Chapter 69: Securing a Lifetime

The weather was growing hotter by the day. Wu Wei hurried along, following her memory to Dongfang Rui’s temporary residence in Qinglu County City.

This time, two new faces were guarding the entrance. Their outfits were almost identical to those of Zhang Wei and Zhang Meng, so Wu Wei judged that these two must also be from the Bright Mirror Division in the capital.

Dealing with her own people made things much easier. Wu Wei directly pulled out her Bright Mirror Division token and handed it over. “Brothers, I’m Wu Wei. I’d like to see Lord Dongfang. Could you please announce me?”

One of them carefully inspected Wu Wei’s token and nodded to the other, who turned and entered the courtyard to make the announcement.

The man returned the token to Wu Wei. A smile crept onto his stern face as he said, “I’ve heard about the new recruit in the Bright Mirror Division back in the capital—a female coroner. That must be you, right?”

“This humble one is indeed she,” Wu Wei replied with cupped hands, adopting a rather formal tone.

“I’m Li Long. The one who just went in is Li Hu. We’re both patrol inspectors with the Bright Mirror Division, responsible for investigating cases outside the capital that don’t clearly fall under any jurisdiction.”

Wu Wei smiled. “Everyone in our Bright Mirror Division has such memorable names.”

Li Long understood at once. “You’re talking about the Zhang brothers, Zhang Wei and Zhang Meng, right?”

“Yes, where are those two Zhang brothers?”

“They’re Lord Dongfang’s close attendants, in charge of the Lord’s safety. They’re inside. Actually, none of us four used to have these names. Left Commander gave them to us. She said people in the Bright Mirror Division all look pretty much the same, and the original names were too hard to remember…”

Wu Wei laughed too. This was exactly the kind of thing Gao Ningxue would do.

Li Long went on, “I’ve read your Coroner’s Handbook. Even a master with twenty years of experience might not match your skills. And you’re the first female coroner in our Liang Dynasty—truly impressive.”

Wu Wei felt a twinge of guilt at the praise. In truth, she’d been something of a slacker through her four years of university, often skipping classes and slacking off, barely scraping by on grades thanks to her family’s old foundations. Facing Li Long’s high praise, she felt no glory at all—only deep shame!

It was only now that Wu Wei truly understood the meaning of that phrase: “I am standing on the shoulders of giants.” How could she dare compare herself to a coroner with twenty years on the job? She had merely benefited from Blue Star’s modern education.

In the coroner’s trade, theory alone wasn’t enough. Back on Blue Star, Wu Wei could pore over vast dossiers, watch videos and photos, even observe frontline forensic experts in action. These were conveniences that coroners in this era could never dream of.

Wu Wei waved her hands repeatedly, her face flushing red. “No, no, no. I’m just… just…”

Li Long patted her shoulder. “Don’t be so modest. Lord Dongfang thinks highly of you too. Your Coroner’s Handbook has already been placed in the Bright Mirror Division’s case archives. Keep up the good work.”

Just as Wu Wei wished she could crawl into a hole in the ground, Li Hu returned. He held one side of the door open with a single hand and said, “Miss Wu, the Lord invites you in. She’s waiting for you in the study.”

“Thank you.” Wu Wei hurried into the courtyard, bringing an end to this awkward encounter.

…

The study was easy to find—it was the room guarded by Zhang Wei and Zhang Meng. When Wu Wei approached, Zhang Wei reported, “My Lord, Wu Wei is here.”

“Let her in.”

Wu Wei reached the study door, and Zhang Meng pushed it open for her. Wu Wei thanked him and stepped inside.

Dongfang Rui was seated behind the desk, reviewing a dossier. Hearing Wu Wei enter, she merely said flatly, “Have a seat.”

“Thank you, my Lord.” Wu Wei pulled over a round stool and sat across from Dongfang Rui.

Dongfang Rui finished with the dossier in her hands and handed it straight to Wu Wei. “Take a look. There might be something here that interests you.”

Wu Wei accepted the dossier with both hands, suppressing her inner restlessness and anxiety as she began to read it carefully.

The dossier detailed a case from Clear River County a few days earlier. A farmer and his son, on their way to a wedding banquet in Qinglu County, had been apprehended by yamen runners and dragged to the county yamen. The charge was “habitual theft.” The father and son confessed in court, admitting to years of collaborating on thefts. The Clear River County Magistrate sentenced them to flogging, tattooing, and exile to Lake Province.

On the road to Lake Province, the father succumbed to his severe wounds and the hardships of the journey. The son injured a guard in an attempt to escape and, during the ensuing chase, fell off a cliff—his fate unknown.

The dossier bore no signature, but it specifically noted the date the father and son had been captured. Wu Wei held the dossier, pondering for a long time. Suddenly, she realized that date was very close to the day the Forbidden Army corpses had been discovered in Qinglu County…

“Clear River County…” Wu Wei murmured, her delicate brows furrowing. “Didn’t Pingjia County Princess say the tribute convoy had reached Clear River County?”

Dongfang Rui was pleased that Wu Wei had linked these events together in such a short time.

“Take a look at this one too…” Dongfang Rui said, handing over another dossier.

Wu Wei took it and saw that it contained detailed information on the father and son from the previous dossier—going back three generations to their ancestors’ occupations, native places, family sizes, clan branches… as well as the pair’s land holdings, debts, recent social dealings, and evaluations from villagers, neighbors, and relatives.

Wu Wei inwardly clicked her tongue in amazement. In an era without surveillance or networks, to investigate two ordinary people so thoroughly—the Bright Mirror Division’s power was truly unfathomable!

“What do you see?”

Dongfang Rui asked.

“What do you make of it?”

“From this dossier… the family had a habitual thief three generations back, but not direct lineage. Before arrest, they borrowed 100 wen from a neighbor—probably for wedding gift money? They had five mu of dry fields and two mu of good farmland, enough for a family of five to be self-sufficient. Neighbors spoke well of them. I don’t think they were habitual thieves… With only two able-bodied men, they were busy enough with farm work. No time for casing joints?”

Dongfang Rui smiled. “You even know about casing joints?”

Wu Wei set down the dossier. “Even if a family has to leave home, they’d leave someone to watch the house or ask a neighbor to keep an eye. Thieves have to stake out for days to find a time when no one’s home at night. Personally, I feel this father and son were wronged.”

“Anything else?”

“I can’t see anything more.”

Dongfang Rui said, “I’ve already invited the village chief, the village head, the clan leader from their village, as well as Clear River County’s clerk and magistrate, all for tea. The Clear River County Magistrate’s charge was cleverly chosen. Investigation shows his family’s thief ancestor was somewhat notorious back then, known for clever methods. Though not direct kin, the father and son could have picked up a trick or two. Coincidentally, that thief died a few years ago, childless. The magistrate was transferred from another county three years ago and couldn’t know these old stories. So, if this is a wrongful conviction, some local elder in Clear River County must have advised him. As for why the magistrate risked it all, staging this injustice with covert support from local gentry, it must involve something big—threatening not just his career, but all the county’s gentry!”

Wu Wei exclaimed, “The tribute was stolen! The tribute was stolen within Clear River County!”

Dongfang Rui neither confirmed nor denied it, merely curling her lips. “Still under investigation. What brings you here today…?”

Wu Wei’s face lit up with a smile. She rubbed her hands nervously. “That girl I live with, Embroider Maiden… You know the place she lives. It’s no place for a person. Now that we’ve got some money… heh heh, we’re thinking of buying land, building a house, that sort of thing.”

“Congratulations. There will be a gift on the day you move in.”

“Thank you, my Lord. Actually, I came today because I’ve run into a bit of a problem and wanted your advice.”

“Go ahead. It’s rare for you to come asking me directly.”

…

Wu Wei then recounted the whole story to Dongfang Rui. Unlike Embroider Maiden, Wu Wei wouldn’t hold back when there was a chance to take a subtle jab at the Liu Family!

She detailed Embroider Maiden’s grievances at home, how the Liu Family had grown rich off her skills yet treated her like nothing, and how, once they deemed her useless after her hardships, they kicked her out on a deep autumn day.

Wu Wei sighed. “My Lord, you have no idea how tragic Embroider Maiden’s life has been. She doesn’t even know where her own father’s grave is. During the Lantern Festival, she cried her heart out. What do you think I should do about this?”

Dongfang Rui looked at Wu Wei. “You care a great deal about that Miss Liu, don’t you? Your expressions were quite vivid while telling her story.”

After several interactions, Dongfang Rui had vaguely sensed something off about Wu Wei. For instance, Wu Wei seemed indifferent to so many things. Dongfang Rui had dropped hints multiple times, but Wu Wei never showed any desire to head to the Capital and make a name for herself. One might say she had no interest in fame or fortune—yet she had resolutely thrown herself into the auspicious omen case.

Wu Wei fell silent for a long moment before nodding. She spoke earnestly. “The Embroider Maiden means a great deal to me. I want her to live a peaceful life, one of abundance without a worry in the world about food or clothing.”

Seeing how serious Wu Wei was, Dongfang Rui set aside her teasing tone. She replied, “If you want to eliminate any future troubles once and for all, take Miss Liu to the county yamen. Have the magistrate rule on the matter and issue an official verdict—that’s the surest way. Don’t worry about him showing bias. By the laws of our dynasty, as long as there’s witness testimony proving the Embroider Maiden was forcibly separated from the Liu Family, it’s like spilt water: impossible to take back. You’ll just need to transfer her household registration.”

“The Embroider Maiden wouldn’t fear facing them in court,” Wu Wei said. “But the Old Madam is still alive in that household, and Second Sister and Second Brother-in-Law are trying to mediate. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, I don’t want to go down that road.”

Dongfang Rui’s words cut like a blade. “Most common folk dread stepping into a courtroom. When they’re at a loss, they turn to the clan leader and village head instead. They put no faith in the clear words of the law, chasing vague notions of human sentiment. The village head and clan leader must balance so many interests that muddling through is all too common. You’re meant for great things. If you’re shackled by personal ties, how will you ever bear the weight of true responsibility?”

Something seemed to cross Dongfang Rui’s mind then. She let out a soft sigh and spoke in a wistful tone. “The more precious something is—the harder it is to let go—the more you must protect it with the safest method. Don’t let the chaos right in front of you hold you back. Look to the long term. Don’t chase fleeting joys; fight for security that lasts a lifetime.”