Qiang Jin Jiu (Author : Tang Jiuqing 唐酒卿)

Chapter 145 : Beggar

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Several days later, the garrison troops of Cizhou escorting and transporting the grain wagons arrived in Chazhou. Fei Sheng returned to the residence to give Shen Zechuan a full report of the happenings in Chazhou. At the same time, he handed over his records of the prices of goods in the two prefectures of Huaizhou and Fanzhou. Not only that, he had even gotten to the bottom of Lei Changming’s and Lei Jingzhe’s backgrounds.

Lei Changming was originally from Chazhou and started his career as an armed escort, which was well-known. Fei Sheng, after asking around Chazhou with help from local shops in Juexi, discovered that Lei Changming had been involved in the flesh trade during the Yongyi era, as shared by the older residents. At that time, both Dunzhou and Duanzhou saw a rise in entertainment districts, leading to the emergence of famous courtesans like Bai Cha, Shen Zechuan’s mother. Later, Lei Changming traveled through Dengzhou, tricking innocent women and selling them as prostitutes in Dunzhou and Duanzhou. Eventually, Shen Wei ordered the closure of brothels along the Chashi River, which caused a significant decline in business in Duanzhou. With no connections there, Lei Changming had to seek a new path.

Lei Changming, who had until then been trying to get by, wanted to resume his old trade. He hence capitalized on the reputation of the Zhu Clan and went around making connections with the officials in Zhongbo. In his process of associating with these officials, he found out that these people dreaded the time after spring every year when the Chief Surveillance Bureau would make field trips to conduct inspections and audits. As the Imperial Censors had the right to impeach, the appraisals of the officials involved would undoubtedly be affected. This was an important affair pertaining to their own promotions and transfers, and as such, they did not dare to act rashly and visit the brothels for pleasure.

Lei Changming thus hit upon an idea. He set up a “Mingshu Hall” in Fanzhou, which was a poetry club-cum-teahouse on the surface. In actuality, however, he had the decent women he sourced put up there as secret prostitutes to bribe the various officials. However, this business did not last long either, ruined at the hands of Shen Wei.

At this point in the record, Fei Sheng had specifically made a note at the side.
Shen Wei had spies and informers everywhere in the various prefectures. Ever since he married Bai Cha, he had been rather heavy-handed in his attempts to crush the brothel trade in the various prefectures. Lei Changming’s Mingshu Hall had not been established for even a year when it was wiped out at lightning speed by Shen Wei. Abducting and trafficking women of decent origins was punishable by law. To escape responsibility for the crimes, Lei Changming instructed his subordinate to take his place, while he hurried over to the prefecture of Dunzhou where he offered Shen Wei a large sum of cold, hard silver ingots before he managed to extricate himself.

After this incident, Lei Changming reverted to his ways of idling around doing nothing. His wife and son had passed away early, but he did not take a concubine at that point in time. He had a penchant for grooming children ever since he abducted and sold women a long time back. But he was too brutal towards them, and none of those children ever survived. At the end of the reign of Yongyi, Lei Changming took on the Yan clan of Hezhou’s job to provide armed escort as a means of livelihood. Subsequently, he got into the Yan clan’s good graces. It was from then on he really started to enjoy a meteoric rise.

There was no mention of a jade bead or earring in this record. Shen Zechuan closed the book and contemplated it for a moment. “It’s strange. Children who can wear earrings are either wealthy or noble. Even if Lei Changming dared to abduct and traffic those of decent backgrounds in Zhongbo, he would not dare to lay a hand on the noble clans’ heirs from the Eight Cities of Qudu.”