The Dramatic Crown Princess Wants to Poison Me!

Chapter 171: Chapter 171: No One Is Willing

Ming Xuan said, ”What else can we do? Otherwise, reporting it to the Government will be in vain. If we let them escape, how can the grievances and hatred of those innocent women be resolved?”

Huangfu Jingchen replied, ”Indeed, Shian Temple has committed so many atrocities over the past five years, yet its reputation remains intact, and its incense offerings flourish. It’s impossible for Qu’an Prefecture to be completely unaware, so reporting to them would be mostly useless. Da Jin Prefecture is adjacent to Qu’an Prefecture, and when I descended the mountain this morning, I already sent someone to report to Da Jin Prefecture. If there are no delays, they should arrive by tomorrow during the day.”

Xia Wenjin was surprised to hear that the authorities had already been informed. She glanced at Huangfu Jingchen and said, ”We didn’t have any evidence before; everything was just speculation. Aren’t you afraid that if the facts aren’t as we expect, you’ll be accused of false claims?”

Reporting to the authorities without concrete evidence requires courage; choosing to report to Da Jin Prefecture instead of the closer Qu’an Prefecture demonstrates wisdom.

His actions are both bold and meticulous. He can see the immediate situation and think about the aftermath, handling matters with great thoroughness. Though he was initially naive due to lack of experience in Jianghu, he has grown quickly!

With determination to act immediately, against the backdrop of Jue Zhou’s scream, Huangfu Jingchen addressed the women who were bewildered, fearful, and despairing, ”Everyone, those villains who harmed you have been captured. The Government will soon arrive, and they will pay for their crimes! Those who have wronged you, come forward and identify them. Recording these events will ensure they are severely punished by the law. Please come with us to identify them!”

None of the women moved.

When they were biting those evil monks, their hearts were full of hatred. It was those villains who ruined and tormented them. They wished they could drink their blood and eat their flesh at every moment. But after it was done, they felt confused.

What should they do afterward?

A woman raised her tearful eyes and timidly said, ”If we come forward to identify them, our lives will be over. I don’t want to identify them; I just want to go home.”

As soon as she spoke, several voices echoed her sentiment, pleading to be allowed to return home. Their voices were sorrowful, their eyes desperate, their faces full of fear and panic.

Xia Wenjin raised her voice and said, ”To report to the authorities, we need plaintiffs. If none of you come forward to identify them, and are unwilling to expose the evil deeds of these villains, then they might be deemed innocent. In that case, they will be released to continue their carefree lives. Everything you’ve suffered before would have been for nothing, and all our efforts will be wasted!”

Another woman sobbed, ”Let others identify them. It won’t matter if I’m missing. I want to go home...”

Is no one willing to come forward to identify them?

This was unexpected, yet understandable. As the previous woman said, if they were to come forward, their lives would be over. The eldest among them was only sixteen or seventeen years old, and they were all rural girls, timid and fearful. They feared the villains might find them again and also feared being laughed at and scorned by others.

They all hoped someone else would identify them daily so they could feel safe.

Xia Wenjin calmly said, ”If anyone has wronged you and you don’t dare to stand up and let them receive punishment, what courage will you have to face what lies ahead?”

The women who wished to go home continued to sob quietly, making no sound.

Amidst the cries and silence, a sharp voice suddenly sneered, ”Do you think that by saying nothing, you can return to a peaceful life? Having disappeared for so long, people will guess what happened even if we don’t say anything. In the future, gossip could drown us, scornful looks could kill us, and we would find it hard to lift our heads in the face of backtalk and ridicule!”

This voice came from among the group of women.

Xia Wenjin looked over; it was a girl of about fourteen or fifteen, with delicate features and a coldness in her eyes that was different from the others around her. It wasn’t a world-weary chill or a distant one, but a self-mocking and abandoned coldness—a coldness born of clear-headed analysis.

She understood her situation clearly and knew that descending the mountain didn’t mean the end, but rather the beginning of certain things.

Xia Wenjin asked, ”What is your name? Are you willing to identify them?”

The girl replied, ”I am Cui Hua from Shiya Village. I am willing to identify them. Anyway, my life is over. Once I return to the village, I will also be drowned in the pig cage. After identifying them and watching those villains go to prison, I will find a high place to jump from, ending it all!”

She spoke plainly and coldly, as if the matter of life and death no longer concerned her.

Xia Wenjin’s eyes flickered; she knew that in Nanxia, loyalty, filial piety, chastity, and righteousness were emphasized, with chastity not only referring to a man’s integrity but also a woman’s purity.

A woman who disappeared for even a few hours would suffer from countless sidelong glances and suspicions, ridicule, and scorn, losing all claims to innocence. Not to mention these women, who had been missing for far more than just a few hours!

Such ideas were ingrained in the bones and blood of the Nanxia people for centuries and were not easily changed. The more remote the place, the stricter the expectations were.

Any woman considered unchaste, whether of her own accord or due to circumstance, was viewed solely by the outcome, disregarding the cause. It was believed they would bring misfortune to the village, and only a drowning in the pig cage could restore the village’s purity and peace.

In a past life, Xia Wenjin had encountered such a situation and had even saved a woman from a pig cage.

Cui Hua’s words made many women’s faces turn pale.

Xia Wenjin asked, ”Who else is willing to come forward and identify them like Cui Hua? Those not willing to identify them, please stand over here, and we will send people to escort you home overnight!”

Upon hearing they could go home, while knowing Cui Hua’s words were reasonable, many still didn’t want to give up and quickly stood over.

A few remained unmoved.

Xia Wenjin said to Ming Cheng, ”Old monk, since this is a matter related to your temple, you’ll need to send people to escort them down the mountain and safely home!”

Ming Cheng replied, ”Rest assured, Benefactor, it is indeed the duty of this humble monk!”

Out of twenty-seven women, twenty-one stood up; besides Cui Hua, there were five who did not move.

Xia Wenjin asked them, ”What do you plan to do?”

Those five hesitated but then resolutely said, ”Cui Hua is right; we’ll be drowned in the pig cage anyway, so let’s at least see those villains go to jail before we die!”

They were all ready to die!

No one spoke a word, and Ming Cheng and Ming Xuan chanted Buddhist prayers softly.

The women who wanted to go home held on to hope.

But Cui Hua, along with five others, clearly understood the situation. Knowing it clearly, they neither evaded it nor held on to false hopes, focusing only on dying without regrets!