Chapter 18

A constable sprinted over, grabbed Mu Zicheng by the collar and shouted, "It was you, you stole my purse!"
Mu Zicheng was utterly baffled. "Not me, I didn't, I only picked it up..."
It's just an empty purse, who would want it?
A fist flew and struck Mu Zicheng across the face; he cried out in pain.
Those inside heard the commotion and rushed out. Second Master Mu saw his eldest son pinned and being beaten; his mind went blank and he lunged forward without thinking to protect him. "Let my son go!"
He was usually timid and avoided trouble, but his children were his soft spot.
Mu Ziang, though shackled at the hands, followed without hesitation and kicked a constable.
The other constables weren't having it and joined the fray. Both sides brawled, chaos erupted, and countless onlookers gathered, pointing and whispering from a distance but not stepping in to stop it.
Madam Qian was frantic. How on earth had this turned into a fight?
She screamed for them to stop, but no one listened. She tried to rush into the melee, but Mu Wanqing grabbed her and casually picked up a clay jar.
"Don't make things worse. Don't rush in."
Officer Zeng hurried over and, shocked at the scene, called out, "Everyone stop!"
Both sides were so caught up in fighting that no one who tried to persuade them could be heard.
Officer Zeng furrowed his brow, reached for his waist, drew his long sword and prepared to swing.
With a crash, Mu Wanqing moved first, smashing the clay jar down at the fighters' feet.
The sudden commotion startled everyone; they instinctively parted and took a few steps back.
Officer Zeng looked at the disheveled group and asked coldly, “What’s going on?”
The constable who’d lost his silver jabbed an accusing finger at the Mu father and son. “Chief, they stole my money, that whole family are thieves.”
Mu Zicheng’s face was swollen and red; furious, anxious, and wronged, he said, “That’s nonsense, how could I possibly have stolen your money?”
“Bullshit.” The constable snapped, angrier than before. “I saw it with my own eyes, and you still want to deny it? You even had the nerve to steal from me; you must be courting death. Chief, stick to the old rules: thieves get fifty lashes and a hand crippled.”
Onlookers drew in a sharp breath, that severe?
Madam Qian paled at the words. “No, no, no, my eldest son couldn't be a thief. There must be some misunderstanding...”
The constable picked up the purse from the ground and demanded angrily, “This is the purse I put my silver in, how is it in his hands? Today only you father and son came near me. If not you, who else could it be?”
True, the only people who could have gotten close to him were his comrades, or the Mu household servants.
“Chief, this must be punished severely. Make an example so every criminal knows what happens to those who cross a constable.”
At those words the atmosphere changed instantly; the prisoners looked terrified.
Deputy Captain Li frowned. “Mu Zicheng, you say you didn't steal it. Do you have any proof?”
Mu Zicheng gaped. How could he possibly prove it?
The constable grew angrier. “It couldn't be anyone else. I knew I shouldn't've gone soft on these criminals, shouldn't have removed their shackles. Today he dared to steal my pouch; tomorrow he might poison our food.”
A cold, clear voice cut through. “Are you talking about me?”
It was Mu Wanqing; her black eyes were chillingly cold.
The constable felt an odd twinge of guilt, he'd just eaten her food and now was turning on her, like someone who scolds the cook after finishing his meal. But then he thought, why feel guilty? “Your whole family are no good, a nest of snakes and rats. Chief, don't be fooled by that innocent face.”
No matter how good the cooking, life comes first.
When he said that, the other constables felt uneasy; they'd thought they'd found a jackpot, but now,
If she held a grudge, she could poison their food...
Another constable chimed in, “Chief, I think Brother Wang is right. We can't just let this go, who'll respect us after that?”
Officer Zeng stared coolly at Mu Zicheng. “I'll ask one last time, how do you prove you didn't steal the purse?”
“I...” Mu Zicheng was on the verge of tears. How could he prove something like this? He seldom left home and knew little of the world; suddenly caught in an affair like this, he was doomed.
Officer Zeng could see he was honest; the money might not be his doing.
But the world isn't simply black and white.
For him, the loyalty of his subordinates mattered most.
“Drag him out and give him fifty lashes.” He glanced instinctively at Mu Wanqing; she was scanning the crowd.
What was she looking for?
“Yes.”
Mu Zicheng went as pale as paper, terrified to his core; beads of sweat dotted his forehead.
Second Master Mu and his wife rushed forward, clutching their son. “Don't beat him, if you must, beat me instead.”
Fifty lashes could kill a man.
The tension was dreadful.
“Sir, please investigate a bit more, Fourth Brother isn't that kind of person.” Surprisingly, it was Mu Jinyao who spoke up.
Mu Rongxue of the third household bit her lip and echoed, “Better to check again.”
After all, they were all of the Mu clan; if one suffers, the rest are at risk.
That seemed to open the floodgates; other Mu family members quickly began to plead on his behalf.
Mu Wanqing was surprised, at the crucial moment it was two girls who stepped forward first to speak.
The constables roughly pushed aside Second Master Mu and his wife and dragged Mu Zicheng toward the exit.
Mu Wanqing called out coldly, “Wait.”
Officer Zeng's voice grew colder. The third Miss Mu had always been clever, but now she seemed a touch impetuous.
“Miss Mu, this is a serious matter; I can't afford you that courtesy.”
But Mu Wanqing showed no fear; she was composed. “I have three questions.”
Before he could respond she continued, “First: what would my elder brother gain from stealing an old purse? No matter how poor we are, one purse wouldn't make a difference. Our family has bought yards of cloth, we could sew a hundred purses if we wanted.”
The constable shot her an angry glance. “There were a dozen or so taels of silver in that purse.”
Mu Wanqing looked puzzled. “I see. But that isn't much money, our household has hundreds of taels. Why would my brother risk so much for so little? The consequences of being caught far outweigh the benefit.”
The constable sneered, convinced she was a pampered miss who'd never known hardship. “Who would turn down money?”
Mu Wanqing didn't argue the point. Instead she shifted gears. “Second: you said you only interacted with your comrades and the Mu family today, that's wrong. Have you forgotten about the fight earlier?”
Her words threw him off. Right, a few men had fought over a steamed bun, and they had gone over to intervene.
The scene had been chaotic and they had been close by, it was highly possible the pouch had been snatched then.
Before he could fully process it, Mu Wanqing pointed into the crowd, making a few tentative gestures. “If I'm not mistaken, it's these people.”
There were members of the Mu clan and of the Fang family, looking rather down-on-their-luck.
One of the men flushed with indignation. “Mu Wanqing, you're slandering us.”
Mu Wanqing narrowed her eyes. This one was a Mu relative, apparently from a distant branch, rather impoverished, called Mu Hai.
“You're overreacting and it's unreasonable; your head is tilted slightly, you won't look me directly in the eye, that's guilt.”
“Next you'll point your finger at me.”
“You, ” At that moment Mu Hai's voice rose, and everyone present stared in astonishment at the finger he extended.
How odd.
Mu Hai's mind went blank; he stood stunned for a few seconds, then snatched his fingers back in a fluster.
The atmosphere on the scene turned extremely awkward.
Officer Zeng wore a strange expression. With a wave he ordered, "Search him."
At his command, his men swarmed in and pinned Mu Hai down. Mu Hai struggled desperately. "Officer Zeng, it really wasn't me, don't believe her lies! Mu Wanqing is sly and treacherous; believing her would make you a fool…"
The constables paid him no mind; they searched him thoroughly and found five taels of silver.
Mu Hai flushed with indignation. "That's my money, constable, you must be mistaken…"
The constable who'd lost the silver snatched it back and examined it carefully. Suddenly he cried out, "Found it. I mark my silver; there's a character here, a 'Wang'. See it? My surname's Wang."
The evidence was unassailable.
Mu Hai collapsed to the ground.
Mu Wanqing strolled over slowly; though her pace was leisurely, she carried the dominating presence of someone who could crush the entire room.
She gave Mu Hai a light kick and spoke, her tone icy cold, "You deliberately left an empty pouch here to frame us. Tell us, why?"