The Bund Chronicles: Chapter 34 – Confrontation on the River, Suspicions at the Prison Gates

Outside the prison, unknown insects chirped intermittently, their sound piercingly clear in the silence of the night.

Pan Qiliang leaned against the corner of the wall and fell fast asleep in no time, snoring as soundly as if he were on his own heated brick bed. His breathing was so heavy it seemed as though the mold spots on the walls might peel off from the vibrations. Chen Lin glanced at him and mused to himself—it looked like this one was a seasoned "frequent visitor" to the jailhouse.

Yet, Chen Lin felt no trace of sleepiness. Since crossing over, an inexplicable sense of crisis had coiled around him like a thin strand of hemp rope, tightening around his chest. The feeling of having his life held in the hands of others was unbearable; every second felt like sitting on pins and needles.

The next morning, Chen Lin was awakened by a commotion. His ears were filled with the footsteps of jailers, the clinking of keys, and the coughing drifting from other cells. He opened his eyes, feeling groggy, his mind still clouded by the night’s unrest.

It was time for the jailers to deliver breakfast. The iron bucket contained gruel so thin it reflected his own face, with a few rice husks floating on top that killed any appetite he might have had. Chen Lin hadn’t touched the slop-like dinner from the night before, and he certainly had no intention of eating this morning's offering.

Before Chen Lin could fully gather his wits, a jailer opened the cell door and barked, "Chen Lin, get out! You're being brought in for interrogation!"

Chen Lin rubbed his throbbing temples and followed the jailer outside. Waiting for him this time was not Tie Liang, but a stranger in a green official robe. The man had a gaunt face and sharp eyes, and he was sitting behind an official desk, flipping through case files.

Chen Lin glanced up and saw Tie Liang standing behind the man, his waist slightly hunched. Tie Liang caught his eye and gave him a clandestine look, his expression filled with anxiety.

"Audacious! How dare you not kneel upon seeing the Assistant Prefect!" a bailiff holding a heavy wooden staff roared, his voice painful to the ears.

The bailiff standing beside Chen Lin did not hesitate; he reached out, pressed down on Chen Lin’s shoulders, and forced him down. Chen Lin’s knees buckled, and he was forced to kneel on the ground, the chill of the floor seeping through his clothes and making him shiver.

The Assistant Prefect in the official robe set down the file, tapped his fingertips on the desk, and spoke in a cold tone: "Suspect Chen Lin, you have been accused of murdering Liu Wei, the head of the county yamen's bailiffs. The crime is equivalent to treason. Songjiang Prefecture is taking you into custody according to the law."

The words were brief, with no room for explanation. As soon as he finished, he rose, appearing ready to leave.

Watching from behind, Tie Liang grew desperate. After a long moment of internal struggle, he gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and bowed to the Assistant Prefect. "My lord, I only brought Chen Lin back for questioning. In truth... in truth, the evidence for his murder charge is insufficient."

The Assistant Prefect paused, snapped his head around, and glared at Tie Liang with undisguised disdain. "Does a lowly constable like you need to teach me how to do my job?"

Tie Liang was left speechless, forced to bow his head and grip the corner of his tunic tightly.

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed at the entrance. Another man in an official robe walked in—it was Magistrate Wu Yun. As soon as he entered, he wore a fawning smile and bowed to the Assistant Prefect. "Magistrate Qin, you arrived at the county yamen so early without a word. If others find out, they will say I have failed in my hospitality."

"Magistrate Wu, no need for formalities." Assistant Prefect Qin waved a hand, his tone barely softening. "I am merely here to take a suspect into custody; I shall leave immediately."

"There is no rush," Wu Yun said quickly, gesturing with his hand. "Please, sit down and have a cup of tea. It wouldn't be too late to leave after resting your feet."

Wu Yun was calculating—he had just seen off Gu Fuchang and had already intended to let Tie Liang release Chen Lin. Tie Liang had no solid evidence, so releasing or detaining him was entirely up to the Magistrate. Who could have expected Qin Shaobai, the Assistant Prefect of Songjiang, to show up at the crack of dawn to take the prisoner? Tie Liang had only arrested Chen Lin yesterday; the case hadn't even been reported to the prefecture yet. How could Qin Shaobai have known?

Gu Fuchang had personally come to plead for him, and he couldn't afford to ignore such a request, which was why he had rushed over to keep Chen Lin in his custody. He was just a minor suspect; surely Qin Shaobai wouldn't refuse to give face to a Magistrate?

But today, Qin Shaobai remained unmoved. He waved his hand again, his tone resolute. "No, Magistrate Lian is waiting for me to report back." He shot a look at the constables behind him. "Take the prisoner. Let’s go!"

Chen Lin knelt on the ground, his mind buzzing, his thoughts a complete blank.

* * *

Prefect Lian Tinghuang was so busy; why would he personally handle a case involving a nobody like him? Chen Lin suddenly realized that the situation was far more complex than he had imagined.

If he were still in the county yamen, as long as he kept his mouth shut, either the He Xin mission or the Gu family would eventually find a way to get him out. But once he was taken to the Songjiang Prefecture city, the situation would be unpredictable—the officials there held higher rank, and the connections were more intricate. His meager network would likely be useless.

"Ah, Magistrate Qin, you make Magistrate Lian laugh," Wu Yun said, still making a final effort with a forced smile. "It's just a small case; why bother Magistrate Lian? Why not leave him at the county yamen? I will personally ensure a thorough interrogation and provide you with an answer."

Assistant Prefect Qin did not relent; instead, he frowned. "This involves treason; how can you call it a small case?"

Wu Yun was taken aback. He turned to look at Tie Liang, his voice full of confusion. "Tie Liang, does this case involve treason? I heard it was a crime of passion? Didn't that woman already confess?"

Tie Liang quickly bowed to reply, his voice low. "Reporting to you, my lord, this case does not involve treason." He knew full well that the woman hadn't confessed to anything, and the "crime of passion" was a fabrication by the Magistrate. Given his nature, he shouldn't have played along, but by not exposing it, it was clear he was trying to help Chen Lin from the bottom of his heart.

"Whether or not it involves treason will be determined by the interrogation," Qin Shaobai said, losing patience and cutting Tie Liang off. "Enough. I am returning to report. Magistrate Wu, you are a busy man; please do as you please."

With things having reached this point, Wu Yun was out of options. He had already done enough to save face for Gu Fuchang.

Chen Lin was hoisted up by the prefecture bailiffs and dragged outside. He hung his head, feeling utterly lost, not knowing what else he could do—armed resistance was certainly futile.

The morning in Shanghai County was already bustling. The streets were filled with hawkers carrying baskets, their shouts of "Baozi for sale!" and "Soy milk!" rising and falling. Pedestrians pushed through the crowds, some rushing to the market, others hurrying to the docks—a scene of pure, chaotic vitality.

Among the crowd, a man wearing a bamboo hat with the brim pulled low hid half his face, revealing only a thick stubble on his chin. His eyes were fixed on Chen Lin, who was being escorted by the bailiffs, and he followed at a leisurely pace.

Not far away, in a silk shop, a lady held a parasol embroidered with begonia flowers. The parasol was tilted, showing only her slender back. She appeared to be looking at the silk in the shop, but her gaze wandered toward Chen Lin from time to time.

When the man saw Chen Lin being escorted out of the yamen, he quietly quickened his pace toward the city gate; the lady closed her parasol, left the shop, and followed the flow of people toward the city outskirts, pretending to be out for a stroll.

Qin Shaobai sat in a small, two-man sedan chair. He lifted a corner of the curtain, peering out from time to time, urging the bearers, "Faster! Do not delay the time for boarding the ship." They were heading to the docks outside the city to board a boat back to the Songjiang Prefecture city.

On the river, a black-painted steam patrol boat was spitting out black smoke, moving with a "chug-chug-chug" sound. White spray splashed on both sides of the hull, glistening in the morning light. On the patrol boat, a bright Union Jack flag flew defiantly.

Reverend He Xin, dressed in a black clerical robe, stood at the bow with his hands behind his back, the wind whipping his hem. Behind him, Jenny had changed into a black, form-fitting long dress that reached her ankles, accentuating her slender waist. She wore a pair of polished leather boots, appearing less like the delicate girl of the past and more like a capable woman. The tall and burly James stood next to her, two revolvers tucked into his leather belt, the metal cold and gleaming. With his arms crossed over his chest, he scanned the river with vigilant eyes, like a true cowboy from the West.

"Mr. He Xin, what if those Qing officials refuse to release Jack?" Jenny looked at the approaching dock, her face full of worry, her voice laced with urgency.

Reverend He Xin turned his head, his tone resolute. "They won't. We have signed a treaty with the Qing government; crimes committed by people in the Concession are under the jurisdiction of the Concession." He paused, his eyes firm. "Therefore, they must release Jack. A teenage boy, so scholarly—how could he be a murderer? Those Qing officials love to fabricate charges and distort the truth. I believe Jack must have been framed."

To save Chen Lin, Reverend He Xin had done his utmost. Not only had he obtained a jurisdictional order from Balfour, but he had also used personal connections to requisition this patrol boat from the Concession garrison. Of course, he didn't do this entirely out of fondness for Chen Lin. More importantly, Chen Lin had promised to help him open a publishing house—a publishing house with the participation of a Qing citizen who understood Western studies was crucial to his future cultural missionary plans.

This endeavor could not succeed without Chen Lin, so he had to rescue him.

Qin Shaobai’s sedan chair soon reached the river dock. A small official boat flying the "Songjiang Prefecture" flag was docked at the shore, its hull painted in a striking red.

On the dock, the lady with the floral parasol walked quickly behind the man in the bamboo hat and whispered, "Brother, they are going to escort Chen Lin to the Prefecture Yamen. This matter is suspicious; it doesn't look like a routine interrogation."

The man did not turn back, his gaze still fixed on the official boat. His tone was solemn. "Someone must be operating behind the scenes. I’ve inquired—someone delivered 'clues' to Tie Liang. They knew that Tie Liang is a man who always enforces the law strictly, so he would definitely arrest Chen Lin."

"Then what should we do?" The girl’s tone became more anxious, her fingers gripping the handle of her parasol tightly. "Are we just going to watch them take Chen Lin to the Yamen? What if he is convicted?"

"Don't worry, I have already contacted your brother Zhou in Qingpu," the man said, his voice deepening. "He will rescue Chen Lin on the way."

The girl breathed a sigh of relief, a look of reassurance appearing on her face. Zhou Lichun from Qingpu was a veteran who made his living on the water and a key member of the Small Sword Society. With his methods and extensive network, there would be no problem.

But upon second thought, the girl frowned again. "Brother, if that happens, won't Chen Lin become a fugitive? Won't he be unable to stand his ground in the Qing Empire in the future?"

The man sighed, his voice tinged with helplessness. "We'll take it one step at a time. The most important thing now is to get him out; we can think of other solutions later."

As they spoke, Chen Lin had already been escorted onto the official boat by the bailiffs. On the shore, a man in short, rugged clothes quietly retreated into the shadows—it was Hu San. Seeing Chen Lin board the ship, he quickly turned and jumped into a small skiff, which sped downstream. He was going to report the news to Reverend He Xin.

Before long, Hu San’s skiff encountered the Concession patrol boat. He waved from a distance, shouting the news that Chen Lin had been taken aboard the official boat. Jenny relayed the situation to Reverend He Xin, who immediately ordered them to chase the official boat.

The roar of the patrol boat’s steam engine grew louder, and the vessel surged forward, quickly catching up to the official boat and blocking its path.

Seeing the strange Western patrol boat before him, Qin Shaobai stepped out of the cabin, his brow furrowed in confusion. He hadn't offended any Westerners lately. Ever since the Concession treaty was signed, the Westerners had mostly kept to themselves, focused only on making money, rarely interfering in the affairs of the Qing Empire.

"Listen, you Qing people!" Jenny stood at the bow of the patrol boat, cupping her hands around her mouth and shouting in fluent Chinese, "You have a member of our Concession on your boat; release him at once!"

Qin Shaobai saw it was a Western woman and sneered with disdain. "This is a government boat of Songjiang Prefecture. You English, what are you trying to do? There is no one from your Concession here, only a suspect the Imperial Court must interrogate."

"This is Mr. He Xin, the Consular Counselor of the Concession and a judge of the provisional court," Jenny said, pointing to Reverend He Xin beside her, her tone firm. "According to the laws of the Concession, whatever crime Chen Lin has committed, it should be handled by the Concession! It is not for your Qing government to manage!"

Jenny thought she had made herself clear, but Qin Shaobai didn't buy it at all. He sneered, "The suspect committed the crime in Chinese territory, his household registration is that of a Qing subject, and he is involved in a major crime of treason! How can your Concession handle such a case? It’s a joke!"

Seeing that reasoning wouldn't work, Jenny turned to look at James.

James understood immediately. He reached out and drew a revolver from his belt, gripping the frame with one hand and pulling back the hammer with the other. The clear "click" of the bullet chambering was audible across the river.

"Release him!" James’s voice was gruff, his eyes fixed fiercely on the people on the official boat. "Otherwise, you won't be passing today!"

"Is that so?" Qin Shaobai remained undaunted, showing no sign of being intimidated. "You think you can scare me with a firearm? Do you even know whose territory this is?" He swung his hand back sharply and shouted, "Men!"

A squad of soldiers immediately rushed out of the cabin, each holding a matchlock gun, their muzzles aimed at the patrol boat. The atmosphere turned tense in an instant; swords were drawn and bows were bent.

Chen Lin was locked in the hold of the official boat, where it was pitch black. But he could hear the commotion outside clearly—Jenny’s voice, James’s shouts, Qin Shaobai’s angry curses, and the rapid footsteps of the soldiers. He heard it all.

A warmth spread through his heart—it was Jenny coming to save him. This woman, though she had tricked him a few times before, was reliable in a moment of crisis.

But moments later, the official boat continued its advance, and the patrol boat retreated to the side. Chen Lin’s heart sank—he hadn't been released. The standoff outside had clearly ended with He Xin and the others at a disadvantage.