Chapter 524: Feigning Illness

Adviser Wang shook his head and said coldly, "My lord, that barbarian hasn't even stated his purpose yet. How can you be so sure they've come to investigate Zhao Jin? What if they've come to investigate you, my lord?"

Prefect Tong's laughter stopped abruptly. He glared at Adviser Wang and said, "Nonsense! This official is upright, honest, and aboveboard — what is there to investigate? Why would the barbarians come looking for me?"

"How amusing. So the Depot Guard actually needs evidence to arrest someone now — this student is hearing that for the first time." Adviser Wang sneered.

Prefect Tong was momentarily speechless. The most common grounds on which civil officials and scholars attacked the Eastern Depot and the Brocade Guard were precisely that they acted without proof and disregarded national law. They didn't bother with evidence — they just seized whomever they pleased.

Seizing this moment of silence, Adviser Wang continued, "This student also finds your reasoning sound, my lord. In all of Xuzhou, neither you, my lord, nor General Zhou has any reason to be taken. It's only that Security Chief Zhao who easily stirs up trouble — he stands out too much."

A smug smile reappeared on Prefect Tong's face, but before he could speak, Adviser Wang went on, "Think further, my lord — can the Depot Guard really seize Zhao Jin?"

"Why couldn't they? When the Brocade Riders and barbarians come to arrest someone, who could they possibly fail to seize—" Prefect Tong retorted scornfully, but halfway through, his voice died.

"The barbarians always arrest civil officials and scholars. Has my lord ever seen them arrest a military officer or commander?" Adviser Wang countered.

"They have arrested some, but not many..." Prefect Tong was aware of such precedents.

"Not just few — extremely few. When have they ever touched those hereditary officers and commanders, or the Imperial Guard? They only beat dead tigers and toy with hollow figureheads," Adviser Wang said.

Military officers and fighting men belonged to a separate system. The Brocade Guard had almost no entanglements in that sphere, and being of official army origin themselves, they were even less inclined to stir up trouble. More crucially, civil officials without power were dead dogs — you could walk right in and arrest them, at most drawing a few curses. But military officers had blades and soldiers at hand. If a fight broke out at their door, lives would be lost.

Thus, eunuchs and civil officials were all arrested by the Brocade Guard, but for military officers, military law was observed. The ones the Brocade Guard actually moved to arrest were nothing more than drowning dogs who had lost power and troops, or else fakes who held a military title but had no real foundation in the army.

"But Zhao Jin isn't a military officer..." Prefect Tong said weakly, a statement he couldn't even convince himself of.

"My lord, yet Zhao Jin commands thousands of tigers and wolves at his beck and call, with who knows how many desperadoes ready to do his bidding. These four Brocade Guards have only four blades between them — what can they possibly do?" Adviser Wang's voice rose instead.

Prefect Tong felt only agitation, but couldn't vent it. After hemming and hawing for a long while, he finally said, "If Zhao Jin defies the king's law, that is rebellion. When the time comes, the court's great armies will mass, and his only path will be destruction and death."

"But before that happens, Xuzhou City will already have fallen to Zhao Jin. Would my lord still have a way out alive?"

"Do not speak such nonsense! Xuzhou has high walls and deep moats — how could some country strongman take it? This great city of Xuzhou withstood a siege by a hundred thousand roving bandits. How could his few thousand men possibly do anything to it?"

Hearing this, Adviser Wang sighed and shook his head. "My lord, it was Zhao Jin who drove off those hundred thousand roving bandits, and he still holds over thirty thousand of them. Had Zhao Jin not acted, Xuzhou City would have ceased to exist long ago. My lord, do you truly believe this city can keep Zhao Jin outside its walls? If Zhao Jin so wished, tonight someone would open the city gates for him and let him in!"

"This official... this official will have that Zhao Zhentang and all the brigand kin of the Zhao and Chen families arrested and thrown in prison..."

"Then my lord's entire household, every last soul, will not live through this night!" Adviser Wang's words grew increasingly blunt.

"Insolence! Are you speaking for the court or for that great villain? Within these walls we have a great commander like Adjutant Zhou, with all his elite troops stationed in the city. What can a country thug possibly do? One move from Adjutant Zhou, and that Zhao Camp rabble will be smashed to pieces at once!" Prefect Tong Huaizu was truly panicked now, shouting as he spoke.

Adviser Wang merely shook his head and said with a bitter smile, "My lord, regarding Adjutant Zhou — you and I have both seen it with our own eyes. He treats Zhao Jin with deference in every matter. Is that out of modesty? A greedy, base military man like him — if he could use force, why would he ever be courteous? This distillery, this salt route, that so-called salt market — if Zhao Jin couldn't hold them, how many powerful figures from all directions would stretch out their hands? How could Adjutant Zhou possibly let them go? Why do they all abide by the rules now, following the rules Zhao Jin laid down? Because they're afraid — because they can't win!"

Follow the Zhao Camp's rules, and everything has its fixed share, with Zhao Camp taking a cut. Don't follow the rules, and naturally all the profits are yours alone. Yet Adjutant Zhou, with so many troops under his command, showed not the slightest hint of arrogance and obediently complied. This one fact alone was enough to demonstrate the disparity in strength between the two sides.

Prefect Tong's lips opened and closed, his expression shifting, but he could not utter a single word. Every sentence from Adviser Wang shattered his illusions. When the Brocade Guard came to investigate, he had assumed it was Zhao Jin, thinking he could finally hold his head high and fish for some advantage in the process. But after Adviser Wang's analysis, he realized — he could do nothing at all.

"This official... this official..." Prefect Tong muttered a few times, then suddenly burst into loud wailing. Adviser Wang's brow furrowed even deeper, a flash of contempt and disdain passing through his eyes.

"Others bully men and violate women, prey upon the countryside — at the very least they're treated with deference by the common folk and gentry. Who else endures such humiliation as this official..." Prefect Tong sobbed haltingly, like a young wife who had been wronged.

Adviser Wang sighed again and shook his head. "My lord, it's the same in Suzhou, Songjiang, and Changzhou down in Jiangnan. The only difference is that everyone there keeps up appearances and maintains a veneer of civility. And if my lord thinks carefully, Zhao Jin hasn't really gone too far here in Xuzhou. Not a single copper that's due to my lord has been shorted, and my lord still has the final say in administrative matters. That's not bad at all."

Suzhou, Changzhou, and Songjiang in Jiangnan were the wealthiest places under heaven, flourishing with literary culture. Behind the local gentry there were often connections to powerful figures in the capital looking after their interests, so the local prefects and magistrates could do nothing about them. Moreover, these great houses had been entrenched for over a dozen generations, deeply rooted in the locality, and had placed large numbers of their household servants as clerks and runners in the yamen, thoroughly controlling even the practical affairs of government.

Holding office in those places was no better than being in present-day Xuzhou. The only difference was that in Jiangnan everyone was a scholar, and they observed a certain decorum and courtesy among themselves, keeping up appearances. On Zhao Jin's side, it was mostly military men and jianghu folk, who weren't so polite in word and deed.

From agitation to defeat, then an emotional collapse and outpouring — by now, Prefect Tong had finally calmed down.

"What do we do?"

"My lord, the best course now is to extricate yourself. The barbarians are hounds, but Zhao Jin is a tiger among wolves. We cannot afford to offend either side. Whichever side we get entangled with, the aftermath and repercussions will be trouble. My lord — why not feign illness!" Adviser Wang had clearly already thought this through.

At this, Prefect Tong Huaizu grew uneasy instead, and asked hesitantly, "Could it be that these barbarians have come to investigate this official?"

"What is there to investigate about my lord? Everything is clear as day, both above and below. Every side has benefited from our Xuzhou's tax and grain reductions — nothing will implicate my lord!"

"If this official feigns illness, won't the various offices below start spreading rumors?"

"Please rest assured, my lord. Everyone in the six bureaus understands perfectly — they will absolutely not talk carelessly. My lord has been in the study ever since receiving the news, so perhaps there are some things you don't yet know. Within our yamen, several of the ranked officials have already taken to their sickbeds!"

Hearing this, Prefect Tong Huaizu cursed under his breath a few times.

"The matter does not involve my lord. My lord need only plead illness and stay indoors. As for the rest, we can only leave it to fate!" With these words, Adviser Wang took his leave.

He stepped out into the courtyard. The sky had already darkened. A maidservant carrying a lantern was leading Madam Tong inside. When they met, Adviser Wang quickly lowered his head and stepped aside.

"This humble wife thanks Master Wang!" Madam Tong offered a deep curtsy of gratitude.

"Madam is too kind. This student and my lord share honor and disgrace as one — it is only right that I devote myself fully." Adviser Wang replied in a clear voice, bowed with clasped hands, and then left the inner residence.

Adviser Wang had not walked far when seven or eight people immediately surrounded him — all clerks from the six bureaus. These were men of standing within the yamen, often the trusted confidants of the bureau chiefs.

"Master Wang, what did his lordship say?"

"By the usual pattern, those barbarians will likely come to the yamen tomorrow. How should we handle it?"

Everyone was asking questions, all talking at once, but as they spoke, each one used the lamplight to study the changes in Adviser Wang's expression, fearful of missing the slightest hint.

Adviser Wang revealed a smile and said clearly, "Gentlemen, Prefect Tong has caught a wind chill and must recuperate in the inner residence. For the next month or so, he will be unable to attend to the administrative affairs of the yamen. During this period, I must trouble you all to take extra care."

Everyone was momentarily stunned, then understood. Smiling, they cupped their fists and said, "In that case, Master Wang will also be hard at work. For all matters going forward, we shall look to Master Wang for guidance."

Prefect Tong's convalescence was enough to signal the direction and attitude. With tacit understanding, everyone had their answer. They each took their leave and returned — the decision-makers in the six bureaus were still waiting for their reports.

Just as everyone turned to go, Adviser Wang hesitated for a moment, then still spoke out clearly, "Gentlemen, these barbarians are as distant as the heavens, but there are some who are right beside us. Everyone must know what carries weight!"

At these words, the expressions on everyone's faces grew a few degrees more cordial. Smiling, they said, "We all understand. We know what to do."

By now, the Tonghui Inn was crowded with people, inside and out. Anyone with sharp eyes and many acquaintances would notice at once that this place was a veritable den of dragons and snakes. The yamen's shrewdest runners and the old street operators of Xuzhou were scattered about, pretending not to know one another, some lodging, some drinking tea.

Outside the entrance, night watchmen passed by from time to time — all of them sturdy young men, bearing blades and spears, exuding a murderous air. In the streets and alleys surrounding the inn, at every intersection and corner, "idlers" were posted, their sharp gazes fixed on the people coming and going.

Thanks to "Kongse Liangnan, Feiran Ge, Book Friend Chen Jianxin" for the tips, and thank you all for your monthly tickets and subscriptions. Thank you.