Royal Gold Magistrate

“Alright, Li Yuan, give me the invitation. Let me see where this poetry debate is being held.”

Li Yuanzhao handed over the invitation. As soon as Fang Zheng opened it and took a look, he started laughing.

What a coincidence! The Quzuo Lake poetry debate – looks like he would have to attend this Hongmen Banquet even if he didn’t want to!

Zhang Biao also poked his head over. “Young Master, where are we going?”

“To crash the party at a Hongmen Banquet!” Fang Zheng said with a mischievous grin.

Hearing this, Zhang Biao’s eyes lit up. “Great! I’ll go grab some sacks!”

Li Yuanzhao asked in confusion, “What do you need sacks for?”

“You don’t understand. At the Hongmen Banquet, they serve raw meat. We’ll take the leftovers back to eat!” Zhang Biao answered with the air of a veteran, as if he had dined at many Hongmen Banquets before.

He then happily ran off to find sacks.

Li Yuanzhao widened his eyes watching Zhang Biao’s retreating figure, then leaned close to Fang Zheng’s ear and whispered, “Is he… all there in the head?”

Fang Zheng felt displeased. How dare you talk about my Brother Biao like that? My number one fighter in Taoyuan County is just messing with you!

So he said solemnly, “Your Highness, you just don’t get it. When one of your skills reaches the pinnacle, other aspects become unimportant…”

“Take me for example. What do you think of my looks?”

“Pretty… pretty good. Why?” Li Yuanzhao said hesitantly.

“That’s exactly why His Majesty insisted I come to the capital to take office. Do you understand now? Can I read? No! Can I fight? Also no. Then why does His Majesty think so highly of me?”

Fang Zheng said with utmost seriousness.

Li Yuanzhao stammered, “Isn’t… isn’t it because of your merit in managing the rivers…?”

“Wrong! Your Highness, as the crown prince, you need to learn to see the essence behind superficial phenomena. What does my success in river management have to do with assigning me to the Imperial Clan Court? There’s no necessary connection!”

“In the end, it’s still because I’m good-looking! That’s why His Majesty sent me to the Imperial Clan Court and even gave me a gold medallion to freely enter the palace.”

Li Yuanzhao’s face showed a look of horror as he stepped back. “You… you mean Imperial Father has a taste for men!?”

“That’s one-sided! Appreciation of beauty transcends gender and race! Beauty can also influence a person! That’s why His Majesty placed me by your side.”

“As they say, ‘After staying in a room full of orchids for a long time, you stop noticing the fragrance.’ Your Highness has already changed quite a bit without realizing it! Just look at your stylish hairstyle now!”

“Really?” Li Yuanzhao rubbed his hair, chuckling foolishly.

Then he suddenly became dejected. “No wonder Imperial Father doesn’t favor me. Turns out it’s because I’m not specialized in any particular skill.”

“I learn whatever is taught, it’s not my fault! Is it wrong for me to become an all-around talent? Curse this damned gift!”

Fang Zheng: “…………”

Very good, before they knew it, they had already developed a rapport.

By the time they finished talking, Zhang Biao was prepared. He had tied three sacks around his waist with a belt, making it look like he was wearing a skirt.

Fang Zheng’s mouth twitched, but he couldn’t be bothered to comment.

He was used to Brother Biao being like this.

Getting the horse carriage ready, the three of them immediately set out for their destination.

Quzuo Lake was located in the northwest part of the western district of the capital. Lining both shores of the lake were bustling shops, with crowds of people on ordinary days.

As the three were about to arrive, Fang Zheng called for the carriage to stop.

It was still a bit early and not dark yet. Fang Zheng thought since there was still some time, he might as well have Li Yuanzhao get off the carriage and walk around to take in the surroundings.

If they went directly onto the boat, it would just be going from one room to another, missing out on a lot of scenery and diminishing the significance of the trip.

The three of them strolled along the riverside path. Li Yuanzhao and Fang Zheng walked side by side while Zhang Biao followed close behind, keeping alert.

The breeze blew through the willow trees lining both banks, causing the willow branches to sway non-stop.

The sounds of people coming and going, chatting, haggling, and reciting poetry floated into their ears from the shops along one side of the river.

Li Yuanzhao was like a small bird released back into nature. He spread his arms and took a deep breath, then said, “This place is great! It’s not inferior to Taoyuan County at all. When I first walked around the outskirts of the capital, I thought the whole city was like that!”

Fang Zheng laughed. “You jest. After all, this is the capital. No matter how good Taoyuan County is, there’s still a gap.”

“No! In my opinion, the management of the capital is far inferior to Taoyuan County. Look at that! And that! They’re all beggars. But I never saw a single beggar in Taoyuan County. Why is that?” Li Yuanzhao pointed at the beggars desperately begging near the shops, then looked at Fang Zheng in puzzlement.

He had this question as soon as he first arrived in Taoyuan County. Seeing beggars today suddenly reminded him of it.

Fang Zheng smiled faintly. “How can there be no beggars in Taoyuan County? It’s just that I had them all go do work. Those with hands, feet, and ability are first allowed to recuperate for a few days, then assigned jobs to earn money and support their families. This is called ‘substituting work for relief.'”

“As for the disabled, I do my best to have them do things within their abilities.”

“Furthermore, for those completely lacking any ability, or the elderly, weak, women and children, the county yamen will review each case and distribute some silver taels each month to ensure their basic living needs.”

“That’s why you don’t see any beggars in Taoyuan County!”

“The capital is so huge, it can’t be compared to Taoyuan County at all. Do you know how many beggars there are, how many jobs, how the money should be allocated?”

“This is a big problem, far from being as simple as me managing a small county. Moreover, the relationships in the capital are extremely complex and difficult to sort out. I think even if I were to manage it, progress would be difficult!”

Li Yuanzhao nodded and asked in puzzlement, “Are those beggars really willing to work diligently and honestly? I heard my teachers say some people are born lazy and can’t be taught no matter what!”

Fang Zheng’s face darkened, feeling like he had just been insulted…

Then he laughed. “What your teachers said isn’t necessarily wrong!”

“Among those beggars capable of working to support their families, some still cause trouble and commit all kinds of evil after earning money! If it’s a serious case, I usually break both their legs and then have them do something within their abilities.”

“If they still refuse to repent, I break their arms next and distribute some silver each month to ensure their basic livelihood.”

“After a while… given enough time, no one causes trouble anymore.”

Fang Zheng was still smiling, but in Li Yuanzhao’s eyes, that smile seemed a bit spine-chilling!

The usually joking Old Fang actually had such a ruthless side…

Fang Zheng glanced at him and said slowly, “A ruler who is overly soft-hearted is sowing the seeds for future disasters.”

“It’s great if they can be reformed through education. But there are just people in this world who are born evil. They refuse to repent, commit endless wrongdoings, completely lack empathy and humanity, as if they were born to do evil.”

“In my seven years governing Taoyuan County, those who committed rape, plunder, burglary, rioting, villainy… I beheaded a total of one hundred and seven people.”

“Do you think I was wrong?”

Li Yuanzhao still felt a bit numb in his hands, but he said through gritted teeth, “No, strict military law is necessary to properly manage an army. I understand that principle!”

Fang Zheng smiled with relief. “Not bad, but governing civilians isn’t the same as managing an army. After all, these evil people are just a small minority. The evil in the vast majority of people can still be corrected through education. Good people should be ruled with benevolent policies, evil people with harsh laws! Don’t let the civilians who love and support you become disheartened…”