Chapter 17: The Magistrate Interrogates the Case

Yesterday afternoon, after leaving the archives, he had originally planned to go to the Registrar’s Office to check Xue Rui’s records, intending to find out where he lived so he could send someone to stir up trouble at his home. Passing by the Astrologer’s office, Peng Ying happened to encounter Clerk He, and his plans changed. Their conversation took place in a secluded spot, with no witnesses. Moreover, their exchange lasted less than ten breaths—an interval so brief that in an age without precise timekeeping, it was easy to overlook. Thus, when Xu Chun questioned Cui Shizuo, everyone calculated the timing and found that Peng Ying’s account did indeed match. Seeing that the others believed him, Peng Ying breathed a sigh of relief, and his desire for revenge flared anew: “Hmph! I told you the deaths of Clerk He and the others have nothing to do with me. Liu Jin is just a foolish child, chasing shadows and slandering me. Fortunately, the gentlemen here are discerning and have not been misled by him. This boy harbors malicious intent; he ought to be severely punished!”

Xu Chun had no desire to involve himself in their feud, so he smoothed things over: “Liu Jin, the Astrologer has accompanied the court on campaign, enduring much hardship. Since you were merely providing clues, we’ll spare you the offense of speaking out of turn. Now, offer Peng Ying your apology. I’m sure he is magnanimous and will not hold it against you.” Liu Jin had only sought to annoy Peng Ying and didn’t really believe Clerk He and the others had died at Peng Ying's behest. Now, with no evidence, he felt a bit disappointed but didn’t continue to make a scene. He gave Peng Ying a perfunctory bow, saying, “Apologies, Scholar Peng.”

Afterwards, Xu Chun and the other officials asked a few more questions, receiving inconsequential replies. With no way forward, Xu Chun dismissed them all.

On the way back to the archives, Liu Jin was delighted—making Peng Ying suffer had been his happiest triumph of the year, and he spent the journey chattering and laughing. Xue Rui, among the crowd, was puzzled. If those three hadn’t acted on Peng Ying’s orders, yet appeared at the Pig Market Gate, it seemed unlikely they had gone on their own accord. There was something strange about it.

Let us set aside Xue Rui’s thoughts for now.

In the first quarter of the hour after dawn, the Imperial Observatory received a visitor—a sixth-rank official. This was Ye Maoxun, the magistrate from Shuntian Prefecture. Having received the murder case from Wanping County, he immediately led his constables to investigate the scene, interviewed the local residents, and then arrived at the Imperial Observatory to seek clues.

Ye Maoxun was received by Chief Astrologer Xu Chun; the two sat in the tea hall. Xu Chun, as a proper sixth-rank official, was seated on the left, while Ye Maoxun, though a rank lower, took the right seat as the investigator. Once the attendants served tea, they exchanged information about the case.

Ye Maoxun listened and questioned, quickly grasping the essentials. With the chief astrologer absent, Xu Chun was the highest authority at the Observatory. Now that a murder had occurred, he risked being blamed for lax supervision, so he cooperated eagerly, hoping the case would be solved soon. He recounted the process of questioning the astronomy students and subtly mentioned Peng Deqing’s ivory token, seeming to direct suspicion toward the chief astrologer.

Ye Maoxun saw through this easily—Xu Chun was attempting to redirect trouble away from himself. If it turned out that Clerk He and the others had been sent by the chief astrologer, Xu Chun could claim no involvement. Nevertheless, Ye Maoxun gathered useful clues.

“Lord Xu, there is one matter I don’t understand. May I ask?” Ye Maoxun set down his teacup and looked at Xu Chun.

“Please ask, Lord Ye,” Xu Chun replied.

“You said that Liu Jin, the hereditary student, spoke recklessly, accusing the chief astrologer and his son. How did he dare such a thing? And do you think it likely that Clerk He and the others were sent by the chief astrologer?”

Xu Chun smiled wryly. “Lord Ye, you may not know—Liu Jin is the son of Liu Xin, the summer astrologer. The summer astrologer has disagreements with the chief astrologer, and so Liu Jin wildly implicated him. As for whether Clerk He and the others acted on the chief astrologer’s orders, I have already sent a letter to inquire. We should have a reply in a few days.”

“I see. May I speak directly with Liu Jin?” Ye Maoxun asked.

“Of course.”

Xu Chun called for an attendant to summon Liu Jin.

In the archives, Xue Rui was discussing questions with Liu Jin when word came that Magistrate Ye Maoxun wished to question Liu Jin. Both were startled. Liu Jin’s boldness in the Observatory was due to his father’s influence, but Magistrate Ye was an official of Shuntian Prefecture, in charge of criminal matters, and owed no favors to Liu Jin’s father. Being called to answer for his earlier wild accusations, he was sure to face pointed questions.

“Remember, just speak the truth. Don’t speculate or make unfounded accusations. Magistrate Ye has the authority to punish you with the rod,” Xue Rui advised quietly before Liu Jin left.

In the tea hall, Liu Jin bowed first and then looked at Ye Maoxun. The magistrate had a square face and a thick beard, his eyes sharp and stern, with an air of severity.

Xu Chun said, “Liu Jin, Lord Ye has questions for you. You must answer honestly and leave nothing out. Do not conceal anything. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir,” Liu Jin nodded quickly.

Ye Maoxun glanced through the case file and asked, “Do you know what penalty awaits those who falsely accuse an official of the court?”

Liu Jin was stunned—he had no idea what the statute said. But he understood Ye Maoxun’s meaning: his earlier accusations against the chief astrologer could land him in serious trouble if proven false.

Seeing his silence, Ye Maoxun continued slowly, “A false accuser is punished three grades above the crime falsely alleged. If it is established that the chief astrologer and his son did not send Clerk He and the others, I could sentence you to be executed, pending imperial review.”

Liu Jin turned pale with fright, hastily defending himself: “Sir, I suspected Scholar Peng might be involved, and I had factual grounds—it was not a false accusation.”

“Oh? Explain,” Ye Maoxun said, interested, his posture attentive.

Liu Jin swallowed and said, “Sir, Scholar Peng had a conflict with Xue Rui in the archives yesterday and threatened to teach him a lesson. Xue Rui happens to live outside the city. Today, when I heard Clerk He and the others had died outside the city, I recalled Scholar Peng’s words and thought perhaps he had sent them to punish Xue Rui.”

The two officials’ expressions sharpened; Xu Chun’s teacup trembled, spilling tea. Forgetting the heat, he set it down and slapped the table: “Such an important matter, why did you not report it to me earlier?”

“Please allow me to explain, gentlemen,” Liu Jin said quickly. “I did not report it because it seemed unreasonable and I dismissed the idea.”

“Why was it unreasonable?” Ye Maoxun asked, frowning.

“Sir, Clerk He and the others were strong men. If Scholar Peng had sent them to punish Xue Rui, why are they the ones dead? Xue Rui is frail, not even as robust as myself. He certainly couldn’t kill three healthy men, nor could he defeat me in a fight. I quietly checked Xue Rui—he showed no signs of injury, nor did he seem to have been in a struggle. So I dismissed the suspicion.”