[Speaking of which, the weather has been quite hot lately, so I’ve been craving icy and cold foods, paired with sour and spicy flavors. Unfortunately, my teeth couldn’t handle it.
Fortunately, Hanshan Ling Toothpaste contains dual factors of soothing and repair, providing double care for sensitive teeth.
After using it, my dental health improved, and I can enjoy sour, spicy, cold, and hot foods again!
Truly worthy of being a trusted domestic brand! With fifty years of specialized research in anti-sensitivity, it’s completely reliable! Friends in need can click the link in the comments to purchase, and mention Qing Ju’s name for a discount!]
A neat row of Hanshan Ling toothpaste appeared on the Sky Screen.
The simple people of the Great Yin Dynasty didn’t understand the concept of advertisements yet, only feeling that Qing Ju’s topic shift was too abrupt and rapid.
But it wasn’t a big issue – the Great Yin Dynasty didn’t have toothpaste anyway.
Some attentive individuals were already getting restless, planning to research this as soon as the Sky Screen ended.
Zhu Xuanyi instinctively called out: “Minister of Works…”
Oh!
The Minister of Works wasn’t present.
However, given his awareness, he would probably initiate research and production of medicinal paste on his own.
There were too many novel and useful things appearing on the Sky Screen – it was time to recruit more talented individuals with strong practical skills.
[As the sun set in the west, it was Tang Yuan’s birthday today. Though alone, he still wanted to treat himself to a good meal at a restaurant and experience the lively atmosphere of the bustling streets.
However, when he finally managed to revise the documents requested by the Registrar just before off-duty time, the Registrar said there was another document to be submitted to the Vice Minister in a month – he should hurry up and draft it, and also reorganize those files.]
The Great Yin citizens were bewildered by the sudden shift from toothpaste back to the Overtime Bloodshed Case: Are they insane?
A document due in a month – is it necessary to work overtime to write it now?
If it’s written now, are you going to look at it again after twenty-nine days?
Isn’t this deliberately tormenting people?
[Though it wasn’t urgent, though it could be done the next day, the Registrar always acted this way. The Registrar always demanded overtime, partly because his work ability was extremely poor and he loved to procrastinate and dawdle, and partly because he genuinely loved working overtime. Even when there was truly no work to be done that day, he would still make Tang Yuan stay and work overtime with him.
It seemed the longer the overtime hours, the busier and more diligent he appeared.
Tang Yuan was almost breaking down.
He had endured this for so very long.
Normally, he should have continued to endure today. But today was different.]
Here it comes!
Everyone became alert and energized as if facing a great enemy!
The Great Yin common people and other departments watched the drama unfold like spectators eating melons, while the Court of Judicial Review was shrouded in dark clouds, where even breathing loudly was considered wrong.
One could hear the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review scolding a Department Director: “Breathing so loudly – are you trying to die?”
Department Director: …
[What made that day different? Tang Yuan was exhausted from hangover, hadn’t eaten breakfast, had been busy from morning till night, and was utterly disoriented and miserable from his superior’s torment.
Such days had occurred before.
However, all the past accumulated pressures became the final straw that broke the camel’s back. Oh, and today was also his birthday.]
On the Sky Screen, in the dim government office under faint yellow candlelight, the Registrar sat at the desk pointing at documents and talking eloquently, while Tang Yuan stood to the side, his shadow cast behind him by the dim candlelight, pitch black.
“Young people just don’t know how to do things properly!”
“Now it’s very, very… that thing, what that person said yesterday… just, just…”
“That… that is… is it… isn’t it…”I asked for character B!” Why did you write A instead?”
…
Tang Yuan stepped forward quietly, his hand silently gripping the candlestick.
“Didn’t I write B?”” Tang Yuan spoke abruptly.
“Tch!” The Registrar frowned, his expression as if hearing the worst news imaginable. “Look here, look what you’ve written…”
He looked up just as Tang Yuan raised his hand high and brought the candlestick down hard.
Crash!
The Registrar collapsed to the floor. The candle fell from the candlestick, landed on the ground, flickered a few times, and unexpectedly went out.
The glow from lanterns outside and moonlight filtered into the room.
His expression cold, the corners of his lips slightly upturned in an eerie smile, his gaze piercing, he looked down at the unconscious Registrar: “Didn’t I write exactly what you wanted?””
Under the Sky Screen, the officials of the Court of Judicial Review held their breath. Some reached up to touch their foreheads.
Someone shook their head and sighed: “Extremes meet! Look what they’ve driven Tang Yuan to!”
Others disagreed: “What’s wrong with a superior offering some criticism? As subordinates, shouldn’t we endure our superiors’ words? Haven’t we all been through this?”
“Young people these days lack mental fortitude. They have no future.”
In the darkness under the Sky Screen, Tang Yuan raised the iron candlestick once more.
[Tang Yuan killed his superior. At this moment, someone happened to be passing by the door. This person was the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review.]
The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review:?!
He had a bad premonition.
[Tang Yuan heard the Minister questioning him, but all he could think about were his shoes. He looked down at them.
The shoes were stained with blood, already ruined.
These were new shoes he had saved up for a long time to buy, yet the Registrar had criticized him for extravagance.
But didn’t the Registrar himself secretly bring fine wine to the office?
Why criticize extravagance? Because the Minister preferred wearing simple old clothes to demonstrate his frugality.]
The Minister mentioned by the Sky Screen blurted out: “Is there anything wrong with being frugal?”
The Sky Screen didn’t respond.
[Because the Minister advocated frugality, the officials of the Court of Judicial Review all dressed simply to curry favor. But were they truly practicing thrift?
Of course not.
Even the Minister was merely putting on a show.
Extravagance had instead become the Registrar’s reason to attack Tang Yuan, this poor junior clerk.
The Minister is a hypocrite.
Tang Yuan thought to himself.
They should all die.
Tang Yuan walked toward the Minister with the candlestick.
According to historical records, he first attacked the Minister with the candlestick, then beat him with a wooden stool.
The Minister was beaten until his head was covered in blood.
Others working overtime in the office heard the commotion and rushed over, only to see Tang Yuan madly swinging the stool around. When the stool broke and fell apart, he picked up the candlestick, grabbing anything he could use.
They didn’t dare approach.
Finally, Tang Yuan sat in the courtyard, the Minister lying on the ground with his face unrecognizable.
Exhausted, he lay on the ground and looked up at the brilliant starry sky.
The starry sky.
Today was his birthday. He had wanted to enjoy a delicious meal at his favorite restaurant, to stroll leisurely through the bustling streets, with lanterns before his eyes and stars above his head.
Tang Yuan shed tears. He knew he would never see this brilliant starry sky again.]
The background music began with undercurrents, then grew intense and passionate, followed by desolate sorrow, before finally settling into calm despair.
In the Great Yin Dynasty, there were many who lived as slaves or servants, and even more who suffered under the oppression of the powerful. To varying degrees, they found resonance with Tang Yuan’s plight.
By the end, many were in tears, exclaiming, “Tang Yuan was driven mad!”
An elder sighed and asked, “How could it have come to this?”
A sweaty dockworker, carrying a heavy sack, paused and said, “He should have endured a little longer—just a bit more, and it would have passed.”
To the dockworker, being a clerk at the Court of Judicial Review seemed like a wonderful job! What did it matter if his supervisor scolded him or he had to work overtime?
It was far better than his own backbreaking labor at the docks, drenched in sweat.
Why wasn’t Tang Yuan satisfied?
What more did he want?