knife

Chapter 61 A Thunderclap from Flat Ground
Walking on the streets of Tai'an City, Wu De felt overwhelmed by the sights. The bustling crowds, the noisy chatter, the dazzling array of goods, and the rows of shops gave him the feeling of being back in the West Market of Chang'an.

Although both are famous cities outside the Great Wall, Tai'an City has a much larger population than Zhenwu City.

If Zhenwu City gives people a solemn feeling, and everywhere you feel a sense of iron and blood,
Now, standing on the streets of Tai'an City, Wu De felt the smell of money was particularly strong.

It's hard to imagine that such a wide variety of goods could be found in a city outside the Great Wall.

"Boss, I just checked, and spices like pepper are unbelievably cheap here. If we each take dozens of kilograms back, we can make a fortune!" one of his men said excitedly.

"With dozens of kilograms of luggage, do you think you can get through the Yangguan Pass?" Wu De said casually, glancing at his subordinate.

“With you, boss, we’ll definitely get through this!” the subordinate said.

Wu De remained silent and continued walking forward.

Many things that are as precious as gold in Chang'an are dirt cheap here, while some worthless items like needles and thread in Chang'an are quite expensive here.

Wu De knew that in the past two years, the imperial court had begun to restrict trade with areas outside the Great Wall. It was no longer possible for many strategically important materials, such as salt, iron, tea, tung oil, and hemp, to freely leave the country. Outside the Great Wall, the prices of these materials had skyrocketed in the past two years. The more scarce they were, the more people would hoard them, and the more they hoarded, the higher the prices would rise—a vicious cycle.

Some people lost their families and fortunes because of these policies of the imperial court, while others made a fortune from them.

No matter how strict the restrictions, they can't stop people with connections.

These restricted goods will still be shipped out in a steady stream, but the profits earned from the same goods are several times higher than in previous years.

"Four people, four taels of silver a day, and only one breakfast included. This is much more expensive than in Chang'an." The four men, who were staying in two rooms, couldn't help but sigh when they got together. "Boss, we can't stay here for long. This isn't on our itinerary, and we won't be able to get reimbursed when we get back."

"Stay here and relax, all expenses will be on me!" Wu De said with a smile. "Tai'an is a famous city outside the Great Wall, and also a notorious money pit. Everything is expensive, but it is also said to be the safest place outside the Great Wall. Just don't cause any trouble here."

"Is everything going to the boss? Can I go to that Yingchun Pavilion then? I glanced at it when I came over, and it's a brothel. I've been away for months, and I'm practically dying of boredom!"

“If you really want to go somewhere, I reckon you’ll be left there as a teapot when we leave!” Wu De said with a smile, “I won’t reimburse you for that.”

The subordinate cried out in despair, "Then we can only admire it from afar?"

"Having seen all this is a kind of experience. Although this trip was tough, and some brothers even lost their lives because of it, it will give you more leverage for future promotions." Wu De stood up, straightened his clothes, and said, "You can wander around the city as you like. I have some things to do and need to go out for a bit."

Stepping out of the inn, Wu De looked around and strode towards the west of the city.

When he returned, the city lights were already on. Pushing open the door of the inn, Wu De was taken aback. His three men were feasting at a table in the corner of the hall, while the person at the head of the table, who was solicitously urging him to eat, was a young man he did not recognize.

Upon seeing Wu De enter, one of his men stood up, his tongue almost tied in knots: "Boss, you have old acquaintances in Tai'an City! This young man is so hospitable. Hearing that we are your men, he insisted on treating us to a meal. The wine in Tai'an City is really good, excellent wine!"

Wu De frowned slightly, cupped his hands to the young man and said, "I dare not ask who you are, brother. I have always been good at remembering, and I do not recall ever knowing you!"

The young man smiled and returned the greeting, saying, "Officer Wu doesn't recognize me. This is the first time I've met you, Officer Wu. However, you and my master are old acquaintances. My master is grateful for Officer Wu's kindness and, upon hearing that you had come to Tai'an City, wanted to invite you to a gathering. Unfortunately, you were out when I arrived, and I only met these brothers. Since it's better to meet by chance than to invite you, I'll invite you brothers to have a good drink."

"Who is your master?" Wu De was even more confused. Where did he find an old friend in Tai'an City?

"I would appreciate it if you would come with me, Wu, and the matter will become clear!" The young man replied politely, "It is inconvenient to mention the Lord's name here."

Upon hearing what the boy said, Wu De hesitated.

"Please rest assured, Inspector Wu, this is Tai'an City. No one dares to commit crimes here. My master is a person of status and position in Tai'an City. He just wants to thank Inspector Wu for his past kindness," the young man said.

“Alright, then I’ll go with you. May I ask your honorable name, brother?” Wu De nodded.

"My name is Luo Ying." Hearing Wu De's agreement, the young man's face lit up with joy. He turned to Wu De's men and said, "Brothers, please feel free to order whatever you would like to eat or drink. Just put it on Luo Ying's tab."

Several constables, already somewhat tipsy, nodded happily. The wine in Tai'an City wasn't the cheap stuff outside; it was genuine fine wine, but the price was extremely high, starting at two taels of silver per jin (500ml). Ordinary people simply couldn't afford it. Since someone was willing to be a sucker, they didn't hold back and drank until they were thoroughly satisfied. They didn't care at all where Wu De was going. This was Tai'an City; no one dared to fight or kill here—a fact known to everyone outside the Great Wall.

As the young man rode his horse along, Wu De became increasingly alarmed, for it was clear that the place they were now in was no longer a place where ordinary people could live.

The number of people dwindled, but the road widened, and the houses on both sides became increasingly luxurious. More and more Wu Ding patrolled the area. Clearly, the person who wanted to see him, as Luo Ying had suggested, was someone of status and position in Tai'an City.

"Please!" Standing in front of the gate of a house, Luo Ying bowed and invited.

Looking at this luxurious mansion, so different from the houses on either side, Wu De hesitated. "Who exactly is the owner of this place?"

"My master is already waiting for you; you'll know as soon as you see him," Luo Ying said with a smile.

Since he was already there, Wu De took a deep breath and followed Luo Ying through the door.

Luo Ying actually led him directly past the first two courtyards and straight to the third courtyard.

The first courtyard is the main hall for receiving guests; the second courtyard is the reading room; and the third courtyard is the quiet room for tea tasting. The fact that one can directly enter the third courtyard shows that the owner of this place truly does not consider Wu De an outsider.

At the entrance of the teahouse, a person stood in the doorway. Upon seeing Wu De, he gracefully bowed in greeting.

"Prefect Wu, I have traveled a long way from Chang'an, and I am deeply grateful for your care along the way. I have no way to repay you. Today, I heard that you have come to Tai'an City, so I have taken the liberty of inviting you here. I hope you will forgive me!"

It turned out to be Zhang Qingyun.

Wu De was filled with emotion.

Women are truly born with a huge advantage over men.

It's only been a few days since they separated, and that timid and cautious young woman who had been so careful all the way here now lives in a grand mansion in Tai'an City, where land is incredibly expensive, and has a whole bunch of servants and maids. Luo Ying, who just invited her here, is at least at the Qi Control level, if I'm not mistaken, and he's actually her servant.

It's hard to say, but this was all Li Dachui's doing.

Li Dachui's claim that he owned businesses in Tai'an City turned out to be true. Judging from this, Li Dachui has likely already become Zhang Qingyun's lover.

"So it's Miss Qingyun!" He felt a pang of envy, but also a great sense of relief; his earlier anxiety had vanished completely. "All along the way, I was merely doing my duty. Who among the heroes of the world wouldn't respect Zhang Gong?"

"Without Wu Tixing's care along the way, it would have been questionable whether my daughter and I could have arrived safely. I am not good at drinking alcohol, but I do have some experience in brewing tea, so I have prepared a pot of good tea for you, Tixing. Please do not blame me for my poor treatment!" Zhang Qingyun smiled and bowed.

Inside, the calming sandalwood incense wafted gently, and on the tea table, silver charcoal burned brightly in a small red clay stove, steam rose from the ceramic teapot, and all the tea utensils were arranged on it.

At this time, some people prefer the old-fashioned method of boiling tea, while others prefer the simpler method of steeping tea with boiling water. Whether it is boiling or steeping, a whole set of tea art has been developed. Judging from the current situation, Zhang Qingyun obviously prefers the newly emerging method of steeping tea with boiling water.

Wu De quite liked this method of drinking tea, which was initially bitter but became sweet with repeated tasting.

Nothing special, just simple and unpretentious. Just boil a pot of water, add a pinch of tea leaves, and brew it. It's good for digestion and quenching thirst.

However, Zhang Qingyun's tea-brewing skills were quite refined. Wu De, sitting opposite her, watched intently as Zhang Qingyun skillfully brewed the tea. Just by looking at the tea's packaging, he knew that this box of tea was definitely worth a lot of money.

Outside this pass, tea is also a form of hard currency.

Watching the emerald green tea pour down from the teapot, just enough to fill the small teacup to the brim.

After filling all four small teacups in front of Wu De, Zhang Qingyun put down the teapot and smiled, saying:

"Inspector Wu, try my cooking!"

Carefully picking up the small teacup, tilting my head back, I poured the tea into my mouth, but instead of swallowing it immediately, I held it in my mouth for a moment to savor it before slowly swallowing it. Then, I drank each cup faster than the last.

"Excellent tea!" Wu De praised.

Zhang Qingyun smiled and took a small sip of tea, looking at Wu De with her beautiful eyes, and said, "Chief Wu, I invited you here today for two reasons: first, to express my gratitude, and second, to seek cooperation with you."

Wu De looked puzzled: "Miss Qingyun, what do you mean by this?"

Zhang Qingyun smiled, put down his teacup, and said, "Now I work for the bandit Li Dachui. He has an organization under him that is responsible for collecting intelligence. I don't know anything except some statistics, analysis, and accounting, so this is all I can do. As a newcomer, I am inevitably alone and weak. I want to achieve something to gain a foothold. After thinking it over, I realized that only Wu Tixing could help me. Fortunately, things went as planned. Just when I was thinking of you, Tixing, you arrived in Tai'an City."

"I'm just a head constable. Miss Qingyun has chosen the wrong person to ask me to do this job!" Wu De shook his head and said.

Zhang Qingyun smiled and said, "Our people are probably in the general store you visited in the West City right now. If nothing unexpected happens, I think I'll soon find out what kind of person Wu Tixing is. Wu Tixing, please don't be so dismissive."

Like a thunderclap from a clear sky, Wu De sat up straight immediately.

(End of this chapter)