Palace Coup 14

What caused the children in the family to perish, starving to death?

Xie Miaoxuan began coughing violently. “But... cough, cough, cough...”

The dry, hard bean cake in her mouth, once thoroughly moistened by saliva, turned bitter and tasteless. Swallowing it scraped painfully at her throat.

She closed her eyes and swallowed hard. After laboring for an entire year, to be forced to eat such things!

Trying to appear composed, she continued gently coaxing, “But was it illness?”

“No,” he refused to speak further.

When she pressed again, he changed the subject, saying that if the lady wished to enjoy the countryside scenery, she could visit the back mountain, where autumn chrysanthemums were now in full bloom—perfect for a noble to appreciate.

Xie Miaoxuan was silent for a moment, her steps faltering slightly as she glanced toward the back mountain, seemingly genuinely interested.

At that moment, the peasant woman who had been sitting quietly nearby suddenly knelt down with a thud, crawling several paces on her knees until she reached Xie Miaoxuan’s feet. Clinging to her like a lifeline, the woman’s eyes were already brimming with tears, her sunken, sallow face etched with determination.

She appeared to be around fifty years old.

“Lady, I beg you, please save my child.”

She pounded her forehead on the ground repeatedly. The hard stones beneath her made her forehead bleed after just two knocks.

Xie Miaoxuan quickly tossed the bean cake to the ox behind her and steadied the woman’s body. “Stand up and speak. Tell me what happened. Don’t be afraid; I will stand up for you.”

The woman was forcibly pulled to her feet.

Xie Miaoxuan held the woman’s hands. The rough texture of her palms contrasted sharply with the softness of Xie’s.

Looking into the woman’s eyes, she saw nothing but resolute sorrow. “Please, lady, save my Yan’er. My Yan’er was born wrong, reincarnated in my womb. Her two older brothers both starved to death. I treasured her like the apple of my eye and raised her to sixteen. Everything was arranged—she was to marry her maternal cousin by the end of the year. But Yan’er... she was taken by Cao Zhuangtou.”

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“They say she’s to be his son’s concubine, but...” the woman sobbed uncontrollably, choking on her words, “We all know Cao Zhuangtou’s son is foolish and simple-minded. We refused, but Cao Zhuangtou said if we disagreed, we must pay ninety percent of our taxes this year.”

“I didn’t want to agree, but Cao Zhuangtou came with men, smashed our home, and forcibly took her away. The two of us old folks were no match for them... I secretly went to see once. The beasts! They locked her in our pigsty and tormented her every day. Now... she’s barely holding on!”

“Please, lady, save my child.” She tried to kneel again.

Xie Miaoxuan frowned deeply, gripping the woman’s hands firmly to stop her, pulling out a handkerchief to wipe away her tears.

A tax rate of ninety percent is no different from sentencing someone to death! And forcibly taking a woman as a concubine!

“What was the usual tax rate?”

The commotion grew louder. Some people began to peek over. A nearby villager hurriedly grabbed the woman and pulled her away from Xie Miaoxuan’s grasp. “Lady, please leave quickly. It’s my fault. Our family is starving; the children have died. She’s delirious—what she says is nonsense. Don’t take it seriously.”

The peasant woman struggled fiercely against the villager holding her, pounding him desperately. “Yan’er’s father, you fear death, but I do not. I’d rather give my life. If you can’t save Yan’er’s life, I won’t stand by and watch her die. She is a piece of my flesh born after ten months of pregnancy. How can you bear it? How can you bear it...”

Xie Miaoxuan’s anger flared—not at the villager, but at the torment of this harsh era, where a modicum of power could crush the backs of the lowest people, forcing them to struggle helplessly in an unseen abyss.

She spoke solemnly, “If what you say is true, I will not protect Cao Zhuangtou. Not only will I not protect him, I will punish him severely. Yan’er’s father, your wife is right—the child is the very life of the parents. Don’t you want to rescue your daughter? What he has done breaks the law. No matter how powerful he thinks he is, no one can save him from my judgment.”

Her words rang like thunder in the ears of the couple.

Taking a deep breath, she continued, “Tell me everything Cao Zhuangtou has done over the years. I promise to seek justice for you. I am the mistress of this estate—the daughter of Xie Qi of the Xie family. Whatever he has taken or eaten, I will make him spit it all out!”

She raised her voice, ensuring nearby villagers heard.

At the mention of the Xie family, some eyes in the crowd lit up, but soon darkened again.

Old villagers who had lived in the estate for years knew Cao Zhuangtou had held sway for twenty years. The estate had changed masters several times, but never had any nobleman stood up for the common folk.

Just yesterday, someone had seen Xie Yuanju bring a jade pendant to meet the estate head. After he left, Cao Zhuangtou issued threats, saying this noble lady was only here out of curiosity and wouldn’t stay long. If they caused trouble, their entire families would suffer.

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So the older villagers hurried to restrain the younger ones who were tempted to act.

They were all bound by servitude contracts, and over the years, Cao Zhuangtou’s methods of control had become increasingly ruthless.

Taxation had risen from twenty to thirty, then fifty, and now seventy percent.

If they disobeyed, Cao Zhuangtou would register their names for compulsory labor under the imperial court—a death sentence, as few returned alive.

Many families had lost sons, husbands, and fathers here.

More terrifying than grim reapers.

Thinking of this, their courage faltered.

Xie Miaoxuan observed their expressions closely. Such deep-rooted oppression is not overturned in a day. To subdue the estate, she had never planned a slow, gradual approach. Cao Zhuangtou, who lived off the master’s favor, disrespecting both the master and the tenants while ruthlessly exploiting them, was a man she intended to act against decisively—like the grim judge above him, he wouldn’t last long.

Seeing the crowd gather, their eyes silent as still waters, she knew their fear had become habitual. Long oppression had bent their backs, and straightening those backs would be her task ahead.

She would not force them now to confess their hearts. Just having this woman speak was enough to start dealing with Cao Youxin.

She addressed the crowd, “You have suffered, and as the master of this estate, I bear responsibility for failing to notice sooner, which allowed you to endure such exploitation. Today, even if you say nothing, when I have expelled Cao Zhuangtou, you may come to me to verify how much tax you have been forced to pay over the years. I promise to return it all to you.”