The so-called grand tent in the commandant’s camp was only a tent in name. The actual structure was a magnificent hall, with a front hall for public business, and a back hall for private business.
By right of imperial royalty, Long Xuan naturally sat at the head seat. Luo Ze, as the camp’s general, sat at his right hand side.
Luo Wei sat near Zhao Jun Yi. Minister Gu was Junior Chancellor Liu’s family through marriage, so it was natural that he was on the Junior Chancellor’s side. But the capital’s prefect, Jiang Yun Si, was allied with the Senior Chancellor, why did the two of them come together today? Luo Wei glanced at Long Xuan at the head of the hall. There was no way he’d just come back from a hunting trip and just happened to pass by either. The second prince had just lost Yu Zhou, perhaps he was trying to get back at the Luo family through Luo Wei’s second eldest brother?
Seeing as how everyone had taken a seat, Minister Gu addressed Luo Ze, “General, I’ve called upon you here with Prefect Jiang because of a particular case.”
Luo Ze asked, “Does it have to do with that woman you’ve brought along?”
“Bring her in,” Minister Gu ordered his guards.
That plain clothed woman was brought into the hall.
“Madam Wang-Ning(1),” Minister Gu spoke gently to the woman kneeling on the ground, “This is the General of the Capital’s camp,” He pointed at Luo Ze, “And this is the esteemed grand general of the capital. You can tell him about the injustices you’ve suffered.”
Madam Wang-Ning looked at Luo Ze, then quickly lowered her head down on the ground, knocking her forehead against the ground as she spoke. Her voice was overly quiet, though, and those who were present couldn’t hear her clearly.
“Speak up,” Zhao Jun Yi said, “No one can hear what you’re saying.”
“Our Imperial Highness, the Second Prince of Greater Zhou is here too,” Minister Gu brought Long Xuan up as well to bolster her courage, “If you have anything to say, just lay it out plainly.”
“Your humble servant is surnamed Wang, married to the Ning family, I come from Qing Zhou,” The woman still kneeled, her voice was still only barely audible.
The woman told her story in sentences that started and stopped and didn’t follow one another. Luo Wei had to make an effort to understand what she was saying. Apparently she and her husband came into the capital in hopes of finding a place to live with their relative’s help. Unfortunately, the relative they were looking for had long since moved from the capital, and the husband and wife pair were planning on heading back. It was then that the husband somehow angered a few of the soldiers from this camp, and she had watched a few of them haul her husband off in their anger.
“You’re saying that soldiers from the capital’s encampment, my encampment, hauled your husband away?” Luo Ze asked incredulously. He’d never heard of this happened, how could it be?
“Soldiers cannot leave the camp without express orders,” The elder of the Zhao brothers asked, “Where did the two of you run into them?”
Liu Wu Sheng interjected, “Why don’t the two of you let her speak?”
Madam Wang-Ning pulled out a story about soldiers being soldiers and trying to harass common women on the streets. It sounded like something from a play.
Luo Ze was a little uncertain now. Did his soldiers really sneak out of camp like this to make trouble? “Who were the soldiers, do you know them?” He asked her.
“I don’t know their names.”
“What did they look like?”
“I can’t recall clearly.”
“General,” Minister Gu made a suggestion, “Looks like the only way we’re going to get to the bottom of this is to have her take a look around the camp.”
Zhao Jun Yi quickly responded, “She doesn’t know what their names are or what they look like, what’s she going to find even if we let her wander around camp?”
Long Xuan spoke up at this point, “Minister Gu’s meaning is to have her take a look around for her husband, correct?”
“Just so,” Minister Gu nodded.
Madam Wang-Ning turned on the waterworks and cried as she begged, “I only hope that my husband is safe and sound, please, sirs, grant me this one wish!”
“So you intend to search my camp?” Luo Ze asked, wary. Since when did anyone dare to search through a military camp like this?
“This camp holds many military secrets,” Minister Gu said, “Outsiders are not normally allowed, but General Luo, this whole thing happened because you were not strict enough with your soldiers. Madam Wang-Ning isn’t from here, and getting to the capital wasn’t easy, I hope you’ll consider giving her a pass.”
Suddenly, Long Xuan asked the silent Prefect Jiang, “What does the prefect think?”
Jiang Yun Si clasped his hands together in a gesture of respect, “Since Your Imperial Highness is here, then I’ll leave it up to Your Imperial Highness to decide, your humble servant has no other qualms.”
“You said you were from Qing Zhou?” Luo Wei spoke up just now too, watching the woman on the ground with a kind, gentle smile.
FOOTNOTES:
1. Madam Wang-Ning – Wmen often took on either their family’s or their husbands’ last names in historical China, often referred to on tombstones / in public as surname-“shi”. As an example, Madam Wang-Ning’s maiden name was Wang, and probably has a name, but in the original text, she’s only referred to as Wang-Ning shi.