It turned out they were from the Qin Family.
The Imperial Guard captain immediately put on a smile. "So you're one of us! General Qin Yanying is our drill instructor. I'm a centurion under her command. Greetings, young master of the Qin Family!"
It was as if smiles were conserved, transferring from one person's face to another.
The smile vanished from Qin Mingri's face, replaced by a hint of disdain and anger. "You've got some nerve, coming over here and claiming kinship. Tell me, why didn't you stop General Qin that day?"
The centurion's expression froze, and he couldn't help feeling ashamed. "I..."
Qin Mingri snorted and dropped the curtain. "Let's go!"
With that,
he led everyone straight through the city gate,
leaving behind a squad of Imperial Guards, guilt-ridden and ashamed.
Inside the carriage,
the beautiful woman sounded displeased. "Your aunt really is a troublemaker. We told her to keep a low profile in the Capital City, but she still managed to cause such a huge mess! Mingri, how are you planning to handle this? Should we write your father a letter?"
"No need, Auntie."
Qin Mingri replied calmly, "Since Father entrusted me with affairs in the capital, he trusts my ability to handle them. Father's plans reach far into the future. Before the imperial examinations, we must keep everything steady. We can't let Auntie throw his plans into disarray.
"The Court of State Ceremonial probably doesn't want this to blow up either. Otherwise, they wouldn't have sent the bystanders away when they arrested Auntie."
The beautiful woman hesitated. "But you can't wrap a fire in paper. What if the matter gets out and damages the Qin Family's reputation?"
Qin Mingri smiled confidently. "Don't worry. No one in the capital would dare openly oppose a Demon Official!"
"I mean, what if Qin Muye..."
"Him? He might be stupid enough to do something like that, but after all these years, he may not have the guts he used to."
Before he could finish,
he suddenly heard a commotion outside.
Amid it, he could just make out the sound of the Grievance Drum being struck again and again.
At this hour, someone was beating the Grievance Drum?
He lifted the curtain. "Go find out what's going on!"
Before long,
the soldier who'd gone to ask came hurrying back, both worried and excited. "Young master! Someone's beating the drum to plead for General Yanying!"
Qin Mingri: "???"
Wait, weren't they supposed to have silenced everyone?
The Capital Prefecture.
The woman protected her pregnant belly with one hand and gripped the drumstick with the other, striking the Grievance Drum with all her might.
As she beat it, she shouted,
"I, Chu Qingtiao, have been harmed by wicked people, causing my baby's heart to stop beating. I beg the righteous magistrate to summon Qin Yanying and the Demon Official Hu Huan, and clear my name!"
"I, Chu Qingtiao, have been harmed by wicked people..."
She shouted it over and over as the onlookers murmured among themselves.
"A pregnant woman... Is this the one the Demon Official nearly harmed the other day?"
"Listen to her. She wants Qin Yanying and the Demon Official summoned. Who else could she mean?"
"What a shameless woman. She's already pregnant, yet she went and acted as someone's Fortune Bead. What face does she have to come here and beat the drum?"
"Bah! Worse than a prostitute!"
"Exactly!"
"But it takes real courage to speak up for what's right at a time like this."
"That's right! Those Demon Officials don't treat us like people!"
"I don't know if it's true, but my second uncle said the neighbor's child was nearly eaten. The poor kid was so scared, he still hasn't come down from his fever. I admire this young woman for daring to speak up!"
"Bah! Her baby's heart stopped beating, and now she's looking for compensation? Even if she really is speaking up for what's right, she's still shameless!"
Everyone had something to say, but the subject of their gossip kept swinging between whether the Demon Officials had gone too far and whether acting as a Fortune Bead was disgraceful.
Qin Mingri's temples throbbed as he listened. He truly couldn't understand it. When the Court of State Ceremonial arrested Qin Yanying, they had clearly sent the bystanders away. They must have had some way to keep the rest quiet too, yet somehow the whole city knew about it.
What did that mean?
It meant someone was stirring things up behind the scenes.
In this vast Capital City, who would be willing to stick their neck out for Qin Yanying?
Apart from that brainless young master, Qin Muye, he couldn't think of anyone else.
Aunt and niece, two troublemakers!
Their actions might indeed help them get a word in edgewise and possibly spare them a good deal of punishment.
But they would do enormous damage to the bigger picture!
Qin Mingri glanced at Qingtiao beating the drum and grew all the more convinced that Qin Muye was unbelievably stupid. Did he really think that riling up public opinion and finding some lowborn woman to beat the drum would be enough to get the case officially taken up?
Go on, beat it all you want!
The Prefect of the Capital would only have to look your way for you to lose!
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
"Bang!"
Qingtiao struck the drum again and again, putting all her strength into every blow.
The drum boomed,
but even its thunderous sound couldn't drown out the gossip behind her.
Her face was pale, and her whole body trembled. She felt as though she might burst into tears.
She knew that after tonight, the entire Capital City would know she was a shameless woman.
She didn't know how her family would get by after this.
But she knew that if she didn't save General Qin, then no one else could!
As she kept striking the drum, a burst of noise suddenly reached her ears.
She turned and saw two squads of fierce-looking constables rushing over.
"Who's disturbing the yamen?"
"Get out of here!"
"Or you'll regret it!"
As they spoke, they reached for Qingtiao's arm.
But just then, an old man in scholar's robes stepped in front of Qingtiao and berated the constables. "You young ruffians have no manners! This young woman is here to plead her case, so why are you trying to drive her away? Are those official robes on your backs only there so you can bully the people?"
Though the old man in scholar's robes had wrinkled skin and white hair, and his back was a little bent, his voice rang out clear and strong, reaching everyone's ears.
In an instant, the onlookers rallied to his side.
"That's right! Are you wearing official robes just so you can bully us?"
"Hear the case! Hear the case!"
"You have to hear the case!"
"You troublemaking..."
The constables were furious, but under the old man's glare, their bluster weakened.
In times like these, who could live to such an old age without powerful connections?
Besides, the old man had an extraordinary bearing. Every frown and glance carried an indescribable air of authority. The Capital City was full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers. He might have some powerful backing!
The constable could only force a smile. "Sir, it's already so late. Who holds court in the middle of the night? And this case involves a Demon Official, so it's outside the Capital Prefecture's jurisdiction, isn't it?"
The people had been silenced about the case, but every government office already knew the full story.
The Court of State Ceremonial had made it clear that they had to handle the case themselves.
Even the Brocade Guard and the Ministry of Justice didn't dare get involved, and the Prefect of the Capital had been doing everything he could to avoid it.
How many lives did they have to spare to take the case off his hands?
The old man seemed quite reasonable. He turned to Qingtiao. "Young lady, it's true that cases involving Demon Officials don't fall under the Capital Prefecture's jurisdiction. You see..."
Qingtiao took a deep breath. "Sir, I was frightened at the time and can't remember much. I don't clearly recall whether it was General Qin or the Demon Official who caused my baby's heart to stop beating. If the Demon Official can't come, then please summon General Qin to help me recover my memory. If it wasn't General Qin, I'll find another way."
The constable: "???"
Did she even hear what she was saying? Was that story supposed to make sense?
He was just about to say something
when the old man nodded. "This young lady is right. Constable, hurry and call your Prefect over!"
The constable understood. The old man was in league with this Fortune Bead. He suppressed his anger. "Sir, it's already the Hour of the Dog. The Prefect needs to rest too. Could you persuade this woman to come back tomorrow?"
He had no idea who this old man was, and he was genuinely worried about provoking someone he couldn't afford to offend. For now, he could only placate him and investigate quietly overnight.
If the old man really was someone they couldn't afford to cross, they could let the Prefect decide what to do.
But
the old man didn't give him an inch. Rage showed on his deeply wrinkled face. "Absurd! So you can just stop handling cases because it's late? Is that how a magistrate who governs the people should behave? Go ask Zou Yulong if this is how his teacher taught him!"
His tone was condescending, like he was training a dog.
The constable finally lost his temper. "How we run the Capital Prefecture isn't for you to criticize! Who are you? What gives you the nerve to call the Prefect by his name, and what gives you the right to invoke his teacher to throw your weight around?"
The old man snorted and clasped his hands behind his back. "I am Ye Songting! I am the Prefect's teacher! You, right now, tell Zou Yulong to get his ass over here!"
The constable: "!!!"
Ye Songting!?
The fourteenth Keeper of the Palace of the Great Gan Academy!
Though he had been retired for over twenty years, his students were scattered throughout the court.
What was a towering figure like him doing here!?
The onlookers erupted, stunned that this frail old man on the brink of death was none other than the renowned Ye Songting.
Qin Mingri was stunned too.
He was both furious and anxious!
Where had that brainless Qin Muye found the people to whip up public opinion?
And what kind of influence had he wielded to bring Ye Songting here of all people?
Before you continue