Pont de l'impuissance

Chapitre 2

Zhang Daoyuan laughed and said, "Five taels of silver plus the cost of a few people's shop fees and you got a treasured item! Shopkeeper, you've gotten a great deal!"

"Indeed! Speaking of which, this lantern is truly the first of its kind in Guangzhou. But Lantern Liu didn't lose out either; he even gained a little daughter-in-law out of nowhere in his little shop."

Zhang Wentao's eyes lit up, and he quickly asked, "How did you get her? Whose daughter is she? You didn't find her, did you?"

"Sir, you guessed it, she was found. It was around mid-September when a little girl, about eight or nine years old, came to my shop begging. It was raining that day, and I saw that the girl was soaked to the bone and covered in mud; she looked very pitiful. So I had my wife take her to bathe and then arranged for her to eat with the shop assistants. Just then, Lantern Liu saw her. He thought the girl was quite pretty and asked if she was my daughter, wanting to arrange a marriage. I said, 'She's a little beggar. I took pity on her and just took her in. If you really want to do good, please take her home, but please treat her well.'"

Zhang Wentao reached into his pocket and took out a silver ingot, weighing about five or six taels, and stuffed it into the shopkeeper's hand, asking, "What is your surname, sir? My sister's daughter was lost in Qingyuan County that year, not far from Guangzhou. It might be this girl. Please give me some pointers."

Seeing that they were looking for a child, the shopkeeper gave them another five taels of pure silver, wanting to do a good deed as well, and asked, "Do you have a red mole between your eyebrows?"

"That's right, she was only nine years old that year."

"That might be it. You'll have to go find Lantern Liu. Lantern Liu is famous, so he's not hard to find. He's in Kaifeng Prefecture, Henan. Once you get there, just ask around, and everyone will know him."

Great Qing Shen Duan Wu

September 23rd, the third year of the Jiaqing reign.

Zhang Wentao arrived at Lantern Town in Tongxu County, Kaifeng Prefecture. Lantern Town truly lived up to its reputation; upon entering, one saw a towering, floor-standing lantern at the town entrance, adorned with a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix. A large, colorful phoenix spread its wings as if about to take flight, with various birds circling and dancing around it, lifelike and exquisitely crafted. The village head, who was leading the way, told Zhang Wentao, "This was made by Lantern Liu. Of the more than one hundred households in Lantern Town, seven or eight out of ten work for Lantern Liu."

Although Zhang Wentao didn't bring his usual ceremonial procession of apricot-yellow umbrellas and silence signs, his arrival in town with dozens of yamen runners escorting a four-man blue sedan chair was quite an impressive sight. Upon receiving the news, Lantern Liu immediately led his entire family of over thirty people to kneel before his door to greet him. Zhang Wentao alighted from the sedan chair and saw a man kneeling at the front, about sixty years old, with graying hair, quite thin, yet exuding a shrewdness. He walked over and asked, "Are you Lantern Liu?"

“It is indeed I, Liu Longsheng, also known as Lantern Liu. Your presence at my humble abode is an honor for my entire family. Please come inside and rest for a while.”

Zhang Wentao, with only that girl on his mind, cut to the chase and asked, "In the forty-second year of Qianlong's reign, you adopted a little girl to be your child bride. What happened to that girl?"

Lantern Liu was stunned. Only then did he realize that Zhang Wentao hadn't come to see the lanterns, but rather to find the girl. He was momentarily confused about the girl's connection to this fourth-rank official, and, terrified, he prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, saying, "I deserve to die! I didn't know the girl's background; I just felt sorry for her, so I brought her home..."

"Go and bring her here!"

“She, she, she, I have already given her to Lord Su Zhengniman, the then Circuit Intendant of Huaiqing Prefecture.”

"When was it delivered?"

"The following year, the forty-third year of Qianlong's reign, we encountered highway robbers on our way back to our hometown. We were robbed of our valuables, but fortunately, no one was hurt. Lord Su Zheng Niman happened to be passing by with his men. They scattered the bandits and recovered some things. When he saw Liu Cuier, who was quite pretty, he asked about her background. I said I had found her in Guangzhou. He said that this girl was well-behaved and happened to be about the same age as his own daughter, so he wanted to buy her to keep her company. So I gave Liu Cuier to him."

Zhang Wentao had already expected that the girl had left the Liu family, so he wasn't surprised. He then asked, "Is Liu Cuier the name you gave her? Or is it her original name? Does she have a red mole between her eyebrows?"

"This name was given to her by me; her original name was Peng Xier. She had a red mole between her eyebrows."

"Is she big-footed?"

Lantern Liu saw that Zhang Wentao was not angry when he heard that Liu Cuier had been sent away, but instead asked if she had bound feet. He was puzzled but dared not ask further and answered truthfully, "Replying to your question, sir, she has unbound feet! Because I saw that she had unbound feet, I thought she was an orphan, so I dared to take her in!"

After asking Tao, Zhang turned around and said, "Let's go, immediately return to the Kaifeng government office, and find out where Su Zheng Niman is currently serving as an official!"

The Great Qing Divine Judgment Six

Zhejiang, Hangzhou, Provincial Administration Commission Office. October 18th.

Inside the study were only Su Zhengniman, who had already been appointed as the second-rank provincial governor of Zhejiang, and Zhang Wentao.

"I've found out that you bought Liu Cuier, adopted her as your goddaughter, and renamed her Zheng Gulun. But where did you send her after that?"

"Don't inquire about Zheng Gulun's affairs. It won't do either of us any good." Su Zhengni Man seemed somewhat nervous about Zhang Wentao's visit.

"A high-ranking official of the imperial court was assassinated in the capital, right under the emperor's nose. Are you just going to let this case remain unsolved? If the murderer is allowed to go unpunished, what will become of the laws of the Qing Dynasty? What will become of the national legal system? What will become of the emperor's dignity? Lord Suzheng, I think you are a man of integrity, not one to protect the murderer."

“Cover up? Heh.” Su Zhengni sneered twice. “Do I need to cover up? Zheng Gulun’s affairs are simply beyond our control. This matter is of paramount importance, and I advise Lord Zhang to think twice. I know you are the Emperor’s appointed Great Judge of the Qing Dynasty, but the Qing Dynasty is still the Qing Dynasty. Even if Lord Zhang is a genius, there are cases he cannot solve.”

"Judging from Lord Su Zheng's tone, this woman has a powerful background. But I, Zhang Wentao, am paid by the court and serve as an official of the Qing Dynasty. If I cannot adjudicate a case, how can I be worthy of wearing this imperial robe and hat with its jewel? Even if a prince breaks the law, I will drag him out and let His Majesty decide!"

“Lord Zhang, I admire your courage, and even more so your integrity and fortitude, but you will not get any information from me.”

“Lord Su Zheng, if you do not reveal Zheng Gu Lun’s whereabouts, I will impeach you for the crime of the master killing a slave. If things escalate, you will still be implicated and will only bring trouble upon yourself. It is better to tell me now and you can get away with it! I assure you that I will not let this case implicate you.”

Zhang Wentao's seemingly shameless method was indeed effective. Su Zhengniman's arrogance vanished instantly. He hesitated for a moment, stood up, took two steps forward, and suddenly turned back to say, "Lord Zhang, Zheng Gulun is none other than the concubine of Prince Cheng, of the Guarjia clan."

"Ah!" Zhang Wentao was genuinely shocked! The eleventh son of Emperor Qianlong, Prince Cheng, who held great power in the imperial family and was second only to the retired Emperor Qianlong and Emperor Jiaqing in rank, had actually married the daughter of a poor Han Chinese woman suffering from leprosy!

Seeing that his words had silenced Zhang Wentao, Su Zhengde was pleased with himself. He returned to his seat, took a sip of tea, and said, “Let me tell you the truth. In the forty-first year of Qianlong’s reign, the eleven-year-old daughter of the imperial relative Taibu died of smallpox, and the couple were heartbroken. Especially his primary wife, Lady Tongjia, who fell ill from missing her daughter and her health deteriorated day by day. By the following year, she was bedridden. I have seen their daughter; she was very beautiful, well-behaved, and sensible. Coincidentally, that year, the forty-third year of Qianlong’s reign, I rescued Lantern Liu, who had been robbed, in Hubei. I noticed that an eight- or nine-year-old girl he had adopted bore a resemblance to Taibu’s daughter, so I bought her. I raised her at home for half a year, telling everyone that she was the child of a distant relative of mine, whose parents had died early. In the spring of the forty-fourth year of Qianlong’s reign, I gave her to Taibu as his daughter. Later, when she grew up, she was married to Prince Cheng and became his secondary wife…”

Zhang Wentao's mind suddenly cleared, all his doubts vanished. A princess and a poor girl, a noblewoman and a commoner—two completely different, worlds apart identities—were both embodied in one person. This strange identity was orchestrated by Su Zhengdeni to curry favor with the royal family and Grand Councilor Taibu. And it was precisely this identity that ultimately led to Mu Qingyi's death. Twenty years ago, Mu Qingyi adopted this girl; twenty years later, the two met in the capital. Mu Qingyi must have recognized the woman first, wanting to acknowledge her, but instead met with a fatal disaster.

The Great Qing Divine Judgment Seven Chapters 1

November 22nd. The biting winter wind of Beijing howled through the streets and alleys, plucking the last few withered leaves from the frozen branches and throwing them against the walls.

A woman wearing a straw hat, a veil, and luxurious clothes stepped into the Deyiju Restaurant in Rinanfang, North City.

She went upstairs to a secluded private room, where a man in his mid-thirties was already waiting. He wore a camel-colored satin cotton robe over a black sheepskin jacket. He was slightly hunched, with a pointed mouth, monkey-like cheeks, a row of large teeth, and sharp eyes—a spitting image of the Monkey King. She smiled gently and said, "Is this the renowned Zhang Wentao, the so-called divine judge of the Qing Dynasty? It seems that appearances can indeed be deceiving."

Zhang Wentao looked at the woman. Although her face was veiled, she still exuded a dignified and elegant air, making it hard to reconcile her with the little girl with a muddy face who had begged on the street twenty years ago. He said, "Please sit down." But he didn't know what to say at this final moment when the mystery was about to be revealed.

The woman sat down opposite Zhang Wentao and removed her veil. Zhang Wentao saw an exquisitely beautiful face. Indeed, there was a bright red beauty mark between her brows, and beneath her delicate, arched eyebrows were eyes covered by thick eyelashes, clear and bright, seemingly both melancholic and resentful. Her teeth were like shattered jade, her lips adorned with rouge, possessing a captivating power. "Lord Zhang," she said, "I know why you summoned me here. Haven't you been investigating my origins?"

“Exactly. I think I know enough. That's why I invited you here today…”

"No, there are many things you don't know. The reason I came to this appointment is not because I'm afraid you'll reveal my past, but to tell you about my past twenty years ago. Would you like to hear it?"

"Mr. Zhang is willing to hear the details and is all ears."

The woman lowered her eyelids and said softly, “I was only six years old when my father got leprosy. One morning, I woke up and my mother was gone. I cried until my father came back from the fields. When he came back, he asked me where my mother had gone. I just said I didn’t know. My father didn’t say anything, just sighed and started washing rice and cooking. Later, my mother never came back. A few months later, the villagers gave my father some money and drove us away. The money wasn’t a small amount, but we had to pay for medical treatment and food, and beg for a living. We had no income and spent it all in two or three years. We had no choice but to beg.”

...Guangdong twenty-three years ago.

A man with a deformed face whose age was hard to discern led an eight- or nine-year-old girl away from his hometown with great reluctance.

At the city gate, the gatekeepers waved their whips, driving them away and preventing them from entering the city.

At the inn, the innkeeper kept the door tightly closed, refusing to let them stay.

In a dilapidated temple, a few stones formed a makeshift stove, with firewood burning underneath. A little girl was brewing medicine for her father, the smoke from the fire making her cough incessantly, tears streaming down her face. She wiped away her tears, leaving streaks of black handprints on her face.

It was raining, and the father and daughter were trudging through the rain. Thunder rumbled by, and the little girl clung tightly to her father, who had a terrifying face.

The father stood in front of a farmhouse, shouting auspicious words as he begged. A few cornbread pieces were thrown over the wall, one of which still bore clear teeth marks. The father picked it up, wiped off the dirt, and handed it to the little girl.

The little girl went begging alone, while her father secretly watched from a corner. The girl ran back to her father with the meat she had collected, grabbed a piece, and stuffed it into his mouth. They both laughed.

Three or four little boys surrounded the little girl, pushing and shoving her around for amusement. The little girl didn't cry; she just stared with terrified eyes.

The father used a stick to drive away the children who were following and teasing them.

At night, under the bridge, a small firelight illuminated the little girl's face. She was asleep, covered with straw. Her father stayed by her side, swatting away mosquitoes.

The villagers drove them out of the village with stones. The two men ran away in a panic.

The young Mu Qingyi led his father toward the distant mountains. The little girl was held tightly by Mu Qingyi's wife, struggling and crying, calling out "Dad" over and over again.

The father stopped, his eyes filled with endless sorrow, but he did not turn around.

“I know that Father must have wanted to see me one more time then, but he knew he couldn’t. If he had, he would never have been able to sever that unbearable love for his son.”

“Peng Xi’er,” Zhang Wentao called out her childhood name.

“I am the concubine of the Prince!” The woman, who had just been filled with sorrow and wiping away tears, suddenly became reserved again: “I am the concubine of Prince Cheng, a member of the royal family, and the daughter of Taibu, the current governor of Jiangxi.”

“Your Highness, I have no intention of making you recall those unbearable and sorrowful past events. I only want to find out the truth about Mu Qingyi’s murder case and bring the culprit to justice.”

“I killed Mu Qingyi,” Guarjia said calmly.

Although he had expected it, Zhang Wentao was still somewhat taken aback by how readily and calmly Guarjia spoke of it. He said somewhat excitedly, "Mu Qingyi cured your father and adopted you. He has done you a favor. You repay kindness with enmity, do you know that?"

"I have no past; everything from the past no longer exists. If anyone insists on dragging me back, there are only two paths: either they die, or I perish."

Zhang Wentao looked at Guarjia's cold and beautiful face in surprise: "Mu Qingyi would never threaten you. You don't know his character."

"Yes, because I don't know his character. So I can't leave any future trouble."

"Under the scorched earth, how can the law be allowed to remain unclear! Aren't you afraid of the law?"

"I've done it flawlessly, what do I have to be afraid of?"

"You have indeed erased all traces. But your background cannot be erased. You will ultimately end up disgraced."

Guarjia laughed, her voice as clear and bright as a nightingale's song, but Zhang Wentao found it indescribably unpleasant. He asked, "What are you laughing at?"

Guarjia stopped laughing: "You've only heard rumors. Is there really such a thing?"

"What?" Zhang Wentao was a little confused.

"You have no evidence!"

"I have witnesses!"

"Who is it? My mother? My father? Or Lord Su Zheng Niman, the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Zhejiang? Do you think they would betray me and ruin their own reputations?"

Or is it Lantern Liu or the shop owners in Guangzhou? Do they have the guts to do that?

And what about the villagers of Shijiao Village in Qingyuan County, Guangdong Province? Will anyone listen to these ignorant and foolish words? Will the Emperor believe them?

"Lord Zhang—I have long heard of your reputation. I know you are intelligent, wise, decisive, and resourceful. Think about it carefully: even if you submit a memorial, what will the result be? It will only be hearsay used to slander a member of the imperial family! You'll just be following in Cao Xibao's footsteps!"

Cao Xibao's affair was common knowledge in both the court and among the people. In the fifty-first year of the Qianlong Emperor's reign (the year of Bingwu, 1786 AD), Cao Xibao, a censor of the Censorate, submitted a memorial impeaching Heshen's steward, Liu Quan, for building a grand house on a massive scale, living extravagantly, and using exquisite furnishings, suggesting that Liu Quan might be abusing his master's power to swindle and deceive, thus using this as an opportunity to attack Heshen. However, Heshen preemptively destroyed the evidence, and Cao Xibao was ultimately dismissed from his post but retained his official position. He was also reprimanded for his rashness and muddle-headedness, and deemed utterly unforgivable. While Guarjia clan members recounted this anecdote with the intention of intimidation, it was not merely empty boasting.

Zhang Wentao was stunned. He had to admit that the woman in front of him, barely over thirty, had defeated him, and he couldn't help but admire her meticulous and profound mind, which had endured so much hardship. He sat blankly in his chair, speechless for a long time, a sense of defeat and shame gradually creeping into his heart.

After a long while, he picked up a pot of wine from the table, poured a full cup, then stood up and spilled the wine on the ground. "Brother Mu, if your spirit is watching over us from heaven, I swear to you with this cup of wine: I, Zhang, will pursue your case even at the cost of losing my official position and my life!"

After offering his toast, he slammed his wine glass heavily on the table and walked out.

Eight

Three days later, at the third quarter of Hai hour, a waning crescent moon shone faintly in the sky above the Forbidden City.

The eunuch Niu Wuyou gently placed a secret memorial on Jiaqing's desk.

When Emperor Jiaqing saw that it was Zhang Wentao's secret memorial box, he chuckled and muttered to himself, "Zhang Wentao has never liked to submit secret memorials. Could it be that the case he solved offended some imperial relative or powerful figure, and he's here to complain to me?" He used the key to open the box, took out Zhang Wentao's memorial, and as soon as he turned to the first page, a line of strong and vigorous handwriting immediately caught his eye: