The palace maid Xia Lian relayed the message very quickly. When her mother, Madam Li, arrived at the palace gate to see her, her expression changed drastically after hearing Xia Lian's whispered words. However, due to the presence of other people nearby, she dared not say more and only looked at her with worried eyes.
Xia Lian stuffed a small bag of jewelry into her hand, forcing a smile, and said, "Mother, this is a gift from the master. Please take it back and use it."
These pieces of jewelry had no palace markings; she had exchanged them with other palace maids to earn money to hire people. Madam Li understood the hardships her daughter faced in the palace. Her hands trembled slightly as she accepted the jewelry, her mind a jumble, and she dared not utter a single word. She only managed to whisper, "Take good care of yourself. In a few years… in a few years you'll be able to leave the palace. Your parents will be waiting for you."
"Hey." Xia Lian lowered her head, blinking away the tears in her eyes, and waved for Li Shi to leave quickly. This opportunity was hard-won for her, and she had to be careful and not linger.
Li didn't understand the rules of the palace, but she knew she had to be extra careful. She hurried home, and when Xia Lian's father came home, she pulled him into the house and tearfully told him what had happened.
"Dad, what are we going to do? Our family has always been honest and law-abiding people. When have we ever harmed anyone?"
Xia Lian's father, Liu Hong, frowned deeply, his lips trembling slightly. "Keep your voice down, don't let anyone hear you, or you'll ruin your daughter's life."
Li Shi wiped away her tears and choked out, "I saw that Xia Lian's eyes were dark, she must be having trouble sleeping because she's worried. I heard her say that she had married a nobleman and was highly regarded by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager, so I thought her life was going to be better. Who knew... what kind of person is this, how could he be so cruel?"
"Shh, stop talking. If anyone hears this, our whole family will be dead." Liu Hong opened the window and looked out, then closed it again and whispered, "Let me think. We can't harm anyone, but if we don't harm anyone, we'll harm our daughter. What should we do? There must be another way. Otherwise, I'll find someone to kidnap them and send them out of the capital."
"No, they'll come back if they can't walk. Hindering someone's imperial examination is like killing their parents. He's a genius who passed the exam four times in a row. His wife seems kind too. Aren't we committing a sin?" Liu Hong wiped his face and squatted on the ground, his words filled with despair.
Li's eyes were swollen from crying in a short time. Her heart was filled with fear, and she sobbed incoherently, "If we don't do it, our whole family will die. Our two children are still young, and who knows what kind of torture Xia Lian will suffer in the palace? We have no choice."
The couple was plunged into deep despair. Their eldest daughter was Xia Lian, and they also had a fifteen-year-old second daughter and a ten-year-old son. They didn't want to harm anyone, and moving away from the capital immediately would be the best way to protect themselves, but they couldn't bear to abandon Xia Lian.
To harm others or to allow one's own daughter to be harmed—this is the most severe test of humanity.
Unable to make a decision, Liu Hong first pawned the jewelry, then deliberately tried to bump into Xu Zifan on the street. As they passed each other, he cried out "Ouch!" and pretended to have twisted his ankle.
Xu Zifan was a little surprised and helped him up. "Are you alright? There's a clinic up ahead, shall I help you over there?"
Liu Hong waved his hand with a smile, "It's nothing, I just twisted it, I'll be fine after a rest. But I'm in a lot of pain right now, could you please help me find a place to sit?"
"Okay." There happened to be a teahouse nearby, so Xu Zifan helped him inside to rest, even paying for a pot of tea and pouring him a cup.
Liu Hong was flattered and accepted the gift with both hands. "I can't accept this. Thank you so much. We've only just met, and you're willing to help me like this. You're such a kind person."
Xu Zifan was a scholar who had passed the imperial examinations, and scholars are generally a bit arrogant. Liu Hong never expected Xu Zifan to be so approachable and kind-hearted.
Xu Zifan smiled and took the initiative to start the conversation, "I have been sickly since I was a child. My parents have been doing good deeds and praying for me for more than ten years. My relatives, friends and neighbors have also taken good care of me. Now that I have recovered, I want to help more people and convey this kindness."
Liu Hong asked in surprise, "There's such a story? Then you must be a family that accumulates good deeds."
"Where? My mother says good deeds are rewarded. These are just things I do casually every day, nothing special."
"Well, forgive my bluntness, but I'm quite curious. Could you tell me more? Such stories are quite rare."
Xu Zifan gave him a strange look. "Isn't this common in the capital? Maybe I've seen it so much that I don't think it's anything special. My mother now distributes porridge in the prefectural city every month, which is considered a significant thing for our family. In the past, it was just something she did casually, sometimes it was just a coincidence that she helped people a lot. Like my wife's grandfather, he was hit by a tree in a storm, and my father happened to see him and took him to the clinic, saving his life. My grandfather was grateful, and my wife was grateful too, saying that she married me to repay a debt of gratitude. This is probably considered unusual."
Xu Zifan laughed as he spoke. Testing one's humanity is never simple. Since Liu Hong had come looking for him, he would make things even harder. Liu Hong could barely bring himself to harm a villain, but what about a good person?
Liu Hong's heart skipped a beat. Before he came, he gritted his teeth and thought that if Xu Zifan was a despicable person, he would play the bad guy. He couldn't just watch his daughter be tortured to death.
But who would have thought that Xu Zifan was kind and gentle, and it seemed that his whole family were good people, even his wife's family were grateful and of good character. How could he bear to ruin Xu Zifan's career and allow others to bully Madam Xu? Wouldn't that lead to the destruction of the Xu family?
Their family members are human beings, and the Xu family members are human beings too!
Facing Xu Zifan's clear gaze, Liu Hong was driven almost mad by an intense inner struggle. He dared not meet Xu Zifan's eyes again, forcing a smile and saying, "I'm much better," before hurriedly taking his leave. Although his actions seemed strange, he also...
She didn't care anymore and fled from Xu Zifan's sight as if escaping.
Xu Zifan calmly took a sip of tea, already anticipating Liu Hong's choice. Some people are selfish, some are selfless, and most ordinary people fall somewhere in between, finding it difficult to choose when faced with a conflict of interest. But people's hearts always lean slightly, and in the end, they will follow the voice deepest within their souls.
Liu Hong ran home and collapsed into the yard, utterly dejected. His children rushed to him, asking in alarm what was wrong. Tears streamed down Liu Hong's face. He looked up at Li Shi, who had run out, and said in a hoarse voice, "We can't do this..."
Li's body swayed and then collapsed. Her two children quickly supported her, looking at her anxiously and worriedly. Li hugged them and broke down in tears, "Why? Why is God doing this to us? My Xia Lian, what are we going to do!"
They couldn't bring themselves to do something so harmful; it seemed Liu Hong's decision was a death sentence for Xia Lian. Liu Hong and Li Shi sat in the darkness all night, both seemingly lost in thought. The imperial examination was in two days, and that day would be like Xia Lian's execution day. If they wanted to escape, these were their only two days left.
The next morning, when the children came to knock on the door, the couple finally moved, staring at each other for a long time, as if they had aged decades. Finally, Liu Hong said, "You take the two children and leave. I can't leave Xia Lian behind. I'll stay and keep her company."
Li's tears fell instantly, but she could no longer cry out. "No, I'll stay. You take the children and go. Be their support, watch them get married, and don't let them know about this."
Liu Hong clenched his teeth so tightly that his gums bled. No matter what he did, it wouldn't work. He couldn't watch his daughter die, nor could he leave his wife and children destitute, and he certainly couldn't harm anyone.
For the first time in his life, he hated someone. He wished Lin Ruoshan would die suddenly. What right did this person have to threaten them with the lives of their entire family to harm others? It is said that good deeds are rewarded and evil deeds are punished. What sins did the Liu family commit to be targeted by such a person?
After Liu Hong unleashed his ruthlessness, he slammed his fist on the table and stood up. "I won't let her get away with this. You take the child out of the city and go to my aunt's place. I'll go find Xu Zifan. I'll drag her down with me, even if it means my death. I don't believe she can control everything. As long as Xu Zifan can deal with her in the future, I can die in peace."
"His father…" Madam Li tried to stop him, but withdrew her hand after seeing Liu Hong's eyes. She knew that feeling. If her children weren't still young, she would definitely stay to accompany Xia Lian. But now, Liu Hong's arrangement was the best possible outcome.
Liu Hong glanced at his son and daughter one last time, then left the house with the air of someone who would never return. Li wiped away her tears, quickly gathered her money, comforted her frightened children, and prepared to leave the capital.
Liu Hong asked many people before finally finding Xu Zifan's address. He knocked on the door and immediately knelt down upon seeing Xu Zifan. "Master Xu, please help me!"
Xu Zifan helped him up, not surprised, and said with a smile, "Kind-hearted people will surely be rewarded. No rush, let's sit down and talk over tea."
Liu Hong was startled and looked at him in astonishment, "Mr. Xu, you...you know?"
Xu Zifan smiled without saying a word; his attitude spoke volumes. Liu Hong suddenly felt that Xu Zifan was unfathomable. Thinking of those legendary figures whose wisdom bordered on the supernatural, which one wasn't a master strategist? A glimmer of hope suddenly appeared in his heart. After following Xu Zifan into the house, he immediately brought out a tray and begged Xu Zifan to save his life.
Xu Zifan opened his folding fan and slowly waved it. After listening to his words, he pondered and said, "I have a medicine that, when taken, causes symptoms similar to dysentery and is extremely potent. Find a way to get your daughter to take it, and she will naturally be sent out of the palace."
Liu Hong was stunned. He was just an ordinary citizen, and he couldn't think of such a method even if he racked his brains. He hesitated and said, "Then...then I...I'll have Xia Lian fake her death? Leave...leave the capital? Is that feasible?"
Xu Zifan smiled and nodded, "Of course. Don't worry, this medicine only makes people appear seriously ill, so the imperial physicians can't detect it. You'll recover after taking the antidote, and it won't be painful."
Liu Hong looked at him intently, and after a long while, he chose to believe him. He knelt down and bowed, saying, "Master Xu, if this matter can be accomplished, you will be the second parent of my Liu family. I will worship you with a longevity tablet and pray for your well-being for the rest of my life."
"There's no need for that. I've said it before, good deeds are rewarded. You saved yourself." Xu Zifan patted his shoulder, gave him two pills, and explained in detail how to use them.
Liu Hong thanked her repeatedly and hurried home with a heavy heart. He told Li about it, and she immediately agreed, determined to try anything, no matter how small the chance.
After discussing for a while, Liu Hong went to find the family of the palace maid who had a good relationship with Xia Lian. He remembered that it was the day they were supposed to meet the palace maid. He asked the palace maid to inform Xia Lian's family that there was an emergency. After a lot of effort, he finally met Xia Lian.
The pills had already been dissolved in water and soaked onto a snow-white handkerchief. After he told Xia Lian about this, Xia Lian, though terrified, still agreed. The handkerchief wasn't found to be problematic. After taking it back to her room, she soaked the handkerchief in water. After hesitating for a long time, she finally decided she couldn't force her parents to harm others and drank the medicine in the cup in one gulp.
She was ready to risk everything, whether it was life or death, because she couldn't stand Lin Ruoshan anymore!