Chapter 74: A Light Punishment

Lü Jiawen caught the implication, figured it must be Zhao Xu's intent, and said, "This official will send someone to look into it at once."

Zhao Ti rested a while; once the banquet was arranged, he went straight to his seat. Everyone at the table was a member of the New Party in Jiang Ning; not a single member of the Old Party had been invited.

The next day he brought men to the Wang family. Wang Anshi had no direct bloodline descendants, so they had adopted a grandson, Wang Di, registered under his eldest son Wang Pang's name; at present Wang Di was keeping the household and had not yet entered officialdom.

Wang Di was the biological grandson of Wang Anshi's younger brother Wang Anli. Wang Anli had once served as Prefect of Kaifeng and as Vice Chancellor, but he had submitted memorials opposing the Xining Reforms, had helped Su Shi, and had repeatedly advised Emperor Shenzong against attacking Western Xia—his political views differed greatly from Wang Anshi's.

Yet oddly enough, of Wang Anshi's second elder brother and fourth younger brother, it was precisely Wang Anli's grandson who had been adopted.

Upon arriving at the Wang household, aside from Wang Di, quite a number of other Wang clan members were present, lined up at the gate to welcome him. Zhao Ti conveyed Zhao Xu's intent, exchanged greetings, then stayed for a meal and inquired about the Wang family's younger generation—how many there were and how they were doing.

Wang Di replied that aside from Jiang Ning Prefecture, there were Wang family members in Suzhou and Hangzhou as well, engaged in various trades too numerous to detail, though most still pursued study and officialdom.

Zhao Ti lingered a while longer, then rose and took his leave. There wasn't much more to say at the Wang household. At present Wang Anli was still alive; over the past years he had been demoted to the post of Prefect of Yongxing Army, but he would soon be reinstated. He wouldn't be returning to court, though—he would be going to manage Hedong Circuit in the north.

The next day, Zhao Ti ordered the troops to muster and set out from the city for Suzhou. At parting, Lü Jiawen said carefully, "Your Highness, the Suzhou Department Magistrate Wang Zhongyuan is of the Old Party; I'm afraid there may be some discourtesy."

Wang Zhongyuan? Zhao Ti thought briefly—a well-known figure indeed.

Wang Zhongyuan was the youngest son of three-reign Chancellor Wang Gui. Some twenty-odd years later he would choose the villain Qin Hui as his son-in-law, giving his daughter a dowry of two hundred thousand strings of cash—making him Qin Hui's father-in-law.

Zhao Ti nodded and said, "Commissioner Lü, much appreciated." Then the army set out, heading straight for Suzhou.

Upon reaching the Suzhou area, the scenery grew ever more beautiful. The troops advanced in stops and starts until they were before Suzhou city, yet not a single person came to greet them.

As Pacification Commissioner with authority over four circuits' military and civil affairs, wherever Zhao Ti went—to any circuit, prefecture, or department—that place became the seat of the Pacification Commissioner's office, taking charge of all administration.

Seeing that Suzhou had sent no one to welcome him, and that the troops could not enter the city without permission, he gazed at the distant city gate, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.

Suzhou was prosperous; at this moment many men, women, old and young were passing in and out of the city gate, all curious about Zhao Ti's bannered cavalry, casting glances over without pause.

Chong Pu's face darkened as he said, "Your Highness, let this subordinate take men into the city and drag this Wang Zhongyuan out to pay his respects to Your Highness!"

At this, the martial-world men Zhao Ti had gathered below also eagerly volunteered: "Your Highness, let us go and drag this dog official before you, to vent Your Highness's anger."

Zhou Dong saw this and his face twitched. Usually these fellows turned pale at the mere mention of a government office—where did they get such boldness now? Besides, "dog official" were words one could toss about lightly? He hurriedly spoke up to stop them.

Zhao Ti said, "General Chong, no need for so many men—we don't want to disturb the people. Take five hundred soldiers and go have a look at the Suzhou Department Magistrate's yamen."

Chong Pu asked, "Your Highness, should we drag him back directly?"

Zhao Ti said, "See how things stand, then report back first."

Chong Pu led his men away. Zhao Ti rode Black Rose around for a stroll, spotted a small stream, dismounted to water the horse. After the horse drank, he patted Black Rose's head: "Your old master probably doesn't want you anymore—it's been a year and he hasn't come to fetch you. From now on you stay with me; even if he comes, I won't give you back."

Black Rose nuzzled his head against him and let out two whinnies—"hee-hee-liuliu."

After a while, Chong Pu returned with his men, fuming, to report: "Your Highness, we reached the Suzhou Department Magistrate's yamen. Wang Zhongyuan claimed illness and refused to see us, saying Your Highness should enter the city yourself."

Zhao Ti stroked Black Rose's head: "The Pacification Commissioner's office has always set up wherever it goes. Go throw Wang Zhongyuan out—the Suzhou prefectural yamen is now the Pacification Commissioner's office."

Chong Pu said, "This subordinate obeys!" Then he headed back into the city.

Zhao Ti picked a hundred men from the army, told those martial-world fellows to follow, and ambled leisurely toward the city gate.

By now the garrison soldiers guarding the city wore the most unpleasant expressions. Chong Pu had already reported his identity and background, so they naturally knew who Zhao Ti was, and hurriedly saluted: "We pay respects to His Highness the Prince, may he live a thousand years."

The Imperial Guard Command did not only manage the capital's troops; nominally it had supervisory authority over the armies of every circuit. The Palace Front Command managed more troops in the capital than the Imperial Guard Command, but it had no supervisory authority over the armies of the various circuits.

In other words, even without an imperial edict or an order from the Bureau of Military Affairs, the Imperial Guard Command could not transfer Suzhou's troops—but it could supervise them.

Zhao Ti said, "Lead the way to the Department Magistrate's yamen."

The soldier dared not disobey and went ahead to guide them. They passed through streets and alleys until they arrived before the Suzhou prefectural yamen, only to see several dozen yamen soldiers surrounding a man. This man had a sallow complexion and a goatee, his official robes covered in dust, looking quite disheveled, and he was pointing at the yamen's main gate and cursing without pause.

Hearing footsteps, the man turned to look. Seeing the city soldiers leading the way, he frowned; then, spotting Zhao Ti on horseback, and noticing the capital-uniformed imperial troops behind him, he said, "Are you the Prince of Yan?"

Zhao Ti sized up Wang Zhongyuan—he truly hadn't met him before. In the past he had only attended court at the grand audiences, and this Wang Zhongyuan had always been posted outside the capital, so he had no particular impression of him.

"Why does the Prince of Yan disrupt governance? Discarding the old to restore the new, throwing the court into turmoil?" Wang Zhongyuan said loudly.

Zhao Ti said coolly, "Who is making a racket down there?"

Wang Zhongyuan said angrily, "Suzhou Prefect Wang Zhongyuan, questioning the Prince of Yan!"

Zhao Ti gave a cold laugh: "Men, seize this overstepping madman for this Prince!"

The imperial guards behind him stepped forward at once, grabbed Wang Zhongyuan's arms, pulled out a bull-tendon rope, and trussed him up tightly.

Wang Zhongyuan was stunned, somewhat panicked: "I am an official appointed by imperial decree—on what grounds do you seize me, Prince of Yan? What authority do you have to seize me? I shall go to court and impeach you, I shall accuse you!"

Zhao Ti said, "This Prince is Pacification Commissioner over forty-three prefectures and departments of the four circuits of Jiang Nan—you say this Prince has no authority to seize you?"

"I…" Wang Zhongyuan opened his mouth: "What statute have I broken, what law have I violated? You abuse the Pacification Commissioner's authority to clear the path for your New Laws, taking revenge on a court-appointed official—I will impeach you!"

Zhao Ti shook his head slowly: "Investigate Suzhou Department Magistrate Wang Zhongyuan: under his jurisdiction he has harbored bandits, failing to inquire or correct, letting them run rampant, allowing them to grow into a great menace. In ordinary times he has been remiss in governance, indolent beyond endurance, overstepping and rude. Throw him into the great prison and await sentencing!"

"I—where under my jurisdiction are there ban—" Before Wang Zhongyuan could finish, Su Da stepped forward, stuffed a rag into his mouth, knocked off his official cap, and hauled him away.

Those martial-world fellows all showed expressions of satisfaction. Though in daily life they called officials "dog officials" and "running dogs," once they actually set up a sect or opened a branch, which of them didn't rush to curry favor with the government? Not to mention a Department Magistrate—such a high post they had never even seen—even a county magistrate or clerk they would scramble to befriend.

As for assassinating dog officials or petitioning on the people's behalf—were dog officials vegetarians? Do dog officials have no one guarding them? Who kills officials for no reason? Where are so many injustices to right? A local sect isn't a band of river-and-lake bandits; it's a single household with no one to rely on. If you truly stir up trouble, you can't run—and even if the monk runs, the temple can't. Disaster would befall your family and disciples.

Now seeing the Suzhou Department Magistrate seized in an instant, with not a single yamen soldier daring to defend him, they felt a surge of exhilaration, thinking that a true man was nothing less than this—to wake and hold the world's power in hand, to grasp life and death among men. This was the undying aspiration of a real man.

At this moment more people were driven out from within the main gate. Chong Pu came out and reported: "Your Highness, the yamen has been cleared. Please, Your Highness, step inside."

Zhao Ti nodded and walked in: "Summon every official, great and small, of Suzhou—this Prince has questions for them."