Chapter Ninety: The Sordid Man

At these words, Gou Ye slammed his palm hard on the table and shouted furiously, “Worse than beasts, truly worse than beasts! I’d thought that Magistrate Qin was merely a man of a wicked heart, but I could never have imagined he could commit such utterly inhuman acts. Did either of you tell that person—if they reported Magistrate Qin, would they be willing to testify?”

Guo Bingjin curled his lip and replied, “Young master, that seems unlikely. These villagers are all terrified by Magistrate Qin’s brutality. There are barely more than twenty households left in the entire village now, and constables still come by from time to time to register the residents one by one. If even a single person is missing, the whole village is implicated, so to this day, not one villager dares to flee elsewhere.”

“Then do you know where they buried the bodies?”

After Gou Ye asked this, the Guo brothers shook their heads. Guo Bingjin answered, “We really don’t know. The burial site is extremely well hidden, and the villagers never let anyone follow them. We dared not ask around door to door in case we alerted the culprit, so all we have now is the testimony of that one villager.”

“Mere words are no proof, and at present we have no direct evidence. Even if the whole village came forward to testify, after five years, such oral accounts would not stand as direct evidence. Only if we find that mass grave where the bodies were buried can Magistrate Qin be brought to justice.”

Seeing Gou Ye’s face clouded with worry, Yun Niang couldn’t help but ask, “Brother Gou Ye, since the entire village has been sealed off and so few know about this, how did you find out?”

“Gu Shen told me. He only mentioned that there was once a physician who visited Blackwater Village to examine the epidemic. Realizing he was powerless to treat it, and fearing infection, he left. Later, passing by the village, he saw soldiers guarding the gates, the village under lockdown. He was curious, so after some time he ventured inside and noticed many households were missing. It seemed most odd, though he didn’t know exactly why. That was before Physician Hua arrived at the Duke’s residence. When the physician came to treat the household, he stayed a few days and happened to mention this to Gu Shen, who then told me. I truly never imagined such a terrible secret lay hidden here, all because of a physician…”

Suddenly overcome, Gou Ye seized Yun Niang’s hand. “Yun Niang, you asked at just the right time. The physician—he, too, is a witness to the plague. He knows an epidemic struck Blackwater Village. I’ll write a letter at once. Bingyin, at daybreak tomorrow, you must ride hard to the Duke’s residence, give this to Gu Shen, and find that physician. With him, we’ll have another strong piece of evidence.”

Gou Ye then turned to Guo Bingjin, pondering for a moment. “Bingjin, tomorrow you should prepare enough food for both of you, and take extra silver as well. Go once more to Blackwater Village, and wait for Bingyin to join you. This time, you must do your utmost to find the site where the bodies are buried. Also, when Bingyin goes to the county, have him check on Dali at Cainsheng’s house—it’s been so long, I’m worried something may have happened. If he can’t find anything, tell him to come back.”

The Guo brothers nodded in agreement. Then Guo Bingjin seemed to recall something. “Young master, what should we do if we run into the constables this time? Last time, the two of us had a run-in with Magistrate Qin’s men—they’ll recognize us for sure.”

Gou Ye thought for a moment and then said, “Money can make the devil turn millstones. This time, when you go, distribute one tael of silver to every household, no matter their age or gender. Tell them that, whoever asks, they must say they’ve never seen you two. With your skills, you should be able to hide well enough that no one will find you. Stay alert—if anyone comes, have the villagers send word to you at once so you can hide. Try to do your searching in the late afternoon or near dusk, when the authorities rarely send men to the village. In short, be resourceful.”

Guo Bingjin’s eyes widened. “There may be only twenty-some households, but young master, that’s over eighty people in all! That’s more than eighty taels of silver, all handed out.”

“As long as we can bring Magistrate Qin to justice, I won’t begrudge any amount of silver. Let this be some small measure of good for those who died,” Gou Ye replied. As he spoke, an image flashed in his mind: over a hundred people slaughtered, the raging flames consuming their bodies in the pit. His fists clenched tightly.

That night, the Guo brothers, as if they hadn’t eaten in days, were treated to a feast by Gou Ye. He had a whole chicken prepared for each of them and several more dishes besides; even the steamed buns filled a whole basket. The two devoured everything with such ferocity that Xiaodie watched, dumbfounded, as the food quickly disappeared.

With their bellies full, the Guo brothers set out at dawn the next day, bringing plenty of provisions. Though gluttonous, Gou Ye was satisfied with their efficiency. Before afternoon had even arrived, a servant from Gu’s residence came galloping into Tumen Village.

“Is Young Master Gou here? Is this the home of Young Master Gou?” The man called out from horseback without dismounting.

Hearing the commotion, Gou Ye came out from his study. Recognizing the servant from Gu Shen’s household, he thought perhaps there was news of the physician and strode quickly over.

“I am Gou Ye. I know you—you’re from the Gu family. What brings you here?” Gou Ye asked, looking up at the servant.

“Young Master Gu sent me to fetch you. He said you must come to the county town at once. People from the Merchant Guild have arrived. He said if I told you this, you would understand.”

Gou Ye hadn’t expected the Merchant Guild to arrive so quickly. Considering the distance to the capital, it should be at least a month’s journey round trip. But there was no time for second thoughts. He agreed at once, and the servant, his duty done, turned and rode off without a backward glance.

Gou Ye hurried home, called for Yun Niang, and without bothering to change into finer clothes, instructed Xiaodie that he wouldn’t be home that night. Then he and Yun Niang set off by carriage for the county town.

At the Duke’s residence, Gu Shen was already waiting at the door. As Gou Ye stepped down from the carriage, he asked, “Brother Gu, isn’t this all a bit sudden? How did they arrive so quickly? Isn’t it at least a month’s round trip to the capital?”

Gu Shen smiled. “You don’t know—the Merchant Guild is the most powerful one my father has ties with, with branches all across the country. This time, the representative they sent is from Yong’an. Don’t underestimate him—he’s no ordinary envoy. He’ll report your situation to the upper echelons of the Merchant Guild. Come, let’s not keep them waiting; they’ve been here for quite some time.”

With no time for further pleasantries, Gou Ye and Yun Niang followed Gu Shen into the main hall. There, at the head of the room, sat a rotund, well-dressed middle-aged man in a robe of burnished gold, the cuffs embroidered with sprigs of verdant bamboo. His thick, fleshy waist was cinched with a dark jade belt, and his slightly yellowed hair was tied back with a bright red kerchief. Most notable of all was his plump face, set with small, beady eyes and lips curved in what seemed a perpetual smirk, lending him an air that was almost comically sly.