Chapter 9

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(Third update, I'm exhausted, please give me some recommendation votes, I need encouragement to recover quickly!!)

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The Ming Dynasty largely followed the administrative divisions of the Yuan Dynasty but divided the provincial powers into three: the Board of Civil Affairs (承宣布政使司) handled administration, the Board of Judicial Review (提刑按察使司) handled the judiciary, and the Board of Military Command (都指挥使司) handled the military. These three powers were separated to ensure a balance.

Under the Board of Judicial Review, there were circuit inspectors (分巡道) who supervised administrative and judicial matters, usually appointed as deputy inspectors or inspectors. For example, Zhejiang was divided into the Eastern Zhejiang Circuit (浙东道) and the Western Zhejiang Circuit (浙西道), with Hangzhou Prefecture falling under the Western Zhejiang Circuit.

He Guancha, the Western Zhejiang Circuit Inspector, took the Zhao family's case very seriously because it was not only a murder case but also involved corruption among county officials. This was a major case in Zhejiang.

He immediately ordered the Board of Judicial Review to re-examine the body, and the results were significantly different. The forensic examiner determined that the woman had been dead for several months, but had been tied to a stone and sunk to the bottom of the river. Later, the rope had come loose, and the body floated to the surface, making it appear as if she had died more recently.

Seeing the previous examination results from Fuyang County overturned, He Guancha's judgment naturally leaned towards the plaintiff. He cast a suspicious eye on the officials of Fuyang County and ordered County Magistrate Chen to be suspended for investigation. He then personally interrogated Lin Wanrong.

Lin Wanrong spoke confidently to He Guancha, denying any involvement in his wife's murder. However, He Guancha learned from witnesses that Lin had a history of beating his wife. Lin explained that his first wife had died in childbirth, and he later remarried Zhao. But Zhao was promiscuous and often flirted with his classmates, which made him very uncomfortable. They sometimes argued, and he had even resorted to physical violence. Zhao's disappearance occurred after one of their fights, on her way back to her parents' home...

He Guancha immediately became angry, saying, "Your homes are less than ten miles apart, and Zhao left during the daytime. How could an accident happen? Clearly, you killed her and lied about her going back to her parents' home!"

Lin Wanrong repeatedly claimed ignorance, but since he had the status of a scholar, He Guancha could not use torture. He also noticed that the complaint from the Zhao family mentioned a witness, Hu Sancai, who was Lin Wanrong's classmate.

He Guancha immediately summoned Hu Sancai to testify. Hu revealed that during their drinking sessions, Lin Wanrong had often complained about Zhao's infidelity and expressed a desire to kill her.

This convinced He Guancha that Lin Wanrong was the murderer. He wrote to the provincial educational commissioner to revoke Lin's status as a scholar and then subjected him to severe torture!

Despite his strong will, Lin Wanrong eventually confessed under the torture, admitting that he had deceived his wife to the river, beaten her to death, tied her to a stone, and sunk her in the river...

Later, Lin Wanrong also revealed the location where he had hidden the blood-stained clothes and the murder weapon. The constables found a blood-stained dress and a cudgel at the location. Seeing a breakthrough, He Guancha was delighted and ordered the nearly unconscious Lin Wanrong to be taken away, then summoned Zhou, the forensic examiner.

Initially, Zhou insisted that he had not taken any money and that any errors in his examination were due to his lack of skill. When questioned, the clerk Wang Xingye gave the same answer!

The forensic examiner's statement was reasonable. Even if the results were incorrect, he would only be dismissed, not charged with a crime. However, He Guancha, unable to get any results, turned back to Lin Wanrong, who, having been broken, confessed to bribing County Magistrate Chen with 100 guan, delivered by clerk Wang Xingye.

With Lin Wanrong's confession, He Guancha again interrogated the county officials. This time, he was smarter and questioned Zhou first, leaving the slippery Wang Xingye for last.

Sure enough, Zhou, upon seeing the confession, admitted to receiving 10 guan as a fee from Wang Xingye.

With Zhou's confession, He Guancha was overjoyed and immediately summoned Wang Xingye. In the courtroom, Wang Xingye was both amused and frustrated, saying that the scholar was out of touch with reality, thinking everyone in the government lived on thin air. The county magistrate might be as clean as water, but when he went out, the sedan bearers, the three classes of constables, the white servants, and the civilian guards, numbering dozens, had no income or only a small salary, which was not enough to support their families. They relied on such tasks to earn some extra money.

For example, when going to Lingqiao Town, the client had to pay "shoe and foot money" as per custom. Since it was more than ten miles away, an additional 30 wen and 20 wen for food and drink were required. The transportation of the body to the mortuary and the examination were also the client's responsibility, not the government's. Therefore, asking for 100 guan was just following the usual practice, not extortion.

Although the words were harsh, they were true. Anyone in Wang Xingye's position would have to do the same, and such practices were not something a minor official could change. However, He Guancha, being a bookish man, insisted that this was bribery. He then pressured County Magistrate Chen to confess, but Wang Xingye firmly denied any involvement, saying that everything was done by the subordinates and the county magistrate knew nothing.

To break Wang Xingye's resolve, He Guancha used severe torture again. But whether it was because Wang Xingye was tough or the constables went easy on him, he endured the torture and refused to implicate County Magistrate Chen. He Guancha had no choice but to stop the investigation, but this was already enough to ruin County Magistrate Chen.

After making the case airtight, the circuit inspector reported the case. Since it involved a murder and official corruption, the Board of Judicial Review had to report to the Ministry of Justice, which would then seek the emperor's approval before the decision was sent back down for execution.

During this period, Lin's family appealed to the provincial capital, and the case dragged on for over a year. Finally, in the winter of last year, the verdict came down. County Magistrate Chen, though not corrupt, was found guilty of poor supervision and incompetence and was dismissed from his post. Lin Rongxing was sentenced to death by beheading, pending imperial review. Wang Xingye was sentenced to 100 strokes and five years of hard labor in a salt field. Zhou, the forensic examiner, was sentenced to 200 strokes and exile for 3,000 miles, but he died in prison due to his injuries...

Although it was not the harsh Ming Dynasty of the Hongwu era, where a 20-liang bribe could result in flaying, the punishment was still severe. Wang Xingye's fate was relatively lenient...

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Wang Xian finished reading and noticed that Lin Qing'er had fallen asleep, leaning on the table. This girl was as delicate as a blade of grass but resilient in a way that made him feel a deep sense of pain. Although he was not one to pity women, he felt a great admiration for Lin Qing'er.

Although she seemed exhausted, Wang Xian could not just sit there with her, so he cleared his throat.

Lin Qing'er immediately woke up, rubbing her red cheeks, and said shyly, "Have you finished reading?"

"Yes," Wang Xian nodded.

"What do you think?" Lin Qing'er asked hopefully.

"From a procedural standpoint, the case has been made airtight," Wang Xian said slowly. "If I only read the final report, I would believe that your brother is the murderer."

"Absolutely not," Lin Qing'er said firmly. "Do you know where the so-called evidence came from?"

"Where did it come from?"

"The jailer, seeing my brother beaten senseless, kindly suggested that if he couldn't remember where the murder weapon was buried, he should just bury it again," Lin Qing'er said with a bitter smile. "My brother sent a message home, and my mother and I found a dress of my sister-in-law's. My mother then cut her arm to make it look like a blood-stained dress, and we found a cudgel and buried it under a crooked tree at the village entrance. Then we notified my brother, and he had something to confess to."

"So, the evidence is fake?"

"Of course it's fake," Lin Qing'er said through gritted teeth. "Because my brother is innocent; he didn't kill anyone!"

"Ah..."

"Also," Lin Qing'er continued, recounting what she had heard on the boat, "If they had nothing to hide, would they be afraid of you... intercepting the imperial carriage to file a complaint?" She looked at Wang Xian and asked, "Are they telling the truth?"

Wang Xian nodded. "It seems so. Among my friends, there's one named Liao San. His brother specializes in writing complaints. I asked Liao San to have his brother write a complaint for me, but before I could get it, I was beaten. It was probably his brother who reported it, and Liao San spread the news."

"So, my brother must be innocent!" Lin Qing'er nodded firmly.

"It won't do just to tell me," Wang Xian said calmly. "We need to convince the authorities to overturn the case."

"How do we convince the authorities?"

"Think about it..." Wang Xian paused, then lowered his voice and said slowly, "Is it possible that your sister-in-law is still alive?"

"How could that be..." Lin Qing'er didn't believe it. Even if the body wasn't her sister-in-law, she had been missing for over two years. How could she still be alive?

"I think it's very possible," Wang Xian said, flipping through the case file to a specific page. "Look at the section about the examination in Lingqiao Town. It clearly states that the body had been in the water for a long time, was deformed, and had been mutilated by wild dogs. How could the Zhao family recognize their daughter so easily?"

"Even if they could勉强 recognize her, people usually don't accept the death of a loved one until the last moment. At that time, the body hadn't even been examined. Why were the Zhao family so eager to mourn?" He paused and continued, "So, there are only two possibilities: they knew the body was your sister-in-law and wanted to cover up the murder, or they knew the body was not your sister-in-law."

"If it was the first, they would know who killed your sister-in-law and would want to protect the murderer. But if that were the case, they would have wanted the case to be dropped and would not have appealed later. So, the first possibility doesn't hold."

This logical reasoning, which was not particularly impressive in the modern world, left Lin Qing'er in awe. She thought about it carefully and realized it was true. She looked at Wang Xian with newfound respect and said, "You are really amazing!" She then added, "I never thought I would hear such words from you."

"Even a scholar changes after three days," Wang Xian said calmly. "So, the truth is only one: they knew the body was not your sister-in-law, and she must still be alive!" He lightly tapped the table and said, "Find her, and the case will be overturned!"

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