Chapter Fourteen: Generously Accepting Bribes

With the announcement of the Salt Monopoly Law’s regulations, every household faced a pressing dilemma: they had no idea when the bidding for their desired regions would take place. Seeking a shortcut, they naturally turned to Xiao Zhi to fish for information, and Xiao Zhi was waiting precisely for them to bring him gifts.

"A restaurant has opened in Dongli Lane, and I hear the food is superb. There is no time like the present; I would like to invite Magistrate Xiao for a casual meal."

Xiao Zhi shook his head. "Forget the meal. Just tell me what you need."

"This..." The two were still standing outside the Qinzheng Hall, and Geng Wenshi found it difficult to speak.

Watching Geng Wenshi fidget, Xiao Zhi smiled. "I want a shop in the East Market—not a small one, mind you. Bring me the property deed, and I will tell you which number the Shandong region occupies in the bidding order. You can then mark your time and bid with certainty."

Xiao Zhi’s bluntness nearly made Geng Wenshi’s jaw drop. Who asks for bribes so brazenly? It was far too direct. Moreover, given their location, if they spoke any louder, the Emperor might hear them. Was he not afraid of being executed for such blatant corruption? Today, the Emperor favored him, but should that grace ever fade, he would surely meet a miserable end.

Xiao Zhi, however, could not care less. After speaking, he strode away.

Xiao Zhi stayed at the Imperial City Guard headquarters, specifically in the tea room Mu Weihu had newly furnished for him. He had the sisters Jiang Zhu and Jiang Yun brought over to serve tea, and when he grew weary, he would listen to them perform *pingtan* ballads.

Never had the Imperial City Guard headquarters seen such activity. Every prominent family sent someone to request an audience, and there were even long lines. Even Shi Weigong lowered his pride, having his steward deliver a staggering amount of gold and silver notes. In just two days as a sixth-rank Halberd-Bearer, Xiao Zhi had become known to every official in the capital as a corrupt official—one who took more in bribes in a single day than others did in a year.

Mu Weihu and the commanders of the Imperial City Guard were numb to the sight. To accept bribes with such fanfare was, perhaps, unprecedented in history. Mu Weihu tried to advise Xiao Zhi to be more discreet, but every time he opened his mouth, Xiao Zhi would change the subject.

Inside the Qinzheng Hall, Qin Yong slammed his hand against the dragon throne. "These noble families are wealthier than the imperial court itself. I truly wish to raid every one of their homes."

Eunuch Hu bowed his head, saying nothing. For the past two days, the Emperor’s mood had been highly volatile; he would laugh one moment and turn dark and brooding the next. The imperial heart was difficult to fathom, and Eunuch Hu’s nerves were frayed to the breaking point.

Soon, Qin Yong laughed again. "How is Xiao Zhi doing?"

Eunuch Hu hurriedly replied, "A report just came in. There is already a long line of people waiting to bring gifts to Xiao Zhi."

"Xiao Zhi is truly my capable minister." Qin Yong was very pleased with Xiao Zhi; he was, in his eyes, flawless. After the morning court session, Xiao Zhi had explained his devious scheme, and Qin Yong had been so delighted he had cheered. Afterward, Xiao Zhi had proactively reported the matter of the gifts. At the time, Qin Yong had thought it was merely a matter of small favors between officials and considered it a reward for Xiao Zhi. He had not expected the figures Xiao Zhi revealed to be so staggering.

Water that is too clear has no fish. If Xiao Zhi did not take bribes openly, he would surely do so in the shadows. By comparison, Qin Yong was more at ease with Xiao Zhi’s open corruption. The monarch and his subject agreed: eighty percent of Xiao Zhi’s ill-gotten gains would be sent to the Emperor’s private treasury, while Xiao Zhi would keep twenty percent as a reward. With this settled, Xiao Zhi had no more concerns. As long as it did not affect state affairs, the more he took, the better.

Be an honest official? Xiao Zhi lacked the talent for it; being a corrupt one was far more comfortable.

At that moment, Xiao Zhi leaned back in his chair, eyes half-closed, enjoying the shoulder massage from Jiang Yun while listening to Jiang Zhu hum a nameless tune.

"How much did I receive in gifts today?" Xiao Zhi asked with a yawn.

"1,716 *mu* of farmland, 1,000 taels of gold, 25,000 taels in silver notes, and four property deeds—one residence and three shops," Jiang Yun replied promptly. Xiao Zhi nodded with satisfaction.

Xiao Zhi had effectively sold off the salt routes of Great Chu. In a sense, the secret bidding had become public.

"Tell me, how many times can a leek be harvested?"

The sisters were puzzled. Jiang Zhu asked, "Usually once a month, I suppose. Does the young master want to eat leeks?"

Originally, the sisters were supposed to call Xiao Zhi "Master," but he couldn't get used to it; "Young Master" sounded better. "Master" made him feel old, and he was only twenty.

Xiao Zhi shook his head. "Today is the first harvest. The day after tomorrow is the second, and there will be a third soon. When the day comes that they can no longer be harvested, I will take a hoe and dig them out by the roots. The Imperial City Guard is that hoe; it can pry open every one of their ancestral graves."

Three generations make a clan, five generations a house, and ten generations a noble family. Every dynasty depended on these influential families, and some monarchs couldn't even secure the throne without their support. The noble families of Great Chu had deep foundations passed down through generations. They spoke of righteousness and shame, yet they were nothing but blood-sucking demons riding on the backs of the people.

The world was in chaos, and the commoners suffered. Xiao Zhi could not be like Huang Chao, killing according to family registers, and the reality of the situation did not support such an approach. So, he would play the role of a swindler, slowly gnawing these families thin and sick, until they were eventually consumed.

"My lord, the things you wanted have been purchased and placed in the east wing," Mu Weihu reported.

Xiao Zhi nodded and entered the east wing alone, working until nightfall. When he emerged, he looked like a coal miner. Creating things after traveling through time was not easy, especially since many things remained in his head as theory, and he had never actually practiced them in his previous life.

A small amount of black powder had left him exhausted. It wasn't that the formula was difficult; the real trouble was obtaining the phosphorus needed for the fuses. The industrial foundation of this world was zero, and producing anything was truly difficult. Processing was simple, but materials were hard to find. Most had to be extracted from ores and raw materials, and the time and energy required were immense.

Xiao Zhi handed a box to Mu Weihu. "Take this to the palace immediately. You must deliver it to Eunuch Hu personally."

Mu Weihu looked at the sky; the curfew was approaching, and even as a fourth-rank garrison general, he couldn't enter the palace gates. "Enter the palace now? Without an imperial decree, how am I to get in?"

"Tell the guards at the gate that I sent you to fulfill an order for His Majesty," Xiao Zhi said. "You will be let in." This had been arranged with Qin Yong beforehand; Eunuch Hu would certainly not have forgotten to instruct the imperial guards.

Mu Weihu mounted his horse and rode off.

That night, Xiao Zhi enjoyed a bath prepared by the two sisters. They had spent two full hours chopping wood and boiling water for him. Once clean, Xiao Zhi sat in the courtyard, holding Jiang Yun’s small, delicate hand as they watched the moon. It was exceptionally round tonight, and the sky was filled with bright, brilliant stars.

He gently stroked the small cut on Jiang Yun’s hand from chopping the wood. "Tomorrow, go find a human trafficker and buy some servants, and pick out some new furniture. How you arrange this home is up to you—do not worry about the cost."

After all, Xiao Zhi was a sixth-rank official with plenty of money. He found such trivial matters tedious, and he was grateful to Song Qi for gifting him the two sisters.