Chapter 44: I’m Sorry, But I Hit You

Wang Baochuan gave her attendant a wink, then lowered the carriage curtain.

A moment later, there was a sound of howling and wailing outside the carriage. Butcher Pang, completely unprepared, was knocked to the ground. Several attendants kicked and punched him, leaving him bruised and swollen.

“You! Why are you hitting me!”

After finishing, Wang Wan, the attendant, wiped his hands with his sleeve in disgust, then threw ten taels of silver onto the ground in front of him.

“Because you’re blocking the road.” Wang Wan said arrogantly.

“Here’s the money. If I find out you’re bothering anyone again, I’ll beat you every time I see you!”

Butcher Pang picked up the silver on the ground and limped away, muttering threats as he left, “You’re asking for it! You’ll regret this!”

Wang Wan helped the old woman and the young woman to their feet, “Get up.”

“Thank you, kind sir.”

“You don’t need to thank me. My mistress asked me to save you.”

The old woman and the young woman went to the front of the carriage to kneel and bow, but Wang Baochuan stopped them.

“Are you surnamed Yang?”

The old woman answered tremblingly, “My husband’s surname is Yang. I am Yang Lishi, and she is my daughter-in-law, Lan’er.”

Wang Baochuan invited them into the carriage and sent them home.

On the way, they talked about Yang Lishi’s son who had joined the army. They said that they had received a letter from their son, Yang Xiong, half a month ago, but the officials said that Yang Xiong was dead.

They were women and didn’t have much knowledge. They didn’t know who to ask to verify this matter. They only knew that Yang Xiong hadn’t returned and they hadn’t received any compensation.

Lan’er wiped away her tears, “My husband is not dead, he must not be dead.”

Wang Baochuan calculated the time. The battle at the border had ended months ago, “Are you sure the letter was from your husband?”

Lan’er nodded, “I’m sure. I can read.”

“What did he say?”

Lan’er said word for word, “Brother Xiong said that his superior valued him and kept him at the border to guard the city. He said that he couldn’t send money back right now and asked me and Mother-in-law to find a way to hold on.”

“But do you know? A while ago, our grandson had a high fever and was almost gone. We had no choice but to borrow money from Butcher Pang… But who would have thought…” The old woman cried, wiping away tears.

Qingqing comforted her, offering her tea and a handkerchief.

“It’s all over now. Everything will be fine.”

Wang Baochuan asked Lan’er, “Do you still have the letter?”

“It’s under the dressing table at home. I’ve kept it.”

Wang Baochuan arrived at the Yang family and saw the letter. The words on it were ambiguous.

She clearly remembered that when the army withdrew, all the soldiers who had been brought from the capital had returned. They hadn’t been ordered to stay and guard the city.

Even the soldiers from Qinzhou and Muzhou near Jincheng had all returned the same way. Yang Xiong said that his superior kept him at the border to guard the city. It seemed impossible…

But since he was alive and well and had sent a letter home, why did the officials say he was dead?

In the evening, Wang Baochuan was about to leave. She wanted to go to the county office to investigate. Before they left, people from the county office came to their door.

The county clerk, accompanied by a dozen or so constables wearing gray-blue uniforms and carrying long swords, arrived at Lianzi Village with a great deal of momentum.

“Were you the ones who committed assault in public?” The clerk stroked his beard and asked arrogantly.

Wang Wan denied, “Sir, you must be mistaken. We are all good citizens. How could we commit assault in public?”

“But it was this person beside you who forcibly abducted a woman in public. We saw it and stopped him.”

“Audacious!” He stretched out his voice, his whole body exuding an arrogant air of looking down on people.

“Bring them to the county office!”

Seeing their clothes and appearance, they looked like a young lady and her attendants from a wealthy family. This was a chance to make a quick buck!

“Audacious!” Wang Wan drew his sword, “Who dares to come forward?”

“Resisting arrest? Good, you’re rebelling!” The clerk saw that a fight was about to break out. He didn’t spare his words, but his body instinctively hid behind the crowd.

Wang Baochuan carefully instructed, “You can beat them, but don’t kill them. Leave them alive, I want to ask them questions.”

“Yes, Miss.” Wang Wan waved his hand, and seven or eight attendants rushed forward. Those constables looked intimidating, but they were actually weak and no match for the guards of the Wang Mansion.

After a clash of swords and a chorus of howling and wailing, Wang Wan brought the clerk forward.

Clerk Sun had completely lost his arrogance from when he entered the village. He knelt down, respectful and humble.

“Miss, it’s all my fault… I, a lowly official, have eyes but cannot see Mount Tai. I have offended you. Please forgive me, Miss…”

“Did Yang Xiong, who joined the army in Lianzi Village, die in battle?” Wang Baochuan played with the teacup on the table, asking casually.

Clerk Sun was puzzled, “Who are you? Why are you investigating Yang Xiong’s matter?”

Wang Wan was impatient, holding his sword to his neck, “Don’t ask so many questions! My mistress asks you something, you answer!”

“Yes, yes, it was a document from above. It said that Yang Xiong died in battle…”

Wang Baochuan continued to press, “Since he died in battle, where is the compensation from the court?”