Chapter 41: Reconciliation

Since the other party was speaking politely, An Chunfeng was willing to communicate normally, though she remained visibly displeased.

With a cold face, An Chunfeng said faintly, "Corporal Liao, there is no need for such formalities. Since you are already aware of the cause and effect, I will not dwell on it further. Just ensure that Sister-in-law Qiu does not come to bother me again."

The soldier quickly replied, "Of course, of course! If you, Ma'am, are willing to show mercy, it is a blessing for me. However, I still need your help to bail out my wife. Qiu Rong..."

Hearing a sharp roar from his brother-in-law, Qiu Rong trembled and hurriedly pulled a purse from his robe.

Corporal Liao took the purse and offered it to An Chunfeng with both hands: "My wife was rude and caused you grievance; this is a small token of apology from my family. Please, do me the favor of accepting it!"

"What do you mean? What is this about 'bailing someone out'?" An Chunfeng did not take the purse; instead, she took a step back. Accepting gifts before understanding the situation would only make the purse feel like a hot potato.

"Yes, Mistress An, it is our... our fault, we, we... we beg for your forgiveness!"

Qiu Rong plopped to his knees and crawled forward, nearly reaching out to grab the hem of An Chunfeng's skirt.

Watching a burly man like Corporal Liao bowing in apology, and seeing Qiu Rong sniveling with snot and tears, An Chunfeng furrowed her brows: the scene was truly unsightly.

She was not fully informed about why the woman, Qiu, had been arrested. She had assumed the authorities would simply come to ask a few questions and close the matter if nothing major had occurred.

The first two days had been calm; she had not expected the matter to drag into the third day, leading to an outright arrest. An Chunfeng found the laws of the Great Liang Dynasty increasingly incomprehensible.

One incident involved a drunken brawl; the other, a woman spreading rumors. In the modern era, such minor civil disputes with little social harm would result in a few days of detention, a small fine, and a public apology. How had it escalated to imprisonment in the Great Liang Dynasty?

They hadn't even notified her, the victim, which implied it was being treated as a criminal case requiring a public trial.

In truth, while Qiu had harbored ill intentions and lured the drunkard, she had not been entirely heartless—she had known to keep Qiu Rong waiting nearby and had sought out Constable Xin beforehand. When An Chunfeng was about to be taken away, Qiu had even called upon neighbors to testify to her innocence.

By doing so, Qiu had ensured An Chunfeng was rescued in time—forcing her to be indebted to the siblings—while avoiding any real disaster that would ruin reputations.

An Chunfeng was no naive saint. If it weren't for Qiu’s ulterior motives, this disaster would never have happened.

***

An Chunfeng pondered for a moment. This soldier seemed to be an honest man, willing to spend money to plead for a wife like that.

"How does Corporal Liao need me to help?"

Seeing that she was willing to intervene, Liao was overjoyed. Ignoring the need for propriety, he stepped forward and pressed the purse into An Chunfeng’s hand. "If you, Mistress An, can let go of past grievances and help us, I will certainly remember this kindness. As long as I am here, no one will dare to disturb you in Pear Blossom Lane!"

This was no idle boast. Liao had heard from Qiu Rong about the incident with Old Woman Zhuang and knew what a widow like An most needed. As a minor corporal in the Vanguard Battalion outside the city, he had many brothers in the military, many of whom, like him, had families living in the city. Though he lacked connections to high-ranking officials, he had his own network of influence.

An Chunfeng had already decided to take a step back. Seeing Liao's sincere attitude, she made up her mind to reconcile. Qiu was not inherently malicious; she only lost her head when dealing with her good-for-nothing brother. If she could have this loud-mouthed woman—who held some influence in Pear Blossom Lane—speak for her, it would save her a lot of trouble in the future.

The gift from Corporal Liao contained five taels of silver. While not much compared to the stakes of imprisonment, for a low-ranking officer, it was a significant sum.

After An Chunfeng freshened up, Liao and Qiu Rong hired a donkey cart. Before the government offices closed for the day, the three of them hurried toward the Jingzhao Prefecture.

On the way, An Chunfeng asked why the case wasn't being tried in Wannian County—why she, the victim, hadn't been notified, and why it was sent directly to the Jingzhao Prefecture. What exactly was the Jingzhao Prefecture?

In her previous life, An Chunfeng had little schooling. Having been a flower girl since age five, her education was sporadic and brief. She knew very little of history, her knowledge pieced together from fragmented television dramas.

Corporal Liao didn't know why it bypassed the county office either, but he explained the authority of the Jingzhao Prefecture. It was a government office that governed the capital of the Great Liang Dynasty, including 14 counties such as Chang'an and Wannian—making it the direct superior of the Wannian County magistrate.

Unlike standard prefectures, this administrative body was not bound by the usual chain of appeals. It did not need to report to the Ministry of Justice and could try cases directly. Furthermore, for cases where evidence was confirmed to be conclusive, they could pass death sentences on the spot without needing to report to the Supreme Court.

***

An Chunfeng felt a headache coming on. County offices, the Jingzhao Prefecture, the Ministry of Justice, the Supreme Court, the Censorate—it was all so chaotic.

However, she reached one conclusion: if Qiu were sentenced by the Jingzhao Prefecture now, she would not need to be sent to the Ministry of Justice or the Supreme Court for review; the sentence could be carried out immediately.

Was it really that serious?

An Chunfeng’s heart sank. Perhaps this had little to do with her case; could it involve others?

The Jingzhao Prefecture was no ordinary office and did not hold trials in a grand hall. After Liao and An Chunfeng gave their names and stated they were involved in the Pear Blossom Lane case, they waited outside for a long time. Liao was so anxious he could barely stand still, nearly rushing inside before an officer finally led them in.

They walked tremulously through several courtyards until the officer brought them to a hall. There, An Chunfeng saw Commander Jin from that night again.

Jin Zhan was still wearing his dark blue official uniform, sitting at a side seat on the dais, his expression solemn as he reviewed the files in his hands.

Wasn't this man from the Patrol and Defense Command? Why was he appearing at the Jingzhao Prefecture?

An Chunfeng could not grasp the intricacies of the Great Liang bureaucracy, but she didn't need to. Besides Commander Jin, there were two pale-faced officials in blue robes on the dais.

The official sitting behind the main desk skipped the pleasantries and asked An Chunfeng for the specific details of that night. An Chunfeng, having prepared herself, spoke in the simplest terms, while a clerk recorded her words with a swift brush.

Once An Chunfeng finished, Liao and Qiu Rong knelt to plead for Qiu.

The two blue-robed officials exchanged glances and asked Commander Jin, who had remained silent, "The matter is now clear. Does Commander Jin have any further questions?"

Jin Zhan raised his eyes to look at An Chunfeng with a profound gaze. Just as everyone expected him to speak, he shook his head. "I am from the Patrol and Defense Command; I only manage patrols and the apprehension of criminals. I do not participate in trials. You two are the officials of the Jingzhao Prefecture—proceed according to the law."

The two officials breathed a sigh of relief. Although they were the same fifth-rank as Jin Zhan, he was the Commander of the Patrol and Defense Command—a position of low rank but immense power. With the Emperor having personally ordered the Command to assist in this matter, he was someone they could not afford to offend.