Chapter 27: Qinzhou
Fang Jian and several of her colleagues traveled light, heading straight for Qinzhou. Upon entering the Qinzhou government office, Prefect Chen Yangzheng led his subordinate officials to personally welcome them. A prefect was a high-ranking local official of the third rank, so for him to personally greet several minor officials in green robes left them feeling overwhelmed by the favor.
That night, Prefect Chen held a banquet to welcome them and wash away the dust of their journey. At the table, he spoke at length about the hardships of the region and constantly urged them to drink. The group found it difficult to refuse and could only drink with grim determination. By the time the banquet ended, every one of them was carried out. The next day, they had barely sobered up when, before they could even react, they were dragged off for a lake tour and another feast. Chi Fei, a Secretary from the Ministry of Justice, was the poorest drinker of them all. After last night's ordeal, her face was still pale. She said to Prefect Chen, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Prefect, but we have duties to attend to and truly cannot indulge in leisure."
Prefect Chen laughed. "When imperial commissioners arrive to inspect a region, it is my duty as prefect to extend the hospitality of a host. How could this be considered indulging in pleasure?"
"Yesterday's banquet was more than enough to fulfill your duties as a host. We are aware of your kind intentions, my lord. It is not that we are ungrateful, but time is pressing, and we subordinates fear being impeached by the Censors." Han Jiwei, a Secretary from the Court of Judicial Review, added, "This case truly has little to do with the prefectural government. At worst, it was a momentary oversight. There is truly no need for you to go to such lengths, my lord."
Prefect Chen's face darkened for a moment. A thought flashed through his mind, and he immediately put on a smile again. "You are right. It was my oversight. What do you require? I will have my people cooperate fully."
They thought they could finally breathe a sigh of relief, but by the afternoon, the group sensed something was amiss. Prefect Chen had summoned every official who could possibly be connected to the case, from the litigation records office to the various clerks and registrars of the justice department, and even the minor functionaries and attendants who registered petitions on rotation. In total, there were more than a dozen people, and he told the investigators to question them as they pleased.
Fang Jian pulled her two colleagues aside. "This isn't right, is it? All the witnesses and evidence in this case are in Zhuo County. What are we investigating here in Qinzhou City?"
Han Jiwei wiped the sweat from her brow. "It seems this Prefect Chen wants to keep us tied up in Qinzhou City."
"What is this lord trying to do? This matter has nothing to do with him," Chi Fei said, equally at a loss.
Fang Jian thought for a moment. "Wasting time like this is not a solution. We must get to Zhuo County as soon as possible. Do either of you have a plan?"
"Question them quickly. We leave this afternoon," said Chi Fei, the eldest of the three, making the final decision.
They chose to first question the minor clerk who had received the petition that day. The clerks initially claimed they couldn't remember who was on duty and said they needed to check the records. After someone was sent to fetch the logbook and they found the person, that clerk claimed to have no memory of it. Chi Fei whispered to Fang Jian and Han Jiwei, "This isn't working. You two keep an eye on things. I'm going to find Commander Cheng and have her escort us directly out of Qinzhou City."
The Petition Drum had not been struck for decades. To show the gravity of the matter, Her Majesty had dispatched a squad of Imperial City Guard soldiers as an escort. The commander leading them was named Cheng Zhaoyang, also a woman.
They quickly wrapped up their business and, led by Cheng Zhaoyang, headed for the exit of the prefectural office. Before they could even leave, they were blocked by a judge.
"Where are you lords heading?"
"Judge Song, we have asked all we need to here at the prefectural office. We plan to set out for Zhuo County today," Chi Fei replied with a cupped-fist salute.
"There's no need to be in such a hurry, is there? There are still so many people who haven't been questioned. Everyone has put aside their official duties to cooperate with you lords," Judge Song said with a humorless smile.
Han Jiwei and Fang Jian exchanged a look. Han Jiwei stepped forward and snapped, "What is the meaning of this, Judge Song? We are acting on imperial favor. Do we need you to instruct us on how to proceed?"
Fang Jian added, "I have recorded all of your actions today. If you obstruct us further, then you can come with us to the Bright Hall and argue right from wrong before Her Majesty."
"I would not dare," Judge Song said, bowing deeply. "That is not what I meant. It is just that the Lord Prefect has instructed that you lords must be satisfied, and I am merely following orders."
"Hmph. Not obstructing us would be what satisfies us," Cheng Zhaoyang said, clutching her saber and forcefully pushing the judge aside. She was a military officer, and the Imperial City Guard was the elite of the elite among the imperial forces; they were not accustomed to being reasonable. "Move aside! We're departing!"
Only then did they successfully leave Qinzhou City. On the road, the group discussed the matter and none could understand why Prefect Chen would want to delay their progress. That is, until they entered Zhuo County.
The County Magistrate of Zhuo County also welcomed them with great enthusiasm, appearing exceedingly cooperative. But as soon as they asked about the Zhuo family's affairs, everyone in the county yamen claimed that Zhuo Guanyi was an unfilial daughter. Not only did she lord over her family, but as a child, she would often raise her hand against her elderly father. The father and daughter's mutual brawls were known throughout the village. For such a person to file a complaint against her father—naturally, she was thrown out by the attendants.
Fang Jian's face turned cold upon hearing this. She asked sternly, "Zhuo Guanyi is small and thin, with the build of a fourteen or fifteen-year-old despite being sixteen. How could she 'mutually brawl' with a grown man?"
"That's where you are mistaken. Her father, Ye Ze, is not in good health either. Besides, no matter how unfilial a child is, a father can't beat her to death. He always held back," the County Magistrate sighed. "Who would have known? Malice grew in her heart, and she would go so far as to falsely accuse her own father."
As if the magistrate's words weren't enough, when Ye Ze's family was summoned, they too wailed and cried, each sob a lament of Zhuo Guanyi's lack of filial piety. Their crying gave the three investigators a throbbing headache.
After the evening meal, the three of them gathered to confer, each gritting their teeth.
"This is utterly absurd," Fang Jian slammed her fist on the desk. "What kind of villain would risk being beaten to death to strike the Petition Drum? If Zhuo Guanyi is truly the local tyrant they claim she is, why wouldn't she just continue her tyranny? Why would she end up in such a state?"
"Linshen is right," Chi Fei added. "It seems we were too careless. We thought this was a clear-cut case, that we could just collect the evidence and return. Now, I'm afraid it's become rather tricky."
Han Jiwei suggested, "Tomorrow, let's put on plain clothes and ask around on the streets. There must be many witnesses to the Zhuo family's usual conduct and how Ye Ze treated Zhuo Guanyi. They won't be able to deny it."
They all agreed. But when the three met again the next day, their expressions were not good. For some reason, as soon as the neighbors and villagers heard them ask about the Zhuo family, they all looked displeased and refused to speak. Only a few street loafers were willing to answer, and what they said was the same as what the county yamen had told them.
Fang Jian trembled with anger. "No wonder they wanted to delay us in Qinzhou. It was to buy time to silence everyone. Just how much power does this Ye Ze have behind him?"
"Before Ye Ze became a matrilocal husband to the Zhuo family, he was just a farmer's son. Even if he took over the Zhuo family's business, he's still just a minor merchant. What kind of backing could he have?"
The three of them were completely baffled, feeling as if they had been trapped in a mire ever since arriving in Qinzhou. Every step was a struggle.
Suddenly, they heard a sneer. The three looked up to see Cheng Zhaoyang leaning against the doorframe, clutching her saber. She scoffed, "Haven't you noticed? From the prefect to the judge to the county magistrate, they are all men. I walked around and made some inquiries today. Guess what I found? The largest families here, and even in all of Qinzhou, are all headed by men. The female heads of households are mostly merchants, and they don't have much of a say."
It was as if the tolling of a great bell had dispersed the fog before Fang Jian's eyes. Only then did she realize she had still been thinking too simply. No matter how clear and straightforward a case was, there would always be people who, because of the positions they held, would turn a blind eye, plug their ears, and call a deer a horse.
"It seems they want to change this case from one of a matrilocal husband seizing his matriarch's family property to one of Zhuo Guanyi's gross lack of filial piety. That way, they can use the concept of filial duty to crush her," Chi Fei understood now as well.
"But why? What good does that do them?" Han Jiwei asked, confused.
"Good? For the conservatives, any change is something they are unwilling to face," Chi Fei sneered. "Their minds are still filled with that nonsense about the father being the guide for the son and the husband being the guide for the wife. Zhuo Guanyi wants to overthrow both. Of course she's provoked them, hasn't she?"
"Then won't we be unable to move an inch?"
"Let's first get a clear picture of the situation in Zhuo County," Chi Fei said. "Commander Cheng, we'll need to use your people as well."
"Agreed." Cheng Zhaoyang gave a slight nod and came over to discuss the subsequent arrangements with them.
Fang Jian listened to their discussion in silence. She was furious. The anger felt as if it had plunged her into flames, her whole body aching from the searing heat. Yet, she was also exceptionally clear-headed. She had promised to get justice for Zhuo Guanyi, and she could not let rage cloud her mind here. She had to be more patient, more composed.
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