< >
Marriage of the Di Daughter Chapter 123 Part 3: Grievance
“Chang’An Gate, beat the drum and cry of injustice.” Jiang Li said, “This is the final chance to get justice.”
She thought, if at that time she still had a breath left and could get out from the top scorer’s mansion, the first thing that she wanted to do was to rush here, hold the drum’s mallet, beat the drum and cry of injustice, to speak of all the unjust treatment on her. However, it might not be possible with the situation at that time. Her opponent then was Princess Yongning, moreover, she was by herself. Just by moving her finger, Princess Yongning could easily erase all the evidence, just like she had easily erased her life.
It’s different now. Using Miss Jiang second’s ident.i.ty, all the people in Yanjing, from high officials and n.o.ble people to commoners, would pay attention to this matter, without any exception. In addition, there were so many people appearing beside her now. This time around, afraid it would be a bit difficult for Princess Yongning to clean up her traces cleanly.
Furthermore, she also would not give Yongning the chance to.
Jiang Li faced the Tongxiang residents and said, “In the world, it’s originally very hard for fairness and justice. Sometimes, it could not be obtained even after paying with lives. Fortunately, we were given this chance, although this chance also did not come and obtained with nothing.” She paused before continuing, “A resident suing an official is like a son attacking his father and have to bear 50 whiplashes. Beating the drum and crying of injustice will receive 50 whiplashes. If successful, naturally, it would be to everyone’s delight and satisfaction. If lost, the case would not be able to be overturned. After receiving the beating, life would also be lost.”
The Tongxiang residents looked at each other, the commoners in Yanjing also whispered to each other. Even Feng Yu Tang that was inside the prisoner’s carriage along with the officers were somewhat astonished. They were not aware there was still this reasoning.
Jiang Li said, “This, exchanging fairness and justice, without knowing the outcome, who is willing to come up? Beat this drum of injustice?”
Bearing 50 whiplashes, at least half of the life is gone, it’s possible to die if the health was not good. If so, even if they had won the lawsuit, the price to pay was really too disastrous.
Jiang Li said calmly, “If no one is willing, I’ll beat this drum.”
The crowd suddenly straightened up.
She looked nonchalant, as if thinking that this was the right thing to do, not at all thinking that there’s anything wrong with her conduct. It should be known that Xue Huaiyuan and she had no relations at all, but she had done many things for Xue Huaiyuan. Even so much as wanting to send her life to danger.
“How could we trouble the second miss.” A person came over from the crowd. He unhurriedly said, “I have pledged my life to follow master, redressing the injustice on master is the duty of the subordinate. I’ll beat this drum.” It was Peng Xiao.
“There’s still me.” He Jun also came up. He said, “Receiving 50 whiplashes, compared to the torture subjected by the dog official is really not worth mentioning. I’ll do it too.”
“There’s still us.” Gu Da and Gu Er also came out, “it’s nothing but beating the drum, we two brothers are willing!”
Ye Ming Yu burst into loud laughter and said, “No need for these people with thin arms and thin legs. This grandpa’s1 skin is rough, not afraid of beating. In my life, I have never beaten the drum and cried injustice, I’ll go!”
“n.o.body quibbles with me, how can I miss this.” Butcher Zhang also came up. “All of you are not strong enough, I kill pigs, have great strength. When I beat the drum, the whole of Yanjing is guaranteed to hear. I’ll go!”
“I’ll go!”
“I’ll go!”
“I’ll go!”
It was like an infection, the residents of Tongxiang came up one by one, wanting to beat the drums and cry injustice.
Even the delicate Dai Yun also said, “I also want to beat the drum and cry grievance. Even if not for Master Xue, it will be for ourselves. The days when Feng Yu Tang was in charge are truly too bitter for us, the residents of Tongxiang. Since fairness and justice are difficult to obtain, what’s 50 whiplashes accounted for? Second miss, let me go too!”
Not a single person retreated.
The wooden expression of the two officers guarding Chang’An Gate changed for the first time. They had been guarding the two stone lions and had seen many people coming to beat the drum and cry for injustice.
If they were not desperate, full of injustice and without an outlet, who would come to this place. Those people who came were mostly people who had repeatedly wandered for a long time, but they still went back. Simply because they could not bear the ‘price’ of fairness, afraid that they would have lost their lives before they won. Those who did not go back mostly held the determination to die, thinking of perishing together with their enemy, as if rushing to the execution ground.
However, if there were any alternative, all of them would not take the initiative to beat the drum.
This was the first time for the two officers to see so many people who simultaneously competed wanting to beat the drum, without the slightest idea of shrinking back. Even the delicate madam leading the little girl had a firm gaze without wavering.
It seemed there was indeed a huge injustice and there was nothing to fear.
The common people in Yanjing looked at this and gradually fell silent. Even though they wanted to see the bustling scene, people’s hearts were made of flesh. So many resolute people, it seemed that things were not that simple.
And Miss Jiang second stood in the middle of the crowd like their backbone. Her short few sentences were the aspirations of these people. People were willing to follow her because she could give them hope. Even if the hope was vague and difficult, hope was still hope.
Hope could give people the courage to walk forward, hope could prevail over everything.
In the prisoner cart, Feng Yu Tang suddenly burst into laughter. His laughter was flamboyant, everyone’s head turned to look at him.
A person from Tongxiang hated him very much and seeing his laughter, immediately picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at him. He bellowed fiercely, “What are you laughing at!”
Feng Yu Tang said, “I laughed at your stupidity! I laughed that the heavens have treated me generously. Regardless of how the lawsuit turned out to be, before it started, half of the people here would have collapsed. Perhaps there will still be people dying! In order to do something to me, you have to pay such a huge price. I am pleased and delighted!”
After speaking, he laughed heartily once again.
The crowd looked at him indignantly, but they could not help admitting. What Feng Yu Tang said was a fact. This kind of feeling really made people sullen. Before the evil people got their punishments, the good people had to first lose things. Who the heck made this rule!
Jiang Li also laughed softly.
Feng Yu Tang slowly stopped laughing and looked at her gloomily. He asked, “Why are you laughing?”
“I’m laughing at Master Feng’s naivety.” Jiang Li spoke lighty. “Receiving 50 whiplashes is not false, but you forgot that there are more than one person who cry injustice and hit the drum. No one has said, since this is one case, it is not feasible for all the people to receive 50 whiplashes.”
“There are 100 people here, one person receiving one is already too many, but to endure this is considered nothing.” Jiang Li looked at him with ridicule, “What do you say? Master Feng?”
Feng Yu Tang could no longer laugh, and was replaced by the crowd’s hoots of laughter.
“It’s only half a person! Then it’s fine, I’ll help my companions bear a few more! My skin is thick! It doesn’t matter!”
“Don’t, I also want to experience it, n.o.body can grab!”
“Can you hit more than half? Hitting half and half is really tossing people, so happy!”
In the small house, Ji Heng spurted a laugh.
This method….. She could also think out. However, she had always been an expert when it came to digging into the loopholes made by officials. She definitely would not be willing to suffer losses, she was terribly shrewd.
Jiang Li slowly walked towards the drum.
The huge drum sat quietly, as if it had waited for a long time. The stone lions were imposing, their heads covered with frost and snow, pa.s.sing through the four seasons, and justice finally came.
“Boom”! The dust on the drum was scattered to the air by the thumping of the mallet, rising up, almost mingling with the snow. After the dust rose, it unexpectedly turned clear and bright.
“Boom”! The grievances in two lives finally found an outlet for justice. This exit was narrow and dark, and the bottom could not be seen. However, carefully following the bright light to search for a way out, and at last, the light of the day could be seen.
“Boom”! From heavy to clear, from chaos to orderly, was nothing but the sounds of three drum beats.
The drumbeat resounded in Chang’An Gate, startling the entire Yanjing city.
Everyone heard.
Footnotes:
1: this does not imply that he’s old, more like, “I’m your senior”
< >