Taiheiki

Chapter 204 Good News

"It's just a matter of buying a horse's bones with a thousand pieces of gold!" Kong Gui laughed. "Besides, Governor Wei didn't say where these fields and houses are!"

Yuan Shao was taken aback upon hearing this, and couldn't help but smile wryly. Just as Kong Gui said, Jiaozhou was a vast territory, not lacking in land, but in people. Even if Jiaozhou couldn't provide that much land, weren't there the kingdoms of Linyi and Funan? Those fertile plains stretched as far as the eye could see, and there was no shortage of them. Let alone Wei Cong's few thousand men this time, even if there were tens of thousands, there was no need to worry.

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In a quiet side courtyard of Wang Shou's residence, a lush banyan tree almost completely covered the courtyard. Wei Cong sat on a stone bench under the tree, chatting and laughing with Wang Shou. A maid behind him was fanning herself with a palm leaf fan. A servant came in and whispered a few words in Wang Shou's ear.

"My lord, Qin Ke and the painter have arrived!"

"Since they're here, let them in!" Wei Cong said with a smile.

"Yes, sir!" Wang Shou replied, nodding to the servant, who then withdrew and returned a moment later with two more men. They knelt before him, saying, "This humble servant greets Lord Wei!"

"Get up, all of you!" Wei Cong waved his hand, then looked Qin Ke up and down. "This must be our second meeting, right? You seem to be doing quite well!"

"It's all thanks to you!" Qin Ke quickly replied with a smile, "And with the Prince's patronage, I was able to settle down and build a career in Panyu!"

"Good! You remember the Prince's kindness; you're a man who cherishes the past!" Wei Cong nodded and smiled, "You did a good job on this mission! I, Wei, have always been fair in rewards and punishments. Since you have rendered meritorious service, you should be rewarded!" He paused slightly and said, "Go and discuss the matter of the money and silk spent with the Prince. I will then bestow upon you the title of Grand Master (seventh-rank military merit rank)!"

Qin Ke was overjoyed upon hearing this. He wasn't really short of money right now. With the development speed of Panyu City and his own business acumen, the Qin family would only become richer in the foreseeable future. However, during the Han Dynasty, being rich but not noble was not a good thing. The title of Duke Dafu bestowed by Wei Cong had already entered the ranks of "high-ranking nobles." In addition to the land and houses granted to him, he could stand on equal footing with the county magistrate and the county clerk, only needing to bow deeply without kneeling.

"Thank you for your generous gift, Governor!" Qin Ke quickly bowed in gratitude.

"Hmm!" Wei Cong nodded, gesturing for Qin Ke to stand up, then turned his gaze to Xie Bing beside him: "Your name is Xie Bing, right? Your painting this time is quite good, I really like it!"

"Thank you for your kindness, Governor!" Xie Bing quickly knelt down.

"Stand up and speak!" Wei Cong pointed to a stone beside him. Xie Bing looked at the stone blankly, seemingly at a loss. Wang Shou, who had been with Wei Cong for a long time, smiled and said, "The governor wants you to sit down first!"

"Look!" Xie Bing finally realized what was happening, carefully sat down on one side, held his breath, and waited for Wei Cong to speak.

"I need an artist by my side, would you be willing to come?" Wei Cong asked.

"I—" Xie Bing was stunned. He didn't expect Wei Cong to be so direct.

"Excellent!" Wei Cong laughed. "Let's start with a minor official position! I have many people around me who can write, but none who can draw. What do you think?"

Xie Bing finally realized what was happening and quickly knelt down again: "Thank you for your kindness, Governor!"

"No need to kneel again!" Wei Cong laughed. "You're a talented person, and you'll have many opportunities around me. Do your best!"

Xie Bing instinctively reached for his knees again, but remembering Wei Cong's earlier words, he didn't bend them, only giving a soft reply. At that moment, Wei Cong picked up his cup and began chatting and laughing with Wang Shou. Qin Ke, understanding the situation, tugged at Xie Bing's sleeve and left the courtyard. Qin Ke then let out a long sigh and smiled at Xie Bing, saying, "Master Xie, congratulations!"

"I wouldn't dare!" Xie Bing gave a wry smile. "I don't know if it's a good thing or not!"

"Of course it's a good thing!" Qin Ke laughed. "This is someone close to Duke Wei, someone many people would love but can't have. Besides, most people start as civil officials with a salary of sixty shi, but you started with a salary of one hundred shi. This shows that he values ​​you highly!"

"But, but I don't understand grammar at all! In fact, I can't even write many words!"

"Didn't you hear what Lord Wei just said? He has many people around him who can write, but none who can draw." Qin Ke laughed. "However, not being able to write is indeed a bit of a problem. How about this? I have a clerk at home. When you come back from the governor's office these days, ask him for help and learn to read and write first!"

Xie Bing hurriedly bowed in thanks, and as the two were walking out, they suddenly saw a dashing young man enter from the outer room. Qin Ke recognized him as Yu Wen and quickly pulled Xie Bing aside, bowing respectfully. Yu Wen glanced at Qin Ke and asked, "Where is the governor?"

"It's in the side courtyard just ahead!" Qin Ke pointed. "You can chat with the owner!"

"Thank you!" Yu Wen cupped his hands in thanks and strode forward. Xie Bing watched his retreating figure and asked, "What a dashing young master!"

"Hehe!" Qin Ke chuckled twice: "This is the younger brother of the Prefect of Rinan Commandery, a member of the Yu family of Kuaiji Commandery. You will be working with him in the future!"

"Me, working with him?" Xie Bing was startled. "Really?"

"What's there to not know!" Qin Ke laughed. "He's just like you, a clerk serving the governor. At most, his salary is a bit higher than yours. As long as you do your job well and please the governor, your salary will also rise! Why can't we say we're working together!"

Xie Bing fell silent. According to the political conventions of the Han Dynasty, county and prefectural officials were generally monopolized by the sons of wealthy and powerful families. Ordinary farmers had to be exceptionally talented or skilled in martial arts and gain the favor of their superiors to stand out. Xie Bing, however, came from a family of artisans, belonging to the "doctors, shamans, merchants, and craftsmen" class—not even considered from a respectable family, and thus had no chance of becoming an official. Therefore, Wei Cong's selection of Xie Bing to serve as an official under his command broke several layers of convention. While delighted, Xie Bing couldn't help but feel a sense of unease.

"Thank you, brother!" Qin Ke saw through Xie Bing's thoughts and whispered to comfort him, "Governor Wei has never cared about people's background when it comes to employing them. Look at you, brother, you were just a prisoner, but you've achieved what you have today. This is a once-in-a-century opportunity! No matter how well you paint here, at most you can earn more money and become a wealthy man. But working for Lord Wei is a completely different story! You must not miss this opportunity!"

"I understand!" Xie Bing gritted his teeth. "I know, Brother Qin, please rest assured, I will definitely do my best!"

"Prefect, Prince!" In the courtyard, Yu Wen's face was full of excitement: "Your subordinate has obtained Zhu Da's head!"

"Oh?" Wei Cong was quite surprised. "He was killed by his own men?" It's understandable why he thought that; after all, Zhu Da's rebellion had been going on for several years, and Zhang Pan had mobilized half of Jiaozhou's military force, yet he had never been able to subdue him. Although Wei Cong had conquered Linyi Kingdom and eliminated the external forces hiding behind Zhu Da, he had no intention of playing hide-and-seek with him in the seemingly endless Changshan Mountains. So he issued a reward of one million coins and left the rest to the local officials of Jiaozhi County.

"No!" Yu Wen laughed, "It was my subordinate who led the troops to kill him!" He paused slightly, "Actually, it was because I had an ally that I was able to kill the traitor Zhu!"

"That's all thanks to you!" Wei Cong laughed. "Looks like you'll get a good deal on that million-coin reward!"

"Really?" Yu Wen was overjoyed. Even for him, a million coins was a huge sum of money.

“Now that I’ve issued the reward, I certainly won’t lie!” Wei Cong laughed. “However, this million coins can’t be given to you alone, since you probably didn’t personally kill Zhu Da, right?”

"Yes, yes!" Yu Wen hesitated for a moment and said in a low voice, "Prefect, I have something else to report!"

"Speak!" Wei Cong smiled easily. The news of Zhu Da's death removed his last worry, and now he could finally head north with peace of mind.

"The reason I was able to kill the traitor Zhu was thanks to the efforts of one person!"

"Is this the assistant you mentioned earlier? Then reward him handsomely! Merit must be rewarded, otherwise we won't be able to make use of the masses!"

"But this man is one of the sons of the King of Linyi!"

"The son of the King of Linyi?" Wei Cong was taken aback. "Then why didn't he become our enemy? Why did he help you kill Zhu Da?"

"Here's what happened!" Yu Wen carefully explained, "When the King of Lin-yi was at a stalemate with you, Governor, I ordered him to join forces with Zhu Da in an attempt to harass Jiaozhi and divert our strength. However, by the time he met with Zhu Da, you had already defeated the King of Lin-yi. Zhu Da, coveting the wealth brought by the Lin-yi people and learning that the Lin-yi kingdom had been destroyed, simply killed the Lin-yi envoy and seized the wealth for himself. The Lin-yi prince fought his way out, sustaining serious injuries. He was rescued by two Taoist priests from Goulou County. This fellow harbored resentment towards Zhu Da, so he revealed his identity and asked to be our guide to wipe out the Zhu traitor and avenge himself!"

"So that's how it is!" Wei Cong nodded. "It's quite a convoluted story. However, this person's actions were probably not entirely for revenge; he also had to weigh the pros and cons. In the end, the Kingdom of Linyi has been destroyed, and this place is now under the control of our Great Han. He happens to have a blood feud with the Zhu traitor, and using the killing of the Zhu traitor as a stepping stone for advancement is indeed a way out!"

"Your Excellency's foresight is boundless!" Yu Wen laughed. "This subordinate is foolish and did not think of so many things; I only felt that he was seeking revenge!"

Wei Cong smiled, unconcerned by his subordinates' flattery, and muttered to himself, "Those who survive great calamities are destined for good fortune. This man has endured so many hardships to survive, which shows he is favored by fate. Furthermore, he is a descendant of the King of Lin-yi and acts decisively. If circumstances change in the future and the Han Dynasty weakens, this man will surely become the hope for the Lin-yi people to restore their kingdom—"

"Please forgive me, Your Excellency!" Yu Wen felt increasingly guilty as he listened to Wei Cong's words, and his knees buckled as he knelt down: "It was all my oversight. This person is right outside. I will execute him immediately to prevent future troubles!"

"Alright, I didn't mean to blame you!" Wei Cong laughed. "Go and bring him in! I want to see this remnant of a fallen kingdom!"

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"The governor wants to see you!" Yu Wen said in a deep voice, "Come in with me!"

"Yes!" Qu An stood up and followed him into the door. He could sense the subtle change in Yu Wen's attitude towards him, which was not a good sign. To every Lin Yi person, this Prefect Wei was simply the incarnation of Rama (the great demon king in Hinduism). Just thinking about this made Qu An feel a chill in his heart.

The mansion was very secluded. They didn't encounter any guards until they reached the courtyard. A burly, mountain-like man coldly stared at Qu An, while two armored guards stood at the entrance, leaning on their spears and with leather shields strapped to their arms.

"No weapons allowed inside!" the burly man's voice was deep and resonant.

Qu An untied the short knife from his waist and handed it to the guard, but the burly man did not move aside. Only after the guard searched him thoroughly, even taking off his boots to examine them carefully, did the burly man step aside to open the courtyard gate.

Although it was broad daylight, the courtyard was dark, with a huge banyan tree shading the entire space, except for a few rays of sunlight in the western corner. Qu An saw two men sitting on a stone bench under the banyan tree, talking about something. They seemed to be discussing something interesting, and the younger one was laughing lightly as he spoke. The burly man walked over to the younger man, leaned down, and whispered a few words. Only then did Qu An realize that this man must be Wei Cong. He quickly knelt down, pressed his face to the ground, and dared not speak.

"So you're Qu An?" Wei Cong coldly looked at the man who was practically crawling on the ground. "Come closer, lift your head, let me see your face!"

Qu An didn't stand up. He crawled for a while, stopping when he was about seven or eight steps away from Wei Cong. He raised his head so Wei Cong could see his face clearly. It was a handsome face with dark brown skin, a neatly trimmed short beard, thin cheeks, slightly prominent cheekbones, deep-set eyes like two black holes, a straight nose, and thick eyebrows. Even though the other party tried his best to appear submissive, Wei Cong could feel the will and strength hidden behind this face.

“That’s right!” Wei Cong didn’t make Qu An stand up as usual, but asked, “How many sons did your father have?”

"This—" Qu An gave a wry smile: "This is a difficult question to answer. If you are not including illegitimate children, my father had a total of twenty-nine sons! If you include illegitimate children, then I don't know, and I don't think anyone else knows!"

"What a 'seed-planting machine'!" Wei Cong was a little taken aback by the other party's answer, and coughed twice before asking, "Then who is his successor?"

“It should be the fifth, or the ninth!” Qu An replied quickly: “Their mothers’ families are very powerful, so they have the highest probability of inheriting the throne!”

"Then it seems you have little hope?" Wei Cong said with a smile.

"Me?" Qu An smiled bitterly: "My mother has a lowly status, so I never considered her from the beginning. Otherwise, why would I have been sent on such a dangerous mission!"

"This at least shows that your father highly values ​​your talent!" Wei Cong laughed. "Facts have proven that he wasn't wrong about you. Now, your brothers are either dead or have become prisoners, about to be escorted to Luoyang to be presented as captives. Only you, although you encountered more danger, survived!"

(End of this chapter)