You must pay this money

“Daughter-in-law…”

Hu Shaoyou’s mother began, “I heard that the imperial court’s men have already entered the city, is that true?”

“Yes, have they entered the city already?” Hu Shaoyou’s father added. “When I came, I saw so many soldiers—they aren’t from Yuancheng. They must be imperial troops, right?”

“Oh no, what are we going to do?”

The two of them instantly wore expressions of deep anxiety.

“Shaoyou wouldn’t listen to advice and insisted on opposing the court. You’re his wife, and you didn’t stop him. Now that he’s lost the battle, the court will surely come to hold us accountable. When that happens, the two of us old folks won’t survive.”

“Ai, you and Shaoyou have doomed your mother and me.”

Hu Shaoyou’s father and mother, speaking turn by turn, quickly laid out the gravity of the situation. Their faces grew even more bitter.

“What sin have we committed? We struggled to raise Shaoyou, and now not only has the young one gone before the old, but he’s dragging us down with him.”

“Old woman, maybe we should pay off the imperial army. If we give them enough money, maybe they’ll spare our lives.”

“But we have no money! The little we’ve saved wouldn’t even cover their expenses. This time… we’re doomed!”

“Shaoyou is dead, and now we’ll die too!”

As if struck by deep grief, tears streamed down the faces of Hu Shaoyou’s parents. Under the chill wind sweeping through the hall, they looked utterly desolate.

Gu Qing’s heart ached at the sight, but she could think of no immediate solution.

She knew that offering money and valuables to the imperial army would bring some degree of leniency, but where could she get such a fortune?

The loans from others and the original four million taels from Yuancheng, plus what was owed for fighting the court—together, it was an astronomical sum.

Her Gu family owned plenty of properties, but even selling everything wouldn’t be enough.

“Daughter-in-law…”

Seeing that Gu Qing remained silent, Hu Shaoyou’s parents spoke again. “Right now, we can only rely on you. You have to come up with the money.”

“That’s right. Without Shaoyou, we have only you. Daughter-in-law, you must provide the money!”

By now, Gu Qing had long understood their intent. Still, when they said it outright, she could only smile bitterly in despair. “But… I don’t have that much money either!”

“Go work! You’re so capable!” Hu Shaoyou’s mother immediately retorted. “You built up such a large business, pushed Shaoyou into the position of Yuancheng’s magistrate, and even perfected the sweet potatoes Yun Jing brought out. With your skills, making money should be as easy as turning your hand!”

“Exactly!” Hu Shaoyou’s father chimed in. “Surely you can’t bear to let the imperial army take out their anger on your mother and me?”

“We’re old and frail. We can’t withstand any ordeal. If the imperial army gives us a good thrashing, we… we’re finished.”

Hu Shaoyou’s parents, whether from their journey or some other reason, looked ragged and pitiful as they arrived, covered in dust. Now, as they spoke, tears streamed down their wrinkled faces, stirring pity.

Gu Qing could not allow the elderly couple to suffer because of this. Besides, she had failed to stop Hu Shaoyou from resisting the imperial army.

She could not escape responsibility.

For the sake of Hu Shaoyou, the man she had loved all her life; for the sake of his parents; and to preserve the Gu family’s legacy of integrity, Gu Qing found no reason to refuse.

She took a deep breath, then spoke with unwavering resolve. “Father-in-law, Mother-in-law, do not worry.”

“The debt Shaoyou incurred is a shared burden between him and me. I will not shirk it, nor will the imperial army allow me to.”

“I, Gu Qing, accept it!”

When she said “accept it,” the words seemed squeezed out one by one from between clenched teeth. For this debt, as immense as a mountain, was no small matter.

With this promise, she condemned herself to a lifetime of darkness, a half-living, half-dead existence.

Hu Shaoyou’s parents’ faces lit up with joy.

Gu Qing had always kept her word. With such a promise, even if the heavens crumbled and the earth cracked, she would never break it.

They began to heap praise on her.

“Ah, though Shaoyou was unlucky, at least he married a good wife.”

“Daughter-in-law, regardless, you are still Shaoyou’s wife. This debt was always yours to bear. So just… work a little harder.”

While Hu Shaoyou’s parents were still coaxing her, a commotion arose outside the door. The two looked up to see a troop of men approaching swiftly.

The leading figure wore lightweight armor that gleamed like silver. His face was handsome and refined, but his eyes carried a deep, unspoken authority that was intimidating beyond measure.

Hu Shaoyou’s parents, unsure who this was but sensing he must be a high-ranking official from the imperial court, trembled as they knelt to the ground.

Gu Qing also knelt, but she immediately guessed the man’s identity.

—Ren Tianye, the Duke of Ren.

Apart from Ren Tianye, she couldn’t imagine who else could make General Zhang Shi, a man who had swept the grasslands and annihilated entire fortresses, obey with such deference.

Yet her despair deepened further.

If even the duke had arrived, the mountain-like debt pressing down on her would gain another shackle. From now on, Gu Qing could not die. She could only live a life less than human, spending a lifetime repaying the debt.

Fortunately, her spirit remained unbroken under the immense pressure. She kowtowed and greeted him formally: “This is Gu Qing, widow of the offending officer Hu Shaoyou, paying respects to the Duke.”

“My husband, Hu Shaoyou, is dead and gone, but the hole he left—including the emptying of the granaries, treasury, and armories, as well as the huge debts borrowed from the surrounding towns—this I, Gu Qing, will bear alone.”

“I will not break my word.”

“I will spend my whole life filling that gap.”

Before she finished speaking, Zhang Shi nearly jumped up in shock.

“What did you say?”

“Not only did you drain Yuancheng dry, but you also borrowed heavily from nearby areas? What did Hu Shaoyou need so much money for? It would’ve been enough for many lifetimes of luxury!”

Zhang Shi was about to grab Gu Qing by the collar, but Ren Tianye reached out and stopped him.

Ren Tianye looked over the kneeling widow, then at the elderly couple beside her. Learning from his guards that they were Hu Shaoyou’s parents, he finally let his gaze fall on the coffin.

Looking at the lifeless Hu Shaoyou, Ren Tianye suddenly felt a stir of suspicion—something was not right.