Chapter Seven: The Magistrate’s Office Investigates the Case

"They say ginger gets spicier with age; that old woman is truly a crafty fox."

As Zhu Wanjian made his way to the county office to consult with the magistrate, he pondered this thought.

The Zhu family did not need to present formal calling cards to enter the county office. A simple greeting to the gatekeeper allowed them to head directly to the side chambers to wait. Before long, Shen Li, the Magistrate of Changshou County, came to meet him.

"Second Master Zhu, what wind blows you here?" Shen Li felt a headache brewing the moment he saw Zhu Wanjian.

Previously, when Zhu Wanjian had come to report his own sister-in-law, accusing her of plotting to seize the property of a loyal hero's orphan, Shen Li had deployed bailiffs to assist him, but he had felt deeply disgusted by the ordeal. As a local official who had earned his position through the imperial examinations, his reputation was everything. Although that farce had ended abruptly, he had harbored a grudge ever since.

Zhu Wanjian wore an arrogant expression. "Magistrate Shen, let’s speak plainly. I have come today to offer you a future; it is up to you whether you want it or not."

Shen Li frowned. He was a *jinshi* (advanced scholar) of the sixth year of the Zhengde reign. Generally, those with such credentials would either remain in the capital to observe governance in the Six Ministries—eventually securing a position in the capital—or be appointed as censors to gain experience in the provinces. Their prospects were usually brilliant; after all, the Great Ming produced only three hundred *jinshi* every three years, and even those who ranked lower were highly sought after in official circles.

The problem was that Shen Li hailed from Pingliang Prefecture in Shaanxi. As fate would have it, the grand eunuch Liu Jin was also a man from Shaanxi. After Liu Jin fell from power in the fifth year of Zhengde, the *jinshi* from Shaanxi had suffered a streak of terrible luck, with none finding a good path. As a lower-ranking *jinshi*, Shen Li had waited two full years just to be appointed as the magistrate of Changshou, a county subordinate to Anlu Prefecture.

"Second Master Zhu, please spare me the pleasantries and state your business," Shen Li said coldly.

Zhu Wanjian chuckled dismissively. "Magistrate Shen, my Zhu family is a lineage of the Jinyiwei (Embroidered Uniform Guard). My father is a thousand-man commander, and my elder brother is a deputy commander in the Northern Internal Service. We are close to His Majesty. If you help us, you will not be treated poorly. Moreover, this involves a private salt smuggling case—a matter of vast sums of money. If you can resolve this, you will not only line your pockets but also secure a bright future."

Shen Li gasped. He had assumed that the Zhu family’s arrival meant another sordid affair involving the oppression of a widow, but he hadn't expected it to be about illegal salt. Since the fifth year of the Hongzhi reign, when the salt policy shifted from the "Grain-for-Salt" system to the "Cash Payment" system, the state treasury had flourished, but this was followed by a long period of chaos in salt administration. If a local official could seize a massive quantity of illicit salt, it would undoubtedly boost his performance record.

"Second Master Zhu, isn't the investigation of private salt outside the jurisdiction of the Jinyiwei?" Shen Li asked, half-doubting. Given Zhu Wanjian's track record, would he really be generous enough to help him earn merit?

Zhu Wanjian smiled. "The case was not uncovered by the Jinyiwei. Intelligence suggests a merchant is purchasing a large amount of illicit salt from smugglers. I am simply asking if you have the courage to handle it."

Shen Li hesitated, then sighed. "It would be better to investigate clearly." He was no fool. He wondered why the Zhu family remained in this backwater of Huguang instead of the two capitals, and though he briefly suspected a connection to the Prince of Xing’s estate, he quickly dismissed the thought. He didn't believe they would offer him a windfall without ulterior motives. However, upon learning the source of Zhu Wanjian’s information, he felt relieved.

"She confessed to it herself? She... this is knowingly breaking the law. Second Master Zhu, are you intent on sacrificing kin for the sake of justice again?" Shen Li looked at him in surprise.

Zhu Wanjian cursed, "What justice? We haven't been family for a long time. A woman who lacks virtue like that deserves to be drowned in a pig cage." Realizing he shouldn't be saying such things in front of an outsider, he forced a smile. "Let her face some punishment so she might behave when she returns home. My late brother’s spirit surely wouldn't want his woman showing her face in public like this."

"I see." Shen Li nodded, though he mused to himself: What kind of family is this, repeatedly betraying their own? And they have the nerve to boast about it?

As night fell, the bailiffs sent to investigate returned to report. "Magistrate, the third mistress of the Zhu family did indeed leave the city with a group of people, heading fifteen miles southeast toward the prefecture. There is a long convoy there, piled high with salt bags. We asked the local salt merchants, and they all claim it is not their cargo. The group is hiding in the woods, acting suspiciously—they appear to be salt smugglers."

The report seemed to confirm Zhu Wanjian’s claims.

***

Zhu Wanjian slapped his thigh. "I told you the information wouldn't be wrong. That woman buying and selling illegal salt—it's a grave crime."

Shen Li asked cautiously, "Are you certain they are actual salt smugglers?"

Before the bailiff could answer, Zhu Wanjian grew impatient. "Magistrate Shen, are you still hesitating? There are only a few salt merchants in Anlu, and they were the ones conspiring to raise prices earlier. Do you think I wouldn't know whether they are selling legitimate salt?"

Shen Li nodded and waved his hand. "Men! Summon the three divisions of bailiffs... and bring the Inspection Bureau officials. Follow me to capture the salt lords. If they resist... kill them without mercy!"

Seeing this, a smug smile spread across Zhu Wanjian’s face.

***

Night descended. In the city, the shutters of the Zhu family’s rice shop were drawn early. Zhu Niang had taken Uncle Zhong, Yu San, and Gouzi to purchase the salt. Aunt Li and her daughter were cooking, while Zhu Hao sat at his desk in the east chamber of the middle courtyard, writing and sketching by the light of an oil lamp.

"Brother Hao, do you think the Mistress will have any trouble purchasing the salt?" Aunt Li asked, her voice filled with the reliance she had developed toward her son, whose recent growth had been remarkable.

Zhu Hao put down his brush and smiled. "Of course... it won't go smoothly. If I’m not mistaken, the Zhu family will be there with government bailiffs, intending to catch Mother and the salt sellers in one fell swoop."

"Ah?" Aunt Li was terrified. "If that’s the case, shouldn't you call the Mistress back immediately?"

Zhu Hao replied, "No need to worry. Mother and I have already looked into it. The person selling to us has a very powerful background—he is the brother-in-law of the new Huguang Left Administration Commissioner, Huang Zan. Huang Zan was just transferred from Jiangxi this year. Do you think he would let his own brother-in-law be ruined here?"

Aunt Li was bewildered. She hadn't been present when Zhu Niang and Zhu Hao discussed their strategy, and even if she had, she wouldn't have understood the complexities of the official world.

Zhu Ting leaned over, her eyes wide. "Brother, what is an Administration Commissioner?"

Zhu Hao smiled and patted his sister’s head. "An Administration Commissioner is the highest official in our Huguang region, much bigger than a magistrate. Above a magistrate, there is a sub-prefect, and sometimes a prefect. Above the prefect are the councilors and administrators of the Provincial Administration Commission, and at the very top is the Administration Commissioner, also known as the Provincial Governor..."

Aunt Li was still skeptical. "So, that means the Mistress will be fine?"

Zhu Hao stopped smiling and sighed. "To say she will be perfectly fine is premature, but overall, risk and opportunity go hand in hand. If everything goes well, our supply channel for salt should be secured."

***

The moon was dark and the wind was high; one couldn't see their own fingers. Zhu Niang and her dozen men waited outside the woods fifteen miles southeast of Changshou City to meet the salt sellers.

As Zhu Hao had said, the rice shop was purchasing government-sanctioned salt. The seller was the brother-in-law of the new Huguang Left Administration Commissioner, Huang Zan. In history, Huang Zan was famous for resisting the rebellion of Prince Ning, Zhu Chenhao, and in the first month of the ninth year of Zhengde, he was demoted from the Jiangxi Right Administration Commissioner to the Left position in Huguang.

Serving as an official required money for networking and managing affairs; one must have a "white glove" (a proxy). Much like the Mi family of Xuzhou was to Liu Bei during the Three Kingdoms era, or Hu Xueyan was to Zuo Zongtang in the late Qing, Huang Zan’s purse was his brother-in-law. Wherever he held office, his brother-in-law’s business channels followed.

The business least likely to lose money in this world was the sale of government salt, so shortly after arriving, Huang Zan had arranged for his brother-in-law to distribute goods across the prefectures of Huguang. Because he was new, Huang Zan needed to maintain a pristine reputation and repeatedly warned his brother-in-law to stay low-profile to avoid attracting the attention of censors and critics.

"They're here," Yu San said, pointing toward the distant glow of torches.

Zhu Niang immediately led her men to greet them. The convoy was large, with over a dozen horse-drawn carriages loaded with government salt.

A man of about thirty, dressed in the robes of a wealthy merchant, stepped forward. Before even greeting Zhu Niang, he began to complain, "Only twenty *yin* of salt, yet you insist on avoiding the waterways and delivering here? Who will pay for the wear and tear on the carriage axles?"

He was clearly a penny-pinching, calculating businessman. Zhu Niang hurried forward to bow. "My greetings, Master Su."

Through an intermediary, she knew his name was Su Xigui and that he controlled a vast commercial empire, hence the respectful title.

Su Xigui held up a torch to look at her and asked in surprise, "A woman? Rare, very rare... did you bring the money?"

Zhu Niang replied, "It is all in the carriages behind. Please, Master Su, feel free to inspect it."

Su Xigui waved his hand. "A simple weighing will suffice. But let’s be clear: copper coins will be valued at a 98% discount, and silver at 96%. Any problems with that?"

Not only did he want to recoup his transport costs, but he also wanted to trim the value of the currency.

"Those are the rules. As you say, Master Su," Zhu Niang agreed readily.

In this era, transactions were complex. Whether it was copper or silver, the purity varied, requiring adjustments in exchange rates. Weighing silver required specialized scales, not just ordinary ones. The entire process took nearly half an hour, even in the dark.

***

"The deal is done! The deal is done!"

From a nearby hill, Zhu Wanjian and Shen Li watched everything illuminated by the torches outside the woods.

Shen Li asked the County Assistant beside him solemnly, "Given the situation, there shouldn't be any mistake, right?"

The County Assistant, a veteran native of Changshou, nodded. "Almost certainly. Government salt is rarely traded in such a manner."

Shen Li gritted his teeth. "What are we waiting for? Summon the men and surround them from all sides! Don't let the criminals escape. Capture them, and there will be heavy rewards!"

The bailiffs and soldiers moved swiftly toward the woods. Su Xigui, having just finished securing the payment and preparing to have the salt bags moved, suddenly sensed an unusual atmosphere.

"Master, we've been surrounded by the government!" one of his men rushed over to report.

Su Xigui was stunned. The government? Which government? Aren't I the one representing the government? Who in Huguang has a higher rank than my brother-in-law?

Then, shouts erupted from nearby.

"Drop your weapons and surrender, or be killed without mercy!"

Seeing his men looking at each other in confusion, Su Xigui narrowed his eyes. "Could it be bandits masquerading as government officials?"

Before he could finish, the sound of hooves thundered as over a dozen cavalrymen from the Inspection Bureau charged in, followed by a swarm of bailiffs and soldiers, capturing everyone present.