Chapter 420: Eating Candy

The matter of the fallen star was mysterious enough that even the Secret Intelligence Department sent a specialist to investigate.

Most likely because the Marquis of Jingnan had already said something in advance, the people from the Secret Intelligence Department merely came by to “ask after” whether such an incident had truly occurred. Once they confirmed it, they left.

They did not ask to inspect the meteorite.

Nor did they try to haul it away.

That saved Count Pingye Residence a great deal of trouble.

After all, Xue San had already cut the meteorite open and gutted it. If they had been forced to manufacture a fake one at the last moment, it would not actually have been especially difficult. Meteorites might look mysterious, but their material composition was fairly ordinary.

Still one less problem was one less problem.

Another reason was that the late Emperor had been deeply superstitious about occult arts and mystical calculations. After the current Emperor of Yan took the throne, he deliberately cleaned out much of that atmosphere.

So people below—including the Secret Intelligence Department—would still report celestial phenomena when they occurred, but nobody would be foolish enough to send a meteorite all the way to Yanjing as some auspicious treasure.

At the same time no matter what changes appeared in the heavens, so long as thunder was not literally rolling down from the sky, people below still had to live their lives.

That gave Count Zheng a strangely familiar feeling from his previous life: wake up in the morning, scroll through some international news, wash up, then continue heading to the studio to work as an artist.

You say it has something to do with you?

What the hell does it actually have to do with you?

Xue San had departed long ago with the one hundred and eight men under him to scout the route.

According to Xue San, one hundred and eight was a very pleasant-sounding number.

In the Blind Man’s eyes and those of the others it did not sound especially auspicious.

Roughly seven days later, the nearly one thousand Snow Sea cavalry personally led by Zheng Fan formally set out.

The force was not especially large.

There was no grand departure ceremony either.

After all secrecy still mattered.

Before they left, however, Count Pingye Residence hosted a banquet for the thousand soldiers.

There were no stirring speeches.

Count Zheng did not bother displaying his gift for rhetoric.

Food was divided individually.

Everyone received a small stool and sat on the ground to eat, forming several large circles.

Count Zheng sat at the very center.

After the meal—

Count Zheng raised his wine cup.

Every soldier raised his own cup with him.

The Snow Sea Army’s discipline had almost completely inherited that of the Jingnan Army.

In certain details it was even stricter.

The prohibition on alcohol was one example.

Except during specifically permitted holidays or special occasions, any soldier who dared drink privately would be whipped for the first offense.

A second offense execution on the spot.

“Brothers.

“I cannot guarantee every one of you will return with me this time.

“But I can guarantee this:

“If a brother does not return and he has a family—

“I, Zheng Fan, will take care of them.

“If he has no family—the school will add his memorial tablet, and there will be a child to carry on his surname.

“As for the brothers who do return—saying you’ll be promoted and grow rich sounds too damned vulgar.

“So I’ll only say this:

“those who come back—we’ll truly be brothers!

“Drink!”

“We are willing to die for the Count!”

“We are willing to die for the Count!”

...

While the men outside were eating elsewhere the Blind Man and Liang Cheng sat facing one another.

Nominal rolls were spread across the table between them.

The Blind Man’s style had always been meticulous.

Whenever he handled one matter, he liked looking three moves ahead.

Among the thousand soldiers selected to follow Master into Chu this time were barbarians, Jin men, and Yan men.

There were even several young chieftains from the Hailan Tribe and other savage tribes living near Snow Sea Pass.

At the same time—

Jin Shuke had been recalled from the front and inserted into the force.

In addition—

He Chunlai, the candied-hawthorn seller who had returned with Fan Li, and Chen Daole of the Chen Clan had both been thrown into the expedition as well.

Liang Cheng could not help sounding worried.

“If you care too much about politics, military effectiveness will inevitably suffer.”

Liang Cheng preferred the purity of commanding troops and fighting battles.

He disliked dragging unrelated considerations into military affairs.

Most of the time they only created constraints.

In his view, if Master was taking one thousand men, then all one thousand should simply be elite troops.

First, good steel should be used on the blade.

Second, that would maximize Master’s safety.

The Blind Man countered:

“Master is infiltrating Chu this time.

“He isn’t going there specifically to fight.

“This is different from several years ago, when Master led three hundred barbarian riders into Qian and could still storm a city.

“Qian and Chu are both on guard against us now.

“Yes, this is an infiltration.

“But it definitely isn’t a mission to go smash headfirst into the enemy.

“Master himself obviously understands that.

“Otherwise, he would never have been willing to leave you behind to guard home.”

If this expedition were truly aimed at fighting a major battle and earning some enormous military achievement with Master’s cautious personality how could Liang Cheng possibly be absent?

“So you turned it into a team-building exercise?” Liang Cheng asked.

“Calling it team-building is going too far.

“They can still fight.

“Our Master still possesses plenty of personal charisma.

“Let this group follow Master into Chu for one round and come back alive—after that, they become our people.

“Take Jin Shuke, for example.

“Master values him highly.”

“His ability really is very good.

“Given enough time, I think he can command a force independently.”

For Liang Cheng to give such an evaluation that alone proved Jin Shuke’s talent and potential.

“Then treat this as the first class of Whampoa Military Academy.

“Heh.

“After Master leaves, what we need to do is combine the production system and the military system.”

“You still want to fool around with the Eight Banners?”

“More or less.

“Snow Sea Pass may look extremely domineering in this region, but a major reason is that the savage uprising completely wrecked everything around us.

“Compared with those densely populated major cities—we are still rather cramped.

“Fortunately, the existing framework was built reasonably well.

“Adjust it a little and we can bring out people’s subjective initiative.

“We have fewer people.

“Fewer soldiers.

“If we don’t squeeze out that initiative, how are we supposed to compete with anyone else?

“And stop saying Eight Banners every other sentence.

“The Eight Banners are only a surface form.

“The essence is still a military-merit system and a war-dividend system.

“Because here—we inevitably have to deal with multiple ethnic groups.

“What I truly want to do is turn Snow Sea Pass into a war machine.

“A system where the entire population actively raids and annexes outward—something like Qin.

“We need the people below to instinctively crave war.

“Crave outward plunder.

“Become so fanatical about it they cannot control themselves...”

“There you go again,” Liang Cheng said helplessly.

“Right back to your old profession.

“It really does sound like a pyramid scheme.”

“Everything is built on pyramid schemes,” the Blind Man said firmly.

“But that sort of system can collapse very easily.”

Hearing this the Blind Man laughed.

“We only want to play one enormous round.

“You’re a damned zombie and you’re still worrying about long-term peace and stability?

“You’re thinking too far ahead.

“Far too far.”

Liang Cheng leaned back slightly.

He tapped his fingers against the table.

“You draft the regulations.

“I’ll be responsible for implementation.

“Let’s try to complete the restructuring before Master returns.

“We need to move quickly.

“I have a feeling—before the end of next year, the next major war may arrive.”

“There’s more than enough time.

“Don’t panic.”

The Blind Man quietly lit a cigarette.

Then said:

“Truthfully, whether a major war happens or not isn’t what I care about most.

“I only care about the Marquis of Jingnan.”

“At least from everything we can see so far, the Marquis of Jingnan has treated Master exceptionally well.”

“Better than exceptionally well.”

The Blind Man flicked his cigarette ash.

Then said:

“I’ll organize my thoughts again.

“Tomorrow night we summon every officer of Lieutenant Commander rank and above to Count Pingye Residence for a meeting.”

...

Count Zheng set out.

The marching speed this time was excellent.

The entire force maintained something close to a wartime forced march moving as quickly as possible without exhausting the horses.

Originally, Zheng Fan had planned to enter Fengxin City again while passing through.

Say hello to the Marquis.

Scrounge another meal.

That sort of thing.

But on the road, they encountered a unit of Jingnan Army soldiers.

After exchanging information, Zheng Fan learned the Marquis had already left Fengxin City and gone toward Zhennan Pass to take a look.

Apparently the Marquis had found Xue Rang’s constant commotion over there somewhat irritating and had decided to personally go suppress the atmosphere.

Since the Marquis of Jingnan was not in Fengxin City, Zheng Fan did not linger.

He continued marching south.

Roughly six days later, at a small wharf along the banks of the Lian River, he finally linked up with Xue San’s advance force.

The Lian River was a tributary of the Wang River.

Overall it flowed southeast from the northwest.

The Wang River itself was a major river, but once it entered Chu territory it divided into many tributaries.

Truthfully entering Chu from here made marching extremely difficult and extremely inefficient.

It was rather like the old route from Shengle into the snowfields.

Back when the Yan army besieged Yupan City, the Swordsmith of Chu and the Eighth Prince had used this same general route to return to Chu.

They had not dared travel east through Zhennan Pass.

What Zheng Fan had not expected was that a pleasant surprise would actually be waiting for him here.

...

“This lowly one, Fan Yongxin, pays respects to Count Pingye.

“May Count Pingye enjoy health and fortune.”

The man kneeling before Zheng Fan was close to forty years old.

His hairline was half gone.

A mole sat beneath his nose.

He belonged to the Fan Clan.

The Fan Clan was a merchant family of Chu dependent upon the Qu Clan.

Chu followed an aristocratic system.

Most positions at court were divided among the various noble houses.

Some offices had even belonged exclusively to a single house for several generations.

The grandfather died the father took the post.

The father died the son continued.

A noble house naturally had to look like a noble house.

At least on the surface they needed to appear detached, calm, and dignified.

But nobles still ate, drank, pissed, shit, and spent money.

Income from their fiefs certainly helped.

But land remained limited.

The number of slave households remained limited.

If disaster ruined the harvest one year, the slave tenants starving to death was a minor problem.

The truly serious matter was the noble lords having to lower their standard of living.

So nearly every great noble house maintained different branches beneath it.

Some handled military retainers and household troops.

Others managed commerce.

The Fan Clan was the commercial branch attached to the Qu Clan.

At first glance, such a structure looked like taking off one’s pants merely to fart.

But the great lords of Qian did the same thing.

Plenty of Yan merchant caravans also had powerful nobles standing behind them.

Even in later generations when the powerful and privileged wanted to do business they still needed white gloves.

The Fan Clan’s business was substantial.

Generally speaking, a merchant capable of operating throughout a single commandery could already be considered respectable.

A merchant whose trade spread across an entire state had truly raised the family’s status.

But if your business extended beyond national borders only then could you truly say the family had made its fortune.

The Fan Clan belonged to that last category.

It depended upon the Qu Clan but naturally possessed thoughts and calculations of its own.

There had already been one of Little Sixth’s people inside Snow Sea Pass.

Ordinarily, that person only handled commercial matters and transmitted letters.

After all, correspondence between Count Zheng and Little Sixth absolutely could not travel through official channels.

If something went wrong and even a few of the treasonous lines inside leaked out the consequences would be disastrous.

At the same time, the liaison possessed a limited amount of independent authority.

If there was no time to send a letter and wait for instructions he could “make his own decision.”

For example, when he learned Zheng Fan had received the Marquis of Jingnan’s order to enter Chu, the liaison revealed this line through the Fan Clan.

The Fan Clan could be contacted.

Before Yan and Chu entered open conflict, Little Sixth had already done business with the Fan Clan.

Now the two states were clashing.

Trade had not stopped.

Instead it had become tighter and more frequent.

Because war severed most ordinary trade routes, smuggling suddenly produced even more obscene profits.

**The front is tight while the rear eats tight.**

That was not merely a saying.

The difference was the “war profiteering” Little Sixth made now ultimately flowed back into his imperial father’s private treasury.

After all, Little Sixth had already issued military guarantees concerning money and grain.

He had to produce a satisfactory accounting.

As for the Fan Clan it was unlikely they handed their smuggling profits upward to the state.

At most they probably passed a portion to the Qu Clan.

“Is the road passable?” Zheng Fan asked Fan Yongxin.

“Reporting to the Count, the road twists and turns, but remains passable.”

“Is the road secure?”

“Reporting to the Count, it is complicated, but not chaotic.”

“Then I will trouble you.”

“Count, you are too courteous.

“For Count Pingye to visit our Great Chu is the honor of Great Chu—and of the Fan Clan.

“The Fan Clan will certainly spare no effort to receive you properly.”

“Good.

“If I have the fortune to meet the head of the Fan Clan, I will personally convey my greetings.”

“This slave thanks the Count on behalf of our clan head.”

Fan Yongxin withdrew.

He had brought a small flotilla.

Ordinarily, the boats were used for smuggling goods.

This time they would smuggle people.

Zheng Fan’s force would wait until night before boarding.

First they would travel down the Lian River.

Then land again.

Then enter the mountains.

“Count.

“Can this Fan Clan be trusted?”

Keyan Dongge asked anxiously.

“You ask me.

“Who the hell am I supposed to ask?”

“...”

Keyan Dongge.

What worried Keyan Dongge was simple.

What if the Fan Clan sold them out?

The Fan Clan had not been part of the original marching plan.

This entire route to put it plainly had been forcibly inserted through Little Sixth’s connections.

“San.

“You speak.”

Zheng Fan pointed at Xue San.

Xue San had arrived here earlier than everyone else.

He should understand the situation better.

“Master.

“Since we are already here, we may as well settle into the situation.

“With the Fan Clan helping, entering Chu becomes many, many times easier.”

Clearly, Xue San supported taking the Fan Clan’s boats.

Jin Shuke said:

“The Count’s body is worth a thousand pieces of gold.

“How can you take such a risk?”

Xue San glanced at Jin Shuke.

Then laughed.

“You make it sound like entering Chu without the Fan Clan somehow wouldn’t be dangerous.”

Jin Shuke immediately realized he had misspoken.

He cupped his hands toward Xue San and stepped back.

Zheng Fan still trusted Xue San’s judgment.

“If that’s the case, we take the Fan Clan’s boats.

“San—you’ll have to work harder.”

If the Fan Clan truly possessed malicious intent then only Xue San could give them advance warning.

“Master can rest assured.

“All our food and drink are our own.

“This subordinate has already laid down strict rules.

“Front.

“Rear.

“Everywhere—

“I have planted our own people.

“If the Fan Clan behaves, then everyone is happy.

“If they play tricks—this subordinate is still confident I can protect Master and get you out.”

At this point—

Xue San pursed his lips.

Then continued:

“Master.

“The route into Chu is filled with beacon posts and fortified strongholds.

“If the Fan Clan does not help clear the road, we would have to pull those nails one by one.

“At that point—there would be no meaning in infiltrating Chu at all.

“So this subordinate thinks we should still give the Fan Clan some confidence.

“Merchants possess no loyalty.

“They love placing bets on both sides.

“Fine.

“Let them.

“Several days ago, when this subordinate met Fan Yongxin, he mentioned something else.

“The Sixth Prince promised the Fan Clan the position of Imperial Merchants in Chu after the future conquest.”

Keyan Dongge asked foolishly:

“The Fan Clan actually believed that?”

Zheng Fan raised one hand.

He signaled for Keyan Dongge to stop asking.

There was no reason to continue arguing.

Then he said:

“Enough.

“This Count believes it.”

...

Night fell.

The troops began boarding.

One group of boats carried horses.

Another carried men.

They were all cargo vessels.

They looked rather pathetic compared with Chu navy warships but their carrying capacity was considerable.

They would travel down the Lian River, turn into another channel, then head south.

If everything went smoothly, they could disembark in Yong County inside Chu.

The distance itself was not especially great.

But for cavalry being able to bypass three separate river bends, including the Lian River, in a single night already represented extraordinary efficiency.

Siniang personally draped a cloak around Zheng Fan.

She had disguised herself as one of his personal guards.

At night inside the tent, she removed the disguise.

During the day she stood beside Zheng Fan in uniform.

Count Zheng boarded the vessel.

Many Fan Clan boatmen were already busy across the deck.

Although night had fallen, numerous lanterns had been hung around the ship.

Visibility remained good.

Fan Yongxin was waiting for Zheng Fan on this boat.

He immediately came forward and bowed.

“Count.

“This lowly one has prepared wine and dishes inside the cabin.

“The conditions are crude.

“I ask the Count to forgive us.”

“You are too courteous.”

“Count, please.”

Zheng Fan followed Fan Yongxin into the cabin.

Only after entering did he discover the space inside was far more luxurious than expected.

There was not only a table filled with wine and dishes but also three servant girls.

They wore very little.

“This servant pays respects to my lord.”

“This servant pays respects to my lord.”

The three women knelt.

The wine had not been opened.

Nothing had begun.

Yet seductive expressions had already settled across their faces.

Fan Yongxin said:

“Count, this lowly one will wait on the second level of the boat.

“If the Count needs anything, simply call.”

Clearly, Fan Yongxin understood when to leave.

Once he was gone, Siniang—still dressed like a personal guard—leaned close to Zheng Fan’s ear.

“Master.

“All three of these women have been drugged.”

“Drugged?”

“Yes.

“This servant knows that the people of Chu have never treated servant girls as human beings.

“This is a fashion among the Chu nobility.”

Siniang had obviously studied the Red Tent businesses of the various states.

Naturally, she had investigated the ways different places liked to play.

“Mm.”

“However, Master can still follow local customs.”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“We’re in the middle of a military operation.

“I’ll go outside and get some air.

“You help them purge the drugs.

“This looks harmful to the body.”

“Master is feeling tender toward beauties?”

“No.

“We’re traveling far from home.

“Treat it as hastily hugging Buddha’s foot and accumulating a little virtue.”

Zheng Fan walked out of the cabin.

Incense was probably burning inside.

He disliked that sort of additional fragrance.

He simply could not appreciate it.

Natural body scent could make him intoxicated.

But deliberately manufactured perfume whether it refreshed the mind or not only felt like clutter.

He had only just stepped onto the deck when—

“Peh!

“Yan dog!”

A little boy wearing only a short jacket in the middle of winter spat at Zheng Fan.

The spit landed on his boot.

“Aiya!

“My lord, forgive us!

“Forgive us!

“This brat deserves death!”

An old boatman immediately rushed over.

He pressed the boy’s head down and knelt with him before Zheng Fan.

Zheng Fan lowered his gaze.

He looked at the spit on his boot.

Then reached out.

He tore down a piece of curtain hanging beside the cabin entrance.

Crouched.

And wiped his own boot clean.

Afterward, he pulled out his metal Zhonghua cigarette case.

The case had been modified.

The upper half held cigarettes.

The lower half held peppermint candies.

Zheng Fan took out one piece of candy.

Then slowly walked toward the boy.

He crouched in front of him.

Reached out.

And gently touched the boy’s face.

These boatmen belonged to the Fan Clan.

Ordinarily they only helped the clan smuggle goods.

Today a force of soldiers had been loaded onto their boats.

The boatmen were not fools.

They could obviously see what sort of people they were transporting.

But everyone ate the Fan Clan’s grain.

Naturally, nobody dared say anything openly.

Privately a few curses were unavoidable.

The boy had probably heard the adults talking and learned there were Yan people aboard.

That was why this happened the moment he saw Zheng Fan leave the cabin.

Only when his grandfather pulled him down to kneel the boy panicked.

And when Zheng Fan approached him step by step the pressure and authority radiating from the man could not be faked.

The boy’s emotions completely collapsed.

He began trembling and crying.

All the courage he had shown before disappeared.

Now he was terrified.

Zheng Fan held the candy before him.

Then asked softly:

“Want some candy?”

The boy trembled as he nodded.

Zheng Fan smiled.

“Ah.”

Still sobbing, the boy obediently opened his mouth wide.

Then, Zheng Fan put the candy into his own mouth.

And said:

“Not giving you any.”

————

[End of Chapter 420]