Chapter 22: Bullying the Officials

In the second hall of the Gongzhou Prefecture, Hou San knelt on the ground, his leg wounds already treated, but the prolonged kneeling caused the wounds to continue oozing blood. Listening to the sound of the boards hitting bodies and the intermittent cries of pain from outside, Hou San did not dare to move. After escaping, he did not dare to return to the manor but directly delivered the young master to the prefecture. After reporting the incident, the master was furious, and several people were beaten with boards. However, seeing that Hou San was injured, he was spared the beating and only punished with kneeling.

After an unknown amount of time, the cries of pain outside gradually diminished. A duty officer came in to light the candles in the hall. Prefect Chen Tang then entered, sat on the grand chair with a stern face, and a duty officer carefully served him tea before quietly leaving.

Chen Tang picked up the cup, used the lid to skim off the foam, and sipped the tea. Looking at the person kneeling on the ground, the extinguished flames of anger reignited. His son, the prefect's son, was beaten until his nose and face were bruised and even wet his pants from fear. How could he survive in the official world in the future? The more he looked, the angrier he became. He suddenly splashed the tea onto Hou San's face. The scalding tea made Hou San shudder, but he did not dare to wipe the water from his face, only continuously bowing his head.

"Sir, the eldest young master has taken his medicine and is now asleep, with no serious issues!" The steward of the prefecture entered to report.

"Hmm, has Zhang Yan arrived?" Chen Tang nodded, his expression slightly easing as he asked.

"Zhang Baozheng has arrived and is waiting outside. I will call him in immediately!" The steward said and then instructed the duty officer to summon him.

"Brother-in-law, is my nephew okay?" As he spoke, a man entered from outside. If seen from behind, he appeared normal, but his face was unsightly, with a crooked mouth, slanted eyes, and a glass eye. He looked like a villain but tried to appear refined, wearing a scholar's cap and robe, with two rat-like whiskers on his chin.

"Hmm, sit down!" Chen Tang frowned slightly, allowing him to sit. This brother-in-law was originally a ruffian from the countryside, always wanting to eat and do nothing, always trying to follow him for a position. However, he was not suitable for any official role. Unable to resist his wife's persuasion, he reluctantly appointed him as the head of his manor, elevating him to the position of Baozheng, a minor official.

"Brother-in-law, although my nephew was beaten, it was actually your face as the prefect that was slapped. We cannot let this go!" Zhang Yan sat down, crossing his legs as he spoke.

"Hmph, you still have the nerve to say that. Your nephew was beaten in your territory, and you, as the Baozheng, were so powerful!" Chen Tang said sarcastically.

"Alas, when I received the news and gathered the manor guests to go there, they had already fled. Otherwise, I would have made them pay."

"Stop boasting. Look at your best fighters; they are still a bunch of useless people, allowing a child to humiliate them!" Chen Tang pointed to Hou San, who was still kneeling on the ground. "Does that family have any backing? Have you found out?"

"Brother-in-law, this family has only been here for a little over a year, speaking with a Beijing accent. I haven't heard of any backing. The head of the family is a child around seven or eight years old, and the affairs are managed by a group of stewards. I suspect that the adults in the family have died and they could no longer survive in the capital, so they fled to the countryside. Otherwise, who would come to this poor and remote place to be a wealthy landowner! However..."

"However what?"

"However, this family is extremely wealthy. They own a hundred hectares of land, mostly good land, with over five hundred tenant households. Their daily expenses are of the highest quality. I heard that their stewards are planning to buy all the land along the river!" Zhang Yan's eyes gleamed as he spoke. "Brother-in-law, I heard from my sister that the gifts for Chancellor Cai this year are not yet complete. If we take this opportunity to seize their land, a hundred hectares would be worth a lot of silver. Add to that their large manor, and it would be worth at least 200,000 guan. All problems would be solved, and Brother-in-law might even have a chance to enter the capital and join the cabinet!"

"Hmm, such a wealthy family..." Chen Tang suddenly stood up, quickly realizing his loss of composure. He looked at the already weakened Hou San and said to the official, "Take him away and find a doctor to treat him!"

The official waved his hand, and two duty officers carried Hou San away. Seeing that there were no outsiders left, Chen Tang called Zhang Yan over and said, "Zhang Yan, to take over that manor, what should we do?"

In the Wang family's residence, the atmosphere was tense. The guards were dressed in tight-fitting clothes, swords drawn, and bows strung. Over twenty manor guests held spears and clubs, guarding the main gate. Not far away, another group of over twenty people were also eyeing the gate menacingly, led by the arrogant Zhang Yan.

"Chief Steward, we have investigated the background of those people!" Zhao Cheng sat in the main hall, his face full of anger.

"Second Master, we have found out that they are from the prefecture's manor. The leader of the group yesterday was their eldest son, Chen Zian. The one outside is his brother-in-law, the Baozheng of Dachen Manor, Zhang Yan!" The chief steward respectfully replied.

"Disgraceful! I didn't cause trouble for them, but they dare to cause trouble for me today!" Zhao Cheng cursed. Yesterday, he didn't want to cause trouble and let Chen Zian go, but the boy turned around and shot an arrow at him. If not for Meng Tao's quick reflexes, he might have been hit.

Last night, the shameless Zhang Yan even brought people to their residence, trying to 'mediate' as the Baozheng, demanding 100,000 guan to settle the matter, guaranteeing that the prefecture would not cause trouble for them. The chief steward, who had seen many high-ranking officials in the capital, including ministers and chancellors, was now being bullied by a small 'village official.' He had people drive them away, and if not for Zhao Cheng's prior instructions, he would have broken their legs. Unexpectedly, this guy didn't give up and brought people to block the gate, even trying to break in and grab people.

"Since they want to come in, Master Meng, you prepare your people. As soon as they enter the gate, close it and capture them all. Beat them to death if they resist!" The few people in the hall were stunned; it seemed the prince was truly angry. Huang Daguang had not returned last night, and others were hesitant to advise, knowing that this child was their true master.

"Yes, I will follow your instructions immediately!" Meng Tao said and left.

"Jianxi, go get my prince's robe and prepare the carriage!" Zhao Cheng said to Jianxi on the side.

"Second Master, what are you going to do?" Jianxi was confused, not knowing what the prince was planning.

"Capture them and keep them as pets? I will take them to the prefecture and accuse them of plotting against the prince. I want to see whose father is more powerful!" Zhao Cheng said with a stern face.

"Yes!" Jianxi immediately understood. He was going to challenge Chen Zian's father, but how could they compare? The prince was several levels higher than a prefect. Looking at the prince, he knew that despite his young age, he had a clear plan. He immediately instructed Fengxi to bring two small eunuchs to fetch the clothes and prepare the carriage.

"Chief Steward, find someone with good writing skills and have them write a complaint immediately, accusing Chen Zian of plotting against the prince and harboring ill intentions. I want to see how his father will handle this case!"

"Second Master, you don't need to go personally. I can handle it with your letter, ensuring fair treatment!" The chief steward, not fully understanding the prince's intentions, tried to persuade him.

"No, I want to go myself to show him that even his father being a prefect won't help!" Zhao Cheng immediately declined his offer.

On one side, people were preparing to capture, while others were writing the complaint. When everyone returned to the main hall, they were all impressed. The prince was already dressed in formal attire, wearing a seven-ridge floral crown, a purple four-claw dragon robe, a golden belt with a goldfish bag, a white jade ring, a sable fur cloak, and deer leather cloud-headed boots. His clear and handsome face made him look very spirited.

"Prince, the carriage is ready, please step in!" Jianxi, also dressed in his work uniform, bowed and called out loudly.

"Hmm, let's go!" Zhao Cheng walked out of the door, and everything was already prepared. He got into the carriage, and the eight bearers lifted it steadily. They were usually the most idle in the manor, and this was their first time being used, so they were all very energetic.

The procession had already lined up at the gate, waiting for him. In front, Yang Feng led six guards to clear the way, followed by Zhao Cheng's carriage. Four sumo wrestlers guarded the corners, and Jianxi and Fengxi supported the carriage, with several small eunuchs serving. Behind, the chief steward and Meng Tao led a dozen guards on horseback, and finally, the manor guests escorted a string of 'terrorists' who had 'attacked' the prince's residence. The group was ready to bully the officials.

"Prince, when you establish your own residence, we will have a grand procession, even more impressive than this!" Jianxi smiled through the curtain to the prince in the carriage.

"Hehe, this time we are playing big. I wonder if the emperor will scold me for causing too much trouble!" The prince's voice came from the carriage, filled with helplessness. He knew the outcome of this grand procession to 'sue' would be clear. Without mentioning his status as a prince, a prefect and a prince were not on the same level. He was only asking for trouble, but he had no choice.

Since the Tianning Festival, as he had expected, after seeing their family's wealth and the young master, some villains began to stir. Various levies and forced labor began to appear, and the countryside started to demand money and labor from him. Even land disputes in neighboring areas increased, with some boldly moving boundary markers and others secretly digging into the land, causing the tenant farmers to complain bitterly.

Zhao Cheng believed that the Baozheng's bold collusion with the prefect to seize land was due to his past tolerance and attempts to avoid conflict. Now, he needed to establish his authority and use this incident to permanently solve any future troubles, creating a peaceful and stable environment for his future.