Chapter 882: The Marquis's Slow Life

Chen Wuji settled down peacefully in Xinglin Zhen.

Originally, it was a mighty battle that could have swept across all of Lingnan, but in an instant it turned into you do your thing, I do mine, both sides peaceful as if they had already reached a tacit agreement.

In the following days, Chen Wuji dispatched Bīngmǎ to begin putting the region in order.

It remains the same old method in Nan Jun: the honest-seeming powerful clans and clans retain most of their strength, digesting it internally, while the rest is turned into military provisions. Those unwilling to give Chen Wuji this face find their situation rather dire; basically they will be eaten down to nothing, not even a bone fragment left.

In the tide of reform, this is an unavoidable growing pain.

Of course, the pain is not felt by Chen Wuji himself, so he not only doesn't care, but actually doesn't want too many perceptive people who can honestly cooperate with the new reforms.

If these people cooperate, the benefits he can obtain will be greatly reduced.

Very uneconomical!

At the same time, news from northern Yanzhou Cheng is also being sent over very frequently.

After many days of deep deployment, Qin Zanhong scattered a large number of spies inside and outside Yanzhou Cheng.

Basically, the Court Army's overt information cannot be hidden from Chen Wuji anymore.

In the plain backyard of the Tavern, Chen Wuji leaned back in a lounge chair, yawning boredly as he watched Xu Zengyi busy there making fire and boiling tea.

The locust tree overhead was in full leafy vigor; when the wind stirred, it sent down waves of coolness.

"Sir, what do you mean by those Court Army people? Damn, I've never fought such a boring battle." Chen Wuji said speechlessly, "At least move a little; even if you make a few fake moves for me, I'd find it somewhat acceptable."

"To be honest, my lord, I don't understand either." Xu Zengyi said with a wry smile, "But no matter what, this is good for us; my lord, just stay put and relax."

"I guess, barring any surprises, it's still the Court's internal struggle for power and profit. This is a factional struggle; the Court's interior has likely evolved to the brink of division, and they are using this war as a pretext to seize Military Authority and expand their own strength."

Chen Wuji grunted, "If that's really the case, they seem to look down on me a bit. Making such a mighty show, yet they're just using me as a front, damn."

Xu Zengyi's fire caught, he set the kettle on it, clapped his hands and said, "Isn't this still giving my lord an opportunity? They're good people; why should my lord get angry over them?"

"Indeed, it's a good thing, and they're all good people, but I should show some displeasure on the surface while feeling pleased inside." Chen Wuji laughed.

Xu Zengyi shook his head, "My lord sent Qian Fugui to investigate the Snake Staff Elder; any news?"

"A little, but it's useless." Chen Wuji plucked a grape and tossed it into his mouth.

"The Yuan clan of Guiling Xian is indeed a great clan, with a population exceeding five thousand; they have secretly organized a private retinue of over three thousand, acting virtually unchecked in Guiling Xian, and they are even honored guests of the Prefect."

"The new county magistrate must first go pay respects to the Yuan Family's Family Head upon taking office; if the benefits can't be agreed upon, he'll end up dead by the roadside the next day. They also cultivate A Furong, with an extraordinarily large area, yielding enough to match four or five Xinglin Zhen."

"But the guy with the codename cart driver who is linked to the Snake Staff Elder is not actually a Yuan Family member; he merely uses the Yuan Family's name to act outside. In front of the Yuan Family, he is called the cart driver; the A Furong business is negotiated by the cart driver with the Yuan Family, and the weapons of the Yuan Family's armed retinue are also obtained through him."

"Besides these business dealings, there is no other information related to the Snake Staff Elder. I suspect the Yuan Family is withholding something in their instructions; I have already told Qian Fugui to dig deeper with some means."

Xu Zengyi sat down on the lounge chair beside Chen Wuji, hands resting on the armrests, and said, "I was just about to remind my lord of this; the Yuan Family's instructions are clearly off. I suspect the Yuan Family might be one of the forces in the Snake Staff Elder's hands."

"A Furong, weapons, and the retinue combined don't look like mere business dealings; Qian Fugui digging deeper should be able to unearth something useful for my lord."

Chen Wuji nodded, "Let's see first; this Snake Staff Elder, Lao Zamao, is the most sly and cunning I've ever seen; his methods are often unexpected, and he handles things from start to finish with extreme caution, the details bordering on perfect."

"All his thoughts are spent on these things, so it's hard for him to achieve anything great; it's a bit of a pity!"

Xu Zengyi looked shocked at Chen Wuji, "My lord, you pity him?"

"Indeed, it's quite a pity; if his vision were broader, with his abilities, Lingnan would surely have changed hands long ago; after all, his vision is limited. He's suited for scheming, not for undertaking great endeavors, not for rebellion."

Xu Zengyi: ……

That remark is rather novel.

"My lord, how do you intend to deal with Kong Fang?" Xu Zengyi asked instead.

"Let him be for now." Chen Wuji said, "This guy does a good job as toilet supervisor; let him keep at it, continue to shine in this position—I think he's really suited for it."

"In Da Yu, the toilet supervisor is a very concrete, clearly defined official post, a proper iron rice bowl. Moreover, the profits are huge; generally, toilet supervisors in big cities need to go through backdoor competition to secure the post."

"Of course, this profit isn't from scooping something in the latrine; it's some genuine hidden income, a kind of concealed revenue that many couldn't even imagine."

"Who would think that the foul-smelling stuff in the latrine could still be sold for silver?"

"But it really can be sold, and there are even people scrambling to buy it."

"Besides that, there's also income from fines and such."

"This toilet supervisor post was not invented in Da Yu; already in the Qin and Han periods there were officials specially tasked with managing public latrines, responsible for overseeing the city's public toilets and ensuring users obey the latrine rules—for example, urinating and defecating in the proper places, not just finding a corner to start; serious offenders could even be demoted to slaves or conscripted into forced labor."

"This post has been retained throughout later dynasties, with its authority forming a complete system."

Xu Zengyi chuckled, "I spoke with him a few days ago when I had free time; this person is merely overly obstinate and arrogant, likes to nitpick, and otherwise has no major faults."

"If it were among peers, I wouldn't say anything about his personality, but given his attitude toward me, I have so far spared his life, which already counts as sufficient mercy." Chen Wuji said.

"He really is someone who doesn't care much about status and rank, but that doesn't mean anyone can provoke his status and rank; that guy still hasn't gotten enough of society's beatings."

"So I suggest to my lord, give him some more duties." Xu Zengyi said, "He's now able to handle the Tavern's latrine with ease, so the work has become somewhat relaxed."