Song Boxue’s voice trailed off. Even to her own ears, her excuse sounded hollow. She felt like a classic “scumbag” ex-girlfriend—taking liberties and then hiding behind a flimsy justification.
Jiang Fanyin smoothed her robes, her body still trembling slightly. “I am tired,” she said wearily. “We still have to go to the yamen together tomorrow.”
Song Boxue’s eyes darkened with relief. She’s still willing to go to the yamen with me? “Alright. Rest well, Sister Jiang.”
As the door clicked shut, a draft of cold night air swept into the room. Jiang Fanyin stood frozen, her fingers tracing the curve of her neck. The wound was tiny, offering only a faint, negligible sting. She couldn’t understand why a mere bite from another woman—especially one who was technically her fiancé—would make her body so terrifyingly sensitive.
Nor did she understand why, in that heated moment, her heart had softened enough to let her drop the dagger. That blade was supposed to be her insurance against the uncontrollable. If Song Boxue’s “episodes” were already reaching this stage, what would happen if they became truly irrepressible?
Panic flared in her chest. She knelt to retrieve the dagger from the floor. She couldn’t afford to let it go again.
Waking up the next morning, Song Boxue was flooded with regret. She had worked so hard to build a sliver of trust with the female lead, and now it felt like she had thrown it all away in a moment of biological impulse.
The walk to the courthouse was shrouded in a suffocating silence. Neither of them made a move to break it.
Upon entering the hall, Song Boxue saw Squire Wang waiting anxiously. Drawing on the original owner’s memories, she struck the gavel with a resonant crack. “Bring in the court!”
Liu Erniang and Young Master Wang were led in. The contrast was stark: Liu Erniang looked relatively composed, while Young Master Wang was carried in on a stretcher, unconscious and pale.
A flicker of awkwardness crossed Song Boxue’s face. Was his constitution really that weak? She had only ordered twenty strokes of the board, and he’d passed out. He was bold enough to be a bully but too fragile to take the punishment.
She cleared her throat. “The prisoner has confessed and signed his statement. Considering this is a first offense, the court sentences him to twenty strokes. Furthermore, the stolen silver must be returned to the plaintiff. Liu Erniang is hereby released.”
Squire Wang gasped. Twenty more strokes? His son was already half-dead; he wouldn’t survive another round. Even if his son had designs on Liu Erniang, he hadn’t actually done anything yet, had he? Surely stealing three taels of silver wasn’t a capital offense.
He no longer dared to look down on this young Magistrate. He dropped to his knees. “Your Honor, might we speak in private?”
With so many commoners watching outside? Song Boxue arched an eyebrow. “Speak your piece here. I have no fondness for ‘private’ conversations.”
Squire Wang bit his tongue and pulled a stack of banknotes from his robe. “This humble subject wishes to donate another thousand taels to contribute to the construction of our county.”
Between the nine hundred taels he’d paid yesterday and this new thousand, he had donated two thousand taels in total—the highest amount among all the merchants. The old saying was true: The word ‘Official’ has two mouths; don’t enter without money. He was certainly learning that lesson the hard way.
Song Boxue straightened her posture and looked toward Jiang Fanyin. “Record it: Lord Wang donates another thousand taels.”
Jiang Fanyin nodded slightly, opened the ledger, and dipped her brush.
“Your Honor.” Squire Wang remained on the floor, hesitating. He wanted to ask if the thousand taels could buy his son out of the remaining lashing, but with the public watching, saying it aloud would make it look like a bribe rather than a “donation.”
Song Boxue, sensing his dilemma, said indifferently, “I forgot to mention—your son already received his twenty strokes in the dungeon this morning. Lord Wang, once you compensate Liu Erniang, you may take him home.”
“Thank you for your mercy, Your Honor! Thank you!” Squire Wang kowtowed twice, feeling a mix of relief and the distinct sensation that he had been played. But he dared not show it. His son had broken the law; they had to take the loss.
After releasing Liu Erniang and hearing the case against Third Master Zhao, Song Boxue retreated to the inner hall for a break. Jiang Fanyin followed silently, trailed by the low-profile Secretary Zhou.
Song Boxue glanced at Zhou and commanded, “Secretary Zhou, go organize the reports from the citizens yesterday. Bring them to me later.”
“Understood.” Zhou glanced at her before leaving. Still fine? The Magistrate’s luck was unnerving. Twice now the “medicine” should have worked. It seemed poison was no longer a viable option.
Once they were alone, Song Boxue took out two banknotes and handed them to Jiang Fanyin. “One hundred taels is from Master Wang—add it to his donation total. The other hundred, record it as a donation from Scholar Li for now.”
These were the only two bribes the original owner had taken. Wang’s was settled; Scholar Li’s was next. Fortunately, Li only wanted a teaching position at the county school. If his talent was sufficient, it wouldn’t be hard to arrange.
Jiang Fanyin took the notes. After recording them, she handed the ledger to Song Boxue. “The total donations currently stand at thirty thousand taels.”
“That much?” Song Boxue stared at the notes. Wasn’t this a backwater? Weren’t the people unable to pay taxes? How were these merchants so wealthy?
“There are several large sums,” Jiang Fanyin noted coolly. “Perhaps some truly wish to help. Others likely seek protection, hoping you will overlook their past transgressions.”
Song Boxue clicked her tongue in amazement. She opened her desk drawer and pulled out a ring of keys. “These banknotes need to be converted to silver and stored in the treasury. These are the keys to the granary and the silver vault.
You keep them for now, Sister Jiang.”
Jiang Fanyin put down her brush but didn’t take them. “Where is the accountant?”
“Fired. I don’t trust anyone else. I’ll feel more at ease leaving them with you,” Song Boxue said as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The original owner had fired the accountant to keep the books secret; it had actually made things easier for her.
Jiang Fanyin lowered her gaze, hiding her confusion. She doesn’t trust anyone else, yet she trusts me this much?
“It is better if you keep them yourself.”
Song Boxue raised an eyebrow. She knew she wouldn’t embezzle anything, but with someone actively trying to kill her, carrying the keys wasn’t safe. Entrusting them to the “morally upright” female lead was the most logical move.
“I’m afraid I’ll get muddled during one of my ‘episodes.’ What if I use the money for personal gain? It’s safer with you.”
Jiang Fanyin’s voice turned icy. “So, you get ‘muddled’ during your episodes, do you?”
“Isn’t it enough that you simply cling to someone’s neck and kiss them?” Jiang Fanyin’s voice carried a sharp edge.
Song Boxue didn’t blink. “Of course not. Didn’t I go out to buy drugs that day? I even tied you up.”
Blaming everything the original owner had done on a “mental episode” was a tactic that never failed.
Jiang Fanyin paused, momentarily taken aback. She didn’t dwell on the matter further, instead shifting her focus. “Who was that pill intended for?”
“For me.”
Song Boxue answered naturally, her tone casual as if the matter were of no consequence.
Jiang Fanyin pulled the dark pill from her robe, her gaze darkening. “This medicine is toxic. Once consumed, it would kill a person within half a day.”
She noted that Song Boxue didn’t look surprised at all; it was as if the revelation merely confirmed a suspicion she already held. Jiang Fanyin pursed her lips, suppressing the confusion growing in her heart.
Now it was Song Boxue’s turn to be puzzled. “Sister Jiang, aren’t you going to ask who gave me this medicine?”
Don’t you care at all about who is trying to kill me?
Jiang Fanyin looked at her and remained silent, appearing entirely indifferent.
Song Boxue felt a slight pang of disappointment. Fine, I was overthinking it. The female lead wouldn’t just care about my safety for no reason.
She hesitated for a moment before lowering her voice. “Secretary Zhou’s wife gave it to my mother. I suspect Secretary Zhou is trying to murder me.”
Secretary Zhou!
Jiang Fanyin’s heart skipped a beat. She immediately recalled that it was Secretary Zhou who had delivered the letter from Jiang Wuyi yesterday. Could it be?
Before she could gather her thoughts or decide how to respond, Secretary Zhou and Jiang Wuyi walked into the room one after the other.
“Your Honor, this is Battalion Commander Jiang,” Secretary Zhou introduced him, keeping his head bowed. “He says there are official duties regarding the city guard that require the cooperation of our Pingchuan County yamen.”
Speak of the devil. Secretary Zhou’s timing was suspiciously perfect.
Song Boxue glanced at Jiang Fanyin, then stood up. “May I ask what military business requires my cooperation, Commander Jiang?”
Jiang Wuyi spared her a disdainful glance, his expression radiating arrogance. “In the military, I hold the rank of a Principal Fifth Class. Magistrate Song, you are a mere Seventh Class official. When meeting a superior, why do you not kneel?”