Chapter 10, trespassing into a private residence, shot dead on the spot

Zhang Xue recalled and immediately realized that this matter was not trivial. Although Shen Tingyang held only the rank of a sixth-grade official, which was far lower than his position as the governor of Suzhou, the Shen family was simultaneously one of the wealthy families in Suzhou, wielding considerable influence

Recently, the student went to collect a debt and discovered that the former master and mistress of the Dong family had both passed away, leaving only their solitary daughter. Out of compassion and in respect for their filial piety, the student is willing to use the remaining houses and looms of the Dong family's embroidery workshop, along with the future labor of Miss Dong, as collateral to absolve the Dong family of their debts

The two deceased bodies need not be brought to the court, as the trial is being conducted in a different location and several days have already passed. Moreover, it is summer and quite hot. The coroner from Suzhou Prefecture will conduct the autopsy, examine the bodies, and prepare the relevant documents. The cause of death in this case is not disputed, and these details are not significant.

The following afternoon, approximately one and a half days after the incident.

Seeing Cai Shouxin rush in, the neighbors shook their heads and sighed, secretly thinking that this Cai must be about to succeed today

Because the main door was half ajar, outsiders could not see clearly, only hearing the continuous sounds of shouting and wailing from inside. Before long, seven or eight individuals, bloodied and battered, stumbled out of the door in a disheveled state

After a while, someone in the crowd suddenly exclaimed: "That Cai Shouxin is probably not going to survive! His head is all twisted!"

However, just as he got up, the court clerk Xu Youliang suddenly burst in, holding a case file in his hand, as if a major incident had occurred

Xu Youliang explained with a smile: "This case spans across counties. The perpetrator is from Taicang, while the victim is from Kunshan, and the crime scene is also in Kunshan. Kunshan County originally wanted to take over the case, but the defendant from Taicang has filed a complaint according to the law and has also countersued the deceased for trespassing and robbery of a servant, fearing that Kunshan County would protect its own."

Zhang Xue was born into a wealthy family and had a passion for calligraphy and painting. His reputation as a painter is historically ranked alongside figures such as Wu Weiye and Dong Qichang, particularly excelling in landscapes and trees. However, he was not very attentive to political affairs; now, witnessing the turbulent state of the Ming dynasty, he only wishes to avoid any incidents during his tenure.

Outside Dongjia Embroidery Workshop, a group of local bullies appeared early in the morning, blocking the entrance and making a commotion

Upon hearing this, Cai Shouxin's anger flared up. For a moment, he did not think of the Shen family, as they were located in Taicang, not in the local area of Kunshan.

In fact, the debts owed by Dongjia Embroidery Workshop in previous years were not limited to a single creditor, but involved several lenders, with the largest amount owed to the Shen family—this is a common occurrence. Before any business goes bankrupt, it is certain to have sought various remedies in desperation, having borrowed from all possible sources, resulting in a complex web of creditor relationships

Dong Bai, come out! My father, seeing your plight and out of filial piety, agreed to help your family bear the external debts and to take over this embroidery shop once your mourning period is over. Now, our family has already helped you fend off external debts for more than a year, and you actually want to breach the contract!

In the late Ming Dynasty, the profession of litigation expert had already emerged, although there were no strict "lawyer qualifications". Essentially, anyone who was a scholar with good eloquence and adept at drawing on various references could serve as a litigation expert. There were no regulations governing temporary participation in this role.

The leader is a brash and aggressive young man in his twenties, named Cai Shouxin, who is the son of Dong Liang, the former manager of the Dong family. After Dong Liang established his own business, he had his sons revert to their original surname.

The accountant appeared to be in a state of panic, yet he took advantage of the neighbors who had gathered around and meticulously shouted to plug the leaks:

The Suzhou Prefecture operates entirely in accordance with judicial procedures

The servants of the Shen family who chased after them were relentless: "Stop! You have trespassed into private property and committed acts of violence, do you still expect to escape?"

The onlookers were left dumbfounded, and it took them a while to realize: this household was the creditor of Dong Xiaoniang's embroidery shop from last night, quite a significant figure! The arrangement is loose on the outside but tight on the inside, clearly having been prepared in advance.

Zhang Xue's enthusiasm for painting was interrupted, leaving him quite displeased; these violent matters are truly a blight on the scenery

Just the night before, before going to bed, the student, out of caution, informed the steward who had come along, stating that starting today, this Dong family embroidery workshop would belong to the Shen family. It must be guarded with the same rigor as their own estate, and in the event of any disturbances or unauthorized intrusions by others, they must be expelled with strictness.

Later, it was solely because the deceased was too reckless, leading a group of men armed with weapons into the courtyard, attempting to search for and seize Miss Dong. It was only out of a sense of duty to protect my master that the servants of the Shen family engaged in a struggle, during which the leader of the bandits was shot dead.

Beside Cai Shouxin, there were seven or eight servants and hangers-on, who could hardly be considered professional thugs; they were merely the embroiderers and weavers of the Cai family, temporarily summoned by the young master to intimidate others

The student immediately went to make arrangements. The master clerk promptly took the order and left.

At the beginning, Shen Shuren did not invite Gu Yanwu, as this matter was quite secretive. However, after the incident occurred, his friends were very concerned about him, visiting to ask various questions, wanting to know if he had committed any wrongdoing

Shen Shuren held the title of a scholar, thus he did not kneel, and before responding, he merely clasped his hands in salute.

Madam Dong willingly agreed to this transaction, and on that day, a contract was established. Not only was the estate transferred, but the deed tax was also settled, with neighbors and villagers serving as witnesses.

Yesterday, the young master of my family personally came to collect the debt. She has already agreed to settle it with the embroidery workshop and her own body, and has signed a contract to that effect. If you continue to cause a disturbance, do not blame me for reporting to the authorities

After Zhang Xue confirmed his identity, he did not make things difficult for Gu Yanwu, as he had heard of Gu Yanwu's scholarly reputation and knew that he was not a professional litigator who took money to file lawsuits, but was indeed helping a friend.

The accountant shouted fiercely, much like a lawyer in later generations, yet his body was unwilling to suffer any harm. Upon seeing the thugs approaching with wooden sticks, he immediately sidestepped, allowing these bandits to enter freely

Upon a brief examination, Shen Shuren also discovered that he was merely proficient in legal theory, yet not skilled in citing classical texts or in using Confucian principles to legitimize and embellish legal theory. By combining his legal reasoning with Gu Yanwu's extensive references, the outcome might be even better, thus he agreed to this matter

Note: The governors of the Ming Dynasty held ranks of the fourth and fifth grades, which were determined by the level of the prefecture, with the standard being based on tax grain. Prefectures with over 200,000 shi of grain were considered superior. The grain allocation for Suzhou Prefecture was 590,000 shi, which alone was three times that of a superior prefecture, thus Zhang Xueceng held the rank of fourth grade.

Dong Liang is not a party involved; he is merely a victim's family member, that is to say, a "victim's relative"

The next day, Cai Shouxin came to provoke, insisting that they had a prior secret agreement with Dong Xiaoniang, which the student naturally could not believe. The student had never instructed the servants to harm anyone. In fact, that morning, the student was still sleeping in the manor, completely unaware of anything.

Murder! Murder! Someone has robbed a residential house and committed murder! Hurry, report to the authorities!" The injured crowd shouted while rolling and crawling, trying to escape

The reason lies in the mutual refusal to submit to authority, and the individual making this appeal is from the prominent family of Shen, an official in the Ministry of Revenue's Transport Division in Taicang. Therefore, no one dares to act independently. Your Excellency, to speak frankly, Shen is indeed a sixth-rank official in the capital, and when it comes to matters concerning his family, Kunshan County truly cannot exert control.

After much contemplation, Zhang Xuezeng could only sigh and say: "Very well, you go ahead and make arrangements, and quickly summon the relevant individuals to the case. Once everyone is gathered, we can schedule the hearing for tomorrow or the day after. Alas, starting off with the Suzhou Prefecture's examination, it is likely that we will have to go to the Nanjing Ministry of Justice for a review. The people below are truly causing trouble."

However, before the crowd could finish their sighs, an unexpected change suddenly occurred in the courtyard

Zhang Xue asked him a few basic questions, then confirmed the identities of the various individuals involved in the case. Noticing that there was a scholar beside Shen Shuren who was not kneeling and was assisting him, Zhang Xue then inquired:

Yesterday, my young master made a clear agreement with Miss Dong when they established their contract. The Dong family owes money to other creditors, and my young master will certainly repay it for her! If you dare to rush in again, it will be considered trespassing and an attempt to commit violence

Cai Shouxin has always been infatuated with Dong Bai's figure, repeatedly pleading with his father to bring the daughter of the late master back home. However, due to Dong Bai's insistence on observing filial piety, he has not succeeded. How could he allow someone else to snatch away this opportunity that is so close at hand

Among Shen Shuren's friends, the one who read the most was Gu Yanwu, who had also delved into laws, the classics of various dynasties, and the judgments of the Spring and Autumn Annals

... ...

Especially the beauty of Dong Bai, which is quite rare in the Kunshan area. In the presence of such beauty, even with the risk of gambling with one's life, many young and vigorous men are still willing to fight fiercely.

Such trivial matters can no longer be tolerated? The great Ming dynasty is in such disarray, it is no longer surprising to encounter such incidents

After Cai Shouxin finished speaking, he sternly commanded the hired hands to charge inside

Alas, the world is in decline, and heaven does not favor the good! Such treacherous servants dare to rebel against their masters, and there comes a day when they even rob the master's daughter. Heaven truly has no eyes!

Shen Shuren stated with neither arrogance nor servility: "Returning to the court, this matter is absolutely unfounded. The embroidering shop of the Dong family involved in the case clearly owes the student’s family over 2,800 taels of silver for raw silk, which has been overdue for nearly two years.

Although the Ming Dynasty did not explicitly stipulate the "two-instance final adjudication system," the level of the initial review evidently also influenced the level of the final re-examination and verification of the case

Zhang Xueceng struck the gavel and first questioned Shen Shuren: "Shen Lin, Dong Liang from Kunshan accuses you of robbing his estate and people, which were established by contract beforehand. His son Cai Shouxin came to confront you, and you even allowed your powerful servants to beat him to death. Is this true?"

Your Excellency, there is a case here that may involve several lives. The situation is quite urgent. Would it be possible to arrange a hearing in the near future?

In order to reassure his friends, Shen Shuren at this moment pretended, with discretion, that "I also only read the "Great Ming Code" after the incident and found that this matter is truly not my fault; it was the other party who committed the crime first," and then he briefly outlined his reasoning for the appeal.

He frowned and said: "Although homicide cases can be reviewed by the provincial government, if they are not particularly serious, the county can first adjudicate and then submit for review. Why is it that this has escalated to the government office right from the start?"

Two days later, Shen Shuren and Dong Liang, along with the servants who had fought that day and other attendants present, were all summoned to the governor's office.

The Shen family's faction, if they were to come knocking for debt collection, how could they possibly present themselves in such a shabby manner? They don't even have a single enforcer; relying solely on an accountant to recover years of bad and dead debts? It must certainly be a scheme!

Meanwhile, due to the previous mutual accusations of procrastination, quite a few onlookers from the neighboring houses have gathered to watch the commotion

... ...

Scoundrel! You still want to bite back, how shameless!

In addition, there were seven or eight other individuals injured between the two parties, among whom three or four sustained injuries severe enough to result in amputations, while the remaining injuries were of a more superficial nature. All the injured individuals would naturally be taken outside the hall to wait.

After the yamen runners and the clerks took their respective positions, Zhang Xueceng leisurely walked to the center and took a seat.

Shen Lin, what is the identity of the person beside you? Why have they come to court?

In the main hall of the Suzhou Prefectural Yamen, Zhang Xueceng had finished his official duties and, as usual, planned to wrap up early, handing over the remaining mundane tasks to the clerks, so that he could return to his room to paint and cultivate his artistic temperament

The scholar politely clasped his hands and said: "Returning to the magistrate of Zhang's residence, I am Gu Jiang, a student from Kunshan County, and a friend of Shen Lin. A few days before and after the incident, I happened to have traveled with Shen Lin and have some understanding of the sequence of events. Since Shen Lin is not good with words, he has requested me to speak on his behalf."

Cai Shouxin, in a fit of anger, exclaimed: "Nonsense! The Dong family embroidery shop owes a great deal of money to many creditors. How can you deceive and take advantage of a young girl! Go, take back this house and return it to Madam Dong! If the house is to be divided, it must be done through a public discussion with all the creditors!"

A refined-looking middle-aged man emerged, sporting a goatee, resembling a bookkeeper, and there were no bodyguards around him.

After a short while of clamoring from the Cai family, the gate of the embroidery shop slowly opened

The accountant cleared his throat, displaying an air of arrogance and speaking in a cold tone: "How dare you make such a racket here! This young lady of the Dong family owes my family money and has not repaid it for several years

The servants of the Shen family also wield long staffs, without any sharp blades. However, these staffs are generally more formidable than those used by troublemakers, as they are not only longer but also forged from fine iron. In no time, they subdued and captured those on the opposing side who were slower in their escape.

Suzhou Prefecture, Wu County

Gu Yanwu, upon seeing Shen Shuren's appeal, was struck by the profound and subtle reasoning behind it, which evoked a sense of historical grandeur in the pursuit of justice. Feeling a surge of inspiration, he offered to assist his friend in the appeal.

In the conflict at Dongjia Embroidery Workshop, two individuals accidentally lost their lives in the end. One was Cai Shouxin, the son of Dong Liang, and the other was the leader of the thugs from the Cai family who had fought the hardest that day.