Chapter 74 (Combined Chapter)
When Miaozhen returned, exhausted from the journey, she lay down on the couch for a short rest. When Xiao Jingshi asked her about it, Miaozhen said, "I have to ask about my illness three times. I don't know if I'm impatient or if she's deliberately wasting my time."
"And you? How are you?"
Xiao Jingshi laughed and said, "Although I am a scholar and have never served as a people's official, as long as I am not afraid of such things, it is others who are afraid. I just did not expect that Governor Fu is a man of strong character. After I told him about this, he gladly joined me in submitting a memorial to the emperor."
Miaozhen said, "Is the Emperor afraid that he will speak up for the princes?"
“There’s no need to be afraid. When Censor Wang Yi was in Henan, something similar happened. The emperor stripped him of his title and issued an edict reprimanding him,” Xiao Jingshi said.
The Shanxi officials originally thought that Xiao Jingshi would first inspect the military defenses upon his arrival, but unexpectedly, he would first address the issue of the vassal king. Soon, an imperial edict was issued, stripping the Prince of Dai of his title of Assistant General and imprisoning him. His henchmen were also executed on the spot, with Xiao Jingshi himself personally overseeing the executions.
“Hang these people’s heads on the city gate as a warning to others.”
Everyone saw that although Xiao Jingshi was young, he carried a murderous aura. Knowing that he was a desperate criminal, he still exposed this matter first, which made him seem like a righteous person.
Miaozhen couldn't help but applaud and cheer for her husband: "This is truly gratifying! This is the style of a true minister. Being timid and hesitant is despicable."
Xiao Jingshi looked at Miaozhen: "Someone as cautious as you, I thought you would say that I'm causing trouble for the family?"
“Those in positions of power should fulfill their responsibilities. When I’m not in that position, I’ll definitely be careful and cautious,” Miaozhen laughed.
Xiao Jingshi thought that Miaozhen was indeed a person of great wisdom and righteousness, worthy of being someone he cared about.
However, he still cautioned, "I've heard that some ruthless people will try to ambush and kill officials in advance because of this. I'm starting to regret bringing you all here."
Miaozhen waved her hand: "I'm not afraid. It's better if we fight side by side."
"You should not go out normally. I will take you out when I am home," Xiao Jingshi instructed.
Miaozhen nodded. That's how the couple were; they each did what they were good at and rarely interfered. They just offered their support. So she also sent a letter to Zhang, telling her that she didn't need to recommend herself anymore.
Meanwhile, Xiao Jingshi's handling of the case involving the Prince of Dai's residence caused a sensation throughout Shanxi. He was also extremely meticulous. The magistrate of Datong County treated him so warmly that he felt something was amiss and immediately wanted to check Datong County's account books. Magistrate Ma was startled: "Imperial Censor Xiao, today we are just having a private gathering in official circles, why do you need to do this?"
“Magistrate Ma, since ancient times, people have always distinguished between public and private matters. Seeing your noble character, I know you are not that kind of person,” Xiao Jingshi said with a smile.
Magistrate Ma had no choice but to have someone take him there. He thought to himself, what official in the world can withstand an investigation? So, he went back and took out a few books from his study, with six hundred taels of silver notes tucked inside. He gritted his teeth and went over there.
Xiao Jingshi was checking accounts at the county government office with two accountants when Qingfeng brought over hot tea. He said, "Who has time to drink this now? Aren't you afraid someone will poison it?"
Qingfeng was startled when he heard this, but Xiao Jingshi laughed again: "Don't worry, it won't happen. At most, embezzlement will result in imprisonment or paying a ransom, but poisoning the imperial envoy is suicidal."
"Don't worry, Grandma asked me to bring a lot of medicine, including various antidote pills," Qingfeng said.
A warm feeling washed over Xiao Jingshi: "Your grandmother has always been so thoughtful. She always thinks of things that I haven't thought of."
The investigation went on until late at night. Xiao Jingshi went to rest first, but as soon as he entered, he saw Magistrate Ma standing respectfully. He walked in casually and said indifferently, "Magistrate Ma, it's late now, what are you doing here?"
Magistrate Ma entered with a forced smile and said, "Imperial Censor Xiao, you are so young to have taken up this position. You have no idea how hard it has been for me. I was twenty-eight years old when I passed the imperial examination and almost fifty when I became a Juren. My hair was already gray. It was really tough. Even in my official career, no one helped me. It took me two or three terms to finally become the magistrate of Datong County."
These words were heartbreaking, but Xiao Jingshi was not moved: "Magistrate Ma must have been quite remarkable to have secured the position of Magistrate of Datong County."
Magistrate Ma chuckled twice: "I was just a poor nobody who didn't know anyone, but here I have many things to do that I can't control. Imperial Censor Xiao can't understand my suffering. My wife is very ill, and it's fortunate that Madam Xiao treated her well. We are very grateful to you. In officialdom, it's always better to have more friends than more enemies."
Xiao Jingshi remained noncommittal, and Magistrate Ma took out five hundred taels from his sleeve: "Imperial Censor Xiao, if you would be so kind as to lend a hand, we can just consider it as making friends."
After saying that, he clapped his hands, and two beautifully dressed women came over. They were both graceful and could be considered beauties.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Jingshi couldn't help but wonder if he, with his handsome and dashing appearance, looked like a lecher. Therefore, he gave Magistrate Ma a cold look: "I advise you to stop causing trouble. Confess properly, and perhaps I can put in a good word for you. But if you bribe the imperial envoy again, it won't be such a problem."
Having said that, he added that he had only suspected it before, but now this person had actually come to bribe him, so he hurriedly said, "Guards, take Magistrate Ma into custody. How dare he bribe the imperial envoy!"
Magistrate Ma opened his mouth, his face ashen.
Those of lower rank, like Magistrate Ma, confessed almost everything after being threatened by Xiao Jingshi, allowing Xiao Jingshi to easily uncover the problem.
Magistrate Ma was immediately imprisoned, but he said to Xiao Jingshi, "Imperial Censor Xiao, you're only targeting us lowly officials with no connections. What will you do if you run into a tough opponent?"
Xiao Jingshi laughed and said, "Why should I waste my breath on you? You yourself are corrupt and accepting bribes, yet you have the nerve to warn me."
Magistrate Ma sobbed in prison, recalling how for so many years he had been cursed as poor and foolish. He had finally passed the imperial examination and been selected as an official, but now he had ended up like this. He was still honest enough not to expose the people behind him. He thought that he had no background and if he offended his backers, his wife and children would be left without anyone to take care of them.
Then, Zhang Shihua from Xinzhou, having just received a thousand taels of silver, discussed with Miaoyun that night: "We spent a lot of money in Songjiang Prefecture. Although this place is a bit remote, the people here are wealthy."
Miaoyun glanced at the thousand taels of silver and quickly hid it in a secret compartment behind the bed, saying, "I wonder what kind of case this is?"
"It's nothing much, just a murder case," Zhang Shihua said casually.
Miaoyun was startled: "What did you say? A murder case? The censor is still in Shanxi."
Zhang Shihua laughed and said, "This wasn't my judgment, it was the deputy inspector's. I'm just pretending to be deaf and dumb, so it won't be my fault in the end."
They amassed tens of thousands of taels of silver in three years in Huating, an extremely wealthy place. In Zhending Prefecture, because there was no one in power, he at least restrained himself a little, but that was all.
Just like Xinzhou is now a key defensive location for Xuanda, the imperial court will also send a sum of military funds. At that time, he can at least swallow a large part of it. He just needs to take care of the officials at all levels. But this is not something to do now. Right now, he is just making some money for free.
Miaoyun felt it was inappropriate, but she couldn't persuade Zhang Shihua. Besides, Zhang Shihua was right; if you didn't take it, people would think you were out of touch with the times, and you might not even be able to keep your official position.
The next day, she sat in front of the mirror and looked at the wealthy woman surrounded by jewels and brocades, feeling somewhat unfamiliar. It seemed that accepting money had become a habit for her, and she even felt at ease with it.
No, she can't do this. Let's wait. Once she takes charge, things will change.
Meanwhile, Miaozhen had just personally prepared hot soup and snacks to take to her husband and children for afternoon tea. Now that spring has arrived and the days are getting longer, the children are always getting hungry, and I imagine her husband is too.
When Fu Jie saw that there were two small plates of delicate pastries, one steamed apricot milk and the other soft and fragrant cake, along with a bowl of rock sugar pear soup, she immediately finished them all.
Miao Zhen was teaching Zheng Ge'er to read. The child was already two years old this year and couldn't play around all day anymore. She remembered when Xiao Jingshi accompanied her to Nanjing to treat someone's illness. He also managed the household very well, so she had no worries. Now that she was accompanying him to do important things, she needed to do the same.
Furthermore, she is a thoughtful person and is afraid that if she helps others treat their illnesses, they might set a trap for Xiao Jingshi. For example, if someone takes the medicine she prescribes, they might use it to falsely accuse them of suicide. Therefore, she does not go out to prescribe medicine or write prescriptions.
Madam Fu, on the other hand, brought her daughter-in-law, Ruan, to the house. Ruan wore a blue vest and a silver-threaded bun on her head, yet she possessed an unparalleled beauty, truly a great beauty.
Miaozhen quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "This humble servant greets you all."
Madam Fu smiled and said, "I have long heard that Madam Xiao is a leading figure in gynecology. To be honest, I would like to ask you to take a look at my nephew's wife."
Why come here after only two months of marriage? Miaozhen thought to herself that Madam Fu was too impatient, but she calmly took Ruan's pulse. Ruan was very nervous, as it had been two months and she still hadn't consummated the marriage. She was afraid that Miaozhen would find out something.
However, Miaozhen felt that the so-called "virgin pulse" was not accurate, so she only asked about ordinary menstrual cycles and said, "There's nothing seriously wrong, and I'm fine."
Madam Fu was slightly embarrassed. She said, "I see that this child is thin. Should we give him any supplements?"
“Sure, you can eat some nourishing foods regularly. Food is worse than medicine. But everything in moderation, it’s best to let nature take its course,” Miaozhen said with a smile.
Madam Fu nodded in agreement and invited her to visit the Fu family in a few days, to which Miaozhen gladly accepted.
On the way back, Madam Fu looked at Madam Ruan and said, "You must win Yu'er's heart. I finally managed to choose you. Your father is old and his official position has not been changed for a long time, and your younger brother and sister are still young. If you win Yu'er's heart, our Fu family can help you."
Ruan kept her head down and remained silent. Her mother was Ruan's adopted daughter-in-law before he became wealthy. After Ruan became a Jinshi (a successful candidate in the highest imperial examinations), his adopted daughter-in-law became his concubine, and he married a daughter of an official as his principal wife.
Her mother was treated like a servant at home. Only after she arranged this marriage did her mother's situation improve. She had someone to serve her and someone to treat her illness. She had no feelings for the Ruan family, but her mother was in the hands of the Ruan family.
Therefore, when Madam Fu said this, Madam Ruan could not say anything, because she knew that Fu Yu was also forced into it. He was deeply in love with his deceased wife, so what did she mean to him?
After seeing the Fu family off, Fengniang served tea to Miaozhen: "Grandma, that Madam Fu, what a beauty she is."
"I think she has a captivating beauty, unlike ordinary beauties." Miaozhen felt the same way.
Feng Niang smiled and said, "Such a beauty always seems so worried."
"Yes, if I had such looks, I would be incredibly beautiful," Miaozhen imagined.
Feng Niang then said, "Our son-in-law is also handsome and refined. Otherwise, our master wouldn't have taken a liking to him at first sight and insisted on making him your son-in-law."
Miao Zhen thought to herself, "Not everyone can handle your son-in-law's personality. He's a beautiful man with a sharp tongue. If it weren't for his face, Miao Zhen would sometimes want to hit him."
Xiao Xi came in from outside and said, "We've sent away another gift-giver, but these people just won't listen to us."
"They all have a侥幸心理 (a sense of侥幸, a feeling of getting away with something), always thinking that they are special. If you ask me, the innocent will clear themselves, why bother with all this? Jing Shi is now an imperial inspector, and he himself is not upright. How can he be an imperial inspector?" Miao Zhen thought that even if she and her husband were not short of money, they would not covet this money.
Xiao Xi said, "That's what I said too."
Miaozhen also loves money. While others are having fun, she studies medicine. But once she has earned enough, she will stop being so attached to it, because there are many other wonderful things in life.
Just like now, she's going to see some surgical doctors. Right now, on the front lines like in Shanxi, if war breaks out, she might not be able to serve in the military, but she can still protect her family.
She prepared two medicines, Dang Gui San and Hua Rui Shi San, at the pharmacy. When Xiao Jingshi returned, he looked at Miaozhen and said, "You've prepared new medicine again?"
"It's not a new medicine, just a prescription for sprains and bruises. Why are you back at this time?" Miaozhen asked.
Xiao Jingshi smiled and said, "Magistrate Ma has been arrested. The military affairs of Xuanda were inspected by the Imperial Inspector last year, so I have returned for a while now."
Although he has only just started handling cases, he is better than most people. Miaozhen especially envies him for his boundless energy. For example, he has returned home late at night, still looking at case files, household registers, and fish scale registers.
He used to bring him soup, but now Miaozhen is making soup for him. When the hot soup was brought over, Xiao Jingshi looked at her and said, "Zhenzhen, I've been wanting to come back to see you as soon as possible."
"I know you've worked really hard on these cases, so please don't hesitate to ask me for help if you need anything," Miaozhen said with a smile.
Xiao Jingshi nodded: "Don't worry."
Sometimes, when reading storybooks, one wonders how the male and female protagonists have so many opportunities to be inseparable all the time. But Miaozhen feels that in real life, when people are actually together, it's mostly because they've finished their work, are exhausted, and just want to lie down.
Miaozhen draped a robe over him and then went to rest on the bed.
A few days later, the Fu family held a banquet to invite everyone. Miaozhen took Fu'er with her. The Fu family was very lively because it was also Fu Yu's birthday. Ruan Shi seemed to be exhausted. Miaozhen stood next to her and saw that she was about to collapse. She quickly supported her and asked, "How is Madam?"
Ruan quickly shook her head: "No, it's nothing."
Because Governor Fu and Xiao Jingshi jointly submitted a memorial, Miaozhen knew that Fu Yu was no ordinary mediocre official, and therefore paid close attention to his family. If she could lend a hand, it would be a way of returning the favor.
But since Madam Ruan said she was fine, Miaozhen felt relieved and said, "If you feel unwell, you can come to me."
Ruan thanked her and smiled brightly. Miao Zhen thought to herself that even she, as a woman, was attracted by that smile, let alone a man.
The Fu family, imitating the winding stream banquet, held a feast on a tributary of the Fen River. It was the first time Fu'er had ever seen such a banquet, and she kept asking Miaozhen about it. Miaozhen earnestly explained to her, "This winding stream banquet comes from the Shangsi Festival, and the story in the 'Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion' is about a winding stream banquet..."
Fu Jie'er found it interesting, and Miao Zhen picked up some more food for her: "If you're full, Mother will take you for a walk around the neighborhood later."
After serving the food to her daughter, Miaozhen lowered her head and ate, but then she saw Fujie stand up and say to Miaozhen, "Mother, look, there's a fat pig swimming in the water over there."
"How could a pig swim?" Miaozhen ate a particularly delicious dish without even looking up, thinking that perhaps the cook here had thrown the kitchen waste into the water for convenience.
Unexpectedly, someone nearby screamed, "Someone has died here!"
Miaozhen quickly covered her daughter's eyes. After seeing it herself, she felt like vomiting. She had never imagined that a person could swell up so horribly in the water.
But Miaozhen, being a doctor, remained calm and revived the unconscious women. Soon, the soldiers sealed off the area, and Miaozhen took Fu'er home.
She was worried that Fu Jie'er would have nightmares, so she asked Xiao Jingshi to sleep next door while she slept with her daughter. Unexpectedly, Xiao Jingshi preferred to sleep on the couch rather than go out.
Miaozhen patted her daughter and asked Xiao Jingshi, "Who was that person in the Fen River today? It scared me to death. Jumping into the river is really bad. I almost threw up what I ate today."
“Who else could it be? The autopsy results are in; he was beaten to death and thrown into the river. This must be connected to a case. If it’s just a common revenge killing or a crime of passion, the local officials will handle it. But if it involves something else, then I’ll be the one to take action,” Xiao Jingshi said.
Miaozhen asked in surprise, "I wonder what grudge or hatred could lead someone to do such a thing?"
Xiao Jingshi looked at Miaozhen: "Why aren't you afraid at all?"
“What’s so scary about the dead? It’s the living who are scary,” Miaozhen said.
As she spoke, she was wearing a light purple nightgown, her hair was tied up, revealing her fair neck, and she was holding a child in her arms. She looked holy and gentle, and Xiao Jingshi was already stunned.
Seeing his reaction, Miaozhen quickly changed the subject: "The Princess Consort of Jin has recovered a lot after taking the medicine I prescribed. When she learned that I had a son, she seemed to be interested in choosing our Zhao-ge'er as her attendant. But I think it's better to forget it. It's good that our son has some ambition."
This was, of course, a joke. At that time, many Hanlin Academy members were unwilling to accept the appointments bestowed by the princes, partly because the princes had little power and the imperial examination system was still the proper path.
Xiao Jingshi liked Miaozhen just the way she was; she almost never let herself be blinded by petty gains, no, or even huge profits.
The next day, when Miaozhen saw that Fujie seemed to have forgotten what happened the day before, she felt at ease sending her to school. In Miaozhen's eyes, girls should study more.
Whether it's the Four Books and Five Classics, astronomy, geography, or military strategy, you should read them all.
Now that the child was alright, she could lie down peacefully for a while.
Unexpectedly, at noon, Xiao Xi came over and said, "Grandma, guess who died yesterday?"
"Who is it?" Miaozhen asked curiously.
“That person came to our house with his master to deliver gifts before. I had my husband see him off,” Xiao Xi said.
Miaozhen opened her mouth: "Then wouldn't that be an official's attendant?"
"Yes, he is a follower of the Deputy Commander of Datong. We don't know what he did wrong. He is now being handled by the Zhenfu Division."
"The Garrison Commander? Isn't that our former neighbor, Cui Ningzheng? He's the Garrison Commander." Miaozhen didn't look down on Cui Ningzheng, it's just that he really wasn't very capable.
With such a case taking place under the public eye, a mishandling could either ruin your own career or offend your superiors.
Miao Zhen originally thought that the Zhenfu Division should handle the matter, but Xiao Jingshi received an anonymous letter. The letter said that because this person had realized that Xiao Jingshi was a truly good official who was not afraid of powerful people, he told him the truth.
Xiao Jingshi was telling Miaozhen the contents of the letter: "The letter says that the dead man was originally a servant of Cao, a silk merchant from Huzhou. His master was murdered on the boat by his servants and bandits, and his body was thrown into the river."
"This servant was indeed loyal, but after appealing, either the prefect of Xinzhou refused to accept the case, or the local judicial commissioner ignored it. So the servant went home to find the wife of Master Cao. This wife was also loyal and righteous. She angrily brought her servants to Shanxi to beg Dou Yuan, the deputy commander of Datong. Dou Yuan saw that Madam Cao was beautiful and actually took her as his concubine."
Miaozhen took the letter and saw that it stopped abruptly here. She couldn't help but ask him, "Then this case is closed. If it is to be overturned, there must be evidence."
Xiao Jingshi looked at her and said, "Zhenzhen, this case has now reached the Zhenfu Division. As you know, I'm not very familiar with the Cui family, but you are. You can go and show some concern. If you can find a way to contact Madam Cao, perhaps I can get some clues to overturn the case and help them punish the murderer."
"Don't worry, I've got it covered. Actually, when you told me about this case, I subconsciously suspected that it was done by Deputy Commander Dou. Do you think it's possible that Deputy Commander Dou got Madam Cao but didn't want to help her at all, so he simply killed her to silence her?" Miao Zhen said.
After hearing her analysis, Xiao Jingshi laughed and said, "Your mind does work very quickly, but you can't just make things up when investigating a case."
Miaozhen said earnestly, "I understand. I will definitely not have any preconceived notions."
Meanwhile, Zhang Shihua accepted another fifty bolts of fine satin. Miaoyun asked, "Why are you sending things again?"
"This case was sent to the Zhenfu Division for investigation. The Zhenfu Commissioner, Cui Ningzheng, was appointed through an honorary appointment and had no real ability. It was just a matter of a few words from the Deputy Provincial Surveillance Commissioner. These fifty bolts of silk were just a way to keep us quiet."
Miaoyun shook her head: "Didn't you say the censor was still there?"
Zhang Shihua was confident of victory: "If this case comes to light, I was merely negligent for a moment. But if nothing happens, I have helped the Deputy Inspector, built connections, and gained money. Why not? This is a case of 'too much clarity leaves no fish, and too much scrutiny leaves no followers.' It's a pity that Xiao Jingshi doesn't understand this principle and offends people everywhere. When his term ends, who knows how many obstacles he will be secretly tripped up by others."
Miaoyun was quite worried about Miaozhen after hearing this, but she was powerless to help.
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Author's note: Happy National Day!
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