Chapter 70: Crimson
It was unclear whether it was due to the current weather, or the curtain-veil on her head, or the unease and irritation in her heart, that made Song Hemei, even while riding swiftly with the constant wind brushing against her, still feel stifled and breathless.
She dug her heels into the horse's flanks, urging it forward so fast that Song Jilang nearly failed to keep up behind her. Only when she spotted the official gate not far ahead did she finally rein in the horse and dismount.
Outside the courtroom, a small crowd had already gathered. Few were there purely out of curiosity; the rest were either idlers who made a living trading information or the family members implicated in the case.
The closer she drew, the more breathless she became. Perhaps it was the impending meeting with Yu Yeqing, or perhaps the vague sense that the warhorse matter was not as simple as a mere business transaction.
The court session had not yet begun. A single glance told her that few among those waiting outside wore pleasant expressions. Song Hemei stood at the outermost edge, staring at the plaque hanging inside that read "Bright Mirror Hangs High," yet her heart sank without cease.
Song Jilang exchanged a few pleasantries with acquaintances before returning to her side. He gently patted her shoulder. "Second Sister, don't worry too much. Eldest Brother is just a merchant. As long as they investigate thoroughly, they will surely prove his innocence."
Song Hemei could tell he was trying to comfort her.
Because in her own mind, she understood clearly. When Eldest Brother first ventured into this business, he had acted as though possessed by some demon. Later, when the deal fell through, he still refused to give up, tirelessly running about. Back then, he had said the remaining warhorses were sold off at a loss through some connection, but now, thinking back, was it truly a loss?
She could not share these suspicions with Jilang—she was afraid he could not bear them. So she merely squeezed his hand back. "Let us hope so."
No one knew how much time had passed before voices finally sounded from within the hall. Then a constable emerged. Song Hemei lifted a corner of her curtain-veil and peered toward the court.
The constables took their positions one by one, and there seemed to be murmurs of conversation. When she looked deeper inside, she saw a blur of crimson, and then a tall figure slowly came into view.
Song Hemei had never seen Yu Yeqing like this. That crimson robe dazzled the eyes, yet it also accentuated his cold, severe brow and his upright, dignified bearing.
Whether it was the xiezhi emblem on his official hat or the respectful deference of the magistrate at his side, for the first time she clearly realized Yu Yeqing's current official status. An official and a merchant—the distance between them had always been vast.
And now, he was the presiding judge, while she was but the family member of a prisoner. He sat high in the hall, while she could not even push her way to the front row to watch the trial.
Yu Yeqing settled into the seat of honor. His long fingers picked up the gavel, and his low voice, as if dipped in an icy pool, struck fear into all who heard it. "Summon the prisoners into the hall."
As he spoke, his piercing gaze swept across the crowd outside. No one dared to make a sound.
Song Hemei looked toward him. Whether her gaze was too obvious, or whether Yu Yeqing had guessed she would come, those cold eyes met hers directly.
His eyes were utterly indifferent, without a hint of surprise. But neither was there humiliation nor mockery. He was as calm as a still lake, where none of the former intimacy and tenderness had left even a ripple.
And yet, he fixed his gaze on her without shifting, which made her wonder—what did Yu Yeqing want to see?
Did he want to see her blame herself in helplessness? Or her begging and pleading?
A weight fell on her shoulder again. Jilang's voice sounded in her ear, and his hand pointed in a direction before her. "Second Sister, Eldest Brother is over there!"
Song Hemei was the first to look away. Her fingertips, clutching the edge of her curtain-veil, unconsciously tightened.
Following where Jilang pointed, she saw seven men being escorted forward, including her eldest brother. When they were forced to kneel, Eldest Brother knelt at the very front—perhaps because his crime among them was the gravest.
Yu Yeqing fixed his gaze on the men below. He raised his hand and unrolled a scroll on the table. "Are these your seals and signatures?"
From a distance, it looked like some kind of contract. In the lower left corner, there was a dense patch of red—apparently the seals of all seven men.
The seven kneeling men answered in succession, "Yes."
Yu Yeqing's eyes darkened, and his voice grew even more stern. "Unauthorized sale of warhorses to the Northern Wei—this is the crime of consorting with the enemy!"
Song Hemei's pupils trembled violently. The color drained from her face like blood receding, and a breath seemed to stick in her throat, nearly suffocating her.
They had actually been resold to the Northern Wei! How dare he!
The crime of consorting with the enemy—if it truly came down, at the lightest it meant confiscation of property and exile. At the heaviest, even the extermination of nine clans would not be an excessive punishment.
Song Hemei's temples throbbed sharply. Extermination of nine clans... No wonder Yu Yeqing had once said that she was not included in Shao Wen'ang's nine clans.
This was never about confiscating the Shao family's property—it was clearly about confiscating the Song family's! Then what did those words of his mean back then? Was he afraid that when the Song family was purged, she would not be counted as part of it?
Beside her, Song Jilang's legs had gone weak. He called out to her in a low voice, "Second Sister." Song Hemei pulled herself together enough to take his arm. "Don't panic. There's no verdict yet."
And below in the hall, Song Yunyao, having recovered from his initial shock, threw all decorum aside and thumped his head hard against the floor twice before the presiding judge. "Your Honor, please see clearly! I am only a small-time merchant. Even with the boldest of courage, I would never dare to consort with the enemy. I did indeed sell horses, but the man who bought them said they were for resale to carriage shops or escort agencies. I still have written receipts and evidence at home for Your Honor to examine clearly."
At this, the other six men below hurriedly chimed in agreement.
Yu Yeqing slowly rolled up the document, his cold eyes sweeping over them. "Is that so?"
He raised his hand, and the magistrate at his side produced an account book, which he respectfully handed over. Yu Yeqing took it with his fingertips and held it up for all below to see. "First Young Master Song, do you recognize this account book?"
His tone carried no emotion, nor any trace of personal grievance. "This was found by the constables in your study on the day of your arrest. There is a recent entry concerning personal assets. Which business venture's income is this, I wonder?"
Song Yunyao's eyes darted away. He knelt prostrate, not daring to raise his head, unable to explain yet unwilling to confess. Countless excuses must have spun through his mind, but he failed to pick the best one even after a long silence.
Yu Yeqing did not wait for him. Instead, he picked up another written testimony and addressed a different man. "Young Master Zhang, this is a handwritten letter from your mistress and your illegitimate son. Since it involves a woman and a young child, it is not convenient to present in public, but the letter clearly details the day you began to provide money and the day you started acquiring property. I have heard that Young Master Zhang married into your wife's family, and the child from your wife bears her surname. Yet this illegitimate son takes yours."
Outside the hall stood agents sent by Young Master Zhang's wife, née Yu, who could clearly hear every word spoken inside.
Naturally, Zhang was loath to admit to having a mistress, but on such a critical matter, he dared not be ambiguous. He immediately kowtowed. "Your Honor, spare me! That is not my mistress—she is the wife of a sworn brother! I was merely looking after her out of obligation!"
He spoke in a panic, afraid that those outside would leave halfway through, having heard only part.
His tongue nearly tied itself, and his voice was thick with tears. "Conspiring with the enemy—I would never dare! I knew nothing! I merely invested some silver and followed Brother Song in the business. Later, when they said they could sell, I only wanted to recover my capital. It was Brother Song who made all the connections—I never even met the buyer. I beg Your Honor to see clearly!"
With him breaking the dam, the others naturally pushed all the blame onto Song Yunyao.
One man, in his desperation, even stood up and kicked Song Yunyao, glaring with fury and cursing, "I treated you like a blood brother, Song Yunyao! How could you harm me like this? This is a monumental crime!"
Yu Yeqing frowned, and someone immediately pulled the man back, forcing him back to the ground. The magistrate barked, "Who dares to roar in the courtroom? Twenty strokes of the board first!"
Silence fell in the hall. Everyone held their breath, waiting for the judgment from above.
Yu Yeqing gathered his sleeves, picked up the gavel again, and spoke in a low voice. "Song Yunyao, is there anything else you wish to confess?"
But by now, Song Yunyao's back was trembling incessantly, yet he still kept his eyes down and said nothing.
Watching him from outside, Song Hemei's heart sank halfway.
This was her own elder brother. How could she not see it? He clearly knew all along that this involved the Northern Wei, and there must be someone else pulling the strings. But what kind of person could make him stay silent at a time like this? Was he truly unafraid of bringing disaster upon the entire Song clan?
Or perhaps—what consequence could possibly be more terrifying than the extermination of nine clans?
Or else, the person involved was someone even Yu Yeqing could not touch?
She could not find an answer, and the hall remained dead silent.
Yu Yeqing did not wait any longer. He brought down the gavel and ordered the clerk to write the verdict. "Song Yunyao is to be remanded in custody pending further trial. The others, though deceived, bear their own guilt. Each shall receive forty strokes of the board. All ill-gotten gains shall be confiscated."
With that, he pulled out a token and tossed it to the ground, then rose and swept out without a pause.
Song Hemei's gaze unconsciously followed him until his figure disappeared. Once again, she tried to step forward, but the constables still blocked her.
She immediately untied the embroidered pouch at her waist and pressed it into the hand of one constable. "Brother, I am the wife of Lord Shao, the Subprefect of Linzhou, and I am also acquainted with Lord Yu. The man on trial is my elder brother. I beg you, brother, to inform Lord Yu for me—I may have a way to get my brother to reveal what he is hiding."
The constable looked her up and down, weighing the pouch in his hand. Reluctant as he was, he gritted his teeth and returned it. "Madam, since you are an acquaintance of Lord Yu, you must know his temperament. I dare not accept this, not for all the gold in the world."
With that, he glanced around and lowered his voice. "Madam, as you are also from an official family, you know that us underlings have a hard lot. Please do not make things difficult. If you wish to meet Lord Yu, why not wait at the county yamen gate? He will eventually come out. Rest assured, no one will be so tactless as to drive you away."
Song Hemei bit her lip. She looked again at the now-empty courtroom—this was the only option left.
The constable did not stay to keep her company. He merely pointed in a direction and said, "As you wish."
Those who had been outside had long since followed their own people to the courtyard, waiting for the flogging to end so they could carry them home. Now, only she and Jilang remained.
Song Jilang, though sensible for his age, was still young. He had never experienced anything like this. Song Hemei looked up at him; the sun overhead was even harsher now, and in an instant, the glare made her dizzy.
Forcing herself to endure the discomfort brought on by the summer heat, she took Jilang's wrist. "Don't panic yet. I'll go wait for Yu Yeqing first and see if I can get a meeting with Eldest Brother. You gather all the servants Elder Brother kept close at hand and question them thoroughly—see if there is anything suspicious about this affair."
She had to pause for a breath after speaking, then continued, "Out of that group just now, I noticed Young Master Zhang seemed very off. He didn't act like someone who knew nothing. Those people all come from merchant families with generations of experience, and they are often at Elder Brother's side. With the warhorse matter—someone was willing to buy at a high price yet insisted the silver not appear on the books—anyone with a brain would have grown suspicious. Suspicion would lead to digging deeper. Young Master Zhang is a crafty, calculating man. I refuse to believe he has no leads at all."
Song Jilang's face was ashen. He nodded at her, somewhat dazedly.
Song Hemei sighed softly, took out her handkerchief, and dabbed the sweat from his brow. Gently, she said, "Go on. If you encounter any difficulties, we will discuss them thoroughly when I return."
Song Jilang nodded again. Though he was very uneasy leaving her alone at the yamen, this was all he could do. After all, her second brother-in-law still held an official post.
She watched him mount his horse and ride away, then led her own horse toward the yamen.
Standing beside the complaint drum, her heart was heavy. She did not even have the right to beat that drum, because her own brother had committed such a foolish act.
As noon approached, the sunlight grew more scorching. Waves of heat pressed in on her. She stepped back step by step into the shadow cast by the gate, retreating all the way behind the stone lion before she could stop.
Leaning against it, she felt as if each day lasted a year. Her heart was beating strangely, and her stomach turned queasy. The stifling heat made it hard to breathe. She tugged off her curtain-veil and fanned herself with it.
But shortly after, a constable approached and saluted her with cupped hands. "Madam, please come inside to speak."
Song Hemei was cautious. She did not follow immediately, asking instead, "Does Lord Yu wish to see me?"
The constable offered a deferential smile. "It is our magistrate."
He wanted to curry favor with Shao Wen'ang through her?
Song Hemei did not ask further. She merely nodded to acknowledge the information and slowly followed him inside.
Once inside the county yamen, they turned a corner and arrived at a waiting room. As she entered, she noticed a cup of tea on the table.
The constable told her to wait here and left without lingering. The summer heat was overwhelming, and Song Hemei was terribly thirsty. She reached for the tea, but the moment her fingers touched the cup, she was startled by how cold it was.
She picked it up and took a sip, only to realize it was even a little icy.
Had this been prepared especially for her?
Song Hemei sat down beside the tea, closed her eyes to rest, and could not help thinking that while it was not unusual for a county magistrate to be thorough, this was almost too thorough.
She rested her elbow on the small table and massaged her temples. When she finally felt a little better, she heard footsteps approaching. Instinctively, she opened her eyes just as Yu Yeqing pushed open the door and entered.
He had already removed his official hat, and his black hair was tied high, but he had not yet changed out of his court robes. When his eyes met hers, a flicker moved through his brow, but his gaze remained distant. "You came looking for me?"
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