She knelt there, weeping until she was a mass of tears. Both hands raised as long as they could hold, then fell before her. She was sobbing, and with her left palm upturned, her right hand kept slapping into it — smack smack — weeping, reasoning, doing all three at once without missing a beat: “I paid out a full bride-price to bring someone home — just to kill her for fun? I don’t care about the person, I still care about the money!”

“If she’s lazy and useless, can I not teach her a lesson?”

“If I don’t teach her to work, how does this whole family survive? What family pays out a full bride-price for anything other than a daughter-in-law who’ll honor her in-laws, manage the household, and serve her husband — who would take a revered ancestor in to fuss over?”

This Chen matriarch was before the highest official she’d ever stood before in her life — the full grandeur of the Jingzhao Prefecture all around her — yet she was not in the least at a loss for words. She was also a native of the Jingzhao region, so her accent was not heavy. Though she stammered slightly, everyone around her could hear her clearly. Having heard this reasoning of hers, some of the onlookers were secretly nodding.

These people were not ignorant of human affairs. The ways of household life were common knowledge — even if one’s own household had never seen it, the neighbors’ probably had — these methods of “instructing” a new daughter-in-law. Some privately thought: being a daughter in your own home and being a daughter-in-law in someone else’s home — those were two different things entirely. No household treated a daughter-in-law like a beloved daughter — such a life would be impossible to manage.

Yet watching the Cao family, and especially Ganze’s maternal aunt weeping so wretchedly, it seemed somewhat wrong to voice these thoughts too loudly.

Ganze’s maternal aunt, sobbing between breaths, cried out in a thin, sharp voice: “Does that mean you could kill her?”

A mother who had raised a daughter all her life, only to have her die in the husband’s household — that was heartbreaking. Who did not have parents, wives, and children? Among the onlookers, a soft buzz of discussion quietly rose.

Here and there a phrase broke through: “It’s just fate, I suppose.” “Weren’t they enemies in a past life?”

Zhang Xiangu let out a cold snort. Past lives and debts — what a nonsense excuse. When she herself had been a shaman, any time something couldn’t be explained, she’d pulled out “debt from a past life” as a catch-all. It was an unfailingly reliable piece of rhetoric. Zhù Da said under his breath, “Upright officials have difficulty judging domestic matters…”

That, too, was the sentiment among the onlookers. Affairs within a single household were, most of the time, impossible to judge in clear black and white. An official who could smooth things over was considered a good official.

Zhù Ying stood quietly. An “upright official” only referred to integrity in the matter of incorruptibility. People were sometimes too hasty, assuming that if a person was good in one respect, they were good in all respects — that was wrong. “Incorruptible” and “capable” did not invariably appear in the same person.

Fortunately, Wang Yunhe not only had good character — his ability was more outstanding still. She had a stubborn faith in Wang Yunhe.

Wang Yunhe did not disappoint her. He brought down the gavel — the runners began calling out in low voices to maintain order — and Wang Yunhe continued asking Ganze’s maternal aunt about the interactions between the two families. Ganze’s maternal aunt, mindful of her nephew’s advice, raised only two points: one, her love for her daughter and that the daughter had been raised to be exceptional, hardworking and simple; two, that her daughter had died unjustly.

Wang Yunhe also declined to hear any more of the Chen matriarch’s “reasoning.” He had his own sense of reason — and not only reason, but the law as well! He asked only about the facts of the case, cross-referencing what he had investigated himself with what Zhù Ying had told him, and he had a clear picture in his mind.

He called the coroner and the midwife forward to report their examination findings, one by one. He had one concern: to determine the cause of Cao Shi’s death.

Zhù Ying’s ears perked up when she heard the coroner say that the “ligature marks on the neck were inflicted after death.” She thought to herself: The coroner’s role in murder cases is absolutely crucial. What a pity that coroners are treated as taboo figures everywhere — I need to find a way to learn the full range of their skills. That would make things far more convenient in the future.

She also couldn’t help thinking: Not just ordinary people, but even officials consider coroners’ work taboo. Not many people seem to have learned this craft. How do these people decide murder cases when they don’t even understand the cause of death? They rely entirely on the coroner’s report? And what if a coroner falsifies their report?

On the other side, Wang Yunhe set out the evidence one by one and determined on the spot that this was a case of beating and killing. The Chen family also had several minor charges such as deceiving the authorities. Zhù Ying saw Wang Yunhe’s verdict come out clean and clear, unswayed by the various “mothers and mothers-in-law reasoning,” and thought: This is the kind of person who accomplishes great things.

Beside her, Zhang Xiangu also watched with satisfaction. She said to her husband and daughter, “No wonder Laosan and the neighbors all said this official was a good one — he’s truly a decisive man!” She had a pleased smile on her face. Then she glanced over at Ganze’s mother nearby, let the smile drop from her face, and said in a low, gratified voice: “This official is decisive — he certainly won’t be as slow as a county yamen or a prefectural yamen. He’ll deliver a clean verdict of death for the killer. I’ll come watch the beheading in autumn!”

Having been in the capital these past months, she also knew enough to understand that sentencing someone to death didn’t mean killing them immediately. She said, “These people who torment good people’s children — let the wretched thing sit in prison and suffer all those villains’ hardships first! Laosan, don’t you think?”

Zhù Ying, however, frowned slightly: “Don’t talk. Watch — it’s not so simple.”

“Why not? What could be the problem?”

While mother and daughter exchanged those few words, the Chen family was already crying out their grievance. They now admitted the person had been killed by them “in a fit of anger, through an unfortunate accident,” but the Chen son argued forcefully: “This daughter-in-law was a vicious woman who cursed my parents. She thought herself a relative of a noble household’s servant, so she always tried to have things done her way in the husband’s family — making father-in-law and mother-in-law and husband all follow her lead. She also criticized my mother for doing this wrong, doing that wrong, saying she was a country bumpkin. I was overcome with anger for a moment, and I struck her a couple of times. How was I to know I would hit her at such an unlucky angle, and she died.”

The onlookers buzzed again. Zhang Xiangu said angrily, “Rubbish! A woman who’d be picky and demanding would have gone to attach herself to a higher branch long ago — she’d never have followed this poor wretch home!”

Her voice was slightly too loud. Those nearby heard her and, feeling she had a small point, glanced at her.

Zhù Ying sighed quietly. The countryside around the capital had seen more of the world than most places — this Chen boy truly knew how to find his excuses!

She looked at Wang Yunhe. Wang Yunhe’s expression also showed a flicker of displeasure. Husband killing wife — the severity of the sentence would be reduced if the wife had been found to curse the in-laws. And if the wife had indeed cursed her in-laws, proving it now was extremely difficult. The Chen family all lived together as a clan — who among them would not side with their own kin? Even those who privately sympathized with the Cao girl would not come forward as witnesses — they still had to go on living in this village, generation after generation, for the rest of time.

Zhang Xiangu clutched her daughter’s sleeve anxiously. “Laosan — what does this mean?”

Ganze had also squeezed over and, face twitching, asked Zhù Ying in a low voice: “Sanlang, what do you think of this…”

Zhù Ying looked up at the hall. Wang Yunhe sat quietly watching the hall fill again with the sounds of argument. He had already reached his judgment. Yet he brought the gavel down one more time, called a recess, and announced that despite the evidence being complete and the defendant having confessed, since this was a capital case, he still intended to discuss further with the deputy prefect before delivering the final verdict — to give it proper weight.

The defendants and witnesses were all taken back into custody. Ganze pulled at Zhù Ying’s sleeve on one side and would not let go. He turned to Zhù Da and said, “Uncle, Auntie — I need to borrow Sanlang for a few words.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “We’re all family here — no need to step away. What is it? Kill the guilty, repay debts with money — what could be complicated? This official is a just man, a decisive man — what could be the difficulty?”

Ganze only looked at Zhù Ying. Zhù Ying drew him to a secluded corner and asked quietly: “In the brawl — did that man raise his hand? Does Second Uncle have any injuries on him?”

Ganze said, “I’ll go ask.”

Zhù Ying said, “Don’t ask — say. Say that Second Uncle was beaten by the son-in-law.”

“Hm?”

“If there are no injuries, take him right now to a quiet spot and give him a good stick across the back.”

“Who lacks his family a couple of coppers for medicine?”

Zhù Ying said, “If you don’t want your little sister’s body buried in the Chen family’s ancestral land, do what I say!”

Ganze, hearing her say this, trusted her and went off quickly. Before long he came back and said, “At the time everything was chaos. He took two blows to the shoulder — no idea who did it, but the bruise is still there. Do we still need to do it?”

Zhù Ying said, “That’s enough.”

Ganze still wanted to ask more, but Wang Yunhe came back out. Another strike of the gavel, and with a grave expression Wang Yunhe delivered his verdict: the Chen son who had beaten his wife to death, by law, was to be sentenced to penal servitude. He then said that the claim of the wife having cursed her in-laws was unsupported by evidence, yet could not be entirely dismissed, and so the years of servitude were reduced by half. Both families had sustained injuries to members, so neither party was required to compensate the other, but the Chen family was required to properly bury Cao Shi.

When Ganze and the others heard that the Chen son would not have to forfeit his life, they were indignant but dared not argue. Then Ganze heard “burial” and remembered what Zhù Ying had told him about the “beating.” He shoved his maternal uncle forward at once, saying, “This animal beat people too!”

Though he was a respected servant of the noble household, he had not read widely in law, and did not understand what Zhù Ying had in mind. He only thought: if I say this creature beat people, maybe the judge will give him a heavier sentence!

On that side, the Chen family also cried out, “They hit us too!”

A trace of a smile crossed Zhù Ying’s face.

Wang Yunhe said to those on either side of him, “Now this is easy to decide.”

The deputy prefect and others also said, “Indeed. Even though Cao Shi has already died, it still qualifies as ‘severance of conjugal ties.'”

And so it was declared on the spot: the Chen son’s beating of his father-in-law satisfied the condition of “husband assaulting wife’s parents,” constituting a severance of the marital bond. Cao Shi was entitled to be returned to her own family. The certificate of dissolution was issued on the spot, with her parents present to collect her body, take her home for burial, and the Chen family was ordered to pay five strings of cash as burial expenses. Both families were to return the other’s betrothal gifts and dowry.

Ganze let out a great breath and said quietly to his parents, “It was thanks to Sanlang’s advice.”

Sanlang’s face, however, showed not the slightest happiness. Zhang Xiangu kept pulling at her daughter, asking: “Why did he still get to escape with his life? Why wasn’t he killed? Didn’t a good daughter just die for nothing?”

Zhù Ying said quietly, “No matter who delivered this verdict, in this case alone, he could not escape punishment — but a heavier punishment could not be imposed.”

Her heart was deeply disappointed. She had placed great hope in Wang Yunhe, yet the case Wang Yunhe had decided was exactly as the law books prescribed — not an inch beyond.

Zhù Da said to Zhang Xiangu, “Will you stop your muttering?”

Zhang Xiangu’s voice went even quieter, but she still managed a final face-saving remark: “Laosan — why was he not made to forfeit his life? Didn’t you say this official was very just? Tell me — was this judgment fair?”

Zhù Ying glanced at her and looked away, quietly watching everything on the hall and below.

The onlookers saw the “son-in-law hit the father-in-law” and all said the son-in-law was in the wrong — the dissolution of the marriage was fitting.

On that side, no matter how much the Chen matriarch wept, what had to be decided was still decided. With the murder case settled, the case of the mass brawl was simpler still. Nothing of the “domestic affairs” entanglement, just straightforward law applied as appropriate. Wang Yunhe showed even more humanity here — of all those who had participated in the brawl, those over fifty would not be beaten in person: their sons and nephews were brought forward in their place to receive the blows.

A long bench was dragged right there before the hall. The defendants’ clothing was stripped, and the punishment was carried out. The Chen son, sentenced to penal servitude, was also brought forward for forty strokes of the paddle. Wang Yunhe added an additional forty strokes for “contempt of court.” However, these eighty strokes were not delivered all at once, but divided over two days — forty today, another forty in a few days — to prevent killing him outright with eighty strokes in one session.

Before the hall, a chorus of wailing rose. The Cao and Chen families, while being beaten, cried out their grievances — until the beating was done. Those who had taken part in the brawl were released. The Chen son was taken back into custody to await the next forty strokes. His parents were told: “Go home and pack your things and bring them over — after the beating, he’ll be sent away!”

Neither side was fully satisfied with the outcome, yet neither could say they were completely unsatisfied either. Wang Yunhe had ruled with perfect clarity, and the observers felt as though they had learned something new — most seemed satisfied. No one could find fault with Wang Yunhe’s judgment. Others might let it pass, but Zhù Ying’s heart was full of depression — far more downcast than the grumbling Zhang Xiangu.

Zhang Xiangu had muttered for a while, then said one more sentence: “What kind of law is this? It doesn’t even make sense.”

Zhù Ying, afraid she might say something even more unpleasant, quickly said, “All right — in a few days he’ll get another beating. If you’re not satisfied, come watch then.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “Oh dear — I wonder how poor Ganze is taking all this.”

Zhù Da had a mind full of thoughts. He looked at his daughter, then at his wife, who looked ready to stir up more trouble. He said, not unkindly, “You think you’re indispensable! What business is it of yours what’s happening in Ganze’s family? They’ve just had something terrible happen — do they have time to deal with you?”

Zhang Xiangu said, “What do you know! I can see they’re about to collect the girl’s body — going over to say a word or two, burning some paper money for her, that’s a decent thing to do.”

Zhù Da resisted for a moment, then finally nodded. “Fine! Just don’t add to their troubles.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “You’re the one who adds to trouble!”

Zhù Ying said, “I’ll come with you.”

The family of three found Ganze. Zhang Xiangu explained why she had come. Ganze’s eyes were red: “Uncle, Auntie — thank you both for your kindness.” He wanted to thank Zhù Ying too. Ganze’s family also bowed to Zhù Ying in thanks.

Zhù Ying said, “Let’s see to the matter at hand first.”

Before long, Ganze’s maternal family led out a thin-planked coffin. A yamen runner came out with it and said, “The magistrate is kindhearted — we mustn’t be stingy either. This cart is being lent to you. You’ll need to return it.”

Ganze clasped his hands and said, “Don’t worry.” He then tried to give the runner a few hundred cash. The runner took only one string of a hundred cash and said, “The magistrate doesn’t allow soliciting bribes — but for a murder case and a funeral, one can take a small token. The day is getting late and curfew is coming. Move quickly.”

Ganze said to Zhù Ying, “Sanlang — great kindness cannot be expressed in words…”

Zhù Ying waved it off. “No need for all those formal words. Do you need sutras chanted and paper money burned tonight?” As she said this, Zhang Xiangu had already volunteered herself.

Ganze said, “Uncle and Auntie are no longer what they once were. You are the parents of an official — you really can’t ply this trade anymore. If word got out, Sanlang would be made things difficult for. We’ll go home first, and tomorrow I’ll engage monks and Taoist priests to chant sutras. Your kind thoughts are deeply appreciated.”

Zhang Xiangu was deeply disappointed, then muttered one more time about killing the killer.

Zhù Ying suddenly said, “Elder Brother Ganze, you should go back to the household tonight and tell Lord Zheng about things here. Just tell him what you saw and heard — don’t add anything to it.”

Ganze had originally been on leave, but by this point he was entirely deferential to Zhù Ying’s judgment: “All right — I’ll do as you say.”

Zhù Ying said, “Parting is fate — when will Second Aunt be returning? I’ll come over to burn an incense stick.”

Ganze said, “Depends on what Second Uncle decides.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “You go tend to your business — your father and I have nothing urgent to do. We’ll go over early tomorrow morning.” Ganze’s parents also said, “Don’t hold up Sanlang’s proper work.” They sent Ganze hurrying back to the noble household. The outside matters they would handle themselves.

The two sides each returned home.

Back at home, Zhang Xiangu was still smoldering. At dinner she had no appetite at all — just shooed Zhù Ying and her father off to eat and sleep.

Zhù Ying woke the next morning feeling calm and went off to the Court of Judicial Review for duty as usual. She was up early and arrived early, but Zheng Xi and the others had already gone to court.

At the Court of Judicial Review she ran into Magistrate Hu. Magistrate Hu asked, “Well?”

Zhù Ying said, “The verdict has been delivered.” She told him everything she had seen and heard. Magistrate Hu said with surprise, “Prefect Wang moved so quickly! The verdict was just.” He then thought: He’s already handled it all so tidily — everything thought through. How on earth am I supposed to write the review commentary?

He glanced at Zhù Ying and thought: What a pity — in a few more years’ seasoning, she’d be the right one to ask what she thought. Too green yet. This sort of thing is not her business.

Investigating, gathering evidence, applying the law — Zhù Ying could manage that well enough now. But writing the review commentary was an entirely different matter from investigating.

Magistrate Hu said, “You did well. Go back and carry on with your work. Do your best!” He was sincere in saying this, and genuinely willing to plant a seed of goodwill. He looked at Zhù Ying again — not a flicker of expression, bearing praise without pride and blame without resentment. Magistrate Hu thought admiringly: Good! The makings of someone who will accomplish great things.

What he did not know was that Zhù Ying had already worked something out for herself the day before: kill the guilty, repay debts — these were the most elemental principles of the world. Yet once the king’s law came into it, even the most just judge could not make a killer forfeit his life.

Then what use was this justice?

What use was this “justice”?

She was now an official at this Court of Judicial Review. Compared to when she had been a shaman back in her home village, aside from eating better and living better, at the core of it she could not see what essential difference there was. What was more — Wang Yunhe’s virtue was among the best of all officials. Even giving everything he had, he still could not avoid upholding the position of a killer.

The assembled court officials were no more simply admirable or nobly principled than a shaman.

Leaving Magistrate Hu’s desk, Zhù Ying smiled soundlessly.

Since the court officials have no justice to offer, I need not confine myself either.

Returning to her own desk, Assessors Wang and the others asked, “What happened?”

Zhù Ying told them again. Assessors Wang and the others said, “Prefect Wang truly is a conscientious man.” They all said that in cases like this, far too often the result was a muddled compromise, and compared to that, the mass brawl was the more serious matter. As for Cao Shi’s death — that was put down to “karmic debt from past lives.”

While they were talking, Zheng Xi and the others returned. Then the well-connected Yang the Sixth from the neighboring Taichang Temple came over to chat again. And so it came out that at this morning’s court assembly, Wang Yunhe had submitted a memorial about the case he had just decided. Wang Yunhe had argued that the husband’s family simply saying a daughter-in-law had cursed her in-laws — without evidence — should not be sufficient grounds to reduce the punishment for beating her to death. He proposed that it must first be reported to the authorities that the daughter-in-law was disobedient, and then if the daughter-in-law was struck dead afterward, the punishment could be reduced. If a life were taken and only after the fact the husband’s family claimed the daughter-in-law had been disobedient, the authorities need not give this any weight.

Everyone praised Wang Yunhe’s thoroughness. Only Zhù Ying thought: “Disobedience” is far too easy to claim! This patch, this workaround, is better than nothing. But this life — I will make that man pay for it.

Though her mind was made up, Zhù Ying spent the day at the Court of Judicial Review exactly as she always did. Today was not her duty day, and when the time came she packed up her things and left. The Left Judicial Assessor and Assessors Wang and the others laughed: “After all, still a child — must be something new and interesting to go see.”

Zhù Ying had nothing new or interesting to see.

The moment she left the palace gates she encountered Ganze. Ganze came forward and said quietly, “I saw Qilang yesterday. He said that as long as Prefect Wang judged it impartially, this was how it would be decided. Even if it were he, there would be no other way. I also know — in the countryside, plenty of wives are beaten to death and it just gets swept under the rug. Only…”

Zhù Ying nodded.

Ganze said through gritted teeth, “Second Uncle and Second Aunt have gone back. Before they left they told me to thank you — if not for your help and advice, my little sister likely could not have been brought home…” He paused, eyes reddening again.

Zhù Ying said, “In a few days that man will get another beating.”

Ganze gave a cold laugh. “I’ll be there watching in person, counting each stroke! His family doesn’t get to bribe the runners to let him off this round!”

Zhù Ying said, “Are you waiting for Lord Zheng?”

“Yes.”

Zhù Ying bid him farewell and went home. Zhù Da and Zhang Xiangu were both there. Zhang Xiangu said, “Their parents have taken the girl home. We burned some incense and paper money for you, to ask her spirit in heaven to look out for you out of gratitude for your help and keep you safe and sound in the days ahead. You don’t need to go over.”

Zhù Ying said, “Right. I’ll change clothes — there’s something else to deal with outside. Back for dinner.”

Zhang Xiangu asked, “What is it?”

“Official business.”

Zhang Xiangu didn’t press further. “Quick and come back.”

Zhù Ying changed, took some money, and went out. She bought a few boxes of pastries and headed to the Jingzhao Prefecture prison. The head jailer and the prison guards were both pleased to see her and asked: “A rare visitor — what wind blew you here again? It’s nearly curfew.”

Zhù Ying said, “I need a favor, Uncle and Elder Brother.”

The two quickly asked what the matter was. Zhù Ying said, “Actually it’s two things — both coming out of that case yesterday. After watching that hearing, I thought — handling cases properly requires knowing something about examining bodies and wounds. I don’t need to master it all — just know enough so I don’t make mistakes in the future. You know what happened to the Court of Judicial Review and the Ministry of Justice not so long ago.”

“That’s true.”

“Yesterday I saw that the Jingzhao coroner had excellent skills, but unfortunately I have no acquaintance there. I was wondering whether you might arrange an introduction. I’d provide tea and gifts appropriately and wouldn’t have you put in your goodwill for nothing.”

The prison guard, young and lively, urged the head jailer on: “I think it’s fine — it’s just a conversation, not stealing his livelihood.”

The head jailer, measured, said, “Since the young official thinks well of us, I’ll put my old face on the line and go find him. And the second thing?”

Zhù Ying then mentioned the matter of the paddle beating. “I’ve also heard that the way blows are dealt can be lighter or heavier? I wanted to ask who handles that sort of thing.”

The head jailer’s expression became grave. “What does the young official want to do with this? This is not something you can look into — let me warn you now — Prefect Wang’s eyes are sharp as needles!”

Zhù Ying smiled. “I have no intention of bribing someone to beat him heavier or lighter. I just want to understand the differences, so I can make my own assessments going forward.”

The head jailer shook his head, hesitated, then nodded. “All right. Young official — I’m afraid of you. You’re a clever person. Even if I refused, you’d find other ways to learn this. Better we reach a gentleman’s agreement — you must not drag us into it.”

Zhù Ying said, “Agreed!” She gave them both the pastries she had brought.

The two made an arrangement with Zhù Ying: the following day, they would speak on her behalf. She would come after leaving the Imperial City and the three of them would meet. They would tell her then whether it had worked.

The next day, Zhù Ying spent another day drifting through the Court of Judicial Review. Toward evening she came to the Jingzhao prison. Today the head jailer had arranged for a guard to be on duty and came himself to meet Zhù Ying: “Young official, young official — your luck is extraordinary. Both agreed. When would be convenient for you? I’ll lead the way.”

Zhù Ying said, “You must have said kind things on my behalf — I will certainly show my gratitude.”

The head jailer waved it off repeatedly. “I couldn’t possibly accept.”

Zhù Ying said, “If it’s not inconvenient, could we go tonight?”

The head jailer said, “Very well.”

Zhù Ying went and bought some gifts, and they went with the head jailer first to the coroner’s home. The coroner’s house was in an out-of-the-way part of the neighborhood but had its own small courtyard — smaller than what Zhù Ying was renting but, having been in the family for generations, was their own. It was clean and tidy inside, with a faint smell of medicine and incense candles.

The coroner had already been persuaded by the head jailer, who had said: “This young official has a very agreeable manner — as long as no one offends him, he is extremely courteous, and knows how to handle people, and his thinking is steady, his abilities great, and his backing strong.” The coroner therefore did not treat Zhù Ying’s youth and politeness as an opportunity to be difficult. He said pleasantly, “Everyone else keeps their distance from us — yet this young official actually comes looking. What is there to be wary of?”

Zhù Ying smiled. “Why would I keep my distance from someone with skill? What is there to be squeamish about? Those people don’t understand. They don’t know that the living are far more frightening than the dead. These small gifts are a mere token.”

The head jailer said, “Old Yang is the finest coroner here — no worse than those at the Court of Judicial Review.” At this point he suddenly remembered that the Court of Judicial Review certainly had its own coroners, and wondered why Zhù Ying would come to the Jingzhao coroner instead.

Zhù Ying had her own reasons and did not explain. Coroner Yang also didn’t dare take Zhù Ying on as a formal student — Zhù Ying was now an official, and Coroner Yang would not dare claim to be her master. The two left the matter loosely defined. Zhù Ying called him “Master Yang,” and Yang the coroner called Zhù Ying “Young Official.” They agreed on the days when Zhù Ying would come to study.

Leaving the coroner’s home, the head jailer led her to meet a constable he knew. The head jailer’s acquaintance was no ordinary constable but a chief constable. This chief constable and the head jailer were friends, and he was very polite: “What could we possibly teach the young official?”

Zhù Ying smiled: “What trade doesn’t have its tricks? I’m not trying to steal your livelihood — I’m just looking after my own, wanting to know a little more.”

This was exactly the right thing to say — showing she was not one of those young officials who went around looking down on everyone the moment they got a post. The chief constable still said: “We runners just follow where the superiors lead — if the superiors are lenient, we’re lenient; if they’re strict, we’re strict. We don’t dare have views of our own.”

Zhù Ying said, “Which means you know both lenient and strict — what a treasure I’ve found!” She also thanked the head jailer for finding the right person, and made clear she would show her gratitude with a gift.

The chief constable said, “I don’t dare accept. Although I wear a constable’s uniform, I’m just trying to make a living.”

Zhù Ying said, “I understand your meaning — I won’t put anyone in a difficult position. If I cause difficulty for you today and drag Uncle into it, who would ever help me again? I’m new to this capital — how could I not work with people? I’m young — I’ve got the rest of my life ahead. Don’t worry — there are long days ahead for all of us to deal with together.”

The head jailer pushed enthusiastically, and the chief constable could no longer hold back. “Fine! Young official speaks sensibly and reliably — I’ll follow the young official’s lead.” That settled it.

The three of them started talking about yesterday’s case. Zhù Ying took the opportunity and asked, “The way blows can be heavier or lighter — what’s the story there?”

The chief constable said, “That requires practice. Some blows cause internal injury — nothing visible on the outside, but the inside has already been damaged. Others look terrible but are all surface, and a few days of rest sets it right. Though now nobody dares do these things in front of Prefect Wang.”

Zhù Ying asked, “How do you tell the difference? And how would you know?”

The chief constable gave her some pointers: “Actually, as long as the officials pay attention, they can understand this. There are rules — after a beating, watch for a certain number of days. If death occurs within those days, it counts as having been beaten to death. Officials deciding cases work by the same principle — in brawl cases, some die right there during the fighting, others die of serious wounds two days later, but it still counts as the one who struck them being responsible for the death. Other officials didn’t pay attention to this — if it passed, it passed. Prefect Wang is different — he will ask and investigate. In the old days, eighty strokes and you were done in one go. Only he follows the rule and delivers forty, then forty more. Sanlang—”

Zhù Ying nodded. “There’s a provision in the law for that.”

“Hah! There’s a provision, but there always has been — it’s just not always followed… Like that one yesterday — beating his mother-in-law to death and killing her, well, that’s what happened. If not for Prefect Wang’s careful attention, that woman would have died for nothing. Hah! An upright official has difficulty with domestic matters — ordinary officials just muddle through without getting to the bottom of it. Let me tell you, young official — if it weren’t for the brawl, just the killing of a daughter-in-law, plenty of families wouldn’t even take it to the yamen. What’s the point? Nothing but a muddled outcome, wasted money, and still a beating at the end. Truth is — if it weren’t for the brawl — a lot of these cases just get buried.”

Zhù Ying was excellent at conversation. When the chief constable’s enthusiasm peaked, she asked another earnest question or two, drawing out even more on the topic. As curfew approached, the chief constable was still reluctant to let it end: “Young official, come again when you have time!”

After that, within a couple of days Zhù Ying had become close with the coroner and the chief constable. On the evening before the day the Chen son was to receive his remaining forty strokes, Zhù Ying had again changed clothes and gone to find the chief constable. Zhang Xiangu said, “You go out every evening, only coming back before curfew. I need to speak with you and your father, but you’re never home!”

Zhù Ying said, “There’s something to take care of.”

Zhang Xiangu was uneasy. She waited until Zhù Ying had gone, then pulled Zhù Da’s arm: “Come on — let’s follow and see what she’s up to. A few days ago she went to the grain shop with the reconciliation slip, and came back with several pecks of grain short!” Zhù Da said, “Don’t overthink it! An official who doesn’t entertain and treat people — how does that work?” Zhang Xiangu said, “You’re confused! Is she the same as other officials? Aren’t you afraid the disguise might slip?”

Husband and wife followed after Zhù Ying, but in a few turns of the lane she had lost them. As fate would have it, that day Zhang Xiangu and Zhù Da wandered and blundered through several alleyways — and ran straight into Zhù Ying again.

Zhù Ying said resignedly, “Fine. Come along then. Whatever you hear or see, keep it in your heart. Not a word.”

The family of three arrived at the chief constable’s home. Zhù Ying made brief introductions. Zhang Xiangu, not knowing what was what, treated the chief constable as though he were a colleague of great use to her daughter, and was extremely polite. She then noted the chief constable’s surname was Zhang, asked his age, and said, “I’m two years older than you — practically the same family! We have no relatives in this capital — if you don’t find it beneath you, let me call you little brother!”

The chief constable was thoroughly baffled. He could only answer vaguely, “Ah.”

Zhang Xiangu, very pleased with herself, called out again: “Little brother!”

Zhù Ying said to Chief Constable Zhang, “Today there’s something I wanted to ask your help with. I didn’t want my father and mother to know, but they insisted on following. It doesn’t need to be hidden from them.”

Chief Constable Zhang asked, “What is it?”

Zhù Ying said, “Tomorrow — there are forty strokes still to be delivered.”

Zhang Xiangu had pieced together enough from the conversation to understand, and said very happily, “Beat him to death?! This is good!”

“Mother!” Zhù Ying cut her off decisively. Sincerely to the chief constable: “I won’t deceive you — this case has a certain connection to me. The girl who died — I saw her too. I dreamed of her last night. If I don’t see this through for her, I can’t settle it in my heart.”

Zhang Xiangu said, “Oh dear — a wrongfully dead person appeared in your dreams? Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I’ll burn some paper money to send her off! Oh dear, oh dear — go right back and do this! A spirit like that, very fierce!”

Zhù Ying said to Chief Constable Zhang, “No need for you to beat him to death and get in trouble. If he dies neatly, that’s actually letting him off too easy. Just make it heavier, so he knows the misery of doing hard labor while still being beaten. That’s all.” As she said this, she passed Chief Constable Zhang a small package wrapped in plain blue cloth.

This was easy enough. Chief Constable Zhang took it — it felt like about seven or eight taels of silver — for just striking a bit harder, that was a good deal. He thought to himself: Beat him heavier, send him off to serve his sentence, enter the prison — and there’s a chance someone will finish him off inside! If they don’t, haul him off to a quarry or some other hard labor site and he’ll be worked to death. Excellent, excellent!

Zhang Xiangu’s energy suddenly surged. She opened her coin purse and began counting cash: “Little brother — beat him an extra twenty cash worth!”