The Liu father and son quarreled and made a fuss as they left the small courtyard to head home for another round of head-to-head confrontation.
But Yang Ge knew that this round of confrontation should yield results very quickly.
After all, the Liu family had a home and business in Lu Ting County, and they were in quite proper and decent condition.
Liu Mang had not married before, simply because he had been wandering around outside for years without settling down.
Now that he had returned to Lu Ting County to open a martial arts school and settled down; getting married and having children was only natural and should not be considered forced at all.
He couldn't possibly be more stubborn than the old shopkeeper, whose hopes for grandchildren had been rekindled.
"I'm going to be busy from now on!"
Yang Ge closed the courtyard door and muttered to himself.
In the future, he would be the Chief Commander of the Imperial Secret Police, the shopkeeper of Yuelai Inn, and the head instructor of the Liu Martial Arts School.
He even felt a bit like a time management master himself...
'I'll go back to the fishing village tomorrow to see the old man!'
He contemplated the tasks piling up in his hands, 'Once I get busy later on, I might not have time to go back!'
...
Three days later.
Inside the Imperial Secret Police station in Lu Ting County.
Yang Ge sat under the eaves in front of the courtyard, sipping some fine pre-Qingming Festival tea, while perusing the surveillance and arrest records.
In these two days, he had reviewed more than a dozen records and had gained a lot of insight from them.
Merely from the source of these cases, he had analyzed that the current methods of surveillance and arrest by the Imperial Secret Police mainly relied on case transfers from the three judicial offices and supplemented by civilian investigations.
As for the control over certain key nodes such as the major transport hubs for essential industries like salt, iron, and grains, the Imperial Secret Police had long-term undercover agents in place.
Summarized, it was: cast a wide net, focus on key areas, and strike with precision!
Through these records, Yang Ge had already drafted a preliminary intelligence gathering plan for Lu Ting County.
He was not in a hurry about this task, as Shen Fa had not given him a deadline to take full control of Lu Ting County.
His own plan was to wait until his men had been towing barges on the Bian River for three full months, completely shedding their military air, before methodically deploying agents in each field of business...
"Shopkeeper!"
Fang Ke rushed in and stopped about a yard away, calling out softly.
"Hmm?"
Yang Ge moved the records from in front of him and looked towards Fang Ke, who was dressed in hemp clothes, "Finished work so early today?"
Fang Ke saluted and said, "There's a letter from home!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Ge swiftly gathered up the records and gestured with a wave of his hand.
Fang Ke approached and whispered, "Chief Commander, there's been an incident at the Xie Family. In a month's time, the entire family will be executed. We've received a letter at home, suggesting that there might be Tartar spies entering the capital to cause trouble, and they've instructed us to be vigilant for any disturbances on the streets!"
Yang Ge, one hand on the records and the other lightly tapping the armrest of his chair, nodded after a moment of contemplation, "I understand."
But Fang Ke remained stationary, lowering his voice even further, "Chief Commander, this is a difficult matter."
Yang Ge gave him a look, "What do you mean?"
Fang Ke replied, "The Xie Family is one of the original twenty-four marquises of the founding of Wei, with in-laws throughout the court and loyalists across all three branches of the military. Taking action against the Xie Family this time, I fear, might have already offended certain people's taboos!"
Yang Ge furrowed his brows, "The Xie Family has come to this pass, what scruples could there still be?"
Fang Ke cautiously reminded, "Sir, any one of those dirty deals the Xie Family made is enough for the extermination of three clans. If the three judicial offices get serious, the combined charges are sufficient to wipe out nine clans... But now, they've only been sentenced to execution of the entire family!"
Yang Ge drummed his fingers on the armrest and asked, "Isn't this just those people saving their own skin?"
The faint voice of Fang Ke reached Yang Ge's ears, "By handling the Xie Family, we have already turned our spears towards them, simply throwing away the Xie Family doesn't count as self-preservation!"
Yang Ge suddenly raised his head, staring at the man, "Is that what you think?"
Fang Ke saluted with his hands clasped, "It is the opinion of the thousand-household commander!"
Yang Ge extended his hand, "Where is the original letter?"
Fang Ke shook his head, "The person who came didn't use our family's letter channel, so there's just oral messaging, no written letter."
Yang Ge, "What exactly were the original words of the message?"
Fang Ke, "It said to act cautiously and take advantage of the situation."
Yang Ge racked his brains for a long while before speaking, "Based on your understanding of Shen, is he fishing, or does he truly feel cornered?"
Fang Ke scratched his head, "A subordinate should not speculate on his superior's intentions, but since the general flag has asked, I must answer... According to my understanding of the thousand-household commander, it seems like he is fishing, but looking at the current situation, it appears he also feels it's thorny and wants to take another look."
Yang Ge couldn't help but roll his eyes at him, "What nonsense are you spouting?"
Fang Ke wore an awkward smile and dared not to continue.
Yang Ge gently tapped his head, "Alright, get on with your tasks. Inform me at once if there's any progress!"
Fang Ke gave a salute and respectfully retreated.
Yang Ge reopened the dossier and glanced over it, but couldn't focus at all.
After becoming distracted several times, he stood up, stored the dossier back in the inner room, then walked into the courtyard, pacing back and forth with his hands behind his back.
'The Imperial Guards mean for us to beware of Tartar spies creating chaos upon entering the capital.'
'This is easy enough to understand. Although the Xie Family no longer holds any value to win over and use, to spend a fortune for a good horse, using a batch of spies to exchange for traitors who will serve them incessantly is indeed a surefire deal!'
'But the undercurrents in Shen Fa's words, why do I feel as if he's implying that someone might force the Emperor and their faction to abandon the purge of officials involved in empowering enemies and self-aggrandizement by rebelling or even more drastic means?'
'Such a big issue, why would he tell me?'
'Oh right, Lu Ting County is the gateway to the capital. If someone is trying to transfer troops into the capital, they could pass through Luting County.'
'So, are you saying that our small number must not only watch out for Tartar spies but also keep an eye on troops stationed in various places?'
Yang Ge abruptly turned and hurried back to the Taishi Chair, plunking down with force, then grabbed the teapot next to him and tilted his head back to gulp it down like a thirsty ox.
"Indeed, it's a time troubled with endless affairs!"
He wiped the tea leaves from the corner of his mouth, yet still felt his mouth dry and his tongue parched.
He didn't know whether it was because he'd read too many books or because it was clearer from an outsider's perspective.
From the messages passed by the Imperial Guards and Shen Fa, he seemed to see two distinct camps on the imperial court.
One side consisted of the nobles who empowered their own enemies for gain, as well as the conservative and Dove Faction who felt as if their lips were cold with the fall of the Xie Family, forcing them to participate in this event.
The other side was represented by Shen Fa and even the current Emperor, determined to sweep away the evil spirits of the imperial court and rejuvenate the Wei, comprising the reformist and Hawk Faction.
And the Xie Family, destined for the executioner's block, was the centerpiece of the struggle and contention between the two great camps!
Of course, the focal point of the battle between the two factions seemed to be the life and death of the Xie Family!
But in essence, what the two factions were fighting over was control over the imperial court!