Chapter 009: The Strategy of Differentiation

At last, hard work pays off for those who are determined. Although Tang Feng's progress in internal martial arts is quite minimal, his continuous practice has significantly strengthened his previously frail body, which seemed as if it could be blown down by a gust of wind. This improvement serves as motivation for him to keep training. One day, while Tang Feng was practicing sword thrusts in the backyard, Jie Huo pointed out, "Young Master, your thrusts are too dispersed in force, and the power cannot be concentrated. As a result, your ability to inflict damage on an opponent is not very strong." Noticing that Tang Feng looked at him with confusion, Jie Huo stepped forward, took the sword from Tang Feng's hand, and with a swift thrust, the three-foot blade pierced into the tree trunk, leaving only the hilt visible outside.

Although he understood that at Tang Feng's current age, the possibility of achieving great success in martial arts was slim, he did not want his son to feel disheartened. Therefore, he refrained from mentioning this matter and instead focused on teaching him some easily comprehensible concepts.

Tang Feng had previously attempted to pierce a tree with his sword, but could only break through a small portion of the bark. Seeing Jie Huo accomplish it so effortlessly, his eyes lit up, and he hurriedly asked, "How did you do that? I struck with all my might, yet your strike was so casual, how can the results be so vastly different?"

Since he could not think of a good solution at the moment, Tang Feng decided not to force himself any longer and chose to observe for the time being, as this matter could not be resolved in a short period. However, while Tang Feng planned not to trouble those individuals for the time being, he continued to review the accounts, wanting to understand all the intricacies within them. This way, when he truly needed to deal with those people later, he could take the initiative.

Every person he swept over turned pale, and regardless of who they were, they had all benefited to some extent, so upon hearing Tang Feng's words, they felt a wave of tension. Gao Ming immediately began to speculate on how Tang Feng had learned about the corruption. If he had known earlier, he would have likely come to trouble them days ago. Since he only brought it up now, it meant he had just found out about it in the past few days. The only person who could have provided him with this information during that time was Tian Jing, who was always conspiring with him. Thinking of this, Gao Ming shot a fierce glare at Tian Jing, and in his heart, he thought: "You old scoundrel, you have also embezzled quite a bit yourself, and now, in order to gain Lord Tang's trust, you actually betray us!" Although he thought this way, he still could not be certain that it was Tian Jing.

After having this method in mind, Tang Feng began to pay attention to the people under his command, as he needed to find a suitable candidate for his strategy among them. After several days of observation and analysis based on his own insights, Tang Feng chose the oldest among them, Tian Jing.

Confused, he saw Tang Feng suddenly lost in thought after listening to his words, and he felt quite puzzled. However, he did not ask Tang Feng what he was thinking; he simply stood with him in the courtyard. After a while, Tang Feng finally came to his senses, smiled, and resumed practicing his swordsmanship. He felt as if a heavy stone that had been pressing on his heart had been removed, and it was now time for him to take action.

From some observations and conversations, Tang Feng realized that this Tian Jing was quite extraordinary. He had served as the secretary in the county office for over thirty years, and regardless of who came to be the county magistrate, they could not do without him, a person well-versed in the affairs of She County. Since he was indispensable, his authority naturally ranked just below that of the county magistrate, making him effectively the second-in-command in the county. However, there was actually another second-in-command in the county office, namely the county deputy, Gao Ming. This situation inevitably led to conflicts between the two. Yet perhaps due to both of them not being particularly adept at wielding power, or for some other reason, Tang Feng had not witnessed any direct confrontations between them. However, the absence of visible conflict did not imply that there was none, so Tang Feng decided to create a rift between these two second-in-commands to achieve his own objectives

"Your Excellency, we indeed have embezzled a considerable amount of silver, but most of it has ended up in the pockets of the previous county magistrates. I implore you to see this clearly. Moreover, Tian Jing, having served as the secretary for several magistrates, has been even more involved in the embezzlement than we have. I also request that you investigate this matter thoroughly!" With that, he knelt down.

On April 15, Tang Feng summoned all the personnel from the county office to the second hall. He looked at these individuals with a solemn expression, remaining silent for a long time, which made those standing below feel quite uncomfortable. Just as they were about to lose their composure, Tang Feng finally spoke: "Today marks the one-month anniversary of my arrival in this Xihe County. Originally, I intended to have a conversation with all of you to express my gratitude for your support. However, I have learned something today that is quite troubling: it appears that everyone in the county office has been engaging in corruption and illegal activities. I must ask you all, is this true?" As he spoke, his gaze slowly swept over each person's face.

The others did not pay much attention to Tang Feng's decision to leave one person behind, and they all took their leave. Tang Feng only inquired with Tian Jing about some past events in the county before allowing Tian Jing to leave

"Divide and conquer, divide and conquer..." Tang Feng murmured this phrase several times, as if gaining some insight. Suddenly, he seemed to grasp something more significant than his own martial training. After repeating the phrase 'divide and conquer' a few more times, he suddenly understood: "Divide and conquer! I have always thought about opposing everyone in the yamen, but why didn't I consider breaking them apart to deal with them? These corrupt individuals only stand together when their interests align. If I can find a way to make them distrust one another, then their ability to confront me will inevitably weaken. This is the essence of 'divide and conquer.' I have always thought about opposing everyone in the yamen, but why didn't I consider breaking them apart to deal with them? These corrupt individuals only stand together when their interests align. If I can find a way to make them distrust one another, then their ability to confront me will inevitably weaken. This is the essence of 'divide and conquer.' Since ancient times, these corrupt officials have not been people of loyalty; they will not sacrifice themselves for their comrades. Yes, to deal with these people, I should divide them!" Since ancient times, these corrupt officials have not been people of loyalty; they will not sacrifice themselves for their comrades. Yes, to deal with these people, I should divide them!

His words left Tian Jing, who was standing behind him, momentarily stunned. Soon, he realized that he was being implicated and stepped forward to kneel, saying: "My lord, this is a grave injustice. Although I have served as a clerk in the county office for decades, I have always maintained strict self-discipline regarding finances. If it were not for the coercion of the previous county magistrates and the high county official, I would not have been tempted by these silver coins. I implore you, my lord, to investigate thoroughly." As he spoke, tears streamed down his face, making him appear quite disheveled. If it were not for the coercion of the previous county magistrates and the high county official, I would not have been tempted by these silver coins. I implore you, my lord, to investigate thoroughly." As he spoke, tears streamed down his face, making him appear quite disheveled.

All of this fell into Tang Feng's eyes; he knew that the alliance between these two had developed an irreparable rift, and they had lost their original trust. Therefore, he decided to take decisive action.

After establishing his goals and plans, Tang Feng began to implement them. On this day, after handling some trivial matters, he noticed that it was getting late, so he allowed everyone to go home. However, as these individuals were bidding their farewells to leave, Tang Feng retained Tian Jing: "Master Tian, please stay for a moment; I have some matters to inquire of you."

On the second day, Tang Feng again kept Tian Jing behind, asking him for advice on certain matters before allowing him to leave. The same occurred on the third day, and on the fourth day, he even invited him to dinner.

The guide to enlightenment states: "Although you have exhausted your strength, when it reaches the tree, it becomes dispersed. To pierce through the tree with a single sword, it is crucial to concentrate your power at a single point, for as the saying goes, 'force that is divided is weak'"

Tang Feng had already noticed Gao Ming's actions and, realizing that the other party had taken the bait, continued: "You need not feign ignorance. I am already fully aware of this matter. Over the past year, you colluded with the previous county magistrate to embezzle one thousand six hundred thirty-seven taels of silver from the taxes. In December and January alone, you embezzled over three hundred taels. Is this true?"

Everyone felt a jolt in their hearts, unable to believe that the county magistrate was so clearly aware of the total amount embezzled by them. There was truly no way to refute this. After hearing this, Gao Ming was already tenfold certain that this matter had been disclosed to Tang Feng by Tian Jing. The amounts of silver could only be known so clearly by himself, the former county magistrate, and Tian Jing. Since he had not mentioned it, it must have been Tian Jing who revealed it. The thought that this old man was so unscrupulous, reporting the matter in detail to clear his own name, filled him with rage. The amounts of silver could only be known so clearly by himself, the former county magistrate, and Tian Jing. Since he had not mentioned it, it must have been Tian Jing who revealed it. The thought that this old man was so unscrupulous, reporting the matter in detail to clear his own name, filled him with rage. "Since you act first, don't blame me for retaliating!" With this in mind, Gao Ming immediately stepped forward and said, "My lord, I have something to say."

When the others saw that these two had admitted their guilt, they naturally did not dare to deny it themselves. One by one, they knelt before Tang Feng, expressing how unwilling they were, yet feeling compelled by the circumstances to indulge in greed. In an instant, the hall was filled with voices of excuses, causing Tang Feng's head and temples to throb with pain. He truly could not have imagined that these people would reveal such a disgraceful scene.

You speak. Tang Feng saw that Gao Ming could no longer hold back and jumped out, feeling a surge of joy in his heart, yet maintaining a calm demeanor on his face

For several consecutive days, Tang Feng had been keeping Tian Jing behind for private discussions, which led the people in the yamen to start speculating about what the county magistrate could be discussing with this clerk that required such an extended period of time. Initially, Gao Ming did not think much of it, assuming that Tang Feng, being new to the area, needed to familiarize himself with the various affairs of the county. However, as he observed the increasingly frequent interactions between Tian Jing and the magistrate, and as the other officials began to speculate about certain matters, he started to harbor suspicions. Yet, he found it inappropriate to inquire of the two, and even if he did, he doubted they would speak the truth. Thus, a lingering doubt took root in his mind.

However, Tian Jing remained oblivious, thinking that the county magistrate held him in high regard, and believing that he would also be valued under Tang Feng's leadership in the future. With this sense of having a backer, he began to look down on Gao Ming, often confronting him in public, which only added to Gao Ming's displeasure.

In his daily life, aside from handling official matters and reviewing a large pile of documents, Tang Feng spent his remaining time practicing martial arts as instructed by Jie Huo. Although he diligently practiced his internal energy every day, he had not felt any flow of true energy within his body for several days, which left him quite discouraged. However, in order to strengthen his body and avoid being so frail, Tang Feng continued to practice tirelessly. Additionally, he had Jie Huo teach him external martial arts techniques every morning and evening. He believed that through the combined practice of internal and external skills, he might suddenly achieve success one day.