High Positions and Handsome Salaries 08

Only Fang Hongyuan felt a profound sense of dread. If he had previously harbored some appreciation for Fang Zhiyi's sudden awakening, that feeling was now tainted with a sliver of fear. Fang Zhiyi's methods were far too ruthless. Who was to say such ruthlessness would not be turned against him in the future?

However, by the time Fang Hongyuan resolved to win over the prominent families and sever Fang Zhiyi's path of expansion, it was already too late. Fang Zhiyi's approach was the classic stick and carrot. After previously coercing these families into donating funds for bandit suppression and public security, he turned around and confidentially handed them a list—an itemized menu openly putting official government posts up for sale!

After all, no family would ever complain about having too many officials in their ranks.

Instantly, these prominent families tossed their hatred for Fang Zhiyi to the wind and swarmed in a frenzy to purchase the titles.

The entirety of Qingzhou descended into a murky chaos. Upon receiving the news, Fang Hongyuan stood rooted to the spot in shock. He now realized with absolute clarity that he had completely lost control of the situation. Through this single scheme, Fang Zhiyi had managed to bind every merchant and prominent family in Qingzhou to himself, whether openly or in secret. The ship had set sail fully loaded, and he, Fang Hongyuan, had long been left stranded on the shore.

Fang Zhiyi's reputation skyrocketed as well. Every commoner knew he was a corrupt official—and a massively corrupt one at that. Whenever he went out, he would scatter large sums of money simply to flaunt his wealth and status.

"Show-off," Fang Yan and Fang Heng could only mutter curses in private when they saw the grand spectacle of Fang Zhiyi's outings. Was Fang Zhiyi not acting like nothing more than an arrogant nouveau riche?

Fang Yan had originally thought that by purchasing a military post, he could become just as imposing as Fang Zhiyi. To his dismay, upon taking office, he discovered that all his colleagues had bought their positions as well. The most brilliant part of the scam was that none of them held any actual authority; the real power remained firmly in the grasp of the original military officers.

This was yet another one of Fang Zhiyi's schemes to amass wealth.

Just as Fang Yan returned home, ready to complain, he saw his younger brother stumbling in from outside, his face bruised and swollen. "Father! You have to get justice for me! Father!" he wailed. The shrill, miserable cries gave even Fang Yan goosebumps.

Upon asking, he learned that Fang Heng had been transporting goods from the county. While traveling along his usual official route, he was abruptly intercepted by the garrison guards. They heavily implied that there was a problem with his cargo. Fang Heng was used to throwing his weight around—after all, his father was Fang Hongyuan, and his useless younger brother was the Prefect of Qingzhou! How could anyone dare to block his path?

Because of his sheer arrogance, the guards showed no mercy, beating him severely and leaving him with a crippled leg.

Fang Hongyuan was initially furious, but after pacing back and forth a few times, he could only let out a long sigh. "Wait at home. I will go ask him what is going on."

Fang Zhiyi's explanation was incredibly simple: it was a mistake.

Fang Hongyuan wanted to express his anger, but as he looked at his lofty and powerful son, he suddenly felt a lack of confidence. "You should apologize to your second brother. We are all family."

Fang Zhiyi merely waved his hand dismissively. "Sure, I will go when I have the time. Since you are here, there are some local specialties over there. Take them back and enjoy them."

Looking at the beautifully packaged gifts, Fang Hongyuan felt a complex swirl of emotions. To say Fang Zhiyi was unfilial would be unfair, as he constantly sent all sorts of goods home. But to call him filial was a stretch, as he clearly had no desire to see his father. The whole dynamic felt incredibly strange.

In Qingzhou today, Fang Zhiyi had well and truly become the sole authority, blotting out the sky with one hand.

Even Fang Heng's original business suffered several inexplicable sabotage attempts before being swallowed up by a prominent family. Fang Heng stomped his feet in rage, insisting that Fang Zhiyi was the mastermind behind it all, yet he was utterly powerless to do anything about it.

"His ego has grown too large. This is bad. Sooner or later, it will lead to his downfall," Fang Hongyuan muttered. He now resembled a weary, retired old man. Though his tone was flat, the deep-seated resentment in his eyes betrayed his true feelings. "He will face his reckoning eventually. He most certainly will."

Ever since Fang Zhiyi had dropped his facade completely, he rarely dined with his family, opting instead to wine and dine with his new associates. His behavior naturally unsettled Fang Hongyuan. Seeing his other two idle sons only deepened his displeasure, turning Fang Yan and Fang Heng into the prime targets for his scoldings. As time passed, the two brothers began to harbor their own resentments.

Following Fang Zhiyi, Zhang Qi and Liu Mang saw their own statuses rise like boats on a swelling tide. Now, anyone who crossed paths with him had to respectfully address him as Master Zhang. This made Zhang Qi endlessly grateful that he had made the right choice back then.

His task for today was to deliver a message to the First and Second Young Masters—no, to Fang Yan and Fang Heng.

Zhang Qi knew full well how the Fang family had once played Fang Zhiyi for a fool. He could not understand why Fang Zhiyi still bothered with his two worthless older brothers, but out of sheer loyalty, Zhang Qi carried out his orders without question.

Upon receiving the information and connections provided by Fang Zhiyi, Fang Yan and Fang Heng—who were already harboring deep grievances against their father—deliberated briefly before deciding to take the plunge. Fang Zhiyi had offered them an exclusive smuggling route. Buying and selling such illicit goods would yield a massive fortune! When the time came, they would finally be able to hold their heads high. That damned old man, always looking down on everyone and everything. Bah!

Watching his sons leave, Fang Hongyuan, a man who had spent his entire life scheming, felt a sudden wave of bewilderment. Was he truly getting old? He was supposed to be the puppet master pulling the strings from behind the scenes. How had things devolved to this pitiful state?

That was until he heard news of a massive famine in the northwest, which drove countless refugees toward their region. Fang Zhiyi opened the city gates to let the refugees in and even paid out of his own pocket to provide them with food and water. Hearing this, Fang Hongyuan let out a disdainful scoff. "A leopard never changes its spots!"

Many of the refugees ended up settling down permanently. The reason was simple: Fang Zhiyi was dipping his fingers into an ever-growing number of industries. He aimed to build monopolies and needed a loyal workforce. Later, Fang Hongyuan heard that his son had established something called a company. Desperate to ride his coattails to riches, nearly all the prominent families in the city joined this enterprise—even his own two sons had signed up.

Fang Hongyuan remained silent, biding his time to watch Fang Zhiyi make a fool of himself. After all, all lands under heaven belong to the Emperor. This arrogant, ignorant son of his was bound to take a devastating fall soon enough. When that day came, he would thoroughly mock him.

How did the old saying go?

Whom the heavens would destroy, they first make mad.

I should have strangled you the day you were born. But no matter. I will sit back and watch you meet your bitter end.

In the winter of the twenty-eighth year of the Jinghe reign, the old Emperor passed away, and the new Emperor ascended the throne.

When Fang Hongyuan heard the news, his eyes lit up. He knew that Fang Zhiyi's days of glory were numbered. After a long period of dormancy, he finally began to make his move. Fang Hongyuan had long ago planted a hidden pawn: Liu Mang. No one knew more about Fang Zhiyi's illicit dealings than Liu Mang. Because he always played the part of a simple-minded fool, Fang Zhiyi would never suspect or guard against him.

As for Zhang Qi, ever since Fang Zhiyi had made his move without Fang Hongyuan receiving any prior warning, the old man knew the servant had defected. But it did not matter. One life-saving pawn was all he needed.

Upon receiving a secret letter, Liu Mang hastily packed his bags and slipped out of the city under the cover of night. He needed to rush to the capital to report Fang Zhiyi's crimes. The old master had always treated him well, so it was his absolute duty to offer his services now. However, shortly after exiting the city gates, Liu Mang was ambushed. In the pitch-black night, he could not make out his assailant's face; he only heard a chillingly familiar voice.

"The Master was absolutely right. This kid really is a master at playing the fool."

Zhang Qi retrieved the letter and studied it carefully. A moment later, he tucked it into his robes, mounted his horse, and set off alone.