Chapter 203: Xuji Examination, Talents Abound

In the government office, the county magistrate sat at the head of the hall, the inspection censor seated to his left, upright and imposing without raising his voice. The eunuch director of the Mirror Surveillance Office held a teacup in one hand and used his orchid finger to pinch the lid, blowing away the floating foam.

This year's jury was unlike any before; if any other prefect or county official had faced this scene, they might not be terrified, but they'd certainly sweat out several jin more than usual.

But Chen Guangrui was different—he had been the third-place scholar of the previous imperial examination, served two years as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy, and was only then dispatched by the imperial court to Linjiang.

Even as a compiler, Chen Guangrui never shied from trouble; as the saying goes, if one's conduct is upright, one's shadow need not fear being crooked. Now, in this hall, even if the Emperor himself were listening, he wouldn't sweat a single drop more!

Otherwise, the merchant's young lady wouldn't have taken a fancy to him, nor would she have refused all others to marry only him.

In contrast, the county's deputy and chief clerk on the right clearly showed fear, each of them busy wiping sweat, terrified something untoward might happen in court today.

For them, whether the case was properly judged didn't matter—the most important thing was to seek no merit, only to avoid blame.

Below, Chen Feng, the shopkeeper, still clung to Jin's wife, but the simple, kind-hearted peasant woman never lost her temper; instead, she blamed herself for picking up the child, wishing she'd gone upstream to search—if she'd found the grieving parents, perhaps no one would have been so anxious and vexed.

Chen Feng was also a fool; even now he suspected his own wife's death wasn't Jin's fault, yet he still wouldn't relent in his accusations.

Not for any other reason—only for face.

When the court first opened, he had cursed Jin's wife so harshly, and now with so many people watching outside, if he suddenly softened, how humiliating would that be!

When Chen Guangrui last held court, he didn't question Chen Feng; now, he didn't question him again.

"Yin Shi, I ask you—answer truthfully."

"I ask you, this child is under a year old. If you are his birth mother, why were you not constantly caring for him, yet only rushed to search after losing him?"

Chen's concubine, holding the child, wept bitterly: "On the day the child vanished, the mistress came to me early, ordering me to deliver two bolts of silk to the fabric shop, saying the customer needed them urgently. I intended to send a servant, but the mistress said the customer had a cleanliness disorder, and those servants' hands were unclean—should the silk be soiled, the customer would be displeased. She insisted I go myself. With no choice, I left the child in the nurse's care."

Below, Chen Feng and others were bewildered—why wasn't the magistrate asking how the mistress died, or investigating the cause? Why was he asking about these things?

Chen Guangrui ordered the nurse to come forward, then asked again: "You were entrusted by Yin Shi to care for the child—how could you let him vanish? Speak truthfully!"

The nurse trembled: "How can you say that? The young mistress had barely left when the mistress came to me, ordering me to rush to the Baosheng Niangniang Temple on Ziyun Mountain to snatch the first incense stick, to pray for her on her behalf."

"I couldn't go with the young master in tow, so I thought to go the next day, or send someone else in my stead—but the mistress refused, saying this was a woman's private matter, and that since I had borne children myself, I could bring her good fortune, and I alone must go."

Beside them, Xu Qing raised an eyebrow.

The Chen family's mistress had drowned her own child—and now she'd even dragged him into her scheme. Fortunately, she died in time; otherwise, when the shopkeeper returned, he might twist the truth and falsely accuse countless innocent people.

At the head of the hall, Chen Guangrui suddenly barked: "Left and right! Bring the accused Yuan Hu to court!"

Yuan Hu, disheveled and clad in prison garb, was forced to kneel by two government office runners who pressed their staffs against his knee joints—but he didn't budge.

The two runners clenched their teeth, strained every sinew, their faces turning purple, yet still couldn't move him an inch.

Liao Jinzhong, the eunuch, sipping tea and watching the spectacle, cast a sidelong glance downward and flicked his orchid finger lightly against the teacup lid.

As if flicking a snack, he sent the teacup's knob flying.

Below, the two runners were still struggling—when suddenly, the staffs grew loose. The accused, who had been stiff-necked and defiant, collapsed to his knees.

The hall was full of government office runners; the military inspector, the county captain, and even the head of the government office's patrol, Zhao Zhonghe—all were martial cultivators. Yet none understood what had happened.

Xu Qing's eyes were sharp—he alone saw clearly: Liao's move was fast, impossibly fast.

Among all living people Xu Qing had ever seen, this old eunuch possessed the highest martial cultivation.

A true expert reveals his skill with one move.

Lou Xiaowu had stepped into the Master realm—impressive enough—but this old eunuch's speed far surpassed him.

Liao Jinzhong's casual flick had returned to the simplicity of the Dao; anyone below Master level would think he'd merely flicked his finger idly.

Yuan Hu groaned, kneeling on the ground, cold sweat pouring from his forehead.

Zhao Zhonghe and the others only realized it later—upon closer look, they saw Yuan Hu's knees were soaked red, as if pierced by some hidden weapon.

"I most dislike those who lack manners," Liao Jinzhong sneered. "Today I'm in a good mood—I'll teach you this lesson. If there's a next time—"

A cold snort silenced Yuan Hu, who dared not move despite his former arrogance.

Chen Guangrui seized the moment, slamming his gavel: "Yuan Hu! I ask you—why did you kill that innocent woman in Qushui Village?"

Throughout history, officials, besides using the standard Five Audits method, also employed underhanded tactics—deception, enticement, trickery.

These tactics must not be used lightly; knowing how to balance them is an art—otherwise, wrongful convictions abound.

Chen Guangrui had no direct evidence proving Yuan Hu murdered Chen's mistress; his current method—accusing him based on speculation—was deception.

Yuan Hu, his spirit crushed by Liao Jinzhong, now, hearing Chen's demand, dared not hide anything: "I've killed many. I know I'll die. If I tell the truth, I beg my lord to grant me a swift end—even the executioner's blade I'll accept, but don't torture me to suffer slowly. Only then will I speak."

Chen Guangrui equivocated: "If you confess truthfully, I will not violate the law. But if you conceal even a fraction, I will show no mercy!"

Yuan Hu glanced warily at the smiling Liao Jinzhong, then growled: "I killed that Chen woman with a wooden club—she happened to return home and caught me inside. It was her fate to die thus—not my intention."

Chen Feng, nearly forgotten, spoke again: "You killed her—then was it you who stole my child and gave him to Jin?"

Yuan Hu frowned: "What child? What Jin? I don't know them!"

Today, no child's cries disturbed the court—Chen Guangrui was pleased, yet this father was being tiresome.

"Silence!" Chen Guangrui turned to the Chen family nurse. "You are the Chen family's nurse—you must know the household well. I ask you: how was the relationship between the mistress and Yin Shi?"

The nurse answered truthfully: "The mistress and the master were married many years without bearing a son. Later, the master took Yin Xiao as concubine. The mistress made a great fuss—had the master not threatened her with ancestral lineage, Yin Xiao wouldn't have even entered the door."

"When the master was home, the mistress treated Yin Xiao as family. But when he was away, she tormented her constantly. After Yin Xiao bore a son, the mistress's resentment grew even deeper."

Chen Guangrui said sternly: "A servant who speaks ill of their master commits a grave crime. I ask you—did you witness these things yourself, or are you merely speculating?"

"I dare not lie. I once saw the mistress raise her hand as if to strangle the young master. Everyone, except the master, knew of it."

Chen Guangrui summoned other Chen retainers and relatives to testify—and indeed, as the nurse said, the mistress had no tolerance for others. Chen Feng's face turned pale and flushed, feeling utterly humiliated.

At the head of the hall, Chen Guangrui surveyed the crowd and declared: "This case is now clear. The Chen family mistress, consumed by jealousy, threw her concubine's son into the Qushui River. Fortunately, the child's fate was not sealed—he was seen by Jin, who washed clothes by the river, rescued him, and took him home to raise."

In court, the inspection censor nodded, stroking his beard—but just as the case seemed concluded, the kneeling Jin suddenly spoke: "My lord, I did not save the child. It was Niangniang's divine intervention—she used a jade scepter to drag the child ashore."

This woman had no sense of timing. Everyone knew the Baosheng Temple had been funded by him. Whether or not Niangniang had truly manifested, to declare it publicly—no one would believe it, and worse, they might suspect him of faking miracles to gain fame.

Chen Guangrui frowned slightly and interrupted: "I am here only to uncover the truth of this case. Whether you saved the child or not is irrelevant."

He then ordered the government office runners to return Yuan Hu to prison. Once everyone departed, the case would be closed.

But at that moment, a thunderous gavel-bang echoed from outside the government office.

Yet at that very moment, the sound of the gavel drum striking outside the courthouse suddenly rang out.

Chen Guangrui had barely lifted his buttocks half a handspan off the chair, not yet fully risen, when he sat back down again.

He truly could not remain seated in this chair; under normal circumstances, he would certainly have brought his own rosewood armchair, for that one was comfortable.

Alas, no matter how one guards by day or night, thieves from within are hardest to prevent.

Such a fine chair, yet that reckless rascal Shang Shaoyang had actually carried it away.

"Prefect Chen seems to have quite a number of cases under his jurisdiction," the Inspection Censor remarked abruptly.

Upon hearing these words, Master Tang and the County Assistant began sweating on their foreheads once more.

In previous times, where did the government office ever have so many cases? Today, who knows what has happened; an old case had just concluded when the warning drum started beating again—is that something one beats casually?

Without a grave injustice or profound grievance, who would dare strike that drum?

Hearing the Inspection Censor's words, Chen Guangrui knew the other party was deliberately implying his mismanagement of governance; otherwise, how could cases arise one after another?

Xu Qing, mingling among the coroners and clerks, perked up his spirits; the main drama was finally beginning!

In the public hall, an old case had just concluded when a new one arrived.

"Who struck the drum? Bring them before the court!"

The Wu brothers wore sparse, ordinary cloth shirts, looking no different from the common folk on the street.

Besides the two brothers, Lady Wu and Zhang Wan, wife of Wu Zhiyuan, had also come to the hall.

"Licentiate Wu Zhiyuan (Wu Wencai) of the Xu-Ji examination cohort pays respects to my lord."

This examination cohort sounded somewhat familiar; Chen Guangrui, being a third-place laureate with a photographic memory, pondered briefly upon hearing this and realized that Xu Qing, whom he had encountered a few days prior, was also a Licentiate of the Xu-Ji cohort!

How was it that people from this Xu-Ji cohort were all so extraordinary?

If Chen Guangrui remembered correctly, Tian Shegong, who had caused a great stir years ago by becoming a child candidate at twenty-nine, taking the exams fourteen times, and finally earning his Licentiate degree at seventy, was also a candidate of the Xu-Ji cohort.

However, that Tian Shegong had received special permission from the Crown Prince and a guarantee from the Prefect before obtaining his Licentiate status.

Strictly speaking, that title was bestowed as an act of charity.

Chen Guangrui could not help but feel curious: one Licentiate of the Xu-Ji cohort neglected proper duties and spent all day stirring up his own funeral business within his jurisdiction, while another failed repeatedly until old age before begging for a Licentiate title; what, then, was the story with these two Xu-Ji Licentiates before him?

By daring to strike the warning drum, regardless of the magnitude of the matter, the two had already been categorized by Chen Guangrui alongside Xu Qing and Tian Shegong.

"What grievances do you have? State them in detail."

"Replying to my lord, I am originally the second son-in-law of the Zhang family in Baisha County; the Zhang family has two daughters, but because my elder sister-in-law Zhang Yao and her husband Yang Hong wished to seize the family estate, they plotted to frame my father and imprison him, later instructing officials of the Jinmen government office to collude with river bandits Zhang Da and Yuan Hu to throw us two brothers into the river."

Thrown into the river again.

At this, not only did Chen Guangrui look astonished, but even the Inspection Censor and Liao Jinzhong, who had been sitting with closed eyes conserving his energy, turned to look.

Let us just say, apart from drowning victims by throwing them into the river, could you not come up with some other new tricks?

This was truly not others' fault; Jinmen was simply a region with developed water transport and a famously commercial port; if the troublesome matter of murder occurred elsewhere, one would inevitably spend great effort disposing of traces after the deed, but throwing bodies into the water made it much simpler.

The Shahe River bordering Bai Sha and the Baishui Port of Jinmen both had fiercely rushing currents; as long as the person was bound tightly and tossed into the water, even if there were traces, they would surely vanish.

Wu Zhiyuan recounted in detail how his brother-in-law Yang Hong had bribed thieves of the Heavenly Heart Sect to frame Wu Yaoxing, as well as the subsequent events they encountered in Jinmen Prefecture and how his wife Zhang Wan had nearly taken her own life.

The only thing he did not mention was the ordeal the two brothers suffered after escaping disaster.

After hearing the details of the case, the Inspection Censor frowned and said, "Although this case involves injustice, you all emerged unscathed without losing your lives; why go so far as to strike the warning drum and cause such a huge disturbance?"

Since the previous dynasty, the warning drum had become merely a decoration; apart from being used to open and close court sessions, no one dared strike it normally.

The reason was nothing else but that shortly after the warning drum was first established, many commoners would rush to beat the drum outside the government office over mere quarrels or lost items; over time, local authorities grew weary of the nuisance and simply established a rule stating that unless one suffered an injustice as clear as daylight or as deep as an overturned basin, one could not strike the warning drum, otherwise the penalty would range from light beating with planks to heavy exile for forced labor.

Since this regulation was issued, across two dynasties, the total number of times the warning drum had been struck could be counted on one's fingers.

Everyone preferred to honestly submit written petitions rather than take the extra step of testing the magistrate's temper.

Fortunately, Wu Wencai had prepared in advance; when the Inspection Censor opened his mouth to question, he uttered a shocking statement: "My lord may not know that the Zhang family is no ordinary household, but the home of Zhang Yong, the Magistrate of Baisha County; furthermore, Yang Hong is no longer an ordinary person either, but truly the County Assistant of Wanshou County."

When accusing an official appointed by the imperial court, if one does not strike the warning drum, what else could one strike?

Upon hearing this, Master Tang and County Assistant He felt their faces go numb; having just heard the case, they had not felt anything particularly serious, but now upon learning the identity of the accused, they found themselves unable even to cry out their bitterness.

When lice are plentiful, one worries no more; since matters had already escalated, let them escalate.

In any case, they still had the County Lord above them to bear the burden.

Upon hearing these words, the Inspection Censor's eyes instead lit up.

What was the purpose of an Inspection Tour if not to investigate local governance, examine the integrity of officials, and impeach those who violated laws and discipline?

Below the hall, just as Wu Wencai finished orally recounting the grievance, Wu Zhiyuan subsequently presented the written petition he had prepared, laying it upon the desk.

Chen Guangrui took one glance and truly thought, what excellent calligraphy!

People say the handwriting reflects the person; now seeing this script and then looking at the bearing of the Wu brothers below...

Neither humble nor arrogant, they truly resembled green pines rising above shrubs or white jade shining amidst dusty sand; how outstanding their heroic bearing!

Had the two not previously stated they were Licentiates of the Xu-Ji cohort, he would have thought these two brothers, like himself, were figures holding official rank.

(End of Chapter)