Chapter 286: Fishing

Sun Zhong, who had spent many years muddling about in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, naturally understood Liu Xingwen's meaning—he knew the other man intended to bribe him and Zhang Tao. Though he too was fond of wealth, with so many eyes watching at this moment, if he accepted the silver and let the official vessel pass, word would spread through the crowd and reach the Platoon Leader—that would land him in serious trouble. Besides, the paltry sum offered as a bribe could hardly compare to the great merit of catching an official vessel smuggling private goods—this was a golden opportunity for promotion and riches.

For the Embroidered Uniform Guard, a personal army directly under the Emperor, whenever there was a chance to catch civil officials in wrongdoing, they would hound them to the death—only thus could they show they were on the Emperor's side, and that aside from the imperial household, everyone else was an outsider.

"You're given face and you won't take it, is that it? Men, tie him up and toss him aside! Tell the boatmen to bring the vessel to shore! The rest of you search in separate groups! Whoever dares disobey my orders, I'll smash his rice bowl right now!"

Sun Zhong barked out the orders.

Zhang Tao turned and waved toward the base of the official vessel. Several patrolmen from the inspection boat swiftly climbed up along the rope netting. Zhang Tao pointed casually, and the blade-wielding patrolmen moved to pin down the stunned Liu Xingwen and Li Song respectively. Other patrolmen came forward with ropes, bound the two men, and escorted them aside. The tax households and laborers dared not hesitate a moment longer—they rushed along both gunwales toward the cabins and began their search.

The boatmen on the official vessel, under the patrolmen's direction, sailed it to the dockside wharf. Once the vessel was secured, the patrolmen escorted the cursing Liu Xingwen and Li Song ashore and into the jailhouse for confinement. Sun Zhong and Zhang Tao went up to the second-deck passenger cabin of the official vessel.

That afternoon, around the hour of wei, Platoon Leader Wu Shanghu led several dozen constables back to Huai'an Great Barrier by boat. The moment Wu Shanghu stepped ashore, Sun Zhong and Zhang Tao, who had long been waiting on the bank, hurried forward, saluted, and reported: "Reporting to the Platoon Leader, your subordinates discovered an official vessel smuggling private goods at noon today. After your subordinates led a search of the vessel, we found it carried countless bolts of silk and cloth, gold and silver jewelry, and other goods—estimated total value around twenty thousand taels! The prisoners are now locked in the jailhouse at the Platoon Leader's office, and the vessel is temporarily detained at the wharf under dedicated guard! We await the Platoon Leader's instructions on how to proceed!"

Wu Shanghu's heart leapt with joy at the news: "An official vessel smuggling private goods? Whose banner is it flying under? Good heavens, we've caught a big fish this time! Hahahaha! You two did well! Come, take me to see which worthy master this is!"

Arriving at the courtyard where the Embroidered Uniform Guard Platoon Leader handled daily official business, Wu Shanghu ordered: "Bring the principal offender in. I'll interrogate him first, then decide what to do!"

By the time Wu Shanghu had washed himself cool, changed into plain clothes, and entered the office, two constables and the tightly bound Liu Xingwen had already been waiting for some time.

"Who are you, to dare use an official vessel to sell private goods and evade taxes? What regard does this show for the court's laws and decrees? I am a member of the Son of Heaven's personal army—I naturally cannot tolerate such conduct from the likes of you! You will confess everything today: how many times have you done this? How much tax have you evaded in total? And who conspired with you in this matter? If you confess truthfully, I will naturally show leniency. But if there is any deception, I will make you wish you were dead rather than alive!"

Wu Shanghu sat down, sized up Liu Xingwen, and spoke in a low voice.

"I am Liu Xingwen, elder cousin of Liu, the Yangzhou Prefect! This trip was undertaken at the Prefect's request, to transport some goods to the capital for visiting family—how can you call it smuggling private goods on an official vessel? This esteemed officer and Prefect Liu both serve the court; by all rights you are fellow officials. Why must you be so harsh?"

Liu Xingwen was a man who had seen the world; he was not intimidated by Wu Shanghu's words and firmly refused to admit to smuggling private goods on an official vessel.

"Oh? Visiting family in the capital requires tens of thousands of taels in goods? What is Prefect Liu's monthly salary? Is his family truly so wealthy? One family visit costs tens of thousands of taels? Could it be these goods are of dubious origin? I am no three-year-old child! You had best tell the truth!"

Wu Shanghu did not order violence against Liu Xingwen, because he had other plans in mind.

Strictly speaking, this matter was not really a big deal.

By the value of the goods, the items on this official vessel would require over six hundred taels in tax silver. If Liu Xingwen ultimately confessed truthfully and admitted it was indeed smuggling, then as long as the back taxes were paid in full, the vessel would be released—at worst, he would have to move the goods from the official vessel onto a merchant ship, costing extra effort and silver. But this matter would be hard to drag Liu Zuo into. In the end, Liu Xingwen would claim he had borrowed his cousin's banner, deceiving the Yangzhou prefectural office into dispatching an official vessel to help him smuggle, and Liu Zuo would at most bear the blame for negligence—not even a formal charge.

And Wu Shanghu, born into a hereditary Embroidered Uniform Guard family, had been steeped from childhood in how to frame others and fabricate charges—turning small crimes into great ones, small cases into major affairs.

That was why his heart had leapt with joy the moment he stepped off the boat and heard Sun Zhong's report.

Sun Zhong's report had made him keenly seize upon a golden opportunity for promotion. If he could blow the case up big and drag the Yangzhou Prefect into the water, his name would reach the Emperor's ears directly. Once this case was concluded, promotion would follow as a matter of course.

"I have been in business for many years and have some modest savings at home. Out of gratitude for Prefect Liu's past assistance, I took a portion of my family's wealth to present to my cousin as a token of appreciation! Prefect Liu has long enjoyed a reputation for integrity in Yangzhou—this esteemed officer is welcome to go and investigate!"

Seeing that Wu Shanghu's attitude was fairly mild, not the ferocious sort the Embroidered Uniform Guard were rumored to be, Liu Xingwen gradually relaxed.

"Heh, you are quite silver-tongued. I will not bandy words with you. Since you mentioned that I and Prefect Liu are fellow officials—very well, today I will do Prefect Liu a favor! I will release you and your men, but the official vessel and all goods aboard are hereby detained! As for the final disposition of this matter, I must consult my superiors first. Men, untie Squire Liu, give him ten taels of silver for travel expenses for his party, and let them go!"

Having said this, Wu Shanghu rose and walked straight around the screen toward the rear courtyard.

Back at his residence in the rear courtyard, Sun Zhong stood at the door holding a sandalwood box that looked quite heavy, waiting alongside Zhang Tao. Wu Shanghu called out a greeting and entered the room first; Sun Zhong and Zhang Tao followed one after the other.

"Platoon Leader, your subordinates recovered a batch of illicit goods from the second-deck passenger cabin. Please inspect it!"

Sun Zhong gently placed the wooden box on the table in the room. Zhang Tao opened the lid—within, gold and silver intermingled in a gleaming display, ingot upon ingot neatly stacked in the box.

Wu Shanghu sat down, glanced at the gold and silver in the box, and asked: "Have you counted it? This Liu family is evidently quite wealthy—to carry so much gold and silver on their persons, and not fear bandits waylaying them!"

"Your subordinate just counted it—the box contains three hundred taels of silver and one hundred taels of gold!"

Sun Zhong reported respectfully.

"Keep the gold. You two take fifty taels of silver each, and divide the rest among the other brothers. Same rule as always—don't flash it about! Pass the word: prepare a boat for me. Once you two finish here, accompany me to Yangzhou Prefecture to report today's events to Chiliarch Liang. This time, we're going to fish up a big one!"