During the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty, Zhuozhou Creek near Chaoyang, Guangdong, had clear water, but it hid some untold stories. The banks of the river are not quiet, and robbers are often inhabited, resting during the day and becoming active in the evening, attacking passengers on passing merchant and passenger ships in small boats and robbing them of their goods. Zhuozhou Creek lies between Chaoyang and Puning counties in Guangdong, making it a popular bandit activity area.
Interestingly, in the seventh or eighth year of Yongzheng, the county magistrates of Chaoyang County and Puning County were the same person, named Lan Dingyuan. This Lan Dingyuan, whose name is Yulin, is originally from Zhangpu, Fujian. He was sent to Puning County in Guangdong to serve as a county magistrate in the fifth year of Yongzheng, and because Chaoyang County has not had a county magistrate, Lan Dingyuan also served as the work of Chaoyang County. Banditry activities occurred frequently in Zhuozhou Creek, and Lan Dingyuan could not ignore it, so he personally led a team to the river to investigate. However, on the way, a common man named Guo Yuanzang came to complain, saying that he had been robbed by a thief boat on the river and had lost his belongings. This case plunged Lan Dingyuan into the whirlpool of investigation.
Lan Dingyuan questioned Guo Yuanzang and asked him to provide an accurate appearance of the bandit in order to confirm his identity. Guo Yuanzang described more than a dozen people on the thief ship, but he did not know it, and could only provide the characteristics of the ship. Lan Dingyuan therefore issued a notice, dispatched officials to search for him, and encouraged the people to provide clues. However, a few days passed, and the investigation reached an impasse.
Both Chaoyang and Puning are located in hydrologically rich areas, and with frequent boat traffic, it becomes difficult to use this information to catch criminals. However, Lan Dingyuan is not a mediocre person. He was keenly aware that this eight-oared boat was not common in the local area, and was usually used to transport salt. So, he decided to search along the river where the salt was transported. Sure enough, in a hidden area with abundant water and grass, a ship was found that matched Guo Yuanzang's description. Lan Dingyuan immediately arrested the four shipwrights on board and began interrogation.
However, all four claimed to know nothing about the robbery on Zhuozhou Creek. This puts the investigation in a new predicament. Lan Dingyuan paid special attention to one of them, named Zheng Aqing, who was a character with a bad record. During the interrogation, Zheng Aqing confessed some other information, saying that on the day of the crime, Wang Axie and Fan Ayi were seen driving an eight-oared boat mother. This clue opens up the possibility of a breakthrough in the case.
In the following interrogation, Wang Accord and Fan Ayi took the initiative to surrender. In court, they denied Zheng Aqing's accusations, but they acted calmly and did not seem to be afraid. However, their attitude changed suddenly, and when they learned that Yao Shaocong had confessed the case and accused them of being the main culprit, they pleaded guilty and confessed to the other participants. This series of reactions led to the case being quickly solved, and Yao Shaocong and others were also arrested one after another.
Zhuozhou Creek regained its tranquility, and the water surface was sparkling and crystal clear. The truth of the whole case surfaced through Lan Dingyuan's shrewd investigation, and many bandits also paid the price of the law.