Chapter 305: Buying and Selling Are Equally Guilty

Lushi continued, "There are also some animals who, for money, target women with impaired intelligence or widows who live alone without children, and after killing them, take their bodies for ghost marriages."
Or go to the chaotic grave outside the city, looking for fresh female corpses and so on, various means, extremely despicable.
The ghost mediator then sets the price based on the appearance and body shape of the female corpse. If the deceased was a pure and innocent girl, it is the most expensive. Others are relatively cheaper. Generally speaking, the better looking the female corpse, the higher the price.
"In fact, not to mention fresh female corpses, even those that are half decayed, someone would want them, just at a lower price."
"Jiang Yuqing felt like she was listening to a horror story."
"In the era she lived in her previous life, ghost marriages were too far removed from her life."
The vast majority of people only occasionally catch a glimpse from movies, TV shows, or legal programs and think they know it all.
Nowadays, such things actually happen right before their own eyes, which is truly shocking and horrifying.
Jiang Yuqing took a deep breath and asked Lushi, "Mother, why have I never heard you mention this before?"
Lushi peeled a peach and handed it to her, saying, "Who would bring up such a dark, taboo topic for no reason? It's only because you mentioned it today that I happened to mention it in passing."
Lushi glanced at Jingyan and hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Ayen, forgive me for saying this, but if I'm wrong, don't take it to heart."
This custom of ghost marriage is too wicked and malicious, it is a backward practice, it should be banned. Otherwise, in places where we can't see, who knows how many innocent and pitiful women will be harmed every year."
With a nod, Jingyan agreed with Lady Lu.
The founding emperor of this dynasty explicitly banned the practice of human sacrifice for burial.
Little did we expect that there are still people who dare to commit such a heinous act of using ghost weddings as an excuse to sacrifice the living. Their brutality is simply appalling.
He paused for a moment and said to Jiang Wenyuan, "Father-in-law, it's hard on you. Write a report about this. This kind of twisted and evil practice, this outdated and vulgar custom, should be eradicated!"
"Good! I also have some plans."
One family of five did not return to the palace until they finished dinner at the Jiangguogong Mansion.
Perhaps due to the stimulation during the day, Jiang Yuqing unexpectedly had a nightmare at night.
In the dream, there was a ghostly woman dressed in a red wedding gown and embroidered shoes, with a pale face and a melancholy expression. She knelt far away and kowtowed to Jiang Yuqing, with blood flowing from her forehead, shoulders, and limbs, as if she was pleading with her.
Jiang Yuqing woke up from his dream and sat up, only to find that it was still pitch dark outside. Remembering the content of his dream, he couldn't help but ponder. A person on the path of cultivation does not dream easily, but if they do, it must be a prediction.
Jingyan woke her up and asked her what was wrong. She then told Jingyan about what had happened in her dream. Jingyan said, "During the day, we have thoughts, and at night, we have dreams. If you're scared, hold me tightly."
蒋禹清摇了摇头，感叹道：“倒是不怕！只是替这些女子不值罢了。这个世界的女子，活得何其艰难。”
景衍揽着她的肩膀：“别多想，既然不平，禁了就是。这世上的不平事太多，我们一点一点的填，总有踩平的一天。”
Jiang Yu nodded and said, "Okay!" The couple fell asleep again, and there was no conversation that night.
In the afternoon, Canghai came back and said, "Madam, we have investigated the matter of that woman. We pried open the scum's mouth and followed the clues to find the burial place of that woman's daughter.
We dug up the grave and found that the coffin was covered in forbidden curses drawn with black dog blood. After opening the coffin, we discovered that the little girl was indeed sacrificed alive.
There were seven-inch soul nails driven into the center of her forehead, both sides of her collarbone, and all four limbs. Her mouth was sewn shut with golden thread, and the little girl did not die with her eyes closed. The person who did this must have wanted to prevent her from reincarnating forever. How cruel!
Jiang Yuqing angrily crushed a cup on the spot, and her starry eyes were filled with frost: "Do you know who the master of this house is?"
"It is..." Canghai whispered a name to her.
Jiang Yuqing immediately went to the Ministry of Revenue and found Jiang Wenyuan. The father and daughter had a confidential conversation for half an hour before she left.
Two days later, during the grand court assembly, the Minister of Revenue, Jiang Wenyuan, stood up and reported: "Your Majesty, I have recently learned of a horrifying incident."
In the Screw Alley in the city, a man, driven by money, even betrothed his fourteen-year-old daughter to a deceased rich young master for a ghost marriage, resulting in her being sacrificed...
Once again, the incident described by Mr. Lu is retold: "This matter goes against ethics and morals, and is a great harm to the heavens and harmony. Even Emperor Taizu had explicitly prohibited human sacrifices, but they still occur from time to time to this day."
Please have mercy on women throughout the world, and decree a ban on ghost marriages.
Before the Emperor at the head of the table could speak, someone immediately spoke out in opposition: "I beg to differ, Your Majesty. I believe it is inappropriate. We, the people of the Central Plains, treat death as we do life, and ghost marriages have existed since ancient times."
"Why should you ban this long-standing custom because of an accidental incident? This might provoke public outrage."
"Jiang Wenyuan turned around and sneered at him: 'Ghost marriage is a barbaric tradition, so why not ban it? It is the lack of ban that provokes public outrage, isn't it?'"
Master Bu, are you opposing so urgently because you have something to hide?
Master Bu's heart skipped a beat and quickly retorted, "Sir Jiang, please refrain from making baseless accusations. I am upright and righteous, so where would ghosts come from?"
Jiang Wenyuan smirked and mockingly said, "Whether there are ghosts or not, you and I both know in our hearts." He secretly thought, I didn't originally intend to exterminate you completely, but you insisted on jumping out yourself. Since that's the case, then don't blame me.
步惊春又惊又怒：“你这是什么意思？”
Jiang Wenyuan was not afraid of him: "What do you mean, do I need to say it clearly?"
You have a mistress in the south of the city. That mistress is your childhood sweetheart before you became successful, and you had an engagement. Later, after you went to high school, you became a son-in-law of a noble family, but you couldn't forget your old sweetheart.
So I secretly brought her to Beijing and kept her outside. She had a son who is now eleven years old.
Half a month ago, your mistress unexpectedly died. Feeling guilty towards her, you believed her words and arranged a ghost marriage for her.
So he secretly found a matchmaker (ghost matchmaker) for this business.
That ghost matchmaker first found a female corpse for your concubine. Your concubine was not satisfied, complaining that she was too old and illiterate in her lifetime.
You asked for a girl of similar age who has read books so that when you are underground, she can be your concubine, add fragrance to your red sleeves, and be your equal in a marriage.
Later, you sent someone to search everywhere and found a gambler and ruffian. He has a fourteen-year-old daughter who is beautiful and studying in a school.
You then enticed the gambler with a high price of one hundred taels of silver and persuaded him to sell his daughter to you.
Afterwards, you ordered someone to find a demon practitioner to perform a ritual, using black dog blood to draw symbols and seal the coffin, driving seven soul spikes into the girl, stitching her mouth shut with golden thread, and sacrificing her alongside your short-lived mistress.
"Bu Jingchun, as an official of the court, you disregard the decree of the founding emperor and the laws of the court, how ruthless. Such disloyalty and injustice, you are unworthy to stand in this grand hall."

As soon as Jiang Wenyuan spoke, the whole hall was shocked. Everyone looked at Bu Jingchun with disbelief, thinking to themselves that appearances can indeed be deceiving.

Known for his love for his wife and children, Bu Jingchun is also considered a good person in the court. But secretly, he is such an unfaithful and unrighteous individual. It's too ruthless.

"You, you're talking nonsense! Foul-mouthed!"
"I am foul-mouthed, and His Majesty and the Empress Dowager know about it too. That girl is now lying in the grave in your courtyard, and the soldiers from the Five City Garrison are watching it."
Jing Yan took over the conversation: "A few days ago, I accompanied the queen back to the palace and encountered a woman wielding a knife to attack her husband. When asked for the reason, it turned out that her husband had sold their only daughter for a ghost marriage."
That night, the queen dreamt of a woman with a bleeding forehead, dressed in a bright red wedding gown, who kowtowed to her from a distance, pleading for justice.
Therefore, I had the officials from Wucheng Bingmasi investigate the reason in detail, and they traced it back to you.
步京春，你说说，哪一点冤枉了你。
Before the emperor Taizu's death, he issued an edict to forbid the use of palace maids and eunuchs for his burial, only replacing them with clay figures. Is your concubine's child even more honorable than Emperor Taizu?"
This remark is absolutely heart-wrenching. Bu Jingchun was so frightened that he knelt down trembling, begging for mercy.
He never dreamed that the thing he had done so secretly would be exposed. It really confirms the saying, "The wheels of justice grind slow, but they grind exceedingly fine."
步惊春被当殿去了纱帽官袍，押入大牢，待再进一步查明其罪后，再行发落。
景衍下旨：冥婚乃陈规陋习，全国禁止任何形式的冥婚，违令者斩立决！买卖同罪。严厉打击鬼媒人，或借此敛财的妖道妖僧，违者同样斩立决！
After ten days, the truth about Bu Jingchun's case was revealed and he was sentenced to be beheaded. He was executed five days later. Fortunately, his family was not implicated. On that day, his legal wife brought tea and food to the prison to visit him.
She remained calm, without any hint of joy or sadness, as she silently set down the meal and waited until he had finished eating before speaking, "I have always known about her. Now, I just want to ask you one thing – is she worth it?"
步惊春捧着碗，眼泪大颗大颗的落进碗里：“是我对不起你和孩子们，也对不起她，更对不起那个女娃娃。”
His wife said nothing, just quietly packed up and left.
Some people, some things, once you turn around, it's a lifetime. Some mistakes, once committed, will never give a second chance to live.
On a day in mid-August, Jiang Yuqing rode on Bai Xiaoshi as usual to go to An Hospital. A middle-aged woman with graying hair and a young girl stopped her: "Madam, please wait."
Jiang Yuqing carefully identified and recognized: "You are the sister-in-law who attacked someone with a knife that day!"
The woman said, "It is indeed me."
Jiang Yuqing asked her, "Is there something you need from me today?"