Chapter 100 Night Wind Ridge: The tax collector, wading through the Yellow River, panting heavily, carried...

Most government offices and prisons are pretty much the same: dark, damp, filthy, and filled with the smell of blood and mildew. The faint creaking of shackles and chains is accompanied by the occasional groan of the prisoners.

Summoned by the vengeful spirits of the unjustly deceased, Bai was all too familiar with this environment. Several large rats scurried through the haystack, gnawing at the rotting, decaying flesh on the legs of the convicts.

The copper lamp in the niche flickered, casting the innocence of the wronged prisoner's shadow on the moss-covered prison wall. Beneath his feet were blood-soaked brick seams, and a calloused, blood-stained hand was gripped between the bricks, surrounded by a jumble of scratches from fingernails. Beside it, the four crookedly written blood-red characters "Heaven's justice is clear," highlighting the prisoner's agony and despair before his death.

Bai Yuan's gaze lingered briefly on the four blood-red characters, then swept over the whip marks on the back of the wrongfully killed man, which had solidified into purplish-black scabs.

This man was tortured to the point of near death before he finally succumbed to his injuries and died unjustly in prison.

The deceased was named He Laishun. He was a "human mule" who made a living at the dock. He wore only a thin shirt and went shirtless all year round. He wore straw sandals and loaded and unloaded goods for merchant ships and cargo ships. He earned a living by doing hard labor. He ate cold, hard cornbread for three meals a day. His hands and feet developed calluses a foot thick. In addition to food, clothing and other necessities, the foreman deducted money from his wages. He also had to get medicine for his wife who was bedridden at home.

My wife suffered a sudden postpartum hemorrhage during childbirth and was pulled back from the brink of death, but she has been left with health problems ever since. However, at least she is alive, so all the hard work is worth it.

Unfortunately, once he entered the government office, he had nowhere to seek justice. Even on his deathbed, he was still worried about not being able to get medicine for his sick wife. If he were no longer in the family, how would the mother and son live?

He hadn't saved enough money to get his son married yet. The window of the shed broke early in the morning, letting in drafts. He was waiting to finish carrying the last boatload of salt to get it repaired.

However, it was all too late.

The day of the accident was no different from any other day of work. The sky was clear and the docks were bustling with people. Merchants from all over the country gathered at the ferry crossing, and the laborers carried heavy cargo boxes weighing over 100 pounds on their shoulders, sweating profusely.

It is said that this is official salt from the salt lake in Hedong, which was transported down the Pujin Ferry and stopped at Fengling Ferry for inspection.

The salt ship was also carrying some oil and grains from the northern route, which needed to be unloaded at Fenglingdu. So, they hired a few dockworkers to board the ship, and He Lai was among them. Before boarding, a skinny man carrying a cargo box stumbled and almost fell. He Lai quickly caught him and noticed that the man's toes were bleeding. He guessed that the man was a newcomer who had just started working at the dock, so he helped him move the cargo box to the warehouse.

Therefore, He Laishun was delayed for a while. When he was the last to board the ship and went to the cargo hold, a man with blood gushing from his throat suddenly pushed open the partition and rushed out, clutching a sandalwood box and lunging at He Laishun.

Caught off guard, He Laishun instinctively hugged the other person, and the blood from the gash on the other person's neck splattered all over his face, completely stunning him.

Then a boatman was heard screaming, repeatedly shouting, "Murder! Murder!"

He Laishun was jolted back to his senses by the shout and turned around in surprise. He saw a tax collector standing next to the boatman.

He Laishun had been working at the ferry crossing for many years, and he saw these tax officials responsible for inspecting the ferries every day, so he naturally recognized this tax official.

By the time he realized what was happening, the soldiers stationed at the ferry crossing had already rushed forward to arrest him.

The man whose throat had been slit fell from his arms. He Laishun was terrified and, amidst the chaos of battle, was unable to defend himself. He couldn't even remember when he had grabbed the sandalwood box.

Several bloody finger marks were clearly imprinted on the sandalwood box. He Laishun swore that he absolutely did not want the box, but judging from the situation at the scene, He Laishun was murdered for money in order to seize the box, and was caught red-handed by the tax collector and the boatmen.

As fate would have it, the man who died on the salt boat with his throat slit was none other than Hong, a salt merchant from Hedong, and He Laishun, who was unjustly imprisoned at that moment, was the father of the boy who had assassinated the tax collector at the tavern that evening.

Bai Yuan and his party had no intention of getting involved in this matter, but the victim himself came to them.

This murder occurred half a month ago. The official opened the wooden box on the spot and was furious when he saw a neat stack of salt certificates inside. He angrily accused He Laishun of stealing the salt certificates and murdering Hong: "What are these salt certificates? How could a lowly commoner like you covet them?!"

This involves salt permits, which is a serious matter, especially since it also involves a life.

That very night, He Laishun was taken from the detention room of Fenglingjin Office to the county prison, where he went through several rounds of interrogation and torture in a daze.

The interrogating officials started by asking him whether he was stealing salt permits, then whether he was planning to sell smuggled salt, and finally, they made him reveal who was behind it and who his cronies were.

He Laishun was completely bewildered and tormented to the point of wishing he were dead. All he heard over and over again were those few unconvincing statements: "I didn't, I'm innocent, I know nothing."

But the government saw this as stubbornness, refusing to admit defeat until faced with a fatal blow.

After another round of torture and forced confession, the jailer threw the half-dead He Laishun into the cage and muttered, "He really is a scoundrel from the docks. He's built up a body of steel and can withstand the severe torture in the county jail. Even after being tortured like this, he still won't confess a single word."

He Laishun thought sadly, what was he supposed to confess to? He hadn't done anything and knew nothing! As a commoner like him, he hadn't even considered such things, yet these officials had indiscriminately pinned several capital crimes on him.

He will die whether he admits it or not.

When ants fall into the hands of power and money, they only have one way out: death. He couldn't even see his wife and children one last time. It's truly heartbreaking.

Bai Yuan, carrying He Laishun's resentment and hatred, glanced at the dampness still visible at the corners of his eyes, and quietly left the cell, as if she had never visited this place.

Whether it is love or hate, it is the most invisible force in the world, which can become a shackle or a fetter.

What this world has imposed on the innocent has always been shackles, or rather, these shackles carrying resentment are her only connection to this world.

Bai Yuan appeared in the back alley of the yamen as the midnight clapper sounded. After passing through rows of low houses, he saw a man in blue standing alone on the quiet street, next to the stone lion outside the county yamen.

Several lit lanterns hung under the eaves, their light slanting onto Zhou Yaren and casting her shadow on the ground, making it appear even longer.

Bai Yuan suddenly stopped and looked at people from a distance. He was really handsome and refined. His long blue robe and black hair fluttered in the wind, like ripples on water. Whether he was walking, sitting or lying down, he was elegant and graceful, like a gentle breeze.

However, this person may seem as gentle as a breeze, but when it comes to a contest, he is anything but ambiguous. Bai Yuan has seen him wield his wide sleeves with the force of wind and thunder, and wield his folding fan with talisman blades. He is decisive in killing and ruthless, yet he is also sharp and unparalleled. After the matter is over, he hides his sharpness and puts on this gentle and refined demeanor.

The night watchman's clapper sounded through the alleys and streets, announcing the time. Bai Yuan silently approached Zhou Yaren: "How did you find me?"

Standing at the inn window, he witnessed Bai Yuan being summoned by the underworld once again, and immediately went to find him: "If he died unjustly, it is most likely that he died in the prison."

He then followed the trail to the government office, and as he had suspected, Zhou Yaren asked, "What happened?"

"It's that boy who assassinated the tax collector in Jindu. His father has died unjustly in prison." Bai Yuan stepped forward and walked along the long street with Zhou Yaren, recounting He Laishun's wrongful conviction.

Sensing that this road was not the way back to the inn, Zhou Yaren heard the sound of waves in the distance and asked, "Are we going to the ferry?"

As they passed by a house with a lamp lit at night, the candlelight shone through the latticed windows, casting an intricate and auspicious shadow that flickered across Zhou Yaren's profile.

"Hmm," Bai Yuan said, "Let's go check that merchant ship; it should still be anchored at the ferry dock."

The bustling Fenglingdu fell silent at night, with only a few figures occasionally wandering around, except for the ferry officials and patrolmen on duty.

When Bai Yuan and Zhou Yaren arrived, they saw a man on the pier stuffing a money bag into the hands of a ferry official, saying, "...I hope the official will be lenient..."

The ferryman threw the money bag back without any mercy: "Don't try that on me. Don't you know what time it is? The ferry has been closed for a long time. If I let you cross the river without permission, I will be punished by my superiors."

According to the Great Law, anyone who opens a night crossing without authorization shall be punished with eighty strokes of the cane, and anyone who causes someone to drown shall be hanged.

"But sir, my mother is critically ill, I must..."

No matter the reason, there was no room for negotiation. If he let the man leave the ferry today and he crossed the river safely, that would be fine, and the matter might be covered up without anyone knowing. But what if something went wrong along the way? It's not uncommon for boats to capsize overnight due to rising winds and waves. If they were investigated then, he would definitely be held accountable. The ferryman impatiently shoved the man aside: "The ferry departs at dawn, don't cause trouble!"

Bai Yuan and Zhou Yaren walked in the shadows among the boats on the riverbank, easily avoiding the eyes and ears of the patrolling soldiers.

Bai Yuan asked, "Is there a curfew at the ferry crossing?"

The twelve locks, each weighing over a thousand pounds, lie across the Yellow River. Each lock is almost as thick as an arm and they are tightly locked into the depths of the stone trough.

Zhou Yaren said, "To prevent smuggling, all official ferry gates within the territory of the Da Duan River shall be locked at 3:45 PM, open during the day and closed at night. Unless there are special circumstances, boats are prohibited from entering or leaving at will."

Moreover, the ferry system was strict. After inspection, the official ferry would temporarily seal the cabins of merchant ships that were moored for salt, iron, and tea, and affix the Fenglingdu seal with the official seal to prevent the goods from being privately switched or stolen.

There's a local saying among the boatmen: "I'd rather cross ten times and be haunted by ghosts than brave one night's storm."

The two passed several large ships with seals on them and finally found a salt ship flying the Hong family flag in the corner.

More than half a month after Hong's murder, before the case was resolved, the government sealed the ship and seized the cargo, prohibiting unauthorized personnel from setting foot on it. All the salt on Hong's ship was moved to the Tianjin government warehouse, leaving the hold completely empty.

Bai Yuan did not find any suspicious clues at the bottom of the cabin, or even if there were any suspicious clues, they were taken away and dealt with by the government. Apart from a pool of dried, dark blood, no signs of a struggle were found at the crime scene.

Bai Yuan said, "According to He Laishun's opinion, the Hong family member's throat was cut open, and she was killed by a single blow when she was completely unprepared."

Zhou Yaren pondered and said, "The cargo on the ship is all there, and the salt permits are in the hands of the Hong family. It is clear that the person who killed him did not want the salt and permits."

“Could it be some personal grudge?” Bai Yuan examined the bloodstains splattered on the ship’s planks and followed Zhou Yaren’s train of thought. “Could it be the work of the boatmen? But why didn’t the boatmen attack him during the voyage and then abandon ship to escape? Why did they wait until the ship entered the checkpoint? Didn’t they know that there would be many patrolmen and yamen runners guarding the Guandu area, and that the salt ship would be inspected once it docked?”

“It’s either that they didn’t find an opportunity to assassinate him midway, or they thought they could get away with it at the ferry crossing,” Zhou Yaren analyzed. “Hong was slit in the throat when the salt boat docked. Besides the boatmen, the tax collectors and several laborers who boarded the boat later were also suspects.”

Just as the devil was about to appear, a sharp shout came from outside: "What are you doing?!"

Bai Yuan hurriedly went out of the cabin to check and saw a man carrying a lantern walking briskly along the creaking wooden plank. As the man jumped off the plank and got closer, Bai Yuan recognized him as the tax collector he had met at the tavern.

"Who's lurking around like that?!" the tax collector shouted menacingly, trying to intimidate the patrolmen on the shore.

Looking through the ship's side, Bai Yuan saw that the same filial son who had begged the ferry official to let him pass and was in a hurry to go back to visit his critically ill mother had crawled under the lock gate and somehow obtained a small boat, preparing to cross the river illegally.

Upon discovering that he had been discovered by the officials, the filial son immediately pushed the boat into the river and hurriedly climbed onto it. The small boat rocked left and right, making the filial son lose his balance and fall down on his buttocks.

As the official drew near, the filial son trembled with fear and frantically tried to grab the oars. He had barely paddled a little when the tax collector, who had caught up with him, grabbed him from the stern.

"You audacious thieves, how dare you cross the river illegally...!" The tax collector, panting heavily, waded through the Yellow River and dragged the small boat back to the mudflats.

"My lord! My lord!" the filial son cried out hoarsely as he was escorted off the boat by the arriving patrolmen. "Please, my mother is critically ill. I must rush back to see her one last time, my lord! Please, my lord, show mercy!"

"I don't care who's critically ill. Anyone who illegally crosses the border will be sentenced to one year of penal servitude. Anyone who possesses contraband will be punished two degrees more severely! I think you don't need to go back to see him one last time. Just go back for the funeral next year!" With that, the tax collector waved his hand and said, "Drag him away and search him!"

"My lord, my lord, please spare me..."

The tax collectors ignored the warnings and followed the patrolmen toward the government office.

Bai Yuan and Zhou Yaren, one having witnessed the entire event and the other having heard it, remained calm and followed behind without showing any emotion.