"Miss Zhu is being modest. I didn't do much, even if Miss Zhu hadn't told me the truth, the Imperial Court would have discovered it and cleared your family's name. The only thing I should be thankful for is the evidence provided by Miss Zhu which helped us solve the case quickly," replied Shen Jingrui.
"Regardless, our Zhu family will always remember your great kindness, Master Rui'an County," said Zhu Yan, though she didn't take the words to heart. Who knows if things would have ended sooner if she had gone straight to the officials or maybe even put her family in more danger.
No one could have predicted that Mr. Gao would be a man of General Li's influence.
As local magistrate, Mr. Gao has jurisdiction over grain transport, family farms, water resources, and lawsuits, and has the responsibility to supervise the provincial governor. If she had chosen to seek redress directly from the Magistrate, Mr. Gao surely could not have been kept in the dark.