Futile Devices Scans

The prefect’s face alternated between green and red under Gu She’s questioning. Before arresting Tao Mo, he had sent people to investigate Tao Mo’s background. They reported that Tao Mo came from a merchant family that had since declined, that both his parents were dead, and that he had no relatives or old connections at court. No matter how one looked at it, such a man was a soft persimmon anyone could squeeze. So where had this aggressive litigation master suddenly come from?

He glared at Gu She, then flicked his eyes toward his adviser.

The adviser coughed dryly, rose, and walked to the prefect’s side. “My lord, this Gu She has some reputation in Tanyang County, but I heard he has never appeared in court.” Gu She’s fame in Tanyang County had spread by word of mouth through Master One-Hammer and his disciples. Gu She himself had no earth-shattering achievements. Outside Tanyang County, his name disappeared into the vast sea of people. Even when someone mentioned him, it was merely as Master One-Hammer’s disciple who had never appeared in court. That was all the adviser knew.

“Never appeared in court?” The prefect’s spirits lifted. His mind, which Gu She’s string of questions had left dazed, finally regained a measure of clarity. “So he is merely a reckless brat who does not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth.”

“This matter should be settled quickly rather than slowly,” the adviser said. They should cut through the tangled mess with a sharp blade and beat Gu She down while few people were present so early in the morning. Otherwise, if the matter dragged on, complications might arise and provoke an uproar.

The prefect had the same thought. Hearing this, he picked up the gavel and slammed it heavily against the desk. “What a sharp-tongued scoundrel you are! You dare openly slander and smear this official in court! Do you know what place this is? Is it somewhere an ignorant commoner like you may spout such outrageous nonsense? Since this is your first offense, I will not pursue it. Why have you not left at once? Otherwise, do not blame me for showing no mercy!”

“Why evade the issue by talking about something else?” Gu She asked calmly. “Address the matter at hand.”

The prefect’s chest tightened with fury. He slammed the gavel down twice more to vent his anger. “Do you truly believe this official would not dare lay a hand on you?”

“In court, the question is not whether you dare, but whether you ought to,” Gu She said. “Under which law of our dynasty does Your Excellency intend to punish me?”

The prefect abruptly stood and shouted, “For daring, as a mere commoner, to accuse a dignified fourth-rank official!”

Gu She stared at him coldly.

A chill seeped from the depths of the prefect’s heart, and he found himself unable to maintain eye contact.

“In that case, proceed,” Gu She said.

Gu Xiaojia cried out in alarm, “Young Master?”

Gu She raised one hand and waved lightly.

Gu Xiaojia’s eyes widened as he shot the prefect a murderous glare.

How could the prefect have known that the man before him merely appeared impulsive and reckless when in truth he was… every bit as impulsive and reckless as he appeared? By now, the prefect had woven a cocoon around himself and was riding a tiger he could not dismount. If he ordered the beating, the matter might grow serious. If he did not, where would the dignity of a prefect go?

The adviser shuffled closer in small steps and whispered, “My lord, why not strike him two or three times merely for appearance’s sake? Scholars have always had lofty pride but delicate flesh. After two or three blows, that thin flesh may well squeeze all the pride out of his bones. Then, if Your Excellency waives the remaining strokes, would that not make you appear even more magnanimous?”

The prefect found this extremely reasonable. When he first saw Gu She, Gu She’s bearing had intimidated him into feeling some goodwill. But after Gu She repeatedly talked him down, only resentment and the desire to have him thoroughly beaten remained.

“Men!” The prefect picked up a red-tipped sentencing tally. “Give him twenty heavy strokes!”

Gu Xiaojia and the others were stunned.

Gu She, however, remained perfectly composed. Without waiting for the yamen runners to approach, he calmly lowered himself facedown onto the floor.

Only when a runner raised the paddle and brought it down did Gu Xiaojia awaken as though from a dream. He shouted, “Who dares touch my young master?! My master is Chancellor Gu Huankun! Who dares lay a hand on him?”

The prefect had originally been watching Gu She’s face and considering stopping after several strikes. But Gu Xiaojia’s heart-rending shout left him completely dumbfounded. Only after the third blow landed did he recover and hurriedly yell, “Stop! Stop at once!”

His face white, he looked from Gu Xiaojia to Gu She. Only after a long while did he ask, “Who… who did you just say your master was?”

The yamen runners had blocked Gu Xiaojia outside, leaving him only able to bare his teeth and wave his arms. “Your dog eyes must be blind! My young master is Gu Xianzhi!”

Gu She was the one who had been beaten, yet the prefect looked even paler than he did. “You… no, that is not right. Did you not say your name was Gu She?”

Gu She slowly opened his mouth. To endure the pain, he had bitten through his lower lip. Blood stained it a vivid red that made the prefect’s heart pound with fear, but what Gu She said next terrified him even more. “My surname is Gu, my given name is She… and my courtesy name is Xianzhi.”

The prefect collapsed into his chair.

Seeing that the prefect had lost his wits, the adviser hurriedly ordered the runners to release Gu She and allow Gu Xiaojia and the others to carry him away. He then ordered someone to summon the best doctor in the entire city. If something truly happened to Gu She in Qin City, then not only the prefect but probably everyone both above and below the courtroom would be implicated. The more he thought about it, the more he regretted his earlier suggestion that the prefect beat Gu She and wished he could swallow every word back. But this was not the time for regret. Finding a way to repair the situation was the proper course.

He hurried over and pushed the prefect.

The prefect had already been frightened out of his wits. Only after being shaken for a long while did he ask tremblingly, “Where… where is he?”

“They carried him away,” the adviser said. “I have already sent someone to summon a doctor.”

“How severe are his injuries?” The prefect stared at him desperately.

“We do not know yet.”

The prefect struck his own head and wailed, “This is the end. The end, the end, the end…”

“My lord, we still do not know whether this Gu She is genuine,” the adviser said.

The prefect looked up, a glimmer of hope flashing through his eyes before immediately dying. “He dared announce it in open court. It is probably not false.”

“Even if it is true, ignorance excuses the offense. I doubt Chancellor Gu would necessarily…” Seeing the despair on the prefect’s face, the adviser silently swallowed the remainder.

Pressing both hands against his forehead, the prefect sighed. “I have spent my life hunting geese, only to have one peck out my eye. Retribution.”

Seeing that he could do nothing but groan and sigh, the adviser became anxious. “My lord, this is not the time to wallow in regret. We should think of a countermeasure.”

“A countermeasure? What countermeasure could there possibly be? The person I beat was Gu Xianzhi—the foremost talent beneath Heaven! Even if Chancellor Gu possesses a heart broad enough to sail a boat through and refuses to hold it against me, will the scholars of the realm spare me?” In the eyes of scholars throughout the realm, Gu Xianzhi was practically a model to emulate. Never mind beating him three times with a paddle; even touching him three times might prompt countless scholars to rush forward and drown the prefect in their spit.

Hearing this, waves of cold swept repeatedly across the adviser’s back. After some thought, he said, “The situation may not yet be so dire. Did Gu She not come because he wanted something? Why not first grant his request and then humbly beg forgiveness?”

The prefect froze. “His request?”

The adviser pointed to the side. “Tao Mo.”

Those three strokes had not been light. At the time, the yamen runners had seen Gu She confronting the prefect so sharply and had all flexed their arms, afraid that striking too gently would displease the prefect. Although there had been only three blows, each carried considerable force.

By the time Gu She returned to the inn, his consciousness was already somewhat blurred.

Gu Xiaojia completely lost his head. He sprawled beside the bed and wailed so loudly that heaven and earth seemed to darken, failing even to react when the doctor arrived. Hao Guozi and Adviser Jin had to drag him away, one on each side.

Because Gu She’s injury was in a private location, everyone was asked to leave.

Only after a long while did the doctor emerge, sweating heavily. He handed over two prescriptions, one for external application and one for internal medicine.

Without even wiping his tears, Gu Xiaojia snatched the prescriptions and dragged the doctor outside at a run.

Seeing him stumble as he ran, Hao Guozi followed worriedly.

Old Tao and Adviser Jin exchanged a glance and silently shook their heads.

Adviser Jin had only just learned that the Gu She living in seclusion in Tanyang County was actually Gu Xianzhi, but he was soon even more shocked by Gu She’s method of injuring himself eight hundred to wound the enemy by a thousand. In truth, given Gu Xianzhi’s family background and status, had he personally negotiated with the prefect, the prefect might well have shown him respect. But by doing this, Gu She had instead forced the prefect to come begging him.

He had beaten Gu Xianzhi. The prefect was probably searching every street for a rope with which to hang himself by now. Remembering the prefect’s expression at the time, Adviser Jin took considerable malicious delight in his misfortune. After spending so many years in officialdom, it was rare to witness anything so immensely satisfying!

Old Tao pushed open the door and entered.

Gu She opened his eyes.

“Why put yourself through this?” Old Tao sighed softly. There had clearly been many other solutions.

Gu She slowly closed his eyes. After a moment, he said, “I never beg anyone.”

To him, this had been the best solution. He could not use Gu Huankun’s name to intimidate the prefect. Besides, the prefect might not necessarily have yielded. Rather than do that, it was better to let the other party offend him first and then come begging in return.

“But you suffered physical pain,” Old Tao said.

“It was worth it.”

Was it worth it for Tao Mo’s sake, or because this method had resolved the matter? Old Tao stared at the faint crease between Gu She’s brows caused by the pain and silently wondered.

“When Tao Mo returns, do not let him come here,” Gu She said.

“You are afraid he will cry?” Old Tao asked.

“I do not wish to speak with him while lying facedown.”

“You are lying facedown while speaking to me now.”

“You do not matter,” Gu She said blandly.

Old Tao asked in confusion, “And why is that?”

“I do not care.” Gu She’s brows tightened again.

Hearing the tremor in his voice, Old Tao knew the pain was severe. He simply sat down and began talking about one irrelevant matter after another to distract him.

Gu She did not drive him away. He quietly listened as Old Tao rambled about things that had nothing to do with anything.

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