After the first month of the lunar year had passed, the Son of Heaven still had not issued an edict deposing the Crown Prince. Instead, he finally turned his attention to clearing the outstanding debts owed to the Ministry of Revenue.
An imperial decree was issued: every government office was to cooperate fully with the Ministry of Revenue in collecting overdue debts.
Anyone who owed money to the Ministry of Revenue was required to repay it truthfully and in full.
Don’t think that taking advantage of the Ministry of Revenue meant you never had to pay it back.
The first to be affected were the many members of the imperial clan.
Whether they were rich or poor, nearly every imperial relative had managed to draw a considerable amount of money from the Ministry of Revenue.
After all, the court’s money belonged to everyone.
If you could take advantage of it, why couldn’t I?
A loan not taken was a loan wasted.
At worst, you’d write a promissory note. The Ministry of Revenue was never actually going to send anyone after the debt.
That was how things had always been done all these years.
So, after years of being picked clean by everyone looking for a handout, the Ministry of Revenue had grown poorer and poorer. Since taxes couldn’t simply be raised, it could only go begging to the shaofu.
The shaofu complained bitterly as well. Every time the Ministry of Revenue ran out of money, it came begging. Did they really think the shaofu was the Ministry’s private treasury?
And so the Ministry of Revenue cried of poverty, the shaofu cried of hardship, and everyone claimed life was difficult.
The Emperor delayed the matter again and again. Over the past two years, natural disasters had become increasingly frequent, tax revenues had declined, yet government expenditures had not decreased. In fact, they had only continued to grow.
Every year, arguments over money consumed the court. It was enough to give anyone a headache.
Even the salaries of officials in the capital were on the verge of going unpaid.
Finally, in a fit of anger, the Emperor decided to tackle the Ministry of Revenue’s outstanding debts head-on.
If every debt could be recovered, the Ministry of Revenue would gain another eight or nine million taels of silver this year.
That was an enormous fortune.
No one could remain unmoved in the face of such a vast sum.
Even the Emperor was only human.
He was tempted too.
Damn it. I’ve never even laid eyes on this money, and every last tael ended up in the pockets of you bastards.
Now it’s time to settle accounts after the harvest. Everything you’ve eaten from me, spit it back out. Everything you’ve taken from me, return it.
Whether they were imperial relatives or civil and military officials, no one would be exempt.
Refuse to repay?
I’ll show you why blood is so red. If you don’t want that fine head on your shoulders, I’ll have it chopped off.
The matter was placed under the joint leadership of the Secretariat and the Ministry of Revenue.
Thus began the vigorous campaign to recover the outstanding debts.
Originally, the affair had nothing to do with Gu daren.
For the past several years, he had served in provincial appointments.
Even if he had wanted to borrow money from the Ministry of Revenue, his reach hadn’t extended that far.
He was also one of the few officials in the capital who owed the Ministry of Revenue nothing.
Gu daren had been all prepared to sit back and watch the show, but a single official document from the Ministry of Revenue placed him squarely over the fire.
The Minister of Revenue flipped through the register of officials who owed money. Hm… Gu daren, Gu Zhili’s name wasn’t on it.
How unusual!
So he immediately sent an official order to the Capital Prefect’s Office, instructing Gu daren to assist with this debt recovery campaign.
Looking at the document, which bore not only the seal of the Minister of Revenue but also the seal of one of the Secretariat’s senior officials, Gu daren knew full well that there was no escaping this assignment.
With no other choice, he accepted the order and began assisting the Ministry of Revenue in recovering the outstanding debts.
However, whether someone was deliberately making things difficult for him or not, the very first case assigned to him was the Haixi bo fu.
Right in front of the Minister of Revenue, Gu daren nearly cursed aloud.
Who does things like this?
That was his in-laws’ family.
Were they trying to force him into offending his own in-laws?
The Minister of Revenue replied with perfect official propriety, “Precisely because Gu daren and the Haixi bo are in-laws, it is all the more appropriate for you to visit personally. As in-laws, if you can resolve the matter of the outstanding debt amicably, wouldn’t everyone come away happy?”
Gu daren glared, his beard bristling. “Has xiaguan done something wrong? Or have I somehow offended Your Excellency?”
The Minister of Revenue laughed. “Gu daren certainly knows how to joke. You and I have had very little contact before this. How could there be any question of offense? It is because benguan trusts Gu daren that I have entrusted you with this important task.”
In the end, the Minister of Revenue simply refused to change his decision. He insisted that Gu daren be the one to collect the money from Haixi bo.
Gu daren stormed off with a flick of his sleeve. He had a temper too.
He had already made up his mind. He would drag his feet. After a few days, he would report that the matter was too difficult, that it exceeded his abilities, and request that the Ministry of Revenue send a more capable official to Haixi bo fu to recover the debt.
However, after only two days of passive resistance, he heard a piece of news that made his heart tremble.
The Jinwuwei had been deployed.
The Deputy Warden of the shaofu’s prison had also been dispatched.
These executioners weren’t just keeping an eye on the civil and military officials who owed money; they were also watching the Ministry of Revenue’s progress.
The Minister of Revenue privately reminded Gu daren, “The assignment has already been given to you. If not a single coin is recovered, benguan can only hand the matter over to the Deputy Warden of the shaofu’s prison. When that time comes, Gu daren may have to pay a visit to shaofu and have a proper talk with the Deputy Warden.”
Cold sweat broke out across Gu daren‘s forehead. He had no desire to provoke the people of the shaofu.
Those men were all close attendants of the Emperor. If they casually spoke a few ill words about him before His Majesty, his official career would be finished.
Gu daren gritted his teeth, his expression turning fierce.
As the saying goes, better your fellow Daoist dies than you do.
If someone had to fall, better Haixi bo fu than himself.
And so, Gu daren personally led a group of yamen runners and blocked Haixi bo right at the entrance to his residence.
The Haixi bo frowned slightly, an expression of displeasure on his face as he looked at Gu daren.
“Gu daren, are you here to throw your weight around?”
“I wouldn’t dare. By order from above, benguan has been assigned to recover Haixi bo fu’s outstanding debts accumulated over the years. I ask boye to oblige and repay the money as soon as possible. That way, everyone can save face.”
Haixi bo was furious. With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked down at Gu daren from his elevated position.
“And if benbo refuses to repay the money, what does Gu daren intend to do?”
A ruthless glint flashed through Gu daren‘s eyes.
“If boye refuses to repay the debt, then don’t blame benguan for disregarding family ties. The men under my command are experts at confiscating property. When the time comes, we’ll have no choice but to trouble the residence with a search.”
Haixi bo flew into a rage.
“You dare!”
Gu daren produced the official order.
“This is an imperial directive. His Majesty has authorized us to act as circumstances require. Does boye truly intend to oppose His Majesty?”
Haixi bo let out a cold laugh.
“Gu Zhili, benbo never realized you were such a wolf.”
Gu daren remained expressionless.
“Benguan is nothing more than one of His Majesty’s hounds. When His Majesty points east, benguan will never go west. Rather than wasting words arguing with me, boye would do better to think about how to gather the money and repay your debt. Otherwise, the next people to come won’t be me, they’ll be the Jinwuwei and the Deputy Warden of the shaofu’s prison.”
“Don’t try to frighten benbo with the Jinwuwei. Back when benbo was fighting bloody battles on the battlefield, those brats hadn’t even been weaned yet.”
Gu daren smiled coldly.
“You’d best save those words for the Jinwuwei themselves. Benguan will give boye one day. At this time tomorrow, benguan will return for the money. If I don’t get it, benguan won’t mind bringing men to confiscate the estate. Let’s go.”
Gu daren came decisively, and he left just as decisively.
Haixi bo stood at the gate of his residence, his face livid with anger.
In his eyes, Gu Zhili was nothing more than someone using borrowed authority to throw his weight around. The moment he arrived, he barked orders and made threats without the slightest regard for personal ties. It was simply going too far.
“Boye, are you still going out?”
“What for?”
Haixi bo barked at the servants, flicked his sleeves, and returned to the residence, ordering the accounting office to prepare silver.
Over the years, Haixi bo fu had borrowed more than a hundred thousand taels from the Ministry of Revenue.
There was no way the household could produce that much money on such short notice.
At most, they could scrape together twenty thousand taels.
Haixi bo frowned.
“Only twenty thousand taels? That’s nowhere near enough.”
It wasn’t even enough to cover the fraction of the debt.
Haixi bo furen was beside herself with anger.
“Where is erlang‘s wife? Bring her here. That scourge – she’s been making trouble for this family at home, and now her father has come to make trouble for boye as well. It’s absolutely hateful.”
Haixi bo said sternly, “What does any of this have to do with erlang‘s wife? Don’t cause trouble. If you stir up an incident, Gu Zhili may very well seize the opportunity to make me suffer a major loss.”
“He wouldn’t dare!” Haixi bo furen slammed her hand on the table.
Outwardly, she obeyed Haixi bo’s instructions and refrained from making things difficult for Gu Yue.
But as soon as Haixi bo left the residence, she ordered her trusted servants to go to Gu Yue’s quarters and move her belongings.
Didn’t they need to repay the debt?
As the second young mistress of Haixi bo fu, Gu Yue naturally ought to contribute her share.
When Gu Yue saw the fierce-looking maids and old serving women rummaging through her room, searching chests and cabinets for silver, she grabbed the teacup on the table and smashed it straight into the forehead of the old serving woman nearest to her.
Still not satisfied, she pulled a rolling pin out from a corner and started beating people with it.
“I’ll beat you filthy maids to death! You dare steal my money? Do you really think I’m easy to bully? Whoever lays another hand on my things, my father will make every last one of you pay dearly for it. He’ll throw you all into the Imperial Prison to feed the dogs!”
How could Gu Yue not know why these maids and old serving women had come?
The Ministry of Revenue’s debt recovery campaign was such a major affair that even from the women’s quarters she had heard about it.
Early that morning, her father had brought yamen runners to block Haixi bo at the front gate. She knew about that too.
She had been on guard all along.
She had known Haixi bo furen harbored no good intentions.
Sure enough, Haixi bo furen had sent people to seize her property.
Fortunately, she had learned from Gu Jiu and had her maid prepare a rolling pin in advance. She swung it with all her strength.
She refused to believe she couldn’t beat these wretched servants to death.
“Murder! Murder!”
“Second young madam only knows how to vent her anger on servants like us. We’re only carrying out orders. If you’re unhappy, go argue with furen.”
“Pah! Let me make this perfectly clear today. Whoever dares touch even a single copper coin of mine will repay it tenfold, no, a hundredfold. I refuse to believe that if I beat you all to death, furen would actually make me pay with my life.”
The maids and old serving women exchanged looks.
The Second Young Madam had become less and less concerned with propriety, and more and more shrewish.
Then again, no one in Gu Yue’s position could afford to worry about propriety.
The commotion reached Zhao erlang, who had been resting in the neighboring courtyard.
Leaning on a crutch, he appeared in the courtyard.
During the first lunar month, Zhao erlang had gone out drinking and been ambushed with clubs. One of his legs had been broken.
He had never even seen what his attackers looked like.
Even so, he was convinced the people behind the attack had been sent by the Gu family.
Nor was that all. He had been lured into a gambling house, where he lost five thousand taels and was detained until payment was made.
In the end, it was the residence that paid the money to redeem him.
Then, only a couple of days later, he was ambushed and beaten with clubs.
There was no way he believed that this string of incidents had nothing to do with the Gu family.
He had wanted to settle accounts with them. Instead, his own father had beaten him.
He had been the one in the wrong to begin with, and without solid evidence, how could he possibly march to the Gu residence and demand justice?
Even if he filed a lawsuit, without evidence he had no hope of winning.
The resentment in Zhao erlang‘s heart had been building ever since.
Now, hearing Gu Yue making such bold declarations, he charged out.
He pointed at Gu Yue and cursed. “You vile woman! It wasn’t enough that you ruined me, you had to drag the bo fu down with you as well. I must have been blind to mistake you for a gentle and virtuous woman.”
Gu Yue let out a cold laugh.
“If I had truly been gentle and virtuous, you’d have killed me long ago. Zhao erlang, everything that’s happened to you is your own doing. You’re a man who prefers other men, yet you still dream of marrying a wife and having children. Keep dreaming.”
“Bitch! I’ll beat you to death today!”
What Zhao erlang hated most was being called someone who preferred men.
He rushed forward and swung a slap at Gu Yue’s face.
His injured leg slowed him down.
Gu Yue dodged with ease.
Zhao erlang flew into a rage.
“What are you all standing there for? Grab her!”
The servants obeyed. Four or five people rushed forward to seize Gu Yue.
Gu Yue cried out. Her maid tried to help, but two fists could not overcome so many hands. In the end, Zhao erlang‘s side simply had too many people.
The old serving women gripped Gu Yue’s arms tightly, leaving her unable to move.
Even her legs were pinned down.
She shouted, “You filthy servants! Let me go!”
The servants remained unmoved.
Even Gu Yue’s dowry maids and old serving women were all forced to the ground. Not a single one escaped.
Zhao erlang grinned viciously.
Walking over, he raised his hand and smack, smack, smack – landed several hard slaps across Gu Yue’s face.
Her cheeks instantly swelled red. The corner of her mouth split open and began to bleed.
She glared at Zhao erlang with undisguised hatred. “If you’ve got the guts, then kill me.”
Zhao erlang chuckled. “Don’t worry. Bengongzi won’t kill you. But bengongzi will make you wish you were dead. Men, gather up every bit of silver you can find and send it to Mother.”
This time, no one stood in the servants’ way.
Gu Yue’s eyes nearly split with fury, blood vessels flooding them red.
That was all her money. Her dowry silver.
They actually dared to steal her money. Every last one of them deserved a horrible death.
The servants searched through the trunks and found three to four thousand taels of silver.
Zhao erlang laughed heartily. “Excellent. With this money, I can at least ease Father’s and Mother’s burden.”
Satisfied with himself, Zhao erlang left.
The resentment he had bottled up since the first lunar month had finally found an outlet.
The servants released Gu Yue. She collapsed onto the ground.
Her maid Putao crawled over to her side. “Young madam, please don’t do anything rash!”
Gu Yue smiled coldly. The savage look in her eyes was exactly like Gu daren‘s.
She muttered to herself, though it sounded more like an order to Putao. “I want arsenic. Lots and lots of arsenic.”
Putao turned deathly pale. She thought Gu Yue wanted to kill herself.
“Young madam, please don’t lose your senses. It’s better to live miserably than to die. Let’s return to the Gu residence and ask laoye to stand up for you.”
Gu Yue suddenly seized Putao’s arm. Her gaze looked as though it wanted to devour someone alive. “Can you get arsenic? Enough arsenic to poison hundreds of people?”
Putao froze. Her entire body trembled. Her teeth chattered, and even her fingers shook uncontrollably. “S-Second young madam… y-you… please don’t. That’s a capital crime.”
“At worst, we’ll all die together. Do you think I’m afraid?”
She pointed at the bedroom, now reduced to utter chaos. She pointed at the clothes and bedding strewn all over the floor. “Even mere servants dare humiliate me like this. What dignity do I, this second young madam, have left? In Haixi bo fu, I’m nothing but a joke, a living joke. Zhao erlang. Haixi bo furen. That mother and son have gone too far. If I don’t avenge this hatred, I swear I’m not human.”
Gu Yue was someone who never forgot a grudge. She was also someone who always followed through on what she said.
Back then, simply because Xie shi favored Gu Shan over her, she had dared to set a fire and kill Gu Shan. Even afterward, she had not felt the slightest remorse.
It was enough to show that this woman was, through and through, a born criminal.
She would rather betray the whole world than allow the world to betray her.
Whoever wronged her, she would kill them.
She possessed both the determination and the ruthlessness to carry it through.
Had she devoted that same intensity elsewhere, she would not have ended up in her current situation.
It could only be said that obsessive extremism was a dangerous thing. Taken one step too far, it became madness.
How could Putao possibly dare to buy arsenic?
No apothecary would sell such a large quantity of arsenic to anyone.
In these times, arsenic was a tightly controlled substance, precisely to prevent people from using it to commit murder.
Putao’s palms were slick with sweat. She kept trying to persuade her. “Young madam, please get up first and have a drink of water to calm down. There must be a way to resolve this. Please don’t let your thoughts run wild.”
Gu Yue climbed to her feet and took a sip of water.
She did calm down. Yet the calmer she became, the stronger her desire to kill.
She said, “You’re right. Arsenic isn’t a good way to kill people. I’ll have to think of another method.”
“Young madam, please stop thinking about it. Nubi begs you.”
Putao was so anxious she felt like smashing her head against a wall.
Suddenly, Gu Yue laughed. “Putao, don’t worry. I won’t let you die. You’ve been by my side all this time. You’re the person I trust most. I’ll never drag you into danger.”
“Nubi won’t let young madam fall into danger either.”
Gu Yue smiled. “I won’t be in danger.”
She gritted her teeth. The movement sent sharp pain shooting through her swollen cheeks.
“Go. Bring me a basin of hot water so I can put a compress on my face.”
Putao went to fetch the hot water.
Gu Yue remained seated upright in her chair. A sinister smile spread across her face.
Zhao erlang. Well done. You actually dared to steal her money.
If she didn’t avenge this grievance, she wasn’t Gu Yue.
And there was also Haixi bo furen. She had failed to discipline her son and had done nothing but tell Gu Yue to endure.
She had endured enough.
Having Zhao erlang‘s leg broken was nowhere near enough. Only by flaying him alive and tearing him limb from limb could she satisfy the hatred burning in her heart.
The more Gu Yue had once loved Zhao erlang, the more she hated him now.
She wished she could eat his flesh raw and drink his blood.
At that very moment, Zhao erlang was standing before Haixi bo furen, proudly taking credit for his actions while slandering Gu Yue.
He had no idea that Gu Yue had already resolved to kill him, that she wanted him dead as quickly as possible.
Never provoke a woman.
Especially not a woman like Gu Yue, who had been born with madness in her bones.
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