Jinting Han people

Chapter 166 Qi Wannian (4k)

Liu Xian had seen many people smile in his life, but no one had left as deep an impression on him as Qi Wannian.

There are actually three types of smiles: one is a polite smile that expresses respect for the other person; one is a smile that conceals emotions to hide inner uneasiness; the third type is a smile because of genuine happiness, but such moments are really rare.

But no matter what, a smile is like a blooming cereus on a branch, it will eventually wither and fall. Because life's joys and sorrows are as unpredictable as the waves, it will gradually turn people from sensitive to numb, and eventually become a calm sea, burying all emotions in a deep undercurrent.

But the Hu man before him was different. He had been smiling since he saw Liu Xian. His smile wasn't a fake mask, but a natural expression of true emotion, like the constant trickle of water between cliffs. When you saw him, you knew he was a man who loved life, and he was happy to be alive every moment.

Liu Xian thought, this is a very confident and proud person.

When Qi Wannian met them, he asked, "You want to exchange the golden sword for the white deer?"

Liu Xian nodded and said, "That's me."

Qi Wannian said, "But I didn't see the golden knife."

"I didn't see the white deer either."

"If the seller doesn't show the goods first, the buyer won't rush to buy. This is a simple truth that can be understood."

Liu Xian spread his hands, shrugged, and said, "What I'm selling is not an ordinary golden knife. Ordinary people can't possess it, so I have to be cautious before I find out the identity of the person who came."

"Cautious? You're right. I should be cautious too." After hearing Liu Xian's answer, Qi Wannian remained silent. He looked around at Liu Xian and asked, "You said you're a relative of Zuo Xian Wang, but I don't know how many sons and wives Zuo Xian Wang has."

The "Left Wise King" mentioned by Qi Wannian is Liu Yuan, who currently serves as the commander of the Left Tribe of the Xiongnu. However, according to Southern Xiongnu tradition, the Left Wise King holds the highest rank under the Chanyu. Similarly, the Left Tribe of the Xiongnu, formed from the Left Wise King's tribe, holds the highest status among the five Xiongnu tribes, and the Hu people still refer to Liu Yuan as the Left Wise King.

Liu Xian had already prepared his response. Having met Liu Cong and Liu Yao, he knew Liu Yuan's family inside and out. He immediately replied, "Left Xian Wang Yuan had seven sons: the eldest, Liu He; the second, Liu Gong; the third, Liu Zheng; the fourth, Liu Cong; the fifth, Liu Yu; the sixth, Liu Long; and the seventh, Liu Yi. Liu Zheng died young, and Left Xian Wang adopted another son, Liu Yao, as his own."

"As for his wives and concubines, the Zuo Xian Wang first married Hu Yan, and then married Shan. Of the remaining concubines, only Zhang was particularly favored."

Liu Xian's words were accurate to the point. Even ordinary Hu people could not understand the relationship between Liu Yuan's family as well as he did.

But this did not dispel Qi Wannian's suspicion. The reason was simple: "You are right, but whether you look or sound, you are just a pure Han Chinese."

"I am a pure Han Chinese." Liu Xian looked directly at Qi Wannian and replied, "But you know, Zuo Xian Wang also considers himself a Han Chinese. You also saw that I am the only Han Chinese in my team."

"Hahahaha..." Qi Wannian laughed loudly upon hearing this and commented enthusiastically, "It seems that you are not a simple Han Chinese."

"I'm just a Han Chinese looking for the white deer."

"Since what you're selling isn't just an ordinary golden sword, then the one you're looking for isn't just an ordinary white deer."

"Of course. I'm looking for a white deer named Hao Duyuan. This deer comes and goes without a trace. I have a heavy responsibility, but I don't have any clue where to go."

"That's because the deer has to hide from hunters. If it reveals any traces and the hunters find its lair, it will no longer be a white deer, but fish on the chopping block."

"So, you know some news?"

"It's hard to say." Qi Wannian curled his lips, sat down leisurely, looked at Liu Xian and said, "You should know that to know a piece of news that is difficult for others to know, you always have to pay a price that others cannot afford."

Liu Xian asked in return, "How should I know? Do you have the information I know?"

Qi Wannian pondered for a moment, then pulled out a silver seal from his bosom and handed it to Liu Xian. Liu Xian took it, examined it for a moment, and discovered that it contained the six characters "Xiongnu Zuo Yulu King".

"This is……"

"This is a silver seal passed down from Chief Hao's ancestors," Qi Wannian said with a smile. "He was originally a high-ranking official of the Southern Xiongnu, based in Shangdang, and the younger brother of Hao San, the current commander of the Southern Xiongnu. Twenty years ago, the two brothers separated, and Chief Hao left Shangdang to venture to Shuofang. He gave this to me as a token of his loyalty. If you don't recognize it, there's nothing I can do."

"I really don't recognize him." Liu Xian didn't hide his ignorance, but said, "But I believe you're not lying."

"So what price are you prepared to pay to meet Chief Hao?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian immediately pulled out a box from the corner, revealing the gold cakes inside. He said, "There are three hundred gold in here. I wonder if I can buy a chance?"

Qi Wannian took a look, shook his head slowly and said, "Things like gold and silver may be useful in Guanzhong, but once you leave Huangyaji and reach Shuofang in the north, they are nothing but a burden."

Liu Xian nodded, and in his heart, he had a higher opinion of Hao Duyuan. He said, "I also brought 500 rolls of silk with me. Can I use them?"

Qi Wannian smiled, but still shook his head and said, "The wind and sand in the north are strong and the weather is cold. Silk is not as good as sheepskin to keep out the cold. It can only be worn for a few days in the summer. It is not enough."

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian's expression grew even more serious. He slowly said, "Then I only have thirty jars of fermented black beans left. I wonder if you are satisfied?"

"Fermented black beans? What is fermented black beans?"

"It's a seasoning made from fermented soybeans and salt. It's salty and fresh. You can try it."

After saying that, Liu Xian went to the caravan outside the house to get a plate of fermented black beans, bought two Hu cakes, and handed them to Qi Wannian.

Qi Wannian looked at the black fermented black beans doubtfully, dipped it with his Hu pancake, took a bite, closed his eyes and savored it carefully, the smile on his face gradually widening as he chewed.

He asked happily, "You said you brought thirty cylinders? How long does one cylinder last?"

"If you dilute it with water sparingly, one tank will be enough for a hundred people for half a year."

"Oh my! This is such a great gift! I can see your sincerity in giving me this kind of gift."

It’s no wonder that Qi Wannian was so ecstatic, because on the grassland, the two most difficult things to obtain are salt and iron.

This wasn't to say that nomads couldn't obtain salt and iron; rather, the constant fighting on the grasslands, with each tribe pursuing its own path, meant that salt and iron simply weren't available on the grasslands. The Shuofang region faced the most severe predicament. While they could still trade iron with the Tuoba Xianbei, they had to rely on smuggling salt through Guanzhong. The thirty jars of fermented black beans Liu Xian brought with him were, in essence, thirty jars of salt, the very supplies Shuofang desperately needed.

So Qi Wannian made an offer and said, "As long as you can provide us with these fermented black beans every year, you will definitely be the chief's honored guest!"

"I'm really flattered..."

The transaction was successfully concluded. After Qi Wannian rested for one night in Huangyaji, he came with two cavalrymen the next day and led Liu Xian and his party on the journey north.

The journey took nearly ten days. They went north along the Luoshui River Valley, walked about three hundred miles, and crossed more than forty mountain passes. It was a very arduous journey.

But at the same time, the journey was not boring, and all this was thanks to Qi Wannian.

He was not only a person who loved to laugh, but also a very talkative person. Along the way, as long as he still had some energy, he liked to chat with Liu Xian. Almost every time he arrived at a place, he would introduce the local scenery and folk customs to Liu Xian. He was truly knowledgeable and did not seem like a foreigner at all.

However, what impressed Liu Xian most was not Qi Wannian's erudition, but his optimism.

Under his guidance, they arrived at a canyon. Originally, there was a wooden house built by the Tiefu people in front of the canyon, which was a place for travelers to rest. However, when Liu Xian and his companions arrived, a landslide occurred on the hillside in front of the canyon, overturning the wooden house, forcing everyone to sleep in the wild.

But Qi Wannian was optimistic and said, "It's not bad. If this happened when we were resting, I'm afraid we would have lost our lives. We are really lucky!"

Then he said to Liu Xian and the others, "Spend the night in the canyon. When the wind blows through here at midnight, it is said to make a sound like the strings of a harp. You will be blessed!"

As a result, there was no wind that night, but mosquitoes that had not seen humans for a long time gathered in the mountains and forests, biting everyone and making them toss and turn.

Qi Wannian then tried to comfort her, saying, "It's a good thing it didn't rain. Even if there was no wind, it would still be a beautiful thing to be able to see the stars and the moon in the sky."

He was probably unlucky, because within a quarter of an hour after he finished speaking, a drop of rain fell from the sky.

Then, a light drizzle began to fall.

He was about to continue when Lu Quyang beside him interrupted, "There's nothing wrong with rain. At least the mosquitoes run away."

Everyone present, including Qi Wannian, burst into laughter upon hearing this. He followed them to the foot of the cliff to take shelter from the rain, then shook off his soaked clothes and said, "There's more to it than that. At least we won't have to worry about water and grass for the horses this year."

His optimism was so outstanding that no hardship seemed to faze him. Liu Xian smiled and leaned over to him, asking, "Brother Qi, can you always be this cheerful?"

Qi Wannian replied, "Yes, I learned a truth very early on: if people can live with a smile, why should they be sad?"

Upon hearing this, Liu Xian said calmly, "But people will always encounter all kinds of unpleasant things in their lives. It's normal to feel sad because of setbacks."

"Yes, this is human nature, but since I was born into this world, is it for me to be an ordinary and ordinary person?"

Qi Wannian reached out to touch the raindrops in the air and smiled at Liu Xian, "I don't know what others think, but I understood one thing when I was very young."

"As long as we are not blind, everyone sees the same things. But the reason why our destinies differ is because we think differently."

Liu Xian asked, "Why is it different?"

Qi Wannian said: "When some people see a fallen leaf, they think of the withering of all things and the bleak autumn wind; others think of abundant fruits and a good harvest."

"When a plum blossom blooms, some people think of a noble gentleman, unyielding in the face of cold weather; others think of the harsh winds and frosts, and the hardships of life."

“In fact, things are still the same things, but because people think differently, the choices they make are also different.”

“Ordinary people only think about their own circumstances, then wallow in self-pity, find excuses for their current predicament, and then avoid doing anything.”

"Successful people separate their emotions from the facts, and make the most sober judgments based on reality."

"I am determined to accomplish great things, so I must not only remain calm but also think of things that ordinary people cannot. When I see darkness, I must think of dawn; when I see heavy snow, I must think of a good harvest. Only in this way can I accomplish unprecedented great things."

Hearing this, Liu Xian couldn't help but look at Qi Wannian with new eyes. Among all the scholars and friends he had met, this Di man's spiritual world was undoubtedly outstanding, even compared to his most outstanding friends. Perhaps only Afule could surpass him.

However, this didn't seem like something a subordinate should say, but rather something a leader should say. Liu Xian asked with a smile, "So, you hold a high position among the Tiele people?"

Qi Wannian nodded and said, "It's indeed quite a lot, about four or five hundred people, under the leader, they can be ranked in the top ten."

Everyone present laughed again. This young man had four or five hundred men under his command, and Hu Morgan and He Ganlin also had four or five hundred men under their command. In short, he was just a small general.

Liu Xian laughed and said, "You told me this, aren't you afraid that I'll tell Chief Hao and say you have evil intentions?"

But Qi Wannian seemed to have heard a great joke, and laughed heartily. After a long while, he slowly said, "Just wait and see. The White Deer that the Zhengxi Army wants to recruit is not even one-tenth as talented as me. If you want to curry favor with him, you might as well curry favor with me."

Hearing this, Liu Xian was immediately struck with fear. He hadn't told this Di person his intentions the entire time. Yet Qi Wannian had revealed his true intentions. Had he given away something?
Liu Xian pondered for a long time but couldn't figure out the reason, so he ended up letting it go.

Qi Wannian, however, acted as if nothing had happened. He continued to lead his men on the road the next day, chatting and laughing with Liu Xian. After three more days of walking, the group traveled another twenty-five miles northwest, finally spotting the Tiele tribe in the distance on a lush green ridge.

It was the end of summer, and a slight cool breeze had already blown from the north, with white clouds floating in the sky.

Qi Wannian smiled at Liu Xian again and said, "Look, coming to a place like this, looking at your own heart, gazing at the cattle and sheep, the grass in the distance, looking at the sky, looking at the people, I believe everyone is full of courage."

"You must be the Prince of Anle, right? Let's see what you can say to make this white deer willing to leave the jungle."

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(End of this chapter)