Chapter 14: Holding Court (4)

Chapter 14: Holding Court (4)

The moment he saw the case file, Le Wuya felt something was off.

His first official post had been in the Supreme Court.

Having handled countless case files, he had seen too many twists in human feelings and the cold reality of the world, and had long developed a knack for spotting suspicious details right away.

Those in power always keep a scale in their heads—to weigh gold, weigh favors, weigh lives—it was second nature by now.

To put it bluntly, Chang Xiaohu's life on that scale wouldn't weigh more than a feather.

At first glance, most folks would see his case wasn't just a simple drowning, but at best they'd blame the mine's brutality and mistreatment.

But when you add in Ming Xiangzhao's later rebellion case, Le Wuya couldn't help but take it a step further.

Ming Xiangzhao, driven by sheer guts, had gone to investigate Chang Xiaohu's case.

Dealing with such a "nuisance"—getting a bunch of guys to beat him up, or using his mother as leverage, mixing kindness with threats to coerce him into dropping the investigation—were the usual methods.

But to slap a rebellion charge on him right away was clearly meant to take Ming Xiangzhao's life.

So what Xiaofu Coal Mine really cared about couldn't be just Chang Xiaohu's life.

They had a much bigger secret they absolutely had to hide.

So to clear Ming Xiangzhao, he had to get to the bottom of Chang Xiaohu's case.

After going through Chang Xiaohu's case, Le Wuya had two doubts:

First, the cause of Chang Xiaohu's death.

Chang Xiaohu had already died from a fractured skull before falling into the water.

However, if someone in Xiaofu Coal Mine had accidentally killed Chang Xiaohu, they could've just cremated him right there, packed his ashes, and sent them back to Su Shi, saying he died from illness, and because it was summer and they needed to keep flies and disease from spreading in the mine, they had to dispose of the body on the spot.

After all, Xiaofu Coal Mine was isolated from the outside world, making it hard for news to leak out—no witnesses, no evidence—nice and clean.

Dumping the body in the river and letting it float away, though—that doesn't make any sense.

Second, the relationship between Ge Erzi and Xiaofu Coal Mine.

A scoundrel who roams the streets but always has money to gamble—where's he getting his cash?

And how did he manage to sneak his nephew Chang Xiaohu into Xiaofu Coal Mine?

There's no way Xiaofu Coal Mine would take on a sickly guy for no reason; if he up and died in the mine, that'd be a headache.

As for letting him work underground, that'd be handing him a death warrant.

Moreover, according to Ge Erzi, Chang Xiaohu went there to be an apprentice accountant, a respectable position.

Well, everyone knows the accountant is one of the most important positions, and they don't let outsiders stick their noses in.

How could a lowlife like Ge Erzi get his hands on such a cushy job?

Le Wuya had already suspected these two things, and after seeing Ge Erzi face-to-face, he was even more sure.

This guy dared to rob in front of the soldiers, yet was smooth-talking, knew the law, and was good at twisting things to get off—a bold, black-hearted bastard.

Le Wuya figured this guy had been in cahoots with Xiaofu Coal Mine for years, using job referrals as a front to traffic people.

Coal mine work was brutal, so it was hard to recruit; you had to pay sky-high wages to get workers.

Government mines could get free labor by forcing people to work.

For private mines, a common way to cut costs was to trick outsiders into the mine, confiscate their stuff and IDs, lock them up, and make them work under the threat of clubs, while promising a fat payout after five or eight years.

The lies kept them going until their bodies gave out and all their sweat and blood were spent.

Chang Xiaohu was just one of many victims like that.

Even though it's unclear why Ge Erzi picked his own nephew, since the guy was a gambling addict, it had to be about money.

Chang Xiaohu was indeed pitiable.

His family was in Nanting—he was a kid raised by the Nanting River, and his longing to go home was probably stronger than any stranger's.

Le Wuya half-closed his eyes.

A scene played out in his mind.

On a deep summer night during a torrential downpour, Chang Xiaohu finally managed to get away from the mine's overseers and ran like crazy in the rain.

Behind him, men were chasing him and yelling curses.

He was weak and out of breath, stumbling through the muddy splashes, running for his life.

He couldn't escape through the main gate, so he thought of the Nanting River.

If he jumped into the river and let the current carry him, he might have a chance.

Chang Xiaohu's body was too weak—just this run was enough to drain his little strength. Even if he jumped, he probably couldn't swim.

But he had no choice.

Just as he was about to leap into the water, his pursuers caught up.

A wooden club was swung high and crashed into the back of his head.

Chang Xiaohu was knocked out cold and fell facedown into the river.

Plop.

The sound of his body hitting the water was swallowed by the rain, like a single drop joining a river.

For now, these were just Le Wuya's guesses.

But he didn't mind pinning it all on Ge Erzi to see how he'd react.

When Ge Erzi heard this, his face shifted and his muscles kept twitching, all his earlier smooth talk gone.

Seeing Ge Erzi's ashen face, Le Wuya casually shook the confession: "If there are no objections, have him sign it."

Then he handed the document to the secretary.

Seeing the magistrate so confident, like it was all true, the secretary didn't dare refuse. He quickly bowed his head and shuffled forward to take it.

As he held the confession out to Ge Erzi, the secretary's heart was pounding, terrified they'd get caught.

However, before he reached Ge Erzi, Ge Erzi had already realized that disaster was imminent.

Ge Erzi was well-versed in the law, so his fear was far greater than that of an ignorant man.

If he signed a confession, the best outcome would be exile to the farthest frontier, never to return.

The worst outcome—he could be hanged twice.

Ge Erzi was also quick-witted; from reading faces and tones, he had already noticed that the Magistrate was exceptionally harsh toward him, yet treated the manager of Xiaofu Coal Mine with great respect.

Seeing this with his own eyes, what more did he need to understand?

Clearly, the plan was to make a big show of coming down hard on Xiaofu Coal Mine, then let them off easy and give them a slap on the wrist!

He never expected that after working for Xiaofu Coal Mine for so long, only getting a few scraps, he would end up in such a plight!

He immediately changed to a pitiful expression, crawled a few steps on his knees, and cried out his innocence: "Magistrate, Magistrate! These are all bullshit! False accusations! How would I dare?! I had only good intentions, wanting to find a good future for Xiao Hu, so that my widowed sister-in-law would have someone to rely on. How can this be considered selling people?"

Le Wuya glanced at him indifferently: "What status do you have? Could you recommend Chang Xiaohu as an apprentice bookkeeper at Xiaofu Coal Mine? What connections did you rely on? Whose connections did you pull? Tell me. Those in charge of Xiaofu Coal Mine are all here; who do you want to confront you?"

Ge Erzi was speechless: "I..."

Le Wuya seized the moment and pressed on: "You knew full well that Chang Xiaohu was frail, yet you tricked him into being a laborer in the coal mine, expecting he would never escape. He was your elder brother's only son. If he died young, leaving Su Shi alone, you could seize the family property. Truly a fine scheme!"

Ge Erzi's nostrils flared slightly, unwilling to admit guilt, so he resorted to throwing a tantrum: "Magistrate, you wrong me! I've suffered the greatest injustice in history!"

"...What wrongs are you speaking of?"

A cold voice came from the entrance of the court.

He Qingsong, leading the yamen runners, returned to court with five cowering miners, with slumped shoulders and lowered heads.

For some reason, Jiang He was already walking in the lead.

He Qingsong and the others didn't object but instead looked terrified, as if they had something to say but held back.

Jiang He walked with a military gait, stepped forward quickly, clasped his fists in greeting to Le Wuya, and made a slight bow.

Le Wuya smiled faintly and nodded in acknowledgment: "Well done."

Jiang He looked up at the smiling magistrate on the bench.

Ever since he entered Xiaofu Coal Mine and stated his intentions, a dozen burly men with broadswords had swarmed out, insisting they were fake officials who had come to rob, and tried to stop them from taking people. That was when Jiang He realized what Le Wuya had truly sent him to do.

This Xiaofu Coal Mine was undoubtedly up to some shady business!

If there had been someone in charge inside the mine, they would have come out to calm the situation, negotiate with them, at least maintain a facade of peace, and then slowly work things out.

But the Magistrate had thought of everything in advance, summoning in advance everyone who had any authority in the mine.

At this moment, Xiaofu Coal Mine was leaderless, like a snake without a head, leaving only a few fierce overseers, various, accustomed to using force to suppress the miners—those most prone to making foolish moves.

After Jiang He felled a man twice his size with one sword stroke, the menacing burly men finally lost their nerve.

However, to be safe, Jiang He reached into his bundle and pulled out a pistol.

Going on official business, especially accompanying a noble young master, one had to be well-prepared.

The moment he loaded it, the burly men stood frozen in place.

Jiang He then reached into his pouch and pulled out a token: "On imperial business – Golden Guard! Stand aside!"

At this, both the thugs of Xiaofu Coal Mine and the court bailiffs, including He Qingsong, were utterly shocked.

...The Magistrate could command people from the capital?!

Had the affairs of Nanting County already reached the capital, a thousand li away?

Seeing this, Jiang He sighed softly.

He hadn't wanted to resort to this.

But to avoid bloodshed and prevent the situation from spiraling out of control, he had no choice but to reveal his identity.

With his order, the yamen runners snapped out of their daze, moved swiftly, and quickly located the five miners with out-of-town accents whom the Magistrate had instructed, still working. They were handed over to Jiang He, and after he confirmed them, they were tied together with ropes and led out of Xiaofu Coal Mine.

He Qingsong and the others were nervous, and after Jiang He warned them not to reveal his identity, they didn't dare disobey and quickly agreed. Together with the five bewildered miners huddled together, they walked in a line like sheep back to the court.

The five miners, who had moved like walking corpses, only gradually came to their senses halfway through the journey.

They... had gotten out?

The more they walked, the more agitated they became, and one of them, unable to contain his emotions, broke into loud sobs.

Seeing someone cry so bitterly, Jiang He naturally asked why.

After asking, he could hardly believe it.

The emperor, in his boundless grace, had relaxed the ban to improve the livelihoods of the poor, allowing private operation of coal mines.

Who would have thought it would become a tool for certain local bullies to harm the common people and enrich themselves at their expense!

The more Jiang He thought about it, the angrier he became. When he returned to the court with righteous indignation, he happened to overhear Le Wuya interrogating Ge Erzi, who was on the ground crying and shouting his innocence.

On the way, he had already learned of Ge Erzi's connection to Xiaofu Coal Mine, and unable to contain his anger, he uttered that rebuke.

But the magistrate on the bench paid no heed to the fact that he, a "merchant," had overstepped his bounds by scolding someone in the courtroom.

This only made Jiang He more certain that the Magistrate knew his identity.

When exactly had he revealed himself?

Le Wuya's attention was not on him.

The bright, imposing courtroom lit up the faces of the five miners with unusual clarity.

Their brows, eyes, and mouths were oily black, like crows, their skin stretched tight over their bones, covered in black and purple bruises and dirt—one could hardly tell if it was dirt or scars.

Ge Erzi caught sight of one of them and jumped in fright, hurriedly covering his head and face with his sleeve, like a turtle pulling into its shell.

But he was too late.

That miner had also seen him.

The miner's throat seemed burned raw by something. The moment he saw Ge Erzi, his eyes bulged as if they might bleed, and he rasped in a hoarse, accusatory voice: "Magistrate! My name is Ma Lian, from Runan. Eight months ago, I came to Nanting to seek my relatives. But they had moved away. I wanted to find a job here, and this bastard tricked me, saying a local wealthy family needed short-term laborers to harvest wheat, and lured me to the mine! I beg you, Magistrate, to seek justice for this poor commoner!"

Seeing that things could no longer be concealed, Ge Erzi stopped playing dead, flipped over like a carp, and sat up: "Magistrate, Xiaofu Coal Mine forced me!"

Le Wuya said, "Oh?"

Ge Erzi’s heart pounded like a drum.

He had tricked his nephew, Chang Xiaohu, into the mine. The truth was, he was neck-deep in gambling debts and at his wits’ end. Lately, there had been no out-of-towners to lure in, so in desperation, he had set his sights on Chang Xiaohu.

He figured that his nephew, being delicate and pampered, probably wouldn’t die a natural death anyway, and living was just suffering, so he might as well make use of him.

His widowed sister-in-law, though dirt-poor, still had a three-room house to her name. Once her only child was dead and she grew old, with one foot in the grave, wouldn’t she be easy prey for him to manipulate?

Seeing his sinister scheme about to be exposed, Ge Erzi refused to accept his fate. “The Xiaofu Coal Mine has connections that reach the heavens—they threatened me! And they wanted me to send Xiaohu into the mine so they could hold my precious nephew hostage, to keep me from spilling their dirty secrets! If it weren’t for them threatening the lives of my poor sister-in-law and nephew, I would never have done such a heartless thing!”

Le Wuya gave an “Oh,” looking skeptical. “Connections that reach the heavens? You’ve got two legs, don’t you? Just run away!”

“Can’t run, can’t run!” Ge Erzi’s mind raced and his tongue worked overtime to save his skin.

Soon, he thought of a powerful argument. He had seen that very person in the prison today!

He hurriedly presented this argument. “Even a *xiucai* like Scholar Ming Xiangzhao was framed as a rebel. I’m just a humble commoner—how could I possibly stand up to them?”

Le Wuya said slowly, “Scholar Ming? You mean… Ming Xiangzhao?”

Ge Erzi nodded frantically. “Yes, yes, him! He was falsely accused!”

Jiang He, who had quietly slipped out of the courtroom, was taken aback at these words.

He felt that tonight’s trial was bizarre—like pulling on a thread: from the grave-robbing case, to the assault case, then to an old murder case, and now it had even reached a rebellion case.

It was like an enormous, carefully woven net swooping down, from which no one could escape or break free.

And the weaver sat high above the hall, smiling faintly.

“…Is that so? Do you have evidence?”

He straightened his back and slammed the gavel on the table:

“Summon Ming Xiangzhao and the witnesses to the court.”