Chapter 71: The Strong Join Forces
“Unbelievable! Unbelievable! What kind of operation is happening in the Kaifeng Prefectural Office? You believe whatever he says! I can see you must be getting benefits from him. I will go to His Majesty to lodge a complaint against you.”
When Wang Wenshan heard that Zhang Fei had gone to the Kaifeng Prefectural Office again and implicated Chen Yuteng and the magistrate of Xiangfu County, he couldn’t help but be furious.
When will this ever end?
He was starting to regret things now. He shouldn’t have confronted Zhang Fei in the courtroom earlier. Now he was deeply trapped and couldn’t extricate himself!
Moreover, it was Huang Gui who had come this time, not the Vice-Prefect Li Kai; naturally, he would have a louder voice.
Huang Gui was prepared to be scolded and patiently explained, “Director Wang, don’t be angry. We, in the Kaifeng Prefectural Office, also aim to uphold your reputation. Now that you have accused him of making false accusations, we naturally have to ascertain the truth and see whether a false accusation had been made.”
Wang Wenshan snorted, “If he goes to the Kaifeng Prefectural Office again tomorrow to provide more leads, and the Kaifeng Prefecture investigates again, when will this end? He’s clearly playing tricks.”
Huang Gui said, “Of course, we in the Kaifeng Prefectural Office won’t investigate based solely on his words. But because previously the magistrate of Xiangfu County made a somewhat arbitrary judgment against Li Si and punished him when there was insufficient evidence, what he says isn’t entirely groundless. If Zhang Fei has these doubts, he could even appeal to the Bureau of Prison and Punishments, and they will investigate.”
Wang Wenshan glanced at Huang Gui, then suddenly sat down, picked up a cup of hot tea, took a sip, and said, “Alright! If the Kaifeng Prefectural Office doesn’t mind the trouble, I don’t mind either. But I hope we can conclude this quickly; we can’t keep investigating endlessly like this.”
Huang Gui nodded, “I will convey this to our prefect.” After Huang Gui left, Wang Wenshan immediately smashed the teacup in his hand against the wall and cursed, “This is truly a mad dog.”
Then he immediately called someone in and ordered them to go to Xiangfu County immediately to notify Chen Yuteng.
Chen Yuteng was the wealthiest merchant in Xiangfu County; could there be no shady dealings in this?
…
City Tax Bureau.
“Haha! I knew it wouldn’t be that simple.”
“Teacher, what are you talking about?”
Lu Huiqing looked curiously at Wang Anshi.
Wang Anshi nodded, looking at Lu Huiqing, “That boy Zhang San has gone to the Kaifeng Prefectural Office to complain again.”
Lu Huiqing exclaimed, “Who is he accusing this time?”
This is truly a strange situation!
He files complaints like he takes a meal.
Wang Anshi chuckled, “It’s still that case involving Director Wang. This time he’s claiming that Chen Yuteng is colluding with the magistrate of Xiangfu County. Haha, I knew that kid wouldn’t just let it go. If this continues, Director Wang might really fall into his hands.”
A gleam flashed in Lu Huiqing’s eyes, sighing, “If Director Wang were as upright and honest as you, Zhang San wouldn’t find excuses to attack him. It’s clear that this person is corrupt and unethical. Ah… the Agricultural Affairs Bureau oversees the State Emergency Granary, meant to aid the people in times of emergencies. With it in the hands of such a person, how can the people feel at ease?”
The State Emergency Granary? Wang Anshi’s expression was pensive.
Lu Huiqing stole a glance at Wang Anshi and remained silent.
Back at home, Lu Huiqing immediately penned a confidential letter with his left hand, then called for a servant and handed the letter to him, “Find an opportunity to deliver this letter to Zhang San, but be cautious.”
“Understood.”
…
Xu Residence.
“Although Chen Yuteng is certainly connected to the magistrate of Xiangfu County, your open and blatant accusation may not yield much result,” Xu Zhiqian said, “Ordinarily, investigations into officials must be conducted discreetly.”
Zhang Fei smiled, “It doesn’t matter, I’ll continue to lodge complaints.”
Xu Zhiqian wondered, “What else do you have to complain about?”
This truly is limitless filing of complaints!
Zhang Fei replied, “I’ll just fabricate something.”
“Fabrication?”
Xu Zhiqian looked at Zhang Fei in surprise.
Zhang Fei nodded, “The secret dealings amongst officials always follow a certain pattern. The only challenge is how to connect those matters to this lawsuit.”
Xu Zhiqian shook her head directly, “I think you’re playing with fire.”
“Yes!”
Zhang Fei chuckled, “I am playing with fire, but it’s Director Wang who’s on the pyre, not me. Who do you think will perish first? Anyway, let’s not talk about it anymore, you’re such a jinx.”
“You’re the jinx!”
Xu Zhiqian glared at him fiercely.
Zhang Fei quickly changed the subject, “By the way, I heard that Little Ma came by earlier.”
Xu Zhiqian nodded, looking somewhat uneasy.
Zhang Fei asked again, “How did the investigation go?”
Xu Zhiqian hesitated for a moment, “That Lin Fei might indeed have some issues.”
Zhang Fei queried, “Oh? What did you find out?”
Xu Zhiqian explained, “According to the information sent by Little Ma, Lin Fei served as a military instructor in the Three Military Divisions[1] for over ten years. Although he had accomplished many feats alongside General Di and Chancellor Han, he never received promotion, not even a minor official position, while many younger instructors around him were promoted. The reason is that those individuals had connections, whereas he didn’t.”
Being the military instructor of the imperial army sounded impressive, but in reality, he was just a coach without an official rank.
Zhang Fei asked, “By General Di and Chancellor Han, do you mean Di Qing and Han Qi?”[2]
Xu Zhiqian nodded, “Lin Fei was one of General Di’s soldiers.”
Zhang Fei furrowed his brows.
Among historical figures, his favorite was Li Qingzhao, but Di Qing and Yue Fei were the ones he admired the most. Whenever he read about their stories, he couldn’t help but sigh.
Unfortunately, he had missed all three of them perfectly. Li Qingzhao and Yue Fei are not born yet, and Di Qing had just passed away last year.
This might be his biggest regret coming to the Northern Song Dynasty!
Xu Zhiqian continued, “Furthermore, his first wife died from complications during childbirth when he accompanied Chancellor Han on his second expedition to the northern borders. The current wife was married to him earlier this year, and her identity is unclear. I’ve instructed Little Ma to investigate the background of this wife.”
Also, Lin Fei is notorious for his capacity for alcohol in the army. But according to Young Master Cao, they all drank about the same that night, but Lin Fei ended up getting drunk to unconsciousness while Young Master Cao only felt a little dizzy, giving him the opportunity to make a move on Lin’s wife. Considering Lin Fei’s tolerance for alcohol, this seems unlikely.”
Zhang Fei glanced at Xu Zhiqian, “You are truly meticulous. You’ve quickly found so many clues.”
Facing his praise, Xu Zhiqian just smiled calmly, “Even if I hadn’t found them, you would have. After all, you requested Little Ma to send this information. If it were me, I might not have asked Little Ma to investigate even the wine steward.”
Zhang Fei chuckled, “Although none of this is solid evidence, if there’s indeed an issue with his wife’s identity, I’m confident about winning this lawsuit.”
Xu Zhiqian hurriedly added, “But without solid evidence, what if all of this is just a coincidence?”
Zhang Fei glanced at her, “That’s unlikely.”
Xu Zhiqian furrowed her brows slightly, lightly biting her lip. After a moment, she said, “It’s still better to investigate thoroughly to avoid wronging innocent people.”
Zhang Fei asked, “Do you have any ideas?”
Xu Zhiqian replied, “I’m still thinking.”
After pondering for a while, Zhang Fei said, “Alright, if Cao Dongdong can’t wait any longer and you have not finished your investigations, I’ll still help him win this lawsuit.”
Xu Zhiqian nodded.
“Brother San, Brother San.”
Suddenly, Li Si rushed in frantically, “Brother San, just as I was about to return after seeing off Xiao Ma, someone bumped into me and stuffed a letter into my hand. When I called out to him, he not only ignored me but also walked away even faster.”
Zhang Fei and Xu Zhiqian exchanged a glance.
“Bring the letter here,” Zhang Fei instructed.
Li Si hurriedly handed the letter to Zhang Fei.
“What does the letter say?” Xu Zhiqian asked.
Zhang Fei passed the letter to Xu Zhiqian. “This must be written by Director Wang’s enemy. It’s amazing how things fall into our lap effortlessly.”
Xu Zhiqian took a look and saw that the letter contained some shady dealings related to the Agricultural Affairs Bureau. She furrowed her brows. “It may not be so simple! This could be a trap.”
Zhang Fei chuckled. “No, this is definitely not a trap.”
“Why do you say that?” Xu Zhiqian inquired.
“Because no matter what, I would have to fabricate something. I don’t care if it’s true or false. What I need to do is to keep the Kaifeng Prefectural Office investigating. I’ll head there now.”
“Wait a moment!” Xu Zhiqian hurriedly stopped him. “You’re being too eager. If you really anger the Kaifeng Prefectural Office, it won’t end well for you. I think we should wait a few days before deciding.”
After thinking for a moment, Zhang Fei said, “Alright, let’s wait a couple of days.”
But Xu Zhiqian’s real intention in stopping Zhang Fei was to wait for Xu Zun’s return to discuss. In officialdom, crises lurk everywhere. With such sudden news, she feared it might be a trap.
During dinner, Xu Zhiqian handed the letter to Xu Zun.
After reading it, Xu Zun said, “The contents of the letter doesn’t seem fake. The Agricultural Affairs Bureau oversees the State Emergency Granary, and there are indeed many shady dealings. What the letter refers to has happened before.”
Then he changed the subject, “But it could also be a trap. We’ll need to investigate further to know for sure.”
Zhang Fei smiled. “Then let the Kaifeng Prefectural Office investigate!”
Xu Zun worriedly said, “But what if it’s a trap?”
Zhang Fei laughed, “Don’t worry, even if it’s a trap, it doesn’t matter. As long as one thing is true, he’s finished. I won’t be considered to have made false accusations against him. If I don’t continue pursuing this given the advantageous position, I wouldn’t be a pen-in-cap worth his salt.”
…
Two days later!
Indeed, just two days later, Zhang Fei visited the Kaifeng Prefectural Office again.
“Brother, stay calm, don’t be impulsive!”
“Don’t stop me! I must teach this guy a lesson today.”
…
As Zhang Fei arrived at the gate, before he could say a word, one of the guards standing there couldn’t endure it any longer and shouted that he wanted to challenge Zhang Fei.
It was not surprising.
Zhang Fei had brought more than twice the workload to the Kaifeng Prefectural Office.
No more holidays!
And it was freezing cold now.
After all, the guards are also human!
Fortunately, another guard held him back. “Zhang San, you should leave quickly. When my brother gets angry, nothing can stop him.”
Zhang Fei stubbornly shook his head. “I’m not leaving. After all, the last person who hit me had to pay a compensation of one hundred strings.”
There was silence in front of the gate…!
After a moment, Huang Gui came out and led Zhang Fei inside.
Today, Lu Gongzhu wasn’t here and only Li Kai was on duty.
“This is a matter concerning the Agricultural Affairs Bureau. What does it have to do with you?” Li Kai was furious.
This kind of thing was usually investigated by the censorate.
Zhang Fei said, “This evidence likely shows Director Wang’s motives.”
“His motives?” Li Kai was puzzled.
Zhang Fei sighed. “Actually, I’ve been thinking about something all this time. Director Wang had already restrained my ability to litigate in court, thereby regaining the face he lost when his nephew had to pay compensation. Why would he retaliate against me so viciously again?
Now I’ve found the reason. Look at the specific crimes mentioned in the letter; they all relate to the newly reformed housing tax policy. This policy has harmed Director Wang’s interests. This alone has caused Director Wang to lose more than five hundred strings.
And I was the one who came up with this policy. Although it also has a lot to do with Academician Wang, Director Wang wouldn’t dare to retaliate against Academician Wang. Therefore, he put all the blame on me, or perhaps he wants to use me as an example. This is his motive for acting against me. If we can prove this point, it will be advantageous to my case.”
Li Kai was completely baffled. This was too far-fetched, and it even implicated Wang Anshi. He couldn’t help but admire, “Kid, you’re really something. You can connect anything to yourself.”
Zhang Fei pretended to be innocent. “Don’t you agree, Vice-Prefect?”
Li Kai asked, “Is there anything else?”
“Not for now.” Zhang Fei shook his head.
Again ‘for now’? The only stopping Li Kai from hitting him was his decency. Taking a deep breath, he suddenly yelled, “Then why are you still standing here?”
“Yes, yes, yes! I’m leaving! I’m leaving!” Zhang Fei was frightened and quickly ran away.
Holding the evidence, Li Kai couldn’t help but laugh. He said to himself, “Wang Wenshan must have terrible luck to have provoked this guy!”
[1] The Imperial Army of the Song dynasty was split into Three Military Divisions, the palace command, the metropolitan cavalry command, and the metropolitan infantry command.
[2]Di Qing was a capable general who was viewed with suspicion amongst the civil officials. Some even blamed natural disasters on him. He was ultimately removed from his position on the Military Commission. Han Qi was a top-ranked, highly respected civil minister who has retired by the time of the story. We will see him make appearances in the future.