Chapter 50: The Judicial Officer
While Gao Yunqu was gradually finding her footing in the Ministry of Works, Fang Jian began her new duties at the Jingzhao Prefecture. Within a few days, she was spinning like a top, experiencing firsthand why it was one of the most difficult posts in the Capital City. The Governor of Jingzhao Prefecture, Yin Mo, was nothing like his name, which meant 'silent.' He was a man of great social grace, and though he rarely managed the practical affairs below him, he had connections with all the major powers in the capital. It was precisely because of this that he had managed to hold onto this thankless position for six years. Fang Jian had only seen him once, on her first day of duty, when she received a few words of gentle encouragement. After that, she never crossed paths with him again. With the chief official being a hands-off manager, the prefecture's affairs all fell on the shoulders of Vice Governor Shen Zhu. This vice governor could be said to rise with the dawn and rest late at night, buried under a mountain of paperwork, busy from morning till night. And this, too, was the norm for everyone at the Jingzhao Prefecture.
Fang Jian familiarized herself with the daily affairs of the Jingzhao Prefecture while reading through the accumulated case files in the yamen. She had no experience in judging cases and had seen little of the world, so she could only try her best to compensate by reading more.
"Young Lord Fang." The Judicial Adjutant of the Legal Section, Xie Min, knocked on the door and entered Fang Jian's duty room. The Jingzhao Prefecture had one governor and one vice governor, two investigators and one judge. The investigators were in charge of household registration and taxes, while the judge was in charge of prisons and punishments. Below them were six sections, modeled after the Six Ministries, which managed specific affairs, and under these six sections were various other officials. The Legal Section, among the six, was under the jurisdiction of Fang Jian, the judge.
"What is it?" Fang Jian looked up from the case file at Xie Min. Xie Min was also a female official, older than her, looking to be just past the age of thirty.
"The patrol caught a few child kidnappers. I am just about to go interrogate them. Would you, my lord, care to join me?" Xie Min cupped her hands in a salute, but her attitude was not exactly respectful, a half-smile playing on her lips.
Fang Jian paid it no mind and thought for a moment. "Is this the case from a few days ago about the family who lost their child?"
"We still don't know if that child was abducted by these kidnappers," Xie Min reminded her.
"Rescuing other children would also be a good thing. I will go with you." Fang Jian considered for a moment and closed the case file.
Xie Min then led her to the main prison of the Jingzhao Prefecture. It was not Fang Jian's first time inside a prison; she had spent a night in one in Qinzhou to interrogate Chen Shouyi. But at that time, she had not directly faced the cold, cruel side of the penal system.
This time, however, Xie Min led her straight into the torture chamber. The moment she entered, the thick stench of blood assaulted her nostrils, and she frowned slightly.
"My lord, this way please." Xie Min dusted off a long bench in front of a table and solicitously invited her to sit, as if she were completely oblivious to the mangled, bloody figure on the other side of the room.
That day, Fang Jian stayed in that room for four hours. She did not say a single word, only silently watching as Xie Min used torture to conduct the interrogation. When she came out, her face was almost drained of all color.
"Young Lord Fang, do you need me to lend you an arm?" Xie Min extended her hand, as if nothing had happened.
Fang Jian shook her head and gently pushed her hand away. Her face was pale. She looked up at Xie Min. A tiny speck of blood had spattered onto the corner of Xie Min's robe, and the smell of blood clung to her, yet she was still smiling, as if she hadn't been that violent person just moments ago.
Fang Jian walked out of the prison, step by step. A single door separated the inside from the brilliant sunlight outside, which almost seared her eyes. She took that step, walking from darkness into light. She turned her head back; Xie Min was still standing in the shadows.
"Judicial Officer Xie, do you always conduct interrogations like this?" Fang Jian did her utmost to suppress the churning in her stomach, breaking into a sweat in the spring air.
"Is there a problem?" Xie Min asked with a smile, cupping her hands.
"No, but… Heaven has a virtue of cherishing life. Being overly cruel is not good for you either," Fang Jian advised.
"Young Lord Fang, you heard them just now. How many children has this gang abducted? How many families have they plunged into misery? A harsher interrogation gets results faster. Isn't that a good thing? As for these people, their crimes are heinous. They deserve to die," Xie Min said as if she hadn't heard, still smiling. "If it were you, my lord, what would you do? On one side are the grief-stricken victims, and on the other are the outrageously wicked criminals. Who would you sympathize with? And would you pick up the instruments of torture, or not?"
"…" Fang Jian fell silent. Xie Min had given her a show of force to put her in her place, and she did not know how to answer.
Fortunately, Xie Min did not press her for an immediate answer. She gave Fang Jian a respectful bow and took her leave.
With no one around, Fang Jian's body went limp. She leaned against the wall and slowly made her way to a deserted spot where she could no longer hold back, vomiting the contents of her stomach until it was empty.
She staggered back a few steps, slid down the wall to sit on the ground, and gasped for air to calm her discomfort. In the morning sun of spring, she relaxed her tense body and closed her eyes slightly. Light filtered through the delicate leaves, falling upon her and gradually dispelling the chill in her body. She sat quietly for a while, then stood up and returned to her duty room.
After her duties ended for the day, Fang Jian left her room early. She led her horse and walked slowly along the street, her mind a chaotic mess. One moment it was Xie Min's words, the next the prisoner's screams, and then the victims' pleas. She walked the whole way in a daze, and by the time she came to her senses, she was already standing outside the Gao residence.
She paused for a moment, then tethered her horse and went to knock on the gate. The Gao residence had been closed to visitors since last year, and few people came to call, making the entrance look quite deserted. She waited for a while before someone opened the gate, but they did not let her in. Gao Yuan opened it just a crack, blocking the way as she apologized, "My lady said you should come less often."
"Less often doesn't mean never, does it?" Fang Jian was surprised. She hadn't expected Gao Yunqu's instruction not to ask would result in her being turned away at the door.
"My lady left instructions. Please don't make things difficult for me," Gao Yuan said with an awkward smile, making a move to close the gate.
Fang Jian took a step forward, blocking the gate with her body to prevent it from closing. She had caught the meaning in Gao Yuan's words. "She's not here?"
"Well…" Gao Yuan hesitated.
"Good A'yuan, just tell me, and I'll leave."
Gao Yuan pondered for a moment. Gao Yunqu had told her not to speak of her recent situation, but she gritted her teeth and told Fang Jian anyway, "My lady has been returning close to curfew these past few days."
"Is she that busy?" Fang Jian murmured to herself as she stepped back. That's right. The Jingzhao Prefecture is a new job for me, and the Ministry of Works is new for Gao Yunqu as well. Neither of us could be proficient from the start.
With that thought, she bid Gao Yuan farewell. "Then… I'll be going."
Seeing that she wasn't trying to force her way in, Gao Yuan didn't rush to close the gate. She stood by the entrance and watched as Fang Jian led her horse away, her figure lonely and lost, slowly melting into the darkening twilight. Only when her silhouette had completely disappeared did the great gates of the Gao residence creak shut.
Fang Jian took two days to recover. When she saw Xie Min hurrying by again, she called out, "Judicial Officer Xie, where are you headed?"
Xie Min bowed to her and replied, "The thief from the burglary case in the east of the city has been caught. I'm on my way to interrogate him about the whereabouts of the stolen goods."
"I'll go with you."
Xie Min was slightly taken aback. She was of humble birth and had long given up hope for high office and great wealth. She simply had an extraordinary talent for interrogation. Prison work was neither prestigious nor respectable, but as she did it, she began to find a certain kind of enjoyment in it, even taking pleasure in her work. She had originally intended to open the young lady's eyes, with a hint of a playful motive. She hadn't expected that Fang Jian, who looked so young and delicate, actually possessed some courage and had recovered in just a few days.
She stepped aside, gesturing for Fang Jian to go ahead of her as she led the way. "My lord, please."
"I heard that when you interrogated the child kidnappers the other day, they confessed to a hiding place, but when the patrol went to search, they found nothing?"
"Yes. There were no results, so I have not yet reported it to you, my lord."
"No matter." Fang Jian waved her hand. She knew that being new and young, she naturally did not command their trust. She didn't put on the airs of a superior and asked tentatively, "Judicial Officer, you are widely experienced. Do you have any theories?"
Xie Min glanced at her discreetly. Seeing her sincere request for guidance, she explained, "The child kidnappers are cunning. They must have known their accomplices were caught and moved their hiding spot. According to the confession, there were over ten children there. They couldn't have gone far with so many children. I have already sent people to investigate the vicinity. We should find something."
"Good. If you find any clues, please call for me to join you," Fang Jian said. "I have no experience with judicial and penal matters. I must ask you to teach me, Judicial Officer."
Xie Min was flattered and quickly demurred with a cupped-hand salute. "I wouldn't dare."
The two entered the torture chamber together. The jailers had already made preparations, and the prisoner was tied to the rack. Xie Min removed the cloth gag from his mouth. She had barely asked his name and place of origin when the prisoner spat at her, the very picture of defiance unto death.
Instead of anger, Xie Min laughed. "Looks like a tough one. I hope you can give me some fun today."
The prisoner continued to curse endlessly, the vulgarity of his words an eye-opener even for Fang Jian, who had grown up in the city.
Xie Min remained unmoved. She walked past the various instruments of torture, her fingers brushing over them lightly as if she were choosing fabric in a cloth shop. She picked and chose, hesitating greatly, explaining the use of each instrument as she went. Her voice was not pleasant—somewhat grating and coarse—but in this setting, it was perfectly, chillingly effective.
But Fang Jian listened intently. The use of torture was also a skill; it wasn't just about brute force. How to choose the instruments, how to use them skillfully, how to intimidate—these were all things learned over many years. With an expert standing right before her, she had to seize the opportunity to learn.
Xie Min picked up a long whip. As she turned, she saw Fang Jian's serious expression. Her eyes shifted, and she walked toward Fang Jian with a smile. She turned the whip around, offering the handle to Fang Jian, and said, "Young Lord Fang, want to give it a try?"
Fang Jian looked at her teasing smile, then at the long whip in her hand, soaked with who knows how much blood. She took a deep breath and reached out to grasp it.
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