In the finest rooms of the relay station, “Zheng the Seventh” and Shen Ying sat across from one another, about to discuss the plans ahead.
Shen Ying had another matter weighing on his mind and addressed it to Zheng the Seventh. “Seventh Young Master, I came here with no other ambition than to look after my nephew.”
Zheng the Seventh said, “Of course. You and your nephew must not have seen each other in quite some time.”
“Twenty years, more or less,” Shen Ying said with a light sigh. “And it’s not entirely for him. I also have a niece who was displaced to this region. I came partly to find her. The witchcraft case — I leave that entirely in Seventh Young Master’s hands. I only want my nephew safe, and then to find my poor niece, and bring both of them to the capital to see my mother and elder sister…”
Zheng the Seventh asked, “And this niece — who is she?”
Shen Ying said, “When our family suffered a great calamity back then — my eldest sister had married into the Chen family, and the Chens have done fairly well these past years. My eldest nephew, though banished from the capital to watch over the old family home, has at least had food and clothing. My second sister died young. My third sister married into the Feng Family — Seventh Young Master knows their situation, it was even worse than ours. My third sister was to be confiscated as the property of a convicted official’s family. She had only just given birth to a small daughter, and amid the chaos she ordered a servant to take the child out and entrust her to an old friend of her husband’s to raise.”
Zheng the Seventh said, “Knowing where she went, finding her should not be difficult.”
Shen Ying had his own official duties, and though he was only the deputy, he could not afford to be negligent — and he was eager both to see his nephew and find his niece, anxious on both fronts. He gave a light cough. “Then shall we set off?”
Zheng the Seventh asked with genuine concern, “Can your health manage it?”
The reason Shen Ying had patiently held back and not rushed ahead was partly that Zheng the Seventh as the principal envoy had to come first, and partly that Shen Ying’s constitution was not especially robust — a prolonged period of exile had taken its toll on a man raised in luxury.
Shen Ying said with conviction, “I am quite all right.”
Both men resolved on the spot: since the relay station was not far from the prefecture city, they would set out at once and ride straight to the city — no need to have themselves received with ceremony. Besides, the prefectural governor was already injured; it would be meaningless to insist on him hobbling out to greet them.
Zheng the Seventh said, “In that case, let’s move now — wait any longer and we risk the suspects escaping.”
Only then did Shen Ying stand up, asking as he rose, “Seventh Young Master has good methods — you’ve already gotten to the bottom of it?”
Zheng the Seventh smiled with restraint. “Good luck. I merely happened upon the right person.”
It was at this moment that the prefecture clerks came charging in screaming for their lives.
Zheng the Seventh and Shen Ying exchanged a glance. Zheng the Seventh gave a slight nod, and Jin Liang went out to ask, “What is the matter?”
The prefecture’s clerk had already fallen to his knees outside the door. In a posture of pitiful, stumbling desperation, he tumbled into the room and wailed: “Beg Your Excellency to save the entire city’s officials and clerks from disaster!”
Zheng the Seventh and Shen Ying settled back into their seats. “Slowly — take your time and explain.”
Given the chance to speak, the clerk had quite a lot to say.
The most urgent point had to come first: “If you had not come, Your Excellency, the prisoners in the gaol would have been taken away by Imperial Envoy Zhong! Key suspects in the witchcraft case! Your Excellency’s case!”
Zheng the Seventh had already gotten a fairly complete picture of the city’s affairs over the past two days, but having someone come and explain things in person, he wasn’t going to refuse a free briefing — he let the clerk speak fully.
The clerk’s account did not differ greatly from what Jin Liang had found out, but contained details Jin Liang’s inquiries couldn’t have uncovered.
According to the clerk, ever since Zhong Yi arrived, almost half the runners and clerks of the entire prefecture and its subordinate counties had been arrested. Beatings and fines, and a few had been beaten to death — they deserved it, more or less, and no one mourned them. But these were the men who handled the routine work of the yamens. Without them, many official tasks simply couldn’t get done. Five people’s work now fell to two — and you still wanted them to investigate a case?
Completely unmanageable! Even releasing the half-dead ones back out to “make amends through service” — half-dead they were, what could they do? It was almost like saying directly that Zhong Yi had brought this on himself. You’ve beaten all the workhorses to ruin — and then you expect us to plow and grind? Drag it out. Just drag it out until he gives up.
The clerk concluded: “The entire prefecture, every county — every colleague has been waiting and praying for you two to arrive! Give the word, Your Excellency, and even if it kills us, we’ll get this witchcraft case completely worked out and placed on your desk!”
This was stepping on Imperial Envoy Zhong’s dignity to deliver the credit to Zheng and Shen.
But: “Please get here soon, Your Excellency! The later you arrive, the greater the chance the prisoners get transferred away — and then you’ll have to spar with that one!”
Zheng the Seventh smiled. “What is there to hurry? Your governor is injured and should be resting properly. Imperial Envoy Zhong is only concerned that with the governor down, you won’t keep proper watch over the prisoners — he’s helping your governor by lightening his burden. Once I arrive and speak to him — or put it in a document — he will transfer the prisoners over to me willingly.”
The clerk was both anxious and contemptuous. He thought: what a fortunate birth — born into such a family, and such a young fool gets to hold an office this high! He still hasn’t seen that Imperial Envoy Zhong is trying to steal the credit! He took these two for ordinary privileged young fools.
It was Jin Liang who said, with false nonchalance, “We are all servants of His Majesty, and speed serves His Majesty best. The governor is already lame — if we make him come out to receive us, that looks bad too — people will say you’re without consideration.”
Only then did Zheng the Seventh rise lightly and say to Shen Ying, “Shall we — go?”
“Let’s go.”
The clerk kowtowed from the floor and scrambled upright. “This way, if you please.”
Zheng the Seventh, to his credit, was considerate enough to remember to have someone bring the clerk a basin of water to wash his face. The clerk heaped gratitude upon gratitude and said, “When you arrive in the prefecture city, Your Excellency, you’ll see — we’ve already sorted the case out. If you had come any later, the prefectural governor would have been worked to death! This antagonism has been making his injuries worse by the day — how could he possibly recover like that?”
When the new imperial envoy’s procession entered the city, many had not yet received word, and there were few spectators. Zheng the Seventh and Shen Ying said they weren’t in a hurry, but the moment they entered the city, guided by the clerk, they rode straight to the gaol gate — arriving just in time to find Zhou You and the governor in a standoff.
The governor was more dead than alive by this point, yet still refused to yield — and no one could quite figure out what it was he was still holding on for. That Mister Huang whom Zhù San had seen before was faithfully at the governor’s side, bolstering his resolve. “They’ve gone to the relay station to wait for Imperial Envoy Zheng. Hold firm. Think about it — with the principal envoy not yet arrived, letting someone else take the prisoners away first — what would that look like? Old Jian committed an offense; that already adds a charge of poor oversight to your record — and then the witchcraft case, the prisoners taken by someone else while you were in charge: two imperially-commissioned cases, and he’s dragged you into both…”
The governor had his own calculation. He had started this as a matter of spite — the envoy had arrived and shown him not the slightest courtesy, and his heart had been full of resentment. Now, listening to Mister Huang’s reasoning, which had its own logic, he couldn’t let go. And on top of that, the moment he was injured, Zhong Yi had moved to exploit the situation — utterly despicable!
This breath — he had staked it.
The governor was barely able to string sentences together anymore, but he held his ground — and this was driving Zhou You half mad. “What are you doing, lying here refusing to budge? Why not go home and rest, instead of dying here? Do you want to die here or something?”
One word after another of “die” — a healthy governor could be enraged, let alone one already compromised. The governor was goaded into rolling his eyes. Zhou You, seeing this, said, “All you incompetent fools — why don’t you carry him away for treatment? You should have been arrested together with him from the start. Stopping interference with your superior officer now! Say it! What is your motive?!”
Mister Huang loathed him from the depths of his soul: you wait — when the real envoy gets here, we’ll work together and get the witchcraft case done brilliantly for him! Don’t dream of squeezing any more credit out of us.
The two sides were locked in this standoff, the governor lying there rigid and motionless between them.
This was the scene Zheng the Seventh and his party rode up to.
Zhou You and Zheng the Seventh knew each other — both were young scions of the capital’s aristocracy, Zheng the Seventh a few years Zhou You’s senior, yet surpassing him in everything. One could say that Zhou You’s cohort had grown up hearing Zheng the Seventh’s name. So half of them looked up to Zheng the Seventh as a model and counted it an honor to associate with him — while the other half were like a monkey with a tightening headband who, at the mere sound of Zheng the Seventh’s name, ground their teeth in irritation and wanted to yank the wretched thing off, throw it to the ground, and stamp it to pieces.
Zhou You was the latter.
He crossed his arms. “Oh? You’re here…”
Zheng the Seventh nodded. “I’m here. Jin Liang, please see Zhou Young Master to a place to rest.”
Zhou You hadn’t even finished his sentence before Jin Liang had “escorted” him away. In Zhù San’s estimation Jin Liang was a blunt and square lump, but he had a particular skill for handling Zhou You — he went up, pinched Zhou You’s arm, and said, “Young Master Zhou, there are people watching. Don’t lose your composure. You’re twenty-two — it would be embarrassing to be carried off like a two-year-old.”
Zhou You had suffered innumerable humiliations at Zheng the Seventh’s hands throughout his entire life — and was genuinely mortified to lose face before Zheng the Seventh of all people. He could only grind out: “You’ll all pay for this!”
Shen Ying, in his heart, finished the sentence: you’re going back to the capital to lodge a complaint, are you? I’ve only been back a few days and I already know that line of yours, you really are…
Zheng the Seventh even added fuel to the fire: “Please give my regards to Imperial Envoy Zhong when you see him. I’ll look after things here and choose a day to call on him. I’d like to see him before you both depart for the capital.”
Zhou You’s nose was nearly twisted sideways with rage. He cursed, “All pomp and performance!” and wheeled his horse and galloped off, nearly scattering the roadside stalls. Although Zhou You had a childish temper, he still knew what mattered — he rode off at full tilt to report to Zhong Yi.
Here, Zheng the Seventh’s expression remained unchanged. He stepped forward and said to the governor, “I am Zheng Xi.” He had someone produce his seal for the governor to see. Then he looked at the governor: there was no reaction. Jin Liang leaned in and checked his breathing. “Still breathing.”
Mister Huang said, “Your Excellency, this subordinate is the prefecture’s secretary. Please allow Your Excellency to rest first — accommodation has already been arranged. I can show you the way. And please let the governor be taken for treatment. A verdict can be reached on the case tomorrow, when you and the deputy envoy deliberate together. The case is not very difficult.”
Zheng Xi said, “Let your governor be taken for treatment first. I have rested quite long enough. Let me see the prisoners first.”
“But —”
Zheng Xi said, “Close the city gates now. Call together whoever you can call. When the curfew begins, I want them all standing before me.”
Mister Huang was startled. This is someone with a plan, he thought. But what about everything we’ve prepared?
A trace of anxiety came over him. “Your Excellency, rest assured — those who can move at all…”
“I want capable ones. Not those who only hold titles and collect benefits — and not those you’ve kept on to look after some old friend’s orphaned son, giving him a bowl of rice. I want people who can actually do the work. Can you manage that?”
Mister Huang drew a deep breath. “I can!” He ran off to give the orders — close the city gates first, then summon the able and sharp-minded clerks and runners to assemble.
Zheng Xi said to Shen Ying, “Will you look at the prisoners first, or go and see your nephew first?”
Shen Ying smiled with a sardonic edge. “My eldest sister was Chen Luan’s lawfully-wedded first wife — never divorced, never set aside. Every child he has is my nephew.” Chen the Second counted as his nephew too — and also as a suspect in this case.
Zheng Xi said without a moment’s hesitation, “Arrest him.”
Shen Ying said, “Wait — let me go see for myself. Are you trying to get through the whole thing tonight? I’ll bring both of them with me. A night interrogation?”
“That would be best!”
Both men made a pressing-fist salute. Shen Ying said, “Let’s go!”