Chapter 384: The Day of Da Chuan’s Execution Approaches

Chapter 384: The Day of Da Chuan's Execution Approaches

"Sir, are you trying to pressure me by mentioning the master?"

Lady He shook her head continuously.

Jinyu Zheng heard their voices from afar and saw Lady Zheng beating the concubine.

What noble, charitable, and gentle lady? It was all too common for her to beat the concubine in private; she just made sure not to do it in front of her husband and children.

Jinyu Zheng did not appear but turned around and left.

After leaving, she instructed a servant, "Go tell the master to come back for lunch."

"Yes."

The master was overjoyed when he heard that his daughter wanted him to return for lunch.

Jinyu Zheng prepared several special dishes. Not every dish might suit his taste, but they were exquisitely made, pleasing to the eye.

"Jinyu has put so much thought into this. I've never seen these dishes before."

Jinyu Zheng smiled faintly, "I created them during my idle moments. They may look good, but I'm not sure if they'll satisfy your taste, Father."

"No, they're delicious, each one is especially good."

It was rare for his daughter to cook, so even if they weren't tasty, he would still praise them.

Soon, Lady He entered with the last dish.

This was intentionally arranged by Jinyu Zheng. After serving the final dish, Jinyu Zheng smiled at her and said, "Lady He, you must be tired. Please sit down and eat with us."

Lady He whispered, "Thank you, Miss, but as a lowly servant, I'd better not."

Master Zheng finally turned to look at her. Feeling quite pleased, he said, "Jinyu told you to sit down and eat, so..."

Seeing her face, his voice trailed off.

He pursed his lips and did not say anything more about eating together.

He continued eating, forcing a smile and occasionally praising Jinyu Zheng's cooking.

After the meal, he left and gestured for Lady He to follow.

Closing the door, Master Zheng stared at her face, "Who hit you?"

Lady He kept her head down and remained silent.

Master Zheng's anger grew, "Cui Qingqing?"

Lady He nodded slightly.

"Why did she hit you?"

Lady He explained, "Miss didn't want her dowry, and the master ordered me to dispose of it. I decided to move it to the storeroom, and Lady thought I was taking over her dowry."

Master Zheng said coldly, "Didn't you tell her that I ordered you to handle it?"

"I did," Lady He whispered.

Master Zheng drew a sharp breath. He understood now.

This wasn't just hitting Lady He; it was hitting him through her.

She was venting her anger on him by taking it out on those around him.

"You've suffered. I'll instruct the gatekeepers not to let her in."

"Thank you, Master."

Initially, Master Zheng was so angry that he wanted to confront Lady Zheng next door.

But after some thought, he held back.

As a cultured man, he rarely argued with shrews.

From now on, he would simply keep the gates closed and avoid her.

Jinyu Zheng did not deliberately inquire about what was happening next door, but occasionally, gossip would reach her ears.

It was said that Fang Jinxiu was having a hard time without her dowry. She had to rely on the Lu family for decent meals.

With her pride, how could she bring herself to ask?

Servants always sided with the powerful, so her situation was bound to be difficult.

In desperation, she sought help from Lady Zheng again.

Strangely, even though Lady Zheng had beaten Lady He, she did not order the dowry to be moved away. When Fang Jinxiu struggled, Lady Zheng gave her some of her own money, without touching the dowry.

Her two uncles often listened to Lady Zheng's complaints and then came to drink with Master Zheng afterward.

They seemed to be mediating, but it didn't help much.

Their attempts only seemed to deepen the conflict between the two, both holding grudges, making it seem like they would never reconcile, turning the Zheng and Lu families into a laughingstock in the capital.

...

Before long, the day of Da Chuan's execution was announced.

Zheng Jinyu dressed herself up and prepared to go to the entrance of the government office to watch the spectacle.

Incidentally... she planned to send Fang Jinxiu and her wet nurse a grand gift.

These two had been loyal to Fang Jinxiu all along.

But that Zhou woman had helped her come up with schemes against Zheng Jinyu, nearly ruining her reputation. Although Fang Jinxiu had already faced retribution, they had not yet suffered the same fate. How could Zheng Jinyu be content?

The verdict document for Fang Da Chuan and his wife was displayed on the bulletin board at the entrance of the Capital's government office. It would remain posted for seven days until the day of their execution.

Zheng Jinyu thought that in ancient times, the punishment for human traffickers was indeed severe. The case of Fang Da Chuan and his wife warranted the death penalty. In modern times, however, human traffickers did not face capital punishment.

With the truth of the entire case revealed, the crowd erupted into a frenzy.

Most of the residents in the Capital were from wealthy and influential families, who naturally prioritized their own interests.

The commoners resented the rich, while the rich looked down upon the commoners—a dynamic that had persisted for thousands of years.

To them, these audacious commoners dared to switch a noble lady? This was an infringement on the authority of the aristocracy—how could they tolerate it?

Someone immediately suggested, "Executing them after the autumn harvest is too lenient. Such people should be subjected to the most severe punishment as a warning to others."

"Yes, they should be tortured to death. Only then can we set an example."

Minister Yu was surprised that the crowd was not satisfied with the death sentence.

Some enraged aristocrats personally or sent their servants to shout in front of the Capital's government office, demanding that Fang Da Chuan and his wife suffer a torturous death to appease their anger.

Minister Yu of the Capital's government office could not withstand the pressure and had to face the angry crowd.

"Ladies and gentlemen, although they switched the young miss of the Zheng family, she is still alive and well. According to the law, only the most heinous criminals can be subjected to such severe punishment."

"They are the most heinous criminals."

"This..." Minister Yu looked embarrassed. Such harsh punishments were beyond his authority. The case involving Fang Da Chuan and his wife, no matter how serious, was still a civilian matter. He could not sentence them to such torture without higher approval.

The mocking crowd did not care about this. Someone shouted, "Listen, everyone, beheading them is too easy. We absolutely cannot agree. Why? Think about what these two did—it's despicable. They didn't just steal someone's child; they also swapped their own daughter into another family. The enemy's daughter enjoyed all the luxuries in the Zheng household, consuming so much of their resources. Meanwhile, the real Zheng family's daughter suffered in a peasant's home. For every hardship she endured, the impostor received luxury and pampering."

Immediately, another informed person chimed in, "That's right. Fang Jinxiu, oh no, Zheng Jinxiu, was the apple of the Zheng family's eye. Even after the real Zheng family's daughter returned, the Zheng family never mistreated her. Instead, she feared losing her good life and constantly schemed against the real Zheng family's daughter, repeatedly plotting to harm her."

"What? That impostor repeatedly plotted against the real Zheng family's daughter?"

"Yes."

"How do you know?"