Chapter Four: The Verdict

The county hall fell silent at once; the arguing middle-aged woman and the corpulent man both closed their mouths, lowered their heads, and spoke no further. Searching through his memories, Cao Hong spoke in the manner and tone typical of the era: “Assistant Magistrate Lin, I am aware of the elders of Chidong Village accusing their nephew of violating a concubine, but I am less familiar with this woman’s accusation against the elder.”

Assistant Magistrate Lin bowed and replied, “My lord, this woman is the sister-in-law of Lin Gui, the elder of Chidong Village. She is the widow of the late Lin Qiang of Chidong Village, Madam Yang. She accuses Lin Gui of plotting to seize her late husband’s estate, poisoning him to death, and then instructing his concubine to seduce his son, Lin Bing, framing him so that no one from this branch of the Lin family would be left to inherit, thus enabling him to claim the family property.”

Cao Hong glanced at the young man kneeling on the floor and asked, “Is this Lin Bing?”

Assistant Magistrate Lin replied, “Indeed, it is.”

Cao Hong carefully observed Lin Bing—a delicate-looking youth, thin, his hair disheveled, bruises on his neck and hands, eyes filled with fear, cowering. Cao Hong asked, “When this man was brought in, did anyone from the county office use torture against him?”

“No, my lord,” replied Assistant Magistrate Lin.

“When did the incident with the elder’s concubine occur?” Cao Hong continued.

“According to Lin Gui’s written statement, it happened yesterday at noon. His concubine was bathing when Lin Bing barged in and violated her,” replied Assistant Magistrate Lin.

“Very well! I have made my decision. Summon a midwife; the truth of this case will soon be revealed,” Cao Hong said calmly.

At this, everyone in the hall was astonished. What did this case have to do with a midwife? No one could fathom the connection, but since the magistrate had spoken, Assistant Magistrate Lin sent a county guard to fetch a midwife.

Once the guard departed, Cao Hong fell silent, instructing someone to notify his steward, Cao Fu, to bring him a pot of tea. It was early autumn—not quite the season of falling leaves, but the air carried a slight chill. At the peak of his cultivation, Cao Hong needed steaming hot tea to ward off the cold and nourish his internal organs, stabilizing his mood, to achieve the realm of refining qi into spirit.

With tea served, Cao Hong leisurely sipped, reflecting that the tea leaves of this era were mediocre, though the water was pleasantly sweet. He drank as he scrutinized the three people before him.

Madam Yang watched her son Lin Bing with deep concern; Lin Bing remained terrified, while the corpulent Lin Gui’s face showed both fear and suspicion. Cao Hong noted all this, and his mind was already made up. As a mercenary with wide experience, he excelled at interrogations and psychological warfare—such a minor case was hardly a challenge for him.

After finishing a pot of tea, the county guard returned, bringing with him a plump midwife. Hearing it was the magistrate’s case, she didn’t dare delay, hurriedly arriving with beads of sweat on her round face. Seeing the guards and prisoners, she was startled, then approached the hall and bowed, “Commoner Chen greets the magistrate.”

Cao Hong nodded and said, “I have read medical texts, and know that if a woman is violated by force, there will inevitably be bruises and injuries below. Assistant Magistrate Lin, take this midwife to Chidong Village and examine the elder’s concubine. Whether it was force or seduction will be clear as day!”

Assistant Magistrate Lin was momentarily stunned. He was a true scholar, having studied in Yingchuan, the famed cultural center of Yu Province, and read many books, but had never heard of such a method. He wished to ask which text this was from, but as a subordinate, dared not overstep, so simply answered.

Cao Hong then gazed at the pale-faced elder Lin Gui and calmly said, “Elder Lin, though it is unpleasant, lives are at stake; violation is punishable by death, so I must act with caution. Your understanding is appreciated.”

Lin Gui’s face turned ashen. After a pause, he replied with a trembling voice, “Your insight is clear, my lord; it is as it should be.”

Cao Hong glanced at him, then said, “For fairness, let Assistant Magistrate Lin take the midwife. Madam Yang, Elder Lin, and Lin Bing will remain in the county. Lin Bing is to be held in custody, Madam Yang may rest in a room at my residence, and Elder Lin, I wish to discuss some village affairs with you—shall we retire to the main hall?”

With these arrangements, the three had no objections, each led away by county guards, while Lin Gui followed Cao Hong out the back of the hall, through a courtyard, to the main hall of Cao Hong’s residence. Four lovely young maids greeted them with bows.

Cao Hong seated Lin Gui as a guest, took his place at the head, had the maids light lanterns and serve fragrant tea, smiling as he invited Lin Gui to drink.

Lin Gui was bewildered by these gestures, but dared not question, simply drinking tea obediently. The hall lapsed into silence.

Cao Hong waved the maids away, then said, “Elder Lin, your concubine has strayed, so why not handle it with family discipline, rather than bringing it to the county? Lin Qiang’s death is recent, his bones not yet cold—how could his son act so unfilial? Do you think that, seeing my lack of involvement in county affairs, you can act as you please? Today you slander your nephew and dominate the village—tomorrow, will you and the prefect slander me as county magistrate?”

With a clatter, Lin Gui’s hand trembled, his tea bowl fell, and he scrambled to kneel before Cao Hong, knocking his head on the floor and crying, “I dare not, I am guilty! I confess! It was I who tried to frame my nephew. Please spare me, my lord!” His head thudded against the ground.

Cao Hong chuckled, “Who told you that you are guilty?”

Lin Gui froze, his body stiff, and stared at Cao Hong in confusion.

Cao Hong smiled and said, “I mean you were deceived by your concubine, and misunderstood your nephew, which led to this situation. But now you have awakened, so you should hurry back to Chidong Village, question your concubine, discover that she indeed seduced your nephew, and in a rage, punish her. Then the case is settled. Elder Lin, your family has already gained the status of elder—surely you should support each other, rather than seek dominance over all?”

Lin Gui seemed suddenly enlightened, nodding repeatedly, “Yes, yes! My lord is right! I will ride back at once and deal with the woman who sowed discord between uncle and nephew!”

Cao Hong smiled, “Very well, Elder Lin, please go.”

Lin Gui departed with profuse gratitude. Cao Hong leisurely drank a bowl of hot tea and asked, “Meizhen, have you listened enough?”

A burst of laughter sounded, and Sheng Meizhen came to sit beside Cao Hong, gently pouring him tea and nestling close, laughing, “I never knew my husband possessed such uncanny skill.”

Her words carried hidden meaning. In the past, whenever Cao Hong faced such difficult cases, he would mobilize the entire county for a thorough investigation, handling the matter impartially, which was time-consuming. He relied on his authority to exert pressure on both the accuser and the accused, stabilizing their factions. After all, cases reaching Cao Hong’s hands usually involved people of some influence in Qichun. Today, however, he resolved the matter with effortless grace, surprising Sheng Meizhen, who knew his usual methods well.

Cao Hong laughed heartily, drank his tea, searched his memories, and recalled that Sheng Meizhen herself had trained in martial arts, and he highly valued her skills. Having noticed her unusual steps, he said, “Meizhen, why not join me in the practice hall for a bout or two?”

Sheng Meizhen smiled and glanced at Cao Hong, saying, “A bout is fine, but I must discuss something important first.”

Cao Hong asked, “What is it?”

Sheng Meizhen replied, “While you were handling the case, I received a letter from Uncle Jingjie from Wu Prefecture. He will soon come to visit you, and has urgent matters to discuss.”

“Urgent matters?” Upon hearing these words, Cao Hong immediately thought of the significant events destined to occur in this era.