Simulates history, but Chongzhen is the Divine Emperor at the beginning

Chapter 6 The candle is out, no regrets!

【Your faith overcomes your fear of the darkness of reality! 】

You are certainly aware of the darkness and corruption of the Zombie Ming Dynasty, and you also know that your report will likely have no substantial effect. Given Master's mastery of this matter, it's likely not the first time he's engaged in such deception.

He's been able to defraud students of scholarship money multiple times, yet he hasn't been caught. This proves that he's a very capable person, and also proves that the power behind him is not simple... He's the deputy principal, so the principal must also know about this, and the county magistrate can't escape either...

[This isn't a case of paranoia on your part, but it's truly possible, as there's clearly been a lot of fraud going on, and it would be surprising if the magistrate didn't know about it!]

[So once you are really stubborn, the outcome is predictable.]

【But...so what?】

"Since ancient times, countless heroes have died for their people. They were all ordinary people. Weren't they afraid of death?"

[“Apparently, for them, there is something in this world that is more unacceptable than death!”]

[People do not fear death, so why scare them with it?]

"They dared to die, but how could I, a young man of the new class, not dare to die? Just think of me being willful!"

"Besides, the Ming Dynasty may not be as dark as people say..."

"A case involving just one hundred taels of silver shouldn't be considered worthy of the County Magistrate's attention. At most, it's just something the scholar, driven by greed, did. Even if it's connected to the County Magistrate, he shouldn't have made such a haphazard ruling in the Gourd Case, right? At least justice needs to be upheld, right?"

Although you're young, you're not completely naive. Precociously, you've assumed the government will at least adhere to a degree of procedural justice. As long as you create a big scene and report it to the magistrate in person, even if he's a corrupt official, he'll just have to play the role of a righteous judge...

So after school that day, you didn't go home and give the banknote to your father as your master had instructed. Instead, you took the banknote and went straight to the county government office!

"I want to report it!"

[The three-year-old boy shouted solemnly at the sleepy yamen runner at the door!]

The bailiffs were startled and quickly looked down at you, but seeing you were just a child, they impatiently chased you away.

[However, you had anticipated this, so you pulled out the red-bottomed letter of commendation from the prefect's handwriting!]

"I have a personal letter from the prefect. I want to report our Vice-Chancellor and Principal for corruption and fraud!"

Your loud cries spread far and wide, not only startling the yamen runners but also attracting the curiosity of passersby. Soon, a large crowd gathered!

Seeing more and more onlookers gathering behind you, even if they were just curious spectators, the sheer number of people was overwhelming, and the bailiffs panicked! Then, seeing your clearly unusual letter, they looked at each other in bewilderment...

[Finally, they had no choice but to lead you and the onlookers into the county government office.]

[So, for the first time in your life, you met the great judge of Mizhi County!]

【…】

[Who in the hall is suing me?]

[The magistrate, forced to attend court, looked at the little brat kneeling in the hall and was so angry that he wanted to roar out this classic line!]

"Are you sick, you little brat?! You're not happy with the free money, and you're reporting it... Even I've been corrupted, even the Lord! How do you want me to investigate? How do you want me to try you? Huh?"

The magistrate was furious: "I knew something was going to happen! Ding Shuang (Master of the clerks, Deputy Principal)! You deserve to die!"

I've said it before, when choosing a "child prodigy," try to pick someone older. A naughty kid who's too young won't understand what people are saying, nor will they understand the pros and cons. If they run out and start yelling, who can handle it?!

[How could you possibly choose a three-year-old this time... Are you, Ding Shuang, crazy?]

[And Xue Bao (School Principal)! As the School Principal, wouldn't you review this kind of thing? Ding is crazy, and so are you? How dare you declare a three-year-old kid as a "child prodigy"?!]

The magistrate mentally cursed the deputy principal and principal, both of them idiots, and then quickly thought of a solution...

[After some thought, they quickly came to a conclusion: whoever started it should take the blame! Since these two bastards were responsible, for the sake of everyone's safety and reputation, they had no choice but to cut ties...]

The magistrate slammed his gavel, and several yamen runners rushed into the school, grabbed the bewildered principal and deputy principal, and made them kneel together in the hall.

[And when they finally figured out what had happened, they glared at you, the unfortunate child, in shock and anger: You're cheating on me?!]

【Snapped! 】

The magistrate coldly slammed the gavel: "Zhou Liang has reported you for embezzling reward money, totaling four hundred and seventy taels... Do you have anything to say?"

Four hundred and seventy taels?!

The two academicians couldn't help but curse inwardly: "Deputy academician gets seventy taels, academician gets one hundred taels, where did four hundred and seventy taels come from?! Didn't you put the remaining three hundred taels in your pocket?"

But the two men didn't dare to argue, because they weren't ignorant children like you. They had reason and a sense of propriety, knowing what to say and what not to say... Moreover, they also realized that the magistrate didn't want to make a big deal out of this matter. As long as they admitted their guilt, the matter would be over...

[And the verdict was indeed as it happened. Since the two criminals confessed to embezzling the reward money, the judge pronounced the verdict in court: Ding and Xue were ordered to give the remaining 470 taels of reward money to the "prodigy" and to have their school clerk status revoked. They were also ordered to pay a fine of 200 taels to the government. There could be no mistake!] ["The judge's decision is divine!"]

[The onlookers couldn't help but applaud as justice was served and the case concluded successfully!]

【But you are desperate...】

【This is not the result you want! 】

"Your purpose in risking your life was to expose your identity as a fake child prodigy and force the magistrate to act on behalf of the people."

[But now it seems that the county magistrate is clearly in cahoots with them, having turned a serious case of "creating a fake child prodigy to defraud the state government" into a minor case of "privately withholding reward money"!]

Despair welled up in your heart, and you contemplated raising your voice to refute the verdict, but in the end, you remained silent: because you knew it was useless to refute. Your voice would never reach beyond the county court. At three years old, you were completely incapable of filing a complaint at the government office... From the very beginning, this was a gamble.

You bet that the magistrate would uphold justice for you. You bet your life, and now you've lost...

"Speaking now will not only be useless, but will only anger the magistrate, causing him to vent his anger on your family... You're certainly not afraid of death, but you can't let your family die with you, so it's best to shut up now!"

You closed your eyes in despair. The tiny candlelight from the new era will eventually be extinguished helplessly in the boundless ancient darkness...

【…】

[For the first few days, everything went smoothly. The magistrate praised your courage and courage, saying you were worthy of being called the "Shaanxi Prodigy."]

[Then, he personally brought two unlucky guys who had been laid off to your house. To your parents' astonishment, he personally handed them the 470 taels of silver.]

[Then he reprimanded the two unfortunate individuals and asked them to apologize to your family in person. They did not hesitate and respectfully apologized, presented gifts, and begged for forgiveness.]

[And the more they act like this, the more frightened your parents become...]

As they were about to leave, the Great Lord Qingtian patted your head and said something meaningful to your parents: "It's a good thing that your son is such a prodigy, but as the saying goes, too much wisdom can lead to harm... If you have any more children in the future, you must be careful."

[After saying this, your parents become even more uneasy...]

"No! Liang Wazi has caused such a big disaster. If he stays in the county town any longer, he will definitely be in trouble!"

Your father gritted his teeth and said, "Move! Move back home! There are so many people here, it's definitely safer than here... We're not going to school anymore!"

[The head of the household made the decision, and your mother naturally had no objections. After packing up your belongings, you all hurried back to your hometown in the countryside the next day!]

But you touched the top of your head, recalling the fleeting golden light in the magistrate's palm, and felt a bitter feeling in your heart: It's too late...

So, on the night you returned home, you suddenly developed a high fever. Your family members were so anxious that they ran around trying to cool you down, but they couldn't.

[These days, if a child has a high fever, it's basically dead...]

[Your condition worsened day by day. In just three days, you only had one breath left!]

[Your parents, grandparents, and some relatives like uncles and aunts all looked at you lying motionless on the bed with great sadness. After all, you were your parents' only son, a child prodigy who had received a reward from the prefect. Your future was limitless, and yet now...]

【well……】

They lamented in their hearts, and your parents wept bitterly, yet you felt no sorrow for your own death. You only felt guilty, guilty towards your parents.

"It was your impulsive behavior that led to all of this. Not only did you fail to achieve your goal, but you also caused your parents to suffer the pain of losing their child. This is the greatest act of filial piety..."

[But you don't regret it. You only hate yourself for not being able to see through the dark clouds that covered the sky. The result of burning yourself was just that you lost some money and your job.]

[A candle can never burn as brightly as the sun. Forcing itself to burn will only burn itself out prematurely...]

"But I don't regret it..."

[In a state of half-sleep and half-wakefulness, you made an assessment of your short life.]

[“No regrets!…”]

【call! 】

The candlelight went out...

In the 46th year of Chongzhen's reign, you died at the age of three... Your life lived up to the "liang" in your name. You were kind, and your death, born of kindness, was a worthy one.

[Maybe this isn't worth it, but... you don't regret it, that's enough. ]

……

(End of this chapter)