Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 220 Reinforcement
Madam Zheng watched as Xie Yuyan handed her the fish tally and Wang Yan's private seal.

Those two things felt like branding irons, burning her palms painfully, and she instinctively wanted to return them.

This was a life-saving item that Wang Tianshi had given to Madam Xie, but now it had all been given to them. Madam Zheng was immediately overcome with grief, but she didn't have time to shed tears. She just grabbed Xie Yuyan's hand again.

Xie Yuyan looked at Madam Zheng, knowing what she was thinking. She said calmly, "The sooner we find people in Mingzhou, the sooner we can send reinforcements."

Zheng's eyes were red.

Xie Yuyan continued, "Be careful when you get to Mingzhou, and don't trust others too easily."

Zheng pursed her lips.

Xie Yuyan said, "Perhaps after you leave, I will head south and no longer concern myself with the affairs of Daming Prefecture. With Wang Shitian and you leading the people away, it will be easiest for me to escape."

Zheng did not believe it.

Although Madam Xie was always ruthless in her methods, upon closer reflection, she had always been extremely kind to them. Even though she guessed that Prefect Liu and his men might come to arrest the villagers of Chenyao Village, she still followed them into the mountains.

If you really wanted to get away, why come here?

"Don't waste any more time," Xie Yuyan said. "And don't think about anything else. Just do what you're supposed to do."

Zheng let go of his hand, and then she watched as Xie Yuyan turned around without hesitation, and soon Xie Yuyan's figure disappeared from her sight.

"Sister-in-law," said the woman beside Zheng, "what should we do?"

Madam Zheng wiped away her tears, carefully put away the fish-shaped tally and seal, and looked at everyone: "Hurry up and go... to Mingzhou." Just like Madam Xie said, when you don't know what to do, do what you can.

Xie Yuyan walked back.

She needed to get to Guan County before dawn. What she said to Zheng was also true; she wasn't sure she could find help.

She cannot go back to the Yang family.

Even if the three merchants Wang Zheng found could help, they were too far away. If she were to travel thousands of miles to fetch reinforcements, there would only be one reason: she was planning to take the opportunity to escape.

She had already thought about all of this on her way to find the villagers of Chenyao Village.

There is only one chance, and that is in Guan County.

Xie Yuyan followed the official road to find his way in the darkness. Chen Rong said that Caoshi was located outside the north city of Guan County. Xie Yuyan had seen a map of Guan County and had been there once before with Wang Yan. Relying on these memories, he made his way to Guan County.

In Guanxian County, people start setting up stalls at the grass market before dawn. The thing she was looking for was at the grass market.

……

The brothers Zheng Long and Wang Hu arrived at the grass market outside the city just as dawn broke.

Their stalls were always set up at the very edge of the market, with their goods stored in earthenware jars. Unlike other vendors who would hawk their wares, they would simply give a casual answer when someone asked a question.

People who frequent the market would find the two strange. Fortunately, the two brothers had kind faces. Zheng Long had a smiling face, and before he even spoke, his eyes would curve into crescents, making him look good-natured.

Wang Hu, sporting a shaved head, stood there rarely speaking. When pressed for answers, he would scratch his head and chuckle sheepishly. He was clearly someone who had come from some temple. In the Great Liang, there were many unlicensed "monks," many of whom were impoverished people forced to become fake monks to avoid taxes and corvée labor. If the court investigated closely, they had to leave the temples and wander around with shaved heads. This happened so often that people were used to it.

"You can't sell things like this."

"I've been here for several months and have only made a few deals."

"Wouldn't they starve to death?"

Zheng Long said, "This is something our master told us to sell. Would you like to take a look? Our master said this is only sold to those who are destined to receive it."

Upon hearing this, the villager glanced at the jar in front of the two men, which contained something dark inside.

What's this called?

When asked, Zheng Long immediately replied, "Black oil."

"What's it for?" "Lamp oil, it can burn for a long time."

"Is it better than sesame oil and sesame oil?"

Wang Hu shook his head: "It's not as good as it. It produces more smoke when burned."

To be honest, who would still buy it? Even if it were cheaper, the stinging sensation in the eyes wouldn't be bearable. Only people who spend most of their time in the mountains and wilderness would use this.

Because this oil is not easy to extinguish once it starts burning, it is best for making torches.

The two brothers sold their victims several times, always to escaped people, but of course, the people in the nearby villages didn't know this.

After the villagers left, Zheng Long looked around but couldn't find anyone to buy their goods.

The two brothers knew who to sell the goods to; they had also been refugees and were looking for the same kind of people.

Disillusioned with the imperial court, such people hid in the mountains, struggling to survive.

They approached these people, using the sale of black oil to win them over, telling them that the world was now in darkness and that only by believing in their Manichaeism could they find peace and light.

This is how their Manichaeism grew so powerful. Once they had enough manpower, they would surely be able to challenge the imperial court in due time.

Zheng Long was about to call Wang Hu to pack up and leave, to avoid being questioned by patrolmen later.

However… Zheng Long had just opened his mouth when his gaze swept over someone.

Not far away, a woman was looking around in the market. She had a pretty face and was dressed smartly, but upon closer inspection, her clothes were covered in mud and her shoes were filthy.

This is particularly strange.

"Brother, you..." Wang Hu had just opened his mouth when Zheng Long gestured for him to be quiet. He took a few steps forward, getting closer to the woman so he could hear what she was saying to the villagers.

The woman's voice came intermittently: "Are there any hunters in the village? Or anyone skilled in boxing?"

“My master… needs to transport goods to Mingzhou, and several of the guards at home have fallen ill, so we are short-handed… We are offering money… 300 coins per person per day…”

The villagers shook their heads: "There are too few people in these two surrounding villages. Why don't you go to the city and ask? There are brokers there, and you'll probably be able to hire some people."

Upon hearing that they were to enter the city, the girl glanced at the city gate, but then her eyes narrowed as if afraid that someone would notice something amiss. She quickly wiped her sweat with her sleeve to avoid the villagers' gaze, and then bowed to them: "I have never been here before... and my master is in a hurry... please ask around for me, and if there is anyone suitable, please call them to find me... I will give you fifty coins as a token of my gratitude."

Upon hearing that there was money to be made, the villager immediately laughed: "I'll go back to the village right away... If there are any men who are free, I'll bring them with me."

Zheng Long walked back to the stall, and Wang Hu, no longer looking simple and honest, came over and asked, "Brother, what's wrong?"

Zheng Long's eyes flickered: "We've got work to do." He gestured for Wang Hu to look at the woman.

"That woman has a serious problem."

Wang Hu listened carefully.

Zheng Long recounted what he had heard to Wang Hu.

"Look at the jade pendant hanging from her waist. It's no ordinary item. She doesn't look like a maid from another family."

"She might be a young lady from some family..."

Zheng Long continued, "There seems to be a wound on her wrist, as if it was cut by a sharp weapon."

Alone, injured and terrified, he searched everywhere for the "brave fistman".

What comes to mind?
Zheng Long was always clever and could see through the truth before others: "They probably encountered bandits when they passed by here, and their family and belongings fell into the hands of the bandits. Now they want to spend some money to hire people to rob them back."

Wang Hu nodded in agreement; what he said made sense. They knew there were "mountain bandits" in the mountains—the group of refugees.

“However,” Wang Hu said, “why didn’t she go into the city to report to the authorities?”

Speaking of this, Zheng Long smiled and said, "Her accent is from the Northwest... I guess the goods they're carrying can't be exposed to the light of day."