Chapter 179: Don’t Blame Others for Seeking Their Own Death

County Magistrate Luo Wei and Clerk Zhao Ming had served as subordinate officials in Anqiu County for many years, amassing great wealth and even purchasing large houses in Qingzhou Prefecture. Yet they preferred to stay put there rather than move. Now, though they had originally planned to die there, both of them were urgently packing their things, having prepared for the worst.

Even if Zhang Yue was dissatisfied with their sudden departure, it wouldn’t matter much—they could simply stop holding those positions. Besides, no matter how powerful Zhang Yue’s backers might be, he couldn’t interfere with the Ministry of Personnel or the Censorate. If they couldn’t deal with the White Lotus Sect, they might not even achieve glory by doing so. Rather than being sacrificed by Zhang Yue, it was clearly better to flee.

Of course, they wouldn’t casually reveal Zhang Yue’s secret about the White Lotus Sect; they simply resolved to leave immediately. But greed never satisfies—having served as county magistrates and clerks in Anqiu for seven or eight years and owning land and houses elsewhere, they hadn’t expected to leave so soon. As a result, they struggled to pack their belongings quickly.

With paper money losing value by the day and copper coins becoming almost worthless, they had converted their earnings into gold, silver, or other valuable items—amassing several large chests full of valuables. Their wives refused to leave and, unable to persuade their husbands, insisted on taking along the heavy but valuable possessions at home. Thinking about their uncertain future and possibly only being able to remain wealthy men, Luo Wei and Zhao Ming, blinded by greed, agreed.

What started as simply closing the gates and packing things quickly turned into a huge commotion, soon known to all the clerks and servants in the yamen.

Almost none of those working in the county yamen were honest; each was scheming. Especially the old servants and officials who had relied on the yamen for years—seeing successive county magistrates leave while the magistrates and clerks remained in place, and now seeing these two leave before even a month had passed since Zhang Yue took office—who wouldn’t wonder or plot something?

Once they learned the details, those who had been hesitant immediately took sides. In public, they appeared energetic and efficient at work. Privately, not a single one offered help to see them off; instead, everyone rushed to show loyalty to Zhang Yue, most of them doing so to take advantage of their situation.

Especially during the breaks between the morning, noon, and evening sessions, the messengers and clerks seeking an audience with Zhang Yue formed long queues outside the three halls. Those who went in did so with trepidation, while those who came out walked with heads held high, eager that no one might miss their triumph.

As soon as an old clerk with gray hair entered, he knelt down with a thud and kowtowed three times firmly. “Sir, it was County Magistrate Luo who ordered me to claim illness and take leave. I have elders and children to support, and I dare not disobey him. I’m skilled in handling financial matters and will surely serve you well from now on.”

A young messenger, full of concern for Zhang Yue, said, “Sir, County Magistrate Luo and Clerk Zhao have been in Anqiu County for so many years; saying they possess vast wealth is an understatement. Their departure will surely bring great disaster. Sir, please don’t let them get away.”

A clerk in charge of the administrative office, one of Luo Wei’s confidants, was even more direct. With a smile, he took out a thick stack of account books from his bulky clothes, clearly having prepared them in advance. “Sir, I’ve kept some account books here. Please take a look and see if they can be useful.”

In just a few days, the chaotic situation in Anqiu County’s government office was beyond description to outsiders. Even Luo Wei and Zhao Ming, who thought Zhang Yue could do nothing to them, gradually grew anxious. They regretted not packing up their belongings and leaving right away, having heard their wives complain that packing such heavy items had taken too much time. Just as they finally finished packing their luggage and stepped out of the main gate of Zhongyi Fang, they saw Zhang Yue standing there, dressed in a dark green silk robe with a plain belt around his waist.

“As colleagues, it would be only proper for me to see County Magistrate Luo and Clerk Zhao off now that they’re leaving—perhaps even beyond the county borders. But after all, one must part ways after sending someone far away. It’s time to say goodbye. You two seem to be making quite a fuss with all this moving—looking at those dozen or so large carts. Tsk tsk, haven’t you thought about what the common people will say?”

If Zhang Yue had merely spoken harsh words, it might have been tolerable. But Luo Wei and Zhao Ming were highly resilient and wouldn’t get upset over such things. However, upon seeing the row of soldiers in blue cotton armor with swords at their waists behind Zhang Yue, they both gasped in shock, wondering if Zhang Yue was relying on his military connections to mobilize troops against them.

The moment Zhao Ming recalled the casual mention of the title “Duke of Britain” by the governor of Qingzhou, his legs began to tremble uncontrollably. After swallowing hard, he finally mustered the courage to speak: “Sir, I indeed was blind and offended you back then, but please do not forget—arbitrarily mobilizing troops to intercept imperial officials is a grave crime!”

Hearing Zhao Ming’s words, Luo Wei also straightened up abruptly, his tone taking on a defiant threat: “This is in broad daylight, with countless commoners around. Sir, please don’t misjudge the situation.”

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yue glanced at the long convoy and the dozens of people from both families, then looked at the surrounding onlookers. Many had an indescribable excitement on their faces, while others stared at him with worried expressions. He stepped aside, making room for a man who appeared to be an officer, his face still smiling.

“I hadn’t expected you two to care so much for me. It seems I truly owe you my thanks. Of course, I have no authority to mobilize troops privately, nor would I dare do so. This is Chen Qianhu from the Shandong Garrison of the Jinyiwei. It is said he has evidence of your corruption. What a coincidence that he arrived just as your family was preparing to leave.”

When Luo Wei and Zhao Ming heard that it was someone from the Jinyiwei’s Shandong Garrison, they were first in disbelief, then felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over them—too devastated to cry. How could they, with such meager merits, have drawn the attention of the Jinyiwei?

The onlookers were also in an uproar. Countless gasps were stifled in their throats. The Jinyiwei was notorious—even said to silence crying babies. Ordinary people had only heard of them but never seen them. Now, over a hundred of them had come to arrest corrupt officials like Luo Wei and Zhao Ming?

It wasn’t until those fierce soldiers tied them up, gagged them, and loaded them onto prison carts that the onlookers snapped out of their shock. Cheers erupted, while many cast angry glances at the families of Luo and Zhao. Seeing that men, women, and children alike were taken away, some children even picked up stones to throw at them, laughing and jumping. Eventually, even some adults joined in, and the Jinyiwei did nothing to stop them.

Seeing this, Zhang Yue took a deep breath to calm the slight sense of pity in his heart. These days, it was all about shared prosperity and shared misfortune. Usually, they had lived in comfort under Luo Wei and Zhao Ming’s protection, but once their pillars fell on hard times, they all became grasshoppers on the same string—nothing more. If he had been sidelined by those two or ended up like the unfortunate Qian Zhixian, he would at least be unable to hold his head high for life, and his parents would also suffer.

In this world, there were those who thought they were clever enough to outwit others, and those who knew when to act and retreat wisely.

Ma Cheng’s earlier words had clearly revealed his intentions. He knew he was a bit hasty, but in his view, since Zhang Yue had just taken control of the county’s power, he needed experienced local officials to help manage the situation. Even if he couldn’t be considered a lifeline in crisis, he was still better than those two who acted as if avoiding plague. Moreover, he had few bad records and had always been very restrained in seeking profit, so the county magistrate would likely keep him around.

So when Zhang Yue sent someone to inform him to join them in seeing off the prisoners that day, he naturally showed up. But now, standing among the cheering crowd, his legs trembled and he couldn’t say a word, repeatedly praying to his ancestors for protection. He had certainly thought Zhang Yue wouldn’t let those two off so easily, but who could have imagined their methods would be so ruthless?

Could little figures like Luo Wei and Zhao Ming even get out unscathed from the Jinyiwei’s prison?

He took deep breaths of the cold air, yet Ma Cheng still felt as if his chest was on fire. It wasn’t until someone stood in front of him that he snapped out of it and hurriedly bowed respectfully, saying, “My lord.”

Zhang Yue glanced around. Seeing some people chasing after the Luo and Zhao families being taken away and others discussing things on the spot, he signaled Ma Cheng and headed toward the yamen. By now, Ma Cheng already saw Zhang Yue as a merciless killer and didn’t dare defy him in the slightest, so he hurriedly followed. The two went to the study. Ma Cheng slouched in his chair before it even warmed up, and when he saw Peng Shisan close the door behind them, he felt short of breath.

“You needn’t panic. If Luo Wei and Zhao Ming were merely corrupt, it wouldn’t warrant the attention of the Jinyiwei. This county has ten patrol soldiers and thirty soldiers under direct command—I only received a report from the Jinyiwei yesterday. Over the past few years, Luo and Zhao have forged documents, claiming their weapons needed to be replaced, and have exchanged three batches of 120 sets of weapons in total. Yet those weapons have vanished without a trace. Just this alone is enough for a death sentence, not to mention their involvement in illegal salt trading in Jiaolai. They’re seeking their own doom. Your mistakes are trivial; there’s no need to be so fearful.”
Even secret matters like swapping soldiers’ weapons and trafficking in illegal salt were known to Zhang Yue? Ma Cheng had heard some rumors about Luo and Zhao’s actions, and now he felt his head throbbing, truly worried about his own schemes. As a result, no matter what Zhang Yue said afterward, he merely nodded repeatedly. When it came time to leave, he stumbled across the threshold and nearly fell.