History of Women in the Wei Dynasty

The emperor instructed Wei Yao to familiarize herself with the criminal law as soon as possible, as now was a good opportunity. The emperor was determined to severely punish the five princes who had been impeached by the Censorate, and the initial measure was to arrest the officials in the princes' mansions who had amassed wealth and committed evil deeds and imprison them in the imperial prison.

Gu Kai, who served as the "Court Attendant," was a confidant of Yuan Zhi, the Prefect of Sizhou. After taking office, Wei Yao transferred him to assist her. The two waited in the torture chamber. The prison was very cold. Wei Yao warmed her hands by the fire while carefully reading the charges against He Erhun brought by the Censorate.

Gu Kai silently stirred the charcoal fire. Having solved cases for many years, he understood that there must be a special reason why Wei Shaoqing chose an inconspicuous palace attendant from among more than a hundred criminals to try him.

Gu Kai guessed correctly.

Like many impoverished noble families, He'erhun sought opportunities to serve powerful ministers. His crimes included bribing officials, robbing merchants, beating ordinary people, and seizing houses and farmland.

Among the numerous charges submitted, one memorial stated that... In the "Crane Cry Pavilion" of the western market of the city, there was a courtesan named Li Songgui, renowned for his singing, dancing, and acrobatics. He frequently visited the residences of powerful figures, relying on his skills. He Erhun's appointment as Right Attendant of the Prince of Guangping's court was due to Li Songgui's connections. Upon review by the Censorate, it was found that He Erhun had purchased his official position first, and the previous Right Attendant of the Prince of Guangping's court, Wu Bo'an, had died unjustly. Therefore, the Censorate submitted a memorial impeaching He Erhun and demanding a trial.

The Imperial Censor who submitted the memorial to the throne added that Wu Bo'an was killed when he was struck in the abdomen by a cow while walking on the south street of the Luoshui Floating Bridge.

Luoshui Floating Bridge South Street, the place where Wei Yao was killed in her previous life by a carriage marked with the character "He".

He Erhun was He Lan's cousin.

He Lan is the woman Zong Yin loves outside of his marriage.

Wei Yao couldn't help but speculate that Wu Bo'an's death was the key to uncovering the reason for her violent death in her previous life! There was a commotion outside the torture chamber, and then several jailers brought He Erhun in and tied him to the wooden post used for whipping.

He Er was terrified and kept repeating, "You can't use torture to interrogate me, you can't use torture to interrogate me..."

A pretty woman in official robes stood in front of the jailer, and He'erhun's panicked gaze slowly focused on one thing.

"No criminal trial, no way—ah—"

Wei Yao pressed a red-hot hook against his side, and the smell of burning filled the air instantly! He Erhun screamed and struggled violently, his veins bulging as if they were about to burst through his skin, and tears, snot, and stinky urine all flowed out at once.

Wei Yao handed the iron hook to Gu Kai and said, "This is the Imperial Prison of the Court of Justice. The Emperor has ordered a strict interrogation of you. There is no need to follow the custom of not interrogating criminals in the dead of winter."

He Erhun was cowardly and despicable. Before being asked, he hurriedly said, "Whatever the lady wants to ask, I will confess, sob... I will confess."

Wei Yao sat back in her previous seat, dipped her brush in ink, and asked, "Did you receive any advance warning before your arrest?"

"Ah."

Gu Kai yelled at him, "Yes!"

He Erhun, with a grimace, changed his story: "Yes, I got wind of it."

"Who told you that?" Wei Yao asked.

"Zhang Zhongyu, the secretary and military advisor of the Prince's mansion."

Wei Yao: "Zhang Zhongyu? The second son of Zhang Yi, the governor of Qin Prefecture?"

He Erhun first sniffled and replied "Hmm," then immediately changed his answer to "Yes."

The list of officials arrested this time was jointly reviewed by the Imperial Censor and the Court of Justice, and those court officials who were not unnecessarily implicated were removed. Zhang Zhongyu was not on the list, so Wei Yao only noted him down and did not pursue the matter further. "From whom did you learn... that Li Songgui could help you become an official in the Prince of Guangping's court?"

He Erhun: "It was a coincidence. Once, when I was using the toilet at Heti Pavilion, I happened to overhear Li Songgui talking to a man about buying an official position."

Wei Yao: "So, you don't know that man?"

“I don’t know him. He walked past me and covered his face with his sleeve.”

"Describe his physique and voice."

"Yes." He Erhun tried his best to recall, but his memory of that day and that moment was unclear, and after so much time, it had become even more blurred.

At this moment, a jailer stopped at the door. Gu Kai went over, and the two whispered a few words. Then Gu Kai gestured for Wei Yao to come out of the torture chamber and whispered, "Li Songgui has committed suicide by swallowing soil."

With many prisoners and few jailers, it's inevitable that some will commit suicide because they can't be kept in check. Li Songgui held so many secrets about powerful people accepting bribes; his death might save his family's lives. As for whether Li Songgui truly committed suicide or was murdered, that's another case.

"Understood." Wei Yao remained expressionless, sat back down, and continued her interrogation: "Did you ask Li Songgui for the position of Right Attendant of the Prince of Guangping's Palace, or was it promised to you by him?"

He Erhun: "No, Li Songgui only guaranteed me an eighth-rank official position in the Prince's mansion, and he didn't say it was an official position in the Prince of Guangping's mansion at the time. I didn't expect it to go so smoothly, so I begged him, and then the Right Attendant of the Prince of Guangping's mansion died."

Wei Yao didn't miss the way the other person's eyelids drooped when he said the last sentence. She asked, "Was the previous Right Attendant surnamed Wu?"

He'erhun: "I heard his surname is Wu."

"You are dishonest."

As Sui Weiyao chuckled, Gu Kai picked out a whip from among several instruments of torture. Gu Kai was a notorious cruel official and knew which whip would hurt the most if the victim couldn't be killed.

Before ten lashes were even finished, He'erhun howled like a pig being slaughtered: "I'll confess! Stop hitting me! Stop hitting me! I'll confess!"

Wei Yao remained unmoved: "Continue."

The whip flashed, its sound piercing the air.

After another twenty lashes, Wei Yao finally said "Stop," and repeated her previous question: "Was the previous Right Attendant surnamed Wu?"

He Erhun was in excruciating pain, finally understanding what it meant to be unable to live or die. Even struggling was a luxury. He trembled as he cried, fearing another beating, and confessed: "His name is Wu Bo'an, and he has a younger brother named Wu Zhong'an who works in the palace. I have only met Wu Bo'an once, and we have never spoken. The day I delivered money to Li Songgui, I found a letter in the side pouch of my saddle when I got home. The letter told me that Wu Bo'an was off duty the next day and would cross the pontoon bridge to Baode Temple in the afternoon. The official position I requested was granted to Wu Bo'an."

His nose was stuffed with snot, and he gasped for breath before continuing his confession: “I don’t know how things turned out that way. I followed the instructions in the letter and led the ox to the pontoon bridge the next day. I went back and forth between the south and north sides of the bridge several times, and then… I really saw him. I’m telling the truth. At the time, I really didn’t understand what it meant for me to seek officialdom from him. So I followed him and followed him across the bridge.”

Recalling this, he finally understood what regret felt like, and wailed, "On Qiaobei Street, there were many vendors with livestock and goods around me. I was only looking at Wu Bo'an, and I don't know why the cow suddenly went crazy, broke free of its rope and ran forward. That street was crowded with people and livestock, it was chaotic. Other people's livestock also broke free and ran around with my cow. It was so chaotic, so chaotic..."

Wei Yao asked, "Since someone died, didn't anyone report it to the authorities?"

He Erhun: "The county government is far away and no one has come yet. The Prince of Guangping's mansion took away Wu Bo'an's body first. I went to the mansion with several other merchants who had let their livestock run away. I thought I would have to spend a lot of money to get away with the crime of letting the cattle run away. Unexpectedly, Cui Zhong, the physician of the mansion, knew me and immediately appointed me as the Right Attendant."

All the officials in the torture chamber stared intently at him. Unable to withstand their pressure, He'erhun confessed, "Because I felt guilty, I secretly inquired afterward and learned that a fishmonger had been convicted by the Prince's Palace of causing Wu Bo'an's death by letting his cattle run rampant. On the very day Wu Bo'an died, the fishmonger and his cattle were both beaten to death." (End of Chapter)