DNS - Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Lin Xingyuan thought Fang Shifei had gotten her way and could finally go back and wait for the result, but then she said she wanted to gather the common people to write a ten thousand people's blood petition.
Lin Xingyuan was stunned, saying with a wry smile, "Fang Shifei, this thing is useless. No one will look at it if you submit it, let alone you have no one to submit it to here. How the judgment should be made, the court has its own laws and standards; how could it be swayed by this?"
Fang Shifei said, "I know, I have my own plans."
Lin Xingyuan fell silent, then after a moment said, "This is truly improper."
Leaving aside He Ming for now, once this blood petition is written and submitted, and word spreads among the people, no matter what the court ultimately decides, He Xingdong will never be able to recover in this lifetime.
Fang Shifei still said, "I have my own plans."
The students from Changshen Academy arrived upon hearing the news.
They were in class this morning and only heard the various reports around noon. They hadn't expected such a drastic change to occur in Shuidong County in just one morning. The teachers in the academy told them not to join the commotion, fearing trouble. Many classmates had a good relationship with He Xingdong, and now they didn't know what stance to take, so they held back. But when they later heard about the ten thousand people's blood petition, they finally couldn't restrain themselves.
When the students arrived, Fang Shifei was sitting in the courtyard of her home, organizing things and talking with Lin Xingyuan.
A casual, faint smile hung on her face. She was like this when she met people on ordinary days too; when she looked at you, it was as if she didn't even have you in her eyes.
That smile angered the crowd. One student rushed forward and forcefully slapped the things out of her hand: "Fang Shifei, you've gone too far! You can cause trouble, you can kneel, I thought you were truly for the country and the people. But what is the meaning of this ten thousand people's blood petition? He Xingdong is your classmate after all, must you force him to his death!"
Fang Shifei didn't look at him at all, merely bent down to pick up the items, rolled them up, and held them in her hand. She retorted, "What do you mean I'm forcing him? Did I force County Magistrate He to embezzle? Did I force County Magistrate He to impose heavy corvée? Did I force him to harm people? Did I force him to become an official?"
"Fang Shifei, don't try to wash your hands of it so cleanly. It's just the few of us here. We all know what kind of person you are." The student pointed outside and said, "Don't you just want to leave a good impression on Chief Administrator Wang so he'll recommend you to the capital? Don't you just want to become famous throughout the land to pave the way for your future career? How wonderful, you don't have to spend a single coin, and you'll gain fame for your talent, virtue, and reputation. Excellent, excellent, but this is bought with He Xingdong's life!"
Lin Xingyuan frowned but realized Fang Shifei didn't need him to step forward.
Fang Shifei stood up and said to the student's face, "You question me? You don't need to question me, I will question you. During the drought year, how many people starved to death in Shuidong County? How many people starved to death in the entire Jiangnan region? Three years have passed since then, and how many more have starved to death?
"You..."
Fang Shifei directly cut him off and asked loudly, "What did I do wrong? Was it wrong for me to seek justice for the people buried in the yellow earth who cannot rest in peace? Was it wrong to expose a county magistrate who was corrupt, accepted bribes, and colluded with merchants? Or was it wrong for me to accuse Shuidong County of high rice prices and excessive corvée? Or perhaps it's just wrong for me to speak the truth at the risk of my life!"
She pointed at the few leading students and said, "You turned a blind eye, you looked away, because you can sleep soundly! You don't know the taste of not having enough to eat, you don't know what it's like to continuously pound the oil press for a whole day without rest in a stuffy wooden hut, you don't know what it's like to carry huge stones in the bitter cold of winter to earn private profit for the county magistrate, and you don't know what it's like to see your wife, six months pregnant, still having to farm in the scorching sun. You know nothing! Close your ears, blind your eyes, and you don't have to be responsible, you can feel at ease."
Fang Shifei grabbed the person's collar and pulled him forward.
The person panicked and said, "What are you doing!"
Fang Shifei: "Look at what you're wearing! The clothes on your body are worth half a year's income for a farmer. So of course you don't care, you don't need to worry about anything, but where did the silver you spend and the capital for your lofty discussions come from? It might just be from your father and He Ming's corruption and exploitation."
The person was furious: "You're talking nonsense!"
"He Ming also said I was talking nonsense! Am I talking nonsense or are you deceiving yourselves? The entire Shuidong County is a mess, even the academy teachers are fawning over the county magistrate's stinking feet, lacking fairness and making things difficult for me everywhere, and you still turn a blind eye? If even such small matters are like this, don't speak so grandly and talk about righteousness in vain! I, Fang Shifei, admit I am a petty person, but I just can't stand you pretending to be gentlemen in front of me!"
Fang Shifei released her grip and pushed the person back: "What kind of people you are, what kind of person the teacher is, I don't care about these things! Must I really collude with you to satisfy your wishes!"
The student leaned against the person behind him to stand steady, enraged and humiliated, glaring fiercely at her: "Fang Shifei, you are eloquent. We are not talking about County Magistrate He's matter now, we are talking about the ten thousand people's blood petition and He Xingdong's matter! You wrote this blood petition for Chief Administrator Wang and yourself, didn't you? Since you admit you are a petty person, you also admit to this meaning of being greedy for vanity!"
"I ask you! I am but a commoner. Chief Administrator Wang is newly appointed, I don't even know what kind of person he is or if he will help He Ming. What good is it for me to rashly submit a petition without solid evidence? If something goes wrong, who will bear the responsibility? Even a three-year-old child knows the phrase 'officials protect one another'. With the strength of an ant daring to block a cart, what am I seeking? Am I seeking to die faster? My life, Fang Shifei's life, is not that cheap! If it were otherwise, when He Ming was still covering the sky with one hand in Shuidong County, why would I constantly provoke He Xingdong?"
Fang Shifei questioned, "Who exactly is greedy for vanity? Who is seeking ease and pleasure? Poke your own consciences and ask yourselves properly!"
Everyone was so scolded by her that they couldn't utter a single word.
Fang Shifei turned sideways, raised her hand, and pointed: "I am not the same kind of person as you, and I disdain to associate with you. Now, get out. Get out!"
Unable to argue with her, the crowd dispersed in shame and anger.
The crowd left the courtyard, but only one person remained standing at the doorway without moving.
Before long, only three people were left in the small courtyard.
Fang Shifei said stiffly, "Why haven't you left yet?"
Lu Geyang said, "I've known you for many years. If anyone told me that Fang Shifei is a reckless, ignorant bookworm who doesn't know when to advance or retreat, I would be the first to laugh at them. You always plan before acting, and think before moving."
Fang Shifei turned back to look at him again.
Lu Geyang gave a bleak smile: "And what you did today makes me feel very scared. Fang Shifei."
After saying this, he didn't linger and backed out of her home.
Lin Xingyuan followed a step towards the door, watching his retreating figure and wondering, "He says you're scary? He doesn't find He Ming scary, but he finds you scary? Hasn't he suffered enough in the past?"
"I am someone he sees as an equal, while He Ming is someone he has to look up to. Even if I did the same things as He Ming, the outcome and perception would be different." Fang Shifei lowered her head, looking at the things in her hand, and said, "He finds me scary because he can't see clearly whether I am good or bad, or what my stance is. It's because I openly calculated against someone close to him, and he doesn't know who the next person will be."
Everyone instinctively believed that she wanted to put He Xingdong to death, that she was that kind of person.
Fang Shifei said, "Forget it, we walk different paths, we cannot plan together."
There weren't many names on the list, but she wasn't in the mood to deal with it anymore. The so-called ten thousand people's blood petition was just a figure of speech anyway.
She took the items into the house, tore off a few blank sheets of paper and put them inside, making sure it was thick enough, and stuffed it all into the letter. She dripped candle wax onto the opening of the letter, then picked up the freshly carved seal and pressed it on, waiting for the wax to solidify. Finally, she picked up a brush and wrote two small lines on the front:
——Shuidong County People's Blood Petition of Grievances
——Presented by He Xingdong
Fang Shifei put away the things and was about to go out again.
Lin Xingyuan leaned against the doorway and asked, "Where are you going now?"
Fang Shifei said, "To find He Ming. Coming with me?"
Lin Xingyuan was surprised that Fang Shifei would actually take him with her voluntarily.
Go then, anyway, it was still early and there was nothing else to do.
Wang Changdong couldn't imprison He Ming, nor did he have the authority to punish him. He merely confined him to his room, ordering people to observe his actions and not allow him to go out, lest he destroy any evidence.
Fortunately, He Ming also knew the current situation and didn't think about going out. House arrest... let it be house arrest, at least it was safer than outside.
Since He Ming woke up, He Xingdong and Madam He had been with him. He had recovered his senses and seemed to be fine, but his eyes were staring straight at the ceiling, unable to get past his own hurdle.
Madam He was just a woman from the inner chambers after all and had never seen anything like this. She sobbed softly, "Son, go ask that Chief Administrator Wang to find a doctor for your father."
"Don't go, I'm fine," He Ming said. "I just want to lie down for a while. Don't cry in front of me, it's giving me a headache."
Madam He patted his chest: "You heartless man!"
Saying this, she got up and walked towards the door.
He Ming then said to He Xingdong, "Go take care of your mother, don't leave her alone."
He Xingdong: "Dad."
He Ming: "Go. You've grown up, you need to understand things."
He Xingdong nodded: "I know."
Only He Ming was left in the room. He quietly listened to the faint sounds of conversation outside, his eyes moist. The man, over fifty years old, covered his mouth and wept softly. Then he sat up and wiped his face dry with his sleeve. He buried his head in a jumble of thoughts.
Just then, He Xingdong's slightly angry voice came from outside: "Fang Shifei, what are you doing here?"
Fang Shifei: "I have something I want to say to County Magistrate He."
"...I won't look for you, and you shouldn't come looking for my dad either," He Xingdong said weakly. "Fang Shifei, don't force me to hate you."
Fang Shifei: "I have something to say to him."
He Xingdong: "He doesn't want to see you, he's very uncomfortable right now."
He Ming composed himself and said from inside, "Let him in."
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