"Ready to go undercover, County Magistrate Tang stayed with Manbao and the others at the temple until 7 p.m., watching a group of teenagers happily running down the hill with two rhizomys."
The group called Manbao and Bai Shan over and found a hollow in the mountain to start roasting the rhizomys.
Although County Magistrate Tang had camped out with friends before, and had roasted plenty of things with his father when they went out, roasting rhizomys... this was a first for him.
Seeing how dexterously the teenagers worked, and Manbao picking up firewood to light a fire as if it were second nature, he squatted on the side and asked, "Do you guys do this often?"
"No," Manbao shook his head, "I only do it once a year, they do it more often."
Bai Erlang chipped in from the side, "That’s because you’re all lazy. Every Double Ninth Festival we call you to join us, but you never do."
County Magistrate Tang watched them playfully squabbling with a smile, and then he got a small piece of rhizomys meat. After eating the meat, they strolled down the busy mountain path a bit more before everyone decided to head home.
County Magistrate Tang then said with a laugh, "In that case, I won’t see you off further."
Driven by curiosity, Bai Erlang asked, "Aren’t you returning to the county town, sir?"
"The court is closed for a couple of days, and I get along well with Taoist Shouqing, so I’m staying here for two days. If you come to play around here, feel free to come and chat with me."
He made it sound like he would really be staying there.
Bai Erlang, unaware of the situation, replied rather bashfully, "We can’t come tomorrow, sir. You have a good time here, Taoist Shouqing is a really nice person."
County Magistrate Tang nodded with a smile.
Bai Erlang had come with the other village boys on foot, and naturally wanted to walk back too. Everyone held torches in their hands, which made the collective walk back an interesting experience.
The group invited Manbao and Bai Shan to join them, which they readily agreed to, and off they went together.
After leaving Dali Village, some of them started singing songs. Bai Erlang bustled about seeking fun, and when he glanced back occasionally, he realized something was amiss. Hurrying back, he found Bai Shan, "Where are Daji and the carriage?"
Bai Shan looked back nonchalantly and said, "They must be lagging behind. Let’s keep going; could Daji get lost?"
Bai Erlang thought the same and didn’t dwell on it, running along with the rest.
When they were nearly back to Qili Village, Daji finally caught up with the carriage, leisurely trailing behind. Since they had already walked that far, nobody wanted to take the carriage anymore, so they continued on their own way.
Daji drove the empty carriage back home and headed straight to the courtyard.
Manbao found the three boys who were all played out in the crowd, "Go tell the family I’m going to Bai Shan’s house."
"Young Miss, it’s past 7 p.m., aren’t you going home to sleep?"
Manbao replied, "I’m in no rush, I’m not tired."
The boy envied her, "I’m not tired either, but I have to go to bed. Young Miss, can I tell my family and maybe mention to my mother that I’m staying at Bai Shan’s house to keep you company?"
Manbao refused, "No way, you’re still young. You should sleep well if you want to grow tall, you know?"
The boy protested, "...Young Miss, I’m even two months older than you."
But by then, Manbao had already turned to leave with Bai Shan.
The boy watched her retreating figure and sighed, feeling more and more that the young miss was becoming heartless.
When Manbao followed Bai Shan back to the Bai Family household, County Magistrate Tang was already standing inside the main hall, talking to Old Madam Liu, and the two of them immediately jogged inside.
Old Madam Liu frowned at them and said, "Why run into the presence of an honored guest? Isn’t that discourteous?"
Yet County Magistrate Tang simply smiled and said, "Old Madam is too polite. I quite like seeing them this way, no need to be too formal."
The two of them smiled awkwardly, then gazed eagerly at Old Madam Liu.
Old Madam Liu had pondered for an entire afternoon and had indeed made up her mind. She turned and invited County Magistrate Tang to her courtyard’s study, where she personally retrieved a box. Upon opening it, inside were three letters and four testimonies.
She pushed the box towards County Magistrate Tang.
County Magistrate Tang reached out and first flipped through the letters.
The letters were all sent by County Magistrate Bai to his family. The paper had turned yellow but was well-preserved; only, perhaps because they were often opened and read, some of the creases were almost falling apart.
County Magistrate Tang read through them carefully, then proceeded to examine those testimonies.
There were four testimonies in total, and to County Magistrate Tang’s surprise, besides one from Erji and one from those three people from four years ago, there were also two very old testimonies.
Old Madam Liu said, "These two people were caught by the villagers as thieves while snooping around my estate twelve years ago."
County Magistrate Tang asked, "What happened to them?"
Old Madam Liu lowered her gaze and said, "They succumbed to their severe injuries on the spot. We reported it to the local authorities; since they were thieves, nobody came to claim the bodies."
County Magistrate Tang frowned slightly, but in these fights where it was either you die or I die, he did not demand too much.
After examining all the testimonies, County Magistrate Tang asked, "Does the Old Madam have anything else on hand?"
Old Madam Liu shook her head.
County Magistrate Tang, not entirely satisfied, said, "Since the Old Madam wishes for me to investigate this case, it would be best to be frank."
Old Madam Liu said, "There really is nothing left."
County Magistrate Tang said, "I want to meet Erji."
"Erji is incapacitated and can only lie in bed..."
"Old Madam Liu, Erji is the only survivor. I must see him. If not now, I will eventually have to meet him one day. If you hide him for a lifetime, then this case will also have to be hidden away for a lifetime."
Old Madam Liu’s mouth opened, and Bai Shan stepped forward and tugged at her sleeve, whispering, "Grandmother..."
Old Madam Liu deflated and stepped back, "Alright, I will send him to a place in due time, and you can meet him there."
"Your family has shops or estates in Yizhou City, right? Just send him there."
Old Madam Liu, "How can that be possible?"
County Magistrate Tang said, "The most dangerous place is often the safest. Besides, the magistrate of Huayang County is from this county. The Old Madam just needs to rest assured, whatever condition the person you send in is in, that’s the condition I will return him in."
County Magistrate Tang continued, "I cannot leave Huayang County for too long, and obviously, you cannot send the person here within a day or two. Moreover, the case happened in Yizhou City originally; it would be best to investigate there again."
Bai Shan and Manbao nodded together, "Yes, yes, and we are also in Yizhou City."
Bai Shan said, "It’s very difficult to take leave from the prefectural school."
Manbao, "I also can’t always be absent from the pharmacy."
Old Madam Liu thought to herself: I just don’t want you two to get involved.
But facing County Magistrate Tang’s smiling eyes, Old Madam Liu could only sigh and agree.
Lord Wei had agreed to help her investigate the case, but with his myriad daily duties, it was clear he could not devote much effort to it. Besides, as an official of high rank, he was closely watched, with every move being scrutinized. As such, after four years, little progress had been made.
As Bai Shan grew day by day, and Old Madam Liu aged by the day, she did not want to drag things on any longer.
Thus, when Yang Heshu and Tang He started their investigation, she made no moves, letting them trace the case from Manbao to Zhou Yin, and thus opportunistically pulled the whole case into the light.