Chapter 16

（This chapter required a great deal of effort, with almost every detail meticulously researched and verified. If readers in the future need to write about the process of submitting a complaint to the yamen, they can use this as a reference. Unlike before, I have kept all the research out of sight to avoid disrupting the story. I am truly out of place, and I need your votes to encourage me!）

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The next morning, Shuai Hui and Liu Erhei arrived at Wang Xian's house, carrying a wooden board, but were stopped at the door by Yinyin. No matter how they pleaded, they could not get inside.

In the end, it was the old mother who said, "Let them in."

"Mother..." Yinyin pouted, reluctantly stepping aside.

The two quickly slipped in and soon came out of the west wing, carrying Wang Xian on the wooden board.

Seeing his mother, Wang Xian felt uneasy and tried to act nonchalant, "Mother, I'm going out for a bit. I won't be back for lunch."

"Mm." Surprisingly, the old mother did not scold him but nodded and turned away, saying after a while, "Don't worry, someone will bring you food..."

"Mother..." Wang Xian's nose tingled, and he called out sincerely, "It was Uncle Hu who told you, right?"

"Mm." The old mother nodded, her eyes red, and touched her son's face, saying resentfully, "Your deadbeat father is no good, using his son as a pawn, but I don't think he would harm you..." She paused and then said fiercely, "If he does, I'll go to the salt fields and pickle him into ham!"

"Uh..." Wang Xian was at a loss, the old mother was truly a mood killer, and the brief moment of warmth was quickly ruined.

"Go on, go on. I'll kill a chicken and stew soup tonight. If you come back late, there won't be any soup left!" The old mother waved them off impatiently, driving the three out of the house.

Watching them leave the alley, Yinyin asked softly, "Mother, isn't Second Brother just going out to fool around?"

The old mother shook her head, and the tears she had been holding back finally rolled down her cheeks...

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The yamen accepts complaints on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th days of the month, a tradition said to have been passed down from Bao Zheng. In his time, Bao Longtu sat in the Kaifeng Prefecture and ordered the yamen gates to be opened, allowing the people to directly file complaints before him. This, it was said, prevented corrupt officials from interfering.

Emperor Taizu found this practice excellent and thus decreed that local officials must follow Bao's example, personally accepting complaints from the people without involving clerks or deputy officials. However, Zhu Yuanzhang, with his extraordinary energy, did not consider that officials like Bao Zheng, who had such exceptional energy, were few. Throughout the Hongwu era, officials spent their days in court, with no time for anything else, and were often exhausted and miserable.

After Zhu Yuanzhang's death, the system was adjusted, limiting complaints to specific dates. According to the local policy of Fuyang County, the 3rd, 6th, and 9th days of the month were designated for accepting complaints. Today was the 19th of August, a day when the yamen accepted complaints.

Early in the morning, the yamen beat the drum and opened the gates, and the bailiffs put up the sign for accepting complaints.

As soon as the gates opened, a crowd rushed in, only to be met with the bailiffs' shouts and shoves. After a few officials cursed and kicked, the crowd finally formed a line.

After the second drumbeat, the officials led the complainants into the yamen and ordered them to kneel on the right side of the hall. They then noticed someone lying down.

Today's duty officer, Hou, walked over and kicked Wang Xian, "Get up!" In front of the common people, even these low-ranking bailiffs were like fierce gods.

Shuai Hui quickly smiled and said, "This is the victim, he's paralyzed."

"Damn, even paralyzed, he didn't forget to file a complaint." Hou spat and walked away.

'Feh, lackeys...' Shuai Hui silently cursed, thinking, 'One day, I'll make you kneel before me.'

After a while, the drum in the hall sounded, and a personal attendant announced, "The great magistrate is in session."

The people outside the hall made a mess of greetings.

Then, the duty clerk, Xu Dianli, came out and gave a few instructions to the complainants, who listened carefully, knowing that violating them would result in punishment.

Following Xu Dianli's directions, the complainants, who were kneeling in front of the yamen, climbed the eastern steps to the platform, handed their complaints to the clerk sitting at the long table... Wang Lao's position was now filled by a new person. After bowing to the magistrate on the platform, they descended from the western steps and knelt again to wait.

The clerk registered each complaint and, once all were collected, handed them to the personal attendant, who presented them to Magistrate Wei.

Magistrate Wei reviewed each complaint and called the complainants to the platform one by one for questioning. If a complaint was deemed frivolous, it could be dismissed on the spot. However, most cases were dismissed after questioning, and the complaints were then handed to the inner yamen for review by the secretary, who would then send them to the criminal department for processing.

There were exceptions, such as major cases or those the magistrate deemed important, which could be handled immediately. Today was one such case...

After dealing with a few minor cases involving brawls, Magistrate Wei picked up a complaint and asked, "Who is Wang Xian?"

"Here, here." Shuai Hui and Liu Erhei quickly carried Wang Xian to the platform, placed the wooden board on the ground, and knelt to bow to the magistrate.

Wang Xian struggled to kneel, but the magistrate said, "You are excused," and asked, "Are you Wang Xian?"

"Yes, Your Honor, I am Wang Xian," Wang Xian replied, lying on the board.

"What is your complaint?"

"On February 16th, six thugs ambushed me outside Qian's gambling den, leaving me unconscious for half a year. My mother, to treat me, not only spent all our savings but also incurred heavy debts..." Wang Xian began to cry, "I beg Your Honor to bring the culprits to justice and compensate my family!"

With a bang, Magistrate Wei struck the gavel, and the bailiffs shouted, "Silence!"

Wang Xian dared not make a sound.

"Xu, the clerk, do you have any information on this case?" Magistrate Wei asked the clerk.

The clerk, Li Guan, who was previously under Wang Lao, was in his forties, with a stern face. He stood up and reported, "Your Honor, this case occurred before you took office. It was handled by the deputy magistrate, who ordered an investigation. However, since Wang Xian was unconscious and could not identify the culprits, the case was put on hold."

"Do you know who injured you?" Magistrate Wei asked Wang Xian.

"Yes, I do," Wang Xian nodded.

"Who are they, and where do they live?" Magistrate Wei asked.

"I don't know their names, but I know where they live," Wang Xian said.

"Where?"

"They live at He Chang's house in San Shan Town!"

"Do not lie!" Magistrate Wei frowned. "He Chang is one of the seven grain collectors in this county, a respected man. How could he harbor criminals?"

"I dare not lie. I have a witness," Wang Xian said, looking at Shuai Hui. "He is my lifelong friend. He saw the culprits that day and followed one of them to He Chang's house."

"What is your name, and where are you from?"

"Your Honor, I am Shuai Hui, from this county," Shuai Hui stammered, intimidated by the yamen's authority.

"Tell me what you saw."

"Um, well..." Shuai Hui, the more nervous he became, the more incoherent he was. He simplified, "Just as my brother said, Erhei is also a witness."

"Who are you?" Magistrate Wei asked the large, dark man.

"I am Liu Erhei, Your Honor can just call me Erhei," Liu Erhei said in a deep voice, causing the people in the hall to chuckle, thinking the magistrate was like his uncle to call him by his nickname.

"Liu Erhei, tell me what you saw."

Liu Erhei, a simple man, never knew what nervousness was, and he recounted what he saw, which sounded genuine. Or rather, no one believed such a simple man could lie...

"It seems this is not a lie," Magistrate Wei said, his eyes clear and his nose straight, exuding righteousness. "The thugs have been at large for half a year, where is justice? Hu, the constable!"

"Your subordinate is here!" Hu Buliu quickly stepped forward. Today, he wore a helmet with a peacock feather, a blue robe, a red vest, a steel sword, and black boots, clearly dressed up.

Magistrate Wei couldn't help but sigh inwardly, a rough man is a rough man. You look too deliberate. He cleared his throat and turned to Wang Xian, "I warn you, if this is a false accusation, you will be punished, and your sentence will be doubled!"

"I understand, Your Honor," Wang Xian sighed, knowing this was a matter of life and death.

"Good," Magistrate Wei ordered the clerk to issue a warrant and, with a red pen, handed it to the personal attendant, "I order you to go to San Shan Town and arrest the suspects!"

"Understood!" Hu Buliu took the warrant and added, "I request to take the witnesses with me!"

"Agreed," Magistrate Wei nodded.

"Your Honor, I also request to go," Wang Xian said, "I want to confront He Chang!"

"Very well," Magistrate Wei pretended to think, then nodded, "The He family is the leading household in San Shan Town. If they are not convinced, it will cause trouble." He ordered, "Prepare a carriage and take the plaintiff with you!"

"Understood!" Hu Buliu led the order, and Shuai Hui and Liu Erhei carried Wang Xian and followed.

Since they were prepared, Hu Buliu's order was quickly followed, and over seventy men from the fast and strong teams were fully equipped and ready.

"Today's mission is crucial. Whoever slacks off will regret being born!" Hu Buliu looked at his subordinates and said coldly, "The target is the leading household in San Shan Town, He Chang's house. We will go in two groups. The first group of twenty, led by Zhang Mazi, will take the plaintiff and witnesses directly to He Chang's house to arrest the suspects. The second group, led by me, will follow." He waved his hand, "Move out!"

Outside, people who were not involved in the mission began to speculate about which family was about to face trouble.

Inside the yamen, a clerk in a blue robe called over a white-clad attendant and whispered, "Go to He Chang's house and tell him that Hu Buliu is coming to arrest the culprits in the Wang Er case. Tell him to be prepared!"

The attendant nodded, changed into plain clothes, and left the yamen through a side door. He went to a guesthouse, fetched a fast horse, and headed for San Shan Town.

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