"Chai Qihong has two sons and a widow. If they wish to attend the hearing, issue summonses for them."

Magistrate Liu continued his instructions.

"Yes, sir!"

Zhao Lin acknowledged the order, then suddenly said, "Your Honor, I have a small suggestion."

"Oh?"

Magistrate Liu glanced at Zhao Lin with interest, then leaned forward and asked, "What suggestion?"

"The East District has been chaotic this year. Homicides have been frequent, yet for a long time, none were solved. Public resentment has been building for a while..."

Sun Zhang’s cheek twitched. Zhao Lin’s words were as good as calling him incompetent to his face. He shot Zhao Lin a vicious glare.

Zhao Lin paid him no mind. ’I’m already in the Magistrate’s good graces. I can afford to ignore this useless superior.’ He continued, "This is our dereliction of duty, and it has also affected Your Honor’s reputation."

Magistrate Liu nodded. "And your suggestion is...?"

Zhao Lin said in a grave voice, "Our dynasty was founded on the principle of filial piety. Yet this Chai Jie has committed patricide—an act intolerable to both heaven and earth!"

"I suggest we post notices and distribute leaflets, allowing any citizen who wishes to observe the hearing into the courtroom."

"This is the only way to promote filial piety and set the record straight. At the same time, it will show the common people the authority of the County Yamen and deter criminals!"

Magistrate Liu immediately grasped the subtext. He realized this was an opportunity to raise his profile and build his reputation.

Although he was approaching his first anniversary in office and had issued numerous edicts, and felt his achievements were impressive, the common folk knew little of them.

Once, he’d accidentally overheard some townspeople still referring to the County Magistrate by his predecessor’s name. This had left him feeling deeply frustrated.

The evidence in this case was ironclad, so there was no risk of a misstep. Holding a public trial was a way to use the case to build his own fame; it was undoubtedly the best kind of publicity.

At this thought, Magistrate Liu’s eyes narrowed into crescents as a smile spread across his face. "Excellent. This suits me perfectly. The Rites Office and the Bailiff Squad will handle it."

The director of the Rites Office and the head of the Bailiff Squad stepped forward and answered, "Yes, sir."

After the morning session, Sun Zhang walked over to Zhao Lin, his hands clasped behind his back. A smile that didn’t reach his eyes played on his lips. "Constable Zhao, you’ve got some impressive methods. Only been here two days and you’ve already solved a murder case."

"It’s all thanks to your guidance, Chief Constable Sun," Zhao Lin replied, his expression unchanging.

Sun Zhang stroked the short beard on his chin. "Since you’re so capable, I imagine you’ll have no trouble solving the other two murder cases, correct?"

Zhao Lin replied evenly, "Those two cases happened nearly six months ago. My predecessor made no progress on them. I’m no Immortal; I can only do my best."

Sun Zhang’s expression soured. With a flick of his sleeves, he stormed away.

He Qingquan watched, shaking his head. ’Young people are just too hot-headed,’ he thought. ’He doesn’t understand the consequences of offending his direct superior. I just hope I don’t get caught in the crossfire.’

Zhao Lin wasn’t bothered. ’The man was already trying to pin the blame on me, so why should I grovel?’

’I went through this in my past life and just took it. This time around? Forget it!’

After leaving the county yamen, Zhao Lin had He Qingquan and Tao Erleng inform Chai Ren and Chai Yi about the next day’s public hearing. He himself went to the docks with Liang Song.

He was worried that if too few people showed up for the public trial tomorrow, it would be embarrassing. So, he went to find Tian Dabang to help gather a crowd.

When Tian Dabang heard Chai Qihong’s case had been solved, he asked in surprise, "You found the killer?"

Zhao Lin deliberately kept him in suspense. "Who do you think the killer is?"

"Who?"

"Chai Jie!"

"Ah... His third son."

Tian Dabang was so shocked his jaw dropped. "That’s absolutely monstrous!" he exclaimed, a thrill in his voice.

"Brother Tian, the county yamen is holding an open hearing tomorrow. Anyone can attend. Could you help me find twenty sharp-witted dockhands to come and liven things up?"

Zhao Lin took out two taels of silver. "I won’t have the men come for nothing," he said. "This is to cover their lost wages."

Tian Dabang tried to refuse. "Constable Zhao, you’re too polite. An event this big, we’d come to watch even if you didn’t pay."

Smiling, Zhao Lin pushed the silver into his hand. "Let’s keep things separate. While I’m here, I need to ask you something else. Where does Chai Qihong’s widow live? There’s something I need to ask her."

Not daring to delay, Tian Dabang went to ask one of his foremen.

A middle-aged laborer spoke up. "Are you asking about Chai Qihong’s second wife, Officer? Her maiden name is Zhou. She lives on Qiniu Lane, the third house on the right."

He finished with a sigh. "So young to be a widow, and with an unborn child, too. Life is going to be hard for her."

Qiniu Lane was in the northern part of the East District. Legend had it that before Qinghe County was even founded, an Immortal had led a divine ox through this area, giving the lane its name.

Zhao Lin and Liang Song arrived at Qiniu Lane only to find it covered in garbage with wastewater flowing freely—a far cry from anything involving Immortals.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK...

The two men stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Soon, a middle-aged woman opened the door a crack and peeked out. "Who are you?"

Liang Song smiled. "We’re constables from the county yamen. Is Madam Chai at home? We need to ask her a few questions."

Noticing their official uniforms, the middle-aged woman opened the door to let them in, then hurried into the house.

A moment later, a woman wearing her hair in a married woman’s bun came out. She stood under the eaves and bowed. "This humble widow greets you, Officers. My home is a mess, so I’m afraid I must ask you to speak with me here in the courtyard."

The woman was of average appearance and only about twenty years old, seemingly the same age as Chai Jie. Her belly was slightly swollen, her pregnancy just starting to show.

Zhao Lin noted that while the courtyard was small, it was quite tidy. He suspected the house wasn’t as messy as she claimed; she likely kept them outside out of a sense of propriety between men and women.

The three of them sat in the courtyard, and Zhao Lin got straight to the point. "We’ve found the person who murdered Chai Qihong. It was Chai Jie."

Madam Chai let out a small gasp, but her expression quickly calmed, as if she had expected it all along.

Zhao Lin asked, "Did you know it was him all along?"

Madam Chai shook her head. "I did not know. But now that I think about it, it makes sense."

"How so?"

Zhao Lin wanted to know Chai Jie’s motive and pressed her for details.

Madam Chai lowered her gaze and spoke softly. "My late husband had three sons with his first wife. The eldest and second were unruly and did not please him, so he sent them out to live on their own once they came of age."

"Only the youngest son, Chai Jie, was handsome, clever, and a sweet-talker. My late husband doted on him and always kept him by his side."

’If that’s the case,’ Zhao Lin thought, ’then when Chai Qihong died, the bulk of the family fortune would have gone to Chai Jie anyway. Why would he resort to such a drastic measure?’

’Was he that impatient?’

Then, Madam Chai continued, "Chai Jie was addicted to drinking, gambling, and women, and was always asking my late husband for money. My husband tried to reason with him many times, but he refused to listen. Their relationship became more and more strained."

"Once, Chai Jie lost over a hundred taels of silver in a single night. In his anger, my husband said he wouldn’t leave him a single coin of the family fortune."

"Chai Jie shot me a hateful glare at that moment. I still remember the look in his eyes."

"I returned to my family home, saying openly that I was unwell and needed them to care for me. But really, I was afraid he would do something to me. I never imagined..."

As she spoke, Madam Chai’s expression darkened.

Zhao Lin and Liang Song exchanged a look.

The second wife was pregnant. Chai Jie felt threatened. He was worried that if she gave birth to a son, the inheritance would no longer be his.

Zhao Lin stood up and took a summons from his robes. "Chai Jie’s public hearing is tomorrow. You should be there."

"Yes, sir..."