Judge of the Song Dynasty

Fan Zheng and the others’ warnings did not make Zhang Fei change his original plan. It was truly a case of knowingly walking into danger.

Three days later, the Fan Family Bookstore reopened, launching a new tax accounting service. Early in the morning, at the Pen-in-Cap Alley, a brand-new sign was slowly hoisted up. From today onwards, the Fan Family Bookstore would be officially renamed “Bianjing Law Firm.” Zhang Fei had decided to come up with a modern name without clinging to ancient aesthetics.

Given the current situation, the term “Bookstore” could no longer convey what Zhang Fei wanted to express. Of course, Zhang Fei had another small intention: to change his nickname. Many commoners, out of respect, had started calling him Pen-in-cap Zhang, which sounded like “penis cap” to him. Moreover, the term pen-in-cap tended to imply a lowly status especially when used by officials.

Suddenly, the air was filled with the sound of gongs and drums, and firecrackers went off simultaneously. The alley was crowded with people and smoke.

“Zhang San! Congratulations!”

“Thank you! Thank you!”

“Sorry! Sorry!”

“Not at all! Not at all!”…

“Mogul Fei, congratulations!”

“Thank you! Thank you! Please come in! Quickly, please come inside.”… All the prominent merchants of Bianjing had come to offer their congratulations, but they only congratulated Zhang Fei before heading into the Fei Family Bookstore across the street or the Li Family Bookstore diagonally opposite. Fan Li, who was dressed festively, looked at the guests who passed by without entering and couldn’t help but feel ashamed. He turned his face away, not bothering to greet them. Only Zhang Fei, smiling like a fool, continued to greet familiar faces. He firmly believed that as long as he wasn’t embarrassed, the others would be.

And indeed, some merchants who knew Zhang Fei walked past the Bianjing Law Firm with their heads down, pretending not to see it. It turned out that Li Guozhong and six other major bookstores had launched identical tax accounting services simultaneously. Each bookstore handled tax accounting for specific industries, appearing meticulous and professional. In reality, accountants from the Capital Merchants Tax Bureau were stationed at these bookstores, essentially expanding the bureau’s territory.

The Tax Bureau would naturally recognize taxes calculated by its own accountants. This move was clearly aimed at Zhang Fei. If it were merely tax accounting, the Three Financial Bureaus wouldn’t be so wary, treating it as supplementary. In the Song Dynasty, many private businesses existed to support government-run enterprises, which is why the Three Financial Bureaus had far greater control over the populace than the Kaifeng Prefectural Office, which had administrative and judicial powers.

Money was key, and Zhang Fei’s integration of tax accounting with the law, ensuring fair tax enforcement, was seen as an infringement on power. The Three Financial Bureaus wouldn’t allow themselves to be restrained by Zhang Fei or any other bookstore.

Thus, the Three Financial Bureaus stationed their own accountants to handle the tax accounting business, rather than letting the bookstores handle it themselves. This also ensured that if any trouble arose, it would be the bookstores who would take the blame.

For Li Guozhong and his peers, although the business wasn’t theirs and they had to allocate space and assume some responsibility, they were happy to do so. With the backing of the Three Financial Bureaus, they no longer needed to fear Zhang Fei.

Previously, they were all wary of Zhang Fei moving into the Fan Family Bookstore. Now, with the support of the Three Financial Bureaus, merchants naturally flocked to their bookstores for many business dealings.

Settling matters privately was the best solution. Going to court would damage too many relationships.

“Brother San, how could such a small tax accounting business attract so many people? They’re clearly trying to make us look bad!” Fan Li saw all the merchants, big and small, in Bianjing coming to offer congratulations and knew it wasn’t because of their influence, which paled compared to the real estate business. It was evident that someone at the top had orchestrated this.

Zhang Fei laughed and said, “Mogul, how many times have I told you to look at the bigger picture? A booming business in this field is good for us too.”

Fan Li grumbled, “What good? I don’t see it.”

Zhang Fei chuckled, “If the Three Financial Bureaus start this trend today, they’ll have no choice but to watch when our business thrives in the future.”

Fan Li snorted, “Who in Bianjing would dare to cooperate with us now? Collaborating with us means their business will suffer. It’s a miracle if we don’t close down.”

Zhang Fei smiled, “Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west. Who knows?”

As they were chatting, an amiable old man walked through the crowd toward the Bianjing Law Firm. Zhang Fei quickly stepped forward, clasping his hands in salute, “Zhang Fei greets Academician Sima.”

The old man was none other than Sima Guang. Sima Guang glanced around and chuckled, “It’s lively here!”

Zhang Fei recognized Sima Guang’s teasing and awkwardly smiled, “Academician, forgive the modest setup.”

Sima Guang waved his hand, “No need! No need! I’m here for the show.”

Fan Li’s face turned ashen. How many people had this fellow offended for even an esteemed academician to come and watch his embarrassment?

Zhang Fei laughed heartily, “If it is of entertainment to you, this opening is worth it.”

Sima Guang, slightly curious, asked, “You don’t seem worried at all?”

Zhang Fei smiled, “It’s clear who’s fearful. Why should I worry?”

Sima Guang stroked his beard and smiled, “Well said!”

“Academician, please come inside.”

Sima Guang nodded and was about to enter when he noticed the sign. “Law Firm? What’s the significance behind the change in terminology?”

Zhang Fei smiled, “A law firm serves the law.”

“Serving the law.” Sima Guang nodded slightly, “A fine sentiment, consistent with your courtroom style. This isn’t just about litigation anymore.”

The two entered the shop, its interior quite different from typical bookstores, resembling a teahouse with private rooms and booths.

Curious, Sima Guang asked, “Is this still a bookstore? It looks more like a teahouse.”

“It’s not a bookstore, but a law firm,” Zhang Fei explained. “As I said, we serve the law, so our shop must prioritize service. These spaces are for entertaining clients; the back is for office work.”

“I see!” Sima Guang nodded, understanding some of the subtleties. “You’re planning to expand, aren’t you?” Creating such a large service area indicated a potential for handling many clients simultaneously.

Zhang Fei laughed, “There’s no choice. Grand Academician Sima is reforming the judiciary, and I must keep up!”

Sima Guang glanced around and said, “This idea was yours, wasn’t it?”

Zhang Fei nodded, “What do you think of it?”

Sima Guang frowned slightly, “I’ve studied it closely in recent days, and there’s a difficult issue.”

“What issue?” Zhang Fei asked.

“You often mention the word ‘professionalism.’ If we only implement this in the capital, it’s feasible due to the talent pool here. But to spread it nationwide would require many legal experts. Our dynasty has no shortage of officials, but not enough to meet this reform. Without nationwide implementation, the reform loses its significance.”

This old man had a deep understanding of political systems, far surpassing Xu Zun and even Wang Anshi. He immediately spotted the key difference between Zhang Fei’s reform plan and the current system. The current system had many departments supervising each other, with skilled leaders and subordinates following orders.

Zhang Fei’s system required highly professional personnel, even court runners needed high qualifications. Zhang Fei said, “Talent is the key to perfection. If you seek perfect reform, specialization and professionalization is inevitable.”

“I know that too,” Sima Guang nodded. “My plan is to select young officials for training at the College of National Scions’ Law Academy and then assign them to various regions.”

“That’s a good idea,” Zhang Fei agreed. The College of National Scions indeed had specialized schools for law, mathematics, medicine, and more. The Song Dynasty excelled in civil governance.

People with strong technical skills like Zhang Fei had paths to officialdom without taking exams, though their advancement was limited.

Reaching high ranks required exceptional talent, as exemplified by figures like Sima Guang and Wang Anshi, both experts in law, the former excelling in politics and the latter in classical studies.

Sima Guang continued, “But I hope you’ll lecture at the law academy.”

“Me?” Zhang Fei was surprised.

Sima Guang nodded.

Zhang Fei laughed, “Academician Sima, you want a mere pen-in-cap to lecture officials and scholars? You’re setting a trap for me!”

Sima Guang snorted, “In court, you’ve bested the Chief Censor, Ministry of Punishments officials, and judges. This small challenge won’t trip you up.”

“Thank you for the compliment!” Zhang Fei smiled awkwardly. “But I feel weird just thinking about giving a lecture. Why not have my benefactor lecture? His legal insights are unparalleled.” ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ novelFirｅ.net

“Your benefactor isn’t your match,” Sima Guang retorted.

“……?” Zhang Fei countered, “Law requires a solid foundation. If the foundation is weak…”

Before he could finish, Sima Guang interrupted, “Don’t worry about the basics. The key is that only you understand how the system works and what they need to know. No one else can replace you.”

After a moment’s consideration, Zhang Fei said, “I’ll think about it.”

“Think about it?” Sima Guang looked displeased.

“Can’t I consider it?” Zhang Fei grumbled.

Sima Guang shook his head stubbornly, “If you don’t agree, I can’t petition His Majesty lightly. If it fails, I can’t bear the responsibility.”

He was meticulous and wouldn’t act without thorough preparation. Zhang Fei’s proposed system had many aspects he didn’t fully understand, especially the prosecution component. He knew litigation but not Zhang Fei’s methods. Moreover, court cases were relatively rare in this day and age.

Did the prosecution serve the government, the people, or justice? And what was its relationship with the judiciary. These ambiguities puzzled him.

Yet, Sima Guang believed prosecution was the crux of the proposed system. Removing it would leave little difference from the current system, just that there would be a separation of administrative and judicial functions.

Zhang Fei would be a foremost prosecutor, acknowledged even by his detractors. His proposal to provide tax accounting services had alarmed the Three Financial Bureaus, not because of the tax accounting but because of his guarantee of fairness.

Wait! My firm needs staff. I could offer internships, funded by the government, with them working for me. That’s a good idea.

After some thought, Zhang Fei nodded, “If you ensure I won’t be beaten, I’ll agree.”

“Deal,” Sima Guang chuckled.

At that moment, Fan Li hurried in, “Brother San, someone wants to sue.”

“Who?” Zhang Fei asked, surprised.

“It’s me!” A man in his thirties, dressed in plain clothes, entered. He was handsome, with a refined demeanor and three thin mustaches—a striking gentleman.

Sima Guang, delighted, exclaimed, “Su Shi.”

Su Shi? The name sounded familiar to Zhang Fei, who paused in realization.

The man greeted Sima Guang, “Su Shi greets Academician Sima.”

“Master Dongpo?!” Zhang Fei exclaimed.

Su Shi looked at Zhang Fei and asked, “Who’s Dongpo?”[1]

“Uh…”

[1]Su Shi was a famous poet who went by the art name “Master Dongpo”.