Chapter 33: July, the Fire Sinks
Gao Yunqu had arrived early. Dressed in inconspicuous plain clothes, she stood in the crowd with Dai Yao and watched the entire joint trial.
Dai Yao whispered beside her, "Your Young Lord Fang is truly impressive."
Gao Yunqu shot her a displeased glare. "What do you mean, 'my' or 'Young Lord'? Speak properly."
"Alright, alright," Dai Yao conceded under her stern gaze. "Censor Fang is meticulous. A fine example of luring the enemy in deep. All the topics we wanted were successfully brought up. Did you give her some pointers?"
Gao Yunqu gazed from afar at Fang Jian's righteous and awe-inspiring figure on the dais, a sense of satisfaction in her heart. She replied, "I only offered a few words. She managed to understand them. Not bad."
"Lushuang, praise when praise is due, smile when you want to smile. Don't hide it. The younger generation needs encouragement," Dai Yao said with a wink.
The corners of Gao Yunqu's mouth lifted unconsciously, but she immediately suppressed it and glared at Dai Yao. "Shut up."
Gao Yunqu hadn't interfered much with Fang Jian's handling of this case, only offering a few pointers when Fang Jian came to ask. Compared to the Metropolitan Examination, this felt more like a true test of her apprenticeship. Fang Jian had done very well. Gao Yunqu thought that even if it had been her younger self handling the case, this was as much as she could have accomplished. She looked at Fang Jian, feeling a wave of emotion. During the Metropolitan Examination, she had seen Fang Jian as her own beautiful jade, exquisite beyond measure. But now, she saw the small seedling she had carefully nurtured grow into a small tree that could stand tall between heaven and earth. She no longer needed protection; instead, her branches could touch Gao Yunqu's own.
"It's over. Let's go back." Gao Yunqu watched until Duan Songmian ordered everyone to sign and press their fingerprints, then said to Dai Yao, "The young ladies have done what they needed to do. We should also go do what we need to do."
With the words "court dismissed," Fang Jian could finally relax, unclenching the fists she had hidden in her sleeves. She turned to look at Zhuo Guanyi. The small young lady stood up, a gratified smile on her face, her eyes sparkling like stars. She stood straight and performed a formal bow to Fang Jian and the other two, thanking them.
She didn't know how many people had been working and striving for this day, nor did she likely understand how she alone could stir the entire imperial court. She was just genuinely happy, as if someone had lifted a heavy, stubborn stone that had been crushing her, allowing her to take a smooth, free, and light breath of air.
How wonderful. She had waited for this moment for so many years. Through countless cold, lonely, and painful nights, she had prayed to all the gods and buddhas, but no one had answered. She had closed her eyes in pain and welcomed the morning in pain, and nothing had changed. It was then she knew that if her parents were not a source of support, then the ethereal gods and buddhas would be no help either. She could only rely on herself. She tried again and again, getting battered and bruised each time, but thankfully, heaven helps those who help themselves. Someone saw her, someone was willing to give her a push, someone was willing to extend a hand to her, finally leading her to this day.
On this day, in this public court, she had witnessed the evil of human nature, but she had also seen the light of justice. Fang Jian and the other two stood before her, shielding her from the cold arrows shot from the other side. Their figures were like lofty mountains, rooted to the ground, fearless and dauntless, so dazzling that Zhuo Guanyi was moved to the verge of tears.
She mimicked the way the adults bowed, standing straight, her arms extending before coming together solemnly in front of her as she bent deeply at the waist, lowering her head.
Thank you for saving me from fire and water.
Thank you for clearing the fog for me.
And thank you for illuminating the path ahead.
Fang Jian, Chi Fei, and Han Jiwei also bowed slightly in return, their faces likewise bearing brilliant smiles as they offered their sincere blessings to this resilient young lady.
The crowd inside and outside the hall gradually dispersed. Fang Jian looked at the stream of people outside. Just now, during the debate in court, she thought she had caught a fleeting glimpse of Gao Yunqu in the crowd. But it was only for an instant before the figure disappeared, and her mind had been focused on the proceedings, so she hadn't looked closely. Now that the verdict was set and the court dismissed, Fang Jian breathed a sigh of relief and finally had the leisure to think about it.
Did Lord Gao come to watch?
Lord Gao is deeply concerned with the grand project of reform, so it would be normal for her to come.
Did she see me?
Did I do well?
Lord Gao, will you praise me?
Fang Jian walked a few steps out and stood before the government office, watching the backs of the departing crowd. She scanned the area but didn't see Gao Yunqu. Standing there, she couldn't tell if she felt disappointed or relieved.
Han Jiwei came up from behind and patted her on the shoulder. "Linshen, what are you looking at? Let's go, we should celebrate!"
"Alright."
At the next day's morning court, the Three Judicial Offices reported the results of the joint trial to Wei Qi. They determined that Ye Ze was guilty of seizing the Zhuo family's property and abusing his children, that County Magistrate Song Bai was guilty of accepting bribes and dereliction of duty, and that Song Zhi was guilty of bribery and oppressing the local populace. They respectfully requested the Emperor's final judgment.
Wei Qi listened to each point, accepted their memorial, and said she needed to deliberate on the matter and would announce her decision in a few days.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, Ye Ze, in the lowly status of a matrilocal husband, embezzled the family head's assets, while a local official meant to be close to the people disregarded human sentiment and the law, acting with utter recklessness. This is truly absurd. I implore you to heavily punish those involved to serve as a warning to others."
"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Song Family holds significant power and influence in their region. It is impossible that the head of the family was unaware of Song Zhi's actions. Your servant requests a thorough investigation of the Song Family to remove this poisonous tumor from the area."
"If Your Majesty will permit me, while Ye Ze was an unloving father, Zhuo Guanyi was also an unfilial daughter. Why is there a custom that a child does not report a father's crime? It is because the rites governing the relationship between ruler and minister, father and son, are the foundation of all ages and cannot be taken lightly. The Master said: 'The trustworthiness of an "upright" person like that is worse than no trustworthiness at all.'1 This is the principle. In addition to sentencing according to the law, Zhuo Guanyi should also receive a light punishment to prevent others from following her example and throwing the rites into chaos."
"Your Majesty…"
As the officials spoke one after another, Wei Qi cleared her throat and said in a clear voice, "It is getting late. All you ministers, go back and write down your opinions in a memorial and submit them. We will read each and every one. Court is dismissed."
Because of Wei Qi's words, countless memorials flooded the Office of Transmission. All the various factions exerted their full strength to vie for their interests, attempting to use their memorials to influence Wei Qi's decision. Wei Qi remained silent, seemingly unconcerned, and all the memorials were temporarily set aside without action. The various factions all felt there was still room for maneuver. For a time, the official families of the Capital City were busy networking and forming alliances, each side dedicated to making their own voice louder so that Her Majesty might see the "will of the people."
Yet Wei Qi, at the center of the vortex, appeared completely relaxed. She didn't read the memorials or busy herself with official duties. Instead, taking advantage of the clear weather, she took A'zheng and ascended a high tower. July, the fire sinks; the scorching summer had quietly slipped away. Wei Qi stood on the high tower, feeling the faint taste of autumn carried on the wind.
A'zheng stood behind her. Seeing her in high spirits, she said, "Congratulations, Your Majesty, on achieving your wish."
"Ha, we're just getting started," Wei Qi replied casually, spreading her arms to let the wind rush into her embrace and lift her robes.
"The first step is always the hardest. Your Majesty has made the first push; loyal ministers will naturally follow to wade through the rest for you."
Wei Qi didn't reply. She closed her eyes slightly, carefully feeling the sensation of the wind brushing against her cheeks. After a long moment, A'zheng heard her long, low sigh.
"Autumn is the season of the executioner. When things grow in excess, they must be culled."2
Author's Notes
- This comes from the Annals of Lü Buwei. It tells of a person named Zhigong ("Upright Gong") who reported his father for stealing a sheep and then chose to die in his father's place. Before his execution, he asked the official, "If a person as trustworthy and filial as I must die, then who shouldn't be killed?" When the ruler heard this, he pardoned him. Confucius commented on this, saying that Zhigong's reputation was built upon his father's, and that such trustworthiness was better off not existing. P.S. I personally think Confucius's point was that using his father's transgression to gain a reputation for himself was what he found objectionable.
- July, the fire sinks: This phrase, from the Book of Odes, signifies the arrival of cooler autumn weather.
- Autumn is the season of the executioner. When things grow in excess, they must be culled: These are two spliced-together lines from Ouyang Xiu's "Ode to the Autumn Sound." The original lines are not connected this way. The meaning is basically: The weather's turning cold, time to ruin someone [x].
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