Chapter 5: A Constable Dresses Like This

"Halt!" A loud shout came from beside him. The fat man jumped in fright and turned to look — it was the same person who had been sitting under the tree earlier, tall and large, holding a wooden staff, already right beside him. His clothes were no different from the local peasants', but his skin was as fair as a son of a wealthy household.

The moment Chen Xin saw Daoba fall, his mind raced. He immediately stood up, grabbed the little beggar with one hand, ran to the carriage, and blocked the fat man's path.

"I am a constable of Jizhou. You, young master, incited beggars to brawl, causing a man's death, and now you think you can just walk away? Do you take Jizhou for a place without law?" Chen Xin came straight out and insisted that Daoba was already dead.

The fat man fell for it as expected, but still stubbornly retorted, "You, a mere constable, dare to arrest me, your young master? Besides, I didn't beat this man to death. I kindly gave them alms, and they fought over it among themselves and hurt someone. Surely you can't frame a good man."

Chen Xin gave a cold chuckle. "Empty words. It's not for you to decide. Everyone here saw you incite the beggars to fight and brawl — they are all witnesses. Constable Liu, check again whether that man is dead or not."

Liu Minyou already loathed this fat man, and now was the perfect chance to deal with him. He made a show of checking Daoba's nose — there was still breath — but blurted out, "He really is dead! Grab him quick, don't let him run!"

The fat man's legs went weak with fright. Just as he was about to check for himself, Chen Xin gave him no time to think, seized his bright red robe, and slapped him back and forth several times until the fat man was dizzy and disoriented, all the while cursing wildly, "Inciting murder, treating human life as grass — the same crime as killing. According to the Great Ming Code, the punishment is death by slow slicing!"

The page boy beside them shrieked in terror. Chen Xin released the fat man, whose legs gave way, and he slumped to the ground, gasping for breath.

Chen Xin pointed at the crowd of beggars and cursed, "You lot go around begging everywhere — have you registered in the beggar rolls? Since you have no beggar registration, and you've been brawling and fighting, every one of you is implicated. You're all coming back to the government office." The beggars fell to their knees in panic, begging for mercy. They were refugees from Liaodong — how could they have ever registered in any beggar rolls? Besides, the beggar registration system was established in the early Ming; after the mid-Ming, all institutions had decayed, and no one managed beggar registration anymore. These beggars had never even heard of it.

Chen Xin paid them no mind and pointed at the shopkeeper. "A man died right in front of your shop. You're coming to the county office just the same — at the very least, you'll be judged an accomplice."

The shopkeeper's legs buckled, and he fell to his knees, kowtowing repeatedly. "My lord, spare my life! My lord, you saw it with your own eyes — I only sold flatbread, I never incited anything."

Chen Xin waved his hand. "A death occurred at your stall. You saw someone inciting murder and neither stopped it nor reported it to the authorities. Were you planning to quietly bury the matter? That is treating human life as grass!"

The shopkeeper had never met anyone so unreasonable. Daoba had barely hit the ground before Chen Xin jumped out — even if he had wanted to report it, he couldn't have done it that fast.

The surrounding crowd was thoroughly terrified by Chen Xin's words. They all knelt and kowtowed to him. Seeing that the intimidation was sufficient, Chen Xin softened his tone. "However, I saw the situation clearly just now and won't wrong any good people. Though none of you are entirely free of involvement, the principal culprits are only this fat man and this little beggar." The crowd hastily agreed.

As he spoke, Chen Xin glanced at the little beggar he held beside him. The boy was still eating with great relish. The little girl from his group came up, tugging at his sleeve and crying, her tears carving white channels down her grimy face. The boy handed the remaining half flatbread to the little girl and grinned foolishly at her, saying nothing.

Chen Xin inwardly praised him, then raised his head and continued, "If you all serve as witnesses, proving that this fat man and this boy committed murder, you can all be absolved of guilt. Witnesses even get meals. Are you willing?"

The crowd shouted in unison, "Willing! Willing! Thank you, my lord!" "It was this fat man who incited them — he's the murderer!" Once they heard they could be cleared of guilt, who still cared about that detestable fat man?

"Wait a moment. What kind of 'my lord' are you supposed to be? Is there any lord who dresses like you? And what sort of constable are you? You clearly look like a peasant running a scam." It was the page boy who spoke up in a shrill voice.

Chen Xin thought, This is bad. He'd knocked the fat man senseless but overlooked this little sissy. Just as he was at a loss, the shopkeeper spoke up.

"Aiyah, and you still ask? He must be someone sent by the Jail Warden to investigate! In these rural parts, even archers, constables, gatekeepers, jailers, and prison guards dress like this. Besides, what peasant isn't weathered by wind and sun? Could a peasant have such a fine, handsome complexion as this lord? And how would a peasant know the Great Ming Code? What does a little child like you understand?" In his panic, the shopkeeper had already come to see Chen Xin as his only hope of escaping guilt — how could he tolerate this child questioning him?

Chen Xin silently thanked his luck and seized the opportunity, laughing heartily. "Shopkeeper, you have sharp eyes. The Jail Warden is my own maternal uncle. I am indeed a constable, sent out today on the Jail Warden's orders to investigate in plain clothes. You, little page, are far too insolent — clearly the fat man's accomplice." With that, he went over and kicked the little page boy several times, making him wail loudly, and conveniently scared the coachman into hiding under the table. Reckoning the man wouldn't dare spout nonsense now, Chen Xin returned to the fat man's side, thoroughly satisfied.

Chen Xin hauled the fat man up and dragged him under the tree, continuing to intimidate him. "With both witness testimony and material evidence, what defense do you have left? With all that fat on you, you'd certainly survive three full days of slow slicing."

"Ah! You... you... dare arrest me? Do you know who my grand-uncle is..."

Chen Xin slapped him twice more and whispered in his ear, "I don't give a damn who your grand-uncle is. Even if he were the King of Heaven himself, he's not here today. Believe me when I say I can press you under a sandbag tonight. With witnesses and evidence both present, I could hang you with that worthless belt of yours, or have you 'bump into a wall playing hide-and-seek' and die, and still rule it a suicide from fear of punishment."

The fat man's eyes bulged. He had heard rumors about things like sandbag pressing and knew a fair bit about them. Looking at Chen Xin's bearing and manner of speech, he was clearly no peasant. Now completely convinced this was a constable, he utterly collapsed, fell to his knees, and begged Chen Xin for mercy. "My lord, spare my life! My lord, spare my life! I beg you, my lord, show me a way to live!"

Satisfied, Chen Xin crouched down, blocking the view of the people behind him, and said quietly to the fat man, "See, if you'd done this earlier, we'd all have saved trouble. You're clearly from a wealthy family — why stir up a lawsuit over a beggar? The way to live is right in your bosom, young master. It only depends on whether you're sincere. If you are, then this matter was done by this little beggar alone."

The fat man had a natural talent for this. He hastily pulled out his money pouch and poured out a pile of loose silver, holding it up with both hands before Chen Xin. "This is all I have on me, my lord. I beg you, spare my life."

Chen Xin reached out and took it, shook it, and laughed. "Young master, are you treating me like one of these beggars? This is a matter of life and death. Never mind the County Magistrate and the Jail Warden — this little beggar will certainly be arrested. Once he's in the jail cell, do you think he won't blab? The jailers, the prison guards, the gatekeepers — which one doesn't want a share? With this little silver of yours, young master, you'd be better off keeping it to buy food in prison. It should last you until they press you under the sandbag." Chen Xin was learning and applying on the spot, guessing that jailers and prison guards must be the ones in charge of the cells. Throwing them all out at once made him seem even more like someone from the government office.

Seeing no way out, the fat man hastily grabbed Chen Xin's hand. "My lord, wait. I just remembered I brought some more silver when I left home. Ah, my memory — my lord, please don't take offense." With that, he fumbled inside his robe again and produced several large silver ingots. Chen Xin had no idea how much it was; he stared at the fat man, snatched them all, and, imitating the fat man, tucked them into his own robe.

Seeing Chen Xin still watching him, the fat man said timidly, "That really is all I have. If my lord still finds it insufficient, then take Xiao Qi with you. He's a little singer I bought just last year — sings well, and his skin feels..."

Chen Xin cut him off with a scoff. "Keep him yourself. I'm not interested."

Reckoning it was about enough, Chen Xin snatched the fat man's money pouch as well, put the loose silver inside, and tucked it into his robe. Then he stood up and announced loudly, "So you're from Zunhua. In consideration of your charitable intentions, your crime is reduced by one degree. I won't arrest you today — you go surrender yourself in Zunhua, so I don't have to escort you there later. Men! Seize this murdering little beggar!"

Liu Minyou hurried over and grabbed the young beggar. Chen Xin turned around, winked at Liu Minyou, and declared loudly to the crowd, "This young master has confessed and agreed to surrender in Zunhua. The principal murderer is this little beggar. The rest of you need not testify. Except for this little beggar, none of you are guilty!"

The tea stall owner, hearing he didn't have to go to the government office, felt his heart relax. He certainly wasn't about to question why Chen Xin let the fat man go, and loudly praised Chen Xin's brilliance and martial valor.

The fat man scrambled to his feet, stumbling and crawling, took his page boy, and got onto the carriage. Not daring to continue toward Jizhou, he followed Chen Xin's hint, turned around, and fled in panic toward Mashen Bridge.

Seeing the fat man gone, Chen Xin breathed a sigh of relief. He tossed a small piece of silver to the shopkeeper and said, "That damned fat man didn't even pay for his tea. I forgot about it — I'll pay it for him."

The shopkeeper weighed it in his hand — it was a full mace. He said hastily, "No need for so much silver. Five mixed-grain flatbreads plus tea come to only a dozen-odd cash. Even fifty flatbreads wouldn't be worth a mace of silver."

Chen Xin waved his hand magnanimously. "Use the rest to give these beggars some flatbread. They're pitiful. We men of the government must always keep the sufferings of the common people in mind. But all of you are connected to this matter — you are not permitted to go any further toward Jizhou. If I run into you, I'll arrest you all together."

The crowd loudly thanked him again. Chen Xin dared not linger; he pulled the little beggar up and left.

Seeing Chen Xin about to leave, the shopkeeper hurriedly asked, "My lord, what... what should be done about this corpse?"

Chen Xin said loudly, "Leave it there and don't touch it. A coroner will come to collect it later. Do not disturb it — whoever disturbs it gets arrested." Then he beckoned to Liu Minyou. "Constable Liu, let's go."

Though Liu Minyou hadn't seen Chen Xin take the money, he had guessed it. The excuse Chen Xin had concocted for letting the fat man go was utterly ridiculous and could only fool these peasants and beggars. Moreover, Liu Minyou knew Daoba wasn't dead, which made him even more anxious than Chen Xin. He hastily grabbed the bundle and followed onto the official road.

The two of them, holding the little beggar, hurried along. The little girl followed behind them. The other two little beggars from their group were quite loyal — they didn't even bother about the flatbreads and followed at a distance far behind.

Chen Xin was afraid Daoba would wake up and ruin things, so he had rushed to drive off the fat sheep and forbidden him from going to Jizhou. That way, even if Daoba woke up, no one else would know the fat man had given him silver. He'd also left a little goodwill for the others, keeping the beggars busy eating flatbread with no time to think. Now that they were far from the scene, he was even more at ease. Feeling the silver in his robe, Chen Xin happily began to hum a tune. "Today is a good day..."

They walked straight on for three li before slowing their pace. Chen Xin simply let go of the little beggar and walked ahead with his hands swinging free. Liu Minyou came up and asked him, "How much did you extort from that man?"

Chen Xin pulled out the several large silver ingots and showed them to Liu Minyou. "This much!"

"How much is this?"

"I don't know. It's not written on them. From the way the shopkeeper reacted, these big chunks should buy flatbreads for a long, long time."

Liu Minyou was also pleased at heart — extorting money from a villain like that was something he was happy to see. He turned and saw the little beggar and the little girl still foolishly following behind. He said to Chen Xin, "What do we do with this kid?"

Chen Xin looked back at the little beggar, beckoned him over, and asked, "Kid, what's your name?"

"My ma called me Hai Gouzi."

"From Liaodong?"

"From Haizhou Guard. The Tatars came. My pa and ma took me and fled toward the passes, but they died halfway. I came into the pass on my own."

Liu Minyou sighed and asked him, "We're letting you go. You don't have to go to prison. Happy?"

"I want to go to prison. They feed you in prison."

Liu Minyou said angrily, "You'd even dare eat the executioner's meal? Go on, you're free to leave."

Seeing Liu Minyou's anger, Hai Gouzi still grinned foolishly at him and said, "I'd dare eat it."

Chen Xin laughed heartily, clapped him on the shoulder, and said, "Prison's not happening. Are you willing to follow me? I'll feed you too."

Hai Gouzi nodded repeatedly. "If you give me food, I'll follow you."

"I'm a murderer and an arsonist. You still willing?"

Hai Gouzi did not hesitate at all. "I can do it. My parents had their food snatched on the road and starved to death. If others can do it, I can too."

Chen Xin nodded. "Fine, then follow me. You won't go hungry. But those others with you — I can't take that many."

The little beggar had found a way to live and could avoid jail. The little girl clapped her hands in delight, but when she heard Chen Xin wanted to send them away, she started crying again.

Liu Minyou could not bear it. He took out dried meat and gave it to the girl. Watching her eat, he said, "Big Brother here isn't really a constable. We don't even have a place to stay. Following us might not be any good."

The little girl knelt, crying and kowtowing. "I can do anything. I can chop wood, cook, wash clothes. Big Brother, take me with you. I'll wash your clothes and feet every day. I'll only eat one meal a day. I'll definitely obey you. Wuwu..."

Hai Gouzi also knelt and kowtowed. Liu Minyou turned to Chen Xin and probed, "Why not take them? At worst, we just eat a little less."

"Feeling charitable again? If we had a place to stay, taking them would be fine. But right now we're drifting everywhere. It's far more than just food. If we drag a few kids around — food, clothes, shelter, travel — I worry this bit of silver won't last long. Unless..."

"Unless what?"

"Unless we do a bit more of today's kind of business. To help these out-of-school orphans, we'll call it the Hope Project. You'll have to help."

"As long as they're bad people, I'll help. A few more helpers is good too, right?"

"Fine, then we'll take them."

The little girl bounced off to the back to call the other two. When they came over, Liu Minyou took out more dried meat and shared it. The few of them immediately treated the two men as their second parents.

............ Dividing Line...............................................

Inside and outside the tea shop just now, a crowd of beggars ate with great delight. The shopkeeper brought out dozens of flatbreads, and tea was served freely. One beggar suddenly stopped, watched the scarred man move a few times, sat up straight, raised his head, and looked around at the others in confusion. Everyone exchanged glances. A moment later, they all went back to eating their own food. The shopkeeper turned away as if he had seen nothing...