Wei and Jin did not submit to Zhou

Chapter 4 Prologue 4 Luxury Bicycle

The bedroom was pitch black, and the chirping of insects and croaking of frogs outside, along with the sound of the wind, seemed particularly jarring in the otherwise quiet night.

Shi Gandang, having entered a state of enlightenment, found his mind unexpectedly clear.

Although Yang Qian was indeed a beauty, Shi Gandang had no feelings for this woman.

To be honest, tonight's experience wasn't a romantic encounter; it was more like going to a karaoke bar, hiring a female escort, and then taking her home for the night.

"My lord, will you seek revenge against the Sima family for me in the future?"

Yang Qian hugged his arm tightly, their skin touching, as if they were glued together. Compared to Shi Gandang, who remained calm and composed, she was quite satisfied—no, she should say she felt completely refreshed.

"Of course, it's not a big deal."

Shi Gandang said nonchalantly.

Yang Qian was extremely excited upon hearing this, and she asked somewhat excitedly, "Then Alang will marry me in the future, right?"

"That's impossible. Don't think about those unrealistic things."

Shi Gandang continued to answer in a lazy tone.

Hearing this, Yang Qian was very displeased. She pouted and asked, "You're willing to avenge me, but you're unwilling to marry me properly. Why is that?"

"Let me tell you a story. One year, our hometown was flooded, and the government asked the villagers to donate money for disaster relief."

A minor official, wanting to humiliate me, asked me: "If I asked your family to donate thirty strings of cash, would you donate?"

"Hehe, what did Ah Lang say?"

Yang Qian sneered. Asking for thirty strings of cash right off the bat, she was lucky not to have been beaten to death.

"Of course I'll donate, why wouldn't I?" The official then asked, "What if I asked you to donate a cow, would you do it?"

Shi Gandang continued telling the story.

"Then what do you say?"

Yang Qian pressed for an answer.

“I said I would donate, why wouldn’t I donate? The flood is merciless, but people are compassionate.”

The clerk, no longer wanting to tease me, pointed to the clothes I was wearing and said with a stern face: "Alright, I don't need you to donate those things, just donate these clothes."

I said no, no, absolutely not.

Shi Gandang leaned against the headboard and sighed.

"Why are you willing to donate thirty strings of cash and a cow, but not the clothes you wear?"

Yang Qian asked in confusion, completely baffled.

"Because I have neither thirty strings of cash nor a cow, but I am indeed wearing this outfit."

After saying that, Shi Gandang crawled into the quilt and fell asleep immediately.

"Ugh!"

Yang Qian understood, and let out a long sigh, feeling lost and dejected.

Seemingly sensing that Yang Qian was in a bad mood, Shi Gandang "comforted" her by saying:
"I am just an adopted son, no different from a servant, so it's better not to think too much about it."

No one can predict the future.

Do you know why Shi Chong gave you to me?

Because this is a compliance test; those who fail the test are not considered one of us.

Hearing this, Yang Qian nodded slightly. This kind of thing was not hard to understand. If a master gives something to a servant and the servant refuses it, then the servant is not a loyal servant and the master cannot keep him.

"When your nostrils feel itchy, you'll pick them yourself. But if your nostrils aren't itchy, and someone insists on picking them for you, would you feel comfortable?"

I'm just like you, nothing more than someone living under someone else's roof.

Shi Gandang sighed and complained.

Seeing that Yang Qian remained silent, Shi Gandang continued to explain:
"Shi Chong gave you to me only because your father was an informer. He wanted to warn me not to betray the Shi family, otherwise, I would suffer the same fate as your father back then."

If it weren't for this, we would never have met in this lifetime.

Shi Gandang was also very unhappy with the Shi family's obedience test. He just had no choice.

Yang Qian, who was in his arms, stiffened, as if she had remembered something bad, and began to sob softly.

Her father, Yang Kang, was simply being too clever for his own good and brought this upon himself. In other words, Yang Qian deserved all the disdain and discrimination she suffered in the Shi family over the years.

Lies don't hurt people; the truth is often the sharpest weapon.

A pampered young lady from a high-ranking official's family, waiting to marry a man of equal social standing and enjoy a life of luxury, suddenly plummeted in social class and became a female slave treated like a commodity.

Those who are weak-willed have already committed suicide.

After Shi Gandang exposed Yang Qian's mystery, she immediately felt like she was being toyed with by fate, experiencing both ecstasy and despair!
Anyone would have cried their eyes out in that situation!
"Everyone likes a loyal person, even someone like Sima Yi."

Your father thought that betrayal and opportunism would bring him high office and wealth, but in reality, in the eyes of those people, such patronage was worthless.

Shi Gandang seemed to be saying something unrelated, but Yang Qian understood. The two fell asleep back to back, each lost in their own thoughts.

It's best not to have too high expectations for a fleeting, ephemeral romance.

Shi Gandang didn't want to have any deep involvement with the woman in his bed, at least not now.

……

"I'm sure of it. There was quite a commotion in your room last night."

Sitting in the carriage, Shi Chong glanced at Shi Gandang and couldn't help but tease him. "That vixen Yang Qian is truly alluring; I imagine she must have looked quite beautiful last night when she was all restless in bed."

It was indeed a bit of a pity to give it away, but Shi Chong was very ambitious and daring, and didn't care at all.

Although Yang Qian is beautiful, there are too many substitutes for her. There are plenty of noble ladies in the world, so there's nothing to cherish.

There are quite a few beauties hidden in the pampered daughters of noble families; beauty is not a rare thing.

On the contrary, it is rare to find a strategist like Shi Gandang who is knowledgeable and resourceful; to find one is to make a profit.

If he can't even win over his own troops, then his skills are terrible, and how will he survive in the officialdom in the future?

She's just a woman!

While Shi Chong was lost in thought, he heard Shi Gandang say, "Sixth Brother, the General won't keep us in the mansion. If he does, wouldn't that be a clear message to our adoptive father that he doesn't trust the Shi family and needs to hold us hostage?"

Shi Chong pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "That was indeed my oversight."

Shi Gandang articulated a classic logical paradox. It sounds illogical, yet it is all too common in life.

Shi Chong thought to himself: If Sima Zhao trusts his father Shi Bao, then he shouldn't be detained in the mansion; but if he isn't detained, Sima Zhao feels that there is less control over his father.

The choice between staying or leaving tests one's humanity, a question that can be described as unfathomable.

The Sima family's General's Mansion was located in the north of Luoyang, near the city gate, not far from the imperial palace.

Upon arriving at the gate of the General's Mansion, the two alighted from their carriage and found a young man in his twenties waiting there. He had a gentle and refined appearance and exuded the air of a humble gentleman.

"Oh my, it's An Shi! Long time no see!"

Upon meeting, Shi Chong stepped forward and warmly grasped the other's arms, as if they were very familiar with each other.

"Jilin, it's been so long! That painting you gave me last time..."

The man was speaking enthusiastically when he suddenly saw Shi Gandang's unfamiliar face, and immediately shut his mouth, a lewd and vulgar look flashing across his face.

At this moment, he once again appears to be a virtuous gentleman.

“This is my father’s newly adopted son. He’s always by my side, offering advice and strategies. He’s not an outsider.”

Shi Chong laughed heartily as he introduced it.

"Come here quickly, this is the General's son, you should pay your respects."

He looked at Shi Gandang and urged him on.

"My name is Shi Gandang, and I greet Your Highness."

Shi Gandang quickly stepped forward and bowed. In the General's Mansion, only one person could be called the Heir Apparent—Sima Yan!
Shi Gandang secretly observed Sima Yan and found the man to have a gentle and refined appearance. As the saying goes, one's appearance reflects one's heart, so he shouldn't be the kind of person with the cunning and ruthless nature of a hawk or wolf.

“When Father heard that Ji Lun had come to our mansion to ask for medicine for Governor Shi, he asked me to guide you. Father also misses Ji Lun very much.”

Sima Yan spoke very enthusiastically, even winking at Shi Chong.

"I will go see the General first, and then I will talk to you in detail later."

Shi Chong smiled ambiguously and nodded to Sima Yan. The two finished their meeting and seemed to be going to do something shady.

Shi Gandang watched from the sidelines, feeling extremely awkward, having no idea what the two were talking about.

He was led by Sima Yan to the study of the General's Mansion. This heir, who was likely to become the founding emperor of the Western Jin Dynasty, quietly withdrew, behaving very obediently and sensibly.

A middle-aged man, in his fifties, sat at the desk. His hair was already somewhat gray. He had a thin face and looked quite serious. He was dressed in an official robe and appeared to be working.

What is Sima Zhao doing?

Aside from usurping the throne, what else is worth doing now?

Shi Gandang complained inwardly, but his face remained respectful, and he kept his head down, not daring to examine Sima Zhao closely.

Just then, Sima Zhao put down his pen and looked up at Shi Chong. Sima Zhao raised an eyebrow, seemingly noticing Shi Gandang, but did not ask him to leave the study.

The latter also noticed this, and wisely stood in the corner, lowered his head, and looked down at his nose.

Shi Gandang knew he was a "witness," a tool in the power struggle between Sima Zhao and Shi Bao.

It feels rather unsettling to be treated like a mere tool in this situation.

"Jilun, have you taken up an official post yet? Your father is now in the prime of his life, and as the youngest son in the family, you don't need to fulfill your filial duties. What do you think about taking up an official post this year?"

Sima Zhao asked with a smile.

"I will leave it to the General to decide."

Shi Chong bowed and said, his manner neither humble nor arrogant, displaying great composure.

"Well, then I'll see what positions in the court would suit you. The mansion has a large collection of books; let Anshi take you to find them."

Sima Zhao waved his hand, signaling the end of the conversation.

Shi Chong was stunned, somewhat bewildered.

The meeting seemed a bit quick, but also quite normal. Shi Chong didn't dare say much and quickly left, thanking everyone profusely.

"Sixth Brother, the General has arranged for you to serve in the government; this is his way of winning over the Shi family."

After leaving the study and seeing that no one was around, Shi Gandang leaned close to Shi Chong's ear and whispered something.

"Yes, that's true. It seems we won't be able to stay in this General's Mansion for more than two days before we have to leave."

Shi Chong said with certainty.

Clearly, Sima Zhao was not the ruthless Sima Shi; he decided to "put on a show" and didn't want to make things too tense. In other words, he wanted to maintain a good appearance.

If they were to actually detain Shi Bao's son at his residence as a hostage, that would be incredibly disgraceful. For a powerful minister to be unable to even win over his core family confidants and resort to such measures as holding a hostage would truly earn him the contempt of the aristocratic families!

Sima Zhao certainly possessed this level of political maneuvering.

Just then, Sima Yan appeared again, walked over, patted Shi Chong on the shoulder, and said in a low voice, "Come on, I'll take you to a good place."

Seeing that he was in high spirits and didn't mention finding the book at all, Shi Gandang immediately understood the situation.

The Sima family clearly knew what Shi Chong meant by "finding medical books for his father." This excuse was so clumsy that they didn't even bother to put on an act.

But this can be considered a form of trust.

After leaving the mansion, we walked north into Ping'an Lane and soon arrived at an ordinary courtyard, pitifully small, which was incomparable to the Sima family's mansion.

"Anshi, what are you doing here?"

Shi Chong looked at Sima Yan with a strange expression and asked.

"Jilun, you may not know this, but this is the residence of Li Yin, the Attendant Gentleman of the Grand General. He works in the Grand General's mansion and also tutors me in my studies."

He always makes things difficult for me, giving me political problems to embarrass me in front of my father. I've wanted to teach him a lesson for a long time.

I've heard that her daughter is exceptionally beautiful, stunningly gorgeous. Let's climb over the wall now and see if she lives up to her reputation.

If I have the chance, hehe…

Sima Yan revealed an undisguised lewd smile, but suddenly noticed that Shi Gandang was also nearby, calmly looking away and pretending not to see him. The prince immediately became serious again.

"Ahem, I'll just take a look and leave, just one look and leave."

Sima Yan awkwardly explained to Shi Chong, feeling a sense of guilt, like a thief caught in the act.

Shi Chong gave him a knowing look and instructed Shi Gandang, "Here's what we'll do: we'll step on your shoulders to climb over the wall."

"Yes, yes, Li Yin is currently handling matters at the General's Mansion and won't be back for a while."

His sons all served as officials in other places.

Today, all the servants in the household have gone outside the city to collect grain; I reckon there won't be many people left in the courtyard.

Sima Yan added that it seemed he had done a lot of preparation beforehand. The three of them prepared to play the role of petty thieves in a corner of Li Yin's courtyard.

Shi Gandang was filled with curiosity: What exactly did the luxurious bicycle that Sima Yan had his eye on look like?

Shi Gandang was certain that Sima Yan was planning to do *that* first, then *that*, and finally *that*, and he planned to act according to the circumstances later.

Seemingly guessing Shi Gandang's thoughts, Shi Chong pulled him aside and warned in a low voice, "Women are not a problem for the young master, but pleasure can't be found anytime, anywhere. Don't deliberately cause trouble and spoil the young master's mood later, understand? No matter what kind of woman she is, it's her good fortune to be noticed by the young master!"

"I understand, don't worry, Liu Lang."

Seeing Shi Chong's stern warning, Shi Gandang quickly responded in a low voice.

Even if Li Yin's daughter was stunningly beautiful, she was nothing special to Sima Yan. Sima Zhao's son, being the heir apparent, could have any woman he wanted.

They're just playing the "bird fun" of eagle catching chicks.

If Li Yin's daughter were to actually throw herself at him, it wouldn't be fun for Sima Yan. It seems this lecherous little Sima Yan has a thing for that sort of thing!

Shi Gandang secretly despised him.

"Your Highness, once you're up on the wall, who will catch you from below?"

Shi Gandang asked a question that couldn't be ignored. Shi Chong slapped his forehead, suddenly realizing the truth. "After climbing up this wall, we'll have to come down again!"

"Then you go first!"

Shi Chong didn't mince words, directly having Shi Gandang step on his shoulders to climb the wall, and then having the other man pull him and Sima Yan up.

The three of them hastily climbed over the wall and found that there was indeed no one in the courtyard! The courtyard, which was not large to begin with, only had four or five side rooms and a main hall, but it was now completely empty.

"Li Yin holds a high position yet remains so poor; he is truly a good official."

Sima Yan couldn't help but sigh.

Shi Gandang glanced at him with suspicion, thinking to himself: What's going on with Sima Yan?
He's trying to ruin someone's precious daughter, yet he also says that person is a good official. What is he trying to do?

"Your Highness, shall we leave now...?"

Before Shi Gandang could finish speaking, Sima Yan walked briskly toward the woodshed. He skillfully lifted a corner of the wooden window and saw a simply dressed maid adding water to a wooden bathtub.

A naked girl stood in the wooden bathtub. The steam was rising and the light was dim, making it difficult to see clearly. Only the outline of her graceful figure could be vaguely seen.

Sima Yan cautiously reached out and quietly took the ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) that was placed by the window. He held the crudely made ruqun in his hands as if it were a treasure, took a deep breath, and a look of satisfaction appeared on his face.

Shi Chong glanced at Sima Yan with a bewildered expression, seemingly surprised by the other's eccentricity, but didn't say a word.

Sima Yan casually tossed the dress into the corner, intending to use a feint to lure the maid away so he could then steal her away, when he heard someone shout from afar behind him: "Thief! Catch the thief!"

The three of them were terrified. They weren't afraid of what would happen if they were caught, but they couldn't bear the shame of being caught!
Shi Gandang ran the fastest, reached the corner of the wall, and lifted Sima Yan and Shi Chong, who were rushing towards him, onto the wall. But when he tried to climb over, he found that the two men on the wall had already disappeared! There wasn't even anyone to lend a hand!

These Celestial Dragons are so disloyal!

Shi Gandang sighed inwardly.

The courtyard wasn't large. The servants who had just pushed the grain cart into the courtyard were now searching everywhere for the "thief." Shi Gandang found an opening and climbed through the window into the woodshed where the young lady of the Li family was bathing. Just as he was about to turn around, he felt a sharp, hard object pressing against his waist.

The slight stinging sensation made Shi Gandang realize that it was likely a sharp dagger.

"I thought it was Sima Yan. Who are you?"

A clear, pleasant female voice came from behind me, but the tone was not pleasant.

"My name is Shi Gandang, what's yours?"

Shi Gandang countered, failing to detect the sarcasm in the girl's words.

The girl behind him seemed to laugh in anger at these words and quickly scolded, "You lecherous rogue, how dare you introduce yourself? I don't care what your name is. Did Sima Yan send you?"

Well, it seems that Sima Yan had played quite a few shameful games here before, and Li Yin's daughter even knows him!

Shi Gandang secretly groaned inwardly.

"Who I am is not important, but Sima Yan wants to take you as a concubine. Are you really unwilling?"

He must have come here many times before, and he must have been thinking of you for a long time, right?
I mean you no harm, I'm just a little confused.

Shi Gandang asked without turning around.

This young lady was definitely not wearing anything; the clothes she had just changed into had already been thrown away by Sima Yan, and he dared not turn around.

"I don't want to be his concubine."

What's the point of being a toy?

Since you address Sima Yan by his given name, you are certainly not one of his servants, so I won't make things difficult for you.

Let’s go now.”

The young woman breathed a sigh of relief, seemingly letting her guard down.

"How am I supposed to walk when you're naked?"

Shi Gandang countered with a question.

"Oh right, then take off your robe, and I'll put it on first, then we'll talk."

The young woman's words carried a barely perceptible hint of mockery.

Shi Gandang immediately took off his robe, revealing a short jacket and loose skirt-trousers underneath.

He took the robe in his hand, handed it behind his back without turning around, and said, "Young lady, wear this out. I'll hide here for now and leave tonight. There's really no way to leave now. Your clothes were thrown far away by Sima... someone."

What if you turn around and peek while I'm getting dressed?

The young woman, soaking in the wooden tub, asked again.

"If I turn back, I will gouge out my own eyes."

Shi Gandang spoke in a measured and authoritative manner, his tone leaving no room for doubt.

The girl seemed stunned by his words. As she took the clothes, she muttered to herself, "Why would I need you to gouge out my eyes?"

Without hesitation, she got out of the wooden tub, quickly dried herself, and then, without any hesitation, put on Shi Gandang's robe.

"My name is Li Wan."

The young woman dressed herself and smiled sweetly at Shi Gandang; her stunning beauty almost stole his soul.

The girl's hair was still wet, and Shi Gandang's wide robe was draped over her body, making her look not only ridiculous but also obscuring her figure.

But her disheveled appearance couldn't hide her beautiful and refined features.

Especially his eyes, which were both spirited and lively, making them unforgettable.

Girls with her looks might still be found in Luoyang, but that lively and spirited quality is hard to find again.

It must be said that Sima Yan had a very discerning eye when it came to choosing women.

This woman was beautiful, bright, and radiant; no wonder Sima Yan couldn't forget this lady from the Li family.

"You don't seem like a bad person to me, so why did you become a lackey of a lecherous scoundrel like Sima Yan? What's the point of ending up in prison now?"

Li Wan looked Shi Gandang up and down, and thought that this young man was handsome and looked... quite presentable.

She spoke frankly and directly, without the coyness and reserve often seen in young women, and she didn't hold a grudge against Shi Gandang for his previous intrusion over the wall.

A refreshing and heroic spirit wafted over me.

"I am Shi Bao's adopted son. I heard that the heir of the Great General, Sima Yan, is still obsessed with a certain woman. I was very curious, so I came with him to see for myself."

As for the rest, they are not worth mentioning.

Shi Gandang made up a story off the top of his head.

Upon hearing this, Li Wan's eyebrows and eyes curved into a smile, and she asked back while laughing, "So what did you see?"

"I can see that, Your Highness has excellent taste. I will propose marriage when your father returns."

Shi Gandang spouts nonsense and boasts without thinking.

These words made Li Wan burst into laughter, clutching her stomach. She stepped forward and gently patted Shi Gandang's abs twice with the back of her knife, teasingly saying, "You say you want to marry a woman you've only met once? What if she turns out to be a beautiful woman with a heart of stone? You're such a silly person, always talking nonsense. Oh well, I'll just take it as a joke."

"Hmph, I have my own way of judging people. Anyway, I've already taken a liking to you and want to marry you. You don't need to doubt that."

Shi Gandang replied, and his fearless gaze made Li Wan feel a little guilty.

She turned her head and whispered, "Okay, okay, I'll come back tonight to return your clothes and then see you out of the courtyard. You just wait here. Hmm, you absolutely, absolutely mustn't run away, or you'll have no chance at all, you know? Maybe one day my father will be in a good mood and actually agree to let me marry you?"

Li Wan nodded slightly, glancing at Shi Gandang with a playful and cute expression, her eyes seemingly hiding a hint of smug satisfaction at her successful scheme.

She walked to the door of the woodshed, made a face at Shi Gandang, and threatened him with a fierce look: "You're not allowed to leave until I come. If you run around and my father finds out, he'll definitely break your legs. He's not afraid of anyone, not to mention Shi Bao's adopted son, he'll beat even Shi Bao's legitimate son without hesitation."

After Li Wan left, Shi Gandang finally understood why Sima Yan had orchestrated so many humiliating performances. It was simply because this luxurious bicycle was so wonderful; he couldn't resist the urge to ride it home.

Moreover, Shi Gandang himself now needs to find a bicycle. In this world, wolves and tigers roam everywhere, and riding a bicycle is faster than running on foot.

(End of this chapter)