Chapter 170: Rule Crushing

Late at night, Chang'an City was already under curfew.

As the actual commander of the Left Jinwu Guard, Fang Chongyong was still handling official business inside the yamen. According to reports from Jinwu Guard personnel who canvassed various parts of Chang'an City, a total of seven out‑of‑town examinees who had rushed to take the imperial exams had been beaten in succession; only Du Fu had his leg broken, while the others suffered merely superficial injuries.

However, five of them were local residents of Chang'an; they were not from elsewhere, nor were they taking this year's imperial examinations—only their attire resembled that of scholars.

On the wall of the yamen's main hall hung a Jinwu Guard‑exclusive map of Chang'an City's layout, detailed down to every large residence within each ward. Ordinary dwellings were marked with squares.

Fang Chongyong also stuck a small flag on the map at each location where the victims had been beaten.

Without the map, the beatings of these examinees would seem unrelated and inexplicable, as if enemies were lurking throughout Chang'an City, with their men everywhere.

However, once all the incident sites were marked, it became clear that they were highly concentrated: the first cluster was near the Eastern Market and Pingkang Ward; the second cluster lay along both sides of the street from Yanxing Gate to Yanping Gate, i. e., near the Western Market.

The third cluster was near Yongle Ward, the place where out‑of‑town examinees lived most densely; its location was almost at the very center of the square‑shaped Chang'an City!

These three areas have, since the imperial examinations began to flourish after the founding of the Great Tang, been the places where examinees flocked to reside when coming to Chang'an for the exams. Numerous inns were opened in the surrounding wards to house the out‑of‑town candidates; the influx of outsiders was massive, a true mix of all sorts, and inns of every grade were available.

Many inns not only offered lodging but also meals and laundry services, indistinguishable from the star‑rated hotels of Fang Chongyong's previous life, essentially a 'just bring your bag and move in' arrangement.

But the accommodation conditions of most inns left much to be desired; such places catered mainly to destitute, down‑and‑out candidates like Du Fu.

Fang Chongyong surmised that if the Left Prime Minister's side wanted to stir trouble, they didn't need many complicated steps, nor did they need to obtain the examinee list from the Ministry of Rites. The whole process was far simpler than Zheng Shuqing and others had anticipated!

The simpler the procedure and the fewer the steps, the lower the chance of error, and the harder it becomes to deal with in the end!

Fang Chongyong, putting himself in others' shoes, thought that Zhang Shougui only needed to send men to scout around those three locations, see where the out‑of‑town candidates were most numerous, and set up a watch there. Each day he would dispatch a specialist to identify a few examinee‑like figures, then recruit some common thugs that could be found everywhere in Chang'an City; a black‑glove would handle them.

The entire process would leave no evidence at all; even if caught, it couldn't be traced back to the Left Prime Minister.

Is accuracy important? Zheng Shuqing thinks it is, targeting one and hitting one, but Fang Chongyong feels it may not be that crucial—if a mistake is made, it's just a mistake!

The demeanor of examinees is all roughly the same; after a specialist's identification, there's an eight‑or‑nine chance of not hitting the wrong person. If a mistake does occur, the victims can only blame their own bad luck.

Thus this seemingly complex scheme may actually be backed by an exceedingly simple operation!

By not involving the Ministry of Rites, they avoid alerting anyone. The opponent's strategy isn't to follow a map, but 'see one, strike one', building momentum before proceeding to the next step!

The two cities in Shazhou are tiny; finding anyone there takes mere minutes. Chang'an City, however, is vast, comparable to the modern Xi'an urban area. Dealing with these messy affairs requires meticulous planning!

Fang Chongyong already has a full‑scale plan; he intends to cast a net and capture everyone in one sweep!

"Tomorrow, you take ten brothers and lie in ambush near the Western Market. Do not wear armor; spread out to scout, and sound a whistle for support if anything happens.

I'll station men near the Eastern Market, then send a squad to ambush Yongle Ward. As long as anything of this sort occurs, they won't get away."

The rest will set up defenses along the imperial road between Kaiyuan Gate and Tonghua Gate. That's the northernmost street of Chang'an; some still doubt that those thieves could fly or disappear!

Fang Chongyong, holding a slender wooden stick, addressed Zhang Guangsheng and the other Jinwu Guard middle officers, standard officers, and halberd bearers.

After speaking, Fang Chongyong began outlining the deployment details. Apart from the personnel who must stand watch (such as gate guards), the remaining men—the Left Jinwu Guard drafted a total of 160 people, forming sixteen squads to act together.

They consisted of two standard officers, three middle officers, five siche officers, five halberd bearers, plus Fang Chongyong himself leading the team.

All members wore civilian clothes; each squad was equipped with signal fires, to be lit when trouble arose, facilitating mutual support!

Additionally, twenty dedicated liaison officers, each mounted on a horse, were tasked with communicating between squads within the city!

"If we don't bring these thieves to justice, the people of Chang'an will still think our Jinwu Guard is made of mud!"

After the deployment was complete, Fang Chongyong angrily smashed his helmet onto the ground!

This time he was truly enraged!

……

Early the next morning, Fang Chongyong took the 'battle emergency pack' prepared by Anaye, handy for self‑rescue or rescuing others when injured, then finished the 'love breakfast' prepared by Wang Yunxiu, kissed them goodbye, slung the Swift‑Wind Illusion Blade at his waist, and strode proudly toward the Imperial City.

Today is the moment for him, within the yamen, to display his abilities in Chang'an!

He ruled Shazhou for four years, countless times leading troops to protect trade routes, slaying many bandits; in Hexi he was also a renowned top figure. Anyone in Shazhou wishing to undertake any matter had to obtain prior approval from this official, Magistrate Fang.

Yet after arriving in Chang'an, he was assaulted by some nameless thugs!

Can this be endured?

Of course not!

When Fang Chongyong deployed the operation last night, he already issued a death order: once those thugs are caught, regardless of reason or rightness, they are to be beaten to death with random sticks, leaving no survivors!

Such matters involve a huge hidden hand; investigating them would damage the court's reputation and would also be a wild slap in the face of Brother Ji.

Having these black gloves take the heat is enough. As for the true facts, or who Brother Ji later deals with, Fang Chongyong doesn't care; he doesn't want to inquire about the case, he isn't Brother Ji, nor does he treat the Great Tang as his own home!

A temp worker must have the mindset of a temp worker! Lie flat, slack off, be a drifter—that's all.

However, when he arrived at the Jinwu Guard yamen inside the Imperial City, he found desolation everywhere; the Left Jinwu Guard officers who had been bold last night, planning to cause a ruckus in the outer city of Chang'an, were today wilted like frost‑hit eggplants!

Fang Chongyong barely had time to ask questions when a general clad in the exclusive armor of a Jinwu Guard General of the Middle stepped forward, handed him a document and said, "I am Pei Min, General of the Middle of the Right Jinwu Guard. This is the transfer order; from today the Right Jinwu Guard is responsible for patrolling the outer city of Chang'an, and your unit will take over the Imperial City!"

Can they still play like this?

Fang Chongyong suddenly realized he seemed to have forgotten the most important unwritten rule, and asked in doubt, "General Pei, the normal transfer time isn't due until after the nineteenth day; why is it being executed today?"

"Orders from the Ministry of War are not for us officers to question; the black‑on‑white text is clear. As for any intervening details, I am also unaware."

Pei Min said calmly, with an indifferent air.

Fang Chongyong pulled the other aside, lowered his voice, and asked:

"Now thieves in the city are beating the examinees who have rushed to the capital; this is a grave matter, and today is the moment to capture them all in one net. I have completed the deployment, awaiting a thunderous strike."

"If I were to transfer into the Imperial City today, General Pei would also have to face such a thorny issue. General Pei may not know the details, but central accountability remains, so isn't this self‑inflicted trouble?"

"Wouldn't General Pei's reputation as a Sword Saint be tarnished by this?"

Fang Chongyong patiently tried to persuade him.

Having governed Shazhou for four years, Fang Chongyong experienced many major and minor troubles. Therefore he always believed that 'governing' and 'law‑enforcement' are both highly flexible.

For example, the matter of troop transfers involves many intricacies; without a few years on the battlefield, one is a complete outsider, and issuing orders would become a joke.

Take troop transfers: if the unit slated to be moved is in the midst of constructing a camp, nearly finished with only a day or two left.

When the incoming unit arrives, it doesn't know the exact progress of the previous unit's construction and how to continue; meanwhile the outgoing unit is just a short time from completion and handover. The transfer order forces them to abandon the work they're doing and leave.

Such a hassle is completely unnecessary for the two units involved; it stems from the Ministry of War officials at the central court, long removed from the battlefield, issuing unreasonable orders on a whim.

To avoid bringing trouble upon themselves, the two units will of course secretly postpone the date of the relief handover, and will carry out the relief after the project is delivered.

So a slight postponement of the rotation date is only natural; it's something front‑line units often encounter and falls within the reasonable flexibility of governance and law enforcement.

Sure enough, Pei Min found Fang Chongyong's suggestion very reasonable; he nodded slightly and laughed, "I am on sick leave today, not at my post. So I will hand this order to General Fang tomorrow. General Fang, please work hard today and bring that gang of thieves to justice."

"Then I will thank General Pei here."

Fang Chongyong crossed his arms, bowed deeply to Pei Min, and said.

"Fine, fine, I also have one troublesome matter."

Pei Min took the rotation order back from Fang Chongyong's hand, left the office directly, and headed toward the outer city. He was probably skipping duty, off to wherever he was feeling carefree.

Don't be fooled by the Jinwu Guard stationed at the imperial city; their mission seems important—protecting officials' offices and royal property. In reality, there's nothing much going on here!

The imperial city is one of the safest places within Chang'an, and the Jinwu Guard soldiers patrolling here are just passing time, even sloppier than those in the outer city! On the surface they patrol the imperial city, but it's essentially like being locked up with a brief furlough.

At least the Jinwu Guard in the outer city can still witness the myriad aspects of human life.

After Pei Min left, Fang Chongyong took a deep breath and strode into the office of the Left Jinwu Guard.

"Everyone, muster the troops, set out, and follow the plan!"

Fang Chongyong clapped his hands and shouted at the sighing Jinwu Guard officers in the hall!

…

As the sun set, the drum of Chang'an's curfew sounded in his ears; Fang Chongyong's face turned ashen, silent. Behind him, a squad of Jinwu Guard in plain clothes looked as defeated as a fallen rooster.

All were in plain clothes, with meticulous deployment, yet the gang of thieves that caused chaos yesterday left not even a shadow!

No deployment, no trace, no clue! Nothing at all! It's a quiet, peaceful day!

Almost the entire Jinwu Guard under Fang Chongyong was mobilized, but the other side didn't take the bait at all!

As they walked, a squad of Jinwu Guard in plain clothes appeared opposite them, led by Zhang Guangsheng.

Upon meeting, Zhang Guangsheng shook his head at Fang Chongyong, clearly having achieved nothing either. In fact, per last night's agreement, any sign of thieves should trigger immediate beacon signals for communication, and the reserve cavalry's liaison troops could exchange messages.

But after a day of waiting, not even a single hair was found!

"Disband the unit, return to the office first; it's already curfew, and the Jinwu Guard must begin night patrol!"

Fang Chongyong let out a light sigh, his inner frustration and helplessness almost spilling over.

A brazen voice seemed to roar in his ear: "Sun Thief, aren't you awesome! Come, challenge the Ministry of War and see who's the boss!"

The Left Prime Minister's faction launched a demotion strike, directly swapping the rotations of the left and right Jinwu Guard.

After that, until Ji Ge returns to Chang'an, the left and right guards probably won't be swapped back. A single order from the Ministry of War wiped all of Fang Chongyong's plans.

Even if Fang Chongyong were extremely capable, he could not bypass the Ministry of War to redeploy the Left Jinwu Guard to the outer city of Chang'an to carry out his own capture plan!

The Ministry of War is the stronghold of Left Prime Minister Zhang Shougui; trying to argue there would only bring him disgrace!

Zhang Shougui is manipulating the rules; the Ministry of War wants to pre‑emptively change rotations. As a Jinwu Guard colonel, Fang Chongyong can only accept such an order. His discussion with Pei Min today was just a desperate gamble, with no second chance.

Tomorrow, he will take Pei Min's order and lead his unit to patrol the imperial city of Chang'an. In theory, everything in the outer city no longer concerns him!

Zhang Shougui's move to cut the fire at its source is truly impressive! Even Fang Chongyong, accustomed to slick tactics, cannot help but admire it.

The allure of power lies right here; a single rank above can crush a person!

It's not that Fang Chongyong looks down on Pei Min and his Right Jinwu Guard; since Zhang Shougui has already redeployed them, there must be a contingency. Pei Min's failure to catch the thieves is actually beyond doubt.

"Tonight you stand guard at the office; I'm heading home first, I'm tired."

Fang Chongyong sighed at Zhang Guangsheng, turned, and left; these recent hassles have truly worn him out.

Dragging his weary body home, Wang Yunxiu and Anaye tended to him with careful concern, serving cautiously lest they see Fang Chongyong's pitiful anger. He quickly offered gentle words of comfort, coaxed the two girls to sleep, and then went to the side room where Du Fu and Yuan Jie were temporarily staying at his house to visit them.

When Fang Chongyong entered, the leg‑broken Du Fu tried to stand and salute, but the quick‑witted Yuan Jie held him down.

"General Fang, are things not going smoothly? Are the thieves hard to catch?"

Yuan Jie asked with concern; just by looking at Fang Chongyong's dejected and helpless expression, it was clear the thief‑catching effort was progressing poorly.

"The Ministry of War ordered us to swap rotations with the Right Jinwu Guard; from tomorrow I can only patrol the imperial city. Any further interference is basically a luxury."

Fang Chongyong said weakly.

Du Fu and Yuan Jie exchanged a glance, both too gloomy for words.

Even the well‑connected Fang Chongyong was "undermined"; his entire detachment was shuffled to an unmanageable position, leaving him powerless.

This unlucky beating they took probably counts as a wasted one!

The layers of intrigue are countless, bottomless!

"If court politics are this dark, even General Fang… has no recourse?"

Du Fu couldn't help but sigh repeatedly with lament.

"That's basically it, but it's not entirely without a solution."

Fang Chongyong suddenly recalled something, propping his chin thoughtfully, and said.

"Where does the plan come from?"

Yuan Jie, suppressing his excitement, asked.

"I don't know yet; I still need to go on site to observe how that gang of thieves operates."

Fang Chongyong had steadied his mood and decided to take a small detour tomorrow, leaving the imperial city for the western market outskirts, to see if he could run into that group of ruffians in action.

Defeating an opponent requires analyzing and understanding them, weighing pros and cons, playing to strengths and avoiding weaknesses. Without investigation there is no right to speak; regardless of success, one must investigate first.

(End of chapter)