Chapter 98: From Then On, the Privy Treasury Stood Empty

Yuan Zai sat there, wooden and dazed, unable to comprehend that Feng Du, a man who wielded absolute power in Xiuwu County, was so incredibly wary of Ye Chang.

He had originally assumed that as an official, and with Ye Chang being a mere commoner, managing Ye Chang upon his arrival in Xiuwu would be no more difficult than crushing an ant.

Yet, this was the reality!

Not only was he unable to do anything to Ye Chang, but his attempt to make things difficult for him on his very first day had resulted in a retaliation that left his own reputation in tatters.

In his heart, he understood that even if he survived this ordeal, his status in Xiuwu County would be crippled. The subordinates and commoners below him, along with his superiors and colleagues, would no longer hold him in any regard. As for the rural folk, even if he were to flaunt the authority of a County Lieutenant, what would it amount to?

His reputation and prestige in Xiuwu County were effectively destroyed.

"This Ye Chang... his methods are truly this... vicious?"

"It is not just that his methods are vicious; you must understand that he has powerful backing!"

"Is it not just... just the retired Guest of Honor, He? And Han Chaozong could barely be considered..."

"In Chang'an, he has cultivated ties with Princess Yuzhen and the Twenty-Ninth Princess. It is said that even the one in the palace has received his gifts!" County Magistrate Feng Du rebuked him. "You feuded with him in Chang'an; how could you not know such things?"

Yuan Zai knew, of course, but he had believed that the Emperor was far away and that the powerful figures in the capital could not reach into Xiuwu County. Furthermore, he was skeptical about just how much help Princess Yuzhen or the Twenty-Ninth Princess could actually provide Ye Chang.

"Hmph, Yuan Gongfu, being an official is not as easy as you imagined." Seeing Yuan Zai remain silent, Feng Du lectured him with the weary air of a veteran.

He had more to say that he kept to himself.

The incident involving the loss of Yuan Zai’s official seal had been instigated by him from behind the scenes, yet Ye Chang had used a minor scheme to force the thief, Wen Tailai, to return it. This matter left Feng Du deeply wary of Ye Chang; he felt that if he did not have the opportunity to destroy Ye Chang in one strike, the backlash would be troublesome and could even lead to his own ruin.

If even a veteran magistrate like himself dared not retaliate against Ye Chang, let alone a novice like Yuan Zai who had never held a local post before!

Overestimating his own capabilities!

That was his assessment of Yuan Zai. However, there was never a good relationship between a magistrate and his lieutenant in this world. Since his own prospects for promotion were dim and he would likely have to serve another term in Xiuwu, it was actually a good thing to have a subordinate with a weakness he could exploit.

"Therefore, when you see Ye Eleven later, you must be careful about what you say and what you do not," Feng Du added.

"Yes, yes, this subordinate... will follow your instructions!" Yuan Zai gritted his teeth.

The strategy Feng Du had given Yuan Zai was simple: "The one who tied the bell must be the one to untie it."

Ye Chang would never admit to setting the trap, but in Feng Du’s estimation, only Ye Chang could resolve the predicament Yuan Zai currently faced.

"Ye Chang requests an audience." Just as Yuan Zai was lost in thought, a bailiff entered to report.

"Invite him in, quickly," Feng Du commanded.

He not only used the word "invite," but Feng Du also walked to the door to welcome him. With him doing so, no matter how much Yuan Zai struggled internally, he had to follow behind him to the doorway.

A moment later, he saw Ye Chang.

Compared to their meeting days ago, Ye Chang had not changed; he was still dressed in a thick coat and wore the same smile. As soon as Yuan Zai saw him, hatred welled up from the bottom of his heart.

It took all his effort to keep that hatred from appearing on his face.

"I came immediately upon receiving the Magistrate’s summons. I wonder what instruction the Magistrate has for me?" Ye Chang acted as if he did not see Yuan Zai, bowing directly to Feng Du.

"Brother Eleven is too polite." Feng Du showed no sign of resentment, stepping forward to clasp his arm warmly. "Between us, there is no need for such formalities. Come, come, it is cold outside, let us go in and talk."

In the center of the room was a stove burning coal. The three sat around it; there was no sense of hierarchy. Feng Du laughed, "This honeycomb coal is also a masterpiece of yours, Brother Eleven. Your various initiatives benefit both the country and the people; you are truly a blessing to this region."

Ye Chang smiled, "Just minor strategies, nothing worth mentioning."

"They may be nothing to Brother Eleven, but to others, they are matters of livelihood," Feng Du said. "That is why, in Xiuwu and the surrounding areas, whenever there is a difficult matter, people love to seek your advice. I heard that last year, around the eighth or ninth month, there was a dispute over an ox in Wuzhi County between an uncle and his nephew; was that also resolved by you?"

"It was merely a family matter; even an upright official finds such things hard to judge. I just managed to reconcile them."

"Brother Eleven is too modest. Wuzhi is a neighboring county, but in our own, the previous official seal of the Junior Magistrate Yuan—if not for you, I fear it would have been lost."

Feng Du mentioned this with total composure. Ye Chang was slightly surprised, knowing full well that it was this very Magistrate Feng who had instigated Wen Tailai to steal the seal!

"The weather is nice today..."

Though surprised, Ye Chang did not take the bait, instead diverting the conversation to the weather.

Once he started, he went from the current weather to the winter that had just passed, and then to how the weather would affect next year's harvest... He spoke incessantly, covering astronomy, geography, meteorology, and the environment for a full hour, leaving Feng Du no room to interject.

Yuan Zai initially did not understand why, but soon it became clear: Ye Chang knew full well why Feng Du had summoned him and was deliberately avoiding the topic!

Thinking of himself sitting there, forcing a smile while listening to Ye Chang’s nonsense, Yuan Zai felt restless. Several times he wanted to leave, but was stopped by Feng Du’s stern gaze.

Feng Du kept a smile on his face throughout; Yuan Zai began to wonder if his face would cramp from smiling.

Finally, Feng Du found an opening and interrupted Ye Chang’s rambling: "Brother Eleven, we invited you here today because there is a matter that needs your help. You cannot show favoritism; you helped Yuan Gonglu and the ox-herders in the neighboring county, yet you will not help me!"

Ye Chang gave a cold laugh: "Magistrate, you jest. You hold the court's commission and oversee the entire county; how could there be anything I could help with!"

"Before we discuss the matter, Junior Magistrate Yuan, you must first apologize to Brother Eleven." Feng Du understood Ye Chang's meaning and glanced at Yuan Zai.

Yuan Zai gritted his teeth; he felt that he had been gritting his teeth too much these past two days, and his jaw felt like it was about to shatter. He stood up and bowed to Ye Chang: "I apologize to Brother Ye."

He was a court-appointed official and older than Ye Chang; by rights, Ye Chang should have dodged the bow. Instead, Ye Chang sat there grandly, waiting until the gesture was finished before rising as if he had just realized what happened: "Oh my, how could I dare accept a bow from a Junior Magistrate?"

"Gongfu is new here and was deceived by small-minded people, not intending to make things difficult for you. He owes you this courtesy." Seeing Yuan Zai's state, Feng Du could not help but feel a sense of pity. "Brother Eleven, now that things are out in the open, I am acting as the peacemaker. Why don't you two resolve your old grievances?"

"I have never had any old grievances with Junior Magistrate Yuan; it seems it is the Junior Magistrate who has grievances with me," Ye Chang replied.

"Gongfu!" Feng Du knew Ye Chang would not let Yuan Zai off easily, so he signaled him.

Yuan Zai no longer had the strength to even hate Ye Chang.

He only hated himself for not learning his lesson—having suffered repeatedly at Ye Chang's hands, why did he still insist on provoking him!

He was a man who knew how to bend and stretch. He gritted his teeth and bowed to Ye Chang again: "Brother Ye Eleven, I am defeated. I swear here: if I ever trouble you again, may Heaven despise me and the Earth abandon me!"

This was a poisonous oath. In an era where such vows were as common as toothache remedies, this held little weight, but in this time, such an oath was still quite intimidating.

If he were a man of this era, he might have believed it, but unfortunately for Yuan Zai, he was dealing with Ye Chang.

Ye Chang had seen shameless people treat oaths like candy; in his heart, Yuan Zai was no different. Naturally, his oath was completely untrustworthy.

"Junior Magistrate, your words make me feel unworthy. You are a dignified official with plenty of people running errands for you; I am a mere commoner, without power or status, how could I dare accept this?"

"Ye... Brother Ye Eleven, what exactly do you want before you are willing to let me go?"

"That is exactly what I should be asking you. What exactly do you want before you are willing to let me go?"

The two were at a stalemate, and it seemed they were about to argue, but fortunately, Feng Du stepped in again.

"I will act as a guarantor for Yuan Gongfu. How does that sound, Brother Eleven?"

Ye Chang stared at the smiling Feng Du for a long time before laughing: "Magistrate Feng is the head of the county; if you have orders, how could I dare disobey?"

It was "dare not disobey," not "willingly obey"—the distinction was significant. Feng Du did not mind; he did not need Ye Chang and Yuan Zai to bury the hatchet. It was better for him if there was conflict between them so he could play both sides.

"In that case, give us an idea on how to resolve the current crisis for Yuan Gongfu."

Yuan Zai looked up at Ye Chang, filled with longing. As long as Ye Chang was willing to let him off the hook, he was truly willing to repent and never oppose him again.

Ye Chang lowered his head in thought, as if pondering a strategy. After a long while, his eyes lit up and he looked up.

Yuan Zai thought he had found a solution and was overjoyed.

"What crisis?" The four words Ye Chang uttered nearly made Feng Du and Yuan Zai explode with rage.

He clearly knew everything, and he was the one who had engineered the result, yet now he was pretending to be innocent!

Though angry, they had no choice but to continue smiling, otherwise, all their previous efforts would be wasted.

"Brother Eleven, you really don't know? It's like this..." Feng Du began. Yuan Zai felt grateful, but as he spoke, Feng Du changed his tone: "Since Junior Magistrate Yuan is the person involved, he should explain it to you himself."

Yuan Zai was left speechless. Was Feng Du colluding with Ye Chang to play him for a fool?

He was a very shrewd man; it was only his lack of experience that had caused him to suffer repeatedly at Ye Chang's hands. Upon reflection, he realized that this was still Feng Du forcing him to lower his head to Ye Chang, to let Ye Chang vent his anger.

If Ye Chang’s anger was not vented, this matter would never be resolved.

"It was my own foolishness. I heard that Wolong Valley had unique scenery, so I took Lu Yan there to see it, only to be kidnapped by bandits on the way..."

Yuan Zai shamelessly explained the situation, emphasizing that those "bandits" were just there to pay a late New Year's visit to Ye Chang, which Ye Chang naturally denied. Yuan Zai did not dwell on this point; he simply laid out his own humiliating experience in front of the person he detested most.

After listening, Ye Chang laughed twice: "So that is how it is. What do you want me to do?"

"Naturally, how to resolve this trouble for Yuan Gongfu."

"Ah, this is something beyond my power." Ye Chang looked at Yuan Zai with a sly smile: "How could I interfere in the private matters of the Junior Magistrate’s residence? However, regarding the rumors spreading outside, I do have an idea—why doesn't the government come forward to dispel them?"

This was absolutely a trap!

Since ancient times, government attempts to dispel rumors only made them spread faster; often, things that were originally rumors became facts once the government tried to "dispel" them. Moreover, the current matter was not something that should be made public; if the government dispelled the rumors, wouldn't it spread even further?

"I ask Brother Eleven to think again..."

"Then let me think... why not strike at the root?"

"What do you mean?"

"The woman, Hong, is the source of the rumors. She comes to find the Junior Magistrate for nothing more than money. If the Junior Magistrate gives her more money, and the Magistrate sternly reprimands her, she will be afraid, and having already gained profit, she will surely drop the matter and return home. Once she leaves, the rumors will dissolve on their own."

Feng Du and Yuan Zai exchanged a look; Yuan Zai was surprised.

Why hadn't he thought of such a simple solution, instead letting Ye Chang hold it over them for so long!

Yuan Zai did not notice the cold sneer that flashed across Feng Du's face.

How could Feng Du not have thought of this solution? He was not an inexperienced novice like Yuan Zai!

If he had proposed this method directly, Yuan Zai would have felt little gratitude and might even have blamed him for not solving the problem sooner, letting it become a city-wide scandal!

But now it was different. By begging Ye Chang in front of him, no matter how cold-hearted Yuan Zai was, he had to accept this favor. Ye Chang played the villain, and Feng Du played the hero—why wouldn't he do it?

As for Yuan Zai not thinking of this method, it was partly because he was trapped in the situation and partly because he lacked the experience to handle such sudden emergencies.

"A good plan, a good plan, truly worthy of Brother Eleven." Feng Du gave Ye Chang a thumbs up.

Ye Chang also sneered in his heart. He had guessed most of Feng Du's intentions, but if the matter continued to escalate, it would force Yuan Zai into a desperate struggle, which did not serve his interests.

The timing was just right; from now on, Yuan Zai would have no more power in Xiuwu County.

More importantly, Yuan Zai’s own household would inevitably be in flames. His biggest trouble was not the woman Hong, but his wife, Madame Wang!

"In that case, I will take my leave," Ye Chang said, cupping his hands.

Yuan Zai, wanting only to end his scandal as quickly as possible, did not think deeply. Feng Du stood up to see him off, and after returning, he smiled at Yuan Zai: "Whether you follow Ye Chang's plan is entirely up to you, Gongfu."

"This... this... I am short on funds. I wonder if the Magistrate could lend me some..." Yuan Zai said, feeling incredibly embarrassed.

Without money, there was no way to send the woman Hong away. As for killing her in prison, Feng Du would never risk it; he and Yuan Zai did not have that kind of relationship. Thus, Yuan Zai had no choice but to swallow his pride and borrow money to resolve the disaster.

Feng Du readily agreed. The matter was finally settled; the woman Hong took the money and, fearing Feng Du's threats, obediently left. Yuan Zai sighed in relief and dragged his tired body back to his residence. As soon as he entered, he felt an unusual silence. When he asked, he couldn't help but stomp his feet and sigh heavily.

Wang Yunxiu had left without a word, returning to her parents' home!