Chapter 894: Holding Court
Gu Yuanjin and his brothers acted swiftly. They soon had everything arranged. Just as the city gates were about to close, Shi Zhongshi from Stone Village struck the Injustice Bell.
County Magistrate Gao, who had been just about to eat his meal, held court with a darkened face. “Who is kneeling below, and what is your grievance?”
Shi Zhongshi knelt before the hall. In a trembling voice, she said, “This commoner wishes to sue Shi Dayong of Stone Village. He intentionally took a life by deliberately delaying medical treatment, causing the Shi family’s daughter-in-law to die of her illness.”
“Outrageous! It is perfectly normal for so many people to die of illness every day. How dare a wicked woman like you use such a trivial matter to make a fuss!”
County Magistrate Gao felt impatient. If people came to sue over every trifling matter, a county magistrate like him would have no time for anything else. He would have to sit in the high hall all day without any rest.
“Your Honor, what this commoner says is the absolute truth. Because Mrs. Gu offended her maiden family, she and her son were beaten with wooden boards and sent back. Her son has long since recovered and is now hopping about, but she was left to suffer until her death. We live nearby and frequently heard her wails, yet the Shi family completely ignored her. I never expected to hear the tragic news of her passing today. This commoner had no prior relationship with Mrs. Gu, but I simply couldn’t bear to see her die with such injustice. That is why I made this trip to the county government. I implore Your Honor to investigate this matter thoroughly.”
County Magistrate Gao glanced at his steward. Why did the location and the story sound so familiar? The surname “Gu” in particular put him on high alert.
“Your Honor, a few days ago, the Gu family severed all ties with their married-out daughter,” the steward quietly reminded him, leaning close to his ear. “Although the news was suppressed, our informants still managed to find out. I heard that Grandpa Gu’s death was connected to this daughter.”
Only then did County Magistrate Gao remember the matter. He had even mocked the situation at the time—no matter how stellar Gu Wenheng’s official reputation was, his own family was still plagued by internal strife.
“So the deceased is this married-out daughter?” County Magistrate Gao remained somewhat hesitant. Who in this area didn’t know of the Gu family? Even if ties had been severed, no ordinary person would dare treat her so cruelly! To think she had actually been murdered—it felt a bit ridiculous. He slammed his gavel heavily. “You wicked woman, could it be that you hold a grudge against the Shi family? Is that why you came here to make false accusations?”
Terrified, Shi Zhongshi prostrated herself on the ground. “Lord Qingtian, even if this commoner had all the courage in the world, I would never dare to falsely accuse anyone! The Shi father and son are simply too ruthless. Ever since Mrs. Gu returned home, they didn’t even invite a doctor to see her. They let her slowly suffer to death. I truly couldn’t overcome the guilt in my heart, which is why I came to ask Lord Qingtian for a fair judgment.”
County Magistrate Gao felt that this sort of unruly woman must have come to settle a personal vendetta. He was just about to order his guards to beat her with wooden boards and throw her out of the county government.
Right at that moment, the backyard steward hurried in with a formal calling card. “Your Honor, this was sent over by Chief Steward Hu.”
Hearing this, County Magistrate Gao immediately narrowed his eyes. In the entirety of Fu County, there wasn’t a single person who didn’t know Chief Steward Hu. In Fu County, he represented the entire Gu family and acted as their spokesman in the region.
He accepted the card and fell silent for a moment after reading it. The message instructed him to hold his ground and do nothing for now. Should he help the Gu family with this matter or not?
The steward, standing nearby, had also seen the message. “Your Honor, we must help with this.”
“What do you mean by that?” Mr. Gao asked. He actually had a good idea of what to do, but he just wanted some validation from someone else.
The steward cast a glance at the hall below and whispered, “The Gu family’s influence is currently at its peak, and the Holy Emperor places immense trust in Mr. Gu. I’ve heard that the royal court is now entirely under his sway, and even the high-ranking officials in Shangjing have to avoid clashing with him. We certainly shouldn’t offend him.”
The steward didn’t spell it out completely, but a lowly county magistrate had absolutely no chance of winning against the Gu family. The other party wouldn’t even need to deal with them personally; a few subtly placed words would be enough to cost Mr. Gao his position. Even if the magistrate had aligned himself with powerful figures in Shangjing, there was no guarantee they would be willing to protect him at a critical juncture like this.
County Magistrate Gao also knew he had no choice right now, but he feared this matter would negatively impact his standing with his own master. If he was abandoned when the time came, his political career would truly be over.
Seeing that the magistrate remained silent, the steward added another sentence. “If the Gu family is blowing this matter up right now, they must already be fully prepared. Don’t be foolish, Your Honor.”
At a time like this, Mr. Gao was still wavering. Wasn’t he afraid that before his backers could even make a move, his own position would already be compromised? The man they were dealing with was the Minister of Revenue, currently enjoying the peak of imperial favor. How could a mere county magistrate dare to resist?
County Magistrate Gao let out a sigh. The previous incident involving the premium seeds had already drawn a harsh reprimand. Yet, he really couldn’t be blamed for that. He had sent a letter to Shangjing late, but it was his superiors who hadn’t taken it seriously and failed to send anyone down to investigate. In the end, all the blame had been pinned on him, which left him feeling somewhat disheartened.
He cleared his throat. “Since a lawsuit has been filed, this magistrate naturally must seek the truth and give you citizens a proper explanation. Guards! Go to Stone Village and bring the Shi father and son here.”
Stone Village.
“Dad, the news has already been sent out, and it seems the Gu family won’t be coming,” Shi Laiyun said. “They really didn’t care about my mother at all. How about we just carry her up the mountain for burial first?”
The deceased had already been gone for a day, yet the funeral arrangements hadn’t even begun. If they delayed any longer, the village would start gossiping.
Shi Laicai was also growing anxious. “You and Chuncao need to make a trip to Gaoling Village. If they don’t let you in, just yell at the village entrance. I refuse to believe they can keep playing deaf and mute.”
Shi Laiyun felt somewhat resistant. “Every time I go, I get stopped at the village entrance. My Seventh Uncle’s guards are stationed there, and they don’t even let me get close. Eldest Brother, they might be a bit less familiar with your face. You can just say you’re looking for someone. Why don’t you go? After all, you are technically a grandson, so you can still use that identity to report the death.”
Shi Laicai glared furiously at Shi Laiyun. “I told you to go, so just go! Why do you have so much nonsense to say? If you don’t believe me, ask Dad and see who is more suitable to go.”
Shi Dayong chimed in, “Second Son, take your two sisters and make a trip there. Don’t act as frivolous as you usually do. Speak nicely to those guards. Even though they severed ties, your mother’s surname is still Gu. She is your grandmother’s own flesh and blood. Others might not care, but she definitely won’t ignore this.”
“Dad, it’s been so long, and my mother was sick for such an extended period, but did anyone ever care?” Shi Laiyun argued. “Putting that aside, we really should start arranging my mother’s funeral. Leaving things as they are isn’t a solution.” After all, this was his own biological mother who had raised him and doted on him. From yesterday until now, Shi Laiyun had been bringing this matter up repeatedly. “Dad, even though we have to report the death to our maternal family, our own household should start making preparations too. Otherwise, if the Gu family really does send someone over, how will we explain ourselves?”
Seeing that Shi Laiyun was still hung up on this matter, Shi Dayong grew irritated. “Stop bringing this up! According to the customs of our hometown, if the maternal family hasn’t arrived, the funeral cannot proceed. If they want your mother to rest in peace, they can’t possibly ignore this. It’s said that death extinguishes all debts like blowing out a lamp; no matter how deep the grudge, it should be resolved now. I’m not asking you to do much—just go and speak to them nicely. Is that really so hard?”