Transmigrating to the Qi Family - Chapter 179

“Do you, the accused, know your crime?” Magistrate Lin strikes the gavel with a loud crack, silencing the entire court. He Gui, kneeling below, is utterly stunned.

“My lord, I have been wronged! What crime does my lord speak of? I always abide by the law and would never dare commit any offense!” He Gui cries out in protest after regaining his composure.

“Take a look at these first, and then decide if you truly are innocent.” Magistrate Lin, already aware of the full story, signals for the evidence to be presented.

A tray holding a large string of keys is brought forward and placed before He Gui. Staring at the familiar red cord tying them together, he breaks out in a cold sweat and forces a strained smile. “My lord, what is the meaning of this?”

“These were found in a cabinet at your home. What do you think they mean?”

“I… I’ve never seen them before,” He Gui stubbornly denies.

Pei Che chuckles, instantly drawing everyone’s attention. He says, “When we discovered these, your wife was present. Her fingerprint is right here. Do you still wish to deny it?”

He Gui falls silent for a moment before responding, “Even if they are mine, so what? It’s just a bunch of keys. Does my lord intend to convict me on this alone?”

Pei Che replies, “If they were merely ordinary keys, they indeed wouldn’t suffice to convict you. But you know very well what these keys are for, don’t you? And you know what you’ve done with them. Can you truly deny your guilt when all the evidence is laid out?”

Beads of sweat drip from He Gui’s forehead, yet his hands are cold and stiff, incapable of wiping them away. He stares blankly at the keys, a growing unease gnawing at him.

He Gui believes that the authorities must have thoroughly investigated the matter before making such statements. However, deep in his heart, he clings to a sliver of hope, fantasizing that this is merely a ploy by the officials to trick him into confessing the truth.

“My lord, I don’t quite understand what you’re saying…” He Gui manages a feeble smile. “These are just a set of keys.”

Magistrate Lin, seeing He Gui’s obstinate expression, slams the gavel once more and declares, “Call the witnesses to the court!”

The sound echoes far into the distance, and before long, the bailiffs bring the witness into the court. He Gui kneels before the hall, facing forward, not daring to turn his head to look at the witness’s face. Still, his mind races, trying to guess the person’s identity.

It isn’t until the witness walks up beside him, kneels, and greets the officials above that He Gui recognizes the voice—it is Manager Zhu from the Datong Grain Store.

Faced with He Gui’s shocked and pale expression, Manager Zhu is visibly furious. Before Magistrate Lin can even ask any questions, Zhu points at He Gui’s nose and begins berating him: “You sly accountant, always looking so honest on the surface, but secretly daring to frame me? If it weren’t for Prefect Pei’s sharp judgment and finding the keys in your house, I wouldn’t have known you were colluding with those bandits living under the cliffs of Yangshupo!”

Manager Zhu’s furious tirade flies out with spit, but He Gui’s body goes limp. His mind repeats one thought: It’s over. Manager Zhu assumes that the people living under the haunted cliff are bandits or brigands. But He Gui knows the truth—they aren’t bandits, but their behavior is no different.

He Gui delivers grain to those people roughly once every two months. The deliveries include rice and flour but also the husks left over after milling rice—a coarse and scratchy material that feels like chewing wood shavings when eaten. In times of disaster, commoners might eat such food, but under normal circumstances, it is used to feed livestock. The people living under the cliff toil in hard labor yet eat like animals, their skeletal frames a pitiful sight that even He Gui, a man known for being calculating, feels a little uncomfortable.

Still, this is only a fleeting sentiment. After all, he is merely a grain deliveryman working under others and can’t afford to concern himself too much. However, over the years, he begins to notice something unusual about those people. Some familiar faces suddenly disappear, never to be seen again. Occasionally, he recognizes someone from the shop, only to find them at the bottom of the cliff later. These people are always shocked and angry to see him but never dare to speak out, likely beaten into submission.

This realization unsettles He Gui. He feels as if he has stumbled upon something he was never meant to know. He suspects these people have been abducted, but the fates of the missing ones are never explained. Their disappearance is all too obvious, leaving him terrified. He fears that he knows too much and will be silenced one day.

So, when the chief steward of the business announces that Zhu will take over as steward, He Gui considers distancing himself from the matter and never getting involved again. However, the chief steward casually remarks, “This matter should not be known by too many people.”

With no way out, He Gui has to grit his teeth and carry on. But Steward Zhu is entirely different from his predecessor. He likes to take control of everything, involving himself in every detail of the shop’s affairs. On one occasion, he comes dangerously close to uncovering the truth.

He Gui realizes he can’t keep this up any longer. He reaches out to an old friend, now working in the household registration office of Chengtian Prefecture, to see if he can quietly transfer his household registration and escape this mess entirely. Unfortunately, things don’t go as planned. Before his friend can help him, He Gui is arrested by the authorities.

While He Gui is still dazed, Magistrate Lin lets out a cold snort and says, “He Gui, do you have anything else to say? With both witnesses and evidence present, I’d like to see what excuse you can come up with!”

He Gui is at a loss for words for a long time before finally blurting out, “I’m innocent.” Deep down, he truly believes it. He is merely an accountant, carrying out a single task for his employer—how could that be considered his fault? As for what the people beneath him are doing, he has some vague knowledge, but his job is solely to handle sales. What the customers do afterward has nothing to do with him.

Magistrate Lin, hearing his plea of innocence, isn’t angry but instead laughs. “Prefect Pei, I can’t imagine what your people in Cangzhou are eating to grow such hard heads!”

Pei Che replies, “It is likely due to his own stubbornness. Allow me to speak with him further, and we may resolve this.”

Magistrate Lin picks up a teacup from beside him, takes a sip, and smiles. “In that case, I’ll take a moment to rest.” With that, he focuses entirely on enjoying his tea.

At this point, the witness has already been escorted out, leaving only He Gui kneeling in the hall. Faced with Pei Che’s scrutinizing gaze, He Gui struggles to appear composed.

“He Gui, you claim innocence because you think your actions were justified, correct?” Pei Che says softly. “Judging by your expression, it seems you agree with me. Unfortunately, whether your actions were excusable or not, you won’t escape death this time.”

Though spoken in a gentle tone, Pei Che’s words are utterly merciless. He Gui’s heart tightens as he realizes that whatever comes next is not something he wants to hear.

“You seem confused, so let me make things clear for you,” Pei Che continues, slowly recounting the details of the investigation. He Gui’s expression shifts from uneasy confusion to utter despair.

Iron! The stones those people are mining aren’t ordinary rocks for building bridges, roads, or walls—they are iron ore!

“…All participants will face the extermination of three generations, and up to nine generations will be exiled a thousand miles away.”

This single line echoes in He Gui’s ears, becoming the final straw that breaks the camel’s back. He collapses to the ground, his face pale as though he has just crawled out of a coffin. He never imagines that a single lapse in judgment could doom his entire family.

“However,” Pei Che says, “considering that you were unaware of the full truth, there is a chance to lessen your punishment. If you confess everything you know in detail, I will plead on your behalf.”

The moment Pei Che finishes speaking, He Gui quickly replies, “My lord, I confess—I’ll confess everything!”

“A wise man adapts to the circumstances. As long as your words are truthful, the authorities will show leniency,” Pei Che assures him. At least, the punishment won’t extend to his wife and children.

He Gui takes a deep breath, organizing his thoughts before beginning his confession.

“The chief steward of the business is named Xu Youdao. I’ve always followed his orders. This grain store has been operating for seven or eight years now. Back then, I was lured by the high monthly salary he offered and left an inn to work for him. I worked diligently and soon earned Steward Xu’s favor and trust, even being entrusted with important tasks like balancing the books at night.”

“One day, while checking the accounts, I find an error. A ledger doesn’t add up—despite spending so much money to buy rice and flour, the sales still result in a loss. Tracing the deficit, I discover that at least a thousand catties of rice have been hidden. At the time, I don’t understand what’s going on. I report it to Steward Xu, telling him everything I’ve found. To my surprise, he isn’t angry but instead praises me for my meticulous accounting.

“After that, these discrepancies become more frequent, and I gradually get used to them…”

Pei Che and Magistrate Lin listen intently. For someone to operate so boldly in this area for seven or eight years without being discovered, their power and influence must be considerable. Since He Gui has the most contact with these people, listening carefully is crucial to avoid missing any critical evidence.