Late Ming Dynasty: Starting with the overthrow of the county magistrate, a rebellion was launched to

The Wugang Prefecture Prison was located in a side courtyard of the west wing, facing east, and was named after the Pleiades, the star that governs the prison, to suppress evil and bring peace.

The first gate to the prison was the Anbi Gate, with a narrow passageway in the middle, just wide enough for one person to pass by while bowing. The prison itself was at the end of the passageway.

According to the regulations of the Ming Dynasty's "Collected Statutes," state-level prisons were divided into three parts: outer prisons, inner prisons, and women's prisons. The outer prisons held minor offenders sentenced to exile or imprisonment, while the inner prisons held serious criminals sentenced to death. As for the westernmost independent stone cell here, it was the single cell for female death row inmates. It had no windows or beds, only a thick layer of moldy straw in the corners. The floor was perpetually damp, and white frost covered the corners. Mosquitoes and centipedes occasionally crawled through the cracks in the stones. No wonder the mortality rate of prisoners in ancient times was so high.

The woman who assassinated Zhang Da is imprisoned here.

Two jailers outside the cell, leaning on their knives and breathing out white breath, suddenly heard some noise and rushed forward to meet them.

They saw that Zhang Da, the dignified prefect of Baoqing Prefecture, whose fate had been uncertain, was now being supported by Zhang Wen and Zhou Wenqu as he slowly walked down the stone steps.

Zhang Da wasn't Deadpool; his wounds and the deadly poison were still there, so his face was ashen, his lips bloodless, and cold sweat beaded on his forehead.

Even so, he walked resolutely toward the cell where the women were being held.

"Brother, this place is cold, damp, and reeks of foul odors. Your precious health is not suited to linger here. Why not bring that female prisoner to the front hall for interrogation?"

Zhou Wenqu tried to persuade him in a low voice, but Zhang Da just shook his head, looking extremely resentful.

"We almost fell into her hands. If she hadn't performed well, she would never have gotten out of here in this lifetime. Besides, she was Zhang Xianzhong's loyal follower. She wouldn't know what despair was until she saw the hellish suffering firsthand."

As they spoke, they arrived at the deepest part of the women's death row cell.

Behind a wooden fence as thick as a child's arm, a slender figure huddled on the moldy grass in the corner.

She was no longer the fierce and valiant assassin she had been that night; all that remained was a mangled body, torn apart by torture.

Of course, it's also possible that it's fake.

However, the wounds on his body were genuine.

Her exposed body was covered with crisscrossing whip marks, branding marks, and purplish-black bruises left by the cangue. Her fingertips were punctured by bleeding needle marks, and dark red bloodstains clung to her fingernails. The shackles had worn down her ankles to the point where the white bone was visible. She could only cling to life against the cold stone wall.

These wounds, after festering and becoming infected, emitted a faint, fishy odor.

Zhang Da watched her quietly through the wooden fence. To be honest, he felt the woman was pitiful and pathetic.

Zhang Da was not a ruthless person. Upon seeing the woman in the cell in such a state, the anger and murderous intent that had been building up in his chest for nine days inexplicably dissipated by most, leaving only a feeling of deep regret.

Born in a chaotic world, he was indifferent to beauty, unafraid of torture, and willing to risk his life, all for the sake of avenging his so-called "lord".

Putting aside her stance, she truly deserves to be called a hero.

"You were born a respectable woman," Zhang Da said in a low, complex voice, "you couldn't have a life of luxury and comfort, yet you chose to become a bandit's assassin, plotting to kill government officials. Now you're trapped by the bandits, suffering endless torture. What was the point?"

Upon hearing this, the woman slowly raised her head, her swollen, red eyes fixed on the newcomer. When she realized that the person was Zhang Da, unharmed and even standing before her to interrogate her, a fierce, fiery hatred suddenly erupted in her lifeless eyes. She abruptly broke free of her chains, lunged at the wooden fence, and roared like a wounded tigress, her voice hoarse and broken.

"Aaaaah! You corrupt official! You're still alive! Heaven has no eyes! To let such a treacherous villain like you live on in this world, I hate you! I couldn't have stabbed you to death that night, to tear you to pieces and vent my hatred!"

Perhaps because she had been imprisoned and tortured for too long, upon seeing that Zhang Da was still alive, she realized that her suffering was meaningless. So the woman spat and acted like a madwoman, clenching her teeth and making a gurgling sound with every word, as if she wanted to devour Zhang Da alive.

Zhang Wen was enraged upon seeing this and drew his sword to rebuke him.

"You bitch! You still dare to talk back?"

Zhang Da raised his hand to stop her, his face darkening again, but seeing her expression, his tone remained relatively firm.

"We are complete strangers, with no past grievances or present enemies. Why do you hate me so much? In the end, you've been brainwashed by that rebel bandit Zhang Xianzhong, willingly becoming his pawn, a discarded piece, dying without ever knowing for whom you fought or died!"

Upon hearing the words "abandoned child," the woman calmed down, then leaned against the wooden fence and let out a chilling laugh. The hoarse laugh echoed in the deathly silent prison, sending shivers down one's spine.

"Abandoned pawn? Hahahaha... I'm willing! But you—Zhang Da, do you really think that by serving the Ming Dynasty and assisting Yang Sichang, you are a loyal minister and a righteous man? You are nothing but a henchman of the court, aiding and abetting evil! Don't you know that the world does not belong to one family or one clan, but to all people?"

The woman stopped her frenzied insults and instead began to argue with Zhang Da, her words ringing with conviction, displaying a certain scholarly refinement.

"Xia Jie was tyrannical, so Cheng Tang overthrew him; Shang Zhou was immoral, so Zhou Wu executed him; Qin Shi Huang's oppressive policies led to Chen Sheng and Wu Guang's uprising; Wang Mang usurped the Han throne, and the Green Forest and Red Eyebrow rebels swept across the land. Throughout history, oppressive government is more ferocious than a tiger, and the people have no choice but to rebel. This is the natural order of things, as history clearly demonstrates!"

You say my Lord, the Eighth King, is a bandit or a thief? Then open your eyes and look around the entire Ming Dynasty. From the Emperor to the civil and military officials, who isn't more like a bandit than my Lord, the Eighth King!

Wanli neglected his duties for thirty years

During the Tianqi reign, the eunuch faction wreaked havoc on the government and persecuted loyal officials.

Emperor Chongzhen, though seemingly diligent and hardworking, was actually stubborn, suspicious, and distrustful. During his twelve-year reign, he replaced dozens of cabinet ministers and killed seven governors-general and governors. The central government was like a game of chess, while the local governments were like child's play!

There are also taxes levied on Liaodong, those for suppressing bandits, and those for training soldiers. These taxes are exorbitant and exploitative, squeezing every last drop of blood from the marrow. Aren't they even more greedy than bandits?

Members of the Zhu Ming imperial family and princes were scattered throughout the land, seizing fertile fields.

Local officials were corrupt and lawless, and they preyed on the people.

How many families have been destroyed and lives lost because of this, Zhang Da! The bandits you speak of, wherever they go, kill corrupt officials, eliminate tyrants, open granaries to distribute grain, and provide relief to starving people. The people welcome them with food and drink, and follow them with their old and young. The government troops you are loyal to, wherever they go, burn, kill, plunder, and rape women. They are more ruthless than the bandits and more ferocious than tigers and wolves!

The Book of Documents says: "Heaven sees as my people see, Heaven hears as my people hear." Mencius said: "The people are the most important, the state is next, and the ruler is the least important." The Ming Dynasty has lost its virtue and the hearts of the people. Heaven is angry, the people resentful, and the world is in turmoil. It is like rotten wood that cannot be carved, a crumbling wall that cannot be supported!

My lord, the Eighth Prince, raised a righteous army to punish the tyrannical, rescue the people from suffering, and save them from dire straits. He acted on behalf of Heaven and followed the will of the people! Yet you aided and abetted the tyranny, serving the dying Ming dynasty, devising plans to suppress the righteous army, cutting off my path to survival, and slaughtering my compatriots. You are a person who has betrayed Heaven, betrayed the people, and betrayed the teachings of sages. Everyone has the right to kill you! My assassination attempt on you was not due to being brainwashed, nor for personal revenge, but for justice! It was to avenge the blood debt owed to the millions of displaced people of the world!