Chapter 274: Framing and Shifting Blame

Fang Chongyong let Ah Duan chase the murderer who killed someone on the street, but they were still a step too late.

The Jinwu Guard, hearing the cries, rushed in, but the murderer was also a brute; even after being battered by the guards' clubs until his skin split, he still used brute force to kick the two opposing Jinwu Guard soldiers to the ground. He planted one leg on a tree trunk beside the lane wall, leapt fiercely, landing on the slanted corner of the wall. Pressing his hands against the tiles of the wall, he vaulted over and slipped into the lane, escaping in a flash!

The scene unfolded in the blink of an eye; when Fang Chongyong came to his senses, the murderer had already vanished from Zhuque Avenue, his agile movements leaving the onlooking crowd of gawkers staring at each other in bewilderment.

Our Tang's martial virtue is truly overflowing!

Only it seems to have been used in the wrong place!

Fang Chongyong shook his head in disappointment, went to the lane the murderer had entered, gave the lane a brief order to close its gate and conduct a search, doing his best.

Anyway, he was just another member of the gawking crowd.

Seeing the murderer's agile form, scaling the lane wall was no difficulty at all. The local authorities, fumbling in the dark, might want to catch him, but it won't be that easy.

When Fang Chongyong returned to the scene, Jinwu Guard soldiers had already secured the area. Colonel Zhang Guangsheng of the left Jinwu Guard was then interrogating the pedestrians who had witnessed the incident.

Seeing Fang Chongyong approach, he hurried forward, his face excited, clasped his fists in a salute and said, "Fang Jiedushi, didn't you go to Hexi? You even became that… Western Regions Expeditionary Envoy. Why are you in Chang'an?"

"This isn't a place for conversation; after your shift, come to my residence for a detailed talk. By the way, do you know the person who was stabbed?"

Fang Chongyong pointed to the man lying in a pool of blood, dressed in a brocade robe. The man appeared to be well over sixty, now dead beyond death.

"Isn't this the Minister of Revenue Pei Kuan?"

Zhang Guangsheng lowered his voice, saying that as a colonel of the left Jinwu Guard, how could he not recognize the high-ranking court official Pei Kuan!

Minister of Revenue! Pei Kuan!

Fang Chongyong inhaled a sharp breath of cold air!

Nowadays Chang'an's public security doesn't match the Zhen Guan era, but the nobles in brocade garments still travel relatively safely. After all, without a compelling motive, no one would casually stab a high-ranking court official on the street!

Xinghua Building sits near the lane gate; beyond it lies Zhuque Avenue, making it arguably the busiest spot in Chang'an. Even if the assassin fled, he must be a zealot, and this case is likely to become a headless mystery.

However, whether it's the title of Minister of Revenue or Pei Kuan himself, this assassination won't simply be brushed aside.

Fine! It doesn't concern me anyway!

Fang Chongyong let out a long sigh; he would leave Chang'an tomorrow, and the rest of the matter could be left to Ji Ge and Li Linfu to fret over.

"Fang Jiedushi, would you like a few brothers from a certain faction to escort you home? The sky is darkening…"

Zhang Guangsheng said apologetically.

He actually wanted to catch up with Fang Chongyong and perhaps ask for a post. A Jinwu Guard colonel is a rank that can be described as both lofty and modest. Once stationed here, one's official career is essentially over, unless transferred elsewhere.

When it comes to promotion, who in the whole Tang can play the promotion game better than Fang Chongyong!

"That'll do."

Fang Chongyong gave a slight nod, not refusing.

Exhausted, he returned to his residence in Yongjia Fang; Wang Yunxiu placed her hand on her slightly swollen belly, had Fang Dafu prepare a sobering broth, and the couple held a private conversation in the bedroom.

When she heard that Minister of Revenue Pei Kuan had been stabbed on the street, a shadow crossed Wang Yunxiu's face, and her brows knit tightly.

"I have never met Pei Kuan; madam, why the frown?"

Grasping Wang Yunxiu's hand, Fang Chongyong asked with a puzzled expression.

"Ah Lang thinks, who is the mastermind behind Pei Kuan's assassination? Or whose suspicion is greatest?"

Wang Yunxiu asked calmly, clearly having her own view but wanting to hear Fang Chongyong's thoughts first.

"Motivationally, Right Prime Minister Li Linfu is the most suspect.

My return to Chang'an was to promote the Jiaozi. The Minister of Revenue, however, is the biggest obstacle to its implementation. If the minister does not cooperate in issuing Jiaozi, or pretends outwardly while opposing inwardly, the project could go awry.

If the Jiaozi affair goes wrong, the Right Prime Minister's position cannot be secured!

Therefore Li Linfu would never let someone who isn't his confidant become Minister of Revenue.

As for whether Pei Kuan is worth the Right Prime Minister sending an assassin, that's another matter."

Fang Chongyong let out a long sigh, saying he hadn't expected the Jiaozi issuance to encounter complications before it even got underway.

"If the Right Prime Minister wants to deal with Pei Kuan, there should be other means. I have heard something and wanted to tell Ah Lang.

I'm sure after Ah Lang hears it, he'll change his previous judgment."

Wang Yunxiu sighed.

"Please, madam, speak."

Fang Chongyong gave a slight nod; Wang Yunxiu's ability to gather political news in Chang'an is strong, having her own network—specifically, contacts from her mother's Longxi Li clan.

"A while ago, Pei Kuan was recommended as the Hebei Circuit Inspection Envoy and Agricultural Commissioner. The Emperor has already approved, and it is said he will soon depart for Hebei, no longer serving as Minister of Revenue. Currently, only the Ministry of Personnel's approval process remains unfinished.

From this angle, it seems the Right Prime Minister has no need to kill Pei Kuan.

I even suspect that Pei Kuan's move to Hebei is precisely the Right Prime Minister's overt scheme—to secure the Jiaozi!"

Wang Yunxiu said in a deep voice.

Those words jolted the dreamer awake; the information was truly crucial.

For officials, if there's a troublesome stumbling block, what method can be used to eliminate that person?

Assassination is certainly the most foolish method; reporting the person's corruption isn't a brilliant tactic either. For someone like Pei Kuan, who is upright, slandering won't work much.

The truly effective way to deal with an official like Pei Kuan is to promote him, then transfer him far away!

Once a person leaves office, even if they try to cause trouble, they can't make any splash.

To control the Jiaozi issuance and quell the unruly faction within the Ministry of Revenue, Li Linfu's handling of Pei Kuan was inevitable. From this we can infer that sending Pei Kuan to Hebei as Inspection Envoy and Agricultural Commissioner was likely orchestrated by Li Linfu himself.

That also aligns with the high‑level power‑struggle rules; there's no need to send an assassin.

Sending Pei Kuan to Hebei, a scheme by Li Linfu approved by Ji Ge, carries virtually no political risk. Since Li Linfu has already achieved his goal, why bother with murder?

"What would happen if the court didn't assign Pei Kuan as Inspection Envoy and Agricultural Commissioner?"

Fang Chongyong propped his chin up, muttering the question to himself.

"Ah Lang himself is the Longxi Right Circuit Inspection Envoy; need I say more? Of course, he also serves as a Jiedushi concurrently."

Wang Yunxiu said irritably that Fang Chongyong was clueless, having even forgotten what his own office was for.

Fang Chongyong suddenly realized he himself was the Longyou Circuit Cai Fang Commissioner, and he had actually forgotten it, which shows how bizarre this position is.

In the twenty‑first year of the Kaiyuan era of the Great Tang, Ji Ge divided the realm into fifteen circuits, each with a Cai Fang Commissioner, abbreviated as such, who oversaw prison inspections and supervised the officials of prefectures and counties.

The jurisdiction of a Cai Fang Commissioner does not completely overlap the jurisdiction of a Military Governor! For example, the Longyou Circuit Cai Fang Commissioner encompasses the defense zones of both the Longyou Military Governor and the Hexi Military Governor.

However, this Cai Fang Commissioner post is not a fixed appointment; it can also be held concurrently by a Military Governor.

In fact, the latter situation occurs more often than the former!

For instance, the Longyou Cai Fang Commissioner has always been tied to the Hexi Military Governor and is never set up separately. This is because the economic weight of the Hexi defense zone far exceeds that of Longyou.

Therefore the Longyou Cai Fang Commissioner has always been stationed at Liangzhou.

Now Fang Chongyong holds both the Longyou Circuit Cai Fang Commissioner and the Hexi Agricultural Commissioner titles, but this designation is rarely mentioned; it is simply covered by the Military Governor title.

If one were to recite all of Fang Chongyong's official titles from start to finish, they would have no time for work; it would take several minutes each day. The same applies to Li Linfu and others.

In reality, the civil affairs they oversee remain limited; this is the typical Tang "redundant official concurrent‑post system".

This situation is no different from the "one team, two titles" concept in Fang Chongyong's previous life government; both are routine. Adding an extra title when establishing posts merely facilitates centralization, allowing the court to insert an extra set of personnel for power‑sharing when needed.

It can be used, but whether to actually employ it depends on the circumstances.

"In other words, if Pei Kuan dies and a suitable Hebei Cai Fang Commissioner cannot be found promptly, the court, in an emergency, would let some Military Governor in Hebei also serve as Hebei Cai Fang Commissioner, right?"

"Anyway, Longyou is also a case where the Military Governor concurrently holds the Cai Fang Commissioner post."

Fang Chongyong said thoughtfully.

When a Military Governor also serves as Cai Fang Commissioner, the court essentially transfers the power to supervise local officials to the Military Governor. Whether this arrangement leads to trouble depends on whether the Military Governor himself intends to cause trouble.

A Military Governor like Fang Chongyong, whose ambition is to pacify the Western Regions, including Ji Ge and Li Linfu, does not expect to use the Cai Fang Commissioner role to create a local dictatorship. In fact, a person's energy is limited; when Fang Chongyong leads troops to campaign against Xiao Bolu, he has no energy to mess around in Hexi Longyou.

But if this Military Governor is a "person of intent", wanting to seize regional civil affairs and install obedient officials, then acquiring the key that is the Cai Fang Commissioner becomes very necessary.

"Ah Lang, you are absolutely right; I think the same."

"However, the two towns in Hebei have Huangfu Weiming and An Lushan as Military Governors; it is still unclear who exactly holds the post."

Wang Yunxiu frowned slightly and said.

"Huangfu Weiming could not be it; he and Pei Kuan both have old ties with Wei Jian and can at most be considered a faction."

"Even if Huangfu Weiming were to stir something up, there is no need to assassinate Pei Kuan."

At this moment Fang Chongyong was convinced that An Lushan was the biggest suspect and could very likely become the greatest beneficiary.

All that remained was to smear Huangfu Weiming.

Moreover, sending assassins directly to kill central officials—this vibe… seems truly like the modus operandi of late‑Tang regional commands!

Could it really be people sent by An Lushan?

Fang Chongyong muttered to himself, feeling that something was still being overlooked.

He suddenly thought, why would An Lushan know that Pei Kuan was heading to Hebei?

How could An Lushan, stationed far in Yingzhou, know what happened in Chang'an?

Fang Chongyong, the Hexi Military Governor, even if he came to Chang'an, would not know such court personnel changes without deliberately inquiring, let alone a Hu person like An Lushan.

Moreover, why would An Lushan's men know Pei Kuan's exact whereabouts?

It is easy to guess who the biggest beneficiary is, but Fang Chongyong still does not understand An Lushan's methods.

He pondered silently: even this Military Governor, who has many acquaintances in Chang'an, does not know Pei Kuan's movements. Then are An Lushan's connections more far‑reaching than those of his own son, the Grand General of the Shen Ce Army?

Fang Chongyong felt he was overthinking; An Lushan might become the biggest beneficiary, but the difficulty of his undertaking is far from ordinary.

Unless… An Lushan has an inside informant within Chang'an, holds an official post there, and his rank is not low!

So, who is that person?

Fang Chongyong fell into deep thought.

"How about you come with me to Liangzhou."

"Chang'an is too dangerous."

Fang Chongyong wrapped his arm around Wang Yunxiu's shoulder and said softly.

"Ah Lang, I am about to head to the Western Regions; Chang'an will not keep relatives as hostages. How would the Sage think of this?"

Wang Yunxiu helplessly rolled her eyes, rested her head on Fang Chongyong's shoulder and asked.

Anaya is only a concubine, Pei Xiu is a mistress; these are women who cannot be presented publicly, so it doesn't matter.

But Wang Yunxiu is Wang Zhongsi's daughter and also a wife officially appointed by Ji Ge. If she also goes to Hexi, it would mean Fang Chongyong's rebellion no longer needs any restraint.

This clearly steps on Ji Ge's bottom line.

As long as Wang Yunxiu stays in Chang'an for a day, she and the child in her womb are Fang Chongyong's "sea‑anchor"; Ji Ge will be at ease letting him wreak havoc in the Western Regions.

"Hmm, I will leave Chang'an tomorrow."

Fang Chongyong nodded slightly.

"When will you return home?" Wang Yunxiu asked softly, her face gloomy.

"I don't know, maybe far later."

……

The assassin who killed Pei Kuan was found the next day. Not only was he not eliminated, he brazenly appeared at a Hu‑cake stall in a Chang'an alley, eating Hu‑cake and drinking strong wine!

When captured by the Imperial Guards, he offered no resistance.

The assassin was taken by the Imperial Guards to the county office of Wannian County, where the County Magistrate Li Jiao opened the office doors, allowed the citizens of Chang'an to watch the proceedings, and then began the interrogation.

This assassin, faced with Li Jiao's numerous questions, remained silent. Having no choice, Li Jiao ordered the Imperial Guards soldiers to escort the prisoner to the Jingzhao Prefecture under the supervision of Li Chang.

The assassin, before Li Chang, the Prefect of Jingzhao, also said nothing.

Li Chang could not deal with the man for the same reason as Li Jiao; the case was too sensitive, and if the prisoner were killed, it would look like a murder to silence a witness, and no one would take responsibility.

Thus the assassin was sent again to the Great Justice Temple.

Facing Zheng Shuqing, now the Minister of the Great Justice, the reaction was completely different. The odd‑behaving assassin confessed freely, spilling his story like beans poured from a bamboo tube. He insisted that he was sent by the Right Prime Minister Li Linfu to assassinate Pei Kuan!

Under Zheng Shuqing's astonishment, the assassin further explained the motive for the assassination: killing Pei Kuan, the aim being to prevent this Minister of Revenue from delaying Li Linfu's so-called major affair.

As for how to kill Pei Kuan, it was the Hexi Jiedushi Fang Chongyong, who had come to Chang'an to report on his duties, who would supply detailed intelligence on Pei Kuan's movements and oversee the assassination. After finishing the deed, Fang Chongyong would depart Chang'an in a carefree manner, leaving no trace.

Fang Chongyong's recent frequent contact with Li Linfu was precisely because they were plotting the assassination.

Zheng Shuqing pressed for details about Li Linfu's so-called major affair and what role Fang Chongyong played in it, but the assassin gave no answer, remaining silent.

Then, taking advantage of a moment when no one was looking, the assassin suddenly slammed his head against a pillar in the main hall of the Dali Temple headquarters, dying by striking the pillar in full view of everyone.

Zheng Shuqing was frightened stupid; this kind of disaster out of the blue, together with the so-called 'major case' involving the Tang Right Chancellor and the Hexi Jiedushi, left him unable to explain himself no matter how much he tried.

Helpless, Old Zheng had no choice but to have Yan Zhenqing, who held the post of Vice Minister of the Dali Temple, compile a dossier describing the testimony and the full background of the incident in clear detail, and make several copies.

Because the matter concerned Right Chancellor Li Linfu, the original draft of the dossier was not sent to the Deliberation Hall where the Right Chancellor resided, but was instead delivered directly to the Xingqing Palace.

Gao Lishi received the dossier, dared not delay, and sent it to Ji Ge's desk.

Thereafter, the palace sent the eunuch Bian Lingcheng, who raced by fast horse to catch up with Fang Chongyong, who had already set out for Hexi, and found him at the relay station outside Jingyang City, where this Hexi Jiedushi was returning to his garrison in Liangzhou; the two then returned together to the Xingqing Palace.

(End of chapter)