Chapter 122: Yun Niang’s Story
If the minister of revenue dared to lie to him, then the minister of revenue must have some secret dealings with Duan Qinwang. Emperor Yong’an thought for a while, then scanned them and asked, "What is your name? Where are you from?"
The woman suppressed her nervousness and said, "Answering Your Majesty. This commoner’s name is Yun Niang. This commoner comes from He Chuang Township."
After she had answered the question, Emperor Yong’an noticed that Yun Niang had the temperament of a noble lady. He thought for a moment and slowly said, "You don’t come from an ordinary family."
Since this was not a question but a statement, Yun Niang just remained silent. After a moment of silence, Emperor Yong’an said, "Zhen wants to know your story and the reason why a noble lady became a beggar."
Hearing this, Yun Niang raised her eyes and looked at Emperor Yong’an. When her eyes fell on that handsome but cold face, her heart trembled, and she quickly lowered her gaze. She took a few deep breaths to calm down before telling her story.
"This commoner came from a noble family in He Chuang Town under the jurisdiction of Qian He County. Although our family was not rich, this commoner’s family had been working as officials for generations. Until that night four months ago, a group of soldiers suddenly broke into our house and killed everyone."
Speaking of this, Yun Niang couldn’t help but shed tears.
Emperor Yong’an put his elbows on the handstand, supported his chin with his hands, and asked, "If the soldiers killed everyone, how come you are still alive?"
Yun Niang wiped her tears with her dirty sleeves and said, "Answering Your Majesty. This commoner was able to escape with my son because my husband protected us from our pursuers. It’s a pity that he couldn’t defeat those soldiers. Before the soldiers found us, he threw us into the river and led the soldiers away."