Chapter 117 People’s Heart
In Tongxiang, it started snowing lightly in the morning.

For winter in the south, snow is a rare thing, no matter how cold it is. There are not many people on the street. Walking out of the bluestone alley, you can see many women sweeping snow grains in the yards of houses. The happiest ones are the children. Snowflakes are a natural pleasure and a new thing.

Dai Yun got up early and carefully brushed away the snow on the branches and vines in the yard. Her young daughter, six-year-old Ping'an, was sitting obediently in the main room eating. The porridge was so thin that one could see a mirror in it. Ping'an ate with relish. From time to time, she looked out the window. The snowflakes falling down were quite interesting.

Dai Yun said in the yard: "Ping An, close the window, don't catch a cold."

Ping An responded, climbed up from the stool, and tiptoed to close the window.

Dai Yun looked at the roof and sighed. The weather was getting colder and colder. The melted snow would flow down the broken roof, making the house even colder. If it fell on Ping An, it would be troublesome. We need to find a time to have someone fix the roof... It would be nice if there was a man at home. Dai Yun couldn't help but think so again. She had never thought about it when Xue Huaiyuan was still alive, but now she had this thought frequently.

Dai Yun is not yet 25 years old this year. She is young and beautiful. She is a widow. Her husband went fishing in the river when Ping An was just two years old. They encountered a storm that was rare in ten years. The boat was overturned and everyone was killed. From then on, Dai Yun and Ping An were left to depend on each other.

It was always inconvenient to have no man at home. The new county magistrate Feng Yutang always wanted to make a move on her. Dai Yun could handle it once or twice, but if it continued like this, she didn't know how long she could hold out. The neighbors were willing to help her in the past, but because of Feng Yutang's intimidation, they didn't dare to communicate with her much, so they could only endure it silently.

Dai Yun sighed. No matter what, she just hoped that Ping An could grow up healthy. Dai Yun walked to the stone table in the yard and sat down. On the table were some unfinished needlework. She relied on these to supplement the family income. Seeing her like this, Ping An obediently came out holding the wooden puppy and sat next to Dai Yun. The wooden puppy was made for Ping An by her father before he died. Seeing this, Dai Yun felt even more sad.

The mother and daughter were about to start their day's work when they suddenly heard someone knocking on the gate outside, "knock knock knock".

"Someone is coming!" Ping An said.

Dai Yun looked at the gate, her heart tightened, fearing that Feng Yutang was coming to cause trouble again. Every time Feng Yutang came, it was a nightmare for her. But today's knock on the door was much gentler than the impatient and hurried knocks in the past.

Ping An opened his eyes wide and stared at Dai Yun blankly. Dai Yun had no choice but to stand up and walk to the gate of the yard. After hesitating for a moment, he opened the door.

The person outside the door was not Feng Yutang, whom she hated, but a strange girl.

The girl was only about fifteen or sixteen years old, with delicate features, and wore a dark green Suzhou embroidered moonlit skirt and a cyan patterned cape. The cape was large, making her look particularly delicate and petite, with a pair of eyes that were charming and full of spirit, and a faint smile on her lips.

Dai Yun didn't know the girl, but he could recognize that the material of the clothes she was wearing was worth at least a hundred taels of silver.

She was a little terrified and said, "You are..."

The girl smiled at her and said, "My name is Jiang Li. I came to see you about the case of County Magistrate Xue."

Dai Yun was stunned, and Ping An followed quietly, hiding behind the fence in the yard, secretly looking at this strange sister.

Before Dai Yun could say anything, the girl walked in and said, "Come in and talk. It's cold outside."

Jiang Li walked straight into Dai Yun's yard.

The courtyard was still the same as before, but it was much more dilapidated and outdated than before. It seemed that Dai Yun was not living a good life. When Xue Huaiyuan asked her to deliver money to Dai Yun, Jiang Li also came here. At that time, Ping An was still a little kid, but now he has grown so tall.

Time flies so fast.

Dai Yun looked at the girl and felt very hesitant for a moment. The girl named Jiang Li came into the yard without any strangeness. She even sat down at the stone table, looked at her needlework, and praised sincerely: "It's really well done."

Dai Yun couldn't help but pull Ping An and walked to Jiang Li, saying, "Miss Jiang... Miss Jiang, I don't know what you mean? What happened to the case of County Magistrate Xue?"

Jiang Li looked up at her and said, "Daiyun, County Magistrate Xue was imprisoned for embezzling disaster relief funds and will be executed in five days. You should know who County Magistrate Xue is. I want to overturn the case for County Magistrate Xue and need a witness. Daiyun, are you willing to be my witness and clear County Magistrate Xue's name?"

Her voice was soft and gentle, but it was like a heavy hammer hitting Dai Yun's heart. Dai Yun held Ping'an's hand tighter for no reason, forced a smile, and said, "We don't know much about Xue County Magistrate's affairs. We are just ordinary people. Whatever the government says is what we have to do..."

"How could you not know?" Jiang Li looked at Ping An, who was hiding behind Dai Yun, looking at her curiously. Jiang Li stretched out her hand to her, and Ping An couldn't help but take two steps forward, stretching out his chubby little hand to touch Jiang Li's fingertips.

"Ping'an!" Dai Yun stopped her excitedly. Ping'an was her life and she would never allow anything to go wrong with Ping'an.

When Ping'an heard his mother's reprimand, he quickly retracted his hand, but still looked at Jiang Li with curiosity, without a trace of fear.

"If it weren't for County Magistrate Xue, Ping An wouldn't be alive and well until now, right?" Jiang Li looked at Dai Yun, "Based on this, can't I let you become a witness and speak for County Magistrate Xue?"

Dai Yun was struck by lightning.

Her husband died early, and Daiyun was pretty and young. There were many gossips about the widow, and some people wanted to marry Daiyun. But Daiyun had a deep relationship with her late husband and was unwilling to remarry. When Ping'an was two and a half years old, he fell seriously ill. Daiyun had no choice but to borrow money from everywhere to pay for Ping'an's medical treatment. Although the illness was cured, it also cost a lot of money. The creditor had long coveted Daiyun's beauty and wanted to take Daiyun as a concubine to pay the money. Daiyun refused, so the man threatened to capture Ping'an and sell her to a brothel mother.

When Dai Yun was at her wit's end, Xue Huaiyuan stepped forward. Xue Huaiyuan rescued Ping An who was captured and paid off the money owed by the mother and daughter. The one who delivered the money was Xue Huaiyuan's daughter. Dai Yun still remembered the appearance of the young lady from the Xue family. She sighed that there was such a beautiful and kind woman in the world. Ping An also liked the young lady from the Xue family very much and laughed "giggle" when she saw her.

Now that Jiang Li suddenly brought up the past, Dai Yun was very flustered. She didn't want her daughter Ping An to know that she was an ungrateful person. But she couldn't joke about Ping An's safety. The people of Tongxiang knew who Feng Yutang was. Those who obeyed him would prosper, and those who disobeyed him would perish. If Feng Yutang knew that she had stood up as a witness, Feng Yutang would definitely take action against Ping An.

She is a mother and cannot watch her child fall into danger.

Dai Yun looked at Jiang Li, with a hint of pleading in his eyes: "Miss Jiang, we...we really don't know, please find someone else...just think of it as us being sorry to County Magistrate Xue..."

Jiang Li said nothing, but Dai Yun still saw a hint of disappointment in the other person's eyes. At that moment, maybe because of guilty conscience, Dai Yun felt that what he saw was not the strange Miss Jiang, but the beautiful and kind Miss Xue. She no longer had a gentle smile, and just sat there quietly, looking at her with disappointment.

Dai Yun suddenly felt ashamed to face people.

Jiang Li stood up, touched Ping'an's head, and said, "In that case, I'll go find someone else." She said to Dai Yun, "Sorry to bother you." Then she turned and walked out.

Just like that... it's over? Dai Yun said, "Miss Jiang..." When Jiang Li stopped, she didn't know what to say. After a long while, she said hesitantly, "Maybe other people in Tongxiang... are like me..." She couldn't continue.

Jiang Li said, "I know, but if we don't do this, County Magistrate Xue will really have no hope. I'm very glad that County Magistrate Xue has helped every household in Tongxiang in the past, 568 households, so it still sounds very hopeful. If he has only helped a few people, and those few people are like you, it would be really disappointing." After a pause, she continued, "Raise Ping An well. Since you have paid such a high price, don't give up."

Jiang Li left.

Dai Yun lowered her head, Ping An held her skirt, opened her eyes, innocently called out: "Mother."

Dai Yun burst into tears.

……

On the other side, Ye Mingyu was knocking on a house's door.

This family was very poor, and they lived in a shabby thatched house. Because of the snow and wind last night, the whole house was shaking, which was heartbreaking to see. Ye Mingyu grew up in a wealthy family, and rarely saw such a poor family, so he just regarded it as a peculiar sight.

After a long time, someone came to open the door. It was an old lady in her twilight years wearing a thin cotton coat. Ye Mingyu felt cold just by looking at her.

The old woman saw Ye Mingyu but pretended not to see him. She asked in confusion, "Is anyone there? Who are you...?"

The woman was blind and could not see anything.

Ye Mingyu said, "Madam, is your son here? I'm here to find your son." In the booklet that Jiang Li wrote to Ye Mingyu, it was clear that this family had a son who was a scholar.

"You're looking for Wenxuan." The old woman said, "He's out buying tofu. He'll be back soon. What do you want to see him about?"

As soon as the voice fell, someone spoke outside: "Mom, I'm back!"

As soon as Mo Wenxuan got home, he saw a tall man standing in front of his house. When he turned around, he saw that the man had a scar on his face and looked like a gangster. He was so scared that he almost fell to the ground. He asked, "This big brother..."

"Are you Mo Wenxuan?" Ye Mingyu looked at Mo Wenxuan critically. Mo Wenxuan is almost 30 years old now, and he is still single and unmarried. It's not his fault, his family is just too poor. And he is a man who is devoted to learning, but he is still a scholar. His hair is a little messy, and he has some beard. He is wearing a cotton robe that has been washed white. It's a little hard to see him clearly, so you have to get closer to see him.

Mo Wenxuan said: "Yes."

"I have something to talk to you about." Ye Mingyu said rudely, "Can I have a word with you?" He wanted to persuade Mo Wenxuan to be a witness, so he couldn't let such an old woman hear him. So he motioned Mo Wenxuan to go outside to talk.

Although the old woman was a little hesitant, she did not follow. The family was too poor and did not even have a yard, so Ye Mingyu had to talk with Mo Wenxuan in the open space behind the house.

Ye Mingyu asked: "Mo Wenxuan, do you know that County Magistrate Xue was imprisoned?"

Mo Wenxuan was stunned, then nervously waved his hands repeatedly, looked around, and said, "Brother... Don't mention it, don't mention it!"

What a cowardly scholar! Ye Mingyu was disdainful and said, "What are you afraid of? Will you die if you mention it? Don't worry, I'm here to make sure you don't die."

Mo Wenxuan probably didn't expect to meet such a man who speaks without restraint. Even though he was extremely scared and tried his best to stop him, Ye Mingyu remained unmoved and kept calling him "Xue County Magistrate" as if he was afraid that others couldn't hear him. "I say, kid, Xue County Magistrate is now in prison and will be executed in five days. The charge is embezzlement of disaster relief funds. You must know who Xue County Magistrate is, right? Kid, we need witnesses to overturn Xue County Magistrate's case. Are you willing to come out as a witness, expose Feng Yutang, and help Xue County Magistrate redress his name?"

When Mo Wenxuan heard this, he was so frightened that he trembled like a sieve and said, "No, no!"

"What do you have to do?" Ye Mingyu looked down on such people the most, and said unhappily: "What is it that you can't do? Tell me now! I saw that when County Magistrate Xue helped you settle down in Tongxiang, let you go to the village school, and let you take the exam for the scholar, why didn't he say that you couldn't do it? If it weren't for County Magistrate Xue, you wouldn't even have a copper coin to buy tofu now, how can you support your mother!"

Mo Wenxuan is not from Tongxiang. Many years ago, he brought his blind mother to Tongxiang to seek refuge with a relative. Who knew that the distant relative had died? Mo Wenxuan was penniless and a foreigner, and he almost had to beg for a living. If Xue Huaiyuan hadn't accidentally met him on the street when he was bullied by a group of bullies, he would have lent a hand and learned about his situation. Knowing that Mo Wenxuan was determined to study, he also let him enter the rural school, which led to Mo Wenxuan's later examination for a scholar. Although he lives in poverty now, if it weren't for Xue Huaiyuan's help, Mo Wenxuan would have starved to death long ago. How could he support his mother?

"It is said that most loyal people are butchers, and most unfaithful people are scholars. I have finally seen it today!" Ye Mingyu said hatefully: "If County Magistrate Xue knew that the person he helped was such an ungrateful person, he should not have extended a hand to help you. You deserved to be bullied to death by those bullies!"

Mo Wenxuan listened in a daze, his face flushed, and suddenly he said angrily: "Enough, shut up! Don't I want to vindicate Lord Xue? Don't I know that Lord Xue was wronged? Benevolence, righteousness, loyalty and filial piety, I learned all of them when I was in school! But Feng Yutang is really a piece of shit! Do you know how he treated those who wanted to help Lord Xue before? He harmed other people's parents, wives and children! Although I, Mo Wenxuan, am not a hero, it's just one life, there's nothing to be afraid of, as long as I can help my benefactor! But I still have my mother. My mother raised me with great effort. Now she is blind and can't do anything. I haven't been able to let her enjoy happiness in this life, but I can't let her be in danger because of me!"

Mo Wenxuan finished speaking in one breath, his chest rising and falling violently. He had probably never argued with anyone like this before. Even his neck turned red, and the veins on his forehead were exposed due to his excitement.

Ye Mingyu looked at him, his anger slightly dissipated, but he still hated him for not living up to his expectations, and said: "You don't want your mother to take risks because of you, but are you willing to let your mother be humiliated because of you? Don't you know how disappointed your mother will be if she finds out about you doing this? You are such a son that makes her unable to hold her head up. This is a hundred times more despicable than being poor and incompetent!"

"You!" Mo Wenxuan was speechless.

At this moment, a trembling voice sounded: "Wenxuan."

The two looked back and saw that Mo Wenxuan's mother, the blind old woman, had come over step by step with a cane. She probably heard the quarrel between Ye Mingyu and the other two, and finally couldn't help but come over. It was conceivable that the old woman had heard all their quarrels.

The old woman asked, "Wenxuan, is what this young man said true? Is County Magistrate Xue really in jail?"

Mo Wenxuan hesitated and could not answer. The old woman was blind and could not go out. She did not know that Tongxiang had already undergone earth-shaking changes. He did not tell his mother because he knew that with the old woman's temper, once she knew about this, she would definitely speak for County Magistrate Xue.

But he didn't want to see his own mother in danger.

"Wenxuan." The old woman's voice became stern.

"It's true." Mo Wenxuan replied helplessly, "It's been more than half a year. Mr. Xue was imprisoned for embezzling disaster relief funds, and he will be executed soon."

"Nonsense!" The old woman suddenly stretched out her cane and paused fiercely, obviously angry. She said, "The people of Tongxiang know what kind of person County Magistrate Xue is. Without County Magistrate Xue, there would be no Tongxiang today. Wenxuan, tell this young man that you are willing to be a witness. People should not forget their roots. If we don't stand up, what's the difference between us and those traitors? This is helping the tyrant!"

"But mother..."

"I know what you are afraid of. I have lived to such an old age, and I am not afraid of death! If you are not afraid of death, then stand up. If someone wants to harm you, your mother will bear the burden with you. We have been through this together for so many years, so what is there to be afraid of if we die together? The most important thing for a person is to have backbone. If you are afraid of death, then find a place to hide. This young man and I will go out to testify and will definitely not implicate you!"

"Mom, what are you talking about? How could your son let you take risks alone?" Mo Wenxuan stamped his feet anxiously, looked at Ye Mingyu, and said cruelly: "Big brother, you should find a place to hide my mother. I will go out with you to testify. My mother is right. People should not forget their roots. A traitor like Feng Yutang will go to hell sooner or later. What if I am the one who sends him to hell this time?"

Ye Mingyu had originally planned to give up. This scholar named Mo Wenxuan was timid, and he was most impatient to deal with scholars. Jiang Li might be able to persuade him gently, but he really couldn't be persuaded. Even after Xue Huaiyuan told them about his help, they were still unmoved. That was really no help. Who knew that at the last moment, there would be a sudden turn of events, and Mo Wenxuan's mother jumped out and changed Mo Wenxuan's mind.

Ye Mingyu looked at the mother and son, and suddenly felt a little emotional. He was young and strong, and he was very courageous since he was a child. He did things without thinking about the consequences. But many people have families and ties, and courage is not so easy to come by. No wonder Jiang Li said that the last step is the most difficult, because people's hearts are unpredictable and there are many shackles.

But finally someone is willing to stand up, right?

Among the five hundred and sixty-eight households, if one family stands up, there will definitely be a second family, a third family... Human nature can have both evil and good.

Ye Mingyu patted Mo Wenxuan on the shoulder and said in a rough voice: "Boy, don't act like you are sacrificing yourself heroically. Feng Yutang is just a paper tiger and is not worth mentioning. Besides, his good days in Tongxiang are about to end. No one will do anything to you, and no one will do anything to your mother. Everyone will be fine, only Feng Yutang will be in trouble."

Mo Wenxuan cupped his hands: "I'm relying on you, big brother."

"You're welcome!" Ye Mingyu said, "Then I won't stay any longer. I have to find the next one."

"Next household?" the old woman asked curiously.

"There are 568 households in Tongxiang, and every household has received favors from County Magistrate Xue. I want to find these more than 500 households and look for witnesses one by one." Ye Mingyu was very proud.

"You are such a good person." Mo Wenxuan said blankly, "You are helping Master Xue with all your heart and soul. Have you received favors from Master Xue in the past? Master Xue must be very pleased to have someone like you who knows how to repay kindness. I thank you on behalf of Master Xue."

"Hey, don't talk nonsense. I have never received any favor from County Magistrate Xue." Ye Mingyu said, "It's my niece. She is an old friend of Lord Xue's family. This time she came to Tongxiang to help. If you want to thank someone, thank her. Her name is Jiang Li. She is the daughter of the current Prime Minister Jiang Yuanbai. You will see her in the future. She is a rare good girl."

Ye Mingyu thought happily that this was the first family and they had found someone who was willing to stand up. If Jiang Li knew about this, she would definitely be very happy.

For herself and also for the poor County Magistrate Xue who was in prison.

……

In the county government office, Feng Yutang was anxiously waiting for a reply.

He must take Jiang Li's life within five days. He doesn't know what Jiang Li is doing. Not to mention the Xue family case, even if Princess Yongning knows that he has messed up, she will not let him go.

Moreover, the twenty bodies of the troops sent out and placed in the backyard of the county government office really made Feng Yutang feel uneasy. Jiang Li was such a difficult enemy, who knew what means she would use against him. His troops had already lost twenty of the most elite ones, and would he become one of the twenty bodies next?

Feng Yutang didn't even dare to think about it. The only way to stop his fear was to have someone kill Jiang Li right now. He could worry about future troubles later. At least for now, he had to eliminate this danger that made him uneasy.

But the troops he sent out early this morning, like the twenty-three he sent out last night, still have no news. Feng Yutang waited from morning to noon, and from noon to afternoon. In the evening, the light snow gradually stopped, and there was no wind or snow, and it was very peaceful.

The calmness makes people anxious.

There was no news. Not only that, these people were not found anywhere. It was as if they had suddenly disappeared in a few brief moments. No one found their trace, and it even made people doubt whether they really existed.

"Sir..." The gatekeeper rushed in, his voice filled with fear, "Sir, they... they found it!"

"Found it!" Feng Yutang was excited and stood up. He didn't even expect to hear about Jiang Li's death. He just wanted to know the whereabouts of those people. He asked, "Where are they?"

"In...in the backyard." said the servant in confusion.

Feng Yutang's heart gradually sank. He slipped and almost couldn't stand still. He tried to cheer himself up and said, "Let's go and have a look..."

But even from the look on the servant's face, he knew that the situation in the backyard was not good. But Feng Yutang did not ask, as if he would not give up until he saw it with his own eyes.

The twenty bodies found the previous morning were covered with white cloth by his men and piled in the corner of the backyard. No one knew what to do with them. Now that the snow had stopped, the backyard that had been empty was filled with another row of lifeless bodies.

Feng Yutang closed his eyes.

He was at a loss for what to do with such means and provocation. Jiang Li clearly only had seven people, how could he cut down his troops one after another like cutting melons and vegetables? Could it be that all of their guards were peerless masters?

But how did they quietly send these bodies back to the backyard of the county government? Feng Yutang knew that since they could send the bodies back to the county government without anyone noticing, it meant that they could take his life quietly at any time.

But why didn't they assassinate themselves?
Feng Yutang didn't understand. He asked, "Isn't there a mute woman in the yard? Ask her to come out and ask her when she saw anyone suspicious. If she can't speak, use gestures!"

If the mute woman was in the yard, she might be able to see clearly how those people got in.

The servant was startled, as if he had just remembered this person, and said, "Come to think of it, it seems like I haven't seen the mute woman for a few days?"

"Is she dead?" Feng Yutang frowned. The old woman had lived long enough. Every time he saw her, he felt that she would die in the next second. They had never paid attention to the mute woman, so no one noticed her disappearance. Even if they did, they would not take it to heart. She must have died of old age in her own room.

"Since these people failed to kill Jiang Li, Jiang Li is still alive now." Feng Yutang suddenly asked: "Where is Jiang Li now and what is he doing?"

The two men looked at each other, neither daring to speak.

Feng Yutang became angry when he saw this and cursed, "Speak!"

"Early in the morning, Miss Jiang and Mr. Ye split up into two groups and walked westward along the east side of the county, knocking on the doors of ordinary people's houses. I don't know what they said to the people inside, but they came out soon and went to find the second house. They kept looking for houses like this for several hours."

"But I heard that they mentioned Xue Huaiyuan's name. They must be talking about the Xue family's case."

(End of this chapter)