CHAPTER 58: CHAPTER 58: AFTERMATH (PART 1)

Jiang Shaohua’s gaze swept over the women’s faces one by one, feeling somewhat heavy-hearted.

It was easier to deal with the men; just give them some silver for travel expenses and let them each return home. But what should be done with these women, whose faces were full of distress and confusion?

In fact, Da Liang’s customs were quite liberal; widows could remarry. However, these women in front of her had all been abused by the bandits, and society could not accept them.

"State your names one by one." Jiang Shaohua steadied her mind and said slowly, "Tell me your name, age, and how you ended up in Black Pine Village."

The women had never seen Jiang Shaohua’s fierce and ruthless side when killing, and only felt that the Nanyang County Princess in front of them was beautiful, gentle, and kind. They burst into tears before even opening their mouths.

"Commandery Princess, my name is Lin Huiniang," one woman cried, "I am twenty-three this year. Three years ago, I was passing through here with my husband. We were both captured by the bandits. The bandits threatened me with my husband’s life. I didn’t dare to die and have endured in the bandit’s camp for three years. I cannot face returning to my husband’s family, nor my own family."

The other women also started sobbing, recounting encounters similar to Lin Huiniang’s. Among them, there were seven or eight whose husbands were present on the side.

Yet only three spoke up, willing to take their wives down the mountain. The others remained silent, clearly unwilling to take home wives who had lost their chastity.

Jiang Shaohua’s gaze swept over them and landed on the three men who spoke up to take their wives home: "Think carefully if you truly want to take your wife home."

One resolutely said, "I am willing."

Another also maintained a firm attitude.

The last hesitated for a moment, then said in a low voice, "I will take her to a place where no one knows us and start afresh."

Although not as steadfast as the first two, it was still compassionate and righteous.

Jiang Shaohua nodded slightly, instructing Tu Bai to fetch three pouches and give them to these three couples as travel expenses.

Inside the pouches were two small silver ingots each, totaling twenty taels of silver, enough to build a small house to settle in.

The three couples knelt with red eyes, kowtowed, and left supporting each other.

The remaining women looked eagerly at their husbands. Unfortunately, they were met with faces turned away.

Jiang Shaohua’s gaze turned to the men unwilling to take their wives: "Think carefully today. If you don’t take them, you must write a divorce letter, severing all ties, and never entangle with them again in the future."

One tall, slim man immediately responded, "I’ll write one now."

Lin Huiniang covered her face with her sleeve, sobbing uncontrollably.

It seemed he was Lin Huiniang’s husband.

Jiang Shaohua’s expression did not change, her voice indifferent: "Yin Zhu, bring the paper and pen for him."

The tall, slim man had attended school for two years and could write a divorce letter, though not well. After writing, he wanted to personally hand it to the Commandery Princess, but Yin Zhu glared at him and took the letter from his hand, bringing it to the Commandery Princess.

Jiang Shaohua glanced at it, tore up the divorce letter, and with a slight movement of her long spear, swept the man’s legs, using only a fraction of her strength. The tall, slim man screamed in pain and fell to the ground, breaking out in a cold sweat.

Lin Huiniang reflexively went to support her husband, but he pushed her away in disgust.

"Write a separation letter, not a divorce letter," the Commandery Princess’s cold voice came through, "Don’t waste my time."

The tall, slim man endured the humiliation, struggled to get up, hurriedly wrote a separation letter, and shoved it into Lin Huiniang’s hand.

Lin Huiniang clutched the separation letter, her face wet with tears.

The other men, some of whom couldn’t write, pleaded for the tall, slim man to write for them. In about an hour, they had all completed their separation letters.

One woman, holding the separation letter, threw herself against a nearby stone pillar while crying. Luckily, the personal soldiers quickly knocked out the agitated woman.

The woman’s husband not only didn’t show concern but instead revealed a face full of disgust, as if wishing she would simply die immediately.

Jiang Shaohua’s gaze turned slightly cold, and she ordered, "Send them down the mountain."

Not a single penny of travel expense was given.

Some men wanted to speak, but upon seeing the fierce and intimidating personal soldiers, they immediately gave up and left quietly, heads lowered.

The men left one by one, until only a father and son remained.

They were equally thin and weak but couldn’t hide the demeanor of scholars, suggesting a good family background. Both father and son had bruises on their faces, clearly having been punished the day before.

Beside them stood a pitiful girl, slender and beautiful, with a gentle elegance, making her the most outstanding among the women.

Jiang Shaohua discreetly glanced at her and asked, "What is your name?"

The girl, who seemed to have cried for a long time, with red and swollen eyes, answered in a hoarse voice, "Commandery Princess, my surname is Kong, and my given name is Qing Wan. I am seventeen years old. My ancestral home is Lu County."

"This is my father and elder brother."

Jiang Shaohua nodded slightly, looking at the father, "Do you wish to take her home?"

The man gritted his teeth, hardening his heart, "Commandery Princess, our Kong Family is of scholarly lineage, with strict family rules. Our family does not allow widows to remarry, let alone accommodate women who have lost their chastity. She lost her purity and should have ended her life long ago..."

Kong Qingwan’s beautiful face turned ashen but she did not cry, her eyes devoid of light.

Jiang Shaohua interrupted Kong Qingwan’s father’s incessant talk, "With such strict family rules, should the men who enter the bandit’s camp also end their lives?"

The man: "..."

Kong Qingwan’s brother, with a flash of resentment in his eyes, interjected, "Men entering the bandit’s camp is bad luck. But women lose their chastity. For women, chastity is more important than life. How can men and women be the same?"

Jiang Shaohua raised an eyebrow, "Indeed not the same, Miss Kong is not as heartless as you father and son."

The father and son fell silent once more.

They were simply unwilling to take her, only cowed by the Commandery Princess’s authority and dared not argue further.

Kong Qingwan’s body trembled slightly, a glint of tears returned to her beautiful eyes. She bit her lip forcefully, kneeling and kowtowing thrice: "Commandery Princess, I have no way to repay your life-saving grace. I cannot return to the Kong Family. Please let my father and brother go!"

She kowtowed to her father thrice again, "Father raised me this far. Today, we sever all ties between us as father and daughter. I only hope that father will succeed in the Imperial Examination and find happiness and contentment."

Everyone chooses their own path.

Jiang Shaohua did not interfere with Kong Qingwan’s decision, only said, "Write a father-daughter Yijue Book before you leave."

Kong Qingwan’s father nodded quickly and wrote the Yijue Book swiftly. He was a scholar with fluent writing and good penmanship.

Kong Qingwan held the Yijue Book, her lips trembling, and forced out a few words, "Take care on your way!"

The father and son hurriedly left, not even turning back once.

After that, there were a dozen or so women left without husbands or parents.

The most pitiable was a very young girl who looked only about eleven or twelve, with a body not yet fully grown, and wrists and neck exposed outside her clothing were covered with scars. Her eyes were vacant, unable to speak coherently, only able to laugh foolishly, her mind already somewhat unstable.

Even the hardest heart would feel sympathy seeing this.