Taiheiki

Chapter 57 Opportunity
"That's all right!" Diwudeng said, "My dear, you've already told us that we'll follow your instructions once we set out. You decide who to visit, and we'll rest our boat here!"

"That's good!" Huang Ping said with a smile, "In fact, you'll know when you see it. Nie Zheng is a very generous and hospitable person. If he hears that we're coming, he will definitely host a banquet for us. You and I can just look forward to the good wine and good food!"

As they spoke, the brocade boat had already docked at the pier. Huang Ping jumped off the pier, looked around, and was about to ask for directions to Nie Zheng's house when he noticed that the people getting on and off the boats moored on either side were wearing untreated, raw linen, clearly in mourning. He saw that the boats farther away were also mostly in mourning. He was startled, "What's going on? Why are so many people in mourning? Is there a plague here? That would be terrible. We'd better leave!"

"It can't be a plague!" Diwu Deng said, "Otherwise, why are there so many ships coming and going? Everyone is too busy to hide! It must be that a local important person has passed away, and people from all over are rushing to pay their respects!"

"That's right!" Huang Ping also realized what was happening. He turned around and glanced at Diwu Deng, thinking to himself that the people sent by Wei Cong were indeed no ordinary people. He was so calm, so he should be cautious. He looked around and came to a bamboo stall selling porridge not far away. He bowed to the old man buying porridge, "Old man, we are coming from Jiangling and passing through here. Why are so many people in mourning? Which gentleman has passed away?"

"You're outsiders, so it's no surprise you didn't know!" The old man sighed. "Yes, a prominent figure was murdered here a few days ago. These are people from neighboring counties who once received his kindness and came to pay their respects!"

Huang Ping's heart skipped a beat when he heard this, and he asked cautiously, "What's the name of the victim?"

"It's Mr. Nie!" the old man sighed, "You must have heard of him! His surname is Nie, his courtesy name is Xiazhi, and his given name is Zheng. He is a famous nobleman in Chaisang. Since he was a teenager..."

Huang Ping couldn't hear what the old man said next. He shook his head in disappointment and turned to leave. He walked to the pier, remained silent for a while, and said to Diwu Deng with a wry smile, "I wanted to come and see this person, but he's dead. What a coincidence!"

"I think it's not a big deal!" Diwu Deng said, "You came here to spread the fame of the young master anyway. With so many people coming to pay tribute to him, isn't this a good opportunity? Even if it doesn't work out, at most you'll just give away a small gift for free. How much money is that worth?"

"That's right!" Huang Ping's eyes lit up and he smiled, "You're right. I'll get ready and go to his house later!"

In their haste, Huang Ping and his companions had no time to prepare mourning clothes. They bared the left shoulder of their outer robes, wore no crowns on their heads, and tied their hair in a bun with a coarse cloth. They also brought twenty rolls of thick brocade as a funeral offering. When they arrived at the Nie family's gate, they saw a massive queue of carriages and horses, almost reaching the official road. Could there be nearly a thousand people? Seeing this, Huang Ping and his companions could not help but marvel at Nie Zheng's high reputation. It was surprising that so many people came to pay their respects to his sudden death.

"I'm Huang Ping of Jiangling, and I'm here to pay my respects to Lord Nie on the orders of my lord, Wei Mengde of Nanjun!" Huang Ping raised his voice and addressed the Nie family members who had come to greet him. He waved his hand, and asked the crimson-clad guards behind him to present a thick piece of silk. He lowered his voice and said, "I only heard the tragic news when I was passing through Chaisang. Please forgive my hasty and unceremonious manner!"

Huang Ping and his entourage were dressed neatly in crimson robes, standing out among the crowd of people in linen clothes. The twenty pieces of thick silk they presented stood out from the crowd. Although the Nie family members who came to greet them had never heard of Wei Cong's name, they knew that he was a man of some background, so they hurriedly and respectfully welcomed him into the gate, served him soup, and asked someone to quickly notify the people in the inner room to come.

Moments later, a fifteen or sixteen-year-old boy in mourning clothes came in from outside. He had a straight back and broad shoulders, like a calf. When he was still seven or eight steps away, he bowed to Huang Ping and said, "My family has suffered misfortune. My father was murdered by thieves. I, Nie Sheng, am deeply grateful for your presence here to pay my respects."

"I dare not!" Huang Ping, knowing that the other party was Nie Zheng's son, quickly stood up and returned the greeting. "My master has long heard of your father's great name and has sent us here to pay him a visit. I did not expect to encounter something like this. Offering a humble tribute is truly my duty! Sir, regarding your father's murder, we will report to you upon our return. However, there are many different rumors, and we don't know whether they are true or false. Please explain clearly so that we can report back when we return!"

When the other party asked about the cause of his father's death, Nie Sheng's face turned ugly. He hesitated for a moment and sighed, "Come to think of it, my father was murdered, and as a son, I still don't know who the murderer is! I only know that my father's bow fell into the hands of the thief." Having said that, he told Nie Zheng to go hunting, and encountered a big deer. During the chase, he left his bodyguards behind and fell into a trap. When those bodyguards caught up again, Nie Zheng's head and body were already separated.

"That's what happened!" Huang Ping was shocked. "This is a bit strange. Everyone knows your father's bravery. With a bow and arrow in hand and on horseback, even twenty or thirty people couldn't get close to him. How could he be killed so quickly? Besides, the deer isn't a human, so how could it lead someone into an ambush? If this is true, the person behind this must be quite accomplished in the art of taming animals. Also, your father must have had many valuables on him, so why did they only take the bow? Is there something special about the bow?"

"Yes!" Nie Sheng's expression changed drastically after Huang Ping's reminder. He quickly called someone over and whispered a few instructions. Then he bowed to Huang Ping and said, "Thank you, Brother Huang, for the reminder. I apologize for the poor hospitality caused by the haste of the mansion."

"What nonsense, young master!" Huang Ping laughed. "Although my master has never met Lord Nie, he has long heard of his name and admired him. He sent me here to establish a friendship with him and build a great cause together. But fate has played a trick on us, and we are separated by the Yin and Yang. If my master were here, he would definitely do his best to avenge Lord Nie!"

Nie Sheng listened to Huang Ping constantly saying "master" and "master" and thought to himself that this man was so smart and capable, and the guards beside him were all dressed neatly. How could the master behind him be even more powerful? His father had passed away suddenly, and he didn't even know who the murderer was. Although he was the eldest son, his mother had long since passed away, and it was his father's second wife who was in charge of the family. That bitch had also given birth to a son and a daughter for his father. When his father was alive, she constantly excluded him. Now that his father was gone, he was afraid that it would be even worse. If he could make an outside aid, he could avenge his father and fight for the family property, or he could protect himself. Wouldn't that be a great thing? Thinking of this, Nie Sheng coughed and said to Huang Ping, "You are so ignorant that you don't even know your master's hometown!"

Huang Ping smiled when he heard this, knowing that the other party was interested in making friends with Wei Cong, which was exactly what he wanted. He coughed and said, "Sir, my master is from Yecheng, Hebei. Have you ever heard of General Jiangyi?"

"General Jiangyi?" Nie Sheng was stunned when he heard this. "Are you talking about Zhang Bohe? Of course I've heard of him, but wasn't he murdered some time ago? What does this have to do with your master?"

"It was my master who beheaded Zhang Bohe!" Huang Ping said with a proud smile, "Zhang Bohe's rule was lax, and he offended my master. Furious, he exterminated his entire family and seized his inheritance!" He pointed at the crimson-robed guards on either side, "Sir, do you see the robes they wear? They're the same robes worn by Zhang Bohe's former guards. So from now on, the crimson-robed General is no longer Zhang Bohe, but my master!"

Huang Ping's words shocked everyone in the room. They had heard of Zhang Bolu's reputation for over a decade, and younger generations like Nie Sheng had been familiar with him since birth. Compared to him, Nie Zheng was considered a junior, and his reputation was far inferior. He'd heard he'd been murdered a few days ago, but now this man claimed it was his master who had done it. Not only that, he'd also exterminated his entire family and seized his property. He also declared that from now on, the "Red Robe General" would be none other than him. It sounded like a lie, but looking at the red-robed guards behind him, it didn't seem likely, leaving one unsure.

Compared to the others in the room, Nie Sheng's thoughts were somewhat different. To be frank, while Zhang Bolu had once been as famous as his father, both being renowned figures in the underworld, he was a bandit who plundered the land. His father couldn't say much about Zhang Bolu behind his back, but at least he hadn't been a bandit himself. It was just that the underworld used him and called him the same. The two had no personal connection, let alone any vested interests. Now that both were dead, the past was naturally over. This Wei Congming was clearly aiming to take over, to become the next Jiangyi General, which didn't conflict with him. As long as he could secure the family fortune for him and avenge his father's murder, what was the big deal if he just praised him?
"It's Lord Wei!" Nie Sheng straightened his clothes and bowed. "My father was murdered. I'm young and alone, and I regret that I can't avenge him. So please, Lord Wei, find the culprit and avenge my father. I'll serve you as your father's servant!"

Huang Ping couldn't help but be surprised by Nie Sheng's plea. Han Dynasty scholars were known for their unwavering character, taking the vengeance of their parents extremely seriously. They would resort to any means necessary to achieve vengeance, even disfiguring themselves and becoming slaves to gain access to their enemies. Although Nie Zheng was now dead, judging by the number of people who came to pay their respects and the size of the village buildings, the Nie family must now have a large number of relatives and guests. The victim, Nie Zheng, was also quite popular, and should have more than enough power to avenge his father. Nie Sheng's claim that he was "alone and powerless, unable to avenge his father" was utter nonsense. Furthermore, even if the Nie family was unable to avenge their father, they wouldn't have needed to plead with an unexpected guest they had just met, much less offer such a request as "serving my father."

Huang Ping was hesitating when he suddenly felt his sleeve tugged. Turning around, he saw Diwu Deng winking at him. He quickly helped Nie Sheng up and said, "Sir, why are you so reckless? My master is not here. I am just a messenger. How can I answer you?"

"Then please send someone to inform your master immediately and report this matter!" Nie Sheng insisted: "From Jiangling to Chaisang, it only takes six or seven days to go back and forth by water. Please convey my wishes!"

Seeing Nie Sheng's insistence, Huang Ping hesitated. He was just thinking about how to decline when Diwu Deng's voice came from behind him: "Since Master Nie is so sincere, we will pass on the message. However, it's getting late now. Even if we want to return to Jiangling, it will be tomorrow morning! How about we pay our respects to Master Nie first, then go back and rest, and discuss it tomorrow?"

Before Huang Ping could agree, Nie Sheng said, "There are plenty of empty rooms in our home. After paying your respects, you can rest here for the night. No need to travel back and forth!" Without waiting for Huang Ping to speak, he led the group to the back hall to pay their respects to the deceased. During the ceremony, Huang Ping paid careful attention, observing the layout of the mourning hall. He discovered that besides Nie Sheng, there was also a young woman in mourning clothes, kneeling in the position of the wife. In her arms, she was holding a one-year-old boy. Next to her knelt a girl, no more than a year or two older. Although the woman's face was covered with a thin veil, the exposed skin and eyebrows revealed her to be a rare beauty.

"It's strange. Judging from the age of this woman, she is no more than twenty years old, and Mr. Nie is at least fourteen or fifteen years old. Naturally, he is not the son of this woman. In this case, Mr. Nie is either the son of a concubine or the ex-wife. No wonder he looked like that just now!" Huang Ping thought to himself. He already had the confidence. After paying homage to the deceased, he presented gifts, exchanged a few words of greeting and withdrew. A servant had already led them to the side yard to rest.

Huang Ping and his companions had just sat down when Diwu Deng signaled the guards to check around to make sure there were no eavesdroppers. He then whispered, "Mr. Nie's words just now were a little strange. I'm afraid there's something else going on!"

"That's right!" Huang Ping laughed. "Did you notice the woman next to the deceased's bed? She's the one with the veil covering her face!"

"That should be Nie Zheng's wife!" Diwu Deng laughed. "That woman is quite a prudent person, but she didn't say much just now! Is there something wrong?"

"Age! How old do you think she is?" Huang Ping asked.

"Even though he's wearing a veil, he looks to be in his early twenties at most!" Diwu Deng also realized, "I understand. Nie Sheng wasn't born to the wife. He wants to use our husband's power to seize the family business. No wonder he says he's weak and powerless. How could a child raised by a servant not be weak and powerless? And he even talks about avenging his father. This kid really has a lot of ideas!"

"It's still uncertain whether he was born to a maid. Maybe that woman is Nie Zheng's second wife!" Huang Ping smiled. "I think this possibility is more likely. If he was really born to a maid, he might not have the courage to do it! And he didn't lie. If he could really avenge Nie Zheng, compared to that brother who just learned to walk, he would be the one to inherit the Nie family business!"

(End of this chapter)