Chapter 46: Becoming a Dad

The room had its windows open.

But because no lamp had been lit, even beneath the faint moonlight it remained dark and murky.

The Blind Man Bei sat at the table.

A pile of documents lay before him.

Useful ones.

Useless ones.

A whole mess.

He needed to sort them and classify them.

Suddenly, his body trembled slightly.

A solemn look appeared on his face.

A powerful killing intent had abruptly erupted from the rear residence.

It had been controlled extremely well, yet the Blind Man Bei still detected it through his mental perception.

However, in the next instant, that killing intent rapidly vanished.

It disappeared without leaving the slightest trace.

The Blind Man Bei immediately recognized whose killing intent it had been.

What he did not know was whether he had genuinely happened to detect it, or whether it had been deliberately... allowed to leak out for him to sense.

Nor did he know whether that killing intent had been directed at him... or at that person’s... old father.

...

...

Morning.

The first ray of decadent sunlight entered the room.

After that came decadent dressing, decadent washing, and decadent breakfast.

Even after Zheng Fan stepped out of his room and entered the courtyard, he could still smell the lingering scent of decadence clinging to his body.

Today’s lesson would begin soon.

The moment he remembered Liang Cheng’s fingernail from yesterday, his entire body suddenly felt unwell.

“Achoo!”

Zheng Fan sneezed.

His eyes felt slightly irritated.

He sniffed the air.

There was a distinct burnt smell drifting through it.

When he raised his head, he could even see ash spiraling through the sky.

Were people burning crop stalks?

Never mind that the season was wrong.

Even if they were burning stalks, nobody would pile them inside the city and set them on fire.

Coincidentally, Zheng Fan saw Fangcao passing through the front courtyard with a bundle of cloth in her arms.

She stopped and saluted him.

Zheng Fan asked, “What are people burning outside?”

Fangcao froze for a moment.

Then she understood.

“Reporting to Master, many households outside are burning spirit money.”

“It isn’t Qingming Festival.

“Is there some local festival around this time?”

At least in this eastern part of the world, the customs and traditions were not particularly different from those of Zheng Fan’s previous world.

Still, if there were one extra local festival similar to Qingming, that would hardly be strange.

“No, Master.

“The civilian laborers conscripted last time to transport military supplies have returned.”

Zheng Fan’s mouth opened slightly.

The image of barbarian cavalry charging into the supply camp that night surfaced in his mind once again.

It felt as though it had happened only yesterday.

But in truth, quite some time had already passed since that night attack ended.

“They’re back...

“How many came back?”

“Seems like only two or three hundred.

“So from early this morning, many households in the city began holding funerals.”

“Oh.

“Mm.

“All right.

“Go on with your work.”

“Yes, Master.

“If you need anything, just call for me.”

Fangcao gave Zheng Fan a slight curtsy, then left carrying the cloth.

Zheng Fan let out a long breath.

The residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei had conscripted two or three thousand civilian laborers from Tiger Head City.

Only about one-tenth had returned.

One could imagine just how many households in Tiger Head City were now in mourning.

And in most cases, the man who had failed to return had been the pillar of the family.

Even in the modern world, if a household suddenly lost its main breadwinner and laborer, it was no easy task for the wife left behind to hold the family together.

In this age, it was even worse.

The sky had effectively collapsed upon the household.

“Master?”

Feng Siniang’s voice came from behind Zheng Fan.

“Whew...

“You startled me.”

“I was rude.

“But I already called Master several times.

“You were thinking so deeply that you didn’t hear me.”

“Mm.

“I was thinking about something.”

“Master, have you taken a fancy to Fangcao?”

Feng Siniang suddenly asked.

“Uh...

“What?”

Zheng Fan’s train of thought could not keep pace with Feng Siniang’s operating speed.

“Yes.

“Didn’t Master freeze after seeing Fangcao just now?

“If Master wants her, I can arrange it tonight.

“I’ll have her wash herself clean and wait under the blankets for Master.”

“Isn’t she A’Ming’s woman?

“I heard the two of them have a pretty good relationship.”

“Oh, yes.

“Very good.

“He killed her father, after all.”

“Uh...”

“Besides, A’Ming doesn’t care about such things.

“He has no interest in women.

“As long as Master wants her, Fangcao herself would definitely be willing too.

“I’m very accurate at judging people.

“She’s the sort who wants to climb upward.

“Give her a chance and she might become the next Wu Zetian or Zhen Huan.

“She probably does have some feelings for A’Ming.

“But A’Ming feels nothing in return.

“So perhaps later, after she successfully climbs into Master’s bed and becomes the Mistress of the household, she’ll feel both love and hatred toward A’Ming.

“At night, she’ll do everything possible to win Master’s favor.

“During the day, she’ll sit before A’Ming with perfect dignity while watching him salute her as Mistress.

“Then Xue San and the others will gossip beside her.

“The rumors will just happen to reach Master’s ears.

“Master will become dissatisfied with A’Ming and deliberately send him to carry out dangerous missions.

“Fangcao will feel wronged.

“She’ll suffer.

“She’ll become increasingly thin and haggard while mourning before Master.

“But Master will harden his heart and ignore her.

“You may even secretly order the Blind Man Bei to execute Fangcao.

“Then, on the day the Blind Man moves to kill her, he’ll use his mental power like an ultrasound and discover that Fangcao’s belly already contains—”

“...”

Zheng Fan.

Perhaps realizing she had gone a little too far, Feng Siniang immediately waved a hand.

Then she lightly slapped herself across the mouth a few times.

She dipped into a curtsy.

“My tongue ran away with me.

“Please don’t blame me, Master.

“That’s how palace dramas are written, isn’t it?

“Just thinking about it gets me excited.

“Oh-ho-ho-ho...”

Zheng Fan could not help rolling his eyes at her.

Then he said, “You’re overthinking it.

“I only just learned that many households outside are holding funerals.”

“Oh, that matter.

“Yes, Master, it’s like this.

“You and Liang Cheng returned to the city late at night.

“And because you had earned merit and were directly given an official post, you came home immediately.

“The surviving civilian laborers, however, apparently had to wait until the Zhenbei Army destroyed the Shatuo Tribe, then help escort the spoils.

“Only after everything was finished were they allowed to return.

“Also, Master and the others were all on horseback.

“So naturally you came back several days earlier than they did.

“Before this, the authorities in Tiger Head City had actually been controlling the flow of information.

“There were rumors that many civilian laborers had died, but as long as no confirmed information arrived, everyone still held on to a little hope.

“Now the survivors have returned.

“And as for those who didn’t...”

“I see.”

Zheng Fan nodded thoughtfully.

“I expect that after some time, Tiger Head City will open household registration again and begin accepting people.”

“Open household registration?”

Zheng Fan remembered that he and everyone under him possessed official household registration in Tiger Head City.

All of them were listed under the “Old Zheng Household.”

“Yes, Master.

“Because of the State of Yan’s political structure, local population and land—especially in a frontier commandery-state like Beifeng—are not primarily controlled by the ruler.

“The great aristocratic clans control more than the central government does.

“This time, far too many civilian laborers died.

“Tiger Head City will probably do what it did when we first arrived and absorb another group of refugees, registering them as households.

“Otherwise, future corvée labor and tax collection won’t be sustainable.”

People in later generations had grown accustomed to a state capable of controlling and intervening in everything.

But in this world especially in the State of Yan, where the ruler functioned more like the leader of an alliance of aristocratic clans the government had no choice but to endure the awkward reality of sharing the country with those powerful families.

This was also the key reason why the State of Yan, despite commanding the iron cavalry feared by the other three great states and despite enjoying a favorable external situation with the desert barbarians fragmented like loose sand, still could not launch a great war of conquest from north to south.

The great aristocratic clans had roots and histories that sometimes stretched back even farther than Yan’s imperial house.

And if one day the State of Yan ceased to exist, those families might very well continue standing.

In the ancient history Zheng Fan knew, during the chaos of the Five Barbarians, the Jin court had already fled east in disgrace.

Barbarian regimes rose and fell one after another throughout the Central Plains.

Yet under their rule, many great clans still existed.

They shut their gates and continued living their own lives.

If the court fought the barbarians, they did not care.

If the barbarians drove the court away, they still did not care.

In fact, if the new barbarian rulers wanted to govern the land properly, they still had to rely on the power of those aristocratic clans.

Their lives remained comfortable.

Tiger Head City, at least, possessed one advantage.

The land of Beifeng Commandery was not particularly fertile, and good farmland was scarce.

So the local clans did not demand population as desperately as families in the interior.

At the same time, Tiger Head City’s trade made its handicrafts and commerce relatively prosperous.

Every year, many refugees gathered here hoping to scrape together a living.

One batch disappeared.

Another batch was brought in.

The model of harvesting leeks had not changed.

The method had merely become more direct and ugly.

“Master.”

At that moment, Liang Cheng entered through the front gate.

“What is it?” Zheng Fan asked.

“A guard just came to deliver a message.

“You are to assemble at the yamen before noon.

“The order came from the county magistrate.”

“Something happened?”

Zheng Fan frowned slightly.

Originally, the fat Pacification Commissioner had granted him ten days of leave.

There were still several days remaining.

But plans never kept pace with change.

Zheng Fan had no choice but to change into more formal clothes.

He gathered all his identification documents and official papers.

Then, accompanied by Liang Cheng, he rode to the county yamen.

Naturally, Liang Cheng could not enter.

Zheng Fan showed his credentials to the two guards at the entrance.

After they checked them, he was led into the main hall of the yamen.

Only after entering did Zheng Fan realize he seemed to have arrived relatively late.

The hall was already packed with people.

Some wore armor.

Some, like Zheng Fan, wore ordinary household clothes.

Others had large bellies and looked like wealthy landowners.

But every person present held the official status of Lieutenant Commander.

Some held actual posts.

Others possessed empty titles.

More than half were heads of fortified manors in the area surrounding Tiger Head City.

In short, Zheng Fan did not know a single one of these fellow Lieutenant Commanders.

The only one he had previously known well enough to call by name had died outside the city several days ago.

Oh, right.

For Wang Li’s funeral, the Blind Man Bei had even sent condolence silver in Zheng Fan’s name.

The Pacification Commissioner arrived.

Only after the Pacification Commissioner walked in did everyone realize oh.

The old county magistrate had come too.

The Pacification Commissioner was simply too fat.

Walking in front, he had completely blocked the county magistrate from view.

Zheng Fan could not help thinking that if another group of rebels suddenly rushed in to kill everyone, he absolutely had to hide behind the Pacification Commissioner.

Such a massive human shield should not go to waste.

Naturally, the Pacification Commissioner had no idea what Zheng Fan was thinking.

When he noticed Zheng Fan standing near the outer edge of the crowd, he even smiled at him.

Then he strode into the hall.

The two officials sat at the places of honor.

All the Lieutenant Commanders below remained standing.

There were no chairs for them.

Once seated, the Pacification Commissioner lowered his eyes and nose, entering a state like an old monk in meditation.

Detached from worldly affairs.

The old county magistrate, meanwhile, first coughed several times.

Then a smile appeared on his face.

He said, “I summoned everyone here today because I have good news to share with you.”

“My Lord, have the imperial rewards arrived?”

“My Lord, has this year’s military grain and pay arrived?”

“My Lord, my fortified manor didn’t receive much money or grain last year either.

“We can barely keep living like this.

“This time you absolutely cannot leave me out.

“Otherwise, when I return home, I won’t even know how to explain things to the men under me.”

“That’s right, My Lord.

“This year, don’t forget my people either.

“The soldiers under me can barely even get one meal of dry grain.”

“No need to panic.

“No need to rush.”

The old county magistrate pressed both hands downward.

He continued amiably, “This good news concerns every one of you.

“Every one of you.”

“My Lord, what exactly is it?”

“Well, you see, there was a war recently.

“With one order from the residence of the Marquis of Zhenbei, Tiger Head City conscripted several thousand civilian laborers to help transport military supplies.

“But the fortunes of war are cruel.

“Many fine young men never returned from the battlefield.

“Sigh...

“Whenever this official thinks of it, my heart aches terribly.”

This was the politically correct topic.

Everyone present including the Pacification Commissioner sitting above and wandering through the heavens in his mind cooperatively rubbed the corners of their eyes, wiping away whatever eye crust they had, and allowed the county magistrate to finish setting the rhythm of his tragic performance.

“The men of the households are gone.

“Some families can no longer survive.

“Just today, Tiger Head City’s charitable hall received nearly three hundred children—from nursing infants all the way to seven- or eight-year-olds.

“They can all be considered orphans now.

“Some have no one left in their families.

“For others, their mothers plan to remarry.

“Still others simply cannot afford to feed another mouth after the husband died, so they sent the children away.

“We expect that tomorrow and the day after, even more children will be delivered.

“And so, I summoned everyone here because of this matter.

“We Yan people have always believed that many sons and many blessings go hand in hand.

“Today, this official will play the role of Guanyin Who Sends Children.”

The county magistrate smiled warmly and looked around the room.

Then he said, “Tell me.

“Doesn’t this count as heaven-sent good fortune?

“I’m giving all of you children.

“I’m letting you become fathers overnight.”

“...”

Everyone in the hall fell silent.

(End of Chapter)