Unglaublich

Kapitel 10

"So, you're not admitting your guilt?"

“I admit to the crime of illegally excavating treasure! But all other crimes are fabricated out of thin air, and I will never admit to them!” Su Jiying said resolutely.

The Great Qing Divine Judgment Forty

On October 18th, the late autumn morning sun shone brightly through the windowpanes, illuminating the room. Inside the study of Imperial Envoy Ji Ruchuan's residence, Zhang Wentao and Ji Ruchuan discussed Su Jiying's case.

"We've been interrogating him for ten days straight, but we haven't gotten anything out of him. Su Jiying is really stubborn. It's a pity that the assassin you captured escaped from the county jail in Zhaoyuan County, Laizhou Prefecture; otherwise, that would have been another piece of irrefutable evidence. Why don't we jointly submit another memorial to the throne and strip him of his official skin first? Then we can use torture in court and see if his mouth is still so hard!"

“Lord Ji, I have a feeling that there is something strange about this case, and we need to investigate it carefully.”

"You mean that what Su Jiying confessed to might all be true? But the evidence is all there, and none of it is indisputable."

"Not necessarily. Although Su Jiying acted as a witness to Chang Lianxian's will and helped Chang Lianxian obtain the Chang family manor, this only proves that he was very close to Chang Lianxian, and at most, they just secretly dug up the treasure together."

"Then how do you explain the handwritten letter from Su Jiying found on the assassin? Also, only you, your student Qian Botang, Chang Zhesong of the Chang Family Manor, and Su Jiying knew about the matter of finding Jiang Deyun to testify. If it wasn't Su Jiying who murdered Jiang Deyun, could it have been Qian Botang or Chang Zhesong who committed the crime?"

“Qian Botang and Chang Zhesong?” Zhang Wentao muttered to himself, “It’s not necessarily that they weren’t the ones who did it.”

Ji Ruchuan laughed and said, "Lord Zhang must be confused. What motive could these two have for committing the crime?"

“Yes.” Zhang Wentao sighed, stood up, walked to the window, stared intently at the window paper that was brightly lit by the sunlight, and said with a heavy heart, “Perhaps I’m mistaken.”

As the two discussed this, the case became even more obscure, and they couldn't think of a way out for the time being!

Zhang Wentao stood silently by the window for a while, then suddenly asked, "Lord Ji, come and take a look. The patterns on this window paper are truly like a beautiful painting."

As Ji Ruchuan walked over, he said with a smile, "Lord Zhang has quite the leisure and refined taste."

"The paper's texture is like water ripples, perfectly even, like calm water rippling gently in a light breeze."

“Lord Zhang, please enjoy your painting. I have some personal business to attend to, so I won’t be able to accompany you to see this ‘Rippling Waves’ painting.”

“Lord Ji, please wait.” Zhang Wentao turned around, took out the letter from Su Jiying from his pocket, unfolded it, and held it up to the sunlight.

"What are you doing?"

“Look at the texture of this letter.”

Ji Ruchuan was both amused and exasperated by Zhang Wentao's peculiar hobby: "I really can't appreciate the patterns on paper."

But then he suddenly saw Zhang Wentao's face light up with joy, and he exclaimed, "Su Jiying is indeed innocent!"

Upon hearing this, Ji Ruchuan hurriedly went over to take a look. He saw that the lines of the letter were clearly visible in the sunlight, but the lines were uneven, shifting left and right, chaotic and disordered. Ji Ruchuan asked in bewilderment, "How does Lord Zhang know he is innocent?"

“If it were a whole sheet of paper, the paper grain would be regular and smooth. But this letter paper has obviously been forged by a master cutter. Although there is no trace of forgery on the surface, the paper grain is already messy and disordered.”

"You mean someone collected all the words Su Jiying wrote and the seals she used, then cut them out one by one and pieced them together to form this letter?"

"Lord Ji, you are wise enough to know that this is indeed the case. I believe that someone has framed Su Jiying."

"Who is this person?"

"Didn't Lord Ji already say that?"

"Did I say that? I don't remember. Brother Zhang, don't play riddles with me again."

"Didn't Lord Ji just say that only I, my student Qian Botang, Chang Zhesong of the Chang Family Manor, and Su Jiying knew about the matter of finding Jiang Deyun to testify? If it wasn't Su Jiying who secretly harmed Jiang Deyun, then it might have been Qian Botang or Chang Zhesong who committed the crime."

"Ah!" Ji Ruchuan exclaimed in surprise, "Is it really one of them? If so, I bet Chang Zhesong is the most suspicious!"

"It's not just that he's the prime suspect, it's definitely him! I've already investigated, and Chang Zhesong's relationship with his father is indeed very bad. If he accidentally finds out that the old house contains a huge amount of treasure, and his father left the old house to the housekeeper Jiang Lan, and Su Jiying is the witness, what kind of things would he do?"

“Eliminate the heirs, the Jiang family father and son, and frame the witness, Su Jiying!” Ji Ruchuan blurted out.

The Great Qing Divine Judgment Forty-One

On December 13th, the deep winter wind howled fiercely, the trees were bare, and water froze instantly. In the main hall of the Jinan Prefectural Surveillance Commissioner's Office, several large braziers burned brightly, and three rows of yamen runners stood in two rows. Zhang Wentao and Ji Ruchuan sat high in the hall. Standing below was Chang Zhesong, the sixth-rank magistrate of Wanping County, Shuntian Prefecture, who was in mourning at home.

“I truly do not understand what you two gentlemen are saying. If there really is a treasure, why don’t I wait until things calm down before taking it slowly? Why do I have to frame Su Jiying, making a big fuss and bringing trouble upon myself?”

Zhang Wentao said sternly, "After Su Jiying is arrested, you can keep the treasure for yourself. How vicious your wolfish ambition is!"

"You accuse me of framing Su Jiying, where is your evidence?!"

“Fine, I’ll show you the evidence. Men, bring the water.” Zhang Wentao shouted.

As they were speaking, a yamen runner brought over a basin of water and placed it in front of Chang Zhesong. Chang Zhesong looked at the basin of water, somewhat bewildered, and asked doubtfully, "Is this the evidence that Lord Zhang spoke of?"

Lord Zhang ignored him and ordered the clerk to take out the letter from Su Jiying that had been found on the assassin and hand it to Chang Zhesong.

"Do you remember this letter?"

"These are the letters we found on the assassin that night; they are Su Jiying's own handwriting."

Zhang Wentao nodded and said to the clerk, "Put this letter in the water."

The clerk readily agreed and submerged the letter in the water. The letter gradually became wet. After a while, it crumbled into square pieces, each with a single character on it, and on one of the pieces was the bright red seal.

"This letter is a forgery. What else do you have to say?"

Chang Zhesong's face turned pale, and he almost lost his balance. He steadied himself, mustered all his strength, and raised his head, appearing completely calm and composed, saying, "The letter is a forgery, what does that have to do with me? Why do you say I made it?"

Zhang Wentao stared intently into Chang Zhesong's eyes, making Chang Zhesong's gaze wander, unable to find a way to look away.

"It seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin." Zhang Wentao sneered and shouted to the courtroom below, "Bring the witnesses into the courtroom!"

A thin old man was brought into the hall.

Upon seeing Chang Zhesong, the old man immediately began to complain, "Master Chang, you've really put me through a lot. I shouldn't have been greedy for your three hundred taels of silver and posted this letter for you, causing all this trouble. Now I've confessed everything, won't you confess too?"

Chang Zhesong could no longer bear it. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground with a thud, muttering, "I'll confess everything."

Forty-two

It turned out that Chang Zhesong had long heard that the reason his father, Chang Lianxian, wanted to forcibly seize the Chang family manor was because the ancient manor contained a great treasure. Although he was at odds with his father, he believed that as the only son, and because Chang Lianxian had intentionally or unintentionally revealed some information about the treasure to him, the treasure would eventually be his. In addition, he was then keen on his official career and hoped to achieve fame and glory for his family, so he did not pay much attention to it.

Unexpectedly, Chang Lianxian, barely in his fifties, suddenly died of illness. In his will, he bequeathed the old house to the housekeeper, Jiang Lan, with Su Jiying as a witness. Chang Zhesong was immediately filled with hatred and directed all his resentment at Jiang Lan and Su Jiying.

Later, Chang Zhesong deliberately let slip that the treasure hidden in the old house was a secret to Jiang Lan, but he didn't tell her about the hidden traps within. Jiang Lan, greedy for money, fell for the trap and went to the old house alone to search for the treasure, only to be killed by arrows fired from the traps. He then sent men to ambush and kill Jiang Lan's son, Jiang Deyun, on the way, wiping out the entire Jiang family. Coincidentally, before he ambushed Jiang Deyun, Su Jiying had also inquired about the matter, and thus became a suspect.

During this time, he tricked the unsuspecting Jiang Chengshi into lying to Zhang Wentao, in exchange for agreeing to hold a grand funeral for Jiang Lan and covering all her and her son Jiang Deyun's future living expenses. Jiang Chengshi knew that Chang Lianxian's will contained a clause prohibiting anyone from entering the old house without permission, and she believed that Jiang Lan's death was caused by his betrayal and greed. She already felt this was unreasonable, and being tempted by the generous terms offered by Chang Zhesong, she agreed to give false testimony for him.

He twice sneaked into the old house at night and deliberately forged letters, all to make Su Jiying the final scapegoat. In this way, he could both avenge the unfair distribution of the family property by Su Jiying as a witness in the will and keep the treasure for himself.

The old man was the famous "King of Calligraphy Copybooks" in the capital. Chang Zhesong asked someone to get some old letters and official documents from Su Jiying, and spent three hundred taels of silver to have the "King of Calligraphy Copybooks" copy a fake letter that was almost indistinguishable from the real thing.

What he hadn't expected was that Chang Lianxian still held onto the bond between father and son. If he had simply feigned remorse before and after the funeral, he could have regained the old house. Unfortunately, his cunning backfired spectacularly; not only did he end up with nothing, but he also lost his life!

Forty-three

December 21st, morning. A heavy snowfall transformed the Chang family manor into a magnificent palace, concealing all the sins and secrets hidden within.

The ancient manor of the Chang family was already tightly surrounded by hundreds of Green Standard Army soldiers, each standing imposingly with swords drawn. Inside the courtyard, dozens of guards stood in rows, their hands on their swords. A dozen or so officials with blue, white, and gold hats surrounded a red-hatted official like stars around the moon. This red-hatted official was none other than Tie Bao, the Minister of Justice.

Tie Bao squinted as he examined the old house. Although it was covered in a layer of snow, the walls were mottled, the window frames were broken, and the red paint was peeling off, which could not hide the vicissitudes of time it had endured.

"So this is the ancient house where the treasure was hidden. It's unbelievable that after a thousand years, it's about to see the light of day again." Tie Bao exclaimed, then waved his hand and said, "Let's go in and retrieve the treasure!"

An official who had removed his hat and official robes and was now wearing a robe with nine pythons and five claws immediately stepped forward and said, "Sir, please come with me."

Tie Bao laughed at the man, "Brother Su, if it weren't for Prefect Zhang, you would have made a fortune. Don't you resent him?"

Su Jiying said, "If it weren't for Prefect Zhang's brilliant judgment, I would still be unjustly accused of murder and embezzlement. I am grateful to him, how could I possibly hate him?"

“Brother Su, it’s good that you have this idea. A true man should be clear about right and wrong and have a broad mind. I will mediate between you two here.”

Su Jiying turned to look at Zhang Wentao and said, "Lord Zhang, your investigation was wise and your judgment was excellent. You have cleared my name, and I am truly grateful. If I have wronged you in the past, please forgive me."

Zhang Wentao laughed and said, "Lord Su, you're too kind. I will still be your subordinate from now on, and I hope you will take good care of me."

As they spoke, the group entered the secret chamber where the gold was hidden. Su Jiying walked to the corner and activated a mechanism. A floorboard slowly slid open, revealing a bottomless hole from which a chilling wind whistled. Tie Bao glanced at Su Jiying. Su Jiying said, "It's alright, there are no traps inside." With that, she took a lantern from one of the guards beside her and went down into the hole. Chen Wenwei also picked up a lantern and followed. Then, each official, escorted by a guard, filed in.

The group walked for about fifteen minutes in a long tunnel, and gradually the ground leveled out, no longer downhill. Then Su Jiying, at the front, said, "Everyone, stop."

The group stopped and saw Su Jiying put down the lantern and fiddle with something. Then there was a loud cracking sound. An official cried out in surprise, "What's going on?" A blinding golden light shot out from the opposite side, so bright it was impossible to open their eyes. Everyone shielded their faces with their hands, squinting as they peered inside. They saw walls and floors covered in gold bricks, and hundreds of luminous pearls inlaid in the ceiling, emitting a dazzling white light that reflected off the bricks, creating a radiant golden glow—it was as if they had entered the Jade Emperor's palace.

A dozen or so giant rats, suddenly spotting strangers, fled in panic. Chen Wenwei drew his sword, strode forward, and stabbed one of the rats, lifting it up. The rat struggled, baring its teeth; its two front teeth gleamed gold!

In the spring of the tenth year of the Jiaqing reign, Su Jiying was dismissed from his post but retained his post, and fined a year's salary for the crime of illegally excavating a treasure and concealing it. This punishment was quite lenient. Chang Zhesong, on the other hand, was sentenced to immediate execution. Zhang Wentao was recommended by the Ministry of Justice for commendation and was supposed to be promoted, but news came from Suining, Sichuan, that Zhang Wentao's eighty-three-year-old father, Zhang Gujian, had passed away. Zhang Wentao resigned due to mourning for his father, and the Ministry of Personnel only recorded his merits; promotion was impossible. Zhang Wentao did not care and took out all his savings to donate 700 shi of grain to relieve the disaster victims in Shandong. After handing over his post to his successor, he hung up his official boots and set off for home. Qian Botang insisted on returning to his hometown with Zhang Wentao, and Zhang Wentao could not dissuade him and had to let him go; Chen Wenwei also resigned his post to accompany Zhang Wentao to Suining, Sichuan. Zhang Wentao advised him, “With your talent, it would be a loss for the country and the people to waste your days idly with me in the mountains. I remember when we first met seven years ago, I also advised you in the same way: wherever you serve as an official, you should bring benefits to the people and let them enjoy your blessings. I am unable to fulfill my duty due to the mourning period for my father, which is truly out of necessity. Why should Brother Chen abandon the people of this place?”

Chen Wenwei's eyes welled up with tears as he said, "Even so, it's truly hard to part with Lord Zhang. Four years together, and now we're parting ways. Because of the bond of this official robe, it won't be easy for us to see each other again. How can this not break my heart?"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Wentao couldn't help but feel saddened and said, "Bring me a brush." Zhang Wentao's personal servant, Fu Lin, brought the brush and ink to the desk, ground the inkstone, and spread out the paper. Zhang Wentao picked up the brush, drew the ink, and in one breath wrote four lines of poetry:

Eight years of tender friendship, now parting brings new sorrows;

Evening clouds and spring trees stretch for a thousand miles; high mountains and flowing waters are old friends.

After writing four lines of poetry, he threw down his pen and said, "I have nothing else to give you before parting, so I present these four seven-character lines to Brother Chen as a small gift." As he finished speaking, two lines of hot tears streamed down his face.

The Great Qing Divine Judgment, Chapter Forty-Five

"A thousand-year-old sacred spring, a renowned scenic spot for dynasties." Lingquan Temple, a famous temple in Suining County, Tongchuan Prefecture, is traditionally believed to be the birthplace and place of renunciation of Guanyin Bodhisattva. February 19th is Guanyin Bodhisattva's birthday, and every year as this day approaches, pilgrims from all over the country flock to Suining County to participate in the annual Guanyin incense festival. This year was no exception. By mid-February, pilgrims from Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Gansu, and even Northeast China had packed the small county town to capacity. Shops and houses inside and outside the town were full of guests, and the streets and alleys were teeming with people. Wherever there was a market, there were seas of people, heads thronging, shoulders jostling, and a cacophony of noise—far more bustling than during the Lunar New Year.

On the nineteenth day of the second lunar month, pilgrims began their "pilgrimage to the mountain," forming groups to worship Guanyin Bodhisattva. The pilgrimage teams heading to Lingquan Temple stretched for miles, with the largest teams even reaching two or three li in length. They carried colorful flags, palanquins, and large candles, along with incense trays filled with salt, tea, incense, flowers, fruits, precious stones, lamps, water, and clothing. They wore yellow aprons inscribed with the words "Pilgrimage to the Mountain," chanted "Namo Amitabha Buddha," and played various instruments, including flutes and gongs, creating a lively and grand spectacle.

The women of the Cheng family, a prominent family in Suining County, had already booked rooms at the Nanbeishun Inn on Wolong Mountain outside the city. The three matriarchs of the Cheng family, along with seven or eight maids and servants, were staying there. The patriarch of the Cheng family, Cheng Qishan, was a retired third-rank official. He had two sons: the elder, Cheng Xiande, fifty years old, was a Juren (a successful candidate in the provincial examinations); the younger, Cheng Xianju, in his early forties, was a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the county-level examinations). Both were married. Because their patriarch, Cheng Qishan, had just passed away at the end of last year, the two brothers had not yet divided the family property and still lived in the same mansion. They made a living from several dozen acres of land and five silk shops.

Cheng Qishan also had two daughters. The eldest daughter was the oldest and had married far away to Guangdong. The second daughter, surnamed Cheng, was the youngest in the family. She was thirty-five years old and had married a man named Cheng Hanxiao, who also bore the surname Cheng, more than ten years ago. Cheng Hanxiao passed away three years ago, leaving behind a son who was now fifteen years old.

The three women staying on Wolong Mountain that day were Cheng Xiande's wife, Cheng Ke; Cheng Xianju's wife, Cheng Mei; and Cheng's youngest daughter, Cheng. Because the Cheng family were regular customers of Nanbeishun Restaurant, they would stay there for a few days every year on the nineteenth day of the second lunar month, and they were very generous. Therefore, the owner of Nanbeishun Restaurant had long ago reserved a courtyard for the women of the Cheng family.

At 6:45 AM on February 19th, the three members of the Cheng family, accompanied by servants, set off early from the Nanbeishun Inn to offer incense. They first visited Lingquan Temple at the foot of the mountain to worship Guanyin. After leaving Lingquan Temple, the group, mingling with the other pilgrims, continued up the mountain to Guangde Temple to pay homage to Buddha. Guangde Temple, a renowned temple in Southwest China that oversees more than 300 mountain temples in Sichuan, Yunnan, and Guizhou, and has received eleven imperial titles, was a place where pilgrims who had visited Lingquan Temple to worship Guanyin invariably made a second visit to Guangde Temple to express their devotion.

The three women of the Cheng family, being devout worshippers, were not allowed to ride in sedan chairs. These women with bound feet, who rarely ventured out of their chambers, could hardly endure the long mountain path. Even with servants supporting them, they walked slower and slower, their steps faltering. It wasn't until mid-morning (10:00 AM) that they finally saw the tall, imperial-bestowed archway in front of Guangde Temple, its bright red background bearing six large golden characters: "The First Zen Temple from the West."

Grandma Cheng Ke stopped and said, "I'm exhausted. Let's rest before we go. This afternoon we have to go to the City God Temple to burn incense for the spirit tablet and the spirit palace, and then stay up until midnight to burn incense to ensure the safety of the whole family. I can't keep rushing like this!"

Second Madam Cheng Mei also said, "My back is also very sore. There's a flat spot here, Xiao Wu, could you ask that person sitting idly to do us a favor and let the three of us sisters go over and rest for a bit?"

As the group walked towards a stone platform by the roadside, talking, Madam Cheng casually glanced across the mountain. Suddenly, she screamed, her eyes widening, her body trembling as if possessed. Madam Cheng Mei, curious, followed Madam Cheng's gaze and saw a middle-aged man sitting on a large blue stone across a mountain stream, staring in their direction. The man had a long, thin face, large eyes, extremely thick eyebrows, and a black mustache. He wore an indigo-blue lined robe, over which was a blue satin buttoned vest, and a black embroidered belt with piping around his waist. He smiled as he looked in their direction, exuding a ghostly aura. Madam Cheng Mei turned deathly pale at the sight, unable to move, her heart pounding as if it would leap out of her throat. Just then, Madam Cheng Ke let out a scream and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

Several servants rushed over, patting her back and splashing water on her face, and it took them quite a while to wake Cheng Ke Shi. The maids who were serving her were all dumbfounded, frozen like wooden statues. Cheng Ke Shi slowly woke up, muttering, "Where am I? Did I end up in the underworld?"