"At the time, we still didn't understand why. Clearly, it was the Song family who killed my sister. Clearly, it was the Song family who owed us. Why were we so afraid of those villains? Besides, we had always lived peacefully in Yancheng and had never shown any dissatisfaction with the Song family. Why should we flee? Why would the Song family kill us? Father said that the greater Song Yu's authority and the higher his military rank, the more the things he had done back then became a thorn in his side and a splinter in his flesh. He had to pull out that thorn. Otherwise, his political enemies might throw it out at any moment and use it to attack him. Father said the best way was to kill us all. Only when the dead could no longer speak would the matter truly be settled, with no one left to testify. Before we had time to escape, that bandit had already brought his men and charged over. They stormed into the City Lord's Mansion and wiped out the entire Li Clan..."
Li Wenmian wiped away his tears with his black sleeve and said, "At the time, some friends invited me out for drinks, and my stomach happened to be upset, so I went to the latrine. When I returned, all of my friends had already been killed. Remembering Father's words, I knew they had come for me. I didn't go home. Instead, I fled straight into the wilderness and hid there for several days. Only after the authorities issued a notice did I dare mingle with the crowd and take a look at the corpses of my entire Li Clan..."
Li Wenjin prostrated himself on the ground, sobbing so hard he could barely speak. "Uncle, I... I beg