Eastern Palace Chapter 6

"I heard my people have pushed an innocent child into the river. I need to come to the court and look myself."

"Yes, yes! General, please have a seat! "

"This is the magistrate's court. Please continue on the case, I'm just here to visit."

"Yes, yes!"

The Wannian county magistrate requested the complainant and defendant to start over again.

I felt this wasn't fun anymore.

The magistrate continued on and said: " People are selfish, they treasure their life. You don't know him and you can't swim. Were you feeling guilty of something that's why you saved him? If you didn't push the child, then you shouldn't be feeling guilty. Since you feel guilty, then there's no doubt it was you who pushed the child!"

I glared at him again and rolled my eyes. 

Once again, the two children said it was me who pushed the brother into the water and I obviously denied it.

The magistrate purposely gave a hard time for Pei Zhao and asked: " General Pei, you see... "

Pei Zhao said: "I request that someone bring the little girl to the back court and give her cookies to eat. I will summon her brother for questioning and then I will summon her later."

The magistrate agreed. When the little girl was taken away, Pei Zhao started to ask the little boy: "Just now, you said you were playing with water along the river side, but someone pushed you into the river. "

The child boldly said: " Yes."

"Did he pushed you from the back?"

"Yes."

"You don't have eyes at the back of your head. How did you know he pushed you and not other people if he pushed you from behind?"

The boy was at a loss for words, his eyes turned: "I remembered it incorrectly. He pushed me from the front. I was faced upwards when I fell into the water. "

"Oh, so you were faced upwards when you fell into the water." Pei Zhao finished asking and turned around, "Magistrate, take the child away and change his clothes. His body is all wet. If he doesn't change his clothes, he would get sick."

The magistrate ordered someone to take the child away. Pei Zhao then ordered someone to bring the little girl to the court. Pei Zhao pointed at me and asked the little girl: "Is that the person who pushed your older brother into the river?"

"It's him!"

"Your brother was playing by the river side, how did he push him in the river?"

"He just pushed him. He pushed my brother and then my brother fell into the water."

Pei Zhao asked: "Did he push your brother's shoulders or did he push your brother's back?"

The little girl thought for a moment, said it with certainty: "He pushed my brother's back."

"Did you think clearly? Was it the shoulders or the back? "

The little girl hesitated for a moment, said: "If it was not the shoulders then it is the back. My brother was crouching there, he pushed my brother from the back."

Pei Zhao raised his hand: Magistrate, I finished asking. The two children's statements are different with a lot of questionable points, please judge this case carefully."

The magistrate's face kept changing from red to white for a long time, repeatedly said: "General Pei has said it correctly!" Constantly hitting the gavel, ordering someone to bring the little boy and then scolded the little boy as to why he had told a lie. At first, the little boy refused to admit it, but afterwards when the magistrate threatened to hit him with a large wooden stick, he finally cried it out loud. It turns out their parents, who lived near the river bank, have been using this trick for a long time.

He and his sister are good at swimming, frequently they would pretend to fall into the water to trick people into saving them, and when people saved them, they would accuse them of pus.h.i.+ng them into the water. The Jia couple took advantage of this opportunity to get money from them. Typically, people who saved them would just pay money to settle it privately, because most people believed that children couldn't tell lies, and won't used this type of absurd trick.

I was on the side listening to this, stunned. I never thought there would be this kind of parents using this trick.

Pei Zhao said: "Now, the truth has been revealed. My subordinates innocently saved someone, but unexpectedly was blamed. Magistrate, please judge clearly as I will bring the two people back."

The magistrate had a look of shame, raised his hand: "General Pei, please do as you wish."

I refused: " I also have something to say. "

Pei Zhao looked at me, I moved one step forward, facing the magistrate: "You just said people are selfish, they treasure their life, I don't know him and can't swim, if it is not guilt then it is what? This statement is absolutely wrong! I risked my own life to save him because he is younger than me. I thought he lost his balance and slipped into the water, so I didn't think much. Cheris.h.i.+ng a child, saving them from danger, this is called being righteous. You cherish life, but I don't know if there would be anyone who would act without thinking and save someone from danger. Before, you muddled through the case and sentenced me to pay back money, wouldn't this make people regret doing good things and be afraid of doing good things? I wouldn't dare to say I did it in case it causes a bigger issue, but to dare say, I have a clear conscience. I want to tell you, although I met a swindler this time, next time if I encounter this situation again, I would still save the person first!"

When I turned around to leave, the surrounding people unexpectedly clapped their hands, also some people looked at me and shouted 'good.'

Pei Zhao looked back at me, I just stuck out my tongue, continued to follow along. 

Coming out from the court, Pei Zhao politely said: "Gong Zi [1], this horse's temper is not good, I was unable to get a good horse for you to ride on......." 

I sighed and said: "Today, I discovered a new world, never have I thought there would be such parents, and using this type of trick."

Pei Zhao smiled: "People's hearts are vicious, Gong Zi should be more careful."

"I am unable to be careful." I said, "There are too many people with different minds in the Capital. We, Western Liang ladies have the same temper, happy or unhappy are all shown on our faces. If you want me to be like the people in the Capital, then just take my life."

Pei Zhao smiled again.

I thought I must have said something wrong, so I quickly said something to make up for it: "General Pei, you are different from other people, you are a good person, I could see through it."

"Gong Zi, you over-praised me."

At this moment a gust of wind blew over, my clothes were originally all wet, but before, we stayed at the court for half a day, so now my clothes are half dry. My undergarment was still wet, when the wind blew over, the coldness could be felt even from the heart, I couldn't help but sneeze.

Pei Zhao said: "There's an inn in the front, if Gong Zi doesn't mind, how about I help you buy some clothes and let you change into them and then go? You'll fall ill if you wear wet clothes in this type of weather."

I remembered A'Du was still wearing wet clothes, so I agreed.

Pei Zhao brought us to an inn, and got one room. After a while, he personally brought two bags of clothes to us, said: "The people I brought here have left, I told them to leave in order to avoid anyone knowing our movement. Two of you, please do as wish. I would be outside the door, if you need anything, just let me know."

He closed the door and A'Du locked the door. I opened the bag of clothes. It included socks, shoes, undergarment and clothes. They were all new, neat and tidy. After we wore the dry clothes, A'Du help me fixed my hair. This time I felt very refreshed.

I opened the door, called out: "General Pei."

Outside the door was suppose to be a hallway, Pei Zhao was standing there. We didn't see each other for a moment and he had already changed into ordinary clothes with his hair tied up, looking like a scholar. He was looking outside the window, looking at the street. When he heard me call him, he turned around, seemingly in a daze, looked at A'Du and I.

I don't know what he was thinking because his gaze was a little strange. However, his gaze quickly moved away, his face facing down, "I should escort Gong Zi back."

"I sneaked out with great difficulty, I don't want to go back now!" I leaned near the window, seeing the streets crowded and busy, "We should go drink wine, I know a place with shao dao zi[4], while drinking it, it'll make you happy!"

"I still have duties, Gong Zi please excuse me, Gong Zi should also return."

"Today, you don't have any duties. Therefore, today you're not a high ranked general and I am not whatever princess as well. Furthermore, I have too much bad luck today, almost drowned to death, almost wrongly accused by that silly magistrate. If I don't drink some wine to calm down, then it would feel wrong."

Pei Zhao said: "For the purpose of your safety, I should escort you back."

I was very angry, leaning by the window, but I was too lazy to care about him. At this moment, my stomach started to make rumbling noises. I just remembered that I didn't eat lunch, this made me hungry to the point where my chest was stuck to my back. Pei Zhao must have heard my stomach rumble because his face was red. Originally he was standing at a distance away from me, but the window reflected a beam of light at his face, so I could see it very clearly.

I have never seen a grown man's face turn red, can't help but think it was very amusing, laughed and said: "General Pei, could you come with me to eat something?."

Pei Zhao muttered: " Yes."

I don't like his tone of speaking, treating me as if I was an outsider. Perhaps he saved me two times, so I am thankful for him.

A' Du and I led him through a narrow and curved alley, finally arrived at Mi Luo's wine shop.

Once Mi Luo saw me, she approached me affectionately, the hairpins on her head made a loud noise, the accessories on her leg made rustle noises. Mi Luo hugged me, joked: "I'll give you two jars of good wine."