Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

As soon as they heard that the land would be returned to them, the villagers immediately began to discuss in low voices.

What do ordinary people value most? Isn't it the one mu and three fen of land? As long as this point is grasped, what else can't be solved? The old man turned around with satisfaction, and bowed to Chen Shao with a wise attitude, saying: "When Wen returns the land to the villagers later, please be a witness."

Chen Shao smiled and said, "The Wen family has occupied their land for many years, and they just want to return the land?"

The old man quickly said, "Of course not. Wen will ask the steward to convert the annual harvest of the villagers' fields into money, and then compensate them according to the number of years."

Chen Shao raised his eyebrows, "What about the hunger and suffering they have endured over the years?"

The old man swallowed his anger and said: "If any of the villagers get sick or die due to lack of food and clothing, the Wen family will compensate them as appropriate."

Chen Shao asked inquiringly, "How do you do that?"

The old man looked up at her and asked, "Sir, what kind of discretion do you think is appropriate?"

"The lives of ordinary people have never been worth much, so how about compensating each person with fifty strings of coins?" Chen Shao said casually.

The old man shook his head: "Fifty strings of cash is too much. It's okay for one or two people, but there are several villages around this village. Even the Wen family can't come up with so much money. How about this, ten strings of cash per person."

Chen Shao said: "Twenty strings of cash."

The old man said, "Fifteen strings of cash. The Wen family really can't afford more."

Chen Shao pondered for a moment and reluctantly replied, "Fifteen strings of cash is fine. Lord Ding, prepare paper and pen, and let Mr. Wen sign and seal!"

The old man's heart sank slightly, but before he could say anything else, Chen Shao spoke again, his voice neither too loud nor too soft, but loud enough for them and all the villagers behind them to hear: "Please forgive me, Mr. Wen. It's not that I don't trust you. It's really the actions of Wen's Zhuangzi, the fourth son of Wen, Wen Gui and others that have made the Wen family lose all credibility. It's written in black and white, so you can rest assured, I can rest assured, and the villagers who have been bullied by the Wen family for many years can also rest assured, don't you agree?"

She spoke so loudly, and said everything that should and shouldn't be said. Could he say anything? The old man was furious, but he smiled kindly and bowed to her, then to the villagers in the distance and said, "Young Master, you are right."

When Ding Lisheng came back with the paper and pen, Fu Jiu also came back with a box containing the evidence of the Wen family's evil deeds. The box was not big, only one foot high and two feet wide. And although Fu Jiu was holding it easily, it was not as if it was nothing. In other words, there was a lot of evidence in the box. After signaling Ding Lisheng to hand the paper and pen to the old man, Chen Shao opened the box and looked at the box full of papers of various colors. After his eyes focused slightly, he picked up the top one.

It is a record of the massacre of Luoyanju by the Wen and Ren families.

Mr. Luo recorded it in great detail. He not only recorded the time to the specific hour, but also remembered clearly who participated in the massacre.

After calling Ding Lisheng over and handing him the paper, Chen Shao asked, "Take a look. How many of the people listed here are here?"

Ding Lisheng first took a quick look, and when he saw the words "massacre at Luoyanju", his body suddenly stiffened, and then he quickly looked at the wooden box that Fu Jiu was holding. This box, this box...

"What's wrong?" Chen Shao asked with a slightly cold voice.

Ding Lisheng quickly retracted his gaze and quickly scanned the names on it. Seeing that there were no names of the Ding family, he breathed a sigh of relief and then started reading again from the beginning. When he saw the words "massacre at Luoyanju" again, his heartstrings couldn't help but tighten again. This one only had Luoyanju, so would there be Meiyuan and Bitaoyuan in the box?

"Don't worry," Fu Jiu came over at the right time and whispered, "Everyone in here is from the Wen family."

Then he was relieved. Ding Lisheng's heartstrings instinctively relaxed, but then tightened again and he looked at Fu Jiu. Fu Jiu blinked at him. Ding Lisheng quietly looked at Chen Shao, and facing Chen Shao's half-smile, he quickly lowered his eyes and looked at the names on the paper again. After looking for a while, he looked at the people from the Wen family again, "Among the people from the Wen family, except for the two of them and their followers, everyone else is here."

Chen Shao asked: "Who are these two?"

Ding Lisheng looked at Wen Shengwu who was looking at him, and said in a deliberately low voice, "Second Master Wen and Third Master Wen."

Chen Shao took the list back from him and roughly counted it. There were a total of 25 people from the Wen family who came to Luoyanju to carry out the massacre, namely, Master Wen Er and his six followers, Master Wen San and his six followers, Master Wen Si and his five followers, and Wen Gui and his four followers. Master Wen Er and Master Wen San did not come, nor did their followers. Wen Gui was already being tortured, so there were ten people who came here.

enough.

Chen Shao handed him the list again and said, "Take a copy."

Ding Lisheng obediently took the list and walked to the other side. With the help of the torch held by the Yulin Guards, he leaned over a stone and began to copy it word by word.

Fortunately, I brought an extra set of pen and ink.

After copying and checking to make sure there were no mistakes, Ding Lisheng quickly took it back and handed it to Chen Shao. Chen Shao took it and looked at it for a while, and after confirming that there were no mistakes, he handed it to Li Tianliu. Li Tianliu went to the back without her instructions, and handed the list to a Yulin Guard in a corner where the Wen family could not see, and whispered: "Take it back and give it to the Ren family! If you encounter nobles and gentry who come to support you on the way back, come back and report immediately!"

Although the old man was writing the document, he was also eavesdropping on their conversation. Hearing Chen Shao and Ding Lisheng's mutterings about the Wen family, he quickly wrote the document with some uneasiness, and then raised his voice, "Sir, take a look at this document and see if it suits you."

Ding Lisheng walked over quickly to take the document, read it twice quickly, and after confirming that it was correct, he took out the ink from his sleeve and handed it to him: "It still lacks a fingerprint!"

The old man looked at him unkindly, stretched out his hand and pressed it into the heavy ink, then pressed it hard on the paper he spread out, "Master Ding, take a look, is there anything else missing?"

"What else is missing? You will be the master." Ding Lisheng put away the ink and took the document back to Chen Shao in a flattering manner. After Chen Shao read it word by word, he handed it back to him and said, "You also sign and put your fingerprints on it to be a witness."

Ding Lisheng happily said yes, then ran over to get the pen and ink, quickly signed his name, and pressed his handprint, "Sir, is there anything else you need?"

"Let's do this for now." After handing the receipt to Chan Yi and putting the list back into the box, Chen Shao looked at the old man, "As the old saying goes, courtesy comes before force. Now that courtesy is over, let's talk about military matters. You've been here for so long, I'm still confused about your last name, your name, and what you're here for, so why not let me tell you first."

The old man looked at her suddenly with a cold face. Wen Gui had already allowed her to torture him, and he also cooperated with her to send Wen Ting over, and cooperated with her to write the document. What else did she want to do? Did she really want to destroy his Wen family? The old man was thinking a thousand things in his mind, but he didn't show it on his face. He bowed again and said, "It's Wen, it's not me, the young master just came to Hongyuan County, Wen should have paid a visit long ago, but I didn't expect that the young master has been busy with official duties, and it has been delayed until now, and we have to meet in this way."

"It's getting late, so stop talking nonsense," Chen Shao interrupted him, "just answer my question directly."

The old man's face darkened again, and the middle-aged man beside him also looked unhappy. But after glancing at the villagers, the old man once again suppressed his anger and said, "My surname is Wen Zhongtian, this is my eldest son Wen Shengwu, and this evildoer is my grandson Wen Ting. I came here this time because I heard that this evildoer had done something bad here, so I brought him here to apologize to you, young master!"

Wen? Chen Shao looked at Wen Ting with a fake smile: "Wenting, the fourth young master Wen?"

Wen Zhongtian said: "It is this evil obstacle!"

Chen Shao asked slowly, "So, he admitted to the crime of killing Tao Fengchun and Tao Yuankai?"

"Brutal killing?" Wen Zhongtian kicked Wen Ting, "You evil creature, didn't you say you just beat them up?"

Wen Ting fell to the ground, his head hitting the hard mud. He said with a grim face in pain: "Who knows how they died!"

"Asshole, how could the master wrongly accuse you?" Wen Zhongtian kicked him again.

"Alright, stop pretending!" Chen Shao scolded without showing any shame, then turned around and called Wu'er, "Come here and identify the people who beat your eldest and second brothers to death!"

Wu Er rushed over, pointed at the people behind Wen Ting and said, "It's these five!"

Years of hatred and waiting made her unable to see the warnings in Wen Zhongtian and Wen Shengwu's eyes.

Chen Shao ordered: "Tie them up for me!"

The Yulin Guards were so fast that before the five people could react, their hands were tied behind their backs and pressed to the ground. In another moment, their hands and feet were tied up.

Killing Tao Fengchun, Tao Yuankai and their parents, and killing so many people in Luoyanju... Chen Shao took the stick from Wu'er and slowly walked up to the five people. Without asking them if they had anything to say, he raised the stick and hit the person in the lead fiercely. With screams of pain, the stick broke into three pieces. Looking at the remaining half in his hand, Chen Shao turned around and said to Wu'er, "What are you doing? Hurry up and find a few more sticks!"

Wu'er answered "yes" with shining eyes, then turned and ran away.

A moment later, she came back carrying a few hoe handles, "Master, use this one. It's the strongest."

"It's strong, but it's not comfortable to use." Chen Shao took a hoe, weighed it in his hand, and said unsatisfactorily.

"Isn't it easy to get the upper hand?" Li Tianliu snatched the hoe handle from her hand, drew out the sword of the Yulin Guard beside him and asked her, "Tell me, where should I cut it?"

Chen Shao stretched out her finger and lightly tapped the hoe handle at two-thirds of the way. Li Tianliu raised her sword and the hoe handle instantly split in two from where her finger was. After handing the long part back to her, Li Tianliu took another one from Wu'er and cut it again, reminding her: "Remember to pay the owner for the hoe handle later."

"No need to look back," Chen Shao told Chan Yi, "pay the money now."

After Chan Yi left, Chen Shao came back with a hoe, and the sticks rained down on the five people. Under the sticks, the five people had long forgotten the warnings from Wen Zhongtian and Wen Shengwu before they came, and rushed to reveal the fact that it was Wen Ting who ordered them to beat people to death.

Wen Ting had a sullen face and did not argue.

Chen Shao did not stop until she had beaten the man to death. She rubbed her wrist and said, "Come on, drag them to the graves of Wu'er's parents and her elder and second brothers!"

The imperial guards came forward, dragged their legs and walked away, not caring whether they lived or died. Chen Shao reminded: "Be careful, don't let them die easily, and don't trample the crops in the field."

After the Yulin Guards responded loudly, they changed to dragging their hands. Chen Shao withdrew his gaze with satisfaction and looked at Wen Ting.

If Wen Ting just didn't take it seriously and only regarded this trip as a self-torture tactic to give her, the Sixth Master Chen, the dignity she deserved, he was truly afraid at this moment when he saw her sinister gaze. Subconsciously, he moved a few steps to Wen Shengwu's side, wanting to seek protection. But Chen Shao didn't give him a chance to speak, looking straight into his eyes, and cruelly ordered: "Take him away!"

Wen Shengwu took a step forward, but was pulled back by Wen Zhongtian. Chen Shao turned his head and looked at him, "Why, do you have any objections to my handling of the matter?"

Wen Shengwu lowered his eyes and said stiffly: "I dare not!"

Chen Shao laughed disdainfully: "I actually hope you dare."

Wen Shengwu suddenly raised his head, facing her provocative gaze, and then lowered his head with all his strength. Chen Shao sneered twice and looked at Wen Zhongtian. Wen Zhongtian did not raise his head, so Chen Shao withdrew his gaze in disappointment, followed the Yulin Guards who were dragging Wen Ting, and slowly walked towards the graves of Wu'er's parents and her eldest and second brothers.

Li Tianliu and several Yulin guards followed behind her.

Wen Zhongtian waited until they walked for a distance before he put on a gloomy face, shook his head gently at Wen Shengwu, signaling him to be patient, and quickly followed them.

The reason why he tolerated it again and again was not because he was afraid, but before he came, he had already expected that Chen Shao would rely on her status as the sixth son of the Duke of Chen's Mansion and would be ignorant of the immensity of the world and insist on confronting his Wen family. He arranged people to notify the other aristocratic families and asked them to send people to support her and teach her a lesson at the same time.

The villagers of Dashu Village had previously been talking about getting their original land back, but after seeing Chen Shao beating people, they all shut their mouths in unison, watched them change positions, and silently followed suit.

A moment.

Everyone stopped one by one in front of the graves of Wu'er's parents, eldest brother and second brother.

Chen Shao ordered: "Take them to see the evil they have done."

The five servants' arms and legs were basically broken. They were half-dragged and half-pulled by the Yulin Guards to several coffins. When they saw the broken bones inside the opened coffins, they were so frightened that they dared not look any further.

"So you also know how to be afraid?" Chen Shao sneered and signaled the Yulin Guards to drag Wen Ting over to have a look.

Wen Ting had killed many people, so he had naturally seen many dead bodies. There were countless corpses buried in those gardens. When they were burying newly killed bodies, they would inevitably dig out a few bones with a hoe. He had seen a lot of them, and even a few times he had seen the bones that were dug out were so shiny that he had played with them. He did not think that a few bones were scary.

However, when he was dragged by Yulin to the coffin opened by Tao Fengchun and Tao Yuan, and looked at the broken bones inside the coffin, and heard Chen Shao say, "This is what the body looks like after being beaten to death by you and decayed into bones," his pupils could not help but shrink.

"I think you must have heard that if the emperor breaks the law, he will be punished just like the common people." Chen Shao took the handle of the hoe and hit him hard on both legs. Amid his piercing screams of pain, Chen Shao slowly asked, "Did they scream like that when you beat them?"

"I didn't kill them," Wen Ting said, tears and snot streaming down his face in pain. "It was them, they killed them!"

After Chen Shao hit his legs with the stick again, he asked slowly, "Who ordered them?"

"I just told them to teach them a lesson, not to beat them to death!" Wen Ting argued, and looked at Wen Zhongtian and Wen Shengwu for help. Wen Zhongtian had a cold face and was indifferent. Although Wen Shengwu clenched his fists, he did not take another step forward.

"Really?" Chen Shao didn't even look at them, just smiled and asked, "Then tell me, why do you want to teach them a lesson?"

"They, they..." Wen Ting couldn't say anything.

"Don't worry, I'll give you some time to think about it." Chen Shao hit him with the stick again, stepped on his legs and walked over him, walking towards the five servants, "Whether you were instructed by someone or you are just such a bad person, you should pay with your life for killing someone. And after you killed their two brothers, you turned around and killed their parents. This is such a vicious behavior, I think it shouldn't be the first time."

Standing in front of the five people, Chen Shao scanned them one by one, and then his eyes fell on their hands. "Stretch out their hands for me. I want to see how hard the hands that can beat someone to death are."