Chapter 1086: I Chose the Right Side
Zhu Yujian quickly drew his head back inside the carriage, pulling the curtain shut.
If he hadn't made that move, no one on the bustling, traffic-filled streets of Luoyang would have paid attention to a passing carriage. But the moment he saw Gao Jie and reacted, it immediately drew Gao Jie's attention.
Though Gao Jie was somewhat inept, he was still a military general, one who had once been a vagrant rebel, constantly on the run. His vigilance was incredibly sharp.
Gao Jie's gaze sharpened. "Huh? Something's off about that carriage! The moment they saw me, someone inside immediately drew the curtains! There's a problem, a big problem. Lads, stop that carriage and search it. There's definitely something illicit inside."
The soldiers immediately blocked the road. The carriage came to a halt!
Zhu Yujian was utterly terrified, paralyzed with fear. "Oh no, we're going to be caught!"
"What's the panic?" Zhu Cunji said. "I'll handle this."
With that, he pulled back the curtain and poked his head out the window. "Well, well, isn't it General Gao? What are you doing blocking my carriage?"
Gao Jie stared in bewilderment at the man in the straw hat who had emerged. "Who are you? Are we acquainted?"
Gao Jie genuinely hadn't heard of him. He'd personally seen the famous Wang Jiayin, Zijing Liang, the Chuǎng Wang, the Chuang Jiang... but where did this "Roaming Hero of the Four Seas" come from? What obscure path had he taken to emerge?
"I can tell from your expression you don't recognize me," Zhu Piaoling said. "Ah, no matter. Just ask Mr. Bai Yuan, and you'll know."
That statement genuinely startled Gao Jie. He mused inwardly, "The strata of the martial world I move in are indeed different from those of Mr. Bai Yuan. It's not strange for people of different social circles to know different kinds of heroes."
Gao Jie dared not be presumptuous. He ceased blocking the carriage and stepped aside.
And so, the carriage continued its journey forward.
Only then did Zhu Yujian breathe a sigh of relief. "Phew, luckily you have so many friends in the martial world. I never expected you to be friends with Mr. Bai Yuan! I've seen him fight; he's incredible. His militia is even more formidable than the regular army!"
Zhu Cunji puffed out his chest with pride. "Ever since I joined the right side, the world has truly opened up."
"Joined the right side?" Zhu Yujian caught another crucial phrase. "You're on Mr. Bai Yuan's side? And which side is Mr. Bai Yuan on? The Donglin Party? The Eunuch Party?"
Zhu Cunji burst out laughing. "It's nothing like those obscure factions! Don't just look at the street scene in front of you. Look further, higher, beyond the rooftops on both sides of the street. Then you'll see."
Zhu Yujian followed his instruction, lifting his gaze. Only then did he suddenly notice two colossal glass bottles standing in the center of Luoyang City, over thirty meters tall, towering side-by-side, their necks reaching for the sky. It was truly a magnificent sight.
Zhu Yujian gasped in astonishment. "What... what are these?"
"These are immortal treasures," Zhu Piaoling declared. "And like Mr. Bai Yuan, I've now sided with the immortals. We're under divine protection! Hahaha, you should learn from this."
Zhu Yujian was thoroughly shaken. Such enormous glass bottles truly seemed like something only immortals could possess.
Zhu Piaoling deliberately steered the carriage to the base of the soy sauce bottle, where a "Soy Sauce Bottling Plant" had already been established. Ordinarily, unauthorized personnel were not allowed entry.
However, at the factory gate, Zhu Piaoling encountered a sailor from the Xiaolangdi militia. This sailor had once transported Zhu Piaoling by ship to Nanjing, recognized him as someone "favored by the Heavenly Lord," and thus allowed him to tour the factory.
Zhu Piaoling led Zhu Yujian inside, walking with the air of an inspecting official.
Workers were diligently ladling soy sauce from large vats into small ceramic bottles.
All the soy sauce was "immortal soy sauce" provided by Li Daoxuan, but different bottles fetched different prices. "Premium soy sauce," intended for the wealthy, came in high-end ceramic bottles adorned with lifelike blue-and-white porcelain patterns, exceptionally exquisite. The words "Immortal Brew" were even inscribed on the bottles, giving them an incredibly impressive look.
Each bottle sold for several taels of silver! And the wealthy considered it well worth the price, as the bottle alone was already a collector's item.
Meanwhile, "economy soy sauce" for the common poor came in very ordinary earthenware bottles—as long as they didn't leak, aesthetics weren't a concern—and sold for as little as a dozen or even a few copper coins.
There was also a batch of soy sauce intended to "fleece foreigners." The bottles for these were quite ordinary, not at all high-end, but they were sturdy and wouldn't easily break during transport. Inscribed on these bottles was a peculiar phrase: "Five millennia of heritage, handcrafted by artisans of the Great Eastern Nation."
Even Zhu Piaoling stared, bewildered. "Isn't this soy sauce a divine gift from the Heavenly Lord? How did it become 'five millennia of heritage'? And 'handcrafted by artisans'? Isn't that just nonsense?"
The person in charge chuckled. "The Heavenly Lord specifically instructed us to write it this way. He said putting it on the bottles would 'bewilder foreigners' and allow us to 'fleece foreign markets.' We don't really understand what he means either."
Zhu Piaoling, not understanding either, decided not to press the matter. After giving Zhu Yujian a tour, they emerged. "See? Impressive, isn't it?"
"Although I don't quite grasp it," Zhu Yujian replied, "it certainly seems formidable."
The two re-entered the carriage, left Luoyang, and headed towards the Xiaolangdi Water Stronghold.
Upon entering the stronghold, they spotted Bai Yuan from afar, training a group of green recruits.
Zhu Yujian was overjoyed and eager to greet him, but he feared his current status as a fugitive might bring trouble to Bai Yuan.
"No worries," Zhu Piaoling said. "Go ahead and greet him boldly!"
"Won't this cause trouble?" Zhu Yujian asked.
"Where you are now is a militia military control zone," Zhu Piaoling explained. "No unauthorized personnel can enter, so there's no need to worry about your presence here leaking out."
Only then did Zhu Yujian walk over, bowing respectfully to Bai Yuan from a distance. "Mr. Bai, it's been a while. Your demeanor remains as splendid as ever."
Bai Yuan turned his head and saw him. "Oh? Prince of Tang? Wait, wait, wait... didn't the news say you were..." His gaze shifted to Zhu Piaoling. "So it was you who did this! You rescued the Prince of Tang?"
Zhu Piaoling puffed out his chest. "That's right, I rescued him."
Zhu Yujian had expected Bai Yuan to scold Zhu Piaoling for his recklessness, but to his surprise, Bai Yuan merely smiled faintly. "Very well, a good rescue."
He turned back to Zhu Yujian and cupped his fist in a salute. "Prince of Tang, your initiative to raise an army to support the emperor was commendable. Alas, the imperial family's antiquated rules are numerous, and you have truly been wronged."
Zhu Yujian let out a long sigh. "Mr. Bai, to have you understand me, I am truly moved."
"The rise and fall of the realm is the concern of every common man," a young scholar emerged from beside them, sighing. "I am Gu Yanwu! Upon hearing the Prince of Tang's story, I couldn't help but be deeply stirred. The Prince of Tang, who by all rights should have been the least likely to raise an army for the emperor, yet, for the salvation of the nation, still charged forward with unwavering resolve. Truly, he is a model for our generation. I wish to record the Prince of Tang's deeds in a book, to teach our children the principle of doing good deeds without seeking personal gain."
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