The moon rose above the treetops.
Yang Ge sat in the yamen of Luting County, leafing through the government’s public accounts of recent years.
Fang Ke rushed in and said, bowing, "Commandant, the count is complete. Including the on-duty clerks and constables, there are a total of seventy-six people, and only that little girl survived."
Yang Ge asked, "Have you examined the county magistrate’s body?"
Fang Ke replied, "It has been examined, and it is confirmed to be Geng Rong, the county magistrate of Luting County, without a doubt!"
Yang Ge set down the account book he was holding and sighed heavily, "This is a major incident indeed!"
Assassinating an official, no matter the dynasty or era, was never a trivial matter.
Besides the word ’assassinate’ being too jarring, which could agitate the fragile nerves of some guilty corrupt officials.
Another reason is that the suffix most commonly attached to this word is: rebellion!
And Lu Ting County borders the capital, its location quite sensitive too...
Glancing at Yang Ge, Fang Ke subtly moved two steps closer and said in a low voice, "Commandant, we have a witness who can prove that the villains who did the deed were brought into the yamen by Geng Rong himself. Even if those few villains in the prison refuse to confess, we can still charge Geng Rong with ’poor character judgment and associating with the wrong crowd’. Later we can issue several arrest warrants to catch those three who escaped... Then the blame will not fall on us!"
Yang Ge nodded, "I know, which is why I’ve arranged for extra protection for that girl. What I’m afraid of is that the higher-ups, failing one stratagem, might devise another, and conveniently pin this black pot on our heads, forcing a new round of the game!"
Although he had no evidence, his intuition kept telling him that the incident in Luting County was undoubtedly a battleground for the high officials in the court to engage in their power struggles.
In the absence of being able to lure skilled fighters from the Tartars into the capital to stir up trouble, pinning the assassination on the Embroidered Uniform Guards could equally muddy the waters!
The famous canyon relativity theorem states: ’If the opponent slows down, it’s as if we’re accelerating; if the opponent doesn’t earn, it’s as if we’ve earned.’
As long as Shen Fa and his faction of court nobles are in disarray, the opposing faction, even if they can’t succeed with flying colors, can take the opportunity to regroup and strengthen their forces!
Fang Ke observed the worry between Yang Ge’s brows and said softly, "Subordinate thinks that the big shots above might take this opportunity to distance themselves. After all, everyone has an idea of what’s really going on. If the turmoil continues, nobody will come out ahead."
Yang Ge looked at him sidelong and said, "Is that why you mumbled ’perhaps it’s not a bad thing’ when Gu Tong just now said the ringleader of the villains had escaped?"
Fang Ke gave an embarrassed smile.
Yang Ge bluntly said, "Naive! The initiative has been handed over to them, and you still hope they’ll show restraint? If they were the kind of people who knew when to advance and when to retreat, would things have gotten to this point?"
Today, both men had somewhat opened their hearts to each other, and Fang Ke didn’t pretend to be dumb or confused as before.
He said in a low voice, "Commandant, how the high and mighty struggle above is for them to worry about. To ordinary people, we may be officials, but to those big shots above, we’re nothing more than insignificant ants, easily crushed in an instant."
"So, in cases like this, if we suffer in silence, at worst we return home to tend to the horses for a few years; but if we truly challenge them, we could very well be erased from the household register!"
"We can’t always risk our fortunes and lives betting that the big shots will play by the rules, can we?"
"Doesn’t the old saying go ’nine out of ten gamblers lose’?"
"If the big shots really come after us, our families may not be able to protect us..."
These words were truly heartfelt.
Even Yang Ge couldn’t help but look at him with a different gaze.
He had thought that Fang Ke was on the third level while he was on the fifth.
Little did he expect that he was on the fifth level while Fang Ke had reached the stratosphere!
"Who taught you all these things?"
Yang Ge wondered, "With your age, if no one taught you, you could never have figured out these skills on your own!"
Fang Ke expressed his admiration by clasping his hands, "When it comes to age, aren’t you a few years younger than your subordinate, General Banner?"
Yang Ge shook his head, "We are different. I only appear young. As for misfortunes, I have walked a much longer path than you!"
Fang Ke said with a flattering smile, "No wonder I often feel that you resemble the thousand-household chief. It turns out it’s the tempering of worldly affairs."
Yang Ge suddenly remembered, "The thousand-household chief mentioned that you have been with him for two years. Given your current age... is your family part of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"
Fang Ke clasped his hands, "General Banner is quick-witted and can infer other things from one fact. Your subordinate is most impressed... My father, Fang Xiaotang, once served as a General Banner in the Central Division."
Yang Ge waved his hand, saying apologetically, "Your father is..."
If it was about succession, then since Fang Ke was in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, his father must have either retired already or passed away.
Fang Ke smiled indifferently, answering casually, "My father left this world three years ago; both the physician and the coroner’s conclusion was that he died of illness. But I have never understood how a healthy man, who could eat two pounds of mutton and wield a fifty-pound saber the night before, could be gone overnight, and from illness at that!"
Yang Ge realized what had happened and nodded apologetically, "I spoke out of turn!"
Fang Ke clasped his hands, "Not at all, you and the thousand-household chief are the kind of people that your subordinate admires the most. It’s just that I was born humble and cannot become like you or the thousand-household chief. I am ready to follow in your esteemed wake, to achieve greatness and to face death without regret!"
"Enough, stop flattering me!"
Yang Ge waved his hand, slowly saying, "What you just said, I agree with it. Wanting to protect oneself, wanting to live, there’s nothing wrong with that!"
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"But after all, we earn our keep from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Even if we can’t bring it glory, we certainly can’t be the ones to smash its pot, can we?"
Fang Ke was puzzled, "What does the chief mean...?"
Yang Ge’s expression became serious, speaking crisply, "What I mean is, we should protect ourselves, but I do not wish to carry the can!"
Fang Ke thought for a moment, then bowed, "Your subordinate is slow-witted, please enlighten me, General Banner..."
Yang Ge said, "Didn’t the bandit leader escape? Immediately take two small banners of brothers, make a big show of pursuing the bandit leader from the West City Gate, all the way until you meet up with the thousand-household chief... Tie the county government’s case with the case of the ambush on the Tartar master outside the city together!"
Fang Ke was stunned for two seconds, then clapped his hands, "Brilliant! This way, the higher-ups won’t blame us, and we of the Embroidered Uniform Guard can take the initiative in this matter!"
Yang Ge nodded, "Exactly. If anyone wants to pass the buck, they will have to reopen the case of the Tartar master entering the capital as well!"
He spread his hands and said, "It wouldn’t make sense for us, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, to be both colluding with the Tartar master entering the capital and obstructing his entry, right?"
Fang Ke bowed, "General Banner is wise, your subordinate is completely convinced!"
After all this talk, only this sentence was wholeheartedly sincere.
Yang Ge waved his hand, "Hurry up and do it, if we delay any longer, the thousand-household chief and his men will be back!"