It is definitely a painful torture for a fat man who weighs more than 800 pounds to have to watch but not eat a table of delicacies every day, and finally watch a group of hungry beggars feasting around the table.
When such painful torture continues day after day, it becomes a kind of torture.
Uncle Cao Deming had been tortured like this for nine days, so much so that he felt that he was about to become the first person in history to be starved to death.
"Eat, eat big."
"Sing louder so that Uncle Guo can hear you."
"Drink the soup, chew the bones, suck the marrow, then--"
A big eunuch stood by the table, constantly directing the hungry beggars to grab food.
The hungry beggars were already eating sizzlingly, but under his command, they ate even more deliciously and vigorously.
This was simply adding salt to Cao Deming's wounds, causing him to growl in his stomach, suffer from gastrointestinal cramps, and wail in pain.
The table full of delicacies was quickly wiped out.
The hungry beggars dispersed, the dishes were cleared away, and with the eunuch's order, the table was once again filled with delicacies from all over the world.
Hot and fragrant.
"ah--"
Cao Deming let out a hoarse and weak wail in his throat. His hungry stomach and the tangy fragrance tortured him to death.
He thought it would be better to chop him with a knife.
The chief eunuch walked up to Cao Deming, lowered his head and said in his ear: "Uncle Guo, it's already the ninth day. If you persist for one more day, you'll be through."
After saying that, he suddenly raised his hand and quickly wiped it on Cao Deming's chapped lips, and a pill the size of a soybean quietly fell into Cao Demin's mouth.
This pill is not a precious good thing, it is just a jelly bean pill that can ward off hunger for a short time.
The eunuchs and maids in the palace would carry some in their pockets. When they were too busy to eat, they would take one to fight hunger.
However, it was this inconspicuous little sugar bean pill that made Cao Deming sigh after feeding him one pill a day.
However, thanks to his fat body, he is more resistant to hunger than ordinary people. Otherwise, even if he is fed a jelly bean pill a day, he will probably be in danger.
The sugar bean pills entered his stomach, which slightly relieved Cao Deming's hunger pangs and made him fall into a drowsy sleep.
"Eunuch Liu, thank you for your hard work."
Shan Liangji welcomed the eunuch out of the dining room and quietly stuffed a heavy purse into his hand.
The eldest eunuch put his purse into his sleeves and whispered: "If we survive another day tomorrow, Uncle Guo will be over this disaster, and the Za family doesn't think it's a big problem."
Ten days, this is Su Hanlin's punishment time for Cao Deming. If you can't make it through, you will die, if you can make it through, you will live.
Shan Liangji nodded quickly and said, "When uncle Guo recovers, he will not treat my father-in-law badly."
The eldest eunuch waved his hand and said: "Uncle Guo has been kind to the Zajia family. It is right for the Zajia family to risk their lives to repay the kindness. If it weren't for the three little bastards inside who need to be taken care of, the Zajia family wouldn't want the money."
There were also three little eunuchs in the dining room, always supervising Cao Deming's punishment.
"My father-in-law is truly a man of great virtue and righteousness, and I admire you greatly." Shan Liangji complimented.
The great eunuch glanced around and lowered his voice: "There is still the last day, so you must not do anything stupid that is superfluous."
"You absolutely don't dare." Shan Liangji said hurriedly.
"The three little bastards inside may tell the Emperor Gao Mi, and the Za family feeds Uncle Guo a small jelly bean pill every day. Even if His Majesty finds out, His Majesty will probably not care about it. Even if he cares about it, he will not care about it.
It’s just a person’s head from the Za family, but if the people in your own compound do something that goes beyond the limits, it will be equivalent to disobeying the imperial decree, and the consequences will be disastrous.” The chief eunuch reminded and warned.
"I must keep my eyes wide open and not let anyone in the family get close to Uncle Guo." Shan Liangji said.
On the evening of the tenth day, when the hungry beggars came out of Guojiu's house after being fed and drunk, everyone in Guojiu's house burst into tears of joy.
Uncle Guo is still alive and survived the catastrophe.
On the street in front of the Guojiu Mansion, people knelt on the ground to pray for the Guojiu. After hearing the news, they all burst into tears and cheered.
These people are all people who have received favors from the uncle's government.
It was precisely because of their existence that Su Hanlin left a glimmer of hope for Cao Deming.
These people did not know that Cao Deming had committed a crime and that he was being punished by Su Hanlin. They only heard that Cao Deming had a strange disease and had to survive for ten days.
Cao Deming was not dead, and everyone on the street was happy. Only Wang Wu was disappointed, but there was nothing he could do.
During this period of time, he had been secretly investigating the uncle's house and found that Cao Deming had done a lot of unscrupulous things, but he had done more good deeds, enough to perfectly cover up and hide his evil deeds.
According to Wang Wu's temperament, he is unwilling to delve into this kind of matter, because it involves too much, and many people will die if he goes into it, and it is very likely to cause fire and involve his family.
But Shan Liangji touched his bottom line and forced him to do something to protect the safety of his family.
If Cao Deming died, this matter might be over.
The newly appointed officials of the Ministry of Punishments are more responsible than the others, and they attach great importance to the case of the massacre of Xiangyang Village.
Although they did not find the murderer, they already had a suspect, because only the Dengxian Pavilion being built by the uncle's house had a direct interest in the old, weak and remnant soldiers in Xiangyang Village.
The reason why they haven't taken action yet is because Cao Deming is about to die.
If Cao Deming dies, that's it.
We can't lift Cao Deming out of the coffin and convict him. Not to mention that Su Hanlin won't agree, the people who have received the favor of the uncle's house can tear down the Ministry of Punishment.
If the case is not investigated, Wang Wu feels that Shan Liangji will have nothing to threaten him.
But Cao Deming did not die.
Then this case will most likely have to be investigated, because the newly appointed officials in the Ministry of Punishment are all eye-catching and want to be promoted for meritorious service.
With this rectification campaign to eliminate corrupt officials, there is no one they dare not investigate.
Not to mention Cao Deming, even if Su Hanlin made a mistake, they would still dare to say a few words because Su Hanlin gave them the courage and power to do so.
If the case continues to be investigated, it will definitely be traced to Huo Xingwu.
For the crime of massacring the village, the Huo family will definitely be executed.
Unless Wang Wu could watch Huo Pingfan being killed without being affected, his family's lives would be threatened if he intervened.
So Cao Deming did not die, and Wang Wu was very disappointed.
He walked out of the long street in front of Guojiu's Mansion, took a deep breath, and walked in the direction of Guowei Mansion.
He wanted to borrow a knife, a murder knife.
The gate of Guowei Mansion is still damaged.
Dangdangdang——
Wang Wu stood in front of the door, looking at the deep courtyard, and knocked hard on the door frame.
He was afraid that if he used too little force, the people inside wouldn't be able to hear him.
Then he realized that he was overthinking it, because the people inside couldn't hear it even if he knocked hard.
The yard is really too deep.
"Is Mr. Zhang at home?" Wang Wu could only raise his voice and shout.
The sound was full of energy and carried far away.
"Is something wrong?" Zhang Xiaozu's voice came from deep in the courtyard.
"Something's wrong." Wang Wu responded.
"Please come in."
Wang Wu stepped into the courtyard gate and followed the direction of Zhang Xiaopou's voice.
The courtyard is quiet, the trees are tall, fallen leaves pile up on the road, and the garden is overgrown with weeds.
Desolation and dilapidation fill every corner of Guowei Mansion. Looking around, there is no breath of living life, which makes people feel lifeless.
Wang Wu was thinking about the rumors that Guowei Mansion was haunted, and suddenly felt that the air around him was a little cold, and he quickly quickened his pace.
After walking forward for more than a hundred steps along the central avenue, walking around the main hall and walking forward for more than a hundred steps, and turning around a garden, Wang Wu's sight suddenly broadened.
A wide field appeared in front of him, with an area of four or five acres according to visual inspection.
Zhang Xiaozu was working in the fields with his trouser legs rolled up and his feet bare.
This land was cultivated by the young monk.
Zhang Xiaozu felt that if the land was left idle, it would soon become deserted again, so it was better to start farming.
Born as a farmer, he most hated the desolation before his eyes, and he least worried about farming.
It only took one day to plant corn on more than five acres of land.
Most of them have sprouted now.
It's just a little past the normal sowing time. If early winter comes late this year, it will be better. If it comes early, the yield will be much lower.
But it's better than nothing.
He was thinning out seedlings, reseeding and weeding in the field. When he saw Wang Wu coming, he quickly hoeed off a few weeds in front of him, then picked up the hoe and walked towards the field while greeting Wang Wu who was stopped at the field: "
Mr. Headcatcher is here in a grand way, but I cannot greet him from a distance. I am rude."
"It would be rude of me to come here uninvited and disturb you." Wang Wu responded with cupped hands.
"You haven't asked the head catcher Gao's name yet?" Zhang Xiaozhu asked.
"My surname is Wang, and my single name is Wu, Wang Wu." Wang Wu responded.
"Wang Captou, I'm glad to meet you. I wonder what Wang Captou wants to do with me?" Zhang Xiaozhu asked straight to the point.
In his impression, Wang Wu is a relatively smooth and shrewd person.
"I wonder if General Zhang still remembers Zhao Laosi's family of three?" Wang Wu asked in a low voice.
"Remember." Zhang Xiaozu nodded and responded.
In fact, as soon as he saw that the person coming was Wang Wu, he immediately thought of Zhao Laosi's family of three, because there was only such a little intersection between him and Wang Wu.
He couldn't help but frown and asked, "Did something happen to the Zhao girl?"
Wang Wu sighed and smiled bitterly: "Something happened, but I don't dare to take care of it. If General Zhang Lang doesn't dare to take care of it, then that's all."
"Can I think you are irritating me?" Zhang Xiaozhu asked with raised eyebrows.
"No, I'm just stating the facts." Wang Wu shook his head and said, "I, Wang Wu, have always been as timid as a mouse, and I never dare to offend anyone I can't afford to offend."
"You are sincere." Zhang Xiaozhu said, "Tell me, what happened to the Zhao girl?"
"Zhao Laosi's daughter Zhao Yue'e was sold by the uncle's house to Fang Chengyu, the young master of the Fang family, for 80,000 taels." Wang Wu replied.
Zhang Xiaozhu frowned suddenly when he heard this.
Eighty thousand taels and sold, so he didn't know what he meant.
Zhao Yue'e should be taken care of by the uncle's house, so how could she be sold?
Even if it is sold at the price of a maid and slave, how can it be sold for 80,000 taels?
Wang Wu turned around and left, saying as he walked: "If Mr. Zhang wants to take care of it, you can go to Room A on the fifth floor of Chunxiao Building tonight and have a look. If you don't want to take care of it, just pretend that you don't say anything."
"Your method of motivating generals is really clumsy." Zhang Xiaopou sneered.
Wang Wu waved his hand without looking back: "It doesn't matter if it's clumsy or not, as long as it's useful."