Upon seeing that some of his own men were among the crowd, County Magistrate Yu’s face turned even darker. Pretending not to recognize them, he pointed at Gu Qingyun.
“Constable Gu, why are you here as well?”
Gu Qingyun cupped her fists. “My Lord, while on duty tonight, your subordinate noticed several people in the city looking listless and pale, seeming off, so I quietly followed them under cover of night. Just as I arrived, I saw them plunging into the river like dumplings into boiling water, so I stepped in to pull them out. Your subordinate left her post without permission; please mete out punishment, My Lord.”
County Magistrate Yu’s expression softened slightly. “An emergency demanded urgent action—what crime could you possibly have committed?”
He looked past Wang Hu and the others, pointing at the crowd on the riverbank. “Bring them all back.”
...
The atmosphere inside the county yamen’s duty office was stiflingly grave. County Magistrate Yu sat at the head of the room, flanked by the Registrar and the Advisor. Head Constable Liu stood first in line below, while Gu Qingyun and the younger constables stood on the opposite side. Wang Hu and his companions knelt on the floor, quiet as cicadas in winter.
Seeing their pathetic, cowering display, County Magistrate Yu was so incensed that he let out a cold laugh.
“What sheer audacity! To treat our regulations as nothing and dare sneak out of the city gates in the dead of night—you have dragged my dignity through the mud! Look at yourselves! In half a month, it will be time for the inter-county constable martial tournament. In your sorry state, how can you possibly compete? You’ll be knocked flat the instant you step into the ring!”
Wang Hu and the others had their spirit essence drained, followed by a soaking in the icy river. By now, they were swaying on the verge of collapse. County Magistrate Yu paced back and forth with his hands clasped behind his back. Disgusted by the sight of them, he waved a dismissive hand.
“Enough. You lot, hurry back and rest. You are granted five days of leave each. Tend to your health and report back to duty immediately once you've recovered. Each of you is docked two months of food and wage allowance!”
As if granted a royal pardon, Wang Hu and his companions stammered, “Thank you, My Lord!”
They kowtowed three times to the County Magistrate and supported one another as they shuffled out. As they passed Gu Qingyun, their lips twitched as they whispered their heartfelt thanks.
Once Wang Hu was gone, County Magistrate Yu looked at the assembled constables and ordered, “Go register every single one of those men, then escort them home door to door. Mind you, do it at the top of your lungs. Make sure everyone knows where they were tonight and what disgraceful deeds they were up to!”
Everyone lowered their heads and stared at the floor, pretending to count ants. The County Magistrate was clearly speaking in a fit of rage. If they actually carried out that order, wouldn't they be grinding those families’ reputations into the dirt?
Nearly half of those caught came from wealthy households, some from well-to-do families, and a few even belonged to official lineages. There was no reason for ordinary constables to make such dangerous enemies.
County Magistrate Yu also realized the impropriety of his words and gave a light cough. “Very well. Register their names in the official ledger and inform their families to come redeem them. The Registrar and Advisor will oversee the matter and set the redemption fees based on each family’s assets. Work diligently tonight; everyone will be rewarded tomorrow, funded directly from those redemption fees. As for how much, we shall discuss it tomorrow.”
...
Ping’an Street, the Zhu residence—one of the premier wealthy households in Jiangyin County. That very night, Master Zhu was exerting himself vigorously in a maidservant’s bedchamber.
The steward called out from outside the door, “Master, something has happened! The young master slipped out of the city past curfew and was apprehended by the constables. They’re demanding that we go to redeem him!”
Caught right at the height of his passion, Master Zhu felt a sudden spasm in his lower back. Flustered and furious, he roared, “Just handle a trivial matter like this yourself! Why come disturb me? Isn’t the Madam still around?”
The steward stammered hesitantly, “B-but the constable said we should bring a physician along. He said the young master is unwell, and that we must head to the yamen to learn the particulars.”
Throughout the night, conversations like this played out across numerous grand estates. Half the manors in the county seat blazed with lantern light, and physicians all over town were dragged out of bed in litters to treat patients. Among those fished from the water, those with frailer constitutions had already broken into high fevers.
Gu Qingyun and Bai Fan had also been commandeered on short notice, tasked with patrolling the night while notifying households within their beat to come redeem their sons and husbands.
Bai Fan felt completely dazed by the sheer scale of it all. As expected of his Sister Yun—in such a short span of time, she had pulled off something so monumental. At the thought of tomorrow’s reward money, energy coursed through his entire body. Sticking close to Sister Yun truly meant getting a share of the meat!
“Sister Yun, when do you think they’ll distribute the reward money today?”
After coming off duty, the Clerk reminded them not to leave the yamen vicinity. Gu Qingyun and Bai Fan found a nearby noodle stall for breakfast, and now, they were happily wolfing down flatbreads purchased from a roadside vendor.
“I’m not sure,” Gu Qingyun replied. “I heard the Clerk mention that the wealthy families paid exorbitant redemption sums last night, and half of it seemed to be hush money.”
Whenever Gu Qingyun thought about how she was the one who had saved all those people, she reasoned that even if those families were stingy and only gave a single tael each in gratitude, the total would still be quite a handsome sum.
Tsk, tsk. With so much silver, she wouldn't even know how to spend it all. Making money was simply too easy!
Her days consisted solely of practicing martial arts, interspersed with reporting for duty and patrolling the streets. She had no interest in colorful, gaudy dresses. The garments Eldest Miss Yu had gifted her previously were all in dark, subdued shades—she liked them very much, though she hadn't even had the chance to wear them yet. In short, she barely had any expenses.
It seems I should find time to buy gold bracelets for all the women in the family to bring them some joy. Perhaps during the New Year.
At the thought of Old Lady Zhang and the others gasping in astonishment and delight, heaping endless praise upon her at the sight of the gold bracelets, the corners of Gu Qingyun’s lips curled into a smile.
Indeed, mastering a craft truly made earning a living easy wherever one went. In the past, the household had counted every copper just to scrape by; now, she could actually contemplate buying gold bracelets for everyone.
In the future, she might even be able to buy them full bridal headpiece sets, just like those aristocratic young ladies in storybooks who gave them away with a flick of a sleeve. The mere thought filled her with vigor.
“Sister Yun, what are you daydreaming about with such a smitten grin?”
Bai Fan’s voice jerked her back to reality. Blushing slightly, Gu Qingyun cleared her throat. “Nothing much. Just feeling a bit excited about the reward money.”
Bai Fan stopped mid-bite into his steamed bun, turning his head to stare at her with wide eyes. “Sister Yun, I honestly thought you only cared about martial arts in this world. Every time you received a reward before, you never seemed thrilled—it was always this calm, indifferent reaction. I really thought you viewed worldly wealth as dirt.”
Gu Qingyun was left entirely speechless. She had no idea she held such an exalted, aloof image in Bai Fan’s mind.
“You’re reading too much into it. I have a whole household of mouths to feed back home. How could I not love reward money?”
Bai Fan nodded in approval. “A Sister Yun who partakes in earthly desires feels much more real.”
Gu Qingyun gave him a sidelong glance. “All right, finish your bun quickly. We need to head back to the yamen and wait.”
Early that morning, the County Magistrate and the Advisor arrived at the martial training ground. Gu Qingyun and the constables stood assembled below. Stroking his beard, County Magistrate Yu addressed them:
“Regarding last night’s events, everyone worked hard. All the individuals involved have paid their ransoms and departed. A portion of that sum was hush money, from which your rewards have been distributed. Yesterday’s affair is now concluded and done with; do not mention it again, lest it stir unrest in the county seat.
“In addition, this official wishes to specially commend Constable Gu. She has been conscientious and diligent on duty, stepping forward in the face of trouble, and on this occasion, she saved numerous lives.
“I have decided to take initiative and grant you the yellow horse in the stables as a reward. If you lack space to keep it, it may remain in the yamen stables, where the grooms will tend to it alongside the others.”
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