. Even if the Chief Minister’s daughter came to plead, no one dared speak carelessly. It was precisely because of this that Feng Yutang believed that by the time Jiang Li gathered enough willing witnesses, it would take at least several more days.

In the short span of one night, how could so many Tong County residents be following behind her? What had happened? What had she said to the Tong County people?

“Feng Yutang!” A young man cried out in grief and indignation: “You abducted my sister to be your concubine. She entered your residence and died in just three days. Return my sister!”

“This beast, he seized our family’s shop. My old mother was so angry she died in the house!”

“He colluded with bullies and robbed three antiques from our home!”

“Feng Yutang!”

Accusations rang out one after another, echoing through the sky before the Tong County office gate.

During Feng Yutang’s tenure, he had bullied men and oppressed women, committing every evil deed. The Tong County people had long endured in silence. Now that it all erupted at once, Feng Yutang was so frightened he kept backing away. He tried to pull out his former authority, but ultimately lacked confidence. He could only shout with false bravado: “What do you want to do? Are you rebelling?”

The response was an even more boiling roar of rage from the people.

Amid the clamor, Jiang Li’s voice was surprisingly clear. She said: “Magistrate Feng, those who commit many injustices will surely bring destruction upon themselves. It’s not that retribution doesn’t come—the time simply hasn’t arrived. Now, your time has come.”

Feng Yutang looked at her for a few moments, then suddenly turned and ran!

He knew Jiang Li was right—they had numbers, they had momentum. In the past, he could still have his subordinates fight for him. They were just unarmed lowborn commoners—how formidable could they be? However, most of his subordinates who had gone to assassinate Jiang Li these past days had died. The remaining ones were insufficient. If these lowborn people rebelled now, his forces couldn’t possibly stop them!

Flee? But where could he flee to?

Jiang Li watched coldly as Feng Yutang’s panicked, fleeing figure. She waved her hand: “Magistrate Feng wants to run. Please, everyone, help ‘invite’ Magistrate Feng back.”

As soon as the words fell, with a “boom,” the common people who had long been full of resentment against Feng Yutang immediately surged forward en masse, chasing after him. Even Feng Yutang’s subordinates were all beaten by these people wielding long sticks or winnowing fans until they couldn’t fight back and begged for mercy repeatedly. Jiang Li had Ye Mingyu’s guards keep watch. She wanted to let these common people vent their anger, but had to ensure Feng Yutang couldn’t escape.

It had been a long time since so many common people had appeared in Tong County’s office. Since Feng Yutang took office, the county office had been a place loved by those bullies and wealthy people. As long as you had silver, things could be done. When common people came to the county office, they were always full of blood and tears, the ones who got swindled. Over time, that the county office was a den of demons was a fact known to everyone in Tong County.

But several days after Second Miss Jiang came to Tong County, the county office once again saw the appearance of common people. This time, it wasn’t “officials oppressing the people” but “officials forcing the people to rebel.”

Ye Mingyu watched Feng Yutang being viciously beaten on the head with a shoulder pole by a woman and burst into hearty laughter, calling Jiang Li over to watch too: “That bastard is finally tasting what it’s like to be at someone’s mercy.”

Jiang Li smiled faintly: “Cause and effect, retribution.”

Though Feng Yutang was Princess Yongning’s lackey acting on her orders, Father’s descent into madness and the inhuman torture he suffered in prison were all inseparable from Feng Yutang. To think he could escape after doing such things—Feng Yutang’s thoughts were far too beautiful.

She would make Feng Yutang and Princess Yongning regret their actions for the rest of their lives.

Jiang Li said to Ye Mingyu: “Uncle Mingyu, have someone tie up Feng Yutang. Don’t let him slip away. Keep a good watch.”

Ye Mingyu nodded. Seeing Jiang Li turn to leave, he asked: “A Li, where are you going?”

Jiang Li said: “To the prison. Feng Yutang has lost power. The jailer, having learned the news, has already fled. Going to see County Magistrate Xue now, there will be no obstruction.” She smiled: “I think there are still many prisoners in Tong County’s prison who, like County Magistrate Xue, have been wrongly accused. I’m going to release them all. It’s time for Tong County’s world to change.”

…

In the end, the people who entered the prison with Jiang Li were Ye Mingyu’s servant Ashun and Butcher Zhang.

Though the news was that the jailer had already fled, just to be safe, Ye Mingyu still had Jiang Li take several people with her. He himself had to watch Feng Yutang to prevent him from finding an opportunity to escape.

At the prison entrance, the ground was full of chaotic footprints. Presumably these were left by those jailers who had hastily learned of Feng Yutang’s downfall and left in panic. There was also some scattered silver on the ground, but Ye Mingyu had already sent some people along with Tong County residents to block the city gates. Anyone who tried to flee the city would be stopped.

Ashun stood at the entrance. He and Butcher Zhang lit torches and peered inside. The prison was gloomy and dark. All the torches inside had been extinguished, making it somewhat difficult to see. Fearing that Jiang Li might not see the steps on the ground and fall, Ashun was about to remind her to be careful when he saw Jiang Li walk down without even taking a torch.

Ashun: “…”

When she was young, Xue Huaiyuan wouldn’t let her and Xue Zhao come to the prison. But each time, Xue Zhao would bring her in secretly. The jailer knew they were Xue Huaiyuan’s children, knew children were playful, and also knew they wouldn’t do anything improper, so he turned a blind eye. Jiang Li was not unfamiliar with prisons. Among those imprisoned, some were truly vicious criminals, while others were people forced by circumstances to commit crimes. But one thing was the same—everyone inside was guilty of crimes.

When Xue Huaiyuan came, he always wore his official robes washed until they were faded white. He had once rescued the wrongly imprisoned Butcher Zhang from inside, and had also sent in truly guilty evildoers who had escaped justice.

Jiang Li had never imagined that one day, in a prison, among people wearing prisoner’s clothes, she would see Father’s shadow.

Fortunately, all the torches in the prison had gone out, and the torches in Butcher Zhang and Ashun’s hands weren’t sufficient to let anyone see her blurred eyes. She walked very slowly with each step, looking as if she was being careful to avoid falling, but only Jiang Li herself knew that her hands were trembling slightly.

She was afraid.

She was afraid of seeing Father like that, afraid of seeing the man who had been the sky for her and Xue Zhao since childhood, Xue Zhao’s great tree, the upright Father, curled into a ball, having lost past clarity and memory in the darkness.

Ashun’s torch illuminated the faces of people in the cells one by one, and sounds of protest suddenly rose up one after another. Not knowing how many wrongful cases Feng Yutang had handled, once they saw strangers arriving, the protests in the prison rang out in unison. But more people just raised their eyes to look at them indifferently, as if they had lost all hope for the future—these were people who had been tortured until they no longer believed in hope.

No, no, no. Jiang Li looked at each face. Those missing arms and legs—seeing they weren’t her father, her heart would slightly relax, immediately followed by even greater urgency. Why hadn’t she seen him yet?

Until the last cell.

Ashun’s torch had already reached the cell door, but the person inside was curled in a corner. Not knowing whether sleeping or lying down, in any case, his back was to Jiang Li and the others, unwilling to turn and look even once. Ashun subconsciously glanced at Jiang Li. He had never seen Xue Huaiyuan and didn’t know what he looked like. Butcher Zhang knew. But each time, before Butcher Zhang could recognize anyone, Jiang Li would shake her head faster than he could.

No one would doubt that Jiang Li also knew Xue Huaiyuan. In fact, she was even more familiar with Xue Huaiyuan than Butcher Zhang, which was why she could determine in the first instant whether the person inside was Xue Huaiyuan.

Ashun looked at Jiang Li and saw her suddenly grab the cell door, her expression becoming dazed.

His spirits lifted. He knew from Jiang Li’s expression that this person was indeed Xue Huaiyuan without doubt. He quickly took out the cell keys—these had also been found dropped on the ground at the entrance.

The cell door opened at once.

Butcher Zhang was still hesitating. Though he knew Xue Huaiyuan, this person hadn’t turned around and his face couldn’t be seen, so he really couldn’t be certain. Though he didn’t understand why Ashun had opened the cell door after just one glance at Second Miss Jiang, Butcher Zhang was thinking he should go in first to take a look, to avoid hurting Second Miss Jiang if it wasn’t Xue Huaiyuan. Then he saw the young lady, as if unable to restrain herself, quickly enter inside.

Both Butcher Zhang and Ashun froze. Ashun said: “Hey, Young Miss, your torch…”

Under the dim torchlight, Jiang Li saw that figure sitting alone in the corner of the cell, head resting against the stone wall, hair disheveled. That imposing, tall figure had somehow become so hunched, thin and small, curled into a ball. Her mind went “buzz,” her knees went soft, and she knelt down.

Ashun was greatly alarmed, almost wanting to cry out in surprise, but was pulled back by Butcher Zhang beside him. He forcibly swallowed the exclamation in his throat. Yet his heart remained puzzled. Men’s knees bear gold—though the young miss wasn’t a man and kneeling needn’t be so precious, even if Xue Huaiyuan and the young miss were old friends or had some connection, for her to kneel down to the other party like this was truly somewhat inconceivable.

What was worth the young miss suddenly kneeling down? Or was it that the young miss’s knees were uncomfortable from walking, and she had fallen?

But Ashun quickly denied this guess. He watched with wide eyes as Jiang Li extended her hand, supporting that filthy prisoner, slowly turning him around to reveal his full face.

Both Butcher Zhang and Ashun’s eyes widened.

It was a gaunt face that could almost not be called “human.” The entire face was so thin the cheeks were sunken, cheekbones protruding high. The body Jiang Li supported was even more skeletal. Ashun had seen prisoners before. Most prisoners looked fierce and menacing, with pointed mouths and monkey cheeks. There were also some who looked wretched and down-and-out, but none were as shocking as the person before them.

His hair had actually all turned white, snow white. At first glance, one might think Tong County’s snow had covered the man’s head. Yet the whiter the hair, the darker and thinner the body. Like a candle about to be extinguished, just one breath away from being blown out.

Butcher Zhang murmured: “Master Xue…”

Ashun subconsciously looked at Butcher Zhang. This extraordinarily thin, seemingly dying old man was that County Magistrate Xue they’d heard so much about—the one who had the people’s hearts, who was said to have great integrity and a noble character?

County Magistrate Xue was actually this destitute? One should know that anyone who saw this prisoner before them wouldn’t doubt that before long, this prisoner would breathe his last.

Seeing such a person, the young miss must be afraid, right? Ashun thought this, and immediately after, saw Jiang Li extend her hand, slowly rolling up Xue Huaiyuan’s sleeve.

With her back to him, Ashun couldn’t see Jiang Li’s expression. He only felt that this young miss’s back looked extraordinarily pained, like a wild beast suppressing its wounds, whimpering as it licked the blood that kept flowing out. Drop by drop, endlessly.

The moment the sleeve was rolled up, Butcher Zhang beside him drew in a sharp breath.

The weak firelight couldn’t disguise the pitiful old man’s scars. Those scars looked like whip wounds, knife wounds, or perhaps burns from red-hot branding irons pressed into human skin. Those wounds were layered upon each other—old wounds not yet healed, new wounds added. Some wounds had already festered, emitting waves of foul odor. Maggots crawled slowly on the wounds. Ashun felt somewhat nauseated, his chest stuffy.

In his heart, he felt only cold fear at Feng Yutang’s methods.

One should know that even death row prisoners needn’t endure such torture. This was to make life worse than death, refusing to give the other party a quick end. Jiang Li had only rolled up one sleeve, exposing one arm. One arm alone was like this—one could imagine how many similar scars Xue Huaiyuan’s body bore.

In such a bottomless dark prison, enduring continuous heavy punishment day after day, unable to live, unable to die—no wonder Xue Huaiyuan had gone mad. Ashun even felt that the execution several days later, if Jiang Li hadn’t come to rescue this lord, might actually be a kind of release for County Magistrate Xue.

Such days were truly too difficult to endure, too difficult.

At the same time, he doubted in his heart—even if such a County Magistrate Xue was rescued, how long could he live? Even if he barely survived, a person who had lost his sanity, who had lost everything, living like a walking corpse—what meaning was there?

Just as he thought this, a low wail suddenly rang out in the prison.

Ashun was startled. Following the sound, he was surprised to discover that the one making that sound was none other than the young miss, Jiang Li.

That young lady who always liked to smile gently, who was composed and unhurried, who could face a frenzied crowd at Lizheng Hall with stern composure—her legs knelt on the ground, a sound both sad and joyful emerging from her throat. She slowly bent down, embraced Xue Huaiyuan’s shoulders, and burst into tears.

Ashun was stunned. Butcher Zhang also didn’t speak. In that prison, the various cells large and small that had been shouting protests everywhere because of their arrival had somehow suddenly quieted down. One could only hear the girl’s crying.

The crying seemed infectious. It swayed in the dim lamplight in the dark prison, like someone who after many years had tasted all of life’s joys, sorrows, angers, and pleasures, suddenly gaining a chance to start over and crying tears of extreme joy. Yet it was also like standing before the rolling Yangtze River, knowing past times could never return again, the sorrow of having missed worldly matters.

Making people sad to hear, making people’s hearts ache.

The girl didn’t fear the foul stench or maggots on the prisoner’s body. She just held him tightly, like a small lost girl in a crowd who finally saw her father, grasping this lifeline, crying out loud without any reservations, with complete peace of mind.

Great sorrow filled Jiang Li’s heart.

Xue Huaiyuan wasn’t much older than Jiang Yuanbai. In those past times, Xue Huaiyuan had also been like green bamboo and beautiful forest. Though he couldn’t compare to Jiang Yuanbai’s elegance, he had his own integrity. The tall Father had now aged so quickly, so quickly. Not yet at the age of knowing heaven’s mandate, yet his hair had already turned completely white. If not for encountering tremendous shock, why would this be?

His body was covered with scars. Thinking of those difficult days, Jiang Li’s heart felt like it was being cut by knives. If when she became Jiang Li, she had returned to Tong County a little faster, would Father have suffered less torture? Or if she hadn’t provoked Shen Yurong in the first place, without Princess Yongning, staying in Tong County, she could have lived peacefully with Xue Zhao and Father until old age.

The world toys with people, toys with them in the palm of its hand.

The person beneath her hands had bones that pressed painfully against her, as if there was no flesh on the body, only bones. Feng Yutang had given Xue Huaiyuan only a tiny bit of food, making him suffer from hunger and cold.

Suddenly, amid Jiang Li’s anguished cries, a weak voice rang out, as light as a dream.

“A Li?”