Chapter 635: - Fatty Xu

“How did that feel?” Zheng Fan asked after Gou Moli and He Chunlai left.

There were only three other people in the room.

Hero Chen shook his head, nodded, then shook his head again.

Finally, he said:

“Very complicated, but somehow very clear at the same time. Especially when everything had been muddled before, then suddenly there was a flash of cold light and Heaven and Earth split open in an instant. Like a sword...”

Hero Chen made a cutting motion with one hand.

Marquis Zheng felt somewhat helpless.

People truly could not be compared with one another.

This fellow had somehow managed to gain an insight even from that.

Fortunately, Marquis Zheng had more or less gotten used to such things.

The Sword Saint’s answer was even simpler.

Over the past two years, ever since Marquis Zheng had once told him, “You are only good at using the sword. You are not good at anything else,” the Sword Saint had gradually returned to simplicity.

He said:

“I came here to use my sword, not my brain.”

Simple.

Direct.

But Marquis Zheng currently wanted someone to talk to.

“Just say whatever comes to mind.”

The Sword Saint looked puzzled.

“Was Gou Moli not clear enough?”

“He was clear enough. But...”

Zheng Fan rose from the couch, walked to the brazier, picked up a roasted potato, and weighed it in his palm.

“But that may be exactly where the problem lies. He may have explained it too clearly. Looked at it too closely. So closely that he cannot step outside it.”

A smile appeared at the Sword Saint’s lips.

“Sounds as though you stand one level above him.”

“Because I’m standing on his shoulders.”

Zheng Fan peeled the potato, took a bite, sucked in air through his teeth, and chewed carefully.

“Anything looks one way when you stand close to it. Step farther away, stand higher, and look again, and it becomes something else entirely. This matter looks as though Prince Cheng Residence wants power. As though it wants its restraints loosened. But I do not believe the Prince Residence as it exists now possesses influence that deep and far-reaching.”

“You are looking down on the Jin people?” the Sword Saint asked.

If Zheng Fan intended to start indulging in regional prejudice, then the Sword Saint suddenly was not sleepy anymore.

“I am judging this particular matter on its own merits.”

“The Situ Clan’s foundations still exist.”

Zheng Fan shook his head.

“It is different. Great Cheng is gone. Let me give you an example. Back when I was Garrison Commander of Cuiliu Fort, I had perhaps a thousand men under me. Now I am Marquis Pingxi. The troops at the two passes and one city of eastern Jin all obey my mobilization orders. Even the four gate camps here in Yingdu will obey me. But is that because I, personally, am so extraordinary? Take away the Marquis Pingxi hat from my head. Would the troops here in Yingdu still listen to me? Prince Cheng Residence is the same. The old foundations still exist. The court never had the opportunity, nor quite the face, to conduct a thorough reckoning here. But to say Prince Cheng Residence can somehow rise magnificently again? Not to that extent. It is impossible. Great Cheng became one princely residence. The platform changed. You cannot imagine everything depends purely on individual ability. The great momentum of states, courts, and dynasties is not your jianghu, where one sword can settle every argument.”

“Then what do you think the ultimate goal of all this is?”

Marquis Zheng smiled.

“I’m supposed to go to Yanjing after autumn begins, remember?”

“You told me.”

Marquis Zheng had already mentioned it in advance and even put it into his schedule.

After all, for the head of a regional military power living away from the center, every journey into the capital was little different from walking once through the Gates of Hell.

The Tattoo-Faced Chancellor had left his Western Army and entered the capital, only to be thrown into prison.

It was simply that they had not yet negotiated the Sword Saint’s price for the autumn journey.

For example, perhaps another round of benefits for the people of eastern Jin.

Marquis Zheng tore a strip of potato skin away and bit into the flesh beneath it.

“Hoo...”

He licked his lips.

Then looked at the Sword Saint.

“The scheme is aimed at me.”

...

Using the token of the Marquis of Pingxi Residence, Gou Moli summoned the head of the Secret Intelligence Department branch, the man who had shown such excellent judgment before.

In the Marquis’s name, he ordered him to provide background information on certain families, households, and merchant caravans.

Both Gou Moli and He Chunlai had been away from Yingdu for some time.

Yingdu was an enormous arena of fame and profit. Every so often, one family declined while another rose.

Jin people, Yan people, new powers, old powers, every sort of force crossed and tangled here. Which house had produced new talent, which house had backed the right side early, which house had recruited a capable live-in son-in-law, and countless other details changed constantly.

So Gou Moli wanted to update his understanding of Yingdu’s background.

Sometimes, getting things done did not depend on having many people.

It depended on efficiency.

By the time the rooster crowed and dawn broke, Gou Moli had finally finished sorting the list of those poisoned to death.

“Heh. There really is something almost cleanly divided about this.”

Gou Moli lifted the list and looked toward the morning sun outside the window.

He Chunlai rubbed his eyes.

He had helped throughout the night.

“I’ll go prepare breakfast for Marquis.”

After a pause, He Chunlai asked:

“Should we bring this over with us?”

Then he quickly added:

“You should be the one to present it.”

Gou Moli glanced at him and shook his head.

“Wait until Marquis asks.”

“Is that all right?”

“How old are you? We worked for one night and you already cannot resist rushing over to claim credit? We have barely started. Besides, what exactly we do next still depends on Marquis’s own intentions.”

“And...”

“What else?”

“I want minced-meat noodles.”

...

“These noodles are overcooked. Too soft. No bite to them.”

Inside a relay station, an enormous man looked down at his bowl and complained.

“My lord, why don’t I go cook them myself?” one of the personal guards beside him asked.

Xu Wenzu nodded and pointed at the bowl.

“One of you eat this. Do not waste grain.”

Another guard stepped forward and finished the bowl.

Xu Wenzu left the table.

One bowl of noodles barely filled the cracks between his teeth. He had only ordered one from the relay-station kitchen as a test.

Since it had failed, his own men might as well cook.

After all, it took six or seven bowls before he could just barely feel full.

“Ahem... ptui!”

Xu Wenzu cleared his throat, stretched, and walked to a second-floor window.

“Yingdu should only be another two or three days away, yes?”

“Yes, my lord.”

A trace of emotion appeared on Xu Wenzu’s face.

“My lord, are you reluctant to part with His Highness the First Prince?” one of the guards teased.

In Nanwang City, Xu Wenzu and the First Prince had worked together as seamlessly as Heaven’s own stitching.

Xu Wenzu handled logistics and local administration.

The First Prince handled the army.

Even though Great Yan had no Zhenbei Army or Jingnan Army stationed in Yinlang Commandery, the two of them had still withstood the pressure from Qian’s Three Frontiers.

Later, after the First Prince killed Zhong Wenmian, both men were promoted.

“Heh.”

Xu Wenzu shook his head.

“Now that we are on this side of the country, I can speak from the heart. His Highness the First Prince is certainly formidable. But once I reach Yingdu, I’ll be working with that little brother Zheng of mine. That man’s ability is what truly convinces people.”

The Marquis of Pingxi Residence in eastern Jin was already carrying out vast land reclamation, expanding production, promoting development through commerce, and pursuing one self-rescue policy after another.

But to the outside world, the Marquis of Pingxi Residence in eastern Jin still looked like a relatively simple military command.

And Yingdu would become its lifeline.

So even Xu Wenzu believed that being appointed Prefect of Yingdu meant he was being sent to manage logistics for Zheng Fan, so Zheng Fan could suppress the Savages and Chu while also keeping the Jin people under control.

“Thinking about it really does make a man sigh,” one guard said. “Years ago, this subordinate even spoke with Marquis Pingxi. The Marquis once gave this subordinate a gold melon seed as tea money.”

“Hahaha. Then your life has been worth something. Once you have children... no, once you have grandchildren, you can brag about that to them.”

Xu Wenzu laughed.

Then he sighed.

“It has only been a few years, and he is already Marquis. I knew long ago that he was no creature meant to remain trapped in a pond, but even I never expected him to rise so quickly or so astonishingly.”

Xu Wenzu still remembered scene after scene from when he had first met Zheng Fan.

He had even sent people to investigate at one point.

They never found any household servant in the Marquis of Zhenbei Residence named Zheng Chenggong.

But none of that mattered anymore.

Did it?

“Mm? That smells good.”

Xu Wenzu sniffed and leaned half his body out the window.

In the courtyard below, someone had set up a large pot and was boiling meat.

The fragrance was rich.

“Go ask whose attendants those are downstairs.”

“Yes, my lord.”

A guard immediately went down to inquire.

At that moment, a middle-aged man who had been sitting quietly nearby drinking tea stood and walked over.

A Bodhi staff rested beside him.

“My lord, better not to meddle. Have you forgotten what happened at that relay station outside Yin City?”

Xu Wenzu froze for a moment.

Then waved a hand.

“Fine.”

He shut the window and returned to the table.

This relay station stood west of the former capital region of Jin.

One could say they had only just entered the old territory of the Situ family.

The relay station was large.

Xu Wenzu had brought more than a hundred personal guards, every one of them a veteran selected from the army.

After arriving, they had immediately occupied the rear half of the station.

They had originally intended to clear the entire place, but they had only so many guards. Even if the other courtyards were emptied, they lacked the manpower to secure them.

So they had settled for controlling the rear courtyard alone.

The relay-station chief saw Xu Wenzu’s official documents and immediately promised complete cooperation.

The window was closed.

But the fragrance still slipped inside from time to time.

“Damn it. How can it smell that good?”

Xu Wenzu drummed his fingers against the table.

His greatest passion in life was eating.

But he was not someone who lost all sense of importance over food.

On top of that, once bitten by a snake, a man feared even ropes for ten years.

After being reminded, he could only brace both hands against the table and keep swallowing his saliva.

The guard who had gone downstairs soon returned.

“My lord, they belong to a gentleman serving as a literary adviser in Prince Cheng Residence. He went home to visit relatives and is now returning to Yingdu.”

“Prince Cheng Residence?”

Xu Wenzu wiped his mouth, visibly delighted.

The man carrying the staff asked:

“Did you verify the identity?”

“Replying to Master Liao, this lowly one personally checked their documents and token. They are definitely people from Prince Cheng Residence.”

Xu Wenzu immediately looked toward Master Liao.

“Master Liao, if they belong to Prince Cheng Residence, then they will be my future colleagues. Why not seize the opportunity to chat with them about Yingdu and Prince Cheng Residence and prepare a little in advance?”

Liao Gang knew exactly what Xu Wenzu wanted.

He simply coveted that pot of food.

Still, the excuse itself was reasonable.

But Liao Gang shook his head.

“Lord Xu, I promised you I would see you safely all the way to Yingdu. So for this entire journey, you must listen to me. We are only two days from Yingdu now. You can meet them and talk to them once we arrive. There is no hurry.”

A low growl came from Xu Wenzu’s throat.

In the end, he sat back down.

He folded his arms beneath his head.

Before long, he actually began snoring.

Liao Gang could only shake his head.

Lord Xu was exceptionally shrewd most of the time.

But every so often, he enjoyed throwing childish tantrums.

Naturally, Liao Gang did not dare underestimate him.

He had personally seen how this man managed the enormous Nanwang City and the logistics of the First Prince’s army in flawless order.

In truth, they had not originally planned to stop at a relay station at all.

Everyone had been rushing day and night.

Most of the time they simply ate and rested beside the road.

Even an army on forced march would not necessarily move this fast.

The problem was that

Lord Xu’s Pi Beast, after holding on for so many days, had finally given out.

One of its hooves had gone lame.

It had to be left here at the relay station to recover.

On top of that, Xu Wenzu and even his personal guards were exhausted and needed rest.

Only then had Master Liao agreed to spend one day at the station.

Most importantly, he still had to consider appearances when they entered Yingdu.

The newly appointed Prefect could hardly arrive looking dusty, exhausted, and utterly bedraggled.

At that moment, the guard who had offered to cook earlier returned carrying a basin of noodles.

Liao Gang stopped him.

“Set it aside and let it cool.”

Still sprawled over the table and snoring, Xu Wenzu muttered:

“If noodles sit too long, they clump. Then they’re no good.”

Liao Gang sighed helplessly.

“Then will you eat now, my lord?”

“With that smell of meat in the air, I cannot swallow anything else.”

Xu Wenzu sat up again and stared at the basin of noodles with open disgust.

“Master Liao, tell me something. Under the broad daylight and clear heavens, I am an official appointed by the imperial court, a great frontier official entrusted with an entire region. Why am I skulking around on my own country’s soil like a thief? Surely officials of Great Yan do not all have to travel with this kind of trembling caution, as though walking on thin ice?”

“My lord, under normal circumstances I would never stop you. If you wanted to walk around the city, you could. If you wanted to go outside the walls and hunt game, you could. But this journey is different.”

“How is it different?”

“This time, you are going to Yingdu. You will very likely meet Marquis Pingxi.”

“Heh. Now that is interesting. What is wrong with meeting that little brother Zheng of mine?”

“When you were attacked at a relay station last time, who did you meet?”

“Uh... Little Brother Zheng.”

“Exactly. This time you are going to Yingdu, and in all likelihood you will meet him again.”

“What does one thing have to do with the other? Every time I take up a new post and meet him, I am supposed to get assassinated once?”

“Marquis Pingxi is blessed with overwhelming fortune. Over the past several years, he has fought campaign after campaign, built extraordinary merit, and remained perfectly unharmed himself. Clearly, he is a man with enormous luck.”

“And?”

“Sometimes being beside a man with enormous luck is not necessarily a good thing. People like carrying jade on their bodies because jade is said to block calamity for its wearer.”

Xu Wenzu stared at him.

Then laughed.

“Hehehe. Hahahaha! So I am specially there to block disasters for my little brother Zheng?”

“Better to be cautious.”

“Master Liao, when did you learn fortune-telling?”

“Have you forgotten, Lord Xu? Before I returned to secular life, I was the monk in my temple responsible for interpreting fortune slips.”

Liao Gang planted his Bodhi staff upright and pressed one palm before his chest.

“Amitabha.”

“Fine, fine. I’ll listen to you. Caution it is. Come, bring the noodles over to the window. Master Liao, I won’t go downstairs. I’ll simply eat my noodles here while borrowing the smell of that meat in the courtyard. Surely that is acceptable?”

Liao Gang frowned slightly.

In the end, he nodded.

The window opened again.

The basin of noodles was carried over.

Xu Wenzu picked up his chopsticks, swallowed a huge mouthful of noodles, then inhaled deeply through his nose and chewed with his eyes closed.

“This meat fragrance is rich without being greasy. Heavy, with sweetness beneath it. Sweetness that leaves a trace of bitterness. Bitterness hiding sourness. Tsk, tsk...”

He swallowed another huge mouthful of noodles.

Liao Gang stood beside the window.

“Master Liao, guess what kind of meat is in that pot.”

“I rarely eat meat. I vaguely remember having it a few times before entering the temple as a child, so I cannot tell.”

“Then let me explain it to you. Beef, mutton, pork, chicken, duck, fish. Anything raised as livestock, anything cultivated within one region, if you strip away the heavy seasonings, it ultimately has one simple flavor of its own. But in this world, there is only one kind of flesh that is different. It eats the five grains. It eats what flies in the sky, walks on the earth, and swims in the water. It is steeped in tea dregs, perfumed by medicinal stone powders, warmed on heated kangs, wrapped in cotton... Why is Yanjing roast duck so famous? Because people say a duck must pass through eighteen separate stages before it enters the roasting oven. But the flesh I just described has passed through far more than eighteen. That flavor needs no seasoning whatsoever. Boil it in nothing but well water, taste it slowly, and the result is exquisite.”

The more Xu Wenzu spoke, the graver Liao Gang’s expression became.

Even the personal guards had not understood at first.

But gradually, their expressions changed as well.

Xu Wenzu swallowed another huge mouthful of noodles and took a long drink of broth.

Then his face abruptly turned cold.

He hurled the entire basin out the window.

Laughing toward the courtyard below, he shouted:

“You truly do not understand etiquette! This official reserved the entire rear courtyard of the relay station. Anyone with a functioning brain can tell my status is no ordinary one. You are cooking such a delicacy, and even if this official does not go downstairs himself, you cannot spare one person to come invite me as a gesture? Damn it. I refuse to believe that every official from Jin is so upright and devoted to public duty that he cannot even be bothered flattering a superior!”

At that moment, a white-haired old man entered the courtyard and stopped beside the pot.

From a distance, he clasped his hands toward Xu Wenzu at the upper-floor window and called:

“My lord, it is not that this lowly official does not understand etiquette, nor that this lowly official is too lofty. This meat simply has to stew much longer before the flesh truly becomes tender and the bones soft. It cannot be rushed. One look at your build, my lord, and I know you are a true connoisseur of food. Please wait a while. Once the pot is ready, this lowly official will invite you down to taste the flavor of our Jin lands in this age. You should know that I carefully chose the meat, the water, and even the firewood. If I had not wanted to flatter you, my lord, I truly would not have been willing to bring any of it out.”

Xu Wenzu slapped the window frame.

“That’s more like it! Come, this official will ask you. What water is in that pot?”

The old man lifted his head.

“Water from the Wang River!”

“What firewood burns beneath the pot?”

“Roof beams from a hundred households!”

“And what meat is cooking inside?”

The old man’s expression hardened.

He clasped both hands behind his back and roared:

“The flesh and blood of those who drowned unjustly in the river!”

[End of Chapter 635]