Broken Jade - Chapter 91

Chapter 91

After Shen Tongshu’s arrest, no new County Magistrate had taken office in Pinghe County. The county yamen had no one at its helm, yet the entire county remained remarkably peaceful and orderly.

On their journey from the prefectural capital, they had encountered unrest among displaced refugees everywhere they went. The local authorities had been forced to devote all their efforts to suppressing the disturbances just to keep the situation under control.

Yet even though Pinghe County had suffered the worst of the disaster-its officials corrupt, its people destitute, and the countryside littered with the bodies of the starved-there had been neither reports nor signs of people banding together to raid and rob homes.

On the contrary, the local authorities and the common people seemed to share an exceptionally good relationship.

There appeared to be absolute trust between them.

Government orders were carried out here without the slightest obstruction. It was as if the county had never endured famine or unrest at all, and an air of peace and stability pervaded the land.

The farther Sheng Zhaoning ventured into the county, the more unsettling she found it.

Her suspicions deepened.

“The people here seem very wary of outsiders,” Sheng Zhaoning observed.

Their group was traveling along the county’s main road. The shops on either side had long since barred their doors, and every resident of Pinghe County they happened to pass regarded them with guarded, vigilant eyes.

Wei Heng swept his gaze over their surroundings. “We’ll head straight to the county yamen and retrieve the files on Shen Tongshu’s case. Song Han and Wang Qi, speak with the locals and find out what kind of reputation Shen Tongshu had among them.”

The two guards beside him cupped their hands. “Yes.”

The group split up.

Sheng Zhaoning and Wei Heng quickened their pace and headed directly for the county yamen.

Upon reaching the entrance, Wei Heng dismounted first, then reached out to help Sheng Zhaoning down.

She looked at the hand extended toward her and hesitated for a moment before tentatively placing her own in it. A gentle pull guided her down from the saddle.

The warmth of her palm lingered against his. Wei Heng withdrew his hand with restraint, while Sheng Zhaoning quietly hid hers behind her back.

“Let’s go.”

“…All right.”

One following the other, they walked toward the county yamen.

At the entrance, two runners blocked their path.

“Who are you, and what business do you have at the yamen?” one of them asked as a matter of routine.

Sheng Zhaoning produced the documents she had prepared in advance. “We are from the Censorate. We have come on the Crown Prince’s verbal orders to investigate Shen Tongshu’s case.”

Wei Heng’s identity could not be exposed lightly. Fortunately, the disaster-relief delegation dispatched by the emperor included officials from the Censorate, allowing them to borrow those officials’ identities for the time being.

The runner opened the documents proving their identities with obvious skepticism. Only after checking them several times did he respectfully return them.

“My lords, please forgive my discourtesy,” the runner said with a bow.

“No harm done. Please announce our arrival and ask whoever is in charge to meet with us.”

The runner hesitated for a long moment. Although his gaze was no longer as guarded as before, a subtle trace of scrutiny remained.

“Very well. My lords, please follow me to the main hall. I will summon the County Deputy at once.”

The county yamen was not large. The main hall stood directly beyond the front entrance, with offices for the yamen staff on either side. Behind it was a separate archive building used to store books and case files.

Sheng Zhaoning and Wei Heng sat down in the main hall while the runner went to summon the County Deputy.

Sheng Zhaoning surveyed the room. Her gaze paused on a table with one broken leg propped up by old books, then on several cracked roof tiles overhead through which the sky was visible. She lowered her eyes thoughtfully.

Before long, the County Deputy hurried in.

“This humble official is Li Changhan, County Deputy of Pinghe County. Greetings, my lords.”

Wei Heng glanced at the man bowing before them. “There is no need for such formality, Lord Li. Please sit, and we can talk.”

The County Deputy raised his head slightly and replied respectfully, “Yes.”

He then straightened and took a seat off to the side.

Sheng Zhaoning’s keen eyes caught sight of a patch beneath his sleeve and the pair of torn cloth shoes partly concealed by his official robes. The robes had been washed so many times that they had faded almost white, and the collar and cuffs were worn to varying degrees. They were also a little too large for him. Clearly, he had been wearing them for many years.

Wei Heng came straight to the point. “Lord Li, how well do you know Shen Tongshu?”

Before their arrival, a constable had already informed him of their purpose in coming, so the question did not surprise him.

“This humble official was merely his colleague. Outside of official business, I knew little about him.”

Wei Heng asked again, “And how did he conduct himself in office?”

“That… this humble official isn’t sure either.” The County Deputy forced a smile.

Wei Heng looked directly at him. Whenever he asked a question in earnest, his gaze seemed capable of seeing straight into a person’s heart.

“As far as I know, Lord Li has served at Shen Tongshu’s side ever since he took office. It has been five years by my count. Do you truly know nothing at all about him?”

At those words, the County Deputy visibly stiffened.

He did not understand why the two of them insisted on pursuing the matter. His hands clenched unconsciously.

“My lords, Shen Tongshu’s crimes are utterly heinous. Even if he were sentenced to the harshest punishment, death would be too good for him. Everything concerning the case has already been reported by the county office. May I ask what bearing these questions have on the case?”

Wei Heng said, “Under the laws of Great Wei, an official’s sentence must take into account his record in office, his reputation, and the sentiments of the people. Yet the documents submitted by the county office contain only an account of his life and a joint indictment signed by the populace. They say nothing of Shen Tongshu’s conduct as an official. We cannot help but wonder whether there is more to this matter.”

Great Wei’s laws allowed a fair degree of discretion in sentencing. An official’s achievements and reputation were considered so that the final punishment could be adjusted accordingly.

There had even once been an upright official who had brought prosperity to his entire region but accidentally killed a vicious criminal in a fit of rage during an interrogation. In the end, he had been absolved of all guilt and reinstated to his post.

The case had gone down in history as a celebrated tale.

But Shen Tongshu had embezzled more than thirty thousand taels of silver, leaving starving corpses strewn across Pinghe County and nine out of every ten homes deserted. No achievement, however great, could offset such crimes. What was the point of going through this unnecessary formality?

“What more could there be to this matter…?” The County Deputy gave a dry laugh before continuing, “No matter how great Shen Tongshu’s achievements may have been, they could never spare him from a death sentence. Why must you insist on pursuing this, my lord?”

Wei Heng regarded him sternly. “No matter how serious his crimes are, nothing required by law may be omitted.”

The County Deputy had no idea what else he could say.

He had no desire to remain entangled with them. Even though they had been sent from the Censorate in the capital, he no longer had the energy to humor or placate them.

“This humble official truly knows nothing. If you wish to learn more about Shen Tongshu, perhaps you could make inquiries among the common people. I can summon a few of them for you to question.”

The County Deputy had simply passed the question on to the people of the county.

But even if they questioned every person in Pinghe County, not one of them would plead for Shen Tongshu.

Wei Heng looked at Sheng Zhaoning. Seeing her nod in tacit agreement, he said, “Very well.”

“There is one other place we would like to inspect: the library pavilion. Would that be possible?”

The County Deputy froze for a moment before collecting himself. “Of course. My lords, please follow me.”