Scare people to death but not compensate for their lives

  Bi Zai walked back and forth in the courtyard, seeing Min An enter the door, and said repeatedly: "You finally came, hurry up and say, what to do with this thirteen thatch."

  Min An's sleeves were pressed under his collar, and he slightly bowed his head. He first paid respects with a literary salute before saying: "Your Honor is unaware that the reason why Mao Thirteen could safely escape from other counties to Huangshi County, and repeatedly commit theft, is because he has a strong sense of justice, and the hearts of his subordinate thieves are aligned with him. If we fight him, he will definitely not surrender, so we can only use strategy to capture him, making him surrender willingly and confess the whereabouts of others. When the time comes, Your Honor can go to pacify them, first quell the bandits below, then lock up Mao Thirteen in a cangue cart and send him to the face of Wang Zhi County Magistrate in Qingquan Town. Wouldn't that be a great achievement?"

  Bi Si narrowed his eyes, thinking that he could use this case to curry favor with his superior Wang Huai Li and ease the tension between them. The small mustache at the corner of his mouth twitched upwards. Min An saw him smile and felt a sense of relief in his heart. But Bi Si thought again, if Mao Thirteen continued to be uncooperative like he was today in the side hall, how could he possibly expect him to surrender? Wouldn't he be blamed by his superiors for being "ineffective" again? As he thought this, his smile faltered on one side.

  Min An carefully watched Bi Si, knowing that Bi Si had started another heavenly battle, and quietly waited on the side. Sure enough, Bi Si opened his mouth and said: "This official thinks this method is a bit risky, it's better to follow what this official thought before, let Mao Shi San make a guarantee not to come to this county again to cause trouble, and drive him out to settle the matter, those lower-level bandits will also follow him to move their base, so as not to bother us."

  Min An pretended to think about it and then replied, "Sir, according to official regulations, there is a clear distinction between eliminating bandits and defending against enemy invaders. The method of defending against enemies is to drive them out of the border. However, if we also drive the bandits out of the border, we would be passing on the trouble to neighboring counties. If one side has an alarm but fails to extinguish it, allowing it to spread to another territory, they will be severely punished."

  Bi Sheng stretched his neck and was stunned for a moment, and Min An took the opportunity to say: "Your Excellency doesn't have to worry too much, let's try my method first. If it doesn't work, we can discuss it further..."

  Min An deeply understood the ways of officialdom, so he naturally wouldn't bring up the example of his predecessor being afraid of trouble and letting Mao Thirteen go, resulting in Mao Thirteen committing crimes in several states. By not saying anything, he was able to maintain the reputation of his predecessor in front of Bi Xi, while also saving Bi Xi's face.

  Bi Shi took two steps back, sighed and said: "I didn't think that a small matter like this could lead to such a big trouble, let's use your method for now."

  After dinner, everyone sat in the large room outside the kitchen drinking the big tonic tea made by Hua Cui. A bailiff went out and pulled back a few straws, holding them in his hand, wanting everyone to draw lots to decide who would be on duty tonight to guard the heavily guarded house. Except for the county government officials, coroner Wu Ren, kitchen maid Hua Cui, and guest Fei Yi, everyone else was included in the list of people on duty.

  The prison guard Xiaoliu drew the shortest grass slip, and in his anxiety, he flung himself forward, wanting to grab the peaceful slip from Min'an's hand. Min'an was on guard, holding the grass slip tightly, and walked away with a smile. Huacui lit a white candle, using the smoke to circle around Xiaoliu's body, performing a simple ritual to ward off evil spirits, muttering: "Amitabha Buddha, seeking blessings for oneself, coming and going, passing peacefully."

  Xiao Liu tightened his belt and walked towards the prison gate with a heroic air. At the door, he happened to bump into Mao Thirteen, who had just been subdued by seven people's combined strength. Mao Thirteen still looked spirited, spitting stars that made the guards dodge left and right. Xiao Liu and others pushed Mao Thirteen inside the gate, then turned around and sealed the entrance with a strip bearing Bi Xi's personal signature. Mao Thirteen was still cursing, so Xiao Liu jumped over and gave him a slap, saying: "You dare to be disrespectful in front of the prison god? Are you looking for death?" Mao Thirteen glared at his tightly bound hands, then stretched out his mouth to bite Xiao Liu. Xiao Liu jumped over again and slapped him once more, saying: "If you don't worship the prison god, beware of evil spirits!"

  That night, the cold wind was strong, and dark clouds pressed down on the roof. A faint light seeped in through the air vent outside the window of the prison cell. Mao Thirteen lay on his wooden bed, his hair tangled around the iron ring on the headboard, his neck and chest locked in an iron chain, his hands and feet unable to move at all. Five inches from his body was a wooden board studded with three-inch long nails, and Xiao Liu slept on top of it.

  The night was quiet and the air was damp. Before long, small raindrops pattered on the roof, and a mournful woman's voice floated in, reciting: "I died so unjustly... You heartless one, how could you not come to accompany me..."

  Mao Thirteen was the first to wake up, listening to the gloomy sound, his hair stood on end. He couldn't move, just trembling with fear, shouting: "Brother Lao... go take a look... who's crying..."

  Xiao Liu was woken up, rubbed his eyes, and looked out the window. When he saw what it was, he immediately shouted "Oh my god!" and rolled under the bed with a thud. "I didn't believe in ghosts before, but now I'm doomed..."

  The window was at least ten feet above the ground, but on it floated a white-clad figure. A woman with disheveled hair and water dripping from her shirt had her lips protruding from beneath her tangled locks, which were as black as the sky. Every time she opened her mouth to utter a word, a blood-red tongue emerged. Her shadow fluttered back and forth uncertainly, so her voice was also intermittent, like raindrops breaking apart and stretching into a mournful melody.

  "You, Cao thirteen, are unreasonable and refuse to listen. Let me, a humble woman, remind you of the agreement we made at the Pavilion of Pledge. You promised not to cause trouble in Minzhou after leaving. I've observed your business dealings for three years, and you've become rich and powerful, but you've forgotten our previous agreement and abandoned your integrity. Still, you won't stop and are offending my Huangshi County, stirring up the stone coffins that cover the ground. The stone coffins open, spirits fly, and I'm calling you to come and keep me company!"

  "Grandfather... grandfather... who knew the ghost's mansion was built on a chaotic grave mound... sir, please let me go... no, I mean, let me go... I'll never come back..."

  The government office of Huangshi County was originally built on a pile of rocks, and it is said that white bones are buried underneath, so it's not surprising if ghostly spirits appear. Xiao Liu had been a prison guard for nearly three years, but this was the first time he saw a female ghost with his own eyes, and he was even more frightened than Mao Thirteen. When Mao Thirteen heard the female ghost singing as if asking for revenge, he hastily shouted at Xiao Liu to drive the ghost away. Xiao Liu poked his head out from behind the bed rail, trembling with fear, and kowtowed to the shadow of the female ghost, shouting: "Injustice has a source, debt has a master, Lady Ghost, please find the one who owes you an injustice, don't look at me with your eyes!"

  A white-clad female ghost floated out a wisp of smoke from her mouth, veiling her deathly pale face. Another pipe extended from the air window corner, quietly dispersing a soothing and sleep-inducing fragrance. The female ghost waited for a while, seeing that Mao Thirteen was still shaking on the bed, not having fallen asleep, and couldn't help but lower her head to take in a big mouthful of smoke, then wait to blow it out. But she didn't expect the smoke to be so pungent, almost choking her into making a sound, and in order not to reveal herself, she forcefully swallowed down the smoke, only to be made dizzy by the fragrance and collapse to the ground with a thud.

  The girl outside the wall quickly put away the slide, squatted down and patted the female ghost's face, saying in a low voice: "I told you to come, but you still want to show off, what a pig brain."

  The female ghost drank the rice porridge fed by Hua Cui, and slowly came to her senses. She parted her hair, wiped away the water stains on her mouth, and smiled gratefully at Hua Cui. Hua Cui turned her face aside, saying with disgust: "Don't smile with that ghostly look, it's really chilling."

  A bolt of lightning struck down, illuminating the female ghost's pale face. Hua Cui saw her eyes change, her pupils enlarging by a circle, and silently thought it was not good. Hua Cui pressed down on the struggling female ghost, covering her mouth and whispering: "Anzi don't be afraid, this isn't the alley of Minzhou, there aren't those bad people who hit you here, come back to your senses, don't be scared, ah?"

  Min An, with her mouth covered, struggled desperately under Hua Cui's hand. She couldn't see the bright sky, the dark night, or the raindrops like pearls, but she could feel the cold air seeping up from the ground. Another flash of lightning tore through the night sky, and the rainwater poured down from the eaves, hitting her face. All this was exactly the same as the scene eleven years ago, when many people were kicking her and her brother, her brother's blood splashing onto her face and hands, even the rain couldn't wash away those piercing red colors.

  Hua Cui watched as Min An's sanity slowly fell into madness, secretly calling out in distress. She exerted great force to hold down Min An for a moment, becoming exhausted and panting. Min An's legs continuously struggled, engaging in a fierce battle of strength with Hua Cui. Another flash of lightning struck, startling Min An into a strange cry. Taking advantage of Hua Cui's momentary distraction, she pushed open Hua Cui's body and ran far away like a rabbit that had been startled.

  Hua Cui wanted to shout but didn't dare to, took a deep breath, and chased after him again.

  In the study, Fei Yi was explaining a medical book on flowers and grasses. He had just washed his face with cold water and was about to blow out the candles and go to bed when a gust of cold wind blew in through the window, bringing with it a strange noise. Fei Yi covered his face from the wind and saw outside a blurry white figure running towards him, dashing past the short wall of the courtyard. The figure ran too fast, carrying the cold wind and night rain, and topped with a flash of lightning that illuminated its pale face, which looked both terrifying and familiar.

  Who has the time to carefully consider who is right and who is wrong? It's probably people like him who are said to be able to remain unchanged in the face of countless changes. When faced with strange and unusual events, he remains extremely calm, using his internal energy to shake his sleeves, pushing with both hands, and slamming the window shut with a loud bang. The white figure outside was caught off guard, didn't react in time, and crashed into the windowsill, then fell to the corner of the house with another loud thud.

  He walked past, securing the window and door locks, took off his outer garment and fell asleep. On the windowsill covered with cowhide paper, two thin and bony claws stretched out, reflecting the lightning's glow as they continued to scrape against the wooden window frame, accompanied by a faint cry: "Sister, run quickly, sister, run quickly."

  On a rainy night, hearing such an eerie and terrifying sound would naturally make people feel terrified. However, Fei was not an ordinary person, he had great skills and courage, so when he heard the sound, he just thought it was a lost squirrel scratching on the tree trunk to find fruits to eat. He lay still, calmed his mind and breathed slowly several times, and gradually felt sleepy.

  Min An, who was half-hanging from the eaves, shouted in a daze for a moment, then started banging on the window: "Let me in! Let me in!"

  Fei was woken up by the noise and walked to the window to ask: "What are you doing again?" Having listened for so long, he naturally knew whose voice it was outside.

  Min An knocked on the window: "Let me in! I'm scared!"

  Fei Mo Ran suddenly said: "If I let you in, then it's me who should be afraid."

  Min An said in a low voice: "Please, I'm really scared..."

  Fei Kai opened the window, and Min An squeezed in through the window corner with a white shirt. Although she was dressed as a female ghost, her undergarments and long pants were actually men's clothing, and she also wore a breastplate, but in front of Fei Kai, she still looked normal.

  Fei Yi picked up a wet towel and threw it at Min An's face, saying: "Wipe your face clean before talking."

  Min An walked to the edge of the water basin and washed his face clean, revealing his original appearance, and once again presented the handsome and elegant young man in front of Fei Yi. Min An touched his scattered hair, combed it back behind his ears, saw Fei Yi sizing himself up, couldn't help but blush, lowered his head and said: "Tonight, shall we squeeze together to sleep?"

  "Why?"

  "Outside is thundering, I'm really scared..."

  "You're not a female ghost, you should be feared by people instead."

  "But female ghosts are also afraid of being struck by lightning..."

  Fei Yi didn't want to waste any more words on Min An, who was saying some inexplicable things. He knew that if he continued talking, he would be drawn into a conversation with Min An. He shook his sleeves and lay down on the kang, breathing shallowly, and for a long time didn't move, showing the strict upbringing he had received.

  Min An sat at the foot of the bed, hugging his shoulders and shrinking into a ball. He trembled for a moment, then saw the bright flashes outside the window and couldn't help but bury his head in his shoulders, whispering: "Sister is not afraid, sister is not afraid, brother is here." After sobbing softly for a while, he felt tired and wiped away his tears. He picked up a soft cloth pillow from the bed and quietly walked to the closet in the non-clothing room, opened the door and slipped inside. This was his usual place to hide from thunder and lightning, and now that Non-cloth had taken over the house, he still knew it like the back of his hand.

  There was a faint scent of incense in the closet, like the aura on his body, thin and cool, soothing to the heart. Min An shrunk into the three-foot square partition, feeling that everything was secure, the dark and cozy feeling wrapped him up well, and he slowly fell asleep.

  The man on the kang opened his eyes, listening to Min'an's murmurs gradually stopping. He still didn't feel sleepy. He heard Min'an whispering "brother" and "sister", even if he didn't want to think about it, he could roughly guess that something had happened to Min'an, and it was very likely that on a rainy night like this, he had lost his sister.

  Min State's Min family, the most prominent official family, according to household registration records, had a pair of dragon and phoenix twins in the current dynasty. The eldest son was called Min Cong, and the second daughter was called Min An. They were intelligent and clever, and their marriage was arranged very early... Fei's heart was thinking about the files she saw from the Ministry of Revenue, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly. The girl was indeed called Min An, with a similar appearance to her brother. But looking at the person in the wardrobe next to him, he was clearly a boy, yet being called by his sister's name...

  The knocking sound outside the window interrupted Fei's daydream. Fei looked towards the windowsill, a slender shadow was cast on it, asking: "Is anyone there...... is anyone there......"

  Fei Yi didn't want to stir up trouble again and coldly refused to answer. Hua Cui's voice came over again, asking: "If there's no one, then has a ghost come in?"

  At this point, Fei completely believed what Hua Cui said: "There isn't a single normal person around Old Man." Because the newcomer, Hua Cui, didn't ask about the cause and effect, only asking if there were any ghosts, was also an abnormal person. He listened to Hua Cui's incessant shouting, picked up a flower seed and flicked it at the window frame, making a soft "plop" sound on the paper window. "He's asleep, come back tomorrow morning to take him out."

  Hua Cu's hand knocking on the window paused, and she smoothed her hair. She asked softly: "So, you guys slept together?"

  Fei Yi regretted meddling in other people's business and responded to Hua Cui, "How did you sleep? Was she on the left or right side? Or... was it on top or bottom?"

  He made up his mind to fall asleep, he dismissed the sounds around him and began to focus on falling asleep.

  Huā Cuì Ná muttered to herself and turned around, walking towards her own room. As she walked, she thought, could it be that she said something wrong? ān Zǐ was wearing a breastplate, sleeping next to Fēi Yī, but hopefully he wouldn't get hit in the chest!

  Which side of the bed does she sleep on?

  I'm so curious I could die!

  Author's note: Those who laughed at this chapter must leave a message for Mu Tong, looking forward to seeing you on the monthly popularity chart, wiping away tears.

  Corrected typos, first released at 12:00 noon

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