PFC Chapter 132 Winning Over Fu Shun
Chapter 132 Winning Over Fu Shun
"Presenting auspicious omens isn't that simple. First, we need to create momentum, and then find a way to get them to the top. Only by letting Emperor Huizong know that I exist can we gain greater benefits in the future."
On his way back to the yamen, Li Chong kept thinking about it.
We need to clear the joints above, but there's no rush to start now. Without something in hand, even if we clear the joints, it won't be of any use.
Therefore, before Xue Ming delivers the people Li Chong wants, they can only focus on the issue of creating momentum.
As for creating momentum, one person's help is indispensable.
"Fu Shun, we've ignored him for so long, it's time to start."
Li Chong's eyes narrowed, and he quickened his pace.
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Inside the yamen, in the county magistrate's office, several men sat together drinking.
"Boss, a few more traitors have defected to that Wu guy's side these past few days. What should we do?"
Hearing his trusted subordinate's words, Fu Shun grinned, picked up his bowl, and took a swig: "Why bother with them! It's good that those bigwigs are gone; when it's time to divide the money, we brothers can get a bigger share. Come on, let's drink!"
The group looked at each other, and out of respect for Fu Shun, they had no choice but to reluctantly raise their bowls.
To be honest, the people working in the government office couldn't be supported by their salaries alone. Those minor clerks in charge of documents earned their income from bribing officials when someone came to file a complaint.
These constables surrounding Fu Shun, in addition to their regular duties, were also responsible for protecting the merchants on the street and collecting their tributes on time.
Logically speaking, with fewer subordinates, each person should receive more money.
You might make a lot of money in the short term, but over time, the merchants outside aren't stupid. They'll realize your power at the government office has greatly diminished, so why would they still pay you protection money?
Fu Shun and his gang could suppress one or two families by relying on the power of the government, but what if the whole street refused to pay?
On the official front, Li Chong and Fu Shun were at odds, and the men under Fu Shun who were capable of fighting were not necessarily more powerful than the men under Li Chong who had fought bandits.
Fu Shun is inferior to Li Chong in both status and methods, so why can he still collect money peacefully?
A person without foresight will surely have immediate worries. Fu Shun can live a life of debauchery, but his subordinates cannot.
Fu Shun was still a county lieutenant, the third-in-command in the county, and he was bound to receive tributes from others, but others still needed to eat.
A group of people were drinking alone when the door suddenly opened.
Someone at the table stood up: "Who's the blind fool...?"
He suddenly started stammering halfway through his sentence.
"Master?"
The sunlight outside the door shone on Li Chong's back, making him appear even more imposing. He stood there expressionless, followed by Wu Dalang and his men, making him awe-inspiring.
Not knowing who Li Chong was after this time, Fu Shun and his group were naturally feeling guilty.
Li Chong strode in: "While you're on duty, you gather to drink. Should I call a few more young ladies for you?"
Fu Shun sat there casually, drinking his wine: "That's quite a waste of your time, Your Excellency. But please don't go looking for the girls at Xichun Tower; they're too delicate and boring! I do know a brothel in the West Market; their girls are quite nice. Your Excellency could give it a try."
Since Li Chong has already gained the upper hand, and Fu Shun feels powerless to compete with him, he might as well just give up.
As long as Fu Shun is without desires or wants, Li Chong can't do anything to him, because Fu Shun's evaluation is based on the state's assessment, and Li Chong can't control him.
Seeing Fu Shun's rudeness, Wu Dalang and the others showed anger, but Li Chong didn't care at all.
After walking a few steps, Li Chong sat down in front of Fu Shun and instructed, "Bring me a clean bowl, and then you can leave."
"Ah, this..."
Fu Shun's brothers instinctively looked at him.
Wu Dalang and his men pushed their way forward, saying, "The master has spoken, what are you all standing there for?"
Those who followed Fu Shun were certainly not pushovers; their physiques were in no way inferior to Wu Dalang's.
The burly men glared at each other angrily. If they hadn't known that this was the county government office, they probably would have started a fight.
"Bang!"
Li Chong slammed the bowl on the table: "What? Trying to rebel? Don't forget who you are! You're government troops, not bandits!"
Wu Dalang, being perceptive, immediately told his men to step back.
"The master is right!"
This put Fu Shun's men in an awkward position.
Let it continue. There's no target left. He makes sarcastic remarks, but he doesn't dare to speak up in front of Li Chong.
"Alright," Fu Shun said lazily. "Since our county magistrate has spoken, you can all leave now. I don't believe anyone in this yamen can do anything to me."
He wanted to see what Li Chong was really up to.
Everyone else left and closed the door, leaving only the two of them.
"Tell me, you didn't come here just to show off your power as the county magistrate, did you?"
With no one else around, Fu Shun didn't even bother to address Li Chong anymore.
Li Chong wasn't offended and even poured Fu Shun a bowl of wine, asking, "These past few days haven't been easy, have they?"
Fu Shun paused for a moment before reaching for the wine bowl, then said calmly, "Drinking, eating meat, and playing with women, I'm having the time of my life."
"Really?" Li Chong looked at him with a half-smile. "But I remember there were more people drinking with you before than now?"
"You're here to make fun of me!"
Fu Shun was not a good-tempered person to begin with, and after Li Chong poked his throat a couple of times, he immediately couldn't keep up the act anymore, clenching his right fist and glaring at Li Chong.
Li Chong shook his head slightly: "No way. I've come here to bring you a fortune."
Different methods should be used for different people.
For someone like Fu Shun, whose future in officialdom is virtually nonexistent, the most effective way to win him over is naturally through bribery.
"Wealth and status?"
Fu Shun was taken aback at first, then sneered, "Even that guy surnamed Yang can't deal with you now, why would you want to give me wealth and honor?"
Even so, Fu Shun unconsciously picked up his wine bowl again, proving that he was still tempted.
Li Chong said directly, "I run a security escort agency, responsible for escorting merchant caravans to Daming Prefecture. Everything is ready now, except that the agency is short of an instructor. I heard that County Lieutenant Fu came from a military background, so I would like to ask you to be the instructor."
"As long as you teach properly and the training is effective, I can give you a 10% share of the security company."
"Ten percent? How much could that be?"
Fu Shun dismissed it with disdain.
Li Chong slowly stated a number, which was the result he had seen from Xue Ming's account book today.
Fu Shun's expression instantly became unpredictable.
"Are there really that many?"
Li Chong leaned back in his chair and said, "That's not all. As long as you agree, I guarantee that all the gifts on the street will still be yours. I won't touch a single penny."
The world is not black and white; sometimes, a bit of gray is needed.
Li Chong did want to eliminate these bad habits, but the rules were there. If he didn't give the gifts to Li Chong, he would have to give them to others. So he might as well let him use them to do someone a favor.
The time for real change has not yet come, and that depends on Fu Shun's choice.