Chapter 669: Passed Away

The stretch of land was familiar. The road was familiar. But the scenery was different, and so were the people and customs along the way. Only a spring and a summer had passed, yet Yupan City was even livelier than it had been the previous winter. Most striking of all, pleasure boats had actually returned to the waterway running from Yupan City toward the Wang River, and that familiar decadent music drifted across the water once more. Remembering how living people here had once been treated as two-legged sheep, the vitality filling the city now did not feel offensive in the slightest. If anything, it made one sigh with emotion.

Yupan City's rapid recovery had two main causes. The first was Xu Wenzu's capable governance. After that flurry of hard cuts during the winter, most of the thorns had been plucked clean. Freed from the endless drain of political struggle, Fatty Xu could finally put his head down and work on people's livelihoods. Outside Yingdu, great masses of refugees were no longer piled together. Most had already returned to their home villages.

The second cause was the recovery and development of eastern Jin, together with the enormous volume of trade passing through it, all of which pulled Yupan City upward. Merchants were flowing water. The Marquis Residence's monopolies were too strong in Fengxin City; even the Red Tents had been divided into ranks and grades, but no matter how refined the system became, it was still not free enough for men who wanted to spend without restraint. Yupan City, meanwhile, had always been famous as a place where fortunes vanished overnight. Some pleasure boats held only one courtesan and two serving girls, one poling the boat and one pouring wine, with at most one or two guests aboard, but the price per guest was high. A single little flower boat could support a surprising number of mouths behind it.

What surprised Zheng Fan most, however, was something else. When his procession passed Yupan City, the city's Garrison Commander came out with a group of subordinates to pay respects. That commander was Ran Min. He had finally clawed his way upward. In these chaotic times, even after the Emperor of Yan had ridden roughshod over the great aristocratic clans, it remained extraordinarily difficult for a commoner to rise. Zheng Fan had no particular desire to comment on that. People in high positions always looked fragrant from far away. Get close enough, and who didn't have a backside smeared with shit?

Marquis Zheng merely sent one of his personal guards over to offer a few words of encouragement. He explained that he was entering the capital under imperial summons and needed to keep moving, so he would not linger in Yupan City. He could be filthy beyond description himself, but he still liked making friends with honest men.

That night, a light rain began to fall. The procession crossed the Wang River and made camp in a small ferry town on the western bank. Zheng Fan had just settled beside a blanket. Siniang handed him a cup of warmed milk, and he was preparing to drink it and sleep when a personal guard came in to report that the Fifth Prince requested an audience. Fortunately, Marquis Zheng's state of mind had become very well tempered these days. He swallowed the milk instead of spraying it everywhere.

A rainy night. A ferry crossing. One man was a Marquis summoned to the capital by imperial decree, while court and countryside alike shared an unspoken understanding that this trip would decide the foundation of the state. The other man was an imperial prince who had suddenly requested a meeting. No matter how one looked at it, something was wrong. No matter how one thought about it, there was something fishy. This was a bare hook, so straight it could not possibly be straighter.

But Zheng Fan met him anyway. The yellow mud was already in his crotch. Whether it was shit or not, everyone would call it shit. He might as well see the man.

And then the Fifth Prince, Ji Chengwen, walked in wearing the same miserable expression as a man who had just swallowed an enormous mouthful of bitter coptis. As a military-service Marquis of Great Yan, Zheng Fan should, by propriety, salute an imperial prince. But if he did not salute, no one except the Emperor himself could punish him for it. So Zheng Fan remained seated and looked at the Fifth Prince.

"Marquis Zheng, I did not want this."

Zheng Fan shook his head. "Your Highness, this Marquis has always been timid. Don't frighten me."

"I had no idea you would cross the river tonight. I was inspecting the newly repaired embankments. There happened to be a breach nearby, so this afternoon I brought a group of laborers over to fill it. I'd only just finished dinner when you crossed the river, and your personal guards immediately surrounded the laborers on my side. I'm not an idiot. If I had deliberately waited here just to meet you, wouldn't that mean a donkey had kicked me in the head?"

Zheng Fan believed him. If this had been intentional, it would simply have been too stupid. Besides, if the two of them truly wanted to meet, they had countless ways to communicate privately. Ever since the Fifth Prince had been sent to Yingdu to manage the river works, the Marquis Residence had prepared a gift for him every New Year and festival. They had never been completely out of contact.

Now, if the news from Yanjing had been that the Emperor of Yan had suddenly died, the Crown Prince had ascended the throne, Little Sixth had made one desperate attempt and failed, and the new Emperor had executed him, then yes, under those circumstances Ji Chengwen openly running to Zheng Fan would have been the correct decision. But the Emperor of Yan was clearly still stubbornly hanging on, while Yanjing continued maintaining its strange equilibrium. Little Sixth's latest letter had already expressed his attitude plainly: mule or horse, they would know once it was paraded through Yanjing. Either way, it would all come down to that one final hammer blow.

Zheng Fan raised a finger and tapped his own skull. "Your Highness, whether your head was actually kicked by a donkey no longer matters. After tonight, everyone will think it was. And while they're at it, they may suspect that this Marquis got kicked by the same donkey."

"In any case, none of this has anything to do with me."

There were no chairs inside Zheng Fan's tent. If Siniang wanted to sit, she simply sat on the blanket beside Zheng Fan, so the Fifth Prince sat directly on the ground. Only then did Zheng Fan have a proper chance to examine him. He was thinner again, and darker too. One could only sigh. None of the Emperor of Yan's sons were easy men. Give any of them a little polishing and the jade beneath began to shine.

"All right. This Marquis will have a tent arranged for Your Highness. Rest tonight, and tomorrow I'll have someone escort you back to Yingdu."

"I'm not in a hurry to return to Yingdu. I still have to inspect farther upstream. Things have only just begun recovering. We cannot allow the Wang River to flood again. Otherwise, all of Jin, and with it Great Yan, will suffer. This year, the State of Yan is still enduring drought after drought."

Jin had not received any less rain this year than the year before. But perhaps because the embankments had been breached during the campaign against Chu the previous year, a literal case of guiding the water rather than merely blocking it, pressure on the Wang River system had unexpectedly dropped sharply this year. In peaceful times, without a national war as an excuse, who would dare breach river dikes in the name of flood control? Which meant that over the next two or three years, Jin might very well have to send blood into the State of Yan.

"Your Highness has worked hard."

That was sincere, not flattery. If Jin, especially the Yingdu region, could recover, it would be an enormous help to eastern Jin as well. In the strategic calculations of those two old scheming bastards, the Blind Man and Gou Moli, the Yingdu region, meaning the traditional heartland of the Situ family, was meat sitting right beside the Marquis Residence's mouth. If they never rebelled, eastern Jin could still receive support from this region, and trade and population movement would only become more active. But if the day ever truly came when they rebelled, iron cavalry could sweep west, cross the river, and seize this wealthy territory directly as their forward base.

"Marquis Zheng," the Fifth Prince said, "since I'm already sitting here anyway, why don't we simply open the skylight and speak plainly? Do you support the Crown Prince, or Sixth Brother?"

Zheng Fan shook his head. "This Marquis is not deliberately trying to brush Your Highness off. The truth is, I don't have an especially strong preference."

"Oh?"

"This Marquis only hopes Great Yan can enjoy lasting peace and stability. I only hope that in the next ten years, I can lead the iron cavalry of Great Yan to destroy Chu, trample Qian, and remake all Xia beneath Heaven."

The Fifth Prince stared at Zheng Fan very seriously, then nodded. He stood, apparently preparing to go rest in the tent Zheng Fan would arrange for him, but when he reached the curtain, he stopped and turned back.

"Marquis Zheng."

"Does Your Highness need something else?"

"The truth is, I'm very afraid of dying. Truly."

"What a coincidence. This Marquis is terrified of death too."

"Haha." The Fifth Prince laughed and pointed at his own chest. "I don't have many thoughts about that seat."

"Good. You'd best not. If even Your Highness starts believing you have a chance, then Great Yan will truly have fallen into chaos beyond imagining."

"Exactly. But Marquis Zheng, I want to ask you for one promise."

"Please speak, Your Highness."

"If that day truly comes, I... I hope I can go to your Marquis Residence and ask for protection."

"As a general of Great Yan, protecting members of Great Yan's imperial clan is only proper."

"You know that isn't the kind of formulaic nonsense I want."

"Your Highness."

"Mm?"

"This Marquis still cannot promise you. Just as, even now, the Sixth Prince cannot guarantee that I will support him to the bitter end."

"But if Sixth Brother entrusted his orphan to you, I know you would protect that child at any cost!"

"Naturally."

"Then what about me? That's all I'm asking for too!"

"Your Highness, are we... very close?"

"..." The Fifth Prince.

The Fifth Prince looked dazed. Then he squatted down and covered his face with both hands. Seeing this, Zheng Fan sighed, walked over, and gently patted his shoulder.

"Your Highness, as long as you do not entertain thoughts in that direction, you will be safe. Govern the Wang River properly. The people living along its banks will remember your kindness. Once the river works are finished, return to the capital and enter the Ministry of Works. Earn yourself the reputation of the Fifth Virtuous Prince. Wherever there is a disaster, go there. That is the true talisman of protection you can control with your own hands."

Ji Chengwen raised his head, looked at Zheng Fan, and nodded. "Those words really were spoken for my sake. I can hear that."

"Put more plainly, that chair might feel novel when you first sit on it. Slowly, it'll probably become dull and tedious. But if you earn the name of a virtuous prince, then in future television dramas, the female lead will always fall in love with you."

"Marquis, may I ask what a television drama is?"

"Storytelling, crosstalk, Ping opera, things like that. It's what the Savages call them."

"Oh. I see."

"All right, Your Highness. Go rest. Tomorrow, do whatever you should be doing. Have a little confidence in Great Yan. Have a little confidence in His Majesty. Have some confidence in your brothers too. The truth is, this Marquis really does like Great Yan. Because in Great Yan, people who are genuinely capable of doing things, and know how to do them, usually receive fairly good treatment. Whatever else might be said about your brothers, their breadth of mind is sufficient."

"Yes. Sigh. Fine. I'll go rest. Marquis, may your journey be smooth."

"And yours as well, Your Highness."

The Fifth Prince left the tent, and Siniang came in holding another steaming cup of milk.

"I already drank it," Zheng Fan said.

"You only drank half, Master."

"Fine."

"Master, are you starting to find me annoying? Like a mother forcing her child to drink milk every day?"

In private, everyone was very relaxed. There were even fewer restraints on what they said.

Zheng Fan shook his head. "I really haven't experienced what it's like to have a mother force me to drink milk every morning."

"Then Master, would you like to experience it?"

Marquis Zheng smiled.

...

The next morning, the procession set out again. Marquis Zheng could not quite be called radiant, but anyone could see that he was in excellent spirits. They had no intention of passing through Yingdu itself. The journey had been calculated in advance, with plenty of extra days reserved for accidents, delays, and other unforeseen factors along the way, but there was simply no need to enter Yingdu again. Zheng Fan would rather spend the spare time in Litian City accompanying Old Tian.

Ever since Old Tian returned to Litian City, Zheng Fan had lost contact with him. According to the reports coming from that direction, Old Tian had never left his former Marquis Residence. The Sword Saint did say that on the day his cultivation advanced again, he had exchanged a glance with Old Tian. At first, Zheng Fan did not believe him, and the Sword Saint could not be bothered explaining. Only later did the Blind Man point out that the Sword Saint had been holding Tian Tian at the time.

Perhaps Old Tian had placed some restriction or mark on Tian Tian that allowed him to sense his own son. And with the Sword Saint holding Tian Tian, perhaps there really had been some mysterious resonance. This sort of thing was precisely what Qi Refiners were best at. They were not very good at fighting, but in almost every field besides fighting, they seemed remarkably capable.

That reminded Zheng Fan of something Old Tian had once said: he merely dabbled in arcane arts. Fine, fine. Marquis Zheng was used to it. Used to being surrounded by one person after another holding a protagonist's script, while he himself was that miserable side character who, the moment a battle began, could only count the arrows sticking out of A’Ming's body.

Zheng Fan did not plan to enter Yingdu, but Fatty Xu in Yingdu gave him plenty of face. A temporary pavilion had been erected along the road. Xu Wenzu had prepared wine and a few dishes and intended to see Marquis Zheng off personally.

Their relationship really was quite good. Xu Wenzu thought Zheng Fan capable, competent, good at dealing with people, and above all, genuine. Most importantly, Zheng Fan was the lucky star of his life.

Unfortunately, what Xu Wenzu did not know was that after Zheng Fan first met Sha Tuo Queshi all those years ago, Zheng Fan had deliberately ordered Sha Tuo Queshi to charge into the column, lift the carriage Xu Wenzu should have been riding in, and smash it against the archway of the Marquis of Zhenbei Residence until the carriage was reduced to splinters. If Xu Wenzu had not happened to be suffering from diarrhea and absent from the carriage, by now the fertile ground outside the Marquis Residence probably would have grown several fine flowers.

But those were all things of the past. The past could not be pursued. Better forgotten.

Zheng Fan swung down from his Pixiu and hurried toward the pavilion. Xu Wenzu also rose and hurried out.

"Big Brother Xu!"

"Little Brother Zheng!"

Their hands clasped firmly together, passionately demonstrating the brotherhood of men who had shared hardship and adversity. Behind them, A’Ming silently drank a mouthful of blood. Watching the scene, he muttered, "Looks a little familiar."

Fan Li, standing behind him, said, "Second Brother. Third Brother."

A’Ming nodded. "Yes. That's the flavor."

Encouraged, Fan Li continued, "Chancellor. Imperial Uncle."

Who was Chancellor Cao? A’Ming did not ask. It was obvious.

Xu Wenzu held Zheng Fan's hand and led him into the pavilion. Inside stood one table and three chairs.

After Zheng Fan sat down, he asked, "Who else is coming?"

"Grand Tutor Sun originally wanted to come see you off as well. But when he got up this morning, his family sent word that he caught a chill last night and truly cannot leave the house today."

"Oh. So that's what happened. Grand Tutor Sun is advanced in years. He should naturally take good care of his health."

Zheng Fan had always held a favorable impression of Sun Youdao, not merely because the old man had eventually brought the Sun family aboard his ship, but because he had lived both career and family life with a clear conscience. He was formidable when handling affairs, particular about how he conducted himself, and broad-minded in a way Zheng Fan respected.

"Grand Tutor Sun's health still seems fairly sound to me," Xu Wenzu said. "Truthfully, with him around, I feel much steadier here in Yingdu. He's a man who understands things."

Zheng Fan shook his head. "It's different. Grand Tutor Sun is old, after all. You can't be careless when it comes to the body. People are like that. Once you reach a certain threshold in age, one small accident and..."

Zheng Fan had originally intended to use the subject to persuade Fatty Xu to eat a little less meat, lest he develop all three highs. Men of this era might regard fatness as a sign of wealth and honor, but being fat truly did make health problems more likely.

Unfortunately, before Marquis Zheng could finish speaking, a rider galloped over from Yingdu. The man dismounted and hurriedly knelt outside the pavilion.

"Greetings, Prefect. Greetings, Marquis."

Xu Wenzu lowered his wine cup. "What happened? Why are you panicking?"

"My lord, the Sun family just sent word. Grand Tutor Sun... has passed away."

"Hiss..."

Xu Wenzu's eyes snapped toward Zheng Fan.

"..." Zheng Fan.

"Little Brother Zheng, this..."

Zheng Fan instinctively looked over his shoulder. Liang Cheng wasn't even with him today.

Then Marquis Zheng rose. "Big Brother, I think I'll make a trip into Yingdu after all. I should at least light a stick of incense for the old Grand Tutor."

[End of Chapter 669]