Setting rival views against one another

The next day, Wang Gang bought all the gifts he needed and was about to set off when he ran into the county commandant.

The latter looked haggard. Without a word, he dragged Wang Gang into a breakfast shop, ordered two bowls of simmered shredded tofu, and bent his head to dig in.

Only after finishing a bowl did he let out a long breath. Looking much more refreshed, he turned to Wang Gang. "Why aren't you eating, Yukun?"

"I already ate this morning!" Wang Gang replied.

The county commandant nodded, pulled the other bowl over, and started eating again. Once he had finished that bowl too, he patted his belly and laughed. "Finally back among the living!"

Wang Gang asked tentatively, "Judging by the look of you, did Jin Long's interrogation not go well?"

"Hmph, at first I thought he was a real man, too. I even went out of my way to invite King Yama over from the prefectural prison, but he confessed before we'd barely started!" The county commandant looked scornful.

"King Yama?"

"A jailer in the prefectural prison. His interrogation methods have been passed down through his family. Formidable stuff!" the county commandant explained.

Wang Gang laughed. "Even that gets passed down through the family?"

"Don't underestimate these petty clerks! Their families have been doing this for generations. Which of them doesn't have a few special tricks up his sleeve?"

Warming to the subject, the county commandant said, "Take King Yama. Nobody knows his real name, only that his surname is Wang. His family's Eighteen Hells Techniques really do get crueler with every move! They say that since his grandfather's day, nobody has ever had to use the full set!"

"How many moves did Jin Long withstand, then?"

"Heh, not even one! King Yama laid out his instruments of torture, and before he'd even finished introducing them, Jin Long was shouting that he wanted to confess!"

"Then why are you still looking so worried?"

"Ah... I took some men to make arrests based on Jin Long's confession, but there wasn't so much as a hair to be found!"

"Could it have been a false confession?"

The county commandant shook his head. "That was my first thought, too, so I tortured him when I got back! The brat couldn't stand it. He cried for his father and mother and pissed and shat himself. It didn't seem false!"

"Then that's troublesome! Someone might have tipped them off!"

"This damned county office is like a sieve with the wind blowing through it! Nothing stays secret!" The county commandant was glum.

Wang Gang laughed. "What's so surprising about that? Doesn't even His Majesty's palace leak? I heard there's a little newspaper in Dongjing devoted to reporting palace affairs!"

The county commandant smiled bitterly. "Now I'm in trouble! Once the county magistrate starts handing out blame, I'll be catching the fallout again!"

Wang Gang's eyes shifted, and he said quietly, "I have an idea that might work against the Fish-Dragon Gang."

"Oh? Tell me, Yukun!"

Wang Gang glanced around and lowered his voice. "A gang like this rose from the bottom. It's very hard to catch them all in one net with the handful of men at the county office! Why not support another gang and let them fight each other?"

The county commandant shook his head. "That won't work! The Fish-Dragon Gang has plenty of experts. How could an ordinary gang be their match? Besides, even if we did wipe out the Fish-Dragon Gang, the new gang might well become another Fish-Dragon Gang!"

"Who told you to wipe out the Fish-Dragon Gang?" Wang Gang smiled meaningfully. "Think about what our sovereign does best."

The county commandant looked blank. "Tearing down the bridge after crossing the river? Competing with the people for profit?"

Wang Gang was so angry he nearly slapped him. Through gritted teeth, he said, "Setting rival views against one another! Let the two gangs fight, and help whichever side is weaker! Who would dare disobey you then?"

The county commandant's eyes lit up with delighted surprise. "That's a good plan! You scholars really are underhanded... clever!"

Wang Gang rolled his eyes. "Work out the rest yourself. I have something to do, so I'm leaving!" With that, he rose to go.

But the county commandant caught hold of him. "Yukun, there's still the same problem. Ordinary people are no match for the Fish-Dragon Gang! However much I help them, it's no use if they can't win!"

"How would I know about the affairs of these gangs? I can give you a few ideas, but asking me about that is asking a blind man for directions!"

"Don't be like that! You must have a way. Help your big brother out!"

Unable to stand his pestering, Wang Gang thought for a moment and said, "I'll suggest someone. Whether it works will be up to you!"

"Good! Tell me, tell me!"

"Go try Gongye Qian!"

The county commandant looked troubled. "He seems to belong to the Murong Family. Others might not know, but I do! Would someone from a martial arts family like that be willing to get involved in gang affairs?"

"That's why I said to try!" Wang Gang said. "Gongye Qian's palm techniques are something else. He's at least a second-rate expert, and he has several brothers whose abilities are no worse than his! If you can persuade him, the Fish-Dragon Gang's experts won't amount to much!"

Thinking it over, the county commandant realized that was true. Behind them stood the unfathomable Murong Bo, too! Besides, these martial arts families would not harm the people too much. They had their reputations to consider, after all! He nodded firmly. "All right! I'll give it a try! At worst, I'll get a few mocking remarks!"

"Fine, then. I really do have something to do. Work it out yourself!" With that, Wang Gang turned and left.

Watching Wang Gang leave, the county commandant narrowed his eyes and muttered, "The Murong Family is related to you by marriage. What are you after, having them run a gang? Never mind. These scholars all have dirty hearts! At any rate, he can't be scheming against me!"

Wang Gang sat in a carriage as it headed out of the city toward the academy.

In those days, long-distance travel meant a sedan chair, a horse, or a carriage.

As a future scholar-official, Wang Gang naturally would not choose a sedan chair, a mode of travel that treated people as beasts of burden.

As for riding, although late autumn in Gusu was not as bitterly cold as in the north, the chill here carried a dampness that seemed to seep into the marrow.

Wang Gang certainly would not choose to force hardship upon himself when there was none to endure, so he finally hired a carriage from a carriage service.

The driver was an old coachman, and every wrinkle that the years had left on his face spoke of experience.

As he left the carriage service, everyone cast approving looks his way.

The old coachman certainly lived up to expectations. The moment they left the city, the carriage seemed to take flight, racing wildly down the road! It jolted so badly that Wang Gang could not even speak!

He tried shouting a few times, but the moment his trembling voice left his mouth, it was swallowed by the wild din.

"You son of a bitch! I'll kill you!"

Wang Gang struggled to shout, shakily trying to stand, only to be jolted off his feet again.

Just as Wang Gang could no longer hold back the urge to vomit, the carriage finally stopped. The old coachman lifted the curtain and looked at Wang Gang, whose face said he had nothing left to live for. Looking uneasy, he said, "Young master, you seemed to be in a hurry, so I drove as hard as I could. I haven't held up your business, have I?"

"No! Not at all!" Wang Gang climbed irritably out of the carriage and stretched, feeling sore all over.

"That's good! I was afraid you'd think I was too old and drove too slowly!" The old coachman grinned, the wrinkles covering his face blooming like a chrysanthemum.

"Not slow at all. Even a young fellow couldn't match your speed!" Wang Gang grabbed a handful of coins, thrust them at him, and waved him away. "Off you go. Don't let me keep you from earning money!"

"Yes, thank you, young master!" The old coachman sprang onto the carriage, cracked his whip, turned around, and drove off.

Once his back was turned, the coachman broke into a grin. These scholars were the easiest people to coax. As if he had time to waste on him-Widow Zhang was still waiting for him to chop firewood!

Wang Gang gazed at the mountain before him. Maple trees covered it, and the academy lay hidden within the maple woods. Beside the river, this had originally been an unnamed, uncultivated mountain. After the academy was built here, it came to be called Academy Mountain.

Wang Gang climbed the steps, admiring the red leaves along the way. Generations of students had planted these trees with their own hands, and some among them were ones he had planted.

"Is that Yukun?"

Wang Gang was immersed in his memories when he suddenly heard a voice behind him. Turning to look, he hastily bowed. "Your student pays his respects, Teacher Wen!"