Chapter 151: Low Profile

The official histories of the Tang dynasty, as verified through the excavation and examination of later artifacts (tomb inscriptions, spirit way steles, Dunhuang manuscripts, etc.), contain numerous errors.

The Song dynasty scholars who compiled Tang history often draped certain matters of the time in a "veil" to advance their own "political positions" and to prove the correctness of their views. Some things they beautified; others they vilified.

To promote the political atmosphere of "losing the Dao and having few supporters" before the An-Shi Rebellion, the Song dynasty court historians deliberately "beautified" Chang'an's defensive layout, describing the city's fortifications as "solid as gold and molten iron": high walls without and ward walls within, layer upon layer of formidable barriers.

The ward walls stood two zhang high, with storehouses inside holding military rations, capable of repelling enemies from without, blah blah blah.

So when the An-Shi Rebellion came, the reason Chang'an inside and out was swept away by the rebel army like a flood was not that the city's defenses were not strong, but that it was all caused by Brother Ji's arrogance, extravagance, and debauchery.

This was all caused by those in high places losing their virtue! The benevolent are invincible!

Yet at this very moment, looking at the structure of the western wall of Chongye Ward, Fang Chongyong could not help but sigh with emotion: there was naturally nothing to debate about Brother Ji behaving inhumanely during the Tianbao era, but the fact that Chang'an's ward walls existed in name only, unable to even keep out thieves, was also an ironclad truth.

He hadn't paid much attention when he first arrived; only now, when it was time to handle "real business," did he discover that the ward wall was not vertical at ninety degrees at all, but slanted inward at an angle of over seventy degrees, with a height of just over two meters—only a bit higher than Zhang Guangsheng's head.

Fang Chongyong had originally wanted to use Zhang Guangsheng as a human cushion, stepping on his shoulders to climb over the wall. But then he saw the ward head of Huaizhen Ward directing the able-bodied men of his ward, carrying several bamboo ladders, propping them against the wall of Chongye Ward, then effortlessly lowering another ladder to the other side, and finally climbing over the wall without the slightest effort.

Their "tactics and technique" were exceptionally proficient—this damn guy was absolutely a habitual offender!

Fang Chongyong realized that the wisdom of the working people was truly inexhaustible; he, the fool, had been thinking about climbing the wall, while the local residents had long since prepared their tools!

Perhaps the shady goings-on between the various wards of Chang'an—such as a lover sneaking into a widow's home in an adjacent ward at night for a tryst—were also a commonplace occurrence. For all we know, after the lover finished his business and wanted to return to his own ward, he might even commission the ward head to set up a ladder for him (opening a ward gate at night without cause was a capital offense if discovered)!

Just as Fang Chongyong's thoughts were running wild, the western gate of Chongye Ward opened, and out walked a middle-aged man with a look of fear on his face. The man approached him, trembling, and asked, "Is the General here to enter the ward and arrest rebels?"

Judging by his attitude, he had surely been "persuaded" by the ward head of Huaizhen Ward and was terrified of being labeled an accomplice of the so-called "rebels."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly without changing his expression.

Come to think of it, this was actually quite normal, because in this era, children from two adjacent wards could very well organize themselves into brawls, or play "war games" to compete against each other. Quite a few Tang dynasty poems reflect this.

So how could the ward heads of two adjacent wards possibly not know each other at all! Regardless of what their relationship was like, they ought to be "old acquaintances"!

"This official is the Grand General of the Thousand Bull Guard of the imperial army, carrying out a secret edict from the Sage to handle a case. Open the western gate immediately and lock down all other gates—do not let the criminals escape."

Fang Chongyong pulled the tiger skin without changing his face, once again deliberately omitting the two characters "Acting" before "Grand General of the Thousand Bull Guard."

Those two characters—whether they were included or not—made a world of difference in meaning.

Perhaps because high officials lived in the ward and were far more knowledgeable than the ward head of Huaizhen Ward, the ward head of Chongye Ward began to eye Fang Chongyong's still-youthful face with suspicion. Even though this one was tall and powerfully built, and exuded the murderous aura of a seasoned soldier.

But no matter how you looked at him, he couldn't be over twenty years old, could he?

The Grand General of the Thousand Bull Guard was the commanding officer of the Thousand Bull Guard, a military official of the third rank! Could a young man not yet twenty hold such a position?

The current court couldn't possibly be that frivolous!

"General, could you show me the seal of the Thousand Bull Guard office?

Of course, I am not doubting your identity, but the more than twenty thousand common folk in Chongye Ward are no small matter.

This is my duty—if I am held accountable from above tomorrow, I cannot bear the responsibility..."

The ward head who was speaking had already recovered from his fright. He realized that among the terrifying crowd holding torches before him, the vast majority were familiar faces—just the able-bodied men from neighboring Huaizhen Ward.

The only ones with any official standing were this young, almost unbelievable so-called "Grand General of the Thousand Bull Guard," and the Mayor of the Capital, Zheng Shuqing, whom one could see simply by visiting the capital prefecture office.

Could it be that the ones planning to do something bad were just these two?

Given Zheng Shuqing's usual reputation as a stinking dog official who called every high official he met "godfather" and parroted whatever the powerful said, this possibility was extremely high!

He might even just be a lackey, and the only one planning to do something bad was this fellow before him claiming to be from the Thousand Bull Guard!

The ward head of Chongye Ward, who in the past had accepted so many favors from the Xing family that his hands went soft, and who had smoothed over numerous messy affairs within the ward for the young masters of the Xing clan, was now filled with doubt. The more he thought about it, the more reasonable his speculation seemed.

After saying this, he immediately exchanged glances with his trusted aide beside him, clearly no longer willing to cooperate.

Pfft!

Blood sprayed in all directions in an instant, splattering all over Fang Chongyong.

He sheathed the drawn Gale Phantom Blade, kicked the ward head of Chongye Ward—whom he had just drawn his blade and slain—to the ground, and could not be bothered to wipe the blood from his body, his face dark as storm clouds gathering.

Damn it, causing trouble for me at this critical juncture—Young Master Fang had no time to stand around outside Chongye Ward blathering with this piece of trash!

"What is your name?"

Seeing this, Zheng Shuqing seized the trusted aide beside the ward head of Chongye Ward and asked. The man had already wet himself in terror, a dark patch soaking his trousers.

"I—I am called Wang San."

"Good. As of today, you are the ward head of Chongye Ward. If we capture the rebels, you will also receive a reward. Now take us to the Xing family residence!"

Zheng Shuqing, wearing the official robes of the Mayor of the Capital, said with a calm expression and full official authority. At this moment, he had finally regained the bearing appropriate to a third-rank high official.

"Eh? Good, good! I shall lead the way at once! Do the officials have any other business?"

Wang San asked cautiously.

"The ward head's family is most likely also accomplices of the rebels. Take men you trust and go bring them under control—don't let a single one escape."

Fang Chongyong hinted casually.

"Good, good, I shall see to it at once! I will do it properly!"

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Wang San's face.

Leading the way for others to arrest some rebels brought no benefit at all, so Wang San naturally had not the slightest enthusiasm.

But dealing with the former ward head's family and ransacking his home—now that interested Wang San greatly!

That ward head's household possessed a great deal of wealth, and as far as he knew, much of it was of dubious origin. Now that he had a legitimate reason to deal with the whole family, he was going to strike it rich. Not only could he make a fortune, but he could also establish his authority in the ward and become the new ward head in truth as well as in name—this was truly a beautiful thing!

Seeing Wang San so excited he could barely contain himself, Fang Chongyong sighed inwardly.

If he had the choice, he actually did not want to be so ruthless and heavy-handed. But since he had decided to act, he absolutely could not leave behind any hidden dangers.

"The Orphan of Zhao" served as a warning to everyone in later generations: when doing something, one must see it through completely—never succumb to womanly mercy.

Since Fang Chongyong had already killed that ward head who might have been innocent, then in a moment he would simply have to use the opportunity of raiding the Xing family to dispose of the ward head's family along with the Xing family.

Since a blood feud had already been established, where was there any possibility of reconciliation?

If he didn't clean up these messy affairs, was he supposed to leave behind a blood-deep hatred and let the other side's descendants come after his own descendants for revenge?

Fang Chongyong now deeply understood the cruelty of this era, where a single misstep could bring disaster upon one's entire family. In the future, if someone took him out, they would likewise eliminate him root and branch, killing all his descendants and taking his wives and concubines for themselves, leaving no future troubles.

In this feudal era where human lives were as worthless as grass, sometimes, even if you had done nothing wrong at all, being implicated by your family was a common occurrence.

Is it any wonder they say that once you rebel, the whole family must band together?

It is truly because the rules of this era are too cruel, leaving everyone with no way out!

With complicated thoughts in his heart, Fang Chongyong led the able-bodied men of Huaizhen Ward and surrounded the estate of the Xing clan! The Xing clan's estate was by no means small—it actually occupied one-eighth of the area of Chongye Ward!

Moreover, the height of its surrounding walls was actually taller than the ward walls themselves! Just these four walls alone, no one knew how much it would cost to build them.

You must understand, to serve as an official in Chang'an and live in a large house, official rank and power alone were not enough—the family's economic strength was also a hard requirement.

Without money, even a chancellor could not afford to maintain such a large estate. Even if they barely managed to move in, without enough servants and sufficient funds, they could not manage the estate properly. In this respect, ancient times and Fang Chongyong's previous life were not much different—large houses all require substantial manpower and financial resources to maintain.

And the Deputy Chief of the Honglu Temple was clearly not one of those lucrative sinecures like "Transport Commissioner" or "Corvée Commissioner"—it was a lean government office of the Great Tang that could not bring in much "extra income" on ordinary days.

Seeing the Xing clan's luxurious mansion, Fang Chongyong was already very certain that inside this enormous, oversized estate of the Xing clan, there must be something he wanted to find.

……

The night had grown deep. In the front courtyard of the Xing clan's estate, several corpses of household slaves lay on the ground, each killed with a single slash.

The rest, including the guards and watchmen, more than two hundred people in all, sat densely packed on the ground, gathered here and watched over by the ward head of Huaizhen Ward and his men. Torches blazed throughout the courtyard, illuminating it as bright as day.

Everyone knew that the Xing clan, who had been arrogant and tyrannical to the extreme in the surrounding area, might very well become history by tomorrow!

"You plot rebellion! This official will certainly present a memorial of impeachment before His Majesty! Zheng Shuqing, may you die a miserable death!"

A thin, small old man sat on the ground, pointing at Zheng Shuqing, who was clad in official robes, and cursing him roundly. This was Xing Shu, the current Deputy Chief of the Honglu Temple—well, though not for much longer.

"Is this Xing Shu?"

Fang Chongyong leaned close to Zheng Shuqing's ear and asked softly.

"Yes, the genuine article."

Fang Chongyong narrowed his eyes and studied Xing Shu again and again. If one ignored his ferocious expression that concealed fear, then he was a thoroughbred scholar, without the strength to truss a chicken. Yet precisely such a man, on the sea returning from Silla to the Great Tang, had killed over a hundred merchants and their attendants, purely out of greed upon seeing their wealth.

Truly, one cannot judge a person by their appearance!

Given this man's ruthlessness, it was a good thing he had struck first. Otherwise, once the young master Xing asked his father to stand up for him, and Xing Shu made his move, it would be hard to say whether he, a fourth-rank frontier prefect, could have held his ground.

After all, Chang'an was the home turf of these civil officials!

Just then, Zhang Guangsheng came from the direction of the rear courtyard with a few men, walked to Fang Chongyong's side, gently shook his head, leaned in, and said softly: "Found nothing. The storehouses are full of rice and grain, and not even much cloth."

"Do you believe that?"

Fang Chongyong pointed at the lavish furnishings in the courtyard and asked. Even the trees planted here had their branches and leaves pruned, looking resplendent under the firelight.

Could this be the work of a poor official?

Supporting such a large household of several hundred people, and no wealth could be found in the storehouses?

Fang Chongyong did not believe in such ghost stories for a moment!

"Based on the experience from Shazhou, this is indeed very strange."

Zhang Guangsheng nodded slightly and said.

In Shazhou, the "virtuous and esteemed" Commissioner Fang certainly would not do menial work like raiding houses—he would only delegate it to Zhang Guangsheng and his men, disguised as bandits, to handle! Otherwise, how would one establish authority in the mixed and turbulent Hexi Corridor?

From what Zhang Guangsheng had seen and heard during past house raids, there must be a place in this estate where wealth was secretly stashed.

Fang Chongyong pondered briefly, then suddenly understood.

He gave Zhang Guangsheng a few instructions. The latter immediately seized Xing Shu's second son, put a blade to his neck, and asked: "Where is your family's cellar?"

Xing Shu's expression changed slightly, then quickly vanished again—caught precisely by Fang Chongyong.

No one answered.

Zhang Guangsheng with a casual slash killed Xing Shu's second son and tossed the corpse aside. Then he placed his blade against the neck of an even younger son of Xing Shu. This child looked to be only seven or eight years old.

Fang Chongyong frowned slightly, steeled his heart, and said nothing.

To be merciful to one's enemies is to be cruel to oneself! At a critical moment, whatever morality there is must take a back seat!

"I, I don't know, don't kill me, don't kill me…"

Another one scared into wetting himself—the child's crotch was instantly soaked through.

"I know! I know! Please don't kill him!"

A beautiful woman sitting in a dark corner stumbled over and pleaded with Zhang Guangsheng: "I know where the treasure is! I'll take you there, don't kill him, don't kill!"

This was Xing Shu's favored concubine, who had been in the household for less than ten years. Because she was favored, she knew many of Xing Shu's private secrets.

"Wretch! You…"

Xing Shu was still about to rant, when Fang Chongyong slapped him to the ground with one blow.

"Lead the way, and you… and he, can both live."

Fang Chongyong pointed at the child sitting on the ground and said.

"Alright, come with me."

The beautiful woman stood up, looked with some fear at Xing Shu, who was glaring at her with a face full of venomous hatred, and was too frightened to step forward.

Fang Chongyong planted his foot on Xing Shu's face and said to the beautiful woman with a smile: "A dead man cannot threaten you, but a living one can."

……

Accompanied by Li Linfu, with Chen Xuanli leading the way, Gao Lishi and a band of elite Longwu Army soldiers climbed over the wall and opened the ward gate of Chongye Ward near Zhuque Avenue.

They knocked on the gate but the ward head was nowhere to be seen, and everyone had a bad premonition.

The heavily armored soldiers of the Longwu Army charged into the ward and, as though they knew the place well, found the enormous estate of the Xing clan. This estate occupied one-eighth of the ward's area—it was impossible not to notice. Yet when they arrived at the gates of the estate, they found it already packed with people, everywhere crowds holding torches and watching the spectacle.

Most of these people were from the neighboring Huaizhen Ward, and some were residents of this ward itself.

The gates of the Xing estate stood wide open, and the front courtyard was ablaze with torches, illuminating the place as bright as day.

Right in the center of the courtyard were piled all manner of rare treasures:

Bundles of rhinoceros horn, entire chests of pearls and agate, dazzling green jadeite, a great red coral taller than a person, white ivory as pure as jade and longer than a grown man's arm, and so on without end.

Not only was it piled to the brim, but people were still continuously carrying chest after chest of treasure from the rear courtyard into the courtyard!

The onlookers all around drooled at the sight, yet not a single one dared to reach for these treasures. Even those carrying the wealth, after each trip, would voluntarily step forward and let themselves be searched to prove their innocence.

Gao Lishi and Li Linfu were both dumbfounded. Aside from His Majesty's treasury, they had never seen so many treasures piled together in one place—and many of them were items with a market but no price, things one could encounter but never seek.

There were even things His Majesty did not possess!

This Xing Shu truly deserved to die!

The same thought arose simultaneously in the minds of both Gao Lishi and Li Linfu.

"General Gao, Right Chancellor, Xing Shu's household indeed holds ill-gotten wealth. By the Right Chancellor's order, I have already searched out the treasures, and all suspects have been detained here.

I dare not overstep my authority. How the suspects should be dealt with, and how the wealth should be disposed of—I leave to you two to decide."

As soon as Zheng Shuqing saw Li Linfu arrive, he let out a sigh of relief in his heart and stepped forward with hands clasped in salute. As for Fang Chongyong, he had already slipped away with Zhang Guangsheng, vanishing into the crowd of onlookers and heading back to his own residence.

Fang Chongyong believed that Zheng Shuqing alone could handle the remaining situation; there was no need for him to stay and risk complications.

Choosing to brush off his robes and depart once the matter was done, hiding his merit and name—that was the right thing to do.

As for those flawed "procedural irregularities," he believed that under the twin grave crimes of deceiving the sovereign and murder for plunder, they had become negligible—and no one would notice him, the "invisible man" who had participated throughout yet claimed no credit.

"Someone, take the members of the Xing clan, along with their family, servants, and slaves, to the Court of Judicature and Revision for interrogation. Bring the treasures back to the Inner Treasury and hand them over to the Minister of the Grand Treasury for inventory.

As for the other commoners, after they have been searched, let each return home. None are to linger here, or they will be treated as accomplices of the Xing clan."

Gao Lishi spoke while looking at Li Linfu's face. The latter said nothing, only clasping his hands in salute to Gao Lishi and bowing deeply.

Watching the grief-stricken Xing Shu being led away by the fierce soldiers of the Dragon Martial Army, Gao Lishi could not help but sigh.

Murder for plunder was one thing, but why did he have to deceive the Sage?

Well now, the whole family would set off on the road together—quite a lively send-off.

Asking for votes.

(End of this chapter)