"Xu Da really hasn't been behaving himself."
Zhang Xing felt rather helpless too. It was hardly just Wang Shuyong; over the past few days, from Puyang to Weinan, plenty of people had been more outrageous than Fifth Wang Lang. But Fifth Wang Lang was still Fifth Wang Lang, and he could not be brushed off as before. "Still, the bastard confessed everything as soon as he came, so his attitude was proper enough... His biggest problems were shutting out outsiders and scheming for his own faction. To support private troops, he withheld the taxes from the five eastern counties of Eastern Commandery, privately promised positions and assignments within the gang in exchange for personal loyalty, and smuggled liquor and grain on a massive scale without reporting it to the organization, much less paying any taxes. Even his rewards of land were granted outside the gang's authority. Both favors and punishments came from him personally... Half the decline in Eastern Commandery's tax revenue can be laid at the feet of his private troops. Greed blinded his judgment."
Wang Shuyong froze.
Xu Shiying finally opened his eyes too. Instinctively, he wanted to say something, but when he met Zhang Xing's casually returning gaze, he obediently shut his mouth again. He simply sat there with his protective true qi coiled around him like a python, eyes closed in repose.
He seemed to be practicing some miraculous technique, or perhaps keeping a pet.
After a moment, Fifth Wang Lang hesitated, then finally asked, "So you really did uncover his affairs while investigating the taxes, Third Brother?"
Zhang Xing also fell silent for a while, then sighed and replied with his hands behind his back, "Fifth Lang, do you think I came here to carry out some political conspiracy over personnel, and that even this