Chapter 2: I, a Prodigy, Making Money!

Fang Laique didn't know where he was being taken, but Fang Chongyong wasn't locked in a prison; instead he was brought to a "courtyard house" with a stark difference in elevation.

Kuizhou leans against the mountains and faces the water; its lower part is the Yangtze River ferry crossing, bustling with trade. It dominates the Qutang Gorge mouth, a strategic position, long a military hub of eastern Sichuan and a contested site for strategists.

Behind the city lies Lotus Mountain, its five peaks standing side by side, their feet stretching toward the river, resembling an inverted lotus flower. The lotus pond lies at the center between the two peaks, and the villa of Inspector Zheng Shuqing is right there.

In the pitch dark he couldn't make out the scenery, but Fang Chongyong guessed this must be the finest spot in Kuizhou, bar none.

As for how he knew the scarlet-robed official was Zheng Shuqing, his father Fang Youde's letter had already laid out the stakes.

A little thought makes it clear.

Anyone who does wrong feels guilty; Fang Chongyong understood that Zheng Shuqing taking action was in line with human nature and logic.

Passing the front and central halls to reach the rear study, Fang Chongyong finally realized how vastly this place differed from his humble official quarters— the gap was more than a hundred thousand miles.

Except for the two towering ancient trees in the courtyard, their branches lush and leaves dense, in the darkness they now looked somewhat fierce and menacing.

Fang Chongyong wasn't too worried about being killed; if Zheng Shuqing wanted to mess with him and Fang Laique, there were plenty of ways—no need to go to such trouble just to put on a show.

After the two sat facing each other at opposite sides of the study desk, Zheng Shuqing narrowed his eyes to size up Fang Chongyong but said nothing. He remained silent, and Fang Chongyong also stayed quiet, waiting for the other to speak first.

"Do you realize your father faces a great calamity, and it will drag down your family as well!"

Zheng Shuqing said in a deep voice, his tone solemn.

If he hadn't heard from Fang Laique that Zheng Shuqing and his father Fang Youde were on bad terms, he might have believed those words. But after reading the letter, Fang Chongyong now felt like he was playing stud poker, knowing the opponent's hole cards, and was completely unfazed.

"Before your father left, did he entrust you with anything important?"

Seeing Fang Chongyong stay silent, Zheng Shuqing continued his bluffing question.

"Prefect Zheng, I should be fine; I merely suspect that you are the one facing a great calamity."

Fang Chongyong said calmly, meeting Zheng Shuqing's gaze without flinching.

Earlier he had guessed Zheng Shuqing would run into big trouble, but it wasn't the nonsense written in his father's letter.

Diverting the customs revenue of Kuizhou's Jiangguan to support the frontier garrison's military commissioner for troop use—this sort of thing can actually be big or small.

Because customs revenue doesn't have to be sent back to Chang'an; there have always been examples of using it locally. Wherever is nearer, wherever is more urgent, that gets priority.

For example, at the checkpoint set up on Dayu Ridge in Lingnan, the collected customs are basically cloth and copper coins; with such a distance, how could they be shipped back to Chang'an! Certainly after approval from the central authority, they are used nearby, as in Guangzhou.

Zheng Shuqing dared to divert customs revenue because Li Linfu in the central authority could approve his documents. With an official paper, even illegal acts become legal. Li Linfu is both athlete and referee; he has the game locked up! Even if a complaint is filed against Li Longji, nothing will come of it.

Although Fang Chongyong had never eaten pork, in his past life he had seen plenty of pigs running; their movements were quite flirtatious.

Therefore, if it were merely diverting customs revenue to the military commissioner, Zheng Shuqing wouldn't need to panic; the four words "expedient measures in emergencies" would suffice to gloss over it.

All those "evidences" Fang Youde mentioned are just gray-area unwritten rules! After the An-Shi Rebellion, before regional military governments set up checkpoints, commercial and customs taxes would be divided up by the nearest military commissioner.

As long as there are regional military governments, such situations will inevitably keep occurring.

Of course, regional military governments have only been established for a few years now, so doing this still skirts the taboo; Fang Chongyong couldn't gauge where the limits lie. Kuizhou is the gateway to Chongqing; sending customs revenue to Sichuan instead of to Chang'an is naturally more profitable.

This principle is obvious at a glance as long as it isn't a deliberate case of calling a deer a horse.

"Heh, a brat spouting nonsense."

Zheng Shuqing's face showed a cold smile, though inwardly he was secretly startled.

How could Fang Youde, such a blockhead, have produced a son like this?

"Since you're spouting nonsense, I'll say no more. Do whatever you wish—kill or cut, Prefect, dispose of me as you see fit."

Fang Chongyong said with a yawn.

"Alas!"

Zheng Shuqing let out a long sigh; although he knew Fang Chongyong would soon become a corpse, this feeling of being manipulated was truly awful.

"Forget it, anyway you're not long for this world, I'll just be frank with you. After your soul goes underground, you can blame your father."

Zheng Shuqing stared fixedly at Fang Chongyong's face, but the latter not only showed no fear, he actually looked like he wanted to laugh.

"Since I'm going to die anyway, Prefect, feel free to speak."

Fang Chongyong clasped his hands and bowed deeply to Zheng Shuqing.

"When one shows courtesy, there must be an ulterior motive; since Zheng Shuqing is willing to chat, he surely wants something—might as well hear him out."

"Your father is an Imperial Censor—well, anyway, he's here to investigate me, and that's no secret. I just want to push all the blame onto your father, but……"

Zheng Shuqing spread his hands toward Fang Chongyong; the meaning he wanted to convey was already crystal clear.

He was grasping at straws in desperation, but even random accusations need basic logic. He realized his own haphazard reasoning was childish, fearing it might provoke Emperor Li Longji to resort to killing, so he wanted to try his luck on Fang Chongyong to see if he could break through.

With the tangerine-hemp-wheat bran, he now doesn't know whether to use it as a starter or not.

"Prefect, you can trust me; I'll help you get through this crisis."

Fang Chongyong again bowed deeply to Zheng Shuqing. This wasn't him acknowledging a thief as his father, but because the other had already harbored murderous intent. No one cares whether they want to crush an ant! That's the simple truth!

Unless that ant is incredibly awesome.

"You? You think you're qualified to help me get through this crisis? What makes you think so?"

Zheng Shuqing seemed to have heard the funniest joke in the world; the cold smile on his face was about to lunge at Fang Chongyong.

Everyone said Fang Youde's son was a fool, so he always brought his boy wherever he went. Unexpectedly…… this fellow wasn't just foolish, he was also rather narcissistic.

"Because I'm a prodigy."

Fang Chongyong pointed at his own nose and said, his immature, unsmoothed face utterly serious! He didn't think he was saying anything ridiculous.

"Oh, a prodigy? I, of the Tang dynasty, have plenty of prodigies—even if not a thousand, there are eight hundred. Which kind of prodigy are you?"

Zheng Shuqing spoke with contempt, not taking it seriously as he retorted; he just wanted to give this clueless brat a few slaps.

"That's not important; Prefect, you just need to know I'm a prodigy— a prodigy is someone who can do what others cannot."

Fang Chongyong activated his repeat-player mode, his face deadpan without a smile.

Whether he was actually a prodigy didn't matter; he was just trying to secure a chance to live. Otherwise, he feared it would be hard to leave this villa.

"A prodigy? Sure! Liu Yan back then was also a prodigy, able at nine to write a eulogy for the Son of Heaven. If you're a prodigy, compose a poem and let's see—can it make it into the Hall of Elegance?"

Zheng Shuqing's face was full of disdain.

Young men in the Great Tang who could write poetry were not nonexistent, but those who could produce a masterpiece were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. Moreover, poetry itself actually had formulas and "creative methods," somewhat similar to Fang Chongyong's previous life's "assigned essays."

There were many poets in the Tang dynasty, and apart from the cultural atmosphere, it was also because in their childhood schooling, teachers would all teach them how to write poetry, what formulas to use for composing verse!

Hearing that this son of Fang Youde, because of his stupidity, had never attended school for even a single day—if he could compose poetry, he would absolutely deserve the title "prodigy." To be self-taught in childhood—what else could that be but a prodigy?

Only, was this one worthy of the word "prodigy"?

"In life one should be a hero among men, in death a champion among ghosts; even now we think of Xiang Yu, who refused to cross east of the river."

Fang Chongyong used a child's voice to "compose" a five-character quatrain.

Zheng Shuqing immediately felt a surge of heroic spirit rushing toward him—almost tangible!

Damn it! A true prodigy!

"This…"

He immediately stood up, no longer daring to underestimate Fang Chongyong!

When an expert shows his hand, you know right away whether he's the real deal.

This poem was not only grand and bold, but also faintly expressed the other party's resolve of "rather a shattered jade than an intact tile"!

The words were simple yet the ambition was great, rolling off the tongue with considerable distinction.

"The war in Jiannan is pressing, so I diverted the Kuizhou River Pass treasury to support the front lines… this was also the intention of the Left Chancellor (Li Linfu). Your father is pedantic—how could he understand what it means to put state affairs first!"

Zheng Shuqing sat back down properly again and said with a light sigh.

"If so, Lord Zheng indeed deserves the four words 'bulwark of the state,' only… I fear things are not that simple, are they?"

Fang Chongyong chuckled.

Would Li Longji care about such a trivial matter? Perhaps on the surface he would, perhaps he would demote Zheng Shuqing.

But before long, Zheng Shuqing would be reinstated, and it was even possible he would be promoted to preside over the central government. The reason was simple: the Great Tang belonged to Li Longji, and though Zheng Shuqing had acted unlawfully, he was working for the state, working for Li Longji.

The regional commands of the Kaiyuan era were not the same as those of the late Tang! The court had absolute control over them!

This mistake, as trivial as a fine drizzle, was not worth dwelling on at all—after all, it wasn't as if Zheng Shuqing had taken that tax money for his own use! As long as he wasn't colluding with the Crown Prince to enthrone a new ruler, anything was a minor matter to Li Longji!

"You are indeed wise beyond your years, young master."

Zheng Shuqing sighed, then continued: "The problem lies in what came after. Zhang Choujian Qiong had promised beforehand that if they seized part of Nanzhao's territory, they would plunder the region to repay part of the River Pass tariffs. That way, the accounts on the Kuizhou side would also add up!"

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong could not help but nod slightly. This move by Li Linfu was indeed brilliant—first lend money to Zhang Choujian Qiong, then have him lead troops to plunder everywhere along the border, use the seized wealth to repay the debt, and in the end both sides would be even!

State business was handled, personal business was handled, allies were drawn in, and rivals were eliminated.

Fang Chongyong wanted to applaud loudly and cheer for Li Linfu!

"But! The team Zhang Choujian Qiong sent to deliver the money was ambushed near Kuizhou! Right under my nose!"

Zheng Shuqing slammed the desk in fury! He was so angry the veins on his neck bulged and his eyes looked ready to pop out.

Whether or not the River Pass tariffs were diverted was a minor issue—the meat was still in the pot. But the tax money being ambushed—that was a major matter!

This affair was so secret that very few people knew of it. Where was the leak?

On Zhang Choujian Qiong's side, or on Zheng Shuqing's side?

The transport ship carrying the goods was ambushed near Kuizhou—who bore the greater responsibility—did that even need to be said?

The enormous River Pass tariffs were gone, the accounts didn't match—how was Zheng Shuqing to explain this to Li Linfu, how was he to explain it to Li Longji? This violation could not be concealed forever!

So Zheng Shuqing came up with a crooked scheme: just pin the blame on Investigating Censor Fang Youde. The Investigating Censor discovered the matter, grew greedy, and colluded with mountain bandits and river pirates to ambush the transport ship—it seemed… hmm, it did sound a bit insulting to one's intelligence.

Fang Youde had gone missing while investigating a case and was very likely dead from drowning. Many residents around Kuizhou lived on boats, and countless people drowned every year—one more wouldn't make a difference. If not for that, Fang Youde having been gone for over a month, why wouldn't he come back for his son?

However, Zheng Shuqing felt that when Li Longji heard this explanation, he would likely consider it deception of the sovereign.

This matter was very difficult to smooth over.

"Lord Zheng, there is something I do not understand. My father is not a Kuizhou local; like you, he has resided in Chang'an for many years. An Investigating Censor has few attendants beside him—how could one ambush a transport ship so secretly and seamlessly under such confidential circumstances?"

Fang Chongyong looked at Zheng Shuqing as if looking at a fool and asked.

"But your father is dead! Dead men don't talk. When something goes wrong, you push the blame onto a dead man. You're a prodigy—do you not understand this principle!"

Zheng Shuqing, provoked by Fang Chongyong's question, lost his composure and roared at Fang Chongyong, completely abandoning the dignity proper to an Inspector!

Laughing despite himself, Fang Chongyong somewhat understood why Zheng Shuqing wanted to kill him and Fang Laique.

The four words "dead men tell no tales" were enough.

Zheng Shuqing did not necessarily have many schemes and stratagems—he was merely treating a dead horse as though it were still alive.

A drowning man always thrashes a bit. Zheng Shuqing understood that with the loss of the wealth meant to plug the tariff shortfall, he would absolutely not escape death—better to go wild before dying; perhaps he could bring the whole game back to life.

Fang Youde had not appeared for so long, and there was no word of him having gone to Chang'an to drum up support—he was probably truly dead.

The study suddenly fell into an awkward silence. Fang Chongyong realized that although the other party had shown his cards, this hand… he seemed unable to receive it!

"Uh, Lord Zheng, may I take the liberty of asking—of the intercepted tariff funds, just… how much was there?"

Fang Chongyong asked tentatively.

If it was too much, he reckoned he would not be walking out of this courtyard. If Zheng Shuqing was going down, he certainly wouldn't mind dragging a few unlucky souls to die first—everyone walking the road to the Yellow Springs together would at least not be lonely.

"What's the use of talking about this now? That was three hundred thousand guan! You don't know a damn thing!"

Zheng Shuqing completely lost his composure, his voice carrying a beast-like roar. Back then, possessed by some devil, he had involved himself in Li Linfu's arrangement, hoping that after the matter succeeded he could return to Chang'an to serve in the central government—he never expected something like this to happen.

"So it's only three hundred thousand guan."

Fang Chongyong breathed a sigh of relief.

If it were several million guan or more, he would likely truly be crushed to death by this "mountain of money." But at only three hundred thousand guan, it was still worth considering how to work things out.

Three hundred thousand guan of copper coins was very heavy and could not be transported efficiently?

That was true—but who said tariffs had to be in copper coins?

One tael of gold at this time, that is, 37.7 grams, could be converted to ten guan! If three hundred thousand guan were all exchanged for gold before shipment, would it take up much space, would it be inconvenient to transport?

Fang Chongyong already had a rough idea in mind; he just needed time to plan it out carefully.

"You… how can you be so arrogant, dismissing three hundred thousand guan as nothing? Even if they sold you, how much money would that fetch?"

Zheng Shuqing made a dissatisfied complaint; Fang Chongyong having confidence is naturally not a bad thing, but what good is confidence alone?

"Prefect Zheng, actually I think, the officials at court won't care whether Kuizhou's tax revenue has been diverted to the frontier garrison, nor will they care about the Jiannan Army's plundering of Nanzhao. Money doesn't have a name written on it; as long as we can scrape together some money and fill the gap, this game will stay alive."

Fang Chongyong said calmly.

Zheng Shuqing froze; it felt as if a ray of light had suddenly appeared in the mist!

Exactly, as long as it's money, it doesn't matter whether it's snatched from the border garrison or we think up a way to make up for it, right?

"If you, sir, can think of a way to make up the money...... I will then take you to Chang'an, send you to school, and have you achieve fame through the imperial examinations! Once this matter is settled, I will have no grudge against your family, and there will be no life-or-death conflict between us."

Do you have a way? Here in Kuizhou...... there aren't many wealthy households.

Zheng Shuqing asked in a low voice, and finally didn't forget to add a reminder.

It's quite obvious that he had once thought of killing a few pigs locally in Kuizhou to fill the gap, but for some reason it never came to pass.

"Give me three days; within three days I will surely have a reply."

Fang Chongyong said resolutely.