On the nineteenth day of the fifth month, the sun was scorching. The tall trees lining both sides of the official road provided shade for passing travelers, but their leaves looked oily and listless under the intense heat.
On the road, a woman in simple but clean attire walked forward with a numb expression.
She suddenly stumbled on a stone, nearly falling, but didn’t pause for a moment and continued walking.
The woman had only one thought: Today, she could seek justice for Niu’niu from the upright official. She wanted to look presentable, not to embarrass Niu’niu in front of the official.
Her Niu’niu, still buried in someone else’s garden—
At this thought, the woman’s eyes moistened, and she raised her head, trying hard not to let the tears fall.
A-fei, following far behind the woman, felt a lump in his throat.
A mother who had lost her child always evoked sympathy.
A-fei walked to the spot where Xiu Niang-zi had nearly tripped, nudged the stone with his toe, and kicked it into the ditch by the roadside.
They had long passed the post station, and A-fei didn’t know how much further the woman would walk, but he didn’t mind. For him, completing Miss Jiang’s task and getting paid was enough.
His task was to follow the woman on this day and successfully meet up with Old Qin.
The woman finally stopped at a large rock about half her height by the roadside.
This was where Niu’niu had told her to wait.
She had to listen to Niu’niu’s words.
Leaning against the warm rock, the woman’s tears finally began to fall.
A-fei couldn’t get too close, so he chose a large tree to rest against.
Fortunately, it wasn’t unusual for travelers to stop and rest, so he didn’t stand out.
The sun quickly passed its zenith and began to move westward.
The woman looked anxiously ahead, craning her neck.
Why hadn’t the upright official arrived yet?
Finally, a group of people approached. Leading them was a middle-aged man riding a donkey, with a slightly yellow complexion and a long beard. Several servants followed behind.
A-fei hadn’t paid much attention at first, but suddenly he spotted Old Qin among the followers.
Old Qin wore a conical hat that obscured his features, but A-fei knew his attire in advance. Moreover, when Old Qin saw A-fei, he lifted his hat slightly, revealing his weather-beaten face.
A-fei quickly looked at the middle-aged man riding the donkey.
Was this the person Miss Xiu wanted to meet?
Xiu Niangzi didn’t know what an “upright official” looked like, but she remembered her daughter’s instructions: the official would be entering the capital riding a donkey.
Seeing this group, Xiu Niang-zi stared intently at the man on the donkey.
Just then, someone walking beside the donkey asked, “Sir, do you want to stop and rest?”
The middle-aged man on the donkey shook his head: “No need, we’ll rest when we reach the post station.”
This was the man she was looking for!
Xiu Niang-Zi’s eyes lit up as she rushed forward: “Your Honor, this commoner has been wronged—”
The man walking beside the donkey immediately drew his sword, shouting sternly: “Where did this wild woman come from!”
Xiu Niang-zi had already knelt in front of the donkey, kowtowing repeatedly: “This commoner has been wronged, I beg the upright official to do justice, please do justice!”
As the sword-wielding man moved to drive her away, the middle-aged man on the donkey calmly said: “Don’t be rude.”
He dismounted from the donkey and spoke to Xiu Niang-zi with a kind expression: “Sister, let’s talk over there.”
The group moved under a large tree, and the middle-aged man stood with his hands behind his back: “Sister, why have you intercepted us on the road?”
Xiu Niang-zi was about to kneel again, but the middle-aged man stopped her: “Sister, please speak like this. People are coming and going, and kneeling would attract attention.”
“Yes.” Xiu Niang-zi trembled with excitement.
Niu’niu was right, an upright official was riding a donkey passing by here. Niu’niu’s grievance could be avenged!
“Sister, why do you call me an upright official?” the middle-aged man asked calmly.
This woman’s appearance was too strange. He had been transferred as the Prefect of Shuntian and had not revealed his identity during the journey. How did she know and wait here?
Could it be that this woman was mentally unsound and had guessed correctly by chance?
But Xiu Niang-zi’s proper attire dispelled this guess.
“You are the upright Official Zhen!”
The middle-aged man looked surprised: “How does Sister know this?”
“Niu’niu told me. Niu’niu is my daughter.”
The middle-aged man grew more puzzled: “Where is your daughter now, and how does she know I’m passing through here?”
The woman even knew his surname, clearly she had come prepared.
From experience, the woman must have a great injustice to report.
The middle-aged man had already prepared himself mentally, but the woman’s next words shocked him greatly.
Tears streaming down her face, Xiu Niang-zi said: “Niu’niu is now buried in someone else’s garden! She told me in a dream!”
“What?” This answer was too bizarre, and the middle-aged man was stunned for a moment.
His subordinates also wore expressions of disbelief.
Was this woman insane?
“You crazy woman, how dare you spout nonsense in front of our master! Leave immediately!”
Xiu Niang-zi had long forgotten what fear was and instead stepped forward: “Upright official, this commoner dares not lie to you, nor would I curse my daughter. My Niu’niu was killed by someone, and I couldn’t find her until that night when she came to me in a dream—”
“Sister, don’t be anxious. Tell me everything in detail.” The middle-aged man glared at his subordinate and spoke soothingly.
Xiu Niang-zi wiped away her tears and began to recount the whole story.
The middle-aged man listened silently until Xiu Niang-zi finished, not immediately responding.
Seeing this, Xiu Niang-zi panicked and immediately tried to kneel before the middle-aged man: “Your Honor, if this commoner has spoken a single false word, may heaven strike me down. My daughter was truly harmed by that Heir of Marquis Changxing, and her body is now buried under the peony bushes in their mansion’s garden. Please send someone to look, and you’ll see that this commoner is not talking nonsense…”
“You foolish woman, how can you expect our master to dig up a Marquis’s garden based on your wild claims?”
“Your Honor, I beg you, you’re the only one who can help me—”
The middle-aged man stroked his beard, pondering for a moment, then instructed his subordinate: “Quickly go to the post station ahead and hire a carriage.”
The subordinate accepted the order and left. The middle-aged man spoke gently: “Let’s do this, Sister. You’ll come with me to the capital first. I will investigate thoroughly, and if what you say is true, I will ensure justice is served.”
“Thank you, upright official!”
The subordinate was quick, soon returning from the post station with a carriage. The middle-aged man invited Xiu Niang-zi into the carriage, and the group decided not to stop at the post station, heading straight for the capital instead.
What the middle-aged man didn’t know was that shortly after they passed the post station, the brother of Emperor Jingming’s favored consort Yang suddenly died there, and they had narrowly avoided this trouble.
A-fei continued to follow the group, while Old Qin returned to report to Jiang Si.
Hearing that Official Zhen had taken Xiu Niang-zi away, Jiang Si felt slightly relieved.
However, Old Qin revealed something that surprised her: “Miss, that Official Zhen is the same county magistrate from Lingwu Temple.”