Chapter 4: Life Is Like an Onion

Kui Prefecture City lies by mountains and water, its various houses arranged in rows like scales, extending upward in succession. The southern city wall stands on the embankment near the river, while the prefectural office sits atop the hill, with a watchtower built there.

From the watchtower looking down, one can see clearly from the riverbank ferry dock outside the city wall to the taverns, restaurants and shops visible everywhere at higher points. Behind the prefectural office is the North Gate, which leads directly to the Lotus Pond, the official residence of the Kui Prefecture governor.

The city's great variations in elevation mean it lacks Chang'an's orderly grid, lacks the distinct districts of a large metropolis, has no myriad defensive forts, not even a permanent market; instead it teems with vitality and a thick, almost grotesque commercial atmosphere.

Pedestrians and carts and boats come and go incessantly, and freight carriers are everywhere.

The ferry dock on the riverbank is massive, with many fleets entering in single file; along the shore several rows of vessels of all sizes are moored, the canal workers unload cargo, and the city's carriers line up to haul goods into the city.

There are also many fisherman and boatmen who cook on board using special square stoves.

One could even say the whole Kui Prefecture city is a gigantic market!

Breathing, full of vigor.

Fang Chongyong stood on the watchtower, gazing at this earthly marvel, feeling somewhat moved.

"Guarding a golden mountain yet still calling oneself poor—truly rotten wood that cannot be carved."

Fang Chongyong let out a light sigh and said.

Zheng Shuqing was somewhat unexpected; in Fang Youde's eyes he might be a genuine big corrupt official, but to Fang Chongyong, such a local bureaucrat in the feudal era is already a rare find.

No one can escape the limits of their era.

But the truly powerful one is Li Linfu behind him! All of Kui Prefecture's policies are directed by Li Linfu.

Fang Chongyong yawned; after a sleepless night of questioning Zheng Shuqing about Kui Prefecture's populace, a strange thought suddenly sprang to mind:

The customs duties had been looted, and a month had passed; it's hard to imagine that the Tang court's central authority would ignore Zheng Shuqing's loss of Kui Prefecture's river checkpoint customs. Moreover, the embezzlement occurred half a year ago!

It can be confirmed that not only Li Linfu knows this, but one can even infer that Li Longji certainly knows as well.

Yet even now, Zheng Shuqing remains firmly in his post as Kui Prefecture governor, with no one removing him! This suggests the matter lies within the court's tacit approval, perhaps even "not a matter at all"!

Fang Chongyong harbored a conjecture but dared not be sure, for it was wildly arrogant and bizarre, beyond what people could imagine; yet all the signs kept pointing to that conjecture, making him extremely restless.

Fang Laique, held as a hostage by Zheng Shuqing, gave Fang Chongyong three days to devise a way to raise money… He understood that this chance came because his father Fang Youde is a Censor‑in‑Chief, so Zheng Shuqing would cooperate; had he been an ordinary civilian, he would likely have met a grim fate.

A high official who controls a province's military, civil and administrative affairs—who would heed a mouth‑young youngster with no official rank?

Before any open conflict, Zheng Shuqing can give Fang Youde a face; that's the rule of officialdom.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Dong! Dong! Dong!

Suddenly, drums roared throughout the city!

"The officials are setting fire to the mountain!"

"The officials are setting fire to the mountain!"

"The officials are setting fire to the mountain!"

Someone in the prefectural office shouted at the top of his lungs.

With each shout, the pedestrians who had been strolling aimlessly entered the nearest tavern or restaurant in an orderly fashion, while the carriers rushed toward the ferry dock.

The once bustling streets instantly became deserted, and all the shops shut their doors in a very short time.

"So you're still here; that makes it easy for me to find you."

A voice from behind, Zheng Shuqing's, sounded relieved. Fang Chongyong turned to him and said, "I see Kui Prefecture's myriad trades thriving; making up the customs revenue won't be hard. I already have a plan, but it still needs time for verification."

Hearing this, Zheng Shuqing was overjoyed, disregarding rank, and grabbed Fang Chongyong's arm excitedly, saying, "Come, come, come, join me to watch the good show; the officials are rebelling, watch us kill them!"

"Officials rebelling?"

Fang Chongyong was stunned; he doubted, because he was poorly educated and thought the governor Zheng was fooling him! Having just seen residents and tourists calmly retreat into houses, he knew such incidents happen every few days. Zheng Shuqing probably assumed that a casual move could earn military merit?

This is neither Lingnan nor Annam! It is the throat between Shu and Jingxiang, the core region where the Han live!

Why talk about officials rebelling? Aren't you afraid the wind will flash your tongue?

"Governor Zheng, falsifying battle achievements is a grave crime. The court previously did not pursue it, treating it as child's play, but that does not mean it will never be pursued."

Fang Chongyong retorted bluntly.

Speaking plainly makes Zheng Shuqing lower his guard, preventing him later from saying, "This boy's coin is extraordinary, must not be kept."

Sure enough, Zheng Shuqing's expression flashed with irritation, then he hurriedly explained, "The elite troops of Dongyang Prefecture (military garrison) in Dongwu County, east of Kui Prefecture, do not obey my orders. Only the city's united soldiers are of great use. When officials rebel, incidents occur, but my administration's defense merits still stand."

In other words, officials often cause trouble but achieve nothing; I'm just trying to boost my presence—no credit, but the hard work remains.

"Governor, in Kui Prefecture, any achievement unrelated to wealth can be ignored; why would you forsake the great for the small?"

Fang Chongyong looked at Zheng Shuqing with a helpless expression and asked, "You fail to see what I can see; does the court not know that Kui Prefecture essentially has no 'military disaster'? Seeking merit without any, it's as if your brain were caught between doors."

"The way of governance is not for a young child like you to understand; shut up!"

Stung by the remark, Zheng Shuqing's face flushed as he scolded, but inside he felt relieved.

A prodigy is a prodigy; speaking without restraint is not taboo and need not be worried about. Once we reach Chang'an, this boy can be manipulated at will.

Fang Chongyong let out a sigh, took the advice to eat a full meal; this Governor Zheng truly seems dim‑witted. Last night he already grasped the situation in Kui Prefecture—it was wildly off the mark! He and Zheng Shuqing talked through the night, getting a crystal‑clear picture of the circumstances.

Kui Prefecture is mountainous with little farmland; those hundreds of hectares of paddies near mountain springs that grow 'Red Lotus Rice' are entirely royal tribute, leaving no grain for locals! They are managed and harvested by officials appointed by the court, completely beyond Governor Zheng Shuqing's control.

Governor Zheng also wanted to know the taste of Red Lotus Rice; back in Chang'an, he once heard a royal clan member say that after eating rice made from it, the bowl retained a lingering fragrance!

What a luxurious indulgence!

Of course, the exotic Red Lotus Rice need not be mentioned. However, the Great Tang now enforces the 'tax‑in‑kind' system, with each household's grain and cloth contributions fixed.

Ordinary citizens of Kui Prefecture have no fields, or only a few; what then can they pay as tax?

The court does not stipulate that landless people are exempt; as long as the court's records say you own land, you must have it!

Whether you actually have it is irrelevant; at least it's not a concern for the central court.

Yet locals in Kui Prefecture seem to live quite comfortably, as ordinary people subsist on fish and mountain produce, supplemented by grain supplies from Shu and Jingxiang. Though they don't grow rice, the treasury holds rice—commercialization at its peak!

In short, Kui Prefecture's primary industry is slash‑and‑burn agriculture, its secondary industry is unremarkable, and its tertiary industry is abnormally prosperous.

Aside from Red Lotus Rice, the locally produced rice is non‑competitive in fierce commercial rivalry and has quietly withdrawn. Anyone with a knack refuses to farm!

Thus Fang Chongyong believes that as long as there is no war, the sole purpose of Kui Prefecture's government is to make money!

Whoever can rake in money, whoever can provide sufficient funds to the court, that person is a good official! If they can provide even more money, then they are exceptionally talented and can enter Chang'an to join the central administration.

Zheng Shuqing thought he could get by with a "merit in defending the territory"—that was truly a naive youth living in his own happy world.

Last night Zheng Shuqing had personally admitted to a "secret," which was also one of the matters his father Fang Youde intended to report to the court:

The account books regarding taxes and grain in Kuizhou Prefecture were entirely fake! And outrageously so.

The local Zu-Yong-Diao tax simply could not be collected. The rosters in the account books were all fabricated! Many didn't even match actual persons—only the totals added up!

Kuizhou could not rigidly and mechanically implement the court's tax policies. If forced, the officials would drive the people to rebellion!

Every year in the past, it was the locals using money they earned to purchase grain and cloth transported from Jingxiang and Shu, then handing them over to the government as the land, labor, and tribute tax! This was also one of the important reasons for Kuizhou's commercial prosperity.

Although Kuizhou's aquatic products were abundant, there was no preservation technology, so they could only be consumed locally and couldn't fetch much of a price. The resulting effect was that the city's dining industry was extremely thriving, providing sufficient meat for travelers going to and from Shu.

As for the specialty linen produced locally, that was to be sent to Shu and Jingxiang in exchange for big money. Which local would spend time foolishly weaving ordinary cloth to hand over to the court!

Kuizhou's specialty linen was loose, breathable, and comfortable to wear, especially suited for the hot and humid regions of Shu and Jiangnan. In fact, Zheng Shuqing's official robe was also made of this linen, rather than the silk official robes used in other places.

Kuizhou Prefecture's account books were fake, but the taxes turned in were real, so nothing had ever gone wrong! In other words, Zheng Shuqing, including his predecessor and the predecessor before that, were all doing the right thing through wrong methods—and the court's evaluations only looked at results!

Whether it was actual Zu-Yong-Diao or "Zu-Yong-Diao" obtained by residents using money to buy goods, these goods and funds bore no names and no indication of how they were acquired.

Was it really only those in power who caused this situation? Who was the one clinging to the Zu-Yong-Diao system that had been implemented for a century?

Fang Chongyong did not know how to answer this question.

Zheng Shuqing, following Li Linfu's instructions, went a step further: he only collected copper coins and gold, then used this money to purchase cloth and grain in bulk from merchants in Shu and Jingxiang, and finally transported them via the Yangtze River and the canal to other places to fulfill his obligations.

Kuizhou's water transport was prosperous, merchants were numerous, and it was easy for locals to obtain copper coins and even gold and silver—there was no difficulty in collecting funds.

When the government stepped in to purchase in bulk, it spent less money to buy more goods. Wholesale prices were always lower per unit than retail—this was a timeless principle. As for where the extra money went, that was a secret. Don't ask too much, don't say too much, don't bring it up!

Those were all "legitimate income" for the bureaucratic class—money earned by their own abilities. Even if someone reported it all the way to Li Longji, they still couldn't win the case! Of course, Li Linfu would never let such a thing happen—he himself took the lion's share!

When the government stepped in to "earn the price difference," who the resulting "profit" belonged to had always been a gray area. Similar conduct in this era was, to a certain extent, legal.

To bolster his political achievements, Zheng Shuqing actually collected only ninety percent of the court's quota in taxes, in exchange for a good reputation and official standing! Fang Chongyong believed that in the eyes of Kuizhou's common folk, perhaps this Prefect Zheng was the good man, while his father Fang Youde, who prided himself on being incorruptible, was the bad man.

In the future, once Zheng Shuqing had built up popular support in Kuizhou and demonstrated his "financial management" abilities to the court, it was entirely predictable that he would smoothly enter the central administration and spread his wings under Li Linfu's protection.

The good and evil of this world were sometimes truly so complicated!

Fang Chongyong couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

However, if Zheng Shuqing truly wanted to soar to great heights, he would still have to sort out the mess of Kuizhou's customs duties first.

In any era, fabricating account books and the like was illegal! If Kuizhou Prefecture's secret were "uncovered," Zheng Shuqing would lose a layer of skin even if he didn't die. Many things could be done but not spoken of!

Therefore, this Prefect Zheng was also firmly in Li Linfu's grip!

Musing on various matters in his mind, Fang Chongyong was led by Zheng Shuqing to the north gate, where he saw a squad of lightly equipped infantry marching toward them. They wore six-panel boots on their feet, black slit-sided robes on their bodies, swords at their waists, held cocked crossbows in their hands, and carried quivers on their backs—fifty arrows per person.

Fang Chongyong glanced over: five per row, ten rows, exactly fifty men. This was the standard complement of a Tang army crossbow squad, though the lack of armor made them look a bit shabby.

After all, they were militia soldiers—not counted among the Great Tang's military rolls, unable to leave their prefecture, and after completing their military duties they still had to go home and farm. They received no pay, only meals. Having this equipment and bearing was already quite impressive, and Fang Chongyong understood their situation.

After waiting a good while, there were only these fifty men plus one commanding general. Fang Chongyong was momentarily taken aback.

With so few men, were they planning to treat the Liao people as paper figures?

"Prefect Zheng, the Liao people are taking advantage of the fierce mountain fires to wage their mutual vendettas. We should observe from the city walls for now and wait until the Liao people are exhausted from fighting before intervening—that would be the best strategy."

The burly general stepped forward, clasped his hands, and requested instructions from Zheng Shuqing.

"Good. You have full command."

Zheng Shuqing nodded in a strictly businesslike manner, expressionless.

The burly general then led the soldiers up onto the city wall. Everyone saw the mountain fires in the distance burning ever more fiercely, their expressions varying. Apart from Fang Chongyong, who was somewhat puzzled, the others all looked relaxed—no one was taking the matter too seriously.

"This one is actually a military examination top scorer."

Zheng Shuqing whispered into Fang Chongyong's ear, pointing at the general's back, his tone carrying mockery and sarcasm. After a day together, he found this prodigy Fang Chongyong quite interesting and very much to his liking.

"Is he Guo Ziyi?"

Fang Chongyong was greatly startled—he remembered that Guo Ziyi had indeed come from the military examinations and was even that year's top scorer!

"Guo Ziyi?"

Zheng Shuqing was taken aback, then waved his hand and sneered, "What Guo Ziyi? His name is Yang Ruoxu. He offended Chancellor Li and got exiled to Kuizhou."

How to describe Kuizhou? For civil officials, it was easy to get promoted there—it was a blessed land for local bureaucrats.

Because it had a river pass where one could collect customs duties, and it was a commercial port where one could collect commercial taxes, with no wars and no military expenditures. Under such conditions, how could one possibly fail to meet the quotas set by the court?

Zheng Shuqing being assigned here showed that he was Li Linfu's trusted subordinate, having landed a lucrative post.

But for military officers, Kuizhou was absolutely loathed by men and ghosts alike!

There were no wars here, not even civil unrest! Any ambitious general who came here could only stand on the city walls gazing at the scenic landscapes, watching his youth slowly slip away while accomplishing nothing.

A true man seeking to establish himself through meritorious deeds should go to the Western Regions, to Tubo! Failing that, at least go fight the Khitans, go to Silla and Baekje!

Li Linfu exiling Yang Ruoxu to Kuizhou was truly a classic case of playing someone to death within the system.