Chapter 005: The Startling Dream of the Imperial Garden
Are you human? What we say does not count; let it be judged by the county magistrate!
The furnishings in the West Chamber are quite simple: a bookshelf on one side, a writing desk on the other, and a man in his forties dressed in a gray brocade robe, engrossed in writing at the desk. Upon hearing someone enter, the man finally looked up, and their eyes met at first glance.
Inside the door stood a middle-aged constable dressed in a dark uniform. Upon seeing Qin Kan and the other person pulling and tugging as they entered, the constable was momentarily taken aback
Hello, what are you thinking about
The expression of the middle-aged constable was quite remarkable, especially the way he looked at the beautiful woman, as if he were gazing at some fierce wild beast, filled with absolute awe. It seems that the constable knows this beauty, which implies that she must frequently report trivial matters, having become a regular visitor to the yamen. From this, one can further deduce that this beauty will undoubtedly be referred to as a "nagging woman" or a "busybody" in her middle age.
His heart is bleeding
As soon as he stepped into the city of Shaoxing, all his possessions were stolen, and not only that, he also found himself embroiled in a lawsuit
Qin Kan opened his eyes wide in surprise
Qin Kan was momentarily at a loss; arguing with women was not his strong suit, nor had it ever been in two lifetimes
Du Hong's first impression of Qin Kan was quite favorable. He was a civil official, and moreover, he was a legitimate Jinshi graduate, which signifies a formal education in the field. He valued reputation and also sought profit, of course, the pursuit of profit had to be under the premise of not damaging his reputation. In summary, he was a typical civil official of the Ming Dynasty
What is sympathy
Buddhism teaches that everything has its cause and effect; good deeds are rewarded with good, while evil deeds are met with evil. Qin Kan likely belongs to the latter category. Not only was his money stolen completely, but he also inexplicably found himself embroiled in a lawsuit. If, just a moment ago, his character had manifested positively, and he had shown even a slight willingness to help others in the spirit of justice and altruism, the outcome would surely have been very different
Having lost money and faced a lawsuit, he unexpectedly encountered a woman who was unreasonable even when in the right. He felt that his grievances at least warranted the opportunity to sound the drum of injustice
Unfortunately, this positive impression did not last long
You are currently broke; what do you have to settle this with me?
The beautiful woman smiled charmingly, then her delicate face turned serious, and without further ado, she grabbed his sleeve and pulled him out of the alley
Such trivial civil disputes, involving minor grievances, would certainly not be handled by the Shaoxing Prefectural Office. Strictly speaking, the Shanyin County Office should also not be involved; this is work that should be managed by the community committee, if such committees existed during the Ming Dynasty
The dilapidation of the yamen has its own rationale. During the reign of Emperor Taizu, there was a regulation prohibiting officials from extravagance and ostentation. Thus, throughout the Ming dynasty, it became a norm in the officialdom that officials should not renovate their yamen. If any official could not resist the temptation to allocate funds from the treasury to beautify the yamen, that official would not remain in the newly renovated yamen for long. Soon, a supervising censor would submit a report, leading to the official's transfer, demotion, or dismissal. The beautifully renovated yamen would ultimately serve as a wedding dress for the successor. If any official could not resist the temptation to allocate funds from the treasury to beautify the yamen, that official would not remain in the newly renovated yamen for long. Soon, a supervising censor would submit a report, leading to the official's transfer, demotion, or dismissal. The beautifully renovated yamen would ultimately serve as a wedding dress for the successor.
"The meat compensation... young lady, do not pull, your sleeve has been torn by you. Hey, no matter how I plead, why won’t you listen? Is the yamen (government office) opened by your family?"
Regardless of whether one is going out or entering the city, an auspicious day should be chosen.
Engaging in a lawsuit is certainly a troublesome matter, and what Qin Kan despises most in his life is trouble
In fact, the most that can be done in the yamen is to handle cases in the second hall, and the officials generally prioritize mediation when dealing with cases. Unless you go out and stab a few people to death, or publicly denounce the supervisor of the Eastern Depot as someone who has not risen above base interests (it is no longer novel for common scholars to criticize the emperor, but denouncing the supervisor of the Eastern Depot carries a more thrilling sensation), you would only have the honor of kneeling in the main hall and listening to the two rows of yamen runners banging their staffs on the ground.
"I want to file a complaint! You, go summon the county magistrate!" The beauty's tone was as if she were commanding a household servant, utterly domineering.
Qin Kan felt a chill run through his body when he caught a glimpse of the yamen runners as they were leaving, and then he fell into deep thought
The beautiful woman clearly understood these rules; fortunately, she did not make a scene by angrily beating the drum of injustice. Instead, she discreetly pulled Qin Kan and entered through the side door.
Qin Kan, unable to think too much, adjusted his attire in the second courtyard, stepping in with a solemn expression, feeling somewhat apprehensive. The tall beauty, however, followed behind him with a casual demeanor, occasionally snickering at Qin Kan, causing him to feel a chill run down his back.
The beautiful woman coldly laughed: "You know I am pursuing a thief, yet not only do you not step forward to help, but you also trip me and cause me to get hurt. Are you even human?"
Minor civil disputes cannot be publicly tried in the county court hall; only more serious criminal cases are heard there. Qin Kan has not yet reached that level of qualification
Qin Kan was sweating profusely, his face as pale as winter lettuce.
I was wrong, the yamen is truly run by your family
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The most miserable must be Qin Kan, who bears a tragic sense of calamity descending from the heavens
The woman's grip was surprisingly strong, and even a man as robust as Qin Kan could not break free. Thus, the two of them, amidst the astonished gazes of passersby and scholars on the street, tugged and pulled their way to the yamen.
This young lady, the county magistrate is quite busy, so there is no need to trouble him any further, let's settle this privately...
Yaner, what is the matter with you? How did you end up in such a state
The matter, in fact, is a trivial one, but Qin Kan gradually realizes that this young lady likely does not think so.
When Qin Kan initially stole a chicken from the eastern house and touched a dog in the western house, he certainly did not anticipate that there would come a day when he would face retribution himself
The beautiful woman continued to grip Qin Kan's sleeve tightly, as if afraid he would run away. She turned her head and shot him a glare, her tone very harsh
Indeed, the yamen is run by my family! You ungrateful scoundrel, come with me!
The utterance of "father" was indeed ill-timed, as Qin Kan's expression shifted between pale and flushed. The three remained in silence within the chamber for an indeterminate duration until Qin Kan broke the silence with a sorrowful sigh
In contrast, the beautiful woman wore an expression of self-evidence, with a hint of pride flashing through her bright, dark eyes
Before Qin Kan could pay his respects to the county magistrate, Du Hong noticed the tall beauty behind him. Seeing the beauty's dirty face, her hair disheveled, and a few faint traces of blood between her nose and lips, Du Hong was taken aback, and his expression immediately turned grim
What kind of treatment is this? The county magistrate of Shanyin personally handles trivial matters, is the official so idle to this extent
What is strange?
His gaze was filled with compassion
The standard eight-character wall at the county yamen, contrary to what Qin Kan had imagined, had its ceremonial gate tightly closed, while the side entrance was open. There were no two rows of yamen runners leisurely waiting for you to come and file a lawsuit, nor was there the dramatic scene depicted in television dramas where one would bang the grievance drum vigorously upon arrival at the gate and the book entrance. In fact, the grievance drum at the yamen's entrance should not be struck indiscriminately; unless there is a truly grave injustice, it is better to refrain from beating the drum. Once the drum is struck, it signifies that the complainant does not intend to resolve the matter amicably and is determined to escalate it. If you strike the drum but only bring forth trivial matters, the county magistrate will undoubtedly give you a beating first without a word, and in severe cases, you might face exile or even a prison sentence of several years.
Before long, the middle-aged constable returned and respectfully informed Qin Kan and the beautiful woman that the county magistrate was waiting in the second hall of the yamen
As soon as Du Hong spoke, Qin Kan's expression also changed, becoming even more unpleasant than Du Hong's.
The beautiful woman exhibited a strong will, persistently tugging at Qin Kan's sleeve and refusing to let go. The two of them pulled and tugged their way to the second hall, which served as the administrative office of the yamen. At the entrance of the two rows of rather old side rooms, yamen runners and clerks were constantly coming and going. Starting from the county magistrate, the county deputy, the chief clerk, and various minor officials each occupied a separate office.
Qin Kan gasped in shock and exclaimed loudly, "Father?"
A stunningly beautiful young woman, with a captivating charm, was tripped on the street, falling in a most humiliating manner. Not only did she bleed and sustain injuries, but she also lost all dignity in front of the crowd. Who would not feel a mix of anger and shame in such a situation?
Qin Kan敏感地察觉到，这位衙役恭敬的神态绝对不是针对他的
After a long pause, Qin Kan finally sighed, "I... am not human"
As soon as the words were spoken, the father and daughter of the Du family fixed their cold, piercing gazes upon him, their four eyes glaring with hostility
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As for Qin Kan, he was a strikingly handsome and talented individual, immediately presenting the image of a cultured scholar. All were disciples of Confucius, and given the prevalent practice in the Ming Dynasty of judging individuals by their appearance, Du Hong had a very favorable first impression of Qin Kan
It was as if I received a sympathetic gaze, akin to that of someone who had been bitten by a snake and found no remedy.
Qin Kan said honestly: "I was thinking about the strange look that the constable just gave me..."
In principle, for a minor case like this, the office only requires a clerk to mediate a few words, at most involving the official in charge of law and order, which would be the highest level of involvement. However, when Qin Kan and the other person arrived at the second hall courtyard, a constable informed them that County Magistrate Du was waiting in the west wing of the second hall.
The county magistrate of Shanyin is surnamed Du, with the given name Hong and the courtesy name Yuanzhi. He was a successful candidate in the imperial examination of the third year of the Hongzhi era, and is approximately in his forties. He has served in Shanyin for over three years, and his reputation in office is quite commendable
Do you know how much silver I lost? Twelve taels! I'm already this unfortunate, and you still want to take me to see the officials. Are you even human?" Qin Kan was somewhat angry, his hands tightly clenched into fists
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Qin Kan discovered that the people of the Ming Dynasty had a strong awareness of the law, especially those tall and robust women.
The tall beauty named "Yan'er" looked at Qin Kan with a hint of malice, her eyes reddening as if she had seen a relative. Suddenly, her luscious cherry lips pursed in a display of infinite grievance as she said, "Father, this person is bullying me..."
Unfortunately, this tall woman has chosen today to confront him, insisting on taking him to see the authorities, as if she intends to fan a small spark into a raging inferno
Xiao Bapo now exudes a powerful aura, possessing a commanding presence that seems to look down upon the world and sweep through armies. The middle-aged official is clearly intimidated by this aura; he casts a strange glance at Qin Kan, says nothing, and turns to head towards the second hall of the yamen.