Taiheiki

Chapter 18 Return
After listening to Wei Cong and Cao Cao's analysis, Zhao Yannian said nothing, but his face was already brimming with veins and full of murderous intent.

"Haha!" Cao Cao suddenly laughed. "When I first heard Cai Buyi talk about this county magistrate using 'Spring and Autumn Annals' to decide cases, I thought he was a fool who'd been slaving away at the classics. But after hearing Meng De unravel the mystery, I finally understood. My trip today was truly worthwhile. Zhao Yannian, keeping this jade pendant would be a nuisance, so why don't you give it to me? I won't take it for nothing. How about ten thousand coins? That's the price of a jade pendant like this!"

In response to Cao Cao's question, Zhao Yannian remained silent, his eyes fixed on Wei Cong. Wei Cong nodded, "Master Cao is right. As long as you have this jade pendant, you will be in trouble. It is wise for you to give it to Master Cao!"

Zhao Yannian nodded and said to Cao Cao, "In that case, I'll give you the jade pendant! But forget about the ten thousand coins. I won't accept favors without merit, and I won't accept them for no reason."

"Alright!" Cao Cao played with the jade pendant for a few moments and smiled at Wei Cong, "Don't bother two masters with one thing. This jade pendant came from you, so why don't you think of a way to deal with the money Cao Wujiu left behind?"

"What can I do about this?" Wei Cong said with a wry smile. "In fact, in my opinion, since you only want to get back Empress Dou's five million, why not just take the jade pendant to the county magistrate? You two can split it 50/50 and each take half. Why bother to hurt each other? I'm sure that even if the county magistrate has a big appetite, he wouldn't be so greedy as to not even give face to Empress Dou and the 'Three Lords', right?"

"That's right!" Cao Cao stroked his chin. "The money Cao Wujiu left behind should be more than just five million! Well, let's do it according to Brother Meng De's method. This will be a good deal for the county magistrate!" He stood up, patted the dust off his butt, and suddenly smiled at Wei Cong, "Brother Meng De, it's useless for you to ask for the title of Xiaolian Langguan right now, so I won't say anything more. How about you take one million from Cao Wujiu this time?"

"Huh? One million?"

"According to my estimate, Cao Wujiu has stashed away at least 20 to 30 million yuan in his private vault from lending money over the years. Excluding the empress's 5 million, the county magistrate should only have 10 million. You can take the remaining 1 million, and the rest is mine!" Cao Cao laughed and said, "Don't think I've taken the most. Don't forget, if it were someone else, the county magistrate would probably arrest the person and torture him to find out where the jade pendant is. He wouldn't give up a single penny!"

"No, no, this matter has nothing to do with me. Even if you don't give me a single copper coin, I won't care!" Wei Cong said with a wry smile, "I just didn't expect that a private treasury that only lends money would have 20 or 30 million yuan. This is too incredible!"

"Yes!" Cao Cao sighed. "But do you know? During the Seven Kingdoms Rebellion during the reign of Emperor Xiaojing, General Dou Ying, before leading his troops to battle, had to borrow money from the money merchants in Luoyang due to insufficient military funds. Cao Wujiu was originally from Dingtao, and his ancestors had been running this business for three or four generations. I'm understating the amount of money he had in his private treasury, twenty or thirty million yuan!"

Hearing Cao Cao's words, Wei Cong was speechless for a moment. He recalled the Mi family of Xuzhou during the Three Kingdoms period, boasting tens of thousands of servants and guests, and a fortune exceeding hundreds of millions. When they married their daughter to Liu Bei, they offered two thousand able-bodied men and a vast dowry of gold and silver. It seemed that Cao Wujiu's wealth, even if not quite comparable to the Mi family's, was not far behind. Zhao Yannian's ability to kill Cao Wujiu's entire family and escape was truly remarkable! While financial capitalists like Cao Wujiu possessed considerable wealth, their military might was still inferior to that of powerful merchants and landowners like the Mi family. Furthermore, the Mi family was already experiencing turmoil, and these powerful merchants and landowners, seeking to protect themselves, had greater military power. Meanwhile, the world was generally peaceful, and Cao Wujiu, despite his wealth, would not have dared to act with the same impunity as the wealthy in troubled times. But with the current situation where the rich controlled provinces and counties, while the poor were left with nothing, it was no wonder that even those with a modicum of common sense felt that chaos was imminent.

"What do you think? Do you want this one million Meng De or not?" Cao Cao asked with a smile.

"It is not a violation of one's integrity to obtain ill-gotten gains! Thank you, A Man, for the one million dollars!" Wei Cong said with a smile.

"Okay!" Cao Cao said with a smile, "It's not convenient for you to go see the county magistrate right now, so just wait at home and wait for my news!"

Cao Cao got up and said goodbye. Two days later, he excitedly came to Wei Cong's residence and casually threw the jade pendant back to Wei Cong.

"What's wrong? The county magistrate doesn't recognize him?" Wei Cong asked.

"Alright!" Cao Cao said with a smile, "Your share is right here. Take this jade pendant to Deng's residence in Wancheng and exchange it for one million coins. Don't say I cheated you!"

"Wancheng? County residence?"

"You don't even know this, do you?" Cao Cao frowned, but he patiently explained. During the Han Dynasty, money houses were called "di." Wancheng, the seat of Nanyang Commandery, was also one of the world's most prosperous metropolises, boasting a thriving commercial scene. Money houses at the time offered not only currency exchange but also loans, mortgages, pawnshops, and other financial services. Dengdi, owned by the aristocratic Deng family, was arguably one of the largest money houses of its time.

"What a windfall!" Wei Cong sighed to himself. He carefully put the jade pendant away and bowed to Cao Cao. "Thank you very much!"

"You don't have to thank me. I took the most in this matter!" Cao Cao was very excited. "But I thought you, Brother Mengde, treated money like dirt! I didn't expect you would thank me for this!"

Wei Cong smiled bitterly and said, "With money in my pocket, I naturally feel confident. I can even drive ghosts and gods to do things. How can I not like it?"

"Even ghosts and gods can be driven to run. Hmm, that's a good saying!" Cao Cao said with a smile, "I've gained a lot from being with Brother Wei these past few days. After I deal with this matter, I'm going to Xiangyang. Would you like to come with me?"

"Xiangyang? That's not necessary!" Wei Cong shook his head: "I plan to stay in Xinye for a while, at least I won't leave here this winter!"

"Alright!" Cao Cao hesitated, then decided to raise the stakes a bit. "But I'll tip off Brother Meng De: The Factionalist situation in Luoyang shouldn't drag on much longer. You can make some preparations. I'll be back in Luoyang next spring, and we'll have a chance to meet again!" "Thank you!" Wei Cong wasn't at all surprised by Cao Cao's news—the new empress was the daughter of one of the "Three Lords," a clear sign of a shifting tide! The emperor had been on the throne for twenty years and still had no son. It was almost certain he wouldn't be able to father a son. Even if he could, given the average lifespan of Eastern Han emperors, it was unlikely the current emperor would live to see a son reach adulthood. Either a younger son would ascend the throne, or a successor from a close clan would be chosen. In either case, the Empress Dowager would rule the country. In other words, Dou Wu would be the future Great General of the Empire, recording the Secretariat. No matter how badly the Factionalists were being dealt a blow, they could rise once Emperor Huan of Han died. Cao Teng must have seen this very clearly, which is why Cao Cao, a eunuch, always sided with the scholar-official party.

Seeing Wei Cong's expression, Cao Cao nodded in satisfaction. He hadn't misjudged him. One million yuan was certainly not a small sum, but it depended on how it was spent and on whom it was spent. As his grandfather had once said, the key to achieving great things was the ability to judge people. Wei Cong had the ability, the good looks, the vision, and the sophistication. He had stayed with Cai Buyi for so long, keeping his background a secret. Even when he had revealed information from higher-ups to him and offered him a million yuan in benefits, his expression remained unchanged. This was a man who could accomplish great things. Spending a million yuan to make a friend like him was definitely worth it.

Cao Cao chatted a few more words and then stood up to say goodbye. Wei Cong saw him out the door and returned to the house. He took out the jade pendant from his bosom and thought about how to take out the one million yuan and how to allocate it. Suddenly, an idea flashed through his mind and he subconsciously slapped his thigh.

"Oh no! We can't stay here much longer!"

Wei Cong, an uninvited guest of unknown origin, was treated as a distinguished guest by Cai Buyi due to a strange misunderstanding—Cai Buyi believed Wei Cong to be a member of the Communist Party, or perhaps a student of a Communist Party, on the run from the imperial court. This misunderstanding led Cai Buyi, a patrol officer, to ignore all the suspicious facts surrounding Wei Cong. To avoid arousing Wei Cong's suspicion, he barely inquired about his origins and past, allowing him to live in his own villa, even turning a blind eye to Wei Cong harboring a murderer. But if Cao Cao's rumors were true, and the imperial court's arrest warrant for the Communist Party was lifted soon, and Wei Cong continued to reside with Cai Buyi, Cai Buyi would likely become suspicious. "You were staying with me to avoid danger before, but now that the court is no longer seeking you, why don't you return to pursue your bright future and continue to stay with me? Aren't you a Communist Party member?"
Thinking of this, Wei Cong was already sweating profusely. Although Cai Buyi was now acting like a generous and hospitable host, that was because he considered Wei Cong a member of the Party and was asking for favors from him. If Cai Buyi knew that Wei Cong had nothing to do with the Party, then how much more ruthless would he have been to Wei Cong later, no matter how kind he was to him in the beginning. Cai Buyi was not the kind of person who was willing to give in. Just look at his vast family fortune and you'll know. How could he have maintained such a large fortune without some ruthless tactics?
"Well, luckily Cao Cao sent me a windfall, otherwise I would have to beg for food if I left Cai Buyi's place! But money alone is useless, I have to recruit some capable people, otherwise, with such a large sum of money, I will be just a fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered!" Wei Cong secretly calculated for a moment, stood up and said, "Go find Zhao Yannian, I need to see him for something!"

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"My lord!" Zhao Yannian bowed to Wei Cong. He was wearing a black robe and a red cap. Although he had left the army long ago, he was still dressed like a warrior, as if he was ready to be called into battle at any time.

"Sit down and talk!" Wei Cong pointed to a mat across from him. Zhao Yannian knelt down, habitually placing the dagger at his waist within easy reach of his thigh. Years of military life had ingrained vigilance into this man's blood.

"Prolong life!" Wei Cong took out the jade pendant from his arms and said with a smile, "Mr. Cao just returned this jade pendant. It was originally yours, but I need it now, so I want to buy it from you. How about 20,000 coins?"

"My life is already mine, my lord, so why would I care about a jade pendant? If you want it, just take it. There's no need to ask for the price!"

"Yannian, you'd better name your price!" Wei Cong said in a deep voice, "When Master Cao came today, he also brought some news from the capital. I don't think I'll stay here much longer. You're not young anymore, and you're broke. How are you going to make a living? Take some money from me and leave. No matter what you do, it's easy!"

"My dear, are you leaving?" Zhao Yannian was slightly stunned, with a look of surprise on his face. It was obvious that he had not expected to hear this news at all.

"Yes, Master Cao said that the emperor has already canonized Dou Wu's daughter as the queen. If nothing unexpected happens, my crime should be pardoned soon, and I will naturally not stay here any longer!"

"So that's how it is!" Zhao Yannian sighed, "I was wondering why a person like you would end up living under that guy Cai Buyi! Congratulations!" He bowed to congratulate Wei Cong, but there was no trace of joy on his face.

"So Yannian, you should think about it. If you have money, you can buy land and marry a wife. At your age, it is not impossible for you to have children!" Wei Cong persuaded.

"Buy land, marry a wife? Have children?" Zhao Yannian gave a bitter smile. "If I leave my husband, I don't know whether I'll be alive or dead tomorrow. What's the point of buying land and marrying a wife? Even if I give birth to a child, it will be fatherless. It's useless to let him suffer in this world."

"How could it be so?" Wei Cong showed a look of surprise: "Then you should leave Xinye and move to another place!"

"It's the same everywhere. Every county in the world is full of powerful families and wealthy people who bully others by taking advantage of their power." Zhao Yannian laughed bitterly. "My dear, you don't know. I have been in the army for half my life. I can only draw a bow and wield a sword. I don't know anything else. I am also stubborn and can't stand being bullied. People like me will only repeat the same thing wherever I go. It's just that this time I won't be so lucky to meet a kind-hearted person like you who can lend a hand to save me!"

"So you wanted to go south to join the Shanyue?" Wei Cong asked.

"That's right!" Zhao Yannian nodded. "Poor people in the world who don't want to be slaves or servants should either join the Shanyue or convert to Taoism. Otherwise, they will starve to death!"

"Faith?" Wei Cong asked curiously, "What kind of faith?"

"Of course it's the Five Pecks of Rice Sect!" Zhao Yannian said, "I heard that in Shu there's a Taoist priest named Zhang Tianshi who has magical powers and can heal people with talismans and spells. He has tens of thousands of disciples under his command. He doesn't impose punishments or taxes or labor service. He governs simply and with kindness, and the people under his rule are all happy and content."

"Zhang Tianshi? Five Pecks of Rice Sect?" Wei Cong was stunned when he heard these two familiar terms. He quickly asked Zhao Yannian in detail and learned that these were all things Zhao Yannian had heard when he went to Hanzhong to quell the Qiang Rebellion.

(End of this chapter)