Beating the Drum to Redress a Grievance

The entrance to the county yamen was exceptionally lively at the moment.

Two long benches, the kind that could seat four or five people, had been laid horizontally in the middle of the front courtyard.

Two people were lying facedown across the benches.

As Zhou An passed through the entrance, he found the scene familiar. Once he reached the courtyard, he recognized them at a glance.

Weren't those Master Xu and the newly appointed Constable Captain Sun BuTou?

Although Zhou An did not pay much attention to such matters, he vaguely remembered that the newly appointed Constable Captain was surnamed Sun.

How had all this happened after just one night apart?

Besides Master Xu and Constable Captain Sun BuTou, who were sprawled across the benches, two constables stood nearby.

Each constable held a paddle about as tall as their eyebrows.

More constables stood around watching the show, pointing and whispering excitedly.

Yu Hang was among them too, not reading at the moment.

He had tucked his book into his waistband and was standing on tiptoe to peer inside, his face full of gossiping excitement.

Puzzled, Zhou An walked over to Yu Hang and nudged him twice.

"What's going on? In broad daylight, what kind of show are you putting on?"

Yu Hang had thought it was someone else. When he turned around and saw Zhou An, he hurriedly leaned closer and whispered, "Hey, I just got here too. I only caught part of it—Sun Xin gave Master Xu a gift. He only became Constable Captain because of that, and now he's being punished. They're about to beat him with the paddle."

Punished?

The moment Zhou An heard those words, he guessed the reason.

So the gift-giving had been exposed.

But that did not seem right. No one would dare report it.

After all, even if it were reported, at most they would receive a beating.

But if Master Xu investigated afterward, whoever reported it would be made to suffer for the rest of their life.

Yu Hang saw what Zhou An was thinking and continued, "No one reported them. That kid knew his appointment as Constable Captain was improper, and he only wanted to earn some pay, so he kept a low profile. No one bothered him.

"But the County Magistrate came out of seclusion. After being scared a little, the two of them spilled everything. They don't call him an old hand for nothing. County Magistrate Chen's move really leaves people with no choice but to admire him."

Zhou An froze.

The County Magistrate had come out of seclusion?

That was rather unusual.

But after thinking about it carefully, it was not all that strange.

He had heard about it yesterday.

Now that the imperial court had changed its methods, simply staying shut away would not do. One had to first pass the initial hurdle.

When the Surveillance Division came to inspect them, if they failed to pass, they would not even have a chance at selection.

The County Magistrate coming out of seclusion was only natural.

"How many strokes?" Zhou An asked.

This scene clearly called for a paddling.

"Twenty strokes. They probably won't be getting out of bed for days." Yu Hang looked delighted by their misfortune.

Twenty strokes were no small matter. An ordinary commoner likely could not endure even ten.

This was Zhou An's first time seeing constables and a master of clerks get beaten, and he was equally ready to watch the spectacle.

Just then, footsteps sounded from the building directly opposite the gate.

A middle-aged man dressed in official robes emerged from inside.

The man was thin and not particularly tall. He wore a short mustache about a finger's width in length and held a scroll in his hand.

The refined air of a scholar radiated from him at once.

Zhou An had heard of the County Magistrate before.

The County Magistrate's surname was Chen, and his given name was Zhi.

It was said that before passing the examinations, he had been a poor student.

After passing, he had come to An Ding County.

Before entering seclusion, he had truly governed An Ding County in perfect order.

Though he had achieved no great merits, at least he had made no mistakes.

Sometimes, making no mistakes was already quite impressive.

Most importantly, County Magistrate Chen possessed the abilities of a scholar.

These days, not every scholar could be considered a truly capable scholar.

Among the Four Great Gates, the threshold for scholars was the highest.

Without comprehending that level, no matter how high an official rank one held, one would not possess power beyond that of ordinary mortals.

Yet County Magistrate Chen had entered that stage.

Reaching that stage already put him ahead of countless others.

"Why are you still standing around? What are you waiting for? Must this official do it for you?" County Magistrate Chen spoke calmly. Combined with his scholarly air, he displayed all the bearing of a scholar.

Yet after serving as County Magistrate for so long, even his calm tone carried unquestionable authority.

The two constables assigned to carry out the punishment shuddered.

They had originally planned to spare them out of consideration for past ties, striking lightly while letting the two cry out more miserably to muddle through it.

But with the County Magistrate personally supervising them, they no longer dared hold back.

The wooden paddles rose high, then came down hard.

The thudding sounds were heavy and dull. Precisely because they were so dull, the pain was real.

The screams mingled with the muffled impacts and echoed throughout the courtyard.

It was also Zhou An's first time seeing such a performance, and he found it quite entertaining.

The twenty strokes were delivered quickly. By the time the final paddle fell, Master Xu and Constable Captain Sun BuTou no longer had the strength to scream.

"Bribery and accepting bribes. If there is a next time, this official will increase the punishment. Take them away!" County Magistrate Chen said with a sweep of his sleeve.

The two constables hurriedly agreed and swiftly dragged the pair away. Two more constables stepped forward to clear away the benches.

"What are you still standing around for? Get back to your duties!" County Magistrate Chen snorted again.

The constables jumped in fright and immediately scattered like birds and beasts.

Zhou An was also preparing to slip away and spend some time in the kitchen grinding proficiency.

But before he could head to the kitchen, the sound of a drum rang out.

Dong!

The drumbeat was low and rapid.

Zhou An looked toward the entrance in surprise.

A drum?

Someone was actually beating the drum?

There was a drum outside the yamen, known as the court drum.

Under normal circumstances, no one in Great Chu beat the court drum.

Anyone who dared beat it over a trivial matter would receive a paddling.

There were only two situations in which commoners would beat the court drum.

The first was an emergency, such as discovering bandits or thieves in the area, or the emergence of some major threat.

The second was a grave matter, such as an important affair or a serious injustice.

In a situation like this, something major had definitely happened.

County Magistrate Chen had already returned to the inner courtyard.

Born into poverty, he had no house in An Ding County and lived in the inner courtyard.

When he heard the court drum, he rushed out with a grave expression.

With the inspection by the Surveillance Division so near, an incident involving the drum naturally put him in a foul mood.

The constables also poked their heads out from their rooms.

Since County Magistrate Chen had taken office, no one had ever beaten the drum, so they were naturally curious.

"What are you standing around for? Open court at once!"

With a sweep of his sleeve, County Magistrate Chen headed for the main hall.

The constables did not waste time. Some headed to the main hall, while others went to the entrance.

Zhou An and Yu Hang followed them into the main hall and stood along its sides.

He was also curious about who had beaten the drum.

Before long, two constables brought in the person who had beaten it.

Zhou An studied him for a moment.

The person they brought in was an old man in his sixties, with graying hair and a skeletal frame, as if a gust of wind could knock him over.

The old man cowered as he knelt before the hall, not daring to say a word for fear of angering the County Magistrate.

County Magistrate Chen frowned deeply. He slammed the judge's block and shouted in a low voice.

"Who are you, and why have you beaten the drum?"