In the desolate courtyard, countless bones lay hidden beneath the soil among overgrown vegetation.
Song Taotao could not bear to look anymore and turned away, filled with shock and anger.
After the last corpse was removed, there was no clean spot left to step in the entire courtyard. Even the red-armored soldiers of Xialing Prefecture, who had seen countless tragic scenes, couldn’t help but feel chilled to their core.
“This… this…” Yuan Baozhen was at a loss for words.
“What does Inspector Yuan want to say?” Xiao Jue spoke slowly. “Or does the Inspector still believe this is all a misunderstanding?”
“How could this be a misunderstanding?” Before Yuan Baozhen could respond, He Yan cut in: “This is Magistrate Sun’s residence. If someone had secretly buried female corpses here without his knowledge, one or two bodies might be explainable. But with dozens or even hundreds of bodies, it’s no wonder assassins could infiltrate so easily. Perhaps the Sun family’s gates are made of paper, and all their guards and servants are deaf and blind?”
Sun Xiangfu was sweating profusely. He had no idea how Xiao Jue had discovered what lay beneath the ground. After gritting his teeth for a moment, he argued: “These were just servants who committed offenses and were beaten to death before being buried here… this… is common in wealthy households.”
He Yan laughed coldly: “I also come from a wealthy household, but we don’t engage in such brutal practices. If these were truly servants who committed offenses, please show us their contracts, which should record exactly what crimes warranted their deaths. Furthermore, all these bodies are female… Magistrate Sun, were all these your household maids? For a seventh-rank county magistrate to have over a hundred maids and kill them at will, you seem to consider yourself more powerful than His Majesty!”
At these words, Sun Xiangfu immediately fell to his knees and kowtowed, crying out loudly: “No! No! I am wronged! I am wronged!” He kept repeating these few phrases but couldn’t explain exactly how he was wronged. It was clear his position was already lost.
Yan’s anger had not yet subsided, finding the man before her truly despicable. When she had fought with Ding Yi the previous night, he had said that each Buddha statue in that room represented a dead person. She had thought it was just Ding Yi’s attempt to frighten her, but now it proved to be true. How absurd!
The Sun Ling father and son had committed numerous evil deeds in Liang Prefecture, kidnapping countless women. If these women showed the slightest disobedience, or even if they simply grew tired of them, they would take their lives without hesitation. Those buried in the Sun family’s backyard were the fortunate ones, at least their bodies remained intact. Who knows how many more pitiful souls were thrown into mass graves, their bodies devoured by wolves until no trace remained.
Such arrogance, such inhumanity!
Song Taotao felt waves of cold wash over her heart. If she hadn’t met He Yan that night, would she have ended up like these women, becoming nothing but a handful of earth, rotting in this dark underground, never to be discovered?
Her eyes reddened as she said hatefully: “This is too cruel, we must avenge these young women!” Just as she finished speaking, she felt someone nudge her arm. Looking to the side, she saw He Yan giving her a meaningful look, gesturing toward Yuan Baozhen.
In an instant, Song Taotao understood her meaning and turned to call out to Yuan Baozhen: “Uncle Yuan, I have suffered greatly here, and you are the only one I can trust. You must help me seek justice!”
Song Taotao’s father had been Yuan Baozhen’s superior, and Yuan Baozhen prided himself on his close relationship with the Song family. He naturally couldn’t ignore Song Taotao’s words and wiped his sweat, smiling: “Of course.”
“Commander, this corpse is different,” said one of the red-armored soldiers.
He crouched down and used a cloth to wipe clean the face of the body on the ground, revealing its features. Among all the female corpses, this was the only male. He appeared to have died recently, his expression frozen in terror.
“Tsk,” Xiao Jue spoke, standing in place and drawing: “It seems Inspector Yuan’s guard has been found.”
The male corpse that had been dug up was indeed Ding Yi, whom Yuan Baozhen had been unable to find since early morning.
He Yan: “…”
After killing Ding Yi the previous night, she hadn’t had the heart to deal with his corpse and had simply fled. She had only told Xiao Jue about Ding Yi’s death after he discovered her identity. This must have been Xiao Jue’s doing, having someone drag Ding Yi’s body out for burial, and now digging it up in front of Yuan Baozhen. At this moment, He Yan felt a hint of sympathy for Yuan Baozhen.
Yuan Baozhen’s lips trembled, unable to speak for a long while.
“The Inspector’s guard was loyal and righteous, discovering the numerous female corpses hidden in the Sun family’s backyard, only to be silenced and buried by Magistrate Sun.” Xiao Jue looked at him with a mix of smile and sneer: “Inspector Yuan, don’t you feel sorry for your wrongfully deceased guard?”
“You’re talking nonsense!” Sun Ling roared as he stood up, only to be pushed down by the armored soldiers beside him. Still struggling desperately, he shouted: “I didn’t kill him! This is slander! I don’t know why he’s here, I didn’t kill him—”
His voice grew hoarse as he shouted, sounding particularly harsh in the quiet courtyard. Xiao Jue frowned and coldly ordered: “Gag him.”
The soldiers stuffed rags into both Sun Ling and Sun Xiangfu’s mouths, leaving them only able to make muffled sounds of discontent.
“Inspector Yuan,” Xiao Jue looked at him with a faint smile, “what do you plan to do?”
Yuan Baozhen was filled with hatred, knowing full well that Ding Yi couldn’t have been killed by Sun Xiangfu’s people. The man before him knew everything, but he had no way to refute it. He could only squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth: “Please advise me, Commander.”
“The Sun Xiangfu father and son have abused their power, embezzled funds, extorted the common people, and preyed upon their subjects. They kidnapped virtuous women and killed them in vast numbers,” he said. “For such heinous criminals, Inspector Yuan, as an imperial censor responsible for investigating officials, surely won’t show leniency. I have already informed the Prefecture Governor of Xialing about this matter and will submit a memorial to His Majesty together with Inspector Yuan. As for you, Inspector Yuan,” his gaze fixed on Yuan Baozhen with subtle mockery, “whether to submit an open memorial or a secret impeachment, this commander won’t interfere.”
Yuan Baozhen nearly choked on his breath.
Though saying “This commander won’t interfere,” he had orchestrated everything from beginning to end. Even if Yuan Baozhen wanted to do something, the Xialing Prefecture had already submitted their memorial, leaving him nowhere to hide. The original sponsors of Sun Xiangfu’s father and son were disciples of Minister Xu. Minister Xu’s disciples were spread throughout Great Wei, and this case of the Liang Prefecture magistrate would disgrace Minister Xu. Moreover, to avoid suspicion, the new magistrate definitely wouldn’t be one of Minister Xu’s people.
Minister Xu would completely lose control over Liang Prefecture, so how could he cause trouble for Xiao Jue?!
Upon his return to Shuo Capital, Minister Xu would certainly not spare him. Yuan Baozhen felt utterly desperate.
Xiao Jue turned to look at the trembling servants and maids huddled in a corner and said flatly: “Tell what you know, and you may be spared from severe punishment.”
This was clearly a call for the Sun household’s servants to expose the crimes of Sun Xiangfu and his son.
The male servants were still hesitant, fearing retribution if Sun Xiangfu and his son somehow escaped punishment. However, the maids were overjoyed and eagerly came forward to answer. As women in the Sun household, they had no prospects. Even those with beauty and talent, who spoke gently and gracefully, could at best hope to be given as gifts to superiors, perhaps living a few years longer. More often, they would be killed after Sun Ling and his father tired of them, becoming nothing but fertilizer for flowers, buried forever underground.
For women, living here was like being in prison, never knowing when their execution day would come. Now suddenly given a glimmer of hope, they all wished for Sun Xiangfu and his son to die immediately with no chance of recovery. Thus, everyone spoke of the crimes committed by the Sun father and son, their accounts chilling to hear. Such ruthless people truly deserved heaven’s fury and ghost’s hatred.
The flying servants and the head of Xialing Prefecture’s soldiers recorded everything while Sun Xiangfu and his son were forced to kneel on the ground. Xiao Jue turned to leave.
Yuan Baozhen still stood frozen in place. Faced with such a sudden catastrophe and with no one to consult, his thoughts were in chaos. Just as he was at a loss, he saw the person who had caused him such hatred walk past calmly, with a composed expression.
As they passed each other, Xiao Jue suddenly stopped. The young commander curved his lips and said in a voice only the two of them could hear: “Inspector Yuan wanted my life, but I hope you live. Your being alive causes Xu Jingfu more pain than your death would.”
He straightened up again, his smile mocking, and spoke calmly: “When you return to Shuo Capital, give Minister Xu my regards. Inspector Yuan, have a safe journey.”
He turned and left.
Behind him, someone cried out: “Inspector Yuan! What’s wrong with Inspector Yuan? Inspector Yuan?”
Yuan Baozhen had fainted. He Yan looked back to see Xiao Jue’s figure disappear beyond the flowered wall, no longer visible.
With this… the matter was settled.
…
The county magistrate’s residence was sealed off by Xialing Prefecture’s soldiers. The once-imposing mansion now had seals plastered all over its entrance, and lanterns torn in disarray, presenting a scene of complete decline. After seeing so many female corpses in the courtyard, Song Taotao felt extremely uncomfortable. He Yan comforted her for a long while before she finally calmed down. When Song Taotao began to feel drowsy and dozed off at the table, He Yan informed Chiyu, who was protecting Song Taotao and went to find Xiao Jue.
She still had some questions that needed answers.
Xiao Jue was speaking with the flying servants.
The Sun Xiangfu father and son had committed countless evil deeds, and the maids were all exposing their crimes. There was no need to detail everything – just what was already known was enough to ensure no one could save them. Their crimes were worthy of ten deaths, and such appalling behavior was rare even throughout Great Wei.
When cruel people gain power, it becomes a catastrophe for ordinary citizens. How could the ferocity of tigers and wolves compare to the malice in human hearts?
“Uncle!” He Yan called from the doorway.
Xiao Jue and the flying servant’s conversation came to an abrupt halt. He Yan walked in, and Xiao Jue raised his eyebrows: “Still calling me uncle?”
He Yan: “…Commander.”
As if anyone actually wanted to call him uncle – he clearly took advantage of the situation, yet still acted reluctant.
“Why aren’t you accompanying Young Lady Song? What do you want from me?” he asked.
His words were always loaded with thorns. He Yan hesitated for a moment before asking: “Today, you dealt with the Sun father and son, but why did you spare Yuan Baozhen? You knew that Yuan Baozhen was the one who wanted to kill you.”
Though the Sun father and son were certainly despicable and deserved death, ultimately it was Yuan Baozhen who had orchestrated the assassination attempt on Xiao Jue at the banquet. Ding Yi was already dead, yet Yuan Baozhen could still return alive to Shuo Capital – could Xiao Jue be so kindhearted?
“I’m not killing him here because he’ll die when he returns to Shuo Capital,” Xiao Jue looked out the window. “It’s just a matter of time.”
“What about the others?” He Yan asked: “In Liang City, the Sun father and son wielded absolute power. They must have had accomplices.” Why not eliminate all those who supported Sun Xiangfu, all his people still entrenched in Liang City?
Xiao Jue: “Water too pure has no fish. Young Lady He, you’re too naive.”
The flying servant stood silently to the side, as if not hearing their conversation. The trees outside grew lush and verdant. Who would have thought such a magnificent mansion would bury so many sins?
In truth, Yuan Baozhen was never Xiao Jue’s target.
The banquet at the Sun mansion was a trap, and he had known it all along. Yuan Baozhen’s appearance meant certain assassination attempts, which he had also anticipated. His visit to Liang City wasn’t about playing a game of cat and mouse, but rather about taking control of Liang City itself.
Leading new troops to garrison Liang City was meant to temporarily avoid the spotlight and escape Xu Jingfu’s surveillance. However the old dog Xu’s disciples were spread throughout Great Wei, and the practice of selling official positions flourished nationwide. Sun Xiangfu of the Liang Guard was one such appointee. Yuan Baozhen came on Xu Jingfu’s orders – if he could kill Xiao Jue, all the better; if not, he would secretly collaborate with Sun Xiangfu, who would take direct orders from Shuo Capital. Creating obstacles for the Liang Guard would be effortless.
Even if flies can’t kill an elephant, their constant buzzing around one’s ears becomes irritating.
The night of the banquet incident, when He Yan was “blinded,” and in the following days when Xiao Jue wasn’t seen, others thought he had left the mansion. Ding Yi had been tracking him, or rather, tracking a disguised flying servant. The real Xiao Jue had been in the Sun mansion all along.
Sun Xiangfu had committed numerous crimes and maintained dealings with many wealthy households in Liang City. These households “contributed” gold and silver to Sun Xiangfu, who ensured their “smooth” operations in Liang City. He also managed relationships with superiors and subordinates meticulously, recording all his actions and gifts in ledgers.
Xiao Jue found these ledgers and altered them. Here, he made other discoveries.
Sun Ling had killed countless young women over the years, initially disposing of them in mass graves. In recent years, perhaps due to the weight of their evil deeds, they had frequent nightmares. The Sun family consulted a Taoist priest who advised them to bury the women who died by Sun Ling’s hand in the northwest, using Buddha statues and talismans to suppress their spirits.
Thus came about the mountain of corpses and Buddha statues in the backyard.
Xiao Jue had originally planned to use Song Taotao to prosecute the Sun father and son, but with this discovery, even if Xu Jingfu came personally to save them, he couldn’t.
During these days, he first confirmed the identities of those buried underground and searched for account books. Only on the last day did he leave the mansion, and even then, he simply selected several names from the ledgers, copied their relevant records, and delivered them to various households.
He now held leverage over all the merchants and gentry of Liang City. When the new county magistrate took office, whether they were Xu Jingfu’s person or not, they would be powerless against him.
From today onward, Liang City belonged to him.
Yuan Baozhen’s greatest mistake was miscalculating his direction. Xiao Jue had never been concerned about the assassination attempt at the banquet; what he wanted had always been Liang City.
Coincidentally, He Yan’s appearance and peculiarities had attracted all of Yuan Baozhen’s attention. In a way, He Yan had become bait, but this bait carried a hook that caught the prey drawn by its scent, making everything proceed so smoothly.
While he remained silent, He Yan was also pondering.
Today’s events had been anticipated by Xiao Jue. She asked: “The reason you spared Yuan Baozhen, is because his failure will lead to punishment and abandonment by his master, that master being Minister Xu?” She paused before asking: “Is Minister Xu the current Prime Minister Xu Jingfu?”
At these words, even the flying servant couldn’t help but look at He Yan in surprise.
She had spoken so directly, implying she didn’t know Xu Jingfu, but who could tell if she was lying?
“Young Lady He shows such concern for court affairs, does your father know?” Xiao Jue said flatly.
From his response, He Yan knew that the Minister Xu mentioned by Yuan Baozhen was indeed Xu Jingfu.
“Though my father is now just a Gate Captain, and Minister Xu is the current Prime Minister, seemingly worlds apart, Commander knows not to underestimate the young and poor. I’m sixteen this year, undefeated throughout Liang Guard,” she boasted shamelessly, “who knows if I might achieve great merit in the future and hold an even higher position than the Commander. What’s one Minister Xu? I also have a younger brother, even younger than me. Speaking treasonously, we are like the rising morning sun, while Minister Xu is in his twilight years. By the time my brother and I reach the Commander’s age, who knows if there will even be a person called Minister Xu?”
The flying servant choked on his breath.
Based on He Yan’s words alone, she was almost certainly not one of Xu Jingfu’s people. How could Xu Jingfu tolerate such an insolent person under him? He Yan’s survival until now must have been purely luck.
Hearing this, Xiao Jue sneered: “With such reckless behavior, you might not live as long as Xu Jingfu.”
He Yan thought to herself that Xiao Jue was wrong about that – she had already lived one life longer than Xu Jingfu, who cared about longevity now?
“Commander needn’t be so wary of me,” He Yan looked at him: “We share a common enemy.”
“I wasn’t aware,” he replied indifferently, “that Xu Jingfu would bother with a mere Gate Captain.”
“A Gate Captain certainly can’t reach Minister Xu’s level, but when a dog bites someone, the master should also be held responsible.” He Yan sighed: “My enemy is Minister Xu’s subordinate, which is essentially the same as Minister Xu himself.” She smiled: “The Commander and I share common enemies, we should be friends. The Commander’s repeated suspicion of me is quite hurtful.”
Xiao Jue glanced at her; her expression showed no sign of being hurt at all.
“Then you’ll be disappointed,” he said: “I don’t make friends, especially not with liars.”
He Yan: “…”
Was this person completely impenetrable? She wanted to fight him just to vent her frustration.
“Then Commander,” He Yan asked, controlling her anger, “what about the corpses in the Sun mansion’s courtyard?”
Those corpses, some so old they were unrecognizable except for white bones, some still showing some features. Keeping them all piled in the Sun mansion wasn’t a solution.
Xiao Jue looked at the trees outside, their shadows swaying slightly. After a moment, he said to the flying servant: “Notify the city’s residents to come to identify their dead.”
…
When the people of Liang City learned that the Right Army Commander had sealed the Sun mansion’s gates and arrested the Sun father and son, everyone applauded. The bolder ones ran to the Sun family’s gate to spit and curse loudly, while the more timid ones stood hesitantly at a distance, waiting for soldiers to pass by before carefully asking: “Sir, has Magistrate Sun really… been arrested?”
After so many years of darkness in Liang City, dawn had finally come.
The Sun father and son’s confession was certainly a good thing. Wailing filled the magistrate’s mansion as those whose daughters had been kidnapped or who knew their daughters had been taken but were powerless to help, came to identify the bodies upon hearing the news.
The women’s bodies filled three courtyards, front and back. Though it was autumn, a strange odor pervaded the air. He Yan accompanied the flying servant and saw an elderly woman supported by her daughter-in-law searching among the bodies for her daughter missing these three years, and a young scholar-dressed man holding his wife, who had been kidnapped on their wedding night, wailing in grief.
He Yan saw a dark-skinned man in a white jacket, holding a female corpse and sobbing: “Little sister, little sister! Brother is here, brother will take you home,” his voice so sorrowful it brought tears to all who heard.
The young girl in his arms was tiny, no more than twelve or thirteen, still a child. At that age, if she had been mischievous, she might have still enjoyed catching crickets to fight. Now her small body was curled up, never again to show her once lively figure – a flower that withered before it could bloom.
The courtyard was filled with crying, filled with final partings. He Yan looked up at the sky, feeling as if the cries might pierce the heavens. There could be nothing more tragic in this world.
The flying servant glanced at her in slight surprise.
Young women were typically tender-hearted, unable to bear such scenes. Like Song Taotao, who had already hidden inside, unable to watch anymore. Yet He Yan stood there, and though there was sadness in her eyes, she didn’t cry.
He Yan had seen far too much separation by death. How many young men on the battlefield, who left as their family’s eldest sons and their wives’ husbands, returned as nothing but dust? Living in this world, one couldn’t avoid joy and sorrow, union and separation.
These young women, oppressed in life and confined in death, had lived tragic lives. But now, at last, they were free, returning to their families’ embrace. Their families would forever remember them and weep for their fate.
What about her?
He Yan wondered dazedly, was there anyone who would weep for her death? Who would remember her in private moments and share her pain? In her previous life, her family had sent her to her death with their own hands, using her even after death – had there ever been a moment of true familial love?
“Young Master.” The flying servant’s voice interrupted He Yan’s thoughts. Looking to the side, she saw that Xiao Jue had come out at some point.
He asked: “Have all the bodies been claimed by family?”
The flying servant shook his head: “Twenty-three remain unclaimed.”
Among the girls taken to the Sun family, some, like Song Taotao, were not from Liang City. Once separated from their families across such distances, it became an eternal parting.
“Bury them.”
He Yan started, looking up at Xiao Jue.
He stood tall and straight amidst the courtyard of sorrow, like the Yinqiu sword at his waist – sharp, calm, reassuring.
“Young Master, where should they be buried?” the flying servant asked.
“Outside Liang City, there is a peak called Riding the Wind,” Xiao Jue looked into the distance as if seeing something beyond the courtyard’s branches. His expression was calm, his tone indifferent, yet within that indifference was barely perceptible compassion. He said: “These women lived without freedom in life, like caged birds and pond fish. Buried here, may they ride the wind freely in their next life, soaring over lakes and mountains.”