Chapter 89: 089. Can You Die From Saying It (Second Update)
Translator: 549690339
Xiu Shirong emerged from the Yamen, neatly dressed and standing tall.
“Master Xiu, take care,” the Yamen runner bowed respectfully.
Xiu Shirong looked pleased, took out a folded silver banknote and handed it over. “After all, I had studied with Ma Yaozu, please ‘take care’ of him for me.”
The Yamen runner quickly pocketed the silver banknote and assured Xiu Shirong.
Not far away was a luxurious carriage. As soon as the Yamen runner left, a young servant ran over and diligently wiped the dirt from Xiu Shirong’s clothes. “Master, the third master suddenly disappeared, master and madam are both worried to death! Is the third master alright?”
Xiu Shirong snorted lightly, “In Pingbei City, who could harm me?”
When the carriage curtain was lifted, Xiu Shirong saw a woman with heavy makeup sitting inside. She looked to be in her twenties, but her facial features were obscured by the extravagant makeup.
Xiu Shirong immediately put on a different facial expression, and after getting in the carriage, smiled and called her “sister-in-law.”
The woman was the fourth young lady from the Li family, one of the four major merchants in Qian Country, and now the mistress of the Xiu family. She squinted her eyes, sizing up Xiu Shirong, “What happened?”
Xiu Shirong sat upright, “Someone knocked me out at home and sent me to
Qianshan Academy! ”
Xiu Lishi’s expression changed, she twisted the handkerchief in her hand, “who?”
Xiu Shirong shrugged, “I don’t know. Maybe Ning Jing?
Xiu Lishi snorted coldly, “Ning Yao said that Ning Jing had a weak body and didn’t know Martial Arts, but she has climbed up the ranks with Crown Prince Bei Jingwang, and it seems there are master protectors around her.”
“Originally, the Xiu family had no grudge with Ning Jing, and even Ma Yaozu wouldn’t admit it. But recently, because of my sister-in-law’s family and her nephew, Ning Jing has become suspicious of us.” Xiu Shirong looked regretful,
“Such a perfect plan, yet it ended up in vain.”
“You didn’t confess, did you?” Xiu Lishi asked.
Xiu Shirong’s smile seemed both genuine and fake. “If I were that foolish, sister-in-law wouldn’t entrust me with such important matters.”
Xiu Lishi snorted lightly, “Your mind is clever, but you never use it for good.
After all these years of studying, you didn’t even become a scholar.”
The Xiu family’s heart was set on cultivating scholars and achieving success, but Xiu Shirong was not up to par. The Li family had spent a fortune hiring a highly-ranked old scholar to teach the children of the family, and last year, Xiu Lishi sent her only son to her maiden home to study.
Xiu Shirong’s eyes darkened slightly, and he said nonchalantly, “If all my ambitions were to be used for good, I would’ve turned against my big brother and sister-in-law long ago.”
Xiu Lishi sneered, “You don’t have the guts! Without the Xiu family, what could you accomplish?”
Xiu Shirong didn’t get upset and only laughed, “I’m just counting on my sister-in-law to give me more rewards!”
“Stop flapping your gums! Tell me, what happened in the end?” Xiu Lishi asked. Xiu Shirong then went on to recount his experiences after waking up in the academy.
“I didn’t see Ning Jing, but I did meet a Miss Ning who claims to be Ning Jing’s younger sister. She really was an extraordinary beauty.” Xiu Shirong’s mind conjured an image of Su Lianz’s small face, and he licked his lips.
Xiu Lishi scoffed lightly, “Look how greedy you are! Once we take care of Ning Jing, you can play with her however you want!”
“Thank you in advance, sister-in-law.” Xiu Shirong’s smile deepened.
Upon hearing his recount, Xiu Lishi also sighed regretfully, “We wasted an opportunity. Unbelievable that Ning Jing actually has a sister by her side with such formidable medical skills. Otherwise, if just a few more scholars had died, the matter would’ve been a big deal and Ning Jing would’ve been implicated! Now we have to make sure Ma Yaozu dies quickly and keeps quiet, so as not to implicate us!”
“Sister-in-law spends so much silver every year on the government, what’s there to be afraid of?” Xiu Shirong was unconcerned.
“My father taught us from a young age that in business, there’s no need to worry about right and wrong, black and white, but you have to be clean and not leave any flaws. Otherwise, you never know when a careless mistake could cause you to lose everything!” Xiu Lishi said in a stern tone.
Xiu Shirong still had a playful smile on his face, “Thank you for your guidance, sister-in-law.”
The poisoning incident spread quickly throughout Pingbei City on the day it happened.
But in the story versions, there was Ning Jing, Ma Yaozu, but not a trace of connection to the Xiao Family or Xiu Shirong.
Xiu Lishi knew that this attempt had failed and did not cause any further trouble, deciding to make new plans. Other than removing the Xiao Family from the story, she did not try to pin any other dirty water on Ning Jing.
Thus, it soon became common knowledge in Pingbei City that a scholar from Bei’an County, who had failed the provincial exam, was consumed with jealousy over Ning Jing, the head of the Ning family, and committed the heinous crime of poisoning the well at the academy and framing Ning Jing.
Thankfully, the medical treatment was timely, and everyone at the academy was shocked but unharmed, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable!
Once the news spread, public outrage was immediately aroused, and people began to condemn the malicious Ma Yaozu who had been studying like a dog.
Though there were also some who had no idea that Ning Jing was also at fault in this matter, they fabricated a story that Ning Jing had once boasted in front of Ma Yaozu, angering him, leading to the subsequent incidents.
But such groundless rumors were believed by only a minority of people.
Most people thought that Ma Yaozu was crazy and that Ning Jing had nothing to do with it.
It is worth noting that Su Liang’s name did not spread.
Nobody from the academy had come down the mountain. In the afternoon, after Ma Yaozu and Xiu Shirong were taken away, the only people who came down from the mountain were the doctors who had been invited the night before, and they didn’t know anything about Su Liang’s background and name.
Those who were unaware thought it was the doctors who had saved nearly a hundred people at the academy.
Among them were those who cared about face and didn’t want to admit they hadn’t done anything on their trip to the academy and that a young girl with an unknown background had saved everyone. They neither admitted nor denied the praise, essentially acquiescing to it.
And there were even some thick-skinned people who blatantly took credit for Su Liang’s accomplishments, fabricating stories about how difficult it was for them to save people.
After all, reputation is very important for medical professionals. With a good reputation, there is business and money to be made.
The Xiao Family was located in the eastern part of Pingbei City, occupying a
large area.
At dusk, Xiu Shironz came out of his elder brother’s place, Dlanninz to change into another set of clothes and go to the brothel to listen to some music.
Returning to his room, Xiu Shirong closed the door, opened the wardrobe, picked out a brocade robe, and just as he put it on, a shadow silently approached from behind. Then, a brick smacked him on the back of his head.
Blood streamed down Xiu Shirong’s ears, soaking into the collar of his new clothes. He didn’t even have the chance to scream before passing out on the floor.
On the other side, the current head of the Xiao Family, Xiu Shihao, was massaging Xiu Lishi’s shoulders. The couple exchanged a few words and quickly decided to arrange for Ma Yaozu to “commit suicide out of fear of punishment” tonight in jail. It would be easy with money.
“I should have known not to get involved in Ning Yao’s mess. That Ning Jing is quite a handful.” Xiu Shihao scoffed.
Xiu Lishi closed her eyes, leaned her head back against Xiu Shihao’s chest, and lazily said, “Don’t you want to not be under the thumb of my family for the rest of your life? You need allies against outsiders, otherwise our business will always be controlled by the Li family.”
“My wife really cares for me.” Xiu Shihao said, visibly touched.
The atmosphere grew intimate, and just as the couple was about to get affectionate, a dark shadow floated by and raised their blood-stained brick to smack Xiu Shihao on his head.
Xiu Lishi, who had her eyes closed, heard a strange sound and felt a viscous liquid on her face. She opened her eyes, but before she could see anything clearly, she too was knocked unconscious with the same brick.
Meanwhile, the unmarried second master of the Xiao Family was away on a business trip and would not return until the end of the year.
As the last trace of sunset was swallowed up by the western sky, Ning Jing glanced at the blood-soaked dark patch on the brick and tossed it into the lake in the back garden of the Xiao Family estate before leaving silently.
As Ning Jing left, screams and cries resounded in the Xiao family.
He returned to the mansion he and Su Liang had purchased, picked up the prepared bundle, put on a bamboo hat, and left Pingbei City on horseback.
At this point, Su Liang, who was preparing dinner at the academy, was unaware that Ning Jing had left only after teaching the three leaders of the Xiao family a lesson with bricks. She thought he had left the city early.
Lin Xueqing woke up to find the sky already dark and went out to the smell of food coming from the kitchen. She walked over quickly and saw a familiar figure, her face surprised and delighted, “Su, you’re still here?”
Originally, Su Liang and Ning Jing planned to leave Pingbei City early in the morning and return to Bei’an County. Lin Xueqing woke up thinking they might have already left, but to her surprise, Su Liang was not only still here but also at the academy.
“There is hot water, wash your face.” Su Liang smiled and explained to Lin Xueqing the truth behind the poisoning case from last night and why they hadn’t left.
As Lin Xueqing listened, she became indignant and shocked.
After she finished listening and had washed up, she came to stoke the fire and sighed, “Elder brother Ning is so miserable, he has such a family to deal with. No, they are not even human! He was ready to hand over the family business to Ning Yao, but Ning Yao insists on persecuting him! Shameless! The people of the Xiao family are heartless for profit! Ma Yaozu deserves to die!” “The more Ning Jing tolerates Ning Yao, the further he goes. “)
Su Liang said.
Lin Xueqing realized something was off, “Elder brother Ning… is he skilled in martial arts?”
Su Liang nodded, “Actually, he taught me my martial arts.” Not entirely true. Lin Xueqing was shocked, “Is he that good? We haven’t seen each other for only three years!”
Su Lianz smiled, “Actuallv, I’ve onlv known him for iust over three months and don’t know what he went through in those three years.”
Lin Xueqing sighed, “My second brother has practiced martial arts since he was a child, and it has been difficult. If Ning Jing is so strong after only three years of practice, he must have put in more effort and worked harder than others.”
“In life, when you want to do something or get something, you have to pay the price.” Su Liang said, “He knows what he’s doing, so you don’t need to think too much.”
Lin Xueqing nodded heavily, ‘You’re right, Su. In fact, I’m happy that although Ning Jing doesn’t talk much or smile now, he is neither depressed nor resentful.”
After preparing dinner, the two went to find Lin Shuzhi.
In the afternoon, government soldiers came to deal with the well, drawing up many buckets of water one after another, and finally, Su Liang confirmed that the water they had sent to her was safe.
Lin Shuzhi had gone to check on the students and had just returned and changed clothes. Seeing Lin Xueqing and Su Liang, his eyes softened, “Liang, you should take a break. You’ve been the most exhausted.”
“I’ll go to bed early tonight.” Su Liang nodded.
After dinner, Lin Shuzhi looked worried, “With Ning Jing gone, will the people of the Xiao family target you and cause you harm in Pingbei City?”
Su Liang was very calm, “Master, don’t worry. If they dare to cause trouble for me, I will show them some colors!”
She couldn’t stand the sight of Xiu Shirong and wished she could sneak into the Xiao family house tonight and smack him with a brick!
However, with Ning Jing gone, Su Liang didn’t want to start trouble actively. She was fine on her own, but she was afraid of causing trouble for the Lin family father and daughter.
Seeing Lin Shuzhi sigh again, Su Liang said seriously, “I think all the officials in Pingbei City have been bought by the Xiao family. Ma Yaozu has been found guilty and may die in prison tonight, so it’s even more impossible to expose Xiu Shirong’s crimes to the public.”
Lin Shuzhi looked disappointed, “It wasn’t like this a few years ago; things have been getting worse.”
“Father thought about reporting it to the court, but we know they are unclean, yet we have no evidence.” Lin Xueqing said.
“Master, in that case, it’s better to leave sooner rather than later. This place is no longer the simple and quiet place you wanted.” Su Liang said.
Lin Shuzhi hesitated for a moment, “I planned to hand over the academy before the New Year and take Xueqing to the capital city. It’s not good for a family to be scattered.”
“It’s just over a month anyway. Master, why not send a letter to Brother Lin earlier and have them send someone to pick us up? So as not to have more troubles in the long run.” Su Liang said, “By now, the students who have become scholars, how far they can go in the future mainly depends on themselves. Besides, there are other teachers in the academy, Master should also think more about his own children.”
“Yes, yes indeed!” Lin Xueqing nodded repeatedly, “Su’s sister’s words make a lot of sense! We still don’t know who sent the assassin before, once we get to the capital city, it will be safer than here. After all, my father is not a nobody.”
“Well…” Lin Shuzhi was somewhat hesitant. Deciding to go to the capital city for the New Year was because of the assassination, but he didn’t expect to leave so soon.
After all, this academy was his many years of hard work, but he also knew that Su Liang was right.
If it weren’t for the academy, Lin Shuzhi would have reunited with his daughter and two sons long ago. He had already made a lot of sacrifices for the three children he owed.
“After this incident, Master has fallen ill and has no energy to manage the academy anymore. It’s reasonable and logical for him to resign and leave for the capital city.” Su Liang had already thought about how Lin Shuzhi could get out of the situation smoothly.
“I think it’s a good idea!” Lin Xueqing approved with both hands, “Look at what my father looks like now? If it wasn’t for Suls care, he might really be terribly ill. I will write to my brothers tonight, and when Ning Senior returns from
Xunyang City to take Su away, we will go to the capital city!”
Seeing the eager anticipation in Lin Xueqing’s eyes, Lin Shuzhi sighed and finally nodded, “Alright! Let’s settle it this way!”
He also planned to write a secret letter to report the corruption of the officials in Pingbei City after arriving at the capital city.
There was no conversation that night.
The next morning, someone from the government office came to find Lin Shuzhi, and Su Liang was also present, and learned of an unexpected piece of news.
“The official has already verified it, and everything Ma Yaozu said is true. The poison was indeed given to Ma Yaozu by Xiao Shirong, the third son of the Xiao family. Xiao Shirong lured Ma Yaozu to commit the crime, and the Xiao family was the mastermind behind the poisoning case!”
Su Liang felt it was very strange. The one who came was the master who defended Xiao Shirong yesterday. He was from the Yamen.
Yesterday, Xiao Shirong was taken to the Yamen and returned home unharmed in no time. Su Liang knew about this.
Why did the wind change its direction overnight?
Lin Shuzhi was also surprised, “Just based on Ma Yaozu’s testimony…”
The master shook his head, “Last night, Xiao’s family head and his wife, along with Xiao Shirong, committed suicide in fear of punishment at home! After the servants of the Xiao family reported the case, the officials searched and found the poison in Xiao Shirong’s room. There were also servants who confessed that the head of the Xiao family conspired with Ning Yao of the Ning family in Xunyang to frame Ning Jing! Their methods were despicable and appalling!”
Su Liang was completely dumbfounded. Was she mistaken when she said that the officials in Pingbei City were corrupt? But it’s not right! There was no way that those three evil people in the Xiao family could commit suicide in fear of punishment!
The master said solemnly, “The truth of the case has come to light, and all of the Xiao family’s property has been confiscated and forfeited to the state! The official says that every person in the academy who suffered wrongful harm will be given ten silver taels of compensation. It will be sent later today. Please give it to them, Dean Lin!”
Lin Shuzhi, full of doubts, said a few polite words and sent the master away.
But when Su Liang heard the master say the Xiao family’s property was confiscated, she immediately realized what had happened.
It’s impossible for the master of the Xiao family to commit suicide. They had already fixed up the people in the government office and were unafraid of anything.
The final result was either greedy officials who wanted to swallow the Xiao family’s property took advantage of the situation and killed them, or the three people in the Xiao family suddenly encountered an accident and were killed by someone else. Officials “ingeniously” took advantage of this case and used Ma Yaozu’s testimony to convict the Xiao family, faked a suicide in fear of punishment, and conveniently seized their property.
After thinking it over, Su Liang felt the latter possibility was greater. The government office and the Xiao family were originally interest-sharing partners. If they wanted to take down the Xiao family, they could have believed Ma Yaozu’s testimony and convicted the Xiao family from the beginning, instead of playing this game of changing faces overnight.
And the person who did justice on behalf of Heaven could only be Ning Jing besides her.
After Ning Jing left, Lin Shuzhi worried, Su Liang was also worried that the Xiao family would harm her, but she didn’t expect that someone would casually do what Su Liang wanted to do most, solving the hidden troubles for the future.
The result was of course excellent, but Su Liang was a bit annoyed that Ning Jing didn’t mention a single word when he left.
She looked out of the window and whispered to herself, “Would saying something kill you? Seriously….”
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