A Pawn's Passage-Chapter 603: Moral Guardian

Early the next morning, the group of Daoist priests took a boat to the Yuhuang Palace in Xuanshang North District.

While Yuhuang Palace was not particularly massive compared to the Chongyang Palace of Immortality, Wanxiang Daoist Palace, Taiping Palace, or Daxue Mountain Palace, it certainly was not small either. In the Imperial Capital, where land was expensive, Yuhuang Palace was undoubtedly the top Daoist palace, far surpassing many royal estates.

Such a grand Daoist palace naturally included numerous living quarters. As a fourth-rank Superintendent, Qi Xuansu was assigned a standalone courtyard, along with a personal attendant responsible for his daily needs.

Of course, if one wished to purchase a private residence outside, the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion would not object or revoke the allocated quarters. However, property prices in the Imperial Capital were staggering, so owning real estate there was not something an average Daoist could afford.

Qi Xuansu had no intention of moving out for the time being—mainly because he was short on funds. Living in Yuhuang Palace spared him from rent and allowed him to cut down on daily expenses.

Previously, although Qi Xuansu held the title of Superintendent, it was a nominal post, as he had no subordinates or specific responsibilities. But now, coming to the Imperial Capital Daoist Mansion, he no longer had an empty title. He had real authority.

In the Daoist Order, Daoist priests and Spirit Guards resembled the civil and military officials of former dynasties. Back then, civil officials checked the power of military officers. In the Daoist Order, Daoist priests supervised Spirit Guards. Though Spirit Guards did the frontline fighting, the command still rested with the Daoist priests.

However, Daoist priests could not be seen as purely civil officials either. Many had even greater combat strength than Spirit Guards. They were more akin to the Governors and Chief Admirals of the Great Xuan Dynasty—roles that were technically civil but were typically filled by those adept in both civil and military affairs. Even though there had been a rise in flowerbed Daoists in recent years, the top-tier Sages still maintained high standards, being well-versed in philosophy and writing yet capable in battle and strategy.

Outside of the Three Great Halls, the local Daoist mansions also commanded a number of Spirit Guards. For example, the Kunlun Daoist Mansion and the Western Region Daoist Mansion each had more Spirit Guards than the others. In these local Daoist mansions, a Daoist priest who led a team of Spirit Guards was considered to hold a key position. If a young Daoist was assigned such a role, it clearly indicated that the higher-ups favored and trusted them.

Qi Xuansu had just been assigned such a position. Under his command were two deacons and four fourth-rank Spirit Guards, each Spirit Guard commanding 99 lower-ranking Spirit Guards. Thus, Qi Xuansu was in charge of 400 Spirit Guards.

Some small gangs and societies in Jianghu might have around the same number of members, but they were considered unruly mobs, incomparable to the elite Spirit Guards of the Daoist Order.

Upon learning of his formal appointment from Shi Bingyun, Qi Xuansu remained silent for a long while before asking, “What exactly are my duties? The Imperial Capital is already heavily guarded. There are also many powerful figures hidden in the various government offices. It doesn’t seem like protecting the city should fall to us Daoists.”

Shi Bingyun replied, “At present, there are hardly any major cases involving secret societies in the Imperial Capital, but minor incidents happen almost daily. As for significant court-related matters, the Emperor makes the final decisions, so it’s not our place to interfere. Even if the Daoist Order does need to step in, the high-ranking Sages will handle those cases. Most other cases fall under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, and the Court of Judicial Review. We needn’t get involved. So we have only two main duties—first, to apprehend cult members hiding in the capital; second, to correct matters related to public morality.”

Qi Xuansu was not surprised or unfamiliar with the first task, but the second left him puzzled. “Public morality?”

Shi Bingyun laughed at his reaction. “It’s clear you’ve never served in a local Daoist mansion before. Except for a few special cases like the Kunlun Daoist Mansion and the Western Region Daoist Mansion, this is a duty shared by nearly all Daoist mansions, much like how the Confucian School once upheld rituals and teachings of propriety in the Wei Dynasty.”

Qi Xuansu immediately understood. “Though the Daoist Order criticizes the Confucian ritual as rigid and close-minded, we must admit that there is no order without restraints. There has to be a clear moral standard supported by laws to regulate society, which needs to be enforced with strength when necessary.”

Shi Bingyun nodded. “Exactly. That’s why correcting moral conduct is part of our duty. I just handled a case like that recently. A syndicate was grooming girls in everything from appearance and mannerisms to arts like music and chess under the guise of cultivating outstanding women. They even taught these girls manipulative techniques to charm men and estimate their wealth. Such things corrupt moral conduct, so I arrested the whole group, stripped them of their silks and jewels, dressed them in coarse fabric, and sent them to do some farm work outside the city. Hopefully, this will discourage them from such behavior and promote the Daoist virtue of frugality.”

Qi Xuansu asked a tough question. “If this kind of grooming corrupts morality, then what about the courtesans in the brothels? Do they count as corrupting public morality too?”

Shi Bingyun paused for a moment before replying, “That’s the dilemma. In principle, yes, it does count as being morally corrupt. But in practice, as long as it’s approved by the Imperial Court, we can’t interfere. Ultimately, such double standards are inevitable.”

Qi Xuansu sighed. “No wonder the Confucian School was always scolded for preaching benevolence and morality on the surface while harboring corruption underneath.”

Shi Bingyun also sighed. “Whoever holds the position of power will bear that curse.”

Qi Xuansu asked again, “Then what exactly defines the Imperial Court’s approval?”

Shi Bingyun rubbed her temples. This kid acted like he knew nothing, yet his questions were always hitting the nail on its head, not something a clueless person would ask.

Still, she patiently explained, “What we call reformation is essentially a deep transformation brought on by changes in the economy, the people’s material needs, and public sentiment. When the Great Xuan Dynasty replaced the Wei Dynasty, their reformation was a highly complex process, riddled with contradictions and struggles regarding ideology and vested interests. Many who initially advocated reform changed their tune when their own interests were threatened. In the end, it’s all intertwined. So often, there will be a compromise in the reform to avoid disastrous outcomes from being too radical.

“There are two particularly striking examples of this—eunuchs and prostitution. The former is a form of oppression against men, while the latter is against women. Undoubtedly, both should be completely abolished. Let’s leave aside the former for now and focus on the latter. In fact, before Emperor Gaozu took over, this reform was already piloted across various prefectures and counties in Liaodong. The reasons were complex, but it wasn’t because of morality. Population scarcity left the rulers with no choice but to release women from the shackles of ritual propriety, letting women step outside the home to work and make up for the demographic gap. But this reasoning couldn’t be stated openly, so it was promoted under the banner of moral enlightenment.

“After Emperor Gaozu ascended to power, he had to maintain this banner of morality, so the Great Xuan Dynasty continued promoting female independence and autonomy. Under this logic, brothels naturally had to be abolished. But the problem was that in reality, such places served a practical purpose of fulfilling a two-sided demand. On one hand, men had needs—that was unsurprising. But on the other hand, some women who were born with natural assets preferred the easy and pampered lifestyle, so they chose to sell their bodies.

“On top of that, many nobles secretly fanned the flames, loudly promoting the idea that regulation is better than prohibition. At the time, the Imperial Court’s focus was on reclaiming the Western Region, reforming the tax system, surveying land, suppressing the gentry, and rectifying officialdom. Meanwhile, the Daoist Order was busy consolidating the three major sects, eliminating Confucian influence, suppressing Ancient Immortals, developing new inventions, and responding to Buddhist hostility. Thus, this issue with prostitution was far down the list of priorities. That is why brothels remain to this day.

“Since the opportunity to reform prostitution was missed during the rebuilding of the new empire, it became much harder to do so afterward. That said, the Imperial Court didn’t leave things entirely untouched. They implemented regulations for the brothels that remained. Brothels are said to ruin women because they were rife with human trafficking, illegal punishment, and even wrongful deaths. Long-term involvement in such work also inflicted great physical and psychological harm on women. So the court launched a targeted campaign. Any woman engaged in such business must have a government-issued license, and brothels must possess legal documents to operate. There will be monthly inspections from the court, and any discovery of the aforementioned illegal acts will result in immediate license revocation and severe punishment. You asked earlier about what defines the Imperial Court’s approval, right? It lies precisely in that official license.

"Also, ever since the Daoist Order established the Wanxiang Daoist Palace and began taking in orphans, the days when brothels could adopt poor girls in exchange for a few coins have long since passed. Moreover, with the bans on human trafficking and forced prostitution, the requirement that all such work be voluntary, and the naturally low status of brothels, the industry isn’t thriving. Many small brothels have already shut down. In short, apart from unlicensed pleasure houses, any brothels still in operation must have a strong backing with a web of influence that runs deep. The Purple Immortal Mountain case that led to the second major Jiangnan case is a perfect example of this.”

Qi Xuansu remarked, “Like the Li family, for instance.”

“You mean Li Qingnu?” Shi Bingyun chuckled. “I don’t consider her a prostitute. She’s famous throughout the capital for her talent in music and dance, and she’s still a virgin. If you were the Li family, would you let her sell smiles and flatter men? She carries the Li name, which came from both the Primordial Daoist Ancestor and the Holy Xuan. They wouldn’t tarnish it for filthy money. The truth is, the Li family is crafting a glorified image of refinement for Li Qingnu, thinking of presenting her to the Emperor someday. But since the Emperor is quite old and might not be interested in women anymore, they may just keep her as an adopted daughter. No one can say for sure.”

Qi Xuansu was stunned by all that lay beneath the surface. Shi Bingyun might seem unreliable at times, but she was once a strong contender for the position of Sage Cihang. Her explanation was thorough, giving him the much-needed clarity.

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After finishing her explanation, Shi Bingyun assigned Qi Xuansu his duties. “For the next month, besides familiarizing yourself with the capital, your main task is to conduct focused investigations and reforms concerning public morality. You shall be a moral guardian.”

Qi Xuansu suddenly asked, “By the way, Sage Shi—does this ‘Old Qin’ you mentioned also have a stake in this kind of business?”

Shi Bingyun laughed out loud. “Not while I’m keeping an eye on him. He wouldn’t dare.”