Chapter 29: Being an Official is Better, the Money Comes in Faster Than Being a Bandit
Chapter 29: Chapter 29: Being an Official is Better, the Money Comes in Faster Than Being a Bandit
On the afternoon of Zheng Xuancheng’s death, the Hundred Households and the County Government Office both posted a notice announcing his many crimes and confirming he had been brought to justice.
The people of Tongzhou erupted in cheers upon hearing the news.
"Good riddance! That bastard Zheng lorded over Tongzhou for years. Turns out he was a Profound Sect traitor. No wonder he was so evil! Thank the heavens for sending Lord Pei. Who knows how much longer we would’ve suffered under his tyranny otherwise!"
"No wonder the killer was never caught after the last County Magistrate was assassinated. The man in charge of the investigation was the real murderer! That Zheng Xuancheng was hiding in plain sight, just like Xu Zhiyong. Who could have guessed?"
"I bet Xu Zhiyong’s robberies outside the city as Xu Yuanqing were all ordered by Zheng Xuancheng! That damn bastard... He took our ’protection money’ inside the city, then had his men rob us outside it. He got what he deserved!"
The former Zheng Mansion was now the Pei Mansion. The garden was the same, the pavilion was the same, but the people were not. Now, only Pei Shaoqing and County Magistrate Wang sat side by side.
Song Youcai was remarkably efficient. In just two days, he had the Zheng Mansion cleaned and fully staffed with servants.
Lord Pei had moved into his new home early that morning.
"Young Master Pei reaps all the benefits this time, while our Holy Sect gets stuck with the bad reputation," County Magistrate Wang said, shaking his head as he watched the fish scramble for food in the pond.
"Your reputation was never that great to begin with," Pei Shaoqing replied without looking up, still scattering fish food.
"And isn’t that because the Court has been deliberately slandering and stigmatizing our Holy Sect?" County Magistrate Wang snorted.
Pei Shaoqing turned to him. "Is that so?"
He wore an expression that said, ’Go on, I’m listening to you spin your tale.’
"Well, that’s at least part of the reason." County Magistrate Wang looked a bit embarrassed. He let out a slow breath and said, "I admit, after a thousand years of development, the Holy Sect has become a mixed bag. There are many factions, and we certainly have our share of extremists and criminals who tarnish our name. But they’re just a small fraction. Most of us have never forgotten our original mission or betrayed the ideals upon which our sect was founded..."
"Enough, enough." Pei Shaoqing cut him off, placing the fish food on the table. "I’m not interested in your ideals, so don’t preach at me. The only missionary I’ll accept is the position. You didn’t just come to congratulate me on my move, did you?"
"Zheng Xuancheng is dead. Is our gentleman’s agreement now in effect?" County Magistrate Wang asked, staring at him.
Pei Shaoqing smiled. "Of course. Our cooperation started a long time ago. What, does County Magistrate Wang already need a favor?"
"In that case, can the martial law and the searches targeting my Holy Sect be lifted?" County Magistrate Wang asked, getting straight to the point.
’The Kaiyang Saint Heir will be arriving soon.’
"Not so fast. We have to pretend to search for Zheng Xuancheng’s accomplices for a few days," Pei Shaoqing said, shaking his head. He then added, "Of course, it’s just for show. If you trust me, your people can move around, as long as they aren’t too conspicuous. Otherwise, you’ll just be making trouble for me, and I’ll have no choice but to... eliminate the trouble."
’As he saw it, the realm was at peace and the people were prosperous. It was a golden age. The Profound Yellow Sect’s talk of rebellion was utter nonsense. Even if he let them preach freely, how many people could they truly sway?’
’He just couldn’t understand why the current Court was so afraid of this rebel group that clearly had no chance of success. Why were they so determined to exterminate them, root and stem, even banning any books or texts related to them?’
"Such big words, Young Master Pei. Gongsun Yi isn’t here anymore," County Magistrate Wang said, displeased with Pei Shaoqing’s attitude. It was a veiled warning.
He was also revealing that he knew the identity of the masked man who had tried to kill him that night.
Pei Shaoqing laughed out loud. "Are you saying Captain Wang could easily take my head, then?"
’Gongsun Yi was gone, but Lady Gongsun was still here. Besides, I myself have the strength of an Early Stage Qi Condensation cultivator, plus my status as a Young Master of the Marquis’s Mansion and a Jing’an Guard Standard-Bearer. Why would I fear a mere Captain Wang?’
"You jest, Young Master. How could I possibly lay a hand on a friend?" County Magistrate Wang stared at Pei Shaoqing for a moment before tilting his head back and laughing as well.
Even back when he wanted Pei Shaoqing dead, he had only dared to work with Zheng Xuancheng and use bandits to do the job. He hadn’t dared to use the Holy Sect’s own people, let alone act himself. Now, he had neither the courage nor the reason to do so.
Although their goal was rebellion, and they constantly claimed to disregard the Court, the Court was like an insurmountable mountain, pressing down on them until they couldn’t breathe.
If they actually killed a noble son like Pei Shaoqing and were discovered, the Great Zhou would undoubtedly move to eradicate them completely. Who knew how many more disciples of the Holy Sect would meet a violent end.
A living Pei Shaoqing willing to cooperate with the Holy Sect had much greater value than a dead one.
"You’d be wise to be my friend." Pei Shaoqing let out a short laugh, but his smile quickly vanished. He spoke with deep meaning, "Because my enemies always meet a miserable end."
"So I’ve seen," County Magistrate Wang nodded, in full agreement. He rose, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "I’ll take my leave."
Pei Shaoqing uttered two words: "Don’t linger."
No sooner had County Magistrate Wang left than Liu Yuheng, dressed in a pale yellow gown, glided over and reported in a soft voice, "Young Master, a group of the city’s most prominent gentlemen have arrived with gifts. They say it’s to congratulate you on your new home."
She had been Gongsun Yi’s capable right hand at the Iron Sword Sect, so Pei Shaoqing had put her in charge of managing the household.
"Ah, they’ve come to pay me protection money!" Pei Shaoqing chuckled. "Lady Gongsun, please lead the way."
’These people... When Hundred Households Commander Zheng was in charge, they paid him. Now, they’re paying me before a new commander is even appointed. It’s clear they’ve accepted that I’ve taken Zheng’s place in the pecking order. They’re sensible and know how things work.’
"Yes." Liu Yuheng gave a slight nod and turned to lead the way. The fine silk of her gown clung to the curve of her full, round hips, which swayed gently from side to side with each step.
’Made a man want to sample the "tenderness" between that swordswoman’s thighs.’
.........
In the main hall, a group of men in brocade robes—half of them fat and portly—saw Pei Shaoqing arrive and immediately rose to their feet, beaming. "Greetings, Lord Pei."
"Please, be seated," Pei Shaoqing said, but only after striding to the master’s seat at the head of the hall and sitting down himself.
"Thank you, Lord."
Once everyone was seated, a middle-aged man in a green robe, sitting in the seat of honor to the left, rose with a wide smile. "Lord Pei, you first killed the bandit chief Xu Yuanqing, and then you eliminated the Profound Sect traitor, Zheng Xuancheng. Your presence is truly a blessing for us here in Tongzhou. As today is the happy occasion of your moving in, we have taken the liberty of preparing a humble gift on behalf of the entire city to express our gratitude."
"Enough with the flattery." Pei Shaoqing raised a hand, cutting him off. He leaned back in his chair and asked bluntly, "How much did you used to give Hundred Households Commander Zheng?"
"Er..." Pei Shaoqing’s directness stunned the man in the green robe. The others were also taken aback and exchanged uncertain glances. The green-robed man was the first to recover. "Since you are so frank, Young Master, we won’t beat around the bush. In the past, each of our businesses gave Hundred Households Commander Zheng a ten percent cut of our profits. We are willing to continue this arrangement."
Officials and merchants always have a symbiotic relationship.
As for the common folk? They were merely the disposable resources that fueled their success.
"Are you saying that in your eyes, I am on the same level as Zheng Xuancheng?" Pei Shaoqing said, displeased. Before they could defend themselves, he pressed on, "Besides, that’s not how the math works. Zheng Xuancheng took ten percent from you inside the city. But his dog, Xu Zhiyong, posed as the bandit Xu Yuanqing and extorted ’tolls’ from you outside the city. Do you think his total take was only ten percent? So why should I settle for just ten percent?"
’He robbed you outside the city. I’m not robbing you anymore, but that money still needs to find its way to me.’
The group of old geezers was suddenly drenched in a cold sweat.
’We thought that since this new master was from the Capital City, he wouldn’t be concerned with money. We figured the old rules would suffice. We never imagined he’d be even greedier—more insatiable than Zheng Xuancheng himself!’
Suddenly, they all started to miss Zheng Xuancheng.
"Then, in your opinion, my lord...?"
"Fifty percent," Pei Shaoqing said calmly.
Their faces fell instantly. "Young Master, please have mercy! We’re just trying to make a hard living. It’s not just the Hundred Households we have to pay off. There’s the County Government Office and all the others... Fifty percent? You might as well just kill us!"
"Enough, enough. A group of grown men, sniveling like this. What a sight," Pei Shaoqing said, waving his hand impatiently. "If you don’t have money, what are you doing trying to bribe people? If this were the Capital City, I wouldn’t even give you the time of day. Fine. Twenty percent."
Seeing his disgusted expression, the men no longer felt that Pei Shaoqing was being too greedy. Instead, they felt a pang of shame.
’We smelly country bumpkins are so poor that even our bribes are an embarrassment to a noble lord from the Capital!’
Twenty percent was still a lot, but it seemed like nothing compared to fifty. Afraid of angering Pei Shaoqing further by not agreeing, they all nodded in quick succession.
"Then from now on, let’s all get rich together."
Pei Shaoqing’s scowl was replaced by a wide grin as he spoke.
’It really is better to be an official,’ he thought. ’The money comes in faster than being a bandit.’
"We are all in your care, Young Master," the men chorused.