When they arrived, a large crowd had already gathered outside the yamen. The outer circle consisted of common people, the inner circle of scholars, and in the middle stood an old man.
Someone in the crowd exclaimed, "The county magistrate is here!"
"And the advisor."
"How can such a black sheep be allowed in the ranks of the government?"
"Pooh."
The clerk's face turned bright red. He had always prided himself on his high aspirations and put on airs everywhere in the county, but he never expected to be spat on at the gate of the yamen.
The magistrate asked, "Why are you making such a commotion?"
These scholars, all possessing some official rank, were not required to kneel before the county magistrate. One young man stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "I heard a grievance in the street: this old man's daughter was violated by the third son of the Gong family. They came to file a complaint, but the clerk beat them without even investigating. Now the perpetrator is at large, while the victim has gone mad. I would like to ask, does the law and order of the nation still exist? And I ask the county magistrate, whose domain is this?"
He Zifeng, who was standing nearby, almost applauded him. This man did have some courage, daring to directly question the local official.
Even scholars like them might not pass the imperial examinations after ten years of hard study. But if they had a reputation for talent, that would be a different story. After this proclamation was issued, no one in the county government could compare to it.
The magistrate said, "Oh, is that so?" Then he said to He Zifeng and Constable Zhu, "Hold court and re-examine this case."
A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted from the audience.
The clerk's expression grew increasingly grim; he knew this matter was not to be taken lightly. He said, "There are hidden circumstances in this matter, and I made my own judgment back then. Since it concerns me, I will not get involved; I leave it entirely to your decision, sir."
His words were well-chosen; even the most critical people couldn't say anything against them.
The advisor's followers, realizing what was happening, quickly chased the scholars away, saying, "Our master has already begun the trial; there's no need for outsiders to focus on it. Please leave!" Their tone carried a subtle threat.
The scholars hesitated, unsure whether to stay or leave. Even the leader of the group was undecided. His help to the old man wasn't entirely innocent; he wanted to gain some recognition for his talent, and he had already achieved that. Everything has its limits. Going too far can backfire and cause resentment.
Just then, the old man said, "Gentlemen, I am very grateful to you for speaking up for me. When you become officials in the future, I will never forget your kindness today."
These scholars are made to feel passionate and fervent, which they call "speaking out for the people." If they could actually get a minor official position, today's events would become their bragging rights in the future.
The scholars nearby chimed in, "We're not leaving!"
"Exactly, we can just keep quiet, unless you have something to hide. Otherwise, why won't you let us see?"
"We will also be officials in the future."
"Yes, let's take a look beforehand."
The local people who heard this cheered for these scholars. "Well said, they truly deserve to be called scholars."
"Well done."
Those scholars who spoke all straightened their chests, their faces beaming.
The advisor, upon hearing this, nearly ground his teeth to powder. He was filled with resentment; the people gathered outside were clearly just there to stir up trouble.
The magistrate slammed his gavel down heavily: "Silence!"
Everyone fell silent.
The magistrate said, "There must be some misunderstanding in this matter. The clerk has always been concerned about the county. He just came with us to build the city walls, all for the good of the people."
The common people were confused. They looked at the advisor, then at the lame old man, unsure of whose side to take.
The clerk gave the magistrate a complicated look, never expecting that the magistrate would speak up for him in this situation.
The case was quickly reopened for trial.
The old man spoke with tears streaming down his face, and the onlookers outside were filled with anger.
The county magistrate summoned the third son of the Gong family for questioning.
The Gong family had heard about the disturbance at the county government office long ago, and had already prepared their response when they were summoned. At this moment, Gong San knelt on the ground, immediately beginning to cry out his innocence.
Gong San said, "It was that father and son who saw that the Gong family was rich and came up with this scheme. First, they sent their daughter to seduce me, intending to extort money from me. Now that their extortion failed, they have sued me instead. Your Honor, may Heaven be my witness, if I have uttered a single lie, may I be struck dead by lightning." After saying this, he kowtowed several times.
This left everyone speechless.
In particular, many of the onlookers are somewhat superstitious, and they consider cursing themselves to be unlucky. Since the other party spoke with such certainty, could it be true?
Gong San didn't believe in these superstitious things; he only said this to make it more convincing. Besides, this matter happened a long time ago, so it couldn't possibly be attributed to him.
He Zifeng was also shocked by Gong San's shameless performance. As expected, people from wealthy families are different. He was able to arrange everything so clearly in such a short time.
The old man was both anxious and angry, tears welling up in his eyes as he said, "How...how could you distort the truth?"
Gong San said, "You're slandering me!" Then he said, "You just want money, why not make a scene and disturb the peace of the adults? Tell me, how much do you want?"
The magistrate said, “How dare you! This is a public court, not your private execution ground. There is still much to investigate in this matter. We must give everyone an explanation. Both of you will be temporarily detained in the imperial prison, and the trial will be held at a later date. Court adjourned…”
The crowd outside dispersed.
The two were taken to the prison.
Gong San gave the jailer a bag of loose silver in advance, which the jailer weighed and found to be about six or seven taels. He then gave him the most spacious single room, where the thatch had been newly replaced.
As for the old man, things weren't so good. He was taken to the very back, next to the outhouse, where the stench was unbearable as soon as you got close.
This was arranged by the advisor. He wanted to falsely accuse him. If the matter hadn't become so big, and the county magistrate hadn't been interrogating him frequently, he would have secretly killed the man.
The clerk had always been at odds with the magistrate, but since the magistrate had helped him this time, he felt obligated to thank him.
The clerk went to the county magistrate's room.
He Zifeng, on the other hand, went to prison.
The jailers spent their days in the prison, surrounded by these people, listening to the prisoners' curses and howls all day long, in a place where there was no light and no end in sight. Knowing that He Zifeng's group only had six people, significantly fewer than the other groups, and that He Zifeng was willing to share profits with his men, everyone wanted to join his side.
He Zifeng asked, "Who is Xiao Li?"
Immediately, a twenty-year-old young man in the crowd beamed with joy. He said, "Deputy Constable, you were looking for me?"
He Zifeng said, "Yes, show me around here."
"Sigh." This Xiao Li joined the company in the same batch as Xie Rui, but was assigned to this tough job. However, he is good at learning and has now become a small leader here!
He Zifeng inquired about the number of prison guards and their character.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Li was thrilled; it was exactly what he had been hoping for. They were definitely going to select people for the team, and this was the perfect opportunity to prove his loyalty. So he told them everything without reservation.
He Zifeng said, "Let's move that old man from that stinky cell to a different cell. He's so old." He added with a sigh, "He looks a bit like my uncle."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Li quickly replied, "Okay, I'll change him to a quieter cell in a little while. No, right away."
He Zifeng feigned indifference, saying, "If it's too much trouble, then there's no need. After all, this matter involves the advisor. It would be bad if it were discovered."
Xiao Li said, "If I get caught, I'll just say he fainted. He's not convicted, so I can't just kill him! It would be hard to explain to the authorities." He had been in prison for a long time, so he naturally knew how to deal with these people.
He Zifeng nodded and said, "You're very good."
Xiao Li's cheeks flushed red upon hearing this. He felt appreciated. He said, "Brother He, I've always admired your character. If there's anything I can do to help, I'll definitely do it without hesitation."
He Zifeng patted him on the shoulder and said, "Well done. These two are the most important suspects for the adults. If anything changes, just let me know in advance."
Xiao Li readily agreed, feeling that this was a test from He Zifeng.
He's not afraid that He Zifeng will need his help; he's afraid that He Zifeng won't need his help at all!
Xiao Li and He Zifeng exchanged a few more words.
Suddenly, Gong San screamed, startling the two of them: "Ahhh, there's a rat!" This young master, who had grown up in luxury, had never seen anything so terrifying before, and he was so frightened that he almost jumped up.
Although his cell was the best, it was infested with rats, and many of the prisoners there urinated anywhere.
Gong San was alright when he first came in. But after a while, he noticed the pervasive stench of urine everywhere, even under the dry straw. Just now, he grabbed a piece of the railing, then smelled his hand and almost vomited. He couldn't stand living like this for even a day longer.
Xiao Li frowned and said irritably, "As expected of the young master." He didn't say anything more.
He Zifeng left the cell without saying anything.
He had just left when food was served in the cells. The prisoners were eating stewed cabbage, a thin broth with nothing but salt. Each person also received a hard, dry steamed bun. If they didn't eat this, they would go hungry.
The jailers ate much better. The county yamen cook brought them a meal with two dishes. Today they had brown rice, stir-fried cabbage with meat, which contained quite a few pieces of fat, each the size of a thumb. You could get oil on your mouth with every bite. The other dish was stir-fried eggs with willow shoots.
Xiao Li gave Gong San a good meal that the jailers ate, since they had been paid when they came. But Gong San was ungrateful and kicked the food away, saying, "What lousy food! Even our servants don't eat this."
Xiao Li was a little angry. If he didn't eat, he would go hungry. He had already done everything he could.
Xiao Li brought the old man another good meal. Not out of respect for him, but out of respect for He Zifeng. The old man thanked him repeatedly; he was so hungry that he ate with great relish.
Gong San was locked up until nightfall, his stomach rumbling with hunger, wanting to eat but there was no food left. He was a little angry, waiting for his family to bail him out; even that bastard Wan Hai's family had spent money and pulled strings to get him out. They would definitely bail him out too. The itinerary was all planned out – jumping over a fire pit, drinking in the red-light district – it would be dark outside by then.
Gong Sanyue grew increasingly anxious, trying to call the jailer over, but his throat was hoarse from shouting and no one came. He was thirsty and hungry, and his eyes were practically seeing stars.
His prediction was correct; the Gong family did indeed want to pay to bail him out, but the county magistrate had sent word that no one could remove him. Now that the matter had escalated, many people were paying attention. If Gong San were to be bailed out, it would truly become a laughing stock in the county government.
The Gong family knew they were in the eye of the storm, so they had no choice but to let Gong San stay inside for a few days. They would spend money to get him out once the heat died down.
But Gong San was unaware of this. At night, the prison was pitch black. A constant rustling sound could be heard, the squeaks of mice seeming amplified countless times. The young master, accustomed to a life of luxury, could hardly endure this mental torment; he was on the verge of collapse.
He wasn't the only one imprisoned there. Besides delicate young masters like him, there were also vicious criminals who had committed murder and arson. They were all handcuffed and shackled, so they couldn't do anything. But when Gong San passed by them that morning, and heard that he was even afraid of mice, which didn't seem like a man, and since there was no one to supervise them at night, he started talking lewdly.
Young Master Gong was both angry and ashamed. The strange voices of the other party made him feel like he was being verbally harassed.
He was so angry his eyes turned red. And to make matters worse, the Gong family was taking too long to arrive. He was on the verge of a breakdown.
...
He Zifeng knew that the old man alone couldn't bring down the clerk. After all, the clerk had been maneuvering in the county for so many years; he wasn't someone that just anyone could mess with.
However, He Zifeng already wanted to get rid of the advisor and was unwilling to give up easily.
He Zifeng returned to the county government office as dusk was falling. The yamen runners were just returning from the city wall. They were used to being lax, but being suddenly asked to repair the city wall, especially since it was the county magistrate who had ordered it, meant no one dared to slack off. After a long day of hard work, they were all grimacing with exhaustion.
He Zifeng knew that the advisor had a lover in the red-light district. He said, "Brothers, it seems the advisor went to the red-light district." He looked very surprised.
The other constables weren't surprised; apart from He Zifeng, they were all regulars there. "What's the big deal? They're men, after all."
"The advisor didn't go before, so who is he doing this for now?" Bingzi asked curiously. Men can be quite enthusiastic when they start gossiping.
He Zifeng never talks behind people's backs, but now he's chatting about this without any awkwardness. Brothers who are together all the time, sharing gossip brings them closer.
Xie Rui got a good job registering people and said to He Zifeng, "Why don't we go to Liuyefang to loosen up our muscles?"
Willow Leaf Inn is a newly opened winery on Flower Street near the county government office. It not only offers wine but also houses. It's said that every woman there is exceptionally beautiful.
Bingzi chimed in from the side, “Everyone in the county knows that Brother He is a good man, and his wife is so beautiful. How dare you bring this up? Aren’t you afraid she’ll spit on you?”
Xie Rui immediately raised his hand and said, "Heaven and earth bear witness, I didn't take Brother He out partying. The people over there are quite good at massaging muscles and legs." As a place for men to relax, it's not just about sex.
Xie Rui went with her brother last time and had a really comfortable massage. It's perfect for people like them who have a busy day.
Xie Rui, whose family was wealthy, said, "How about I treat everyone?" He was timid. His comfortable position in the county government was entirely due to his brothers' help, so he naturally wanted to reciprocate. "Our clerk is such a refined man, even he goes there to relax. He even specifically seeks out pretty girls." He then took the opportunity to demonstrate his gossipy nature.
"Hey, you even dare to gossip about the advisor? You've got a death knell to be reckoned with," the others joked. Everyone had heard about the advisor's affair upon their return, but they didn't take it to heart at all. After all, you can't fight city hall.
The others immediately agreed when they heard that someone was treating them.
He Zifeng asked, "Does our advisor really go to places like that?"
The others chuckled and said, "Hey, what's the big deal?" Then they started talking, their words becoming increasingly unrestrained. They even said the advisor had more than ten concubines. The advisor usually pretended to be indifferent to women, but secretly he might be quite the ladies' man. They changed their clothes and went straight to the brothel.
There are quite a few women in the red-light district, and it's even more lively at night than during the day. There's a river in front of the red-light district, and the sound of the water and the women's laughter attracts many men with lewd intentions but no money. Many of the girls stand on the street, looking at the men passing by with their charm, and the scent of their perfume is so strong it gives people a headache.
Along the way, I saw many young and promising people sidling up to them.
Xie Rui led He Zifeng quickly to Willow Leaf Lane. Soft, melodious music drifted from within. It was much more refined than a brothel, even though they did the same thing.
The madam who came out recognized Xie Rui and said repeatedly, "Master Xie, who is this?" She had seen many people over the years and found He Zifeng to be a handsome and extraordinary young man. She liked such a talented young man as soon as she saw him.
Xie Rui said, "Just call me Master He." He didn't mention his given name. But the madam knew the proper etiquette and said, "Hello, Master He." Then she introduced a few other guys. She told them to take him over to relax, have a few drinks, and that was all.
The madam agreed and quickly told the girl to pull the man away. He particularly favored He Zifeng and said, "Master He, our girl Piaopiao has an exceptional dance. Let her entertain you."
Xie Rui said, "Don't say that. Everyone knows that Miss Piaopiao is the advisor's person. Where is the advisor?"
The madam's face stiffened upon hearing this. She then said, "He just arrived, had a small drink, and left."
Xie Rui knew He Zifeng had never been to a place like this before and deliberately wanted to broaden He Zifeng's horizons. He asked, "Where are your other top courtesans?"
The madam said, "Oh, Master Xie, you're a regular customer, why are you saying such ignorant things? The top courtesan isn't a cabbage, there's no one else. There's only Miss Piaopiao."
He Zifeng said, "Oh?" Then Xie Rui chose one of his former girls and went to another room for a massage. This was a unique feature of Willow Leaf Brothel; besides offering sexual services, it also provided proper relaxation. He left first, telling the madam to put He Zifeng's bill on his head.
The madam enthusiastically promoted the young lady, saying, "My girl is only twenty years old. She prefers handsome young men, and she's not a good match for you, sir." One top courtesan's appearance fee is more than ten first-class girls'!
She thought that by hooking up with the clerk, she could become a sensation in the red-light district! Who would have thought that the clerk intended to make her his mistress but refused to spend any money? When the other customers heard that Piaopiao had some connection with the clerk, they dared not associate with her. Her Piaopiao had faded into obscurity before she even became famous, and the madam was not willing to give up. It would take at least a hundred taels of silver to cultivate a girl to achieve such an air of sophistication.
She looked down on the advisor, thinking he was no good girl without a wallet.
He Zifeng seemed swayed by the madam's words. He asked, "Is this what you think, or what the young lady thinks?"
A subtle fragrance suddenly wafted through the room, and a soft female voice came from behind the sheer screen: "That's what I think." The rooms in Willow Leaf Brothel all had hidden doors. As soon as He Zifeng entered, Miss Piaopiao stared at him for a long time, clearly pleased that he had willingly revealed himself. The madam smiled and withdrew.
He Zifeng then saw the girl, Piaopiao, and she was indeed quite beautiful.
Piao Piao noticed that he was merely admiring, unlike the others who displayed such lewd expressions. He Zifeng was too upright; his demeanor was completely unlike that of someone who would come here. Piao Piao said, "Young master, what brings you here? Why not tell me directly?"
He Zifeng was taken aback, then said, "Miss Piaopiao is indeed intelligent." Being the top courtesan is certainly extraordinary. The fact that she willingly showed herself shows she's someone who dares to fight for herself! How could someone like her be willing to get involved with that old coffin-filled advisor? She was held back by him. Thus, the two of them have the same target of their dislike.
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