Chapter Seven: The Fifth-Rank County Magistrate

Fang Jun sat like a mountain on a low table, while Prince Qi, Li You, slumped before him. Fang Jun gripped him tightly by the collar; one of the Prince’s eyes was bruised black, and his face was streaked with tears and snot—it was unclear whether from pain or terror—leaving his originally handsome, fair face in a state of utter disarray.

The hall was filled with Li You’s men. Seeing their master captured, they hesitated to act, restraining themselves while glaring daggers at Fang Jun.

Only Cheng Chubi remained unrelenting. He held a wooden stool, smashing it down repeatedly upon a burly fellow. Between blows, he cursed incessantly, “Damn you, you dared to kick me in the crotch? I’ll smash you to death! Get up and keep kicking if you dare, you bastard…”

The man under the assault howled for mercy. The onlookers watched with twitching eyelids; it was truly ruthless.

Fang Jun swept his gaze across the room and noticed that Du He, who had been standing by the door, had already vanished. He snorted in disdain. A spineless coward with no sense of loyalty!

Just as he was about to tell Cheng Chubi to stop, a chaotic flurry of footsteps sounded at the stairs. A group of men rushed up in a panic. Judging by their uniforms, they were bailiffs from Chang'an County.

Chang'an City was vast, with a complex population and countless affairs. With Vermilion Bird Avenue as the boundary, the area east of the city fell under Chang'an County, while the west fell under Wannian County. It was said to embody the meaning of "ten thousand years of peace in Chang'an." The Drunken Immortal Pavilion was located in Pingkang Ward, which was in the eastern part of the city and thus under the jurisdiction of Chang'an County.

The bailiffs swarmed in, wielding iron rulers and staves. Seeing that the fighting had already ceased, they did not dare to be careless, knowing that everyone present was of noble status. They stood guard silently, offering no reprimands.

Then, another man ascended the stairs.

He was a middle-aged official dressed in a light crimson robe, with a silver fish-shaped tally hanging from his waist. He had a square face, large ears, and a fair complexion, with three strands of long, black whiskers that lent him an air of elegance.

His clear, sharp eyes scanned the situation in the hall, and he felt a sense of relief upon assessing the scene. However, when he saw Fang Jun still clutching the collar of Prince Qi, the corner of his eye twitched slightly.

He bowed and said in a clear, resonant voice, “I am Zhou Fu, the Magistrate of Chang'an County. I offer my respects to His Highness, the Prince of Qi.”

He was actually a fifth-rank magistrate. Fang Jun had always assumed that county magistrates were merely seventh-rank "sesame officials." He knew little of the Tang Dynasty’s bureaucratic system, and the "fool" who had previously inhabited his body knew even less.

In the Tang Dynasty, not all county magistrates were seventh-rank officials.

Counties varied; some were classified as "Capital Counties" or "Red Counties" based on their proximity to the capital. Others were categorized as "畿县" (Ji counties), "望县" (Prominent counties), or "紧县" (Strategic counties) based on geographic conditions. More commonly, they were divided into four grades—upper, middle, middle-lower, and lower—based on land area, population, and tax revenue.

Large counties like Wannian, Chang'an, Luoyang, Taiyuan, and Jinyang were "Capital Counties," where the magistrate held the fifth rank, equivalent to the mayor of a sub-provincial city like Shenzhen or Xiamen.

Counties under the jurisdiction of the Jingzhao, Henan, and Taiyuan prefectures were known as "Town Counties," with a sixth-rank magistrate, similar to a prefecture-level mayor.

Upper-grade county magistrates in other prefectures held the sixth rank, while middle-grade magistrates held the seventh rank, middle-lower held the seventh rank, and lower-grade magistrates held the eighth rank—roughly equivalent to a township mayor.

Zhou Fu did not wait for Li You to respond. He lifted his head, his gaze locked firmly on Fang Jun.

In his heart, he was a swirl of mixed emotions: the son of the Prime Minister had beaten the Emperor’s son, and not to mention the son of the Duke of Lu was involved too. This was truly a nightmare; any way he handled it would be problematic.

Fang Jun chuckled, released his grip, and stood up. He cupped his hands and said, "I am Fang Jun. Greetings, Magistrate."

Seeing Fang Jun’s amicable attitude, Zhou Fu nodded slightly. Before he could speak, however, Prince Qi erupted into a wail.

"Fang the Second, you are dead! You dare to hit me? You actually dared to hit me? Zhou Fu, arrest him for me! Throw him into death row! When I report this to my Imperial Father, I will make sure this bastard is sliced into a thousand pieces!"

Li You had escaped Fang Jun’s control. No longer playing dead, he scurried to his own men and immediately began hurling abuses.

Zhou Fu’s expression stiffened. He replied, "I shall act according to the law, Your Highness. Please, calm yourself."

Li You was furious. "The law? To hell with your law! I am of the imperial bloodline. Laying a hand on me is treason—it’s a capital offense! Zhou Fu, I warn you, if you do not listen to me, do not blame me when I submit a report against you to my Father!"

Zhou Fu frowned and said firmly, "Your Highness is free to report me, but I conduct my duties in accordance with the law. There is no need for your clamor!"

Li You was so angry he nearly choked.

Has the world turned upside down? One by one, none of them hold me in any regard? Fine, just wait—sooner or later, I will deal with each and every one of you!

Magistrate Zhou Fu said with a stern face, "Young Master Fang, Young Master Cheng, would you mind accompanying me to the county office?"

The tone was polite, but the meaning was clear: if the two of them walked quietly, they wouldn't need to be shackled. If it were anyone else, Zhou Fu would have had them in chains long ago; fighting in Chang'an was a serious crime, especially when one of the victims was a prince.

Fang Jun knew this was a necessary procedure. He glanced at the enraged Li You and said calmly, "It takes two to clap, Magistrate. You aren't planning to only arrest the two of us, are you?"

Cheng Chubi didn't care at all. The brute looked indifferent, clearly signaling that he would take whatever came his way.

Li You roared, "Bastard! I am a Prince of the blood; who dares to arrest me?"

Fang Jun looked at Zhou Fu with a half-smile, testing whether he was truly a "firm-willed magistrate" or merely putting on a show while being a sycophant.

Zhou Fu was indeed conflicted. After all, this was the Prince of Qi, a man of royal standing. Yet, he made up his mind in an instant. Righteously, he declared, "Even a prince is subject to the law just as a commoner is. I must ask Your Highness to endure this inconvenience. Once I have investigated the cause, I will provide you with an explanation."

Li You was nearly driven mad. "You dare?!"

Zhou Fu bowed slightly. "Your Highness, please!"

Li You laughed out of pure rage. "Very well, very well! A 'firm-willed magistrate' indeed. I think you've grown tired of living. Just you wait! I will go to your county office today, but if you don't give me a satisfactory answer, I will have your skin!"

Zhou Fu was also becoming irritated. He spoke firmly, "I do not need to answer to Your Highness; I only need to answer to the law and to His Majesty!"

Li You fumed, "Follow me, all of you, and bear witness! I want to see how this Chang'an County office handles these bastards who beat a prince and show contempt for the imperial family!"

Under the stunned eyes of the crowd, Prince Qi Li You led his bruised and battered men out of the Drunken Immortal Pavilion and headed straight for the Chang'an County office.

Only after ordering the bailiffs to take Fang Jun and Cheng Chubi away did Zhou Fu let out a long sigh, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

A clerk stepped up from behind him and whispered, "Magistrate, how shall we handle this?"

Zhou Fu looked vexed. "Handle it? How can I handle this? They are all untouchable giants; what can a small official like me do? Here is what you will do: take my token immediately and go to the Secretariat to seek out my old classmate, Ma Zhou. Tell him this and that..."

The clerk listened intently, nodded in understanding, and hurried away.

Zhou Fu finally relaxed. He turned to leave but paused, bowing slightly toward a sheer curtain at the main seat of the hall. "Is that Miss Lixue?"

A slender, graceful woman emerged from behind the veil. Her figure was elegant and her hair like clouds. Although her face was covered by a thin veil, the beauty of the eyes she revealed was enough to captivate anyone who saw her.

She curtsied slightly. "It is I. Does the Magistrate require me to provide testimony in court?" Her voice was delicate and enchanting.

Zhou Fu pondered for a moment. "That would be for the best. I am sorry for the trouble, Miss."

The woman said softly, "Lixue does not deserve such thanks. You are the upright official who does not fear power, and I admire you from the bottom of my heart."

Does not fear power?

Zhou Fu’s face flushed slightly, feeling a twinge of guilt.