Chapter 355: Opening the Port (22)

When the county magistrate issued a summons ticket, it was equivalent to a formal subpoena.

However, Deng Hu had vanished several days earlier, so after the runners went out to circle his house once and returned to report, the final procedure began: the magistrate conducted a trial in absentia according to protocol, then issued a wanted poster. With that, the case entered the pursuit phase — whenever Deng Hu was brought to justice, that was when the trial would resume.

Everyone was very familiar with this procedure, because in ordinary times such dead-end cases were far too numerous; if the criminal could not be caught, everything ultimately came to nothing.

Fortunately, many power bases had a hand in Squire Xie's case, so the real effort would come later: the complainants would contribute funds and private information channels to mobilize the official runners to keep hunting Deng Hu.

With resources invested, the case would maintain constant high pressure, and the official runners would mobilize informants inside and outside the city to track Deng Hu — so this was a slow, grinding effort.

Such cases, where the prosecution pours extra resources into mobilizing public security, were likewise common in later generations, and reasonable too — because public security's resources are limited, and they cannot keep investing in one case while abandoning all others.

Take fugitive pursuit, for example. Often there would be word that a certain fugitive was in a certain province; if the complainant could produce a little funding, public security would dispatch dedicated personnel to investigate, and if it wasn't a wild goose chase, they would bring the fugitive back.

This kind of helpless laissez-faire situation was actually very common, because a single county public security bureau could not bear so many expenses. So without money, they could only wait for the fugitive to be caught elsewhere someday.

In short, the 17th century followed the same logic: to enjoy more public resources, the complainants behind the scenes had to be wealthy and influential.

After the county magistrate signed the "summons ticket" bearing Constable Cao's name — used specifically for subpoenas — Constable Cao, clad in a black robe, hurried forward, bellowed his acknowledgment, took the brand token, and left.

Returning to the arrest room, Constable Cao began mustering his forces.

In the Ming dynasty, the Shanghai County Yamen had 20 constables and 20 fast runners, while neighboring Huating County, being the seat of the prefectural government, had double that official establishment. Here in Jiading, since it was an old county, the establishment was the same as Huating's — 40 constables in all.

Today being complaint day, the Fast Squad's constables and fast runners were all on duty, ready to answer assignments at any moment.

Constable Cao was one of the Fast Squad's two constables, so his direct subordinates were 20 constables and 20 fast runners. Yet for a suspect like Deng Hu, who was certain not to be home, Constable Cao made no great fanfare; he casually picked three to five men and left the county yamen to make the summons.

The outcome was exactly as everyone expected: Deng Hu was not at home.

Constable Cao quickly returned to the county yamen. Ordinarily, if a criminal was willing to pay, the constable could privately release them — this was called a "release fee." But in this case, Constable Cao certainly had no nerve to cheat, so he honestly went back and told His Honor the magistrate: Deng Hu had truly disappeared.

His Honor was naturally furious upon hearing this, and so the trial in absentia formally began. Though the procedure was much the same as the earlier investigation and evidence-gathering, its significance in legal terms was now entirely different.

Finally, after the magistrate had read through the case files, questioned the witnesses, and examined the evidence, he rendered his final judgment: Deng Hu was guilty.

From this moment on, Deng Hu formally changed from a suspect into a criminal. And certain people lurking behind the scenes had finally waited for this moment.

Once he became a criminal, it was no longer as simple as issuing a "summons ticket." The first thing the magistrate signed was a wanted poster — a nationwide arrest warrant.

Next, the magistrate issued Constable Cao an "arrest order" for the criminal offender, and then set a "deadline for arrest."

A deadline for arrest meant a time limit for capture — usually one "deadline" every five days. If the case was not solved by the deadline, Constable Cao would take a beating. Mm, generally ten strokes of the board, and they struck only one side of the body — saving the other side for next time.

So being a constable was no easy job; for major homicide cases, the deadline could shrink to one beating every three days... In today's case, the deadline His Honor the magistrate gave was three days to bring in the suspect.

Constable Cao once again stepped forward to receive the "arrest order," then went back to the arrest room to muster his forces.

At the same time, among the crowd watching the excitement outside the great hall, a man in a blue robe turned around, left the crowd, and headed straight out of the city. Not long after, Deng Hu, hiding in a secluded residence outside Guanxiang west of the city, learned the content of the court proceedings.

Having heard the report, Deng Hu reached out and picked up a tea bowl. Smiling faintly, he said to the several underlings seated in the hall: "So be it. Let these wretches run rampant for a time. We men shall rest outside the city for a few days."

Lowering his head, he blew the floating foam aside and took a shallow sip of tea. When he raised his head again, his face was already full of dark malice.

At this moment, Deng Hu sat sprawled arrogantly in the hall. Gazing at the sunlight spilling into the courtyard outside the door, he muttered to himself: "Fine, you Xiong Dao — to think you've pushed your Master Deng to this... Don't wait for your grandpa to return to the city... I'll slaughter your whole family for sure!"

Just as Deng Hu was raising this flag, he suddenly saw two objects thrown in over the wall. What flew in were two short sticks emitting blue smoke, somewhat like two-kick firecrackers, rolling around the courtyard as they ceaselessly billowed smoke.

"Whose brats are fooling around?" Deng Hu's first thought was also two-kick firecrackers. But the next moment, he bolted upright from his chair: "Not good — what about the hidden sentries outside the courtyard?"

Speaking of Constable Cao, after receiving his orders the second time, he again went to the arrest room to muster his forces.

This time, however, things suddenly became different: Lao Cao called up all 40 of his runners, not one remaining.

When this group mobilized en masse, the commotion was considerable: each runner had at least two deputy constables at his side, and on the outer fringe of the force was a large crowd of unofficial runners — two hundred men in all, surging out of the county yamen in a mighty procession and heading straight for the West City Gate.

Walking at the rear of the column, Constable Cao wore a stern expression, his whole body radiating an air of immense pressure and heavy preoccupation. When the force reached the West City Gate, Constable Cao could finally no longer suppress his anxiety. He turned his head and said to the person beside him: "Brother, making such a huge show of force — I'm sticking my neck out here. Can your information be counted on?"

Walking behind and to the side of Constable Cao, dressed as an unofficial runner, was a slightly plump, very unremarkable-looking young man. Hearing Constable Cao's question, the young man answered with a beaming smile: "It's just one trip, and you can catch Deng Hu and his gang of thugs without the slightest effort. Master Cao, don't you even have this much nerve?"

"If I had no nerve, would I be leading men out of the city?" Constable Cao shot the young man an annoyed look. "I know your master has vast divine powers, but Deng Hu and his gang of thugs are no pushovers either!"

"Please rest assured, Master Cao. Deng Hu is already a dead dog, just waiting for you, sir, to chain him up and claim the credit and reward."

"Then I owe it to your master's blessing."

"In the matter of Deng Hu, Constable Cao may take the entire credit. My master originally does not wish others to know of his involvement."

"Oh... In that case, Cao must thank your master for his patronage."

"You're too kind. My master loves nothing more than making good friends. There will surely come a day when he must trouble Master Cao."

"Good, good..."

After Constable Cao, the criminal police captain, had settled things with this certain person, he urged his men to quicken their pace. The troops exited the West Gate, and before long, following the intelligence provided by the young man, they found a secluded residence outside Guanxiang.

At first glance at this residence, anyone could sense something was wrong: the main gate of the compound was locked from the outside. One could see wisps of smoke curling out now and then from the cracks in the door and over the walls, as if the house had caught fire.

"Master Cao, someone's here!" The next moment, several unofficial runners dragged a dead body out of the nearby sewage ditch.

"It's Fat Toutuo Hu Qi, Deng Hu's trusted enforcer!" Someone quickly identified the deceased.

Constable Cao now had no more hesitation. With a wave of his hand, he bellowed the order: "Surround the compound! Smash the gate! Charge in!"

Immediately he shouted another line: "Oh right — cover your mouths and noses with wet cloth!"

Not long after, from within the compound whose gate had been smashed open, came the sounds of coughing and excited shouts: "Deng Hu's been caught!"

Constable Cao, standing outside the gate awaiting news, burst into laughter at the sound. Then he turned around, cupped his hands toward the young man, and said: "Your esteemed master has done such a good deed yet refuses to leave his name — this leaves Cao feeling undeserving. May I ask brother's honored name? We should be closer in the future!"

"I dare not claim honor. The surname is Lei, given name 'Feng.'"

When Deng Hu and his gang of trusted followers were hauled into the county yamen, truth be told, everyone was utterly shocked. Upon learning the news, the magistrate, who was in the middle of hearing other cases, even suspended the matters at hand and, with extreme breach of decorum, ordered men to verify Deng Hu's identity — he feared Constable Cao, in his eagerness for credit, had brought him a fake.

And the complainants, who had long since gone home, upon hearing the news, rushed back in a swarming frenzy, a great mass of onlookers crowding the county yamen's great hall until it was utterly impassable.

Next came the trial session that the masses so delighted in seeing.

Eyes red, swollen, and streaming tears, unable to see, coughing incessantly — Deng Hu was dragged into the great hall. This fellow had been locked in that compound and smoked for no less than half an hour; by now he could not even walk.

"Who is it that stands below the hall?"

"Was Squire Xie killed by you and your lot?"

"There are blood characters — Deng Hu, do you still intend to deny it?"

"What's this about being framed? Did the corpses of those trusted underlings of yours fly into the Xie Residence by themselves?"

When the shocked and enraged Deng Hu was escorted into the great hall, still in a blinded state, he clearly had not recovered from the ravages of the tear gas shells, so his answers were obviously full of holes and seemed to lack all logic.

Deng Hu's behavior in court undoubtedly cemented the onlookers' impression that he was desperately trying to deny everything. At the same time, his incoherent rambling thoroughly enraged the presiding judge: "Utter nonsense! And who is this Xiong Dao? Hmph, you've run out of arguments and are Intending to drag in an outsider to stall for time."

When County Magistrate Lai heard the name "Xiong Dao," he grew even angrier — he had Previously handled the case where Xiong Dao's men had swept up a nest of Deng Hu's thieving brats, so he believed Deng Hu was trying to divert attention.

With a sharp "Smack!" County Magistrate Lai threw down his Judgment Block, picked up One Piece Signet Order, and flung it from the bench: "Twisting words with lame arguments, framing others to evade and deceive — hmph, it seems if I don't apply torture, you lot won't be willing to confess. Guards, prepare the Leg Press!"

In the next Scene, a classic television shot unfolded: three vicious bailiffs took up the Leg Press in a triangular stance, gave a fierce pull, and Deng Hu, boss Deng, let out a miserable scream, pissing and shitting himself on the spot.

"Don't pull, don't pull! I'll confess, I'll confess! I killed Squire Xie!"

A crime boss's ferocity and cruelty are only for ordinary folk; once real torture was applied, it took no more than three turns of the Leg Press for Deng Hu to confess… A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle; if he could endure today, there would always be a way to escape this jail.