False evidence

Chapter 423 Rekindling the Bond (8)

Putting aside the gossip, let's just talk about Bao Zheng's collision. Although he wasn't killed, he was seriously injured. After being dragged into prison, he remained confused.

Suddenly, the sound of the grievance drum was heard, resounding continuously.

Bao Zheng suddenly stood up, only to find that he was not in a prison, but in the ghost market from his dream that night, in front of the bookstall!
Upon seeing Bao Zheng, the stall owner Hong Defang immediately bowed down.

Bao Zheng was ashamed, "I failed to fulfill my promise to clear your name, so I have come here to repay this debt with my life."

Hong Defang replied, "In this life, I have accomplished nothing. Although I have seen injustice, I have found it difficult to atone. But today, the official has avenged my blood feud, so I..."

Just as I was saying this, a white cat suddenly jumped down from the edge of the shed.

Hong Defang had intended to say, "Even if I have to work like a cow or a horse, I will repay Heaven's kindness," but upon seeing the nimble white cat, he abruptly changed his tone and said:

"I am not destined to be a celestial being, so I will only serve as a cat in this hall, and only ask to help the Heavenly Official cleanse the mortal world of these despicable rats!"

With just one sentence, everything vanished like smoke.

Bao Zheng was back in prison once again...

It was late at night when footsteps sounded outside the prison gate.

The clerk who had been standing in the hall during the day came before Bao Zheng and said with his eyes downcast, "Qingyue is dead."

"What was the cause of death?" Bao Zheng asked.

The clerk closed his eyes and said, "He is indeed a man, he deserves to die."

Bao Zheng was stern upon hearing this, "Now that your identity has been verified, why not punish me according to the law?"

The clerk opened his eyes: "What kind of place is Huanyue Nunnery? Every day, countless women come to offer incense and pay their respects. If it were to be publicly announced that it would be closed, how many people would die because of this?"

After hearing this, Bao Zheng thought about it carefully and realized the implications.

Huan Yue Nunnery receives hundreds of worshippers every day. If people knew that there was a man dressed as a woman pretending to be a nun in the nunnery...

That would be like mud getting into your pants; even if it's not shit, it's still shit.

If a commotion breaks out at home, it's not just one or two people who will die.

Bao Zheng immediately understood and realized that this clerk was no ordinary person, so he asked, "May I ask your name, sir?"

……

"Gongsun Ce!"

Lu Xin and Liang Kaiyuan shouted at the same time.

I lit a cigarette and rolled down the car window as I said, "Although Hong Defang didn't truly clear his name, he still got his revenge. Because of his 'sudden inspiration' before he died, he was reincarnated and was no longer powerless, but became a powerful figure..."

"Imperial Cat Zhan Zhao!" Liang Kaiyuan clapped his hands suddenly.

Of all the stories about Bao Gong, besides "The Story of the Black Basin" and "The Case of Chen Shimei," the one that impressed me the most was the one my grandfather told me.

Even after I became proficient with the internet, I still specifically searched for the details. But I never found the part that Grandpa was talking about. Moreover, the content of the story differed quite a bit from the existing online materials.

My grandfather was just a peddler of wild herbs, so I'm naturally more inclined to believe that what he told me back then was made up.

However, reflecting on this matter now brings a different feeling. Lü Xin's thinking has always been very clear; after I finished speaking, he first nodded and said:

"A story may not just be a story; after all, there's no smoke without fire. Hearing you tell this story does explain the meaning of 'a book of the heart can save a life.'"

Then he asked me, "Did you learn about 'Life-Changing from the Heart Book' through Yang Wudao's account, which also records 'Life and Death Connection'?"

I said, "Why don't you first explain your understanding of the connection between life and death?"

Lu Xin closed his eyes briefly, then opened them and said:

"I didn't spend much time with that woman from the Divine Tune Sect; I only overheard her mention it by chance. Apparently, if the day one of lovers or enemies dies coincides with the birth date of the other, it means that their entanglement cannot be carried into reincarnation, but must be resolved in this lifetime. She didn't go into detail, but I still remember it. I just forgot the specifics."

Lu Xin suddenly turned to Liang Kaiyuan, "What is the birthdate of your woman, that Li Meizhi?"

Liang Kaiyuan shook his head, "Throughout these three lifetimes, her birthday has nothing to do with my death date."

"That's strange..."

“Not surprising,” I said to Lü Xin. “I think what you call ‘the connection between life and death’ is just a summary of a specific phenomenon by people in metaphysics. Grudges, affections, and the consequences of life and death are not limited to just one kind of relationship.”

Lu Xin clapped his hands. "That's exactly what I wanted to remind you. The story you told you directly illustrates the concept of 'changing one's life for another', but it's just a literal interpretation."

Liang Kaiyuan nodded. “'Petitioning from the heart' represents a person’s obsession. 'Exchanging life' doesn’t mean taking one’s life, but rather changing one’s destiny. All of that is understandable, but there’s one thing I can’t understand—is doing this really reasonable?”

Lu Xin shook his head: "It's unreasonable, and even more illegal. The mortal world has its laws, and the underworld has its rules. The paths of the living and the dead are different, and the idea of ​​karmic retribution in this life is just a legend, something people yearn for. If one's obsession remains and one tries to change one's fate with one's own desires, then that is going against the way of Heaven. And then one will truly be punished."

"What did Hong Defang say?" Liang Kaiyuan immediately asked. "He truly did seek justice after his death, and finally avenged himself. But at the time, he made a promise to Bao Zheng: he was willing to exchange three lifetimes of poverty for this outcome. His wish was fulfilled, but he didn't experience three lifetimes of poverty. If he really was reincarnated as Zhan Zhao, then he would be a fourth-rank bodyguard!"

"What is his obsession?" I asked.

Liang Kaiyuan immediately said, "Revenge!"

Lu Xin and I shook our heads at the same time. Lu Xin said, "Hong Defang was wronged and died. If we're talking about it, which is more likely to make a dead ghost harbor deep resentment: being wronged or dying?"

I said, "He said it was for revenge, but actually he wanted to clear his name and get justice."

Lu Xin nodded. "The fake nun Qingyue, who wreaked havoc on Buddhism, is dead, but she was subjected to vigilante justice. Gongsun Ce did this to save more lives. As a result, Hong Defang got his revenge, but he wasn't truly exonerated. It is precisely because of this that he himself was not punished for violating the laws of the underworld by seeking revenge as a ghost."

Although Bao Zheng was upright and righteous, he wasn't quite up to the task at the time. If Qingyue were truly brought to justice, countless people would die because of this fake nun; countless families would be torn apart because of this case. At that time, not only would Hong Defang be punished, but Bao Zheng himself would probably be considered guilty.

It's no wonder that honest officials in ancient times couldn't do without advisors who could weigh the pros and cons. Master Gongsun's move can certainly be considered a meritorious act.

In summary: Hong Defang's painstaking efforts to seek justice brought him revenge; Gongsun Ce's compassion and mercy saved others; Bao Xiling, a novice learning to weigh things, finally gained the ability to discern right from wrong and become a true judge!

As they were talking, the car stopped in front of the funeral parlor.

Seeing that we were greeted by a little kid, Gu Haitao squatted down and asked kindly, "Kid, where are your parents?"

Xiao Shen rolled his eyes and glanced at me sideways without saying a word.

"I've brought you a big customer."

As I spoke, I walked to the back door to look around. After Jiang Baohan was buried, the monkey named Er Gou Dan never appeared again.

(End of this chapter)