Deputy furrowed his brows. This matter involved a ting leader knowingly breaking the law, which was rather tricky. On top of that, he had been swamped with paperwork these past two months and was eager for Jack to return and share some of the workload. Stroking his beard, he said, “Since this is a case Sir encountered on the road, and Shiwu Heifu also confessed directly to Sir, let Sir handle the trial. What do you think?”

“Jack will not decline!”

Jack had few hobbies, but he was especially fond of handling cases and copying Qin laws. He could resolve any difficult case with ease. After more than two months away from criminal cases, Jack felt restless, like a rusty steel blade in desperate need of a case to hone itself.

However, aside from the official status of the ting leader, today’s case wasn’t complicated. Jack already had a plan for how to handle it, so he asked Deputy for instructions:

“In my view, this case can be divided into two parts. First, the merchant Bao’s self-report of being robbed by bandits. Second, Shiwu Heifu and Ji Ying’s self-report accusing the Huyang ting leader and Qiu Dao of attempting to steal credit and cheat for rewards... Only after confirming the crimes and capture of the bandits in the first case can the second case be tried.”

Much like lawsuits in later generations, lawsuits and interrogations in Qin all followed a set procedure. For a case to enter this process, someone had to make an accusation first, which would then serve as the starting point for an interrogation. If the victim reported the case themselves, it was called “self-report,” similar to the “plaintiff” in later times.

Jack continued, saying that the three bandits had already been detained in the county prison, and a physician had been arranged to treat the wounded among them. All the self-reporters and defendants in both cases had also been brought back by him, so the case could officially begin soon!

“JackSir is truly efficient and decisive. With you handling things, I am at ease,” Deputy said with great satisfaction, content to be a hands-off manager and let Jack make his own decisions...

...

After bidding farewell to Deputy, Jack hurried to his own office, where his two subordinates, the clerk “Mark” and the prison officer “David,” had been waiting for some time.

Their names were a coincidence. David often joked to Mark that if they could find someone named “哀” to do paperwork, their little office would have all four emotions: “JackMarkPaulDavid.”

But Jack had no time for jokes. While writing the “sealed interrogation form”—the principles and procedures for this case—he said, “You both know that before interrogation begins, we must first confirm the names, identities, and places of origin of the accused and the self-reporters.”

The two nodded. “Of course.”

Jack then assigned tasks: “Mark, you have a fierce look and a stern voice that makes people tremble, so you’ll question the three bandits and give them a bit of a scare.”

“David, you have a kind face and a pleasant voice, so you’ll question the three self-reporters, making sure they don’t panic and can calmly await interrogation.”

Mark and David quickly agreed. Ever since they heard their superior was back, they knew their days of working overtime had returned. Fortunately, this prison officer Jack was experienced in handling cases and always knew exactly what approach to use with different people.

“As for that Huyang ting leader and Qiu Dao and the others...”

Jack put down his pen, looked up, and said coldly, “As a ting leader, he knowingly broke the law, which shows he’s bold and reckless. I’ve heard he has some backing at home, so you two might not be able to handle him. Let me deal with him personally.”

Mark and David both agreed, saying they would take care of these matters first thing in the morning.

“In the morning?”

But Jack shook his head. “It seems that in the two months I was away, you two have gotten rather slack.”

He stood up and began to lecture them: “Back in the days of Lord Shang’s reforms, it was required that government offices finish all daily business on the same day—no delays overnight!”

Mark and David felt their scalps tingle. Their boss’s most admired figure was Lord Shang, and he liked to quote him in everything.

Sure enough, Jack raised his finger and quoted Lord Shang.

“Lord Shang said: ‘Those who govern by day become kings; those who govern by night become strong; those who govern after a night become weak!’”

A country that finishes its business during the day can rule the world; if it finishes by night, it can still be strong; but if it delays until the next day, it will be weakened!

He said earnestly, “We, as minor local officials, dare not claim that what we do can help the king rule the world, nor that we can make Qin strong. But at the very least, we must not let our own laziness weaken the country...”

Mark and David looked at each other—wasn’t this just working overtime? How did it turn into a matter of national importance?

Actually, there was one more thing Jack didn’t say.

He had already heard that the Huyang ting leader who committed the crime was actually the nephew of the county’s Zuo Wei (the equivalent of a deputy chief of police)!

Under the Qin system, large counties had both a Right and Left Wei, in charge of catching thieves and military service. The Zuo Wei was the fourth highest official in Anlu County, ranking above Jack. The reason Deputy handed the case to Jack was to avoid making an enemy of the Zuo Wei.

The Zuo Wei’s family had deep roots in Anlu County and many connections. If Jack didn’t handle the case quickly, there would be plenty of time for people to meddle and pull strings!

With this in mind, Jack grabbed his pen and knife from the desk and strode out.

“No need to wait until tomorrow. Mark, David, you two come with me now—we’ll interrogate them tonight!”

...

PS: For Jack’s biography, see “Chronicles.”

The names of the two minor officials are a tribute to “National Treasure,” but the real Jack was probably a very serious workaholic, not as amusing as the character played by Sa Beining.

Chapter 0008: See You in Court