Marriage of the Di Daughter

Since Feng Yutang took office in Tongxiang, no one dared to say the word "Xue Xiancheng" on the street, let alone outside, even at home, the word "Xue Xiancheng" seems to be a common taboo for everyone Generally, no one dares to take the initiative to mention this name.

As time goes by, it seems that some people have forgotten what the word Xue Xiancheng means. It means a glimmer of light when there is no way out, the only hope when encountering injustice, justice, and conscience.

But everyone seems to have not forgotten it, like a kindling of humiliation buried, just waiting for someone to come with sparks one day, just a little bit, and it will be able to burn blazingly.

Today, the word "Xue Xiancheng" quietly resounded all over Tongxiang, spreading like grass in the spring breeze, some people are ready to move, some people are panicked.

At night, a house in Qingshi Lane was lit with lights.

The lights were dim, and the people in the room, whether sitting or standing, looked depressed.

Ye Mingyu sat on a low stool, punched the table with his fist, and said angrily, "This is too difficult!"

He, Jiang Li, and the six brothers under his command divided into several groups early in the morning, and went one by one to find the people in Tongxiang. There are more than 500 households. From morning to night today, only a few dozen households were asked. In fact, dozens of households were not too few, but the only one who was willing to stand up and testify for Xue Huaiyuan was that poor talent, Mo Wenxuan. It was Mo Wenxuan's blind old lady who heard it and severely criticized Mo Wenxuan, and Mo Wenxuan stood up with the tragic feeling of dying together.

Ye Mingyu didn't know what to say. To blame these people for being ungrateful? Others just want to protect their own family members, instead of blaming the common people, it is better to scold Feng Yutang for his low methods. But do these people really have no responsibility? If only they resisted a little bit, perhaps Xue Xiancheng would not look so miserable even if he was imprisoned.

There are always many helpless things in the world.

"It's okay, uncle." Jiang Li smiled, "It's not all fruitless, at least one person is good, isn't it? As long as there is one person today, there will be one day tomorrow. If this continues, after five days, we will have five people in total. .It’s also quite a lot.”

A guard muttered, "Out of five hundred and sixty-eight households, only five stood up. This is too sad."

Jiang Li was still smiling, but Ye Mingyu felt that his niece seemed a little sad for a moment. It seems that from these personnel events in Tongxiang, we can see the unpredictability of people's hearts. Ye Mingyu also became sad, and quickly came back to his senses, secretly slapped himself, and wanted to comfort Jiang Li, but he was stupid and didn't know how to comfort him. She sighed that it would have been nice if the handsome Duke of the country had been there last night. Maybe Jiangli girl thought, seeing her sweetheart would temporarily forget the troubles in front of her.

But Ji Heng wasn't there after all.

Ye Mingyu had no choice but to start the conversation clumsily: "Speaking of which, several times today, I have felt that someone is following us. It seems that there is still a murderous look. I was waiting for a big battle, but after a while, the feeling disappeared. It's strange. .”

"Me too!" The guards in the room echoed one after another: "I also feel this way today, and I thought I was thinking too much."

"Could it be that I saw a ghost, why does everyone feel this way?"

"I think it's the bandits from Tongxiang. They tried to blackmail us, but after seeing the martial arts skills of the brothers, they became afraid, so they retreated."

"There is a reason, I think that's it!"

"Go, go, go," Ye Mingyu waved his hand, and said, "You guys know nothing, don't take credit for yourself, who would rob you? Do you look rich? If you want to rob, it's my fault. Besides, can Tongxiang have a way of robbery? Tongxiang is so poor, if there is a way of robbery, he would have starved to death long ago!"

The room was speechless for a moment, Ye Mingyu turned to Jiang Li and asked, "Ali, is it the Lord Laoshizi who helped you with this matter?"

Ye Mingyu didn't know Ji Heng's name, and thought that "Master of the State" was an official, and kept calling Ji Heng "Master of the State". Jiang Li couldn't laugh or cry, and said, "Probably so."

Feng Yutang's men and horses decreased so much overnight, but he didn't say a word, and he didn't move at all. Naturally, it was Ji Heng's handwriting. Today they openly raised Xue Huaiyuan's case in Tongxiang, and Feng Yutang's people did not come to stop them, which is naturally impossible. The only possibility is that Feng Yutang did send someone to stop him, but he was stopped by Ji Heng's people.

One matter is another matter, at least in this matter, Ji Heng helped her and saved her a lot of trouble, she should be grateful. Jiang Li inexplicably thought that if someone formed an alliance with Ji Heng, it would be the most cost-effective deal in the world. Because Ji Heng will remove unnecessary obstacles for his allies to the greatest extent, "Idlers and others", many things will get twice the result with half the effort.

Ye Mingyu didn't say a word when he heard the words, thinking that although the man was too handsome, at least he knew how to protect Jiang Li. Even if you can't be a nephew and son-in-law, it's good to be a friend.

"Uncle Ming Yu, you should rest earlier." Jiang Li said, "You are also tired today, so you should nourish your vitality at night, and you will continue tomorrow morning."

Ye Mingyu nodded, they went to recruit people today, they talked dry, they ran a long distance, their backs hurt, they should take a bath and have a good rest. He didn't object to Jiang Li's words, and took his subordinates to rest first.

Jiang Li sat back at the table.

Tong'er and Bai Xue thought she was going to rest too, so they asked in surprise, "Why don't you sleep, girl?"

"I still have to write a booklet, and distribute it to my uncles tomorrow, and then go to bed after finishing." Jiang Li pressed her forehead and said, "Bai Xue, pour me a cup of hot tea."

...

After the snow, the sky was sunny, and the second day was an excellent weather.

Jiang Li parted ways with Ye Mingyu and the others early in the morning, and went to find their own homes.

Now she is not afraid that Feng Yutang's people will kill her behind her back, anyway, Ji Heng will solve it for her. She felt relieved to expose her back to Ji Heng.

During yesterday's trip, she visited the most houses, and Ye Mingyu did not visit as many houses as she did. It was only because she knew the way of Tongxiang and where each family lived, which saved a lot of time. When I passed by the gate of Qingshi Lane in the early morning, I also saw Aunt Chunfang whom I met in Tongxiang on the first day. Aunt Chunfang was standing in the yard with her basket on her shoulders, watching Jiangli and his party walk away carefully, pursing her lips , seemed to want to say something, but did not say it after all.

Jiang Li didn't look at her either, she had too little time to take care of everyone. The fate between people depends on fate. Some things have been worked hard by oneself, and if they fail, it is fate, and there is no need to be unwilling.

The whole day yesterday, from the first family, Daiyun, to the last family, at least on the Jiangli side, did not convince the family that it would be false to say that they were not disappointed, but today we have to continue. No matter what the result is, she has to accept it.

In the distance, the door of the house can already be seen.

Jiang Li walked up to this family, hesitated for a moment, and finally knocked on the door.

The husband of this family is a butcher, known as Butcher Zhang. He has a vicious and terrifying life. Ordinary children will cry when he looks at him. Jiang Li only remembered that Xue Zhao was very afraid of this butcher Zhang when he was a child, and always felt that the butcher knife in Zhang's hand was very scary. But as Xue Fangfei, she only remembered that every time she passed by the butcher shop, the corner of the man's mouth stiffened, as if he wanted to show her a gentle smile, but he looked very awkward.

There were three knocks on the door, and someone came to open the door.

Butcher Zhang opened the door.

After many years, Butcher Zhang is still the same as before, without changing at all. On a cold winter day, he wore a thin, coarse cloth singlet with the sleeves rolled up, presumably for the convenience of chopping meat. He was born tall and fat, with a face full of flesh. Because of the smell of meat coming out of the slaughtered pigs all the year round, he felt sticky and greasy. He probably got up early to go to the butcher shop, and he was carrying a bucket covered with a white cloth. Jiang Li knew that the white cloth was fresh pork.

Butcher Zhang also had a long knife on top of the bucket. The knife was extremely long and sharp. I don't know if it was because of seeing too much blood, but just seeing it made people feel chills.

Jiang Li's eyes fell on the long knife involuntarily.

Butcher Zhang looked down at Jiang Li, put the bucket in his hand at his feet with a "boom", and said in a bad tone, "Who are you looking for?"

"I'm looking for you." Jiang Li looked away: "My name is Jiang Li."

Butcher Zhang said: "I know you, it was you yesterday, and you started going door to door from the east of the city asking about Xue Xiancheng, wanting someone to stand up and testify for Lord Xue!"

Butcher Zhang's voice was very rough, even more fierce than what Ye Mingyu heard. When he spoke to Jiang Li, his face was expressionless, but the flesh on his face trembled a few times.

"Yes." Jiang Li looked at him calmly: "Whether Xue Xiancheng is a good official, and whether he will embezzle disaster relief money, the people of Tongxiang will not know. I want to ask this uncle if he is willing to stand up As a witness, how about rehabilitating this innocent county magistrate?"

Butcher Zhang stared at Jiang Li intently.

In fact, his eyes are very small, almost narrowed, making it difficult to see his expression clearly. This butcher Zhang is alone again and has no wife. Because he looks too ugly and fierce, no one dares to get close to him. Looking at Jiang Li so condescendingly, as if he was about to raise a butcher knife at Jiang Li in the next moment.

But the next moment, he suddenly burst out laughing.

Jiang Li has never seen Butcher Zhang smile like this. She has seen him trying to squeeze out a friendly smile, showing a shy smile to the pretty girl on the street, and seeing him stretch out when chopping bones with a knife. He laughed, but he had never seen him laugh so freely. As if a long-cherished wish had been fulfilled, he smiled happily.

He said: "Little girl, I was waiting for you in the room early in the morning. I thought you would not come, but I finally waited for you. I am willing to stand up! I will go with you to help Mr. Xue reverse the case!"

This time, it was Jiang Li's turn to be surprised.

Amid Butcher Zhang's laughter, after thinking about it, Jiang Li asked, "Why are you willing?"

"Why would you want to?" Butcher Zhang looked at her, as if she had asked some funny question, and said, "You should ask me, why would I not want to? Lord Xue is like a second-born parent to me. Someone framed me back then. , said that my pork was eaten to death, that I was a murderer, that I was wronged and imprisoned, and suffered a lot in prison. If Mr. Xue hadn't seen the truth, retried my case, and returned my innocence, I would not be where I am today Already!" He slapped the long knife, "Hey, although I am a pig butcher, I am not an ungrateful white-eyed wolf!"

Jiang Li knew about this. When Xue Huaiyuan first took office, the former county magistrate received money from people. In that case, it was clearly the son of a rich family who committed the crime, but he gave money to the former county magistrate and found a scapegoat. It was clearly not the person who was poisoned to death by Butcher Zhang, but he insisted that Butcher Zhang ate his meat to death. Butcher Zhang became a scapegoat, and the county magistrate took the money, so he didn't care about the innocence of a butcher. Coupled with Zhang Butcher's ferocity, no one doubted it for a while.

After Xue Huaiyuan took office, he saw the doubts in this case, and he did not hesitate to offend the powerful family in Tongxiang, and he wanted to reverse the case for Butcher Zhang. Fortunately, in the end, the evidence was conclusive, and Butcher Zhang was innocent, and Butcher Zhang was saved. From then on, Butcher Zhang recognized Xue Huaiyuan as his savior.

"I've been in prison myself, and I know what it's like to be wronged. If you say that people like Mr. Xue embezzled money, no one would believe it! I thought of a way to save the life of Feng Yutang's dog official, but I thought that was the case. I am ashamed that I can't rescue Mr. Xue from the prison. It took so long. I originally thought that after five days, I would go to rob the execution ground. It would be fine if I was alone. Even if I died, I would die with my benefactor, benefactor You won't feel wronged, saying that saving me back then was a mistake!"

Butcher Zhang looked at Jiang Li: "Little girl, I think you are not ordinary people. You are not low in wealth and status, and you are not afraid of Feng Yutang's power. You just want to reverse the case for Master Xue. I believe you! In this case, you are here for Xue." My lord reverses the case, count me in, what do you want me to do, I will never say anything! Anyway, I have no relatives and reasons, and I am alone. I only have this butcher's knife. I will take this butcher's knife to kill this pig and dog. brute!"

Jiang Li just didn't expect such words to come out of Butcher Zhang's mouth. She suddenly felt that she had never known this butcher Zhang before, this upright man, she never thought that when everyone in Tongxiang shunned Feng Yutang and was frightened by Feng Yutang's power, there were still people secretly plotting to save her father. Overturn the case.

Maybe Butcher Zhang is not the first person, maybe there are others like him. Feng Yutang can control the words and deeds of the people, but he can't control the hearts of the people.

Jiang Li's heart also stirred up in an instant.

She bowed deeply to Butcher Zhang.

Butcher Zhang was taken aback, and hurriedly said, "Little girl, what are you doing?"

"Thank you for Xue Xiancheng." Jiang Li said seriously: "We all know what Feng Yutang did in Tongxiang. Standing up to speak for Xue Xiancheng is not something everyone can do. If you can stand up, I'm very grateful."

"There is nothing to be grateful for." Butcher Zhang waved his hand, "When I became a street mouse and everyone shouted and beat me, only Mr. Xue was willing to believe me and not despise me. Without Mr. Xue, I would have been tortured to death in prison I often look at the sun outside, and say to myself, I can feel all of this because of Master Xue. My life belongs to Master Xue. If Master Xue is in trouble, if I just sit back and ignore him, is that still human? I heard that if you kill too much, you will go to hell, I never believe it, but if you are ungrateful, you will go to hell, I believe it."

"Just pretend I don't want to go to hell!" he said.

Jiang Li looked at the man's ferocious appearance and thought it was cute. The two looked at each other and laughed at each other.

...

On the second day, at night, when meeting with Ye Mingyu and the others, Jiang Li found that Zhang Butcher was the only witness who was willing to stand up.

After meeting Butcher Zhang, all the people she met later showed embarrassment and faltered, and Jiang Li didn't force others to make things difficult for her. Ye Mingyu and the other guards got nothing, Ye Mingyu was a little discouraged.

"It's okay," Jiang Li cheered him up, "Didn't we find one more person? As I said, one person a day can also find five people, it's okay."

Ye Mingyu looked at Jiang Li, but didn't speak. What he sighed was not that he couldn't find anyone, but the disappointment in people's hearts.

From one family to another, it was written in the brochure Jiang Li gave that every family had actually received help from Xue Huaiyuan. So now that Xue Huaiyuan is in trouble, because of Feng Yutang's power, no one dares to stand up?

I know that I feel a little angry for thinking this way, but it's like a basin of cold water pouring ice into Ye Mingyu's fiery heart. He likes the life in the rivers and lakes where love and hatred are happy, kindness is kindness, and resentment is resentment. But the trip to Tongxiang made him see too much helplessness in the market, and he couldn't blame anything, because everyone had their own reasons. But the chest is uncomfortable, as if blocked, stuffy.

He looked at Jiang Li, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl, how could she be so calm in the face of these successive blows? It seems that being rejected is nothing more than a normal thing. If Ye Jiaer and Ye Rufeng had encountered this situation, they would have been disheartened.

But ginger pears never.

Jiang Li does not feel sad because of these. In fact, since she died once, she is still willing to treat others kindly, and will not become cruel because of the cruel things she has suffered. However, she no longer expects people's hearts up.

Just like after becoming the Second Miss Jiang, the paternal love for Jiang Yuanbai, the grandchildren's love for Mrs. Jiang, and the relatives of the Jiang family, big and small, are indeed because she is not the real Miss Jiang Second, but she has not Put too much emotion into it. She doesn't care how the Jiang family treats her, because she doesn't expect it.

Shen Yurong and Princess Yongning finally changed her. She couldn't tell whether her change was a good thing or a bad thing, but sometimes, she could feel the indifference in her bones, watching these people related to her coldly, as if she was watching the excitement of people who had nothing to do with her.

Just like... just like Ji Heng.

Maybe the current self is the same person as Ji Heng in his bones. Ji Heng's purpose is to achieve his political aspirations, while his own purpose is revenge. Living for purpose, maybe it is so boring and colorless.

Jiang Li withdrew her thoughts: "It's okay, uncle, there are still three days. Starting tomorrow, I will start reporting to the Xiangyang magistrate. Feng Yutang was convicted, and Xue Xiancheng's beheading order was suspended. On the last day, we will be able to pick up Xue County. Cheng was released from prison and brought these Tongxiang people to Beijing to sue."

"Will Tong Zhiyang agree?" Ye Mingyu asked.

"I can't tolerate him not agreeing, the rules are like this, and besides, Mr. Tang has not left the weaving room. Mr. Tang knows the pros and cons and will persuade Tong Zhiyang." Jiang Li said: "Of course, if we can find more people who are willing to come forward to testify All right."

...

Jiang Li's pace didn't stop. On the third morning, she still woke up early, split up with Ye Mingyu's men, and went to persuade those people who had received Xue Huaiyuan's favor.

Aunt Chunfang didn't go out either, and stood in the yard, watching Jiang Li and the others leave, dazed, not knowing what to think.

Another day of leaving early and returning late.

At night, Jiang Li and Ye Mingyu got nothing, but one of Ye Mingyu's subordinates persuaded a couple who opened a noodle shop, called the Ah Kuai couple. Back then, the strange couple was deceived by someone, and the land deed had a problem. They were almost taken away from this noodle shop, and lost the capital to live and work. Xue Huaiyuan interrogated the case, allowing Ah Kuai and his wife to get back the land deed, so that they would not be displaced.

Therefore, Aguai and his wife have always been very grateful to Xue Xiancheng. Now that Xue Huaiyuan is in prison, the Aguai couple want to complain for Xue Huaiyuan, but they don't know what they can do. They always feel that standing up is like a mantis' arm. Now that Jiang Li and his party appear, the couple is overjoyed. It seems that they finally know what they can do. What's the matter, I agreed without thinking too much.

"We found three people in total," Ye Mingyu said, "Send the order to Xiangyang tomorrow?"

Jiang Li nodded: "Enough."

Ye Mingyu asked: "Then continue to look for someone?"

"Look for it." Jiang Li said: "Only the more people there are, the bigger the incident will be, whether it's going to Dali Temple or suing the imperial court, can people be suppressed and can't be suppressed, so that everyone in the world can see and tear this thing apart." Layers of skin, what a mess the real Tongxiang county magistrate has made."

Ye Mingyu said: "I see, let's continue!"

That night, Jiang Li slept very peacefully. In her dream, she saw Xue Zhao and her father. The three of them were on the way home in Qingshi Lane. The night was falling together. Xue Zhao was carrying a sword on his back, proudly performing a set of sword skills in front of Jiang Li. , was scolded by Xue Huaiyuan with a laugh.

The warmth made Jiang Li unwilling to wake up.

Until Bai Xue gently came to wake her up: "Girl, it's time to get up."

These days, Jiangli gets up very early every day, there is no way, time cannot be delayed. She was still recalling the sweet dream last night that made people reluctant to wake up, but she acted soberly and decisively. But after a while, I have finished grooming, ate something, and are ready to go out.

Of the 568 households, half of them have never been visited. In the past half, only three people are willing to stand up.

Sad? Maybe, but we should be thankful that there is not one, and it is not yet the worst time.

Ye Mingyu greeted Jiang Li with a smile: "A Li, I'm going to be busy again today."

Jiang Li also smiled: "Uncle and all the little brothers will have to work hard today."

Everyone smiled and went out, opened the yard, and suddenly froze.

Aunt Chunfang stood at the door. She was wearing thin clothes. She had waited for some time, trembling slightly. When she saw Jiang Li, her eyes lit up.

"Aunt Chunfang?" Jiang Li looked at her suspiciously: "Why are you here?"

"I...I..." Chun Fang pursed her lips, it seemed that it took a long time to muster up the courage, and said: "Miss, I, I am willing to stand up and testify for Lord Xue!"

Jiang Li was stunned.

"I've thought about it. Mr. Xue has helped us a lot. If we don't care, it's heartless. I'm willing to stand up!"

This cowardly woman seemed to have gained courage for no reason, her voice suddenly increased, she held her head up, and said firmly.

Neither Jiang Li nor Ye Mingyu expected her to say such a sentence.

After a while, Jiang Li smiled, and she said, "Thank you, Aunt Chunfang."

Chunfang blushed, waved her hands hastily, as if she couldn't stand it, and said, "Not only me, but also them."

Then I saw two people walking out from the corner of the wall, they were Dai Yun who was leading Ping An.

Ping An saw Jiang Li, smiled sweetly at Jiang Li, and said on behalf of Yun: "Miss Jiang, I have thought about it. Mr. Xue saved Ping An, we can't be so ruthless to Ping An's savior. Our mother and daughter are in Tongxiang, and we have always accepted Master Xue's help cannot cause a good person to be wronged because of our selfishness. We are willing to stand up."

Jiang Li looked at her. Dai Yun held Ping An's hand tightly, and it was obvious that she struggled for a long time to make this decision. But now, she came with peace.

"Thank you." Jiang Li smiled. "With you, Master Xue's case will be much easier. I think Master Xue will not be far from being rehabilitated."

"It's not just us." Chunfang said, "Look outside." She pointed in one direction.

Jiang Li took a few steps forward.

At the entrance of the alleyway of Qingshi Lane, at some point, dense crowds had already been squeezed, some were outside, some were inside, and the alleyway was crowded, at least there were hundreds of people. They were male, female, old and young. At first glance, they were all Tongxiang people.

Seeing Jiang Li, they shouted loudly: "Miss Jiang, we are all willing to be Xue Xiancheng's witnesses!"

"Miss Jiang, take us to help Xue Xiancheng! The kindness of dripping water should be repaid by springs. We have all received the kindness of Master Xue, and now it is our turn to repay Master Xue!"

"We know Miss Jiang's plan. We came here specially to find Miss Jiang. We will do whatever Miss Jiang wants us to do, as long as we can save Lord Xue!"

Jiang Li stared blankly at everything in front of her.

Ye Mingyu and his subordinates took two steps forward and also saw the scene in front of them. Ye Mingyu said in a low voice, "My dear..." The voice was full of disbelief.

Compared with the situation of going door to door in the past few days, everything today is unreal like a dream. These Tongxiang people, old and weak, women and children, but there is no doubt that they have the courage to go all out.

Those who Xue Huaiyuan had helped, those who were huddled among others and dared not stand up for various reasons, experienced struggle, hesitation, hesitation and uneasiness, justice overcame fear, and still stood up.

Are people's hearts worth looking forward to?

Isn't the human heart worth looking forward to?

Ping An broke away from her mother's hand, ran two steps forward, took Jiang Li's hand, and softly called out: "Sister, we are willing to stand up."

Jiang Li's eyes became hot and she was speechless.