Chapter Thirty-Nine: It’s All About Interests (Part Two)

It was now March. The capital had finally shed its biting chill; though the winds remained fierce, they could not dampen the traditional spirit of spring excursions.

Bai Yu, an officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, arrived at his post at the guardhouse outside the Xi'an Gate. Centurion Qian greeted him, saying, "The general headquarters has issued an order. We are to begin searching the entire city for an individual named Cai Shiheng. However, do not mention the White Lotus Society for now; we must avoid alerting the enemy."

Bai Yu replied casually, "The Commander’s insight is profound."

Centurion Qian continued, "We are responsible for the Western District, primarily the area between the Xi'an Gate and the Fucheng Gate."

Bai Yu asked, "Is Deputy Chiliarch Feng not participating? In that case, congratulations to you, sir!"

Seemingly feeling that a bright future was within his grasp, Centurion Qian asked with great enthusiasm, "Which street would you like to take charge of?"

Bai Yu answered without hesitation, "Just send me to the Wanping County Office as a special envoy. I shall supervise and guide the county officials in their efforts to hunt down the leaders of the White Lotus bandits."

Centurion Qian stared at him. He couldn't even be bothered to expose the petty schemes of Officer Bai. It was clear that the only reason Bai had stirred up this White Lotus case was for the sake of the upcoming county examinations!

Bai Yu offered a perfectly reasonable justification: "I am best at bureaucratic oversight; walking the streets and alleys is simply not my forte. Besides, if I can secure merit while lying down, why should I toil so hard?"

Centurion Qian waved his hand, signaling for Bai to get out.

Bai Yu hurried toward the Wanping County Office. With less than a month left until the county examinations, this was serious business that could not be delayed.

Upon reaching the gate, he saw a new notice posted on the "eight-character" wall, drawing a loud commotion from the gathered crowd. Bai Yu stepped closer to take a look; it was an official announcement that the imperial court was beginning the selection of court ladies. From the day of the announcement until the selection process concluded, all weddings in the capital were prohibited, and every unmarried girl had to be registered for screening.

Bai Yu thought of the Old Li family who had "fled" their tenement. He wondered if the second daughter of the Li family would still be eligible for selection in this timeline.

After reading the notice, Bai Yu entered the office and encountered Magistrate Song, who appeared to be in his perpetual state of gloom. There was an old saying: "Three lifetimes of misfortune, and you are a magistrate of a county seat; three lifetimes of evil, and you are a magistrate of a provincial capital; a lifetime of boundless sin, and you are a magistrate of the capital."

Seeing Bai Yu, Magistrate Song asked, "Officer Bai, what brings you to my office so abruptly?"

Bai Yu replied, "We in the Embroidered Uniform Guard have received intelligence that members of the White Lotus Society are active in the capital. Their leader is a man named Cai Shiheng, and he has hundreds of core followers!"

Magistrate Song was startled. "Is this true?" In the minds of local officials, how could the White Lotus Society possibly have the capacity for large-scale activity in the capital, where the state's apparatus of control was strongest?

Bai Yu slammed his hand on the armrest of his chair to emphasize his tone. "As the local government, you have been completely ignorant of White Lotus activities for years. You truly cannot shirk this responsibility!"

Magistrate Song was speechless. As an officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, how could he say such things with a straight face? What did the presence of an organized White Lotus cell in the capital have to do with the county office? Who was in charge of the streets? There were the Censor of the City Patrol, the Five Cities Military Commissions, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and the city guard battalions—the county office was the last in line! This young officer’s attempt to shift the blame was far too clumsy.

Bai Yu continued, "I am deeply distressed by this. Your office is guilty of dereliction of duty—a persistent, multi-year dereliction! I have been ordered to come here to..."

Magistrate Song sighed. "It’s about the county exams, isn't it? I promise to ensure you pass, Officer Bai! Can we stop the acting now?"

Bai Yu paused. He still had plenty of lines and tactics prepared; why did the Magistrate have to skip straight to the ending?

"Anything else?" the Magistrate asked.

Bai Yu shook his head. "No."

Magistrate Song felt quite exasperated. This young officer was reckless and someone he simply couldn't afford to offend. Was it not just because he had been vague during their last conversation and hadn't promised to guarantee his passing? Did he really have to use a sensitive issue like the White Lotus Society to blackmail him? Fearing that the young man might act rashly, Magistrate Song added, "When you take the exam, keep a low profile. Do not be ostentatious, understand?"

Bai Yu nodded repeatedly. If one were to be flashy while using a backdoor, they would be a complete idiot.

He had achieved his goal for the day, though the process had been less than satisfying and he hadn't fully flexed his "skills." He spent the rest of the day putting on a show at the office, mostly by pulling a few clerks to search through five years of household registers, documents, and contracts to see if any trace of "Cai Shiheng" could be found. Once that was done, he returned home to resume his calligraphy practice. With a goal in sight, Bai Yu was even more diligent in his studies.

He noticed his neighbors gathering under the great elm tree, whispering about the news of the selection. Bai Yu had no interest in joining them and returned to the east wing of his front courtyard. However, Mr. Yan, who lived across the way, called out to him, "There is a courtyard meeting tonight. It concerns everyone, so make sure you come, Brother Yu!"

After playing a few high-stakes games, Bai Yu had lost interest in such courtyard gatherings. However, since his family still lived there, he worried that some short-sighted person might do something harmful to them, so he appeared at the central courtyard meeting that night.

The meeting was hosted by Elder Wang, who announced that the three rooms formerly occupied by the Li family were vacant and would be sold to Mr. Yan. They were priced at five mace per room, totaling one tael and five mace, which would serve as a fund for the courtyard's future corvee labor payments, benefiting everyone.

The crowd murmured in agreement, respecting Elder Wang’s long-standing authority. Mr. Yan, feeling he had secured a great bargain, was brimming with smug satisfaction. "Thank you, neighbors!" he proclaimed.

In the capital, the price of a private dwelling typically fluctuated between one and one-and-a-half taels per room. Though the Li family's units were mere tenement rooms, five mace was quite cheap, and Mr. Yan believed he had struck gold.

Seeing this, Bai Yu couldn't help but speak up: "Those three rooms are the private property of the Li family. By what right are we selling them on their behalf?"

Before Elder Wang could explain, Mr. Yan jumped in, mocking him: "Old Man Li has already moved away. Who are you trying to please? Are you still dreaming of being the Li family's son-in-law?"

Bai Yu pointed at Mr. Yan. "I won't lower myself to your level today. Just make sure you don't regret this."

He had no interest in the rooms and no intention of fighting over them; he had simply spoken a few words of justice for the Li family. Letting Mr. Yan take them now might actually maximize his future gain. If the Li family ever returned, his intervention to help them reclaim the property would earn him immense goodwill. If the trajectory of history remained unchanged, that goodwill could yield tenfold or hundredfold returns.

Bai Yu played it cool, but Mr. Yan felt as though he had won a great victory, telling the neighbors, "When the Lis were here, the Bai boy wasn't this enthusiastic. Now that they've moved away, he starts fawning over them. His brain must truly be addled."

Mr. Yan had been secretly observing Bai Yu. He saw that although the lad was now an officer, he left early and returned late every day, and most importantly, the Bai household showed no signs of sudden wealth. Thus, he concluded that Bai Yu was not a man of any real power. There were likely thousands of officers in the capital; not everyone had influence.