Chapter 300: Temptation

The Yangzhou prefectural office main hall, just after roll call, was crowded with people. Besides the Vice Prefect, Assistant Prefect, Judge, and other senior officials seated at the lower positions of the hall, the six departmental clerks and constable captains were all present inside for roll call, while the remaining scribes, clerks, yamen runners, and constables stood in the courtyard outside the hall.

After roll call, the matter of the Four Seas Trading Company fire from the previous night was raised by the clerks of the Revenue and Justice Departments, who asked the honored officials how they should handle the affair.

Liu Zuo, seated in the position of honor, was just about to put on airs and open his mouth to inquire about the details of the matter when a large contingent of Embroidered Uniform Guard officers holding weapons suddenly surged through the wide-open main gates into the courtyard before the hall.

"The Embroidered Uniform Guard is on official business! Everyone stay still! To avoid accidental injury! All persons in the courtyard, stand to both sides!"

As the shouts rang out, the prefectural office personnel in the courtyard immediately fell into chaos. Under the driving of the officers, they retreated and gave way, quickly clearing an open space before the hall. Following that, two squads of weapon-wielding officers lined up on the left and right flanks surrounding the hall entrance. Vice Chiliarch Lu Yuanzheng stepped forward from the ranks, mounted the steps before the hall, and slowly strode inside.

The assembled officials within the hall were all greatly startled, none knowing who this was aimed at. Some officials with guilty consciences could not help but feel uneasy, silently praying they would not become the targets of this band of calamity-bringers, while others stole glances at the chief officials in the seats of honor, harboring thoughts of schadenfreude in their hearts.

Liu Zuo, seated behind the large desk, was first stunned, then felt a sense of impending doom. He stood up and pointed his finger at Lu Yuanzheng, shouting loudly: "Who are you? Since you claim to be the Son of Heaven's personal guard, you should naturally understand court regulations! Why do you trespass into the yamen's hallowed grounds today and disrupt official proceedings? The prefectural office currently has urgent official business that must be handled promptly—matters of life and death—and yet you come here to add to the chaos! How does this differ from the treacherous villains who wreck the court's order?! This official advises you to withdraw at once, and let this matter be as if it never occurred! If not, this official will not hesitate to submit a memorial impeaching you!"

Several of the Yangzhou prefecture's deputy officials also rose one after another, sharply and sternly denouncing Lu Yuanzheng, as if he were not the imperial guard but a rebel instead.

Lu Yuanzheng first felt a moment of astonishment, then could not help but burst out laughing: "I am Lu Yuanzheng, Vice Chiliarch of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's Yangzhou Chiliarchy! My family has served in the imperial guard for generations, and this is the first time I have heard that the Embroidered Uniform Guard arresting someone constitutes disrupting official proceedings! Prefect Liu, a man steeped in poetry and books who has served as an official for many years—how can you utter such absurd words? Hahaha! Enough! Show Prefect Liu the arrest warrant! Liu Zuo, your case has broken! Men, seize him!"

A squad of blade-wielding officers rushed into the hall upon hearing the command, using their weapons to force the assembled crowd back. Several strongmen holding ropes outside the hall strode quickly around to behind the large desk. One man reached out and snatched off Liu Zuo's black gauze cap, while two others hastily stripped off Liu Zuo's great red official robe and tossed it aside. Then they seized both his arms from left and right to prevent him from struggling. A strongman holding a rope circled behind him and swiftly bound Liu Zuo. The officer who had snatched Liu Zuo's black gauze cap squeezed with one hand—Liu Zuo's jaw dropped, and though he made guttural sounds from his throat, he could no longer speak a single word.

Lu Yuanzheng waved his hand, and the officers escorted Liu Zuo out of the prefectural office, sending him directly to the prison of the Yangzhou Chiliarchy.

"According to evidence submitted by Yangzhou prefecture officials and gentry, and intelligence gathered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard's riders: Yangzhou Prefect Liu Zuo is suspected of colluding with bandit rebels, plotting to wreak havoc upon Jiangnan, forcibly extorting bribes from merchants, and being implicated in last night's arson and assault case at the Four Seas Trading Company. Therefore, this office has taken him into custody! All those present today must not leave the prefectural office even half a step. After the criminal Liu Zuo has been interrogated, only then, based on his confession, can it be determined who is innocent! However, we all serve the court. If any of you wish to report the evil deeds of Liu Zuo and his subordinates, you shall be regarded as being of one mind with the court! Those who wish to repent and reform shall be treated the same! After signing and affixing your seals, your official status shall be immediately restored!"

Lu Yuanzheng turned around, his gaze sweeping over the assembled officials from the Vice Prefect on down, as he announced.

When Liang Qi had discussed the Yangzhou prefecture matter with Lu Yuanzheng, he had believed that arresting Liu Zuo, Xu Qiming, Liu Xingwen, and others was a matter of course, but how to take the opportunity to carry out a vine-entangled, dragnet-style purge of implicated persons was the most important thing. Since the Emperor intended to strike at the monolithic bloc of Jiangnan officials and gentry, they might as well take this chance to expand the scope of the crackdown. Using the charge of being Liu Zuo's accomplices as leverage, they could bleed the wealthy officials of the Yangzhou prefecture, strive to squeeze more silver for the palace, and also let the Jiangnan officialdom know the might of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

As the Emperor's fangs and claws, one should naturally have the self-awareness of being fangs and claws. Even if they ended up with a bad reputation, it did not matter—the court could not do anything to them. Only the Emperor had the authority to punish the imperial guard; the outer court was utterly helpless against them.

This was a point Li Ruolian had specifically instructed Liang Qi on, and Liang Qi naturally understood the intent. It was only after this communication that Lu Yuanzheng had made the speech he just gave.

The matter at the Yangzhou prefectural office had to be concluded in the shortest possible time; they could not sweep up all the officials great and small in one net. After all, there was still a great deal of official business that needed people to handle. In particular, normal market operations had to be quickly restored, and the compensation issue for households affected by last night's arson had to be resolved as soon as possible. All of these required government officials to come forward and handle them—the Embroidered Uniform Guard had no authority to meddle in local affairs.

"Men! Take all those in the hall away and interrogate them separately! After Liu Zuo confesses, cross-examine them against his statements! I warn you all solemnly: those who come clean now may be dealt with leniently according to the severity of their crimes, or even exempted from prosecution entirely. But if you are named by Liu Zuo's confession, regardless of the magnitude of your crimes, you shall be punished as his co-conspirators!"

Seeing hesitation appear on the faces of several among the dozen or so men in the hall, Lu Yuanzheng immediately and decisively issued the order.

Liu Zuo's family members in the rear courtyard of the prefectural office had already been detained in a single building. Lu Yuanzheng entered the rear residence and, guided by an officer, entered Liu Zuo's study. He casually gave an order, and before long, He Yunxian, the Yangzhou Vice Prefect wearing a blue robe with an egret rank badge, walked into the room under the watch of two officers.

"Give Vice Prefect He a seat! You two, go stand guard outside the door!"

He Yunxian put on an air of calm detachment, strolled to the seat opposite Lu Yuanzheng, flicked his robe aside, and sat down. His head and neck tilted to one side, refusing to look Lu Yuanzheng straight in the eye.

Lu Yuanzheng, long accustomed to this sort of posturing from civil officials, smiled nonchalantly and spoke: "Vice Prefect He likely knows in his heart that once a criminal official enters the Imperial Prison, very few manage to survive. Liu Zuo will hardly be the exception. I will not speak of other matters—only one thing: the position of Yangzhou Prefect will certainly become vacant. Vice Prefect He, as the deputy official, do you not harbor thoughts of being promoted to the top seat? A golden opportunity lies right before you. How to seize it—surely Vice Prefect He does not need me to teach you?"

He Yunxian's body suddenly went rigid, his entire person standing frozen like a wooden carving.

He was several years older than Liu Zuo, and had passed the imperial examinations one session later than Liu Zuo. He had spent over a decade in officialdom just to reach his current rank of fifth grade.

Since assuming his post in Yangzhou, he had quickly sunk deep into the misty-rain Jiangnan, a warm nest of dissipation and luxury. Though he had only served for two years, his greatest wish was to remain in Yangzhou as the chief official.

But He Yunxian knew in his heart that this was merely his own wishful thinking—reality was utterly cruel. Prefect Liu Zuo was younger than him, and no one knew how long he would continue in his post. And the Assistant Prefect below him, though one grade lower, was many years younger, and there were rumors that he had a very powerful patron at court.

In the officialdom of the Great Ming, as long as a bigwig at court spoke up for you, extraordinary promotions were a common occurrence. So he had already thought it over himself: even if Liu Zuo left his post in the future, the position of Prefect would not necessarily fall to him. When his term was complete, the court might transfer him to who knew where and to what post.

But Lu Yuanzheng's words suddenly made him see a glimmer of hope: that's right, the Prefect's seat was now vacant. As long as no one else contended with him for it, this throne he had dreamed of might just be his!

This thought only flashed through He Yunxian's mind for an instant. Years of experience rolling around in officialdom quickly cooled him down.

"This official knew nothing of Prefect Liu's affairs and did not participate in them. This official is advanced in years. Assistant Prefect Wei is young and promising, and moreover has extensive connections. Vice Chiliarch Lu, would it not be better for you to interrogate him? Furthermore, the seat of Yangzhou Prefect is occupied by important ministers of the court. Though Vice Chiliarch Lu is of the Son of Heaven's personal guard, I fear you have no authority to involve yourself in the Ministry of Personnel's selection of officials, do you? Are Vice Chiliarch Lu's words not the foolish coaxing of children?"

He Yunxian slowly turned his head to face Lu Yuanzheng and spoke.

The meaning of his words was quite clear: Liu Zuo's crimes could be discussed, but that Assistant Prefect was both young and well-connected—why not work on him instead of coming to find the oldest man here? The Yangzhou Prefect was a high official of the fourth grade—what right did a mere Vice Chiliarch of the Embroidered Uniform Guard have to interfere in the court's appointments and dismissals?

Lu Yuanzheng naturally understood He Yunxian's meaning, but opening a breach through He Yunxian was the result of careful deliberation between him and Liang Qi.

According to intelligence gathered by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, although He Yunxian was not exactly an incorruptible official either, he and Liu Zuo were outwardly harmonious but inwardly at odds. The Assistant Prefect Wei Heyou, however, was very close to Liu Zuo. Therefore, He Yunxian was the best candidate to temporarily govern the Yangzhou prefecture.

The Liu Zuo case could not become a nest of implicated officials. Otherwise, with no government to maintain order, the city would descend into chaos within just a few days—a responsibility they could not bear.

"Assistant Prefect Wei is an accomplice of Liu Zuo. Whatever background he has, it will be very difficult for him to escape unscathed this time! Vice Prefect He has long known of Liu Zuo's evil deeds and has always deeply detested his wrongdoing. At this time when the imperial guard is carrying out its duties, Vice Prefect He steps forward, proactively reports his crimes, and immediately afterward dispatches people to reassure the populace, provide relief to the injured, and restore order to Yangzhou city within a short period, so that commoners and merchants alike can live and work in peace. Vice Prefect He, if such great and small matters were reported to the throne, and the Sage, considering the stability of Yangzhou, would he still transfer officials from elsewhere to serve here? In that case, who else could contend with you for the seat of Yangzhou Prefect?"