The northern gate of Yizhou stood open, and through it rode a column of twenty horsemen in the black-and-gold livery of the Imperial Guard. Their armor gleamed in the afternoon sun, and their horses moved with the disciplined precision of soldiers who had seen combat. At their head rode two men: one in the plain gray robes of an imperial investigator, the other in the embroidered silk of a high ministry official.
Li Xun reached the gate just as the column drew to a halt. Deputy Prefect Chang was already there, kneeling in the dust with his forehead pressed to the ground, the traditional greeting for officials of superior rank. His face, when he raised it, was as pale as the constable had described.
The investigator dismounted first. He was a lean man of middle age, with a trimmed beard and eyes that moved constantly, cataloguing everything they saw. He ignored Chang's prostration and walked directly to Li Xun.
"You are the clerk Li Xun," he said. It was not a question.
"I am."
"I am Wei Yuan, appointed by the Imperial Inspectorate to investigate the crimes of Duke Du and his associates. Your reports have been read in Chang'an. They have caused considerable disturbance."
Before Li Xun could reply, the second official dismounted. He was older, perhaps seventy, with a long white beard and a face that had been carved by decades of authority. His robes were of the highest quality, and his hat bore the insignia of the Ministry of Justice. When he turned toward Li Xun, his expression was unreadable.
"This is Prefect Gao," the investigator said. "Formerly the prefect of Yizhou. Now a senior secretary in the Ministry of Justice. He has requested to be present for the investigation."
The silence that followed was absolute. Li Xun felt his blood run cold. The man who had presided over the original trial, who had authorized the forged confessions, who had accepted the Duke's bribes and framed two innocent men—that man was standing before him, wearing the robes of a high official, and he had come to investigate his own crimes.
"Prefect Gao," Li Xun said, keeping his voice level. "Your presence here is unexpected."
"Is it?" Gao's voice was smooth and cultured. "When I learned that my former jurisdiction was in turmoil, that a respected nobleman had been accused of terrible crimes based on the testimony of a minor clerk, I felt it my duty to come. The Ministry of Justice must ensure that its own processes are beyond reproach."
"The original trial was not beyond reproach. That is why we are here."
Gao's eyes flickered. "The original trial was conducted according to the laws of the Great Tang. I presided over it myself. I am confident that no errors were made."
Li Xun reached into his satchel and drew out the forged confessions. "Then perhaps you can explain these. The confessions of Yuan Xiaoren and Wei Dashuai. The ink is a forgery formula. The handwriting does not match any prefectural scribe. And the prisoners could not write. They signed with crosses, but the confessions bear their names in a practiced calligrapher's hand."
He held the documents out. Gao did not take them. His face remained impassive, but Li Xun saw a muscle twitch in his jaw.
"Documents can be altered," Gao said. "A clever clerk with a grudge could fabricate evidence to support his accusations."
"These documents have been in the sealed archives for twenty years. I removed them in the presence of witnesses. Deputy Prefect Chang can confirm their provenance."
Chang, still kneeling in the dust, spoke without raising his head. "I can confirm it. The sealed archives have not been opened since the trial. The documents are genuine."
Investigator Wei stepped forward and took the confessions from Li Xun's hand. He examined them carefully, holding them up to the light, running his fingers over the ink. "This is not standard prefectural ink," he said. "I will need to examine these more closely, but the clerk's assessment appears correct."
"Then the clerk has misled you," Gao said. "Or someone else tampered with the archives before they were sealed. I was not responsible for the day-to-day management of the prefectural records."
Li Xun drew out another document. "This is the search order directing Captain Zhao to search Yuan Xiaoren's house. It specifies the exact location of the hidden compartment where the forged seals were to be found. It bears your signature and your personal seal."
Gao's composure cracked, just slightly. "I signed many orders. I do not remember every detail of every one."
"This order is not a detail. It is proof that the evidence was planted. No legitimate search order would specify where evidence was to be found."
The investigator took the search order and compared it to the confessions. His expression, which had been carefully neutral, was beginning to harden. "Prefect Gao, these documents raise serious questions. I will need to interview you formally."
"You have no authority to interview me. I am a senior secretary of the Ministry of Justice. I am here to observe, not to be interrogated."
"You are here because you requested to come. And now that you are here, you are subject to the same investigation as everyone else. The Imperial Inspectorate has jurisdiction over all officials, regardless of rank." Wei turned to the captain of the Imperial Guard. "Place Prefect Gao under protective custody. He is not to leave the prefectural compound."
Gao's face went white. "This is an outrage. I will have your position for this."
"You may try. But first, you will answer my questions."
The Imperial Guards moved forward and surrounded Gao. He did not resist, but his eyes burned with fury as they led him away toward the prefectural compound. The crowd that had gathered at the gate watched in stunned silence.
Investigator Wei turned back to Li Xun. "You have made powerful enemies, Clerk Li."
"I have been making powerful enemies for weeks. It has become a habit."
"Then you will need powerful friends. I intend to be one of them." Wei gestured toward the prefectural compound. "Take me to the Duke. I want to hear his confession before the day is out."
They walked through the streets together, the Imperial Guards falling into formation around them. The town was still quiet, the aftermath of the festival leaving the streets emptier than usual. People watched from doorways and windows, their faces a mixture of fear and hope.
"The arrival of Prefect Gao complicates things," Wei said as they walked. "He is well-connected in Chang'an. There will be pressure to limit the scope of the investigation."
"Will you yield to that pressure?"
"I did not accept this assignment because I wished for an easy life. I accepted it because I read your reports and recognized the truth in them. The Ministry of Justice has been corrupt for years, but no one has been willing to prove it. You have given me the evidence I need."
"What will happen to Gao?"
"If your evidence holds, he will be arrested and transported to Chang'an for trial. The Emperor himself has taken an interest in this case. There will be no escape for those who are guilty."
Li Xun nodded. They reached the prefectural compound and descended into the basement where the Duke was held. The guards unlocked the cell door, and Li Xun stepped inside.
The Duke was sitting on his stone bench, his hands still bound, his face calm. When he saw Li Xun, he smiled faintly. "You have brought company."
"Investigator Wei of the Imperial Inspectorate. He has come to hear your confession."
The Duke looked at Wei and inclined his head politely. "I have been expecting you. I am ready to speak."
Wei produced a writing board and a brush. "Then let us begin. From the beginning, Duke Du. Leave nothing out."
The Duke began to speak. He spoke of his arrival in Yizhou as a young man, burdened with debt and desperate for wealth. He spoke of his meeting with Zheng the Needle, his decision to finance the forgery scheme, his recruitment of Yuan Xiaoren and Wei Dashuai. He spoke of the discovery of the scheme by the prefect, the deal they had struck to frame the two laborers, the bribes that had changed hands, the evidence that had been planted.
He spoke of his sister's discovery of the truth, her threat to expose him, his decision to silence her. He spoke of the twenty years of corruption that followed, the bribes and the threats and the murders, the network of allies he had built, the reputation he had cultivated as a mask for his crimes.
And he spoke of the recent weeks: the discovery that Li Xun was asking questions, the decision to eliminate the witnesses, the murders of Old He and Ma Wen and Kang, the flight into the wilderness, the final surrender at Shen's cave.
The confession took three hours. When it was finished, Investigator Wei had filled twenty pages with notes. The Duke sat back on his bench, his voice hoarse, his face drained of color.
"Is that enough?" the Duke asked.
"It is enough." Wei set down his brush. "You will be transported to Chang'an for formal trial. Given the seriousness of your crimes, I have no doubt that the sentence will be death."
"I know. I am ready." The Duke looked at Li Xun. "You have your justice, clerk. I hope it brings you peace."
"It does not bring me peace. It brings the dead their due. That is enough."
Li Xun turned and left the cell. In the corridor, he found Chang waiting for him, his face still pale, his hands trembling.
"The investigator has summoned me," Chang said. "I am to give my confession now."
"Then give it honestly. Leave nothing out."
"I will not. I am done with lies." Chang paused. "I wanted to thank you, Li Xun. You showed me that it was possible to choose the truth, even after years of choosing corruption. I do not know if that will save me from the executioner, but it has saved me from myself."
He walked into the interrogation room, his back straight, his head held high. Li Xun watched him go, then climbed the stairs to the main floor.
The afternoon had faded into evening, and the lamps were being lit throughout the compound. The Imperial Guards stood at every door, their presence a reminder that the empire's justice had finally arrived in Yizhou.
Zhao and Qian were waiting in Li Xun's office. They rose when he entered.
"Is it done?" Zhao asked.
"The Duke has confessed. Prefect Gao is in custody. Chang is giving his testimony now. It is almost over."
"And us? What will happen to us?"
"You will testify. You will tell the truth. And then the investigator will decide your fate." Li Xun sat down at his desk, suddenly exhausted. "I cannot promise you leniency. But I can promise you that your testimony will be heard. That is more than the Duke's victims ever received."
Zhao nodded slowly. "I am ready. I have been carrying this weight for twenty years. I am ready to set it down."
Qian said nothing, but his eyes were wet. Li Xun looked at the two men, these unlikely allies who had started as witnesses and become something closer to friends. They were all guilty of something, all carrying their own burdens of silence and complicity. But they had also chosen to speak, and that choice mattered.
The night fell over Yizhou, and the investigation continued. The dead were patient, but the living were finally catching up.
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