Chapter 53: Calamity to the Fish in the Pond

On the post road, the corpses of a squad of Forbidden Army soldiers lay scattered in disarray. The young man was so terrified that his legs turned to jelly. He collapsed to the ground and struggled several times but couldn’t stand. It was only when his father followed the sound and found him—his own legs trembling as well—that he managed to haul his son to his feet.

“Dad, Dad, Dad… th-there are dead bodies!”

The old man said nothing. He simply supported his son and hurried them both toward home. They walked in silence for two li before exchanging a glance. Suddenly drained of strength, they both slumped down by the roadside.

“What are we going to do, Dad?”

The old man let out a sigh. A perfectly good celebratory banquet had turned into this nightmare—what could he do?

After a long silence, the old man forced out two words: “Report it to the authorities!”

“But Dad, what if the yamen suspects us?”

The old man shot his son a glare and snapped, “If we had the means for that, do you think we’d be scraping by on those two mu of land every day? Keeping quiet about something like this is a serious crime if the officials find out!”

“You’re right, Dad.”

The old man sighed again. He stood up, pulled his son to his feet, and together they headed toward the Clear River County Yamen.

…

Magistrate Fang of Clear River County had only been assigned there three years ago. To prevent local officials from embezzling and abusing their power, the Liang Dynasty implemented a rotation system. Officials served terms of about three years, after which the Imperial Court evaluated them for promotion or lateral transfer. Generally, no one stayed in one post for more than two terms.

There were exceptions, however. Counties like Qinglu County, which bordered a prince’s fief due to their geography, often required coordination between the court and the fiefdoms. In such cases, the court tended not to make major changes to the officials there.

Rotating magistrates had their pros and cons, as did the entrenched ones. The Qinglu County Magistrate wielded deep-rooted power locally and enjoyed good relations with the major clans. While he could be overbearing, he paid close attention to the people’s grievances, public order, and livelihoods.

Magistrate Fang of Clear River County was the opposite. Hamstrung by the local clans and having no attachment to this remote, impoverished backwater, he was simply biding his time until his three-year evaluation. He hoped the court would transfer him to a prosperous county next.

So when the father and son came to report the incident, Magistrate Fang felt like the sky was falling. A major case in his jurisdiction at this critical juncture was the last thing he wanted.

He drew a document from the cylinder and pinched it between his fingers, lost in thought.

Only his clerk’s reminder snapped him out of it. Magistrate Fang narrowed his eyes and tossed the document out. “Men! Take this father and son into custody first. We’ll decide their fate after the investigation.”

The pair panicked and cried out their innocence as the yamen runners dragged them away.

“Court adjourned!”

…

Soon, only Magistrate Fang and his clerk remained in the main hall. The clerk was a local who had seen more than a dozen magistrates come and go. He knew exactly what troubled the magistrate but feigned ignorance until Fang asked for advice. Then he sighed in reluctance, stroked his beard thoughtfully, leaned in close, and whispered something into the magistrate’s ear.

…

Ever since Gao Ningxue had arrived at Embroider Maiden’s and Wu Wei’s home, Wu Wei felt like every day was pure bliss. Being the errand girl was the best!

Before, she had gone to Hundred Flavors Building every few days to sell firewood just to survive.

Now, she went every day to pack meals for Pingjia County Princess. To keep the princess from getting bored, Wu Wei had the chefs there prepare six different dishes in rotation each day.

On the side, she could also check on the progress. The waiter was efficient; the very next day after taking her silver, he sent a regular Capital runner off with her letter.

When the waiter saw Wu Wei coming daily, he offered to deliver the meals directly to her home once ready. She smiled and declined.

Nourished by this near-endless variety of delicacies, Embroider Maiden’s complexion bloomed with color. Her once gaunt, bony frame gradually filled out, heading toward robust health.

Just as Apothecary Sun had said, the accumulated ailments in her body stemmed from chronic hunger and cold. As long as she ate her fill and stayed warm, it wouldn’t take long at her age to restore her health.

Seeing Embroider Maiden improve day by day filled Wu Wei with heartfelt gratitude toward Pingjia County Princess. Without her unexpected arrival, Embroider Maiden might never have tasted such fine food in her lifetime.

…

There had been one small hiccup, though. On the first day eating Hundred Flavors Building’s dishes, Embroider Maiden got a stomachache afterward. It scared Gao Ningxue into thinking the food was poisoned.

Wu Wei rolled her eyes dramatically and explained, “It’s because she’s never eaten anything this rich before. The bacteria in her gut can’t adjust right away, so it causes diarrhea.”

Gao Ningxue looked utterly baffled, so Wu Wei rephrased it: “Her stomach’s never had this much oil and richness. It just couldn’t handle the sudden feast.”

Only then did Gao Ningxue relax.

Through their time together, Wu Wei discovered that Gao Ningxue was actually quite likable all around, aside from her aversion to deep thinking. Once Wu Wei laid out the stakes clearly, the princess neither demanded to go out playing nor complained about the simple lodgings. Instead, she showed a down-to-earth casualness.

She even critiqued Wu Wei’s amateurish handwriting now and then, promising to send her some master calligraphers’ copybooks later to practice that “five-year-old’s scrawl.” She’d also join Embroider Maiden in needlework, learning embroidery techniques.

…

That day, as Wu Wei walked toward Hundred Flavors Building, she ran into two yamen runners coming the other way. Up close, she recognized them as “old acquaintances”—the very pair she and Embroider Maiden had met at the market.

The runners visibly relaxed upon seeing her. Wu Wei cupped her hands in greeting. “Brothers, out on duty?”

They exchanged a glance, and one said, “Miss Wu, we’re here for you.”

“For me?”

The runner nodded. “Come with us. The master wants to see you.”

Wu Wei patted her chest, feeling the Bright Mirror Division token there, which eased her mind a bit. “Alright, lead the way.”

“This way, please.”

…

Wu Wei followed the two runners to the yamen but wasn’t taken to the main hall. Instead, they led her around to a side chamber. A middle-aged man inside was sipping tea. The runner introduced them: “Miss Wu, this is the clerk.”

“Greetings, Clerk.”

“No trouble getting here. Sit and have some tea.”

“Thank you.” Wu Wei took the lower seat, lifted the teapot, and poured herself a cup. The runners withdrew and closed the door behind them.

Wu Wei pondered why she’d been summoned to the yamen while the clerk sized her up. Neither spoke first. Only when her cup ran dry did the clerk clear his throat. “I’ve heard… Miss Wu once assisted Lord Dongfang in solving that headless murder case?”

Wu Wei paused inwardly—this old news again? But she kept a modest, respectful expression. “My father is a coroner. I only know a little about it myself. Lord Dongfang was kind to praise me, but it was mostly luck.”

“Come now, Miss Wu, no need to be so modest. There’s no such thing as pure luck in this world. As they say, you sharpen your own iron. Besides, with Lord Dongfang overseeing things that day, no one could fake it.”

“You’re too kind, sir. I’m truly flattered.”

“We’ve asked you here today for a most urgent matter. We’d like your help.” He gestured. “And here… twenty taels of silver, as a token for Miss Wu.”

Alarm bells rang in Wu Wei’s head. The clerk opened a wooden box, revealing twenty neat ingots of fine silver. The shadows of the two runners were visible through the oiled paper door.

“Sir, I can’t accept payment without merit. I’m just a humble girl with no influence or skills. I really don’t see how I can assist you.”

“Now, Miss Wu, you’re being modest again. I’ve read your coroner’s notes from last time—every point clear, every word a gem. You can certainly help with this.”

Cold sweat prickled Wu Wei’s skin. A very bad premonition surfaced, and she had no way out. The feeling of being at another’s mercy was awful.

“Why don’t you tell me first, sir? At least give me an idea.”

“Your coroner’s manual says you can determine the time of death and whether a body has been moved, right?”

“…If the signs are clear enough, yes.”

“Perfect. A few days ago… there was another murder in the county. I hope you can confirm that this victim was killed elsewhere and then dumped in our Qinglu County.”

“Why…”

Before the words “It’s me” could even leave her mouth, Wu Wei locked eyes with the clerk’s enigmatic smile and understood everything in an instant. Her heart plummeted to rock bottom. Why her? Wasn’t it because her coroner’s manual had won praise from The Jade-Faced Divine Strategist—Dongfang Rui herself? That made her more “authoritative” than anyone else!

Why her? Because she was a “weak woman” with no faction, no backing, and not even a household registration to her name. If things went wrong, shoving her under the bus wouldn’t harm anyone’s interests. And if they succeeded, “silencing” her would be a simple matter, wouldn’t it?

Wu Wei glanced up again at the bailiff’s silhouette filtering through the doorway as he stood guard. The clerk continued sipping his tea leisurely, a picture of utter confidence.

Suddenly, Wu Wei felt a surge of relief. She was glad she hadn’t recklessly used the token Dongfang Rui had given her. She was glad she had immediately held Gao Ningxue back, keeping her from exposing herself.

Perhaps it was because she was too insignificant—insignificant enough that once they investigated her background and Embroider Maiden’s, they could make such a demand without a shred of concern.

Perhaps she was simply perfect for the role: the ideal scapegoat for this whole affair!

Wu Wei had no intention of pulling out Dongfang Rui’s token. Until Dongfang Rui herself showed up, that thing was nothing more than a piece of wood. It might even bring utter disaster down on her head.

Well, Wu Wei was determined to find out just what kind of case would drive the prefectural yamen to such extremes—just to rip it out of her jurisdiction!