Taiheiki

Chapter 10 Request
He jumped off the carriage and squatted down to observe it carefully, only to find that the front pair of wheels of the carriage were much smaller than the rear pair of wheels. He could not make out anything else.

"Brother Cai, what are you doing here?" Wei Cong walked into the backyard, and Wang Shou followed behind him, holding two strings of crabs in his hands, like a henchman. "I just went to the lake and saw that the bamboo baskets we caught yesterday were full of crabs. They're all plump. They're delicious when steamed and dipped in shredded ginger vinegar. Do you want to have a drink together?"

"I just arrived. I heard that you built this new carriage, so I came to take a look!" Cai Buyi glanced at the bamboo basket in Wang Shou's hand, which was full of crabs with their claws and teeth bared. The smallest one weighed six or seven taels. He looked at Wei Cong in surprise, wondering why the other party liked this dirty thing that only poor people would eat so much.

"You mean the carriage?" Wei Cong smiled. "I was staying at your place a few days ago and was bored, so I made this thing. I just don't know if it's useful or not."

"I just took a test ride, and it feels pretty good. At least it's not so bumpy, and there's no need to tie cattails to the wheels!" Cai Buyi laughed and said, "By the way, how did you make the four-wheeled carriage so easy to turn?"

"Steering?" Wei Cong was stunned. He certainly couldn't say that he designed it based on the chassis of later cars (in fact, the steering system of cars in history was learned from Western four-wheeled carriages. Wei Cong was actually putting the cart before the horse). He thought for a moment and called a few servants to unload the carriage from the carriage chassis. Then he pointed to Cai Buyi and said, "Look, the secret lies in this iron rod!"

Cai Buyi stepped forward to take a look and saw that the front and rear pairs of wheels were each mounted on an independent frame, and then the two frames were connected by a hard wooden beam. The connection method was that an iron rod penetrated the holes on the wooden beam and the frame at the same time, and the inside of the hole was smeared with grease. This was actually a very simple and primitive sliding bearing. The reason why the four-wheeled carriage could turn flexibly should be due to this unique structure.

"So that's how it works!" Cai Buyi tried it out and found it to be quite flexible. He then saluted and praised, "This thing looks very simple, but if you hadn't pioneered it, no one else would have thought of it!"

"Well..." Wei Cong was still young, and his skin hadn't been tempered to the extent he would later become. He couldn't help but blush and said with a wry smile, "That's not necessarily true!"

"Absolutely! Otherwise, why is the Luoyang Emperor's carriage also two-wheeled instead of four-wheeled?" Cai Buyi smiled. Anyone who is not blind can see the superiority of a four-wheeled carriage over a two-wheeled carriage. Part of the weight of a two-wheeled carriage will be on the shoulders of the pack animals, so there is an upper limit to the weight of the carriage; while the weight of a four-wheeled carriage is borne by the frame, and the pack animals only need to bear the lateral traction.

Moreover, the center of gravity of a two-wheeled carriage must be between the wheels and the shaft, otherwise it will be unstable and overturn. The center of gravity of a four-wheeled carriage only needs to fall between the two pairs of wheels, so the carriage can be made very large. In modern Western countries, there were public carriages with two floors that could accommodate twenty passengers, which shows its spaciousness and load-bearing capacity.

"I dare not compare it with the emperor's carriage!" Wei Cong quickly stopped this dangerous topic.

"You all leave first!" Cai Buyi waved his hand, signaling the others to leave. Just as Wei Cong was puzzled, he suddenly bowed deeply to the ground and said to Wei Cong, "Your Excellency, I have a favor to ask of you. Please grant me your request!"

"Brother Cai, why are you doing this?" Wei Cong was confused by Cai Buyi's sudden action and quickly reached out to help him. "You saved my life, why are you being so formal? Just speak frankly if you have something to say!"

"Thank you very much, Brother Wei!" Cai Buyi stood up and said, "Brother Wei, could you build me a good four-wheeled carriage? The bigger and more spacious the carriage, the better. It would be best if it could be equipped with chairs and beds, just like in the hall!"

"Build a four-wheeled carriage?" Wei Cong was stunned. He thought that Cai Buyi's request for such a generous gift was due to some difficulty, but it turned out that it was to build a four-wheeled carriage.

Seeing that Wei Cong did not answer immediately, Cai Buyi thought that the other party was unwilling to agree, so he hurriedly said: "I also know that Brother Wei built this car just because he was in a good mood. I do not regard Brother Wei as a craftsman, nor am I a person who wants to repay a favor. It's just that a brother of the same clan will come from Luoyang in a few days and pass through Xinye. He is accompanied by a young man from a wealthy family. I want to entertain them for a few days. If I can satisfy their wishes, it will be of great benefit to my future. So-"

"I understand!" Wei Cong understood everything after hearing this: "You want to use a four-wheeled carriage to receive that noble young master?"

"That's right! That's exactly what I mean!" Cai Buyi looked at Wei Cong nervously, his fists clenched, as if his fate was in Wei Cong's hands.

"In that case, this carriage must be the best!" Wei Cong nodded. "The frame can't be made of wood; wood is too heavy. Wrought iron is best. Bronze is best for the bearings. And the wheels, you can't just take two pairs off another carriage and use them. We need all kinds of craftsmen and a lot of space. Brother Cai, do you understand?"

"That's easy!" Cai Buyi was delighted to see Wei Cong relax. "I'll follow your instructions on everything, Brother Wei! We have craftsmen and other people at home. I will immediately dispatch fifty laborers after the wheat harvest to be at your disposal. As for the site, this villa will be handed over to Brother Wei. If necessary, we can demolish it all and build a new one!"
"That's not necessary! But do you know when that distinguished guest will arrive in Xinye?" Wei Cong was secretly delighted by Cai Buyi's positive attitude. When he returned, he was thinking about how to get some resources from Cai Buyi so that he could put his plans into practice. But he didn't expect that the other party would come to him without him even asking. It was like a sleepy head meeting a soft pillow!

"I don't know about this either. The letter only said after the autumn harvest, but it didn't mention the specific time. I didn't dare to ask, so I can only ask Brother Wei to do it as soon as possible!" At this point, Cai Buyi smiled bitterly and said, "Brother Wei, I also know that you are a noble man. It would be an insult to give you money. It's just that you are in a hurry on this trip and don't have much money with you. Friends should share money. Tomorrow I will ask someone to send you 200,000 yuan for spending. Please don't be offended!" At this point, he bowed again as a greeting.

"What? Giving me money is an insult to me? No, no, no, I don't care. Let the insults come more!" Wei Cong was a little numb from the continuous ecstasy. He helped Cai Buyi up, agreed to a few words, but in his mind he was calculating how much two hundred thousand coins was and how to arrange its use.

At the time, the Eastern Han Dynasty hadn't yet reached the level of inflation that would later be caused by warlords minting inferior coins, and the purchasing power of copper coins remained strong. During the reign of Emperor Ling of Han, officials in the Western Garden were being sold, with a rank of 2,000 dan offered for 20 million dan. In the Eastern Han, 2,000 dan roughly represented the Nine Ministers and prefects of prefectures and states, which would be considered high-ranking officials today (though of course, the Nine Ministers and prefects of prefectures and states held far greater power than today's high-ranking officials). In other words, Wei Cong had quickly earned enough money to buy one-hundredth of a high-ranking official—a truly windfall.

Cai Buyi was a man of decisive character. Having settled the matter, he stood up to take his leave. As he left, he said to the steward, "Tomorrow, bring 200,000 yuan and give it to Lord Wei. Also, whatever he needs, whether it's for things or for manpower, you'll do as he says and take over!"

"Two hundred thousand coins!" The steward was shocked and said quickly, "Master, this is not a small amount of money. This person's background has not been fully investigated. Isn't this a bit..."

"No!" Cai Buyi jumped on his horse and shook the whip: "I have almost figured out his background. Besides, if you want to do something big, you can't be stingy with money, otherwise you won't be able to accomplish anything and people will look down on you! Remember, you must not treat Wei Langjun with any disrespect, otherwise I will hold you accountable!" After that, he galloped away, leaving only a wisp of dust.

——————————————————————“My dear, Cai Youjiao has left!” Wang Shou looked at Wei Cong cautiously, with worry in his eyes: “He seems to have something important to do.”

"Yeah!" Wei Cong nodded. The man before him might be the one closest to him since crossing over. He wanted to share his joy with him: "He will send 200,000 yuan tomorrow!"

"Two hundred thousand coins?" Wang Shou's eyes widened, and he immediately asked worriedly, "What does he want you to do for him?"

"Yeah, but it's not a big deal!" Wei Cong said with a smile, "Just build a better four-wheeled carriage. He'll need it later!" He then repeated what Cai Buyi had just said, and finally said, "When the money arrives, you can go to the county town for me tomorrow and buy some things for me! My hair hasn't grown out yet, so it's not very convenient!"

"Yes!" Wang Shou responded. He hesitated for a moment and lowered his voice, "My dear, this matter may not be that simple. The Cai family's money is not so easy to get!"

"Oh? Why do you say that?"

"Lord Wei!" Wang Shou glanced back, confirming that no one was around before turning back and speaking hurriedly, "Think about it! Two hundred thousand coins is a huge pile, and you can't take it all away right now. You're alone now, without any clan or followers, and no one knows you're here. A knife, a cup of poisoned wine, and a rope will do the trick. Forget two hundred thousand coins, even two million coins would only be kept with you for a short while!"

"Are you saying Cai Youjiao will harm me? But if he wanted to kill me, he could have done it long ago. As for the two hundred thousand yuan, even if he doesn't give it to me, I will build him a carriage for him in consideration of what happened before!"

"I didn't say that!" Wang Shou whispered, "Cai Youjiao is a chivalrous man, generous and indifferent to money, but he is not the only one in the Cai family. He certainly couldn't hide the fact that he spent such a large sum of money from his family. Just because he doesn't feel bad doesn't mean others don't feel bad. And if you can get 200,000 yuan back by killing one person, there are too many people willing to do it these days! These days, I think you are a kind-hearted person, so I want to remind you that the world is dangerous and you must not be careless!"

Wei Cong was horrified upon hearing this. He had indeed been carried away by the two hundred thousand coins, forgetting that this unexpected fortune also brought enormous risks. There were no banks in the Eastern Han Dynasty, and he couldn't move two hundred thousand copper coins himself. He was alone and unprepared, carrying such a large sum of money, which was like putting his life on the line.

"Thank you for your reminder! What should I do then?"

"In my opinion, you should find a chance to return the money and leave at most a few thousand yuan!" Wang Shou sighed, "I know it's a pity, but you're just one person, and too much money would really be a disaster for you!"

"Return the money? That's one way!" A smile appeared on Wei Cong's lips: "But I have a better idea!"

"As long as you have an idea!" Wang Shou sighed, "But my dear, you must remember: life is more important than money. Without life, no amount of money is of any use!"

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Xinye, Cai’s house.

"Father, I'm back!" Cai Buyi bowed respectfully to his father in the hall.

"Yes! Hurry up and get up!" Father Cai put down the jade he was playing with and said with a smile, "Come on, talk to me. I heard you've been very busy these past few days, even missing meals. What have you been busy with?"

"It's because of what Uncle Cai Feng wrote in the letter!" Cai Buyi recounted his plan to build a four-wheeled carriage to please the unknown nobleman. Finally, he said carefully, "I think if you want to take it, you must first give it. So I promise to send 200,000 coins tomorrow. I hope you will decide!"

"You can make your own decisions on matters like this. Why bother asking me?" Father Cai laughed nonchalantly. He picked up the jade and played with it again, saying, "Neither your grandfather nor your great-grandfather lived past fifty. I'm already forty-six this year. In five years at most, three years at least, this family business will be handed over to you. If you don't learn how to manage it soon, when will you?"

"Yes! I think Wei Cong has an extraordinary background. If I give him too little, he won't be appreciated at all. On the contrary, he won't help me at the critical moment! So I just gave him 200,000 yuan!"

"Alas!" Father Cai sighed. "You still don't understand what I mean. Even Marquis Liu made mistakes, let alone ordinary people. You gave away these two hundred thousand yuan. Even if you made a mistake, at most you could send someone to kill that person and get the money back. What's the big deal? Just don't hesitate and be indecisive!"

Cai Buyi was sweating profusely after being lectured by his father, and for a moment he was speechless. Cai's father smiled and said, "But my cousin's actions are, at best, far-sighted, and at worst, profit-driven. Have you ever thought about why he told you that at the end of the letter?"

"I guess he wants to help the child because we are from the same clan!" Cai Buyi answered carefully.

　After checking out the follow-up reading and collections, I'm suddenly transported back to the pre-liberation era. It seems I'm back to being the rookie writer I was when I wrote "The Great Strategy of the World." Everyone, please help me out! Give me some strength! If you can promote this, please do so. If you can read it, vote for it, and give it a reward, please do so. Otherwise, this book will really flop!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)