In truth, after the government's annual year-end summary conference concluded, there was always another meeting of considerably greater weight.
This meeting, however, was not open to just anyone — or rather, only thirty-five people currently held the qualification to attend.
The practice had been maintained without interruption, and in time it became one of the most hotly debated institutions of later generations — the special family council that most directly and profoundly shaped the balance of world power: the Zhao Family Council.
Of course, a certain someone frequently failed to attend even this most important of gatherings, leaving everyone else to manage as they saw fit. He would simply wait for the meeting to conclude, then glance over the results and make a few corrections — and that was that.
The council would take stock of all Zhao family assets and lay out every plan for the year ahead.
At the government assembly, the Four Ladies of the Brocade Guard were the undisputed center of attention; here, they faded somewhat into the background.
People always said the Zhao men did no work, but that was simply wrong. Men handle affairs outside, women manage within — and for the Zhao family, government matters were nothing more than household business. Most of these men were occupied with things ordinary people never saw, yet things of far greater consequence.
Naturally, someone like eight-year-old Mingming — who had earned his seat by virtue of his identity alone — could really only manage to pour tea and fetch water, keeping everyone's cups filled so that the older brothers and sisters could argue and debate with even greater vigor.
"Let's put it to a vote, then."
Mingming had been listening in a daze, and when he saw his eldest sister raise her hand, he raised his too.
"Agreed. Then we expand the Wolf Army — split out the core units and temporarily expand to three battalions."
The Wolf Army had originally numbered two hundred combat personnel. Even now its growth had been modest: one battalion, five hundred fighters, five hundred support staff, one thousand in total. Expanding to three battalions meant three thousand.
"Next item: whether to set no upper limit on prisoner intake, given that many of the people recently sent by the imperial court have turned out to be ordinary civilians who were simply seized."
"I'm in favor. The master wants population — what does it matter how that population came to be here?"
"I oppose it. This is aiding and abetting tyranny! How many families will be torn apart because of this?"
Mingxin, lounging with her legs crossed and an air of casual indifference, gave a light laugh. "How about we look at it from a different angle — what if we brought everything into the open and bought their family members along with them?"
…
The imperial court needed money and cared nothing for population; Longcheng needed population and cared nothing for money. It was a match made in heaven — a perfect partnership in villainy!
After the Zhao family council adjourned, Jinyi formally invited Governor-General Wen and Provincial Inspector Lin to meet with her. The three of them talked through the afternoon and reached a settlement.
Orders were then issued one after another, and within days, the soldiers the court sent over were no longer delivering lone men — they were delivering whole families.
The imperial court was digging its own grave.
"My lord, my lord, I truly am not a vagrant — soldiers came and seized me! I have my wife and children with me. How could anyone think I was out to rebel?"
"That's not my concern, and it's beyond my power to address. Since we've paid good money to bring you here, we don't care what you were before or what you may have done."
"You'll clear land and farm here. After three years, you'll regain your freedom, and then you can go wherever you please."
"Come now — sign your mark. Work hard these three years, and if you dare try to escape…"
"My lord, my lord — I'll sign, I'll sign! My lord, you're a man of your word — you'll truly let us leave after three years?"
"Absolutely, absolutely — now sign your mark, quickly!"
Three years from now? Ha. Three years from now, you could try to chase them away and they damn well wouldn't leave!
His subordinates were busy processing the new arrivals. Li Xuanji stood to one side watching in silence, his jaw clenched so tight he was nearly grinding his teeth to dust.
His own court — selling off its own people just like that? Men, women, young, old — five taels of silver a head.
Splendid. Truly splendid. What worthy ministers, what pillars of the realm! The restoration of the court rests entirely in your capable hands!
And so began the Middle Kingdom's first great and tumultuous trade in human lives.
Longcheng's population surged at a pace never seen before.
…
"Remember — we are the finest assassins alive. We come here to complete the mission as swiftly as possible."
"Command has spoken: finish the job and the reward is ten thousand taels of silver."
"That's a hundred taels apiece for every one of us."
"Take that hundred taels home, buy yourself ten or twenty mu of land, hire a few tenant families to work it, and live out your days as a gentleman of leisure."
"Sir, I have a question."
"Speak."
"There are over thirty of us — if it's a hundred taels each, where does the rest go?"
"Always have to be the one with too many questions, don't you? Does it cost nothing to move, to live, to gather intelligence?"
"Come forward — one tael each, in advance. Once the deed is done, command won't shortchange anyone."
"We may know nothing about this place, but remember: we are the finest assassins. We will complete the mission. Long live the Emperor — ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand upon ten thousand years!"
"Ten thousand years!"
"Right — fan out and enter the city separately. Regroup once you're inside."
The group made their arrangements and dispersed, moving in small clusters along the main road toward Longcheng.
"Lord almighty — am I dreaming? Are those buildings? How can they be so tall, so many of them?"
As Longcheng's construction crews grew ever more skilled, new buildings had begun rising above three stories in great numbers. In the outer development zones, four-, five-, and even six-story structures were becoming a common sight. They could have built higher still, but Zhao Baihui saw no point — too many stairs to climb. Better to wait until electricity came along and elevators could be built.
One of the assassins stood gaping at a building not far off, struck dumb. In all his life he had never laid eyes on anything so tall — and here they stood in clusters, block after block. The sheer scale of it bore down on him with a force and weight he had never felt before.
"Are you going in or not?"
"Oh — yes, yes, I'm going."
"First time in Longcheng, by the look of it. Let me give you the quick rundown on what to watch out for when entering the city."
"Head over to that building first — yes, that one — and get a temporary identification card made."
"Next to it is a place with a sign out front called a bank. Can't read? Ask someone nearby."
"Go to the bank and exchange your money for paper currency. Don't be alarmed — no one here will take your money by force. Paper currency is far more convenient in these parts, and these days many people won't accept copper coins or silver at all."
"Then if you're looking for work, go to the public notice board at the neighborhood street office and ask there — easy enough to find."
"If you want somewhere to stay first…"
…
The assassin followed the flow of people in a complete daze, made his way to the new public security substation, had his temporary identification card made, and left behind his image on record. Then, still in something of a stupor, he exchanged his money for a few paper notes.
He waited outside for a while until he met up with his leader.
"First we secure lodging, then we eat."
"I hadn't expected this place to be so vast, so densely packed with people. The mission won't be simple — we'll need to plan carefully. After all, once the job is done, we still need to get out alive."
"I heard someone say that shop right there is what they'd call a broker's house back home — except here they don't call them brokers, they call them intermediaries. Let's go in and have a look."