Chapter 58 Using the Sword Wind Mountain as the Stepping Stone

The next day, Wang Qingshan, sporting two dark circles under his eyes, followed Ye Ziyu outside.

"Assistant Magistrate Wang, according to the promise you made to my Lord last night, we should begin our actions now. If we delay any further, they might become suspicious. Or perhaps you have other needs? If so, you can tell me, and I will satisfy them."

Ye Ziyu remained expressionless, while the group of Brocade Guards behind him were already eager for action.

Wang Qingshan had not slept a wink the entire previous night, racking his brains for a countermeasure, but by dawn, he had found no viable solution. Furthermore, he had learned some dismaying news from his son: a portion of their family's businesses was still operating and had not closed down as the Brocade Guards had previously ordered. On the surface, the doors were shut, but they had long since shifted their operations, opening new gambling dens elsewhere. This time, it seemed they would hardly escape unscathed.

If things were like this at his end, the magistrate's own enterprises were likely still open as well. Although they had given strict warnings, their subordinates probably hadn't taken their words to heart. No one was willing to give up a monthly income of hundreds of thousands of taels. The consequence of such duplicity was that they would be forced to spit out even more, yet they dared not resist; resistance could even bring about a death sentence.

"I have no other requests. I still need to go to the yamen to muster the constables. You can at least give me this little time, can't you? If you're worried, you can come along and watch."

Ye Ziyu nodded. Then, keeping a close personal eye on Wang Qingshan, he mobilized all the constables from the yamen to seal off the gambling dens and opium dens. Throughout the entire process, the Brocade Guards followed closely behind, never leaving them for an instant, denying any opportunity to send advance warnings.

Wang Qingshan had initially thought he could muddle through, until Ye Ziyu produced a detailed list containing the results of their thorough investigations during this period. The businesses belonging to each family were clearly marked on it; there was no escaping it. Wang Qingshan could only lead the men and carry out the seizures with tears in his eyes.

"Wait, Assistant Magistrate Wang seems to have poor eyesight, or perhaps you are illiterate and need me to read the contents of the list to you? There are clearly two more gambling dens operating in this alley; why not go straight inside and seal them?"

Wang Qingshan suffered in silence, for these two gambling houses belonged to the magistrate. All the revenues went straight into the magistrate's pocket. He had originally wanted to test the waters and see if they could turn a blind eye and let it slide, but Ye Ziyu refused to show any respect at all.

"It was my oversight. We can go straight in and seal them up now."

"Not 'we'. You yourselves will carry out Lord Xu's orders. We only need to supervise from the side. It's better to leave this merit to the brothers of the yamen."

Ye Ziyu sneered. He didn't care what the other man had said to him, nor did he care what plots the man might harbor; throughout the entire process, he only followed Xu Feng's commands. The sole order Xu Feng had given him was to keep a tight leash on the yamen officials and refrain from over-interfering in other matters, so he certainly wouldn't directly intervene.

The magistrate was the last to learn that his two gambling dens had been sealed. He was so enraged that he couldn't even eat, yet he was utterly helpless and could only watch with wide eyes.

"You bunch of good-for-nothings! I told you not to disobey me, and now that you've suffered massive losses, you still dare to come crying before me!"

Huang Wenzhong flew into a rage, kicking the manager in charge of the operation several times on the spot. In truth, the lion's share of the blame for this fiasco lay with himself; who could have known that he would fail to take the Red Lotus seriously? Had he issued strict closure orders, this catastrophe would never have happened.

"At the very end are the three gambling dens of Jianfeng Mountain. Two of them have already closed, but the last one has gone underground and is still operating."

"Lord Xu has given instructions to pay special attention to the properties of Jianfeng Mountain. Assistant Magistrate Wang understands my meaning, doesn't he? Surely you won't make things difficult for me."

Mounted on his horse, Ye Ziyu licked the corner of his lips. Given Xu Feng's temperament, the silver confiscated this time would certainly include a share for the brothers. If not for Xu Feng's strict orders, they would have loved to handle it themselves. The Brocade Guards on the scene were battle-hardened gods of slaughter; even without making a move, merely standing nearby was enough to crush anyone with overwhelming pressure. How could Wang Qingshan dare to argue?

"Naturally, we will follow Lord Xu's arrangements. Rest assured, I won't let a single person slip away."

"Very good. Assistant Magistrate Wang is indeed a sensible man. Since that's the case, what are we waiting for?"

The manager of the gambling den had received no advance warning and was thus easily subdued. At first, seeing the yamen constables, he hadn't taken it seriously and had greeted them with a wide smile, assuming they had come in for a couple of wagers. Only after being pinned forcefully to the ground did he instantly become cooperative.

"Assistant Magistrate Wang, you'd better give me an explanation for this."

Seeing that the man still failed to read the situation, Wang Qingshan felt his anger flare up. Seizing a nearby chair, he smashed it down fiercely upon the man until his head bled, only stopping then.

"How is that? Does this explanation satisfy you?"

"Assistant Magistrate Wang is vigorous despite his age, truly decisive."

Ye Ziyu offered a word of praise from the side, then stood at attention and fell silent, quietly watching the yamen constables haul out boxes of valuables one after another.

The profits from a gambling den were immense. Aside from silver bullion, there were also mortgaged antiques, calligraphy, paintings, and various other treasures of high value. No wonder these people couldn't suppress their greed and couldn't wait a moment longer.

As fate would have it, this particular gambling den was managed by Zuo Jincheng. However, just the previous night, he had gotten dead drunk with his good father-in-law, Master Feng. By the time he woke up and rushed to the scene, it was already far too late.

His somewhat muddled brain cleared up instantly. Nearby, there were three centurions alone, and over a hundred Brocade Guards had directly surrounded the gambling house inside and out. Outsiders could at most stand at a distance to watch the spectacle, not daring to approach.

Though rage burned in Zuo Jincheng's heart, he dared not throw a tantrum on the spot. With such a massive disaster on his hands, his status on Jianfeng Mountain would plummet in the future. The only solution was to handle the matter as quickly as possible and cover it up afterwards, pretending entirely that nothing had ever happened. The crucial problem was that he currently had no idea what was actually going on.

"How could the people from the yamen get mixed up with the Brocade Guards? Shouldn't they be on the same front as us?"

"Could it be that Huang Wenzhong intends to join forces with the Brocade Guards to eliminate dissidents and swallow all the businesses for himself?"

It was no wonder Zuo Jincheng harbored such thoughts. They had managed to operate their gambling dens right under the yamen's nose, and the annual bribes paid to Huang Wenzhong were no small sum; the magistrate had always turned a blind eye. For them to suddenly strike now meant there must have been some unforeseen change of which he was completely unaware.

The most important thing right now was to figure out the ins and outs of this affair as quickly as possible, tracing it to its source so it could be resolved, and time was of the essence.

Watching the men load box after box of wealth onto the carriages, Zuo Jincheng felt a sharp pang in his heart. Without showing his face, he melted into the crowd and quietly slipped away.