Chapter 122: Treating a General Like a Foot Soldier

"I don't know, I really don't know."

Ren Lin, who was being dragged away, stopped momentarily. At the question, she instinctively shook her head. As soon as she finished shaking it, she saw the official’s hand begin to descend, so she hurriedly shouted, "No, no, no, my lord! I know—no, that’s not it. I don't know, but I have seen something. My lord, please let me go first, and I will tell you everything."

"Let you go?"

Di Ying curled the corner of his mouth and smiled. Pointing a finger at her, he said, "You certainly have a lot of nerve, daring to negotiate terms with this official? How rebellious! Drag her away, give her twenty heavy strokes, and throw her into death row!"

"No!"

Feeling the bailiffs resume dragging her, Ren Lin struggled and hurriedly cried out, "I didn't think Luan Chao could pull off something this big on his own, so I followed him secretly. I discovered he frequently went in and out of the 'Solid Pawnshop.' And—and there’s more! When he went to various counties and villages to find deaf-mutes, there were people there to meet him. The person leading the support team was tall and fair-skinned. He wasn't from the 'Solid Pawnshop,' and I hadn't seen him before—I don't know who he is. After that incident, I didn't dare follow Luan Chao anymore. Be-because... that time, a deaf-mute girl didn't obey, and she was—she was killed by them. I was so scared..."

After listening, Di Ying saw that Ren Lin had nothing left to confess, so he bared his teeth in a smile at her. Just as Ren Lin let out a long sigh of relief, Di Ying commanded the four bailiffs, "Drag her away, give her thirty heavy strokes, then lock her in death row."

He then added, "Don't beat her to death; ensure she stays alive until the time comes for her final execution."

Ren Lin: "..."

Before she could draw another breath, her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

The four bailiffs looked at one another, then exerted their strength in unison and quickly dragged her away. In their hearts, they all thought: Is the new Prefect, who usually looks so gentle and smiling, actually this "wicked"? How terrifying.

But, at the same time... they liked it! They liked this kind of official!

Di Ying, unaware that he had just harvested four more "devoted hearts," was busy trying to organize his work, only to feel frustrated by the shortage of manpower. The former Prefect of Ning Prefecture was a man who preferred a quiet life, and Di Ying hadn't yet had the time to distinguish which of the men in the Ning Prefecture Yamen were honest and which were corrupt. He had never liked the practice of "a new official's three fires"—the habit of making drastic changes upon taking office. At the start of his tenure, he had barely even held meetings with his officials.

With the current case being tricky, the investigation workload vast, and the details tedious, Di Ying felt so frustrated that after drinking another cup of tea, he decided to deal with the case and the Yamen simultaneously. He would solve the crime while screening the staff.

Just as he was thinking this, Di Ying saw Huan Fan bringing in the prisoner, accompanied by Zhu Xiang. Behind them followed Chang Jiu. Chang Jiu’s expression was somewhat helpless; he caught the official’s eye and then stood in the corner of the room.

Di Ying was puzzled: "???"

He watched as Huan Fan bowed deeply to him. He heard Huan Fan ask, "My lord, what are the duties of a Prefect?"

Di Ying answered curiously, "To supervise, regulate, arrange, and coordinate all affairs of the prefecture. Why do you ask?"

Huan Fan looked at the official and bowed deeply once more. "My lord, does the specific handling of a case fall within your scope of duties? If there is anything I have done poorly, you may guide me, criticize me, or even punish me, but this... should I perhaps submit my resignation to you?"

Di Ying: "..."

He thought for a long time, not knowing whether to say it was a matter of habit or that he didn't trust Huan Fan’s competence. He felt that saying either would likely infuriate Huan Fan to death.

A few moments later, Di Ying said, "This is a serial case with significant issues that requires my personal review."

Upon hearing this, Huan Fan stiffened, his face flushed. "You... did I judge it incorrectly? Is it so difficult to send it back for retrial? Must you treat a general like a common soldier?"

According to normal bureaucratic procedures, if Di Ying found a case to be questionable, he should have convened a meeting with his subordinates to point out the doubts, then assigned tasks or sent it back for review. Once the subordinates finished the review, they would submit it again; if there were still issues, it would be sent back once more. Instead, Di Ying had intervened directly without a word to anyone. It was as if he had slapped Huan Fan in the face in silence.

Di Ying knew his methods were unconventional, but he had no intention of changing them. He simply replied to Huan Fan, "I have no patience for those bureaucratic games. Think about it: for every quarter-hour we spend in meetings, the victims suffer for another quarter-hour. The evildoers, however, thrive on these drawn-out bureaucratic discussions, as it gives them ample time to erase evidence or continue their crimes. Furthermore, this series of cases includes ones you previously closed. It is only reasonable that I bypass you."

"This has nothing to do with trust. Also, I have always preferred to handle things myself. If you wish to help solve the case, you may follow me at any time. You will have to get used to this."

"But, by not following procedure, you will be criticized and easily attract endless trouble," Huan Fan warned.

Di Ying: "Heh, I do not believe my career or reputation is more important than the lives of the victims; nor do I believe that these things are more important than stopping evil in a timely manner."

As he spoke, Di Ying pointed to the prisoner being guarded by Chang Jiu and said to Huan Fan, "Since you wish to preside over the interrogation, go ahead. This prisoner is the very one you sentenced."

The prisoner: a deaf-mute named He Shun, 16 years old. He had been in prison for half a year for murder and robbery. The victim was a middle-aged tofu seller named Li Zhan, who was killed while hawking his wares on the street. His money pouch was missing. Afterward, He Shun turned himself in to the prefecture office. As the Chief of the Yamen, Huan Fan had sentenced He Shun to be executed in the autumn.

Thus, Huan Fan recognized He Shun and remembered the case. However, now that Magistrate Di asked him to re-examine it, Huan Fan could not quite understand. He Shun had turned himself in and had handed over the murder weapon at the time—an axe—along with bloodstained clothes and the money pouch. The case was clearly settled.

However, since the Magistrate had spoken, Huan Fan thought for a moment and decided to demonstrate his investigative skills once more, while also proving his competence to the official. He turned to He Shun.

"Did you kill Li Zhan with your own hands? How did you kill him?"

After asking, Huan Fan looked at Zhu Xiang, who had remained silent. Zhu Xiang made a series of gestures to He Shun, and He Shun gestured back.

Zhu Xiang answered on He Shun's behalf: "I killed him. His carrying pole bumped into me, and he wouldn't apologize. In a fit of rage, I pulled the axe from my waist and hacked him to death."

Huan Fan looked at Magistrate Di, his neck tilted and the corner of his mouth slightly curled, meaning: You see? It is perfectly clear.

Di Ying smiled.

He smiled at Zhu Xiang and said, "I do not need your interpretation or summary of what you think he meant. You are the translator; you only need to tell me every gesture the other person makes, what it means, or what it might mean. Go on, ask again."