The Great Kang dynasty had stood for several centuries. The officialdom was deeply intertwined with roots and branches, and social classes had become almost completely fixed.
Real positions of power were almost entirely monopolised by powerful aristocratic families, who occupied more than ninety percent of them.
A scholar from a humble background could consider himself extremely fortunate if he managed to become a mere county magistrate. It would be as if his ancestors’ graves were emitting green smoke.
Xie Xiguang’s rise to the position of prefect of Guangyuan naturally had someone supporting him from behind.
The people behind him had sent him to Guangyuan with one condition: to help deal with Jin Feng.
However, he had never found the right opportunity before, so Xie Xiguang had held back from acting.
Now, with Zhang Liang carrying out large-scale bandit suppression across western and northern Sichuan, seriously threatening the interests of the family behind Xie Xiguang, the powerful figures sent him a message to take action.
Before coming to Guangyuan, Xie Xiguang had already anticipated that such a day would come, so he had prepared in advance. When he finally struck, it was a ruthless move. He directly drove the Jinchuan Trading Company and the Zhen Yuan Escort Agency out of Guangyuan City.
But he truly had not expected that the trading company and the escort agency would set up shop again so quickly outside the city gates.
Moreover, their business was doing even better than when they were inside the city.
As a result, Xie Xiguang’s entire plan fell completely apart.
“Prefect, sir, how about I take some men out of the city and find an excuse to smash up the new shop of the Jinchuan Trading Company?” the newly appointed commander of the prefectural troops asked with a fawning tone.
When Commander Xiao was still in office, this man had been only a small squad leader. Because of his usual lazy attitude, Commander Xiao had not taken him along when he escorted the Ninth Princess to western Sichuan.
That had saved him from disaster.
Later, when Xie Xiguang arrived to take over as prefect, the squad leader immediately attached himself and flattered him.
Xie Xiguang, newly arrived and in need of trusted subordinates, saw that the man was good at talking and made him acting commander for the time being.
This thrilled the squad leader so much that he immediately kowtowed and swore loyalty to Xie Xiguang.
From then on, Xie Xiguang fully controlled the prefectural troops.
The former squad leader now followed Xie Xiguang’s every lead.
This time, harassing the escorts and the trading company was the first task Xie Xiguang had given him, so he took it extremely seriously.
The order to have all the goods of the Jinchuan Trading Company opened and inspected came from him.
To show his loyalty, he now proactively came forward with a suggestion to go and cause trouble for the Jinchuan Trading Company.
But Xie Xiguang refused the commander’s proposal. “Jin Feng is just a crude military labourer. We have already done what we could. There is no need to keep clashing to the death with a madman. Write back to the western Sichuan side that this matter ends here.”
As prefect of Guangyuan, Xie Xiguang was still a significant official in his own right. Apart from the support of his family behind him, he himself was a capable man.
Although the Xie family’s influence in the capital was not as great as that of the Duke Qing family, it was still considered a major clan.
By helping the powerful figures of western Sichuan drive the Zhen Yuan Escort Agency and the Jinchuan Trading Company out of Guangyuan City, Xie Xiguang had already fulfilled the exchange of interests.
There was no deep grudge between the Xie family and Jin Feng. There was no need to offend him to the point of no return.
That man was ruthless enough to kill even Xue Henglu. What if he came back with a group of escorts and chopped up everyone in the prefect’s residence?
In this round of cake-sharing among the powerful figures of western Sichuan, the Xie family had received only a small share. After thinking it over carefully, Xie Xiguang decided not to wade further into these muddy waters.
Although the commander was somewhat dissatisfied with Xie Xiguang’s decision, he still bowed obsequiously, took the handwritten note from Xie Xiguang, and left.
The next day, the powerful figures far away in western Sichuan received Xie Xiguang’s letter.
“This Xie Xiguang is nothing but an ungrateful white-eyed wolf. Without us, how could he have become prefect of Guangyuan?” Fat Master Xu fumed when he learned that Xie Xiguang refused to interfere any further. “Now he even dares to put on airs with us!”
“Master Xu, my third brother became prefect through his own ability. What support did your Xu family actually give him?” one of the Xie family members present immediately objected with a cold laugh. “Please, Master Xu, explain clearly.”
“Our Xu family did not make trouble for your Xie family. That in itself is support for your Xie family and for Xie Xiguang!” Fat Master Xu retorted. “What, do you think once Xie Xiguang sits in the prefect’s seat everything is settled? The people here can put him up there, and we can also pull him down!”
“Master Xu, does your Xu family not have any prefects or magistrates of its own?” the Xie family member said coldly. “Let me put it plainly today. If you dare pull my third brother down from the position of prefect of Guangyuan, I will deal with two of your Xu family’s prefects in return!”
“Seventh Master Xie, are you threatening our Xu family?” Fat Master Xu exploded at once.
“You, Fat Xu, were the one who threatened our Xie family first!” The Xie family member refused to back down an inch.
“That is only because your Xie family handled things poorly!” Fat Master Xu sneered. “Everyone says Xie Xiguang is talented, but I really cannot see where his talent lies. With Jin Feng not even present, he cannot even handle a single escort agency and trading company. If it were me, I would have jumped into the river out of shame long ago.”
“At least my third brother managed to drive the Jinchuan Trading Company and the escort agency out of Guangyuan City. What about you, Fat Xu? Apart from spending your days in brothels chasing prostitutes and doing filthy things, what else can you do? What have you actually accomplished?” The Xie family member sneered. “You, Fat Xu, want to compare yourself to my third brother? Go piss in a mirror and take a good look at yourself!”
“Seventh Master Xie, you are courting death!” Fat Master Xu rolled up his sleeves at once.
The Xie family member also grabbed a bench in response.
“Enough! Both of you shut your mouths!” The eunuch seated at the head of the table slammed the table and shouted when he saw the two were about to fight. “I called you here to discuss countermeasures, not to watch you make fools of yourselves! If you want to fight, wait until this business is finished, then do whatever you like!”
The eunuch was not only the imperial envoy sent by the emperor to deliver the decree, but also held another identity. He was the leader of this secret operation by the powerful clique.
Seeing that the eunuch was truly angry, Fat Master Xu and the Xie family member both shut their mouths and backed down at the same time.
“Xie Xiguang’s handling of this matter was indeed somewhat perfunctory, but he has only recently arrived in Guangyuan. It is truly not suitable for him to act too aggressively,” Lord Zhou said slowly while stroking his goatee. “Now that Xie Xiguang has made it clear he will no longer get involved, we can only find another way.”
“Does Lord Zhou have a brilliant plan?” one of the powerful figures asked with clasped hands.
“It is not exactly a brilliant plan. It is just that everyone seems to have forgotten that we have more than one means arranged in Guangyuan besides Xie Xiguang.”
Lord Zhou smiled as he reminded them. “Have you all forgotten about Cai Liuyang?”
“Yes! Cai Liuyang went to Jinchuan to become county magistrate.”
The other powerful figures’ eyes lit up when they heard this.
Xie Xiguang had the Xie family as his backer. Even if he handled things perfunctorily, they could not do anything to him.
But Cai Liuyang was different.
Although the Cai family in Jiangnan could be considered wealthy, they had no real foundation. The most successful ancestor was Cai Liuyang’s grandfather, who had only been a deputy county magistrate.
To these powerful figures, the Cai family was insignificant and easy to control.
If Cai Liuyang dared to disobey, they could replace him at any time.
Moreover, West River Bay fell under the jurisdiction of Jinchuan. It would be extremely easy for Cai Liuyang, as county magistrate, to make things difficult for West River Bay.
“Someone, immediately write a letter to Cai Liuyang.”
The eunuch at the head of the table waved his hand and gave the order.
