Chapter Six: Life and Death Sealed Beneath the Blade and Brush

The Dou family of Pingling once flourished mightily.

At the end of the Han dynasty, the grand general Dou Xian led the Han armies to rout the Xiongnu into utter defeat. This was a source of great pride for the entire Dou clan.

But since the downfall of Dou Wu, the family had been exiled to the northern frontier, wandering for over three centuries.

Perhaps there was some barbarian blood running through Dou Wei’s veins, yet in his very bones, he remained a scion of the Dou family that had once crushed the Xiongnu.

Zheng Yanqing’s words ignited a fierce flame within Dou Wei’s chest.

He resolved to help Zheng Yanqing; perhaps it meant bending the law, but deep down, Dou Wei agreed with Yanqing’s sentiments. How dare foreign barbarians gallop horses openly in Luoyang? As proud subjects of the great Han... no, the Sui dynasty, should a mere attendant be killed and justice not be served with death?

It was an outrageous injustice unparalleled under heaven!

Unlike the aristocrats of later times, the noble families of the Sui dynasty bore an exceptional pride. They had endured trials of blood and fire, emerging from hardship with an unwavering faith in the power of iron and blood. A man like Dou Wei would never spout empty righteousness and virtue. In his heart, he would rather wield the sword to civilize the barbarians.

Dou Wei was the Luoyang Biejia under the Sili Tai, responsible for adjudicating criminal cases in the Heluo region.

Thus, retrieving official documents from the Luoyang county office was no trouble at all. Sending a messenger would suffice, and the county magistrate would hand over the complaint. Dou Wei took the document and, upon reading it, his brows immediately knitted together as he sneered repeatedly.

Truly the grandeur of a great empire!

To defend a mere barbarian attendant with classical citations?

He handed the complaint to Zheng Yanqing. “Those fellows at the Yezhe Tai want to execute Xiong Dahai just as you said.”

The entire complaint was filled with venomous words, as if they wished to tear Xiong Dahai limb from limb to prove to those foreign barbarians how mighty the Sui dynasty was, how strict its laws, and how lofty its position. Since this was an international dispute, why did they not defend their own countrymen but instead rushed to speak for the barbarians?

Those barbarians would never feel gratitude!

After reading, Zheng Yanqing fell into deep contemplation.

Judging from this complaint, Xiong Dahai had no chance of escape. Could they bribe the Luoyang county magistrate? That was impossible.

“Lord Dou, is there no way?”

“Unless the Yezhe Tai withdraws this complaint and rewrites it, under the charges as they stand, Xiong Dahai cannot be saved.”

“Do you think the Yezhe Tai would agree to that?”

Dou Wei tilted his head, looked at Zheng Yanqing, and smiled wryly. “Yanqing, what do you think?”

That was his answer: no chance.

“Aren’t you the one who investigates criminal cases? Maybe...”

“Yanqing, perhaps you don’t fully understand the duties of the Sili Tai. As Luoyang Biejia, I do have investigation responsibilities, but I cannot intervene in the county’s trials. Usually, we review verdicts after they’re pronounced; we can point out flaws, but we do not handle the specific cases.”

They had supervisory power but no authority to act.

Zheng Yanqing keenly caught the slip in Dou Wei’s words. “Lord Dou, when you say ‘usually,’ does that mean there are exceptions?”

Dou Wei smiled. “Of course! If you can get His Majesty involved, then the Sili Tai can intervene.”

Dizzying!

That was no different from saying no.

Zheng Yanqing shook his head and smiled bitterly. Setting aside whether Yang Guang could get involved, even if he could, and even if he were willing to interfere, Xiong Dahai would already have lost his head by then.

No way!

Zheng Yanqing gasped sharply, bracing himself, and took up the complaint again for a thorough study.

“Yanqing, don’t trouble yourself too much.

This complaint from the Yezhe Tai is hard to find fault with. If all else fails, we can only pursue justice afterward.”

“After the fact? How can Xiong Dahai survive that?”

“No chance!”

Dou Wei’s answer was resolute. “It’s autumn execution season now. If the verdict stands, the execution must happen within three days. What I mean by after-the-fact pursuit is that, in the name of the Sili Tai, we can investigate the Japanese envoys’ crime of letting horses run wild and injure people in Luoyang. Even if their lives can’t be claimed, we can at least break bones and tendons... as a way of avenging Xiong Dahai.”

“A dead man cannot be brought back. Mere broken bones hardly compensate for Xiong Dahai’s life.”

Zheng Yanqing naturally refused to accept that. He studied the complaint again and again. Dou Wei sat nearby, watching Yanqing’s concentrated expression, thinking silently: These two, father and son, are truly alike in their stubbornness.

“Lord Dou, I have an idea.”

“Oh? Do tell.”

After much study, Zheng Yanqing finally found a leverage point. He whispered, “It’s risky, but if we add a phrase to the complaint...”

“Add a phrase?”

Zheng Yanqing looked at Dou Wei. “Just a single phrase, and I guarantee even the Yezhe Tai won’t be able to refute it. Xiong Dahai wouldn’t lose his life either—at most, he’d be imprisoned for a few years. The Yezhe Tai wouldn’t dare truly go against us then.”

“How would you add it?”

Zheng Yanqing spread the complaint on the desk, picked up a brush, lightly drew a stroke, and then stepped aside.

“Xiong Dahai ‘swung’ the blade to kill?”

Zheng Yanqing nodded with a smile. “Since it’s a swing, it’s clearly a case of accidental manslaughter. According to the Kaihuang Code, thirty lashes and three years of imprisonment suffice.”

Originally, the complaint stated that Xiong Dahai ‘used’ the blade to kill—premeditated murder, a capital offense. But Zheng Yanqing’s stroke changed ‘used’ to ‘swung,’ making it involuntary manslaughter and thus reducing the charge. As for the thirty lashes, that was easy to arrange. They could bribe the executioner to go easy.

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