Taiheiki

Chapter 207 Family Love
"You mean, if we want to farm, we can have land to farm?" Liu Qu asked cautiously. "Let's get this straight, we're not going to be someone's servants, are we?"

"Of course!" the middle-aged man laughed. "Seeing so many of you gathered together, you certainly won't be serving as guests' servants!"

"Where did the land and houses come from?" Liu Qu asked.

"Buy or rent, it's all fine!" the middle-aged man laughed. "Don't worry, many people followed General Wei to Jiaozhou back then. After they settled down there, many of their families and relatives followed them. They left behind a lot of farmland and houses. Renting or buying is not difficult. Even if you don't farm, it's fine. There are many ways to make a living in the area. You'll see when you get there!"

Liu Sheng listened to the middle-aged man's seemingly plausible words, but inwardly he harbored some doubts. As a scion of a powerful clan, he knew all too well how local magnates dealt with outsiders under the Han Dynasty. While "skinning and dismembering" might be an exaggeration, breaking them up and turning them into their own retainers was certainly a given. Why would they sell or rent their local lands and houses to outsiders, or allow them to find other ways to make a living?

"What other paths did you mention? Could you elaborate?" Liu Sheng asked.

“There are many, mainly workers in the workshops, logging, shipbuilding, charcoal making, tofu making, brewing wine, and so on. There are so many! It’s hard to list them all at once!” The middle-aged man laughed. “These jobs are hard, but they can support yourselves and your families. After all, you are refugees, aren’t you?”

“Yes, yes!” Liu Qu hurriedly replied, “We are refugees, what could we possibly be picky about? It’s just that I remember that the population of Yuzhang is limited to Guangling, Wujun, and Danyang. Right now, it’s wartime, and the trade routes to the north are all cut off. How could it be thriving instead?”

"That's all in the past!" the middle-aged man laughed. "You'll see for yourself when you get there. As for the reasons, I think there are two: First, all the places you mentioned are at war, but only the area under the Alliance's rule is free from conflict. When refugees fled here, they needed food, supplies, and timber and tools for building houses, so there was a lot of business. Second, it's thanks to the general. He gathered people to mine and smelt iron, and also minted copper to cast coins. With iron, they could make all kinds of tools, and with money, merchants from all directions were willing to come. In addition, after he went south and took Jiaozhou, although the trade routes in the north were cut off, the trade routes in the south became much more prosperous."

Upon hearing the middle-aged man mention the matter of mining copper for coinage, Liu Qu's heart stirred. He gestured to stop his nephew, who was about to ask further questions, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your guidance, brother. Now that General Jiangyi has gone to Jiaozhou, who is in charge here?"

"He's General Yang's subordinate! You can go see him if you need anything, but whether he has time to see you is another matter!"

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Panyu, at the southern foot of Fanshan Mountain, is Zhouzhai.

Zhou Jin knelt beside the table and complained, "Sister, I've been waiting outside all day and haven't even had a sip of hot water. That boy is really bullying me!"

"What can we do? Times have changed!" Zhou handed a peeled orange to Zhou Jin, wiped her hands, and laughed, "Times have changed. Governor Wei is now the ruler of Jiaozhou, and being ennobled is just around the corner. Asheng is Governor Wei's beloved general and adopted son. There are at least eight hundred or a thousand people in Panyu City who want to curry favor with him. What's wrong with making you wait outside the door?"

"Is Governor Wei really going to be granted a marquisate?" Zhou Jin was taken aback and asked in a low voice, "Sister, where did you get this news?"

"From here!" Zhou pointed to her head. "Use your brain and think about it. Why would the court specifically send an envoy across the sea to appoint Wei Cong as the governor of Jiaozhou? Isn't it because they think Wei Cong is good at military affairs and expect him to lead the Jiaozhou troops north to join forces with Feng Kun to attack the E'zhai and quell the rebellion? Now that Wei Cong has quelled the rebellion in Jiaozhou and destroyed the Linyi Kingdom, he has already achieved military merit. The court also needs his help, so why wouldn't they grant him a marquisate? In my opinion, if the lords of Luoyang aren't stupid, not only will Wei Cong definitely be granted a marquisate, but several of Wei Cong's meritorious generals will also be selected to be granted marquises. Like Asheng, he might even get a marquisate within the pass!"

"That kid gets a marquisate this time too?" Zhou Jin's orange suddenly lost its flavor, and he stomped his foot: "He hasn't even shaved off his baby hair, why should he be allowed to do that!"

"What? Jealous?" Zhou said with a forced smile. "Whether or not someone is granted a marquisate depends on military merit, not age. Don't forget, whose son is Asheng? His martial arts and horsemanship were personally trained by that dead man. With a foster father like Wei Cong, even if he doesn't get a marquisate this time, it's only a matter of time. If you're not satisfied, you can ask to join Governor Wei's campaign against the E'zhai next time he goes north!"

Upon hearing that he was to go to the battlefield, Zhou Jin's momentum immediately deflated. He lowered his head and said with an embarrassed smile, "Then forget it. If I go, who will protect my sister and nephew in Panyu?"

"Useless trash!" Zhou sneered. "So don't be unconvinced. Go again tomorrow, speak politely, and deliver the invitation."

"What if we still can't get in?" Zhou Jin said with a wry smile.

"Then let's go the day after tomorrow!"

"Sister, it's not that I don't want to go, but as you know, that kid has an old grudge against our Zhou family. Now that he's in power, even if we beg him, he might not even listen to us!"

Madam Zhou smiled and said, "Don't worry, I know Nie Sheng well. He's proud and arrogant, but also a bit timid. He's not ruthless enough; he's not heartless. If you try to bully him, he'll never back down. But if you beg him in a humble manner, even if there's an old grudge, he won't be able to let go of his pride. After all, I'm his stepmother, and there are two other children here who share his father. Blood is thicker than water. As long as you give him a way out, he won't really cut ties!"

"Fine!" Zhou Jin gritted her teeth. "Since you put it that way, Sister, then I'll risk all my pride! I'll go again tomorrow!"

As it turned out, Zhou's judgment of Nie Sheng was accurate. On the fourth day at noon, Zhou Jin was finally able to step through the door and meet Nie Sheng. When he entered the hall, Nie Sheng looked up at Zhou Jin, seemingly taking a while to recognize him, and asked, "What are you doing here?" His tone was flat and exceptionally lifeless.

"I've come to visit you on Madam's orders!" Zhou Jin said. "Please come in and have a seat at my home!"

Nie Sheng remained expressionless: "You've delivered the message, let's go!"

Zhou Jin wanted to turn around and leave immediately, but he knew he couldn't just go back like that. He carefully took a step forward: "Could you give me a reply? I need to explain to my sister when I get back!"

A cold glint flashed in Nie Sheng's eyes: "I told you to leave! You're not welcome here!"

Zhou Jin thought he would turn around and run away, but he actually stopped, pulled out a silk scroll from his sleeve, and handed it over: "This is what my elder sister asked me to bring. Read it first, and then give me a reply so I can go back and report!"

Nie Sheng took the silk scroll from the servant, seemingly hesitant about opening it, but in the end he did. Zhou Jin noticed that his breathing became rapid, and after a few minutes he asked, "What happened to my brother's illness? How is he now?" "He was constantly vomiting and having diarrhea, and he lost a lot of weight. The doctor said it was due to the change in environment and prescribed a medicine. He took the medicine and has been feeling better lately!" Zhou Jin replied.

Nie Sheng asked four or five more questions, which Zhou Jin answered truthfully one by one. Nie Sheng's expression softened, and he finally nodded: "I understand. I'm busy these days, but I'll make time to go over once I'm done. You can go back now!"

Zhou Jin was overjoyed upon hearing this and quickly said, "Alright, I'll go back and tell my sister right away. Agua and Aguo (the nicknames of Nie Sheng's half-siblings) will definitely be very happy to know you're coming!"

"Okay, tell Agua to eat and sleep well, and I'll go see him when I have time!" Nie Sheng nodded, his face no longer looking as lifeless as before.

Nie Sheng wasn't lying. On the afternoon of the third day, he arrived at the Zhou residence with more than ten servants to pay a visit. Madam Zhou didn't give him a grand reception; she simply had Zhou Jin escort him to the inner hall, while she and her two children greeted him. Nie Sheng treated Madam Zhou with courtesy and brought four gifts. The two children, not yet old enough to understand the complex relationships between adults, rushed up to Nie Sheng, greeting him incessantly and asking why he didn't come to play more often. Nie Sheng patted the children's heads, explaining that he had been busy lately and would definitely come more often when he had time.

Madam Zhou sat to the side with a smile, and after the two children had finished being affectionate with Nie Sheng, she said with a smile, "You two little ones have no idea that your brother is no longer the same as before. He followed Governor Wei on the southern expedition and made great contributions. He will soon be ennobled as a marquis!"

Upon hearing this, the two children, not understanding what "being granted a title of nobility" meant, both asked Nie Sheng. Nie Sheng coughed awkwardly twice: "Madam is joking. My contribution this time was not great; how could I possibly be granted a title of nobility!"

"Your contribution this time may not be great, but your past contributions have been significant!" Zhou laughed. "If it weren't for your charge in the battle of Gaoyao, Governor Wei wouldn't have won so easily. I know his character; he won't let you suffer. You might have a hard time getting the title of Marquis of Ting this time, but you'll definitely get the title of Marquis of Guannei! Ah, you've really made something of yourself. If only A-Zheng were still here!"

Hearing Zhou mention his biological father, Nie Sheng felt a surge of emotion. Although Zhou and he had a strained relationship due to their dispute over the family property, their marital relationship was actually quite good, a fact Nie Sheng was well aware of. He sighed, "Madam, you've summoned me here today for a reason, haven't you?"

Nie Sheng's answer did not surprise Madam Zhou. In the end, Nie Sheng was just too proud to admit it, not stupid. She clapped her hands lightly twice, signaling the maid to take the two children away, and smiled at Nie Sheng, saying, "Ah Sheng, you are a good child. Back then, when we fought so fiercely over the family property, you didn't abandon me in Chaisang at the crucial moment, but instead escorted me all the way to Panyu and even arranged accommodations for us! Auntie thanks you so much!" With that, Madam Zhou lowered her head and bowed deeply to Nie Sheng.

"That's enough!" Nie Sheng stepped aside to let Zhou Shi pass. "It's all in the past. You don't need to thank me. I only did this for the sake of my two younger siblings. Besides, my godfather mentioned that I was just following orders!"

"That's already very good! I should still thank you!" Madam Zhou smiled. "Governor Wei has made great contributions this time, and you are one of his top generals. Seeing you like this, I am very happy."

Nie Sheng glanced at Zhou Shi in surprise, comparing this beautiful woman with the vicious woman in his memory, confirming that they were the same person. This feeling made him very uncomfortable, and he said in a low voice, "If there's nothing else, I'll head back now!"

"Why the rush? I've already had dinner prepared!" Zhou said with a smile. "Besides, maybe there's something I can do to help you!"

"Help me? What do you mean?"

"Shouldn't the court have sent Governor Wei to lead troops north to attack the E'zhai bandits from both sides?" Zhou asked. "You are his adopted son, don't you have any plans?"

Nie Sheng looked up in surprise, swallowed the question "How did you know?", and after thinking for a moment, replied, "I haven't heard of this!"

"Really?" Zhou laughed. "Ah Sheng, do you know that when you lie, your left index finger always trembles slightly?"

Nie Sheng's gaze instinctively shifted to his left index finger. Only then did he realize that he had been exposed. He shook his head in annoyance and whispered, "How did you know?"

"It's very simple!" Zhou said with a smile. "Didn't the imperial court send someone to appoint him as the governor of Jiaozhou? There must be some benefits involved, right? Otherwise, why would the imperial court appoint him as the governor of Jiaozhou in place of Zhang Pan?"

“Alright!” Nie Sheng sighed. “What you said is true, it is indeed so, but it seems that all I need to do is follow orders, right?”

"Hehe!" Zhou chuckled twice. "Is that enough? I don't think so!"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you think Governor Wei really wants to lead his troops north to attack the Moth bandits from both sides?" Zhou asked.

"What do you mean?" Nie Sheng asked, puzzled. "Are you saying that my godfather doesn't want to send troops? That's unlikely, isn't it? As far as I know, he has already agreed to Yuan Shao's request, and he's even stepping up the training of his soldiers and building ships!"

"I'm talking about what's in one's heart. People like Governor Wei often say one thing and mean another!"

“I still don’t understand. Are you saying that my godfather doesn’t want to go north?” Nie Sheng asked.

“I don’t know what he’s thinking, but not going north is in his best interest. After all, he was able to occupy Jiaozhou back then because of the E’zhai’s rebellion, which cut off the north-south transportation. If he obediently sends troops to quell the E’zhai, the court will immediately send him to Luoyang to serve as an official, or else send troops to conquer him. What will he do then?”

Nie Sheng fell silent, and after a long while asked, "But my godfather has already promised the imperial envoy, and if he doesn't send troops, the imperial court will remove him from his position as governor and send someone else to replace him!"

(End of this chapter)