A stew of the Red Chamber

Chapter 18 Emergency Cleanup

Xiaohuazhi Alley, not far from the back corridor of Rongguo Mansion.

Wang Qing whispered, "Zhou Chen and Ruan Xiong are in charge of the outer perimeter security. Nie Chong and Sha Fei, come in with me."

After making the arrangements, he waved his hand, and forty soldiers from the Five Cities Garrison dispersed and quickly surrounded a brightly lit and bustling courtyard.

Once everyone was in position, Wang Qing drew his sword from his waist and raised it high. The remaining twenty soldiers, each holding a spear, immediately gathered around him.

He took the lead, arrived at the courtyard, kicked open the gate, and shouted, "Wang Qing, the commander of the Western City Garrison, is ordered to search for and capture the thief! Anyone who dares to obstruct or harbor him will be severely punished!"

The loud voice silenced the room, but then a commotion broke out.

Immediately afterwards, seven or eight thugs with menacing faces rushed out from the shadows of the courtyard, brandishing sharp knives and blocking Wang Qing's way.

The tightly closed door opened, and a burly man with a fierce face, surrounded by four or five henchmen, strode out: "There are no thieves here! We brothers are just trying to make a living. Sir, sell me one of my brothers, Drunken Vajra Ni Er..."

Before the word "face" could be uttered, a commotion erupted inside the room. Nie Chong, standing beside him, pointed to a dark figure leaping out of a window and fleeing into the courtyard, shouting, "Sir! Someone's escaping!"

If the name is not correct, then the words will not be proper.

Although the Great Xia Dynasty explicitly forbids the opening of gambling dens, he also carries the banner of capturing thieves. However, if he makes a big show of it but doesn't even see a trace of a thief, the forces behind these gambling dens will definitely make a big fuss about it.

In order to legitimize his actions, eliminate any concerns his subordinates might have, and undermine their will to resist, Wang Qing made a series of arrangements.

Ni Er's mouth dropped open, and he turned around to look.

"Don't let the thief escape!"

Wang Qing shouted, drew his knife, and kicked Ni Er to the ground. He added, "I'll go after them! You stay here. Arrest all these people and interrogate them thoroughly to prevent any from escaping! Anyone who obstructs us will be killed without exception!"

After saying that, he chased after the figure in the direction it had disappeared.

"kill!"

The twenty-odd soldiers behind him roared and thrust their spears horizontally.

When two armies meet on a narrow path, the brave shall prevail. These scoundrels and ruffians are nothing more than bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong, relying on their numbers and power.

This gang of thieves was well-known in the capital, so no one dared to get involved with them.

Without encountering much resistance, they arrested Ni Er and more than ten others, and confiscated all the gambling money and the gambling den's silver.

Having finished these tasks, Wang Qing, who had been chasing the disappearing shadow, returned. Nie Chong and Sha Fei quickly stepped forward and asked, "How did it go?"

Wang Qing shook the blood off his knife and said, "I'm not familiar enough with the capital. Although I injured the thief's arm, he still managed to escape."

If it were an ordinary thief, Wang Qing might have let him escape, but he might still have been caught.

But this gang of thieves was already famous. Wang Qing, single-handedly, managed to wound them and make them escape, which impressed everyone.

Wang Qing shook his head in annoyance and asked, "Tell me about your side!"

Nie Chong and Sha Fei quickly reported the situation.

Time was of the essence, so Wang Qing didn't delay. To prevent any leaks, he arranged for several clerks to stay behind.

They had to put on an act and instruct them to question the gamblers to see if they remembered what the thief looked like.

However, once these gamblers entered the gambling den, they had no interest in anything else. In addition, the thief was not conspicuous and only left behind a bunch of ambiguous information. The clerks made the gamblers sign and seal the documents, and then let them go home at dawn.

Meanwhile, Wang Qing led his team, escorting Ni Er and the others, to the next gambling den.

The beginning is always the hardest, but the soldiers of the West City Garrison gained more confidence after their first experience.

In just three or four hours, ten gambling dens were raided, and gambling funds and illicit money totaling more than 30,000 taels of silver were seized.

Of this, gambling funds and the gambling den's working capital each account for half.

After all, big spenders who can throw money around usually have powerful backgrounds, and even if they are gamblers, they all have their own circles. They can't really enjoy themselves in a place like this where all sorts of people mingle.

Leading a group of ruffians back to the West City Military Command, the once empty prison was now packed to the brim.

Wang Qing then gathered all his men together. In addition to the five taels he had previously promised to each of them, the salaries of the soldiers patrolling outside the Ning and Rong mansions and the clerks doing paperwork were also reduced accordingly.

As for Zhuang Ze and his four deputies, each received thirty taels. He also symbolically took fifty taels for himself. After the reward money was distributed, he took more than two hundred taels in change and gave it to the cooks at the yamen, while also increasing their food allowance. The remaining thirty thousand taels were then put into the treasury by Zhuang Ze.

Although everyone had worked hard all night, they were all proud and elated after receiving their reward.

Having rallied the team, Wang Qing did not slack off and invited Zhuang Ze, Nie Chong, and the other four to the inner hall.

"Everyone has worked hard. Although we had a great haul last night and showed those 'thieves' what we're capable of, it's not impossible that they might get angry and embarrassed."

After a brief opening, Wang Qing pondered for a moment and said to Zhuang Ze, "The matter of asking you to send someone to contact the heads of each neighborhood yesterday is urgent."

"Understood, I'll go right away..."

Zhuang Ze was about to accept the order when Wang Qing raised his hand to interrupt him, saying, "In addition, have them contact the neighborhood head again and find more poor families. For now, they can hire some people to do street sweeping and drainage work, paying each person 300 coins per month. When winter comes, they can give them an additional 100 coins for heating expenses."

"Huh? This..." Not only were Zhuang Ze and the others stunned, but even Nie Chong looked surprised.

Wang Qing said meaningfully, "Although we have a legitimate reason for our actions, the money we seized is a hot potato."

Right now, it's the transition from autumn to early winter. Fallen leaves are piling up, and open and culverts are bound to get clogged. Once it rains, the water will overflow and become foul-smelling. This is our job, and now that we have some extra money, we should naturally do it well.

Furthermore, once winter arrives and the weather turns freezing, it will be hard for you gentlemen to attend court. Recruiting people in advance to help you clear the snow will ensure that this money is used effectively.

He spoke with such earnestness that Zhuang Ze and the others were utterly astonished. They exchanged bewildered glances for a long time before finally exclaiming, "Your Excellency is truly brilliant!"

Wang Qing was indeed flattering and currying favor, which helped to unite the team and achieve downward management.

However, this did not help in merging the five city military commands and consolidating power.

To achieve this goal, management must be directed upwards.

Unfortunately, the emperor, their greatest ally, could only go with the flow and could not provide overt support.

Therefore, he needs someone in the court to help him.

It is not scarcity that is the problem, but inequality. It may not be obvious now, but once winter comes, the high-ranking officials and nobles in the western city who get up early to attend court will enjoy the special privilege of clearing the roads and sweeping snow. Wouldn't the officials and nobles in the other four cities be envious?

Wang Qing showed no embarrassment, nodded, and then instructed, "You can take an extra sum of money to bribe the ward head, but you can't deduct this little bit of hard work money from the subordinates, and you're absolutely not allowed to receive a salary without working! If you're found out, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

These past few days, I've been stationed at the yamen. All recruited personnel, regardless of the time, must be brought to the yamen; I want to meet with each and every one of them! After recruitment is complete, I will also lead a team to inspect the area. If anyone is found to have falsified numbers or deceived their superiors, don't blame me for being ruthless!

Although taking care of the poor was not his original intention, it did not prevent him from doing things for them within his power.

Considering that these people were poor and might have to go to places like the docks to find work during the day, or do some washing and sewing work, Wang Qing simply stayed at the yamen so that his subordinates could bring people over at any time.

Of course, more importantly, it was to let the emperor see that he was always on duty and devoted himself to the cause.

……