The Informant

Lately, Li Chongzhao had been utterly exhausted, not merely in body, but even more so in spirit. Between the two major initiatives—surveying the arable land and equalizing taxes and corvée duties—the former had proceeded very smoothly. The latter, however, had bogged down significantly because it involved the Baron of Qingpu County. Yet he could find no pleasure in any of it. Both measures were clearly of immense benefit to the commoners of Wenchi County, yet opposition against him only continued to swell. As for the functionaries in the county yamen, there was little fault to find with them on the surface. He had expected covert resistance, feet-dragging, or even deliberate slights meant to put him in his place upon taking office. None of that happened. Instead, the clerks and sub-officials beneath him worked with astonishing vigor—perhaps a bit too much vigor. Yet he could hardly reprimand them. They were no longer merely cooperating; they were pouring all their energy into the work with total enthusiasm. And yet... such enthusiasm was entirely uncalled for. Ninety percent of the public outcry against him was provoked precisely by these subordinates enforcing the measures with excessive severity. "Sir, we have uncovered a few things," the fiscal secretary among his personal staff spoke in a low voice. Li Chongzhao had naturally not arrived at his post alone. Beyond his immediate family, he brought along personal secretaries, household servants, scribes, accountants, bodyguards, and an entire retinue. Among them were multiple specialized private secretaries. There was a judicial secretary in charge of legal and penal affairs, as well as a fiscal secretary managing economic matters such as public finance, taxation, household registers, and granaries. Beyond these two chief aides, his staff included a docket secretary responsible for registering, sorting, expediting, and archiving official documents and case files, and a tax collection secretary dedicated to levying land taxes and tribute grain and auditing performance. There was even a dedicated correspondence secretary tasked with drafting social letters and formal pleasantries suited to officialdom. He had been dispatched here by the Crown Prince after all, so the team he brought along was exceptionally well-rounded. "Speak. Why is the opposition so vehement?" Li Chongzhao asked. "It is... the Baron of Qingpu County," the fiscal secretary could not help but reply. "Commoners who serve as tenant farmers for the Baron of Qingpu County do not need to pay taxes." "The noble lord covers all their taxes himself." "Furthermore, he provides room and board—two meals a day, with meat once every ten days." "If an entire household works as his tenant farmers, as long as they complete three full months, each person receives a padded winter coat once winter sets in." "And if they work for a full year, they receive clothing for spring, summer, and autumn as well. The baron even provides silver and grain to assist with weddings, childbirth, grave illnesses, funerals, and the like." Hearing this, a foreboding premonition crept into Li Chongzhao's heart. "What is this Baron of Qingpu County planning?" "With such conduct, is he not blatantly buying the people's loyalty?" "Well..." The fiscal secretary hesitated, the image of the chest full of silver resting in his own room flashing through his mind. After wavering, he said, "Sir, in my humble view, this Baron of Qingpu County harbors no treasonous intent." "If he truly had rebellious designs, why would he have pledged allegiance to the imperial court as soon as the Spiritual Energy Revival began?" "He merely possesses no small ambition. It would be wise to proceed with caution, that is all." Private secretaries were personal aides; very few bound their loyalties permanently to any single magistrate. Most were merely hired on contract. "Very well. If the Baron of Qingpu County has money to burn, let him burn it." When Li Chongzhao was assigned here, the Crown Prince had already provided him with the relevant dossiers. "For now, our priority is to deal with the Zhou and Wang families." At the mention of proper official business, the fiscal secretary's expression turned stern. "The yamen is fully prepared. We can arrest them at any moment." Having said that, he added with lingering worry, "However, Sir, if we truly move against those two families, I fear..." Before he could finish, Li Chongzhao waved a hand to cut him off. "My very purpose in coming here was to wield the knife," Li Chongzhao stated flatly. "I cannot touch that Baron of Qingpu County for the time being, but am I incapable of touching two mere prominent clans?" "Besides, look at the outrageous deeds they have committed." "Does this county yamen belong to the imperial court, or does it belong to the Zhou and Wang families?" Ever since an unexpected incident had exposed the collusion between those two families and the yamen's clerks, Li Chongzhao had known they could not be spared. Moreover, he was certain that the Zhou and Wang families were undoubtedly colluding with the Baron of Qingpu County. Once they were brought down, substantive evidence might well come to light. Hearing his resolve, the fiscal secretary sighed inwardly and pressed no further. The heads of the Zhou and Wang families were both juren. If pushed into a corner where they had nothing left to lose, they certainly had connections higher up to call upon. Backed into a wall, they could easily cause Li Chongzhao no small amount of trouble. Yet Li Chongzhao was dead set on using the two prominent families as a springboard to drag the Baron of Qingpu County into the quagmire, leaving the secretary with no say in the matter. After all, he was merely an aide. Called a secretary, he was neither an official nor a sub-official clerk; even his stipend was paid by Li Chongzhao himself rather than the imperial court. Their bond was that of employer and employee, giving him no authority to make decisions on Li Chongzhao's behalf. "Then I shall have the men make ready to apprehend the Zhou and Wang families tonight," the fiscal secretary said. "Delay no longer; see to it at once." Li Chongzhao paused, then reminded him, "Keep watch over the Baron of Qingpu County Estate. Ensure no surprises occur." In Li Chongzhao's eyes, the greatest variable in this entire affair was the baron. So long as the man did not intervene, tonight's operation was practically in the bag. *** On the other side of town, Wei Yuefu brought his stance to a close, calmed the spiritual power surging within him, and took the towel Yuan Jingting offered to wipe away his sweat. "Speak. What made you wait here for so long?" Wei Yuefu asked. His official memorials—one filing a complaint and the other requesting renovations—had only been dispatched today. Far from reaching the capital, it was still uncertain how much distance they had covered. Thus, Wei Yuefu did not believe there was any matter pressing enough for Yuan Jingting to wait around until he finished his cultivation. "Master, it concerns Magistrate Li's movements," Yuan Jingting reported. "According to our informant on the inside, they intend to move against the Zhou and Wang families tonight." "Are you certain?" Having dried his sweat, Wei Yuefu casually handed the towel back to him, sat down, and began to eat. A large table filled with dishes cooked from ingredients rich in spiritual energy was shoveled into his mouth by the mouthful, chewed and swallowed without the slightest pretense of savoring the flavors. "Confirmed. I had our people cross-check with the other informants we bought off," Yuan Jingting replied hastily. "Then notify the others and have them follow up," Wei Yuefu said. "Swallow up the Zhou and Wang family estates in the shortest time possible." "There is no hiding this, so we must prepare our countermeasures against Li Chongzhao afterward." When the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole lurks behind. Whoever was stripped of the fruits of their labor was bound to be displeased. "Master, there is one more matter that the informant confirmed," Yuan Jingting added. "This Magistrate Li is coming directly for you." "I fear..." Wei Yuefu was not surprised in the least. He had suspected as much before; this merely confirmed it. "No need to worry. He cannot touch us," Wei Yuefu remarked calmly. "Go make arrangements for tonight's business first." "Li Chongzhao may leave on promotion, but he must depart in the exact same state he arrived." "We must take precautions before he leaves, lest he tries to leave us with a foul parting gift."