Chapter 30: Zhuo County
Zhuo County's terrain was flat, with a dense network of waterways, making it a land of fish and rice. With full granaries, the villagers had more opportunities, and the streets and alleys were naturally more bustling. Fang Jian was dressed in worn kudzu-fiber clothes, looking like a scholar from an ordinary family. Having grown up in the city streets, she naturally knew how to appear inconspicuous. She wandered the streets feigning leisure, looking at food stalls, browsing shops, and trying to pick up some gossip. She tried to inquire with the idlers gathered in teahouses and entertainment quarters, but seeing she was a new face, people were reluctant to speak with her. So she changed her approach, observing the street vendors along the way, looking for those who seemed familiar with the area and honest. She would buy something from them and then try to draw them out. This method was successful at first, but the moment she mentioned the Zhuo family, the vendors became wary. Their expressions changed, they would glance around nervously, and stop talking to her. Some even refused to sell her anything more.
After being rebuffed by an old man again, Fang Jian stood up and looked behind her, but saw nothing unusual. When she turned back, she saw the female shopkeeper of a pastry shop leaning against her doorway, giving her a mocking smile.
Fang Jian thought for a moment, then continued down the street, entering a few more shops and buying some odds and ends before making her way into that pastry shop.
"Well now, this lady is a new face. What can I get for you?" The shopkeeper, who looked a bit older than Fang Jian, beamed as she entered, her eyes crinkling into a smile.
"Do you have any recommendations, shopkeeper?" Fang Jian glanced at the shop's decor. Various kinds of pastries were displayed on the counter, all quite exquisitely made.
"This one, this one, and this one are all very popular. Please, have a taste." The shopkeeper smiled, picked out a few pastries, placed them on a plate, and handed it to her. Then, she casually lowered her hand, resting it near a particular type of pastry, her fingertips tapping lightly on the counter.
Fang Jian looked at her smile, tasted each pastry one by one, and then pointed to that specific one. "In that case, I'll have a pound of this."
"Oh, what a coincidence. These are the last of the savory pastries. If you want more, you'll have to wait for the next batch."
"No matter, I can wait."
"Alright then! Would you like to wait inside? I'll pour you some tea." The shopkeeper bowed and scraped, ushering her into the back room before withdrawing to get busy.
Fang Jian sat for a short while, and just as she expected, someone emerged from behind a screen to greet her.
"Greetings, Lord Fang." The newcomer was a young woman of about seventeen or eighteen, dressed in a simple and elegant chest-high ruqun skirt. Her accessories were plain, and her movements were crisp and efficient.
Fang Jian sized her up impassively. "You know me?"
"Zhuo County isn't large. You officials are new faces; anyone paying attention would know." The young woman sat in another chair and said to Fang Jian, "My lord, do you know why no one will speak to you about the Zhuo family?"
Fang Jian's expression turned cold. "Why?"
"Haven't you noticed that you've been followed since you left your lodgings? They've already warned the townspeople. No one would risk being beaten to death to tell you the truth." The young woman leaned on the small table, resting her chin on her hand, and smiled at Fang Jian.
"And you dare?" Fang Jian couldn't manage a smile. In Zhuo County, she felt like she was trapped in a mire, her heart filled with anxiety.
"I don't dare either. Otherwise, why would I have to use the pretense of waiting for pastries to invite you in?" The young woman sat up straighter and gave Fang Jian a cupped-hand salute. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Song Wan, of the Song Family."
"A member of the Song Family?" Fang Jian naturally knew of the Song Family. They were the largest family in Zhuo County and one of the great clans of Qinzhou. The magistrate of Zhuo County was also named Song. "Do you represent the Song Family?"
"Of course not. How could I have that authority?" Song Wan shook her head.
"Then what do you want to discuss with me?" Fang Jian frowned, puzzled. Magistrate Song's actions had left her with no favorable impression of his family name.
Song Wan paid no mind to her feelings and said on her own accord, "Before you officials arrived, the great families of Qinzhou colluded to ensure you would leave empty-handed. Everything has been planned; you will find no witnesses. But I have some information I wish to tell you, my lord."
"Your surname is Song. Do you think I should trust you?"
"My surname is Song, but I receive not a shred of the Song Family's glory." Song Wan sighed. "You probably don't know, my lord, but among the great families of Qinzhou, all family support goes to the sons. No matter how outstanding a daughter is, she is merely an accessory to be married off.
"Since childhood, I have been more outstanding than my younger brother in every way, but my parents always favored him, hiring famous tutors to aid his studies. Yet, I was the one who did all his schoolwork for him as he grew up. He is only sixteen, and my father is already planning to use some means to send him to the Imperial Academy, so he can be granted an official post upon graduation. I, however, am not even allowed to take the Imperial Examination. Tell me, can I truly be considered a Song? If surnames have a male and female version, then mine must be the female Song."
Fang Jian fell silent, not knowing what to say. Whether for the imperial examinations or military service, one needed a household registration permit to travel. If the head of the household withheld it, their children could not take a single step. Fang Jian had never faced such an obstacle, so she had never imagined someone could be shackled and unable to escape because of it.
"In Qinzhou, there are many young women like me, all from great families, talented and virtuous, yet forced to be confined at home, entangled in trivial household chores. We want to be like you." The young woman's eyes were filled with envy and sorrow. Fang Jian was also a woman, yet she could take the examinations, enter officialdom, and even serve as an imperial inspector. They, on the other hand, could only suppress their restless hearts amidst the daily belittlement and confinement from their families, pretending to be obedient and resigned to their fate, waiting for an illusory opportunity.
They formed a society, using poetry and painting discussions as a pretext to gather for amusement. Behind closed doors, they encouraged and comforted one another, exchanging information gleaned from their parents and elders, lying in wait day after day. Finally, they got a Zhuo Guanyi, and a Majesty who wished she could flip the entire game table over. Last year, when Her Majesty was pregnant, Song Wan and the others keenly sensed Her Majesty's intentions. When the eldest imperial daughter was born and the dust settled, they knew their chance had come. Zhuo Guanyi's appearance was also perfectly timed. They did everything they could to support her, obstructing her pursuers to buy her time, which allowed her to meet Fang Jian and successfully reach the Capital City.
Fang Jian, however, was not swayed by her emotions. She avoided Song Wan's gaze, raised her teacup, and took a sip, letting the tea moisten her mouth. In just a moment, she had cleared her thoughts. She set down the cup and looked at the other woman again. "You want to turn Qinzhou upside down?"
"We wouldn't dare. We don't have that kind of power yet," Song Wan said, knowing her words had been heard. She sat up straight. "The officials in Zhuo County are Songs, and the officials in Qinzhou are Chens. As long as we can remove them, it will pry open a crack for us. What comes next will be up to our own abilities. And all I want is to make this Song Family into the female Song Family."
"Allow me to remind you, Her Majesty wants to overturn more than just the word 'male'," Fang Jian said, tapping the table and lowering her voice. "The great and powerful families are also pieces on Her Majesty's chessboard. Are you prepared for that?"
"Of course. We will help Her Majesty take Qinzhou. How about it? Is that a big enough bargaining chip, Lord Fang?" The young woman's eyes were bright, glinting with a cunning light.
"Bold words." Fang Jian pressed her lips together, suppressing a smile. "I understand. Now, tell me your information."
Song Wan leaned closer and lowered her voice. "Zhuo Guanyi's father, Ye Ze, seeking protection, sold a hundred mu of the family's prime farmland to the Song Family at a low price, then used the money to buy other shops and residences. After that, the Zhuo family's shops did worse and worse business. Ye Ze claimed it was his own poor management, yet his own life became more and more prosperous. What sense does that make?"
"That land should belong to the Zhuo family. How could he sell it? The county…" Fang Jian understood Song Wan's meaning, nodded, and said no more.
From outside came the shopkeeper's knock. "My lady, thank you for waiting. Your pastries are ready."
Song Wan stood up, raised her hands in a salute to Fang Jian, and bowed deeply. "I entrust it all to you, my lord."
Fang Jian helped her up. "I cannot make any promises, but I will relay this to Her Majesty."
"That is enough." Song Wan lowered her head, hiding the glint of tears in her eyes, and respectfully saw Fang Jian off.
Fang Jian took the pastries from the shopkeeper, complained a bit for show, and then left the shop. She wandered around for a while longer before returning to her lodgings. The moment she entered, she went straight to the study to meet with Chi Fei and the others, telling them about Song Wan.
"No wonder we've been thwarted at every turn. It's because the local officials and the great families are working together to obstruct us," Han Jiwei said, annoyed. "We were so blinded by the difficulty of finding witnesses. How careless of us."
"According to Song Wan's information, Ye Ze has been transferring the Zhuo family's assets for some time. The sale of prime land, residences, and shops must have documentation," Chi Fei said after a moment's thought. "That's it, the accounts! We must check the accounts! The Zhuo family's accounts, Ye Ze's accounts, the bookshop's accounts—all of them must be checked. Commander Cheng, please take your people to seal the Zhuo residence and the Zhuo family bookshop. You must bring back the ledgers."
Han Jiwei added, "And the county yamen's archived documents and land registers. I doubt they'd be bold enough to falsify official government records."
"Let's do this: Commander Cheng and I will go to the Zhuo residence to check the accounts. You two go to the county yamen's archives to check the files. We'll split up and settle this matter today."
Fang Jian also nodded in agreement. "Good! Also, please have Commander Cheng send a few people to investigate Song Wan." Cheng Zhaoyang naturally agreed.
The group left and went their separate ways. Fang Jian and Han Jiwei changed into their official robes and, with a few armed guards, headed straight for the archives.
The archive clerk, of course, did not dare let them in, holding them off in a tense standoff until Magistrate Song arrived.
"What is the meaning of this, my lords?" Magistrate Song had a smile on his face, but his words were as cold as if they were laced with poison.
Fang Jian gave him a cupped-hand salute. "Magistrate Song, we need to see the Zhuo family's household and account registers for our investigation. Please accommodate us."
"This… The archives are a restricted area. It's not proper to enter without authorization. It's the rules… The Zhuo family matter is one of filial piety between father and daughter. What does checking the archives have to do with it?"
"Whether it's useful or not is not for you to say. We must carefully cross-reference the Zhuo family's household and account registers with the official records to see if they've been falsified," Han Jiwei snorted. "We are imperial inspectors. Every point of suspicion must be thoroughly investigated before we can report back to Her Majesty in the capital. What is your intention in obstructing us?"
"This… this… What do you need? This subordinate will order someone to fetch it…"
"That won't be necessary. Since we are already here, we will look for ourselves. I am a Censor, and I have supervisory duties when in the provinces," Fang Jian declared loudly. "Or is there something in Zhuo County that cannot withstand my inspection?"
"Nothing… nothing at all…" Beads of sweat broke out on Magistrate Song's forehead, and he couldn't stop wiping them away.
Fang Jian shouted, "Then stand aside!"
As they had expected, the Zhuo family's ledgers had been falsified. Perhaps they never thought they would be exposed, as the forgeries were simple and crude, obvious upon inspection. Moreover, they hadn't dared, or hadn't had time, to alter the government records, so the matter of Ye Ze selling the land to the Song family at a low price was also discovered.
He was a matrilocal husband, merely managing the family estate on behalf of the underage Zhuo daughter. Naturally, he had no right to sell the Zhuo family's land. The Song family accepted his offering, taught him to forge Zhuo Guanyi's handwriting, and signaled Magistrate Song to turn a blind eye, thus completing the land transaction. With this, Magistrate Song would also have to be taken back to the capital.
Fang Jian recorded all of the day's findings and everything Song Wan had said, sealed the report with wax, and gave it to Commander Cheng, telling her to have someone deliver it overnight to the capital to inform Her Majesty. Cheng Zhaoyang gave her a cupped-fist salute and went to see to it. Fang Jian stood in the courtyard, her eyes slightly closed, feeling the night breeze on her face. It carried the scent of overturned earth and damp grass, a scent from the land, from afar, telling the world that the heavens were about to change.
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