Chapter 9, Disposal
In the corner, there is a wooden table that has been broken down.
As soon as Han Qian's voice fell, two young men, whose spirits had not yet been completely extinguished by the turmoil of this troubled world, quickly ran down the mountain to report to the village chief.
A household soldier tugged at the stubborn Fan Dahei's black robe and quietly advised, "I will accompany you to the city to report this matter to the master..."
This thought further caused Fan Xicheng to experience a sharp pain in his chest, feeling that Wu Cheng had died unjustly
Han Qian lowered his head and entered the dimly lit thatched hut, where Fan Wuwei's corpse lay motionless on the muddy ground, a pool of blood accumulating beneath him
Although Fan Dahei was indignant that Fan Wucheng was killed by the tenant farmers, and even did not understand why he did not seek justice for Fan Wucheng at that moment, Fan Dahei was not so petty. Therefore, Han Qian was not worried that he would return to the city to create trouble for his father.
Han Qian accompanied Liu Yuan to sit in the shade of a tree and drink tea
Seeing Fan Dahei returning to the mountain villa with the horse, Han Qian looked around and said: "I will wait here for the county office to send someone over to handle this matter..."
Under the mulberry tree sat Zhang Qian, the village head of Taowu, accompanied by the yamen runners brought by Liu Yuan and the family soldiers such as Zhao Kuo on either side.
Jiangcheng County is under the jurisdiction of Jingzhao Prefecture, adjacent to the city of Jinling. It is not devoid of prominent families; in fact, one could casually select any family that has connections with nobles, ministers, or royal relatives. In the event of a homicide occurring, it is not merely a matter of not pursuing the case at all; it would be considered merciful if the perpetrator were allowed to escape with their life.
Given the circumstances, Han Qian is also aware that they are all waiting for his father Han Daoxun's definitive stance. Ultimately, this young master truly holds little weight, and no one will genuinely regard him with any importance.
Seeing his father Han Daoxun personally rush back to the villa, Han Qian accompanied County Officer Liu Yuan and Village Chief Zhang Qian to welcome him out
Hearing Han Qian say this, Fan Xicheng had nothing to say.
After the establishment of the State of Chu, Emperor Tianyou, following the systems of the Han and Tang dynasties, implemented the Three Chief System beneath the prefectures and counties, appointing veteran soldiers who had retired from the Huainan army as officials, thereby solidifying the foundation of the Yang family in the Jianghuai region
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In the room on the east side, there are no beds, only two piles of hay spread on the ground. The bedding is relatively clean, though it is unclear how many patches it has. Fortunately, being in the mountains, the room is quite dry, perhaps due to the diligence of the housewife, as it appears to be fairly tidy.
Seeing Zhao Kuo and the others become hesitant, Fan Xicheng trembled with anger but could not defend himself. He could only watch helplessly as his adopted son Fan Wucheng lay in a pool of blood. In his heart, he still believed that Wucheng had come over early to drive the Zhao family out of the manor, merely to vent his anger for him.
Even with Han Qian backing them, the other tenants stood at the periphery with expressions of indifference and fear, not daring to push forward and provoke trouble. It was still the mother and daughter who helped the bloodied Zhao Wuji to the corner of the wall for protection, waiting for the officials to send someone to handle the situation, ensuring that the family soldiers of the Han family would not abuse their power again
Zhang Qian also returned to his hometown to serve as a local official after accumulating merits and receiving honors in the military. He felt quite regretful about Fan Wucheng's untimely death, but he also believed that Zhao Wuji should not be held accountable in this matter. However, he could not comment on how this incident should ultimately be handled
One day, he will be killed by the Emperor Tianyou in the Wenying Hall for his candid advice, isn't that what it means to "speak frankly and dare to advise"?
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Regardless of whether Liu Yuan believed Han Daoxun's words were sincere, as long as Han Daoxun had spoken them, he had a means to take action. He immediately signaled for the yamen runners to arrest Zhao Laoguan and his son Zhao Wuji, as well as to load Fan Wucheng's corpse onto an ox cart to be dragged back to the county that very night. The two injured family guards had already been bandaged and were not in serious condition; they took a horse-drawn carriage to the county office to serve as witnesses. With the family head Han Daoxun's words backing them, they also knew what to say at the county office.
Fortunately, it is reported that Han Qian, the young master of the Han family, has already sent someone back to Jinling City to inform Han Daoxun. Liu Yuan, accompanied by the yamen runners, insists on staying at Qiuhu Mountain until they receive a definite message from Han Daoxun before considering how to draft this legal document
The interior was so rudimentary that Han Qian found it hard to imagine. A small pit had been dug in the corner of the room to serve as a fire pit, scattered with a pile of firewood that had not been completely burned. Bowls and jars lay shattered all over the ground, some with old marks at the chipped edges, clearly indicating that these bowls and jars had been in a state of disrepair even before they were broken.
Han Qian thought to himself, if only he could make his father a bit wiser and refrain from engaging in such "literary admonitions," wouldn't his ultimate fate have changed as well
In the room on the west side, there were two rudimentary spinning wheels that were on the verge of falling apart, and in the corner, a bed board was propped up by a tree stump, which should belong to that frail young girl
It was not until the sun began to set that I saw Fan Dahei riding that purple-maned horse, accompanied by three other knights, escorting a carriage along the muddy path by the lake, heading towards the villa.
Han Qian found it truly hard to imagine that a household could be this shabby
In addition, the main room contains only a few simple farming tools
Fan Xicheng was infuriated by Han Qian, and unable to bear the sight of his adopted son dying tragically in the tenant's house, he decided to avoid suspicion and first took two injured bodyguards back to the villa for treatment
Liu Yuannian, having surpassed the age of forty, has some gray in his temples. Perhaps it is due to his early experiences in the military that he sits under the shade of the tree with a posture as straight as a pine.
Although the Han family is not a native power of Jiangcheng, and Han Daoxun is merely a leisurely official in the court, Jiangcheng is only two to three hundred miles away from Xuanzhou. The common people are unaware of the Han family's status as a prominent clan in Xuanzhou, but Liu Yuan is well aware of it.
Upon arriving at Qiuhu Mountain, Liu Yuan found the journey quite challenging, yet he did not necessarily intend to enter the villa, as the young master of the Han family, Han Qian, turned out to be such a "reasonable" and "impartial" person
If it were the family soldiers of the Han family who killed a tenant farmer, as long as it was not an unjust killing, the punishment would be a fine or a light corporal punishment, and it could be easily overlooked. However, at this moment, it was the tenant who killed the intruding family soldier of the Han family, and Liu Yuan found this matter quite troublesome upon hearing about it.
The reputation of the Han family in Xuanzhou may not be particularly favorable, yet at this moment, Han Qian intends to use this topic to prevent Fan Xicheng and the various family soldiers from acting rashly.
Han Daoxun hurriedly saw County Officer Liu Yuan and Village Chief Zhang Qian and greeted them. He raised his hand and said: "I, Han, am truly ashamed for being unable to manage my household servants, who have disturbed the local area. I sincerely request the county to handle this matter impartially, without any consideration for me. I assure you that I will not use my influence to protect my household servants from the law."
He did not know how to handle the situation; on one hand, he did not want to be criticized by the local people, while on the other hand, he could not afford to offend a powerful family like the Han clan
Certainly, even if the case is clear-cut, and the young master of the Han family is so reasonable, showing no signs of favoritism or abusing his power, Liu Yuan still does not dare to hastily draft the legal documents to apprehend Zhao Wuji and bring back the body of Fan Wucheng to conclude the case at the county office
In the county town, there is a stretch of road where County Lieutenant Liu Yuan personally led the officers to the villa in the morning to inquire about the case on-site
Furthermore, Han Daoxun is well-known for his governance of the local area. As the Chief Secretary of the Guangling Circuit, he originally had the opportunity to be promoted to Deputy Circuit Intendant or Prefect. However, this time he has been recalled to the court to serve as the Deputy Secretary, a position that appears to be leisurely. Yet, it is uncertain that he may soon be called upon for important duties in the court. Liu Yuan, being merely a lowly county officer, certainly does not dare to offend him
Liu Yuan was a native of Jiangcheng County. In his youth, he served in the Huainan army, where he accumulated merits and was granted the title of a sixth-rank cavalry officer. He later became a village chief and was promoted to county officer in recent years—he can be considered an old soldier who rose to prominence alongside Emperor Tianyou.
The young master of the Han family is excessively understanding, which instead causes Liu Yuan to develop some reservations, worrying that this might be a trap set by the Han family, and that there could be some formidable dangers waiting for the officials of Jiang Cheng County to take the bait elsewhere
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However, my father, as the historical records of dreams describe, is just as stubborn as a dead mule; how can I persuade him not to attempt to provoke the wrath of heaven?
At the age of twelve, Han Qian returned to Xuanzhou, and it was not until early April of this year that he was reunited with his father, Han Daoxun, in Jinling. Reflecting on the blank period during this critical time, Han Qian realized that he was not very clear about what kind of person his father, Han Daoxun, truly was. However, in the dreams, the historical records of later generations did not speak poorly of his father, describing him as "talented and bold in speaking out against wrongs"
Fan Xicheng was deeply pained by the death of his adopted son, yet allowing Han Qian to seize the opportunity to speak would seemingly confirm that he indeed harbored ulterior motives.
"Where is there a need for so many people to return? Could it be that Fan Dahei alone cannot clarify the matter?" Han Qian said, preventing that family soldier from accompanying Fan Dahei, allowing Fan Dahei to return to the city alone to report to his father.
Although Han Daoxun holds the position of a fourth-rank official in the court, the Han family wields considerable power. A murder case occurred in a newly purchased estate by Han Daoxun in Jiangcheng County, which he had acquired less than a year ago. While the Jingzhao Prefecture may choose to overlook the matter, the county cannot afford to be careless or negligent.
Seeing Fan Xicheng's forehead veins bulging and Fan Dahei's eyes bloodshot, filled with anger, Han Qian was worried that he could not suppress the two of them. Frowning, he said to Fan Dahei: "Fan Dahei, you must ride back to the city immediately and inform my father about this matter—if you think my handling of this is unfair, my father will make the final decision. However, before that, you must not take matters into your own hands and tarnish the reputation of the Han family!"