As the first light of dawn broke, Xu Jie, a runner at the Shuntian Prefecture, opened the main gate while yawning and habitually glanced left and right. His gaze stopped when he noticed three burlap sacks lying on the ground.
Drawing closer, he heard faint groaning sounds coming from inside the sacks - sounds made by people. Xu Jie froze, not daring to approach further, and called out loudly, "Come quickly, someone come here!"
Soon, a few runners wielding knives rushed out from within the prefecture, looking around without seeing anyone. They shouted at Xu Jie, "Old Xu, what are you shouting about so early in the morning?"
Xu Jie gestured for them to look down. Following his finger, the group saw the sacks on the ground. They exchanged glances, gripped their knives tightly, and cautiously approached. One of them used a knife to cut the ropes, and as the sacks opened, revealing the people inside, they all stepped back in fright, startled by the horrific sight.
The person had been beaten so severely that their eyes were swollen shut, barely open slits, and their nose was crooked. Who would beat someone like this so early in the morning, stuff them in burlap sacks, and dump them here?
The runners removed a cloth from one of the groaning person's mouth. The man wept, "I'm guilty, I surrender myself. My name is Wang Zhao." Upon hearing that name, the runners turned pale with shock.
"Quickly inform the magistrate!" someone yelled, and chaos ensued.
The three sacks were carried into the Shuntian Prefecture. The magistrate soon ascended the dais, and the three men, like spilled beans, confessed everything without being interrogated. They identified themselves as Wang Zhao, Hua Xiaofei, and Li Yong - the top three wanted criminals on the bounty list. They detailed their crimes, and the evidence was also found inside the sacks. With the human testimony and physical evidence complete, the three men offered no defense, only pleading to be quickly sentenced and thrown into the prison cells.
This situation left the entire Shuntian Prefecture in a daze. These were hardened criminals guilty of multiple murders, yet they were so cooperative in confessing.
Especially Wang Zhao, known as the Great Bandit, who would rob and then rape and kill the daughters of his victims' families. The authorities had organized manhunts against him multiple times, but he always evaded capture.
After evading capture, Wang Zhao grew increasingly brazen, recently breaking into the home of the Minister of Justice himself and assaulting one of the minister's concubines. This incident caused a huge uproar, and the bounty on his head was raised to ten thousand taels of silver, with a promise of no punishment for anyone who brought him in, dead or alive.
A month had passed since the bounty was posted, with no leads, but then Wang Zhao was suddenly captured and delivered to the Shuntian Prefecture. It was like a windfall from the heavens.
The biggest news in the Capital City recently was that the top twenty wanted criminals on the bounty list had all been apprehended. No matter how these criminals tried to hide, they were found. And when caught, they were severely beaten, with the degree of beating depending on the severity of their crimes. The number one criminal was beaten so badly that even his own parents wouldn't recognize him.
Those criminals who hadn't been caught yet either quickly fled the Capital City or simply turned themselves in. After all, anything was better than being beaten black and blue and dumped outside the Shuntian Prefecture. Nowadays, people gathered outside the prefecture gates every day just to witness these criminals.
The victims' families would gather there, clubs in hand, waiting. If they recognized one of their tormentors, the clubs would start swinging.
The runners couldn't stop them. For a time, security in the Capital City improved dramatically, while speculation swirled about who was behind it all. Some said it was divine intervention, some claimed it was a heroic vigilante, and others suggested it was an inside job by officials. All sorts of rumors and guesses flew about, but the general consensus was to call the culprit "The Righteous Hero."
As for the actual perpetrator, Li Xia, after this period of effort, had advanced to the sixth stage, and the violent impulses in his heart had subsided. However, the commotion he caused had grown quite large, and on a few occasions, he had barely avoided being discovered while in hiding.
He decided to lay low for a while and would consider later whether The Righteous Hero should make another appearance to uphold justice.
Lying on a reclining chair with his eyes closed, Li Xia listened as Qiu Ling recounted the various speculations about the heroic vigilante spreading throughout the city. Though her words conveyed admiration for The Righteous Hero, Li Xia felt no embarrassment.
When Qiu Ling mentioned that a storyteller at a teahouse was narrating the tale of "The Strange Hero, One Branch of Plum Blossom," the name sounded familiar. Upon hearing Qiu Ling's summary of the story's content, Li Xia realized it was the tale his former teammate had spoken of, likely compiled and released by Fourth Miss Lu to capitalize on the hype. She really knew how to ride the wave of popularity.
These days, Qiu Ling spent her time in the Capital City gathering all sorts of news and gossip before returning in the evenings to summarize and organize the information for Li Xia. While some of it was true and some false, these reports allowed Li Xia to gain a certain understanding of the city's situation and the dynamics within the imperial court.
When Auntie Mei entered the courtyard and saw this scene, she grimaced, unsure of how to address Li Xia's constant lounging and avoidance of work. Neither the Li Family nor the Xu Family had such lazy habits, so Auntie Mei couldn't fathom where Li Xia had picked up this vice. It was a perplexing mystery to her.
Seeing Auntie Mei arrive, Li Xia rose to offer her his seat on the reclining chair. Auntie Mei settled onto the comfortable spot Li Xia had just vacated, acknowledging to herself that it was quite cozy, though she would never admit it aloud.
Before Auntie Mei could launch into another scolding, Li Xia spoke first, inquiring, "Auntie, have you received any news from the Xu Family?"
"Heir Apparent Lu has found my elder and younger brothers alive," Auntie Mei said, her eyes reddening. This had been one of her greatest lifelong wishes, finally realized.
Li Xia didn't try to console Auntie Mei, allowing her to shed tears and release the anguish of all these years. When the Xu Family had met their tragedy, Auntie Mei was still a young girl. Her father and brothers were exiled to the borders, while her mother and sisters-in-law committed suicide.
She was left alone and destitute, drifting like a wandering soul, sold from place to place with no control over her fate. It wasn't until she entered the Li Family and received Mrs. Lu's care that she found stability in life. But Auntie Mei's heart remained unsettled, haunted by nightmares of the past that filled her with fear and dread.
After Auntie Mei finished crying, she wiped her eyes, feeling a little embarrassed.
"How are your two uncles faring now? Have they started families?" Li Xia changed the subject.
"My younger uncle has taken a wife and had children in the border regions, but my elder uncle has not," Auntie Mei replied, her eyes welling up again. Her elder brother and sister-in-law had been childhood sweethearts with a deep bond. Her brother must still carry his wife's memory in his heart. Thinking of this, Auntie Mei cursed Prince YongKang vehemently once more. If not for him, her family would never have been torn apart so tragically.
"Since you have their exact addresses now, Auntie, you should write them a letter and send them some provisions," Li Xia suggested. "After all, the border regions can't compare to the prosperity of the Capital City. And as exiled scholars, both your uncles are likely in poor health."
"You're right, I'll go prepare the things now," Auntie Mei got up and walked away, but after taking a few steps, she turned back. "Xia, you only have Uncle Lu. You don't have an Uncle Xu anymore, so don't call him that from now on."
After seeing Auntie Mei off, Li Xia, lying back in the chair, couldn't sleep a wink. Auntie Mei had said something similar when Li Xia was little. Back then, Li Xia had called Auntie Mei "Mother."
Auntie Mei had scolded her harshly and even hit her hands with a ruler. That was the first time Li Xia got beaten by her aunt. It was also the first time she saw Auntie Mei cry like a sobbing doll.
