Chapter Sixty-Three: Magistrate Qin’s Helplessness

Just as in those scenes on television, it turned out to be true—at such a critical moment, someone would suddenly appear to restore order. Realizing he no longer needed to worry about his fate, Gao Ye finally let out a sigh of relief.

Everyone saw Gu Yuan stride in at the doorway, his expression stern, with Gu Shen following behind. Most surprised was Magistrate Qin, seated above in the hall; he had never imagined that Gao Ye and Gu Shen would be on such good terms, to the point where even the Duke of Jing would accompany him here.

Still, Magistrate Qin was not one to yield easily. With a smile in his eyes, he addressed Gu Yuan, “So it is the Duke of Jing come to visit. If only you had notified me in advance, I’d have had my wife prepare a banquet in the rear hall.”

Gu Yuan, never fond of pleasantries, replied bluntly, “Old Qin, let’s not waste words. I am taking this child with me today.”

“Your Grace,” Magistrate Qin responded, “perhaps you are unaware—this boy, Gao Ye, is accused of inciting the crowd and running a street stall. Someone has reported falling ill after eating food from his stall, which is why I have brought him here for a hearing. For you to simply take him away would be quite irregular, would it not?”

Gu Yuan’s face darkened at this refusal. Since when did a petty county magistrate dare speak to him in such a manner?

At that moment, Gu Shen stepped forward. “Magistrate Qin, you say Gao Ye is here because of a report. Then where is the accuser? And where is the person who fell ill?”

Magistrate Qin had not anticipated their return and had made little preparation for what should have been a routine hearing. Still, he was not easily shaken. At a glance from him, his trusted aide hurried out of the hall.

“I have sent my officer to fetch the witness,” Magistrate Qin announced. “Everyone, please wait a moment. Why are you all just standing there? Quickly, prepare a seat for the Duke of Jing.”

This, however, only fueled Gu Yuan’s temper. He thundered, “Since when does the Ming court tolerate such disorder in its hearings? Exchanging glances with your officers—do you take me for a blind old fool? Let me warn you, Old Qin, if you dare present false testimony or handle this case unjustly in broad daylight, I will see that a memorial reaches His Majesty’s desk. This county is not yours to rule as you please. Hmph!”

Though the Duke of Jing was a disgraced noble with no real power, he was still a veteran minister who had served two reigns. Magistrate Qin, with his humble status, could not afford to offend him. For today, he would have to grant him this favor. Later, he would discuss matters with his wife and plan a next move.

Shortly after, the officer returned with a man in tow—dressed in coarse linen and straw sandals, his face anxious. Gao Ye sneered inwardly; if you’re going to find an actor, at least find one passable. This man was clearly a rustic from the countryside, his sandals worn through—how could someone like him afford street food? Absurd!

Even Magistrate Qin was dismayed by the choice, his face flushing with embarrassment. To make matters worse, the officer shot him a smug look, as if expecting praise. Resigned, Magistrate Qin slapped the table and demanded, “Who are you? Are you the one who reported the food stall?”

Gu Yuan cast a cold glance at the man. “I am here today to assist in this case. You must answer truthfully. If I catch so much as half a lie, you will not be spared!”

The man knelt trembling in the hall, glancing around nervously. “Your Honor, I am a villager from Tumen, outside the city. A few days ago, I came to the market, ate some snacks from a street stall, and suffered stomach pains ever since. I’ve heard of others with the same complaint, so I thought there must be something wrong with the food—perhaps something unclean was added. That’s why I reported it, hoping Your Honor would investigate.”

Before Magistrate Qin could speak, Gao Ye questioned him, “So, you say you ate food from our stall and then fell ill at home. Tell me, what exactly did you eat?”

The man continued to tremble, not daring to meet Gao Ye’s gaze. “It was a skewer of fried meat,” he muttered.

Gao Ye nodded and pressed on, “Very well. We do sell fried meat skewers at our stall. How much did you pay for it?”

This question caught the man off guard; the officer had not briefed him on this. Cold sweat streamed down his face as his eyes darted about. “Um… five copper coins—no, no, six coins. I remember wrong.”

Gao Ye burst out laughing and turned to Magistrate Qin. “Your Honor, none of our snacks cost six coins. Because business was good, I just raised the price a few days ago—to three coins per skewer. Six coins? I’d like to know which commoner would pay six for a single skewer.”

The man hastily interjected, “That’s right, Your Honor, it was three coins. I was mistaken!”

“Full of lies,” Gao Ye retorted. “I just tricked you—our meat skewers have always been one coin each, and I never raised the price. First you say six coins, now three, just echoing whatever I say. Do you even know what you paid?”

Gu Yuan’s anger erupted; he slammed his chair, startling the man. “You fool! You don’t even know how much you spent? Stammering and fabricating stories—do you know the penalty for false accusation?”

Seeing the situation spiraling out of control, Magistrate Qin’s brow furrowed. If this went on, the man would surely slip up further. He silently cursed the officer for bringing such a simpleton. Slapping the table, he barked, “Guards, seize him! For slandering others and deceiving the court, give him twenty strokes and throw him in jail for five days as a warning.”

“Injustice, Your Honor! I—” But before the man could finish, an officer stuffed a piece of hemp cloth into his mouth, and several guards hauled him out of the hall. No matter how he struggled or shouted, his cries were muffled, and he vanished from sight, eyes filled with despair.

Magistrate Qin let out a long sigh, then declared, “This case is rife with doubts and requires further investigation. For now, Gao Ye is acquitted and released.”

A few men hurried over to remove Gao Ye’s shackles. Gu Yuan rose and glared at Magistrate Qin. “Magistrate Qin, today I have seen you handle a case well. Hold fast to your official’s hat—if I ever catch you acting so rashly again, do not blame me for being merciless.”

Magistrate Qin replied with a forced smile, “Yes, yes, Your Grace is right. I was too hasty this time. Won’t you stay for a meal before you go?” But as he spoke, he watched the three of them leave, entirely ignored.

The officer, thoroughly embarrassed, approached Magistrate Qin, about to say something, but the magistrate exploded in fury. “Out of my sight!” he roared.