Chapter 27: Simple Task

Life's encounters often have no fixed outcome.

All beings face a vague future; the magnitude of change often exceeds prior expectations.

Fang Chongyong is like that, and Zheng Shuqing is likewise.

On the surface, Zheng Shuqing, who toiled and earned merit in Kuizhou, was framed and sent to the Dali Temple upon arriving in Chang'an, giving a somewhat tragic air.

But in reality, he was not that wretched.

After Zheng Shuqing reached the Dali Temple, he immediately processed paperwork; the on‑duty official canceled his sea‑capture documents and sent him to Xingqing Palace to await an audience with the emperor.

Of course, Zheng Shuqing was dusty and foul‑smelling, his beard unkempt and his appearance terrible, so a servant had to bathe and clothe him, and only after he was tidied could he meet Li Longji.

Moreover, during the day Li Longji was composing music at the pear garden and had no time to see Zheng Shuqing, so the former Kuizhou prefect could only sit quietly, anxiously awaiting the emperor's summons in a side room of Qinzhengwubenlou.

Conversely, Fang Chongyong, led by Fang Laique, arrived at his own courtyard in Yongjia Lane and found the situation wildly different from his expectations—perhaps a hundred thousand miles off!

"Who are you? Why are you in my house?"

Fang Laique, standing beside Fang Chongyong, asked the youth who opened the gate in a harsh tone.

The man had dark skin, bright eyes, a sturdy build yet not overly bulky.

He seemed momentarily stunned by the question.

"Eh?"

Another young man stepped out of the courtyard; he was fair‑skinned, lacking the other's vigor, appearing more refined and scholarly, with a mature look, a long beard, the typical gentleman‑scholar demeanor.

"You two, why are you in my house?"

Fang Chongyong asked in confusion.

He leaned toward Fang Laique's ear and asked, "Are you sure you haven't got the wrong place?"

"Absolutely not; when I left with A Lang, my grandfather was also at home and should still be there. Did the young master forget?"

Fang Laique, puzzled, looked at Fang Chongyong and asked.

"Ah, so you are the benefactor's offspring! I wonder why you look so familiar—please, come in!"

The fair‑skinned youth hurriedly and warmly invited Fang Chongyong and his party inside.

"My name is Xu Yuan, and this is Zhang Xun; we are scholars who came to Chang'an for the imperial examination. Rent in Chang'an is exorbitant—seven thousand wen a month. By chance, Benefactor Fang took us in to study here without charging a cent."

"If the young master hadn't come, we wouldn't feel settled; we would have taken the money anyway."

Xu Yuan hurriedly fetched a large sack of copper coins from the house, weighing just under a thousand wen.

He handed it to A Duan nearby, and the two respectfully bowed to Fang Chongyong: "Benefactor Fang's righteousness reaches the clouds, he treats the nation as his home; we are moved to tears. This money is merely a token of our gratitude."

"Now that the young master has returned, we feel embarrassed to linger any longer; we shall take our leave."

Xu Yuan gave Fang Chongyong a deep bow, and Zhang Xun likewise performed the salute.

Seeing their sincerity, Fang Chongyong waved his hand and said, "No need for formalities; everyone has hard times. Feel free to settle here. There are spare rooms, so it's no trouble."

At that moment, a middle‑aged man wearing an apron, scented with food, came over as soon as he saw Fang Chongyong, lifted him high, and affectionately said, "The young master has returned! Very well, let me cook a few dishes for you today."

He then saw Fang Laique standing dumbfounded and shouted, "You mutt, you haven't even taken a hint—go wash the vegetables!"

"Oh."

Fang Laique left reluctantly.

"Young master, I'm heading to the kitchen; you two were invited by the master to stay here, scholars heading to the capital for exams, essentially A Lang's friends."

"You should treat the young master as a junior."

Fang Laique's father also greeted Xu Yuan and Zhang Xun, then hummed an unknown tune and walked toward the inner courtyard kitchen.

"How dare we? We are merely peers with the young master; since he is the benefactor's son, he is also our benefactor."

Xu Yuan was very courteous and invited Fang Chongyong to sit in the main hall.

The courtyard comprised one main house (bedroom) plus four side rooms. The main house faced the gate, with two side rooms on each side connected, the middle opened with a door.

Behind the master bedroom was a firewood room attached to the kitchen, and a small guardroom stood at the entrance.

Numerous buildings formed a hall house, surrounded by a covered corridor that enclosed a courtyard planted with jujube trees.

This is the typical elongated Tang‑era siheyuan structure; most common residences were like this.

Now two side rooms have been rented to Xu Yuan and Zhang Xun, Fang Laique's father occupies one, and the master bedroom remains vacant.

Fang Chongyong stared in bewilderment as everything unfolded; before he could recover, he was already seated in the main hall.

In this life Fang Chongyong is still a child, yet in his past life he has seen many grand events. The courtyard before him, unless it costs a few thousand strings, is situated next to Xingqing Palace and the East Market, and could never be obtained.

One could even say that if this place were not for Fang Youde being a confidant of Li Longji, no amount of money could purchase it!

If a traitor were to reside here, a wall away from Xingqing Palace, how could they assassinate Li Longji at the end?

This courtyard itself embodies the notion of "favor."

Fang Youde, that scumbag father, seems more formidable than I imagined.

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but think.

After a while, Fang Laique's father brought out many home‑cooked dishes—scallion porridge, bi luo, boiled chicken, steamed pears, cold tossed raw chives… the variety was decent, though there was no crystal rice.

The aroma wafted everywhere, revealing an extraordinary culinary skill.

"You two may treat this as your own home; my A Lang serves the saint, so we would never mistreat friends."

Fang Laique's father said proudly.

The unremarkable words seemed generous but actually hinted at Fang Youde's extraordinary status.

"Since the Kaiyuan era, Chang'an's customs have grown increasingly decadent; the court's policies have slackened, and officials pursue pleasure above all. Only Fang Jiedushi has consistently worried about the nation and its people, restraining himself and restoring propriety; he truly is our model."

Whenever Xu Yuan mentions Fang Youde, he can't stop praising him.

"Speaking of Youzhou, the Khitans have always been a serious threat. The previous Youzhou Jiedushi failed to curb the Khitan's might. Since Zhang Jiedushi (Zhang Shousui) took office, things have improved."

"We wonder whether Fang Jiedushi, after becoming an observer, can change the frontier situation. We worry about state affairs daily, yet have no battlefield to prove ourselves; compared with Fang Jiedushi, our light is like a candle against the bright moon."

Beside them, the melancholy Zhang Xun also sighed and reflected.

When entering the city, we originally still had several dou of Red Lotus Spring liquor, but it was confiscated by the Jinwu guards; otherwise, we would now have fine wine and dishes, how wonderful that would be.

Fang Chongyong sighed with some regret.

"Red Lotus Spring?"

Xu Yuan and Zhang Xun couldn't help exclaiming. This liquor now costs fifty strings per dou in Chang'an, ordinary people can't even buy it!

Don't want to drink? Think it's too expensive?

Never mind, step aside, there are plenty of nobles lining up to buy.

Fang Chongyong thought they brewed a lot, but actually compared to Chang'an's liquor consumption, it's not even a hair on nine oxen! That little output dumped into Chang'an disappears in a blink, not to mention many nobles hoarding it to profit as middlemen.

Anyway, the older the liquor the better; what does it matter? Just pile it in the storehouse, I'm not short of that little money.

Many Chang'an nobles hold this attitude toward Red Lotus Spring liquor.

Nowadays, to buy even fifty strings worth on the market you have to rely on personal connections; ordinary people can't even see the goods.

Just then, Fang Laique's father quietly walked over and bowed to Fang Chongyong, saying: "The Jinwu guards just delivered several jars of liquor, put the things down and left."

This news left Xu Yuan and Zhang Xun stunned.

"It's nothing; anyone who can drink this liquor is certainly extraordinary, not something a few low-ranking Jinwu guards could provoke; I'm sure they'll have to send it back."

Fang Chongyong boasted, pretending to be fat.

If they send it back, that's having wisdom and pearls in hand.

If they don't send it back, that means the court is misgoverned; even the son of the emperor's close minister cannot protect himself, the state will cease to be a state.

Anyway, he always has something to say.

However, by common sense, those Jinwu guards returning the liquor is indeed natural; because those who can afford this liquor have enormous backgrounds, absolutely not something they could afford to provoke.

Red Lotus Spring liquor is now astronomically priced; those jars are worth several hundred strings, I'm afraid the Jinwu guard captain who wanted to fish in troubled waters is now trembling.

"This liquor… is it really appropriate for us to drink?"

Xu Yuan looked at the bowl of bright red liquor before him, asked doubtfully, wanting to drink but feeling timid.

One gulp would probably cost several strings; you're not drinking liquor, you're drinking gold!

"Just drink openly; if there isn't enough, there's more!"

Fang Chongyong laughed heartily and said.

"Then we would be disrespectful to decline."

Xu Yuan and Zhang Xun lifted their bowls, sipping little by little, their whole persons appearing intoxicated by the aroma.

"Red Lotus Spring… truly lives up to its name. If it weren't for the young master, we probably would never get to drink this in our lifetimes.

Hateful, the tribute red lotus rice from Kui Prefecture offered to the court was actually taken by lawless fellows to brew liquor! What a world, alas!

Xu Yuan sighed deeply with concern for the country and its people.

"If this Red Lotus Spring liquor were exchanged for weapons or grain rations, who knows how many frontier soldiers it could support. Instead it all went into the pockets of unlawful merchants, truly lamentable. Yet we can only complain here, unable to do anything.

"Once Xu Yuan and I pass the imperial examinations, we will surely serve the nation and not let such corrupt practices run rampant over our Great Tang!"

Zhang Xun gulped a big mouthful of liquor, clenched his fists, and said.

Fang Chongyong realized these two follow the same mental pattern as Fang Youde; no wonder Old Fang could keep them here as free tenants. Fang Chongyong felt a bit sentimental, noticing he shares little common ground with these "loyal and righteous" men.

Red Lotus Spring liquor is a hype creation, its purpose being to help Li Longji make money.

Fang Chongyong's factory price is actually "not high"; he himself even only took a total of "3000 strings."

As for the Chang'an richest man Wang Yuanbao, who acts as a white glove, Fang Chongyong actually has a guess about who stands behind him, but he dares not dwell on it. Having heard that Li Longji once had friendship with Wang Yuanbao and praised his wealth as exceeding his own, perhaps there's a story here that needs no elaboration.

The hype of Red Lotus Spring liquor among noble circles actually helped the court recover a large sum of "inner-circle money," which is beneficial to state finances.

Whether the "good" that Zhang Xun and they see is truly good is hard to say;

and the "evil" they see is not necessarily evil either.

Fang Chongyong feels that as the chief culprit behind the hype of Red Lotus Spring liquor, it would be better to stay low-key and not speak.

"If we don't get drunk today we won't go home; there's plenty of Red Lotus Spring liquor, so feel free to drink."

Fang Chongyong spoke to Xu Yuan and Zhang Xun in a grandiose, all-encompassing way.

……

The top floor of the Qinzhengwubenlou is Li Longji's study. Now it is night; Li Longji had spent half a day at the Pear Garden, and upon returning in the evening he learned Zheng Shuqing had been waiting for several hours in the Xingqing Palace, so he hurriedly sent someone to summon him to the study for a meeting.

"Alas, my official duties keep me busy, I have troubled you, my beloved minister."

Upon seeing Zheng Shuqing, Li Longji walked over, took his hand, and said.

"To share the sage's worries is the duty of a humble subject."

Zheng Shuqing was moved to tears, nearly kneeling to Li Longji.

Upon hearing those words, he knew he had made it ashore this time.

"I had you arrested and chased with writs only because many well-meaning people were gossiping behind your back; after I give you a new post, these criticisms will dissipate like smoke."

Li Longji laughed heartily and invited Zheng Shuqing to sit opposite him at the desk.

"Those four hundred thousand strings are excellent; you have indeed done me a great favor. At this year's Lantern Festival, all of Chang'an's populace celebrated together, all thanks to your merit. I wish to appoint you as Mayor of Jingzhao; what do you think?"

"Mayor of Jingzhao?"

"No, no, no, I've never heard of a Mayor of Jingzhao without backing who could retire intact. Zheng Shuqing became greatly wary! Taking this office would be worse than returning to Kui Prefecture to be a local tyrant."

"Since the founding of the dynasty, only imperial relatives have found this post comfortable; ordinary officials who rise to it only stir up trouble."

"The Mayor of Jingzhao was established in the first year of the Tang Kaiyuan era by Li Longji's personal order; the Jingzhao Prefecture belongs to the Jingji Circuit and administers twenty-three counties."

"Normally the Mayor of Jingzhao holds a rank of junior third grade, with two Deputy Mayors of Jingzhao underneath, plus officials such as Military Secretary, Registrar, Household Secretary, Judicial Secretary, Army Secretary, Storehouse Secretary, and Officer Secretary, which correspond to the bureau-level officials in Fang Chongyong's previous life."

"The post is high-ranking, but it is also very difficult to handle."

"The reason is simple: if you don't come to Chang'an, you won't realize how petty your office is. The Mayor of Jingzhao also manages various miscellaneous affairs of the Chang'an region; in Chang'an, aside from rebellion, any major or minor matter that gets reported first goes to the Jingzhao Prefecture!"

"For example, suppose there is a high official, say the chancellor's household member gets into trouble; would the Mayor of Jingzhao manage it or not?"

If one were to intervene, then surely one would suffer all kinds of petty obstruction, warnings, and offending people.

If one does not intervene, then where is the authority of the Jingzhao Prefecture?

Official posts are ironclad but officials flow like water; if the Jingzhao Yin, in office, sacrifices his connections for the sake of so‑called "justice," then upon leaving the post his ultimate fate is either a nominal promotion with actual demotion, or being sent off under some pretext to a border prefecture to serve as some supervising official, or simply being posted to a place like Lingnan as a prefect.

Anyone with a bit of sense knows what to do.

Those who can muddle through will never draw a clear‑cut conclusion.

Those who can get away with it will never stick their necks out to take blows.

Those who can avoid offending others will certainly not recklessly create enemies and block their own career path.

During the Kaiyuan era, the turnover rate of the Jingzhao Yin had reached the point of fifteen changes in ten years—on average, one and a half officials per year.

As a veteran official, Zheng Shuqing, how could he possibly jump foolishly into a big pit! Even if the emperor recommended it, it would be out of the question!

"My modest talent lies in finance; although the Jingzhao Yin is high‑ranking and powerful, I am incapable of the post, lest I delay the Son of Heaven's great affairs."

Zheng Shuqing earnestly pleaded, making it clear he would not jump into the pit.

"Ah, I have considered this as well, but the Jingzhao Yin post is currently vacant and I have no one else to employ. So let it be thus: you have served abroad for many years and have worked hard; better to return home and rest for now. The spring selection of officials has ended, and there is temporarily no suitable post for you, my beloved minister. Why not wait until early summer to see again?"

Li Longji said with a face full of regret.

Zheng Shuqing bowed deeply with countless thanks, and then, under the guidance of Gao Lishi, left the Xingqing Palace.

As soon as he stepped out, his smiling face instantly collapsed.

"Bitter, bitter! Alas!"