As the wedding day drew closer, Yue Ling’s preparations became increasingly extensive and increasingly hurried, and inevitably, a few rumors began to leak out. Before long, people started coming to the Gu residence openly and discreetly to inquire about the bride’s identity. Even Madam One-Hammer could no longer resist making a personal visit. Unfortunately, everyone in the Gu residence seemed to have gone deaf and mute at the same time. No matter whom anyone asked, the answer was always that they knew nothing, and every curious visitor left disappointed.
For a time, the identity of the Gu residence’s mysterious bride became the hottest topic in Tanyang.
Ever since returning from the Gu residence, all the doubts in Tao Mo’s heart had vanished. He paid no attention to how feverishly everyone outside was discussing the matter and simply hid himself in the study, practicing calligraphy, smiling foolishly, and counting down the hours one by one.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The pounding of the drum outside the county yamen thundered through the air.
Tao Mo froze and set down his brush.
Hao Guozi hurriedly pushed open the door. “Young Master! Someone is beating the grievance drum!”
Tao Mo’s expression changed. With a sharp smack, he set down his brush. “Quickly, bring me my official robes!”
It had been nearly a month since the previous case concluded.
For a moment, the sight of the court hall seemed almost unfamiliar to Tao Mo.
The yamen runners escorted an elderly-looking couple in worn clothing into the hall.
“This humble petitioner is Wu Youcai…”
“This humble woman is Madam Wu, née Guo…”
“We pay our respects to our righteous magistrate.”
Tao Mo asked gently, “Why did you beat the drum?”
Madam Wu lay prostrate on the floor, wiping endlessly at her tears, too choked with sobs to speak.
Wu Youcai was also weeping openly. “This humble petitioner wishes to accuse—to accuse Shi Qianshan!”
Tao Mo’s heart gave a jolt. Was Shi Qianshan not the nephew of Grand Preceptor Shi himself? “Why…”
Adviser Jin suddenly coughed twice.
Tao Mo looked at him.
Adviser Jin silently mouthed, “Written complaint.”
Tao Mo stared for a moment. “Died from hitting something?”
Elio’s Notes: Adviser Jin mouths zhuangzhi, “written complaint,” but Tao Mo misreads his lips as zhuangsi, “died by crashing into something.” The two expressions sound very similar in Chinese, which is why Wu Youcai immediately thinks Tao Mo somehow already knows how his daughter died.
Wu Youcai jumped in shock. “How did Your Excellency know that my daughter died by throwing herself into something?”
Tao Mo looked even more bewildered. “Ah?”
Wu Youcai’s face filled with grief and indignation. “Could it be that Your Excellency is colluding with Shi Qianshan?! Otherwise, how could you possibly know?”
Tao Mo felt utterly wronged. Where had that accusation even come from?
Adviser Jin raised his voice. “Insolent Wu Youcai! How dare you spit blood at another and slander His Excellency in open court! His Excellency was plainly asking for your written complaint.”
Wu Youcai froze, then knocked his head against the floor twice. “This humble petitioner spoke recklessly. I beg Your Excellency for mercy.”
After being tossed back and forth between “written complaint” and “died from hitting something,” Tao Mo’s head was spinning. He waved a hand. “Where is the written complaint?”
With trembling hands, Wu Youcai took a sheet of paper from inside his clothes. “Please examine it, Your Excellency.”
A yamen runner carried the written complaint up to Tao Mo.
Tao Mo accepted it, took one look, and frowned.
Adviser Jin tactfully walked over. “Master, perhaps I should… What is this?” He stared at the complaint in astonishment.
Tao Mo asked, “Adviser Jin, how many characters are there?”
“Thirteen.”
“But some of these look like the same character.”
Adviser Jin coughed dryly. “Master, perhaps we should first ask what this complaint is meant to say.”
“Can you read all of them aloud to me first?”
Although Adviser Jin found the complaint both useless and ridiculous, he nevertheless read it out character by character. “Five has daughter. Beautiful. Stone harasses. Daughter refuses. Dies. Stone gone.”
Elio’s Notes: The complaint is written by someone barely literate. “Five” (wǔ) is being used in place of the surname Wu (Wǔ), while “Stone” (shí) substitutes for Shi (Shǐ). The writer chose very simple, similar-sounding characters instead of the proper surnames, reducing the entire accusation to thirteen crude characters.
Tao Mo asked Wu Youcai, “Does ‘Five has daughter’ mean your daughter?”
“Yes. It refers to my daughter, Wu Qian. This humble petitioner cannot read, so I asked the only literate person in our village to write the complaint.”
“And ‘beautiful’ means your daughter was beautiful?”
Wu Youcai wiped at the corners of his eyes. “My daughter was famous for her beauty throughout the surrounding villages from the time she was little.”
“And the ‘Stone’ in ‘Stone harasses’ refers to Shi Qianshan?”
“That’s right!” Wu Youcai’s face filled with fury.
“And ‘harasses’ means he behaved indecently toward her?”
Anger and tears mingled in Wu Youcai’s eyes. Through gritted teeth, he said, “He-he tried to force himself on my daughter… To preserve her chastity, my daughter threw herself headfirst against the wall and died!”
At those words, Madam Wu, who had remained prostrate on the floor, nearly sobbed herself unconscious.
Her grief filled the hall so completely that even those listening could not help feeling their eyes grow damp.
Tao Mo asked softly, “And ‘Stone gone’ means he fled because he feared punishment?”
Wu Youcai covered his face and wept. “I was useless! I-I couldn’t stop him! I let him…”
A yamen runner suddenly hurried in from outside. “Your Excellency, someone outside claims to be Shi Qianshan and requests an audience.”
The Wu couple froze, then sprang to their feet in fury. “He-he actually dares to come here!”
When Wu Youcai tried to rush outside, the yamen runners on either side immediately stepped forward and restrained him.
Tao Mo looked at Adviser Jin.
Adviser Jin nodded.
Tao Mo lightly tapped the judge’s block against the desk. “Bring Shi Qianshan in.”
Wu Youcai suddenly turned around, dropped to his knees, and repeatedly knocked his head against the floor before Tao Mo. “Your Excellency, please uphold justice for me!”
The hall was still in an uproar when footsteps sounded outside, and a slightly portly young man strolled slowly into the room.
“This commoner, Shi Qianshan, pays his respects to Lord Magistrate.” To everyone’s surprise, he actually bent both knees and knelt.
Such humility startled even Adviser Jin.
Tao Mo asked, “Do you recognize these two people in the hall?”
Shi Qianshan replied at an unhurried pace, “I do. One introduced himself as Old Wu, and the other as Sister-in-law Wu.”
“Nonsense! Nonsense! When did we ever—”
Tao Mo raised a finger to his lips at the furious Wu Youcai. “How did you meet them?”
Shi Qianshan scratched his cheek. “Someone introduced us.”
“Why?”
Shi Qianshan laughed awkwardly. “He told me there was a peculiar rural brothel.”
“Shi Qianshan… you’re spitting blood at us!” Wu Youcai shouted, preparing to throw himself at him.
Adviser Jin watched him thoughtfully.
Shi Qianshan said, “Every word this commoner has spoken is true. I ask Your Excellency to judge clearly.”
“But he says you harassed Miss Wu and drove her to kill herself by smashing her head against the wall.”
“What this commoner says may sound unbelievable, but every word is true. Someone did indeed introduce me to these two. That person told me there was a rather unusual brothel in the countryside where the women all dressed and behaved like daughters from impoverished families, giving the place a rather different flavor. Curious, I went to see it for myself. At the time, these two called themselves Old Wu and Sister-in-law Wu, and the woman they brought me was Wu Qian. Who would have thought that just as she and I entered the house and were about to do the deed, Wu Qian would suddenly throw herself headfirst against the wall and die?”
“Utter nonsense! You-you… you… you’re simply…” Wu Youcai could not catch his breath. His eyes rolled upward.
Tao Mo hurriedly said, “Quickly, send someone for a doctor.”
While several yamen runners helped the Wu couple lie down to one side, another ran out to fetch a doctor.
Shi Qianshan remained kneeling nearby, watching the Wu couple with an indifferent expression.
At a loss, Tao Mo looked toward Adviser Jin.
Adviser Jin said, “There are too many suspicious points in this matter. We should adjourn and reconvene later.”
Tao Mo nodded, raised the judge’s block, and brought it down heavily with a bang. “Saving lives comes first. This case is adjourned until a later hearing!”
Shi Qianshan said, “This commoner is staying at Anping Inn. If Your Excellency has anything you wish to ask, you may come find me at any time.”
Tao Mo glanced at him and nodded silently.
When they returned to the study, Old Tao and Hao Guozi had already hurried over after hearing the news.
“That Wu couple is so pitiful!” Hao Guozi said. “Shi Qianshan is utterly shameless.”
Adviser Jin shook his head. “I fear this matter is not so simple.”
“You actually believe Shi Qianshan’s testimony when it’s riddled with holes?”
“You don’t?”
“Anyone with a brain wouldn’t believe it! What woman would suddenly smash her own head against a wall for no reason? What, was she trying to frame him?”
“If anyone with a brain would refuse to believe it, then why would he tell such a story?”
“Maybe he thinks Grand Preceptor Shi is powerful enough to protect him, so he simply invented whatever lie came to mind and expected us to swallow it.”
Seeing Adviser Jin’s tightly furrowed brows, Old Tao asked, “Has Adviser noticed something amiss?”
“Judging from Shi Qianshan’s manner and speech, he does not strike me as a man blinded by lust.”
“Maybe Miss Wu was as beautiful as a celestial maiden and he simply couldn’t control himself?”
“That is only the first point. The second is that Wu Youcai… seems to be concealing something.”
“Oh?” A sharp glint passed through Old Tao’s eyes.
“He said he cannot read and that someone from his village wrote the complaint for him. Judging from that complaint, the learning of the only literate person in the village is also rather… limited. If that is truly the case, how did Wu Youcai learn an expression like ‘spit blood at another’?”
Hao Guozi stared. “You really suspect they’re trying to frame Shi Qianshan? But Shi Qianshan is Grand Preceptor Shi’s nephew. Who would dare frame him?”
Old Tao asked, “Does this method seem familiar to any of you?”
Adviser Jin’s eyes lit up. “Huang Guangde?”
Hao Guozi frowned. “How did Huang Guangde get dragged into this again?”
“I am not saying he is necessarily involved. It merely reminds me of that woodcutter who confessed to another man’s crime. Both are the sort of simple, honest-looking people no one would readily suspect.”
“What benefit would Huang Guangde gain from this? If the scheme were exposed, he would only offend Grand Preceptor Shi.”
“What if it were never exposed? What if Master convicted Shi Qianshan?”
Hao Guozi’s expression changed. “Using someone else’s knife to kill him?!”
“Perhaps the person behind this did not expect Shi Qianshan to be no fool and to voluntarily present himself before the court. By doing so, Shi Qianshan has put the other side on the defensive instead.”
Tao Mo said, “Whatever the case, our most urgent task is to uncover the truth.”
“Exactly. I’ll go speak with the Wu couple and inspect the scene.”
“I’ll go with you!”
“Good. Oh, and…” Adviser Jin hesitated, then turned to Hao Guozi. “Go ask Clerk Cui to come with us.” He had originally intended to arrange for Cui Jiong to be transferred to another county and replace him with a new clerk, but they had been so busy lately that the matter had repeatedly been put aside.
The moment Hao Guozi heard Clerk Cui’s name, his face filled with reluctance. “Why call someone who eats from our bowl while helping outsiders?”
“This is a homicide case. Naturally he must attend. We will also need a coroner.”
Hao Guozi curled his lip and left.
“I’ll go find the Wu couple,” Adviser Jin said.
“I’ll prepare the carriage,” Old Tao said.
In the blink of an eye, Tao Mo was the only person left in the room.
He looked around the empty study and suddenly had a thought. Once we’re married, I’ll be able to see Gu She whenever I want and ask for his opinion at any time, won’t I?
Only two days left.
The Wu couple lived in Wu Family Village beside Tanyang County. Their house stood at the village entrance, so everyone entering the village had to pass by it.
After the doctor inserted two needles, Wu Youcai’s emotions settled considerably. He tearfully told Tao Mo, “That night, Shi Qianshan knocked on our door and asked for lodging. We invited him inside, but who could have imagined… who could have imagined he would destroy our daughter!”
Madam Wu suddenly clutched a quilt to her chest and began wailing on the bed.
Wu Youcai walked over and gently patted her shoulder.
Adviser Jin asked, “May I ask where Wu Qian…”
Wu Youcai wiped his tears with his sleeve and pointed behind Hao Guozi.
Hao Guozi jumped and hurried out of the way.
Adviser Jin and Tao Mo both moved closer.
Sure enough, there was a darkened bloodstain on the wall. The house was made of packed earth, yet on closer inspection there were cracks around the stain. Whatever impact had caused it must have been delivered with all her strength.
Adviser Jin asked, “Where is Wu Qian’s body?”
Wu Youcai wept. “We already buried her.”
“Where?”
Wu Youcai and Madam Wu exchanged a glance.
“At the unmarked burial ground.”
Adviser Jin raised an eyebrow.
A commotion sounded outside. Cui Jiong had arrived with the coroner.
“Clerk Cui.” Adviser Jin cupped his hands.
“Adviser Jin.” Cui Jiong nervously returned the courtesy, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward Tao Mo. Ever since Tao Mo returned from Qincheng, Cui Jiong had lived in constant unease. He did not know why the prefect had let Tao Mo go so easily; he only knew that every sign suggested Tao Mo had somehow learned what Cui Jiong had been doing behind his back. Several times he had gone to the yamen only to be refused entry, and all communication had been conducted through letters from Adviser Jin. Yet if Tao Mo truly knew, apart from refusing to see him, he had taken no action whatsoever. Cui Jiong could make neither head nor tail of it.
Adviser Jin asked, “What does Clerk Cui think of this case?” Cui Jiong had served at the yamen for many years and planted plenty of his own people there. News of the case would certainly have reached him already.
Cui Jiong deliberately put on a blank expression. “May I ask which case Adviser Jin is referring to?”
Adviser Jin had nothing but contempt for the performance, though he briefly summarized the case aloud.
Cui Jiong did not know what Tao Mo was thinking, nor did he know Shi Qianshan’s background. But judging from everything Tao Mo had done since taking office, he knew Tao Mo wholeheartedly wanted to be an honest and upright magistrate. He therefore said, “Naturally, Miss Wu cannot be allowed to die with her grievances unresolved.”
“Is that so?” Adviser Jin said evenly. “Wu Youcai says Miss Wu’s body is at the unmarked burial ground. I’m afraid we’ll have to trouble Clerk Cui to make the trip.”
At the words “unmarked burial ground,” Cui Jiong’s stomach churned with acid, but he still forced a smile onto his face. “Of course, of course. But what did Miss Wu look like? And where exactly was she buried?”
“I know,” Wu Youcai said. “I’ll lead you there.”
Cui Jiong glanced toward Tao Mo and found him busy consoling Madam Wu. After hesitating, he raised his voice. “Lord Tao!”
Tao Mo turned toward him.
“This subordinate will certainly recover Miss Wu’s body!”
“Good.” Tao Mo immediately turned back to comforting Madam Wu.
Feeling that he had received a quiet but unmistakable rebuff, Cui Jiong left awkwardly.
Adviser Jin walked to Tao Mo’s side and said softly, “Master, it is getting late. Why don’t we return and wait for news?”
Madam Wu tightly gripped Tao Mo’s hand and sobbed, “Your Excellency, you must severely punish Shi Qianshan so that my daughter can rest in peace.”
Tao Mo promised, “I will certainly uncover the truth.”
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