Chapter 86: City of Sin

Two minor officials came to pay their respects.

The one with a dark, earnest face was named Hu Zhang.

The tall and thin official stepped forward. “I am Zhen Siwen, at your service, Magistrate.”

Zhen Siwen.

“Not a bad name,” Yang Xuan nodded. “Where are the others?”

He had been at the county office for the time it takes an incense stick to burn; the rest of the officials ought to have arrived by now.

Are they trying to show me who’s boss?

Even Yang Xuan’s mild temper couldn’t endure this.

Hu Zhang’s cheek twitched. “Magistrate, there are no others.”

“What do you mean by that?” Yang Xuan sneered.

Is this a state of anarchy? Yang Xuan: “…”

“Magistrate, Captain Qian Mo requests an audience.”

Qian Mo was a quintessential military man. He entered and saluted. “Magistrate.”

Though a Captain outranked a County Magistrate, here the magistrate was the one in charge.

“How many men do you command?” Yang Xuan asked, expecting at least several hundred.

“Fifty.”

Yang Xuan sat there calmly.

Zhen Siwen couldn’t help but praise, “The Magistrate is truly composed.”

Still numb with shock, Yang Xuan asked offhandedly, “How did my predecessor fare?”

Zhen Siwen forced a smile. “When the former magistrate heard there were only fifty soldiers in town, his face turned ashen.”

I’d like to turn pale myself.

Yang Xuan noticed Qian Mo was sizing him up.

“With fifty men, how do you defend the city?”

Qian Mo replied, “There are several hundred convicts in town. In times of war, they become the death squad.”

Cannon fodder, then!

No—

A different word came to Yang Xuan’s mind.

A penal battalion!

Qian Mo continued, “If necessary, even the townsfolk can fight.”

“The townsfolk? Must it come to that?” Cao Ying asked in confusion.

Qian Mo replied,

“There are no townsfolk.”

???

Even Old Wang was surprised.

“Then who are the people in the city?”

Qian Mo looked up.

“All convicts.”

He added, “Their crimes are just somewhat less severe.”

What is this place?

Vermilion Bird stated in a low voice, “A city of sinners.”

Zhen Siwen stepped forward. “Some convicts’ families wished to follow them, unable to bear separation, so the court let them all in.”

Hu Zhang added, “It’s to fill out the population.”

Later, Yang Xuan and his companions gathered for discussion.

Old Wang squatted outside the door. Inside, Yang Xuan and his four companions sat in a circle.

Yi Niang gazed at the empty table, missing the melon seeds and pastries from Chang’an.

Cao Ying’s expression was grave. “With no ordinary people, how are we to govern? I keep thinking, our only option is to attract new settlers…”

The Old Rogue grumbled, “If not for you, would you be willing to come to Taiping County?”

Cao Ying shook his head. The Old Rogue wanted to bang the table, but Yi Niang hummed softly, so he merely stroked the table and said, “If even you won’t come to Taiping, why expect others to?”

“Those who’ve lost their land would rather beg in the city than come to a place not even birds care for!”

The Old Rogue pressed relentlessly.

Cao Ying sneered, “If the choice is between starving and surviving, do you think the people would choose to starve?”

The Old Rogue scoffed. “Who will pay for them to come? And besides, Taiping County lies on the northern frontier, plagued by war. Who would want to come? You were born to privilege, so you don’t understand the common folk, but I do.”

Cao Ying’s eyes narrowed.

The Old Rogue rolled up his sleeves…

“Ahem!”

Only then did everyone realize the lord had been ignored.

Yang Xuan tapped the table lightly. “Raise problems, solve problems. That’s how things get done.”

Cao Ying and the Old Rogue rose to salute.

“Please chastise us, my lord!”

Both were properly deferential.

“Mind your words and conduct.” Yang Xuan waved his hand. All of a sudden, he felt like an emperor watching his ministers squabble.

Everyone was watching him, awaiting his decision.

Yang Xuan spoke slowly. “If the people aren’t willing to come, then let’s find out what keeps them away—and change it!”

Identify the issue, state the issue, resolve the issue.

“Brilliant, my lord.”

The chorus of praise was hollow.

Yang Xuan instructed, “From now on, Old Cao will manage county affairs.”

Old Cao could offer cunning plans, but was somewhat lacking in grand strategy. As an administrator, he would suffice.

Cao Ying rose. “I accept.”

“Old Jia.”

The Old Rogue got up, beaming, and cast a sidelong glance at Cao Ying.

Yang Xuan said, “You’re in charge of intelligence gathering in town. Coordinate with Qian Mo if anything comes up.”

“At once!” The Old Rogue grinned from ear to ear.

Yi Niang asked, “And what about me?”

Ahem.

Yang Xuan pointed at everyone in the room, including himself.

“We’ll all follow your orders.”

Head Steward of the Inner Court.

Yi Niang nodded happily.

Old Wang, as carefree as ever, made Yang Xuan smile. “Old Wang, you’ll stick with me.”

Cao Ying praised, “Old Wang only listens to you, my lord. With his skills, there’s no one better to have at your side.”

All looked fondly at Old Wang, squatting in the corner.

The Old Rogue immediately set out to scout the city.

The city was simple—just a few streets and alleys.

He wandered half a circuit and saw some men playing a leaf game outside a doorway, so he ambled over for a look.

The men glanced up, eyes wary.

One of them said slowly, “No one polices gambling here.”

The Old Rogue sighed, “I enjoy this too, but the Magistrate doesn’t approve. That’s why I have to find people to gamble with outside.”

The men were surprised; one ventured, “Want to join us?”

“Gladly!”

The Old Rogue sat down, scratching his head. “I’m not much good at this, so I’ll need your guidance.”

“Heh.”

The men smiled innocently.

“There are no friends at the gambling table.”

“So be it.”

The Old Rogue took out his purse. “This is all I have. If I win, I’ll enjoy the brothels. If I lose, it’s back to work.”

The purse was hefty. The men exchanged glances and smiled knowingly.

The cards were dealt and the game began.

The Old Rogue’s method of drawing cards was peculiar. He reached out to touch them, as though seeking permission, then picked one up.

A man across the table asked with a smile, “What did you do before?”

The Old Rogue replied seriously, “I read bones.”

The men exchanged looks; one laughed, “Whose bones did you read?”

“Oh, let me think…” The Old Rogue checked his cards. “Never an emperor, but I’ve read the bones of princes, of princesses, of generals and ministers… pretty much all dignitaries.”

His listeners burst into laughter.

“Ha ha ha ha!”

The Old Rogue said blandly, “I often tell the truth, but no one ever believes me.”

The game continued.

The Old Rogue made idle conversation here and there.

At first, the men were tight-lipped, but as they started losing, details about city life came pouring out.

“All kinds here—murderers, thieves, swindlers, kidnappers…”

“The ones I despise most are the adulterers and those who insult women. See that brute up there? He’s one of them.”

The Old Rogue rolled his eyes and looked closely; he saw a fierce-looking man walking with his head down and his back hunched.

“At first he tried to swagger, but after a brutal beating, he learned his lesson. Now he keeps his head down. Otherwise, the boys will give him another beating.”

“So that’s how it is.”

The gambling went on…

Yang Xuan was not so lucky. At dawn, he was already out leading a patrol.

“Usually those serious offenders just idle about the city,” Hu Zhang explained in a dry tone.

Zhen Siwen walked on the other side. “They were once made to farm, but bandits and tribal raiders kept attacking. The convicts would run off—no one could catch them. After several incidents, only the honest folk dared leave the city to farm. The convicts had nothing to do.”

That was a clear explanation. Yang Xuan gave Zhen Siwen an approving look. Zhen Siwen was startled, then broke into a broad grin.

“Over there… over there…” Zhen Siwen was about to point out another area when he saw some men playing a leaf game outside a house.

Open gambling!

Zhen Siwen was furious, about to scold—

Yang Xuan cleared his throat. “With nothing to do all day, what else are they to turn to but gambling? Let it be for today.”

In an instant, not only was Zhen Siwen astonished, but Captain Qian Mo behind them was taken aback as well.

In a city of criminals, plagued by mortal dangers outside, life was so dull that gambling and games were a way to stay alive. What else was there?

This young magistrate seemed easygoing indeed.

A burly man whistled. At the sound, the gamblers hastily gathered their cards. In his haste, one man reached out.

“Let me read your bones.”

The Old Rogue obliged. “You’re in for some luck.”

The old con artist!

With that, they moved on. Zhen Siwen was much more enthusiastic. “There are shops in town; everything for daily life is available.”

Shop taxes—another source of revenue.

“How many shops?” Yang Xuan asked.

“Three.”

Yang Xuan clasped his hands behind his back and quickened his pace.

A horn sounded from the direction of the city wall.

Zhen Siwen shuddered. Qian Mo was first to react. “Magistrate, look—beacon smoke. The enemy’s been spotted.”

Yang Xuan saw smoke rising on the right. “Let’s go see.”

Along the way, Yang Xuan noticed the “townsfolk” remained utterly unperturbed, going about their business.

Their calmness made Yang Xuan dizzy.

There were already soldiers and hundreds of men on the wall.

At the front stood two men—Diao She and Zhao Youcai—whom Yang Xuan had seen upon entering the city.

“Magistrate, these two are the ringleaders among the convicts. They have some authority and are usually left to manage the others,” Zhen Siwen whispered, now acting as a trusty aide.

“Magistrate,” the two ringleaders saluted.

Yang Xuan climbed the wall and saw smoke and dust in the distance.

The sound of hooves rumbled faintly, like distant thunder.

Dark shapes danced on the horizon, drawing ever nearer.

The horn wailed.

Qian Mo spoke gravely. “Magistrate, it’s the bandit Deng Hu with his three hundred riders.”

Yang Xuan narrowed his eyes as the horsemen closed in. “Are they here to raid?”

“Yes,” replied Zhen Siwen, his legs shaking.

He pretended to drop something and crouched, quickly rubbing his face.

In a low voice he muttered, “Siwen, you’ve got this! You can do it!”

He drew a deep breath and stood again, now composed. Cao Ying noticed and nodded slightly. “Such composure—he’s got potential. Let’s have him try leading the charge next time.”

The bandits thundered to the city walls. At their head, Deng Hu—surrounded by his men, his face bristling with a thick beard—called out smugly, “I heard there’s a new young magistrate in town. I’ve come to congratulate him. Shout it out!”

A rider broke from their ranks and called out before the city, “We heard there’s a new magistrate, so we’ve come to pay our respects.”

“Present the gift!” Deng Hu sneered.

A corpse, dragged by a horse, was hauled before the gate.

Zhen Siwen’s lips trembled. “Magistrate, the returning farmers reported… one was missing.”

“Open the gates and surrender the city, and we’ll spare your lives!”

The bandits shouted back and forth.

“Magistrate!”

All eyes locked on Yang Xuan.

Everyone awaited his decision.

Yang Xuan reached out.

“Bow and arrows!”

Old Wang handed over the weapons.

Yang Xuan drew the bow, nocked an arrow, and tracked the bandits with slow precision.

He loosed the arrow.

“If you don’t open the gates, when the city falls, every man dies, every woman is enslaved—”

The bandit was still shouting, just out of arrow range.

The arrow flashed like lightning, piercing his chest.

He tumbled from his horse.

A cheer broke out along the city wall.

“Bravo!”

Deng Hu’s eyes darkened as he swept his gaze over Yang Xuan and drew his blade.

“When we take the city, not a soul shall remain!”