Chapter 86: Ruining Nan Jinping’s Reputation, The Corrupted Hearts

Chapter 86: Tarnishing Nan Jinping’s Reputation and Broken Trust

"Si Lang, why are you alone? Where’s your Big Brother?" Liang Shi grabbed Si Lang, looking around behind him for a long time but seeing no one.

"Ma, the Emperor ordered Big Brother to take up his post in Ji County immediately. There wasn’t enough time, so he couldn’t return," Si Lang replied excitedly, gripping Liang Shi tightly upon seeing his family. "Big Brother sent me back to perform the ancestral rites in his place, along with Second Brother."

Though disappointed that Bing Wengu hadn’t returned, Liang Shi knew assuming office was more important than the rites.

"Si Lang, who are these people…?" Liang Shi eyed the group behind Si Lang.

Si Lang quickly explained, "Ma, don’t be alarmed. These are palace guards specially assigned by Big Brother to escort me home safely."

Liang Shi immediately turned to He Shi. "Call Da Niang and invite the Nan family to help. We must prepare a meal for these gentlemen at once."

The squad leader of the palace guards hastily bowed. "Auntie (to Liang Shi), just call us lads. We’re just lowly soldiers—Your son, Magistrate Bing, is an eighth-grade official."

Only then did Liang Shi realize she was now the mother of a county magistrate. She no longer needed to address every uniformed man as "esteemed," but rather, they should be the ones showing her respect.

"Come in quickly! I’ll have food prepared. You’ll need to stay the night after such a long journey," Liang Shi insisted.

"Ma, they’ll also escort *you* later," Si Lang added.

"What?"

Si Lang suddenly remembered he hadn’t fully explained. "Ma, Father, Big Brother called us back not just for the ancestral rites but also to take you all to Ji County with us."

"What? We’re going too?" Liang Shi had assumed they wouldn’t need to leave.

Si Lang nodded. "Big Brother said Ji County is being rebuilt from the ground up, and with his protection, our family will thrive there."

"But…" Liang Shi hesitated. This was her home—leaving it unsettled her heart.

She looked uncertainly at Bing Father, who was equally unsure.

"Ma, Father, don’t hesitate," Si Lang urged anxiously. "You don’t understand—Big Brother is incredibly capable now. Only by following him will we have a better future. Without him, we’d remain dirt-poor farmers. With him, we’ll wear fine silks, ride noble steeds, and rub shoulders with nobles."

"Your brother is the official, not you," Liang Shi scoffed.

"Ma, if Big Brother eats meat, we’ll drink the broth!" (Chinese idiom: even crumbs from the powerful bring profit.) You have no idea how impressive he is. He’s already doing business with the sons of marquises and secretariat officials. This time, he sent me back with…” Si Lang whispered about 10K taels of silver notes, making Liang Shi’s eyes nearly pop out.

"That… that much?!"

"Ma, you wouldn’t believe it—since leaving Shanghe Village, Big Brother has taken off like a dragon unleashed! It’s straight out of a storybook tale. In just this short time with him, I’ve earned hundreds of taels, and so has Brother Nan."

Now, Liang Shi was sold. For such wealth, she’d walk through fire, let alone go to Ji County.

"Fine. We’ll hold the ceremony tomorrow and leave the day after."

"No, Big Brother also instructed me to buy as much grain as possible to bring along."

"Why grain?"

"Seems there’s a famine in Ji County." Si Lang, exhausted and thirsty, added, "Ma, let’s talk inside—I’m parched."

"Right, I’m so excited I forgot myself. Come in!" Liang Shi, having missed Si Lang dearly, held his hand tightly.

"Fourth Brother." Just as Si Lang was about to lead the Bing family inside, Erlang, seeing his chance slipping away, quickly called out.

Si Lang turned and saw Erlang. Though initially happy, the sight of Qian Shi beside him killed his smile entirely.

The current Bing Silang had traveled from the county town through the prefectural city, all the way to the capital of Bianjing, engaging in trade along the journey. He encountered all sorts of people, and both his vision and temperament underwent transformative changes.

Things he couldn’t understand before now became clear to him at a glance.

Bing Silang frowned, "Mother, what’s going on?"

Madam Liang didn’t know how to begin, but under her fourth son’s furrowed brow, she instinctively told the truth, "San Lang wants to reunite with our family."

Only after speaking did Madam Liang suddenly realize—her fourth son had changed. Back when he was at home, only Bing Wengu had carried such an imposing presence. But now, after this journey, her fourth son had also developed the commanding presence of someone in authority, making people instinctively obey.

Madam Liang truly felt the transformation Bing Wengu had brought to the family, and in her heart, she became even more determined to follow him.

"Bing Sanlang, if you have any self-respect left, you shouldn’t be pushing yourself forward now. If you hadn’t, I might’ve still respected you," Bing Silang said.

Bing Sanlang never expected Bing Silang to speak to him like this. He stared at him in disbelief, "Silang, you’ve changed. How did you turn into Eldest Brother?"

Hearing someone say he resembled Bing Wengu didn’t shame Bing Silang—instead, he took pride in it. "What’s so bad about being like Eldest Brother? He’s now a county magistrate."

"Fourth Brother, how have you become so calculating? I barely recognize you. You weren’t like this before."

"Calculating? If we’re talking about calculation, who in the Bing family could compare to you? Before, you never thought to mend your relationship with the family. When Eldest Sister was bullied, you refused to stand up for her—you even resented Eldest Brother for doing so. But now that Eldest Brother is a magistrate, you come slinking back, no longer caring about Eldest Sister’s divorced status."

"Silang, don’t push it! I’m still your Third Brother!"

Bing Silang scoffed. "I reason with you, and you appeal to sentiment. I appeal to sentiment, and you reason with me. In short, you say whatever benefits you. Bing Sanlang, in the past year, I’ve met too many people like you. I see right through you."

"I advise you not to push this further. We might still have some brotherly bond left, which might be useful someday. But if even that is worn away… well."

"Bing Feng!" Bing Sanlang angrily shouted Bing Silang’s name (his birth name).

Bing Silang turned to the imperial guards. "Men, take him away. I have tasks assigned by the magistrate of Ji County, and it’s best to keep unrelated people at a distance."

The squad leader of the imperial guards immediately had Bing Sanlang and Qian Shi dragged away roughly.

Madam Liang saw this and moved to stop them, but Bing Sanlang shook his head at her.

By now, news of Bing Silang’s return had spread throughout Shanghe Village, and Wang Wuniang could no longer sit still.

She had already regretted her decision when the Bing family rose to prosperity, but now that Bing Wengu had become a magistrate, she was sick with regret. Back then, Bing Silang had been deeply devoted to her—how could she have rejected him just because the Bing family was poor?

Was the Bing family really poor? No, it was a goldmine in disguise! Now the Bings were a family of officials—officials! A status far beyond her reach, yet it had once been right before her, within her grasp.

Wang’s father said, "Wuniang, this time you must reel Bing Silang back in. If you miss him, you’ll never find such a good match again."

Wang’s younger brother added, "Sister, my whole future’s riding on you now. Whether I can live a good life hinges on whether you can secure Bing Silang."

Wang Wuniang wasn’t confident, but for the sake of that fortune, she was ready to go all out.

She arrived at the Bing residence and hesitated outside, intimidated by the imperial guards stationed there.

One of the guards noticed her and approached to ask. Nervous, Wang Wuniang instinctively lied, "I’m Bing Silang’s beloved. I’ve come to speak with him."

The stern guard’s expression softened at her words and went inside to call Bing Silang out.

Bing Silang had no idea who in the village could be his "beloved." Only when he saw Wang Wuniang did he understand. But it was precisely because of this that the last shred of affection for his first love disappeared completely.

"Silang, it’s too crowded here. Let’s talk over there, alright?" Wang Wuniang gazed at him—he was still the same familiar person, yet something about him seemed different.

"Say what you need to say here. The crowd’s perfect—they’ll be our witnesses. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be good for the reputation of an unmarried young lady like you." Bing Silang was no longer the naive boy from Shanghe Village. He had learned caution.

"Bing Silang, you know what I want to say to you!" Wang Wuniang stamped her foot in frustration.

Bing Silang shook his head. "You said it was impossible, and I remember that. That’s all behind us now. You should marry someone you truly love in the future. As for your father and younger brother, it's best you don’t interfere too much."

"Are you looking down on me now? Do you despise my family?" Wang Wuniang's eyes reddened as she clutched her patched clothes, glancing at Bing Silang's attire, which likely cost more than her family's annual expenses. She couldn’t help but feel ashamed.

"I’m doing this for your own good." At this moment, Bing Silang indeed looked down on Wang Wuniang, but not because of her impoverished background as she assumed. He’d been poor for years himself—how could he forget his roots after just a few days of prosperity?

What he couldn’t stand was Wang Wuniang’s character. If asked what kind of woman he admired now, Bing Silang would answer: a woman like his brother-in-law.

Regardless of background, a resilient woman—one who wouldn’t give him an inch. But if there’s even a tiny chance, she would seize it desperately, strive to improve, and before you knew it, that overlooked weed would’ve grown into a towering tree.

In the past, Bing Silang couldn’t understand why Bing Wengu was so infatuated with Nan Jinping, like he was under a spell. But after this past year, he finally understood.

He and Nan Dalang had made progress, but compared to Nan Jinping's transformation, they didn’t even come close.

Wang Wuniang saw the disdain in Bing Silang's eyes and ran off in tears.

Wang’s father waited anxiously at home. Seeing his daughter return in tears, he asked, "What happened? Did Bing Silang bully you? Come, your father will take you to get answers. Today, Bing Silang must explain himself. Just because his family is connected to officials now doesn’t mean he can mess with a decent girl’s reputation."

Wang’s father was furious, ready to throw hands.

Wang Wuniang sobbed, "No, Bing Silang didn’t bully me."

Wang’s younger brother was exasperated. "Sister, are you out of your mind? Just because he didn’t bully you doesn’t mean he didn’t. Rip your dress and throw yourself at him—even if he didn’t bully you, it’d still count as bullying. Come, Father and I will go with you to demand justice from Bing Silang."

As he spoke, Wang’s younger brother reached out to tear Wang Wuniang's clothes.

Wang Wuniang dodged and shouted, "Do you think I don’t know these tricks? Bing Silang looked down on me from the start and was on guard the whole time. We never had a moment alone. There were soldiers watching us the entire time we spoke. How could I pin it on him? With so many witnesses, how could I frame him?"

The anger faded from Wang’s father's face, replaced by regret. "How could Bing Silang be like this? Who flirts with a girl out in the open like that?"

Wang’s younger brother sneered. "What a cold-hearted jerk, forgetting how he used to follow my sister around like a lovesick puppy."

"You’re still talking about this? Back then, Bing Silang treated me the best. If it weren’t for your objections, I’d already be married to him!"

Meanwhile, the Sun family was also filled with regret. Sun’s mother and father were sick with regret. As for Sun Erlang, his regret was even more intense—almost enough to make his intestines rot.

"Mother, I just don’t understand. Why did you dislike Aunt Bing so much back then? She was beautiful, worked like a dog, up before dawn, and would eat whatever scraps she got without a word. What more could you ask for?" Sun Erlang demanded.

Sun’s mother faltered. "I—I was just angry because she didn’t give you a son."

"If she didn’t have a son, so what? It’s not like she couldn’t bear children—just keep trying!" Sun Erlang roared. "If she really couldn’t, then get a concubine! One, two, three—eventually, we could just give the sons to Aunt Bing to raise."

"Get a concubine? Where would we get the money for that?" Sun’s mother retorted.

"We don’t have it, but the Bing family does! If Aunt Bing couldn’t bear a son, wouldn’t the Bings feel ashamed? With how much Bing Dalang dotes on his sisters, when Aunt Bing returned home after the separation, not only did he provide for her generously, but he also gave her a house and land. If I hadn’t separated from Aunt Bing and she couldn’t bear a son, don’t you think he’d give me money for concubines? How many sons could we have then?" Sun Erlang nearly shouted these words.

Sun’s father couldn’t help but chime in, "I never had any issues with Aunt Bing as a daughter-in-law. It was you who kept nagging and egging me on."

Sun Silang added, "Mother, why did you have to dislike Second Sister-in-law so much? If Second Brother hadn’t separated from her, I might not still be single. With the Bing family’s influence, I might’ve even married a daughter from an official’s family."

The entire Sun family turned their blame on Sun’s mother. Sun Erlang went further, "Mother, you drove Aunt Bing away. Where am I supposed to find another official’s daughter to marry now?"

Sun’s elder sister-in-law suggested, "Mother, why don’t you go to the Bing family to apologize? Grovel if you must—just beg Second Sister-in-law to come back."

All eyes in the Sun family turned expectantly to Sun’s mother, including Sun’s father and Sun Erlang.

Sun’s mother shook her head vigorously. "I won’t go. If you want to, go yourselves. Bing Silang came back with all those officials. What if he remembers how I treated his sister poorly and beats me? Who’d stand up for me then? I’m not going."

The rest of the Sun family didn’t dare go either, all terrified of the men Bing Silang had brought back. Now that the Bing family held official status, getting beaten might even get them punished.

Just as filled with regret were Li Erniang and Li Shi. The fates of this mother and daughter pair could no longer be described merely as destitution.

One worked like an ox for the Li family, hoping to return. The other, after finally scraping together some food, had it snatched away by Li Shi, who was slaving for the Li family. Eventually, Li Erniang simply ate whatever she found on the spot, never bringing it home.

In just a short time, Li Shi and Li Erniang had become skin and bones, gaunt as specters.

The day Li Erniang heard Bing Wengu had become the county magistrate, she wailed so miserably that her piercing cries echoed throughout Shanghe Village. The villagers nearly thought a ghost was haunting the place.

Far away in the neighboring village, Zhou Nan Shi burned with envy upon hearing from her grandson-in-law that Bing Wengu had earned the top scholar title and become a magistrate.

“Impossible! This can’t be! My granddaughter was fated to be a magistrate’s wife! That wretched Shuang Er from his family was meant to suffer poverty all his life—how could he become the magistrate’s wife?” Zhou Nan Shi, driven mad by jealousy, lost all reason and stormed out immediately.

Li Ye and Mrs. Zhou exchanged a glance before chasing after her.

Zhou Nan Shi sprinted straight to the Nan family without hesitation, kicking open their gate and shouting, “Nan, Miao Shi, you two thieving lowlifes who stole my grandson-in-law’s fortune—get out here!”

Nan Dalang had been telling his parents and family tales of his travels—some about his own trade ventures, but mostly about Bing Wengu and Nan Jinping’s brilliance. Suddenly, the sound of curses erupted outside, leaving Nan Dalang and the others stunned. With the Bing family now holding official status, who would dare provoke them?

When the Nan family stepped out, they saw the hysterical Zhou Nan Shi.

The moment Zhou Nan Shi spotted Miao Shi, she flew at her like a madwoman, trying to strike her. “Miao Shi, you thieving bitch! Give back the fortune you stole from my grandson-in-law!”

Now that the Bing family held official status, the Nan family had powerful connections. Nan Dalang no longer feared village gossip and promptly kicked Zhou Nan Shi away.

“What worthless trash dares cause trouble at my Nan family’s home?” Nan Dalang roared.

Just then, Li Ye and Mrs. Zhou arrived, quickly helping Zhou Nan Shi up.

Li Ye fumed, “Nan Dalang, don’t think just because Bing Wengu became a magistrate, your family can do whatever they want! This is your family’s elder—how dare you strike her?”

Miao Shi snapped. “Your grandmother is a shameless old crone, and I never expected a scholar like you to be just as disgraceful. What right does Zhou Nan Shi have to call herself our family’s elder? The true elders of the Nan family are buried in the ground—should she go join them?”

Zhou Nan Shi clutched her bruised chest. “Miao Shi, you thieving bitch! You stole my grandson-in-law’s fortune and still dare hit me? Aren’t you afraid of retribution?”

Miao Shi’s eyes flashed with anger. “What nonsense about stealing fortune! I’ve only ever heard of stealing goods or people—never fortune!”

“How dare you deny it! Back then, I told you to make that wretched Shuang Er of yours my grandson-in-law’s concubine, but you married him off to Bing Wengu instead. Everyone in the village knows your Shuang Er has good fortune that uplifts others. If he’d obediently become my grandson-in-law’s concubine, it would be him as the top scholar and magistrate now!” Zhou Nan Shi shouted self-righteously.

But Miao Shi was seeing red with rage.

Zhou Nan Shi could spout whatever crazy talk she pleased, but these words would ruin Nan Jinping’s reputation.

The world valued honor, and now Nan Jinping’s status was already mismatched with Bing Wengu’s. For Zhou Nan Shi to make such accusations—that a mere concubine-worthy Shuang Er had become the magistrate’s official husband—if such rumors spread, would the Bing family take offense? What would become of her Jin Geer then?

“Zhou Nan Shi, if you keep spouting lies, I’ll tear your mouth apart!” Miao Shi shouted.

“What lies? Didn’t I come to propose? Didn’t I ask for your Shuang Er to be my grandson-in-law’s concubine? These are facts—not a single false word! Miao Shi, your family stole my grandson-in-law’s fortune. If you know what’s good for you, tell Bing Wengu to return the top scholar title and magistrate position to him!”

“You’re just twisting logic!” Miao Shi finally saw the madness of envy in Zhou Nan Shi’s eyes and realized she wasn’t just being unreasonable—she was deliberately ruining Nan Jinping’s name.

Miao Shi’s mind buzzed. Zhou Nan Shi was trying to ruin Nan Jinping. If rumors spread that a concubine-worthy Shuang Er had become the magistrate’s official husband, it would inevitably influence the Bing family. If they grew ashamed and couldn’t bear the gossip, they’d surely divorce Nan Jinping and arrange a new marriage for Bing Wengu.

“Zhou Nan Shi, you spiteful hag—I’ll kill you!” Miao Shi lunged like a madwoman.

Li Ye immediately stepped between them. “What are you doing? Which of my grandmother’s words were false? How dare you attack her? Everyone, look—the magistrate’s mother-in-law is assaulting someone for no reason!”

The commotion drew villagers to the Nan family’s gate, whispering all kinds of gossip.

Many were jealous of the Nan family, grumbling about why, among all the villagers, it was their Xiao Geer who became the county magistrate's principal husband. And their Xiao Geer was a Shuang Er, while their own daughters weren’t even considered.

Some jumped on Zhou Nan Shi’s side, facts be damned. "Zhou Nan Shi didn’t lie—she really did propose to your family, wanting your Xiao Geer to be her grandson-in-law’s concubine. That’s a fact. She was just telling the truth—what’s with the violence?"

Li Ye supported Zhou Nan Shi, his eyes smoldering with resentment.

He envied Bing Wengu—how come Bing Wengu made top scholar while he couldn’t even scrape by the county exams? Back in school, even the teacher had said Bing Wengu’s knowledge was inferior to his.

It must have been Nan Jinping’s lucky-star reincarnation that brought Bing Wengu his success. Yet, he had been the one to notice Nan Jinping first. Zhou Nan Shi had almost secured Nan Jinping as his concubine—had that happened, the fortune would have favored him instead. He would have been the top scholar, the county magistrate.

But then Bing Wengu cut in, stealing both Nan Jinping and his destined success—the fortune, the top scholar title, the magistrate position.

Consumed by jealousy, Li Ye had no outlet for his rage, so he let Zhou Nan Shi stir up trouble.

The bigger the scandal, the better—ruin Nan Jinping’s reputation, brand Bing Wengu a cuckold.

Just as Li Ye was wallowing in spite, wishing the chaos would escalate, a squad of yamen officers in full regalia showed up.

"Who is Li Ye? Who is Zhou Nan Shi?" the yamen officer demanded.

Li Ye and Zhou Nan Shi trembled at the sight of the officers, too scared to squeak.