(One and a half years later)
Traveling from south to north, it grew colder as they went. After the winter solstice, there was no snowfall—only endless drizzling rain. The official road back to the capital was particularly muddy. Su Jin’s party of three had been jolting along for over two months before they barely managed to reach the courier station outside Yingtian City.
This was now the early winter of the twenty-fourth year of Jingyuan’s reign.
Time had flown by in an instant. Over the past year, she had first managed the summer floods in Huguang, then uncovered that the Huguang Provincial Administration Commissioner had embezzled official funds meant for river repairs. She had taken personal risks to obtain solid evidence and submitted a memorial to impeach him.
In the spring of the twenty-fourth year, the Emperor ordered her to inspect Suzhou Prefecture, where she discovered a man surnamed Wu who possessed forged imperial seal documents, claiming to be a Brocade Guard commander and engaging in massive extortion and lawless behavior in the area (Note 1). She immediately submitted a memorial to the court. The Emperor was furious and ordered that the man surnamed Wu, his accomplices, and the local prefect and magistrate be all beheaded and displayed as a warning to the public.
Three major cases solved within a year shocked all four quarters of the realm. Veteran officials could not help but sigh that the younger generation was formidable indeed.
Then, at the end of this summer, the capital sent another decree ordering Su Jin to go to Guangxi for inspection and supervision. Who knew that halfway there, another edict came down ordering her to return to the capital to report.
Upon receiving the edict, Su Jin felt a strange sense of disorientation. Spring had gone and autumn had come, with her rushing from east to west. Having been away from the capital for over a year, she realized it had been quite some time since she’d seen old friends.
The party of three had just obtained bowls of water at the courier station when they saw a commotion at the tea pavilion not far away. It seemed someone had said “another person has died,” and people immediately became anxious, with many running toward Yingtian City.
Seeing this situation, Tan Zhaolin asked, “My lord, should we go take a look?”
Su Jin thought for a moment and said, “No rush. First send someone to ask around.”
Upon hearing this, A’Liu silently took out the official seal and showed it to the station official nearby.
Over this past year, A’Liu had been thoroughly managed by Su Jin—keeping silent for two hours each day, and if he really had to speak, he couldn’t say more than three sentences at a time or more than thirty sentences total.
The station official looked at the seal and realized it was Censor Su returning to the capital to report. He immediately knelt and kowtowed, saying, “This humble one failed to recognize Mount Tai and did not properly greet Your Lordship. Please, Censor, forgive this offense.”
Su Jin said, “No harm done. Rise and speak.”
Only then did the station official hastily stand up, bowing at the waist. “Speaking of this incident, it actually has some connection to the Imperial Censorate. A few years ago, to prevent common people with grievances from being unable to reach the Emperor’s ears, His Majesty set up a Petition Drum outside Chengtian Gate. Does Your Lordship the Censor remember?”
Su Jin nodded.
The Petition Drum was specially established by Emperor Jingyuan’s order and guarded by censors from the Imperial Censorate. Any common person with a grievance could come to the capital and strike the drum at Chengtian Gate to cry out their injustice, to be handled directly by the Emperor. If any official interfered, they would be severely punished. Naturally, if the grievance was proven false, the drum striker would also be subjected to severe punishment.
Over the years, it wasn’t that no one had their wrongs redressed through the Petition Drum, but there were also those who were subjected to beatings for striking the drum, and others who died on the road to the capital.
“Those who come to strike the Petition Drum all carry grievous injustices. But just a few days ago, a county magistrate from Shaanxi struck the drum, then without even stating what his grievance was, stood before the drum and took his own life. Don’t you find that strange, Your Lordship?”
Su Jin asked, “He didn’t even have a written complaint?”
“None.” The station official shook his head. “What’s even stranger comes next. After the magistrate committed suicide, His Majesty had already ordered censors to investigate. But the very next day, someone who looked like a scholar came to strike the drum, and after striking it, he also committed suicide.”
Hearing this, Tan Zhaolin’s eyes widened. “Why does it look like this magistrate and scholar arranged it beforehand?”
The station official said, “This humble official doesn’t know, but I heard the two did indeed stay at the same inn.” Then he continued, “After these two strange cases, His Majesty was furious and ordered the Imperial Censorate, the Ministry of Justice, and the capital yamen to investigate together. Who knew that after just two days of investigation, just now, another person died in front of the Petition Drum.”
Su Jin’s gaze sharpened as she asked, “Who died this time?”
The station official said, “In answer to Your Lordship the Censor, this humble official doesn’t know, but I heard from the errand boy at the tea pavilion just now that this time the deceased is a woman.”
Su Jin pondered briefly, then clasped her hands behind her back and walked toward the carriage. “Let’s go take a look.”
After entering Zhengyang Gate, they found that everyone in the city was rushing toward Chengtian Gate. The patrol censors and the Military Patrol Bureau had no choice but to set up barriers at various intersections to prevent congestion.
Su Jin had no alternative but to have A’Liu hang the inspection supervisor’s placard on the front of the carriage, and only then did they proceed smoothly all the way.
There was still a large crowd of onlookers gathered in front of Chengtian Gate.
Tan Zhaolin boldly pushed through the crowd. Below the Petition Drum indeed lay a soaking wet female corpse, and a censor had already arrived to investigate.
The censor’s surname was Yan. He had met Su Jin at the Imperial Censorate before. Several junior clerks from the Imperial Censorate followed behind him.
Su Jin stepped forward, clasped her hands and bowed. “Lord Yan.”
Yan Xiu looked up, was momentarily stunned, then raised his hands in an even deeper bow. “I didn’t know Lord Su had arrived in the capital. The journey must have been arduous.”
The two were originally of equal rank, but Yan Xiu’s deep bow was not without reason.
Just after the New Year, Emperor Jingyuan’s chronic illness had not improved. Perhaps fearing that when he departed for the west there would be no one available for the new emperor to use, he had promoted many high-ranking officials in succession. Within the Imperial Censorate alone, Zhao Yan had been promoted to Right Chief Censor, and Qian Yueqian had been promoted to Left Vice Chief Censor. Since positions in the Imperial Censorate were already scarce, with these promotions, there was no one to fill the vacancies for Left and Right Assistant Chief Censors.
Therefore, although it hadn’t been explicitly stated, everyone in the court, from top to bottom, guessed that this time Emperor Jingyuan’s edict ordering Su Jin, whose political achievements were outstanding, to turn back to the capital midway was to promote her to the position of Assistant Chief Censor of the fourth rank.
Su Jin said, “I should have rested at the courier station for one night and returned to the Imperial Censorate tomorrow to report, but while still outside Yingtian City, I heard something had happened here, so I hurried over to take a look.” She then asked, “What’s the situation now?”
Yan Xiu turned back to look. Seeing that the clerks and coroner still had much to do, he invited Su Jin aside and lowered his voice. “Not good.” He glanced at the sky and continued, “Early this morning, His Majesty summoned Lord Liu, Lord Zhao, Lord Qian, as well as officials from the Ministry of Justice and the capital yamen to discuss matters in Fengtian Hall. The sky is almost dark now, and they still haven’t come out. Now another incident has occurred. I really don’t know how to explain this.”
Su Jin looked back at the female corpse and asked, “Did this one drown herself by jumping into the river?”
Yan Xiu said, “Yes. The first two—one died from collision and one stabbed himself in the neck with a dagger—we couldn’t prevent. When this one came, the clerks were extremely careful. After all, we can’t stop people from striking the drum, right? Who knew that as soon as she finished striking it, she turned around and plunged into the moat.”
Su Jin said, “But those who drown must have consumed excessive water, causing abdominal swelling. This woman’s figure remains slender with no such condition, which shows she was rescued as soon as she fell into the water. How then could she have drowned?”
Yan Xiu nodded. “Lord Su speaks truly. The coroner said the same thing. He suspects she had already taken poison and died from its effects after striking the drum, so they’re planning to take her back to the yamen for an autopsy.”
Just as they were discussing this, a clerk and the coroner came over to request instructions, asking whether they could immediately take the female corpse back to the capital yamen.
Yan Xiu approved. Several people lifted the corpse onto a flatbed cart, covered it with white cloth, and pushed it away. The crowd of onlookers followed along.
Only then did it quiet down in front of Chengtian Gate. Yan Xiu looked up at the sky again.
Early winter days darkened early. It had just passed the hour of the Monkey, yet everything was already a pale hazy white. The sun was nowhere to be seen, and the surroundings seemed to have grown colder. Yan Xiu drew his sleeves closer, looking troubled. After thinking for a moment, he said, “It’s already late now. Lord Su has been away from home for over a year—you should hurry back to your residence to reunite with your family. It won’t be too late to come to the Imperial Censorate tomorrow. This Yan must remain at the palace for a few more hours, and I will naturally inform Lord Liu that you’ve returned.”
He didn’t know Su Jin’s background, which is why he said such things. In truth, where did she have any family?
Su Jin paid it no mind and instead said, “Lord Yan has looked at the sky twice since just now. Do you have some urgent matter you need to attend to but are being held back? If so, I could help.”
Upon hearing this, Yan Xiu initially wanted to decline, but both matters in his hands were indeed important and could not be delayed. He had no choice but to bow to Su Jin. “In that case, this Yan would be remiss to refuse.”
“Lord Su must already know that the first person to die beneath the Petition Drum was a magistrate surnamed Qu from Luhe County in Shaanxi. This Yan has already investigated. After Magistrate Qu came to the capital, he visited an old friend, but this old friend only saw him once, then refused to see Magistrate Qu again—quite heartless indeed. When Magistrate Qu died a few days ago, this old friend actually said he would hold a funeral for him, and even host a three-day open banquet inviting everyone, whether they knew the deceased or not. This reversal in attitude is truly strange.”
Su Jin calculated the dates and understood. “Today is the last day of the open banquet. Lord Yan originally wanted to take this opportunity to blend in and find out what’s really going on, but unexpectedly another person died at the Petition Drum, and you couldn’t leave, which is why you’re troubled?” She paused, then said, “Lord Yan need not worry. I can go to the open banquet in your stead.”
Yan Xiu thought that there was no other solution at the moment and said, “Then Lord Su, remember this: the family’s surname is Feng. Magistrate Qu’s old friend is the master of this household, named Feng Mengping. The family is in the tea business and lives in Yuniao Lane in the eastern part of the city. The house with two stone lions at the entrance is theirs.”
Su Jin nodded once and turned to leave.
Yan Xiu called out to her and bowed deeply. “Then, truly, many thanks to Lord Su.”
Su Jin said, “Lord Yan is too kind.”
Yan Xiu straightened up with a smile. “Lord Su may not know this, but two months ago when His Majesty’s edict ordering your return to the capital came down, everyone at the Imperial Censorate, inside and out, was delighted. Lord Qian even said that when you return, he would find a day to host a banquet in your honor. Lord Liu normally doesn’t like commotion, but that day he didn’t refuse either.”
Hearing this, Su Jin paused and asked, “Lord Liu—is he well?”
Yan Xiu said, “He’s well, but still the same as always—overworking himself, often sleeping at the Imperial Censorate. Apart from official duties, it’s nothing but official duties.” He smiled again. “Once this Petition Drum matter is resolved, the New Year should be approaching. His Majesty’s birthday also falls around that time. His Majesty is in good spirits this year and plans to celebrate properly. He’s already issued an edict ordering all the princes with fiefs to return to the capital. Those traveling quickly might arrive in the capital any day now. Our Imperial Censorate will also take a few days off around the New Year.”
Su Jin’s gaze dimmed slightly. After a moment, she looked up again and asked, “Is the Thirteenth Prince also returning?”
Yan Xiu said, “He’s also returning, but it seems I heard someone say that some matter in Nanchang Prefecture has delayed him, so he’ll be a few days late.” He smiled again. “Lord Su, you haven’t been in the capital this past year, so you don’t know how many things have happened. When you have time later, this Yan will tell you about them one by one.”
Su Jin nodded. “Then I’ll thank Lord Yan in advance.”
The sky darkened incredibly fast. What had been pale and hazy just moments ago was now filled with gathering dusk, as if the earth was holding up a mass of blue-gray fog. Su Jin walked forward through the misty colors, and a trace of trepidation suddenly arose in her heart.
It was the trepidation of nearing home.
This was the first time she had such a feeling.
Actually, the courier stations and the Office of Transmission all had official gazettes, and neither Liu Chaoming nor Zhu Nanxian were obscure figures—anyone with attention could learn about them from the gazettes.
So she knew that after the forged imperial seal document case in Suzhou Prefecture was exposed, Liu Chaoming submitted a memorial to the court suggesting the establishment of tallies (Note 2). All officials dispatched externally would carry tallies for verification to distinguish authentic from fake documents. At the time, Emperor Jingyuan was greatly pleased and said that Minister Liu was extremely wise. It was a pity he had already reached the pinnacle of officialdom and could not be promoted further in rank. Even so, the Emperor ordered him into the Grand Secretariat to draft proposals alongside a group of veteran ministers, wielding considerable power.
She also knew that after Zhu Nanxian established his princedom in Nanchang, he had quelled bandit disturbances within just two months, opened the granaries and distributed grain so that the people who had suffered from the bandits had food to eat each day. He subsequently lightened corvée duties and reduced taxes, personally working to ensure that every farming household had fields to cultivate and every merchant household had goods to sell. He then established his own princely guard. Within half a year, he had already achieved considerable success. By autumn of this year, the tax grain estimated from Nanchang Prefecture was actually double that of the previous year.
Su Jin pushed through the misty colors and saw Tan Zhaolin and A’Liu waiting for her at the lane entrance.
Tan Zhaolin asked, “My lord, should we go back to the courier station to rest?”
Su Jin recalled Yan Xiu’s earlier words and shook her head. “No, I still have matters to attend to. Zhaolin, you haven’t been home for over a year—go back and see your family first.” She then looked at A’Liu. “You too. Go back to the Liu residence first to see your Third Brother. He must miss you very much.”