Chapter 166: Small Matter, Major Investigation

The final step of the grand ceremony was completed on schedule. With yamen runners from Shuntian Prefecture and the Troops and Horses Office filling several streets, and the Three Depots, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the Capital troops all having men posted everywhere, the proceedings went fairly smoothly without any mishaps.

Empress Zhou, Noble Consul Yuan, and the other consorts returned to the inner palace under the protection of eunuchs from the Directorate of the Imperial Horses, while the Chongzhen Emperor led the Embroidered Uniform Guard straight to the capital's main prison.

This itinerary was decided by the Chongzhen Emperor on a sudden whim, and no one had received any word of it. The capital's main prison was under the administration of the Ministry of Justice, one of the Three Judicial Offices, and the thugs and bandits arrested by the Troops and Horses Office throughout the city were all held here.

Some time ago, pressed for time, the Chongzhen Emperor had issued a decree releasing all prisoners in the capital's main prison who were strong and fit enough to wield a blade, with the Depot and Guard keeping their children and families under control in the capital to ensure they would serve the state.

Releasing prisoners to serve the country had precedents from ancient times and was always a measure of last resort, but the Chongzhen Emperor discovered that these prisoners performed better on the battlefield than some newly recruited soldiers.

In the Battle of military pay and provisions, it was Huang Degong leading his troops in a courageous assault on the walls, together with a batch of roving bandits who had surrendered and returned to allegiance, that allowed the city to be taken so quickly and the bandits to be wiped out to the last man.

In the Battle of Guguan, Governor-General of the Five Provinces Chen Qiyu lavishly praised in his memorial how valiant and daring the Jiayi Camp under Capital Camps Governor-General Dong Qi had been in battle, even calling it the key to turning defeat into victory.

By this time, the Depot and Guard had already arrived at the prison ahead of the Emperor, each taking positions beside the cells to prevent any mishap. The prison administration was thrown into a panicked scramble—if the Emperor were startled here, everyone inside would be in for far worse than they could handle.

"What crime did this man commit?" In a cell on the left side of the prison sat an old man. Looking at his sallow face and the traces of torture still visible on his hands, the Chongzhen Emperor asked quietly.

"Your Majesty," the presiding official of the prison hurried forward with a fawning smile, "this man committed theft and has already been imprisoned for three years. He is one of the older inmates in this prison."

"We have treated him with every consideration, rest assured Your Majesty, we would never abuse a prisoner."

The Chongzhen Emperor nodded, though he naturally placed little trust in this smiling-tiger prison official. He turned and asked, "Xu Shilin, does the Great Ming have such a provision?"

Upon hearing this, Minister of Justice Xu Shilin quickly stepped forward and said respectfully:

"Your Majesty, according to the laws of the Great Ming, for theft of goods valued at one hundred twenty guan or more, the light sentence is imprisonment of five years or more, while the heavy sentence is death by strangulation."

As he spoke, Xu Shilin ordered a runner to grab the old man's left arm and pointed at it, saying: "Your Majesty, please look—this thief has the character 'thief' tattooed on his left arm, showing this is not his first offense. For such persons, imprisonment is already an act of great mercy."

The Chongzhen Emperor gave a soft "mm," gestured for the runner to release the old man, and asked: "Old man, if you have something to say, just say it—don't be afraid. You look like an honest sort; how did you come to do such a thing?"

Hearing this, the old man first knelt on the ground, then with reddened eyes choked out: "Your Majesty, I can't go on living—I truly cannot go on living."

While the old man spoke, the prison officials kept making faces at him. Minister of Justice Xu Shilin showed little reaction, but Ministry of Justice Bureau Secretary Wang Fang and Vice Minister Li Ke'an exchanged glances—both clearly had guilty consciences.

"Your subject's family originally had fields and land. Life with my wife and children was not wealthy, but compared to many who had lost their homes, it was still fairly decent."

"But... Your Majesty, your subject committed no crime." As he spoke, the old man began thumping his head against the ground in his cell. "Your subject truly committed no crime—I beg Your Majesty to investigate thoroughly!"

The old man clearly had more to say beneath his words, but no matter how the Chongzhen Emperor pressed him, he would only repeat his plea for a thorough investigation and say nothing more.

Seeing this, Xu Shilin's heart sank. He first turned back to glare at Wang Fang and the others, then stepped forward with a smile and said:

"The prisoners in the capital's main prison are mostly like this—no matter how much you question them, you can't get anything meaningful out of them. Besides, Your Majesty still has other places to inspect, so please don't let this delay your itinerary."

"Indeed, Your Majesty. This is a place of ill omen; staying here too long is bad for one's fortune." At this point, Bureau Secretary Wang Fang and Vice Minister Li Ke'an both stepped forward to echo the sentiment.

"Wang Cheng'en, leave one of the Eastern Depot's watchmen at the prison specifically to keep an eye on this man, so he doesn't die for no reason." The Chongzhen Emperor took another look at the old man, and since the assembled ministers and generals were still following behind him, he simply walked on ahead.

After that incident, the Chongzhen Emperor walked through the entire capital's main prison without finding anything amiss. All the prisoners behaved as if stamped from the same mold—lying prostrate on the ground without lifting their heads, and even when questioned, unable to say anything at all.

After making his rounds, the Chongzhen Emperor went on to the horse grounds and fodder depots, finding much the same situation. On the surface at least, the capital truly appeared prosperous and peaceful, with everything one could want.

Having made up his mind, the Chongzhen Emperor dismissed the ministers and returned to the Winter Warm Pavilion. He sat down heavily in a chair and asked in a low voice: "Cheng'en, do the rest of you sense anything wrong with the capital's main prison?"

In truth, Wang Cheng'en also found the matter suspicious. "Your Majesty, this old servant does feel something is amiss, but I cannot quite put my finger on where."

Cao Huachun said: "Your Majesty, Xu Shilin is a renowned man of integrity. Since he vouches for it so firmly, surely nothing can be wrong."

"Mm." The Chongzhen Emperor nodded, neither confirming nor denying Wang Cheng'en's words, and continued: "The Eastern Depot's watchman at the prison must be someone trustworthy. Beyond that, the Western Depot should also station men at the prison—investigate both openly and covertly."

At this point, the Chongzhen Emperor suddenly realized that Cao Huachun, though loyal to the imperial house, was by inclination a sympathizer of the Donglin faction. If he sent him to investigate this matter, nothing would ever come of it.

After a moment's thought, the Chongzhen Emperor waved his hand and said: "Never mind. Cao Huachun, have your Western Depot men monitor the Ministry of Justice. As for the covert investigation of the capital's main prison, Fang Zhenghua's Inner Depot will handle it."

"Your will be done."

While the Chongzhen Emperor was back in the Warm Pavilion arranging matters, in the main hall of the Ministry of Justice, Minister Xu Shilin, Bureau Secretary Wang Fang, and Vice Minister Li Ke'an were also gathered together.

"That old man had something hidden behind his words. Tell this Minister exactly what is going on!" No sooner had he sat down than Xu Shilin, furious beyond measure, slammed the table repeatedly and shouted.

While accompanying the Chongzhen Emperor on his inspection of the prison, he had already sensed something was off. A high official like Xu Shilin, who had navigated the capital for years, needed only one glance back to see that his two subordinates were hiding something from him.

Suppressing his raging anger and inner panic, Xu Shilin had managed to persuade the Chongzhen Emperor to leave. The moment he returned to the Ministry of Justice, he immediately launched his inquisition.

Hearing this, Wang Fang and Li Ke'an exchanged a glance. They knew that at this point, concealment was useless—if anything went wrong, heads would roll. Their own heads falling was not the worst part; the most terrifying prospect was that their families might lose their heads along with them.

"If this subordinate speaks, I beg the Minister not to fly into a rage." Finally, Bureau Secretary Wang Fang stepped forward and said: "This is what happened..."

After hearing Wang Fang's account, Xu Shilin shot up from his seat and pointed at their noses, cursing: "For a mere two thousand taels of silver, you helped Fan Wencheng swap the man out!?"

"Do you know who that is—that's Fan Wencheng! Do you realize you have committed a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations? No—for this, nine generations would not be enough. You could have all ten generations wiped out!!"

"Minister, keep your voice down." Vice Minister Li Ke'an's eyes darted about as he smiled and said: "Things have come to this—the two of us cannot escape involvement, but can you, Minister, really get away? Wouldn't that be a bit too wishful thinking!"

Xu Shilin let out a cold laugh and sat up straight, saying: "Oh? Seeing you can't escape, you want to drag this Minister down with you?"

Wang Fang glanced at Li Ke'an, his eyes lighting up as well, and said in a sinister tone:

"No, no—how would this subordinate dare? The Minister walks upright and sits straight; no one could drag you down."

"But the Minister should think about what happened last year. Are those hounds of the Depot and Guard under His Majesty idle eaters? Last year, how many people were found out—their homes confiscated, their nine generations exterminated?"

"If the two of us are exposed by those hounds, our deaths would be of little consequence. But you, Minister—your lifetime of reputation would be ruined. At the very least, you would face charges of shielding your subordinates and failing to oversee your men. You wouldn't escape either!"

Seeing Xu Shilin's face darken, Li Ke'an fanned the flames further:

"What Minister Wang says is correct. Now that the roving bandits and the Qing slaves no longer pose a threat, the Emperor is itching to replace all the Six Ministers and Grand Secretaries with sycophantic flatterers like that old dog Feng Quan. If even the slightest handle is caught, dismissal and prosecution would be the lightest outcome."

"Even if the Minister does not fear for himself, you should think of your family and your reputation before making your decision."