Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 145, Section 144: National and Personal Feuds
The short story "The Lamb to the Slaughter" actually describes in detail the entire process of Mary killing her husband.

However, when Qin Shi recounted the story, the straightforward narrative lacked interest. Therefore, the order was changed, with the question posed last.

For modern people who have read Conan, Sherlock Holmes, Judge Bao, and The Forensic Heroes, this ending is obvious.

But for Yan Cong and his two companions, who had not yet experienced the hardships of life, it was truly shocking.

Honestly, it's not hard to guess.

[Lamb leg in the snow] [Roasted lamb leg] [Please let the thieves eat the lamb leg]

Three seemingly insignificant preconditions were repeatedly emphasized, yet the methods of murder and the nature of the murder weapon were self-evident.

After all, no one would be wary of a housewife holding a leg of lamb, right?
The easier it is to guess, the more ingenious the story seems.

Wang Ziqian exclaimed in surprise, "She really killed her husband with a lamb leg like that? What strength! If she had the guts to fight in the army, she could have been promoted two ranks and received land, and she wouldn't have to worry about marrying the wrong person anymore."

Princess Wen even clapped her hands and praised, "This Madam Ma is decisive and ruthless. After killing her husband, she can still go out shopping as if nothing happened—Qin Qing, is this foreigner really a real person? If she can't stay in our country, our Great Qin will welcome her!"

Only Yan Cong frowned, but then he said, "Those who break their promises deserve to die. Did those 'Thieves' really not notice?"

He applied the situation in the Qin state, noting that the current system of collective punishment and the lack of hiding places in people's homes meant that if thieves committed murder, they would inevitably leave traces.

How could the village head and his men have searched the area thoroughly without finding anything?

Perhaps this person had some flaws in his character, and the village head deliberately let him off the hook?
However, these were just guesses, and he quickly concluded: "Madam Ma is truly capable of great things!"

Being abandoned as a wife could mean being murdered, not surviving, or encountering another bad partner...

But once her husband died, she became a popular widow!

"A frozen lamb leg in the snow crushed the husband to death. Then, the lamb leg was roasted and offered to the officials who came to investigate the case..."

It even had a slightly sarcastic tone.

How perfect.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a loud clang was heard from beneath the carriage, and the guards beside him drew their spears and swords in unison.
"who!"

The carriage came to a sudden stop, and someone tumbled to the ground with a "thud," their eyes glazed over, tears streaming down their face.

The entire convoy was on high alert.

Yan Cong stood on the carriage, holding a long sword, his expression extremely serious.

After all, this was the replacement carriage arranged by the King, yet now assassins have infiltrated it without anyone knowing. Does this mean the Yan family is incompetent?!
Prince Qian and Princess Wen had never experienced such a momentous event before!

The former was eager to try, while the latter was inevitably a little scared. Qin Shi looked through the car window at the burly man lying on the ground, not resisting, and was now curious—

The other person remained hidden under the carriage, unnoticed by anyone.

If we arrive in Pinyang, and deliberately cause trouble while everyone is busy with General Yan's funeral, not only will the chaos be even greater, but we might also have a chance to escape!
But why is the other party behaving this way?
However, the other person lay sprawled on the ground, tears streaming down their face, their mud and grime making them look particularly disheveled, yet their eyes were filled with hatred and pain.
"It's ice...it's ice...I didn't even notice..."

This situation doesn't seem like an act.

Qin Shi then relaxed slightly—

The reason for assassinating this important person is twofold: national hatred and personal vendetta.

During the Warring States period, the flames of war raged incessantly, and the people rarely enjoyed a time of peace. Therefore, even now, with harsh laws and heavy taxes, they would rather endure it than risk another war if there was no conflict.

Given the current situation of the other side, it seems that the most difficult thing to resolve is not the "national hatred".

The fact that the other party could hide so quietly under the vehicle frame unnoticed clearly indicates they possess exceptional skills. For Qin Shi, who are currently facing a severe shortage of talent, no opportunity can be missed.

She then ordered, "Make him kneel down."

Two soldiers immediately stepped forward, lifted the man from his dazed and confused state, pressed down on his knees, and tied his hands behind his back. The action was rough and painful, and the man finally came to his senses, but he did not struggle at all, only kneeling on the ground with his head down, his face ashen.

Qin Shi asked, "If you intend to assassinate someone, why are you acting so sorrowfully?"

The other party kowtowed: "Honorable sir! Please, benefactor, please..." He wanted to say that he was begging the noble sir to spare him, because he needed to rush back to Yangling and kill that scoundrel!
When my elder sister took me with her when she got married, they clearly agreed that I would do a lot of spinning and weaving, and my husband's family would only provide me with enough to eat. But after the marriage, my husband went back on his word and wanted to force me to do military service, without giving me any food rations...

If the older sister doesn't comply, the other party will abandon her.

Even so, my elder sister refused!
Later, the other party had an affair with another woman. According to the law, the sister only needed to inform the other woman's husband, and he would be innocent if he came and killed her.

But the older sister was weak and unwilling to do that; she only hoped that this would remind the other party of their promise and make her eat properly...

Not long after, the older sister was smashed to death by the villains. She hit the back of her head so hard that her bones were broken.

The village head and his men searched the area, but they were unable to find the murder weapon.

But he remembered that the man was in an exceptionally good mood that day. He even personally fetched large blocks of ice, and for the first time ever, cooked hot tea and shared a cup with him...

He always thought that the village head was intentionally covering for him.

The house has hoes, carrying poles, and stone axes; why say no traces were found...?

now!

now!

He clung to the underside of the carriage, originally intending to kill one or two influential people, out of hatred for the officials protecting each other!
However, if the powerful were to hold him accountable, he and that person had lived together for years in lieu of military service, and he was afraid of harming others, which is why he had not yet taken action.

But unexpectedly, amidst the rumbling of the carriage, I vaguely heard the story of a Madam Ma.

In an instant, all those dormant childhood memories leaped back into my mind!
The threads intertwine and connect, revealing the truth of what happened back then in an instant!

—Oh, it was ice.

The other party brought a whole bucket of various ice blocks. While he was repairing the roof in the kitchen, he could see the other party curling up the corners of their lips as they melted the ice blocks into the pot one by one.

When he came down, the other party, quite unhurriedly, poured him some hot tea, something that was unusual for them.

“Look,” the man’s smile was strange, yet his voice was unusually gentle, “From now on, I intend to live a good life with your sister, so you must be obedient…”

It turned out to be the case.

That's it!

He almost burst out laughing, then felt a pang of pain and regret.

"My lord! I have committed a grave crime, and now... I am willing to die!"

"I only ask that you, sir, impose the law of collective punishment, and also dismember my relatives and friends!"

The man said that he and his sister had argued about raising him, and his sister may have committed suicide in a moment of despair.

Or perhaps a villain was hiding inside the house, but the older sister kept quiet to protect her younger brother...

Once this matter was settled, the other party included him in their household, claiming it was for his sister's sake.

In return, he would take on military service and forced labor in his place...

Now, it's time for them to pay back!
　This is a coincidence.

　　But every success in history is accompanied by a fateful coincidence.

　　The same applies to the existence of states.

　　(End of this chapter)