Chapter 144: Earth-Shattering Corruption Case (2)

Slowly opening his eyes, Du Gu Jun, an Imperial Censor who had come to Shazhou on investigation, found a graceful naked young woman lying beside him, with wheat‑colored hair, fair skin, and tear stains at the corners of her eyes.

Du Gu Jun vaguely recalled that yesterday he and Fang Chongyong had reunited after a long separation, drank together, got drunk and embraced a Hu girl plucking a pipa, then slept and had a spring dream.

It was a very pleasant experience.

The fatigue of the journey vanished completely.

Such matters are far too commonplace in officialdom. Only Fang Chongyong treats the Hu girl beside him as a treasure; others do not.

Yesterday Du Gu Jun did not mention his true purpose for coming to Shazhou, as it felt inappropriate.

Fang Chongyong is held in such high esteem in Shazhou that even women and children know of him. When Du Gu Jun privately asked passersby about Fang Chongyong, they showed extremely wary looks and instead hinted at probing his own identity.

Thus, having served many years and being cautious, Du Gu Jun no longer acted rashly. Regarding Shazhou's situation, he now knows only a superficial outline.

"A night of spring is worth a thousand gold, brother Du Gu, you certainly enjoyed quite a fortune last night."

The door was pushed open, and Fang Chongyong entered laughing heartily and clapping. The young Hu girl, awakened by the commotion, immediately wrapped her pale body in a blanket and slipped away, leaving space for Fang Chongyong and Du Gu Jun to converse.

"Brother, sigh, don't blame me; now disaster is about to strike you!"

Du Gu Jun couldn't help but sigh.

By order of Li Linfu, he deliberately set out from the Anxi Protectorate a month early to Hexi to investigate the situation of Hexi Five Prefectures.

His first stop was Shazhou.

Li Linfu specifically instructed that regarding the Shazhou prefectural office, Fang Chongyong, and the Doulu army, they must "investigate meticulously" and "investigate thoroughly."

As for what that means, only those who understand, understand.

"Brother Du Gu, you may investigate me without issue; I have no private property in Shazhou. My retainers are all openly listed. It's just that Shazhou and the Doulu army cannot be investigated, cannot be investigated!"

Fang Chongyong admonished with deep anguish.

Du Gu Jun was startled, then asked in bewilderment, "Why can't we investigate?"

"Brother Du Gu, do you know who the woman you spent the night with was?"

Fang Chongyong asked with a smile.

Du Gu Jun was taken aback, then blurted out, "Who else could it be? Hu girls are everywhere in the Western Regions; a dozen bolts of silk can buy one, fifty bolts let you pick any you like, who else?"

"No, she is Wang Huailiang, who just this year became the prefect of Ganzhou, and the governor's adopted daughter. Last night she was unfortunately defiled by you, with dozens of witnesses."

Fang Chongyong said expressionlessly, reciting the prearranged script without any inner disturbance.

"That's impossible!"

Du Gu Jun screamed, having long lost the demeanor befitting an Imperial Censor.

"This Hu girl was not previously the prefect's daughter, but from today she is. The adoption paperwork, documents, and witnesses are all complete.

The guarantors are all local wealthy elders, and the prefectural office's documents date from last year.

Moreover, outside this courtyard, several fearless families of Doulu soldiers are ready to accuse you of forcibly taking a civilian woman, having witnessed it with their own eyes.

To prove their words true, they are willing to go to Chang'an to confront you on the spot, and at the Dali Temple they will gouge out their eyes and then bite their tongues to kill themselves, dying to demonstrate their resolve.

The specific details of your forcible taking of a civilian woman have already been crafted into a story by a specialist. Within ten days, whether in Hexi Five Prefectures or the taverns and relay stations of Chang'an, someone will describe the incident vividly and spread it widely.

The Hu girl just now will also beg her adoptive father, the Ganzhou prefect Wang Huailiang, to report your misconduct to the court, accusing you of breaking the law locally, even daring to defile an official's daughter.

"Even so, Brother Du Gu, must you persist in investigating?"

Fang Chongyong spread his hands with a helpless expression and asked.

I'm on horseback!

Du Gu Jun was left speechless by the question; with the scheme set up like this, how can we proceed? What to do!

"You are truly amazing…"

Du Gu Jun let out a sigh.

"The business of the Western Regions, the officialdom of Hexi's Five Prefectures, including the local officials, everyone has a share. I'm the only one who doesn't take money."

"Brother Du Gu, now that you're here, if there's anything, just say it directly."

Fang Chongyong's expression softened as he comforted Du Gu Jun.

He truly worries that this older brother Du Gu might be dealt with by Hexi's local officials; dozens of minor and major officials have died in recent years, and he doesn't mind losing another.

"The Right Prime Minister only thought Hexi's situation was off, but didn't expect you to play so wildly."

Du Gu Jun let out a light sigh and handed the handwritten letter in his bosom to Fang Chongyong; it was written by Li Linfu.

"Right Prime Minister?"

Fang Chongyong was slightly stunned, wondering what Li Linfu wanted of him.

Opening the letter, its content was simple: after this year's autumn harvest, Fang Chongyong's term as prefect will end, and the court will send someone to replace him. So after stepping down, Fang Chongyong can return to Chang'an and first visit Pingkang Lane to meet this Tang Right Prime Minister.

No further details were given.

"What exactly is strange about Hexi?"

Fang Chongyong asked in bewilderment, saying that over the past three years, Hexi's development has been quite good.

After all, luxury goods in Chang'an have been gradually rising in price, more than double what they were before. With so many extra resources, how could Hexi possibly develop poorly!

"Hexi's Five Prefectures and its various armies have stopped requesting grain stipends from the court! The Right Prime Minister, puzzled, after a brief verification discovered that the problem likely originates in Shazhou, so he sent someone to investigate."

Li Linfu might still not fully grasp Fang Chongyong's game pattern, but he also sensed something amiss in Hexi.

A child lacking milk should cry loudly for its mother to feed, but now the child neither cries nor whines, nor is it starving, so it must have found another "mother."

The Hexi Military Governor's Office, which always clamored for wealth, has suddenly stopped demanding, and as the Tang Right Prime Minister, Li Linfu could not ignore it.

"Hmm, I understand. Brother Du Gu, do you want to know? If you don't, I won't tell."

Fang Chongyong said in a deep voice.

Du Gu Jun thought for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "I've already been dragged in, so feel free to speak plainly."

"Alright then."

Thus, Fang Chongyong explained Hexi Five Prefectures' operational model to Du Gu Jun.

To put it simply, an institution similar to an "import-export foreign trade company" was established to conduct monopolistic trade, thereby controlling the pricing power for luxury goods in Chang'an! As for the commercial taxes and customs duties that should have appeared in the court's ledgers, they all became "falsely reported."

That is to say, taking a portion of the profits from this giant merchant caravan just to show the court's auditors.

The foreign merchants upstream in the Western Regions and even farther west in Western Asia who controlled the supply of goods, and the merchants downstream who sold the goods in Chang'an's Eastern Market, were all part of this chain of interests. Those who did not toe the line all went bankrupt under mysterious circumstances and, unable to bear their poverty, "committed suicide."

Those who bypassed this system all met their ruin. Behind the downstream merchants were certain Chang'an aristocrats who also provided cover for this operation. The shops operated by the Wang father and son, the wealthiest family in Chang'an, were also involved. Behind them stood Ji Ge, though Ji Ge did not concern himself much with such trivial matters.

Within the Tang realm, Chang'an, Luoyang, Yangzhou, and Shu were all sales territories divided up between foreign and Han merchants, each slot filled by a designated party.

Every military commissioner of the armies along the Hexi Corridor, their subordinate officials, and the common soldiers below them all shared directly or indirectly in the profits. Compensation for wounded soldiers, spring and winter clothing for the troops, funds for grain procurement, and even the salaries of the prefectural officials all came from this.

Those who did not toe the line had all quietly died.

Throughout the five prefectures of Hexi, the government was the people and the people were the government, all tied to the same rope. The proportion of military families here was already above 95%. So this chain of interests was incredibly solid, and those who attempted to challenge it all came to bad ends.

The terrifying thing about the military engaging in commerce lay precisely in this. When Wang Zhongsi served as the Hexi Military Commissioner, he likewise took money from it, but he used the money to maintain his private retinue and household warriors, who would follow him wherever he was transferred.

The role Fang Chongyong played in this chain of interests was that of organizer, manager, blueprint planner, and the arbiter who balanced the interests of all parties. Of the gleaming gold and silver within it, he had not taken a single copper coin, and no one was willing to challenge his position.

After hearing Fang Chongyong's explanation, Dugu Jun was speechless for a long time. He no longer knew how to proceed with investigating this case.

Even the Tang Emperor Li Longji in Chang'an had indirectly stuck his hand in it!

What the harm of playing this way actually was, Fang Chongyong understood in his heart. Dugu Jun could not see it clearly, but Young Master Fang would not tell him either.

The harm of playing this way was that it drastically drove up prices in Chang'an.

Then the Chang'an aristocrats had to desperately squeeze the rest of the Tang, transporting low-priced goods from other regions via the canal to suppress Chang'an's prices.

In essence, it was still using the resources of other parts of the Tang to fill the gap in Hexi!

Goods were the crystallization of human labor; they could not be conjured out of thin air. More here meant less there. Where in the world was there a principle of reaping without sowing without harming others?

Where in the world was there any clever trick to make money beget money? In essence, it was all plunder.

Fang Chongyong could not concern himself with all that. He only wanted to get through his term as Inspector peacefully, without any mutinies, enemy attacks, or total loss of government authority in the border garrison, and that would be enough.

As for other matters, what could not be done, he simply would not do.

In any case, Fang Chongyong had not taken a single copper coin for his own use. He had a clear conscience in his dealings and could even pound his chest and speak boldly to Ji Ge's face!

"Worthy brother, you are certainly taking an unconventional path."

After a long while, Dugu Jun forced out these words.

If this case were to be cleaned up, never mind how perilous it would be. In the end, after all the investigating, the Tang Emperor Li Longji would discover that the outer court seemed to have touched his own purse!

In the end, the blame might not necessarily fall on Fang Chongyong, but who would end up unlucky was hard to say.

"A thousand miles from home, an official serves only for food and clothing. I am but a drifter, wanting to simply serve out my term at the border garrison, and that is that. I truly have not thought about all these other things. What is not mine to take, I have not taken a bit of.

What else can I do?"

Fang Chongyong sighed helplessly.

Was he at fault?

Who was it that dumped this half-grown child in Hexi!

In his wretched state, how could a half-grown child govern a region?

Without resorting to off-board tactics, how could he contend against the deeply entrenched local forces here in Shazhou?

What else could he do!

"I have been an official for many years, but after hearing your words, worthy brother, I can only say my eyes have been opened wide. All my past days have been lived on a dog's body. Alas."

Dugu Jun also let out a long sigh, regretting why he had listened to such a speech.

It would have been fine not to listen, but having listened, he was now in league with Fang Chongyong's crowd!

Upon returning to Chang'an, he would still have to provide cover for this bunch of Hexi soldiers. Dugu Jun guessed that he would probably have many "comrades-in-arms" in the court.

"Then, I shall take my leave now. When I return to Chang'an, I shall drink to our hearts' content with you, Brother Dugu."

Fang Chongyong clasped his hands in a parting salute to Dugu Jun and spoke.

He clapped his hands, and the beautiful foreign courtesan who had shared a night of passion with Dugu Jun entered gracefully once more, bowing in greeting.

"Serve Investigator Dugu well. Do not be remiss."

Fang Chongyong put on a stern face as he threatened, then leaned close to Dugu Jun's ear and lowered his voice: "Brother Dugu may do as you please. If you like her, take her with you. She was still a maiden before last night, so Brother Dugu need not look down on her."

Having said that, he turned and left, lightly closing the door behind him.

After Fang Chongyong departed, Dugu Jun was both ashamed and annoyed. Seeing the lovely face of the young foreign courtesan before him, he pounced on her onto the bed like a beast, then vented the pent-up hostility in his heart!

In all his years, Dugu Jun had never felt as incompetent as he did today! He wanted to reclaim his dignity upon a woman!

……

Having dealt with the Investigating Censor's problem, Fang Chongyong returned exhausted to the rear courtyard of the prefectural office to receive a massage from Anaye.

In the past, the massages had been all-ages appropriate.

Now, the massages were not suitable for children.

After tiring themselves out playing, Fang Chongyong and Anaye lay naked on the bed, the two of them wrapped in a single thick blanket.

"In a while, we may be returning to Chang'an."

Anaye was nestled against Fang Chongyong's arm, nearly asleep, when she did not expect her man to suddenly blurt out something she had once greatly longed to hear but now no longer cared much about.

"Returning to Chang'an…"

Anaye drew out her words, recalling that incident half a month ago, and could not help but sigh.

Wang Yunxiu's elder brother Wang Yanshu had come to Hexi to serve in the military, and she had followed along.

Wang Yunxiu, who missed Fang Chongyong to the point of heart palpitations and whose mind was full of visions of being an Inspector's wife, arrived at the Shazhou prefectural office just in time to see the stunningly beautiful Anaye being embraced and kissed by Fang Chongyong. She was about to draw her blade and slash Anaye's face!

Left with no choice, Fang Chongyong made a decisive move and, together with Anaye, dragged Wang Yunxiu into the bedroom, where the three of them did something too embarrassing to speak of.

Only then did Young Master Fang manage to settle things with his future wife.

Afterwards, Wang Yunxiu discovered that although Anaye's body was exceedingly seductive, she was unexpectedly proper in demeanor, not at all the "ambitious foreign courtesan" type who would throw herself at any man she saw, as she had imagined.

Moreover, this girl neither played instruments nor danced, but was instead a student of medicine.

Thus Wang Yunxiu half-heartedly accepted the future husband's decision to take a concubine in advance, and there was a "gentleman's agreement" among the three.

Just this once, not to be repeated.

Officials always inevitably go out to play; it's better to be experienced than to be novice. Wang Yunxiu, helpless, also decided to be open-minded.

But this one concubine is already the limit; any more women, she absolutely cannot tolerate!

"A Lang, were we too harsh on Lady Wang that day?"

A Naye couldn't help but ask.

Such a thing is really exciting, yet also really vulgar.

"At the time we were too rushed, there was no way. Afterwards she was also very happy, right?"

Fang Chongyong sighed and said, women are really too hard to deal with.

Moreover, Tang dynasty women were especially fierce, very jealous. There are many examples of wives killing concubines and then dying together with their husbands.

And what happened that day, I'm afraid the three of them will never mention it again in their lifetimes.

That was a sweet memory shared by the three of them, and…… a completely black history.

After it spreads, Fang Chongyong's image as the Kirin Child of West of the River will collapse completely.

Not to mention the young lady from a prestigious family Wang Yunxiu, and the famed A Naye of West of the River. Their disgraceful behavior that day being spread would also ruin their images.

"We have to go back to Chang'an, I really don't want to go back to Chang'an."

Just thinking about Li Linfu wanting to have a "face-to-face talk" with him, Fang Chongyong became completely unhappy. As for how Chang'an is now, he probably heard something about it.

Simply put, it's basically a chaotic dance of demons beyond imagination!

Fang Chongyong silently made a decision in his heart: he wants to live well, to live a low-key life in Chang'an.

Second update, I'll take it easy, I've been really tired lately.

(End of chapter)