Chapter 111: The Mute Old Woman

Jiang Li walked out of the tavern.

Ye Mingyu had been squatting by the roadside for quite some time. Seeing Jiang Li approach, he spat out the grass root he had been chewing and asked, "How did it go? Are you done talking?" He did not ask whom Jiang Li had met or what she had done. If it had been Ye Jia'er, he would have questioned her, but with Jiang Li, he felt that as a junior, she was often more decisive than people of her own age, leaving him with no cause for worry. More importantly, Ye Mingyu believed that even if he asked, Jiang Li would not tell him.

Why bother wasting the effort? So, he didn't ask.

Jiang Li nodded. "It's done, Uncle. Let's go back."

The meeting with Ji Heng, and even the conversation they had, did not weigh heavily on Jiang Li's mind. Although rumors painted Ji Heng as a capricious man, Jiang Li believed that was merely a facade. His actions were always deliberate. After several encounters, and careful reflection, she concluded that the likelihood of Ji Heng disrupting her plans was very slim. Even if she truly ruined something of his, it would be a trivial matter to him; he would not bother to intervene personally. The only reason he had followed her from Xiangyang to Tongxiang was that her actions were too strange, and he wanted to be a spectator.

So be it. Let him watch the play. She had never feared being a performer, but she would be the one to control the twists and turns of this drama.

Ji Heng was not the priority. What mattered was that in seven days, her father was to be executed. Since she could not find evidence to overturn his case, she had to prepare for the worst: staging a jailbreak at the execution grounds. However, whether such a feat could succeed, and whether it would lead to widespread repercussions even if it did, were matters that required serious consideration. Therefore, the most thorough approach was still to uncover the evidence.

When Jiang Li suggested returning, Ye Mingyu readily agreed. The guest house where they were staying was located in Qingshi Lane, not far from the now-sealed Xue residence. He figured that Feng Yutang’s men would be monitoring their lodging, and choosing Qingshi Lane was incredibly conspicuous. But Jiang Li wanted to make a grand entrance; she wanted Feng Yutang to know that she had come to settle the score.

Upon returning to the guest house, Ye Mingyu had someone fetch food and inquired about the local terrain. Jiang Li stayed in her room, and Ye Mingyu gave her the files concerning the Xue family case. He did not dare to disturb her, instructing Tong'er and Bai Xue to wait at the door in case she needed tea or food.

Jiang Li studied the files intently.

If possible, she needed to find doubts and loopholes in the Xue family case files, seize them, and investigate step by step. Even if that failed, she could magnify these flaws to confuse the public and buy Xue Huaiyuan more time.

The file must have been compiled by Feng Yutang’s order. Perhaps due to Princess Yongning's influence, the file was seemingly flawless, painting Xue Huaiyuan as a wicked, corrupt official whose crimes were too numerous to record. As she read, a cold sneer formed in her heart.

None of the acts mentioned had ever been committed by Xue Huaiyuan; on the contrary, Feng Yutang, the current magistrate of Tongxiang, was guilty of nearly every one of them. Yet, Xue Huaiyuan had confessed. Jiang Li could imagine what they had done to force that confession—perhaps it was precisely for this reason that Xue Huaiyuan had been tortured into losing his sanity.

In a sense, the file was indeed seamless; Feng Yutang must have spent great effort to frame these crimes on Xue Huaiyuan. But because the people of Tongxiang knew exactly who Xue Huaiyuan was, these accusations seemed particularly laughable.

Jiang Li scanned the pages rapidly.

There were indeed small loopholes to be found. For instance, the disaster relief silver that Xue Huaiyuan was accused of embezzling had been "found" in the backyard of the Xue residence. Yet, back then, the relief funds had been clearly and fairly distributed to every single household. The "silver" that had appeared was likely planted by Yongning's people.

Feng Yutang could add baseless crimes to Xue Huaiyuan, but he could not erase his past kindness and political achievements. By seizing onto this point alone, Jiang Li could secure a sliver of hope for him.

"It's not enough," Jiang Li murmured. It was far from enough. The small chance she could provide for Xue Huaiyuan was negligible; once Yongning and her cohorts realized it, they could use Feng Yutang’s authority to manufacture more lies, rendering this evidence useless.

She had to ensure that Feng Yutang could not act, that even as the magistrate of Tongxiang, he could no longer interfere in the Xue case. How could she do this? Jiang Li pondered deeply.

Tong'er moved softly to pour tea for Jiang Li. Jiang Li was so engrossed in her thoughts that she did not notice the tea cup by her hand; she accidentally knocked it over. The cup clattered to the floor, and the scalding hot tea splashed onto her arm.

"Oh my goodness!" Tong'er shrieked, rushing to wipe it with a handkerchief. "Miss, are you alright? Bai Xue, get some burn ointment!"

Bai Xue hurried away, and Ye Mingyu, hearing the commotion, rushed in. "What happened? What's going on?"

Tong'er was nearly in tears from self-reproach. "It's my fault. I spilled the tea and burned the young lady. What if it leaves a scar? What should I do?"

"A-Li, are you alright? Does it hurt?" Ye Mingyu turned to look at Jiang Li, only to find her sitting there blankly, staring at the shattered pieces of the teacup on the floor.

Thinking she was stunned by the pain, Ye Mingyu stepped forward and waved his hand in front of her. "A-Li? A-Li?"

Jiang Li looked at him, seemingly just now snapping back to reality. She stood up abruptly, exclaiming, "I know! I know what to do!"

"Know what?" Ye Mingyu was baffled, and Tong'er was equally confused.

"According to the laws of Northern Yan, if there is concrete evidence and witnesses, one can lodge a complaint against a local official to a higher provincial office. But the superior office is Tong Zhiyang, who might not be willing to help. I've considered every angle; only the situation in Yanjing is complex enough. If I take this case to Yanjing and have the Supreme Court (Dali Si) reinvestigate, the target won't be the Xue family case, but Feng Yutang himself. As long as Feng Yutang is involved in this case, he cannot interfere. Any evidence that passed through Feng Yutang's hands will be considered invalid!"

This was the principle of recusal. Feng Yutang could fabricate evidence without restraint, and Jiang Li could let him do as he pleased, because once they reached the Supreme Court, his evidence would be void. She, on the other hand, had no official connection to the Xue family and was a true outsider.

Ye Mingyu was not a government official and did not understand the bureaucratic system of Northern Yan well, so he asked, "But why would the Supreme Court take a case from Tongxiang?"

Was a case from Tongxiang really worth their time?

"That's why we need to make a scene," Jiang Li said.

Tong'er spilling the tea had reminded her: she needed everyone to notice this "hot tea." Creating a ripple in Tongxiang was far from enough. She needed to make the commotion bigger, and bigger still. If she could involve some noble in Yanjing, that would be even better. By drawing all eyes to it, the Xue case would no longer be a simple matter of a corrupt official; it might be framed as a conspiracy, a cover-up of an old case, or even treason.

She was not afraid. She would blow this case wide open. If the Supreme Court didn't dare to take it, she would file a petition directly to the Emperor. No matter how much Emperor Hongxiao pretended to be at peace with Prince Cheng and Princess Yongning on the surface, if upright officials were being framed, everyone in the world would doubt whether the Emperor truly held the Mandate of Heaven. Even just to stabilize the hearts of the people, the Emperor would not let it go. Besides, Prince Cheng and Emperor Hongxiao were natural enemies.

Emperor Hongxiao would not pass up any opportunity to make Prince Cheng suffer.

Ye Mingyu thought about it but still didn't understand. "How do you plan to make a big scene?" In truth, the Xue family meant nothing to him. But because Jiang Li cared so much, and because he also found Feng Yutang disgusting, if Xue Huaiyuan was truly wronged, it was indeed pitiful. Standing up for justice was the nature of a martial artist; since that was the case, why not lend a hand?

"Looking at the evidence in the file is not enough. It's not heavy enough to hold up in the Supreme Court," Jiang Li said. "I need witnesses."

"Witnesses?" Ye Mingyu asked. "You mean the people of Tongxiang standing up to clear the name of their former magistrate? That’s impossible. You’ve seen how they cower like mice in front of cats when they see the soldiers. They don't even dare to speak the truth. How would they dare to stand up? And did you know? The guards heard that when someone previously spoke up for Xue Huaiyuan, the government arrested their son. They use the parents and children as threats. Even those with a sense of justice dare not speak. How can you expect them to risk their families?"

Jiang Li replied, "That is because Feng Yutang is acting too recklessly, and he gives the impression that he will remain in his position for a long time. People are angry but dare not speak. Once they believe that Feng Yutang is about to fall, they will find the courage to point out his crimes."

"So, are the common people the witnesses you're looking for?" Ye Mingyu asked.

"No," Jiang Li shook her head. "What the people can say is limited to Feng Yutang's wickedness and Magistrate Xue's integrity. These words can only serve as the final straw that breaks the camel's back. They aren't for now; at another time, the effect will be much better."

Ye Mingyu was even more confused. "Then, A-Li, who are the witnesses you are looking for?"

"The government runners," Jiang Li said, her gaze deepening. "Xue Huaiyuan's former subordinates. The current runners in the county office have all been replaced by Feng Yutang. Those original runners were men of strong character. Feng Yutang replaced them with his own people; no one knows if the old ones are dead or alive. I must see them, living or dead. If they are alive, they are evidence. If they are dead, their bodies are evidence. For an entire county's staff to meet with an unnatural death—that would be quite the spectacle in Northern Yan, wouldn't it?"

Ye Mingyu was stunned.

Jiang Li's expression was calm, yet a chill radiated from her eyes as she spoke. Imagining the scene she described, Ye Mingyu felt a shiver run down his spine. In the martial arts world, the extermination of an entire family was rare and usually born of deep-seated hatred. Of course, there was the saying "a new emperor brings new courtiers," but Feng Yutang was just a minor magistrate. Did such a change really require so many lives?

"A-Li, how do you know these runners were replaced by Feng Yutang? You haven't seen them," Ye Mingyu suddenly recalled.

Jiang Li smiled. "You can tell just by looking. Proper government runners wouldn't have that kind of demeanor; they don't even know the most basic official etiquette. I don't know where Feng Yutang found such a rabble. They were probably hooligans and thugs. When Magistrate Xue was in charge, how could he have had such subordinates unless he wanted to ruin his own reputation?"

Seeing the logic, Ye Mingyu nodded. "That's true. Those runners don't look like decent people."

"A-Li, do you want our guards to search for them throughout Tongxiang?"

"Not exactly. Although Tongxiang is small, the terrain is complex. I should get a map. The problem is that once Feng Yutang discovers we are looking for these runners, he might hide them."

"Then we'll snatch them!" Ye Mingyu said without hesitation.

"We will snatch them, but not now," Jiang Li pondered. "Uncle, there is a mute old woman who empties the night soil in the county office. Can you have your people find a way to bring her to me? Don't alert anyone, and don't let Feng Yutang's men discover you."

"Just one person?" Ye Mingyu patted his chest. "No problem, kidnapping is my specialty." Seeing Tong'er and Bai Xue staring at him, he scratched his head. "Didn't I personally kidnap Tong Zhiyang's mistress and son last time? To this day, he doesn't know it was me." He spoke with a hint of pride.

"It's not kidnapping. This mute woman likely knows where the runners are," Jiang Li said. "So, you must be careful."

Ye Mingyu stood up. "Don't worry. When have I ever messed up a job for you?" He took a few steps, then turned back and asked, "But this woman is called a 'mute,' right? If she can't talk, how will you ask her? Does she know how to read?"

"She isn't mute," Jiang Li said behind him. "She can speak."

...

Ye Mingyu left.

After he departed, Jiang Li asked for paper, brushes, and ink, and began to meticulously sketch a map for him. No one knew Tongxiang better than she did; she knew every corner of it. If there was anything she didn't know, it was the now-transformed county office, which Feng Yutang had turned into "his" own. She didn't know how much it had changed inside.

But for the rest of Tongxiang, she knew it like the back of her hand. With this map, Ye Mingyu would be like a tiger with wings; no one could have made a more detailed one.

After finishing the map, she returned to the files, noting down the loopholes to see if she could extract more evidence later.

Time passed quickly. Bai Xue and Tong'er called her to eat, but Jiang Li was too preoccupied. As the sky darkened and oil lamps were lit, she realized it was already night. She looked out the window and frowned. "Uncle isn't back yet?"

Bai Xue shook her head.

"Why is it taking so long..." Jiang Li muttered. Just then, A-Shun, one of Ye Mingyu's men, reported, "Young Miss, the Third Master is back, and he has brought the old woman. Would you like to see her now?"

Jiang Li was overjoyed. "I'm coming."

When she entered the room, she saw the woman devouring food as if she hadn't eaten well in a long time. Ye Mingyu sat to one side, legs crossed, gnawing on a steamed bun. Seeing Jiang Li, he boasted, "A-Li, how about that? I brought her here, and no one noticed." He added, "Bah, Feng Yutang is so unlucky; he had people tailing me. If I hadn't had someone dress up as me to lead them away, I don't know how long I would have been stuck with that trouble. No one was monitoring where the old woman lived, but just in case, I waited until dark to bring her."

Jiang Li looked at the woman.

The gray-haired old woman swallowed the last of her porridge and looked at Jiang Li.

The mute woman’s face was etched with deep wrinkles from age; her eyelids drooped, her back was hunched, and her frame was small and frail—a picture of a life nearing its end. Perhaps because of her job, she emitted an unpleasant odor, one that others would instinctively avoid.

Jiang Li, however, showed no disgust, only saying calmly, "Old woman."

The woman looked at her for a moment and suddenly spoke: "Who are you?"

Ye Mingyu was startled. From the moment he took her, the woman hadn't said a word, not even showing surprise when she was taken. He had assumed she was just dull with age. When Jiang Li said the woman could speak, he thought it was a joke. Hearing her clear, albeit hoarse, voice, he muttered, "She really can talk."

"My name is Jiang Li," she said, smiling at her. "I brought you here to ask about the whereabouts of Magistrate Xue's former subordinates."

The woman replied, "I don't know."

Jiang Li smiled. "How could you not? Feng Yutang replaced everyone who belonged to Xue Huaiyuan, except for you. He probably thought you wouldn't cause trouble, but I know that you know, don't you?"

The woman said, "I know, but I cannot say. If I do, I'll lose my life."

"Don't you want to avenge Magistrate Xue?" Jiang Li smiled. "Magistrate Xue was a good man." She left out the fact that Xue Huaiyuan had once helped her.

The old woman had been a widow; her husband died young, and she had no children. Because she was considered ugly and lived alone, she was often bullied. When Xue Huaiyuan arrived to take office, she was already an elderly woman being targeted by others.

She often picked through others' leftovers to eat and refused to beg on the streets, living a life of hunger. Xue Huaiyuan, seeing her plight, had given her the job of emptying the night soil at the county office, providing her with enough to eat and wear.

If not for Xue Huaiyuan, she would have frozen to death years ago. Her "muteness" was a result of years of bullying, leading her to stop speaking until people simply assumed she couldn't. But Jiang Li knew she could talk, because she had once heard her say "thank you" to Xue Zhao when he gave her wild fruits.

Feng Yutang had replaced everyone else, but he kept her, likely because he saw her as a useless, mute old woman who couldn't report anything even if she saw or heard it.

But the moment Jiang Li saw her still there today, she knew her opportunity had arrived.

The woman looked at Jiang Li blankly. She mumbled, "Why should I trust you?"

"This isn't about trusting me," Jiang Li said softly. "It's about trusting fairness and justice."

"Is it fair that Magistrate Xue is in prison? Is it justice that someone like Feng Yutang can be a magistrate? For one thing, when Magistrate Xue was here, you lived much better than you do now, didn't you? At least you had enough to eat and wear." Jiang Li smiled, her gaze sweeping to the table where the woman had finished every scrap of food, and then to her worn, ragged winter clothes.

The woman lowered her head.

The young lady from the wealthy family was right. When Xue Huaiyuan was there, she was fed and clothed, and Xue Zhao and Xue Fangfei often brought her things. Now, even though she was still at the county office, she barely ate the leftovers from the runners.

Life was hard, and Feng Yutang's reign felt just like the days of her youth when she was bullied. Why did good people die young while the wicked thrived for a thousand years?

She looked up at Jiang Li again. "Why do you want to help the Xue family?"

"I have a connection with the Xue family," Jiang Li said. "I was entrusted to clear their name. Please rest assured, I won't tell anyone you told us these things. Feng Yutang won't be able to trace it back to you. I can guarantee your safety."

The old woman laughed hoarsely, her face wrinkling into a ball, looking much kinder than before. "What do I have to fear? I've lived long enough. I stayed at the county office just to see how long that bastard Feng Yutang would last. I hoped to avenge the Xue family, but I couldn't. I waited and waited, and finally, you came."

Ye Mingyu’s jaw dropped. It was startling to hear such a long, moving speech from this woman.

Jiang Li looked at her quietly for a long time, then reached out and took the woman's hand. "Thank you."

Her young, firm hand resting on the old, withered one seemed to inject new life into the old woman. Her eyes brightened as she spoke slowly and clearly.

"Feng Yutang and his men replaced everyone in the county office. When Magistrate Xue was imprisoned, his subordinates refused to submit and were locked up. One of them, a boy named Xiao Hei who struggled the most, was killed. Fearing trouble if he killed too many, Feng Yutang sent the rest to the mines in the East Mountains to dig for ore."

"The East Mountain mines?" Jiang Li was surprised. "Isn't that an abandoned mine?"

The old woman looked at her. "It is rare that you know that."

Ye Mingyu interjected, "What mine? Tongxiang has a mine?"

The old woman sighed. "Few people know about the mine. The younger generation, let alone outsiders, don't even know it exists. Decades ago, someone found gold in the East Mountains. It was reported to the court, and they sent officials to survey and mine it. But after a year, besides a tiny bit on the surface, no gold was found. The officials in charge were dismissed, and the mine was abandoned."

Jiang Li listened, her expression not as surprised as Ye Mingyu's. Before Xue Huaiyuan took office, he had studied the history of Tongxiang, including the East Mountain mine.

"Since it's an abandoned mine, why did Feng Yutang send them there?" Jiang Li asked.

The woman sneered. "Because Feng Yutang wants to torture them. He sent them there to work from dawn until dusk until they dig up gold. Everyone knows there is no gold there. They will never dig it up, and they will never get out."

"That is an abuse of power! Mining requires imperial approval. He is mining gold privately—even if it's an abandoned mine, that alone is enough to convict him!" Jiang Li said angrily.

"Miss, you must know that no one works in those mines comfortably. Feng Yutang intends to torture them, so it only gets worse. I heard Feng Yutang's men say that the runners are stripped, shackled, and worked to the bone. If they don't work well, they are beaten. Death and injury are common. Strong men are living lives worse than dogs. I don't know how many can hold on, or how many are still alive."

"That is too much!" Ye Mingyu slammed the table. "That's insane!"

Jiang Li bit her lip. She could imagine the misery of those men. Such torture wasn't just physical; it was a devastating blow to their dignity. Feng Yutang was truly running rampant in Tongxiang.

"That is all I know," the woman said. "Miss, if you want to find those missing runners, go to the East Mountains. But don't let anyone see you; Feng Yutang has men watching the place... Do you know where the East Mountains are?"

"I do," Jiang Li said. "I know how to find them."

The woman looked at her and said slowly, "Miss, I don't know who you are, but since you've started investigating the Xue case, I hope you see it through to the end. My old bones are ready for the grave. As long as the Xue family's name is cleared and I see that heaven still has fairness and justice, my life is a small price to pay."

"Rest assured," Jiang Li looked at her, swearing as if taking an oath. "I promise, I will investigate to the end. I will not give up halfway, no matter what troubles I encounter. If I break this oath, may I be struck by lightning."

The old woman was finally at peace.