The Most Powerful Young Master of the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 27: Something Must Have Happened

Life was pleasant while the “Great Demon King” was away; the number of eggs kept growing day by day—and that meant money. Wang Bang embezzled a large portion of the eggs, maintaining only the daily quota of four eggs to be turned in to his family. The rest were sent to Old Chen’s gang headquarters to be sold. Old Chen was quite thrilled. He’d originally thought his gang was doomed after the Lanruo Temple incident—that they’d be wiped out by the prefect—but misfortune had turned into good fortune. Wang Bang’s sense of loyalty was truly something else; not only did he hold no grudge, but after collecting the protection money, he actually took action, having that thug Ma Jinsi—acting on behalf of Magistrate Sima—wipe out the Beggars’ Guild’s branch. The officials no longer came to collect money, and Old Chen’s business began to thrive. Happy events lift one’s spirits, and now Old Chen regarded Yi Qi Bang as nothing short of a god. Wang Bang’s protection money was based on turnover. At first, Old Chen had underreported his revenue, but he wouldn’t do that anymore. His business was running much more smoothly, and his profits had increased significantly—there was simply no need to offend Wang Bang over a pittance. If he were caught, it would be an embarrassing situation. Wang Bang and Bai Yutang were practically cut from the same cloth—both harbored deep resentment toward anyone who betrayed their trust. So now that Old Chen was rolling in cash, he paid his protection money in full to Ma Jinsi every day. After the battle at the Beggars’ Guild branch, Ma Jinsi’s reputation soared; he’s now known as a man of honor, courage, and strategy—and with powerful connections. As the head of his operation, Old Chen had connections and channels, so Ma Jinsi’s protection racket was now experiencing significant growth—thanks to the clients Old Chen had referred to him. Even though it’s only been a few short days, the results are clear: business is booming for everyone. Now that Ma Jinsi is in charge, many gangs have settled down. Instead of fighting each other, they’re channeling their energy into paying protection money to Ma Jinsi, who mediates most disputes. Now that these guys have saved on the costs of mutual suspicion and fighting, their profits have gone up, and life is clearly better than it was before Ma Jinsi got involved. The only ones really suffering were the police. These unwritten rules can’t see the light of day, but now the cops are basically not getting any money. Of course, this bred resentment, but so what? Wang Bang didn’t care. As the “Great Demon King” put it, “Do it if you want; if not, get lost.” The imperial court didn’t owe them a government post. Now those police officers spend their days lazing around in the sun, prompting Sima Guang to rant and rave—yet he can’t figure out why. Sima Guang is a master at reasoning, but as a Xiu Cai, he really has little recourse against these “hardened soldiers.” So let them laze around in the Sun—Wang Bang couldn’t care less what they do. These guys are good for nothing anyway; even if they were out on duty, they’d only cause trouble. They don’t bother with anything important—for instance, they’ve let the gangs grow out of control, and their only job is to collect money from them. If this is what law enforcement has come to, Wang Bang felt that Shuzhou would be better off without them. The bottom line was that Wang Bang didn’t care if those constables were out basking in the sun; only Sima Guang was so furious he was stamping his feet in rage. All day long, he’d say he felt ashamed before the imperial court, and all day long he’d berate those constables for not thinking of serving the country, and so on. Every time Wang Bang passed by the prefectural office, he’d see Sima Shengren passionately lecturing others, spittle flying from his mouth. The only thing that brought Sima Guang comfort was that the commercial tax revenue deposited into the treasury had been increasing in recent days, and various public order incidents had decreased. In particular, the most headache-inducing gang fights had been almost completely eradicated. Sima Guang was a good man; he liked this situation, but he didn’t believe it was his doing. So he was eager to find out the reasons behind it, which is why he began having people tail Wang Bang. This was made possible by Wang Anshi’s absence; otherwise, no matter how capable Sima Guang was, it would have been inconvenient for him to have the Wang family under surveillance. And so, on this very day, Wang Bang was finally “invited” over for tea. Huang, the Chief Constable—the commander of the Shuzhou Prefecture police—came in person to the Wang residence to summon Wang Bang: “Young Master, the Prefect requests your presence at the yamen…” The little brat rode his donkey to the prefectural office and handed the donkey to the guard on duty, saying, “Take good care of Xiaobao, or else you’ll be in for it.” Upon entering the main hall of the prefectural office, he saw Sima Guang—a scholarly gentleman in his early thirties, about the same age as Wang Anshi—sitting upright on the dais, sporting a three-strand beard. Yang Jihong, the Assistant Magistrate of Shuzhou Prefecture, was also present. This was quite a spectacle—it had all the makings of a formal court hearing—and it sent a chill down Wang Bang’s spine. At first, he’d thought this was a private meeting, but now that it had turned into a formal court hearing, if things went wrong and charges were brought, even Wang Anshi would be dragged into it. If he’d known it would be like this from the start, Wang Bang wouldn’t have come at all—he would’ve run off and hidden, waiting for Wang Anshi to return before settling the score, and the problem wouldn’t have been so serious. Why did Wang Bang feel the situation was so serious? Because the investigating magistrate was present. Under the Song Dynasty system, the Investigating Magistrate served as the prosecutor, and the Investigating Bureau was the interrogation agency. In typical cases, Chief Constable Huang was responsible for making arrests, the Investigating Magistrate handled the interrogations, and then the case materials were handed over to the Judging Bureau, where the Judge rendered a verdict based on the laws of the Song Dynasty. That’s how ordinary cases were handled. In a situation like this one—with the Prosecutor present and the Prefect personally presiding over the court—it signaled that this was a major case. “This student, Wang Bang, pays his respects to Your Excellency, the Prefect.” Wang Bang was exempt from kneeling due to his status as a scholar-official. After all, Wang Bang had been a child prodigy who had long since passed the Provincial Examination. It must be said that many gray-haired elders had failed to pass it. After passing the exam, according to Song Dynasty regulations, Wang Bang was considered his student, since the title of “Sima” was conferred by the examiner. He was the examiner. Sima Guang said with a touch of regret, “What a promising young man you were, Wang Bang. You used to be a promising young man, but it’s a pity you’ve been ruined—truly and utterly spoiled by Wang Anshi. He’s always been saying that I don’t know how to conduct myself or govern, but now it seems he’s the one who can’t judge character or raise his own son properly. When the head is crooked, the rest of the body follows—just look at what you’ve done. If a son is unfilial, it is the father’s fault.” “Your Excellency, the Prefect, speaks with great insight,” Wang Bang said, clasping his fists. “It seems you’ve selectively omitted the phrase, ‘If a son is not taught, it is the teacher’s negligence.’ You are my teacher; when it comes to my shortcomings, you cannot escape responsibility either.” Sima Guang slammed the gavel and rebuked him, “Of course I bear responsibility—the responsibility of having neglected you and failing to discipline you strictly enough. You’ve certainly served as a reminder to this old man. Since you acknowledge me as your teacher, I shall keep a close eye on you from now on and discipline you severely.” Wang Bang then said anxiously, “Your Excellency handles countless affairs each day. I’ve been presumptuous. From now on, I’ll be very well-behaved and won’t take up your precious time or cause you the trouble of disciplining me.” Sima Guang replied, “Of course it’s a bother, but I’ll go to the trouble anyway. You used to be bright and eager to learn; I had high hopes for you. I was planning to write a letter to the capital recommending that you take the provincial exams early and enroll in the Imperial Academy. Now I’m frustrated that you’re not living up to your potential—I don’t want to see talent like yours go to waste.” Wang Bang said, “Your Excellency, I won’t dare do it again. I won’t ruin myself.” Sima Guang’s expression softened slightly as he said, “It’s good that you still know fear and still know how to weep—that shows you can still be saved. Otherwise… I specifically sent a trusted aide to keep tabs on you, and I’ve learned that you’ve been acting with utter audacity.” “Ah!” Wang Bang jumped to his feet in shock. “Your Excellency actually sent someone to tail me?” “What, do you dispute this?” Old Sima said, twirling his mustache. “As the Chief Magistrate of Shuzhou Prefecture, do you think I have no right to suspect you or keep tabs on you? You dared to band together with thugs and ruffians to form a gang and disrupt public order. I’ve received reports that Ma Jinsi has been using your reputation to collect money—enough to fill a room. Now I’m giving you a chance. For the time being, I’ll postpone the presentation of evidence and the trial. If you confess voluntarily, it will count as a voluntary surrender. Then, considering that you hold an official title and are still a young man, I will not punish you.” Wang Bang replied, “Your Honor, do not take me for a man of little learning. I do indeed believe you would not hold a grudge against a child and would not punish me, but this is a political maneuver on your part to strike at my father and tarnish the reputation of the Wang family. I will not turn myself in or confess to a crime.” Sima Guang abruptly stood up and said, “You judge others by your own petty standards. This court will, of course, hold Wang Anshi accountable. But this is not a political maneuver—it is a matter of ritual propriety and the law. He couldn’t even keep his own son in check, leading to such a scandal. Does he really bear no responsibility? Bring them forward.” “Present.” Several officers stepped forward.