Chapter 118: Huo Ling’s Incognito Travels: …

Chapter 118: *Huo Ling's Incognito Travels*: ...

The case of Liu Shi was quite different from that of Zhu Wan.

Zhu Wan’s case appeared to be a simple matter of "a daughter suing her father," but in reality, it involved the inheritance laws outlined in the *Penal Code*.

During the pre-Qin era (before 221 BCE), the eldest son by the primary wife bore the responsibility of ancestral worship and lineage continuation, thus holding absolute priority in inheriting official titles and family property.

However, over time, inheritance gradually shifted from being exclusive to the eldest son to being divided among all sons.

In families that particularly favored their daughters, some property might also be allocated to them during distribution.

But these were merely exceptions.

Looking back over a thousand years, no dynasty had ever explicitly stipulated women's inheritance rights in legal statutes.

While the law did not protect women's inheritance rights, conflicts arising from property disputes were common in society.

Thus, publicly displaying Zhu Wan’s petition for public discussion was necessary—to gauge public opinion on inheritance rights for unmarried daughters, married daughters, returned daughters, widows (whether they remarried or not), and even attitudes toward sons-in-law inheriting family property.

In comparison, Liu Shi’s case was more straightforward—right and wrong were clearly distinguishable.

Acting as the magistrate, Ding Jinghuan first summoned the coroner who had examined Liu Shi’s body to confirm the cause of death.

Liu Shi had been beaten twenty times while weakened from childbirth, received no medical treatment, and they confined her in a dark, damp prison cell for three full days before dying from a relentless fever.

Ding Jinghuan shot a brief glance at Cui Zhao.

Cui Zhao fidgeted under his gaze.

He hadn’t directly ordered Liu Shi’s death.

Clearly, it was Liu Shi’s own frailty that led to her demise.

This suddenly appearing Metropolitan Governor Ding Jinghuan couldn’t possibly pin Liu Shi’s death on him, could he?

Ding Jinghuan asked, “Prefect Cui, what are your thoughts?”

Cui Zhao said insincerely, “Though Liu Shi’s death was an accident, considering her two young daughters, I am willing to offer a hundred taels of silver as compensation.”

Ding Jinghuan raised an eyebrow but did not press further on Liu Shi’s death. Instead, he called for a female official from the prefectural office to examine the injuries on Liu Shi’s two daughters.

The injuries on the younger daughter were all inflicted by Liu Chi.

The injuries on the elder daughter, however, were caused by the family who had bought her as a *tongyangxi* (child bride).

Ding Jinghuan then sent officers to summon that family.

The family admitted to beating and scolding the elder daughter but saw nothing wrong with their actions. After all, they had paid Liu Chi ten taels of silver for her—what’s wrong with disciplining her?

Ding Jinghuan said coldly, “The government does not permit the buying or selling of servants, much less child brides.”

In truth, neither the trade of servants nor child brides was permitted, but such matters were typically ignored unless formally reported.

However, once the authorities chose to intervene, it became a punishable offense.

Acting as the magistrate, Ding Jinghuan voided the sale, freed the elder daughter, and charged the family.

Even at this stage, Cui Zhao could still understand the logic.

However, Ding Jinghuan's next move made Cui Zhao furrow his brows deeply.

Ding Jinghuan summoned Liu Chi's neighbors and the village chief from Liu Chi's village, confirming through their testimonies that Liu Chi had drowned a female infant and routinely beaten Liu Shi and her two daughters.

Therefore, Ding Jinghuan ruled to sever kinship between the two daughters and Liu Chi.

From this day forward, Liu Chi would no longer be legally recognized as the father of Eldest Liu Daughter and Second Liu Daughter.

"Lord Ding."

Cui Zhao finally spoke up.

If he stayed silent any longer, Ding Jinghuan would turn Cangzhou upside down.

"Having two young girls come to court to accuse their own father was reckless enough. Now you want to cut them off from their father entirely? That's outright absurd!"

Ding Jinghuan replied, "Liu Shi lived in the Liu household for over twenty years, managing the household and raising children for Liu Chi. But Liu Chi never appreciated her kindness. Not only did he beat her, but he also planned to cast her aside. Now that Liu Shi has passed away, leaving behind two daughters, if the father is unkind, unjust, and unloving, why can't the children accuse him? Why shouldn't they be allowed to break ties with him?"

Cui Zhao was bristling with anger.

He retorted, "Eldest daughter is eight, and the younger one is just six. What do they even understand? As you yourself said, Liu Shi is gone. If Liu Chi cuts all contact with them now, how are they supposed to live?"

Ding Jinghuan quirked a half-smile. "What about the hundred taels of silver Prefect Cui gave them?"

Cui Zhao was left speechless for a moment before saying, "How can two little girls hold onto that much money?"

Ding Jinghuan answered calmly, "The concerns you've raised have already been considered by the Empress Dowager."

***

Meanwhile, across the street from the government office, in a private room at the teahouse, Huo Ling and the others were also discussing Liu Shi’s case.

Song Xu remarked, "This case itself is easy to rule on. I’m more curious about how Ding Jinghuan plans to provide for the two girls."

Ji Xianshan frowned slightly as he ate the sweet cheese curds just served, apparently finding them not sweet enough.

Wu Mo, worried he might choke, handed him a cup of almond tea.

After a few sips, Ji Xianshan asked, "Teacher Song, don’t you know?"

Wu Mo said, "Young Master, didn’t we tell you last night when we talked about it? Lord Song wasn’t there."

Ji Xianshan had a sudden realization. "Oh right, I remember now."

He then explained to Song Xu, "My mother intends to establish a Charitable Children Bureau in both the capital and Cangzhou to shelter abandoned babies and parentless children, so they won’t die prematurely."

Song Xu paused, surprised, and looked toward Huo Ling. "Charitable Children Bureau?"

If his memory served him correctly, the term *ciyou* (慈幼) first appeared in the *Rites of Zhou*.

The *Rites of Zhou* records the Six Welfare Policies: 'To care for the people—first comes child welfare; second, elder care; third, aid for the destitute; fourth, relief for the poor; fifth, compassion for the disabled; sixth, stability for the wealthy.'

The *Book of Rites* once described an ideal world where “people do not merely honor their own parents or raise their own children; the elderly can live out their days in peace, the able-bodied can contribute, the young can grow up safely, and the widowed, orphaned, disabled, and lonely all receive support.”

Since then, every dynasty has sought ways to ensure people’s livelihoods and assist the young, old, poor, and disabled.

Among these six policies, child welfare comes first—showing its priority.

But establishing a dedicated institution like this—that had never been done before.

Huo Ling said, "Yes, I do have such plans. Drowning baby girls is commonplace in Cangzhou. It will be very difficult to change this quickly. Even if the court issues laws banning abandonment or infanticide, it’d be hard to enforce them."

Of course, while it may be difficult to enforce, the decrees still need to be issued.

However, apart from issuing laws to regulate the people and curb these practices, Huo Ling believed the best solution to this chaos was for the court to establish a Child Welfare Bureau.

With the bureau in place, if local families no longer wished to raise their children, they wouldn’t have to drown or abandon them—they could instead send them to the Child Welfare Bureau.

Song Xu quickly saw the advantages of the bureau, though he was curious about how it would operate.

Wu Mo said, “Allow me to explain, Lord Song.”

Last night, Huo Ling had been discussing the details of establishing the bureau with Ding Jinghuan.

By the end, they had roughly drafted a plan—

At the outset, the court would allocate several hundred acres of fertile land to the bureau.

The land’s yearly harvest would be used solely for raising orphans, hiring wet nurses to care for infants, and providing medical treatment for sick children.

They could even allocate some funds to hire a few tutors to teach older children, so they could learn to read and pick up skills. This way, when they grew up and left the bureau, they would have the means to support themselves.

Song Xu ran the numbers in his head and nodded slightly. “How long will the bureau house them?”

Wu Mo looked to Huo Ling for help—they hadn’t discussed this detail the night before.

Huo Ling thought for a moment. “Only until fifteen. After that, they’ll have to find work. Of course, if they can’t find work right away, the bureau can work with the court to provide odd jobs to tide them over.”

Song Xu said excitedly, “If the bureau can operate successfully and expand, it will surely benefit countless people.”

Huo Ling replied, “No need to rush expansion yet. The current plan undoubtedly has gaps, which is why we’re first establishing bureaus in the capital and Cangzhou City. We’ll observe the results before gradually extending it to other counties.”

Song Xu’s expression turned admiring. “You’ve thought of everything, my lady.”

Wu Feng had been standing by the window, sword in hand, keeping watch outside without joining the conversation.

But at this point, he chuckled. “We’re just getting started.”

Though not as close to Song Xu as he was to Ding Jinghuan, Wu Feng had gotten to know him after traveling together for days.

He walked to the table, grabbed a cup of water, and rested a hand on Song Xu’s shoulder.

“You mentioned the Six Welfare Policies earlier. Her Majesty said that sheltering orphans and abandoned infants is the top priority. Once the bureau is established, if the court still has resources, we can try setting up Elderly Care Bureaus and Medical Relief Bureaus—providing shelter for those over sixty in their old age, and giving treatment to the sick who can’t afford care and would otherwise lie helpless, waiting to die.”

If Song Xu had been excited before, now he was truly impressed by this ambitious vision.

“Children nurtured, elders cared for, the sick treated—this is the harmonious society ancient sages advocated.”

Huo Ling said, “The world is far from harmony. We can only do so much—we’ll take it step by step, see what works, and adjust.”

Song Xu nodded with a smile, feeling joy mixed with something harder to name.

A few years ago, Great Mu mustered an army of 100,000 to attack Yanbei.

To alleviate the crisis, he went to the northern borders of Great Mu, inciting rebellion among the major tribes before withdrawing successfully.

Upon returning to the capital, he rose swiftly to become Director of the Ministry of Rites.

With the backing of his mentor Wen Shengan and the favor of Her Majesty the Empress Dowager, he thrived in the ministry, achieving much and even being selected as a tutor to the emperor. He even had the honor of accompanying the emperor and empress dowager on incognito inspections.

Even Lu Hang’s eldest grandson, Lu Huai—who had married the Princess of Leping—couldn’t measure up to such prestige.

However, Song Xu also had his own dilemmas and frustrations.

The conflict between the Dowager and his mentor was growing increasingly severe. Caught between the two, he could mediate in ordinary disputes, but when it came to power struggles, he could only stand aside helplessly.

The fact that he hadn’t been dragged into the power games, becoming a pawn in the game, was already a testament to the Dowager and his mentor’s mercy and shielding of him.

Perhaps to outsiders, it seemed the Dowager trusted him enough.

But as someone directly involved, Song Xu knew all too well that compared to Ding Jinghuan and Wu Feng, there was still a layer of distance between him and her.

For ordinary matters, it was fine, but when it came to confidential or critical affairs, the Dowager would never discuss them in detail with him, only revealing hints afterward.

Thinking of this, Song Xu felt a bitter laugh rise in his throat.

He was still asking for too much.

As a minister, if he couldn’t fully devote himself to serving the Dowager, how could he expect her to fully trust him?

Steeling himself briefly, Song Xu said, “Promoting the Charitable Children Bureau would cost a pretty penny.”

Huo Ling tilted her head slightly, glancing toward the government office. “Someone’s footing the bill for us.”

Following Huo Ling’s gaze, Song Xu felt his composure waver again.

He had a nagging suspicion something wasn’t quite right.

Had Her Majesty brought His Majesty to Cangzhou on a whim—or was there something else going on?

Before Song Xu could ponder further, Wu Feng, who had returned to the window, snapped to attention and said, “Your Majesty, a Cui family carriage has stopped at the entrance of the government office.”

Ji Xianshan curiously moved to the window.

The carriage parked outside the government office was lavish and roomy, with two large lanterns hanging at the front, each bearing the prominent character “Cui,” making the owner instantly recognizable at a glance.

The man who stepped out of the carriage had slightly graying temples and a polished, approachable air, looking somewhat familiar.

Ji Xianshan remarked, “He looks a bit like Minister Cui Ming.”

Wu Feng replied, “That’s Clan Leader Cui—Minister Cui’s cousin.”

Ji Xianshan wondered aloud, “Why would he suddenly come to the government office?”

***

Inside the government office, in the main hall,

Ding Jinghuan elaborated on the mission of the Charitable Children Bureau, announcing that Old Madam Liu and Young Madam Liu would be the first two recipients of its aid.

Since Old Madam Liu and Young Madam Liu had cut all ties with Liu Chi, Ding Jinghuan intended to hold him accountable for beating the two children and drowning an infant.

The crowd buzzed with murmurs.

Some shouted, “Praise the Dowager’s wisdom!”

Of course, others were fuming over Ding Jinghuan’s judgment.

But did Ding Jinghuan care about their dissatisfaction?

This time, he was determined to turn the Liu case into a warning—using Liu Chi’s fate to show everyone the consequences of drowning infant girls, and to make the existence of the Charitable Children Bureau widely known.

Ding Jinghuan’s smile was beaming. His clean-shaven face, though robbing him of some gravitas, made him look every bit the paragon of justice from legends.

"I'll be in Cangzhou City for a few days. If anyone has cases they want to appeal, just bring your petitions to me."

Just then, Ding Jinghuan slapped his forehead as if he had finally remembered the presence of Cui Zhao beside him.

He chuckled and said to Cui Zhao, "Would you look at me...

"I'm so used to judging cases back in the Capital Prefecture that I just sat down here without realizing this isn't my office but yours. This...

"Since I've already put it out there, I hope Prefect Cui doesn't mind if I stay in the office for a few days and use your courtroom to handle some cases?"

Cui Zhao's jaw tightened, anger boiling inside him.

Did Ding Jinghuan think he was stupid, using such a flimsy excuse to brush him off?

This was total disrespect toward him as the Cangzhou Prefect!

Well, well, well. If he couldn't deal with Ding Jinghuan himself, the Cui family had plenty at court who could handle him!

"Lord Ding—"

Cui Zhao stood up, about to refuse Ding Jinghuan outright, when a voice came from behind him.

"Lord Ding, gracing us with your presence is an honor, and the Cui family failed to greet you properly. For someone of your standing, the office is too crowded and loud. If Lord Ding doesn’t mind, perhaps you’d prefer to stay at our ancestral home instead?"

Cui Zhao turned around and said cheerfully, "Brother, you're here."

Clan Leader Cui nodded at him.

Cui Zhao quietly stepped back behind his elder brother, no longer eager to speak over him.

Ding Jinghuan’s gaze swept over Clan Leader Cui before he snapped open his fan. "I presume this must be Clan Leader Cui?"

Clan Leader Cui smiled and nodded.

Ding Jinghuan shut his fan with a click and bowed slightly. "I appreciate Clan Leader Cui's kindness, but I’m more of a free spirit—I prefer staying in government offices. Strict ancestral homes don’t suit me."

Clan Leader Cui sighed. "What a shame. Then allow me, as a local, to at least extend hospitality to you, a guest new to Cangzhou. Would Lord Ding do me the honor?"

Ding Jinghuan gladly accepted the invitation.

Clan Leader Cui’s smile deepened, and he lowered his voice so only Ding could hear: "Might I ask Lord Ding to introduce me to the two honored guests?"

Ding Jinghuan laughed loudly and tapped Clan Leader Cui’s shoulder with his fan, acting completely at ease. "Please forgive me, Clan Leader Cui. When the two honored guests wish to meet you, they will. Someone of my position isn’t qualified to make such introductions."

Clan Leader Cui kept his expression neutral, but his stomach dropped.

So the two honored guests were indeed in Cangzhou.

Yet he hadn’t caught even a hint of it until Ding Jinghuan showed up.

***

The Liu case had reached its conclusion, and the Zhu Wan case was steadily moving in a favorable direction.

Huo Ling and her companions naturally felt like going out to shop and sightsee again.

Before the trial ended, Huo Ling put on her veil hat and discreetly left through the teahouse’s back entrance with Ji Xianshan and the others, heading toward the busiest part of Cangzhou.

Ji Xianshan had already eaten something at the teahouse and wasn’t hungry, but as they walked, he found himself stopping in front of a flatbread stall.

Perhaps because he was used to the refined palace cuisine, street food—even though far less delicious—always gave him the urge to try some whenever he saw it.

"Young master, would you like a grilled cake?"

At the moment, there were no customers at the stall. The vendor looked at Ji Xianshan and greeted him warmly, though inwardly he doubted such a refined young master would be willing to eat his simple fare.

Ji Xianshan patted his sleeve and pulled out the newly sewn pouch Wu Mo had made for him. "I'll take one."

The vendor beamed. "Right away, young master!"

After buying the grilled cake, Ji Xianshan couldn’t resist getting a tanghulu (a candied fruit skewer) next. As he walked, he paused again in front of a sugar art stall.

Seeing that Huo Ling hadn’t stopped him, Song Xu hesitated before whispering a reminder to Ji Xianshan. "Mom, here’s a tiger for you."

It wasn’t that Song Xu thought street food was bad—it was just that Ji Xianshan was used to fine delicacies, and suddenly indulging in so much heavy street food might not sit well with him.

Ji Xianshan nodded to show he understood, then asked the sugar painter, "Can you make a tiger?"

"I can."

Ji Xianshan, unprompted, even haggled. "Then, sir, if you make it extra detailed, I’ll pay you a bit more."

The sugar painter agreed cheerfully and crafted a chubby tiger for him.

After paying, Ji Xianshan held up the sugar painting and brought it to Huo Ling. "Mom, here's a tiger for you."

Huo Ling accepted it. "Alright, I accept. You still owe me that real tiger, though."

Ji Xianshan made a face, feeling his mother was messing with him. "I don’t owe you a tiger—I only said I’d give you one after I hunted it."

Huo Ling chuckled. She was just playing with him, not expecting him to answer so seriously.

She lifted the veil hanging before her eyes and, right in front of Ji Xianshan, *chomped* down on the tiger’s forehead—right where the "king" character was.

Ji Xianshan: "..."

Watching his horrified look, Huo Ling cackled.

A faint smile flickered across Song Xu’s lips before he quickly straightened his face. He shielded Ji Xianshan, guiding him a few steps back to avoid a carriage suddenly rushing down the street.

But while Song Xu and Ji Xianshan moved swiftly, a father and daughter nearby, busy selecting hair ribbons, didn’t notice the oncoming carriage.

At the critical moment, Wu Feng, who had been keeping watch, reacted the fastest.

With a tap of his sword, Wu Feng nudged the father’s shoulder, causing him to stagger forward with his daughter.

In one fluid motion, Wu Feng then blocked their fall with his sword, preventing them from hitting the ground.

Once the pair was safe, Wu Feng looked up and saw that the carriage just kept going, showing no sign of stopping after nearly hitting someone.

"Madam, should we stop them?"

"Stop them."

Watching the receding carriage, Wu Feng thought for a moment before leaping into action. Without hesitation, he unsheathed his sword and took a good swipe at the carriage’s side.

This time, the driver could no longer pretend nothing had happened. He jerked the reins and stopped, snapping at Wu Feng, "You got a death wish? Do you know whose carriage this is?"

Wu Feng ignored the driver entirely, glancing at his sword with a wince of dismay.

Crap, he hacked at the carriage so eagerly, never expecting its material to be so sturdy that it actually put a notch in his blade.

This was a precious sword personally bestowed upon him by the late emperor!

"I don't care whose carriage this is. Not only did it nearly run over my young master and that father-daughter pair, but it also damaged my sword. This isn’t ending without consequences."

Wu Mo gasped and hurried over to inspect Wu Feng's sword. "That’s just tragic."

Forget that it was a gift from the late emperor—this sword was part of a limited batch forged by the Ministry of Works, all of which had already been awarded. Once broken, it would be nearly impossible to find a second one.

The coachman scoffed.

It was the young father, whom Wu Feng had helped earlier, who finally reacted and whispered a warning to him, "Mister, you should drop this. This is the Zhou family's carriage."

The Zhou family?

Could it really be such a coincidence? Wu Feng pondered, "The Zhou family of Cangzhou City?"

The young father replied, "Yes."

Wu Feng said, "Oh, the Zhou family? Even better."

Wu Feng glanced back at Huo Ling, who gave a slight nod. He then stepped past the coachman and addressed the carriage, "Who in the Zhou family is inside? As for this sword in my hand—I won't ask for much. Ten thousand taels—take it or leave it."

Well, he couldn’t pocket all that cash.

Once he got the money, he would donate it all to Her Majesty, letting her use it to fund the Charitable Children Bureau. After earning her favor, he could then request a new sword from her.

Sweet. Now all he needed was for the Zhou family to pay up.

No way the mighty Zhou family wouldn’t be able to afford this sum—or stiff him on the bill.

Not that cheating him would matter.

He was just the Shadow Guard Chief, tasked with gathering intelligence across the land and investigating corrupt officials for dereliction of duty, after all.