Commander Xie was clearly trying to protect Secretary Chu. No, to be precise, he was trying to shift the blame onto Zhan Feiyu and exonerate Secretary Chu from the charges of disregarding imperial officials and setting fire to the yamen.
Zhan Feiyu frowned slightly, observing Commander Xie's forceful demeanor, and began to consider the situation.
He Nuan recalled the perilous moment just now. If her young lady hadn't intervened, and at the instant Commander Xie's horse was about to trample her, He Nuan would have drawn her sword and killed the horse.
If that had happened, Commander Xie would have had grounds to make trouble again. Injuring the mount of a third-rank commander, while it might be a misunderstanding at best, could be construed as assaulting an imperial official at worst, a charge that could be pinned on He Nuan.
Thinking of this, a flicker of anger appeared in He Nuan's eyes. "Young lady, Lord Xie's intentions are not good."
Zhan Feiyu's expression remained calm, at least devoid of He Nuan's worry and anger. She said softly, "It's alright. We'll face whatever comes. Commander Xie wants to protect Secretary Chu, but he'll have to see if Lord Yao agrees."
He Nuan nodded in understanding, her expression returning to its usual calm. Secretary Chu had committed an offense. Although Lord Yao was negligent in his oversight, the ultimate responsibility lay with Secretary Chu's superior, Commander Xie.
Moreover, Lord Yao had already determined Secretary Chu's guilt, not only imprisoning him in the yamen's backyard but also dispatching a rider to the capital with a memorial reporting the matter. If Commander Xie could overturn this with a few words, how would Lord Yao maintain his standing?
"Commander Xie, Prefect Zhang died unexpectedly. I reported this to the court and requested the three judicial departments to jointly investigate this case. Yet, Secretary Chu, without any evidence, ordered the arrest of Zhan Feiyu and even mobilized the garrison troops to apprehend her. Deputy Prefect Zhao and others were merely preventing him from acting unlawfully and were nearly killed by Secretary Chu..."
Lord Yao, speaking slowly and deliberately, had served as an official for many years and saw through Commander Xie's intentions. Unfortunately for Commander Xie, evading responsibility would not be so easy.
The atmosphere in the main hall of the Suzhou Prefecture Yamen became tense and dangerous. After Lord Yao finished speaking, he ordered Deputy Prefect Zhao to bring the case files from that day. The files showed that apart from Secretary Chu, who had not signed or thumb-printed the documents, all the officials and constables of the Suzhou Prefecture Yamen that day, including the soldiers who accompanied Battalion Commander Sun, and even the common folk who witnessed the events, had signed and thumb-printed their statements.
As for Secretary Chu, Lord Yao had not resorted to torture, to avoid giving anyone cause for complaint. With so many statements, along with the empty barrels that had contained tung oil and the torches that had nearly been lit that day, all the physical evidence was present. Secretary Chu's statement was not essential.
Standing nearby, Zhan Feiyu glanced at Commander Xie, who was perusing the statements, and a smile curved her lips. Lord Yao's actions were indeed thorough.
A quarter of an hour later, with a loud *snap*, Commander Xie roughly closed the stack of statements and gruffly declared, "Lord Yao, as you know, I am a military man and find these official documents and statements tedious. Furthermore, you are the Provincial Administration Commissioner of Longyou Circuit; statements or no statements, it makes no difference."
Commander Xie was practically stating outright that Lord Yao was abusing his power and could obtain any statement he wished. Did the officials and common folk of Suzhou Prefecture dare to disobey Lord Yao's orders?
"Lord Yao, I intend to clarify one matter." Commander Xie changed his tone, his sharp, fierce gaze turning back to Zhan Feiyu, and he pressed her directly, "Zhan Feiyu, although you are a scholar and possess the title of Xiucai, according to the laws of Daqing, a Xiucai is only permitted to not bow to officials and to receive rations from the court monthly."
"Shi, Nong, Gong, Shang!" Although a Xiucai was a scholar, they were the lowest rank among scholars, and strictly speaking, not yet in the "Shi" (scholar-official) class, unless they passed the provincial examinations to obtain the title of Juren.
Zhan Feiyu patted He Nuan's hand reassuringly and stepped forward a couple of paces. "Replying to your lordship, that is indeed correct. I heard you say earlier that you are a military man, and I did not expect you to be so well-informed about scholars."
Anger flashed across Commander Xie's eyes. He knew Zhan Feiyu was bold, but he hadn't expected such courage from a ten-year-old girl, who dared to use his own words against him.
Lord Yao, seated in the main seat, saw the worried expressions on Deputy Prefect Zhao and the others. He cast a glance at them, signaling them to wait and observe.
Commander Xie appeared rough and careless to outsiders, and usually disdained to manage affairs, but his martial arts were extraordinary. However, Lord Yao, who had dealings with Commander Xie, knew him to be cunning and deceitful.
Zhan Feiyu was a disciple of Scholar Gu, and Commander Xie had to show her some respect. But if Deputy Prefect Zhao and the others dared to speak, it would be insubordination. If Commander Xie caught them, he would certainly punish them severely.
Since Lord Yao remained silent, Lord Zheng also maintained his silence.
Pulling up a chair and sitting astride it like a general, Commander Xie looked arrogant, his right hand resting on the hilt of his saber. "Little girl, there's no need for you to play word games with me. I am busy with official duties and have no time to waste with you!"
"I ask you, Secretary Chu is a fourth-rank imperial official responsible for investigating the death of Prefect Zhang. You are merely a minor Xiucai. Secretary Chu ordered your arrest, yet you resisted, even allowing your attendant to act. Little girl, do you know your crime!"
The last four words boomed out with authority, like thunder, striking the ears of everyone present.
Commander Xie's words were not entirely wrong. Miscarriages of justice did occur in the imperial court, but they were later rectified through reinvestigation and evidence gathering, leading to reversals.
Even without evidence, Secretary Chu, as an official of the three judicial departments, did have the right to order Zhan Feiyu's arrest. If she was arrested incorrectly or wrongly accused, that was a matter for later. However, Zhan Feiyu's resistance and even her actions were violations of the law.
Lord Yao's earlier order to arrest Secretary Chu clearly showed favoritism towards Zhan Feiyu. But now, Commander Xie using this point to accuse Zhan Feiyu was both reasonable and lawful.
Seeing that Zhan Feiyu did not speak, Commander Xie sneered arrogantly, "What? You were so eloquent just now, and now you have nothing to say?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of a drum echoed. Someone outside the yamen was beating the drum to plead for justice.
"Young lady?" He Nuan cast a wary glance at the detestable Commander Xie. Such a malicious and cunning person, how could he be a straightforward military officer!
Zhan Feiyu listened carefully. The voices pleading for justice were unfamiliar, mixed with the cries of women and children.
"Constable Hu, go and see who is beating the drum and crying for justice," Lord Yao said, casting a meaningful glance at Commander Xie, who was seated in his chair. He suspected Commander Xie had come prepared.
Just as Constable Hu reached the door, a crowd of about ten people rushed into the hall. Leading them were two elderly individuals, supported by two children, the elder no more than twelve or thirteen, the younger about six or seven.
A step behind them was a wailing woman, holding a much younger girl by the hand.
The remaining seven or eight people, apart from a man in his forties or fifties, were all elders over sixty, their wrinkled faces looking somewhat similar, suggesting they were related by blood.
What truly caught Zhan Feiyu's attention was the person brought in last by four strong youths. It was Battalion Commander Sun, who should have been recuperating at the medical clinic. He lay on a plank, unconscious, covered with a quilt. His chest rose and fell slightly; otherwise, judging by his deathly pale face, one would think they were carrying a corpse.
"Please, benevolent official, help these commoners!" a hoarse cry rang out. The elder at the front knelt down with a thud and kowtowed to Lord Yao, who sat in the main seat. "My lord, my youngest son has been wronged..."
"Please, my lord, help us!" Following the elder's lead, the woman and children also knelt down and cried, while the rest of the group prostrated themselves on the ground, crying out "wronged" repeatedly, as if they had suffered great injustice.
Earlier, Young Master Min the Second had sent someone with Battalion Commander Sun's waist token to threaten Zhan Feiyu into meeting him. Now, Battalion Commander Sun, along with his parents and wife and children, were kneeling in the hall, and the others were likely elders of the Sun clan.
This suggested that this was not arranged by Commander Xie, but rather by Young Master Min the Second beforehand. Otherwise, how could the Sun family have been gathered so quickly?
"Zhan Feiyu, do you have anything to say?" Commander Xie stood up, his right hand still resting on the hilt of his saber, and asked aggressively, "Battalion Commander Sun was carrying out his orders, yet you blinded him and attacked a garrison officer. Zhan Feiyu, are you attempting rebellion?"
"Commander Xie, let's stick to the facts. You've gone too far!" Lord Yao said coldly, looking displeased at Commander Xie's baseless accusations.
Given Scholar Gu Qingzhou's protectiveness, if his young disciple were to suffer any harm in the Suzhou Prefecture Yamen, Commander Xie would not escape unscathed, and Lord Yao would likely incur his wrath.