The Lücheng County Yamen.
When County Magistrate Kong Mi learned that Scarface and the other river bandits had been killed, his eyes widened in shock. Then, to his delight, he realized that this was a great achievement.
With a broad smile, he asked the constable, “Where are the bodies? Did they say who killed them?”
The constable hurriedly replied, “My lord, the messenger was only a guard. He left after delivering the news. He said there were too many bodies and asked us to send people to the docks to identify them. I’ve already sent men ahead to take a look. There shouldn’t be any mistake.”
Kong Mi was overjoyed. “Come on. We’ll go take a look as well.”
He led dozens of constables toward the docks in a grand procession, his eyes gleaming with the smugness of a man who was about to be promoted and grow rich.
If the people who had killed the river bandits had no powerful connections, he could claim the credit for himself. The imperial court would surely reward him handsomely.
At the docks, Xi Qingyue had brought Xi Weilan to a food stall and bought two bowls of wontons. The two girls were eating away.
She had generously invited Gu Huan and the others to join them, but they had refused. They truly had no appetite at the moment. Their boat was moored right beside them, and the bodies aboard had yet to be unloaded. They were afraid that the moment they ate something, certain unpleasant images would come to mind.
When the county yamen arrived, they saw several young masters, including Gu Wu, sitting weakly and pale-faced on the stone blocks beside the dock. Gu Huan and the others were seated at the wonton stall, while Xi Qingyue and Xi Weilan were happily wolfing down their food.
“Where are the bodies?” the leading constable asked arrogantly.
Gu Wu pointed toward his large ship. “They’re on our boat. Go up and take a look.”
He really did not want to go aboard, much less help move those bodies. It was better to leave that task to the yamen constables.
The constable ignored them and strode toward the ship. They first had to confirm that the dead men were indeed river bandits. Several of the constables were even carrying wanted portraits—portraits of Scarface and the other bandits.
When they reached the large ship, every one of them stared wide-eyed in utter disbelief.
“What kind of monstrosities are these? Can you even call them corpses?”
One of the constables turned and ran off to vomit. He had never seen bodies like these in his life.
The leading constable frowned and reprimanded him. “Useless. Check them against the portraits first.”
Covering his nose, he walked to a corner of the ship and directed the others to compare the corpses with the men in the portraits.
“Boss, this is definitely Scarface, Zuo Qiong. His face is still recognizable, though his head is somewhat deformed. I can’t be sure about the rest of him.” One constable glanced at the portrait, then at the corpse on the deck.
Another constable said uncertainly, “Boss, this one looks like the bandits’ second-in-command, but only half his face is recognizable.”
One by one, the constables reported what they had found. The leading constable’s brow furrowed even more deeply.
Killing people was one thing, but why had they dismembered the bodies? With corpses like these, did they still expect to claim a reward?
Just then, Kong Mi arrived at the docks with dozens of constables.
When the commoners saw people from the county yamen approaching, they fled from a distance, afraid that the constables might seize them for no reason.
Kong Mi went straight to the side of Gu Wu’s large ship. He looked sternly at a constable standing guard beside it. “Have the bodies been identified?”
“My lord, they’ve been more or less identified. They are indeed those corpses…”
The constable faltered. He did not know how to continue, since none of the bodies were complete.
Kong Mi frowned in displeasure. “They are what? Why are you stammering? Say everything at once. And where are the people who killed the bandits?”
Sensing the magistrate’s anger, the constable quickly answered honestly, “My lord, the corpses are all incomplete. It looks as if someone dismembered them. The people who killed the bandits are over there—that is their ship.”
As he spoke, he pointed toward Gu Wu and the others. He assumed that the ship belonged to Gu Wu, so he concluded that they must have killed the bandits without even bothering to ask.
The moment he finished speaking, Gu Wu hurriedly called out, “My lord, we didn’t kill them! Someone else did!”
Kong Mi followed his voice and looked over, his face filled with confusion. “You didn’t kill them? Then why are the bodies on your ship?”
Gu Wu had recovered somewhat by then. Together with several of his brothers, he walked over to Kong Mi.
“My lord, they killed the bandits. We merely helped transport the bodies here. They also saved our lives. If you’re going to give out a reward, you should give it to them.”
As he spoke, he pointed toward the two girls eating at the wonton stall.
The moment Kong Mi saw whom he was pointing at, he shouted furiously, “How dare you! Are you trying to make a fool of this magistrate? How could two children have killed so many river bandits? Do you take me for an idiot?”
Gu Wu hurriedly explained, “My lord, it really was them. At the time, many boats were stopped and robbed by the bandits. They saved all our lives. Every one of those bandits was killed by them.”
He had not even dared to say that a three-year-old child had killed them all. He had claimed that both sisters had done it together, and the magistrate still refused to believe him?
If he told him that the youngest girl had taken down all the bandits by herself, would the magistrate not have him beaten with a rod?
The other young masters beside him quickly spoke up as well, each of them insisting that the river bandits had been killed by Xi Qingyue and Xi Weilan.
At that moment, the constables from the ship came down. The leading constable stepped in front of Kong Mi and reported, “My lord, there are no cuts or stab wounds on the bodies. Scarface Zuo Qiong’s head is badly deformed as well. It doesn’t look like this was done by human hands. Every corpse is soaked, as though it had been dredged up from the water. These people may have spotted the bodies floating in the river and fished them out so they could falsely claim the reward.”
Gu Wu was completely stunned by those words.
Were they refusing to acknowledge the sisters’ achievement because they did not want to pay the reward?
Good heavens. If the two girls lost their temper later, would he have to hide immediately?
When Gu Huan heard the constable’s words, she hurriedly left the food stall and spoke up. “My lord, they really did kill the bandits! Many people saw it happen. We witnessed it with our own eyes!”
Kong Mi let out a cold laugh. “Hmph. You’re all in on this together, so of course you’d say that. You’re actually bold enough to find two children to deceive this magistrate just so you can claim a reward. Do you take me for a fool? They killed the men, and you helped transport the bodies. Since when have you been so kind? If you keep spouting nonsense, don’t blame me for showing you no mercy.”
At the wonton stall, Xi Qingyue and Xi Weilan suddenly felt that their food had lost all its flavor.
They had only wanted to claim a reward along the way. It should have been a simple matter.
They had rid the authorities of a menace, so it was perfectly reasonable for the authorities to give them a reward. Why was it so difficult?
Xi Weilan put down her chopsticks and slammed her hand on the table. Standing on her chair, she shouted angrily, “How dare you! I, the Commandery Princess, killed those men, yet you refuse to acknowledge it, you corrupt dog of an official! Hand over our reward at once, or I’ll report you!”
The moment those words were spoken, Gu Wu, Gu Huan, and the others’ hearts jolted.
This was bad!
Kong Mi’s face changed with fury. “What kind of wild girl are you? How dare you impersonate a Commandery Princess and insult a magistrate! You must be tired of living. Men! Arrest them! I will interrogate them thoroughly.”
Gu Wu hurriedly shouted, “My lord, you mustn’t!”
Gu Huan was frantic as well. She tugged at Gu Wu’s sleeve and whispered, “Big Brother, hurry and tell him who our uncle-in-law is. He’ll surely show us some respect. If we wait any longer, it’ll be too late.”
