Chapter 385: Fang Wushang Arrives
Fang Wushang rarely visited Gao Family Village.
He was a busy man, constantly rushing about Chengcheng County, tirelessly pursuing bandits.
Of course, ever since the Heavenly Lord manifested his divine power in the county seat, the common folk had food to eat and clothes to wear. Why would anyone still be a bandit? Only a fool would dare to be a bandit in a place overseen by a deity, risking a divine slap.
Consequently, Fang Wushang's work had become somewhat idle.
Now, he mostly patrolled the county's border areas. For instance, the last time Fan Shan Yao was pacified and the rebels returned home, Fang Wushang had been stationed in Quankou Village. Later, upon hearing that Wang Jiayin's naval forces were attacking Qichuan, he once again took up post in Quankou Village.
Not long ago, he'd heard that various rebel factions had crossed the Yellow River and pushed eastward into Shanxi, and there was a high possibility that Bu Zhan Ni would lead his forces through Chengcheng County. So, Fang Wushang had rushed to Fengyuan Town, in the county's northwesternmost corner, to guard against Bu Zhan Ni's arrival.
He spun like a top, constantly moving, without a single day of rest.
It wasn't until the local rebels had all fled to Shanxi, and Shaanxi territory had temporarily become safe, that he finally found some free time.
The weather today was splendid: a gentle breeze, bright sunshine, and a vast, clear sky...
Just as Fang Wushang entered the village, he ran into Xing Honglang, who was leading a trade caravan, returning from Xi'an after a lucrative round with the wealthy officials and nobles. Xing Honglang was also approaching Gao Family Village, on the verge of entering.
Fang Wushang galloped up from behind, his horse surging past Xing Honglang.
Xing Honglang called out, "Well, well, isn't that General Fang Wushang, the Chengcheng Inspector?"
Hearing someone hail him, Fang Wushang reined in his warhorse. He glanced back at Xing Honglang, a flicker of recognition in his eyes. After a moment's thought, he mused, "Hmm? I've seen you before. You're that sugar merchant who looks suspiciously like a salt smuggler."
Xing Honglang secretly chuckled to herself. *Still thinks I'm a sugar merchant? This fellow is amusing.*
She let out a soft laugh. "I'm not just selling sugar anymore, you know. Look, I also sell embroidery, swords, rare spices and fine wines bestowed by the Heavenly Lord... and I've brought back all sorts of exotic goods from Xi'an. General Fang, would you care to see this Japanese sword? It's a top-grade samurai blade, only five taels of silver."
Fang Wushang was genuinely tempted by the item.
While Japanese swords weren't ideally suited for the battlefields of their dynasty, their exquisite craftsmanship made them popular collector's items among many wealthy Ming Dynasty individuals. Even many scholars carried them at their waists when venturing out. They weren't truly meant for combat; they were more for display, barely clinging to their former glory...
Fang Wushang dismounted and stood before Xing Honglang. "Let me see the Japanese sword," he stated. "If it's truly good, I'll buy it."
The moment he dismounted, his hundred soldiers finally caught up, panting heavily behind him. "General Fang... wait for us..."
It seemed the man had, once again, ridden ahead alone, never cultivating the good habit of waiting for his subordinates to travel with him.
Xing Honglang retrieved the samurai sword from her display and handed it to Fang Wushang. He took the blade, turning it over in his hands, but his feet kept moving forward. "Don't stop," he urged. "Let's talk as we walk."
Xing Honglang thought, *This fellow really can't stand still.* She couldn't resist a playful jab. "General Fang, you seem quite idle. What, no more salt smugglers to chase these days?"
Fang Wushang sighed faintly. "In these chaotic, war-torn times, where would salt smugglers even be active? Shanxi has already banned grain shipments into Shaanxi. If even grain isn't coming in, what good is salt? I hear that Shanxi's biggest and most famous salt smuggler hasn't been active there for years... Now, even if I wanted to catch a salt smuggler, there's nowhere to find one."
Xing Honglang, intending to tease him, chuckled mischievously. "Let me tell you, there's a very big salt smuggler right here in Gao Family Village. You could catch him."
Fang Wushang's expression turned fierce. "Who?!"
Xing Honglang pointed a finger at the low-hanging clouds in the sky. "Look, the salt has come! The Heavenly Lord himself is the one! He's distributed so much salt to everyone in Chengcheng County. Isn't he the biggest salt smuggler of all?"
Fang Wushang gasped. "!!!"
"This..."
Logically, it seemed she had a point.
Fang Wushang was instantly overwhelmed by a sense of powerlessness, the thought *'Ah, I should arrest him, but I can't possibly win'* flashing through his mind. However, though he was stubborn, he wasn't foolish. After a swift mental pivot, he suddenly countered, "Your argument isn't right, is it? The Heavenly Lord bestows salt upon mortals as a divine grace; he doesn't charge us for it. This is a free bestowal, not a sale. How can you call that salt smuggling? Unacceptable, unacceptable!"
Li Daoxuan, whose view happened to cut to that moment, nearly burst out laughing. *This fellow is quite amusing.*
Xing Honglang, determined to nettle him further, wasn't about to let him off the hook so easily. She pressed on, "But after the Heavenly Lord bestows the divine salt, the villagers *do* sell it! Look, there's a village-run salt store in the Gao Family commercial district, and they're selling the salt bestowed by the Heavenly Lord. So, perhaps you should arrest San Shier?"
Fang Wushang gasped again. "!!!"
"This..."
Logically, it seemed she *still* had a point?
Fang Wushang was conflicted once more. Should he arrest him, or not?
After pondering for a long while, he finally declared, "Yes, I should arrest him. That's right, I should arrest San Shier."
Just as he painstakingly settled on this course of action, Xing Honglang suddenly added, "Oh, and by the way, the Chengcheng County government's salt store ran out of salt ages ago. Magistrate Liang had them come to Gao Family Village to pick up their stock. So... Magistrate Liang could also be considered a salt smuggler. You should apprehend him too."
Fang Wushang spluttered. "!!!"
"That's right!"
"Magistrate Liang did something wrong; he should be arrested."
"But..."
"Wait, no, that's not right! How could Magistrate Liang, the esteemed head of a county, be a salt smuggler?"
His mind instantly overloaded, twisting itself into a tangled knot.
Having successfully teased him, Xing Honglang burst into hearty laughter.
Li Daoxuan, equally amused by the scene, instructed, "Yiye, Fang Wushang has arrived. Ask him to come up to the watchtower for a chat."
Fang Wushang's head was swarming with questions, still absorbed in the problem of Magistrate Liang selling smuggled salt. He was utterly dazed and confused, so much so that he had no mind to admire the Japanese samurai sword in his hand. When Xing Honglang asked him if he wanted it, Fang Wushang, in his absentminded state, fumbled out five taels of silver and paid for it, completely unaware that he had just bought the blade.
It wasn't until he walked into Gao Family Village, standing at the entrance, that he heard Gao Yiye call out to him, "General Fang, do you have a moment to chat?"
Fang Wushang suddenly jolted awake. "Huh? Where's that sugar merchant? Her Japanese sword is still with me, and I haven't paid her yet!"
The Deputy Inspector behind him stepped forward. "General, you already paid."
Fang Wushang blinked. "Huh? When did I pay?"
Gao Yiye smiled faintly. "This way, General Fang."
Fang Wushang, still somewhat dazed, hastily followed her.
His soldiers, seeing that their superior had forgotten about them, immediately cheered. "Let's go, let's explore the Gao Family commercial district! It's even better than the county town."
Comments