Carrying a basket of cherries, Jiang Yihuan knocked cheerfully on Zhu Xian’s door.
“Sister Zhu Xian, I’m here to feed you some cherries!”
Zhu Xian clutched her injured chest and hissed dramatically.
“Ah… that’s exactly what I was craving. Good little sister, come in, quickly!”
Wei Zhao was so embarrassed he was on the verge of losing his temper.
Before dawn the next morning, he hauled Jiang Yihuan out of bed.
“Come on. I’m taking you to the Court of Judicial Review.”
She blinked sleepily.
“Why are we going there?”
“You forgot? You committed a crime. I’m reporting you to the authorities and sending you to jail.”
Jiang Yihuan immediately wrapped herself around a bedpost.
“Maybe… let’s not? I like staying by your side. I’ll work like an ox or a horse for you, okay?”
“No. Come with me.”
Ignoring her protests, Wei Zhao ordered the maids to dress her before forcibly escorting her into a carriage.
The Court of Judicial Review (Dali Temple) stood in the northwestern corner of the imperial palace.
Officials of the fourth rank and above didn’t have to report for morning attendance.
But officials of the fifth rank and below had to clock in every day or suffer a deduction in salary.
The fifth-rank Assistant Administrator of the Dali Temple, Zhao Chengyun, had barely arrived at the office—before he even had a chance to sign in—when Wei Zhao intercepted him.
“Assistant Administrator Zhao, I’m here to report a case.”
Still holding a sesame flatbread, Zhao froze.
“General Wei… Marquis Wei… Chancellor Wei… Junior Grand Tutor Wei… whom exactly are you suing?”
“I’m accusing the Pei family’s daughter, along with the Fu brother and sister, of provoking trouble and publicly assaulting someone from my residence.”
“W-What?”
Wei Zhao pulled Jiang Yihuan forward.
“She’s the victim. Let her explain.”
Zhao Chengyun’s eyes darted about before he hurriedly smiled.
“Please, both of you, have a seat in the main hall. Someone, serve our distinguished guests some tea!”
Above the entrance to the courtroom hung the statue of the mythical Xiezhi, the beast symbolizing justice.
The moment Jiang Yihuan saw it, all her pent-up grievances came flooding out.
She recounted, from beginning to end, exactly how Pei Nianfang and the Fu siblings had bullied her.
Then she couldn’t help but add everything else.
How they had stolen her chickens, ducks, and geese.
How they had pulled up her vegetables.
How every year’s cherries were snatched away before she ever got to eat them.
Wiping away her tears, she sobbed,
“Lord Zhao, embodiment of justice… I’ve finally met a living righteous official. Compared to you, all the officials I’ve met before were practically zombies. Please uphold justice for me!”
Zhao Chengyun felt his head begin to throb.
“…Just keep crying. Please don’t say anything else.”
“Huh?”
Jiang Yihuan looked at him with watery eyes.
Even Wei Zhao slowly lifted his gaze, his expression turning ominous.
“What did you just say?”
“N-No, no! I meant… Miss Jiang, please don’t cry anymore. Seeing you cry breaks my heart.”
Wei Zhao let out a cold laugh.
“I’m a law-abiding citizen. After suffering injustice, the first place I thought to come was your Dali Temple. Don’t disappoint me.”
Inside, Zhao Chengyun silently cursed Wei Zhao’s ancestors ten thousand times.
“…General Wei honors this humble official with such trust. I am deeply humbled. Since I now understand the circumstances, please wait here while our Vice Minister handles the matter.”
Jiang Yihuan couldn’t help asking,
“Vice Minister? Does that mean there’s also an Old Minister? Why are they so late? I heard officials have to report for duty in the morning.”
Zhao Chengyun nearly choked.
“The Dali Temple has one Chief Minister and two Vice Ministers. They handle the daily affairs.”
“They… don’t have to report for attendance.”
“Oh. Why not?”
Zhao Chengyun answered bitterly,
“Because their ranks are higher!”
“I see.”
She nodded before turning toward Wei Zhao.
“You don’t have to report for attendance either, right?”
Wei Zhao flicked the ribbon in her hair.
“That’s right.”
Who would dare make him clock in?
About half an hour later, a court officer came running in.
“Assistant Administrator Zhao, Vice Minister Qiao has arrived.”
Zhao Chengyun nearly burst into tears with relief.
“Quick! Invite him to meet General Wei immediately!”
Although a Vice Minister of the Dali Temple held the prestigious fourth rank, it still fell short of Wei Zhao’s position as a second-rank Junior Grand Tutor to the Crown Prince.
Qiao Shaoqing looked as though he hadn’t slept well. His expression was sour as he entered.
“General Wei? What brings you here?”
The moment he learned Wei Zhao had come to file a complaint, his temper flared.
“Do you understand where this is? This is the Dali Temple—not a place for you to run wild!”
Jiang Yihuan shrank back in fright.
“I… I’m not causing trouble. I’m here to file a complaint.”
Qiao Shaoqing spoke sternly.
“Young lady, let me explain. Fights and assaults are public security matters handled by the Capital Prefecture. Murder and arson are criminal cases handled by the Ministry of Justice. The Dali Temple does not accept complaints directly from common citizens. We do not accept civil complaints!”
Jiang Yihuan blinked.
“Then what does the Dali Temple do? Sit around collecting salaries for nothing?”
Qiao Shaoqing rolled his eyes so hard they nearly disappeared.
“The Dali Temple oversees criminal appeals throughout the realm and helps establish legal statutes. Cases involving exile or the death penalty undergo our review. Political cases—such as members of the imperial family plotting rebellion or someone attempting to receive the Nine Bestowments—also fall under our jurisdiction.”
Jiang Yihuan scratched her fingers thoughtfully.
“Exile… Nine Bestowments…”
“My brother said Wei Zhao wanted the Nine Bestowments. That’s why he tried to assassinate him. Then my brother was exiled.”
Qiao Shaoqing stared at her.
“…Your brother is?”
“His name is Jiang Qianli. Wei Zhao had him exiled three thousand li away. Your court reviewed that case too, didn’t it?”
Qiao Shaoqing sighed heavily.
“We did. I admire your brother for his courage, but attempting to assassinate a high-ranking official is an undeniable crime. Exile was the only lawful sentence.”
He paused before asking,
“And you? Why are you with Wei Zhao?”
“He brought me from the countryside.”
“He said he’s raising me on behalf of my brother.”
Qiao Shaoqing’s beard trembled.
“Stay away from him!”
“Do you even know what the Nine Bestowments signify?”
Wei Zhao appeared glorious on the surface, but in truth his position was as precarious as brocade wrapped around blazing fire.
“Of course I know.”
“It means he refuses to live an ordinary life. It means he’s brave, powerful, and has lofty ambitions.”
“A real man should be like that.”
Qiao Shaoqing: “…”
What an airhead! Then what does that make your brother?
Zhao Chengyun: “…”
Is she really Jiang Qianli’s biological sister?
Wei Zhao burst into laughter and took Jiang Yihuan’s hand.
“Vice Minister Qiao, we’ve talked long enough.”
“How are you going to rule on the Pei and Fu families?”
“And don’t tell me you don’t accept complaints from civilians.”
“I’m an official.”
“This counts as an official complaint.”
It was an utterly shameless distortion of the law.
An “official complaint” referred to cases formally submitted to the Dali Temple by government offices such as the Capital Prefecture, the Ministry of Justice, or local administrations.
Qiao Shaoqing forced a smile.
“Since General Wei has personally come, how could I let you leave empty-handed?”
“My decision is this: both families shall apologize to Miss Jiang and compensate her medical expenses.”
Jiang Yihuan sighed.
“Vice Minister Qiao certainly settles cases quickly.”
“In Wuzhou, there was a scholar whose place in the provincial examinations was stolen.”
“He spent three years seeking justice without success.”
“In the end, he fell into a river and drowned.”
Qiao Shaoqing fell silent before asking quietly,
“This happened in Wuzhou?”
“Yes.”
“He went from the county office to the prefectural office over and over but had nowhere to appeal.”
“He planned to come to the capital to seek justice.”
“But before he could leave, he accidentally drowned.”
Wei Zhao sneered.
“Accidentally drowned?”
“More likely he was murdered in retaliation.”
“Only a place like Wuzhou would allow such a thing.”
“In the seven prefectures under my command, something like that would never happen.”
Jiang Yihuan looked at him with admiration.
“Wei Zhao, you’re amazing.”
“No wonder you’re entrusted with command over the armies of seven prefectures.”
Hand in hand, the two of them left.
Qiao Shaoqing rubbed his temples.
“Zhijie, I’ll draft the judgment for Wei Zhao.”
“You, meanwhile, send someone to retrieve the case files from Wuzhou.”
Zhao Chengyun was startled.
“My lord… the scholar is already dead, and the local authorities never reported the case.”
“Shouldn’t we just—”
Qiao Shaoqing interrupted sharply.
“They don’t dare report it.”
“Does that mean I don’t dare investigate it?”
“Go. Immediately!”
If Wei Zhao dared to covet the Nine Bestowments…
Then surely he could dare to investigate a single case.