Who the Hell Are You?

Zhao Yaowen and Zhang Shiping stood on Three-Mile Bridge, their blue robes billowing in the wind, looking every inch the dashing gentlemen.

Northeast of Three-Mile Bridge lay Slender Lake, shaped like a gourd.

A breeze stirred ripples across it, and its emerald waters shimmered in the sunlight.

A fishing net spread through the air and sank into the lake. Wearing a straw rain cape and hat, a fisherman hunched over as he hauled it in.

Birds skimmed across the lake, leaving a trail of melodious cries...

Dressed in blue, Zhao Ya'er radiated a lively grace. The golden dangling hairpin in her hair swayed now and then as she walked along the lake with delicate, lotus-like steps.

Aunt Zhang followed closely, keeping a careful eye on her.

Seeing Zhao Ya'er looking downcast, Aunt Zhang pointed at Slender Lake before them. "Miss, I heard this was the very lake Gu Zhengchen jumped into. A crazed fool like him isn't worth grieving over."

The mere mention of Gu Zhengchen's name angered Zhao Ya'er. His words, "I don't want you anymore," had stabbed into her heart like a knife, making it ache night after night.

Aunt Zhang tugged at Zhao Ya'er's sleeve and pointed into the distance. "Miss, look."

Zhao Ya'er followed Aunt Zhang's finger and saw more than twenty people approaching with a threatening air. She could not help asking, "Aunt Zhang, who are they?"

Aunt Zhang broke into a smile. "They're from the Wang Family. Today is the day they collect their debt. If Candidate Gu can't pay it back, he'll have to become their tenant farmer."

Her face filled with anger, Zhao Ya'er clenched her pearly teeth. "Gu Zhengchen, I'm going to watch you lose your standing and your reputation, and kneel to beg for mercy!"

Outside the Gu Family home stood men and women, young and old, from all over Dayan Village.

Yan Sanjing, a village elder, handed his walking stick to Gu Qingqing and sat down. Looking sympathetically at Gu Shi and Gu Zhengchen, he shakily drew a handkerchief from his sleeve and offered it to Gu Zhengchen. "There are thirty-two households in Dayan Village, and not one is well-off. We can't help much. Everyone talked for half the night yesterday and scraped together one tael, one mace, and fifteen copper coins. Take this money and plead with Master Wang to give you more time."

Gu Zhengchen took the handkerchief. It felt slightly heavy in his hand.

Everyone in Dayan Village farmed for a living, and no household had many copper coins to spare. Giving over thirty coins each meant dipping into their meager reserves. These simple, honest farmers protected their neighbors in their own way.

Gu Zhengchen's eyes grew moist. He pushed the money back toward Elder Yan. "I can't take this money."

Yan Sanjing gripped Gu Zhengchen's arm and slowly stood, opening his gap-toothed mouth. "Lad, you mustn't become a tenant farmer."

Yan Sanjing knew all too well how hard and bitter a tenant farmer's life was.

The court's land tax took one part in thirty. Even after other taxes, farmers could still put a little aside, provided the harvest was decent.

Landlords, however, took half their tenants' harvests. The crueler ones took seventy or eighty percent. Out of a hundred catties of grain harvested, keeping thirty was already a blessing. Food, clothing, daily expenses, medicine when sick-all of it had to come out of that tiny bit of grain. Even with bumper harvests every year, a tenant farmer could toil for ten years without saving a thing.

Looking at the white-haired Elder Yan, whose face was full of concern, Gu Zhengchen nodded solemnly. "Then you all have my thanks."

"Make way!"

Wang Fugui and Wang Youcheng led their men through the crowd and entered the Gu Family's little courtyard.

Wang Youcheng glanced at Gu Qingqing, who was hiding behind Gu Shi, then turned his sinister gaze on Gu Zhengchen and gave two rasping chuckles. "Candidate Gu, have you got the money ready?"

Gu Zhengchen frowned slightly.

Wang Youcheng stepped forward, snatched the handkerchief from Gu Zhengchen's hand, and casually shook it out, scattering a pile of copper coins over the ground.

"Well, well, well. Is this the money Candidate Gu has prepared? Doesn't look like much."

Wang Youcheng sneered.

Outside the fence.

Watching the scene, Yan Bin said to Li Yi beside him, "This Scholar Wang has done little to cultivate his virtue."

Li Yi nodded firmly and said quietly, "We can no longer investigate whether the Wang Family had some arrangement with the previous magistrate. But judging by Wang Youcheng's conduct alone, his character is truly deplorable."

Watching the brazen, overbearing Wang Youcheng, Yan Bin glanced toward the crowd and said softly, "Magistrate, Dayan Village certainly is lively today. The two licentiates, Zhao Yaowen and Zhang Shiping, have come as well."

"Oh?"

Li Yi looked toward the crowd. Zhao Yaowen was watching Wang Youcheng, while Zhang Shiping was looking west, where a pretty young woman was glaring angrily at Gu Zhengchen.

"I hear the Zhao Family intends to arrange a marriage with the Zhang Family. Could that be the Zhao Family's young lady?"

Li Yi wondered aloud.

Yan Bin looked her over but could not be certain. "If she really is their young lady, then Zhao Feng has gone rather too far."

Li Yi gave a cold chuckle.

Such a tactic did more than wound a man; it struck straight at his heart.

Great Ming did not forbid unmarried women from going out. "Never stepping beyond the main gate or the inner gate" was merely a saying, not a prohibition. Quite apart from festivals, when men and women of every age went out together, consider this: where did you think those officials, wastrel sons, local thugs, and hoodlums harassed respectable women? On the streets, of course...

"Scholar Wang, bully him good and hard! Make him serve you like an ox or a horse!"

Watching Wang Youcheng humiliate Gu Zhengchen, Zhao Ya'er felt all the humiliation she had suffered swept away. The gloom and pain of the past several days vanished.

Gu Zhengchen looked at the copper coins scattered over the ground, bent down, and picked them up one by one.

Seeing Gu Zhengchen ignore him, Wang Youcai felt an unreasoning anger rise in his heart. He raised his left foot and stamped Gu Zhengchen's hand hard against the ground. "Did I tell you to pick up the money?"

"Brother Zhengchen."

Gu Shi wanted to step forward, but Gu Qingqing held her back. Her brother had said he knew what he was doing.

Seeing this, Yan Sanjing leaned on his walking stick and pleaded in a trembling voice, "Master Wang, please give him a few more days."

"Elder Yan, this is none of your business. I advise you to keep your mouth shut, lest you bring trouble upon yourself!"

Wang Youcheng threatened viciously.

Yan Sanjing was powerless.

Gu Zhengchen looked at the foot pinning his left hand down, sighed, and said softly, "I'll give you one chance. Move your foot."

Wang Youcheng looked down at Gu Zhengchen and pressed harder, shouting through clenched teeth, "Move it? If I move it just because you tell me to, where does that leave my dignity? Beg me! Beg me loudly!"

Gu Zhengchen reached behind his waist, drew a woodcutting axe, and smashed its blunt back straight into Wang Youcheng's ankle.

Crack!

The sound of bone shattering!

Wang Youcheng froze for an instant. Then piercing pain slammed into his nerves. He lifted his foot, clutched his leg, and fell to the ground, rolling about without stopping. His agonized screams made everyone's hair stand on end.

Li Yi's pupils abruptly contracted, and Yan Bin was startled as well.

Zhao Yaowen broke into a cold sweat.

Zhang Shiping stared in horror at Gu Zhengchen, who held the axe in one hand and picked up copper coins with the other.

Zhao Ya'er covered her mouth with both hands, staring at the scene in disbelief.

He-he actually dared to hurt someone!

Gu Zhengchen stood, blew the dirt off the copper coins, and looked at Wang Youcheng's contorted face. His words rang out with unshakable force. "Apart from the emperor, no one gets to tread on me as they please. Who the hell are you?"

"Candidate Gu, how vicious you are!"

Wang Fugui stepped forward, his face dark.

Gu Zhengchen sneered. "Wang Fugui, why didn't you say anything about viciousness when your son was treading on me? I'm the victim here. Everyone can testify for me. Your son was the first to use his foot..."