Chapter 350: Exchange
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
In the afternoon, Chu Yan came over with a cup of sugar water. He looked at Liu Sanniang and asked. “Are you going out?”
Liu Sanniang was still a little embarrassed, but Chu Yan looked like nothing had happened. He seemed to know that she wanted to step out.
Liu Sanniang replied softly. “Yes.”
Chu Yan smiled. “Let’s go then.”
The two of them went out together and followed the traces left by the worm until they arrived outside a mansion.
Above the door hung a big plate with ‘Yang Mansion'” written on it.
This mansion was sealed, and many of the passers-by shouted that the Yang family deserved it.
The entrance of the Yang Mansion was heavily guarded by constables while boxes were being carried out one by one. Soon, the sound of women crying came from inside. A disheveled man was dragged out. He had a terrified and angry look on his face. “I’m not Yang Yi. I’m Yang Cheng. Yang Yi did all these things, it’s not me.”
However, his hands were firmly grabbed by the constables. No matter how he resisted, he could not break free. A man walked over with a long scar on his face. He reached out and patted Yang Yi’s face. “Official Yang, did you say that because you are terrified of death? Do you think you can get away just by not admitting your identity? Don’t worry, I won’t let you get away with it. You criminal, you deserve to die.”
‘Yang Yi’ shouted in a trembling voice. “I’m not Yang Yi. I’m innocent…”
‘Yang Yi’ felt his heart ache, and blood slowly seeped out from the corner of his mouth, staining his white robe.
He had already forgotten the name Yang Yi. Thirty years ago, he was Yang Yi. But from that day on, he was never Yang Yi again. He turned from the legitimate son to the illegitimate son, and his future was ruined.
It took him a long time to accept his new identity as Yang Cheng and leave the bureaucracy before becoming a school teacher in a remote village outside the capital. However, the heavens seemed to be playing a joke with him. When he woke up one morning, he was Yang Yi again.
Moreover, what awaited him was a calamity!
‘Yang Yi’ looked at the man with the scar on his face. “Official Yi, you said that I’m guilty of corruption, but that’s not the truth. It’s unfair, it’s unfair!”
Yi Zilan’s lips curled into a mocking smile. He reached out and touched a drop of blood in the corner of ‘Yang Yi’s’ mouth. He tasted it and said coldly, “Official Yang, your acting is surprisingly good, and the blood tastes real too, but you won’t be able to escape no matter what. We’ve already investigated what you did. Your death will be in three days.”
‘Yang Yi’ looked desperate. He gazed up at the sky, indignant.
Yi Zilan pulled him and pushed him into the prison cart. The surrounding commoners threw rotten vegetables and eggs at the prison cart and cursed.
Yang Yi’s heart was dead and numb. He didn’t even flinch when eggs were thrown on his face.
Blood flowed from the corner of his mouth. WIth a shake of his head, he closed his eyes unwillingly.
The women in the Yang Mansion were also chased out in a sorry state. As for the Yang Mansion, it was closed and sealed.
The commoners were either cheering or cursing. No one showed pity for this family.
Liu Sanniang asked around and found out what crime ‘Yang Yi’ had been convicted of.
Yang Yi was the Assistant Minister of the Xia Dynasty’s Ministry of Revenue. He was a fourth-grade official who had embezzled funds which were to be used to support the disaster area. His official position was seized and he was punished. Three days later, he would be sentenced to death. All his family members would become slaves. This morning, the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of War, Yi Zilan, led troops to confiscate Yang Mansion and arrest people.
The commoners applauded. They hated corrupted officials the most.
To them, Yang Yi’s cries of injustice were the most ridiculous joke they’d ever heard. No one took it to heart. In their opinion, he just wanted to get away with it.
Yi Zilan had already taken him away. The commoners had enough of the show and dispersed as well.
Liu Sanniang and Chu Yan followed the prison cart all the way to the Department of the Ministry of War. Yi Zilan handed over Yang Yi to the constables. When he was dragged away, he seemed to be unconscious. Zhou Changzhu, who was the person in charge of watching over the prison, was on good terms with Yi Zilan. He couldn’t help but ask. “Zilan, he seems to be in danger.”
Yang Yi was over 40 years old. Zhou Changzhu was a little puzzled. He felt that Yang Yi’s health was in a critical state. There were still three days before the execution day but he looked like he was about to die at any time.
Yi Zilan frowned. “Someone like him should have died long ago. Just make sure he has one last breath on the guillotine.”
Zhou Changzhu nodded and waved his hand to get someone to take Yang Yi away.
Yi Zilan patted Zhou Changzhu on the shoulder. “I’ll leave him to you. I still have something on. Bye.”
Zhou Changzhu smiled. “Don’t worry. I guarantee that he won’t die under my watch. I’ll definitely bring him to the guillotine in three days.”
Yi Zilan was relieved. He looked at Yang Yi, who was on his last breath, and felt that justice was sought.
Yi Zilan quickly realized that he was being followed. He frowned and turned to an empty alley to wait. When he looked at the people who appeared in front of him, he asked coldly. “How dare you follow me? Tell me, why are you following me?”
Liu Sanniang looked at Yi Zilan and said calmly, “You have arrested the wrong person.”
Yang Yi was not Yang Yi, but at the same time, Yang Yi was also Yang Yi.
Yi Zilan’s expression turned cold as he sized up Liu Sanniang and Chu Yan indifferently. The two of them didn’t look flustered at all after they got caught following him.
A girl who looked to be in her teens had the audacity to tell him that he had caught the wrong person. Yi Zilan wanted to laugh, but when he looked at Liu Sanniang, he could not do so. He had a strange feeling.
It was very strange. It felt as if he had been seen through.
Liu Sanniang asked calmly. “Are you anxious?”
This was the emotion she sensed.
Yi Zilan’s expression darkened. “Miss, there is some nonsense you are not allowed to spout.”
Liu Sanniang looked at Yi Zilan. “Although he used to be Yang Yi, but for a long time, he was no longer Yang Yi. You have arrested the wrong person.”
Yi Zilan’s expression was cold. “Who are you?”
Liu Sanniang looked at Yi Zilan and said, “When you went to catch him, you saw that he was madly scratching his hair and denying his identity with a terrified look. You think it’s ridiculous. In your eyes, his abnormal behavior is fake, and he just wants to get away with it. You never believed him because you’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”