Chapter 578: Entrustment

A letter of extraordinary thickness, with another letter stuffed inside its envelope.

Pan Yun tore open the large envelope, pulled out the letter paper and the tightly sealed inner envelope, glanced at the handwriting, then finally realized.

This letter was from Young Master Li; inside it was a letter from County Magistrate Wu to her.

A county magistrate, yet he had to hide his letter inside a scholar-gentleman's letter—either he couldn't send it directly, or what he wanted to tell her was something he couldn't say openly.

Pan Yun immediately set his letter aside and opened Young Master Li's first.

After this incident, Young Master Li, who had always had to beg money from his father, now controlled half of the family's finances.

Young Master Li's father seemed to have just discovered his son was capable, sometimes even smarter than himself, so after a family meeting, he decided to entrust him with two large farmlands and three shops.

Madam Li wholeheartedly approved.

With her son holding half the family's financial power and Madam Li herself controlling her dowry, and with Young Master Li's father still holding some assets, the mother and son now effectively ruled most of the Li household.

Rounded off, it was as if Young Master Li was now the head of the household.

So he became much more generous with his spending.

In the letter, he praised Pan Yun's talismans as effective, and said he had recommended them to several friends, all of whom wanted to order a few to try.

Including but not limited to talismans for attracting romance, wealth, safety, and health.

Young Master Li said they were also willing to try odd and unusual talismans.

The intent was good, but it was too wordy; Pan Yun skimmed through it at a glance before finding the key information she wanted.

In the middle-to-later part of the letter, he wrote that the day after she left, the missing persons case finally drew outside attention.

Within two days, the Provincial Revenue Commission sent envoys to inquire with Jiansan Prefecture, and only then did Jiansan Prefecture turn to County Magistrate Wu.

The case of the eighteen corpses was finally laid bare before Jiansan Prefecture and the Provincial Revenue Commission.

Upon learning that County Magistrate Wu had already reported the case to Jingcheng, Jiansan Prefecture flew into a rage, the Provincial Revenue Commission flew into a rage, and immediately imprisoned him.

Young Master Li wrote: "The day after you left, County Magistrate Wu entrusted his family to me, asking me to arrange for a merchant caravan and escort company to send them back to Zhending; thus, when he was imprisoned, he had no one to care for him."

Legally speaking, County Magistrate Wu's imprisonment was entirely justified.

Because, by law, major cases like this in a county must first be reported to the Prefect's office, then the Prefect reports to the Provincial Revenue Commission, and only after both sides verify the case can it be submitted to the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review.

Even if he suspected the Prefect and the Provincial Revenue Commission, he should have first submitted an impeachment document to Jingcheng, letting the capital know of his suspicions, so the Prefect and Provincial Revenue Commission could respond in writing and debate the matter before proceeding.

How could anyone just overturn the table and bypass two levels of authority to send the case directly to Jingcheng?

Great Ming has over eleven hundred counties—if all of them did this, what use would the Prefects and Provincial Revenue Commissions be?

Wouldn't Jingcheng be overwhelmed?

Young Master Li told Pan Yun: "But five days later, officials from the Three Departments arrived in Jingcheng; County Magistrate Wu was released, and now he is recuperating in the county office—I had to exert tremendous effort just to get word of him."

Young Master Li concluded with: "He entrusted me to deliver this letter to you…"

"Heh—" Pan Yun set the letter aside and immediately opened the other one; all that wordiness, and so little useful information.

County Magistrate Wu's letter was far more concise.

He told Pan Yun that Jingcheng had dispatched the Three Departments so quickly because the Southern Inspection Censor had submitted a memorial on his behalf, retrieving his buried petition and delivering it directly to Your Majesty. The Emperor, upon hearing this horrific case, was deeply shocked and immediately assigned the Three Departments to investigate.

"The Three Departments are diligently handling the case; they have confined me to the county office under the guise of detention, but in truth, it is protection."

He changed tone and sighed: "Though they are working hard, they cannot dig deeper—before the Three Departments arrived, Xue Xin and former Prefect Qian Zhixiao, who were imprisoned with me, one choked to death, the other went mad after hitting his head."

"You and I both know the truth doesn't end with Xue Xin and Qian Zhixiao; after you left, Xi Yan—the woman who had changed her name to Huang Xi—was found. According to her, before her death, Liu Xiaohong had warned her, suggesting she had uncovered Qian Zhixiao's group's crimes of torturing and killing people. But at the time, someone greatly favored her, so Liu Xiaohong was not in danger; the next person chosen was Xi Yan."

"That's why Xi Yan accidentally scratched her face, and when the wound refused to heal, the madam of Wan Chun Pavilion finally relented and allowed her brother to redeem her."

"According to her, Liu Xiaohong was both terrified and excited, saying she would achieve great merit, earn honor through redemption, and never again fear being sold."

But after that, Liu Xiaohong disappeared.

County Magistrate Wu said: "Xue Xin and Qian Zhixiao have been evasive about Liu Xiaohong's death; behind it, there may be secrets we cannot yet perceive."

"Even if they blame the mastermind on Yang Ji, who has already been executed, these two cannot escape death," County Magistrate Wu asked: "Given that a dying man speaks truthfully, why are they so resistant to speaking of Liu Xiaohong's death?"

"I beg Daoist Pan to help restore Liu Xiaohong's memories, uncover the truth, and bring justice to the world."

County Magistrate Wu told Pan Yun that he was merely detained; even if the Censorate could defend him over his procedural error, he would never hold office again.

!

"Of the eighteen corpses, four died during my tenure; three or more constitute a major case, yet I only learned of them three years later—this is grave dereliction of duty," County Magistrate Wu said: "After this case, I will surely be dismissed; if Xue Xin and Qian Zhixiao also 'commit suicide' in the Jiansan County jail, and if I am unlucky, I may be charged. At that point, I entrust this case to you, Daoist."

Pan Yun folded the letter and put it away without expression.

Seeing Miao Zhen looked at her face and asked: "Little Master, what happened during your last 'retreat'?"

"Yes, Little Master, you came back in such low spirits. You already had so little spiritual energy left, and you burned a transmission talisman just to call out to Xiao Hong."

Pan Yun thought for a moment, then said: "Last time I went out, I found Xiao Hong's bones."

All three widened their eyes.

Seeing Miao He was the first to think of the stitching marks on Xiao Hong's body when she frightened people, her eyes filled with pity: "Xiao Hong… is she alright? Does it hurt?"

Pan Yun nodded: "It hurt terribly."

All four fell silent for a long while, until Seeing Miao Zhen said: "Little Master, you've burned talismans for thirteen days—why hasn't she returned yet?"

Pan Yun sighed: "She's a ghost, dwelling inside the gold hairpin. If Hong Yan hasn't brought her back, she can't return even if she wants to."

She frowned: "Where exactly has Hong Yan taken her? Why hasn't she come back yet?"

Seeing Miao Zhen grew anxious: "Could something have happened to her?"

The four exchanged glances, then turned together toward Seeing Miao Zhen's room to cast divination.

Concerned for her friend, Seeing Miao Zhen offered a solemn prayer before casting the hexagram.

She laid out the hexagram and pondered: "This hexagram…"

Three heads leaned in together, asking in unison: "Bad?"

"No—it's too good."

(End of Chapter)