Chapter 56: Framing and Implicating

As a county magistrate, paying a personal visit would certainly lead people to assume he was intimidated by the Brocade Guard. He could not afford to make such a public appearance. Ideally, no one else should know about this trip; otherwise, what would the other factions in the city think of him? Wouldn't it make them believe he was afraid of that young man?

Huang Wenzhong was well aware that this was precisely one of Xu Feng's intentions, and precisely because of that, he had no desire to play into Xu Feng's hands.

As night fell, Huang Wenzhong, accompanied by Wang Qingshan, quietly arrived at the Brocade Guard's stronghold. From beginning to end, there were only the two of them, not even bringing a single attendant.

"My lord, if we go there personally and they still refuse to show us any respect, what shall we do?"

This was the very question that truly worried Wang Qingshan. The Brocade Guard had clearly come with aggressive intentions this time. In his view, even if the magistrate lowered his status and went there himself, it would yield no results.

"Not necessarily. Let's see them first and use the opportunity to test their actual intentions. If compromise is truly impossible, we can make other arrangements then."

When matters reached a head, Huang Wenzhong actually felt a sense of relief.

Arriving outside the stronghold, they found someone already waiting specifically for them.

"Please take us to see Lord Xu."

Huang Wenzhong kept his posture exceptionally low, entirely devoid of his usual arrogance.

"Who are you?"

How could Ye Ziyu not know who the man was? The reason he asked without a shred of courtesy was simply because he was following Xu Feng's instructions. Having assigned him to wait here for them, Xu Feng had explicitly told him to give them a hard time, to let them know the might of the Brocade Guard, and under no circumstances to let them see him easily.

Of course, doing this was not merely for showing off prestige; it was meant to wear down the other party's momentum—a minor negotiating tactic.

"I am Huang Wenzhong, Magistrate of Gusu County."

Huang Wenzhong's expression grew increasingly grim, yet he still answered Ye Ziyu's question obediently. Under low eaves, one must bow their head. Things had reached this point, so cooperating with them a little was no great hardship.

After that, Ye Ziyu stopped giving them a hard time and led them into the presence of Xu Feng.

***

"Utterly mediocre."

With a sneer before leaving, Wang Qingshan, who had held back his anger the entire way, was now boiling with rage just like Huang Wenzhong.

"You! Hmph!"

As the magistrate, the father and mother official of Gusu City, who had ever dared to treat him this way? Everyone trembled in his presence; coupled with his connections in the imperial court, even fellow officials treated Huang Wenzhong with utmost respect. This was the first time he had ever been treated in such a manner.

Before Wang Qingshan could act out, Huang Wenzhong raised a hand to stop him.

"It's fine. Just pay no attention to it."

In truth, he was burning with fury as well. On the surface, however, a Centurion and a county magistrate held equivalent ranks, so it was entirely normal for the other party to look down on him. Picking a fight with them would only bring trouble without reward, and if they used it against him, it would be even more disadvantageous.

Any internal anger had to be swallowed; after all, this trip was for negotiation, not to pick a fight.

When the two entered the room, Xu Feng and Honglian had already taken their seats. Showing no intention of offering a greeting, they merely cast a cold glance before looking away.

"Greetings, my lords."

"Huang Wenzhong, you've finally decided to show your face. We've been in Gusu City for so long, why haven't you come to report for duty?"

The Brocade Guard monitored the realm on behalf of the Emperor, and local officials were required to cooperate. Although none of them truly took this obligation to heart, nominally, the moment the Brocade Guard arrived in Gusu City, he should have paid a visit. Letting so much time pass was naturally inappropriate.

"In reply to my lord, I have been overwhelmed with official business lately and simply could not get away. The moment things settled down, I came directly to report for duty. I hope my lord will not hold it against me."

Huang Wenzhong's reply was watertight. However, this was merely an appetizer; Xu Feng had no intention of genuinely using this point to make things difficult for him.

"You certainly seem busy. Then let me ask you, why did the Brocade Guard's stronghold turn into a gambling den? You claim to be devoted to official duties, so how did such a thing happen?"

Xu Feng looked down at him from above. Honglian remained silent throughout the entire exchange. She was here to anchor the situation and suppress any defiance, while leaving the management of the proceedings to Xu Feng was much safer.

Huang Wenzhong clearly realized this as well, not expecting the relationship between the two to run deeper than he had imagined. Trying to drive a wedge between them would thus be extremely difficult, if not entirely impossible.

"My lord, I knew nothing of this matter. It was only when my subordinates came to report it that I learned of the situation. The Brocade Guard stronghold has stood vacant for many days with no one moving in, so I did not pay it much attention. Who could have imagined that someone would be so audacious?"

"If my lord is still harboring anger, you are entirely free to assign men to hold them directly accountable. Venting your anger on me makes no reason."

Eloquence was merely a basic skill for scholars; their proficiency with words far surpassed that of ordinary people.

"Is that so? With such a thing happening on your turf, I find it hard to believe you were truly ignorant. Or perhaps you knew full well what they were doing and simply turned a blind eye without pursuing the matter?"

Xu Feng pressed forward step by step, continuing his questioning with the relentless demeanor of someone determined to get to the bottom of the truth. Huang Wenzhong had no choice but to offer further explanations.

"I was indeed unaware. However, some of my subordinates were indeed involved, and Jianfeng Mountain coerced them into keeping it from me. I certainly bear the responsibility for lax supervision, and I beg my lord to punish me."

What a masterclass in shifting blame for lax supervision! With just a few words, he cast off all responsibility, leaving himself spotless and untainted.

All of this was within Xu Feng's expectations. If the man had simply cooperated honestly, it would have been a miracle.

None of that mattered, however. Since he had invited the man over, he had prepared thoroughly.

"What a glib tongue! But take a look at this!"

Xu Feng tossed out a ledger with ink that had not yet dried. This was a grand gift he had prepared in advance for the visitor before his arrival.

Huang Wenzhong picked it up and took a glance; his expression changed drastically. The ledger recorded concrete evidence of the magistrate accepting bribes every month, amounting to a staggering three hundred thousand taels.

He had not actually taken that much silver, and the so-called evidence within the pages was entirely fabricated. Even if he had taken bribes, he would never have left behind such a paper trail; Huang Wenzhong was far too cautious in his affairs. This was a blatant frame-up, a naked conspiracy.

He wanted to speak, but upon lifting his head, he met Xu Feng's half-smiling gaze. This made him realize that Xu Feng intended to use this ledger to squeeze him.

What did it matter if it was fake? As long as a pretense existed, action could be taken directly against Huang Wenzhong, and the imperial court would find no fault with it. That was precisely Xu Feng's strategy; in any case, the Emperor would stand on their side.

Holding an impregnable position from the start, Huang Wenzhong was so furious he could hardly speak. He had never imagined the other party would throw out the rulebook entirely.