Miao Chu

Chapter 229 Smuggling
The process by which Song Miao discovered Lü Mao's whereabouts was a series of coincidences and ingenious events, requiring both meticulousness and incredible luck, and cannot be explained in just a few words.

After all, if ordinary people aren't involved themselves, who would care so much about a fugitive?
To explain why she knew so many of Lü Mao's characteristics, we must mention the gambling case in the capital a few months ago.

At this moment, even if someone else from the Kyoto Prefectural Government were in charge of this case, or even the person in charge, or even Qin Zong, they would most likely only be able to give vague and ambiguous answers. After all, there are too many details below that are not related to the main development of the case, so they would not be written down in such detail. The superior who is in charge of the overall situation would not care too much about it.

But Xin Feng was different.

He was in charge of the gambling case and even stayed at the Song family's house. He also followed up on the Shangyuan case from the beginning. Although he had to hand it over to someone else due to an accidental injury, the entire framework had been set up. He had personally experienced it and knew the cause and effect, the ins and outs.

When Song Miao came to visit the day before yesterday, in addition to greetings, she also made a point of explaining all the details of Huazhou.

Others may just listen to it as a story, which is very thrilling and full of ups and downs, but they can only imagine it in their minds. After a while, they will mostly only have the outline left.

But Xin Feng was able to remember it completely.

He lay in bed for more than two months, carefully pondering the case. He even made up his mind that once he recovered and returned to the Kyoto government office, he could waive all other punishments except for one thing—he had to stay involved in this case.

Having worked in the government office for many years, he had long seen through the actions of everyone else.

Kidnapping cases are notoriously difficult to solve. If we don't get to the bottom of things and don't stubbornly persist, Lü Mao might really get away with it.

He had gone over the details of the case in his mind over and over again; they were already etched into his very being.

When Song Miao mentioned the scars on Lü Mao's hands, he didn't even need to ask to know how the original moles were distributed and what they looked like.

Song Miao said that Lü Mao mentioned a type of fish called Tanzai, also known as "thousand-layer cake". After searching around, he found out that Tanzai was a local name in Minzhou. He immediately realized that Lü Mao was from Minzhou.

Song Miao said that Lü Mao's accent had a Guanzhong flavor and was not a Min accent. He immediately thought of the direction in which the abducted women and children were transported that day, many of them heading to the northwest.

So when the emperor and empress dowager asked him, he answered without reservation, recounting everything from beginning to end, one by one.

How did Song Xiaoniangzi discover that something was wrong in the house across the street, and how did she voluntarily give up her own house to the yamen to ambush them? How did she find a piece of clothing with burn marks from incense and candles left by the thieves when the officials were catching them? And how did she meet a mother and daughter who were traveling to the capital to visit relatives? When they met again on the road, the mother and daughter were washing clothes for someone, and she noticed that the clothes in the basin had the same burn marks from incense and candles.

Later, how did they discover the loopholes in Guangji Temple and report it to Han Li? How did Han Li rescue the trapped embroiderer? It was through this process that the yamen meticulously investigated, repeatedly questioned, and finally caught Lü Mao red-handed—unfortunately, he escaped.

Later, Han Li was transferred to the Water Conservancy Bureau and went to Huazhou to assist in river engineering and water affairs. Due to the tight schedule and heavy workload, he was afraid that the locals would be unfamiliar with the place and be hindered by others, which would affect the progress of the project and ultimately delay the water situation. So he specially invited that young lady Song to help manage the meals of the laborers. He also wanted to use the matter of the latrine as a bargaining chip to exchange with local merchants for the problem of the laborers' latrines on the river.

Finally, Lü Mao came seeking profit, and was spotted by Song Xiaoniangzi.

Because the scar on Rui Fusheng's wrist was similar in location to the mole on "Lü Mao's" hand, and because the "Tanzi" Rui Fusheng mentioned sounded similar to the place of origin of "Lü Mao," she became suspicious and reported it to Han Li.

The latter did not evade or give a perfunctory answer; after some investigation, they set up an ambush.

It really was Lü Mao.

He was caught after turning around.

Xin Feng's eloquence was not outstanding; he could not speak eloquently and could only state what he knew in a straightforward manner. However, his expression was not bad and was enough to explain a story that was already full of twists and turns.

But because of his unpretentious expression, the story seemed even more grounded.

Even without excessive embellishment, precisely because of the lack of elaborate language, the "Lady Song" in Xin Feng's eyes, as described by him, is shrouded in a subtle veil—both the Empress Dowager and the Emperor can tell that all these descriptions are not exaggerated, but rather abridged. The real "Lady Song" must be even more intelligent, quick-witted, meticulous, and better.

As soon as Xin Feng finished speaking, Empress Dowager Yang couldn't hold back any longer and immediately asked, "Such a clever young lady, such a great achievement! What reward did the court give her?"

In the course of several months, two major cases occurred in the capital. Although there were many twists and turns along the way, they were eventually solved. Among them, a young woman was named as the one who made the greatest contribution, which was quite unusual. Zhao Yu naturally remembered her.

He said, "There is indeed a young lady among the reports submitted by the Kyoto government requesting merit, which only mentions her outstanding achievements."

The memorial was exceptionally well-written, and he took a second look at it before turning to the back to see the signature.

As for the reward, the emperor is busy with countless affairs of state, and it is already remarkable that he can remember such a thing, so naturally he would not remember the amount.

Hearing that she had done a good job, Empress Dowager Yang did not ask any further questions about the matter. She then said, "If the same thing were presented to others, they wouldn't even glance at it. But she was able to find clues and help the government catch the thief! If every official was like her, how could the world not be at peace!"

When Xin Feng heard the Empress Dowager praise Song Miao like that, he was overjoyed and couldn't help but say, "Not only this case, but also the horse meat case a few days ago, all of which was thanks to Miss Song's merits!"

In high spirits, he spoke with great enthusiasm, spitting as he recounted how the young lady Song had acquired a foul odor from her child, connecting it to the venison and roe deer cakes delivered to her door by the village head and officials, and finally recounting the old story of the rotten horse meat workshop.

Everyone is interested in stories.

Not to mention Empress Dowager Yang, even Zhao Yu listened with great interest.

Empress Dowager Yang couldn't help but say, "It's already rare to be so meticulous, but it's even rarer to manage the meals for thousands of people on the river. How can a young lady like her manage to do that! I'm really curious—why don't we invite her to the palace for a banquet together!"

Before Zhao Yu could speak, Xin Feng, who was below him, hesitated for a few moments before finally mustering his courage and saying, "It's good that the Empress Dowager knows that Lady Song has put in so much effort. But the horse meat case and the human trafficking case are different from others. The main culprit has escaped, and who knows how many accomplices have escaped. I... I'm afraid that if the palace invites her in today, there will be a lot of gossip outside tomorrow..."

The actions of the imperial family are being watched by countless people.

If an envoy is sent now, I'm afraid that the moment Miss Song steps out of her house, someone outside will dig up her entire background and investigate what made her summoned by the Empress Dowager.

Xin Feng paused, then continued, "I am a patrol inspector in the yamen, and I have to be careful every day. I also have to tell my wife and children to be careful. That young lady Song is just a minor, and she has no one else at home..."

"Then why is there no one else in Miss Song's house?" Empress Dowager Yang asked in surprise.

Xin Fengli then revealed the whole situation of Song Miao's family: her mother and eldest brother had passed away, her gambling father had accidentally drowned, creditors were coming to harass her, and she was almost at the point of losing her home—the young woman was all alone and had no choice but to push a cart and set up a stall to do business...

The older people get, the less they can bear to hear anything pitiful.

Empress Dowager Yang's heart clenched tightly. She sighed and said, "You who are in charge of handling cases have it really tough. The court should treat you well so as not to let you down."

He added, "That Miss Song is also heartbreaking—I won't cause any more trouble. Once this case has calmed down, I'll find a suitable excuse to invite her to the palace!" Upon hearing this, Xin Feng immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

But as soon as he relaxed, his mind suddenly went blank, and he felt that something was wrong.

—The Empress Dowager is summoning Lady Song to the palace for a banquet, which is a great thing. Although she cannot become famous for the time being and must wait a while before making a big fuss, judging from what she just said, she will most likely be rewarded on the spot.

Because of what I said, it has suddenly become a matter of waiting for "the case to die down"—but when will that happen?
What if the controversy dies down and the Empress Dowager forgets about it or loses interest?
Who would remind her? And who would dare to remind her?

Wasn't my action today a case of good intentions gone wrong?

Xin Feng's heart was in turmoil, he felt a bitter taste in his mouth and palpitations, and for a moment he couldn't even eat.

He thought and thought, but being a straightforward person, he couldn't help but speak up even in the palace. He was about to remind her, but before he could finish speaking, he saw Empress Dowager Yang say to a palace maid, "Remember this young lady, Miss Song. I'm getting old and forgetful, not as I used to be."

The palace servant immediately took out paper and pen and wrote in his personal notebook.

Xin Feng watched as the person finished writing, put away the paper and pen, and noticed that the booklet had rough edges and was old, indicating that it was frequently looked at and used, rather than being left aside and ignored. He finally felt a little relieved.

After talking for a while, it was time to eat, and a palace servant had already brought the meal.

After the meal was finished, Xin Feng bowed and thanked them repeatedly. As the banquet was about to end, Empress Dowager Yang said, "Today, thanks to Inspector Xin's visit to the palace, I have learned a lot and heard many stories. With officials like Inspector Xin around, the people can feel at ease, and the court can also feel at ease."

"Take good care of yourself and recover as soon as possible before returning to the yamen to work." As she spoke, she had someone fetch a wooden box and handed it to Xin Feng. "You were worried that the remnants of the two cases would implicate that young lady Song. As an official, aren't you afraid of being implicated?"

"Pantao Lane is near two docks, and there's a market and a slaughterhouse nearby. It's noisy and inconvenient for recuperating. Let's move to a different place!"

Zhao Yu then said, "It's good that you act boldly and fearlessly, but you must also abide by the rules of the court and not break the rules again. Otherwise, if you lead the way in causing trouble, even if I want to give you a great position in the future, I won't be able to!"

Upon hearing this, Xin Feng felt a lump in his throat and almost burst into tears.

When he stepped out of the palace, holding the wooden box in his hands, and sat in the carriage, his mind was completely blank.

Upon opening the wooden box, one finds stacks of warm, gleaming silver ingots, with a document on top of them bearing a letter and an address.

In fact, Xin Feng only recognized half of several characters in the address, but after looking at it repeatedly, he remembered the location and house number of the address very clearly.

The Empress Dowager bestowed a residence upon him! And it's a residence near Zhouqiao!

He, Xin Feng, has actually met his end!

The carriage traveled all the way and finally arrived home.

By this time, the sun was setting and it was already half dark. The streets were lined with shops, brightly lit, but once you entered Pantao Lane, most of the houses only had a few lights on.

Kexin's house was still brightly lit, clearly indicating that not only were lamps on, but torches were also lit.

As soon as the carriage arrived, before it had even come to a complete stop, someone outside suddenly called out, "Inspector Xin is back!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the sounds of doors and windows opening immediately came from the alley. Naturally, there were already people keeping watch, and they all secretly looked over.

One box after another was carried out of the carriage, and in full view of everyone, the items were moved into the Xin family's house. Then, the eunuch loudly announced the imperial decree, which not only bestowed gold and silver as a reward, but also a house.

Those who were closer heard these words and were both anxious and angry, wishing they were the ones who would be hurt.

Those who were further away couldn't hear clearly, but they could hear a commotion here. They couldn't wait any longer and rushed over to grab a spot to watch the excitement.

Xin Feng, having received the imperial decree, was helped into the house with a cane, feeling as if he were walking on cotton.

So much had happened today that he had no heart to look at the many boxes of rewards, nor to care about the money and land deeds inside the wooden box, nor even to pay attention to the many envious eyes outside. Only one thought remained—

Zhengyan, what exactly did you praise me for in that article? Did you exaggerate it to the extreme?
Otherwise, how could even the emperor and empress dowager be so bewitched?
***
After Xin Feng left, only the mother and son remained in Ciming Palace.

Zhao Yu said with shame, "Your son is incompetent. Mother, you are the Empress Dowager, yet you have to give up the opportunity to meet a young lady who has made great contributions, because you are worried about villains causing trouble. In the past, when Mother was in power, the capital was so well governed that no one would pick up lost items on the road..."

Empress Dowager Yang shook her head and said, "There were only a few households in the capital back then, and there are only a few now. My son has already worked very hard. How can anything in this world be perfect and have everything go as you wish?"

He added, “However, this incident should serve as a reminder! You should instruct the Council of State Affairs to act prudently and urge local government offices to handle the case properly—this is still the capital city government, right under the emperor's nose, and yet we still have to fear retaliation from evildoers. What about the outlying prefectures? Not to mention the rural areas!”

Zhao Yu nodded repeatedly.

Empress Dowager Yang then said, "Today, according to Inspector Xin's description, that young lady Song from Suanzao Lane has made many contributions. Other matters related to the case should not be publicized, but the matter of the Huazhou River canal kitchen is also a great achievement, yet there are not so many taboos. Let someone investigate first, and if it is true..."

Before she could finish speaking, Zhao Yu took the initiative to say, "Your Majesty, rest assured, it would be best if the Huazhou River project went smoothly. If it can indeed control the floods, then it deserves a reward, and we will reward it even more generously at that time. If it is successful, this matter should also be promoted throughout the country, so that people know that they should contribute to the court and the country. Regardless of gender or age, I will never treat them unfairly!"

While the mother and son were talking here, the news that the Empress Dowager had summoned Xin Feng, the inspector mentioned in "The Biography of Xin Feng," had already spread to the studies of many families.

As many neighbors in Pantao Lane saw the gifts sent by the palace, and the imperial physician personally came the next day to help Xin Feng with his treatment, the Xin family moved directly to the Empress Dowager's bestowed residence in Zhouqiao the day after that. In the capital, whether in literary circles, on the streets and alleys, or even in the homes of eunuchs and nobles, everyone was talking about this matter.

Especially ordinary people – who doesn't love to see a fine horse meet its discerning owner, a good general meet a wise ruler, a wronged person be exonerated, or a dusty sword see the light of day?

Ordinary people don't think too much about the operation of the government and the rules and regulations. They just think simply: an old inspector has worked hard for many years. Although he has a bad temper, he does his job in a down-to-earth manner. As for him beating and scolding criminals, oh, that is indeed wrong, but I am not a criminal. The more he beats me, the safer I am.
He has made a mistake, which is bad and breaks the rules, but he has received a reward from the Empress Dowager. It is a win-win situation and everyone is happy!
Such a sensational event in the capital was triggered by an article, and the Empress Dowager's reward aroused an even greater reaction, naturally spreading to other prefectures.

Meanwhile, many sons of powerful and wealthy families in Chanzhou, who were involved in the Liutahe River project, received letters from their families almost immediately, which were smuggled into their messengers' bags.

Cai Xiu did not send him a messenger to deliver the message, so when he learned about the article and the matter from others, he was truly caught off guard and unprepared.

(End of this chapter)