Tang Dynasty Xie Lu Lang

Chapter 298 Easy to catch
Although Jiang Xingwei was from Luoyang, his family was poor in his early years. Otherwise, he would not have stolen his wife's dowry to join the army. Although he has now returned to his hometown in glory, it is still difficult for him to buy property in Luoyang. Therefore, his family still rents a courtyard house near Duting Post Station in Qinghuafang.

Following the address on the name card, Ding Qing searched extensively near Duting Post Station before finally finding Jiang Xingwei's residence.

Before he could even knock on the door, he heard a woman's voice from inside the gate cursing: "You poor, worthless wretch, didn't you say you were sure you'd be able to befriend someone important? You spent dozens of coins preparing lavish gifts, but you didn't even get a single meal, and now you're going home to waste rice and flour!"

Everything is expensive in Luoyang. These greedy creatures open their eyes and immediately start begging for food. How many wealthy families can afford to feed these gluttons? They say becoming the emperor's personal guard will bring glory to their ancestors, but in my opinion, it's better to have stayed in Hexi in the past, where we could at least get some furs and meat from the Qiang tribes to supplement our income!"

Ding Qing pushed open the door and went inside. He saw several strong soldiers squatting in the courtyard, each holding a bowl of millet and eating. Jiang Xingwei, who had left the Zhang family not long ago, was among them. In front of the main room, a woman in colorful clothes was standing with one hand on her hip and the other pointing at them, shouting and cursing.

"Jiang Xingwei, my husband wants to see you. Come with me to see him now!"

Ding Qing followed An Xiaochen to learn martial arts and admired the brave soldiers in the army. However, when he thought of how ruthless Jiang Xingwei was to Yingniang and her daughter, he couldn't help but feel disgusted by him. He stood at the gate and shouted at Jiang Xingwei.

"Where did this rogue and scoundrel come from, daring to cause trouble in front of my door! You thieving servant, knowing who my master is, dares to call him by his name! Your dog..."

The woman complained about her unsatisfactory life in the capital, but in her heart she was still proud of her husband. Seeing that Ding Qing's attitude was not very respectful, she immediately glared at him and shouted angrily.

"Shut up! This gentleman is a close follower of Zhang Liulang; you must not be rude!"

Jiang Xingwei quickly stood up, first angrily rebuking his wife, then looking at Ding Qing with a smile and asking, "May I ask what business Sixth Master has summoned me for?"

"I'm not a mind reader, how would I know why I called you? Are you coming or not? If not, I'm going back!"

Ding Qing glared at the woman who had stolen Yingniang's husband before turning to Jiang Xingwei and speaking.

"Go, go, I'll go right now!"

Jiang Xingwei quickly put down the earthenware bowl and was about to step out with Ding Qing when he noticed that his robes were still a bit dirty. So he said, "Please wait a moment, Brother Ding, while I go back to my lodgings to change my clothes before we go."

Seeing this, the woman quickly followed Jiang Xingwei into the room, tugging at her husband's clothes and asking repeatedly, "Is that the young man the noble servant that my husband went to visit? The Prime Minister Sun who beat the evil official at the North Gate so badly that he dared not raise his head?"
"My husband, you've won his favor; are our good days finally coming? When we meet later, could we ask him to grant us a house in the city? After our children have settled in Luoyang, we'll never return to this desolate land west of the river!"

Putting aside the couple's scheming, Ding Qing noticed that the burly soldiers in the courtyard all had the air of seasoned warriors, so he couldn't help but ask, "Are you all border soldiers from Hexi? Have you all fought against the Tubo and Qiang people? How many Rong and Hu people have you killed?"

These men were all soldiers under Jiang Xingwei, who had stayed in Luoyang after entering the capital. They hadn't yet adapted to the new environment, and seeing their master being so polite to Ding Qing, they couldn't help but feel a little awkward. One of them quickly whispered, "We've fought... fought a few battles, and killed a few people..."

"How can you build up strength by just eating this kind of food!"

Looking at their simple meal, Ding Qing couldn't help but say, "Look at your strong bodies, if you neglect them, it may take years to make up for it."

"Things are expensive in Luoyang, and we have to buy everything in the market. We don't know how to work to support our families at home. It is already a great kindness for our master to give us food..."

The soldier who had just spoken quickly whispered back.

Before Ding Qing could say anything more, Jiang Xingwei came out of the room and said to him with a smile, "That will do. Thank you for showing me around, Brother Ding."

"Bring them along too. Ah Lang might have something to tell you later. Even if nothing comes up, you still need to treat them to a meal. Don't let your wife regret making a bad deal!"

Ding Qing then pointed to the people in the courtyard and addressed Jiang Xingwei.

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xingwei couldn't help but look embarrassed. He chuckled dryly and said, "This country woman from Longbian is so rude and makes people laugh."

As he spoke, he beckoned to the group, and they all put down their bowls and chopsticks, stood up, and followed Jiang Xingwei outside.

Seeing the strength and power in the hands and feet of these burly soldiers, Ding Qing felt a pang of envy. He secretly planned to ask his father for a recommendation to join the army someday, because he couldn't just drift through life without making a name for himself.

Qinghuafang was not far from Xintan, and the group quickly returned. Under Ding Qing's guidance, they boarded a small ferry boat and then boarded the large ship where Zhang Dai and the others were.

"May I ask what business Sixth Master has summoned me for?"

After entering the cabin, Jiang Xingwei greeted Zhang Dai with his hands clasped.

"Please take a seat first, we'll talk about this later." Zhang Dai gestured for him to sit down, and when he heard Ding Qing say that there were still servants in the outer room who hadn't eaten, he ordered a sumptuous meal to be prepared and sent to the side room to entertain them.

Although Ge Yanchang threatened the courtesans of Chengfufang not to entertain Zhang Dai, his threat was not very effective. The courtesans were just doing business for fun, so why would they remain chaste because of his words?
Moreover, Zhang Dai is now serving as the Assistant Musician, and with just a word, he could wipe out their entire organization and make them unable to make a living. Naturally, they dared not offend Zhang Dai, so the pleasure boat was filled with beautiful women.

"For those of you present, if you don't recognize them, let me introduce them. These two are sons of the Prince of Xin'an, and this one is..."

Zhang Dai knew that Jiang Xingwei was obsessed with fame and fortune and wanted to advance his career. He also knew how to stir up Jiang Xingwei's interest. He pointed to the young men in the hall and introduced them to him one by one.

As Jiang Xingwei listened to Zhang Dai's introduction, his eyes grew brighter and brighter. He had only recently entered the court and did not know much about the affairs of the country, but just hearing the titles and ranks of those officials made him feel extraordinary. He was deeply shocked and felt as if he had suddenly entered the ranks of the powerful and influential. He repeatedly raised his cup to toast them.

"We can enjoy the wine later. The reason I've called you here now is to ask you if you can do something."

Zhang Dai raised his hand to gesture for him to put down his wine glass, and then spoke to him.

"If you need anything, Sixth Brother, just give the order, and I will go through fire and water without hesitation!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xingwei immediately stepped aside, bowed to Zhang Dai with his hands clasped, and said...

“There is an enemy of mine in Nan’anfang, and we have a deep grudge. If you can capture him for me, I will give you a reward.”

Seeing that he was about to nod in agreement, Zhang Dai gestured for him to wait a moment and continued, "I won't hide it from you. This man is named Ge Yanchang, the son of Ge Fushun, the Duke of the North Gate. You should know how powerful the Duke of the North is. If you dare not agree, I will not force you. Just stay here and drink and eat meat, and then get off the boat!"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Xingwei's expression changed drastically, and he began to struggle internally.

He knew this was a test arranged for him by Zhang Dai, but he never expected that the playboys in the capital would go so far as to kidnap the son of a minister at the slightest disagreement.

If he were to get involved, he would likely face retaliation from Ge Fushun. But if he dared not agree, then the resources and connections represented by Zhang Dai and the entire cabin full of spoiled young men would probably be cut off from him.

While Ge Fushun's influence in the Northern Court was indeed deep-rooted, Zhang Yue was once a renowned minister who held absolute power and served as both a general and a prime minister, and still had many followers. Prince Xin'an, Li Yi, was not only a member of the imperial family but also the Grand General of the Left Golden Guard, holding a prestigious and powerful position. Other young men from families that were not as illustrious as these two should not be underestimated either.

Thinking of the difficulties these border guards had recently faced from the old men at the North Gate, Jiang Xingwei immediately steeled his resolve and bowed, saying, "It's rare for Sixth Brother to appreciate and value me so much, entrusting this matter to me. How could I dare not refuse!"

"Let alone a mere Ge Yanchang, even... In short, please point out Ge Yanchang's location, Sixth Brother. After I have assessed the terrain and investigated the situation, I will bring this scoundrel to you!"

"Brave and courageous warrior, let me first raise a toast to you!"

Upon hearing Jiang Xingwei's bold words, Li Xia slapped the table and cheered, immediately offering to pour him wine.

"Gentlemen, please wait a moment. We can drink the wine after the thieves are apprehended!"

Jiang Xingwei took the wine glass with both hands, placed it on the table, and then crossed his hands to indicate that he was speaking.

Upon hearing this bold statement, everyone in the cabin cheered.

Zhang Dai observed his words and actions and couldn't help but sigh inwardly that this guy was indeed a meritorious soldier who had climbed up the ranks through his own hard work. Every move he made exuded a heroic spirit, no wonder he was selected to be retained among all the meritorious soldiers who entered the court.

People are complex. Just as Song San Niang was astonished to learn she had broken someone's leg, even the closest of friends can't truly understand each other. An Lushan, who could so completely captivate Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, probably possessed a similar kind of charisma.

A servant on the ship led Jiang Xingwei to Ge Yanchang's location to assess the situation. When Jiang Xingwei saw that there were many guards inside and outside the brothel where Ge Yanchang was located, he realized that a direct attack was not a good strategy. So he circled the brothel to examine it closely and quickly devised a night raid plan. He would sneak in and capture the brothel while the brothel was not paying attention, and then quickly jump over the wall and leave from the rear. He would need someone to meet him by boat behind the dike on the south bank of Xintan.

After hearing the plan he had presented, Zhang Dai couldn't help but feel excited. He immediately ordered someone to rent a boat nearby and had Ding Qing and the others sail the boat to the location designated by Jiang Xingwei, while he and the others waited on the pleasure boat.

Night fell quickly, and Zhang Dai and the others had no interest in enjoying the song and dance performances. Instead, they looked out from the pleasure boat towards Chengfu Lane, where numerous lanterns shone brightly to the south.

More than an hour after nightfall, a small boat came splashing towards them. After getting a certain distance from the pleasure boat, Ding Qing's low voice rang out: "My lord, we're back! My men are truly skilled and brave!"

"Sixth Brother, I have not failed you!"

Jiang Xingwei personally carried a struggling figure onto the ship, then threw it to the ground. It was none other than Ge Yanchang, whose hands and feet were tightly bound!
(End of this chapter)