Taiheiki

Chapter 87 Dahao
E County, Jiangxia Commandery. (Today's Ezhou City, Huangshi City, Hubei Province)

"I didn't know Duke Wei was coming to visit. Please forgive me for failing to greet you!" Zhang Shuo, a wealthy Jiangxia tycoon living at home, bowed as he wore a red brocade skirt. His sturdy and powerful body was slightly bent, and his eyes, gleaming beneath his thick eyebrows, stared intently at the steps below, his square face revealing a respectful and solemn expression.

It was an afternoon ten days after Wei Cong left Bachu. The setting sun shone down from the sky above the quiet and narrow alley, clearly outlining the shadow of the tall and beautiful archway at the entrance of Zhang's mansion on the ground in front of the gate. The four sides of the archway were made of blue bricks, and the edges were decorated with relief carvings.

"How rich! Even the shooting tower is decorated with reliefs!"

Wei Cong, who had just dismounted, couldn't help but sigh inwardly at the extravagance of the Zhang residence. Bricks and tiles from the Han Dynasty weren't cheap, and creating reliefs on them would have cost even more. Huang Ping, standing beside him, whispered in his ear, "This is the great Jiangxia magnate Zhang Shuo, courtesy name Ziwen!"

He cupped his hands, raised his head, and a friendly smile appeared on his fair face: "Hey, Brother Ziwen, why are you so polite!"

He laughed loudly and went forward to greet the host as he walked down the stairs. He said, "I apologize for the inconvenience caused by my visit."

"I wouldn't dare!" Zhang Shuo took a half step back, looking a little reserved. "We've all heard about your deeds in Baqiu. You defeated three thousand bandits with only eight hundred men, lifted the siege of Baqiu, and then, in a fit of rage, beheaded the disrespectful county lieutenant, Wang Gui."

"Ah!" Wei Cong sighed, "It was precisely because of this incident that I had no choice but to abandon my official position and move east!"

"A man of honor, born in this world, cannot stand being humiliated by a mean man!" Zhang Shuo said gravely, "If I were in Duke Wei's shoes, I would have drawn my sword and killed him!"

Wei Cong glanced at Zhang Shuo and saw that he looked serious, not joking at all. He nodded and said, "You are older than me, so from now on, I will address you by your courtesy name. Don't call me Duke Wei anymore!"

"This..." Zhang Shuo was stunned when he heard this. Wei Cong smiled and said, "In this world, real men make friends based on shared aspirations, not reputation or status. If you are willing to be my friend, then from now on, don't call me Duke Wei anymore!"

Zhang Shuo's eyes flashed when he heard this: "Yes, Brother Meng De, please--"

"please!"

After saying this, the two of them walked towards the door side by side.

Accompanied by Zhang Shuo, Wei Cong entered the back hall, where he found his elderly mother, wife, and children. Knowing that this was the highest form of etiquette at the time, "entering the hall to pay respects to one's mother," Wei Cong quickly bowed to Zhang Shuo's mother and then summoned Nie Sheng to bow to both Zhang Shuo's mother and wife. After the ceremony, Zhang's mother stood up and said, "I've long heard of the Jiangyi General's reputation. I thought he was mighty, but I didn't expect him to be such a young, handsome man! Your child is as handsome as you!"

Nie Sheng blushed slightly, and wanted to explain that he was not Wei Cong's biological son. Wei Cong patted Nie Sheng on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Mother, you don't know that my child may look gentle but he is strong at heart. Last time, I was fighting a fierce battle with bandits in Baqiu. The situation was critical, and the bandits' spears were almost at my horse's head. It was he who rode his horse into the enemy line with a double-pointed spear and saved the situation! Don't underestimate his appearance!"

"How could such a thing happen?" Mother Zhang was surprised and laughed, "He is indeed a young hero. I can't believe that at such a young age, he's already fighting on the battlefield! Let me ask you, facing so many bandits, weren't you afraid?"

"Reporting to Grandmother!" Nie Sheng replied with a flushed face, "At that time, I only thought about my father's danger, so I rushed over without thinking too much!"

"Good, courage comes from filial piety, you are indeed a good son!" Zhang's mother praised.

"Yes!" Zhang Shuo praised, "May I ask your age, sir?"

"Sixteen!" Nie Sheng replied.

"Sixteen?" Zhang Shuo glanced at Wei Cong in surprise. Although Wei Cong had grown a beard, his fair skin made him look two or three years younger than his actual age. This meant he must have fathered the child when he was less than ten years old. Seeing this, Wei Cong smiled and said, "Asheng is my adopted son. I'm sure you've heard of his biological father."

"I see!" Zhang Shuo laughed. "Who is that?"

"Chaisang Nie Zheng!"

"It's him?" Zhang Shuo was surprised. "Wasn't he murdered a few days ago?"

"That's right!" Wei Cong nodded. "I came east this time just for this!" At this point, he glanced at Zhang's mother and others in the hall. Zhang Shuo knew that Wei Cong felt that there were too many people here and it was inconvenient to talk, so he stood up and said, "I have prepared a banquet in the flower hall in the backyard. Brother Meng De, please come with us!"

"Good work!"

Wei Cong and the others bid farewell to Zhang's mother and followed Zhang Shuo to the backyard hall. They sat down, divided into host and guest groups. Zhang Shuo ordered the maids and servants to leave, leaving only himself, Wei Cong, Nie Sheng, and Huang Ping. He raised his glass and said, "Today's hospitality is modest. Please make yourselves at your leisure!" He then raised his glass and drank it all in one gulp.

"I dare not!" Wei Cong raised his glass and drank it all. After everyone had some food and drinks, Wei Cong sighed, "I killed Wang Gui and resigned from my post this time. Of course, it was a spur of the moment decision, but I also wanted to use this opportunity to escape!"

"Using this as an excuse to escape?" Zhang Shuo was stunned. "Brother Meng De, I heard that Feng Cheqi values you very much. You also lifted the siege of Ba Qiu and performed a great deed. How can you talk about escaping?"

"The Feng cavalry only used my young master as a vanguard, so why would they value him so much?" Huang Ping said, "My young master killed Zhang Bolu in Jiangling and seized his inheritance, but he's secretly offended countless people. Take this battle with the bandits as an example: it was clearly agreed that Wang Gui would lead his troops out of the city after the drums were struck, attacking the bandits from both inside and outside. But Wang Gui didn't leave the city after hearing the drums, leaving my young master in a difficult situation. In the next battle with the bandits, who knows how many hidden attacks will be launched behind the scenes? Who can guarantee that he can survive every battle?"

"How could such a thing happen?" Zhang Shuo was furious. "They used the bandits' weapons to harm others. Meng De, didn't you report this to Feng Cheqi?"

"Han's laws are harsh, with low rewards and heavy punishments. I have no intention of becoming a marquis." Wei Cong said, "Besides, I did kill Wang Gui. A real man will never be a clerk!"

Hearing Wei Cong's words, Zhang Shuo's expression became solemn and he nodded. "Brother Meng De is absolutely right. How can a man like me tolerate humiliation from a jailer? If you don't mind, I have a farmhouse in a neighboring county. Although it's simple, it can accommodate a hundred or so people. You can stay there temporarily!"

"Thank you, Ziwen!" Wei Cong said with a smile, "I came east this time for my adopted son, and I need your help in this matter!"

"For him?" Zhang Shuo glanced at Nie Sheng and asked, "Is it because of the family business?"

"That's right!" Wei Cong nodded. He recounted the story of how Nie Zheng was murdered while out hunting, and concluded, "Nie Zheng's second wife was the daughter of Zhou from Lujiang. After Nie Zheng's death, this woman recruited men from Lujiang and seized the family business. I was afraid Ah Sheng would be harmed by that woman, so I adopted him as my son and brought him back to Jiangling. Now that this matter is resolved, I'll come back to deal with it with him!"

"I see! Do I need to contribute?" Zhang Shuo was not surprised at all. At that time, there were too many cases of sons and sons, and sons and stepmothers fighting for the family property. In a sense, mediating such disputes was also a common job for wealthy people like him and Wei Cong.

"Brother Zhang, please contact a few people to support me when the time comes!" Wei Cong said with a smile.

"That's easy!" Zhang Shuo patted his chest. "Brother Nie has been dedicated to public service for many years, so he's no stranger. Even if it's just for him, I'll lend a hand! When?"

"Will we be able to make it in ten days?" "Ten days?" Zhang Shuo calculated and said with a smile, "That's enough!"

"Good!" Wei Cong clapped his hands and laughed, "Ah Sheng, why don't you thank Uncle Zhang?"

"Thank you, Uncle Zhang!" Nie Sheng bowed hurriedly.

"Hurry up, hurry up, we're all family, why do this!" Zhang Shuo quickly reached out and helped Nie Sheng up. He ordered people to bring up the dancing music, and for a moment, both the host and the guests were in great joy before they finally stopped.

The next day, after leaving Zhang's house, they headed all the way to the dock. Wei Cong pulled out a list from his pocket and handed it to Huang Ping: "We'll be here for two or three days. Buy the things on this list as soon as possible."

"Yes!" Huang Ping replied. He looked at the list and saw all kinds of products listed with numbers after them. Only the last item, "magnet," had no number after it. So he asked, "Sir, how much of this magnet do you want to buy?"

"The more the better, the bigger the better!" Wei Cong said.

"Ah?" Huang Ping was surprised. "What do you want this for?"

"Don't ask so many questions, just go buy them. I remember this place is rich in them. Once you buy them, send them to the bottom cabin to use as ballast!"

"Yes!" Huang Ping had no choice but to obey. He glanced at Nie Sheng and whispered, "My dear, the Zhou family of Lujiang is definitely not an ordinary family. You should think twice!"

"Really?" Wei Cong smiled. "Don't you understand? I'm no longer the same person I used to be. Just do as I say!"

"Yes!"

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E County Wharf.

The porter carried the shoulder pole and stepped onto the springboard. Under the heavy pressure, the springboard under his feet fell down with a terrible creaking sound.

"Be careful!" Qian Wen shouted from the deck. He rushed forward and held the shoulder pole of the porter who had come aboard, saying with a smile, "Come on, give me a hand. You're quite strong, bro!"

"Thank you very much!" The porter, feeling the burden lighten on his shoulders, hurriedly thanked them. As he lowered the pole with the help of Qian Wen's companions, he smiled and said, "Thanks to both of you!"

"It's just a piece of cake! Why thank me so much!" Qian Wen said with a smile, pretending to be unconcerned and asked, "What's in this load? It's so heavy?"

"You are on the boat, but you don't know?" asked the porter.

"We are just sailors, not cargo owners or ship owners, how would we know!" Qian Wen said with a smile.

The porter glanced at Qian Wen and lowered his voice, "I took a sneak peek while we were moving the stuff. They were some big black rocks. The guy who shipped them said they were magnets. Your owner specifically asked for them!"

"Magnet?" Qian Wen replied meaningfully, "I see. Thank you very much!"

After sending the porters off, Qian Wen returned to the front of the deck. Four or five former captives now sailors surrounded him and asked, "Captain, have you found out? What's going on?"

"I found out it's a magnet!" Qian Wen replied with a frown, but the confusion on his face remained unresolved.

"Magnet? What is this?" someone asked.

"How do I know?"

"I don't know either. Wei Cong must have bought so many magnets to harm people!"

Qian Wen listened to his men's whispers, but remained silent for a while. When they gradually calmed down, he whispered, "Magnet is a kind of stone. On the surface, it looks no different from ordinary stone, but if iron gets close to it, it will be sucked in, and it takes a lot of effort to pull it away!"

"How could such a strange thing exist in the world?"

"Yeah, I'll try!"

"Yes, go try it!"

Several sailors sneaked over to the load and carefully took out a small piece of iron to try. As Qian Wen had predicted, no matter what iron object it was, as long as it was slightly close to the load, it was sucked in. It took a lot of effort to pull it off the magnet. After trying a few times, everyone was amazed. They returned to Qian Wen and said admiringly, "Boss, you're really far-sighted. Since you know what this magnet is, you must know what Wei Cong is up to, right?"

"I don't know about that!" Qian Wen shook his head. "Although I know about this magnet, he's much smarter than me. How can I guess what he wants to do?"

When those people heard Qian Wen admit that he was not as good as Wei Cong and could not guess his intentions, they could not help but feel disappointed. But soon someone became excited again: "Boss, I have asked around. This is E County. Further down the river is Chaisang, which is Yuzhang County. We can escape now!"

"Escape? Where to escape?" Qian Wen sneered. "Yes, this place is indeed not far from Yuzhang, but do you know how big Yuzhang County is?"

Everyone was immediately bewildered. Given the dismal literacy rates and transportation conditions of the time, it's safe to say that 99% of these former garrison soldiers had never left their counties before enlisting. Even a trip to the county seat was considered a long journey. While they did travel extensively after enlisting, the generals of the time generally believed in the strategy of "keeping the masses ignorant in order to drive them," adopting a "keep it to yourself if possible" approach to their soldiers. Consequently, these soldiers had minimal knowledge of the geography of their respective counties.

Qian Wen was not at all surprised by his companion's reaction. He sighed and said, "Liu Kui, I remember you are from Yichun County, right?"

"Yes, yes, I'm from Yichun County. Qiantou, you have a good memory!" A bearded man laughed and said, "How far is this place from my hometown?"

"Yuzhang County has a total of twenty counties and one marquisate!" Qian Wenjie untied the water bag at his waist, dipped it in water, and began drawing on the deck. "In other words, in Yuzhang County, there are a total of twenty-one places like Liu Kui's hometown. Moreover, the south is sparsely populated, and each county is farther apart, occupying a larger area. A county like Yichun is as large as four or five counties in the north, and the distance between counties is full of forests, swamps, lakes, and mountains. There are all kinds of wild animals, poisonous insects, and barbarians in them, and some places even have miasma. Do you think you can escape back on your own?"

(End of this chapter)