Chapter 34: The Jester

"Perhaps we have been too focused on developing the people's livelihood and have grown lax in our vigilance regarding public security!"

Everyone present was taken aback, and the Governor straightened his posture upon hearing this.

"Magistrate Cao, speak plainly! Let everyone hear what you have to say."

"My Lord Governor, my proposal is this: let us employ the methods of espionage to maintain public order!"

The group was left bewildered.

"Magistrate Cao! How can the methods of espionage be applied to matters of public safety?"

"Exactly! This is not a war against an enemy nation; why use tactical intelligence? Furthermore, espionage has absolutely nothing to do with law enforcement!"

"He is right! Magistrate Cao, you are surely speaking nonsense without a proper plan!"

Though the Governor was puzzled, he knew Magistrate Cao to be a capable official. He believed there must be sound reasoning behind such a suggestion.

"Magistrate Cao, since you say this, you must have a strategy in mind. Explain it in detail; I and all the other magistrates are ready to listen with full attention."

"My Lord Governor, I shall speak directly. First, why is it that human trafficking cannot be stopped? Because it is profitable! And because these criminals understand the law. They understand the loopholes in our statutes better than we do. Most women are sold out of helplessness and the pressures of life. The laws of the Great Zhou do not permit the sale of women without their consent, nor may husbands sell their wives at will. Yet, some homeless women, driven by hunger and cold, are forced to sell their own bodies. I ask you, which of these women would willingly sell herself if not for the sake of survival? With such a massive scale of human trafficking, there must be immense profit behind it. With so many people being traded, there is undoubtedly someone pulling the strings. How can the sudden surge in the sale of women throughout the Chu Prefecture be anything but suspicious? If we rely on moral governance, trying to reform criminals, teaching husbands to love their wives, or urging women to preserve their virtue—in the face of profit, what man can resist the temptation? In the face of starvation, how can a woman endure the hunger? Therefore, moral suasion is ineffective. If we rely on the rule of law, punishing criminals with harsh torture, the current situation is too dire; we cannot simply execute all these men. Besides, having engaged in trafficking for years, they have studied the law thoroughly. They know how to coerce or entice women into changing their testimonies and how to deflect blame from themselves. Even if we catch a few, they will not easily give up the ones behind the scenes. Our current strategy of combining moral suasion with the rule of law is no longer working."

"Then tell us what to do! The combination of moral and legal governance is the wisdom accumulated by generations of Great Zhou officials! It was through this very philosophy that the Left Minister brought prosperity back to the Great Zhou! Are you trying to reject the entire philosophy of our nation's officials? If you have a better theory, why are you not leading the hundred officials instead of wasting your talents here?"

Magistrate Cao was neither angry nor bothered, as he was long accustomed to the personal attacks of his colleagues. He continued, "That is why we must adapt our strategy. Moral and legal governance are correct in principle, but we must change our methods. We must first catch the 'alpha wolf.' The person behind the scenes driving these traffickers is the alpha wolf. Those who directly deceive and abduct women are merely lackeys! We must follow the vine to find the melon; first, keep a close watch on these lackeys, secretly uncover the mastermind, and then use the law to sanction them. Our current approach to policing is simply obsolete. We wait for the people to report crimes before we act according to procedure. But how could a victim ever hope to stand up against such a massive criminal syndicate? If we do not take the initiative, we will never sweep away these traffickers. The problem lies in how we investigate. Conventional methods are no longer suitable. Why not use the methods of espionage? Most traffickers are not soldiers, and the tactics of the secret service are closely guarded secrets of the various government offices; the common folk have no way of knowing them! If we use these techniques to train our bailiffs, their intelligence-gathering capabilities will surely reach a new level. Moreover, the Great Zhou was founded on martial strength; the arts of espionage have been refined to perfection. Using these to train our officers will surely produce an elite force. If we continue as we have—parading through the streets in official attire—the criminals will flee at the first sign of us. It is better to act in secrecy and carry out our work silently."

Those present were not foolish men; they understood exactly what Magistrate Cao meant. The Governor was pleased; the method sounded practical.

"And how shall we train them?"

"We can request to have them trained by the Prefecture's Military Intelligence Guards."

"And how shall we convict the criminals?"

"When you want to condemn someone, you will always find a pretext."

"And how shall we properly deal with the implicated men?"

"The border armies are always in need of cannon fodder; we shall conscript them into the military according to the law."

"But the shortage of men might implicate a great number of people."

"Such vermin should have been cleared out long ago; they must not be allowed to harm the people any longer!"

"But the masterminds must be immensely wealthy, and perhaps even connected to the officialdom!"

"The law applies to the noble and the commoner alike! Whoever breaks the law must be dealt with according to the statutes; there shall be no leniency! My Lord Governor, you must not be indecisive or overly cautious. If you continue to indulge them, they will only become more brazen. These morally bankrupt men will not be grateful for your mercy. Every action has its costs; to solve this problem, there will inevitably be some repercussions. But we are doing the right thing; we need not be timid!"

"But we do not know if this method is truly feasible! It has yet to be implemented. Though it sounds practical..."

"My Lord Governor, only by doing it will we know if it is feasible!"

The Governor remained silent. The magistrate who had been trying to trap Cao with his words quietly retreated to a corner, too ashamed to speak. He had underestimated Cao's capabilities; the proposed strategy was practical and seamless, and Cao's determination showed he had considered it deeply. They had all received the Governor's order, yet after days of reporting, not one of them had come up with a solution. Cao’s plan was so brilliant that they had already lost by a wide margin. It was becoming clear who the truly diligent official was and who the real parasite was. Being scholars themselves, they were all filled with shame and remained as silent as the Governor. They knew the Governor was already moved and was considering how to implement the plan. The person who proposed it would surely be heavily relied upon. They could only remain silent now; any rash move would make them look like fools. Though they were jealous of Cao's talent and character, they knew they were inferior. They now hoped the Governor would let them join the discussion so they could contribute and earn some credit.

The Governor waved his hand: "Everyone, return to your seats! Eat and drink!"

They were secretly delighted, holding onto the hope that the Governor would include them. They were not fools; if there was an idea, they could certainly add a few words. But they did not expect that it was not until the banquet was nearly over that the Governor spoke:

"Magistrate Cao, you shall lead the work at the Prefecture office. I will discuss the details of this matter with you further!"