Feng Yi: A kind-hearted merchant who was sent to spy on Kayla by Liu Boyue and subsequently dragged into Kayla's plot to drive a wedge between Xianchun and Liu Boyue. He has since been drawn into Kayla's plan to gain support from the populace by tackling the influence of local clans, doing so by provoking the clans into committing a crime.
Shu Ling: A woman on Kayla's payroll, one of the five employees present at the safe house after the events of Chapter 89 (When the Grand Duke tried to kill Kayla). She was sent to guard Feng Yi.
Sun Zhong'e: A middle-aged woman on Kayla's payroll, one of the five employees present at the safe house after the events of Chapter 89. She uses unorthodox healing magic and was previously sent to guard Ji Yantao.
Zhao Chao: A man on Kayla's payroll, one of the five employees present at the safe house after the events of Chapter 89. He is currently one of Kayla's bodyguards and accompanied Kayla to her latest confrontation with the Grand Duke.
Chujiao/Jing Shuyou: Qu Boyong's cousin, she was sent to infiltrate the Zhao household at a very young age and became Wenyuan's personal serving maid. She is in love with Wenyuan, and her feelings are requited by the original Wenyuan.
Sun Ruhui: Left Secretariat of Justice and Kayla's supporter. Chujiao was previously sent to live in his household after being removed from the Zhao household.
Qu Boyong/Xiang Daozong: Son of General Xiang and the Princess of Chu. He is seeking revenge against the Grand Duke, and was infuriated by Kayla's hostage-taking.
Housekeeper Wang: The Grand Duke's loyal servant.
Hu Qing/Liang Hongfei: Kayla's retainer and the MVP of running surveillance and security operations.
Tao Qian: One of Kayla's employees, he was recommended to Kayla as a bodyguard by Hu Qing. She brought him to her latest confrontation with the Grand Duke.
Feng Yi cooed at the baby in a customer’s arms, waving his goodbyes as the peasant woman finished paying and left. Feng Yi had grown up in a village not too far from the capital, and while he had traveled a little bit here and there along the route used by merchants from the Western Regions, it still shocked him how different life was when you left the major transport hubs.
Feng Yi’s party had begun selling their wares as they slowly made their way through the rural areas of Jizhou, near the commandery of Jiangxia. Despite how cheap the prices were, few families approached him to buy communication devices for the first two days. Feng Yi had found it strange, but the guards Zhao Wenyuan arranged for him didn’t seem to find anything odd about it.
“But it’s a good deal! People like good deals,” Feng Yi had said in confusion, to which the others only chuckled and nodded.
“Don’t worry about it and take your time,” one of the guards, a stocky woman named Shu Ling told him. Feng Yi had been left befuddled, but he could only drop the matter for the time being.
Business had begun to pick up as they got nearer to the major towns, even though sales inside the towns was practically nonexistent, and Feng Yi was now so busy that he could barely remember the tranquility of the last few days.
“Only one per household, we have limited stock,” Feng Yi said to a man who reluctantly set down four of the five devices he had grabbed. As one of the guards stepped in to change shifts for customer service, Feng Yi turned to Shu Ling.
“How much longer do you suppose our stock will last?”
Shu Ling glanced back at the covered wagons. “Depends, we’ll probably need to keep moving for a bit. We’ll still have about two-thirds by the time we’re finished here, I reckon it’ll take another day or two, but then there’s some distance in-between. We’ll probably have some luck if we make a few stops a decent distance outside the major towns.”
“I thought the towns would be the major hotspots, but I suppose not,” Feng Yi said. “If we could sell there, the stock would go much faster.”
“The towns are where the local influentials live,” Shu Ling said pointedly. “You’re not selling to them, and the residents who have stayed there long enough would know better than to buy one.”
“Why wouldn’t they?” Feng Yi asked.
Shu Ling shook her head. “As I said, it’s hard to explain. You’ll see when you see.”
Feng Yi sighed. “Alright then.” He joined Shu Ling in silently watching the customers. A woman with a small child strapped to her back was admiring a communication device, her eyes bright with amazement. She stepped away and pulled over a man by his sleeve, the two murmuring for a bit before leaving without purchasing any. Though the stall was crowded, a large number of customers didn’t buy anything, even with the devices being so cheap that it was almost the same price as cabbage. For families that would never leave the area, that is, with no money to start or join a business except as cheap labor, and with no resources to invest in a child’s education, even that small amount of money was better saved than spent.
Unlike the capital region and the trade routes, many of the people in the provinces lived in poverty or close to it, the latest fashions and trends having no effect on their clothes. It wasn’t that they lacked a longing for fine things or beauty, and Feng Yi had seen several young women with wooden ornaments or flowers in their hair, most likely gifts from a beau or husband.
However, there were practically no magical talismans for household or cosmetic use, and evidently, none to ease the burden of laboring at the plow or the loom. Unlike at the capital, many of the residents showed signs of past malnutrition, likely from the famine that had taken place about two and a half decades back, and those who had either been born or grown up during that era showed it in their bodies and expressions. The children who had grown up in good years showed it too, with sturdier limbs and taller heights. It wasn’t as though there wasn’t abject poverty in the capital region–Feng Yi himself had often wondered where his next meal would come from while growing up, but the contrast between the lights and luxury of Luoyang compared to what Feng Yi saw before him left him with a strong sense of discomfort.
Someone gave a shout, his voice heavy with the local dialect. It was incomprehensible to Feng Yi’s ears, but Shu Ling immediately tensed and moved to dispel the customers, covering up the wares hurriedly. Feng Yi stepped forward quizzically but was quickly shooed out of the way. The customers scattered away from the stall, congregating by the dirt road and murmuring among themselves.
“What’s going on?” Feng Yi asked. A small procession of local guards came into sight, a prisoner in shackles between them. The prisoner was inside a human-sized cage, his head and hands bound by a cangue. The man was easily identifiable as a farmer by his weathered skin and sinewy forearms, and looked about forty-five but was probably younger than that. There was a look of soul-crushing misery on the prisoner’s face. That expression horrified Feng Yi, and he couldn’t help but move closer to the road to see the man go by. Shu Ling made a small noise of discontent but didn’t stop Feng Yi, instead following him over.
“What did he do?” Feng Yi asked a man who had bought a device earlier. The man now had on a nervous expression, his device tucked safely away and out of sight while the man had been holding it with glee earlier.
“That’s Old Lin from our village, word has it that he stole something from the Su house,” the man told Feng Yi.
“The Su house?”
"Their clan is a pretty big deal around these parts. Several of their men are officials in the capital, and their women marry well, so they’re well-connected. They basically run things around here,” the man explained.
“Too bad for that guy, he looks like he regrets it,” Feng Yi said sympathetically. “How long is he going to be sent to prison?” The man he was speaking to shook his head.
“No, he’ll be executed. His family’s farm will probably also be taken by the Su clan.”
“Executed?! Just what did he steal?!” Feng Yi asked in shock. “Did he kill someone?”
“He didn’t! He’s not that kind of person!” A second man chimed in, hearing their conversation.
“Then how can they execute him? That’s illegal!” Feng Yi said in shock. “Even if he stole something worth ten rolls of brocade, he’d only be beaten and imprisoned for a year–there’s no way he could’ve stolen something worth more than that, right?”
“Worth ten rolls of brocade? That’s ridiculous, he wouldn’t have the guts to steal something like that. Word has it that he stole a jade pendant.”
“That’s only worth a public beating, not execution,” Feng Yi said.
“As if the magistrate cares,” the second man said. “Oh, here comes his wife. Poor woman, why didn’t her neighbors stop her from coming out here?”
A weeping woman came into view, trailing far behind the soldiers. She also looked about forty and walked with a severe limp.
“Goodness, she followed them on that leg?” Feng Yi said in sympathy.
“She hurt her leg a few years back, but she’s just as stubborn as she was before,” the first man replied. “Poor woman, how on earth will she live without her man and her farm?”
“Doesn’t she have any children to go to?” Feng Yi asked.
“No, they had eight children but only two of them lived past infancy. One son, but he got swept away in the flash flood about ten years back–several little ones in our village did. Her oldest daughter grew up just fine and got married two years back, but died in childbirth.”
“Good heavens,” Feng Yi said, feeling sick to his stomach. He was never good at dealing with misfortune, whether it was his own or that of others. “Are they really going to kill Mr. Lin?”
“‘Course they will,” a third man jumped into the conversation with a sigh. “He even fled all the way to the village over the next one, but what man can outrun a horse? Pity, it really is. Old Lin was an honest man all his life, but one mistake and he’s doomed.”
Feng Yi watched as the prisoner cart slowly moved out of sight, the weeping woman still limping behind it despite the people telling her to give up on it. Increasingly discomforted, he moved away from the crowd and the dusty road, unable to watch any longer.
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Kayla frowned at her communication device, closing the newest message from Feng Yi’s group. They had made some sales, but nothing had happened yet.
Well, good things take time. Once the screen is ripped apart, all the filth hidden from sight will come spilling out. And how much time and effort will it take to deal with that? Perhaps it’s for the best that nothing happens just yet.
Her impatience melted away into unease as they approached the secondary safe house in which Chujiao was now residing. Kayla was meeting with Qu Boyong and Xianchun later in the evening, but it was this meeting that made her nervous. The carriage came to a stop and Kayla went into the building, filled with trepidation. Her heart rate increased as Kayla walked down the corridor. She steeled herself and turned the corner, sucking in a sharp breath as Chujiao came into sight.
Shit.
Kayla couldn’t help but stare with wide eyes for a moment, suddenly overwhelmed with a rush of longing and affection. Panic and hope flared simultaneously.
Wenyuan?! Is that you?!
There was only Kayla. But there was that familiar sense of fondness and love, so strong that Kayla could almost smell the fragrance of roses in the air. Before, it had always been distinctively Wenyuan’s, but Wenyuan was gone. And yet Kayla was still filling up with the same emotions.
Is it because our souls merged? But I’m almost certain that Wenyuan moved on…
“Young lord,” Chujiao said, her voice filled with relief and shyness under Kayla's intense gaze. “It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you…but why do you stare at me so?”
“I–I–” Kayla hastily broke eye contact, swiveling her gaze to an orchid in a vase. “You guys can go.” Zhao Chao, who had come with Kayla, and Sun Zhong’e, who had been watching over Chujiao, both left with visible reluctance, not wanting to miss out on the drama.
Since when did I find Chujiao hot?! Kayla mentally slapped herself out of it, barely stopping before physically slapping herself as well, and smiled at Chujiao.
“I was just shocked that your beauty has increased since last time,” Kayla said.
That’s right, it’s nothing to do with me. It’s just that the reality was different from what I remembered so I was shocked. Right?
Chujiao flushed slightly. Wenyuan had been too shy to offer straightforward compliments most of the time, and certainly too timid to say them with confidence.
“Goodness, young lord! Since when did you say such frivolous things?” Chujiao protested. At her coquettish reaction, Kayla hastily pulled herself out of it.
Shit, that sounded like I was flirting–Fuck! Why the fuck did I say something so stupid?! Since when did I spout bullshit like that?! Kayla’s thoughts flitted to the severity of the situation, and the fluttering in her chest completely died down. Whatever the strange emotions were, Kayla didn’t have the luxury of entertaining them. Not to mention that giving Chujiao more hope is the last thing I should be doing right now.
Kayla awkwardly cleared her throat, gesturing for Chujiao to sit. The mood shattered, and they both sat down.
Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.
“Have the living conditions been to your liking?” Kayla asked, once again pleasantly polite. Chujiao hastily collected herself as well.
“Of course, it’s been very comfortable. I’ve barely had to do anything, and Left Secretariat Sun has been very kind to me,” Chujiao said, glancing at Kayla hesitantly. “But did something happen? Is Left Secretariat Sun in danger?”
Kayla shifted uncomfortably, looking away. The silence dragged on for an uncomfortable long stretch as Kayla fumbled for words.
“It’s not Left Secretariat Sun that’s in danger, Chujiao. It’s you.”
Chujiao frowned, a fearful expression creeping onto her face. “Is…it the Grand Duke?”
“It’s related to him,” Kayla said evasively. Catching on to Kayla's discomfort, Chujiao's frown intensified.
“Is that really the only reason?’ Chujiao prodded. To Kayla's mounting horror, she paused for a moment before managing to reply.
"Yes." Only a single word came out.
Fuck, what the fuck is wrong with me today?! Despite the words Kayla had prepared ahead of time, she was now drawing a blank. Chujiao's presence was eliciting inexplicable reactions from Kayla, ones that left her shaken and uneasy.
"I find that a little hard to believe," Chujiao said insistently. At Kayla’s silence, she drew her breath in sharply, her eyes taking on a glint of hurt. “Young lord, are you sure it doesn’t have to do with my cousin?”
It’s just as Sun Ruhui expected, Kayla thought grimly. Between her wits and instinct, it would be stranger if she didn’t figure it out. At this point, I might as well be honest.
“That too,“ Kayla admitted.
Chujiao’s face fell. “So I really am a hostage…I couldn’t bring myself to believe it before, but young lord, you…”
“Not a hostage,” Kayla hastily assured her. “It’s not quite like that, Chujiao.” The words came out sounding much more evasive and insincere than Kayla had intended. Wenyuan had never been able to lie to Chujiao, and Chujiao knew that, but Kayla could lie without so much as blinking an eye. It had been part of the reason why Chujiao believed Kayla again and again; she didn't think "Wenyuan" could lie to her. To Kayla's horror, that ability for deception had eroded with Wenyuan's departure, and Kayla now fumbled before Chujiao as foolishly as Wenyuan did.
The soul magic really did merge our souls, or at least it merged something, Kayla realized. Is that why I cried at the Empress Dowager's palace? But I wasn't afraid when it came to the Grand Duke! And I didn't feel anything when I saw the Imperial Princess's things. Is there not a pattern or anything?! What's wrong with this magic?! Kayla was dragged out of a whirlpool of increasingly panicked thoughts by Chujiao's pained reaction.
All of the brightness had seeped out of Chujiao’s expression, and the young woman teared up with an aggrieved expression.
“Young lord, I couldn’t help but feel that something was strange about you these days, but I still can’t believe that you would make me a hostage! No, it's my fault for thinking that. I should have expected this from the start!”
Ice filled Kayla's veins at the sight of Chujiao's tears, an almost instinctive reaction that she'd never had before.
“And why on earth should you expect this?! Chujiao, do you really think I’m that type of person?” Kayla demanded, hastily trying to smooth over the situation.
“I don’t know anymore! You weren’t before, definitely not. But now…I…I don’t know,” Chujiao said tearfully.
“Chujiao,” Kayla stumbled over her words, unable to keep the shock off her face. Wenyuan had often been upset that he wasn’t enough like Kayla, but it was the first time that Kayla had been caught shorthanded on account of not being enough like Wenyuan.
“I used to pray that you would become stronger, strong enough to protect yourself from the Grand Duke and the Secretariat Director, but you’ve changed so much that I don’t know who stands before me anymore!”
Chujiao really did recognize the difference. Shit, she realized a long time ago, didn't she? Wenyuan, if you had heard this, what would you have thought?
Kayla scrambled for words, stammering for a bit. “Don’t say that, Chujiao. I’m still–I’m–”
The same Wenyaun. The words lodged in her throat, almost as though being physically restrained there.
I can’t fucking say it. Kayla sucked in a deep breath. Not to her. Fuck.
“I still want to protect you, Chujiao. I always did,” Kayla said instead.
Chujiao glanced up at Kayla through her tears.
“I’m sorry, Chujiao. I admit that I didn’t take you here just to protect you from the Grand Duke. That was the main purpose, but it wasn’t the only one. I also did it because I’m a coward. I don’t want you to hate me, I don’t want you to get hurt, and I don’t want to get hurt either,” Kayla said, her tone increasingly pleading as she went on.
Chujiao’s expression softened. “I don’t think you’re a coward, young lord. I never did. Cowards aren’t those who are reasonably afraid, but those who refuse to act when they can. You’re not that type of person.”
Kayla sucked in a deep breath.
“In either case, I owe you an apology. I really did want to take you away from the Zhao household, but it was also because I wanted to make sure your cousin couldn’t make any moves. I’m worried that he’ll do something that crosses the line or misses the mark, and then what? The Grand Duke will find a way to cast him as a traitor and have everyone associated with him imprisoned or executed, and that includes me and you as well! I thought that if I was keeping you safe, he would at least restrain himself a little for your sake. I’m sorry, Chujiao,” Kayla said, her words tumbling out in a rush. It was as close to the truth as she could go.
Disappointment and relief mixed in Chujiao’s gaze. Chujiao seemed to come to terms with the explanation, lowering her head as she accepted it. On the surface, it seemed as though the issue had been clearly communicated, but there had been a subtle shift in the air, and Kayla instinctively understood that there was no coming back from this. Unlike chasing Chujiao away from the Inner Quarters, or even taking her hostage in the first place, this marked an irrevocable shift. In what direction, Kayla wasn’t sure, but it certainly wasn’t towards the future Wenyuan had daydreamed of.
Speaking of which, I can’t leave that unaddressed any longer, Kayla decided with a heavy heart. If she was going to negotiate with Qu Boyong, Chujiao had to know ahead of time. Nothing would ever come to fruition between the two of them. I owe it to her to clear that up.
“I've always wanted to pretend that the things most important to me wouldn’t change. Remember when I tried to arrange a match for you?” Kayla said quietly.
Chujiao let out a soft sigh. “Yes.”
Kayla winced a little, recognizing the look of someone who had been deeply hurt by an oblivious loved one.
“I’m sorry. I know that must’ve been hurtful.”
Chujiao lowered her head further, not saying anything. Kayla knew that Chujiao was probably biting back tears. From experience, Kayla understood that even a small, insincere apology was enough to evoke such a reaction. Ignoring the twinges of guilt in her gut, Kayla softly continued.
“It’s because I can’t make you my wife, but I won’t make you my concubine. I want to give you the world, I really do, but I only have the keys to a cage full of tigers. You deserve better, Chujiao. And I’m sorry that I hurt you because I couldn’t come to terms with that.”
The silence dragged on for a moment.
“I used to dream of becoming your wife,” Chujiao said abruptly. Kayla bit the inside of her cheek, frowning.
“Chujiao…”
Chujiao went on, a distant look in her eyes. “Not to live among riches or as the respected matron of a household, but that we would run away together and live a quiet life together. We would get up and work at sunrise and rest at sunset, just like all other families. It would be simple without luxury or extravagance, but we would be happy.”
New tears welled up in Chujiao’s eyes as she spoke, and Kayla winced, looking away.
“I had hoped that I could save you from your fate, and you could save me from mine. Of course, I knew it was just a fantasy, but I would run it through in my head over and over. But then you joined the court and I knew it was all over. There could never be such a world where we could live together like that,” Chujiao said, her voice increasingly aggrieved.
Kayla lowered her eyes guiltily. It never could’ve happened, that much was true. Even if Wenyuan died, “Wenyuan” still needed to exist. Evidently, even the Imperial Princess had thought that way.
“I’m sorry, Chujiao. I wish it were different.”
Chujiao turned her face away, hiding her expression of raw hurt.
“There’s something I need to do, something really important,” Kayla said heavily. “I’m going to work with your cousin to take revenge on the Grand Duke, and after that, you’ll be safe.”
Chujiao turned back to look at Kayla in surprise.
“What?”
“I’ll kill the Grand Duke, and avenge us all. And after that…after that, you and your cousin will be reinstated to your original positions,” Kayla said. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure that everything goes well for your cousin. As I said, if you’re safe, he’ll at least think for your sake when acting, and I will too. We’ll finish this, and then everything will change for the better. You’ll be able to live a much happier life.”
Chujiao broke eye contact, a bitter smile on her face. “That depends on how you define happiness, young lord.”
Kayla paused, not knowing what to say.
“What will you do after the Grand Duke is dead, young lord?” Chujiao asked, freeing Kayla from needing to respond to her previous statement.
“I have my responsibilities to shoulder and things I have to do at court,” Kayla said simply.
Chujiao watched Kayla for a moment, before smiling softly. “You were never the career-oriented type before, young lord.”
“I suppose not,” Kayla admitted.
“It suits you though. I wish you all the best, young lord.”
She’s saying goodbye to the Wenyuan she knew, Kayla realized. Withholding a sigh, Kayla nodded.
“Thank you, Chujiao. I also wish you all the best. Please wait just a little longer, and then you’ll be able to go home.”
Kayla bid her goodbyes and left the room as quickly as she could. Did I fix anything? Or did I just make things worse? Kayla felt like a driver whose car had fallen apart while she was still in it. She glanced up as Sun Zhong’e and Zhao Chao approached her with curious smiles, which faded as they took in her solemn expression.
“Sun Zhong’e, please keep a close eye on Chujiao for me,” Kayla said.
“I will, Minister. Please be assured,” Sun Zhong’e promised.
Kayla nodded at her before exiting the building with a heavy heart.
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The Grand Duke frowned down at the scrolls on his desk before waving for Housekeeper Wang to come over.
“That little brat certainly is careful,” the Grand Duke said scornfully.
“Indeed,” Housekeeper Wang replied, carefully glancing at his master’s expression. “Given his current security detail, it won’t be so easy to kill him off. The only chance we’d have would be when he enters the palace, but that…well, we would have to be more careful. The Empress Dowager’s gotten more careful in recent years.”
“To catch a band of thieves, you ought to first catch the leader. Send down the orders. If an opportunity appears in the palace, poison him,” the Grand Duke said. He used his good arm to point at another scroll. “But we can’t just sit around and wait for a chance to appear. This man, we need to get rid of him.”
Housekeeper Wang leaned in to squint at the scroll. “Hu Qing? That’s the young lord’s retainer, isn’t he? The one in charge of security.”
“If we get rid of Hu Qing, Wenyuan’s security detail will also fall into confusion,” the Grand Duke said. “Set up an ambush and kill him off–make it ugly.”
Housekeeper Wang glanced at him uncertainly. “Word is that this man is extremely skilled. No one knows just how strong he really is.”
“Outarmed and outnumbered, there’s only so long that he can last without backup. Lure him into an anti-communication ward, and he won’t even be able to call for help,” the Grand Duke said. “Is that so hard?”
“Of course not,” Housekeeper Wang hastily replied. “I’m just worried whether there will be a suitable opportunity.”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” the Grand Duke scoffed. “For a weakling like Wenyuan who doesn’t even have the arm strength to truss a chicken, a good security detail is his only lifeline. But the more skilled a man is, the bolder he becomes. You will definitely be able to catch Hu Qing alone.”
“Understood,” Housekeeper Wang bowed his head slightly.
“Once Hu Qing is dead, pick off the other skilled ones, especially the two who came with Wenyuan last time,” the Grand Duke said.
“I believe they were Tao Qian and Zhao Chao,” Housekeeper Wang began, the Grand Duke cutting him off with a glare.
“I’m not interested in the names of corpses.”
Housekeeper Wang hastily bowed his head again.
“Understood, my lord. I will see it done.”
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Cultural Notes
荆州/Jingzhou: An administrative province in Tang Dynasty China, a region that includes the southeast of modern-day Hubei and north of modern Hunan.
江夏郡/Jiangxia Commandery: A commandery (Tang Dynasty administrative district within a province) in Jingzhou, located in modern-day Hubei.
拨浪鼓/Chinese rattle: A traditional Chinese toy, it looks like this. You shake it back and forth to what is essentially a drum with the beads on the attached strings.
[https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse1.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP.BirUe1McCIBJCU-J90a1BQHaHa%26pid%3DApi&f=1&ipt=de2ed320a131d4fc408ddd00ecf1fa174251233fd2c0dac720c04eacc9aae4f0&ipo=images]
Child Mortality Rates in Ancient China: You may have heard that the average lifespan in Ancient China was 35 years old. This is mostly on account of including infant and child mortality rates, which were high in areas with limited resources, as seen in the history of every country. For those who did make it past childhood, people generally were expected to live until at least their sixties, if not longer. While there were indeed advanced midwifery techniques, access varied greatly, and long-term exhaustion and/or malnutrition on the part of an impoverished mother can also lead to mother and infant mortality during childbirth.
大水给冲走了/Washed away by the water: A phrase often used in Chinese to refer to someone who is presumed to have drowned, especially when a body wasn't found.
洛阳/Luoyang: The capital city of many dynasties, it actually was not the capital of the Tang Dynasty. However, for artistic purposes, the capital of the Wu Dynasty is Luoyang to reflect the relatively tense situation with the Eastern Turkic Khaganate (the Tang Dynast capital of Chang'an was much further West, and therefore more susceptible to attack from the Western border).
Cangue: A device used for restraining and humiliating prisoners in Ancient China (also used in the rest of East Asia to some extent). These were extremely uncomfortable to be in, and prisoners were often publicly paraded before their punishments were enacted (as one also sees in other pre-modern societies). A cangue usually went around one's neck, and sometimes also bound one's hands. Here are ones with and without hand restraints respectively:
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Tang Dynasty Laws on Theft: Robbery and theft were punished differently in the Tang Dynasty depending on whether or not you worked for the government. If yes, your punishment was heavier, and if not, then your punishment was lighter. Punishments also differed depending on how much you managed to steal (if you got nothing, it would be relatively light), and also on how much damage (to both property and to your victims) you caused (If you didn't hurt anyone, you got off lighter). Going by value in lengths of brocade, the more the value, the harsher the punishment. If you steal something worth one length of brocade, then you would receive twenty strikes in public, versus for something worth ten lengths worth of brocade, it would be a beating and then one year of imprisonment. If you killed someone in the process, you would be executed.
日出而作日落而息/Beginning work at sunrise and ceasing at sunset: An Ancient Chinese proverb referring to a busy but fulfilling life of labor and simple happiness.
擒贼先擒王/Catching thieves [you must] first catch their king: An Ancient Chinese proverb meaning to strike at the head in order to destroy the whole organization.
手无缚鸡之力/Arms lack [even] the strength to truss a chicken: An Ancient Chinese phrase used to scoff at someone (usually a scholar) for being weak.
艺高人胆大/Highly skilled [people] are bolder: An Ancient Chinese saying meaning that someone who is more skilled is also more likely to be bolder (and careless).