Chapter 149: The Extermination of Mayor Zheng's Household

"All of you, step down."

The Mayor of Jingzhao, Zheng Shuqing, suddenly seemed to remember something. Pointing at Zhang Shi, Wang Huan, and the others before him, he spoke with a stern expression, his official authority fully on display!

He then said to his subordinate officials, "This one has committed crimes before; it's not the first time. In the past, those who accused him were not few. Today, drag him out and give him ten strokes of the cane first as a warning to others, then throw him in prison!

This official will interrogate him slowly tonight!"

Zheng Shuqing pointed at Xing Zai, his tone cold and menacing.

Aside from Fang Chongyong, everyone present was greatly alarmed and lost color.

The case hadn't even been tried, and he'd already passed sentence? Wasn't that a bit hasty?

Moreover, he was actually having the cane brought down directly on that arrogant young master Xing—something they had never expected.

Zhang Shi's father held the highest office and had the toughest backing among them. He also knew full well what kind of person Zheng Shuqing was, so looking at this Mayor of Jingzhao who was putting on airs to an absurd degree, he said in a hostile tone, "Mayor Zheng, don't bend the law for personal gain. You're pronouncing guilt before even trying the case..."

"If you're not satisfied, have your father impeach this official. No need for you to trouble yourselves over it! But right now, all of you get out immediately!"

Zheng Shuqing pointed at Zhang Shi and cursed loudly.

"Fine, fine, fine! Mayor Zheng, such grand official authority—truly impressive. I hope you'll still be able to laugh later!"

Zhang Shi dropped this threat and left with the other young masters, leaving only Xing Zai behind, his mouth gaping in an O shape, his legs trembling with fear, unable to speak.

Xing Zai was now filled with regret—why had he been so foolish as to come to the Jingzhao Prefecture with Fang Chongyong and the others?

No matter what a dog official Zheng Shuqing was, he was openly a third-rank official on the surface, with enormous power at his disposal—more than enough to confiscate estates and exterminate families.

Previously he hadn't been able to make things work simply because there were too many yamen in Chang'an, and those able to suppress the Jingzhao Prefecture were countless—but that didn't mean the Jingzhao Prefecture had no power!

"Mayor Zheng, before this young blade arrived, he said that inside the Jingzhao Prefecture yamen, he would personally break both of my legs."

Fang Chongyong gave Zheng Shuqing a pointed look and spoke with veiled meaning.

Hearing this, Old Zheng immediately understood. He coughed lightly, instantly restored his stern expression, and said casually to the subordinate officials beside him:

"When carrying out the punishment later, be careful—don't hit the legs. If anything goes wrong, this official will hold you accountable!

Men, take the prisoner away."

Caning was always done on the buttocks; under the cane of an "experienced" runner, there was no chance of anything going wrong.

For a superior to emphasize not hitting the legs—what exactly he was hinting at, one could only say that officialdom's dark arts were something those who understood understood.

"Zheng Shuqing, if you dare hit me, just watch—my father will have you killed, you dog official! He'll strip off your official robe first, then throw you into the Court of Judicature prison and torture you slowly!"

Being dragged away, Xing Zai flailed his arms and legs trying to break free, roaring and shouting at Zheng Shuqing like a mad dog.

"Hmph, this official enforces the law justly. Go ahead and report me if you like—would this official be afraid of you?

You'd better worry about your own situation first."

Seeing Fang Chongyong give him a subtle nod, Zheng Shuqing's courage instantly swelled.

He put his hands on his hips and shouted, "Never mind if you're merely a son of an official—even if you were a prince, if you broke the law in Chang'an, this official would deal with you just the same! At worst I'll go home and farm—this official isn't afraid of you curs who rely on others' power to bully people!"

Watching Old Zheng's painfully awkward performance, Fang Chongyong was curling his toes so hard they could have dug out an entire Xingqing Palace. He quickly coughed lightly, hinting that Zheng Shuqing should just go through the motions and not get too deep into the act.

"You, the victim, stay. The rest of you may disperse—just wait outside the yamen."

Taking Fang Chongyong's hint, Zheng Shuqing said in a calm tone to Du Fu, Yuan Jie, and the others, pointing at Fang Chongyong as the so-called "victim."

After everyone left the yamen hall, Zheng Shuqing dismissed his subordinates and brought Fang Chongyong alone to the private study where the Mayor of Jingzhao worked, and the two held a secret meeting to discuss important matters.

"Lord Zheng, I trust you've been well since we last met—it's been over four years."

Fang Chongyong stepped forward and clasped Zheng Shuqing's hands tightly as he spoke.

"Alas, the court's politics grow ever darker by the day. This Jingzhao Prefecture is a decent refuge, at least."

Zheng Shuqing couldn't help but sigh with emotion as he spoke, then hurriedly stepped forward to pour wine for Fang Chongyong. The two sat facing each other across the desk.

His words made no mention of the fact that Mayor Zheng's reputation as a dog official now resounded like thunder throughout Chang'an—he had become a laughingstock.

One could imagine he must have suffered no small amount of grievance these past few years.

But the fact that he could still sit in this position without being dismissed also showed that his ability as an official was first-rate.

Fang Chongyong was no longer a mere follower now—he was the court's Inspector of Shazhou, with a pile of secondary posts and assignments to boot! Not to mention that his father was the Military Commissioner of Lingnan and his father-in-law was the Military Commissioner of Hedong.

When it came to political matters, Fang Chongyong now handled them far more adeptly—completely unlike those young blades who spent their days walking horses and playing with dogs.

"Xing Zai's father—is he called Xing Shu?"

Fang Chongyong suddenly asked a question that seemed to have little to do with the purpose of their meeting.

Zheng Shuqing waved his hand and said:

"Indeed, it is exactly that man. But he's merely the Deputy Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial—not worth fearing.

Does he really think I'm made of clay? With the Right Chancellor backing us, I'm not afraid of that fellow."

His tone was extremely contemptuous, and Fang Chongyong suddenly thought of something.

"What do you mean by that?"

Fang Chongyong already had a contingency plan, but he still wanted to hear what Zheng Shuqing had to say.

The position of Deputy Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial was akin to a Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs from a previous life, but with even less power and fewer domestic functions. Simply put, unless he formed factions for personal gain, he had no way to do anything to Fang Chongyong.

Let alone doing anything to Zheng Shuqing, the Mayor of Jingzhao.

"During the deposed crown prince affair back then, Xing Shu, as a close minister to the crown prince, happened to be on a diplomatic mission to Silla and thus escaped disaster. Afterward, he threw in with the then-Right Chancellor Zhang Jiuling.

After Zhang Jiuling was dismissed from the chancellorship, this man then attached himself to Zhang Shougui, and his relationship with the Right Chancellor is now one of fire and water."

Hearing Zheng Shuqing's explanation, Fang Chongyong suddenly understood everything.

This old political fox's strenuous performance was not entirely to "shield" his old friend, but had deep factional roots.

What Zheng Shuqing had just done, aside from currying favor with young master Fang, was in fact also endorsing Li Linfu's position.

Though Zheng Shuqing, as Mayor of Jingzhao, was regarded by outsiders as a useless dog official, his political stance was extremely steady, and when it came time to make decisions, he was not the least bit ambiguous.

If the matter of Xing Zai being dealt with came to Li Linfu's knowledge (which was almost certain), then the other party would trust Zheng Shuqing even more.

"Xing Shu is easy to deal with. Zhang Shi's father, Zhang Yi, the Vice Censor-in-Chief, is more troublesome.

"The Right Minister is currently trying to win this man over, but he is also very cunning and has never declared his position, seemingly hoping to play both sides."

Zheng Shuqing frowned slightly and said.

"I have a plan that can exterminate Xing Zai's entire family with a wave of the hand, establishing the Right Minister's authority.

Riding this tailwind, Prefect Zheng can break free from his current shackles, and the Right Minister can also open up the situation and win over Zhang Yi.

Lean in close, and I will explain it to you slowly."

Fang Chongyong beckoned to Zheng Shuqing and said.

Exterminate the entire family? Was there really a need to be this ruthless!

Zheng Shuqing had originally assumed Fang Chongyong merely wanted to beat Xing Zai crippled and then stop, but he never expected that the moment he struck, it would be a killing blow!

"Exterminating the entire family... surely that's a bit excessive..."

Zheng Shuqing said with some hesitation. Fang Chongyong's way of doing things slightly exceeded the unwritten rules of officialdom.

Let alone him pulling it off, even if Li Linfu were to orchestrate it, he would have to be extremely, extremely cautious!

Fang Chongyong shook his head slightly, leaned in, and lowered his voice as he said:

"When Xing Shu was on a diplomatic mission to Silla, on his way back he encountered a caravan organized by over a hundred merchants. These people had loaded several ships' worth of cargo, all precious goods such as pearls, jadeite, agarwood, ivory, and rhinoceros horn, of astonishing value!

However, Xing Shu, seized by greed upon seeing the wealth, caught them off guard and slaughtered all hundred-plus merchants and their attendants, seizing the treasures for his return. Upon reaching the Great Tang, Xing Shu fabricated a story that these were all gifts from Silla's high officials and nobles, meant to bribe him into speaking on their behalf, and thus submitted a memorial offering to present them to His Sage Majesty.

At the time, His Sage Majesty did not know how much treasure there was, nor exactly what it consisted of.

Figuring that Silla was a small nation with impoverished people unlikely to possess anything worthwhile, he issued an edict bestowing all these treasures upon Xing Shu. Thinking back on it now, those treasures from back then should still be in their household.

The Right Minister need only find a pretext to conduct a casual house search and everything will become clear. If the goods are found, that constitutes the crime of deceiving the sovereign. If the house search turns up nothing..."

Fang Chongyong did not finish speaking. He trusted that Zheng Shuqing, this old fox of officialdom, would have no shortage of ways to nail down the evidence!

Firstly, Brother Ji was very short on money. Whoever could get money for him was a good subject.

Secondly, Xing Shu had deceived the sovereign back then, treating Brother Ji like a fool. It was perfectly normal for Brother Ji to settle accounts now and vent his anger.

Lastly, over a hundred merchants had been killed back then — it was an affair of enormous scale. Although the bodies had been destroyed and all traces eliminated with no evidence remaining, the number of people involved must have been considerable. One need only investigate which of the attendants who had carried out this matter alongside Xing Shu back then were still alive, and which had been silenced.

Then it would be very easy to shake the whole affair loose.

As for evidence, the ancients were superstitious about karmic retribution; one need only fabricate a story about a dream visitation and that would suffice.

There must be skeletons in Xing Shu's household — it cannot withstand scrutiny!

Fang Chongyong was extremely confident. This plan was virtually foolproof. As for how he knew about it, that was of course from a moralizing little story he had happened to read in his past life, admonishing the world never to follow Xing Shu's example!

Sure enough, upon hearing these words, Zheng Shuqing rose abruptly, pacing back and forth in the study, his expression changing again and again!

There is no wall in the world that does not let wind through. In fact, the Xing Shu household was quite wealthy, no less so than the Zheng clan of Xingyang, which had managed farmland for a century. This had long seemed peculiar, but ordinary people simply did not think too deeply about it — after all, the Xing clan was originally a great Hebei family, and who didn't have some family assets?

Looking at it now, Xing Shu and his son Xing Zai spent money lavishly and without restraint in their daily lives, and Xing Zai frequently paid to host banquets for the many sons of Chang'an officials in order to curry favor — it was indeed very suspicious.

Seeing that he was tempted, Fang Chongyong added fuel to the fire, saying: "The informant will be that attendant by my side. Just say his uncle was one of the merchants back then, who sailed to Silla and never returned. Now that he has come to Chang'an and seen his enemy, the uncle appeared in a dream to reveal the truth."

Seeing that Zheng Shuqing still had not declared his position, Fang Chongyong continued to raise the stakes, saying:

"The awkwardness of the Jingzhao Prefecture is a result of the Great Tang's system of checks and balances on power. The Prefect is trapped here, unable to flex his muscles.

If this matter can be pulled off, then not only can you please His Sage Majesty by sending the wealth confiscated from Xing Shu's house search to the palace's inner treasury, but you can also help the Right Minister strike at political enemies and win over the wavering neutral faction.

With such great merit, I imagine Prefect Zheng leaving this place and receiving a cushy post to spread his wings is already a foregone conclusion."

After these words, Zheng Shuqing immediately rushed over, gripping Fang Chongyong's sleeve tightly, eyes bloodshot and face ferocious as he asked: "Good, tell me, how to do it!"

"Xing Shu must have many accomplices, and now that his son has been detained by the Jingzhao Prefecture, the grass has already been disturbed and the snake alerted. Given time, he will surely make preparations and receive backing from other officials, which would be very disadvantageous for us.

Therefore, speed is the essence of war. Tonight, take every man the Jingzhao Prefecture has and, while Xing Shu has not yet reacted, go raid the Xing residence — you are bound to find something.

As for the Right Minister's side, write a letter now and dispatch a trusted confidant to deliver it, explaining the causes and consequences and the stakes involved, and leave the cleanup and aftermath to the Right Minister to handle.

Tonight, I will infiltrate the ranks of the Jingzhao Prefecture's runners and act according to the situation, breaking the deadlock.

Success or failure, gain or loss, all hinges on this one move — do not hesitate!"

Fang Chongyong said with absolute certainty. He knew very well what kind of person Zheng Shuqing was. This man was usually exceedingly cautious, extremely slippery, and a sycophant who attached himself to the powerful.

But once he made up his mind, he would be ruthless and merciless, acting impulsively without regard for consequences!

"Good! I will go write the letter this instant! We get it done tonight!"

Zheng Shuqing said through gritted teeth, his face full of murderous intent — a completely different sight from his earlier image of boredly catching birds in the courtyard before Fang Chongyong arrived.

Fang Chongyong's past "glorious battle records" gave Zheng Shuqing a blind faith in him, to the point that he never even considered what deeper consequences this matter might have.

Four years!

Four years as a vulgar dog-official cursed by all!

Four years without a sound, and now one cry to astonish the world!

Today was the moment for him, Zheng Shuqing, to make his name and establish himself!

Zheng Shuqing took a deep breath, spread out a large sheet of paper, organized his words, and began writing a letter to Li Linfu.

He wrote with extreme speed, essentially just slightly polishing Fang Chongyong's idea and putting it to paper in one fluid sweep.

Once the letter was finished, he handed it to Fang Chongyong and asked: "How is it?"

"Excellent. Time is of the essence — take your men to raid Xing Shu's house right now. As for the Gold Guard side, the Right Minister can absolutely handle it. You must trust the Right Minister's ability."

Fang Chongyong deliberately emphasized Li Linfu.

He believed that with Li Linfu's ability, he could certainly complete this scheme, which had not been perfected in time and still had a few loopholes, including the matter of negotiating and communicating with Li Longji.

This was both "trust" and yielding the greatest credit.

Fang Chongyong felt that his series of maneuvers had no problems whatsoever.

As for those young scions of Wuling?

Heh, what kind of lowly curs were they — hardly worthy of him, Young Master Fang, lifting a foot to step on.

By uprooting an entire family in one stroke, Fang Chongyong believed that from now on, no one would be bored enough to come looking for trouble with him.

……

In the Jingzhao Fu prefect's study, Fang Chongyong laid out everything he might have to say soon, in full detail, to the exceptionally quick-witted Zhang Guangsheng.

Listening to this Hexi Qiba, his heart yearned!

"Sir, this way we can send an entire high-ranking official's family to the Yellow Springs!"

Zhang Guangsheng replied in disbelief.

The might of power truly opened his eyes. Before, licking blood on the knife's edge in Hexi was nothing; now killing with power's soft knife is truly unstoppable!

It's higher by more than just one level!

"Xing Qi deserves death many times over; so many innocent people he killed, and only now dying is already too lenient for him."

"You need to stew your feelings; when the sage asks, you must be vivid and moving. Remember every detail—what's in the cargo, remember it all."

Fang Chongyong repeated his instructions.

"I understand, I understand—it's my uncle who appeared in a dream."

Zhang Guangsheng patted his chest and gave his assurance.

"Exactly, if the sage says to grant you those gold and silver riches, you must say: I don't want these things; I only seek justice, and only wish for the Xing family to meet their fate."

Fang Chongyong reminded him earnestly, plugging the last loophole.

"Understood, sir—I'll take care of it."

Zhang Guangsheng nodded slightly, full of confidence.

Watching the sky outside gradually darken, Fang Chongyong's gaze grew deep as he murmured: "Heaven's transgressions can be forgiven; self-inflicted transgressions cannot be survived."

Here we come—let's get fired up!

(End of chapter)