Chapter 63: Grudges
The case quickly began to escalate. The first to receive news were the families of those involved. Unaware of what role their own relatives played in the matter, and faced with such a serious crime, they were frantic with anxiety, using every connection they had to probe for information from the Jingzhao Prefecture.
The Governor and Vice Governor once again sat down with Fang Jian.
"To be frank with you, my lords, this subordinate is also dealing with a major headache. The sheer scale of the gambling stakes makes it impossible to cover up. If we tried, our Jingzhao Prefecture would be in serious trouble."
Fang Jian relayed all the information gathered from the interrogations to the two senior officials, who were equally troubled. "Have you found out who set up the gambling ring?"
"That's the strange part—no one seems to know. We've interrogated the bookmakers, and no matter what torture we use, they all claim they were hired, but they don't know by whom. This group of noble scions is just as clueless; they have no idea who lured them in."
"What about the illicit funds? Where did the money go?" Vice Governor Shen Zhu pressed.
"According to their testimony, they would deliver the silver to a certain courtyard every ten days. They would leave the money and depart, and the mastermind would come to collect it. All communication was done by letter; they never met face-to-face."
Governor Yin Mo was incredulous. "With such large sums of money changing hands and no one supervising, weren't they tempted to take it for themselves?"
"How could they not be?" Fang Jian sighed. "Of course, someone made a move. The one who led the attempt was dead the next day, and the families of those who supported him received threats of varying degrees. Someone must have been watching from the shadows. After that, no one dared to disobey."
"You just mentioned a courtyard. Have you investigated it?" Yin Mo asked after a moment of thought.
"We have... It's a private villa belonging to the Marquis Wuwei's Estate..." The case was spiraling, drawing in an unknown number of high officials and nobles, striking fear into their hearts.
Yin Mo and Shen Zhu fell silent at this. The Marquis Wuwei was a military noble of the senior second rank with real power. The old Marquis Wuwei had fought his way alongside Emperor Yongchu and planted the emperor's banner on the capital's walls when they took the city, for which he was enfeoffed as Marquis Wuwei. Three generations of emperors had shown great favor to the Marquisate. After the old Marquis passed away, the title was passed to his eldest son. The current Marquis Wuwei was stationed in the Southeast, commanding the navy with military authority firmly in his grasp. Only his wives, concubines, and youngest son resided in the Marquis Wuwei's Estate in the capital. This was not a family that could be touched lightly. If the investigation yielded no results, the suffering of everyone in the Jingzhao Prefecture would be a minor issue; destabilizing the border would be a catastrophe.
Yin Mo felt a headache coming on as well. Although he was a masterful social operator, the Marquis Wuwei was permanently stationed in the Southeast, his wife rarely socialized, and the only one at home was a young master, so he had no connection to the family. After a moment's thought, he looked at Fang Jian and said, "This is indeed a troublesome matter. Linshen, what do you intend to do?"
"Publicly summoning the family of the Marquis Wuwei would indeed be... inappropriate. After much thought, this subordinate was wondering if we might privately invite the young master of the Marquis's estate for a preliminary conversation?"
Shen Zhu and Yin Mo exchanged a look, thinking it was a viable approach. They asked, "Do you know the young master Wei?"
"I do not, but this subordinate was thinking of asking the Eldest Princess to make the introduction."
Yin Mo's eyes lit up. Wei Zhi was indeed the perfect choice. For one, she was well-acquainted with the young scions of the capital and likely knew the young master of the Wei family. For another, she was deeply trusted by Her Majesty and could be considered her eyes and ears. This case had far-reaching implications and had yet to be fully investigated, so the Jingzhao Prefecture dared not bring it before the imperial court. However, if word reached Her Majesty's ears through the Eldest Princess, it might actually be a good thing.
"You have a way to speak with the Eldest Princess?"
"We have only met a few times. I can but try. I only hope Her Highness is kind enough to be willing to help." Fang Jian cupped her hands, her words cautious.
"Then Vice Governor Shen and I will write an invitation card for you as well. We can only hope Her Highness is willing to lend her aid..."
For Fang Jian to seek out Wei Zhi, she naturally asked Cui Miao to act as the go-between. Cui Miao was being watched like a hawk by Her Majesty and was swamped with an astonishing amount of work. Wei Zhi had also been roped into working. With both of them under Her Majesty's watchful eye, neither dared to make any rash moves, and it had been a long time since they had last seen each other.
Fang Jian specially booked a private room at Yuehe Hall to invite them, giving them a chance to relax. Wei Zhi understood her good intentions and was happy to return the favor.
After Fang Jian finished explaining, both Wei Zhi and Cui Miao were stunned. "Marquis Wuwei? You're talking about the Marquis Wuwei?"
"Marquis Wuwei... is there a problem?" Fang Jian asked, perplexed.
"Marquis Wei is an extremely strict head of household. When his eldest daughter was young and mischievous, he chased her down three streets while beating her. The girl wailed the entire way..." Cui Miao recounted the story with a lingering sense of fear. "Those three streets are all lined with the mansions of prominent families. That day, every child in every household felt their parents looking at them in a distinctly different way."
"That... that's overly harsh..." Fang Jian had never imagined it was that kind of household.
"And that's why all their children are so accomplished. The eldest Wei daughter is now a fairly well-known junior general in the Southwest border army, and the second daughter, who serves by the Marquis's side, also has a distinguished military record," Wei Zhi added. "In short, with the Marquis's temperament—he can't tolerate a single grain of sand in his eye—he would never, ever be involved in something like this."
"Could it be a wicked servant causing trouble in their master's name?" Fang Jian mused, then added, "I investigated the villa. It's registered under the young master Wei's name."
"Wei Lihuai?" Wei Zhi laughed. "Well, that's simple. I saw him when I came in. We can just call him over and ask."
The young master Wei had only just passed his capping ceremony. With two older sisters to support the family and his aging father often away in the Southeast, he wasn't strictly disciplined and had grown into the image of a dissolute dandy.
"Sister A'zhi, it's been so long since I've seen you out and about! I've missed you," Wei Lihuai said. He had once been part of Wei Zhi's crowd, spending their days hawking and riding.
Wei Zhi laughed. "Oh, stop it. I'm sure you forgot all about me long ago."
"How could I?" Wei Lihuai had a delicate and charming appearance that was very endearing.
Wei Zhi then introduced him to Fang Jian and Cui Miao and explained the situation from beginning to end.
Wei Lihuai grew anxious the moment he heard. "Absolutely impossible! Why would I ever do something like that? My father would beat me to death!"
"Then could it be a wicked servant acting behind your back?"
"When my eldest sister was young, she went into a gambling den just once out of youthful ignorance, and my father chased her for three streets while beating her. He despises that wretched business more than anything, and the entire household knows it. Who would dare get involved?"
"May I ask, young master, who is currently managing that villa?" Fang Jian asked after a moment of consideration.
"Which one?" It was clear at a glance that Wei Lihuai was the type to be ignorant of practical affairs; he couldn't even clearly remember how many villas he had to his name. Fang Jian had to describe its location to him.
"Ah, that one isn't actually my family's villa," Wei Lihuai said after a moment's thought. "A few years ago, here at Yuehe Hall, a young gentleman was short on funds and couldn't settle his bill. I saw he had a dignified appearance and was dressed in fine clothes, so I assumed he was just temporarily strapped for cash and paid for him. It turned out he was indeed from a wealthy family, but his relatives weren't with him and he'd lost his money pouch. His family is in Chengzhou. Out of gratitude, when he left the capital, he gifted me the villa he had been staying in." Wei Lihuai was completely ignorant of practical matters. When someone gave him something, he simply took it. In his eyes, a residence was no different from a piece of fine jade. He didn't think much of it, promptly forgot about it, and never even sent a steward to take a look.
Fang Jian pressed for more details about the man, but try as he might, Wei Lihuai couldn't remember anything. The trail had gone cold again. Fang Jian's expression soured. Wei Zhi and Cui Miao also grew tense. The leads in this case were being severed with unnerving precision, and the final link had landed on the Marquis Wuwei's Estate, which gave them pause.
Seeing their grave expressions, Wei Lihuai also began to feel flustered.
Fang Jian could tell from his demeanor that he was a naive young man, utterly incapable of orchestrating such a grand scheme. She reassured him and then asked if he would allow the Jingzhao Prefecture to investigate the villa. Wei Lihuai hastily agreed and even dispatched a family steward to accompany them. Fang Jian and Xie Min led a team to conduct a thorough search, but they came up with nothing.
While Fang Jian and her team were still investigating this dead-end case, the powerful nobles whose relatives were imprisoned were frantically seeking connections, hoping to at least secure a lighter sentence, if not an outright acquittal.
Both Yin Mo and Shen Zhu were as slippery as eels. They promised to do their best on the surface, but between the lines, they pushed all the responsibility onto Fang Jian. They had previously experienced Fang Jian's iron-faced impartiality, and since this case was destined to reach the Emperor's ears sooner or later, they had no intention of getting their own hands dirty.
Thus, the pressure from above and below once again fell on Fang Jian's shoulders. She had just searched the villa with Xie Min to no avail, and another round of prison interrogations had yielded no new leads. Xie Min advised her to rest and not be impatient. Fang Jian took her advice and headed straight home when her duties for the day were done.
She spent the entire journey home replaying the case in her mind, only snapping back to reality when someone called out to her midway.
"Young Lord Fang, I am Jiang Zongming, the Marquis of Qingcheng."
Hearing this title, Fang Jian was jolted to full alertness. She took a closer look. The man before her was getting on in years, his waist had grown a bit thick, and his face was etched with worry. The Marquis of Qingcheng was a hereditary title; Jiang Zongming was the sixth to hold it. When Emperor Yongchu overthrew the old dynasty, the family had only managed to preserve their title by switching their allegiance with great haste. Although their rank was high, they held little real power.
Regardless, he was still a high official of the senior second rank. Fang Jian raised her hands and bowed meticulously. "This subordinate greets you, Your Lordship. May I ask why you have stopped me?"
Jiang Zongming gave a bitter smile. "Young Lord Fang, surely you are asking a question to which you already know the answer? My worthless son is currently in the dungeons of the Jingzhao Prefecture. I've come to beg Young Lord Fang to show mercy."
"Your Lordship overestimates me. This subordinate is a mere sixth-rank official. How could I possibly have such authority?"
"Young Lord Fang, let us speak plainly. My son, though arrogant, is a simpleton. He is utterly incapable of any great misdeed. Could you please tell me how deeply he is involved in this case?"
"Since Your Lordship is so certain your son is incapable of committing any great crime, what is there to ask? You need only wait patiently for the verdict," Fang Jian retorted, feigning ignorance.
Jiang Zongming grew annoyed, secretly hating how intractable Fang Jian was, yet he dared not provoke her. He could only suppress his temper and sigh. "My wife has passed on, and I have never been blessed with many children. In total, I have raised only this one son, and I admit I spoiled him. I regret it more than I can say. I only beg Lord Fang, for the sake of this old face of mine, to show me a way forward. At my age, I truly cannot bear the pain of losing my son."
Looking at his sorrowful expression, Fang Jian felt only weariness and a sense of mockery. So a nobleman's family is a family, but a commoner's is not? The Marquis of Qingcheng cannot bear the pain of losing his son, so was it my fate to deserve the agony of losing both my parents all those years ago?
She reined in her emotions and cupped her hands. "Your Lordship, this subordinate is a judge for the Jingzhao Prefecture. I only know how to decide cases according to the law; I know nothing else. If your son's involvement is not deep, I will naturally sentence him in accordance with the law. Please do not ask any more questions. The evening curfew is about to begin. Your Lordship should return home."
"You!" The Marquis of Qingcheng, after holding back for so long, finally lost his temper. He was, after all, a second-rank noble; he would never normally be so polite to a sixth-rank official in a Green Robe.
Fang Jian paid him no mind. She offered a perfunctory bow, moved past him, and swung herself onto her horse, galloping away.
The appearance of the Marquis of Qingcheng brought the events of her youth flooding back to Fang Jian's mind, as vivid as if they had happened yesterday. She suddenly realized that she had not forgotten that past for a single day. Jiang Changyun had truly, nearly driven her to her death. If not for Gao Yunqu, she would have lost the support of her parents and lived a life of lonely hardship. And if not for Gao Yunqu, she would have truly become a lowly servant, unable to ever hold her head high again. The day she knelt before Gao Yunqu, she had truly gambled with everything she had. It was her great fortune that it was Gao Yunqu. Had it been a more tyrannical person, Fang Jian dared not even imagine what her fate would have been.
How could she dare forget such a grudge, such hatred? And yet, they didn't even recognize her. It was laughable that they would come begging before her. The ways of the world were truly marvelous. Years ago, Gao Yunqu had chided her for her laziness, asking rhetorically how many years it would take before a senior second-rank noble would treat her with courtesy. And now, how many years had it been? Six? Seven? In a mere seven years, fate had made them bow their heads before her. Ha. Ha.
Fang Jian opened the notebook where she recorded case information. Jiang Changyun was indeed a fool. Upon returning to the capital, he had eagerly sought out pleasure, been led into an underground gambling den, and become a regular within days, bringing a string of other dandies with him. At the very least, he was a gambler and could be sentenced according to the stakes involved. At worst, he was an accomplice in organizing the ring. Fang Jian read those few lines over and over, her heart beginning to beat faster. All she had to do was frame her report a little more severely, and a sentence of exile would be unavoidable. No one would know her private reasons. And even if they did, her judgment would still fall within the bounds of the law; it couldn't be considered a perversion of justice for personal gain. As for the Marquis of Qingcheng, he was just a powerless noble. What could he possibly do to her, a protégé of the Emperor?
Fang Jian's fingertips traced the edge of the notebook, her mind a battlefield. She sat in her study for a long time, until the moon was high in the sky. Snapping out of her reverie, she set the matter aside for the time being. To the person she was now, this was merely a minor detail, not the most pressing concern.
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