Chapter 8

Zhan Jianxing’s path to filing a complaint with the authorities was fraught with difficulties.

The County Government Office had regulations specifying that they only accepted written complaints from commoners on certain days. In Datong County, these days fell on the 3rd, 6th, and 9th of each month. The day Zhan Jianxing went in anger was neither one of these designated days, nor had she remembered to prepare a written complaint beforehand.

She had no choice but to turn back and suppress her emotions to attend to Xu Shi. Fortunately, Xu Shi’s fever gradually subsided. Their time in jail had been brief, so they hadn’t suffered much. Once Xu Shi recovered, her spirits quickly returned to normal.

Two days later, Zhan Jianxing calculated the correct date and took the complaint she had written to the County Government Office, only to be stopped at the entrance. The clerk at the gate informed her that the format of her complaint was incorrect. She could either take it back and rewrite it herself or have the clerk draft it for her.

Of course, the clerk wouldn’t provide this service for free.

After paying for the medicine, Zhan Jianxing was left with only about a hundred copper coins. She had to buy paper and brushes anew and couldn’t afford the extra expense of hiring the clerk. So, she asked for the correct format and went home to rewrite it herself.

In the afternoon, she rushed back, only to find that the clerk responsible for accepting complaints was no longer there. Upon asking the gatekeeper, she learned that the weather was too cold, and the esteemed clerk had claimed his hands were too stiff to write, so he had retreated to the back offices to rest. If she wanted to file a complaint, she would have to come back on the next designated day.

Frustrated but helpless, Zhan Jianxing returned home. After enduring two more days, she went again.

Though the clerk was delicate, he wasn’t entirely unwilling to work. This time, Zhan Jianxing’s complaint was finally accepted.

However, she couldn’t see the county magistrate immediately. Many people were filing complaints, and submitting the document was only the first step. After submission, she had to wait in line for notification. Only when her turn came would she be summoned for a court hearing.

Holding onto hope, Zhan Jianxing returned home and waited anxiously with Xu Shi. This wait dragged on for five or six days. In the depths of winter, with their home bare and destitute, the hardship they endured was indescribable. Fortunately, their kind neighbors lent a helping hand, allowing them to scrape by.

As the days crawled by like years, they barely made it to early November. Unable to wait any longer, Zhan Jianxing decided to visit the County Government Office to check on the status of her complaint. Xu Shi, worried, wanted to go instead, but as a woman, it was inconvenient for her to appear before officials. Moreover, she was illiterate. Unable to dissuade Zhan Jianxing, she could only wait at home, restless with anxiety.

The same clerk was still at the gate accepting complaints. Zhan Jianxing stepped forward, bowed, and inquired. The clerk stared at her for a moment before suddenly slapping the table. “So it’s you! Young man, your complaint was full of falsehoods and fabrications! Because of you, I got a severe scolding from the county magistrate!”

Zhan Jianxing was stunned. “—Every word I wrote was true. How could there be falsehoods?”

The clerk raised his voice. “The ones who took your family’s belongings were your uncles, not unknown bandits. Why did you fill out a robbery complaint form?”

Zhan Jianxing defended herself. “I clearly stated everything in my complaint without hiding anything. They barged into my home and forcibly seized my family’s property. Isn’t that just like bandits?”

Indeed, Zhan Jianxing’s complaint had been explicit. But the clerk, due to the cold weather, had been extremely negligent in his duties. By regulation, he was supposed to review complaints and reject those that didn’t meet requirements on the spot. However, during the second submission, he hadn’t even bothered to read it carefully, carelessly accepting it and passing it on to Li Weizhi. When Li Weizhi noticed the discrepancy, he summoned the clerk and reprimanded him harshly.

The clerk was in a foul mood and had no patience to waste words on a young brat like Zhan Jianxing. He cut straight to the point: “Enough with your nonsense. Do you think the County Government Office is a place for your glib talk? Anyway, your lawsuit shouldn’t be brought here. You should go to your village elder for mediation. Do you think the county magistrate has nothing better to do than deal with trivial matters like yours? Go on, get out of here! Don’t stand there blocking the way!”

Having wasted nearly half a month here, Zhan Jianxing was furious but forced herself to hold back. “If the lawsuit wasn’t accepted, why didn’t you say so at the time? At the very least, you should have informed me afterward. I’ve been waiting all this time for nothing—”

The law actually stipulated it clearly—whether a lawsuit was accepted or not, the authorities had a basic duty to inform the petitioner. But as the saying goes, it’s easier to deal with the king of hell than his minions. No matter how good the regulations were, those enforcing them could twist them in a dozen ways. The clerk couldn’t care less. “Well, now you know, don’t you? A few days of waiting and you’re already complaining? Let me tell you, for filing such a frivolous lawsuit, you’re lucky you weren’t arrested and given a caning!”

Zhan Jianxing’s face turned pale with anger, her fists clenched. “Fine! If the County Government Office won’t handle it, I’ll find someone who will!”

She turned to leave, and the clerk mocked her from behind, “Such a temper for a young brat! Go ahead, if you’ve got the guts, go all the way to the capital and appeal to the emperor!”

Zhan Jianxing stopped in her tracks and whirled around. “You think I wouldn’t dare?!”

The clerk burst into laughter. “Oh, you dare? Then go on!”

The yamen runners around him joined in the laughter. Zhan Jianxing seethed. “You—!”

“Come here.”

Someone tugged at her from behind. Turning, she saw a familiar yamen runner in official uniform. After a moment’s thought, she recognized him as Gong Zaoli, whom she’d met during the Prince of Dai case.

Gong Zaoli pulled her aside behind the “Eight Characters” wall and asked, “I heard about your family’s situation from Little Chen. Where are you planning to go now? The prefecture government?”

When Zhan Jianxing nodded, he sighed. “Don’t waste your effort. Going to the prefecture government would be bypassing proper procedure. The prefect won’t accept your lawsuit either.”

Zhan Jianxing froze for a moment. She understood the reasoning but had been too angry to think clearly. Pressing her lips together, she said, “Thank you for the reminder, Uncle Gong. Then I’ll go back and reason with County Magistrate Li. My family’s case involves a robbery—how can he refuse to accept it?”

Gong Zaoli quickly stopped her. “Enough. Out of respect for Little Chen Shopkeeper, I’ll be straight with you. Whether your case gets accepted here is up in the air. If the county magistrate is willing to handle it, he’ll take it with a wave of his hand. If not, sending you to the village elder isn’t wrong either.” Lowering his voice, he added, “Because of what happened before, the county magistrate feels he lost face. So now, he won’t lift a finger for you—”

Zhan Jianxing’s vision darkened.

So that was why!

Her family lived right in the city. Even if the lawsuit wasn’t accepted, they could’ve informed her. Instead, they deliberately made her wait five or six days—probably on purpose!

Li Weizhi was spineless, cowering before the might of Prince Dai Manor. Instead of reflecting on his own failings, he took his anger out on her. What a corrupt official!

Seeing her standing rigidly, her gaze unfocused and speechless, Gong Zaoli took pity on her and offered some advice: “Young man, you’d better try your luck with your village elder. Spend some silver to grease his palm. Recover whatever you can from your family’s belongings and call it a day.”

They had long since thoroughly offended the village chief and had no way to seek his help. Moreover, where would they find any silver or coins at home? The neighbors could provide temporary relief, but not forever. The days for her and her mother had become so desperate that after one meal, they had no idea where the next would come from—  

A cold gust of wind swept by, causing Zhan Jianxing to stagger unsteadily. She stumbled toward the splayed walls flanking the government office, her dazed gaze inadvertently sweeping over them.  

These walls, arranged in a splayed “八” shape on either side of the yamen, served as bulletin boards where official notices and decrees for the public were posted.  

At a glance, the newest notice read—  

“…Recruiting youths aged twelve to eighteen, of outstanding character and scholarship, to serve as study companions for the royal grandsons of Prince Dai Manor?”  

Zhan Jianxing tilted her head back, staring blankly at the notice.  

Gong Zaoli turned to glance at it and remarked casually, “That was posted by Prefectural Governor Luo’s order. The prefecture government has one too. The Emperor is truly wise and benevolent. I heard he issued a stern reprimand to Prince Dai Manor, even withholding the Prince of Dai’s title of nobility. Knowing that some young royal grandsons in the manor had fallen behind in their studies due to house arrest and become illiterate, he even dispatched a highly learned Hanlin academician from the capital specifically to tutor them.”  

Zhan Jianxing snapped out of her daze and cupped her hands in salute toward him. “Thank you, Uncle Gong, for enlightening me. I won’t delay you from your duties any longer. I’ll head to the prefecture government now.”  

Gong Zaoli grew a little impatient. “Hey, you brat, did all my words just go in one ear and out the other?”  

Pale-faced, Zhan Jianxing replied quietly, “Uncle Gong misunderstands. I’m not lodging a complaint.”  

“I’m going to apply.”  

**  

The county and prefecture offices in Datong were located close to each other, so it didn’t take long for Zhan Jianxing to arrive at the prefecture government.  

The area in front of the official compound was much quieter than the county office. As Datong was a crucial border garrison, security here was tighter than elsewhere, with soldiers stationed at the prefecture gates.  

The moment Zhan Jianxing paused in front of the splayed walls, a tall soldier barked, “Hey, kid! This isn’t a place for you to play around. Don’t loiter here!”  

In a hurry, Zhan Jianxing scanned the wall and spotted a notice nearly identical to the one at the county office. She approached the soldier and bowed. “Sir, this humble commoner isn’t here to play. May I ask if the prefect’s notice recruiting study companions is still valid?”  

The soldier scrutinized her for a moment, his expression softening. “You’re here to apply? Go on in, then.”  

Zhan Jianxing was taken aback—she hadn’t expected the prefecture gates to be far easier to enter than the county office.  

Without dwelling on it, she hurried inside.  

As she neared the ceremonial gate, the gatekeeper there stopped her. Zhan Jianxing repeated her purpose, and to her surprise, the gatekeeper was unexpectedly accommodating. Tucking his hands into his sleeves, he stood up. “Follow me.”  

A flicker of doubt crossed Zhan Jianxing’s mind. Was it the strong wind playing tricks on her eyes, or had the gatekeeper’s expression brightened the moment she spoke, as if her arrival was a long-awaited delight?  

Uncertain, she pushed the thought aside. She had come here with a desperate, all-or-nothing resolve. Silently, she trailed behind the gatekeeper into the inner hall.  

“Your Honor, someone’s here to apply for the study companion position!” the gatekeeper announced cheerfully as soon as they reached the door, his voice brimming with glee.  

This time, Zhan Jianxing was sure she hadn’t misread—the gatekeeper’s announcement was unmistakably laced with the joy of finally catching a “sucker”!  

Author’s Note:

For an emperor, assigning a teacher was already quite generous. Generally, he wouldn’t personally handle such minor details as selecting a Study Companion. So Xingxing didn’t get appointed as a Study Companion—she had to fight for the position herself.

So far, she hasn’t been given any golden fingers. If you want to change your fate, the most important thing is to rely on yourself. (* ￣3)(ε￣ *)