cold clothes

"I don't understand! But—" Leng Yi shouted hoarsely, "I understand that human life is of paramount importance! I understand that murderers should pay with their lives! Does the Great Qi law state that murder can go unpunished? If Liang Shuyun kills someone and goes unpunished, where is justice? Isn't a prostitute's life a life too?!"

"As for the principle of 'no punishment for high-ranking officials'... Liang Shuyun was dismissed for embezzlement, so what kind of official is he? And Yunmei has been separated from her family for many years; is her indenture still valid? Liang Shuyun used such a cruel method to kill someone; that box of torture instruments is evidence, and I am a witness! The sages said that virtue and propriety are the foundation of governance and education, and punishment is the tool of governance and education. Criminal law should serve virtuous governance, and laws should punish evil and promote good, giving the people of the world justice. If murderers do not receive due punishment, where is virtuous governance? Where is justice? How can the people of the world be convinced?"

Leng Yi's voice was almost hoarse from screaming, growing increasingly hoarse as more and more resentment welled up inside her. It had come to this... Yun Mei had even lost her life because of it... and yet she couldn't get her revenge? Why? Why?

Silence fell.

Everyone was stunned by Leng Yi's accusations. No one expected that a young girl from a brothel could say such things. The soldiers who were about to take Leng Yi away stopped halfway, glanced at the Minister of Justice, and then quietly retreated.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review was so wide-eyed he almost popped his eyeballs out, but even so, his eyes were not as big as Leng Yi's. His crystal-clear blue pupils were unwavering, as if they could see right through people's hearts.

"You...I...this official...you audacious brat..." At first, the Minister of Justice was furious that a mere young girl dared to speak so arrogantly, but when Leng Yi invoked the benevolent policies, he began to lose heart. He knew in his heart that murder should be punished with death, but...but...

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review slammed his gavel down, "Quickly drag this little girl away!"

"grown ups!"

"Say one more word and I will imprison you for disrupting the court!"

"My lord—" Leng Yi cried out in shock. Soldiers came to her side and dragged her out. No matter how much she shouted, it was no use.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!" Suddenly, Liang Shuyun burst into a series of laughs, stood up and looked in Leng Yi's direction, looking like a madman. He was quickly subdued by the soldiers.

The Chief Justice of the Court of Judicial Review, enraged, declared the case closed and left the court in a huff. The soldiers also escorted the laughing Liang Shuyun back to prison, and the sentencing of Liang Shuyun ended in such an ugly manner.

Leng Yi returned to the carriage, her eyes lifeless and her face ashen.

Mrs. Hu exuded elegance and charm, a stark contrast to the woman who walked on eggshells in public.

"Do you know where you went wrong?" Mrs. Hu asked her with great interest, her eyes fixed on her, eager to see any change in her expression.

"What exactly are you planning to do? Is this the ending you wanted?" Leng Yi's voice trembled, and coldness seeped through his teeth.

“Of course, you did a great job, Ningbi,” said Mrs. Hu.

Leng Yi said in disbelief, "I can't see through you at all... What exactly do you want to do? Yun Mei has lost her life, and I have offended the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review after today. I really don't know what you're happy about..." Are you out of your mind?

Madam Hu sighed, looking at Leng Yi with the same gaze she would give her beloved but foolish child. However, she wasn't disappointed in her; instead, she gently guided her, saying, "Although you're more mature than your peers, your perspective isn't that of an adult. But that's only natural. I don't expect you to understand everything right now. I'm already quite satisfied with how you are. I want to correct you on one point: offending the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review isn't necessarily a bad thing. From today onward, the whole capital will know your name. You must know you're the courtesan I have high hopes for."

"Will the entire capital know my name?"

"Yes."

Leng Yi was stunned, but she also vaguely sensed something. The development of things was like a tangled ball of yarn, and Leng Yi wanted to find the end of the thread and untangle everything.

Leng Yi asked eagerly, "So where did I fail?"

"You failed because... you have no power." Mother Hu spoke words as sharp as venom: "You are too weak. This is the root cause of your inevitable failure. Look carefully, Xiao Ningbi. You can't even resist me. How can you resist a truly powerful person with more power?"

Leng Yi opened her sea-blue eyes, tears welling up like a tide: "Mom is right, so what should Ning Bi do? Is becoming the most beautiful courtesan enough?"

Mother Hu lovingly stroked her head and said, "Yes, Ningbi, I believe you can do it."

At this moment, Leng Yi was shattered from head to toe by Hu's mother, because her arrogance and self-esteem, like fragile glass, only added cracks to her beauty.

-

Leng Yi returned to Fengxiang Tower in a daze. The crowd in front of the door had already dispersed, and Fengxiang Tower hadn't even opened during the day, leaving it deserted. Hu Mama had other business to attend to and wouldn't be returning to the back courtyard, which relieved Leng Yi. Sitting in the same carriage as Hu Mama had already made her extremely uncomfortable; traveling together would have been even more unbearable.

As soon as she entered the backyard, someone called her.

"Azure!"

Lengyi turned her head and saw that Sister Juanxin was waving happily at her from the pavilion, and all the sisters from Nuanfeng Pavilion were there, all smiling and looking at her expectantly.

They stayed together, waiting for good news from Lengyi, but Lengyi's heart sank.

"Ningbi, come here quickly!" Juanxin called out again when she saw that Lengyi didn't move. Lengyi still didn't come over, so she ran over and forcibly dragged Lengyi into the pavilion.

"So? Will Liang Shuyun be executed in the autumn? Just like in the storybooks! On the day he's beheaded, I'm definitely going to throw rotten eggs and vegetable leaves at him!"

"Hahaha, I want to go too!"

"Hey Ningbi, Liang Shuyun must look so pathetic right now! I've been fed up with his pretentious air of being a genius for a long time. One day he boasted that he had read 30,000 poems, but he even got the poems of a great poet from the previous dynasty wrong! I had to hold back my laughter so hard, and I still had to praise him against my will. It's just too much!"

"Alright, alright, you've said this eight hundred times already. Now Liang Shuyun is finally finished, which will comfort Yun Mei's spirit in heaven."

"Yun Mei can rest in peace now..."

“That brat Yunmei didn’t tell us anything about her revenge. She’s been carrying it all on her own. If she had told us, we might have been able to help, and she wouldn’t have died.”

As they talked, several girls started crying again, and the others quickly comforted each other.

"Alright, alright, with so many people talking at once, Ningbi hasn't had a chance to speak. Everyone, quiet down and listen to her." Juanxin wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes and forced a smile. Everyone else stopped crying, but Lengyi's tears fell like broken pearls.

"Ningbi, what's wrong?"

"What's wrong? Why are you crying?"

The beautiful ladies surrounded Leng Yi with concern. Leng Yi couldn't hold back her tears at all. No matter how they asked her, she just kept crying, and soon her face was covered in tears.

How could she say it? All her sisters were so hopeful, but she brought back no good news... She couldn't bring herself to tell them the cruel truth... The sadness that was choking her could only be released through tears. She was useless, she was worthless, she couldn't do anything.