gnovel Chapter 17 The White Plague God Who Bullies Men and Women
Chapter 17 The White Plague God Who Bullies Men and Women
Yanzhou, Bao'an Town.
That wide open space enclosed by rammed earth and wooden fences is the most bustling and unique place in the town.
A border market is a place for trade between Han and non-Han peoples.
With hundreds of horses and thousands of sheep, the air was thick with the pungent smell of livestock, a stench that would be hard for ordinary people living in the cities of the Central Plains to comprehend.
The residents of Bao'an Town, however, were overjoyed to welcome the opening of the market. This was an opportunity to cheaply exchange a bag of rice, a bolt of cloth, a piece of porcelain, a handful of tea, or even a handicraft for furs, felt blankets, or even a livestock.
Even more clever lads would wait outside early to collect horse and sheep manure, which they could then dry and use as fuel instead of firewood.
Military supplies such as warhorses, copper, and iron were strictly prohibited from circulation, and salt was also on the list of prohibited commodities. (Note 1)
To ensure the compliance of traded goods and to avoid disputes caused by language barriers, buyers and sellers are not allowed to have direct contact. Instead, an official broker must mediate to facilitate the transaction.
Assessing goods, closing deals, and paying brokerage fees—Zhao Siqian was adept at this process. His family was local, and through diligence and shrewdness, he had amassed considerable wealth.
"Zhao Dalang, you've made a fortune again today, haven't you?"
Hearing his colleagues' teasing, Zhao Siqian pointed to the sharp-eyed official who was inspecting goods and collecting commercial taxes: "If you can still make a few bucks after paying the taxes, you'll be lucky. At least you can give your wife an explanation when you get back."
"Shouldn't she treat you well tonight? Your husband is really handsome; the reputation of 'Suizhou men and Yinzhou women' is well-deserved."
A colleague made a slightly risqué joke: "You're out doing business, and your wife's at home. Can you really relax?"
Zhao Siqian smiled but did not answer. His wife came from the neighboring Yinzhou. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also a kind and considerate woman. As the eldest sister-in-law, she was like a mother to him, and his own brothers relied on her for care on a daily basis.
As the sun began to set, the drums and gongs sounded, the market closed, the crowds dispersed, and a busy day came to an end.
Officials collected the account books and tax money, which were then escorted by more than ten soldiers to the garrison commander's office.
According to the Tang Dynasty system, a garrison of 500 men was considered a superior garrison, 300 men a medium garrison, and those with less than that were considered inferior garrisons. Bao'an Garrison was less than a superior garrison but more than a medium garrison, with nearly 400 soldiers.
The garrison commander of Zhongzhen was a senior seventh-rank official; the deputy garrison commander was a junior seventh-rank official; below them were the registrar, granary officer, soldier, clerk, and defense officer, all of whom were senior ninth-rank officials. There was also a granary supervisor responsible for overseeing the treasury.
The rank of a garrison commander could reach the sixth grade, making him comparable to a county magistrate. However, in the fourth year of the Kai Ping era of the Liang Dynasty, Zhu Wen issued an edict that the garrison commanders of all prefectures and towns should not be ranked according to their official positions, and should be subordinate to the county magistrates. This rule has continued ever since.
The town magistrate's mansion, located in a border region, was naturally not as spacious and grand as the prefectural or county government offices in the Central Plains. It was a courtyard with three sections.
The town magistrate, Bai Wenshen, was a burly man with a face full of menacing features. He had just seen someone off, and his expression was gloomy.
"Those people from the Li family in Xia Prefecture are getting increasingly greedy. I'm just a town general; even if I emptied the warehouse, how many sets of armor and weapons could I possibly give them?"
The clerk, a trusted confidant promoted by him, was in charge of contacting Li Yichao and secretly dealing in military supplies and equipment. He acted as an intermediary, saying, "The price they offered is really not low. Why don't we report more losses and ask the military governor to allocate some more?"
"I've heard that the new military commander, Gao Xingzhou, is a rigid and upright man; we shouldn't try to test him rashly."
Bai Wenshen suddenly started cursing: "I work so hard to earn this little bit of money, why should those high-ranking officials be able to embezzle it so openly!"
"The military governor holds the power of finance and taxation in this prefecture, which is indeed incomparable to this. People travel thousands of miles to become officials only for wealth. Once you become the military governor, the public treasury will be like your own private collection, making it much easier to make money."
"Hahaha, you're absolutely right."
Bai Wenshen chuckled for a while, knowing his own limitations. He had obtained the position of Bao'an Town General through his elder brother's connections. His brother had toiled for most of his life and had only reached the position of Prefect of Daizhou, without even being granted the authority of a general. Bai Wenshen had no chance of achieving that.
"Let's go gamble!"
The clerk reminded him, "The man we arrested the other day is still being held in the dungeon. His wife has been waiting for him, saying she brought money to atone for his sins."
"Oh?"
The town's general was the local tyrant, in charge of all matters related to criminal justice. Bai Wenshen remembered that there was still one matter to be dealt with: "What crime did that person commit again?"
"He separated from his brother and lived separately. The Yonghui Law Commentary states: 'If a son or daughter has separate household registration and property while his or her grandparents or parents are still alive, he shall be sentenced to three years of penal servitude.' This is indeed a violation of the law."
"Nonsense! Bao'an Town is a small place with only a few hundred households. Who can we hide weddings and funerals from?"
Bai Wen glanced at the clerk: "His mother died last year, and now you're pulling this money-grabbing stunt? Do you think I don't know?"
The clerk chuckled wickedly: "According to the legal commentary: 'Separation is required when one's parents have passed away, the mourning period has ended, and the brothers wish to separate.' Although the person is dead, the mourning period has not yet ended, therefore the family cannot be divided."
"You scholars really know a lot more about the intricacies of things."
Bai Wenshen chuckled and said, "Since you brought the money, just take it and release the person. You can sign the document later, and I'll just draw a circle around it."
The clerk, having received instructions, did not rush to carry them out. Instead, he whispered in Bai Wenshen's ear, "His wife is quite beautiful, which is why I've been keeping him detained. You see, Magistrate..."
Bai Wenshen was intrigued: "In that case, I'll go take a look."
The clerk said solemnly, "I urge the magistrate to handle this case according to the law."
"Of course."
The woman waited all day. Earlier, a group of ruthless officials had said that her husband had broken the law and had been arrested and imprisoned. As a woman, she didn't understand why dividing the family property was illegal. After inquiring, she learned that it was a scheme by officials to make money.
However, the government is like heaven, and whatever it says goes. There was no other way, and in order to raise money for atonement, a lot of the family's savings were spent.
Bai Wenshen glanced sideways at her and saw that she was quite pretty, her breasts full and bulging, straining against her clothes. Her chest heaved with anger and tension, and a strange thought immediately arose in his mind. Knowing the answer already, he asked, "Do you know what crime your husband has committed?"
Although the woman was distressed about the money, she was even more worried about her husband's safety. Without arguing with Bai Wenshen, she threw a small silver ingot and a few strings of coins on the table: "You set a trap for yourselves and now you're questioning me? What are you pretending to be ignorant about? Here's the money, quickly release my husband!"
Bai Wenshen wasn't in a hurry to take the money and release the person; he gave the clerk a wink.
The clerk understood and said slowly, "Your husband has committed a crime punishable by three years of penal servitude; ten strings of cash are not enough."
The Yonghui Code stipulated that: five years of penal servitude could be redeemed for 20 catties of copper after one year. One and a half years could be redeemed for 30 catties of copper. And so on, up to 60 catties of copper after three years.
One jin of copper costs eighty coins, and sixty jin of copper costs four thousand eight hundred coins. They asked for ten strings of cash, which is more than double the price, but they still said it wasn't enough.
The woman panicked. She was barely literate and had no idea how to understand these laws. She could only leave it to the officials to interpret as they pleased: "Then tell me what you want. My family doesn't have any more."
These words were exactly what Bai Wenshen wanted to hear. He made no attempt to hide his true nature and boldly approached the woman, reaching out to touch her breasts. He lewdly laughed and said, "It doesn't matter if you don't have money. Whether you can make an exception and release him depends on whether you are willing to atone for your husband's sins."
The woman immediately knew Bai Wenshen had ill intentions. She swatted his hand away and turned to run, but the two men blocked her way at the door, smiling and saying, "The matter isn't finished yet, why the rush to leave, my lady?"
"If you can't bear to hurt yourself, then let your man suffer a bit."
Bai Wenshen threatened slowly and deliberately, "Guess what will be delivered tomorrow: a blood-stained garment, or some other odds and ends?"
The woman, who was about to rush out, slowed down upon hearing this. These wicked people were capable of any evil deed; if she left, her husband would suffer unimaginable torment in prison.
Bai Wenshen slowly approached her and reached out to touch her face: "My lady, you won't be able to escape from this magistrate's mansion today. How long your husband will stay in prison and whether he will suffer depends on my mood."
The woman from Northwest China was known for her fiery and straightforward nature. Knowing she was doomed, she spat in Bai Wenshen's face and said, "Release them immediately after you've done your job! Just consider it a dog bite."
Bai Wenshen wasn't angry. He casually wiped the spittle from his cheek and said, "My wife is indeed quite straightforward. When you're being fucked by that dog in a little while, just don't scream loudly."
He scooped the woman up in his arms and carried her into the inner room, ignoring her kicks and resistance.
……
After a while, the woman, her face streaked with tears, came out without saying a word, covering her face with her clothes.
Several soldiers at the door tried to stop her, but Bai Wenshen followed leisurely behind, tucked her belt and making a gesture to signal that things were settled. The soldiers understood and let her slip through the door.
The clerk, trying to sound amused, asked, "Governor, how was the woman?"
Bai Wenshen did not answer, closing his eyes to savor the unrestrained and intoxicating moment he had just experienced.
After a long pause, he spoke up: "In a small place with only a few hundred households, it's rare to find such a beautiful woman. How about we play with her a few more times?"
"That's easy. Just keep her husband detained, and Ni'er will come running at your beck and call, won't she?"
Bai Wenshen shook his head: "This woman isn't stupid. After suffering this loss in silence, she's not going to come knocking on my door for nothing."
The clerk stroked his beard: "As long as the town magistrate holds power, how could he not control a mere commoner? He can always find a suitable pretext."
"We'll see. The tax money from the border market should be arriving soon, right?"
Bai Wenshen was satisfied at this moment and lazily asked about today's harvest, but to his surprise, the familiar face that came was not the one who usually escorted the money.
The visitor, with a stern face, conveyed the order from the military governor's office.
"The commander has ordered that Bai Wenshen, the garrison commander of Bao'an Town, immediately resign from his post and proceed to the prefectural city for another appointment, without any excuses for delay!"
Bai Wenshen was furious upon hearing this and slammed his hand heavily on the table: "Gao Xingzhou, you've gone too far!"