Seeking Truth with a Sword-Chapter 544 - 488: One Family

Chapter 544: Chapter 488: One Family
"So it is," Li Ang glanced at Wang Bo Fan kneeling on the ground, his face ashen, his tone indifferent.
He did not believe Wang Bo Fan truly thought he was at fault; he was kneeling here only because he had lost the wager.
"Wang Bo Fan, for his personal feelings, disregarded the safety and well-being of the common people. His sin is unforgivable. And our Wang Family, having produced such a person, also bears responsibility for the current situation in Taiyuan Prefecture."
The White-haired Clan Elder shakily took out a booklet, slowly placing it on Li Ang’s desk. "This is the compensation plan drafted by the Wang Family for this plague outbreak. Please, Mr. Li, take a look."
"Compensation?"
Li Ang raised an eyebrow, casually flipping through the booklet. It was packed with numerous entries, including monetary compensation and funds for rebuilding houses.
Just the apology compensation for Li Ang himself contained hundreds of items, including priceless antiques, Former Sui Classics, gold and silver jewelry, and even Mutated Objects.
Li Ang looked very carefully. He occasionally looked up to ask a few questions about the antiques and paintings listed in the booklet, such as their era and the artist.
The more they discussed, the more Wang Bojian’s highly tense heart slowly began to ease.
In this world, every person and every matter has a price. If negotiations fail, it is simply because the offered price is not suitable enough.
As long as Li Ang had demands, the well-resourced Wang Family could always manage.
"Your compensation is very generous, and you are very sincere," Li Ang closed the booklet, nodded, and smiled. "However, I want one more thing."
"Please, say what it is," Wang Bojian smiled. "The Wang Family will strive to fulfill it."
SWOOSH.
Li Ang pulled open a drawer and took out a thick register from inside. He turned it around so that the register faced Wang Bojian.
Wang Bojian glanced at it and saw that the register listed names, ages, genders, parents’ names, addresses, and dates.
An Xiangdai, sixteen years old, female, father: An Jin, mother: Zhuang Yitong, address: No. 10 Luoyu Lane, Sanming Square, Taiyuan Prefecture, Zaiqian Sixth Year, October 25th.
Zhai Zhou, nine years old, male, father: Zhai Hui, mother: Hu Lan, address: No.1 Er Yan Lane, Shuidan Square, Taiyuan Prefecture, Zaiqian Sixth Year, October 29th.
Wei Xinyu, thirty-seven years old, male, father: Wei Xia Yun, mother: Hu Rendong, address: No. 20 Gusong Lane, Qiuyan Square, Luoyang, Zaiqian Sixth Year, October 26th.
...
"This is the list of plague victims in Taiyuan Prefecture recorded by the sick house in recent months," Li Ang said calmly. "It includes common people, soldiers, government officials, medical personnel, and volunteers. Bring them back to life."
The room fell silent. Wang Bojian’s mouth was slightly ajar. The White-haired Clan Elder stopped coughing. Yan Yundang, standing by the door, lowered his eyelids and silently stared at the pale green wallpaper.
Li Ang looked at the two members of the Wang Family still standing and calmly asked, "You cannot do it, can you?"
"Mr. Li," Wang Bojian clasped his hands together, struggling to say, "the dead cannot be brought back to life..."
"The dead cannot be brought back to life," Li Ang interrupted. "Dead is dead. No amount of compensation made afterwards can change anything.
"I have sat here all day, looking at this list. There are men and women, old and young. Some families are broken, never to return to their past warmth and harmony. Some families, even entire households, succumbed to the disease and died.
"When the sick house processed their ashes, they didn’t know whom to entrust them to. So, they temporarily stored them in a cabinet, labeled them, and waited, hoping that distant relatives might come to claim them after the plague ended."
He stared at the two members of the Wang Family and said calmly, "I heard the Wang Family is a thousand-year-old noble family, living in opulence, where family members live together, respecting and loving one another. They say, ’Honor your own elders as you would honor the elders of others; care for your own young as you would care for the young of others.’
"When a highly respected elder in the family dies, even the most distantly related relatives sincerely mourn.
"To the scions of noble families, those common people who don’t share their surname are indeed a different species.
"Children from common families are still sniffling and playing in the mud at the age of five or six. In contrast, the children of noble families are already in classrooms, reciting the Four Books and Five Classics.
"Scholars of common birth, no matter how many decades they study diligently, cannot match the understanding of the classics of a young child from a noble family and are easily refuted in debates.
"The clothes they wear, the words they speak, the things they think about—all are utterly different.
"In the eyes of noble families, those foolish, rude, shortsighted, inferior commoners are not the same species as them. They are like humans and ants.
"It doesn’t matter how many ants die.
"Indeed, when someone demands they take responsibility for the deaths of these ants, they are shocked, bewildered, and find it absurd.
"Just like you, right now."
Li Ang rested his hand on the register and slowly stood up from his chair. "Rites do not extend down to the common people; punishments do not extend up to high officials," he said coldly.
"In your view, Wang Bo Fan is undoubtedly doomed. Several Wang Family members who directly executed Wang Bo Fan’s plan, as well as the servants in the Prince Manor, will probably die too.
"But the others, even those Wang Family members involved in Wang Bo Fan’s plan, will survive.
"In the world of adults, there is no right or wrong, only pros and cons.
"The Yu Country is on the brink of war. Even if the Wang Family committed heinous crimes, they should not be harshly punished, in order to appease the aristocratic families across the land.
"Moreover, the Wang Family has connections everywhere. There are concubines from the Wang Family in the palace and relatives by marriage in the court. There’s even a Doctor from the Wang Family in the Academic Palace, who once served as my Professor.
"We’re all one big family, all interconnected. Just make a show of punishment for those common folk to see, and that will be enough. Why cause a bloodbath? After all, fortunes change; what goes around comes around.
"That’s what you’re thinking, isn’t it?
"That’s how the world is. It has always been this way.
"But...
"Just because it has always been this way, does that make it right?"
Li Ang shook his head. Without waiting for the two Wang Family members to reply, he said lightly, "I despise this ’it has always been this way.’
"If no one will do anything for those who died, if no one will pursue accountability for the source of this man-made disaster, if no one dares to break this unspoken agreement,
"then I will."
Wang Bojian read the resolution in Li Ang’s calm voice. A chill ran through his body. No longer maintaining his modest demeanor or respectful terms, he cried out, "What are you going to do...?"
BOOM!
A violent explosion sounded from outside the window. Far to the Northern, flames shot into the sky.
Waves of Spiritual Energy spread out like a tsunami, howling in all directions.
That was the direction of the Prince Manor.
"It’s not what I am going to do, but what I have already done."
Li Ang walked past the three Wang Family members and strode towards the door. His Academic Palace Patrol Jade Pendant swayed with his steps. "Let’s go," he said. "Don’t keep the Supervision Department waiting too long."