Chapter Twelve: We Shoulder This Together

Meanwhile, cries of battle and killing erupted within the city.

"Ma Guangjin has murdered Inspector She and is plotting rebellion!"

"Shut the city gates, seize the horse bandits!"

"Citizens of the city, listen well—close your doors and remain inside. Any who dare step out will be killed without mercy!"

"Ma Guangjin is suspected of treason! Soldiers, lay down your arms and surrender at once—do not bring harm to your families for nothing!"

...

Five thousand city garrison troops stood firm at the four gates, swept through the streets, running and shouting, apprehending the commanders loyal to Ma Guangjin within the city.

Meanwhile, Chen Jun personally led a thousand handpicked loyal men. Upon receiving the signal that their plan had succeeded, he immediately surrounded the Governor’s Palace and stormed inside.

The total number of Ma Guangjin’s troops brought into the city was, at most, a thousand. Including those regularly stationed at the Governor’s Palace to provide security, the total barely amounted to thirteen hundred. A thousand men were scattered along the docks; only three hundred remained inside the palace.

Chen Jun and his long-oppressed subordinates charged through the Governor’s Palace like wolves unleashed, overwhelming all resistance.

Everything happened so quickly that Ma Guangjin had no time to react before he became a condemned prisoner, shackled and awaiting execution.

This included She Jianhong, who had only just been thrown into the dungeon.

Listening to the soldiers’ shouts, the clamor of fighting above, and the thunder of hooves, She Jianhong had been elated, thinking himself saved.

Little did he know that when the soldiers burst into the dungeon, they immediately covered his head with a black cloth, bound him in a new position, and carried him out as one might carry a hog.

No one even bothered to remove the gag from his mouth.

She Jianhong had no idea what was happening.

Only when he heard the soldiers shouting that Ma Guangjin had killed him did he suddenly understand.

Chen Jun had rebelled!

The realization sent a chill through She Jianhong’s heart, making his entire body cold and his scalp tingle.

He was doomed...

...

A day later, in the largest open space within the city of Bingzhou, a high platform had been erected. The accused were forced to kneel in rows, watched over by guards.

All around, crowds of townspeople gathered to witness the spectacle, filling every inch of space so tightly that not even a drop of water could seep through the mass.

The city gates remained shut, but the hearts of the people were now at peace.

Today, they were here to witness the first public trial in the history of Bingzhou.

"Hey, did you hear? They’re putting Ma Guangjin and She Jianhong on trial today!"

"She Jianhong? Wasn’t he killed by Ma Guangjin? How can they try a dead man?"

"He survived—Director Chen Jun arrived just in time and saved him. I heard it was close; Ma Guangjin had his blade right at She Jianhong’s throat."

"Bah! If you ask me, they got there too soon. Why not let Ma Guangjin finish him off?"

"You don’t understand. If he had, She Jianhong would become a martyr, a hero to the court. That would be letting that corrupt official off too easily."

"True enough... Hey, I heard Lord Di Ying is presiding over today’s trial? He’s only a fifth-rank magistrate—does he have the authority?"

"Why not? As the chief magistrate, all legal matters in Bingzhou fall under his jurisdiction."

"Exactly. Those corrupt brutes aren’t officials anymore, so why can’t they be tried? Look at Lord Di—not only is he trying them, he’s letting us common folk watch and join in! Just thinking about it gets my blood pumping!"

"More than just excited! That dog She Jianhong ruined my whole family. No matter how he’s sentenced today, I’ll tear a piece of flesh from his body myself!"

"That’s right! Everyone get ready—bring your evidence and testimonies of how those scoundrels harmed us, and we’ll accuse them one by one!"

"Their sons, their lackeys—think of how many of us they’ve wronged... Now the tables have turned!"

"Do you think Lord Di can withstand the pressure...?"

"We’ll withstand it together! Anyone who dares disrupt this public trial will have to walk over our corpses first!"

"Yes, we’ll face it together!"

"Together!"

...

A myriad of voices swelled, merging into a torrent that tore apart the dark clouds gathering at the horizon.

The morning sun rose, blazing with vitality.

Di Ying, who had narrowly avoided falling into the canal thanks to Di Shun’s quick reflexes and had been carried back on his brother’s back, found himself compelled to rest for several hours, shaking off the chill and fatigue.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he began making arrangements for all the necessary aftermath—above all, this most crucial public trial.

He was but a minor official, unqualified to preside alone—so let the entire populace join in, so that every crime would be exposed beneath the open sun, under the gaze of all.

Let this become a case of public record, an ironclad judgment that could never be overturned.

The will of the people is mightier than a surging river.

When he heard the cries from the depths of the people’s hearts—"Together!"—Di Ying’s eyes grew moist.

...

At three quarters past the hour of the dragon, he rose abruptly.

Clang!

The soldier stationed beside the copper gong struck it, the sound replacing the judge’s gavel and heralding the opening of the first public trial.

Amid the reverberating clangor, Di Ying strode up to Ma Guangjin, who knelt bound upon the high platform, and loudly questioned him.

"Ma Guangjin, former Governor of Bingzhou and criminal! During your five years in office: you have accepted bribes and perverted justice, oppressed the people, and allowed your son to commit violence unchecked!

Together with the Inspector and Chief Secretary of Bingzhou, you have embezzled government grain, secretly built dikes and burst dams to flood fields and villages, causing countless deaths and injuries!

You defrauded the court of disaster relief funds and grain, sold grain privately, manipulated the docks, shops, and grain prices, hoarded goods for profiteering, and brought suffering upon the people!

When your crimes were exposed, you set up a secret dungeon, plotting to murder Inspector She Jianhong to silence him!

For all of these heinous deeds, crimes beyond redemption—do you confess?"

"I do not confess!" Ma Guangjin shrieked, straining against the long board fixed behind his neck, struggling to defend himself.

"Di Ying, you are but a petty fifth-rank magistrate, yet you dare overstep your rank, unlawfully seize and imprison a third-rank civil and military official, incite the populace, mobilize the city’s troops without authority, and attempt to frame and coerce me—you are the true criminal here!"

"Unauthorized troop movements? Ha!"

Di Ying laughed coldly, hands clasped behind his back. He looked down at Ma Guangjin, whose senses had only just returned, and said coolly, "You were appointed as a third-rank governor by His Majesty, entrusted with the people’s welfare.

But what did you do?

Is the rice in the new granary not hidden by your orders?

Are the boatloads of grain at the docks not transported by your men?

Is the secret dungeon in your palace a lie?

Did you not, upon Ma Xinggui’s death, detain Inspector She Jianhong, your equal in rank?

Chen Jun, as commander of the city garrison, learned of these crimes—how could he not bring his men to rescue the Inspector?

With such monstrous crimes upon your head, how could he not arrest you?

He did all this without my command, and his actions are above reproach—do not attempt to slander him!"

Straightening his back, Di Ying declared loudly, "If you still refuse to confess, so be it. Next, you will listen.

Listen to the blood debts you owe each and every victim!"

With that, he turned to the assembled crowd, signaling for the second beat of the gong.