Chapter 1161: The Old Cured Pork from Home
Wang Weizhang, the Governor of Sichuan, gazed at the array of colorful spearmen before him, his mood exceptionally complex. "General Ran!"
He cupped his hands in greeting towards Ran Ke, then, with a noticeably sour tone, he said, "The last time I, your humble official, invited General Ran to come to our aid, General Ran flatly refused. I never expected that today, with Chengdu in peril, General Ran would so generously come to our rescue. It seems, after all, that General Ran still holds a little regard for a minor governor like myself."
While he spoke the words, "you hold me in your heart," his true meaning was clear to any fool; it was a bitter accusation: "You show him respect but not me; you hold no regard for me."
Ran Ke chuckled knowingly, indeed showing no deference to the governor. "Governor," he declared, "when you enacted policies, all the benefits went to the Han people; not a single advantage was given to my Tujia people of Kaixian. Now that there's a battle, you remember this general? Where's the justice in that?"
Wang Weizhang fell silent.
Ran Ke continued, "I didn't come to Chengdu to help you this time. I merely want to deal with these bandits quickly, to stop them from running rampant and affecting the prosperity of my Tujia people of Kaixian."
Wang Weizhang was thoroughly choked by his words, angrily flicking his sleeve. He dared only to curse inwardly: "Hmph! Mountain savage."
Having finished his silent rant, he turned his head to look at the Miao Pacification Commissioner from Pengshui. Just as he was about to say something, the Miao leader snorted and turned his head away.
Wang Weizhang fell silent once more.
Wang Weizhang saw this and was deeply moved that someone finally spoke to him. "General, you truly have the court's interests at heart,"
The Enshi Pacification Commissioner withdrew his hand from behind his back, clutching a fragrant piece of Enshi cured pork, which he pressed into Wang Weizhang's hand. He smiled faintly. "Come, come, Governor, you must try some. This is the first batch of products from our Enshi pig farm and pork processing plant: Enshi's specialty cured pork! It's incredibly fragrant... If you find it delicious, remember to buy more, won't you?"
Wang Weizhang was utterly bewildered.
What was happening? Something felt distinctly wrong.
The Enshi Pacification Commissioner quickly hopped onto the city wall and loudly called out to the onlookers among the common people, "Oh, prosperous people of Chengdu, have you ever tasted authentic Enshi cured pork? I'm sure you haven't, right? But don't worry, from now on you can! Our factories are already built, and our products will be shipped here very soon. Everyone, please buy lots! Look, we Enshi folk treat you like family; we've all rushed here to help you defend the city. So, feel free to buy a few pieces of the cured pork from our region... This is what they call 'courtesy demands reciprocity'—a very learned Han scholar taught me that."
Wang Weizhang nearly choked. "Puh! Get that fellow off the city wall, now!"
Who would dare drag a Miao chieftain off the wall? Did they have a death wish?
Though he was comically advertising at the moment, behind him stood a row of Miao soldiers, all gripping their sabers with fierce determination. They weren't as easily managed as Han officials and would turn hostile at the slightest provocation, caring nothing for the governor's authority.
Wang Weizhang's subordinates kept a wide berth.
Then, a line of Miao soldiers suddenly leaped out from behind the Enshi Pacification Commissioner, each holding a piece of cured pork, and began to dance on Chengdu's north city wall. While dancing, they sang, "Oh, cured pork from home, so fragrant, dripping with oil! Take a bite and you'll never want to leave! Why wait to buy, what are you waiting for, oh..."
Ran Ke, witnessing this scene, was also dumbfounded. "Oh my," he exclaimed, "you can advertise like this? Who taught him? He's as unworldly as I am; he couldn't have thought of this trick himself."
Padi Tu emerged from behind, wiping sweat from his face. "Gao Chuwu, Zheng Daniu, and Zheng Gouzi aren't smart enough to come up with that," he declared. "Someone more brilliant from our village must have come to Sichuan. Ah, it must be San Shier who has entered Sichuan."
"Achoo!" San Shier, busy establishing a pig farm in Enshi County, sneezed. He turned to the Miao people before him and said, "I wonder who's thinking of me, haha! Come, come, let's continue. The most important thing in pig farming is preventing epidemics. You absolutely must maintain good hygiene in the pigpens. Don't assume pigs are dirty animals and neglect cleaning their pens; you must clean and manage them diligently. This is called 'preparation averts disaster'."
Wang Weizhang roared in fury, "Are you kidding me? We were just fighting here, cannon fire everywhere, and the moment you arrive, you start with this nonsense? This is a battle! Show some seriousness, for my sake!"
The Enshi Pacification Commissioner replied, "The bandits have already retreated. We, as reinforcements, need to encamp in Chengdu for two days, observe the situation, and then decide our next moves. What now? Do you expect us to come all this way, without even a moment's rest, and immediately plunge into the next battle? If that's your attitude, I'll take my troops back to the mountains."
Wang Weizhang was speechless.
Ran Ke, the Kaixian Pacification Commissioner, also caught on and chimed in, "Exactly. I'm going back to the mountains too."
The other Pacification Commissioners chorused, "This is outrageous! We might as well return to our mountains."
Wang Weizhang quickly interjected, "Hey? No! Don't go back, the battle isn't over yet. If you need rest, then rest well."
The Enshi Pacification Commissioner grinned. "There you have it then! We Miao people, when we rest, we sing and dance."
Wang Weizhang was left utterly speechless.
The Enshi Pacification Commissioner waved his hand and commanded his subordinates, "Continue the music, continue the dance!"
And so, the Miao soldiers resumed their dancing on the city wall, singing, "Oh, cured pork from home, so fragrant, dripping with oil, oh..."
Ran Ke gritted his teeth. "No, this won't do! Our Tujia people cannot be outdone! Brothers, get up there and dance!"
A subordinate leaned in. "But we didn't bring any goods to sell."
Ran Ke retorted, "What about the military bedding you brought? Isn't that Xilankapu? Get it out and dance!"
The Kaixian soldiers instantly understood and quickly opened their packs, pulling out their bedding. Each piece was indeed a magnificent Xilankapu brocade.
They rushed onto the city wall, secured good positions, waved their Xilankapu, and began to sing and dance, launching their own wave of advertisements...
Wang Weizhang was livid with rage. "These people aren't here to fight at all; they're here to sell things! A bunch of shameful merchants, truly shameful merchants!" He darted with a single stride to Qin Liangyu's side. "Old General Qin, you must rein in these fellows; only they will listen to you."
Qin Liangyu shrugged. "The bandit army has retreated, and Chengdu is temporarily safe. The next battle plan hasn't been drawn up yet. During this interval, what's wrong with everyone promoting their hometown products and letting the local people earn a few coppers? While fighting is a serious matter, life is also a serious matter."
Wang Weizhang was, once again, dumbfounded.
Qin Liangyu winked at a soldier behind her. "It's about time our Shizhu made its move too; bring out our goods."
And so, Shizhu also joined the advertising war: "Shizhu Coptis, excellent quality! Chengdu traditional medicine merchants, welcome to purchase!"
Wang Weizhang sputtered.
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