Chapter 51
Yao Chunlan's stabs were very forceful. Zhu Kuo was hurriedly carried back to the yamen by a group of people. Before they could even call a doctor, he died.
Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan were suspects and were detained in the woodshed of the yamen, surrounded by soldiers and constables like an iron barrel... Yao Chunlan was detained in the county prison, awaiting interrogation the next day.
Although Zhu Kuo was just a minor county official, the fact that someone dared to be so audacious as to assassinate an official was no small matter. The clerk acted decisively and sent someone on horseback to the prefecture overnight to report the matter to the prefect.
Qianmo County was under the jurisdiction of Huzhou. The prefect was a newly appointed official named Pei.
Upon hearing that the magistrate of Qianmo County had been stabbed to death by a woman, Prefect Pei was momentarily stunned, followed by shock. He had only been in office for a short time, and such a horrifying incident had already occurred in one of his subordinate counties; it would be disgraceful if word got out.
Therefore, Prefect Pei took this matter very seriously. Before dawn, he comforted his newlywed husband and rushed to the Qianmo County government office overnight, arriving at dawn.
Lord Pei, dressed in a blue official robe and wearing a black gauze hat, entered the courtroom of Qianmo County, accompanied only by Yimo Shutong.
Seeing Zhu Kuo die, the clerk wanted to find another way out, and the Prefect Pei in front of him was the most suitable candidate. He smiled obsequiously and bowed respectfully to Prefect Pei, "Prefect Pei, you must be tired from your journey. We have failed to greet you properly. Tea and snacks have been prepared in the back room to welcome you and wash away the dust of your journey."
Tea and snacks were just polite words; the real focus was the banquet with beauties in the back room… The advisor had been by Zhu Kuo's side for so many years that he had mastered the art of opportunism and flattery. What officials are after but those little things?
After a few drinks, his position was secure.
Lord Pei is the third-ranked scholar personally selected by the current emperor in the Zichen Palace. He has been sent to the countryside for several years, and when he returns to the capital, he will be assigned to the three provinces to assist the current emperor... If you can follow him, how can you not make a name for yourself in the second half of your life?
The advisor immediately invited the man to the back room.
Unexpectedly, although Lord Pei was only in his early twenties, his mind was as clear as a mirror. He looked at the clerk for a while, took the tea served by the servant and drank a cup. "Let's have a welcome feast... Has Lord Zhu's body been examined? Please bring Yao and the others up as well."
The clerk was stunned for a moment, and was about to speak when Mo Shutong, who was beside Lord Pei, replied, "Your Majesty, I have had someone examine Lord Zhu's body, and there is nothing unusual. Yao and the other two people involved in the case are being held in the backyard. I have brought them here, and they are being held in the back of the hall."
"Sigh..." The pageboy's arrangements were so well-organized that the clerk had almost no chance to use his skills, and he couldn't help but complain.
Lord Pei nodded to his page, "Send it."
Then she gave the clerk a thin smile and said, "Please excuse me, Clerk Qin. I'm used to using him in the mansion, so I'll let him do these trivial things. You can rest."
The words were spoken politely, but the clerk dared not speak out, feeling like a mute who had swallowed bitter herbs, his anger seething inside, and he was thus rendered powerless.
Upon receiving the order, the pageboy immediately led several men to the back of the hall to fetch the person...
Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan were locked in the woodshed all night and couldn't sleep well. They were woken up early this morning by a bucket of cold water and were waiting for someone to question them in the back room, soaking wet.
Zhu Kuo is dead, so the person who comes to interrogate him will not be a minor official. Just by looking at the group of constables and soldiers busy tidying up in the hall, Gu Fengyan had a general idea of what was going on.
This person is most likely a state-level official.
"Mr. Huo, do you know what kind of person the Prefect of Huzhou is?" Gu Fengyan asked Huo Duan while wiping the cold water off his face with his sleeve.
When the cold water was poured over him, Huo Duan instinctively flinched. The water didn't even reach his outer robe, so he took it off and draped it over Gu Fengyan. "Lord? Does Ayan think it will be him who comes?"
The two had initially been kneeling on the ground, but now they sat on two chairs and slowly tidied their clothes.
The constables guarding the scene immediately drew their gleaming knives. "Who gave you permission to get up?! Kneel down now!"
Huo Duan glanced at him, pressed down Gu Fengyan's collar, and gave a cold laugh, "The dew is heavy at dawn, and you're going to splash a basin of cold water on us to wake us up... My wife has always been frail. If something happens to her, and the Prefect hasn't even interrogated her yet, are you sure you can bear the blame?"
This constable had only been in office for a few days and usually didn't handle any tasks, just doing odd jobs. He had just wanted to show off his official power and hadn't been very considerate of them. Now that Huo Duan had intimidated him like this, Gu Fengyan's face turned pale.
I suddenly felt a little guilty.
These two are suspects. The magistrate is here today, and everyone in the yamen is extremely busy. If what this man said is true, and something happens to his husband, the magistrate will be furious, and he will not be able to live.
Thinking of this, the constable's expression froze, and he felt a sense of fear.
Huo Duan pressed on, "My wife is soaking wet... If this continues, it will likely trigger her old ailment. Could you please bring a brazier so she can dry her clothes?"
The constable was stunned by Huo Duan's words. Upon hearing this, he immediately went to light a brazier and told the two men to dry their clothes... He didn't care about anything else.
Gu Fengyan was soaked to the bone, and the draft made him shiver with cold. With outsiders around, he couldn't take off his clothes, so he just took off his outer garment and asked Huo Duan to dry it for him, while he wrapped himself in Huo Duan's coat.
"You scared someone with just a few words. The constable might come after you when he realizes what's going on." He wiped his face with a clean handkerchief, paused, and frowned. "I wonder how Yao is doing. We miscalculated this time and dragged her down instead. If we had known, we wouldn't have let her see Zhu Kuo."
Huo Duan smiled and said, "It's Prefect Pei who's here. He won't make things difficult for Madam Yao."
"Why? How do you know it must be Lord Pei who is coming?" Gu Fengyan sat up straight and asked in confusion.
"When I asked earlier, the constable said it was the Prefect who came, and he didn't deny it. There are many officials in the prefecture, but there's only one Prefect," Huo Duan turned his clothes over and continued drying them. "It must be him. Prefect Pei has only been in office for a short time, and he was personally appointed by the Emperor. As the saying goes, 'A new official makes three bold moves.' Regardless of his character, just one of the things Zhu Kuo has done in private is enough to get this new official promoted several ranks."
To achieve political success, he needs a breakthrough to initiate major reforms and eradicate old problems… Does Ayan think he will give up this opportunity?
He smiled at Gu Fengyan and poked the brazier. "We and the Yao family have given him the sharpest knife, allowing him to carve out a smooth path in the officialdom... We are his benefactors."
Gu Fengyan lowered his eyes in deep thought, "But Yao committed murder, and it was against a court official. Lord Pei is willing to show leniency, but what if the court holds her accountable..."
Huo Duan shook out his clothes and handed them to Gu Fengyan. "Zhu Kuo is a corrupt official who has formed cliques and embezzled a lot over the years. Yao killed him to rid the people of a scourge. As for the people above Zhu Kuo... that has nothing to do with us."
Zhu Kuo is just a county magistrate, yet he dares to be so arrogant. I'm afraid the person in charge is someone of great importance... Throughout history, factional struggles have been endless. The emperor is far away, and it's already difficult for ordinary people to keep their lives. How can they care about anything else?
"I hope so." Gu Fengyan took the clothes and was about to take off Huo Duan's outer robe to return it to him.
"Trust my analysis." Huo Duan grabbed the clothes and wrapped them around him again. "Don't take them off, wear both of them, be careful not to catch a cold."
Gu Fengyan let him wrap both outer garments around his neck, only then realizing that the Huo family must be extremely worried now that they had been arrested.
“If we’re taken away like this, Father will be worried sick, and so will Aunt and the others…” he said worriedly.
Huo Duan wanted to kiss him to comfort him, but there were several constables guarding them not far away. Fearing that Gu Fengyan would hit him, he took the opportunity to put on his clothes and hugged Gu Fengyan, his tall figure completely blocking their view. "We'll be home soon, don't worry." He lowered his head and kissed the top of Gu Fengyan's head.
No sooner had the words been spoken than a sharp metallic sound of armor clashing was heard.
Huo Duan smiled but didn't turn around. "Someone's here. You can go home now."
Gu Fengyan turned his head and saw a thin man leading several burly men toward them. Along the way, constables and soldiers bowed and saluted, showing great obsequiousness.
The man was dressed in the finest fabrics, his face solemn. He walked up and sized them up before waving his hand, "Take them to the front hall, and bring the convict Yao along too!"
Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan were forced to separate and escorted to Lord Pei.
The clerk was all smiles and fawning as he bustled around Lord Pei, serving him tea and ink.
Upon seeing Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan, the clerk's face showed disgust. He said to Prefect Pei, "My lord, it was these two who had ulterior motives and conspired with Yao to murder Lord Zhu! My lord is wise and powerful; you must give Lord Zhu justice!"
Zhu Kuo was a man who couldn't tolerate talent. The servants around him were all incredibly stupid. Even Huo Duan could think of something, but the advisor couldn't. His attempt to flatter him backfired spectacularly.
Lord Pei glanced at him, just as Yao Chunlan was being escorted into the courtroom, her face streaked with tears and her expression blank.
"Do the two below have anything to say?" Lord Pei ignored the clerk and addressed Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan.
Huo Duan calmly recounted everything, big and small, including the relationship between Zhu Kuo and Yao Chunlan, and even intentionally or unintentionally revealed one or two instances of Zhu Kuo's corruption, embezzlement, and abuse of power...
The clerk grew increasingly terrified as he listened and quickly interrupted him, "You're spouting nonsense! Lord Zhu has served as an official for decades, and he has always been upright, honest, and incorruptible. How many heads do you have to lose to slander court officials?!"
The advisor still has a good sense of things... Right now, Zhu Kuo is dead and no longer cares about his life, but he is still alive. If those things from before are exposed, it goes without saying who will be blamed for it, as the advisor.
The clerk broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly knelt down below the steps. "My lord! These two men are treacherous and their words cannot be trusted at all. Please investigate thoroughly!"
Huo Duan gave a cold laugh, "Whether it's true or not can be found out with a simple investigation, why is the advisor so flustered?"
Lord Pei took a leisurely sip of tea, then looked up at the clerk with a cold gaze, "Investigate!"
The page boy received the order, and the large group of men split into two groups, heading towards the back hall of the yamen and Zhu Kuo's private residence.
The advisor was trembling with fear, his face ashen.
Upon seeing them, Lord Pei knew that what the couple in the hall said was mostly true, and he couldn't help but pay more attention to them.
Huzhou is a mess, with rampant corruption in the officialdom. When he left, his teacher told him to just do his best, but now that he's here, he wants to give these corrupt officials a good talking-to and clean up the corrupt atmosphere in the officialdom.
Everything needs to be justified, with a cause and effect. He was just worried about not being able to find a reason, but now someone has torn a hole in the sky for him...
"Please take a seat." Lord Pei waved his hand, ordering someone to bring chairs and inviting them to sit down.
The pageboy was very reliable. In less than a quarter of an hour, he returned with his men... His subordinates carried several large boxes, and the pageboy was carrying a large stack of account books.
The advisor's gaze fell upon those things, and he was so frightened that he collapsed to the ground.
"My lord," the page boy placed the account book he was carrying on the table and bowed, "it's all here."
Lord Pei nodded, glanced at the clerk, and then began to look through the account books.
With a "smack," he slammed each book he turned to in front of his advisor, roaring in fury, "How dare you! If I hadn't come here today, I probably wouldn't have discovered that someone dares to be so arrogant under the Emperor's rule!"
The clerk trembled, "My lord, my lord, please investigate thoroughly! This matter has nothing to do with me!"
Lord Pei then gestured to his page to bring up the boxes, which were opened one by one. Inside were treasures and valuables... a total of ten boxes, including offerings.
"It's all in black and white, the evidence is complete, and you still want to deny it?!" Lord Pei pointed at the boxes and questioned, "Zhu Kuo is so arrogant, he has truly wasted His Majesty's trust... Guards! Take Master Qin away and interrogate him thoroughly, we must make him spill everything!"
The pageboy immediately led his men to drag Master Qin away... Master Qin begged for mercy in vain, the echoes reverberating in the wind for a long time.
Those who had previously worked for Zhu Kuo in the hall were all terrified, fearing that they might be implicated and punished if they were not careful.
Before long, the page returned, cupped his hands, and reported, "Sir, everything has been taken care of."
Lord Pei flipped through the account books, pressed his temples, and waved his hand. Seeing this, his page immediately poured him a cup of tea and served it to him.
"My lord, what should we do with those few..." While Lord Pei was drinking tea, his page looked at Gu Fengyan and the others and asked.
Lord Pei had truly forgotten about these people; he only perked up when asked.
"Do you two have a personal grudge against Zhu Kuo?" He stared at Gu Fengyan and Huo Duan for a moment before asking.
Huo Duan knew perfectly well that Lord Pei was asking this only because he was afraid that they had connections with officials in the court and would be used as pawns.
“Your Excellency, my husband and I are both farmers who do small business on weekdays. We are only looking for Lord Zhu because we need an official document with his signature... We have no prior connection with each other,” he said, bowing.
After finishing his drink, Lord Pei looked down at him for a long time before saying, "Very well then. Since you two are in business, you should run your business well and not have any ulterior motives..."
After giving them a thorough dressing-down, he finally had his page write a document permitting the private cultivation of medicinal herbs and gave it to them.
As Gu Fengyan was leaving, he finally felt relieved, but then he noticed that Lord Pei hadn't mentioned how to deal with Yao Shi at all, which made him worry.
“My lord, I have another matter to discuss… Yao was not in her right mind and accidentally killed Zhu Kuo. This was not her fault, and I hope you can show leniency.” He turned and bowed to Lord Pei again.
Lord Pei showed no impatience. “Don’t worry about that. The laws of our dynasty state that it is a serious crime for a man to seduce a woman. In addition, Yao is mentally unstable, and Zhu Kuo has formed cliques and engaged in corruption and embezzlement. Although Yao has made mistakes, her life is not in danger. I will write to the court, and this matter will surely be resolved fairly.”
Gu Fengyan was relieved after hearing this.
They bid farewell to Lord Pei and were escorted by servants to the gate of the government office. It was still early, and the cries of peddlers could be heard from several streets away. The red sun hung above the eaves... everything was both familiar and strange.
Gu Fengyan was filled with emotion, clutching the document with the large vermilion seal in his hand... This trip was definitely worthwhile.
"We're home, Ayan." Huo Duan had already come down the steps and was smiling as she extended a hand to him.
Gu Fengyan smiled, took their hands, and as they reached the bottom of the steps, a crisp, joyful voice rang out, "Mother, it's Brother Erdan and Little Brother!"
Huo Duan and Gu Fengyan looked over and saw Ye Shan, Ye Bixian, Huo Xiuling... including the youngest Ye Bao, the whole family was standing not far away waiting for them.