Chapter Sixty-Nine: Fan Yongdou

Xu Xianchun found this very odd. There were actually fools who would rather take silver than promotion. But such a fool was perfect; he would surely be obedient. So he said, “Silver it is. One head for one hundred taels.”

Mangui gave him a contemptuous look. “No way. Do you think you can fool a ghost? The court pays fifty taels. You’re offering a hundred—do you think I’m a child?”

Xu Xianchun was even more pleased. He took out a cloth bag and set it on the table. “Fifty it is, then. I’ll pay you first for two heads. If it’s more, I’ll make up the difference. If it’s less, there’ll be no refund.”

Mangui strode forward and opened the bag. “These are new coins. I want silver, not new coins.”

Xu Xianchun was getting a little impatient. “There’s a bank in Xuanfu Garrison. If you want silver, just exchange the new coins there. Besides, new coins are much more useful than silver. Why refuse them?”

Only then did Mangui reluctantly stuff the bag onto his body. Then he asked Xu Xianchun, “Where to?”

Xu Xianchun said, “Bring your men and follow me. Don’t ask questions. Do what you’re told, understand?”

Mangui laughed. “As long as you pay, I’ll do whatever you say. You don’t mean you want to rebel, do you?”

Xu Xianchun was startled. This man had no restraint at all. He shot him a hard glare, but Mangui did not care in the slightest. He went out, assembled his one hundred and twenty men, and followed Xu Xianchun to Zhangjiakou Fort.

Wu Mengming came to report that earlier that day, he had seen two more people buy the same tables and chairs from Ruyi Residence. He had already sent men to track down the address, and as soon as Xu Xianchun brought his people back, they could begin the arrests.

There was no post of the Embroidered Uniform Guard in Zhangjiakou Fort, so Xu Xianchun rented an inn. First he sent three of his subordinates, each with ten soldiers, to arrest the buyers of the tables and chairs. Then he took Mangui and the rest of his men to Ruyi Residence.

He first posted men at the back door and along the wall, then left ten soldiers at the front gate. The rest surged inside. The shopkeeper hurried up and said, “Honored guests, could you come in more slowly with so many men? You’ll frighten the customers.” All the while he kept signaling to one of the assistants.

The assistant slowly backed away toward the rear. Wu Mengming stepped forward, seized him by the collar, and said, “We are from the Embroidered Uniform Guard. No one needs to panic. We have business with the shopkeeper. Everyone here can bear witness. If anyone dares run, don’t blame us for being rough.”

At that moment, a commotion rose from the back. It turned out that one of the assistants had slipped out through the rear door, only to be caught red-handed. Surrounded from both sides, the shopkeeper and the assistant were both taken cleanly.

Xu Xianchun ordered Wu Mengming to take twenty men and escort the people from Ruyi Residence back to the inn, then brought the shopkeeper to the main residence.

Again, he first sent ten men to guard the back door. Then, with the shopkeeper in tow, he had the front door opened and everyone poured in together. A man in his thirties came out and cupped his hands. “Gentlemen, let us speak plainly. I am Fan Yongdou. I do not know in what way my household has offended you heroes. Allow me to offer my apologies first. Why not come inside and have some tea?”

He was an impressive-looking man, with a sharp, square face that gave him the air of a proper gentleman. Xu Xianchun glanced sideways at the shopkeeper and asked, “Is this the master of the house?”

The shopkeeper nodded and said, “Master, they are from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”

Fan Yongdou’s expression changed. He backed away at once, planted one foot on a bench, and with a light spring of his body leaped toward a low wall to the side. Xu Xianchun stepped forward and flicked his sleeve. A sleeve arrow shot out like lightning, missing Fan Yongdou’s shoe sole by a hair. Xu Xianchun was furious. At that very moment a blade flashed through the air—Mangui had hurled the knife in his hand, and it struck Fan Yongdou’s leg, knocking him down.

Two soldiers rushed forward and pinned Fan Yongdou. Xu Xianchun gave Mangui a thumbs-up. Mangui stared at him in bewilderment, blinked once, and said, “This one’s the leader. Does that count as two?”

Xu Xianchun was left speechless, utterly defeated by this man’s shameless love of money. He waved his hand. “Go in. Arrest them all.”

Lying on the ground, Fan Yongdou said, “My lord, I do not know what crime I have committed to bring so much trouble upon us from the Embroidered Uniform Guard?”

Xu Xianchun smiled. “Surname Fan, your matter has come to light. You may as well confess everything honestly.”

To his surprise, Fan Yongdou was still smiling. “I have always abided by the law. I do not know what matter has come to light. Surely the Embroidered Uniform Guard cannot accuse decent people at random.”

Xu Xianchun held up his thumb at him again and laughed. “Good. Stubbornly good. That is something I heard the Lord Eunuch say before the Son of Heaven. To use it on you today is almost to honor you. Since your mouth is so tight, tell me this: why did you try to run when you heard I was from the Embroidered Uniform Guard?”

Fan Yongdou’s expression did not change. He kept smiling. “The Embroidered Uniform Guard is skilled at fabricating charges and framing the innocent. Any law-abiding man would fear them a little.”

At that moment, one of Xu Xianchun’s men came out from the inner hall and said, “My lord, not a single one escaped. They’re all under guard in the back. This house is so large—why use an inn at all? We might as well hold them all here and cancel the inn. That would save some money too.”

Xu Xianchun slapped him on the shoulder. The man shrank back, and Xu Xianchun’s hand missed entirely. With a bitter face, the man said, “My lord’s martial skill is remarkable. Last time you slapped me, I couldn’t even hold a bowl for three days.”

Xu Xianchun did not feel awkward at all. He laughed. “That suggestion is indeed good. Go tell them all to come here. Cancel the inn. Damn it, the Embroidered Uniform Guard’s accounts are being audited too strictly these days. Every bit saved counts.”

Mangui stepped forward and said, “My lord, money already paid will not be returned, and the money for arrests cannot be owed either. Once the job is done, the payment has to be made.”

Xu Xianchun laughed and cursed him playfully. “You money-obsessed wretch, rest assured. Not a single coin of yours will be short. You’ve come all this way, so there’ll be extra hardship pay for you too.”

Mangui was overjoyed. Then he turned to berate Fan Yongdou. “I’m a decent citizen too, and I’m not afraid of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. If you’ve got nothing to hide, what is there to fear?”

Xu Xianchun thought that this must be the effect of the hardship pay. He no longer bothered to spar verbally with Fan Yongdou and ordered the man taken into the main hall.

Then he turned to Mangui and asked, “General Mangui, your martial skill is clearly polished. Why are you still only a company commander at over thirty?”

Mangui said anxiously, “I’m not even thirty yet. What are your eyes for? I only like silver. If there are heads to be taken, I exchange them for silver, not for merit. If I traded for merit instead, I’d already be beyond a thousand-man command.”

Xu Xianchun asked in surprise, “Why not want merit? Promotion is a wonderful thing.” In truth, he had not said the rest: once a man had office, would silver not come even more easily?

Mangui said, “Silver is the real thing. Merit can be forgotten. I may only be a company commander now, but I’m far richer than our thousand-man commander.” Having said that, he laughed triumphantly.

Xu Xianchun let out a sigh. This man was a little abnormal. He had wanted to enlighten him, but this was the response he got. Still, the fellow’s martial skill was excellent. What a pity.