Chapter 171: Who Says You Can't Kill Someone Without a Spearhead

Near the western ward gate of Yongle Ward, Fang Chongyong wore the "garb of a scholar-gentry," going in and out of the ward. For the past several days he had been staying at an inn, gathering intelligence while "using himself as bait," hoping to be targeted by those thugs.

The so-called "garb of a scholar-gentry" meant: a futou cap and robe, additionally adorned with an ornamental "jinzi" inserted into the futou, serving as a signature decoration.

However, to hint at a down-and-out status, the robe he wore was made of hemp cloth, and patches had been sewn onto inconspicuous spots on the garment. Not overtly displayed, but visible enough when he raised his hands or moved about.

To make the disguise more convincing, Fang Chongyong had deliberately smeared oil stains on the robe. He could swear a venomous oath that, judging by the clothes alone, he was absolutely a standard "Tang dynasty scholar-gentleman."

Yet for several days straight, Fang Chongyong had personally witnessed examination candidates being brutally beaten, while no one came to pick a fight with him. Once, a group of thug hooligans chasing a down-on-his-luck candidate passed right in front of Fang Chongyong, yet still dismissed this "scholar-gentry garb" of his with contempt!

"Could it be because I'm too burly?"

At this moment, Fang Chongyong leaned against the courtyard wall of a household in Yongle Ward, watching the various people coming and going through the ward gate, deep in thought.

Even if he was a candidate (which he indeed was), he was a tall, strapping, brawny candidate.

A fierce man who, during lovemaking, could lift Wang Yunxiu with both hands and spin her around at will like a weapon.

This group of thug hooligans was actually just going through the motions, taking money from some puppet master to beat people up. They naturally chose candidates who looked frail, dressed rather poorly, and were alone, even if that choice might well be wrong.

Or in other words, Fang Chongyong wore his carefully prepared "scholar-gentry garb," and even Yuan Jie and Du Fu could instantly recognize him as "one of their own" by this outfit alone.

But in the eyes of these thug hooligans, Fang Chongyong was an oddity, a target they did not even need to consider.

Given this group of thug hooligans' level of discernment, could they even recognize what authentic "candidate attire" looked like?

Probably not necessarily, right?

Fang Chongyong suddenly realized that he seemed to have fallen into a mental blind spot, or rather, had overcomplicated things. The reason this matter was difficult to handle was not that it was too complex, but that it was far too simple—so simple that the mastermind behind it didn't even need to do much!

A tiger can easily defeat a goat, but against flies and mosquitoes, it may not have any good solution.

The current situation was somewhat akin to someone, in Fang Chongyong's previous life, tossing a few large crocodiles into the ornamental lake of a residential complex and then fleeing.

As for how the crocodiles wreaked havoc in the complex and how they injured people, they couldn't care less.

No action meant no flaws, so the probability of exposure was greatly reduced.

Just then, the group of thug hooligans who had been showing up every day lately arrived again, chasing a civil examination candidate and running at full speed. However, unlike previous stories, when this man reached the mouth of a narrow alley, he actually pulled out a two-foot-long iron ruler from his sleeve!

This group of thug hooligans were all the type who bullied the weak and feared the strong. They took a thorough beating from that man wielding the iron ruler, and in the narrow space they could not leverage their numerical advantage. In the end, they were actually beaten into holding their heads and scurrying away, chased out of the ward gate fleeing northward!

"So even these thugs can run into a tough customer."

Fang Chongyong watched the spectacle from the side, feeling that this group's combat strength was actually not impressive—about the same as the able-bodied young men in the ward's residential houses.

After those thugs had all fled, he walked over to the person who had been attacked and asked, "Brother, you're also a candidate preparing for the exams, right? These thugs have been so annoying lately."

That man turned to look at him, then shook his head and said, "This is merely a despicable tactic used by the Right Chancellor to strike at and suppress candidates from out of town. Those thug hooligans aren't shooting blindly and beating people at random."

Li Linfu did this? Why?

Fang Chongyong was greatly startled; he never expected that this mud would somehow get splashed onto Li Linfu's head!

Although the Right Chancellor of the Great Tang, Li Linfu, was not exactly a good person, you could doubt his character, but you couldn't doubt his intelligence! Even if the man opposed the civil examinations, he had no need to resort to such a despicable underhanded trick, right?

With Li Linfu's power and influence, a casual maneuver within the Six Ministries would let him deal with anyone however he pleased.

"Brother, discussing important court officials is a serious crime!"

Fang Chongyong hastily pulled the man aside and lowered his voice, feigning urgency as he spoke.

"Heh, it's not just one person saying this. Right now, all the candidates staying in Chang'an to prepare for the civil examinations are spreading this rumor. They say that for this examination, the Right Chancellor was vehemently opposed, and it was only through the Left Chancellor's strong recommendation and promotion that it was allowed to proceed."

"Now that this incident has occurred, if it isn't the Right Chancellor fanning the flames behind the scenes, then what else could it be?"

This man spoke with absolute conviction.

At first glance it sounded quite plausible, but Fang Chongyong understood very well that Li Linfu could not mobilize the Ministry of War, much less interfere with the shift changes of the Left and Right Martial Guard.

Therefore, in this incident, Zhang Shougui's biggest flaw was actually precisely his forceful intervention in the Martial Guard's shift change, disrupting Fang Chongyong's meticulous deployment!

If the shift change hadn't happened, then with Fang Chongyong's prior arrangements, these thug hooligans would have been caught long ago!

He had been preparing to deal with that group of thugs as if they were a military force!

It was precisely because of this abnormal shift change that Fang Chongyong was certain the Ministry of War, controlled by Zhang Shougui, must be pulling strings behind the scenes!

Just then, a squad of Martial Guard soldiers finally came jogging over, belated as always. Seeing Fang Chongyong conversing with the "unconventional" candidate who had just beaten off the thugs, they hurried forward to question him: "Which way did that group of thugs go?"

"They went north. If I'm not mistaken, they should have charged along the main road into the North Inner Park."

Fang Chongyong pointed to the north and said with a calm expression.

Hmm?

The lead Martial Guard Siguo was slightly taken aback. Anyone who could say such a thing was no ordinary person.

"Into the North Inner Park? You shouldn't say such things lightly."

This Right Martial Guard Siguo lowered his voice in warning.

"I've been keeping an eye on them for two or three days now, would I still mistake what I saw? The reason these thug hooligans can't be caught is precisely because every time they hide, they hide in the Dragon Martial Army's garrison—the North Inner Park!"

Fang Chongyong said with absolute certainty, sweeping his gaze over the Right Martial Guard soldiers, his bearing commanding awe without even a display of anger!

The Dragon Martial Army!

Why the hell did you have to say those three words out loud!

The Right Martial Guard Siguo before Fang Chongyong gave a wry smile and said, "Sigh, better left unmentioned. By the way, I haven't yet asked for your esteemed name..."

"Fang Chongyong, General of the Left Martial Guard."

Fang Chongyong pulled his waist token from his sleeve and flashed it before everyone.

The group looked at each other in dismay. They hadn't expected that this General of the Left Martial Guard, instead of staying at his office in the imperial city, would be in the outer city's wards disguised as a civil examination candidate.

Wasn't this a bit too leisurely?

"Greetings, General Fang!"

The Martial Guard soldiers cupped their hands in salute, looking anxious and apprehensive. They had heard that this General of the Left Martial Guard was the most unorthodox in his methods, repeatedly making shocking moves. As fellow subordinates within the Martial Guard, they'd better not give him any leverage to use against them.

"Go attend to your duties. I have some matters to discuss with this brother here."

Fang Chongyong waved his hand broadly, signaling the Right Martial Guard men to scram.

In truth, he didn't need to say it; these Right Martial Guard soldiers had been itching to flee for a while already. They exchanged a few polite words, bade farewell to Fang Chongyong, then strode out of Yongle Ward and vanished from sight in the blink of an eye.

"How about we go sit over there?"

Fang Chongyong pointed at a small wine shop not far from here and said.

"Please, General Fang, this way please."

This "iron ruler examinee" said, overwhelmed by the unexpected favor.

……

"My name is Zhang She, from Hanzhou. I once served as a county sheriff in Luo County. Feeling that my official career had no prospects, I came to Chang'an to take the imperial examination. I never expected this year's exam to be so bizarre."

This examinee named Zhang She took the initiative to pour wine for Fang Chongyong. Only those like them who had served as minor officials in the localities could deeply understand the treachery and snobbery of officialdom. Whether you were a cat or a dog, as long as your rank was one level higher, you openly held authority superior to others.

Of course, having power was one thing; whether you could "reasonably use it" and convert that power and influence into your own status was quite another matter.

Zhang She, just like Fang Chongyong, had both served as officials before returning to take the imperial examination.

However, county sheriffs from remote prefectures and counties, or from impoverished counties with extremely small populations, were often scholars who had passed the local prefectural exam and, not wanting to struggle further, went to the county yamen to "apply" themselves. The threshold for this kind of official position was actually not high.

The county sheriff was itself the lowest limit of appointment for a jinshi from the imperial examination. Many times, jinshi awaiting appointment would rather stay at home and wait than take the thankless post of county sheriff, hoping to land a position as "Collator" the following year.

This shows just how much of a trap this official position was.

To sum it up simply:

Low rank, many tasks, big trouble!

Little gain, much grief, and you take the blame when things go wrong!

Serving as the sheriff of a lower-tier county in particular offered not the slightest bit of grease, might even require you to pay out of pocket, and made it hard to produce any political achievements.

Luo County was not near Luoyang, nor was it the Qiluo City of Henan from the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, but rather near Guanghan City in Sichuan of Fang Chongyong's later life.

Moreover, Luo County was the administrative seat of Hanzhou, so of course it was no impoverished backwater. But for someone recruited locally and appointed to office without passing the imperial examination, the position of county sheriff was essentially the peak of their life.

The possibility of advancing further was nil, even greater than the obstacles Niu Xianke had faced when he first served as a minor clerk.

Clearly, Zhang She leaving Luo County and coming to Chang'an to take the imperial examination showed that he was unwilling to resign himself to a mediocre life.

"Brother, is everyone now spreading word that the Right Minister is suppressing examinees from outside, and that the imperial examination is unfair?"

Fang Chongyong asked half-jokingly.

Zhang She thought for a moment, glanced around, and seeing that no one was paying attention to them, gave a slight nod and said, "Among the examinees, word of mouth says so, but I don't know the actual situation. My words alone cannot be taken as proof."

Those who had served as officials naturally understood the principle that "trouble comes from the mouth."

"It was the Right Minister who asked me to investigate this matter privately."

Fang Chongyong said without changing his expression.

"Such a thing!"

Zhang She exclaimed in a hushed voice, his face pale with fright. Having mingled in officialdom, he naturally knew that if Fang Chongyong's words were true, then this matter was layered with dark secrets, and was already beyond what he could continue prying into.

"Just tell me what you know. You need not say more, and need not make any guesses.

It will do you no harm in taking the imperial examination."

Fang Chongyong said with a faint smile, casting out a "bait."

There was naturally no harm, but would there be any benefit? Zhang She could slowly figure that out for himself. Fang Chongyong felt he was a "straightforward man."

Zhang She swallowed a mouthful of saliva, and finally nodded and said, "In that case, very well, then I shall not hold anything back."

And so the two of them chatted in this small wine shop, mostly Zhang She talking and Fang Chongyong listening, occasionally asking a question or two, all of which were either difficult to answer or matters that Zhang She did not normally pay much attention to.

After chatting for nearly two shichen, Zhang She passed out drunk in the wine shop. After Fang Chongyong settled the bill, having barely touched a drop of alcohol himself, he returned to the signing room of the Left Jinwu Guard yamen, used a charcoal pencil to mark many things on the large map hanging on the wall, and also recorded in a ledger many new things that Zhang She had mentioned.

He wrote for a long time before he sorted out all the clues within.

Fang Chongyong stood up and stretched. These past few days, Pei Min's Right Jinwu Guard had been making a fool of itself; the closest they came to success was merely watching those scoundrels run into the Northern Inner Garden's Dragon Martial Army garrison, frustrating them to the extreme.

The Jinwu Guard was a Southern Bureau imperial guard, and the Dragon Martial Army was a Northern Bureau imperial guard.

If men from the Jinwu Guard searched the garrison of the Northern Bureau imperial guard, it would be tantamount to treason, touching Jige's reverse scale, and no one could bear that responsibility.

Only, were these hooligans and ruffians actually men from the Dragon Martial Army in disguise, or did they have some special relationship with the Dragon Martial Army? By rights, Zhang Shougui shouldn't be able to command men of the Dragon Martial Army either!

This was what Fang Chongyong couldn't be certain of, but it didn't matter anymore. He had already thought of a method that absolutely no one could question or refute, to handle this matter.

After his shift ended, Fang Chongyong pretended to go carouse with Hu women entertainers, wandered a round through the various brothels in Pingkan Ward, and only then carefully entered through the back door of Li Linfu's residence, presenting his calling card.

Sure enough, the servant at the gate went to announce him, and in less than the time it takes to burn half a stick of incense, Li Linfu personally came out to the courtyard to welcome him, courteously inviting Fang Chongyong into his study to discuss important matters!

It was still the same study surrounded by screens on all four sides, but this time Fang Chongyong did not feel that "sensation of being watched" from being spied on like last time.

"I have come to pay my respects to the Right Minister, but in truth it is regarding the recent matter of imperial examination examinees being beaten."

Fang Chongyong bowed with crossed hands and said to Li Linfu.

"Sigh, better not to mention it."

Li Linfu waved his hand gently and said with a helpless smile, "I have already gone to Zhongnan Mountain in person and reported the matter to the Sage. However, the Sage made no comment and did not say how it should be handled."

Hmm?

Hearing these words, Fang Chongyong was momentarily stunned, but then figured out the key link within.

In this case of the imperial examination examinees being beaten, on the surface it seemed as though Li Linfu had done nothing at all, and it was the Left Minister's side that had been making all the moves.

First they bribed hooligans and ruffians with deep ties to the Dragon Martial Army to act as their black-gloved agents, then they sent people to spread rumors among the examinees' circles that Li Linfu was interfering with the imperial examination and was jealous of the worthy and envious of the capable.

To prevent Fang Chongyong, this "off-field factor," from ruining things, they even deliberately rotated the Jinwu Guard's deployment ahead of time, leaving Young Master Fang able to do nothing but glare helplessly within the Imperial City.

These schemes could not be called anything but ingenious; one might say they were clever to the point of scheming themselves into a corner!

But how did Li Linfu respond?

He did not respond at all; he simply ran to Zhongnan Mountain to report to Jige!

This move appeared weak, but was in fact a retreat for the sake of advance.

Li Linfu understood very well where his power came from. Jige was his heaven; Li Linfu thought of nothing else, only that he needed to cling tightly to Jige's thigh.

Whatever Jige told him to do, he would do it with all his might, even if those things were completely unreasonable, it was all the same.

In the mid-to-late Kaiyuan era, the Great Tang's finances needed to open new sources of revenue and cut expenditures. Among the three chancellors, Pei Yaoqing was in charge of "opening sources," and Li Linfu was in charge of "cutting expenditures."

The administrative duties he oversees consist of continuously cutting government expenses, slashing official posts, and reducing the number and frequency of sex servants; heaven knows how many people he has offended because of this!

If the Tang selected the prime minister by a voting system, letting every official in the Tang bureaucracy have one vote to choose the prime minister, then Li Linfu could never become one! Even if the number of prime minister positions were expanded tenfold, it would be the same.

But now Li Linfu still sits openly as prime minister, his position extremely secure.

This is the fundamental difference between Li Linfu and Zhang Shougui, Zhang Jiuling and the others.

Zhang Shougui and the others believe they became prime minister because they "did a good job", whereas Li Linfu's understanding is much deeper; he knows that everything he has is a gift from Ji Ge.

However, the difficulty for Li Linfu this time is that Li Longji gave no indication—perhaps merely "knowing"—and this Tang Emperor seems not to intend to intervene in the contest and rivalry between the Left Prime Minister and the Right Prime Minister.

So on one hand this means he will no longer insert himself to tilt the balance, and on the other hand it also hints: since the Left Prime Minister can use tricks, why can't you, Li Linfu, as the slightly higher‑ranking Right Prime Minister, also use tricks?

It has a sort of "glad to see it succeed" vibe.

"Right Prime Minister need not be anxious; I already have a way to deal with those people, but I still need a little help from the Right Prime Minister."

Fang Chongyong performed a bow and said.

"Oh? What kind of help?"

Li Linfu asked calmly.

In this matter, Zhang Shougui has struck his soft spot; he cannot influence the Longwu Army, the powerful Six Ministries' central authority is of no use, or rather, it's like using a cannon to shoot a mosquito.

"Very simple, just like this, then like that, and it will be done."

Fang Chongyong lowered his voice, gestured to Li Linfu, and laid out half of his plan in detail.

"Hmm, that sounds somewhat interesting."

Li Linfu smiled, nodded in agreement. As for what he was thinking, Fang Chongyong could not tell; it was probably fine.

"Then let's proceed as you say."

…

Li Linfu acted swiftly; a day later, an edict from the Council of State was sent to the Ministry of War, demanding immediate action with a "failure to implement will be held accountable" stance.

The edict was simple: in view of Chang'an's ever‑growing size and the increasing traffic of merchants and pedestrians, a series of facilities for travelers and merchants to rest should be built on both banks of the Ba Bridge over the Ba River outside Chang'an.

For example, expanding existing ferry crossings, reinforcing the Ba Bridge, building pavilions and shops to rent to merchants for various businesses, and so on—a comprehensive set of measures that benefit the state and the people while also increasing the government's rental income.

Of course, these matters fall under the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue, and have little to do with the Ministry of War.

However, the Right Prime Minister Li Linfu meant: the Sage is now hunting on Zhongnan Mountain, with many princes and imperial grandsons present. If bandits infiltrate the construction crews, how to prevent them from seizing an opportunity to assassinate on Zhongnan Mountain?

Not fearing ten thousand but fearing the one chance, he ordered a unit of the Golden Guard to be stationed at the Ba Bridge, drawing a few elite personnel from both the Left Golden Guard and the Right Golden Guard, so as not to affect Chang'an's duties.

However, the Ministry of War under Zhang Shougui, citing "the imperial capital is a vital area and must not be left unattended," amended the edict. He then ordered that only personnel from Pei Min's unit, responsible for the outer city, be drawn, and the signed seal was issued to the Golden Guard garrison.

To prevent Fang Chongyong from secretly moving troops under the pretext of "passing through the city" to capture ruffians inside Chang'an, the Ministry of War was painstakingly meticulous, forbidding any soldier from being transferred and giving Fang no chance to turn the tables.

The manner was so unsightly that even Pei Min, the Right Golden Guard Colonel who preferred not to deal with these messy affairs, could no longer stand by.

He personally went to the Ministry of War to lodge a complaint, demanding that only part of the Left Golden Guard be dispatched outside the city, while the Right Golden Guard should fully patrol the outer city to maintain Chang'an's security.

In recent days, Pei Min has been repeatedly slapped in the face by these ruffians, his cheek hurting, and he is eager to regain his standing!

However, it is obvious that Pei Min's complaint had no effect whatsoever.

The Ministry of War gave a thorough justification; even if the case were brought before Ji Ge, the answer would be the same: the entire Chang'an exists solely for the imperial capital. Knowing what is light and what is heavy is enough; don't ask for face if you have none!

Could the outer city of Chang'an be more important than the imperial capital?

Having no choice, Pei Min had to withdraw all the mobile Golden Guard patrols, and leave one guard on duty at each martial shop on the streets; the gate garrison was halved, and the rest were redeployed near the Ba Bridge to maintain order!

At the same time, the Ministry of Works dispatched craftsmen to supervise the construction, and the Ministry of Revenue mobilized corvée labor, gathering peasants from the surrounding prefectures of Chang'an to repair bridges and roads here.

Everything seemed orderly, with not a ripple of trouble.

Yet beneath the calm surface, hidden currents churned.

This time, Yuan Jie, an out‑of‑province candidate preparing for the imperial examination, organized and incited many out‑of‑province examinees who had been beaten and persecuted by ruffians to petition at the gate of the Jingzhao Prefecture, urging Prefect Zheng Shuqing to meet the candidates, provide a concrete resolution time, and tell them when those ruffians would be brought to justice!

Du Fu, who had lost a leg and was still in a wheelchair, arrived at the Jingzhao Prefecture office and delivered a passionate speech, denouncing the prefecture's inaction and strongly demanding that the court dismiss Zheng Shuqing!

Zheng Shuqing, once again displaying the true colors of a corrupt official, took sick leave and even shut the main doors of the Jingzhao Prefecture office, leaving only a small window for receiving petitions.

In short, he simply refuses to come out, brazenly.

He will take the case, but holding a trial is impossible, and catching those elusive ruffians is even more so! As long as Ji Ge does not prosecute him, he can survive until the end of time!

Zheng Shuqing's rogue attitude completely enraged the out‑of‑province examinees who had come to Chang'an for the imperial exams.

Under the coordination of Yuan Jie, Du Fu, Zhang She, and Xue Ju, they agreed to gather on the fifteenth day of the eighth month at the Jingzhao Prefecture office in Guangde Lane for a sit‑in protest, submitting petitions accusing Prefect Zheng Shuqing of merely occupying the post while colluding with ruffians to persecute out‑of‑province candidates.

The scale of the gathering will far exceed previous ones!

During the series of incidents at the Jingzhao Prefecture gate, the Right Golden Guard would each time send a Golden Guard wielding a halberd to verbally warn the disruptive examinees, then leave without looking back.

Pei Min is not Fang Chongyong, so he naturally would not grant any special privileges to the Jingzhao Prefecture office. He also scoffs at enforcing the Left Golden Guard's "trick operation" fine regulations.

Day by day, the fifteenth day of the eighth month draws ever nearer.

Fang Chongyong, within the imperial capital, patrolled everywhere with the Left Golden Guard, never stepping out of the capital, as if he had resigned to his fate.

And the rumors that the Right Prime Minister uses ruffians to persecute out‑of‑province candidates have been escalating, already spreading beyond the examinee circles.

Not only the official circles in Chang'an have this news, but even among the populace it is said that Li Linfu envies the virtuous and envies talent, resorting to despicable means to purge the "truly talented".

In other words, any candidate who does not cause a stir at the Jingzhao Prefecture office is considered a "Li Linfu ally".

Moreover, the terror effect caused by the ruffians persists; now out‑of‑province candidates hardly travel alone—each time at least three go out of the inn. Whenever they leave, they never fail to spit in front of the Jingzhao Prefecture office and hurl a few insults at the corrupt officials.

On the evening of the fourteenth day of the eighth month, the Jingzhao Prefecture broke tradition by holding a "continuous banquet" inside the office, inviting the heads of Chang'an's 108 neighborhoods to attend, thanking them for their support over the past year.

Zheng Shuqing lacks skill in handling cases, but is adept at misusing public funds; he diverted a substantial amount of money and provisions from the office's budget and public granary warehouses for the banquet, and even hired a skilled chef to prepare the continuous feast.

However, while the front courtyard of the office buzzed with a lively banquet, the back courtyard study remained solemn.

Besides the chief gatekeeper of the West Market and the head of Guangde Lane, the heads of neighboring lanes—Yanshou, Yankang, Taiping, Tongyi, Xinghua, and Huaiyuan—also gathered here, each with a solemn expression.

Zheng Shuqing stood before the wall‑mounted map of Chang'an's neighborhoods, and, clearing his throat, said, "Now, let the Left Golden Guard Colonel, General Fang, brief you on tomorrow's actions!"

He then stepped aside, allowing the towering, armor‑clad Golden Guard behind him—Fang Chongyong—to step forward.

"All must sign a death warrant; if the information leaks, whoever it is, we will all die together."

Fang Chongyong's face grim, he looked around at everyone and said, then immediately picked up his brush and wrote his name on the paper.

Sign it!

Zheng Shuqing also said in a low voice, then wrote his name after Fang Chongyong's on the paper.

Seeing this, the ward heads and gate supervisors present also felt embarrassed not to sign, for otherwise they could easily be framed with a crime by some people!

After everyone had signed the life-and-death statement, Fang Chongyong then put it away, picked up a thin wooden stick, pointed to Guangde Ward on the map, and said:

At noon tomorrow, the examinees coming to Chang'an for the imperial examinations will gather before the Jingzhao Prefecture office to petition and publicly read their complaint, accusing the Zheng prefect and demanding the court dismiss him.

The main force of the Golden Wolf Guards has already been fully deployed outside the city at Ba Bridge and inside the Imperial City, and will absolutely not appear in Guangde Ward in a short time!

Therefore, according to inside information from the Right Minister, all the ruffians in Chang'an city will gather here tomorrow to launch an unprecedentedly large-scale beating and persecution of the examinees participating in the rally!

It is extremely likely that someone will be beaten to death!

Therefore, I demand that everyone present, upon seeing the beacon smoke rise, close all ward and market gates, then send people to block all approaches around Guangde Ward!

When you see the ruffians come, there's no need to arrest them—just beat them to death with sticks!

Fang Chongyong's eyes flashed like lightning as he scanned the crowd and shouted sternly, 'Do you all understand?'

Those in the study exchanged glances, then all bowed and said, 'We will obey General Fang's orders!'

"Good, now I will arrange what you must do. Until the moment before the incident, you must not spread word outside about what happened; as for finding a pretext to gather, you must make it up yourselves. Each ward must organize at least two hundred able-bodied youths!"

"At that time, a liaison officer from the Golden Wolf Guards will contact you!"

"General Fang, the Left Golden Wolf Guards still need to guard the Imperial City—will they be able to come out…?"

The supervisor of the West Market gate asked doubtfully.

The matter Fang Chongyong wants to handle has a slight procedural flaw; those ward heads don't know, but this court official still does.

"Did I say that the liaison officer would be a person from the Left Golden Wolf Guards?"

Fang Chongyong winked at that supervisor, hinting.

Excellent!

Everyone felt reassured; seeing Fang Chongyong's bearing, they knew the matter was absolutely settled.

Afterward, Fang Chongyong meticulously arranged every detail, except for the reason to gather the able-bodied youths, which he left to the ward heads to devise; for every other detail, he specified exactly how to handle any situation that might arise.

These details are all things Fang Chongyong has repeatedly simulated in his mind, almost guaranteeing the operation will be flawless.

When he finished speaking, the expressions on the ward heads' faces relaxed.

"For this operation, I am very confident and also believe you all can handle it well."

"But I have only one demand: leave no survivors, beat them to death with sticks."

"If afterward I hear that any of those ruffians are still clinging to life, I will be sorry and will certainly hold you responsible!"

Fang Chongyong's face solemn, he said to the ward heads and supervisors present:

After discussing the matter, it was already deep night. The group came to the courtyard of the Jingzhao Prefecture office, found the banquet had long ended, the scene in disarray, with only leftover scraps and cold dishes left on the tables.

"These leftovers are not worth mentioning. After tomorrow, many ruffians will meet their end in the Yellow Springs; if we hold a feast then, you'll be able to eat your fill."

Fang Chongyong smiled and told those present a cold joke.

However, none of the many ward heads and officials, including Zheng Shuqing, thought he was joking.

……

The next day, just after the ward gates opened, examinees for the imperial examinations kept coming to the Jingzhao Prefecture office at Guangde Ward, doing nothing, simply finding an empty spot by the door to sit down and wait quietly.

Not long after, Yuan Zhe pushed Du Fu, who was seated in a wheelchair, to the prefecture office. He held a scroll, apparently a complaint accusing the Jingzhao Prefect Zheng Shuqing.

"At noon, I will read this complaint here. If the Jingzhao Prefect is not dismissed for a day, I will stay here for a day!"

Yuan Zhe shouted at the crowd.

"Good! We'll accompany you!"

The examinees present all echoed in unison.

In the Jingzhao Prefecture office courtyard, Zheng Shuqing heard someone outside cursing him and, doubtful, asked the calm, perceptive Fang Chongyong beside him: 'Will this trick work?'

"Don't worry, the people outside are all our plants; I've practiced this move to the point where I can stab someone to death even without a spear tip."

"If the Zheng prefect still isn't reassured, you can send word to the funeral shops near Fengyi Ward by Yanping Gate, telling them to prepare to come collect corpses near Guangde Ward today—they'll have plenty of business, likely busy from morning till night."

Fang Chongyong said this indifferently.

"Hey, what's this talk? Do you not trust others, or do you not trust me?"

Zheng Shuqing laughed heartily.

After feeling stifled for over half a month, whether we can turn things around hinges on today!

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(End of chapter)