Chapter 254
Yuan Wei knew he was as good as dead.
He did not want to die, so he desperately kowtowed to Han Chong.
“My lord, as long as I confess everything, will I be spared the harshest punishment?”
Han Chong nodded. “Of course.”
Those words were a lifeline, and Yuan Wei seized it at once.
He told them, one by one, who had ordered him to do these things and what benefits he had received in return.
The benefits had come from Prince Yong’s residence. A simple investigation would reveal the truth.
Thus, after interrogating Yuan Wei, Han Chong also convicted Princess Consort Yong and her son, Zhao Sirui.
He looked at Zhao Sirui, who was still unconscious, and said to the bailiffs, “Go fetch Imperial Physician Jin. The heir must wake up before we can question him about his crimes.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Imperial Physician Jin, who had been watching the spectacle among the crowd, raised his hand.
“This commoner is here!”
Ignoring Zhao Sirui’s condition, he administered a powerful drug that was harsh on the body.
Zhao Sirui soon regained consciousness.
He was burning with fever, his mind hazy and his head splitting with pain. He had no idea what was happening around him.
The pain from his broken arms and legs was excruciating—living felt worse than dying.
“Mother, it hurts so much. Help me.”
Imperial Physician Jin used silver needles to seal Zhao Sirui’s pain points, and he immediately came back to his senses.
“My lord, he can be interrogated now.”
When Zhao Sirui heard the word “interrogated,” he assumed that Governor Kong was about to stand up for him and deal with Qi Yanzhou.
But then he realized that the person sitting behind the magistrate’s bench was not Governor Kong.
“Who are you? How dare you sit in Governor Kong’s place?”
“Slap!”
Han Chong struck the magistrate’s block hard.
“Outrageous! Bailiffs, make the heir kneel properly!”
Zhao Sirui’s legs were broken, so he had no way to kneel on his own.
The bailiffs pressed down on his shoulders, ignoring his injuries and forcing him to kneel in the courtroom.
His legs suffered further damage, and blood poured from the wounds.
But because his pain had been sealed, Zhao Sirui felt nothing. All he sensed was humiliation.
“Let go of me! Do you want to die?”
Prince Yong watched his son with a heart full of pain and urged him, “Rui, stop struggling. You’ll only worsen your injuries.”
“Father, what exactly happened?”
He was the heir who would soon take over Jizhou City. How could it be acceptable for him to kneel before an official?
Han Chong brought out the evidence from the three cases that were enough to cost Zhao Sirui his head.
“Heir, don’t be anxious. You’ll soon find out what has happened!”
He handed the evidence to a bailiff. “Give it to the prince, and bring in the witnesses and physical evidence!”
After Prince Yong read the three thin sheets of paper, his vision swam with darkness.
The witnesses and evidence were soon brought into the courtroom, conclusively proving that Zhao Sirui had abused his authority and treated human lives as worthless.
“Heir Zhao Sirui of Prince Yong’s household has committed capital crimes. He will be executed at noon today!”
Princess Consort Yong let out a wail. “No!”
Prince Yong also stepped forward to stop him. “Rui is a member of the imperial family! You have no right to execute him!”
“The law applies equally to everyone, even the emperor.”
After saying this, Han Chong ordered the bailiffs to lock Zhao Sirui away first and give him a final meal.
The words terrified Zhao Sirui so badly that he fainted.
Han Chong turned to Princess Consort Yong. “For aiding and abetting evil and participating in multiple crimes, Princess Consort Yong is to be transported into servitude. She will never be pardoned for the rest of her life.”
Upon hearing this, Princess Consort Yong also fainted.
Next came Prince Yong.
Although Prince Yong’s crimes were less serious than those of the others, he had embezzled disaster-relief funds.
“Prince Yong is a member of the imperial family, so I have no authority to punish him directly.
“Bring me brush, ink, paper, and inkstone. Let Prince Yong write a letter to the emperor, truthfully detailing his crimes, and then await judgment.
“I will also send a letter to the emperor explaining how I intend to deal with Prince Yong.
“If His Majesty has a better way to handle the matter, Prefect Kong will follow the emperor’s wishes.”
The implication was clear: if the emperor did not reply, Prince Yong would be dealt with according to Han Chong’s plan.
Prefect Kong hurriedly replied, “This subordinate will obey!”
The bailiffs soon brought two sets of writing materials.
Han Chong called loudly to the people outside, “Prince Yong has preyed upon the people and embezzled disaster-relief funds. He should be stripped of his title, reduced to a commoner, and have all his property confiscated!”
The people were thoroughly satisfied with this result and erupted into cheers.
“My lord is wise!”
Han Chong continued, “This is only my recommendation. It must be submitted to the emperor, and can be carried out only after His Majesty gives his approval.”
The people had long since lost faith in the emperor, and their excitement immediately died down.
Qi Yanzhou suggested, “Have the people sign a petition, and send it to the capital together with the memorial.”
Prefect Kong thought it was an excellent idea.
The emperor wanted to win back the people’s support now. He certainly would not ignore Jizhou’s memorial as he had before!
“Thank you for the suggestion, Young Master Qi. I’ll have someone begin writing the petition at once.”
At those words, Prince Yong’s hand trembled violently around the brush, and a drop of thick ink fell onto the paper.
He could not bring himself to write down his crimes, so he threw the brush onto the small table before him.
Han Chong paid no attention and continued writing his own letter.
When he finished, he marked the envelope with the insignia of the Dragon Guardians and handed it to Prefect Kong.
“Prefect Kong, send the memorial and the petition to the courier station together with this letter. They can then be delivered to the capital by an eight-hundred-li express relay.”
In other words, if the emperor chose to reply, Prefect Kong would receive his letter within twenty days.
Prefect Kong accepted the letter respectfully.
“Lord Han, what should be done with Prince Yong for now?”
“Parade him through the streets for public display, then lock him in prison and await the emperor’s decree before passing final judgment.”
Prince Yong’s eyes widened in terror at these words.
Thinking of what he would have to endure next, he fainted from fright.
No one paid him any attention.
Prefect Kong asked again, “And what of the other members of Prince Yong’s household?”
Han Chong put away the emperor’s token and walked out from behind the magistrate’s bench.
“Prefect Kong is a good official devoted to the people. I’m sure you’ll arrange suitable destinations for all of them. I’ll leave the rest to you.”
With that, he and Qi Yanzhou left the prefectural government office.
When the two returned to the inn, Ye Chutang was teaching Concubine Xu how to make cakes.
“Did the interrogation go smoothly?” Ye Chutang asked.
Qi Yanzhou sat down across from her and poured himself a cup of cold tea.
“Very smoothly. Prince Yong’s entire family is finished.”
Ye Chutang had not gone to the prefectural office to watch the spectacle because she had gone to ransack the Yuan family’s residence instead.
“What was the outcome?”
“Prince Yong’s property has been confiscated, and he’s been stripped of his title and reduced to a commoner. He’ll have to endure everyone’s contempt. Princess Consort Yong has been condemned to servitude and will never be pardoned. Zhao Sirui will be beheaded at noon.”
After hearing this, Ye Chutang gave him a thumbs-up.
“Excellent. That’s a thoroughly satisfying result!”
Qi Yanzhou set down his empty cup and asked, “Atang, Prince Yong’s family will be paraded through the streets soon. Do you want to go watch?”
Ye Chutang glanced at the glaring sunlight outside and shook her head.
“It’s too hot. I’m not going.”
The moment she refused, she thought of a wonderful idea.
“Have the prisoner carts pass in front of the inn. We can reward them with a few basins of foot-washing water.”
Han Chong was amused by Ye Chutang’s words.
“Madam Qi is wise. I’ll inform Prefect Kong at once and have him change the route of the prisoner carts. Then we’ll make those people who never liked washing their feet give them a thorough cleaning!”
Ye Chutang playfully raised one eyebrow.
“Lord Han is even wiser.”
Zhao Sirui was scheduled to be executed at noon.
To ensure that the three members of the Zhao family suffered the humiliation they deserved, Prefect Kong had them paraded through the streets an hour earlier.
Jizhou City was not large. At a leisurely pace, they could circle the main street twice in an hour.
The moment the three prisoner carts left the prefectural government office, the people who had been waiting for them launched a frenzied “attack.”
It took a full quarter of an hour for the prisoner carts to make it out of the street where the prefectural government office stood.
The people made no attempt to conceal their resentment toward Prince Yong’s household.
Basket after basket of rotten vegetables was thrown. One rotten egg after another flew through the air. Bucket after bucket of rancid water was splashed, and stone after stone came hurtling down.
By the time the prison cart reached the entrance of the inn, another quarter of an hour had passed.
The people immediately stopped throwing things, lest they leave a terrible mess and stink up the Qi family and the Protectorate Army inside the inn.
Prince Yong and the other two huddled in a corner of the prison cart, their faces ashen. They no longer looked human.
Rotten vegetables and eggshells had nearly buried them, and their bodies reeked of rancid water. Their faces were swollen black and blue, making it impossible to see what they had originally looked like.
Ye Chutang looked at the three miserable men and waved with a smile.
“Have a safe journey.”
Prince Yong spotted Qi Yanzhou leaning against the doorway, watching the spectacle with an amused expression. He wanted to curse him out, but he was afraid the rotten egg covering his head would drip into his mouth, so he could only keep it shut.
He glared furiously at Qi Yanzhou, as if saying, I’ll never let you off, even as a ghost!
Qi Yanzhou understood his silent fury.
He curled his lips mockingly. “Don’t be in such a hurry, Your Highness. Your family of three will soon be reunited in hell.”
Prince Yong could no longer hold himself back. He opened his mouth and cursed, “You… blegh!”
He had barely spoken one word when rotten egg liquid ran into his mouth, making him vomit violently.
The prison cart soon disappeared down the road.
“Splash!”
At the corner, the Protectorate Army poured the foot-washing water they had prepared over the three prisoners. They had even added some foul yellow liquid to it, making the stench nauseating.
They had deliberately avoided the inn so the smell would not reach the Qi family.
Even so, everyone seated in the main hall still caught a whiff of the indescribably sour stench.
When Qi Yanzhou saw Ye Chutang frown, he shut the door.
Just then, the steamed sponge cake made by Concubine Xu was ready.
Its sweet, fragrant aroma wafted through the room, awakening everyone’s appetites.
Concubine Xu cut the cake into small pieces and cheerfully called out, “I don’t know whether it turned out well. Come, everyone, have a taste and tell me what you think.”
With that, she handed out chopsticks.
Ye Chutang picked up a small piece and tasted it before saying, “It’s a little too sweet, and it isn’t quite fluffy enough. It needed a bit more heat. But it’s your first attempt, Auntie, and it’s already very good.”
Sun Chu ate several pieces in a row, yet still seemed reluctant to stop.
“Long time no see. I’ve missed it.”
No one paid attention to his sudden remark—except Qi Yanzhou.
Those two words sounded as though Sun Chu had eaten sponge cake made by Ye Chutang before.
Sun Chu noticed Qi Yanzhou’s probing gaze. Not wanting him to misunderstand, he quickly explained, “Young Master Qi, don’t read too much into it. I simply haven’t eaten this kind of cake in a long time, and it brought back some feelings.”
“I’ve never heard of or seen this kind of cake before. I thought Atang had invented it herself. I didn’t realize Master Sun had eaten it in the past.”
“Although the method of making it is unusual, the ingredients are simple. It isn’t surprising that someone else came up with it.”
That was true enough, so Qi Yanzhou did not pursue the matter.
“It’s almost noon. I’ll clean the fish we bought this morning. We’ll have sauerkraut fish for lunch.”
When Qi He'an heard this, he hurriedly said, “Second Brother, I’ll do it. You’ve been busy all morning. Go rest for a while.”
Sun Chu flexed his right hand, looking eager.
“I’ll cook lunch!”
He had not cooked in a long time. If he did not get back into the kitchen soon, he would become rusty.
Ye Chutang figured that since Sun Chu had managed to run such a successful restaurant, he must know how to cook.
Curious, she asked, “Did you personally make all the dishes served at your restaurant?”
She was fairly good at cooking herself, but Sun Chu seemed to be capable of everything.
Thinking of his utterly unimpressive culinary skills, Sun Chu gave an awkward laugh.
“I’m good at eating.”
In other words, he only knew how to taste food. The dishes at his restaurant had all been developed gradually by chefs he had hired.
The corner of Ye Chutang’s mouth twitched.
“Then don’t ruin the fish. Fish are precious in the north.”
Especially now, when water was scarce and fish were difficult to buy.
“All right. I’ll make cold dishes for you instead.”
As a northern man with a touch of male chauvinism, cold dishes were about the only thing Sun Chu could confidently put on the table.
Concubine Xu gathered up the chopsticks and plates everyone had used for the sponge cake.
“For lunch, He'er and I will make the sauerkraut fish.”
By the time lunch was ready, noon had already passed.
Zhao Sirui had already been beheaded, and the streets were filled with the people’s discussions.
“Heavens have eyes! That bastard who treated human lives like weeds is finally dead!”
“That scum got off far too easily. He should have suffered more!”
“You can’t say that. While he was alive, anything could have happened. Now that he’s dead, we can finally be at ease.”
“I heard Prince Yong’s residence was looted, but the officials didn’t find much when they searched it.”
“Even if the valuables are gone, the deeds to the houses, shops, and fields are still there. The ones that should be returned can be returned, and the rest can be sold to compensate the victims.”
Hearing this, Qi Yanzhou glanced at Ye Chutang.
Ye Chutang raised a hand to block his gaze.
“Don’t look at me. I don’t know whether the ‘Ghost Thief’ went to Prince Yong’s residence and hauled anything away.”
Qi Yanzhou knew Ye Chutang did not want to discuss the Ghost Thief, so he suppressed the questions in his heart.
Ye Chutang lowered her hand, leaned closer to Qi Yanzhou, and whispered, “The idea of amassing all that wealth was mine.”
She would certainly have a use for those things in the future, so it was better to give him advance warning.
Qi Yanzhou had already guessed as much, but he still asked curiously, “What do you need so much money and property for?”
“Surely we can’t leave it all to that dog of an emperor, can we? We can use it to develop the far northwest.”
“…”
He had underestimated his wife’s ambition.
***
Over the next two days, Jizhou City was as lively as the New Year. The sound of firecrackers could often be heard.
The people were celebrating the removal of Yongzhou’s greatest scourge, as well as the fact that they would not have to pay taxes for three years.
In his letter to the emperor, Han Chong had not only written about demoting Prince Yong to a commoner.
He had also explained that Prince Yong had tormented the people for years, so he had taken it upon himself to exempt them from taxes for three years on the emperor’s behalf.
Although neither matter had been officially decided yet, the emperor had never cared much about the taxes from Jizhou City. He would certainly agree.
Every day, people came to the inn bearing gifts to show their gratitude.
Fruit, vegetables, fish, meat, wine, and water—there was no shortage of anything.
The Qi family sat in the main hall eating chilled grapes.
No one spoke. Worry filled every face, and even the grapes tasted like dust.
When the atmosphere grew more and more oppressive, Old Madam Qi finally spoke.
“Tang'er, will Azhou be all right?”
Qi Yanzhou had just undergone acupuncture and was resting in a room on the third floor.
His entire body was burning hot, as if his blood were boiling. Even his hair had taken on a dark-red hue.
Once his hair turned fiery red, the fire poison would flare up—and not even the gods could save him.
Ye Chutang said, “Xi Ze sent word the day before yesterday that he would be able to arrive today. Azhou will be fine.”
Old Madam Qi looked toward the westering sun, her anxiety growing more intense by the moment.
“It’s almost nightfall. Why haven’t they arrived yet? What if something—or someone—held them up?”
Old Master Qi was just as worried about his son, but he was better at keeping calm.
“Don’t worry. Azhou made all the necessary arrangements while the shaman doctor was on the way. Nothing will happen.”
That was what he said, but everyone remained deeply concerned.
Ye Chutang had no intention of simply waiting around. She rose and said, “I’m going to the apothecary to buy some medicine and prepare what we’ll need to detoxify Azhou.”