Cover The Sky With One Hand, Beat The Ground With The Other, CHAPTER 3, Part 1

The forest is clear and fragrant, and the fine willow branches and leaves are green.

To see such a beautiful scenery means that I am still alive.

Heaven treats me sometimes with meanness and sometimes with generosity. After torturing me to death, they finally showed mercy and left me alive.

I followed the river current and crashed into the wooden boat a doctor who had been in the lake, and after he saved me, he explained to me, "You had water in your lungs, I used the Nine Rounds of Reincarnation needles to drive it away. Thanks to the secret recipe for hemostasis passed on by my family, your blood is now running......". To put it simply, he is benevolent healer and highly skilled in medicine

He said that he leaned on the boat all the way to Beijing with Beijing drifters in order to catch up with the Taiyuan Hospital. Looking at his age, it is estimated that he may be keeping some unspeakable secrets, but I didn't bother to ask.

He said he had been relying on this single small boat this entire time, drifting all the way north towards Beijing, in order to catch up with the Imperial Medical Hospital examination.

It was a wonderful thing, but he felt sorry for himself all the way. When I asked a few questions in my spare time, and he ranted and raved about how he had a great medical talent, but he was forced to enter the world to fight for his reputation, and how he was ashamed he was of his master's teachings.

I didn't want to hit him, but when I saw that he kept on blindly exalting himself, I couldn't help but retort: "If you are really capable, should the Imperial Hospital be begging for you by now?"

He blew his beard and glared at me, cursing: "It doesn't matter how good this old man's medical skills are, how can I make a name for myself if I don't cure a big shot? It's rare to save a little girl like you from the gates of death, and yet there are no other witness, so in the end it was a waste of time."

In the end, he saved someone for nothing.

I'm not a big shot. He is not a good man who runs a shelter. When the boat docked, we went our separate ways.

Previously, he muttered all the way that he had no money, but after he took the silver from me for the consultation fee, he excitedly told me to go home early and while will go to Beijing to take the physician exam.

I really do not know where to find my home. 

I once thought of a person as the only one in the world, but I didn't realize it until the moment he forgot me, that the world is so vast, that I do not belong anywhere at all.

I wandered around in rags in a trance, neither eating nor drinking, thinking that the end of my life would probably be to die in the streets.

Facts have proved that I failed to die from falling off a cliff, hanging myself, from a hidden arrow, or from a surging river. Naturally, I will not die of hunger and cold.

When I drifted half-dead past the steamer stall, I swallowed and stared at the vendor uncle.

The scenario I had in mind was that after he learned that I didn't even have a coin, he'll wave me away.

I didn't expect the uncle to stuff two buns to me: "Little girl, if you ran away from home, go back early, don't let your family worry about you."

When I crouched shivering in the cold wind, sad and disappointed that I would never see the sun tomorrow. The old woman who happened to come out to carry water pulled me into their house to roast the fire. She said she didn't agree with me spending the night outside.

Every time this happens I can't help but have a sour nose. How can this place be too simple, to think it's not at the outskirts of the capital, it's just a few steps away from the prosperous and extravagant city. When I was left to my own devices, I am still not destroyed in any way. 

Inadvertently, I bumped into a bad play of official soldiers oppressing the people.

Coincidentally, the oppressed person was the uncle who generously gave me steamed buns a few days ago.

These soldiers have swords around their waists, they smashed his stall and rushed into his house, pounding around for a while their leader was drinking something. Uncle Steamed Bun then knelt down and begged for mercy, but he was undoubtedly ignored.

I leaned on one side and nibbled on the steamed bread to observe the development of the situation. I saw an aunt with a slightly rumbling belly running out of the room and shouted "Xianggong". It's indeed the wife of the uncle. The soldiers thought she was a nuisance to push away during the hustle and bustle, so I realized the seriousness of the matter and hurriedly got up and supported the aunt who almost fell.

The unhindered soldiers smoothly carried the uncle away.

Before they got far, they saw another group of soldiers blocking the busy road. They ordered the people on both sides to kneel down. They said that Her Highness Princess Xiangyi is on her way to show compassion for the people.

As soon as the soldiers, who had been arrogant earlier, heard the name of the princess, they gave way respectfully and smiled flatteringly. I think this princess had nothing better do, If you really want to sympathize with the feelings of the people, it is not as reliable as private visits, this kind of attitude is purely a show of authority.

The glory of the golden palace came along with the mighty procession and the majesty of the scene is indescribable. Her Highness was sitting in a four-sided carriage. Nobody could see her face. I think she is looking down through the curtain slit, overlooking the harmonious scene of a group of people kneeling neatly on the ground, her heart must be very happy.

Unfortunately, the Heavens did not allow her to be happy.

The aunt in my arms, who was probably too stimulated a not sober, actually rushed to the front, with tears all over her face, she roared: "Your Highness......I'm begging Her Royal Highness to make the decision ah....."

I can't help but slap my forehead. This is why it is said it's more convenient to visit in private. When you go around like this, one couldn't expect how many people with grievances you will attract.

Her Highness is worthy of being Her Highness, she wasn't moved even though the aunt's cries were so loud.

The soldiers dragged the aunt aside. She didn't say a word until the phoenix carriage was far away.

When the carriage left, the people scattered, the aunt who was limp on the ground and crying in despair.

After thinking about it, I helped her into the house and said, "Don't worry, auntie, tell me what's going on, and see if I can help."

She looked at me suspiciously, and I explained, "I have received a favor from your husband." No more, no less than two buns.

She looked at me for a long time and finally shook her head: "I appreciate your kindness, but this is....."

This is indeed a difficult matter, she is limited in her ability to express, but it's not difficult to understand.

The aunt's husband, uncle, is Wang Qi, and their original son works as a housekeeper in the Ling family in the capital. He was said to have an acute illness two years ago, and his body was rotten when the housekeeper over there brought him back. The loss of a son nearly cost both the couple into taking their own lives, which can only be described as tragic.

This matter happened a long time ago, who would have imagined that Wang Qi wouldn't admit defeat?

It was said that the son was actually beaten to death by the young master of the Ling family, who happened to have been seen on the day of the incident. In his grief and indignation, he sued the young master at the Yamen (*official court of law in ancient China) in the Capital. It is said that the Ling family is a large family in the capital, and the new Yamen official is absolutely reluctant to offend them. In addition, although Wang Qi has a witness, but there's no physical evidence. The case simply came to an end.

However, the young master of the Ling family is not so generous.

This time, it is even said that the vault of the government lost a hundred taels of silver, chasing the theft traced to the Wang Qi family, this is not, that a team of officers and soldiers really searched in his house found the vault keys, straight to the jail.

He was taken to the jail, and if the case is decided in two days, the decades of imprisonment will not be avoided.

It’s enough to find fault with each other in two or three days. But this time, it was said that the vault in the house lost a hundred taels of silver and the theft was tracked down Wang Qi’s house. That group of soldiers searched and found the key to the vault in their house. So they sent him straight to prison. If the case is decided in two days, the calamity of decades of imprisonment can not be avoided..

I said: "It's obvious that the young master of the Ling family wants to get rid of the thorn on the side to eliminate future problems. Although there are loopholes in this case, one official and one businessman are insisting that Uncle will be charged with the real crime."

The aunt sniffed snot and tears when she heard the words.

And I continued: "Originally, you could've considered going to the Ministry of Punishments to file a complaint, but just now, you begged the Princess and she had ignored you, those officials would've heard of it. She is the Princess Regent, and his Royal Highness, the Crown Prince, yields to her to some degree. In that case, who would dare to ask about this case? "

At this moment I was surprised to find myself thinking more clearly, but I didn't know why.

The older woman was crying so hard she almost fainted, and I reflected on whether my words were inappropriate, and wanted to be silent, but I heard her cry, "If he doesn't come back, I can't live alone."

This sentence tugged on my heartstrings a little, I got up to seize the door, but the thought that had been pressed in my heart would not go away, and I finally stopped.

The aunt was obviously stunned when she saw me return, and I reluctantly pulled a smile. I don't want to live anymore so what's the harm in helping them?

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