The Peach Blossoms White by the Village Edge

Chapter 72: The Case is Closed

The county magistrate listened to his mother's words without responding and remained silent for a long time before finally saying, "Today, I heard that a family in Hushan Village harvested seven dan of rice from one mu of land. Mother, do you think this is true?"

The magistrate's mother replied, "Everything must be seen with your own eyes to be believed."

The magistrate nodded, "Exactly, so I plan to visit Hushan Village tomorrow. As for the matter of the Qu family that you mentioned, it's quite a coincidence—this family that harvested seven dan of rice is the Qu family."

The magistrate's mother also found the situation too coincidental, as if it had been deliberately arranged. However, she wasn't offended and said, "In that case, if you encounter the Qu family's lady pleading for justice, you can take the opportunity to investigate the case."

The magistrate hesitated before asking, "Why does mother view the Qu family differently?"

The magistrate's mother smiled faintly and said, "To be honest, I do have a personal bias. In the early years of your father's career, when he returned to the capital to report on his duties, I accompanied him and got to know a friend there. She was an embroiderer at the Wenxiu Workshop...

"For my birthday, I accepted Madam Dong's embroidered birthday gift because it reminded me of some familiar traces. Later, when I asked Madam Dong about it, I found out that the embroidery was indeed related to an old friend of mine."

The magistrate asked, "Is it Madam Luo, whose embroideries make up most of the pieces in mother's collection?"

The magistrate's mother nodded, "Yes, it's Madam Luo, the head embroiderer of Wenxiu Workshop. She once had a prized disciple, but unfortunately, that disciple had an accident and injured a finger, making her unable to enter the workshop. That disciple later got married and disappeared from public view. Madam Dong mentioned that this Qu lady is the daughter of a prestigious embroidery family and also aligns with Madam Luo's disciple."

The magistrate sighed, "What a fateful connection!"

"Setting aside personal feelings, the county you govern has had a case where someone falsely claimed to be a posthumous child to seize family property. As the magistrate, it is your duty to resolve the case and educate the people. Those who disregard the law must be dealt with justly to warn others and prevent such incidents from happening again.

"Your cousin Zhi Yongcheng is known for his governance. Even cases that other counties can't resolve are entrusted to him because he handles them with strict fairness. You should learn from him."

The magistrate's mother, surnamed Han, was the aunt of Han Yi, the eldest son-in-law of the Vice Minister Wang Zuo. Thus, the magistrate's cousin was Han Yi. Both of them were successful candidates in the same imperial examination. While the magistrate was assigned to Qingjiang County, Han Yi was appointed to Yongcheng County in Bozhou. Naturally, the magistrate's mother compared the two.

Fortunately, the magistrate wasn't envious of his cousin and promised to heed his mother's advice.

The next day, under the pretense of investigating local affairs, the magistrate set off for Hushan Village.

Qu Jiayu immediately ran to the Qu family's home upon hearing the news that the magistrate had arrived, not even caring if others saw her. She rushed through the front door, exclaiming, "Sister Le, the magistrate is here to investigate!"

Qu Qingjiang had been worrying about what Zhao Changxia was doing, as he hadn't returned in two days, causing her to be anxious. Upon hearing Qu Jiayu's words, she wondered if Zhao Changxia had brought the magistrate. But why would the magistrate personally come to the village for a civil case?