"Your Excellency, a headless male corpse was recently discovered by the Phoenix River in Wuyang Prefecture. According to the coroner's examination, the deceased was approximately sixty-one or sixty-two years old. This jade ring was found on the left thumb of the corpse."
Ge Qingliu, the prefect of Qiandeng Prefecture, was sitting in the hall of the government office to try a case. Three women were kneeling below the hall: one of them was a middle-aged woman who looked very friendly; another had a scar on her brow, looking very fierce; and the third was wearing a black eye patch on her left eye, and was tall and strong.
Constable Song Yi placed a mutton-fat jade ring on a tray and stepped forward to present it to the prefect in the hall. Ge Qingliu looked at the pure, watery mutton-fat jade ring on the tray, then compared it with the detailed drawing of the identical token in his hand, and was horrified.
Why did this great Buddha have to come to her Thousand Lights Mansion when he was fine? He came here, so why did he die?
"Bang!"
Ge Qingliu slammed the Jingmu Hall. The sudden loud noise frightened the beggar Hao Renxin, as well as the thieves Zhengyi Fen and Shi Zhenxiang. Ge Qingliu glared fiercely at the two women kneeling in the hall.
"Hao Renxin, why don't you confess quickly? How did you manage to steal money and kill people?"
“Sir! It’s unfair! It’s unfair!”
The middle-aged woman who looked kind and was kneeling down, kowtowed to Ge Qingliu who was sitting above her, and cried bitterly:
On the fifth day of the sixth lunar month, there was indeed… there was indeed an old man with white hair and beard… er, no, it was the master who hired me to drive a carriage from the capital to Wuyang Prefecture. Seeing that he was well-dressed and exuded an air of nobility, I… I was momentarily bewildered and had evil intentions…
But, I swear, I really didn't kill him! My Lord! I only...only took advantage of him going to the bathroom while I was on my way and put a drug in his rations and stole all the gold, silver, and valuables he had with him.
Moreover, the jade ring on his finger was stuck too tightly, and I tried to pull it out for a long time but couldn't. Then I heard someone's voice coming, and I... I hurriedly threw him into the deserted grass outside Wuyang Prefecture..."
"Bang!"
The loud noise from Jingmutang frightened Hao Renxin again.
"Hao Renxin, you're such a jerk! I think you're just a rotten-hearted person!"
"Come here, first take this beggar away and give her twenty lashes of the cane, then make her sign a confession!"
"Yes, sir!"
Amidst Hao Renxin's begging for mercy, the bailiffs quickly dragged her aside and hit her butt with a wooden board. Waves of wailing suddenly rang out in the hall.
After beating them with the stick, Ge Qingliu cast his gaze on the other two women.
"Okay, now it's your turn..."
The scarred woman kneeling in the hall crept forward, shaking her body and saying:
"The day before yesterday... the day before yesterday, little Zhengyifen, the boss... and Shi Zhenxiang did... did find an old man wearing dark blue brocade clothes... an old man... in the woods outside Fufeng County.
Although he looked a bit disheveled, he looked like someone from a wealthy family. I wanted to rob him, but he turned out to be a tough guy. He broke my long knife with just two fingers, and I didn't even get a hair on his head!
Later… Later, I saw him kick the boss… Shi Zhenxiang away with one kick. I was so scared at the time that I… I ran away. I really didn’t kill anyone! Please… your Excellency, please understand!”
"Hmph! You're calling me a righteous Fen! I think you're more like a piece of shit Fen! Come on, drag me away and give me twenty lashes of the cane!"
"Yes, sir!"
Soon Zhengyifen was also beaten by the yamen runners and started crying out loudly.
"It seems that's the person you killed!"
Ge Qingliu then turned his gaze to the last person kneeling in the hall, the one-eyed woman with a black eyepatch on her left eye.
Seeing that the other two had been knocked to the ground with their buttocks covered in blood, even the ferocious Shi Zhenxiang was frightened.
"Sir, I didn't kill anyone! I was kicked by that old man... that old man, and then I passed out. When I woke up, I found him lying face down on the ground. I just took the opportunity to strip him of his clothes, shoes, and socks, and even used my saliva to pull out the jade ring on his left thumb. I didn't kill anyone! And the jade ring disappeared as soon as I left the woods..."
"Bang!"
"You're so good, Shi Zhenxiang, you really grew up eating shit!"
"Come here, drag me down and give me twenty lashes of the cane!"
Shi Zhenxiang had never expected that even after she had confessed the truth, she would still be beaten. Soon, she too was being beaten by the yamen runners until she was crying and snotting.
"Bang!"
Ge Qingliu slammed Jingmutang on the table again, his eyes cold.
"You guys should never, ever, set your sights on someone you can't afford to offend! You've murdered a meritorious official of the Laifeng Kingdom, and one who is also the father-in-law of the emperor. Losing your heads is a small matter, but confiscating your property and exterminating your clan is just a matter of a word from someone in a higher position!"
The most infuriating thing is that it will also implicate her, the prefect of Qiandeng Prefecture. She can retire and return home in a year, but she has to cause trouble at this time. It really makes her angry just thinking about it!
"Come here, first take these reckless fellows and put them in jail. Treat them well, but don't kill them. After I report this to the court, whether they are beheaded on the spot or escorted to the capital for trial will depend on their own fate!"
…
Soon, the news that the former deputy general Mu Lanjin was drugged by beggars and robbers, robbed of his money and thrown into the Phoenix River, and even his head was eaten by a big fish and died tragically was reported to the capital in an urgent manner over 800 miles.
On June 24th, at the General's Mansion east of Laifeng's capital, Feng Jingyun fainted upon receiving the news. Feng Cailan and Yu Jingyang also burst into tears. Feng Qiyan stayed by her grandmother's bedside, overcome with guilt and unable to stop crying.
The headless male corpse arrived at the General's Mansion on June 24th, along with Si Chengfeng from Fufeng County. During the morning court session on June 25th, the Emperor ordered the execution of Hao Renxin, Zhengyi Fen, and Shi Zhenxiang, who had brutally murdered Mulan Jin, by slow slicing. He also ordered the Ministry of Rites to bury Mulan Jin with honor. On June 27th, Feng Qiyan and Si Chengfeng, acting as granddaughters and grandsons, wore mourning clothes for Mulan Jin, smashing pots and weeping.
On the day of the funeral, the empress of Laifeng Kingdom, Nalan Yunzhi, dressed in plain clothes, went to the general's mansion in person to see off the father-in-law, and was accompanied by civil and military officials.
"emperor!"
Nalan Yunzhi took the three incense sticks presented by the eunuch chief Guo Dongbing and inserted them into the incense burner in the mourning hall.
"A wisp of fragrance to pay tribute to the loyal soul, a heart of iron and blood and righteous spirit remain. Furious hair stands on end to express lofty ambitions, and the name of the Feng family will be passed down through the ages."
"Rest in peace, father-in-law!"
Nalan Yunzhi's eyes were red and her expression was sad. She hadn't set foot in the General's Mansion for a long time, and she never expected that when she came again, it would be in the form of a funeral.
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