Yunyi said with difficulty: “Aunt Fang, I also want to help Brother Fang, but I’m just a small dancing girl. How could I possibly have any say in such matters?”
“You’re so close to Second Young Master, you must be able to speak up! Meixue, I beg you, please help your aunt this once. When you were little, you drank plenty of my milk. Sometimes when your father went to the mountains, you’d stay at our house for several days at a time. I always gave you good food and drink, exactly the same as Brother Fang’s—I never treated you poorly. You can’t forget this!”
Yunyi knew that everything Aunt Fang said was true. Wu Laosan had told her that in the past, he and his daughter had received much kindness from the neighboring Fang family, and the two families had maintained a good relationship over the years. “I remember everything you’ve said, but this kind of matter truly isn’t something I can speak up about. Even Second Young Master couldn’t make such a decision.”
“That’s not true! Second Young Master is the Governor’s son. I heard that now all the major and minor affairs in the prefecture are handled by him assisting the Governor. He must be able to make the decision! Meixue, as long as you help your aunt this once, I’ll remember your kindness for the rest of my life. Please! Please!” She truly couldn’t think of any other way, so as soon as she learned that Meixue had returned home, she immediately rushed over to plead.
Wu Laosan sighed: “Aunt Fang, it’s not that the girl doesn’t want to help you, but… she truly can’t help!”
“It’s possible, it must be possible! Laosan, please help me beg Meixue. Otherwise… let me go in Brother Fang’s place. I… I can endure hardship very well, I can do any kind of work, absolutely no worse than Brother Fang. I was already old when I gave birth to Brother Fang—I truly can’t let anything happen to him. Meixue, let me go instead. I can do it, please!”
As they were speaking, a man in his fifties rushed in. He pulled Aunt Fang aside and said: “Enough, stop making things difficult for Meixue here. Let’s go back!” This was Aunt Fang’s husband, Fang Datong.
Aunt Fang struggled forcefully: “Unless Meixue agrees to help plead for Brother Fang, I absolutely won’t leave!”
Fang Datong shook his head: “You crazy woman, is this something Meixue can do? I know you want to have Meixue speak to Second Young Master, but… haven’t you heard what people are saying? This is the emperor’s order—even the Governor is powerless.”
Aunt Fang wept: “I don’t care! In any case, I absolutely cannot watch Brother Fang go to his death!”
To his words, Fang Datong could only sigh repeatedly, crouching on the ground clutching his head: “Do you think I want Brother Fang to go? But what can we do? If we don’t hand over Brother Fang, our entire family will be beheaded. Too bad I’m already over fifty, otherwise I could be conscripted in Brother Fang’s place.”
Aunt Fang, filled with hatred for the tyrannical and harsh government policies, blurted out: “Let them behead us then! If they have the ability, let them chop off all our heads and spare us this repeated torment. They’re simply not letting people live! That thief emperor…” Halfway through her words, Fang Datong had already tightly covered her mouth, saying frantically: “You crazy woman, do you really want to die? Are these words you can say?”
Aunt Fang forcefully pulled down his hand and said through tears: “It’s not that I want to die, but that thief emperor is forcing us onto a dead end. We only have Brother Fang as our child—if he dies, isn’t that the same as us dying?”
“Don’t think that way. Maybe… when the war is over, Brother Fang will return safely, and then our family will be whole again, won’t we?”
“Safely?” Aunt Fang said mockingly: “A few years ago, Old Wang from the east end of the village was conscripted to build that whatever canal—did he come back? Last year, the husband of the Zhao family girl from the west end was conscripted to transport grain—did he come back?” She wiped away her tears: “That’s nothing but a pit of death with no return. No matter what, I won’t let Brother Fang go.”
“You said it yourself—this is an imperial decree. It’s useless for you to pester Meixue. It’s all because of our bad luck to be born in this time. We can only accept our fate!”
Aunt Fang said angrily: “I just don’t want to accept fate! I heard from those refugees who came to our area last time that many places outside are rebelling. If they really force me to desperation, I’ll go with them too—at least I might still fight for a way to survive!”
Fang Datong’s face turned pale: “You’re getting more and more crazy in your talk. Shut up immediately, and never say such absurd things again.” He rubbed his hands and turned to Wu Laosan: “Brother, just pretend you never heard what was said just now. Please don’t tell anyone outside.”
Wu Laosan quickly said: “Brother Fang, rest assured, my daughter and I will never say a word about it. You can be at ease. It’s just that Brother Fang’s matter… we really can’t help. Please forgive us, Brother Fang.”
“I understand.” Fang Datong patted Wu Laosan’s shoulder and forcibly dragged Aunt Fang away. Watching this scene, Wu Laosan sighed endlessly, muttering to himself: “Such days—who knows when they’ll end.”
Yunyi remained silent in dejection, her heart filled with indescribable pain. If only Mother Empress were here—as long as Mother Empress spoke up, Father Emperor would certainly agree to pardon Aunt Fang’s family.
But… even if Aunt Fang’s family were pardoned, what would it matter? Throughout the entire nation, there were still tens of thousands of able-bodied men being conscripted to serve as soldiers, transport grain, and even construct projects. How many could she and Mother Empress possibly save?
Just as both were sitting in gloomy silence because of the Fang family’s plight, knocking came from outside again. This time it was much heavier than before. Wu Laosan went to open the door with confusion, only to see several men who looked like government officials standing outside. The one in front held a register and, after sizing up Wu Laosan, said: “You’re Wu Laosan?”
Wu Laosan said cautiously: “Yes, that’s this humble person. I wonder what business you official gentlemen have?”
After writing Wu Laosan’s name in the register, the official said: “Three days from now, remember to come to the county office for registration.”
Wu Laosan’s heart sank upon hearing this. He understood very clearly what the two words “registration” meant. But… this shouldn’t be right!
He said with a forced smile: “Your Honor, you must be mistaken. This commoner is already fifty years old and is not among those to be conscripted this time.”
The official laughed strangely: “I’ve checked the household registration records. You’re forty-nine this year, not yet fifty. Moreover, you hunt regularly and your physical strength is even better than most young men. Those above think very highly of this, so they specifically designated that you must be conscripted. What specific duties you’ll have will only be known after three days.”
These words were like a bolt from the blue for Wu Laosan. He had been completely confident that being over fifty, he couldn’t possibly be conscripted, but who would have known… suddenly it had become like this.
Yunyi also heard the official’s words and said: “The court has clear orders to only conscript men between twenty and fifty years old. My father is already fifty—how can you conscript him just like that?”
Only now did the official notice Yunyi, and his eyes lit up with amazement. His tone became frivolous: “I never expected to find such a beautiful woman in this humble household—truly rare.” As he spoke, he reached out to stroke Yunyi’s chin, but she quickly stepped back to avoid that disgusting hand.