Chapter 42: Punishment

In just three days, Jin Ershun had barely recovered from the brink of starvation only to be sent back to the Jingzhao Prefecture office for further interrogation, where he was beaten half to death. Despite being pushed to the edge of life and death, he insisted that his arrival at Pear Blossom Lane was a mere whim and his encounter with the Qiu woman was coincidental, not premeditated.

The Qiu woman also confessed everything: her scheme against An Chunfeng had been an attempt to secure a bride for her younger brother. Within an hour, the entire matter was clarified. Although the Qiu woman had acted with intent, the testimony of Constable Xin and the fifty copper coins she had offered helped clear her of the suspicion of human trafficking. However, the act of deliberately slandering and defaming another for personal gain remained a criminal offense, which would normally have required her to return to the Wannian County magistrate’s court for trial. Since the victim herself had come forward to offer forgiveness, the punishment was lightened.

With the evidence conclusive, the two officials at the Jingzhao Prefecture quickly drafted the verdict. Considering that the Qiu woman’s intentions were not malicious and the crime was an attempted one, she was sentenced to five lashes and a fine of ten taels of silver. Upon returning home, she would be monitored by the Wannian County office, required to report daily, and forbidden from leaving the capital for one year. Because she had someone to vouch for her and lacked malicious intent, the sentence was lenient.

Jin Ershun’s case, however, was different. Due to his prior involvement in human trafficking, he was remanded into custody for further investigation and was not permitted to be ransomed.

Liao Da paid the fine on the spot and then followed the bailiffs into the prison to retrieve his wife. Although it had cost ten taels of silver, the process had been unexpectedly easy, yet no one dared to question why. As long as they could get out, who would look for trouble in such a place?

An Chunfeng did not leave immediately. Instead, she stood outside the gates of the Jingzhao Prefecture with Qiu Rong, waiting for the Qiu woman to emerge. Just then, Jin Ershun’s family arrived, blocking the entrance with their wailing. A woman in her forties or fifties was crying so hard she could barely catch her breath, urging two teenage boys, aged fourteen or fifteen, to strike the complaint drum. "Go, strike the drum! If anything happens to him, I will sell that jinx, the Cui woman, and you two short-lived ghosts to pay for his life!"

The two boys, who looked remarkably alike, kept their heads bowed, their eyes filled with a fury they dared not show before their stepmother. Born to a concubine, they had worked themselves to the bone to provide for their stepmother and stepbrother. Now that the eldest son, Jin Ershun, had gotten himself into trouble while out whoring, it fell upon the two of them to bear the consequences.

Amidst the commotion, a squad of men emerged from the yamen, dressed in fine brocade and armed with sabers, looking imposing and stern. As soon as the woman saw the officials, she rushed forward, blocking their path and shouting, "My Lord, my son Ershun is innocent! He was only whoring—if you wanted money, just ask for it! You cannot just arrest people as you please..."

The response she received was not the timid apologies of a concubine, but a swift, brutal leg sweep. The woman groaned and collapsed to the ground, unable to rise. The group of men did not even pause; they hurried onto the street, mounted their horses, and galloped away.

This sudden turn of events terrified the two boys, who dared not move. Qiu Rong hid directly behind An Chunfeng, finding a sense of security there. An Chunfeng was left speechless. She had intended to leave, but because Corporal Liao had to go into the prison to fetch his wife and Qiu Rong was too timid to stay outside alone, he had begged An Chunfeng to keep him company. Looking at the cowering Qiu Rong, An Chunfeng had closed her eyes and agreed. She had not expected to witness the wretchedness of Jin Ershun’s family or the arrogance and violence of the City Guard.

And then, there was that Commander Jin. Just a moment ago, An Chunfeng had clearly felt Jin Zhan, who was among the departing officers, notice her. Throughout this entire incident, she had been nothing more than an insulted widow; what was the meaning of his attention toward her? An Chunfeng lowered her gaze. Where there is smoke, there is fire; she would have to be wary of this man in the future.

Outside the Jingzhao Prefecture, the scene was bizarre. Qiu Rong was shivering while clutching a pillar, An Chunfeng was lost in thought, and nearby, the two Jin brothers were frantically pinching their stepmother’s philtrum as if in retaliation, their slaps echoing loudly.

Finally, Corporal Liao carried the Qiu woman out of the prison on his back. After being held for only half a day, she was a shadow of her former self. Her hair was disheveled, her cheeks were swollen, her eyes were red and puffy like walnuts, and the back of her robes was stained with blood. She moaned softly as she lay on her husband's back. Seeing his sister, Qiu Rong burst into tears and rushed over to help her onto the donkey cart they had hired. Every movement caused the woman to gasp in pain, yet she forced a smile to comfort her brother: "Don't be afraid, Rong-er, I can still bear it!"

Once settled on the cart, she looked at An Chunfeng, who was standing nearby. Before she could even speak, she burst into tears: "Mistress An, thank you. My Liao said that if you hadn't been willing to come and testify, I... I was truly possessed!"

The Qiu woman was filled with shame and fear. When Liao Da had come to fetch her, he told her that if Mistress An hadn't personally come to the Jingzhao Prefecture to plead for leniency, she would have been imprisoned as a criminal. Every prison in the world was equally dark and terrifying, a place no human should be. Having spent only a few hours there, the Qiu woman felt as though she had been to hell and back. Between the lashes she had received and the time spent in the cell, her spirit had been completely broken. She had previously envied An Chunfeng for her fine home and plotted to steal the wealth she assumed the "widow" possessed; now, her family’s savings were wiped out, she had lost all face, and she felt too ashamed to even look at An Chunfeng.

Corporal Liao added, "My wife knows she was wrong. I hope that in the future, Mistress An will not hold a grudge and we can continue to be neighbors." Qiu Rong, wiping his nose, added with a teary voice, "Mistress An, I will carry water for you from now on!"

An Chunfeng frowned and quickly stopped them: "Since she is out, let this matter be wiped clean. From now on, act as if it never happened, and do not mention it again in Pear Blossom Lane." The Qiu woman nodded gratefully; she was the one who had lost all dignity, and if this spread further, she would have no choice but to move.

Since An Chunfeng was willing to keep the matter quiet, how could the Qiu woman disagree? An Chunfeng felt no hatred toward her, nor did she feel any sympathy. A wrong was a wrong, and the Qiu woman had been punished; she would likely never forget this lesson for the rest of her life. It was enough that they could henceforth be strangers, living in peace.

The donkey cart, small as it was, was filled by the half-reclining Qiu woman, so Corporal Liao and Qiu Rong had to walk back to Chessboard Street. Nearby, the old Jin woman had revived and was loudly berating the twin brothers, though she was soon silenced by a shout from a bailiff. The old woman hurriedly offered money, and the bailiff told the three of them to wait outside the Wannian County yamen; perhaps they might see Jin Ershun one more time—who knew when they would see him again after that? Unable to see him, the woman could only weep and hurry toward the county yamen.

Everyone had left, leaving An Chunfeng alone outside the Jingzhao Prefecture. It was time for her to go home. But... which way should she go? The donkey cart she had arrived in had been taken by the Qiu family, and the Jin family had left on foot. An Chunfeng, who had no sense of direction, once again found herself in a predicament on the unfamiliar street. She had wanted to avoid the awkwardness of traveling with the Qiu family, but now she would have to hire another cart.

In the North City, the theater troupe was still performing, but a sudden, rapid clatter of hooves scattered the crowd. The troupe leader hurried over, desperately trying to press a red envelope into a soldier's hand: "Is there something you need, officers?" He could not afford to offend the City Guard responsible for patrolling against bandits. If they came to disrupt his performances every few days, he would be out of business.

Today, however, the red envelope was useless. The corporal in charge pushed the money bag away and shouted to his men: "Do not delay! Search the courtyard within one incense stick's time." Seven or eight soldiers rushed into the backyard, gathered the troupe members together, and began to rummage through their belongings.

It was now dusk, and the gates of the capital remained busy. People waited in long lines to enter and exit, and the guards checked the packages lazily. They were exhausted from a long day and were waiting for the gates to close in an hour so they could finally rest. Just then, a horse galloped into the city.