Futile Devices Scans

Xiling’s imperial capital, Fengdu, was known in ancient times as “Fuyao City.” Its terrain was high and open, with winds blowing through it in every season, hence the name. Apart from the Imperial City and palace precincts, all matters of civil administration, justice, population, and public security within Fengdu fell under the jurisdiction of the Fuyao Prefecture yamen.

That afternoon, Deputy Prefect He Qingshang of Fuyao Prefecture was dozing lightly in his office when a gate attendant brought him a visiting card and reported that someone outside had come requesting an audience.

He Qingshang gave such an extravagant stretch it might have been eight chi long, leaned crookedly against his grand armchair, lifted his teacup, and casually accepted the bright red visiting card. The instant he saw the inked words “Wei Fu, Court Attendant of the Western Secretariat,” he whipped his head aside and sprayed tea everywhere like a celestial maiden scattering flowers. “How did he end up here? Quickly, show him in!”

What little drowsiness remained from his afternoon nap vanished instantly. While the gate attendant went to fetch the visitor, He Qingshang hastily straightened his robes and hat, his thoughts racing as he wondered just what sort of wind had blown this great Buddha to his door.

A moment later, the gate attendant ushered in an official dressed in crimson robes. The two men rarely had dealings with each other and had only crossed paths at court assemblies. Although He Qingshang knew what the famously handsome Young Master Wei looked like, Wei Fu’s appearance still dazzled him for a moment. No wonder His Majesty likes having him around. Even if he did nothing but stand there like a decorative vase, he’d still be pleasing enough to look at.

He plastered a smile across his face and stepped forward to greet him. “Court Attendant Wei attends constantly upon His Majesty and is ordinarily occupied with important affairs. What brings you to the prefectural yamen today?”

Wei Fu replied politely, “I’ve come unannounced and disturbed you, Deputy Prefect. I hope you won’t take offense.”

“Take offense? Plenty of people would love to invite you and still fail to get you through their doors. I could hardly be more pleased.” He Qingshang invited him to sit. His words sounded courteous, but there was a probing undertone as he asked, “Has Court Attendant Wei just come from the palace?”

“I happened to pass by the prefectural yamen and suddenly remembered something, so I took the liberty of calling.” Wei Fu lowered his eyes with a faint smile, neither confirming nor denying it. “Strictly speaking, it has little to do with me. It concerns one of the cases under your jurisdiction, so I hope Deputy Prefect He won’t think I’m meddling.”

He Qingshang could not quite determine his intentions, though the smile remained on his face. “How could I? Please, go on.”

Wei Fu said, “The day before yesterday, the Imperial City Guard was patrolling the streets when they happened upon a murder. A thief broke out through the rear courtyard and escaped into Liuzhi Alley, where he disappeared. The Imperial City Guard searched the neighborhood house by house. I happened to be at home on leave at the time and learned of the case. I was rather curious, so I came specially today to ask whether the murderer has been apprehended.”

Isn’t the Duke Who Stabilizes the Nation’s residence on Mingshu Street? When did your family move to Liuzhi Alley?

Wei Fu had explained things vaguely and in very simplified terms, so He Qingshang obligingly interpreted it as nothing more than a convenient excuse. After thinking briefly, he clapped his hands. “Could Court Attendant Wei be referring to the murder of Xu Shifu, the proprietor of Tongshi Apothecary?”

Wei Fu raised a brow. “So the case has already been settled?”

He Qingshang had spent many years navigating officialdom. He had served as a local magistrate and handled all manner of criminal cases, and the motive he trusted least in the world was simple “curiosity.” In an instant, countless convoluted possibilities raced through his mind. Why would Wei Fu take an interest in such an ordinary case? Is there some hidden complication behind it? Or is the case—or perhaps the murderer—connected to him somehow, and he’s come to plead on someone’s behalf? Surely it can’t be that the Imperial City Guard stumbled upon some secret of his that must never see daylight, and he’s come here specifically to warn me?

“There is nothing particularly complicated about this case,” He Qingshang said. “The murderer was an assistant at the apothecary. His young son became gravely ill, and when he went to the counter for medicine, the proprietor, Xu Shifu, deliberately fobbed him off with inferior medicinal ingredients, delaying treatment until the child died. After the assistant learned the truth, he flew into a rage and stabbed the proprietor to death on the spot.” He drew a written confession from the case files on his desk and handed it to Wei Fu. “The true culprit came to the yamen first thing yesterday morning and turned himself in. The cause and effect of the case are perfectly clear, and both witness testimony and physical evidence are complete. There is absolutely no wrongful accusation or miscarriage of justice involved.”

Wei Fu accepted the confession and swept through it at a glance, reading line after line with extraordinary speed. He Qingshang had indeed told the truth. The actual murderer had already confessed and submitted to the law, and he had confessed thoroughly enough that the case could practically be brought before the court and judged on the spot without anyone crying injustice.

The murderer was named Zhang Wan. He had worked as an assistant at Tongshi Apothecary for three years and had one son, whose childhood name was Zhaoge. The boy had been weak and sickly since birth. Zhang Wan and his wife had raised him with painstaking care, and Zhaoge had finally reached the age of eight when he suddenly fell ill one day with a high fever that would not subside. Since Zhang Wan himself worked in the trade, he naturally went first to Tongshi Apothecary for medicine. Yet after several doses, the boy showed no improvement. Zhaoge struggled on for several days before ultimately dying of the illness.

Zhang Wan and his wife buried their beloved son in grief, after which Zhang Wan returned to the apothecary and continued working. On the night of the incident, he had been processing medicinal ingredients until very late. When he finally finished and was preparing to find somewhere to doze for a while, he suddenly noticed that the apothecary, though already closed for the night, still had lights burning inside.

Curious, Zhang Wan quietly crept closer and crouched beneath the wall. He heard the proprietor, Xu Shifu, speaking with someone whose identity he did not know. “…That child had no fortune. He’s already dead. Such a waste of such a fine body. I even specially chose medicinal ingredients with hardly any efficacy for him… Nothing could be done. His constitution was too weak. Even if it had worked, his body wouldn’t have held up to being used… I’ll look for another one.”

The moment Zhang Wan heard this, he connected the words to Zhaoge’s circumstances and immediately grew suspicious. He returned to his quarters, grabbed a small knife, concealed it inside his clothing, and went back to the front hall. By then, the visitor had already left, and Xu Shifu was preparing to return to his room. Zhang Wan blocked him at the doorway and demanded to know exactly what his earlier words had meant.

Naturally, Xu Shifu refused to admit anything. He argued and denied everything, then even threatened to dismiss Zhang Wan and leave his entire family with nothing but the northwest wind to eat. Zhang Wan’s anger burned hotter and hotter. After Xu Shifu finished berating him, he shoved Zhang Wan aside and tried to leave. Zhang Wan rushed after him from behind and drove the knife straight into his back, striking the heart. Xu Shifu collapsed and died on the spot.

After the killing, Zhang Wan wandered away from the apothecary in a daze and went to the burial grounds outside the city, where he sat for half the night. At some point, exhaustion overcame him and he fell asleep. In his dream, Zhaoge came to bid him farewell and urged him to return home soon. When Zhang Wan awoke, he wept bitterly. Then he returned to the city and went straight to the prefectural yamen to turn himself in.

Seeing Wei Fu remain silent, He Qingshang studied his expression and offered a few more explanations. “When the yamen runners searched Zhang Wan’s home, they found some leftover medicinal ingredients. A physician examined them and confirmed that they were indeed old stock, so it is difficult to say how much medicinal efficacy remained. However, Xu Shifu is dead and cannot testify. Although Zhang Wan acted out of love for his son, this was not vengeance on behalf of a parent or elder, so he will most likely still be unable to escape a death sentence.”

Wei Fu sighed. “Those who kill are executed; those who injure others are punished. The laws of our dynasty do not permit private vengeance. Deputy Prefect need only judge the case impartially. As for whether there are circumstances deserving leniency, that is for the Three Judicial Offices to decide, not for people like us to interfere with. It’s only that this Xu Shifu…”

“What about Xu Shifu?”

“If Zhang Wan’s confession is accurate, then the words he overheard Xu Shifu saying that night seem somewhat incoherent.” Wei Fu tapped the middle portion of the confession. “Zhaoge was only a child. What deep hatred could Xu Shifu possibly have borne him that he would deliberately seek out ineffective medicinal ingredients to harm him? Besides, Xu Shifu ran an apothecary. If he truly wanted to kill someone, he had countless more reliable methods available to him. Why choose the least certain one? That would practically amount to leaving the boy’s survival entirely to chance.”

He Qingshang hesitated. “This… perhaps he was simply stingy by nature, greedy for small savings, and reluctant to use good medicinal ingredients?”

Wei Fu lifted his eyelids and gave him a silent glance. There was no reproach in it, yet every hair along the back of He Qingshang’s neck suddenly stood on end.

Wei Fu reminded him mildly, “I assume Xu Shifu’s history and character were already investigated thoroughly while the witness statements were being taken.”

“Yes—yes, of course. Everything was investigated.” Struck precisely at his weak point, He Qingshang hurried to recover. “When one considers Xu Shifu’s words carefully, they do indeed seem suspicious. But Zhang Wan was overwhelmed by grief, and after committing the murder, he was in a confused and dazed state. It’s possible his memory became muddled and that he repeated the conversation inaccurately. I’ll question him personally later.”

“And then there’s this line: ‘Even if it had worked, his body wouldn’t have held up to being used.’” Wei Fu smoothed out the creases along the edge of the confession. “It sounds as though Xu Shifu did not actually intend to kill Zhaoge, but instead wanted to make him into something. When Zhaoge died, he said, ‘Such a waste of such a fine body,’ and then mentioned finding ‘another’… None of that sounds remotely decent. The more one thinks about it, the more chilling it becomes, Deputy Prefect He.”

He Qingshang murmured agreement aloud, but something suddenly clicked in his mind. He was beginning to understand the true purpose behind Wei Fu’s visit.

He was not particularly worried that Wei Fu intended to trip him up or deliberately make things difficult. Among the emperor’s close and trusted ministers, Wei Fu was universally known for being gentle, mild-tempered, and easy to deal with. Compared with those rigidly upright solitary officials, the Egret Guard that would confiscate entire households at the slightest provocation, or noble clans that looked at everyone through their nostrils, Wei Fu’s manner was practically the definition of “approachable”: mild as a gentle spring rain, never embarrassing anyone, and even considerate enough to offer a helpful hint now and then. Even though Wei Fu himself somehow combined all three identities at once: the emperor’s devoted minister, a close friend of the commander of the Egret Guard, and a bona fide noble scion.

But no matter how high his birth or how many connections he possessed, overstepping his authority to interfere in a homicide case under the jurisdiction of Fuyao Prefecture was still equivalent to plucking a tiger’s whiskers. If the censors found out, they could impeach him hard enough to make him cough up last night’s dinner. If there were nothing unusual about this case, then never mind the risk Wei Fu was taking—it would not even be worth the fodder consumed by the Duke Who Stabilizes the Nation’s carriage on the trip over.

“Court Attendant Wei’s suspicions are not without reason. Although Xu Shifu is already dead, as long as the mysteries surrounding him remain unresolved, this case cannot truly be considered closed.” He Qingshang stated his position, then tentatively added, “It’s only that on the night of the incident, there was both a late-night visitor and a wall-climbing thief. Everyone involved fled, the scene was chaotic, and there is no obvious place to begin. Further investigation may prove somewhat difficult.”

Wei Fu cast him a sidelong glance that made He Qingshang feel uneasy. He could not tell whether Wei Fu thought he was quick on the uptake or thought he was asking for too much.

Wei Fu asked, “Has the wall-climbing thief been caught?”

“The search is still ongoing,” He Qingshang immediately replied, keen to demonstrate that they had not been doing nothing. “However, by the time the thief fled, two or three shichen had already passed since Xu Shifu was killed. I don’t believe he had much to do with the case. Perhaps he was only trying to steal something, happened to stumble across a corpse, and fled with his tail between his legs. Compared with him, the visitor who left earlier is much more suspicious. If someone has nothing guilty on their conscience, what decent person receives guests in the middle of the night?”

Elio’s Notes: One shichen is approximately two modern hours, so two or three shichen is roughly four to six hours.

By sheer coincidence, that remark struck Wei Fu directly in the heart. Unable to suppress his amusement, he laughed until his shoulders trembled slightly, then turned his face away to compose himself. When he finally spoke, his praise was entirely sincere. “Deputy Prefect He, your judgment is truly astute.”

He Qingshang had no idea what was going on and awkwardly laughed along with him twice.

Wei Fu abruptly changed the subject and brought up something seemingly unrelated. “Deputy Prefect He may have heard that two arson cases occurred one after another in Xianglian City last month.”

He Qingshang nodded. “I seem to recall someone mentioning it. I heard the matter even alarmed the Egret Guard, but beyond that, I don’t know—” The rest of the sentence caught in his throat. A beat too late, he realized what he had just said. His eyes widened as he stared uncertainly at Wei Fu. “Court Attendant… what exactly do you mean?”

Wei Fu’s shoulders relaxed slightly as he leaned comfortably back against the chair. When he crossed one leg over the other, the hem of his robe fell smoothly to cover the top of his foot. “The first arson occurred at a private residence. The deceased was a merchant who owned a silk-and-satin business. At first, the authorities believed it to be a case of robbery and murder, but after carefully questioning witnesses, they discovered numerous inconsistencies that could not be explained. Several days later, a second arson occurred at a country estate outside the city. The site of the fire was precisely the place that merchant had been using as a base to conceal trafficked people.”

He Qingshang drew several deep breaths in succession, the tips of his beard trembling. “Something like that actually happened…”

“The deceased was not necessarily innocent. The Egret Guard became involved because there was reason to suspect that he might be connected to the Ten Aspects Sect. Had his identity not been exposed after his death, we would never have known that this poisonous weed had already taken root beneath Xiling.” Wei Fu’s voice dropped until it was almost a whisper. He Qingshang scarcely dared to breathe and listened intently as Wei Fu continued. “This case has already reached His Majesty’s ears and is firmly on his radar. The calamity brought about by the Ten Aspects Sect is not some distant lesson from the past. Here beneath the Son of Heaven’s feet, in the heart of the imperial capital, it is better to pursue several false leads than to take one disastrous wrong step. What do you think, Deputy Prefect He?”

The implication was almost explicit. Fine beads of sweat appeared across He Qingshang’s forehead. His hand gripped the hard wooden armrest tightly as he answered solemnly, “I understand. Thank you for your guidance, Court Attendant Wei. I will investigate Xu Shifu’s case thoroughly to the end.”

“The people of Fengdu are fortunate to have a local official as conscientious and practical as you, Deputy Prefect He.” Wei Fu’s eyes curved as he smiled approvingly at him. In an instant, it was as though a spring breeze had swept across the room and melted all the ice and snow. “I cannot offer much assistance, so I’ll simply wish Deputy Prefect He swift success.”