Chapter 22: Zhang Afeng Refuses a Bribe Out of Upright Character; Secretary Bao Accepts Corruption for a String of Pearl Bracelets

Now, when Tianlai heard Zhi Bo speak of the magistrate's withdrawal at the moment Zhang Feng was beaten, he asked: "How did you come to know this, Master?" Zhi Bo said: "This is the trick of a corrupt official — how could it deceive me? Such a move is certain proof that he has accepted a bribe!" Zhang Feng, enduring his pain, said: "Master, since you can foresee events so clearly, and since the county court will not redress the wrong, why not write another petition and have Master Liang go to the prefecture to file?" Zhi Bo said: "You haven't been beaten into submission — you still dare to give testimony?" Zhang Feng said: "I'm not afraid to die — what do a few strokes matter! As long as you are willing to write the petition, I will testify for him before the King of Hell himself!" Zhi Bo then said to Tianlai: "This time we must expose how money has been at work, and we will have to implicate Panyu County in the complaint. I do not know your intention in this regard." Tianlai said: "With such extraordinary injustice before me, I would gladly walk through fire and boiling water to clear my name. I only ask that you trouble yourself once more on my behalf!" Zhi Bo said: "Since that is how you feel, I will write the petition tomorrow and bring it to you." With that he took his leave.

The next day, he came in person with a written petition and handed it to Tianlai. Tianlai expressed his warmest thanks and waited only for Zhang Feng's cane wounds to heal before going to the Guangzhou prefectural yamen to submit it.

In the meantime, on the day of the county hearing, Ling Guixing had listened to the proceedings and returned to the Sande Inn in great delight. He said to Juexing: "This time the thousand taels of gold were well spent indeed—" Before he could finish, Zongkong walked in. At the sight of Guixing, he said at once: "Young nephew! When you arrived, you didn't even send word. I had no idea what had brought you here, and only later went to your main residence to inquire and learned it was this lawsuit. Two days ago Meixin also came and told me about it — he said he had heard that this time Tianlai's complaint named me as well, and that one Zhang Feng was a witness. I thought of coming to the provincial city to help you, but since I knew no one in the yamen, I would have been useless, and so I stayed away. Last night I turned the matter over and over in my mind and hit upon a scheme. That is why I have rushed here today." Guixing said: "What scheme has Uncle devised?" Zongkong said: "Tianlai relies on Zhang Feng alone as his witness. If I do this and that... Tianlai will lose this support for certain. What do you think, nephew?" Guixing said repeatedly: "Excellent scheme, excellent scheme!" Zongkong said: "Then let us send Xilai first." Guixing agreed at once, and immediately dispatched Xilai home to Tancun to fetch the maidservant Meilan. After a day, she was duly brought, and Guixing sent her to lodge at Jian Lexian's rooms. Zongkong then went out every day to find Zhang Feng. As it happened, Zhang Feng, having suffered eighty strokes of the paddle, had both legs in pain and was resting inside the Tianhe trading house, unable to go out. Six or seven days passed before he could get out of bed, and he went into the street to take a walk. Zongkong caught sight of him at once, grabbed him by the arm, and said: "Brother Feng! How have you been keeping?" Zhang Feng looked up and saw Zongkong; he thought to himself in secret surprise: "What does he want with me?" He answered casually: "Not dead yet — can't say I'm particularly well, either." Zongkong said: "I have something I'd like to discuss with you — it's not convenient to talk here in the street. Please step aside with me." He took his arm and walked. Zhang Feng thought: "What can this be about? Could Ling Guixing have sent this man to murder me because I testified against him? But this is the provincial city, in the full light of public scrutiny — I am not afraid of you. I'll follow him and find out what it's about — that is the sensible thing." So he followed Zongkong. They turned through several lanes and arrived at a doorway; Zongkong invited him in. Zhang Feng entered with head high, and a man came out from within to meet them — it was Jian Lexian. The three sat down in their proper places, and Lexian immediately called out: "Tea! Tea!" A maidservant of sixteen or seventeen came out, exquisitely got up, mincing and coquettish, and placed a bowl of tea before Zhang Feng. Zhang Feng raised a cool eye, gave her a single look; the maidservant also sent Zhang Feng a glance, then minced and swayed back inside.

Zongkong said: "Brother Feng, do you think this young woman is good-looking?" Zhang Feng said: "What kind of question is that! Since we are in this house, she is clearly either Mr. Jian's wife or his serving-girl. How can you evaluate her openly in front of everyone?" Zongkong let out a great laugh and said: "Brother Jian, bring out the other thing and let him see." Lexian went inside and came back presently carrying ten silver ingots, which he set out on the table. Zongkong then drew an envelope from inside his jacket, pulled a sheet of paper from within, and laid it on the table as well. He said to Zhang Feng: "Brother Feng, let me speak plainly. Liang Tianlai and my nephew have fallen into a feud and are fighting a lawsuit — everyone knows this, and it is no business of yours. Yet you willingly come forward as Tianlai's witness — why put yourself through this? I imagine your thinking is simply that if Tianlai wins his case, there would be a thank-you gift of some kind. But Tianlai has not the slightest chance of winning. When would you ever see that reward? So I have thought on your behalf: it would be better to wash your hands of the whole affair early and stop keeping accounts in this matter. My nephew would be glad to assist you. Look — these ten ingots are five hundred taels of silver. And this here is the deed to a property on the East Street — three rooms wide with two flanking wings and a large inner courtyard at the back. The young woman who brought you tea just now is my nephew's maidservant, eighteen years old; you have seen for yourself what she looks like. Just say the word — agree never again to testify for Tianlai — and all these things are yours. Money, a house, a wife — all at once. Think it over and make up your mind." Zhang Feng gave a cold smile and said: "Most kind of your nephew, but unfortunately I, Zhang Feng, have not the good fortune to receive it. I have never known what feminine beauty and pleasure are. I am accustomed to sleeping in the open and eating in the wind — I have no use for a house. A beggar can eat his fill — I have even less use for silver. Your nephew's gold and silver can buy corrupt officials — they cannot buy me, a beggar!" He rose, and walked out laughing coldly.

He returned to the Tianhe trading house and found Shi Zhi Bo had just arrived to urge Tianlai to press the complaint. Zhang Feng recounted his encounter with Zongkong, laughing as he spoke. Zhi Bo stamped his foot and said: "Zhang, you man of honor — but you made a mistake here! Why not have pretended to agree, led them along, and then tomorrow taken them with this bribery evidence all together to the prefecture to report?" Zhang Feng said: "Your advice is not wrong, Master — but Zhang Feng has never been able to tell a lie in his whole life!" Liang Tianlai said: "That is not how I see it, either. This affair was never your concern, Brother Zhang. I am more than grateful for your help beforehand. And because you acted as my witness, you suffered eighty strokes of the court paddle the other day — I feel terrible about that. Why not simply step away from my case now, take their reward, and live a comfortable life hereafter?" Zhang Feng said: "If I were willing to take such easy advantages, I would never have been a beggar in the first place!" The three of them talked for a while, then Zhi Bo took his leave.

After a day, Tianlai went to the Guangzhou Prefectural Yamen and submitted his petition. But Ling Guixing's reach was vast; someone had already sent word to warn him. This man was surnamed Chen, given name Banglü, a clerk in the prefectural yamen, who had long been on good terms with Juexing. From the moment this affair began, Juexing had made a point of cultivating him, praising Guixing's generosity and character at every turn. Banglü had heard it all and kept it well in mind. That day he saw Tianlai's petition — complaining of "money-god manipulation, cunning obstruction of truth, eight lives sunk in injustice, crying to heaven for redress" — with Panyu County further implicated inside — quite a fierce document! He hurried at once to find Juexing and reported the matter. Juexing then brought him before Guixing and they all deliberated on how to respond. Banglü said: "The person the prefect most relies upon right now is a certain Secretary Bao — he truly speaks and the prefect listens without fail. If only he could be brought around, not even the greatest affair would matter. But there is one difficulty: I have never heard of him accepting private approaches in a case. Let me go and sound him out first, and then we can plan further." Juexing said: "Brother Chen! Don't be so naive! Whoever accepts such things — has anyone ever done it openly, before the eyes of all? I simply ask you to use your connections to maneuver the situation. We will wait here for good news, and repay you generously afterward." Banglü took his leave and went.

Before long, he came back with word that this matter was very difficult; Secretary Bao was indeed a man who had never accepted approaches in cases, and had no vices of any kind to speak of. He had now arranged for another person to investigate further and act when the opportunity arose. Juexing said: "Only — please be quick about it. If the petition is rejected outright, there will be much more trouble." Banglü took his leave again and went. After another day he returned and said: "Heaven has been kind — an opportunity has presented itself! Secretary Bao has recently taken a new concubine, and this lady has taken a fancy to a pair of pearl bracelets. She simply must have them, but the price is ten thousand taels of silver. Secretary Bao has only four thousand and is still short six thousand, and is considering sending them back. If someone could now provide six thousand taels to cover the remaining bracelet price, there might yet be a way to negotiate." Guixing said at once: "That is easily done." He immediately wrote out a bank draft and handed it to Banglü, saying: "Please be so good as to put in a word for us — and I will thank you handsomely besides." Banglü took his leave of Guixing and went directly to find Secretary Bao. As chance would have it, Secretary Bao was holding the bracelets and turning them over in his hands, just about to send them back. Banglü said: "Secretary, have those bracelets been settled?" The secretary said: "Not yet — the piece is fine, but I haven't the funds at the moment." Banglü said: "It would be possible to draw money from elsewhere to buy them." The secretary said: "Where would I draw from in a hurry?" Banglü handed over the six-thousand-tael draft and said: "Isn't this enough?" The secretary was startled: "Where does this come from?" Banglü said: "Secretary, just spend it — no need to ask where it came from." The secretary said: "You must have something you wish to advise me about." Banglü explained his purpose. The secretary said: "I haven't yet seen this petition. Let me read it and I'll tell you whether it can be done or not — take this draft back with you for now." Banglü said: "There's no need. I know the secretary has always handled public business on its merits. The reason I ventured to speak at all is that this matter clearly involves Ling Guixing as the victim of a false accusation—" Before this sentence was finished, the pearl merchant who had sold the bracelets happened to arrive. The secretary looked at the bracelets again, thought of his concubine, and before he knew it had taken the draft, combined it with his own four thousand, and paid the merchant. Banglü, seeing this, gave a slight start and slipped out.

Secretary Bao sent off the pearl merchant, turned around, and found Banglü gone. Following his feet, he walked to the signing room, where Prefect Liu was writing. Seeing the secretary arrive, he set down his brush and said: "You have come at just the right moment, old advisor. Please look at this petition." The secretary took it and read — it was Liang Tianlai's complaint. When he had finished he asked: "Has the county forwarded its report?" The prefect said: "It has." He handed over the county's report for the secretary's inspection. After reading the detailed report and case file, the secretary reflected inwardly: this matter is most confused. Though Panyu County has ruled that Tianlai is making a false accusation, the bandit attack killing seven bodies in smoke and fire is a serious case. Why, then, does the verdict simply rebuke Liang Tianlai without any follow-up for the capture of the bandits? There is certainly something suspicious here. And that remark of Chen Banglü's earlier — it may not be trustworthy. Those six thousand taels of silver have already been handed over; there is no way to give them back now. What is to be done? He felt a surge of anxiety and could not think of a way forward. Prefect Liu asked: "Have you finished reading it, old advisor? You are always so perceptive — who do you think is in the right here, and who in the wrong?" The secretary, having no answer, said: "What does Your Honor think?"

What did Prefect Liu say? Read on to the next chapter.