Having finally won a smile from Zhao Baozhu, You Qian cherished it dearly and hurriedly added more flattering words. “Truly, it was all a misunderstanding, all a misunderstanding.”
As he spoke, he took the tax register from his sleeve and placed it on the table, probing carefully: “Only…these tax documents still require my lord’s review.”
Zhao Baozhu glanced at them. His expression revealed nothing as he calmly withdrew his gaze again.
“Th-this…” Seeing no response, You Qian could not quite grasp Zhao Baozhu’s thoughts. He glanced toward Fan Yaosan, who was still clutching his bleeding head and howling nearby, and seemed to realize something. “This black-hearted b*stard dared anger my lord. I’ll leave him to your disposal.”
At those words, Fan Yaosan, whose brains nearly seemed smashed loose already, suddenly jerked his head up and stared at You Qian in disbelief.
But You Qian did not spare him so much as half a glance. His entire focus remained on Zhao Baozhu. Sure enough, Zhao Baozhu’s brows shifted slightly and his expression eased somewhat. He lowered his eyes briefly toward the tax documents before suddenly tossing them back at You Qian.
“What’s there to review? I can’t understand any of it!”
With that, he turned his head away again, refusing to look at him.
You Qian was utterly bewildered.
Had it been anyone else, he would already have lost his temper. But seeing how handsome this young magistrate was, sitting there with his chin raised and ignoring people like some proud, pampered cat, You Qian found himself strangely unable to dislike him despite the alternating coldness and warmth.
Instead, he eagerly coaxed: “My lord, this, this humble one is slow-witted. Please enlighten me!”
Yet Zhao Baozhu still made no move toward the tax papers. Instead, he lifted his chin even higher and said coolly: “Since the prefect wants them, and your You family is already handling things for him, what exactly am I still meddling for?”
The moment he heard that, You Qian finally understood.
Tax collection within a county should originally have fallen under the magistrate’s authority. It was only because the previous magistrate had died that this juicy piece of meat had landed in the You family’s bowl. And now that Zhao Baozhu had officially taken office, everyone in the You family knew full well the authority would eventually have to be returned to the magistrate, they were merely dragging it out for as long as possible.
“Well…” You Qian hesitated.
But before he could even finish a single sentence, Zhao Baozhu’s face instantly darkened again.
The moment You Qian saw him turn cold, panic seized him. There were no tea bowls left, but he feared Zhao Baozhu might grab something else and smash it over his head instead. Hurriedly he soothed: “Please don’t be angry, my lord. How about this? Today itself I’ll have the estate send all the tax silver to the county yamen. My lord can personally inspect the accounts before affixing the seal. How does that sound?”
Hearing this, Zhao Baozhu’s expression finally eased. “That’s more like it.”
Seeing this, You Qian secretly found it amusing.
This young Magistrate Zhao was indeed still inexperienced and shallow-eyed, he had only just taken office and already wanted to line his pockets.
But for families like theirs, they were never afraid of officials who loved money. The only fear was officials who refused to be corrupted!
Convinced he had seen through Zhao Baozhu’s intentions, and admiring his appearance and mannerisms besides, You Qian gladly humored him. Smiling cheerfully, he handed the tax documents over and rose to his feet.
“Of course, of course. This matter should have been under my lord’s management to begin with. Previously, since there was no magistrate here, our family merely helped oversee things temporarily, that never truly counted.” Smiling meaningfully, he added, “It’s just…our family’s business affairs are somewhat more complicated than ordinary households. Those messy accounts and rotten ledgers, if my lord looked through them too closely, I fear your eyes might ache.”
Naturally, Zhao Baozhu understood what he meant. His gaze paused briefly on You Qian’s face before he smiled. “If Brother You is handling matters, then naturally I can rest assured.”
That was their tacit agreement. Secret delight rose within You Qian.
He was already deeply familiar with the workings of collusion between officials and merchants. One never spoke too plainly. As long as Zhao Baozhu nodded, everything else remained understood without words.
Wuya County was such a poor place that there was little to squeeze from the peasants’ tax silver anyway. Even adjusting the tax rate up or down by a percentage or two amounted to nothing more than petty profit for the You family.
Their real profits came from the family business itself. As long as the government did not investigate their taxes, everything else could be negotiated.
Seeing Zhao Baozhu prove so “understanding,” the smile on You Qian’s face deepened further. At the same time, he inwardly cursed Fan Yaosan again for nearly causing him to miss out on such a refined figure.
Looking at Zhao Baozhu, whose face had lost its earlier coldness and now held a faint smile, You Qian chuckled and asked: “What tea does Young Lord Zhao usually drink? I’ve got some tea leaves from the south. If my lord enjoys tea, I can have someone send some over later.”
At this moment Zhao Baozhu also wore a smiling face. “Many thanks for Brother You’s kindness. I still have tea here.”
Hearing this, You Qian narrowed his eyes toward the shattered porcelain scattered across the floor and laughed. “Well now, what a pity. Perfectly good tea, all spilled.”
Zhao Baozhu now resembled the most civilized and reasonable gentleman in the world. Smiling faintly, he swept the broken porcelain from the table onto the floor with one hand. “You must forgive the spectacle, Brother You.”
You Qian laughed along, but his eyes drifted toward Zhao Baozhu’s hand.
The young magistrate was pale-skinned, and even his hands were fair, more slender and elegant than those of the young male leads in the southern opera troupes at the prefectural capital.
His heart stirred somewhat. He very much wanted to reach out and squeeze them, but though he had the thief’s desires, he lacked the thief’s courage.
The two of them continued exchanging compliments back and forth, as though every good person in the entire county happened to be seated in this room today.
After an extremely pleasant round of host-and-guest courtesies, You Qian saw it was growing late. Rising to take his leave, he seemed oddly reluctant to go.
“Young Lord Zhao, this humble one shall take his leave.”
Zhao Baozhu stood tall with his hands clasped behind his back, elegant and upright in bearing. Smiling, he said: “Take care on your way, Brother You. If there are ever matters of scholarship you wish to discuss, feel free to come ask me.”
You Qian could not resist looking at him several more times, his gaze lingering especially on the charming little dimples beside the young magistrate’s lips.
“Many thanks, Young Lord Zhao,” he said aloud.
But inwardly he thought: This county yamen truly deserves more frequent visits.
Just as he was about to leave, Fan Yaosan, his face covered in blood, curled up like a rat and actually tried to sneak out behind him.
Ah Long spotted him immediately and barked: “He’s trying to run!”
Hearing this, You Qian halted his steps. Turning back and seeing Fan Yaosan’s bloodied face, a wave of disgust instantly rose within him.
Without waiting for Zhao Baozhu to speak, he suddenly lifted his leg and kicked Fan Yaosan straight back inside.
“Ow!”
Fan Yaosan toppled backward onto the floor, truly resembling a toad.
Ah Long could not help snorting with laughter.
Even if Fan Yaosan cracked his brains open, he still could not understand how things had suddenly turned out like this. He could not believe that You Qian would abandon him so easily after all the dirty work he had done for the You family over the years.
How…how could this happen…
Unable to make sense of it, enduring the piercing pain in his shoulder, he still tried to crawl after them.
But then a crisp voice rang out above his head: “Tao Zhang, Tao Rui, come out!”
In the next instant, Fan Yaosan felt a tremendous force seize him right by the injured shoulder and haul his entire body upright.
The pain made him shriek like a pig being slaughtered.
Yet the moment he lifted his head, he saw two fierce, murderous-looking faces appear before him.
Before him stood two towering men in bailiff uniforms, both over eight feet tall and broad-faced with fierce, fleshy features. They glared at him like evil spirits, it was the two brothers from the butcher Tao family.
Fan Yaosan’s pupils shrank.
He had only recently caused the death of the Tao family’s eldest brother and his household. Naturally, he knew exactly what fate awaited him if he fell into these two men’s hands. He immediately began struggling violently.
“Let go! I, I’m one of the You family’s people, mmph mmph—!!”
Before he could finish speaking, Tao Zhang stuffed a filthy rag into his mouth. Then he deftly tied Fan Yaosan tightly with hemp rope, binding him like a trussed pig awaiting slaughter.
Unable to move, Fan Yaosan stared at the soot-faced Tao brothers. Muffled, hoarse noises escaped his throat. He truly resembled a pig waiting for the butcher’s knife.
When enemies met, hatred burned brightest. Tao Zhang and Tao Rui wished they could kill him on the spot. But they still remembered that they were now Zhao Baozhu’s court runners, so suppressing their fury, they asked for instructions: “My lord, how should this dog-thief be dealt with?”
Standing before them, Zhao Baozhu had already lost the smiling expression he had worn before You Qian. Once his face settled into seriousness, traces of true authority emerged from his features.
Lowering his eyes to the blood-covered Fan Yaosan, his gaze sharp as fire, he flicked his sleeve and declared in a ringing voice: “Open court!”
***
That day, Wuya County witnessed a spectacle unlike anything before. The entire city emptied into the streets. Shops all over town shut their doors early as everyone flocked toward the county yamen.
Some passersby who had no idea what was happening noticed their usual steamed bun shops already closing and hurriedly stopped the owners.
“Hey, Auntie Liu, why are you closing so early today?”
The woman running the pastry shop turned around and immediately widened her eyes. “Heavens, why are you still standing around here?”
The passerby looked confused. “I’m hungry. I wanted to buy a bun.”
Auntie Liu instantly glared at him furiously.
“Eat what? You’re still thinking about eating at a time like this? Something huge is happening at the county yamen, hurry up and go watch!”
Even more puzzled, the passerby asked, “What could possibly happen in broad daylight?”
With a voice that seemed capable of swallowing mountains and rivers, Auntie Liu announced: “They’re chopping off heads at the yamen today!”
Not only were they executing someone, they were executing Fan Yaosan.
The moment the news spread, the entire county exploded into uproar.
Many households had suffered harassment from Fan Yaosan before. Countless people secretly hated him, but everyone knew he was the You family’s watchdog. As the saying went, “Before beating a dog, first look at its master.” In all of Wuya County, who dared offend the You family?
Thus, no matter how horrifying Fan Yaosan’s crimes were, nobody in the county dared interfere or even ask questions.
And now, today, that old dog had actually been dragged into the county yamen!
Naturally, Fan Yaosan’s enemies rushed over immediately upon hearing the news. Even unrelated townsfolk crowded outside the yamen to watch the excitement unfold. Most of them came merely to enjoy the spectacle, they did not truly believe the newly arrived Magistrate Zhao could do anything serious to Fan Yaosan.
After all, over the years they had watched every successive magistrate “raise matters high only to put them down lightly” whenever it involved the You family. They had long since lost all faith in the authorities.
These officials and wealthy local clans were all tied together like grasshoppers on the same vine. No matter how righteous they sounded, in the end it was always thunder without rain.
Yet when the crowd surged into the county yamen and looked up, they were stunned to see Fan Yaosan genuinely kneeling there, bound tightly and bruised black and blue, clearly badly beaten.
This performance looked unexpectedly real.
Seeing the bloodied Fan Yaosan, even the crowd’s whispers quieted. Everyone stared suspiciously at the wound on his forehead. It did not look fake at all, rather, it seemed as though someone had smashed a tea bowl or porcelain dish against his head with tremendous force.
The same passerby from the bun shop had also come with Auntie Liu. After struggling hard to squeeze to the front of the crowd, he saw Fan Yaosan kneeling in the hall and immediately let out an “Oh!”
It really was someone from the You family.
Clicking his tongue in amazement, the passerby curiously looked around, then suddenly lifted his head toward the hall platform and froze.
The county courtroom had been completely renovated.
Above the entrance hung a blue plaque with gold lettering reading “A Bright Mirror Hangs High.” Beneath it stood a folding screen painted with the Four Gentlemen, and before it a sandalwood desk. On either side below stood two tall, black-faced court runners, each holding two crimson punishment staffs that reached nearly to the heavens themselves.
For the first time, it truly looked like an actual government court.
The passerby felt himself involuntarily intimidated. Most of the frivolous amusement with which he had come vanished instantly. He did not even dare raise his head for a proper look at the magistrate seated above.
Many in the crowd felt the same.
They had come seeking entertainment, but standing before this courtroom, seeing these surroundings, they suddenly felt the instinctive fear common folk held toward officials. Everyone unconsciously quieted down and stood more solemnly.
Then suddenly,
Crack!
The sound of a wooden striking block echoed sharply from the hall.
Everyone jumped in fright. Even the last traces of murmuring disappeared.
A moment later, a clear young voice rang out from above: “The accused below, Fan Yaosan of Xipo Mountain Village.”
Only then did the passerby realize that the person seated above was actually a pale-faced scholar!
The young man wore black official robes and a black gauze hat. His face was fair, lips crimson, and his cat-like eyes sparkled brilliantly. He was extraordinarily handsome, indeed, he looked even younger than the passerby himself.
This was the new magistrate?
The passerby stared in shock. He had never imagined the new magistrate would be so young.
But before he could finish marveling, the voice sounded again: “You incited criminals to assault the Tao family’s widowed sister-in-law. When the Tao father and son came to demand justice, you brought men and beat them to death with clubs. Violating another man’s wife and organizing a public assault resulting in murder, do you admit guilt to these two crimes?”
Hearing those words, the common people outside the hall all froze.
The tragedy that had befallen the Tao butcher family had already spread throughout the county. Everyone knew about it. They simply had never expected the magistrate to truly pursue the matter.
Once Zhao Baozhu called the charges, Ah Long stepped forward and removed the rag from Fan Yaosan’s mouth.
Fan Yaosan coughed up two mouthfuls of blood before immediately beginning to shout: “You yellow-mouthed brat, stop slandering me! I belong to the You fami—”
Before he could finish, Zhao Baozhu coldly ordered from above: “Stuff his mouth again.”
Ah Long promptly shoved the filthy rag back into Fan Yaosan’s mouth.
Then Zhao Baozhu barked sharply: “Tao Zhang, slap his mouth!”
Before anyone could react, Tao Rui strode forward. A hand that had slaughtered pigs for more than ten years swung in a full arc and smashed across Fan Yaosan’s face!
Fan Yaosan’s head snapped violently to the side. Blood instantly sprayed from his nose.
Hidden from view, two of Fan Yaosan’s large molars had already been loosened by the blow. Only the rag stuffed in his mouth kept them from falling out.
“Mmphh—!!”
Fan Yaosan let out a shriek like a pig being butchered.
But before he could even finish howling, Tao Zhang’s broad fan-like palm struck him again.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
Several brutal slaps landed in rapid succession. By the time Zhao Baozhu ordered them to stop, Fan Yaosan’s face had swollen into something resembling a pig’s head.
The people below were utterly dumbfounded by the sudden violence. For a time, complete silence filled the yamen grounds.
Seated steadily above, Zhao Baozhu let out a cold snort. Too lazy even to ask whether Fan Yaosan admitted guilt, he called loudly instead: “Bring forth the witness!”
At once, Ah Long hurried out from the hall. Before long, he returned dragging a ragged, disheveled, emaciated man with him.
Fan Yaosan forced open his swollen eyes to look, and his soul nearly fled his body.
It was precisely the thug to whom he had paid two taels of silver to assault the Tao family widow that day!
As the witness was forced before the court, Zhao Baozhu slowly rose from his seat. His cat-like eyes gleamed brilliantly as he turned sharply toward Tao Rui.
“Tao family member, look carefully. Is this man the criminal who assaulted your sister-in-law that day?”
Tao Rui immediately stepped forward and dropped to his knees, kowtowing to Zhao Baozhu before glaring hatefully at the man. “Replying to my lord, it is indeed this man!”
Zhao Baozhu nodded.
Then suddenly he drew forth a punishment token and flung it down before the hall. “For unlawfully assaulting women and children, sentence him according to the law, to beating!”
At Zhao Baozhu’s command, the Tao brothers immediately stepped forward and bound the thug onto a punishment bench.
Then the two brothers, broad as bears and fierce as tigers, lifted the massive crimson staffs and brought them crashing down upon the thug’s buttocks.
A heavy, solid thud rang out as hardwood smashed into flesh.
Outside, everyone watching felt their hair stand on end.
These townsfolk had watched the Tao brothers slaughter pigs for years. They all knew the monstrous strength hidden in those muscles. From the very first strike, it sounded as though flesh had split open beneath the man’s clothing.
Standing above the court with his hands clasped behind his back, Zhao Baozhu watched the punishment with blazing eyes.
His money had not been wasted! On the very first day, he had already sent Ah Long to the carpenter to specially commission two enormous, heavy cedar staffs. He did not care how expensive they were, only that Tao Zhang and Tao Rui could swing them properly!
Today he intended to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys, to show these petty villains exactly how formidable he was.
A sharp glint flashed through Zhao Baozhu’s eyes as he pointed below and shouted: “Beat him for the full forty strokes!”
The thug screamed miserably and immediately began begging for mercy.
But how could the Tao brothers possibly hold back?
One blow followed another like pounding beef meatballs during New Year celebrations, except infinitely bloodier.
After only several dozen strikes, the thug quickly fell silent altogether. Blood seeped through the back of his clothes in great spreading patches. Anyone with eyes could tell, even if he survived, he would be crippled for life.
Having finally avenged themselves with their own hands, the Tao brothers’ eyes had both turned red with excitement. Holding the bloodstained staffs and panting heavily, they resembled twin gods of slaughter.
Nearby, Fan Yaosan had gone completely speechless.
Staring up at Zhao Baozhu standing high above the hall, he finally realized what kind of person he had offended. His face turned deathly pale.
Outside the yamen, the crowd too had fallen utterly silent, every gaze fixed blankly upon Zhao Baozhu’s face. None of them had expected that such a handsome, refined young man could possess such overwhelming dominance!
At this moment, the people of Wuya County no longer noticed Zhao Baozhu’s beauty at all. Instead, they were entirely awed by the force of his presence and finally regarded him properly, as a true magistrate.
Zhao Baozhu slowly swept his gaze across the crowd before lowering it onto Fan Yaosan.
“Do you confess, or not?”
The rag was removed from Fan Yaosan’s mouth. Immediately he spat out two bloody teeth.
As though terrified Zhao Baozhu would plug his mouth again and have him beaten too, he spoke through a mouth full of blood: “I confess! I confess everything! Spare my life, my lord, spare my life—!”
As he spoke, he even struggled to bow toward Zhao Baozhu.
Bound hand and foot, writhing there in such a ridiculous posture, he truly looked exactly like an old dog.
Although he was terrified, he had thought it through clearly. The matters involving the Tao family had all been instigated by him from behind the scenes, but he had not personally carried them out. For those two crimes alone, Zhao Baozhu could not take his life. Besides, no matter what, he still represented the You family’s interests. If Zhao Baozhu truly killed him off without even giving the You family face, Zhao Baozhu himself would gain nothing from it either!
But Zhao Baozhu had no intention of letting him go. He knew perfectly well what Fan Yaosan was thinking. This old cur had no idea how many times he had manipulated others into killing on his behalf. Zhao Baozhu gave a cold laugh, then raised his head and called loudly to the densely packed crowd outside the yamen: “This man has committed countless evils. Aside from the Tao family tragedy, there must be many other crimes to his name. If anyone present has other grievances to report against him, step forward now and file your accusations together!”*
The entire crowd was stunned.
The commoners fell silent, pairs of disbelieving eyes fixed on Zhao Baozhu. Fan Yaosan had run rampant in Wuya County for years. The lives on his hands could not be counted on one hand alone. Among those present, there were many with blood feuds against him. People’s expressions gradually changed, from shock, to barely concealed fury and hatred, as they stared at Fan Yaosan kneeling miserably on the ground, as though they wished to bore holes through his ugly face.
Feeling the icy stares behind him, Fan Yaosan’s entire body turned cold. He knew best what sins he had committed. If all these people exposed those matters… then it would no longer be something a mere beating could settle!!
The You family had ruled Wuya County with one hand covering the sky. Below them, thugs and hooligans squeezed the common people dry; above them, government officials paved the way. The people had nowhere to appeal their injustices. When bullied, they could only swallow their blood and broken teeth together. Years of grievances with nowhere to vent had already destroyed the locals’ trust in the government and the imperial court. They believed all these county magistrates and prefectural officials were snakes from the same vine, corrupt men who cared only about lining their own pockets, no matter how nicely they spoke.
Yet this Young Lord Zhao had arrived and distributed reward money, was willing to seek justice for the Tao brothers, and had now beaten Fan Yaosan into this state,
Could it be that they had truly been blessed with an upright and honest official?
A stir spread through the crowd. A man in rough cloth clothing flushed red with excitement, gritting his teeth as he tried to push through the crowd, only to be grabbed by the woman beside him. Several people away, a young scholar stood with reddened eyes and clenched fists. Beside him, a street vendor wore an equally furious expression, furtively studying the faces around him as though waiting for someone else to take the lead first.
Zhao Baozhu took in everyone’s reactions. Slowly sweeping his gaze around, he raised his voice: “I know I am young, and I have only just assumed office. You may not believe my words. But here, before all of you, I swear upon the imperial command itself: as long as I remain in office for even one day, I will never allow these vermin to treat the laws of the court as nothing, to run rampant and trample human lives at will!”
As he spoke, he produced the imperial edict and raised it high in his right hand. Sunlight shone upon the golden scroll embroidered with dragons, its brilliance dazzling like pure gold itself.
The commoners stared in shock. They were all people from a tiny backwater county. Many had never even left the county seat in their lives, much less seen the capital. Yet now they were looking upon a genuine imperial edict. Some with weaker constitutions immediately felt their knees go weak, nearly collapsing to the ground on the spot.
The man who had wanted to rush forward earlier trembled violently the moment he saw the edict. Even the woman who had been restraining him stood frozen. The man shook free of her grip, pushed through the crowd, and dropped to his knees before Zhao Baozhu with a loud thud.
“Y-Young Lord Zhao, I have a grievance to report!” The man lifted his head and shouted, “Three years ago, my younger sister was targeted by Fan Yaosan—”
With the imperial edict intimidating them from the front, and someone finally taking the first step, the people in the crowd who also held grudges against Fan Yaosan found their courage as well, one after another stepping forward.
The scholar knelt beside the man at once. “Reporting to the county lord, my elderly mother—”
The street vendor rushed out too and knelt down. “M-my lord, and my family’s shop—”
Soon more and more people were kneeling in the courtroom. Zhao Baozhu’s eyes lit up, his expression growing ever more solemn.
“Ah Long, bring paper and brush!”
Ah Long immediately brought over writing materials and tables and chairs. Zhao Baozhu then sat right there in the middle of the courtroom, surrounded by the grievance-reporting commoners. In his left hand he held the imperial edict; in his right, a wolf-hair brush. His jade-like face shone with determination, his eyes bright and unwavering beneath the plaque overhead bearing the words “A Bright Mirror Hangs High.”
Each time someone finished recounting their grievance, Zhao Baozhu would draw a tally slip from the holder and slam it down before Fan Yaosan with a crack.
“For violating a civilian woman, sixty strokes according to the law.”
“For seizing farmland by force, forty strokes according to the law.”
“For disrespecting elders, sixty strikes to the mouth.”
“For murder for profit, punishable by death!”
The crimes Fan Yaosan had committed over the years were too many to record fully. Ordinarily, when multiple plaintiffs brought charges together, the magistrate would simply combine the crimes and issue one final judgment. But Zhao Baozhu insisted on counting each case separately. Before long, more than ten wooden tally slips had piled up before Fan Yaosan. This was an immense psychological blow. By now, Fan Yaosan’s face looked no different from that of a dead man.
Before him sat Zhao Baozhu in official robes and hat, his face cold as frost, enthroned among the gathered commoners like some divine judge descended to earth.
Only now did Fan Yaosan belatedly realize what kind of person he had provoked.
His face turned ashen. Suddenly his whole body trembled. A faint trickling sound followed, and yellow liquid spread slowly across the floor beneath him.
