Chapter 36: Zhou Binglin

Yunping County town.

In the eastern part, within an area of noble aura, there stood a luxurious mansion covering several acres, with green-tiled roofs, pink walls, and continuous pavilions and pavilions.

In front of the mansion was a vermilion lacquered gate, flanked by two stone lions with fierce expressions, and above the gate hung a plaque inscribed with golden characters reading “Zhou Residence.”

At this moment, the main gate was closed. Several servants dressed in green sat lazily on a long bench, yawning from time to time. The side gate, however, was open for people to pass through.

This was the residence of the Zhou family, a prominent household in the county!

According to the customs of the Zhou Dynasty, only families of noble status or those holding a fifth-rank official position in the imperial court were entitled to call their residence a “Manor” (Fu). Although the Zhou family was powerful, their influence was limited to the county level, so calling their residence a “Mansion” (Zhai) was quite appropriate.

Although the Zhou Dynasty was in decline and its rituals and legal systems were deteriorating, some traditions were still strictly observed, especially within county towns and prefectural capitals.

At this moment, inside a study, two men were engaged in a game of Weiqi, silently concentrating on their match.

One of them had a solemn face with three long strands of beard, wore a scholar’s headpiece, and exuded a scholarly demeanor with a sharp gaze that was black, gentle, and unfathomable. This was Zhou Tong’an, the current head of the Zhou family.

Opposite him sat a young man, gentle and refined like jade, holding white stones and concentrating intently on the game.

Soon, the young man began to sweat slightly as a large group of his stones was captured, prompting him to throw down his stones and say, “Father, your skill in Go is profound; I am truly inferior!”

This young man was Zhou Tong’an’s legitimate son, Zhou Binglin. As a child, he was known for his quick wit and ability to compose poetry within seven steps, earning him the reputation of a prodigy and gaining him some fame.

Seeing this, Zhou Tong’an sighed slightly.

Throughout history, the heads of prominent families, although wielding power, often found their position extremely challenging. Although he had helped his son gain some recognition and provided him with extensive training, it now seemed that his son possessed only superficial abilities.

Of course, in times of peace, such superficial abilities would suffice, but not in the current era.

He then asked, “As the festival approaches, have the gifts for the county officials and various family branches been prepared properly?”

“They have been prepared. As per your instructions, the gifts are fifty percent more generous than usual!”

Zhou Binglin replied respectfully: “In addition… a thousand taels of silver have been sent to the Second Uncle, escorted personally by Master Song!”

“Good!”

Zhou Tong’an nodded approvingly: “Your second uncle is serving in a distant post, and he needs these funds for expenses. He is the future hope of our Zhou family, capable of securing another forty years of stability for our household. We must never treat him lightly…”

This referred to Zhou Tong’an’s younger brother, Zhou Tongren.

He had obtained the title of “Juren” at an early age. Although he did not pass the Jinshi examination, he still secured an official position and now held the post of county vice magistrate at the eighth rank.

The county vice magistrate was the deputy to the county magistrate, usually not involved in much governance, but still received some respect from the county magistrate. The next rank up was the county magistrate at the seventh rank, a local ruler of a hundred li.

However, this was not in Yunping County.

This was easily understood. The Zhou family was already quite powerful. If they were to have another vice magistrate or even a county magistrate, wouldn’t the entire Yunping County effectively belong to the Zhou family?

Separating and assigning distant posts was a natural instinct of those in power.

Now, with the Zhou system in decline, they were still within the same commandery, not too far. Previously, they could not even be in the same province.

“I understand, Father!”

Zhou Binglin respectfully replied, then continued: “Also, regarding the Wu family… the suppression seems excessive. It might not be worth the damage to our relationship with the Taoist Academy… and there is also the matter of reputation…”

“Hmph!”

Zhou Tong’an coldly snorted, causing Zhou Binglin to shudder: “I suspect there’s more to it, isn’t there? I know you have always had an interest in Wu Qing… naturally, you might extend your affection to her family…”

In this world, with its strict rituals and legal systems, a son could not show the slightest disobedience to his father, or he would be despised by society and face great calamity. Zhou Binglin immediately broke into a cold sweat and apologized: “Son dares not!”

“I hope you truly think so…”

Zhou Tong’an said darkly: “Suppressing the Wu family is not only our only channel to establish connections with the influential family in the commandery, but also… Wu Qing is not someone you are worthy of having, do you understand?… She has already been chosen by a noble person!”

Zhou Binglin’s mind flashed with an image of a graceful figure, and his heart ached, but he dared not show any of his feelings at this moment, replying: “Son understands!”

Regardless of his inner thoughts, at least in terms of this response, Zhou Tong’an was quite satisfied. His expression softened slightly as he continued: “I have already made arrangements. Once we capture that young Wu Ming, we will have someone in the Taoist Academy to confront them on our behalf… with a dual approach, then…”

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps interrupted Zhou Tong’an’s words.

He furrowed his brows, and Zhou Binglin immediately felt a chill, knowing that this was a sign of his father’s utmost anger. He lowered himself even more, not daring to make a sound.

“Master, I have urgent news to report!”

“Come in!” Hearing the voice outside, Zhou Tong’an suppressed his anger, knowing that the servant, aware of his temper, would not dare to disturb him without an extremely urgent matter.

“Reporting to the Master!”

The person who entered was a middle-aged man dressed in black, with a gloomy expression, kneeling to pay respects to Zhou Tong’an: “We have had no contact with Chief Yu and the guest Qingping for over a day and night. According to intelligence reports, a demon was discovered in Qingshi Village, claiming to be Qingping, controlling corpses and practicing evil arts. He was killed, thrown into a fecal pit, and his body turned to ash!”

“What?”

This shocking news immediately left Zhou Tong’an speechless, causing him to sweep away a cluster of black and white stones on the Go board.

“Master Qingping…”

Zhou Binglin was also somewhat dazed, recalling the elegant image of the Taoist priest in bamboo hat and feathered robe, who was highly respected even by his father. Could he really be dead?

And in such a pitiful manner?

“…How exactly did Master Qingping die? Is there any possibility of overturning the case?”

After a heavy breath, Zhou Tong’an coldly asked.

“Previously, Master Qingping had already made arrangements to capture the Wu family’s son. It should have been a magical duel where he was defeated and killed. As for overturning the case…”

The man in black hesitated: “There are joint testimonies from the village head and villagers, and there are even copper and iron corpses made through evil means. Some of them were stolen from the county and have criminal records… the evidence is solid and overwhelming, making it extremely difficult to overturn the case!”

Hearing this, Zhou Tong’an’s face turned even darker: “What about Chief Yu? Where is he?”

“Chief Yu’s whereabouts are unknown, suspected to have already fallen into the hands of the Wu family!”

The man in black gritted his teeth and said, noticing that Zhou Tong’an did not erupt in anger again but instead became even more sinister.

After a long silence, Zhou Tong’an coldly laughed: “Good! Good! Good! I never expected that there would also be a master among the Wu family!”

He immediately issued orders: “You go down and retrieve all the benefits given to Master Qingping. Also… fabricate evidence that Yu Cheng embezzled the family’s funds and was expelled from the family long ago. Do you understand?”

Zhou Binglin listened in a daze, watching the black-clothed man bow and leave, feeling a chill in his heart.

Once something went wrong, distancing oneself from the implicated was normal.

After all, the Wu family was also a prominent household in the county, and some methods used against commoners could not be applied. If it came to court, it would be somewhat disadvantageous. Sacrificing a pawn to save the rook was a common human reaction.

But knowing it was one thing; doing it was another.

Although Yu Cheng and Qingping’s descendants, if they understood the situation, could still receive some covert protection, who hasn’t heard the saying that when a person leaves, the tea gets cold? Their fate would likely not be good.

Such actions were truly chilling!

…

At the same time, within the Wu family’s fortified manor.

Wu Ming wore a fox fur robe and a silver crown, truly looking like a refined and elegant young man. Inside the room, a high-quality incense burner was lit, with delicate wisps of fragrant smoke creating an atmosphere like a fairyland.

According to Zhou Dynasty customs, men underwent a capping ceremony at the age of fifteen. Nobles and families of third-rank officials or higher used jade crowns, noble families or fifth-rank households used gold, scholar families used silver, while commoners could only use wooden or bamboo crowns.

At this moment, Feng Han spoke: “The Zhou family has resided in Yunping for generations, tracing back 270 years. Zhou Yong followed General Wu Qi in quelling the rebellion in Shu, spent half his life in military service, and was granted land, from which the Zhou family rose. Over generations, they have produced several Juren degree holders, seized opportunities to flourish, and now possess over 5,400 acres of land, more than a thousand family members, and countless servants. The highest-ranking official in the family is the current head, Zhou Tong’an’s younger brother—Zhou Tongren, who serves as the vice magistrate of Qingmu County. The person closest to the Zhou family within Yunping County is Hu, the county clerk. Hu’s appointment as county clerk was largely due to the Zhou family’s support, so he is regarded as their benefactor… Additionally, the Zhou family has dispatched servants to secretly support several families in business, yielding substantial profits…”

Wu Ming nodded from time to time, appreciating Feng Han’s thoroughness.

In such a short time, he had managed to uncover the general strength of the Zhou family, allowing Wu Ming to visualize a colossal entity rooted in Yunping with influence spreading across several counties.

“Moreover… there is also a clerk who poses some difficulty!”

A flash of cold light passed through Wu Ming’s eyes.

In the administrative system of the Great Zhou, each county had one county magistrate, a seventh-rank official who held overall authority. Below him were an eighth-rank vice magistrate and a county warden, each serving their respective roles. The vice magistrate usually handled no affairs, while the county warden commanded the local militia.

Beneath this core structure were various departments such as the civil, revenue, criminal, and works divisions, resembling a miniature version of the six central ministries, each headed by a ninth-rank official.

Additionally, there was a Patrol Inspector (Xun Jian), a ninth-rank official responsible for handling thieves and bandits, and a Chief Clerk (Zhu Bo), whose duties included managing documents for all departments, facilitating communication between upper and lower levels, and organizing confidential affairs. This position was of utmost importance.

However, the clerk held immense power, almost like a prime minister. If their rank were higher, they could even overshadow the county magistrate, hence their rank was kept at the junior ninth degree.

In addition to these official roles, there were various clerical personnel, including granary clerks (Cangfang Sili), fast-squad constables (Kuaiban Butou), inspectors (Xunjian) from each village, and numerous unregistered assistants who did not even hold formal clerical status.

Just within a county government, it was a miniature but complete system, like a small central authority.

At this moment, Wu Ming compared the two families, the Wu and the Zhou, both being prominent county families. On the surface, they were treated equally, and the methods they could employ against commoners, sufficient to ruin their families, could not be used.

However, when it came to connections, the Wu family was significantly inferior.

Although they also sent seasonal gifts and various forms of bribes, it was only to this extent. Compared to the Zhou family, who had supported the clerk’s rise, the Wu family’s efforts seemed shallow.

At the very least, Wu Ming was certain that if it truly came to court, the county magistrate might still treat them equally, but those below the clerk’s position would likely favor the Zhou family.

At that time, even if he held ironclad evidence, there would still be some uncertainty.

“Not to mention… in the worst-case scenario, the Zhou family might even leverage connections from the commandery level to pressure the county magistrate… making it a battle with no chance of victory!”

Therefore, Wu Ming had no intention of resolving this matter through official channels.