Shuntian Prefecture Magistrate Wang had just finished his duties and returned home, with dinner just served, when the criminal affairs clerk came running breathlessly to report, “There’s… there’s been a murder in the Northern District.”

Magistrate Wang was tired after a long day and waved dismissively. “Have the coroner record the corpse examination overnight, dispatch several capable constables to investigate the case, and inform the Northern District Military Commissioner’s Office to pay extra attention to suspicious persons during night patrol. I can go to the office tomorrow morning.”

At the foot of the Son of Heaven, nothing that happened was surprising.

The criminal affairs clerk caught his breath slightly and finally managed to speak clearly: “Several passersby have identified the deceased as Chen Dalang, son of Imperial Guard Chen Qianhu.”

Common people were like ants, but the powerful were different. Lord Wang felt his head buzz, and without even changing his official robes, he went to Shuntian Prefecture Office in his casual clothes.

Chen Dalang’s body was discovered by a passerby with an urgent need to urinate.

At this time the moon was hidden at dusk. The thirteenth day’s moon looked like a bitten mooncake. The passerby hid under a large willow tree by the roadside, untied his belt, and found someone lying under the tree.

Initially thinking it was a drunk, the passerby kicked with his foot: “Brother, move aside.”

The corpse was lying on its side. With one kick, it turned to lie flat on its back, neck tilting left. In the clear moonlight, one could see the severed windpipe in the throat.

The passerby was so frightened his urine retracted, and he shouted loudly: “Murder!”

The Northern District Military Commissioner’s Office patrolling the city rushed over upon hearing the news. By then, onlookers surrounded the large willow tree in three layers, completely encircling the corpse. Immediately, passersby recognized the deceased:

“Looks like Young Master Chen, who liked to mix in rouge piles. There wasn’t a brothel in the capital he hadn’t visited.”

“Truly ‘ten years of Yangzhou dreams, leaving behind a fickle name in brothels.'”

The Northern District Military Commissioner’s Office quickly dispersed the crowd, found a stretcher, and carried the body to Shuntian Prefecture Office. The Military Commissioner’s Office only managed street patrols and catching thieves—investigation wasn’t their responsibility.

Hearing his son was killed, Chen Qianhu rushed over with Imperial Guards upon receiving the news. Not trusting Shuntian Prefecture’s investigative ability, he immediately kicked away the coroners and constables trying to stop him and took his son’s body home!

The servant who attended Chen Dalang provided a list of those who had recent conflicts with Chen Dalang. Chen Qianhu gave the list to his subordinates, demanding they capture all suspects at the Imperial Guard Office tonight for severe interrogation. From his attitude, he was determined to catch the real killer before dawn.

When Shuntian Prefecture Magistrate hurried to the office, he found the office looked as if it had been robbed, especially the room where corpses were stored—tables and chairs were broken, everything in chaos.

The beaten and bruised coroners and constables came to complain to their superior:

“Chen Qianhu brought people barging in, kicking anyone they saw, smashing everything in sight.”

“We didn’t kill his son—why beat us? Too excessive!”

“The body was taken—how can we investigate the case? What should we do next? Please instruct us, Magistrate.”

Shuntian Prefecture Magistrate was the capital’s parent official, but with the capital full of powerful nobles, what did this third-rank civil official amount to?

People who could sit in this position were of two types: either like Song Dynasty Kaifeng Prefecture Magistrate Lord Bao—impartial in distinguishing loyalty from treachery, not caring who you were, even dragging Prince Consort Chen to the dragon-head guillotine to cut off his head first.

Or they had smooth, slippery personalities—avoiding trouble when possible, surviving however they could. Current Shuntian Prefecture Magistrate Lord Wang had this personality, earning the nickname “Wang the Loach!”

Wang the Loach—no, Magistrate Wang, this capital parent official often had to play the grandson, especially before the powerful.

Magistrate Wang cleared his throat lightly. “Everyone suffered grievances tonight. The Imperial Guards taking the body and arresting people all over the streets actually benefits our Shuntian Prefecture.”

At these words, everyone was shocked, not understanding how this Wang the Loach planned to slip away.

Magistrate Wang shook his head and said:

“This case falls under Shuntian Prefecture jurisdiction. The Imperial Guards took the body, but they can’t take the case—Imperial Guards only handle imperial cases. When Chen Qianhu casts a wide net and solves the case, catching the murderer, won’t they have to send the killer to Shuntian Prefecture for conviction and sentencing?”

The criminal affairs clerk quickly stepped forward as his master’s echo: “This way, our Shuntian Prefecture solves a major murder case without doing anything. Merit brings rewards. You just took some beatings, but you’ve solved a case while lying down with reward money to earn. Where can you find such good fortune? The Magistrate is brilliant!”

Everyone listened and thought this Wang the Loach made sense—lying down to achieve merit and earn reward money.

However, a constable chief surnamed Wu pointed to his own beaten head and his subordinates’ wounded remnants: “The clerk didn’t get beaten—easy for him to say. They follow me through life and death, capturing thieves, getting injured fighting criminals is one thing—after all, that’s how we earn our living. But tonight, getting beaten like this by our own people, bullied by Imperial Guards on our own territory—the brothers’ hearts are truly aggrieved.”

Seeing emotions running high, Wang the Loach instructed the financial clerk: “All their medical expenses can be fully reimbursed. This month, pay them work injury compensation. Go home to recover—no need for night duty tonight.”

The Prefecture had two clerks—the criminal affairs clerk handled cases, the financial clerk managed accounts.

The financial clerk also stepped forward to speak for his master: “That’s about enough. The Magistrate has done his best. Do you expect Imperial Guards to serve you tea and apologize? Disperse, disperse—go home, wash, and sleep.”

Constable Chief Wu and others still harbored anger but had no choice and withdrew with their injuries.

Wang the Loach sighed to his two clerks: “This position is too difficult. After serving three full years, I’ll go to the Personnel Ministry to smooth relationships and get transferred out to be a real parent official with absolute authority, finally venting these two years of frustration.”

The criminal affairs and financial clerks exchanged glances and said in unison: “Wherever you go, sir, we pledge to follow you to the death!”

As the saying goes, when the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam slants. Lord Wang was as slippery as a loach, while his two clerks were two slippery eels.

Just as they finished speaking, drum sounds rang out from outside.

It was the injustice-crying drum in front of Shuntian Prefecture Office.

Constable Chief Wu and others returned to the main hall to report: “Northern District Military Commissioner’s Office and Imperial Guards are fighting at our office entrance! Imperial Guards want to arrest Wang Yanei and imprison him. Wang Yanei refuses to surrender and beat the injustice drum, accusing Imperial Guards of establishing private courts and harming worthy people!”

Wang Daxia was notorious, especially in the Northern District—everyone knew him. There were many surnamed Wang in the capital, but when Constable Chief Wu mentioned Wang Yanei, everyone knew he meant Wang Daxia.

With a snort, Wang the Loach laughed in exasperation: “Establishing private courts is fact, but harming worthy people? Wang Yanei dares call himself worthy? If he’s a worthy person, then this official is Bao Zheng reincarnated.”

Wang the Loach sat in the main hall with the criminal affairs clerk on his left and financial clerk on his right. The two exchanged meaningful glances—whether to laugh at this statement or not, should they laugh or not?

The straightforward Constable Chief Wu had no such schemes. He was anxious: “Magistrate, there’s shouting and fighting outside our office. What should we do now?”

Wang the Loach stroked his wispy beard: “Dragon fights local snake—let them fight. The weather’s getting hot, everyone’s tempers are high. Fighting and venting is good. When they’ve fought enough, we’ll go clean up the mess.”

With the master speaking, the criminal affairs clerk immediately agreed: “Exactly so. Constable Chief Wu, if you take people out to mediate now, can you beat them? Or will they give you face? Both sides are formidable—don’t go over there to invite trouble.”

Constable Chief Wu anxiously said: “What if someone gets killed?”

Just as he finished speaking, the injustice drum’s sound abruptly stopped.

Wang the Loach also feared fatalities and immediately urged Constable Chief Wu: “Go quickly and see if Wang Yanei was beaten to death.”

He wasn’t.

At that moment, Wang Daxia, who was beating the drum, heard a sharp female voice from the crowd of onlookers exclaim: “Watch out for arrows!”

Then he felt a whooshing sound behind him, the hair on his neck standing up. Survival instinct made Wang Daxia immediately crouch down holding the drumsticks.

With a thud, a sharp arrow struck the center of the injustice drum, tearing the drumhead—it could no longer sound.

Wang Daxia looked toward the direction of the female voice. In the dim moonlight, a figure stood on a distant watching mule cart. Though he couldn’t see her face clearly, the pure white mourning knot on her head was particularly conspicuous in the night.

Looking at her graceful figure, it was definitely the beautiful young widow, Doctor Wei.

The female talent scout who compared him to the amazing King Zhuang of Chu.

Actually, Wang Daxia knew who King Zhuang of Chu was—even if you haven’t eaten pork, you’ve seen pigs run. He had attended school for several years and read “Spring and Autumn Chronicles” like a storybook.

At the wonton stall, he had deliberately played dumb, finding an excuse to move his stool closer and chat more with the beautiful young widow.

Now, when all passersby were just watching the excitement, she had saved him with one sentence.

Wang Daxia thought: Once I escape, I must thank her properly.

At this life-or-death moment, Wang Daxia’s mind still wandered to the young widow. Several more arrows shot over. Wang Daxia nimbly dodged and noticed Shuntian Prefecture Office’s main gate had opened a crack, with someone inside poking out half their head to check the situation.

Wang Daxia simply pushed over the drum stand. The injustice drum, big as a round table, rolled toward the arrow shooters, crushing everything in its path, and the arrow volley paused.

Simultaneously, Wang Daxia ran toward the gate crack. Constable Chief Wu quickly tried to close the door to shut out this plague god, but Wang Daxia threw his drumstick, which lodged perfectly in the crack, preventing Wu from closing the door.

Wang Daxia squeezed inside and clasped his fists with a smile to Constable Chief Wu: “Thanks for the rescue. I’ll treat Constable Chief Wu to drinks another day.”

“You can’t come in! I don’t want to invite trouble!” Constable Chief Wu pushed Wang Daxia toward the door, but then lead Imperial Guard Zhou Xiaoqi kicked open the main gate on horseback and barged right in!

If Wang Daxia hadn’t pulled Constable Chief Wu aside, Zhou Xiaoqi’s flying horse hooves would have kicked Wu’s forehead!

Constable Chief Wu and Wang Daxia rolled behind the door together as Zhou Xiaoqi cracked his whip at Wang Daxia again.

Already harboring grievances and having nearly died under Imperial Guard iron hooves, even a clay figure has some earthen nature. Constable Chief Wu ignored his superior Wang the Loach’s orders to remain neutral, drew his blade to cut the whip, and roared: “This is Shuntian Prefecture Office’s court! Not your Imperial Guards’ territory! Brothers! Pull him off that horse!”

Everyone swarmed forward—some holding the horse, others grabbing legs—peeling Zhou Xiaoqi off like removing medicinal plaster.

As Zhou Xiaoqi dismounted, Wang Daxia closed the main gate again and barred it.

With Wang Yanei hidden in Shuntian Prefecture Office, both Imperial Guards and Northern District Military Commissioner’s Office lost their pursuit and protection target and immediately ceased fighting.

Imperial Guards outside frantically pounded the door, demanding Shuntian Prefecture Office “hand over Wang Yanei and Zhou Xiaoqi.”

The Northern District Military Commissioner’s Office outside chorused “Thanks to Magistrate Wang for speaking righteously, upholding justice! Clearing Wang Daxia’s name!”

Watching civilians heckled:

“Why stop fighting? Keep going! I haven’t seen enough!”

“Don’t chicken out! Fight!”

“Melon seeds, peanuts, green bean soup!”

The situation reversed again and again, heart-stopping. Seeing Wang Daxia escape to the court hall and temporarily safe from mortal danger, Wei Caiwei sighed in relief again.

“One bag of melon seeds!” Chen Jingji bought a bag of melon seeds, shared half with Wei Caiwei, and cracked them with relish. “Tsk tsk, better than watching opera—this is real fighting.”

At this moment, the ground shook as two groups of horsemen arrived almost simultaneously at Shuntian Prefecture Office. One man had his head wrapped in white cloth, wore white hemp mourning clothes, with a straw rope tied around his waist—it was Imperial Guard Chen Qianhu, father of the deceased Chen Dalang.

Seeing this person, Wei Caiwei crushed all the melon seed shells in her hand: He was the source of all the He family’s tragedies, with Chen Dalang as a despicable accomplice.

Chen Jingji was excited and agitated at this moment, not noticing her expression change. He pointed to the other side’s leader: “The one wearing armor is Wang Qianhu. Truly father and son—he can beat his son nearly to death himself. But if others threaten his son with violence, he won’t ignore it. Chen Qianhu versus Wang Qianhu—we have another good show to watch.”