Of course, such an exciting scene couldn't be described in just one simple sentence, could it?
Yanshu immediately asked the system for more details: "Quick! Tell me more! How exactly did Madam Du do the cutting?"
The system explained: "Well, after Madam Du entered that luxurious mansion by Golden Bright Pond, she saw all the women inside were barely clothed, while that Bao Qiwen was in such a state. The anger she had been suppressing for so many days must have all exploded at once. Just punching Mr. Bao a couple times certainly wouldn't be enough to vent her rage. After all, she had suffered alongside this man for so many years, and yet he was secretly indulging himself like this behind her back. To make matters worse, she spotted a whole lamb being roasted in the courtyard, which made her even more furious!"
"After all, lamb is so expensive! She had deprived herself to keep up appearances in the capital, hardly eating it three times a year, and this man dared to secretly roast a whole one! As luck would have it, there was a knife for carving meat right next to the roast lamb. Madam Du was suddenly filled with murderous rage. Without a second thought, she grabbed the knife. It wasn't much different from all the times she had butchered chickens and fish while cooking over the years. So while that dog of a man Bao was lying on the ground after she kicked him, she went ahead and made the cut with one stroke of the knife."
After listening, Yanshu couldn't help but click her tongue repeatedly in amazement.
She quickly shared the news with a certain someone beside her: "Your Majesty, breaking news - Bao Qiwen's wife Madam Du has castrated him."
"Pfft..."
Yuwen Lan had just raised a spoonful of hot soup to his lips when he heard this, and nearly choked. After coughing several times, he finally managed to compose himself and frowned at her, asking: "What did you say? Castrated?"
Yanshu blinked her innocent big eyes and nodded, "Yes, she just cut it right off with one slice." As she spoke, she even made a cutting motion.
Yuwen Lan: "..."
Then he heard her clicking her tongue in her mind again: "Good heavens, you probably only get to see something like this once in a lifetime! It's such a shame I couldn't witness it in person!"
Yuwen Lan: "..."
Witness it in person?
Wasn't she the one who fainted at the sight of blood?
But come to think of it, women certainly do seem to have an enthusiasm for cutting... that part. Tsk.
How frightening.
However, since things had progressed to this point, he figured the Imperial Guard must be taking action by now. So he set down his soup bowl and said, "I'm going to the Imperial Study for a while. Take your time eating."
He made sure to add: "Don't keep thinking about all that nonsense."
With that, he stood up and left the hall.
Yanshu was left behind, confused. What nonsense?
The castration?
Tsk, it's not like she wanted to think about it. It was the surprise that Madam Du and the common people of the city brought, hehe!
Speaking of which, she hadn't finished getting all the juicy details yet. So Yanshu quickly asked the system again: "What's the situation now?"
The system replied: "Right now there's blood splattered everywhere, that Bao fellow is howling in agony, and the women are all screaming in terror. Madam Du was about to stab him a couple more times, but just then the Imperial Guard broke down the door, so she didn't get the chance."
Yanshu let out an "Oh", thinking it was probably for the best that she didn't get to stab him more. This Bao had swindled so many people - if he died by his wife's knife today, he'd be getting off too easy!
No good. With this thought, she couldn't be bothered to keep eating. She hurried to her writing desk to finish the half-written story she had been working on.
After all, someone who had done so many despicable deeds shouldn't just die - his crimes should be exposed to the world first, so he could be thoroughly cursed by everyone!
Early the next morning, shocking news that stunned the entire city and rocked both the common people and officials broke.
Last night, a bloody incident occurred in a luxurious residence by Golden Bright Pond - it turned out that Bao Qiwen, the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy, had his... private parts cut off by his wife Madam Du???
Of course, the Empress Dowager in the Palace of Benevolent Peace also learned of this news.
Just as she was feeling greatly astonished, she saw Yanshu come to her, holding a storybook.
"Your Highness, this is the new story by the Carefree Young Master. Your humble servant just had someone buy it back. Would you like me to read it to you?"
Only the Empress Dowager knew her pen name in the Palace of Benevolent Peace, so with others present, she could only speak this way.
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager quickly waved for the attendants to withdraw. Once the hall was empty of others, she hurriedly asked: "Is this a new story you've written? What's it called?"
Yanshu nodded quickly, "Indeed, your servant just finished writing it last night. This story is called 'Furious Wife Chops Off Black-Hearted Husband'."
The Empress Dowager couldn't help but let out a thoughtful "Hmm" upon hearing the title. Why did it sound so much like what happened to the Bao family?
So she hastily said, "Quick, tell me about it."
She also added, "You don't need to read it word for word, just focus on the important parts. You're pregnant, so you mustn't tire yourself out."
Aww, her number one fan was so considerate. Yanshu promptly agreed and began telling the Empress Dowager the story:
"There was a family in the capital where the husband worked as an official in charge of students' education. This man had suffered from poverty since childhood, so he was extremely greedy for money. After getting this position, he started thinking of ways to use his official duties to line his own pockets. He thought about it and realized that the paper used by students in the academy was something he could profit from. So, he secretly opened a paper mill in the capital."
"While others made paper using proper materials, he was different. He deliberately used cheap, shoddy materials to make low-quality paper, then used his position to sell this paper to various academies under the government, cheating money from the state. You might think one sheet of paper is cheap, but when you add up all the paper used by students in various academies, it becomes quite a substantial income. Most importantly, paper is one of the most easily consumed items."
Hearing this, the Empress Dowager nodded quickly, "Indeed! Those students use paper to write every day! In this way, hasn't he reaped plenty of ill-gotten gains?"
Yanshu nodded hurriedly, "Exactly. Such huge profits were obvious, fattening this man up like a big rat. But he was still quite cautious and didn't dare to show off. He even deliberately pretended to be poor, hiding with his wife in a leaky old house every day, eating plain food, not even daring to hire a single maid."
The Empress Dowager raised an eyebrow, "Could it be that he wanted to take all that money to his grave? Or was he secretly living it up outside while making his wife suffer?"
Yanshu quickly replied, "Your Highness is so perceptive, it's pretty much like that. This man pretended to be poor at home, but in the most expensive area by Golden Bright Pond, he spent ten thousand taels of silver to buy a luxurious mansion. He even arranged for many beautiful servant girls there, creating a veritable paradise of wine and women for himself, which he would go enjoy every few days. His wife truly had no idea about this."
The Empress Dowager was startled, "A luxurious mansion by Golden Bright Pond? It seems this really is about that Bao couple?"
Yanshu nodded, "That's right, it's about them. Your Highness must have heard too, last night Bao Qiwen's wife Madam Du castrated him."
The Empress Dowager nodded vigorously, "I heard about it as soon as I woke up this morning. I was just wondering what on earth happened. I didn't expect you to have already written about it! Quickly, tell me all the details."
Yanshu promptly agreed. At this point, she didn't need the storybook anymore, so she just started chatting with the Empress Dowager about what actually happened last night: "I heard that this Madam Du is actually quite a fierce woman, keeping Bao Qiwen under tight control in their daily life. She knew about Bao Qiwen cheating the government from the very beginning, which is why she played along with him in pretending to be poor."
The Empress Dowager suddenly understood, "I was wondering, how could even a Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy not be able to afford a single maid? I thought at first that this Madam Du was an innocent victim of deception, but it seems she was also an... accomplice."
Yanshu nodded quickly, "She certainly was, but Bao Qiwen was even more cunning. I heard that a few days ago, Bao Qiwen went to a jewelry shop outside and spent lavishly on accessories for the beauties in his secret paradise. This slip-up allowed Madam Du to find out. She became suspicious and followed Bao Qiwen for several days in a row. Last night, she happened to follow him all the way to that luxurious mansion by Golden Bright Pond."
The Empress Dowager drew in a sharp breath, already able to imagine the scene. She hurriedly asked, "So Madam Du immediately... ahem... did that to him on the spot? She really is a fierce woman! What happened after that? Did Bao Qiwen die?"
Yanshu explained, "Actually, His Majesty had heard rumors a few days ago and had people lying in wait around that area. As soon as the incident occurred last night, they immediately rushed in. From what I've heard, Bao Qiwen didn't die, but he lost quite a lot of blood and is in a somewhat half-dead state."
The Empress Dowager nodded, "That's good then. This man cheated the government out of so much money - if he died so easily, wouldn't that be letting him off too lightly!"
Yanshu nodded quickly, then heard the Empress Dowager say, "Your story is well-written. Once it's published, everyone in the world will see his true face. However, this matter is of great importance, and we can't let him off just because he's half-dead."
Yanshu made a sound of agreement. "His Majesty ordered the Imperial Censorate to intervene this morning. I believe they won't go easy on him."
The Empress Dowager nodded slightly. "That's good."
She then looked at Yanshu again and sighed, "It must have been difficult for you to come so early to tell me about this. Have you eaten breakfast?"
Yanshu replied, "I had a little. I mainly rushed over because I was worried Your Highness would be anxious."
The Empress Dowager sighed, "A little isn't enough! You're carrying twins now, you absolutely must not neglect yourself. What would you like to eat right now? I'll have someone prepare it, and you can eat here."
Yanshu was moved beyond words and could only repeatedly express her gratitude, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness."
Inwardly, she thought, "Indeed, my number one supporter still treats me the best."
At that moment, outside the hall, Nanny Zhuang was quietly asking Zhu Shu, "Why does Her Highness close the door now when talking to the Favored Consort?"
Zhu Shu only said, "I don't know either."
However, in her heart, she was pondering. Ever since she mentioned the matter of the lake pen to the Empress Dowager, and the Favored Consort and His Majesty rushed over anxiously to speak with the Empress Dowager, Her Highness seemed to trust the Favored Consort even more.
Could this Favored Consort be bewitching people's hearts?
...
Just as Yanshu had predicted, while the whole city was shocked by the news of the Bao couple, her story was published right on time. The obviously suggestive name immediately aroused everyone's curiosity.
In an instant, sales were even more explosive than before, increasing by 30%.
After reading it, people also understood the hidden truth behind the Bao family's bloody case. Everyone couldn't help but curse the black-hearted Bao couple.
Of course, some people were also curious and wanted to explore the true face of the "lakes of wine and forests of meat" by the Golden Bright Pool. Ahem.
However, unfortunately, since it was both the crime scene and evidence of corruption, it had already been sealed off by the authorities, and for the time being, it was impossible to peek inside.
But it was said that in recent days, it had become a tourist attraction, with many civilians and tourists flocking to the front door to imagine the grand scenes inside.
This was something Yanshu truly hadn't anticipated.
If she had known, she would have invested in opening a bookstore nearby to sell her stories!
The sales would probably have been even better, tsk.
Of course, this wasn't important.
What was important was that not long after, the court's verdict came down. Bao Qiwen was found guilty of abusing his position for personal gain and accepting bribes and corruption. He was sentenced to immediate execution. His wife, Madam Du, was also sentenced to exile for the crime of harboring a criminal.
It could be said that justice was served, to everyone's satisfaction.
Upon receiving the verdict, Yanshu was very pleased. She made a special trip to the Palace of Benevolent Peace to share this good news with her... number one supporter.
The Empress Dowager was also very satisfied and nodded to her, saying, "You've made quite a contribution in this matter. If it weren't for your story stirring up public indignation, the Imperial Censorate might not have handled the case so well and concluded it so quickly."
Yanshu hurriedly replied modestly, "I wouldn't dare claim credit. This matter mainly relied on His Majesty's wisdom and power."
The Empress Dowager nodded again.
After a moment, she sighed and said, "Speaking of which, Songhe Academy is set to open in a few days."
Yanshu was stunned for a moment, then quickly nodded and said, "Yes, I heard it's the day after tomorrow."
Inwardly, she couldn't help but wonder, could it be that the Empress Dowager wanted to see Chancellor Qi?
Come to think of it, it had been many days since their meeting at Changchun Garden!
Oh my, as a shipper, she must find a way to lend a helping hand to her number one supporter!
