Chapter 73: What Grievance Do You Hold?

In an instant, caught off guard by Li Yi’s sudden slap, the disheveled figure that had risen from the coffin crashed back against it with a loud thud, its mournful wailing abruptly silenced.

For he had been struck so senseless by the blow that he stood there, stunned and motionless, lost in disbelief.

Daoist Priest Wang and his acolyte, equally dumbfounded, stared wide-eyed at the scene, their hearts gripped by terror as they thought, “This is a ghost…! Who is this young man, to be so fearless that he dares strike a ghost?”

Indeed, throughout the land, who would dare lay hands on a ghost?

At least, so Daoist Wang believed.

The villagers of the Wang clan, including the village chief Wang Fugui, were even more petrified, frozen in silence with eyes wide open, not daring to utter a single word.

Li Lizhi and Linlang, too, stared in shock at Li Yi and the white-robed figure in the coffin, too astonished to speak.

The entire mourning hall was cloaked in a silence so profound that even the sound of breathing seemed loud.

At that moment, seeing the white-robed figure still dazed in the coffin, Li Yi, with no regard for decorum, rolled up his sleeves and strode forward.

“Why are you still standing there? Out with it! If you have a grievance, speak it—Her Highness the Princess will see justice done for you!” Li Yi’s tiger-like eyes glared at the white-robed man, his voice stern but low, “Why put on these ghostly airs? Do you not know that scaring people can be fatal?”

Only then did the white-robed figure slowly lift the black hair from his face, revealing the countenance of a man.

At first glance, his lips were tinged with a purplish hue, and his cheeks were mottled with blue and purple bruises. The bags beneath his eyes bore deep, vivid marks, making his appearance especially frightening.

The man blinked curiously at Li Yi, silent for a long moment before frowning in astonishment, “Sir… are you not afraid of ghosts?”

Li Yi’s face darkened. He did not answer, but instead spoke with irritation, “You refuse to come out? Do you want me to drag you out myself?”

“Yes, sir, I… I’ll come out right away,” the man stammered in terror, finally accepting reality.

The gentleman before him was not only unafraid of ghosts but had already seen through his act—and otherwise, he would never have dealt him such a slap!

Resigned, the man in white slowly climbed out of the coffin.

Yet his gaze never left Wang Fugui, fixed upon him with an intensity full of resentment and rage.

If looks could kill, village chief Wang Fugui would have been hacked to pieces a thousand times over by now.

At that moment, recognizing the voice and seeing that the “ghost” was none other than one of their own, the villagers finally understood.

This was no haunting at all, but someone lying in the coffin, deliberately making mischief to frighten everyone!

“That Wang Zhongfu, masquerading as a ghost in the coffin and deceiving us all these days—truly despicable!” the villagers cursed inwardly.

Many even shouted their anger aloud, their words crude and harsh.

But Wang Zhongfu seemed unfazed, instead bowing deeply before Li Yi and pleading earnestly, “Sir, please grant me justice. I did not intend to frighten anyone by pretending to be a ghost!”

Wang Zhongfu knew that ordinary people feared ghosts. Yet this gentleman before him was not only fearless but remarkably bold and strong, dressed in fine silks that marked him as someone of wealth and status—far above ordinary folk, even above the county magistrate!

And with all the villagers present, he no longer needed to fear Wang Fugui colluding with the county magistrate to punish him as before.

So, Wang Zhongfu turned to Li Yi for help.

“Enough!” Li Yi cut him off as soon as he mentioned Wang Fugui by name, sensing the matter was complicated.

“Her Highness the Princess will see justice done for you. I am not an official—do not come to me!”

With a wave of his hand, Li Yi left Wang Zhongfu and went to stand beside Li Lizhi, giving her a meaningful glance and a cheerful grin. “Your Highness, as for this matter…”

He did not finish, but Li Lizhi understood his meaning perfectly.

“Very well!” she replied, nodding solemnly. “Today I shall see justice done. We cannot wrong a single commoner, but neither will we allow anyone to play tricks and terrify the people!”

Standing by, Linlang caught the implication and watched Daoist Wang and his apprentice warily, ready to apprehend them should they attempt to flee.

Should they try to escape, she would seize them at once.

At this, Li Lizhi stepped from the crowd and produced a golden waist token from her bosom. The villagers, upon seeing it, immediately recognized her as the true princess and fell to their knees in unison.

For the token bore, in golden script, the words: “Princess Changle.”

“Rise, all of you,” Li Lizhi said calmly.

“Thank you, Your Highness,” the villagers responded, rising in trepidation.

Meanwhile, village chief Wang Fugui hurried to order a seat for Li Lizhi, hoping to curry favor, but she waved him off, signaling that it was unnecessary.

Li Lizhi then turned to Wang Zhongfu, her demeanor composed. “State your grievance quickly—I shall see justice done for you!”

“Thank you, Your Highness!” Wang Zhongfu replied, tears of gratitude in his eyes, and recounted everything in detail.

As it turned out, Wang Zhongfu’s wife was renowned for her beauty, the fairest in Wang Village. Wang Fugui, lusting after her, used his authority as village chief to drive Wang Zhongfu and his wife to despair. He then bribed the county magistrate with a large sum of silver, fabricated a charge, and had Wang Zhongfu thrown into prison. Taking advantage of his absence, Wang Fugui raped Wang Zhongfu’s wife, who, in her grief and for the sake of honor, hanged herself.

To avenge his wife, Wang Zhongfu devised the plan to disguise himself as a ghost and torment Wang Fugui day and night, depriving him of peace.

Thus arose the disturbance.

Hearing Wang Zhongfu’s account, Li Lizhi frowned and glanced at Wang Fugui, who was ashen and trembling uncontrollably, confirming the truth of the accusation.

“Hmph! Who would have thought that such vile deeds could take place under the very nose of the Son of Heaven!” Li Lizhi snorted in anger, her heart burning with righteous fury.

Without hesitation, she ordered in a cold voice, “Linlang, arrest him at once and bring him to the county yamen for trial!”

(End of chapter)