Chapter 73: Simply Rich

A constable's salary was not much, and some were used to spending lavishly; if they relied solely on their pay, barely any could survive, so most would collect some extra income on the side.

This extra income came from all sorts of sources—even ordinary runners could earn a bit when the opportunity arose. After all, who would quarrel with silver? The more, the better.

Someone like Wang Ping, who relied only on his salary, was honest and never touched any extra income. Scrimping and saving each month, he could barely manage to keep himself fed and clothed.

But in these times, even the salary came sporadically, so unlike most folks who lived on the main streets, Wang Ping's family lived deep in a crooked little alley—in modern terms, he and his wife were squeezed into a cramped home of less than thirty square meters, barely getting by.

Perhaps because of this, when Wang Ping rushed home in a hurry, he noticed nothing amiss—the place was quiet and desolate, so much so that even the local thugs and ruffians passing by wouldn't spare it a second glance.

His newly wedded young wife, alone at home and frightened, was overjoyed to see Wang Ping return. She clung to him and wouldn't let go, and this pair of newlyweds promptly embarked on a thunderous journey of the marital bed.

But good times never last long—no sooner had Wang Ping finished his business than someone knocked on the door at an inopportune moment.

When he opened the door with his hand on his blade and a wary expression, he found a familiar squad of runners standing outside. From what these men said, Wang Ping quickly learned of the events that had taken place at the North City Troops and Horses Office yamen.

Since the Patrol Censor was already dead, Wang Ping's earlier act of defying orders and going home on his own was now water under the bridge—no one would nitpick over such trivialities at a time like this.

Besides, Wang Ping had the image of a good-natured fellow in the yamen. He was known for using his meager salary to help the poor and destitute wherever he went, and everyone who met him would affectionately call him "Chief Wang."

Originally, a friend of Wang Ping's had been in charge of patrolling Wenchang Street, but that constable had been killed by the Patrol Censor in an accident, so the duty naturally fell to Wang Ping.

On the way, Wang Ping had rescued a man. Hearing this news, the man showed no fear on his face, but instead sneered:

"Such lawless profiteers are a grave harm! Since orders have come from above, I, Wang Ping, will not shirk my duty!" Saying this, Wang Ping looked deeply at the man and added:

"Brother, you go on home first. If what you say is true—that this Yongchang firm has some powerful backer behind it—then this is a matter that can only be handled by us officers!"

"This..."

The man watched as Wang Ping led a squad of runners to the door of Yongchang Firm. Though his conscience pricked him, he still hurried home with lingering glances back, to tell the good news to his mother and wife.

"Oh my! Isn't this Chief Wang? What wind blows you here?" The shop assistants, who normally ignored the common folk, instantly changed their expressions upon seeing Wang Ping and the runners behind him.

"Bang!"

Wang Ping unfastened his saber from his waist and slammed it directly onto the rice stall of Yongchang Firm. Ignoring the shop assistants, he walked forward and said:

"This officer has come on official business—call out the manager of your Yongchang Firm!"

The surrounding commoners immediately began murmuring among themselves. Many of them, upon first seeing the officers arrive, had not looked pleased at all.

Because everyone knew that the officers had long since colluded with the merchants. The previous constable had been exactly the same—turning a blind eye to everything and caring nothing for the common people's livelihoods.

"Look, it's Chief Wang!"

"Yes, yes! Finally someone's here to stand up for us!"

"Chief Wang! These profiteers have banded together to swindle the blood-and-sweat money of us common folk. You must seek justice for everyone!"

That said, in the capital, the Troops and Horses Office carried more prestige than the runners of the Shuntian Prefecture yamen. When they went out on business, they would normally puff out their chests, hands on hips, and shout grandly:

"Troops and Horses Office on official business—all idle persons, stand aside!"

But the squad Wang Ping brought was different. They were clearly going after the merchants, standing before the common people without the slightest show of bullying.

Wang Ping's actions startled the shop assistants—they seemed never to have seen such a tough constable before. After a few whispered consultations, they pushed one of their number to run inside and fetch the manager.

Before long, the manager of Yongchang Firm, Hao Wanfu—a potbellied man in a flowing green robe—came waddling out, his face wreathed in a chrysanthemum-like smile. Whether it was forced or not, one could hardly say.

Hao Wanfu had no idea that the constable originally in charge of this area was dead. Seeing that the Troops and Horses Office had sent a new face, he felt somewhat surprised, thinking the runners must be short on silver.

In truth, that was the extent of Hao Wanfu's surprise.

A constable's rank, to the manager of a prestigious firm like Yongchang, was basically no different from a beggar on the street—a few loose coins would send him on his way.

Even the Guard Commander of the North City Troops and Horses Office would have to bow and scrape with a smiling face before Hao Wanfu. After all, Yongchang Firm was the bread and butter of many people, and it had a powerful backer behind it—who would dare provoke it?

"Oh my, my, my! If it isn't the honored officers of the Troops and Horses Office! Can't we discuss matters civilly? Why resort to swords and spears? Spoiling the goodwill would be a shame." Hao Wanfu stepped forward, made a gesture of "please," and smiled:

"It's hot and dry out there, and you officers have come all this way—not easy! Now that there's trouble in the capital, I imagine the Troops and Horses Office is short on hands. Here's a little something for the brothers to buy some wine with—or if you'd rather, a trip to Spring Fragrance House to enjoy some tunes would be splendid too!"

Wang Ping took the silver directly, but he didn't pocket it. Instead, he weighed it in his hand mid-air and said with a cold laugh:

"Manager Hao is most generous—ten taels at a single stroke!"

Hearing this tone, Hao Wanfu's expression shifted, but seeing that the man had accepted the silver, his heart settled considerably. Suppressing a smile, he said:

"Chief Wang speaks too harshly. The weather is dry, and this trouble in the capital only wounds you officers. Our Yongchang Firm runs a modest business—we don't earn much silver, but what we can help with, we will."

"Wouldn't you officers say that's only right?"

Hao Wanfu bypassed Wang Ping and cast his olive branch directly to the runners behind him. Except for a very few, most of the runners secretly changed their expressions, clearly somewhat tempted.

Hao Wanfu was an astute man. Though the runners said nothing, he could tell from their faces that they were not of one mind. Seizing the moment while the iron was hot, he waved his hand and said:

"The officers say nothing, but old Hao here has a thick face, so I'll take that as everyone agreeing. Come now, bring it out!"

The moment he finished speaking, five or six shop assistants each came forward carrying a small tray. Looking from a distance, the runners could see the trays were piled with gleaming silver.

The trays didn't hold much—only a few taels each—but even so, it was enough to make the runners' faces change dramatically. Many were even swallowing their saliva in secret.

Wang Ping immediately turned around and flung the ten-tael ingot in his hand to the ground, saying with ringing force:

"I'd like to see who dares move!"

The runners, fear on their faces, stepped back a few paces. But Hao Wanfu was not flustered in the least—he stood there motionless, his smile growing even wider.

Before long, several runners, exactly as Hao Wanfu had predicted, stepped forward and took their share from the trays. Looking at Wang Ping with incredulous eyes, they said:

"Chief Wang, don't blame us brothers!"

"The court hasn't paid our salaries for three months—our families can't even keep the pot boiling. If we don't take a little extra, how are we supposed to live?"

"If you don't want to take it, Chief Wang, that's your business—but don't stand in the way of your brothers' livelihood!"