"I am alone and helpless; I need to find some help to get things done!" Zhang Tang kowtowed again, his respect for his mother genuine.
Not everyone is like Lu Ming, that beast. Even if he were a lecherous man, he would never lay a finger on his sister and mother, let alone rape them to the point of pregnancy. Zhang Tang's behavior was that of a typical filial son.
Zhang's mother nodded. "My son, you can contact your father's former colleagues. If you can get their help, this matter won't be difficult!"
Zhang Tang nodded. "I understand?"
But he had other thoughts in his mind.
His father's colleagues were now either sick or old. Asking them out wouldn't be of much help; at most, he could only ask them for advice on officialdom.
Besides, the world today was completely different from the world of his father's generation.
Zhang Tang bid farewell to his mother and went straight to a small village east of Honggu Plain. Upon entering the village, he went directly to the door of a rather dilapidated-looking house and knocked, calling out, "Brother Yan, are you home?"
A short while later, a man dressed in coarse cloth opened the door. Seeing Zhang Tang, he was quite surprised, "It's Zhang's eldest son! Please come in!"
After entering, the man bowed and asked, "Is there something you need, eldest son?"
"Indeed!" Zhang Tang nodded, "I've been favored by Lu Ming, the governor of Liangzhou, and appointed as the assistant mayor of the nine markets in Didao. However, I am alone and lack experience. I beg Brother Yan, for the sake of our long-standing friendship, to lend me a hand!"
The burly man chuckled and said, "I am a crude and uncouth man. I only know how to kill and break the law. How could I know anything about managing government affairs?" Although his words were an excuse, Zhang Tang clearly saw that the other man was already interested.
So Zhang Tang said, "What does a great man care about his background? Besides, I truly need someone of your talent, brother!"
Many people thought Zhang Tang was strict and ruthless in enforcing the law, but few knew that he was actually quite shrewd.
He was a clever man; he knew who to arrest and who not to arrest.
Take this burly man, for example. Everyone knew he was a notorious chivalrous knight-errant in Didao, with at least three lives on his hands. But because he knew Zhang Tang and often provided him with clues, Zhang Tang turned a blind eye to this murderer, and even now wanted to take him under his wing.
The reason was that this man had roamed Didao and Liangzhou for many years, knew the layout and locations of Didao's streets and alleys intimately, and even knew many hidden secrets. He had connections with all sorts of people in Didao.
Zhang Tang glanced around, and seeing no one was watching, said again, "Brother, come closer, and listen to what I have to say!"
Zhang Tang then whispered something in the man's ear, and said, "This matter comes from my lips, brother. If a third person finds out, what will the consequences be?"
The man nodded solemnly, "Don't worry, although I am not talented, I know what's important. Besides, this matter..." He chuckled, "Since it's serving the imperial family, I naturally have no choice!" He spoke with an air of righteous indignation.
In this world, which wandering knight doesn't want to clear their name?
Being a wandering knight is always about licking blood from the edge of a knife; if you offend a powerful person, it's death.
If you could switch careers and become a lackey of the imperial family, enjoying both prestige and power, who wouldn't want that?
Therefore, having received this opportunity, this man naturally knew he should seize it firmly.
The man knelt down and bowed, saying, "My lord, please accept my bow!"
Zhang Tang nodded, helped him up, and clasped his hands in thanks, saying, "With your assistance, sir, the great undertaking is assured! In that case, I will deliver the betrothal letter tomorrow. Also, His Highness has instructed that serving the imperial family will not be unfair. I will give you ten taels of gold tomorrow to settle your family!"
Upon hearing this, Yan Jiu was overjoyed, his face beaming with delight.
With the betrothal letter, he could clear his name and no longer need to hide. He would also receive ten taels of gold, further convincing Yan Jiu that serving the imperial family was indeed the best option—high pay and no risk!
No wonder so many of his former brothers were eager to clear their names!
"By the way, brother, you should shave your beard and change your name," Zhang Tang added. "Brother knows you have a criminal record that can't be erased overnight?"
"Of course, of course," Yan Jiu chuckled. In Didao and Liangzhou, any chivalrous knight who hadn't used at least three or five different names would be embarrassed to show his face in public!
After leaving Yan Jiu's house, Zhang Tang thought for a moment, then turned south and went to another village, where he found Tian Jia, a merchant he had known since childhood.
Tian Jia was his childhood friend and also his patron who had supported him financially since he took up his official post.
Tian Jia had always thought highly of Zhang Tang, believing he would eventually rise to high office. Therefore, he had invested early on, expecting no return, and even betrothed his own younger sister to Zhang Tang—ever since Lü Buwei's brilliant business deal, any merchant with a modicum of sense had started sponsoring promising scholars and officials, often without expecting anything in return, hoping that the other party's rise to prominence would bring them along with them.
Upon meeting Tian Jia, Zhang Tang recounted the events, then said, "My current position is entirely due to your guidance, brother. Now, I am fortunate to have been selected by Governor Lu to serve as the magistrate of the Nine Markets. I humbly request your assistance, brother, to advise me and manage the affairs of Huai Market!"
Zhang Tang was certainly not foolish. He was a follower of Han Fei, not a businessman, and therefore knew nothing of commerce. If he were to act presumptuously, he would likely suffer a great setback.
Since the collapse of the Qin state, the Legalists had been reflecting on their actions.
They were reflecting on why the powerful, prosperous, and united Qin state had suddenly collapsed overnight.
After years of reflection, the Legalists had essentially compiled some lessons from their failure. The first and foremost lesson was certainly not the problems with the strategies and laws used—if that were the case, Qin would never have unified the country. Rather, after unification, the Legalist officials overstepped their bounds, leading to a situation where incompetent officials led experts. Coupled with the misdeeds of Zhao Gao and Li Si, this ultimately caused the collapse of the Qin state!
Therefore, contemporary Legalist disciples not only study the theories of Han Fei and Shang Yang, but many also delve into the classics of Confucianism, Huang-Lao thought, and even Mohism, to avoid the tragedy of laymen leading experts.
"Brother, I am delighted with your success today," Tian Jia said, neither directly agreeing nor refusing. Instead, he poured himself a cup of wine and drank it. "However, I wonder when you will marry my wife?"