Chapter 169: Capital Region Security Crackdown (Part Two)

Wahab was a Hu merchant from the Western Regions—well, a former Hu merchant. Now bankrupt, he had become a cart driver responsible for delivering goods in the Shazhou caravan. By smuggling a little private merchandise back and forth between Shazhou in Hexi and Chang'an, he scraped together some small coin.

Such small fry generally lived day to day, not thinking too far ahead.

Ever since the Shazhou caravan monopolized the trade coming from the Western Regions, life had grown increasingly miserable for these small Western Region merchants who came to the Central Plains to "seek their fortune." Striking it rich overnight had become an unreachable dream. The bustling city of Chang'an had everything—except that none of it had anything to do with them.

That day, he had just delivered the caravan's goods to a shop in the East Market, then slipped over to the West Market to sell his smuggled private merchandise as well. All at once he had several dozen strings of "ready cash" in hand. He deposited it at a money shop in the West Market, keeping only one string on his person for entertainment.

Leaving the West Market, Wahab walked along, the sound of copper coins jingling at his waist was incomparably pleasing to the ear! It straightened his back by a few degrees.

Wahab hesitated again and again, calculating in his heart whether or not to head over to Pingkong Ward and find a suitably priced Hu girl for a good time. Of course, only the easternmost few "establishments" there were ones he could afford.

But the Hu girls at those establishments weren't much to look at.

And the ones who were, he couldn't afford.

Between desire and ability, there was often an unbridgeable gulf—perhaps that was just life!

Wahab thought, somewhat dispiritedly.

Damn it! Why did it feel like so much when he was earning the money, yet so little when it came time to spend it! Why did the powerful and noble get whatever they wanted without lifting a finger!

He still had to keep part of his money to "purchase goods" at Chang'an's West Market, then continue smuggling private merchandise, hitching a ride on the Shazhou caravan's carts to Dunhuang to sell it there. He couldn't blow all his money on women's bellies.

Last time he visited Pingkong Ward, a certain Hu girl he fancied had actually refused his business, preferring to go without pay! She even complained that he smelled!

Thinking of the infuriating parts, Wahab hawked a thick wad of phlegm onto the ground, stomped his foot in resentment, and looked up at the bustling West Market gate.

In his heart he silently made a resolution: three years up, three years down—don't mock a middle-aged man for being poor! He would surely soar to greatness one day and show those snobbish harlots!

However, before Wahab had taken more than a few steps toward Kaiyuan Gate, he was immediately blocked by two sturdy young men wearing hemp robes.

"Spitting on the ground, fine of ten coins."

One of them flashed a Jinwu Guard waist token before Wahab, speaking in a flat tone.

"What?"

Wahab was taken aback and asked in fluent Chang'an Mandarin, feeling utterly baffled.

Since when did spitting on the ground incur a fine?

Don't bully him for being a foreign Hu! He knew the situation inside Chang'an extremely well! Forget spitting—he had seen plenty of people relieving themselves right on the streets of Chang'an! When had he ever seen anyone get fined for it!

"The sign is posted right here, you just didn't look."

The other Jinwu Guard soldier in plainclothes pointed to a wooden sign erected not far from the West Market ward gate. Wahab, with his excellent eyesight, spotted at a glance that it bore in neat calligraphy: "Spitting on the ground, fine of ten coins."

This damn thing actually works?

Wahab felt utterly wretched. He looked at the Jinwu Guard "plainclothes" men with their unfriendly gazes and had no choice but to fish out ten coins, cursing his bad luck inwardly. In the end, he lost all inclination to seek out a Hu girl in Pingkong Ward for entertainment, and headed dejectedly alone toward the relay station outside the city.

Similar stories were playing out constantly across every corner of Chang'an these days. The Jinwu Guard was out in full force, making a dazzling showing!

Those who rode horses in busy market areas—didn't matter if you were nobility—arrest them! Fine them! Confiscate the horse!

Those who relieved themselves or spat on the ground were fined according to the severity of the offense! Those who dumped garbage indiscriminately were fined!

Wealthy families who had built the second story of their houses extending beyond the ward wall were fined! Illegal structures were torn down!

Those whose wedding specifications exceeded the court's prescribed standards were fined!

Trees near residences that by law should have been preserved but were felled were also fined!

As long as the offense was written in the Tang Code, the Jinwu Guard not only actively enforced it, but made fines the primary punishment for everything.

Yet Fang Chongyong, the chief culprit behind all this, was at this moment dealing with an Inspector dispatched by the Censorate to conduct an inspection. Of course, this Inspector had also been sent on the orders of Zhang Yi, father of Zhang Shi, to come to the Jinwu Guard office and find fault... conduct official business.

Inspector was not a permanent post but a temporary commission, just like the Militia Commissioner title Fang Chongyong had once held. It could be attached to an Inspector or to an Observation and Disposal Commissioner, making it very flexible.

So this central government official was not necessarily from the Censorate, and certainly not necessarily a trusted subordinate of Zhang Yi. Thus Fang Chongyong couldn't quite figure out what his stance was.

Eyeing the central government official before him—slightly plump, round-faced, looking utterly harmless as he reviewed the accounts—Fang Chongyong's heart rose to his throat.

"Mm, the accounts are very clear. There don't appear to be any problems."

The man nodded slightly, a look of surprise on his face. For the Jinwu Guard's internal bookkeeping to be this meticulous, with every fine clearly recorded, was truly quite impressive.

Even if they were cooked books, they would be remarkably impressive cooked books.

"To answer the Inspector: although they are fines, every entry is clearly accounted for," Fang Chongyong said cautiously, adding silently in his heart: even though only half of it would be handed up to Jige.

"Then how does General Fang intend to handle these fines? In the past, it was mostly corporal punishment—rarely was money levied. The court has no established precedent for this."

This Inspector set down the ledger and asked with a calm expression, his tone quite easygoing.

Fang Chongyong glanced around and gently waved his hand. The idle bystanders in the signing room took the cue and departed. Only then did he pull this Inspector, named Liu Yan, aside to a quiet spot and say in a low voice: "It is to increase the revenue of His Majesty's inner treasury—done out of necessity. It is enough for the Inspector to know this. Please do not spread it about."

In officialdom's coded language, "do not spread it about" absolutely did not mean the matter could not be discussed—it was a reminder to the other party "not to speak carelessly"!

Those who needed to know had to be informed—nothing could be kept from them; those who should not know must not be drawn in, lest the information leak.

"Understood. This official shall return and report to Censor Zhang."

Liu Yan clasped his hands in a bow to Fang Chongyong. Judging by his attitude, by and large, this "inspection" would pose no problem.

Palace Censor Zhang Yi's angle of attack this time was also quite cunning. To "avoid suspicion," he had specially assigned a Ministry of Justice Secretary the temporary duty of Inspector, sending him to the Jinwu Guard to audit the accounts! He had not dispatched a Censorate Investigating Censor for the task.

Clearly, this man also knew that the Jinwu Guard's shenanigans were not easy to challenge openly, and could only use the method of auditing accounts—a single trick to smear them from top to bottom!

No matter how spectacularly the Left Jinwu Guard's men rampaged through Chang'an, even if every single action was in accordance with the law, as long as the accounts didn't match up in the background, that meant corruption!

The Censorate could absolutely investigate it to the very bottom!

When that time came, no matter how hard Fang Chongyong had worked beforehand, it would all come to nothing—one heap of trouble after another!

Unfortunately, Zhang Yi's move might be extremely effective against others, tried and true every time. But against Fang Chongyong, an old accountant who had spent four years in Shazhou keeping "yin-yang books," Zhang Yi's skill was nowhere near sufficient.

Fang Chongyong, who had always been accustomed to the mindset of "troublesome subjects are harming me," had long anticipated that the court wouldn't be able to resist coming to audit the accounts. He had quietly prepared well in advance and had not distributed the "spoils" ahead of time. Moreover, he also knew that no matter how thoroughly the court investigated, they could never trace it back to Jige, nor could they ever publicize the fact that the fines ultimately ended up in Jige's hands!

This was the first time Palace Censor Zhang Yi had sent someone to the Left Jinwu Guard to audit the accounts, and it would be the last.

Once Zhang Yi learned that the Jinwu Guard's fine money ultimately went into Jige's hands, then what to do about it—they should have a judgment in their hearts. Fang Chongyong felt that this man certainly wouldn't act recklessly, unless he truly no longer wished to be an official.

Just as Fang Chongyong's mind was somewhat at ease and he was thinking about how to expand the scope of "revenue generation," Zhang Guangsheng hurried into the signing room, clasped his fists in a bow to Fang Chongyong, and said: "General, something terrible has happened! Come with me quickly to look outside the North Gate of the West Market!"

Something happened?

"What exactly is it?"

Fang Chongyong asked with an unhappy expression.

Zhang Guangsheng stamped his feet in anxiety and immediately dragged him toward the southern palace gate of the Imperial City, with no time to explain.

"General Fang, let's talk as we walk. Something truly serious has happened this time."

……

Outside the ward gate north of the Western Market, a large crowd had gathered—mostly bystanders watching the spectacle, never ones to think the trouble too big.

Several armored soldiers of the Jinwu Guard were maintaining order nearby, protecting the victims. On the ground lay a middle-aged man dressed in coarse hemp cloth, already unconscious from the pain.

Another person was also rolling on the ground in agony, wailing ceaselessly.

Not a single person among the onlookers was willing to step forward and involve themselves in this "someone else's business"; they merely stood to the side discussing it among themselves.

Fang Chongyong rushed over with Zhang Guangsheng, only to discover that the one groaning on the ground was none other than Yuan Jie! And the one who had passed out from pain was naturally Du Fu!

"Find an ox cart, load them onto it, and take them to my house."

Fang Chongyong whispered into Zhang Guangsheng's ear.

"Jinwu Guard business. Disperse, all of you."

Fang Chongyong looked around and shouted at the crowd of onlookers!

At once, the spectators—who had gorged themselves on the spectacle—scattered like birds and beasts.

Zhang Guangsheng was efficient; he quickly loaded Yuan Jie and Du Fu onto the ox cart. Together with Fang Chongyong, the two drove the cart to Yong Ward. To keep things confidential, Fang Chongyong wanted Anaye to treat Du Fu and Yuan Jie's injuries, and to take the opportunity to properly question them about what had actually happened in the privacy of his own home.

By the time the Jinwu Guard arrived at the scene, the people who had beaten Yuan Jie and Du Fu were already long gone. The Left Jinwu Guard had been focusing their efforts on "generating revenue" recently, so they hadn't been paying much attention to violent public safety cases like this—at the very least, they had failed to maintain security at many of the crowded, bustling spots within the city.

All people instinctively seek advantage and avoid harm. With so many "projects" available for generating revenue, why wouldn't the soldiers of the Jinwu Guard rake in money with abandon? Who would still bother with those thankless, troublesome tasks?

Therefore, failing to arrive at the scene immediately was an indefensible dereliction of duty.

The group arrived at Fang Chongyong's home, and he hurriedly asked Anaye to help treat Du Fu and Yuan Jie's injuries.

Yuan Jie was relatively fortunate—covered in bruises in multiple places, but after applying ointment, he was in no serious condition.

Du Fu was not so lucky. His right leg had been deliberately broken! Anaye skillfully set his bones; her technique was extremely accomplished, and this kind of injury common on battlefields was exactly what she was best at treating.

Unfortunately, no matter how good the bone-setting technique, there was no way to make a broken bone heal immediately. In Du Fu's condition, it seemed he would be unable to participate in this year's imperial examination!

He had passed out from the pain, which was why he could remain calm. Who knew what he would look like, crying, when he woke up and learned that the imperial examination was now out of reach!

"Brother Cishan, what happened to Brother Zimei? And how did the two of you end up in such a situation?"

In the study, Fang Chongyong looked at Yuan Jie—whose face was bruised and swollen, beaten beyond recognition—and asked in puzzlement.

"I don't know either. It seems someone was waiting outside the Western Market to intercept me and Du Zimei.

When they saw us come out, they swarmed us at once, beating us with their fists and even using clubs to break Brother Zimei's right leg!

When the Jinwu Guard's whistle sounded, they fled northward toward the Imperial City, running at full speed until they disappeared."

Yuan Jie said, still shaken.

He was greatly relieved that those people had only broken Du Fu's leg and hadn't "incidentally" broken his as well. Perhaps it was simply because the Jinwu Guard arrived in time and those men didn't have the chance to be more ruthless.

"In other words, they deliberately targeted you and then struck suddenly, correct?"

Fang Chongyong rested his chin in his hand and asked with some puzzlement.

Yuan Jie thought for a moment, then finally nodded and said, "I think that must be the case."

Du Fu and Yuan Jie were both figures who would leave their names in history. But the problem was, at this moment they were still nobodies—at most possessing a slight standout talent for poetry—and there was no question of them having offended any powerful figures.

Who exactly would resort to such ruthless measures, specifically targeting them?

Fang Chongyong racked his brains but couldn't find anything "unusual" about the two of them that would require those thugs to specifically take the risk of beating them up!

Just as he was deep in thought, Zhang Guangsheng, who had been standing guard outside the door, ushered into the study the sweat-drenched Jingzhao Prefect, Zheng Shuqing!

The moment Zheng Shuqing saw the bruised and swollen Yuan Jie, and Du Fu lying unconscious on the couch in the study, his face immediately darkened!

"Two more?"

Old Zheng blurted out.

"What do you mean, 'two more'?"

Fang Chongyong wore a thoroughly baffled expression, not understanding what Zheng Shuqing was asking at all.

"Just now, an imperial examination candidate named Xue Ju came to the Jingzhao Prefecture office to file a report, saying that as he was walking down the street, a gang of thugs chased and beat him for no apparent reason. Fortunately, he ran fast and hid inside a residence, narrowly escaping disaster. He's still at the office right now.

Besides him, two other scholars were also beaten. They're all candidates from out of town, with no solid connections here in Chang'an!"

Zheng Shuqing said with a slight frown.

This was bad! They were imperial examination candidates! Fang Chongyong suddenly understood.

Whether it was this Xue Ju who had gone to the Jingzhao Prefecture office to file the report, or Du Fu and Yuan Jie, or the other two unlucky ones—they all shared a common identity: they were candidates who would be taking the imperial examination in Chang'an after the Sage's birthday this year!

And all of them were struggling candidates with no local connections and no powerful backing!

How had the identities of Du Fu and the others been discovered by certain people with ill intent?

Who had provided the list of imperial examination candidates?

And who had provided information about these candidates?

Why could those thugs so easily find candidates who were alone, then unleash a beating on them?

Many questions swirled in Fang Chongyong's mind. He sensed that perhaps many things were striding rapidly toward collapse.

"This means some people have already started breaking the rules!"

Fang Chongyong looked at Zheng Shuqing and said in a low voice.

"Aiya, at a critical juncture like this, stop stating the obvious. These are clearly all aimed at the Jingzhao Prefecture office and the Jinwu Guard.

If those thugs aren't caught, the Sage will certainly hold us accountable! You always have the most ideas. What should we do now?"

Zheng Shuqing was so anxious that he was drenched in sweat. He had skipped work to come here specifically to wait for Fang Chongyong to return and discuss this urgent matter—he hadn't even dared to go to the Jinwu Guard office.

If this matter wasn't handled well, not only would he be in deep trouble, but Fang Chongyong wouldn't escape unscathed either!

"Right now, we can only play cat and mouse. They're the mice and we're the cats."

Fang Chongyong sighed softly and said that they were now in a dire situation with unclear enemy circumstances. They could only wait for the next victim to appear, and then have the Jinwu Guard capture those people. Otherwise, there was still no way to break the situation before them.

He had a vague suspicion in his heart, and could even be certain that this was absolutely a new scheme played by the Left Chancellor's side.

It could be called killing two birds with one stone!

Just then, a Jinwu Guard soldier rushed in hurriedly, leaned close to Fang Chongyong's ear, and whispered, "General, the Censorate has sent an Investigating Censor over, saying that someone in Chang'an has been beating examination candidates who came from out of town to participate in the imperial examinations, and telling us to solve the case quickly!"

Great, these people really put on a complete act!

The incident of beating imperial examination candidates had only occurred today, and the Censorate had already dispatched someone to their Jinwu Guard office to "supervise the operation."

"Go tell that Investigating Censor that I will definitely solve the case within twenty days, before the imperial examination is held, and let him go back to the Censorate office and cool his heels waiting!"

Fang Chongyong ordered with a cold expression.

"Tell him the exact words?"

"Yes, say the exact words."

Fang Chongyong was truly angered to the point of burning fury by certain people who did not fight fair!

If certain people did not act like decent human beings, then he would stop being one too!

A new wave of climax has arrived.

(End of this chapter)