Frame?
A friendly smile appeared on Lord Lin's face, but his eyes were sinister.
"Whether it is true or false, mistake or crime, that can be decided after going to the government office," he said slowly.
He had been an official for decades. His family had been entrenched in Yangcheng. No cases that passed through his hands weren't decided by him. Why talk to him about fairness. If you want to talk about fairness, you must talk about god, and in Yangcheng he was a god.
You, a young woman, even if your father was a man loyal to the state, he could not stop your death. But he did not want her to die. Her crime was not a mortal crime, just conduct offending public morals.
For girls, offending public morals could often take their will to live, making living worse than dying.
"Miss Jun you know what's wrong with what happened. Begging me is useless, and so is thinking of a way for the Fang Family to forgive you." Lord Lin punctuated every word. "Because what happened does not just affect your and my family, but also the Ning Family and the Jinyun Hall, I'm afraid they'll need an explanation."
As he spoke, he began to walk out, deciding not to care about whether this girl shouted angrily or sobbed in terror.
But there were no sobs nor shouts behind him.
"Lord Lin, you should think it over again," Miss Jun suggested.
Lord Lin smiled coldly. Really, she wasn't even aware that her death was imminent. She still wanted him to think it over, while she wasn't thinking herself. What a total idiot.
"You are not the only government office in Yangcheng," Miss Jun continued.
Lord Lin stopped. This cheap girl did not have any other tricks other than intimidation.
"Oh." He turned to look at her. "Are you saying you'll file a suit? Where will you go? To the prefecture level? My schoolmate is working at the Ze prefecture offices and is in charge of punishments. My wife's brother is an official at the prefecture offices, and reports suits. If you don't know how, I can help introduce you."
"I don't know the Ze prefecture office people," Miss Jun said.
Who would you know? You are just a country bumpkin from the northern Funing.
Lord Lin cursed inside.
"The Ze Prefecture is too small," Miss Jun said. "I only know of the Taiyuan Office, the prefectural magistrate Ma Shengzhi, a graduate of the civil service examination of the first year of Sheng, the Right Court-Admonisher."
Lord Ma? Lord Lin stared. Of course he knew. That Lord Ma was personally appointed to the Taiyuan Office's by the Emperor, permitting to act as he sees fit. Someone who definitely cannot be offended.
"Of course, everyone knows of Lord Ma," he snorted. "It's not rare that you would know him."
The important thing is that he doesn't know you.
A grand imperial censor, prefectural magistrate, wouldn't know who you were. If you wanted to file a lawsuit to him, you wouldn't see Lord Ma. It's possible you would just be tied up on the spot.
You can't just do what you please with your father's reputation.
Really, such a child.
Lord Lin stepped forward, his hand against the door, about to open it, when Miss Jun unhurriedly spoke behind him.
"Taikang Year 2, Ze Prefecture, the burned down grain depots' ledgers are in your hands."
A chill suddenly ran down his spine, his three souls and six senses [1] damaged.
"This ledger was given to you by your wife's brother, no? That official is of the last name Wu, your wife's brother," Miss Jun said, her tone still level.
Lord Lin felt like that voice was akin to rolling thunder.
This was impossible! How did she know?
So it should be said that the Old Heavenly Father is fair.
Miss Jun sighed.
After being married, although she was a princess who could not exit the main gate, nor step out the side gate [2], who let her marry the head of the Jinyiwei?
Moreover, he never restrained himself around her, telling all of the officials' shameful secrets as jokes to her.
She actually did not care what these officials did, it's just that her memory was much better than that of normal people.
Her master, in order to discourage her from studying medicine, made her memorize many medical books orally. Because of that, anything that she heard she would not forget.
Right now it seems that the useless thing had come to her aid. Is that not fairness?
"You see, this is justice," Miss Jun said, looking at Lord Lin's back. "Fairness is when you threaten me, I can, coincidentally, threaten you."
Fairness, when you threaten me, I can threaten you.
Lord Lin was trembling slightly, a thin layer of perspiration on his forehead.
How did she know? How was it possible? It was a very deeply hidden secret, not some little one.
"Ma Shengzhi is the Taiyuan Prefectural Magistrate because his predecessor, Deng Ziqiao failed. It was reported that Deng Ziqiao did not provide enough army rations. Every other prefecture wanted to investigate, but the grain depot in Ze Prefecture burned down, the ledger missing. The missing ledger was deemed insignificant, but there was no problem with the whole Shanxi's account books. In the end, they couldn't find anything, and Deng Ziqiao was removed. Then the matter ended."
The girl's gentle voice continued coming.
"Although this ledger is insignificant, I think that Lord Ma would like to see it after hearing this."
"Lord Lin, your Yangcheng Government Office is not the only one under heaven. You say I hurt someone, I won't just lie down and take it. Since I'm warning you now, do you want to investigate this again?"
"What you say goes in your territory, you are the master of any evidence, but if other people investigate, the evidence won't go as you wish."
"I'm telling you that there are many holes here, which are fine if you don't look into them. But if you do, I'm just afraid that Miss Lin's and Lord Lin's faces won't be pretty sights."
"I said that once you know your ill, you can change, a child not receiving the education of a father. After all, Miss Lin is still young. Because Lord Lin didn't know about this, I wanted to speak with you alone. Lord Lin can still teach his children, so I let Lord Lin think about what position to take. But right now it seems, Lord Lin has already decided..."
When he heard this, Lord Lin whipped around violently.
"No, I haven't decided anything," he said shakily, looking at Miss Jun. None of the indignation or coldness was on his face anymore; it was white, his mind in disarray. "No, no, Miss Jun is much too sudden and severe. For something such as this to happen, as a father I'm really ashamed."
Miss Jun looked at him without saying anything and smiled.
"Miss Jun, what you said is right. This child has not received her father's teachings. This is my fault," Lord Lin said, his eyes red, grieving and lamenting. "I never thought that Jin'er would do such a thing, I really am..."
He slapped himself.
It was a very clear sound, full of strength. A mark was left on his face.
"Lord, do not be so harsh on yourself," Miss Jun persuaded gently.
Compared to Lord Lin's professed warmth, her tone had been calm and gentle ever since the beginning. Obviously, she was much more sincere.
[1] Three souls and six senses: they are said to motivate people
[2] Could not exit the main gate, nor step out the side gate: someone who doesn't go out and get in contact with other people