Chapter Fifty-One: Suing Officials

Chapter 51: Accusing Officials

Li Cuihua could only wail, demanding justice. Xiao Wei, having studied for two years and worked in the county town, was more worldly. He knelt before Magistrate Li, cupping his hands in respect, and declared, "Your Honor, the Xiao family, in their pursuit of profit, has resorted to tax evasion and other illicit acts. They knew Xiao Xun had returned long ago but deliberately concealed this from the authorities to avoid five years of tax payments. The tax exemption was granted because Xiao Xun was presumed dead in battle, yet he is now alive and well. I implore Your Honor to punish them for this intentional deception."

Xiao Wei, still in a posture of respect, glanced at Lin Qiuran and added, "Such individuals show utter disregard for the authorities and act with impunity. They must be severely punished. Furthermore, their refusal to kneel before Your Honor constitutes an additional offense."

Xiao Wei had previously learned that tax evasion was a grave crime, punishable by fifty lashes and confiscation of goods. Concealing landholdings incurred sixty strokes for ten to forty mu. With only three mu, the Xiao family would face at least twenty cane strokes.

The Xiao family was undoubtedly ruined this time. By reporting them, Xiao Wei and Li Cuihua stood to receive tax relief and a reward. Assisting the authorities would also earn them a respected reputation in the village.

Xiao Wei spoke with righteous indignation, and Li Cuihua chimed in, "Exactly!"

Sun Shi yearned to ask Li Cuihua what she had done to provoke such animosity. In the past, Li Cuihua had merely scorned her for her inability to bear sons and her mistreatment by her in-laws. At the time, Sun Shi, mistaking Li Cuihua's intentions for kindness, had grown close to her. When Sun Shi lamented her family troubles, Li Cuihua would remark that having many sons was also a burden.

Sun Shi had even envied her. Later, after moving out of the old residence and taking in Xiao Xun, Li Cuihua would often insinuate that an adopted child could never be truly loyal. Sun Shi, disliking such remarks, gradually distanced herself. Thereafter, Li Cuihua treated her with undisguised contempt. Reflecting now, Sun Shi realized Li Cuihua's past words had never been well-meaning.

Their relationship had now deteriorated to the point where Li Cuihua seemed eager to see the Xiao family suffer misfortune.

Sun Shi trembled with anger. Averting her gaze from Li Cuihua, she quickly knelt, intending to defend herself, but then heard Xiao Xun interject, "My wife is heavily pregnant, and the weather is cold. I fear kneeling might harm her health. I beg Your Honor to show compassion."

Xiao Xun also knelt. Scribe Wang, observing this, said, "Your Honor, Lady Lin is with child. While the law must be upheld, there is also room for human consideration. If she is guilty, let her be punished, but let not the cold weather harm her."

The Xu family had previously made arrangements in the county town, and Xu Yuanhang had shown considerable kindness to Lin Qiuran. Lin Qiuran had also organized the birthday banquet for Scribe Wang's mother. For such a minor request, Scribe Wang naturally spoke favorably on her behalf.

Magistrate Li would not disregard Scribe Wang's words.

Magistrate Li said, "Everyone, rise. Lin Qiuran, Xiao Wei claims you knew of Xiao Xun's return early on but deliberately withheld tax payments, including land taxes. Is this true?"

Lin Qiuran immediately replied, "Your Honor, my husband... only returned today. Before this, I had no idea he was coming home, nor did my family. How could we have known earlier and deliberately evaded taxes?

Moreover, matters of life and death are paramount. During the autumn harvest, our family harvested over a thousand *jin* of grain, with a one-thirtieth land tax. Our eatery's business has also flourished thanks to the kindness of the people of Yu'an. Wealth is but an external possession; if I had truly known my husband was alive, why would I deliberately avoid paying taxes? Can money ever outweigh a human life?

Your Honor, my husband had been at the eatery for less than half an hour before the yamen officers arrived. This clearly indicates that someone had been watching our family all along, with malicious intent."

Lin Qiuran's words were firm and clear. Sun Shi, seeing this, immediately added, "Your Honor, she speaks the truth. That Li Cuihua has long held a grudge against me."

Scribe Wang coughed and nodded in agreement. "Your Honor, this is a reasonable point. I have heard that Lady Lin's business in Yu'an is thriving. The tax is only three percent, a small sum compared to the eatery's earnings. Why would she deliberately evade taxes and break the law?"

Magistrate Li nodded. Furthermore, Lin Qiuran had once worked as a cook at the courier station. Although she chose not to remain there, she had satisfied Lord Zhao and brought honor to Yu'an. While some bias was natural, legal cases demanded evidence.

Before Magistrate Li could speak, Xiao Wei interjected, "You businesspeople are the most unscrupulous. If making more money meant they wouldn't evade taxes, there would be no dishonest merchants or poor people in the world. I refuse to accept this argument!"

Magistrate Li looked at him. "I have not addressed you yet. Do not interrupt."

Clad in his official robes, Magistrate Li was a formidable figure. Something felt amiss to Xiao Wei. Why was the Scribe speaking up for Lin Qiuran? And why did the Magistrate seem to favor the Xiao family? This was not a good omen. He grew anxious and felt the need to act quickly.

Xiao Wei reluctantly fell silent. Magistrate Li then asked him, "You claim that Lin Qiuran knew of Xiao Xun's return early on. Do you have evidence?"

Xiao Wei asserted, "Of course. There was a courier who delivered a letter to Xiao Village, said to be from Xiao Xun. At the time, his family had moved away, so my mother delivered the letter to the Xiao family. The courier stated the letter was from Xiao Xun and had been sent not long ago. Naturally, we learned that Xiao Xun was still alive. The letter must have contained details, so the Xiao family must have known long ago. The letter was written over a month ago, and they never came to the yamen all this time. Hmph! This reveals their malicious intent!"

This was a story Xiao Wei and Li Cuihua had concocted earlier. If they were merely delivering the letter out of kindness, they wouldn't have read it.

Magistrate Li then asked Lin Qiuran, "Is this true?"

Lin Qiuran shook her head. "Your Honor, I have never seen any such letter. When we learned that my husband had died in battle, my parents fainted from grief multiple times. I was so heartbroken that I nearly lost the child I was carrying. If I had known Xiao Xun was alive, I would have set off firecrackers in celebration. My husband only returned today. We are willing to pay the back taxes."

Xiao Xun was about to speak when Xiao Wei cut in, "Only when caught do they try to make amends. How can Your Honor condone such behavior!"

Magistrate Li slammed his gavel. "Silence!"

Magistrate Li looked at Xiao Wei. "Lady Lin says she never saw any letter. Do you have any other evidence?"

Li Cuihua retorted, "What other evidence is needed? I am the evidence! I delivered the letter myself. How could they not know? Your Honor, you can ask around. Everyone in the county town knows, and so do the people in Xiao Village. If she says she never saw it, she never saw it? Who does she think she is!"

Lin Qiuran said, "Your Honor, I have something to say."

Magistrate Li said, "Speak."

Lin Qiuran: "They keep claiming they delivered a letter to our home, but we know nothing about its contents, who sent it, or what was in it. Since the letter was addressed to our family, yet we never received it, isn't that highly suspicious?"

Lin Qiuran spoke calmly. "Your Honor, my family spends most of our time at the eatery, leaving early and returning late. It takes time to travel from Xiao Village to our home. Our families have never been on good terms. How could they have delivered the letter early in the morning when we were home? If it was delivered to the eatery, there are workers there who can be questioned. If it was left with a neighbor while we were away, they can also be called to testify."

Li Cuihua stomped her feet. "What kind of witnesses are those? They'll just side with you if you bribe them. If we're talking witnesses, I have them too! The courier delivered the letter; he can surely be found!"

Li Cuihua looked pleased with herself. Xiao Wei added, "The Xiao family deliberately concealed the truth. It's been months. Don't talk about how much money they make—some people become more miserly the richer they get. Your Honor, they wanted to save a few months of tax money. They knew Xiao Xun would return and planned to pay the taxes only after he came back! Others must have been bribed. Your Honor can also inquire around the Xiao family's home whether there was any talk of Xiao Xun's return. How is it that others knew, but they didn't?"

Sun Shi suddenly recalled that day when someone had stopped her to ask when Xiao Xun would return. Now it made sense—Li Cuihua had been setting them up all along!

Lin Qiuran frowned. She said, "Your Honor, you can also ask my husband whether he wrote any letters. I recall that my husband is illiterate. How could he have written a letter?"

Sun Shi affirmed, "That's right! Xiao Xun never attended a private school. He doesn't know how to read or write!"

Li Cuihua scoffed. Just because he couldn't write didn't mean he couldn't have asked someone else to write for him. What kind of evidence was that?

Magistrate Li actually turned to Xiao Xun. "Xiao Xun."

Xiao Xun said, "Your Honor, I am indeed illiterate and never sent any letters home. The report of my death was due to specific circumstances. Later, my superior said my household registration needed to be updated and told me to wait patiently…"

Li Cuihua grew frantic. This was nonsense! The Magistrate couldn't possibly believe him. "Your Honor, they must have conspired together. What? Just because he's illiterate means he didn't write? Couldn't he have asked someone to write for him? If he wasn't dead, why wouldn't he write home? The letter exists! He's lying! He even wrote that he would return home soon."

How clumsy this lie was! Li Cuihua smirked triumphantly. Who would believe it?

Lin Qiuran breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. "Your Honor, I have something to say."

Magistrate Li: "Speak."

Lin Qiuran: "Earlier, he said they learned Xiao Xun was alive because the courier told them Xiao Xun had sent a letter not long ago. But now she claims the letter mentioned he would return home soon. I don't even know what was in the letter. How does she know?"

Scribe Wang listened intently. "Hmm, I indeed heard this Li Cuihua say the letter mentioned he would return home soon."

Assistant Magistrate Lu also said, "I heard it too."

Li Cuihua quickly covered her mouth. Xiao Wei glared at her. Why cover your mouth now?

Li Cuihua had blurted it out without thinking and had already forgotten what she'd said. But soon, she regained her composure and said defiantly, "So what? I just glanced at it. What's wrong with looking?"

Xiao Wei said, "Exactly! No one said we couldn't look. Your Honor, this proves nothing…"

Xiao Xun took a few papers from his pocket. "Magistrate Li, these are my appointment documents, bearing my superior's official seal. I was appointed Battalion Commander three months ago and, by law, am exempt from taxes. But my family has been framed. The letter I sent home never reached them, yet they know its contents. I suspect they withheld the letter and embezzled the silver I sent home. I beg Your Honor to reinvestigate this matter."

After Xiao Xun finished speaking, the hall fell silent. Outside, the snow fell quietly, sending a chill through everyone's hearts.

Magistrate Li stood up. Scribe Wang and Assistant Magistrate Lu were stunned and also rose to their feet. Battalion Commander—a sixth-rank military officer, outranking Magistrate Li.

Lin Qiuran looked at Xiao Xun. Xiao Xun held her hand. "Don't be afraid."

On the way, Lin Qiuran had whispered to him that if asked, he should say he never wrote any letters.

Xiao Xun had thought it over. If he directly revealed his official rank, it might seem like he was using his status to bully others. If he stubbornly denied it, Li Cuihua would likely accuse the officials of collusion, and it might end with rumors that Lin Qiuran had confessed under torture.

It wasn't about making them admit defeat, but Xiao Xun couldn't stay for too long. Getting this matter cleared up would prevent Li Cuihua from trying more underhanded tricks.

If their family's innocence was proven, his official rank would only make Li Cuihua's punishment more severe.

Lin Qiuran breathed an inward sigh of relief. She had been thinking of a temporary solution—if the Xiao family were accused of knowingly evading taxes despite Xiao Xun's return, solid evidence would be needed. The letter Xiao Xun sent back would serve as proof. Even if Li Cuihua claimed to have delivered the letter, the Xiao family didn’t have it, and Lin Qiuran hadn’t seen it.

First, present their case, then bluff. Li Cuihua was so eager to drag the Xiao family down that she might slip up under pressure.

She just hadn’t expected Xiao Xun to have been promoted. She couldn’t blame him for not mentioning it earlier—he had just returned, and they hadn’t even had much time to talk.

At least they had someone in their corner. That was a relief.

Magistrate Li looked much more serious now. He said, "Investigate, investigate immediately. Someone, go search Xiao Family Village and see if you can find anything. These two are suspected of falsely accusing an imperial official and bringing a lawsuit against one. Sentence them to thirty strokes of the rod first."

Magistrate Li smiled at Xiao Xun and said, "Lord Xiao, you should have said so earlier. In this snow, we've had you make the trip…"

Xiao Xun replied, "I only wanted the truth to come out and to clear my family's name. Magistrate Li, you can also ask the staff at the eatery and the neighbors. If someone truly delivered the letter and witnessed it being handed to my family, we will accept the punishment."

Beside them, Li Cuihua and Xiao Wei went pale. Li Cuihua was both anxious and terrified—anxious because the letter was indeed useful and hadn't been thrown away. She had kept it, thinking it might come in handy someday. Although it was hidden, what if it was found? Terrified because Xiao Xun was now an official. Would they end up in jail instead of the Xiao family?

Xiao Wei felt a guilty conscience, his hands and feet going soft. "Your Honor, we were just saying…"

Magistrate Li waved his hand impatiently. "Someone, escort them out."

This was not a minor offense. If Li Cuihua had indeed hidden the letter and deliberately framed and accused an official, the crime would be even more severe.

Scribe Wang was right—the eatery made plenty of money. Why would they deliberately break the law for such a small profit? Moreover, Xiao Xun now held an important position and was exempt from taxes anyway.

It was now mid-November. The autumn harvest had been in August and September, almost three months ago. There was no need to back-pay the taxes.

Magistrate Li felt relieved. Thankfully, he had some past connections with the Xiao family and knew Lin Qiuran's character, so he hadn't given them a hard time. Otherwise, it would have been…

Xiao Wei and Li Cuihua were dragged away, kept crying out all the while—first admitting they were wrong and calling it a misunderstanding, then accusing the officials of collusion. After a while, their voices faded, likely because their mouths had been gagged.

Magistrate Li, seeing the situation, was determined to find the letter, even if it meant leaving no stone unturned. If it couldn’t be found, he would question everyone one by one until he uncovered something.

Xiao Xun said, "The letter also contained a five-tael silver draft I sent to my family."

Stealing money would add another charge. Magistrate Li declared, "Once the truth is uncovered, there will be no leniency. The money will be returned in full, and punishment will be carried out accordingly. However, the case probably won't be settled today."

It was some distance from the county town to Xiao Family Village. It was already late today; at most, by tomorrow afternoon, everything would be clarified.

Magistrate Li said, "I will thoroughly investigate this case, ensuring no one is wronged and restoring your family’s good name, Lord Xiao."

Xiao Xun glanced at Lin Qiuran, who nodded and said, "Thank you, Magistrate Li. You are truly a good official."

It was already commendable that he hadn't taken Li Cuihua's one-sided story at face value. Moreover, he hadn't made her kneel—since Li Cuihua had brought the accusation, it was only natural to proceed with a hearing.

Magistrate Li smiled and glanced at the sky outside. "It's getting late. You should head back now. Don't let this delay your eatery's business."

Lin Qiuran thought to herself, "What time is it already? It's already been delayed."

As they left the hall, Sun Shi was still furious. "No wonder someone asked me the other day if Xiao Xun was still alive. I thought they were just trying to stir up trouble. I didn't say anything to avoid upsetting Qiu Ran. Turns out it was their family spreading rumors. They've always been jealous of our family's success. Even after moving away, they still want to take a bite out of us!"

Seeing the Xiao family doing well had made them green with envy. With three sons at home, they had a good life but still insisted on making trouble for the Xiao family.

"What will happen once everything is investigated?"

Lin Qiuran said, "From what the Magistrate said, accusing an official warrants thirty strokes of the rod. If the investigation proves their guilt, they'll likely be punished further. Not only will they have to return the money, but they'll also have to pay compensation."

The eatery's business had been disrupted, and Xiao Xun's time was valuable.

Lin Qiuran added, "Mother, they're already in jail. They won't have an easy time of it."

Looking on the bright side, if they had seen the letter, these past few months would have been even more anxiety-ridden, waiting day and night and fearing something might happen to Xiao Xun again. Seeing Xiao Xun return today was a happy occasion.

The three of them left the county office and saw Xiao Dashi waiting beside the stone lion.

Snow covered his shoulders and head. His eyes reddened at the sight of Xiao Xun. He patted Xiao Xun's shoulder, his voice thick with emotion. "Let's go home."

All the way back, Xiao Xun held Lin Qiuran's hand. When they reached the eatery, Lin Qiuran slipped her hand free and went inside first.

Shopkeeper Shi had been keeping watch. Seeing them return safely, he felt a weight off his mind. They were finally back. Since everyone had returned, it seemed nothing bad had happened—a relief. He didn't ask for details; their safe return was reason to celebrate.

Shopkeeper Shi said, "I informed the customers who came today that the eatery was dealing with private matters and that we'd offer a free pot of rice wine tomorrow. I also told Wan Niang, and I asked Lu Fan to inform Auntie Liu on his way back."

Since they could only deliver the message in person, it had been quite troublesome. Lin Qiuran said, "Thanks for handling that."

Shopkeeper Shi replied, "As long as everything is fine. Here, step over the brazier first."

It was just a charcoal basin—stepping over it was meant to ward off bad luck.

Lin Qiuran, with her large belly, was helped by Xiao Xun as she stepped over. Then, each member of the Xiao family crossed the brazier. Shopkeeper Shi had been considerate.

Lin Qiuran glanced at Sun Shi and then at Xiao Dashi. Xiao Dashi's eyes were still red, while Sun Shi's face showed the joy of having come through a crisis. She said, "It's getting late. I'll go start cooking. Father, Mother, you should spend time with Xiao Xun."

Sun Shi said, "I'll cook. Lin Dong can lend a hand too. You talk with Xiao Xun."

Lin Qiuran: "Hm?"