Chapter 102: The Prefect Summons, Sentencing

Chapter 102: The Prefect's Summons and Sentencing

Han Shi pressed a hand to her chest as if struck by a poisoned arrow, the pain left her gasping for air. Even if the wound were cut out later, the venom would have already seeped into her lungs.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Han Shi murmured, shaking her head as she stood up and gave up any attempt to hug her sister or niece.

Helping Madam Zhu to her feet, Han Shi kept her head down and quickly left the Dragon King Temple.

Just as things appeared to be winding down, the group of men helped the village chief's son carry the chief's body, preparing to leave.

Bing Wengu gave a signal to his men, and the yamen officers quickly encircled them.

The village chief's son glared at Bing Wengu with hatred burning in his eyes, as if he wanted nothing more than to kill him then and there.

"What more does the magistrate want? Is killing my father not enough? Do you mean to slaughter us all?" the son roared.

"The village chief was the principal offender, but you are accomplices. Did you think the death of the leader would let his followers go free?" Bing Wengu commanded the officers, "Arrest them."

With dozens of armed yamen officers at his back, the men were swiftly subdued, with blades at their throats. Only then did fear take hold. The chief's son stood frozen, his face twisted into a mask of rage, hatred, and fear.

"Take them away," Bing Wengu ordered, and the officers roughly herded the prisoners toward the yamen.

On the way back, Bing Wengu called Han Shi forward to question her.

"Han Shi, do you have something to tell me?" he asked.

"Your Honor is perceptive to have guessed," Han Shi replied bitterly, glancing between Bing Wengu and Nan Jinping. "The compound is heavily guarded—outsiders can't enter easily, and those inside have signed confidentiality agreements. So, they all want to know what you're really doing there, whether it's truly just farming."

Her eyes reddened. "During my time off when I went home, my in-laws and husband grilled me for information about the compound. When I refused, they beat me. Even then, I wouldn't speak, so they swore I'd live to regret it. And now... my niece has paid the price."

Han Shi broke down, covering her face with a handkerchief as she sobbed uncontrollably.

Bing Wengu asked, "Do you regret it?"

She shook her head firmly. "No. Your Honor gave me and my son work—it's the only reason my family survived those hard times. Many in the village were so desperate they married off their daughters to old men just for food and money."

Bing Wengu glanced at Nan Jinping and saw the pity in her eyes.

"If you have no regrets, then I will ensure you never do," he said, though his words seemed more for Nan Jinping than Han Shi.

Nan Jinping smiled faintly and gave Bing Wengu's hand a discreet squeeze.

"Do you know who was behind the inquiries about the compound?" Bing Wengu pressed.

"No," Han Shi admitted. "I tried fishing for answers subtly, but they likely don't know either. They were probably just paid to ask. This sounds like the Zhu family's doing—they care only for money, not people."

Bing Wengu nodded.

The prisoners were brought to the yamen, where Bing Wengu conducted an immediate trial rather than sending them to jail.

Nan Jinping, the Nan and Bing families, and Han Shi, having no official standing, remained outside with the growing crowd. Many who had witnessed the events at the temple followed, drawing even more onlookers along the way. By the time they reached the yamen, a sizable crowd had gathered.

The commotion drew the attention of Zhao Weihai, Chu Hongyu, and Du Yongxun, who hurried to the courtroom.

Taken aback, Zhao Weihai gave a bow and asked, "Magistrate Bing, what has happened?"

Bing Wengu couldn’t be bothered to talk to Zhao Weihai and assigned Cong Lin to explain the situation to him.

Cong Lin said indignantly, "Assistant Magistrate Zhao, you have no idea how infuriating these people are. They actually attempted to pray for rain by sacrificing young girls..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Weihai was somewhat startled but remarked, "Offering young girls to the Dragon King for rain has been a practice since ancient times. It's human nature. County Magistrate Bing really didn’t need to make such a fuss..."

Bing Wengu coldly interrupted him, "Assistant Magistrate Zhao believes this is human nature?"

"County Magistrate Bing, I just think there are precedents throughout history. Historical records show it’s not unfounded, and many have succeeded in praying for rain this way," Zhao Weihai explained.

"Oh, is that so?" Bing Wengu's smile turned icy as he cut Zhao Weihai off. "It’s great that you’re so understanding, Assistant Magistrate Zhao. I was just wondering how to bring this up with you."

Zhao Weihai instinctively sensed trouble. "County Magistrate Bing..."

Ignoring him, Bing Wengu continued, "I dreamed of a golden dragon last night. He said you were once his slave who escaped to the mortal world by accident. Now, the dragon has sent me this dream, demanding his slave’s return."

Zhao Weihai stared at Bing Wengu, dumbfounded. He had expected Bing Wengu to fabricate a story about sacrificing a maiden to the Dragon King—perhaps substituting his own daughter as the victim—but never imagined Bing Wengu would replace the protagonist with him instead.

"I was torn before, unsure whether to sacrifice Assistant Magistrate Zhao. But today, seeing how reasonable you are, what a blessing for Ji County." Bing Wengu beckoned the yamen officers. "Take off Assistant Magistrate Zhao’s robes."

Outside the yamen, Nan Jinping and the Nan and Bing families watched in satisfaction, clapping and jeering. Their lead emboldened other citizens who had long despised such sacrificial rituals to join in the applause.

"You can’t do this! Even as the magistrate of Ji County, you cannot remove my official hat! My position was personally granted by His Majesty. Only the Emperor can take my rank away. County Magistrate Bing, if you dare revoke my office without His Majesty’s decree, are you rebelling?" Zhao Weihai, terrified, could only invoke the Emperor’s authority.

Bing Wengu blinked innocently. "I never meant to take your rank. I merely thought it wasteful for Assistant Magistrate Zhao to die in his official robes. Once they’re stained by death, they’re useless. Why not remove them now while you’re still alive? The next assistant magistrate can wear them when he arrives."

"Or you can die in them."

"Why should I die when I’ve committed no crime?" Zhao Weihai fumed.

"You said sacrifices were 'human nature,' proving you understand the people’s desperation for rain. Since the Dragon King demanded you in my dream, how could I say no and risk making the drought worse? Surely, you, with your deep understanding, wouldn’t object. Though reluctant, for the sake of Ji County’s people, I must sacrifice you."

In just a few words, Bing Wengu had him cornered. Yet Zhao Weihai couldn’t retract his own words about sacrifices being reasonable. He could only argue, "Whether County Magistrate Bing’s dream is true or not, I serve the Emperor now and cannot die lightly. If the Emperor’s affairs are delayed, that would be a crime deserving ten thousand deaths. Even if you insist on sacrificing me, you must first seek the Emperor’s permission."

Bing Wengu sighed regretfully. "A shame? A shame I couldn’t offer him up?"

A shame? A shame he couldn’t sacrifice him? Zhao Weihai was livid.

Now, when Bing Wengu proceeded with the trial of the rain-prayer sacrifice case, no one dared argue.

Bing Wengu slammed the gavel heavily. "Who’s kneeling here, and what’s your crime?"

One man was so frightened by the gavel that he wet himself. "Spare me! I had nothing to do with it—it was all the village chief’s idea!"

Another man pointed an accusing finger. "It was him! He had his eye on Madam Zhu’s daughter, but Han Shi refused because he was too old and already had a wife. She didn’t want her daughter to be a concubine."

"He’s been nursing a grudge ever since and has harassed the Zhu family repeatedly. This time, he used the rain-prayer as an excuse to take revenge on Madam Zhu."

The village chief’s son’s eyes burned red with fury. "How dare you pin this all on me? Aren’t you afraid of that lord’s wrath?"

"Lord? Is there anyone in Ji County with higher authority than me? Do tell," Bing Wengu said.

The village chief’s son glanced at Bing Wengu and lowered his head. "You are the highest authority in Ji County."

"Yet I’m very curious about this 'lord' you mentioned. Care to elaborate?"

"There is no such person. I was just talking nonsense."

"Since you refuse to speak, but I insist on hearing it, we’ll have to use harsher methods to loosen your tongue." Bing Wengu drew a tally and threw it to the ground. "Beat him till he talks!"

Several yamen officers pressed the headman's son down and raised the paddle to deliver heavy blows to his backside.

A few strikes later, the headman's son's buttocks were left bloodied and torn. The headman wept and begged for mercy but refused to confess the mastermind behind it, insisting that his earlier words were mere nonsense.

Since the headman's son wouldn’t confess, Bing Wengu kept the punishment going.

"Sir, it seems he has stopped breathing," the yamen officer in charge of the punishment reported.

Bing Wengu had someone check and confirmed the man was dead, then ordered his family to be notified to collect the body.

When questioning the others, they only knew of such a figure but had no specifics about who it was.

Seeing no further leads, Bing Wengu immediately handed down sentences to the accomplices—all sentenced to three years of hard labor.

The men stood there dumbfounded. None had expected things to escalate so quickly into imprisonment.

Bing Wengu dispatched yamen officers to villages again to make it known: praying for rain was permissible, but human sacrifice was forbidden—any such act would be treated as murder, punishable by death. Those who knew but failed to report it would be deemed accomplices.

This measure proved effective, intimidating many superstitious villagers and saving numerous innocent girls.

However, the incident also caused quite an uproar. The death of a headman, tied to rain prayers, was eventually exploited and reported to the prefect.

The prefect immediately issued an order for Bing Wengu to appear before him to account for his actions.