Chapter 523: A Clear-Headed Person

523. Chapter 523: A Clear-Headed Person

"... The properties of Cloud Mountain Temple also need to be settled. The fields around Kong Family Village span both Shandong and Henan — that will require some coordination..."

"... The salt trade needs to be straightened out too. Right now, Xuzhou is lawless, and even those shameless merchants in Yangzhou are colluding with him..."

It began as muttering to himself, but his words grew more and more agitated, his face flushed with excitement. Madam Tong, who had been listening calmly all along, grew anxious. She hurried forward, grabbed Tong Huaizu's sleeve, and tugged at it several times. Only then did Tong Huaizu halt his quickening steps.

"My lord, wild joy harms the body. What matter could make my lord so happy? Would you tell your wife?" Madam Tong said in a soft, gentle voice.

"... My wife, the Embroidered Uniform Guard's agents have come to our Xuzhou. Think about it — what do I, your husband, have to fear from an investigation after these years of swallowing my pride? That General Zhou stands apart, beyond the Guard's reach. Who else is left to investigate? Who else but that Zhao Jin? Once that great villain falls, Xuzhou will see bright skies again..."

"... This official will go prepare the evidence of his crimes right now, listing them out one by one..."

"... Though these hawks and hounds harm the scholar's way, they still know where righteousness lies..."

As he spoke, Tong Huaizu grew agitated again. Madam Tong's brow furrowed slightly, but she still said gently, "My lord often says that when matters arise, one must not act in haste but think carefully. Today's matter is not yet clear — should you not think it through before deciding?"

Prefect Tong Huaizu beamed, nodding repeatedly. "My worthy wife speaks truly. Your husband has been somewhat rash."

"Have dinner sent to the study. I need quiet to think carefully." Tong Huaizu spoke crisply, yet his manner and tone betrayed not the slightest intention of settling down.

Madam Tong did not press further. She watched her husband stride off toward the study, then sighed softly behind him. Turning, she walked out of the courtyard. She had just returned to the inner residence and had not yet entered the door when she heard Tong Huaizu's shout: "Prepare my brush and ink!"

The autumn harvest had long since passed. Everything that needed collecting, distributing as shares, and sending upward had already been done. Every time local taxes were remitted, it was a golden opportunity for the clerks to line their pockets. With that work finished, no one paid much attention to official business. Besides, the prefectural yamen was idle to begin with. The clerks and runners of the six offices dispersed early in the afternoon to busy themselves with their own livelihoods.

The clerks and runners might disperse, but Secretary Wang could not leave. This "friend" of His Excellency the Prefect was in truth the general manager of all yamen affairs and could not be away for a moment.

Secretary Wang had learned of the Embroidered Uniform Guard agents coming to Xuzhou to investigate even earlier than Prefect Tong Huaizu. Secretary Wang also knew that the headmen of the six offices and the runners had likely gotten word even sooner than he had.

The relationship between a secretary and his patron lay somewhere between alliance and master-servant. Prefect Tong and Secretary Wang, however, were more like an owner and his shopkeeper. The myriad details of the yamen and the locality required Secretary Wang to manage them. Secretary Wang was also on good terms with Zhao Jin's side and needed to step forward whenever dealings were required. Because he had stayed on here, their personal interactions had grown rather sparse.

By all rights, the Embroidered Uniform Guard coming to Xuzhou to investigate a case was the most critical news for a local official. The cases the Guard pursued mostly implicated officials and directly concerned the prefect. Upon receiving such news, a secretary ought to inform his patron in person at once. Yet Secretary Wang had merely sent word to the prefect's personal attendant.

Nowadays, the center of all Xuzhou was He Family Village. It decided every matter, and even the clerks of the six offices across the prefecture and its four counties had men stationed there. As soon as Boss Jin gave an order, word could reach them in the shortest time. Knowing this news was not for reacting, but for carrying out orders without delay.

Over nearly two years, He Family Village and the prefectural and county seats had developed an understanding. Who decided what, and who handled which matters — all fell within a roughly defined scope. Under this arrangement, the clerks and runners everywhere had shifted from working for court-appointed officials to working for the Zhao Camp, leaving the yamen more idle than ever.

At this hour on an ordinary day, Secretary Wang would have returned to his residence to rest. These past two years, Secretary Wang had reaped considerable benefits. While Prefect Tong opposed the Zhao Camp, Secretary Wang cooperated fully, and his share of the profits from every quarter was never short. As a result, Secretary Wang now owned his own house in Xuzhou City and had taken two concubines. His life was no worse than that of the wealthy in Qingjiangpu or Yangzhou.

Today, however, after receiving the news, Secretary Wang did not leave. He even sent a servant back to his house to say he would not be returning for dinner.

The yamen, which had grown cold and quiet, bustled once more. No one stayed in their own offices or duty rooms; instead, they scurried about everywhere, quietly asking questions and discussing the news in hushed tones. Secretary Wang did the same, walking around to look and listen, greeting people as he went.

Secretary Wang noticed one thing: the head clerks of the six offices and the more reputable underlings from each office had not appeared. Those who came were all their trusted subordinates, none of whom could be put forward in any formal capacity. In the constables' office, the two chief constables and several senior headmen were also absent. Those who came were only there to gather information.

Not long after, servants from the vice-prefect and the judge arrived at the yamen, saying their masters had fallen suddenly ill and needed to recuperate at home. They would not be coming to the yamen for the immediate future.

"... Why hasn't Tong Huaizu claimed he's sick too..."

Secretary Wang overheard this remark. In truth, everyone who had come to the yamen was observing one thing: what Prefect Tong Huaizu intended to do, what he wanted to do.

Some already wore smiles on their faces as they pressed silver into the hands of the prefect's trusted servants, seeking information. Ever since the Zhao Camp rose to power, the Tong household servants who had once run roughshod over Xuzhou had lost all face and lived in stifled resentment. Now, they all seemed to be holding their heads high again, putting on airs once more.

Seeing this, Secretary Wang's expression grew very serious.

"Tong Jiu, what is His Excellency doing?" Secretary Wang grabbed Prefect Tong Huaizu's study attendant and asked.

Though called a study attendant, he was already sixteen or seventeen. In the past, he had been utterly deferential before Secretary Wang, but now he carried himself with a hint of swagger.

"The master is busy." He answered dismissively, then walked away.

His attitude gave Secretary Wang pause, and then he shook his head with a rueful laugh. Did these servants really think the world was about to turn upside down?

But before Secretary Wang could find another way to inquire, a servant from the Tong household came to summon him, saying the madam had an urgent matter to discuss.

With the strict separation of men and women, Secretary Wang stood before the gate of the inner residence and exchanged a few questions through the door panels. After returning to her room, Madam Tong had felt uneasy and sent her trusted maidservant, under the pretext of delivering pastries, to check on Tong Huaizu. This maid was somewhat literate. She went once and returned to report that Prefect Tong Huaizu was writing an indictment, enumerating Zhao Jin's great crimes in Xuzhou — rebellion and the like were all included.

Madam Tong pondered this in her room for a moment, then immediately sent for Secretary Wang.

"... Your servant does not fully understand these matters, yet I cannot help feeling that my lord is courting danger, inviting disaster. But I do not know how to dissuade him. I ask Master Wang to offer his counsel..."

Upon hearing this, Secretary Wang's face changed color. He stamped his foot outside the door and said, "My patron is inviting disaster, inviting death! Thank goodness the madam sees clearly. This student will go and remonstrate with him at once!"

With that, Secretary Wang hurried off toward the study. When he reached the courtyard gate, Prefect Tong's personal attendant tried to block his way. Secretary Wang, uncharacteristically assertive, simply shoved the man aside. When the attendant came back to grapple with him, Secretary Wang slapped him twice across the face. Who could have imagined this soft-spoken scholar would resort to physical force? The man was instantly cowed and let Secretary Wang charge inside.

He pushed the door open directly, the motion unavoidably forceful. Prefect Tong, who had been writing furiously, turned his head in shock. When he saw it was Secretary Wang, his brow could not help but furrow.

"Instead of running errands for that Zhao Jin, what brings Master Wang to this official's presence? This official has urgent matters to attend to and no time to receive guests. I trust you will understand."

After delivering these barbed remarks, Prefect Tong simply turned back to his work. But Secretary Wang did not take the hint and leave. Instead, he walked briskly toward Prefect Tong's desk.

Several sheets of letter paper, the ink not yet dry, lay spread across the desk. A single glance at their contents made clear what they said. An expression of anger surfaced on Prefect Tong Huaizu's face, while Secretary Wang's expression grew heavy and helpless.

"Wang Qiusheng! You are still this official's advisor. You must observe some decorum. Do not be so insolent. Even over at Zhao Jin's place, there is hierarchy and respect for rank!" Tong Huaizu said bitterly.

Secretary Wang ignored these words entirely. He simply bowed and said earnestly, "My patron, great calamity now looms, death and disaster stand before us. What you should be doing now is avoiding disaster and fleeing for your life. How can you deliver yourself straight into its jaws?"

Prefect Tong Huaizu froze for a moment, then erupted in fury. He stood up and bellowed, "Nonsense! This official is upright and incorruptible — what great calamity, what death and disaster could there be? The Depot and Guard have come to Xuzhou, and it is surely for that great villain Zhao Jin at He Family Village. It is his calamity, his death day has come! Wang Qiusheng, do you think that if this official were in charge of Xuzhou, you wouldn't reap so many benefits, and so you come here spouting nonsense to deceive me!"

Secretary Wang frowned and shook his head. Over these nearly two years, the relationship between them had grown very distant, with little courtesy or deference left. Seeing the other man erupt as if throwing a tantrum, he felt an instinctive aversion.

This attitude only made Tong Huaizu explode further. Pointing at Secretary Wang's nose, he railed, "This official studied bitterly by cold windowlight, read the sages' books, and sat for the Son of Heaven's examinations. I passed test after test, and my name appeared on the golden roster, earning me this position. This official shepherds the people on behalf of the Son of Heaven — this is only right and proper, this is the natural order of things! Yet you shameless wretches, you worthless curs, you show this official no respect, while bowing and scraping before that murderous, arsonist thug! And now what? Now retribution has come! This is retribution!"

Tong Huaizu shouted at the top of his lungs, his voice clearly audible inside the room and out in the courtyard. Secretary Wang merely frowned. His expression showed no fear, only helplessness.

"The court has sent men to investigate that Zhao Jin. Are you all panicking now? Are you afraid? Do you regret these two years of neglect? Let this official tell you — it's too late for regrets! Once this is over, this official will replace every last one of you, bring in a new batch of scholars and literati, and then the seas will be calm and the rivers clear! Just you watch — once that Zhao Jin falls, this official will still be the master of Xuzhou!"

"Ha ha ha ha!" Prefect Tong laughed triumphantly, waving his arms as he declared loudly, "The court is wise! The court is wise! At last, it cannot bear to see such a great villain run rampant, cannot bear to see Xuzhou plunged into darkness, and has dispatched the riders in crimson to make arrests, to sweep away these demons and monsters in one stroke! When that happens, Xuzhou will see bright skies once more!"