Chapter 206: The Dog Official Rises Up

Not many days after Fang Chongyong returned to Chang'an, the edict conferring Wang Yunxiu as a fourth-rank titled lady—that is, Junjun—was delivered to Fang Chongyong's home next to Xingqing Palace. Other than that, Brother Ji didn't even give an extra bolt of silk; this conferral could be called exceedingly pure.

After the eunuch who delivered the edict left, Wang Yunxiu looked again and again at the silk scroll in her hands—something that couldn't be eaten, couldn't be worn, and was too small even to wipe oneself in the privy—then with a speechless expression questioned Fang Chongyong: "Busy back and forth for so long, and they only conferred you a fourth-rank titled lady?"

"Not conferred me a fourth-rank titled lady, but conferred you a fourth-rank titled lady.

Now isn't that great—henceforth, in front of your flirtatious cousin, you can hold your head high when you speak. Isn't that good enough?"

Fang Chongyong said in exasperation; he too was shocked by Brother Ji's stinginess. But one couldn't speak ill of the Sage—this Sage of Chang'an was very stingy.

Wang Yunxiu's cousin, born of the Longxi Li clan, was no easy mark. The first time she came to visit their home, she privately asked Fang Chongyong whether he'd be willing to develop a more-than-friendly relationship with her. She even indicated she could let him "have a taste" first, without any promises or guarantees.

Women born to great houses truly had keen political instincts. For a better way out, stripping naked and lying in bed to seduce a man was merely ordinary.

Fang Chongyong immediately asked how many divisions Wang Yunxiu's cousin's family had.

Upon learning that her father and brothers were merely local civil officials in the prefectures, Fang Chongyong sternly rejected Wang Yunxiu's cousin's seduction, and after she left, informed Wang Yunxiu of the matter.

"Yes indeed—you don't know until you compare. Only after comparing did I realize that the shameless fox in our family is a rare good person."

Wang Yunxiu sighed while carefully putting away the edict for the fourth-rank titled lady—this thing was the trump card for consolidating her position in the household. Even her cousin had come to poach; who knew how many women like that there would be in the future.

Ever since his father-in-law Fang Youde took up the post of Grand General of the Dragon Martial Army, similar nuisance affairs had started multiplying, with some even bringing women directly to the door to serve as Fang Chongyong's concubine and warm his bed.

"Langjun, that troublesome Zheng Shuqing has come looking for you again, saying something about being your superior and that he can't be kept outside the gate."

Fang Laique came in to report while Fang Chongyong was speaking with Wang Yunxiu.

"Zheng Shuqing is now Palace Assistant Censor. Alang should still go see him—this is a connection in officialdom."

Wang Yunxiu urged, then glared at Fang Laique. The latter, as if he hadn't seen her threatening look, gave a cold snort and went out.

"A night owl entering the house never comes for nothing. Him looking for me definitely means no good—and moreover he's now my immediate superior!"

Fang Chongyong sighed helplessly.

Originally, his official position of "Investigating Censor" was merely a hook for holding the concurrent assignment of "Recruitment Commissioner." When Fang Chongyong himself had no commission, he had no qualification to exercise the authority of Investigating Censor.

But that couldn't stop an old bureaucrat like Zheng Shuqing from treating a feather as an imperial decree!

As long as one held the post of Investigating Censor, one had to be under the jurisdiction of the Censorate. Though one need not follow the Censorate's orders, at the very least one had to come whenever summoned, right?

The bureaucratic system of the Tang dynasty during the Tianbao era was truly like a tangled skein of silk threads—cut it and it won't break, sort it and it only tangles further.

Having no choice but to receive Zheng Shuqing in the study, after the two took their seats, Old Zheng said to Fang Chongyong with a mysterious look: "Tonight there will be a major event!"

"What major event? Have the Xiongnu reached Chang'an?"

Fang Chongyong poured Zheng Shuqing a cup of unfiltered wine and asked listlessly.

"Tonight—killing, arson, golden belt."

Zheng Shuqing said while smugly patting his own belt.

"Huh?"

Fang Chongyong scratched his head in bewilderment, unable to figure out what act Zheng Shuqing was putting on.

"Can you just speak plainly?"

Fang Chongyong asked in dissatisfaction.

Zheng Shuqing coughed, then said sternly: "That coal mine you mentioned—the Ministry of Works is already handling it, isn't it?"

"Correct, but getting the coal delivered here, even at the fastest, won't be until next year."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly, not wanting to mock Old Zheng anymore.

"So, since distant water can't quench a nearby thirst, I have decided to strike hard and suppress the arrogant swagger of certain people."

Zheng Shuqing pulled a sheet of paper from his sleeve and handed it to Fang Chongyong. The latter opened it and found a long list inside, filled with names and specific addresses in Chang'an.

"This is…"

"All people who privately cast inferior coinage and deserve to be beheaded. I had Yang Yan tally the daily amount of charcoal purchased in each ward, calculate the approximate locations, then dispatch people to verify—this is the list that came out."

Zheng Shuqing was somewhat smug, then his expression suddenly flashed with ferocity. Clenching his fist tightly, he continued: "Tonight, I will mobilize the Jinwu Guard to strike these people's homes, and catch them red-handed with goods and evidence!"

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong was so shocked he couldn't speak for a long while.

Zheng Shuqing was the kind of person who swung back and forth between extreme cowardice and extreme recklessness, making him somewhat hard to read.

Fang Chongyong asked in confusion: "And then?"

"And then we wait for the Sage's reward!"

Zheng Shuqing stroked his beard and laughed.

"Rounding up all these giant rats of Chang'an in one net—on one hand it can alleviate the flood of inferior coinage on the market, and on the other it can free up more firewood for trade on the market.

Killing two birds with one stone—wouldn't that be splendid?"

Zheng Shuqing clapped his hands, then spread both arms before Fang Chongyong to show off.

Sure enough—having only been Palace Assistant Censor for a few days, Master Zheng was already throwing his weight around. Fang Chongyong didn't even know how to comment.

Call him a dog official, and he still wants to get things done.

Call him a good official, and he can't accomplish anything, often botching matters—for instance, this business of cracking down on privately cast coinage.

In the end, he's still a dog official in the eyes of the common people!

"So, Censor Zheng came looking for me for what reason?"

Fang Chongyong asked with a face full of helplessness.

"I'm just short of someone to hold the line. As fellow officials of the Censorate, you wouldn't refuse me this little face, would you?"

Zheng Shuqing asked, rubbing his hands.

"If—and I say if—after Censor Zheng confiscates a household, he discovers that the person behind the scenes manipulating the privately cast coinage is Princess Yuzhen, then what?"

Fang Chongyong posed a question that struck straight at the soul.

"Or if it's the Prince of Qi, or certain nobles within Chang'an—then what? For instance, if people from the Wei clan or the Pei clan are pulling the strings behind the scenes, then what?"

"These people will know you've uncovered their secret—what will they do? What if they join forces to retaliate against you?"

Fang Chongyong pressed with a barrage of questions.

Zheng Shuqing was so frightened that cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and he asked in a low voice, "Are the people behind those who mint private coins really that powerful?"

"What else? With no one backing them, who would dare do this kind of business!"

Fang Chongyong slammed the table in anger.

Old Zheng was too careless in handling matters—he kept wanting to accomplish something big and strip that corrupt official of his hat, but only made things worse and worse.

"Who else knows about this matter? Surely not everyone in the Jinwu Guard knows already?"

Fang Chongyong stood up and paced back and forth in the study, wondering whether this matter might spiral beyond control.

"No, no, I only told Zhang Guangsheng, the Left Jinwu Guard General. He's newly appointed and eager to earn merit, so he agreed directly."

Zheng Shuqing, like a child who had done something wrong, hung his head and rubbed his hands together, offering quiet explanations without daring to talk back.

"Then let's meet tonight at the Jinwu Guard office and discuss a solution then. Investigator Zheng, return to your office first—don't let any complications arise. Secrecy is the top priority.

Let me think of a way first."

Fang Chongyong was afraid that Zheng Shuqing's big mouth would lead him to tell others in the Censorate; if that happened, things would get serious.

"Alright..."

Zheng Shuqing swallowed the words he wanted to say. He suddenly realized that the matter he had to handle this time did not seem so simple. Zheng Shuqing had learned from many past lessons, but the difficulties he faced always exceeded the limits of his ability.

"Oh right."

Zheng Shuqing had just risen to his feet when Fang Chongyong suddenly stopped him and said:

"It seems the Censorate has no authority to directly order the Jinwu Guard to act. So tonight we must invite the newly appointed Jingzhao Prefect Pei Kuan to the Jinwu Guard office to discuss this major matter.

Without Pei Kuan's involvement, this matter won't be easy to control."

"Is that so?"

Hearing this, Zheng Shuqing was momentarily stunned. He suddenly realized that he had served as Jingzhao Prefect for over four years, and now that he held the position of Palace Censor, his thinking still retained the mindset from his time as Jingzhao Prefect.

The Censorate could only investigate "official misconduct" and "misconduct by the powerful and noble"—it had no authority to investigate "misconduct among commoners." On the surface this might not seem like a big problem, but once something went wrong, it would be very easy for others to seize on it as a vulnerability.

The proper approach was to first expose the merchants minting private coins, then link them to the protective umbrella behind them—not to first investigate the protective umbrella and then work backward to the private minting.

Zheng Shuqing's original purpose in handling this matter was because he was the "Charcoal Commissioner" appointed by Ji-ge, not because he was an official of the Censorate. Now it amounted to using the Censorate's resources to carry out his own Charcoal Commissioner duties—a kind of "using public office for private ends."

Of course, this was also Ji-ge's original intent in making such an appointment. In the Tang dynasty, an era of twisted bureaucratic rules, without some additional authority in hand, how could one get any proper business done?

And the authority of the Jingzhao Prefect was exactly the final piece of the puzzle.

Zheng Shuqing would "seek help" from the Jingzhao Prefect in his capacity as Charcoal Commissioner, then "follow up" with the Jingzhao Prefect in his capacity as Palace Censor to see whether the matter had been handled properly. This would "control" the newly appointed Jingzhao Prefect.

Then, through the name of the Jingzhao Prefecture, they would mobilize the Jinwu Guard, and finally use the Jinwu Guard to raid homes! The entire process would be legal and in accordance with bureaucratic rules, with no overstepping of authority.

This was the normal and correct chain of logic.

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but sigh inwardly—Old Zheng's skills as a corrupt official were first-rate, but his skills at handling proper business were still lacking. He liked to grab at everything at once, believing that a high rank meant he could walk sideways, without much regard for proper procedure on the surface.

After hearing Fang Chongyong's explanation, Zheng Shuqing had a sudden realization and felt extremely fortunate that he had not acted alone without involving the other party this time; otherwise, if something major went wrong, it would have been very difficult to clean up afterward.

Just as he was about to take his leave, Zheng Shuqing couldn't help asking, "Cracking down on private coin minting doesn't seem to benefit you in any way, and it's easy to make enemies. Why do you want to get involved?"

He asked an important question about motive.

Clearly, Fang Chongyong's involvement could easily offend certain powerful nobles in Chang'an.

"Have those people sent Investigator Zheng any money?"

Fang Chongyong asked in return.

"They have not."

Zheng Shuqing shook his head and said that if someone minting private coins really had paid tribute to him as a corrupt official, he would have had to weigh the pros and cons before deciding whether to go after them.

"Exactly—they didn't send Investigator Zheng money, but they didn't send me any either. So why can't I exercise the authority of a proper investigating censor and look into their misconduct?"

Fang Chongyong spread his hands and continued explaining: "Raking in money hand over fist in Chang'an while being so stingy they won't give us any benefit at all. People like that—just smash their dog heads in. Why be polite with them?"

Many of Chang'an's powerful nobles had a similar mindset: my taking benefits is only right; if you get in my way, you're my enemy and you await my revenge; if you don't get in my way, then go cool off somewhere.

Toward such people, Fang Chongyong's attitude was very clear: given the chance, he would hammer them to death—stab first and talk later. Then he'd see whether the corpse lying on the ground could still open its mouth to curse.

Understanding Fang Chongyong's resolute attitude, Zheng Shuqing lowered his voice and said:

"Once this is done, I'll have a niece of my family marry your Fang Laique. You hurry to Chang'an County and remove his retainer household registration, and establish him as a separate household.

The Zheng clan will provide the house, as part of the dowry."

In the Tang dynasty, commoners and those of base status did not intermarry. Fang Laique's household registration was still that of a retainer under Fang Chongyong's family—he had to be made a "commoner of good standing" first before Zheng Shuqing could marry off a niece to him.

Huh?

Hearing this, Fang Chongyong was greatly curious, not understanding why Zheng Shuqing would say such a thing.

He asked with a face full of puzzlement, "That's not necessary—how wrong it would be for the girl."

"It's no hardship—besides, she's not my daughter."

Zheng Shuqing laughed heartily, patted Fang Chongyong on the shoulder, and walked out of the study.

The moment the two stepped outside, they saw Anaye holding a broom, chasing the fleet-footed Fang Laique around the courtyard in a wild pursuit. Fang Laique was howling as he got hit, cursing nonstop the whole while.

Catching sight of this scene, Zheng Shuqing frowned slightly and couldn't help letting out a soft sigh.

Pushing his niece into a tiger's maw was something he had no choice about—who let her be born into the Zheng clan of Xingyang? If he couldn't hold onto his official position, his family would also suffer great misfortune, so he could only wrong her by marrying her to a fool. Right now the Fang family was red-hot and influential; obviously he couldn't let his own niece become Fang Chongyong's concubine, as that would very likely backfire.

Instead, having a Fang family servant marry her through proper formalities was lower-profile, more discreet, and better suited to the Zheng clan's political needs.

After seeing Zheng Shuqing out, Fang Chongyong returned to the study and called Fang Laique in as well.

Then Fang Chongyong saw that Fang Laique was covered in black marks from brushing against the charcoal piled up all over the courtyard, his hair was a wild mess, and his dull, slow-witted little eyes just stared at him.

"Tell me about the An-Shi Rebellion."

"The rebellion launched by the traitors An Lushan and Shi Siming in Youzhou lasted for eight years. At first An Lushan served as Military Commissioner of three garrisons, and secretly..."

Fang Laique recounted it methodically, speaking for a full half-shih before stopping.

Fang Youde had already told Fang Chongyong about the secret hidden within Fang Laique, as well as the "method of use."

Simply put, Fang Laique was a kind of "insurance" that Fang Youde had left behind in the world—so that if he met with misfortune, the things he knew would be told to a "person of destiny" through Fang Laique's mouth.

"You wanted to marry the prime minister's daughter, didn't you? Now the opportunity has come."

Fang Chongyong, smiling with narrowed eyes, said to Fang Laique.

"Really? Husband, don't keep lying to me. You've said for years that you'd let me marry the prime minister's daughter, but now you're already married, and I still haven't seen what the prime minister's daughter looks like."

Fang Laique complained, looking aggrieved.

"What do you mean? Now we're only a little bit away."

Fang Chongyong said while making a 'small' gesture.

(End of chapter)