Chapter Forty: The Fall of Lijiazhuang

The county magistrate pondered deeply and, in the end, reluctantly accepted the petition. After all, he was a scholar himself; if he disregarded the Three Bonds and Five Constants, how could he maintain his standing among the gentry?

The advisor, seeing that his lord had finally come to his senses, nodded approvingly. Fanning himself, he followed his lord to the county government hall. Upon seeing the clan leader’s son, he immediately cast a meaningful glance his way. Everyone understood the signal but failed to notice that their lord seemed somewhat off.

When the triple drum signal ended, everyone entered the hall. After a display of authority, the Li family members began to weep and wail as they accused Yun Hua of various acts of filial impiety: disrespecting her grandmother, neglecting her relatives, and even conspiring with outsiders to maim her uncles. To an uninformed listener, it seemed Yun Hua had become utterly ruthless, beyond redemption.

Yet, despite the compelling performance by the elders and clan members, the magistrate showed no reaction. Just as the crowd sensed something was amiss, the magistrate struck the judge’s wooden gavel and thundered, “Utter nonsense!” He then scanned the room and said, “How dare you deceive this official? Do you take me for a fool? Normally, you should be beaten out of this hall with a hundred blows. But in consideration of the elders’ age, I will be lenient. Guards! Twenty slaps for each of you!”

The sudden decree stunned everyone present. This was not part of the plan! Hadn’t the clan leader already arranged everything? The clan members looked to their leader, who glanced at his son, who in turn glared at the advisor standing beside the magistrate. The advisor’s face darkened with disbelief. He had served this lord for nearly ten years, always obeying his commands, yet today something was terribly wrong. He prepared to whisper to the magistrate but saw that an order slip had already been handed out. He stopped in his tracks and his mind raced, trying to discern what had gone awry.

As the order slip fell, cries erupted from below the bench. Several fierce-looking constables immediately seized the outspoken Li family members, who moments ago had been full of righteous indignation. The sharp crack of bamboo boards striking flesh rang out, causing the Li clan members’ faces to blanch.

The twenty slaps were delivered with bamboo paddles, so forceful that Yun Hua’s grandparents lost teeth, their mouths filled with blood, their cheeks swollen so severely they could barely speak.

“Blood relations—how can you be so cruel? You drove your own son to death, abducted your daughter-in-law, and when that failed, resorted to murder. You even spared not your own granddaughter—truly a heartless lot. The duties of fatherly righteousness, maternal kindness, brotherly friendship, younger brotherly respect, and filial piety—have you fulfilled even one? And yet you dare to turn black into white and file this complaint! Outrageous! Moreover,I'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.