Chapter 1837 - Torture

Because of family misfortunes, Lian Nishang had once nearly fallen into the dusty world of prostitution herself. She detested madams and their ilk to the extreme. Though the Interrogation Section had naturalized police officers trained in modern interrogation techniques, she insisted on selecting Xie Buliao and a few other retained yamen runners from the Soap Squad—all seasoned hands at torture, cruel and merciless—to conduct the questioning. The key was to crush the prestige of these madams and break their psychological advantage of having wielded power over life and death within the brothels; otherwise, the prostitutes would harbor misgivings and opening a breakthrough would prove difficult.

When Section Chief Lian called his name, Xie Buliao was eager to curry favor. Moreover, Han Qiaojie had offended him in the past—how could he pass up this opportunity to avenge a private grudge under the righteous banner of duty? Lian Nishang didn't understand interrogation methods well, so she let Xie Buliao arrange things. After she asked a few questions about name and age, Xie Buliao moved with his subordinates. Without a word, they first stripped off Han Qiaojie's skirt and clothes, tied her naked to a long bench like a pig, and soaked a small paddle woven from bamboo strips in cold water. Without preamble, he gave her forty strokes with the paddle.

Public servants like Xie Buliao all had family-inherited skills and knew how to control the severity of their blows at will. In his youth, he'd had a lover who worked as a majie in a brothel. This woman had once been a laoju there, but as she grew older and business declined, she was reduced to servant's work. Xie Buliao had intended to spend money to redeem her. But Han Qiaojie had opened her mouth like a lion, demanding no less than three hundred taels of silver. The plan fell through. Later, the woman died of illness, and Xie Buliao had nursed a grudge ever since.

So this time, his strikes fell both heavy and ruthless. Poor Han Qiaojie—who usually lived a life of luxury and had been a popular courtesan in her laoju days—had never suffered such hardship. This beating frightened her out of her wits; she even screamed "Help!"

The laoju, doufenshui, majie, and others were all gathered in the hall. Watching the usually majestic and uncompromising madam beaten until her skin split and flesh tore—struggling and screaming miserably on the long bench like a naked fish about to dry up and die—they couldn't help but secretly cheer. Those who had been Han Qiaojie's cronies—Mu Yun, Huang Xiang, and the others—turned pale, nearly fainting.

Lian Nishang was privately surprised. She had originally worried that these old public servants might show mercy to a madam like Han Qiaojie because of complex past social relationships. She hadn't expected this former runner to be so diligent. Judging from Han Qiaojie's hoarse cries of pain and desperate pleas for mercy, and her frantic struggles heedless of the rope bindings, Xie Buliao had not only given full measure but added extra intensity.

After forty strokes, Han Qiaojie lay there faint, with barely a breath left. Her buttocks and thighs were swollen several fingers high like rising dough, bruised black and purple.

Lian Nishang frowned. "Why did you beat her so heavily? Beaten like this, how can we apply further torture during interrogation?"

Xie Buliao bowed deferentially. "Section Chief, you don't understand. These madams and turtle-servants are the trickiest and most vicious. If you don't crush their prestige immediately, they'll never be honest. Besides, you are a woman, so that madam surely harbored thoughts of slackness and contempt. Therefore, this lowly one gave her a taste of suffering. As the saying goes: if the official isn't fearsome, the claws and teeth must be!"

Lian Nishang shook her head. "Be that as it may, how do we apply torture next?"

Xie Buliao chuckled. "What's difficult about that? If we wish to use the bastinado, this lowly one will first use a few strokes to 'open flowers' on her buttocks—dispersing the bruised blood in her thighs. Then using rod or whip, we can strike another forty or fifty times without killing her—at most leaving some scars. Does a madam of laoju origin care about scars? If the Section Chief pities her, this lowly one has iron chains here. First make her kneel on them to answer. If she's still dishonest, apply the finger crushers and give one pull—even an iron man would speak!"

He spoke so calmly and casually that Han Qiaojie—who had just recovered her senses—felt her liver and gallbladder splitting with terror. Ignoring the burning pain in her thighs, she hastily cried out: "This servant is willing to confess! I beg the Master to spare the torture!"

Lian Nishang swept a glance over Han Qiaojie's cronies kneeling below. Each one was ashen-faced, wishing their heads could sink into their chest cavities. The laoju, on the other hand, craned their necks to watch, whispering among themselves, some even revealing hints of smiles.

This beating was effective, Lian Nishang thought.

Because the matters to be asked next concerned the case, Lian Nishang had to abandon the "public trial" drama. But fortunately, with today's incident, Fangchun Court had become the negative "example" in the rectification of the sex industry. Dealing with Han Qiaojie later would be a simple matter.

The focus of interrogation was the relationship between Fangchun Court and Master Liang. Han Qiaojie dared not speak at first, only saying that because of Yue Wan, the Liang family took care of Fangchun Court. This sounded plausible to Lian Nishang—but such explanations could fool outsider naturalized cadres, not local indigenous people. Xie Buliao knew her family had long-standing ties to the Liang family, so he declared Han Qiaojie was being dishonest and whipped her a few more times with a leather whip dipped in water.

These few lashes instantly split the skin and flesh of her already swollen buttocks, nearly making Han Qiaojie's soul leave her body. She howled like a slaughtered pig, begging for mercy. Everyone in the courtyard shivered at the sound.

"When you ordered Sister Yao to torture those girls and force free people into prostitution, did you ever imagine you'd suffer this yourself?" Lian Nishang was usually very serious and showed little emotion, but now, feeling satisfied, she couldn't resist taunting Han Qiaojie.

"It's all this servant's fault—this servant deserves death. This servant is willing to confess. I beg the Master to spare the torture—"

Han Qiaojie wept and sniffled, daring to conceal nothing more. She confessed that the Liang family was indeed one of Fangchun Court's patrons. She said "one of" because the Liang family valued their reputation heavily and didn't wish to directly support a brothel. Usually, if there were matters involving officials or gentry, the Zhong family would act as intermediary.

The Zhong family could barely count as gentry in Guangzhou city. The head of the family, Master Zhong Aijiao, came from landlord ancestors in the countryside. His grandfather had made a fortune doing business in the city. His descendants had studied and produced a few xiucai, qualifying them as members of the scholarly class. Zhong Aijiao had passed the xiucai examination himself but never achieved juren status. When he was over forty, he simply purchased a Jiansheng student title. With money at home, and with Master Zhong's daughter married to Mo Rongxin, manager of Wenlan Academy, he secured a directorship there and openly joined the ranks of "gentry."

Gentry like Master Zhong naturally couldn't compare with the Liang family, but precisely because of their humble origins, they had something of the Broken Boot Party's style. Many things that proper gentry disdained or couldn't do were left for such men to take the lead on. Once, on the birthday of the concubine of Old Master Liang, Zhong Aijiao had curried favor with a maid beside her, arranging for his own wife to become sworn sisters with Master Liang's concubine—thus attaching himself to the Liang family line.

Apart from this, Han Qiaojie didn't know much. She moved frequently among the female relatives of the Zhong family but couldn't fully connect with the female relatives of the Liang family. However, Fangchun Court had encountered difficulties several times in the past, all resolved through the Zhong family using the Liang Residence's influence. Liang Cunhou's purchase of Yue Wan's contract had also been arranged through the Zhong family.

"Liang Cunhou claims to have never been close to women. Why would he buy out Yue Wan?" Lian Nishang asked.

Han Qiaojie grimaced with pain. "What man doesn't love women? It's only that his family has strict rules, not allowing casual connections with brothel women. If not taking them as concubines or maids, they must be bought out completely to become household courtesans—the Liang family maintains their own opera troupe. When Master Zhong said Master Liang intended to buy out Yue Wan's contract, this servant was also surprised."

Four years ago, Yue Wan had been seventeen—already a very popular qingguanren, a courtesan who sold art rather than her body, locally renowned. Many gentry and wealthy landlords had wanted to buy out her contract. Han Qiaojie had naturally aimed for the highest price, preparing to sell for a good sum. But then Master Zhong had quietly visited Fangchun Court, saying Liang Cunhou intended to buy her.

The price for "bedding" was six thousand taels of silver. Though this figure wasn't more than other wealthy men offered, it was above average. Han Qiaojie had wanted to "sell to the highest bidder" but dared not offend the Liang family. Reluctantly, she agreed.

After Liang Cunhou bought out Yue Wan's contract, he immediately began construction, renovating a side courtyard of Fangchun Court to keep his beauty in a golden house.

"...The servants used there are all sent by the Liang Residence. Though connected to this servant's courtyard by a door, the guard is usually very strict. Except for receiving wine, food, and clothing from my courtyard, there's almost no interaction... Even Yue Wan—this servant only sees her once or twice every ten days or half a month."

Prostitutes and madams were people extremely skilled at reading expressions. Though currently suffering severe torture and unbearable pain, she still sensed from Lian Nishang's line of questioning that the Australians had designs on the Liang family. She hastily tried to distance herself.

"How often does Liang Cunhou come to Yue Wan's courtyard? Besides him, are there others?"

"Sometimes he comes every day; sometimes he doesn't come for months. Moreover, Yue Wan's courtyard has a separate entrance—he comes and goes at his convenience—and this servant doesn't have complete knowledge." Han Qiaojie paused. "As for guests, he often feasts in Yue Wan's courtyard. I've heard there are many visitors."

"Do you remember who they are?"

Han Qiaojie wanted to claim she didn't remember, but fearing Xie Buliao's leather whip would lash down again, she hastily said: "This servant remembers some, but there are others this servant doesn't know—"

Lian Nishang instructed her to name everyone she could recall, one by one. Han Qiaojie dared not evade, naming five or six people she judged less important.

"...Just these?"

"These are the frequent visitors this servant recalls. As for other guests, there are really quite a few. It's been a long time—I can't think of them all at once. Some of them this servant doesn't even know..."

Lian Nishang thought she could ask in detail later. She turned the topic to the critical point: "Do you know about Yue Wan inviting a Daoist priest for fortune-telling recently?"

"I know! I know!" Han Qiaojie nodded quickly, explaining that Yue Wan had been in poor health recently. Many doctors had been called without effect. Later, Master Liang had mentioned there was a Daoist from the capital with deep cultivation, so he invited him to read Yue Wan's horoscope.

"...This Daoist also read faces for many people in this courtyard—his cultivation is truly remarkable!"

"Did he say anyone's horoscope clashed with Yue Wan's?"

"He did. For this reason, Master Liang changed many of the people serving around her."

"When was this?"

"More than two months ago," Han Qiaojie said.

"And what is this Daoist's name?" Lian Nishang asked.

"He is called Daoist Wood-Stone."

(End of Chapter)