Chapter 21: A Thousand in Gold Delivered to the Inner Quarters; Eight Lives First Sink Beneath a Sea of Injustice

Now, Yin Cheng had received his sister's orders and ran out in one breath. He found Lexian peering about anxiously; as soon as he caught sight of Yin Cheng, he rushed up and asked: "Brother-in-law! How did it go? Any luck?" Yin Cheng shook his head and said nothing. Lexian was puzzled: "No good?" Yin Cheng shook his head again, grabbed Lexian by the arm, and walked. When they reached Lexian's lodgings, he finally asked: "Old Jian! Was what you said to me earlier true?" Lexian said: "As true as true can be — why would it not be? But what happened on your end?" Yin Cheng said: "The matter was settled without much trouble. It's just that the thousand taels of gold must be paid in advance. And my own thousand in silver must also be paid in advance. Can you manage that?" Lexian said: "As long as things inside have truly been agreed, there is nothing that cannot be managed!" Yin Cheng said: "Of course it's been agreed — would I deceive you? If you don't believe me, I'll swear an oath: if I am deceiving you, may lightning strike me dead on the spot — will that do?" Lexian said: "Brother-in-law! Wait here a moment — I'll go and sort this out." Yin Cheng said: "Please be quick. I can't afford to wait long. And one more thing — the gold must be delivered inside today, or nothing can be guaranteed. If you can't manage it, I can't manage my end either!" Lexian said: "I understand. Wait here — I'll be right back. There's opium on the smoking couch; have a pipe while you wait." And he went off.

Yin Cheng sat and waited, growing fretful, yet unable to bring himself to leave. He went to the couch and had two pipes of opium, then lay there a while, until Lexian finally returned and said: "It can be done — please come with me to collect it." Yin Cheng stamped his foot: "You are the most disagreeable man! Why didn't you just bring it with you? You know very well I hate meeting strangers." Lexian said: "Brother-in-law, there you go again — you must understand that a thousand-odd taels of gold is no small plaything. They wouldn't simply hand it to me. You need to meet them in person." Yin Cheng said: "Don't wrong me so. If you know them, why won't they trust you? I don't even know them — would they trust me any more? I'm not going. If you want to be useful, go and collect it on my behalf. Otherwise I'm leaving." Lexian said: "You'll bluff your way out of anything with us, yet you're always terrified of meeting people. This is just how it is with everyone — I understand. Not a single gentleman of the yamen do you greet, I know. But you just said you'd leave — I'll go with you to collect it together. This is for everyone's benefit, yours included — a thousand taels of silver awaiting you. Why such impatience? When going out to handle matters, one must have patience. With your temperament, how would you ever accomplish great things?" Yin Cheng had no choice but to steel himself and wait.

Lexian was gone a good while, and came back with a man in tow, four attendants behind him, each shouldering a bundle in purple-patterned cloth, which they set down as they entered. Lexian pointed to Yin Cheng and said to the man: "This is Brother-in-law Yin." Then pointing to the man, he said to Yin Cheng: "This is Secretary Ou — a kinsman of Master Ling." Yin Cheng came forward and exchanged greetings. Juexing looked Yin Cheng over carefully and said: "My kinsman's litigation — I ask for your full support, sir." Yin Cheng looked at Lexian and said: "Old Jian, what exactly did you tell them? Stop stringing me along!" Lexian said: "Everything is right here. Master Ling has sent it through Secretary Ou — please give a receipt, brother-in-law." Yin Cheng said: "Why must there be a receipt?" Juexing said: "I would not normally presume to ask for one, but I need something to show my kinsman when I report back." Yin Cheng said: "That's a difficulty — my handwriting is poor. Old Jian, write it for me." Juexing, hearing this, pulled Lexian aside, and the two of them stepped out and whispered together, then came back in. Lexian said: "Let Secretary Ou write it — brother-in-law need only make his mark." Yin Cheng said: "That will do." Juexing called for paper and brush, wrote the eleven characters "Received: one thousand taels each of gold and silver" (收到黃金白銀各一千兩正), noted the date, then wrote the character "Yin" (殷) at the bottom — intending Yin Cheng to write out his own given name. He passed it over. Yin Cheng did not write a name, but below the character "Yin" made a crooked cross-mark and handed it back. Juexing smiled slightly and accepted it. He then ordered the four attendants to bring forward the four bundles, open them, and take out ten paper packets from within; opening those, they revealed gold. He counted through everything and said: "This is all at the finest standard — nine hundred and ninety-eight parts pure — totaling one thousand taels." He then produced a banknote for one thousand taels of silver and offered it: "And this is a small token of appreciation for you, sir." Yin Cheng took it and looked it over carefully, then pulled Lexian outside to ask: "Is this note genuine?" Lexian said: "What a question! When would they ever put out a counterfeit?" Yin Cheng said: "I've never used one of these before — I must be careful." Lexian said: "Don't worry — I guarantee it's good." Only then did Yin Cheng go back inside. He asked Lexian for a sheet of white paper, wrapped the banknote up, undid his jacket, and placed it in the breast pocket against his skin. Then he said: "That gold — I can't move it myself. I'll need some help." Lexian stepped outside and called in two of his workers. They divided the gold into two large bundles, one each, and followed Yin Cheng. He suddenly called a halt: "Wait, wait!" He took out two of the paper packets and asked Juexing: "These are one hundred taels each — is that right?" Juexing said: "Not a hair short." Yin Cheng set the two packets aside and said: "Old Jian, keep these here for the moment. I'll come back for them shortly. It wasn't just me who worked this out — my sister helped argue the case. These are hers. I'll come pick them up in a little while. Mind you don't misplace them!" Lexian said: "Yes, yes, yes! When you've delivered the rest, come out and give us word." Yin Cheng said: "What word is there to give?" Lexian said: "Just tell us what they said inside — whatever the outcome." Yin Cheng nodded, took the two workers with him, and went. He was gone a good while, and when he returned, said: "There's nothing to report — my sister has already urged that the case be heard tomorrow." He then picked up the two hundred taels of gold, turned without a backward glance, and left. Juexing took his leave of Lexian and went to report back to Guixing; relating Yin Cheng's behavior along the way, they all had a good laugh.

The next day, Magistrate Huang duly called the case for a hearing, summoning all parties — plaintiff and defendant, the four neighboring households, the li-headman, the gate-warden, and witnesses — and opened court. Guixing brought Qian Yuguo and Wen Changming to the court and presented his personal deposition. Magistrate Huang read it; it stated: "I, Ling Guixing, the deponent, submit a complaint regarding a false death accusation, and beg for merciful investigation and release of an innocent man. My late father, Zongke, partnered with Liang Tianlai's father, Chaoda, in a trading business in Nanxiong for over twenty years, and there was never any grievance between them. In the forty-eighth year of the Kangxi reign, Chaoda — being short of funds for the purchase of silt fields — borrowed three thousand taels of silver from my father on a signed promissory note. They parted ways some time later. My father wished to recover this sum; Chaoda, finding the interest modest and repayment inconvenient, kept delaying. After my father died, Chaoda likewise died. I repeatedly demanded repayment from Tianlai and his brothers; at first they acknowledged the debt, but when pressed again, they replied with words to the effect that 'the lender is dead and the debt dies with him.' My kinsman Tianlai is worth a hundred times over — why should he refuse to repay a mere three thousand taels? He was simply determined to swallow the debt. Last year I chanced to meet him on the road and sought a reckoning; he saw I was slight of build and set upon me with fists and feet, until fortunately my clansman uncle Zongkong heard the commotion and came running to my rescue, and the bystanders mediated an end to it. I wished at that moment to draft a complaint and bring a suit, but his mother is my paternal aunt, and she came to me in tears to beg me not. Moved by my aunt's grief and by the bond of prior kinship, I could only hold back, resolving that while my aunt lived I would not bring a suit, and waiting for his conscience to return. Little did I expect that bandits would rob his household, and that this villain, losing eight lives, would use those deaths to trap me — hoping thus to write off his debt. He has therefore accused me and my nephews of being behind a massacre of seven bodies and eight lives. Summoned by your gracious order to come forward, I dare only comply and petition for justice. Attached herewith is a photocopy of Liang Chaoda's own handwritten promissory note for your inspection. I beg for merciful investigation and release of an innocent man, and for the outstanding debt to be pursued, so that my whole household may receive your grace. Submitted in all humility."

Magistrate Huang finished reading, slapped the warning block on the desk, and addressed Tianlai: "Your father's debt — if it truly could not be repaid, there was still room for civil negotiation. Why fabricate a charge against him and try to default!" Tianlai said: "That promissory note is a forgery, and there are no guarantors." Magistrate Huang said: "Whether genuine or forged, that is not what I press you on now. You say he organized a band of ruffians to commit the attack — where is your witness to this?" Zhang Feng knelt forward and stated: "On the eighteenth day of the seventh month, this deponent personally heard it through Ling Guixing's window — there is no falsehood in this." Liang Hanzhao also stated: "That night this deponent personally saw that the majority of the robbers were of the Ling clan's younger generation — I would not dare make a false accusation." Magistrate Huang then asked the gate-warden Huang Yuan: "You are the gate-warden and should have seen things more clearly than anyone else — what do you say?" Huang Yuan said: "I observed that most were strangers, and moreover that many spoke with the accents of other counties—" The magistrate cut him off with a shout and turned to Zhang Feng and Hanzhao: "Can you two claim to have seen more clearly than the gate-warden? It is obvious that neither of you is a law-abiding citizen — you thrust yourselves into other people's business!" He then threw down the penalty tablet; the two flanking runners dragged both men to the ground and gave each thirty light strokes of the paddle. At this point, Qian Yuguo and Wen Changming together stated: "We are lifelong residents of Tancun village and have always known Ling Guixing to stay home and study — he has never been one to cause trouble. In this case he has truly been falsely accused by Liang Tianlai. If Your Honor does not believe it, we two are willing to submit a formal guarantee." Zhang Feng then stated: "I know both of these men who are offering to guarantee." He pointed to Qian Yuguo: "That one is Jiayingzhou man, the barber known as Ah San." Then pointing to Wen Changming: "And that one is the pig-slaughterer Ah Er." Magistrate Huang said: "Since they are a barber and a pig-slaughterer, allow me to ask you — what is your own trade?" The two runners flanking the court called out in unison: "Answer! Answer!" Zhang Feng said: "This deponent has always kept to the straight path, but luck has been against him, and not wishing to do wrong, I have been forced to beg on the streets." Magistrate Huang cut him off with a shout: "Pah! A person with a hundred trades can find a livelihood. You are not old and you have no disability — what work can you not do? Yet you come out begging — this is obviously the mark of an idle rogue! And still you thrust yourself into litigation to stir up trouble! Guards — beat him again!" He threw down the penalty tablet; the runners answered with one voice, rushed forward, pinned Zhang Feng down, and gave him eighty heavy strokes of the paddle — flesh splitting open and blood flowing. Zhang Feng, unable to bear the pain, called out in a great voice: "Injustice! Injustice—!" Before the cry died, from the inner hall came a burst of the drum signaling the court's adjournment. Looking up, they found the magistrate had already withdrawn. The runners surged forward and hustled all parties, plaintiff and defendant alike, back out to await further orders.

Tianlai's heart was filled with boundless grievance. Seeing Hanzhao and Zhang Feng beaten without cause — and Zhang Feng dripping blood, limping with every step — he felt only deeper sorrow. With no idea what to do next, he suddenly saw a man come out and announce in a loud voice: "By the magistrate's order, all witnesses in the matter of Liang Tianlai's case are to be released, with the exception of the gate-warden Huang Yuan, who is to be detained." Tianlai had no choice but to return to the Tianhe trading house with Hanzhao and Zhang Feng. Inside the door, the tea-room attendant said: "Mr. Shi has been waiting for some time." Tianlai brought the two men inside and found Zhi Bo in his seat; the moment he saw Tianlai, he asked: "How was the trial?" Tianlai recounted everything that had been said in court. Zhi Bo asked: "The whole time, not a single question was put to Ling Guixing?" Tianlai said: "Not one." Zhi Bo shook his head: "This is trouble. And there is something else I had anticipated." Tianlai said: "What did you anticipate, Master?" Zhi Bo said: "The second time Zhang Feng was beaten — the drum for adjournment sounded from the inner hall, and the magistrate withdrew at once!" Tianlai exclaimed: "How did you know that, Master?"

What did Zhi Bo reveal? Read on to the next chapter.