With a grim smile, she pointed at Master Chen, who had frozen in shock at her sudden outburst. “I have always believed in being kind to people, but I will not tolerate blatant deceit! Didn’t he say he eats meat once every three days? Didn’t he tell me to cut him open and see for myself? Very well then—” She smiled savagely. “Drag him out and cut him open!”
“ ! ”
The entire hall stood stunned as if they had been turned into clay statues and wood carvings. In an instant, it became so silent that a single pin drop could have been heard. Everyone’s faces turned deathly pale, like walls that were first painted white and then splashed with a greenish blue paint. In a daze, they stared wide-eyed at Feng Zhi Wei, who, having finished her outburst, had started to smile again.
Her smile gave them the mistaken illusion that she must have been joking. Their hearts, which had jumped straight up into their throats, were just beginning to settle back down when suddenly, a thunderous shout rang out.
“Aye!”
Almost immediately after Feng Zhi Wei finished speaking, two guards in soft armor stepped forward. They strode to Master Chen’s seat, grabbed and hauled the now-stiff-as-a-board Master Chen away as though he were a small chick clutched in their hands.
Being dragged off finally snapped Master Chen out of his stunned stupor. Overwhelmed with terror, he thrust out a foot and hooked it desperately around the leg of the table as he shouted frantically upward, “Your Highness! My lord! I…this commoner was wrong! This commoner pledges my donation. Don’t joke around! This commoner pledges the donation!”
“Yes, don’t joke.” Ning Yi, seated above, gave him the first smile of the day. His face seemed to blossom with brilliance, dazzling everyone’s eyes. Joy sprang into everyone’s heart, and was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when they heard him say calmly to Feng Zhi Wei, “What will you do if, after cutting him open, there is no meat inside?”
“Then of course this humble official shall repay with my life!” Feng Zhi Wei replied, her voice ringing with ironclad resolve.
Ning Yi nodded in satisfaction, then said to Master Chen with sincere earnestness, “You heard his words. Don’t worry. This prince is impartial and handles matters fairly. I am here on the Emperor’s behalf to inspect and supervise the construction of the river works. Lying in my presence is the same as deceiving the Emperor. Lord Wei’s request to cut you open and verify the matter is thus perfectly reasonable. But so long as there is no meat in your belly, whoever cuts you open will naturally have to give you an explanation afterward.”
Everyone’s vision turned pitch-dark for a moment— this is what you call being impartial and handling matters fairly?!
Master Chen looked upward. Ning Yi was calmly sipping his tea, while Feng Zhi Wei leisurely flicked at something on her sleeve. The two of them looked completely relaxed, as though the words that just came out of their mouths weren’t words to take someone’s life but merely words as common as inviting someone to dinner. And yet, it was precisely because of this that a cold darkness filled Master Chen’s heart— only someone who had truly killed countless people and lived through blood and fire could remain this unconcerned in the face of life and death.
These two were truly ruthless.
By this point, the word ‘regret’ can’t even begin to describe what Master Chen was feeling. The two guards behind him gave a hard tug and dragged Master Chen away along with the table. The bowls and dishes on the table toppled over. The steaming hot soup and food spilled everywhere, scalding one of Master Chen’s legs, but he didn’t even seem to be aware of the pain. Struggling and hopping, he shouted, “If you dare to kill me, I have tens of thousands of men under my command! If every one of them steps on you just once, they’d easily crush you to death. You dare to kill me———-”
“You dare to lay a hand on her.” Ning Yi, who had been drinking his tea, suddenly pointed at Master Chen. His voice was icy. “I’ll make sure every last member of your Chen clan, young and old, dies without even a place to be buried!” (‘You dared to lay a hand on her.’ the character for ‘her’ here in Chinese was for a female her but in spoken speech, there is no pronunciation difference between him and her, so the crowd would’ve assumed Ning Yi had said him instead of her.)
Feng Zhi Wei, on the other hand, simply listened with a smiling face, seemingly paying no heed to Master Chen’s threats. After Master Chen had been dragged outside, still cursing nonstop, he was immediately tied to a pillar beneath the corridor. The two guards swiftly pulled out their knives. A flash of cold steel, and with one hook and one pull—
Amid the blood that sprayed into the air and the screams that shook the heavens, she finally smiled and answered the question from earlier.
“I dare!”
By now, no one in the hall had anything more to say about her reply. Feng Zhi Wei had just had a man killed by cutting open his abdomen right in the hall. These wealthy merchants, who rarely even witnessed the killing of a chicken, simply couldn’t take such a shock, and half of them had already fainted.
The two guards strode forward and placed a messy heap of things, with clothes cushioned beneath, in front where everyone could see it. Using their long swords to part the blood-soaked clothes, they loudly announced, “Reporting to Your Highness and Marquis Wei, inside the criminal’s abdomen, there was still half a glutinous-rice chicken and several pieces of Stewed Southern Pork!”
Feng Zhi Wei glanced at the guard and thought that he was probably from Jianghuai. For him to be able to recognize the Stewed Southern Pork even in this state, he was probably a local. She did feel bad for any restaurants in Jianghuai that sold Glutinous-Rice Chicken and Stewed Southern Pork. Starting today, it is probable that no one would want to eat these two dishes.
She gave a slight nod and said with a faint smile, “Let all the gentlemen have a good look. We must not let anyone say that I, as an official of the empire, wrongfully accused someone.”
How could any of the merchants below still sit steadily in their seats? Half of them had fainted when the killing started, and the other half had vomited near collapse when that pile of things was brought out. By this point, only one or two men remained, pale-faced and white-lipped, leaning against their table. They desperately turned their heads away and waved their hands, refusing to let the ‘pile of things’ get close,, “…This commoner had seen clearly. There was no injustice done to the man with surname Chen! No injustice!”
“That’s good then.” Feng Zhi Wei tapped her fingers against the desk. Immediately, another group of people came in and quickly began cleaning up the body, wiping the floor, and putting everything back as it was.
Everyone stared blankly at the astonishingly efficient cleanup. Even as they were shocked by how swift and decisive the people under the Provincial Commissioner were, it finally, slowly, and hazily dawned on everyone— the Provincial Commissioner had been prepared to kill someone from the very beginning!
What was there left to say at this point? Even the Chen Clan, the one that had dominating influence both in the black and white worlds, had been killed with just a few words. It was only now that some of them belatedly remembered that this Marquis Wei had supposedly once been framed and thrown into prison. And at the time, right there in court, in front of the Emperor himself, he had even beaten the chief judge to a pulp. Why would he then be afraid of killing a mere rich merchant?
The smile that was as gentle as the spring breeze was back on Feng Zhi Wei’s face. Unfortunately, that smile no longer looked friendly at all to those in the room. Each smile from her brought about a bout of trembling.
Quite satisfied with everyone’s expression, she gave a wave of her hand, and the donation registration papers that had been prepared in advance were brought out.
This time, everyone signed enthusiastically. The wealthy clans wrote their names with great vigor, and handed over their money as if they were scattering flower petals. One by one, their hands trembled as they signed without the slightest hesitation. When the donation registers were collected, Feng Zhi Wei let out a genuine smile— more than three million!
What a bunch of jerks who won’t give in until they see the yellow river! (‘not giving up until they see the yellow river’ is a Chinese saying referring to someone’s determination to not give up until they have solid proof that all is lost.)
She waved her hand, and dishes began to be served again from the back hall. Feng Zhi Wei personally went down the steps to urge everyone to drink, smiling warmly as she said, “Today is truly a wonderful and momentous occasion! For the sake of the empire, all of you have put aside your personal interests and enthusiastically donated three million taels, the largest donation ever recorded! I will certainly have a monument erected and the amount engraved upon it, and I will report this to the imperial court. His Majesty will surely reward you. Come, let us drink this cup of wine, to celebrate His Majesty, to celebrate His Highness! And to celebrate all of you!”
Everyone raised their cups mechanically…indeed, what a wonderful occasion. They were certainly enthusiastic. A knife straight into the belly, glutinous-rice chicken stuffed inside to seal it up, and then the donation register conveniently with the numbers already filled out. If you don’t pay up— then ‘Did you eat meat today? Why don’t we cut open your stomach and take a look?’
“Everyone, please eat! Eat, eat…” Feng Zhi Wei had finally become the warm and hospitable host she was supposed to be. She eagerly encouraged everyone to try the dishes, but after urging them for a good bit, she noticed that everyone was forcing out bitter smiles and making excuses. Not a single person had touched their chopsticks.
She finally lowered her head and looked.
The newly served dishes were: Pearl Glutinous-Rice Chicken and Steamed Southern Pork.
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