Later historical records show that the prefect surnamed Xu who arrived at Anshui Prefecture was extraordinarily panicked.
Especially the two brothers of the prefect, who were like mice chased by cats, drilled into the prefect's residence and refused to come out.
Zheng Ruqian's face was full of panic afterwards, "Third Brother Fang, what are you hiding for? Miss Xiang Xiang was not looking for you."
"How can you be sure she was not looking for me?" Fang Heng checked carefully, "What if she was?"
The two brothers looked at each other silently.
Xu Mo coughed and said, "Third brother, don't forget your intention of coming here."
The two brothers each had their own reasons for insisting on returning to Anshui Prefecture this time.
Fang Heng didn't say much more, and no one else asked much.
It wasn't until late at night that he rode his horse, brought eight pieces of ginger, and quietly arrived outside the Bian family's separate courtyard.
He broke down the gate, broke the iron chains, and forcibly broke in.
The upright young general knelt on the ground and kowtowed, "Unfilial nephew Fang Heng arrives late to welcome auntie back home."
Back then, he had no power or influence, and could only flee to the border, watching his aunt suffer.
Now with an official position, he could finally return here and forcibly welcome her back.
Wang Fuliu, a concubine of the Wang family, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Bian family, after her husband died, was forcibly shut in the separate courtyard by the Bian family, and had to rely on her young uncle even to look after her child.
Fortunately, after sitting and reciting Buddha for five years, that child came back with power and influence.
The woman with white hair entwined at her temples walked out, looked at Fang Heng with tears, and said, "Good child, I have not failed your mother's entrustment, you are very good, so I can rest assured."
"Auntie, I'll take you home," Fang Heng said, glancing at the Bian family servants swarming over.
He didn't even move, and Jiang Yi immediately drew out blades with his younger siblings.
"Who are you?" The Bian family servant shouted angrily, "This is our mistress, she is fasting and reciting sutras for our young master, you are forcibly abducting women, we are going to report to the prefect!"
"Go ahead and report," Fang Heng's eyes showed disdain, "She will no longer be your Bian family's mistress from now on, and I will have someone send over the divorce letter later."
Under the heavens, there was actually a woman who asked a man for divorce.
The Bian family servant was greatly shocked, and watched the carriage leave helplessly.
The next day, the Bian family reported to the prefect's office, accusing Fang Heng of forcibly abducting women, but didn't even get to see the new prefect's face.
After much difficulty investigating, they chased to the Wang family's door and saw a spectacle.
Compared to Fang Heng's simple and crude actions, Xu Mo acted more systematically and procedurally.
He flipped through the evil deeds of the Wang family's third branch that Wang Mingyu had collected over the years, and read them sentence by sentence to Third Master Wang and his son.
"Seducing women to be concubines, relying on sabotaging other people's businesses to gain reputation, looking for knife handlers during exams, occupying 30 acres of people's good fields..."
So many things, not huge evils, but made the common people suffer unspeakably.
Third Master Wang himself may have even forgotten them, but now they were all dug out.
"What, what do you want?" He asked tremblingly, "You have a deep relationship with my son, I'm his own father, this is his own brother, even if you don't care about me, you can't harm me."
Xu Mo's expression suddenly tightened.
Some words are better left unsaid, but once spoken, it was hard to restrain his emotions.
"You also know my deep relationship with your son, so Third Master Wang might as well guess what I came back to Anshui Prefecture to do," Xu Mo said coldly, "And with my status as prefect of Anshui, whether I can seek justice for Brother Fu Feng."
"Anshui prefect...seek justice?" Third Master Wang finally remembered what he had done, "What do you want to do? Where's Fu Feng? Where's my son? I'm always his father, could it be that he still wants to be unfilial, that he still wants to be unfaithful?"
Xu Mo suppressed his ferocity, "He won't get a chance to be unfilial, you poisoned him to death, he didn't even see the snow at eighteen this lifetime."
"I came to seek justice for him, to show you how the Wang family will be destroyed by you bastards."
When she heard this, Zhou who had rushed over stumbled and fell to the ground.
"Fu Feng will never come back again, you two who abandoned him because of his poor health have no right to be his parents." Xu Mo blinked away the tears, "When the Wang family is destroyed, the Zhou family will not be better off either, all the blood you sucked from him must be spit out."
After he finished speaking, several yamen runners rushed forward and pulled out the Third Branch couple of the Wang family and threw them into the Anshui prefecture prison.
All the bad things they had done in their lives, even if it was beating a maid to death, were dug out.
Absolute power, absolute justice, made the common people applaud.
Wang Haoran was implicated, and the Imperial Examination Hall suspected his morals and talents, and revoked all his titles after he applied.
The Wang family's third branch completely collapsed. Wang Mingyu took control of the entire Wang family, treated his aunt well, took care of the younger generation, and even paid attention to the conduct of the bastards and concubines' children, for fear that the Wang family would repeat its mistakes.
Wang Fufeng's grave was buried alone on a hill in Anshui Prefecture, containing the soil from his tombstone, as well as the grief and longing of the world for his passing.
Xu Mo finally vented all his resentment, sitting in the yamen with bright mirrors hanging high, "Before Little Wu ascended the throne, I was the Son of Heaven of this Anshui Prefecture!"
He and Wen Zhiyun carved tombstones for their parents at the same time, and moved them to a wider and quieter place, often going to kowtow and cherish their memory.
General Fang Heng's identity meant it was destined to not stay for long, and upon receiving military orders, he returned to the border with the six Jiangs.
Before leaving, he deliberately brought Jiang Five back home once, intending to vent his anger and mock his parents' bias for boys over girls, but when he found his hometown, he only saw empty old houses and cobwebs in the corners.
The knots you yearn for in your heart are fleeting clouds and smoke to others.
Jiang Five finally let out that breath, and nimbly jumped on the horse.
Zheng Ruqian was still running around unable to stop, and his business grew bigger and bigger, from golden bricks in the imperial city to buying and delivering vegetables, as long as it made money he did it.
Jiang Sheng was the most carefree and comfortable, with her father and grandmother by her side, and Shopkeeper Hao and Bai Shopkeeper also came back to visit, and the heartless her just loved going back to Shili Village to play.
At first, everyone thought she was some noble young lady, and only dared to watch her from afar.
Until nearing the end of the year, Jiang Sheng stepped into the mud with one foot, and had no choice but to take off her noble clothes, only wearing the plain colored cotton jacket underneath, and the crocs bought randomly in town.
The uncles and aunts at the head of the village finally recognized her, shouting in shock, "Oh my, this is little Jiang Sheng, she's grown so big already."
"She's gotten so fat, where have you been all these years, we were worried when we couldn't find you, where are your brothers, how come we don't see anyone."
"Thinking back then, she was so short and thin, how did she suddenly grow so strong and sturdy."
Everyone gathered around, talking over each other, smiles full of goodwill.
Jiang Sheng held skewers of candied haws, not knowing how to respond. A flash of inspiration and she shouted, "My brothers are out there making money, I'm treating you to candied haws!"
She thought everyone would be happy and make a fuss.
But unexpectedly, the aunts at the head of the village waved their hands, "However much money you make, you're still children, earning money is not easy, eat it yourselves."
"If you don't have a place to eat, I'll save a meat bun for you."
"It's almost New Year's, might as well just come eat at our home."
"Little Jiang Sheng, after so many years you've only grown taller and fatter, your eyeballs are still the same as before."
The villagers were simple and honest, their words plain and unadorned.
They thought it was the same eyeballs, but actually it was still pure and unchanged.
Jiang Sheng had been Jiang Sheng all these years, she could eat banquets in the imperial city, she could also gnaw on candied haws at the village entrance, she could be friends with noble girls from distinguished families in the capital, she could also play jump rope with the village brats.
Stripped of the glamorous clothes, wearing simple cotton clothes, the little girl always had a carefree smile, stepping into the mud unperturbed by dirt, holding the candied haws, vaguely resembling her innocent seven-year-old self, yet also with the grace of a fifteen-year-old.
Yes, with the ringing of the New Year bells, she was fifteen.
The villagers all returned home to eat, and the long overdue prefectural carriage also slowly returned.
"Jiang Sheng."
"Little Jiang Sheng."
"Baby girl."
"Little Jiang Block."
"Young lady."
"Young miss."
"Sister."
Countless figures surged over from all directions, there was the emperor in bright yellow dragon robes, there was Third Rank Prefect Lord Xu Mo, there was Zheng Ruqian full of luxurious silks, there was the heroic General Fang Heng, there was the shy and delicate Wen Zhiyun, there was the aged grandmother, there was the tall and sturdy father, there was the broad shouldered and slender waisted Jiang Chengyuan, there was the beautiful and gentle Zhang Xianglian, and many more.
In her life, she had lost luxury and wealth, but gained endless warmth.
She deviated from the path of a general's daughter, and became the bright and brand new self.
She is Jiang Sheng, she is always purely happy.
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