Chapter 16: E Hu's Ordeal 2

  The county magistrate saw that Xiao He had finally arrived and immediately pulled him over, as if a drowning person had finally grabbed a lifesaving straw.

  "I'm telling you, Xiao He, come quickly, come quickly! Alas, I was worried about how to settle this matter. You see, the two of them have said things that are reasonable from their respective perspectives, but now it's hard to say what's right or wrong. Come quickly and take a look, how should we handle this?" The county magistrate held Xiao He in high esteem and trusted him deeply. Although he also knew that Xiao He was very close to Liu Shanhe, at this point, he couldn't care about that anymore.

  Xiao He thought to himself, isn't this a great opportunity? Thinking of this, Xiao He's heart was filled with joy, and he said to the county magistrate: "Actually, in my opinion, it's not that difficult. However, if I were to preside over the trial, I'm afraid there would be suspicions raised, and people wouldn't accept it!" Xiao He deliberately kept a low profile.

  The county magistrate was also ill and hastily seeking medical attention, and he whispered to Xiao He: "Alas, since I've called you here, of course, I know your abilities. You can boldly make a judgment on the case, don't worry about other things, everything is up to me!"

  With the county magistrate's words, Xiao He's heart also solidified a lot. He saw him slap the wooden board with a "slap" and shouted: "The prison officer deliberately insulted the female prisoner, which is a crime that should be punished more severely for knowing the law and intentionally breaking it, and cannot be lightly pardoned; As for Ren Ao, although he was also reckless, but indeed, it was a justified cause, and it was out of justice, so, he should be sentenced leniently." Just like this, Xiao He's three words and two sentences easily solved the case that made the county magistrate feel his head had grown several sizes.

  Xiao He naturally knew his own body, after all, he belonged to the role of a special case handler. So, after finishing speaking, he looked at the county magistrate with his eyes, implying: How about it? Didn't I handle this case well?

  The county magistrate was overjoyed when he heard Xiao He's clear and concise judgment, which had resolved the case that had been puzzling him. He couldn't help but say: "Yes, what Magistrate Xiao just said is exactly in line with my thoughts. Let's follow his decision. As for Hei Wu, since he knew the law but broke it anyway, his crime should be punished more severely. Give him 30 heavy blows! I hope all the prison officials will take him as a warning and behave themselves properly, not always thinking about doing evil things. As for Ren Ao, since his actions were those of a good Samaritan who helped someone in distress, he should naturally be given leniency. Release him on the spot! Guards, take Hei Wu away and give him 30 heavy blows!"

  Then, several bailiffs came over and dragged away Hei Wu, who was kneeling on the ground like a garlic press, kowtowing to County Magistrate and Xiao He. They dragged him outside and soon after, a series of "slapping" sounds could be heard from outside, accompanied by Hei Wu's mournful cries. Finally, the thirty slaps were quickly finished. Then, four bailiffs swiftly dragged Hei Wu back into the courtroom. At this time, Hei Wu had been beaten to the point where his skin was torn and flesh exposed, and he could hardly say anything. However, according to the rules, no matter how badly one was beaten, they still had to return to the main hall and thank the presiding judge on the spot.

  "Thank you, County Master, for sparing my life! Thank you, County Master, for sparing my life!!" The Black Five had lost its earlier vigor and was now cowering on the ground, looking like a homeless dog.

  "Ah, all right, let's take him down! Let's take him down! This case is now closed. Hehehe... The county magistrate was overjoyed with his own wise decision, but completely forgot that it was Xiao He who had given him this idea in the first place! Meanwhile, Xiao He saw an opportunity and smiled as he whispered to the county magistrate: "I think, sir, considering Lü Zhi's situation, she doesn't usually ask about external affairs, so there's no need to continue detaining her. We've already detained her for a period of time, which is enough to justify our actions both internally and externally. You have always been wise, sir, and Lü Gong has come to plead on behalf of his daughter many times before. He's an old acquaintance of yours! If we continue to detain Lü Zhi, it might be possible to lure Liu Bang back. But the problem is that Liu Bang seems to not care about his family at all. In that case, continuing to detain her would lose its original meaning. Even if we detain her for a few more years, there won't be any results, and we can't justify our actions. I think it's better to come up with a foolproof plan that maintains your relationship with Lü Gong while also capturing Liu Bang back. What do you think, sir?" Xiao He took advantage of this great opportunity to say all the things he had been thinking about, just like beans pouring out of a bamboo tube."

  The county magistrate was still immersed in his own "brilliant" decision, stroking his beard and indulging in self-admiration. However, he suddenly heard Xiang Yu's words and naturally felt that there must be a reason for it, and Xiang Yu's words were not without meaning. Although he wasn't stupid, he couldn't help but feel that Xiang Yu was trying to convey something. Nevertheless, since he had let Xiang Yu speak so much, he should at least let him finish speaking. After all, just now, it was Xiang Yu who helped him break through the case that almost blew his head off!

  "What does Xiao He mean?" The county magistrate frowned and stared at Xiao He.

  Xiao He saw that the time had come and didn't care whether it was successful or not, so he stared at the county magistrate and said: "In my opinion, we might as well release Lü Zhi now. After all, she has been detained for over a year, and even if the higher-ups ask about it, we can still explain ourselves. Releasing Lü Zhi may also show our magnanimity and make the people surrender, while maintaining your relationship with Lü Gong and saving face. It's not worth arguing with a woman! I hope you will think thrice and make a wise decision!" Xiao He stared at the county magistrate's expression while speaking carefully.

  Only then did the county magistrate see, after listening to Xiao He's words, his facial expression was uncertain, shaking his head incessantly at times and nodding incessantly at others, with a look of deep contemplation. Xiao He actually knew that this county magistrate had always been indecisive and overly cautious, especially when it came to matters concerning his official position and future prospects.

  After a long time, the county magistrate finally showed a smile and nodded to Xiao He, meaning that he would do it according to his intention. In fact, the county magistrate made this decision with great difficulty. Moreover, he was also willing to be a smooth talker and let Lü Zhi go, because after all, Lü Gong had been a close friend for many years! It's just that thinking about his own future, if things went wrong, it could very likely be ruined by this matter. By then, he would be beyond help.

  Years of experience as an official had taught him that, in many cases, it was better to let others suffer a bit more rather than making things too difficult for himself. No matter what the situation or circumstances, he always had to prioritize protecting his own position and life first. All that nonsense about sacrificing one's life for righteousness or achieving great deeds through self-sacrifice were just empty words! And earlier, the county magistrate had indeed engaged in a fierce internal struggle. After weighing the pros and cons of each option, he gritted his teeth and finally made this decision. After all, his relationship with Lü Gong was at stake, and if he didn't release Lü Jia after a year of imprisonment, how could he face Lü Gong in the future? Moreover, the one who had come up with this idea, Xiao He, was his trusted aide and right-hand man, and many things still relied on him. No matter what, he had to give Xiao He some face!

  To be objective, this county magistrate letting Lü Zhi go is considered wise. Otherwise, he might have ended up dying an even more miserable death later on.

  So, Lü Cuī was finally released and returned home. As soon as she returned to her old nest, she thought that a year had passed in the blink of an eye, and she couldn't help but think of the humiliation and suffering she had endured in the county prison for a year. She was strong, but she couldn't hold back tears like a burst dam. The two children were still young, and her mother's family was gone, leaving only her father-in-law at home. Her mother-in-law had also died of anger on the day she was taken to prison.

  She met her father-in-law, told him about her situation in prison, and he accompanied her in crying for a while before comforting her. Afterwards, Lü Zhi went to her mother's home and brought back her two children.

  A year's time has changed a lot. The figure of that person is no longer at home, and her mother-in-law also left because of that thing. Thinking of how good her mother-in-law was to her in the past, Lv Wei couldn't help but feel sad again, often holding her two children and crying silently. What pains her most is that her two children have grown up and often look up at her with their cute apple-like faces, asking where their father has gone, why it's been so long, and when they will see him again?

  Lü Bu did not listen, but when he heard the children's questions, his long-held grief suddenly surged up again, and his face was once more washed with tears. However, the children's doubts could not be left unanswered, so Lü Bu thought for a moment before saying in a hushed tone: "Children, your father has gone to a very faraway place, but he will return, he must return. When he comes back, he will bring you gifts and delicious food. Just the other day, he sent someone with a message, telling you all to wait for him at home, not to be naughty, and to listen to your mother's words..." Lü Bu forced himself to hold back his grief, doing his best to come up with what he thought was the most suitable explanation.

  "But, Mother, I heard some kids say that Father is a fugitive and the government is arresting him. What's going on, Mother?" her son asked.

  "Yes, mom, I've also heard some of my friends say that. I scolded them for talking nonsense, but they said they weren't cheating me, what they said was true, and they heard it from their grown-ups." The daughter expressed her grievances with words that were not yet very articulate.

  Lü Wei didn't know what happened, but at this moment, she suddenly seemed to have gained some strength, her face turned serious and looked very strong. She said to the two children: "Children, don't listen to those nonsense outside. Your father really went on a long journey, and he's doing great things. He's not an escaped prisoner, he just released some prisoners and gave them freedom, that's why the officials are chasing your father. But please believe in your father, he will definitely come back, and when he comes back, he will ride a high horse with thousands of soldiers! Your father will become a very important official in the future! At that time, our family will never be separated again. And we will eat big fish and meat every day, live in the most luxurious house in the world, and everyone will listen to us..." Lü Wei said vaguely, and when she raised her head, she found that the two children had already fallen asleep without knowing when.

  Seeing the two children fall asleep, Lv Wei also felt a wave of drowsiness. Thinking about what she had said to the children earlier, about the happiness she had longed for, a faint smile appeared on the corner of her mouth, and then, with this faint smile, she fell asleep too.

  From then on, Lv Wei lived a hard life. She often thought about Liu Shanhe with mixed feelings of longing and hatred. What she longed for was that Liu Shanhe had been away from home for so long, yet there was no news from him at all. Now he didn't know whether he was alive or dead? If he was still alive, where did he hide in the mountains? What she hated was that after Liu Shanhe left, he escaped cleanly, but threw such a great hardship to himself. The old and young at home needed to be taken care of, not to mention that Lv Wei felt difficult to deal with the loneliness of guarding an empty house alone! Moreover, some bad men with ulterior motives often wandered around her house door at night, although there was her father-in-law at home, but she still felt a little frightened.

  Lü Cuì couldn't help but think of it again, and thought of the dawn when Liu Shanhe had just left. He was so excited and thrilled, his words, his demeanor, and his strength... she liked them all. At that time, she thought that her husband's chance to do great things had finally arrived. On that dawn, she was so excited and happy, thinking of the prophecy her father had made about her husband, thinking of the golden dragon dance she had seen on her husband's body on their wedding night. At the same time, she also remembered, remembered what an old man who asked for water to drink in the wild field that day said...

  But in the blink of an eye, a year has passed. Now it seems that whether her husband can achieve great things is so distant and unrealistic. It's as if it's just a reflection in the water or a flower in the mirror. But the disasters she faces in reality are real and tangible. Liu Qi, oh Liu Qi, you left me with what? A year of imprisonment, harassment from some rascals, the endless hardships of being a widow with children, and the pain of missing you on quiet nights.

  Now, for Lv Wei, the biggest difficulty is not something else, but the problem of eating enough. Having been detained in the county prison for over a year, his family's fields had long been abandoned, and his father-in-law was already old and unable to work as a farmer. Without crops, it also means there is no source of livelihood. A family of four, including the elderly and children, just talking about this problem of eating enough is enough to make Lv Wei desperate. At first, Lv Wei relied on the 10,000 yuan that his mother's family had given him as a dowry when he got married to buy some food to survive. However, when all expenses had to rely on that limited 10,000 yuan, the 10,000 yuan was no longer so much, and the predicament of having nothing to eat soon appeared.

  Later, the ten thousand yuan was finally spent, but the crops in the field had not yet been harvested. After a year of no farming, the small amount of grain that had been stored at home had already been eaten by my father-in-law. Thinking about it, as a nearly seventy-year-old man who had lived alone for a year without any support, it was really not easy.

  When the ten thousand yuan was finally spent, Liu Bang still had no news. Lu Zhi's heart was bleeding nonstop, but she had already stopped crying. Because her tears had long since dried up. When the ten thousand yuan was gone, Lu Zhi could only think of other ways. At first, when her husband was still at home, she didn't feel anything, but now that he was gone, the hardships and helplessness of life, the feeling of wanting to cry but having no tears, had made Lu Zhi experience a thorough change. She thought back to the early years of their marriage, when her husband was working as a low-ranking official in Sishui, although it was a small position, but every month he would bring home several hundred yuan, and he would always hand over the money without missing a single cent. She was truly happy, not because of the amount of money, but because of the shared joys and sorrows, the husband-and-wife relationship that they had built together. Moreover, due to her husband's good relationships with others, there were often some underlings who would come to help them with their work in the fields, such as some village elders or people who had been helped by Liu Bang in the past. And many times, even when Liu Bang was not at home, these people would still come to help his "wife" voluntarily, and they would all work very hard, with great enthusiasm and passion, without any complaints. Lu Zhi had always been puzzled, not knowing what kind of ability her husband had that could make these people so willing to work for him.

  But now, those heartwarming things are gone forever. Although there were also some people who used to follow their husbands around the world and occasionally came to help her with something, it was only occasional. However, Lü Zhi didn't mind this point too much because she knew what those people were thinking in their hearts. In fact, for those people, this wasn't a matter of "the tea getting cold after someone leaves," but rather they all thought about avoiding suspicion. It's reasonable to think that way. Who would dare get too close to a widow, especially when her husband's life or death is still unknown? Since ancient times, it has been said that widows are often the subject of gossip and rumors, and Lü Zhi couldn't escape this fate either.

  Later on, when the family could no longer afford to take out a single penny, she thought of ways to pawn some things in exchange for food. However, all the valuable items were brought from her own home when she got married. Apart from those dowry items, there was nothing else in the house that could be pawned. But how many dowry items could she possibly pawn?

  Although she had thought many times about going back to her parents' home to ask for help, Lü Zhi was a proud person and had made up her mind not to ask for help from her family unless absolutely necessary. Her family's financial situation had always been quite good, and she knew this better than anyone else, whether it was when she was at home or after she came to Pei County to escape the pursuit of her enemies. If it weren't for their wealthy circumstances, although the Magistrate of Pei was a friend of her father's, he wouldn't have received them with such high standards, giving them a luxurious courtyard to live in and sending all the officials from the county to congratulate her father, not to mention the 100,000 taels of silver that her father had given him as a gift. Hmph! Could anything be hidden from the astute Lü Zhi?

  Since ancient times, money can make ghosts grind. However, she Lü Zhi still thanked the Magistrate of Pei. It was also on the night he personally initiated to celebrate his father's birthday that he met Liu Ji and became a couple under his father's wise eyes. Although Liu Ji has gotten into trouble now, she doesn't regret her choice back then.

  Now, she really had no way out and was at the end of her rope. With no other choice, Lü Cuī steeled herself and brought her two children back to her parents' home. Her father, Lü Gong, saw his daughter's gaunt and pale appearance and felt deeply distressed, but also couldn't say anything. Alas, this marriage was something he had arranged himself. That night, he had taken one look at Liu Ji and seen the unusual aura about him, and how shocked and excited he had been! Yes, he was quite skilled in physiognomy, and among the countless people whose faces he had read, not one had a face like Liu Ji's: that was truly a heavenly appearance, with a straight nose and square mouth, prominent bones, and a standard dragon-like face!

  She had also had her eldest daughter, Ehuang, read the fortune-telling, and always thought that this eldest daughter was not ordinary at all. However, she was just a woman, what could she do? It seemed that in her fate, she would definitely meet a rich and noble person! Only, where was that rich and noble person?