Chapter 578: Arrival in Xi’an |
Gao Yiye’s face broke into a smile.
Buying and selling official positions? Tut-tut! This was precisely the kind of behavior the Deity despised.
When the Deity lectured Gao Yiye on political ideology, the harmful consequences of such corruption were a dedicated topic.
However, in tales of old, the buying and selling of positions usually involved corrupt officials. Here, the culprit was the Emperor himself.
Gao Yiye heard the Deity whisper softly in her ear, “To keep his underpants on, Zhu Youjian has tossed aside all royal dignity. Well, if the underpants fell off, it would indeed be more undignified.”
Gao Yiye’s cheeks flushed faintly pink. Why mention underpants? I’m a girl! The Deity is so bad… Last time he even said something about putting on weight being satisfying to the touch!
She didn’t answer Wu Shen immediately. Instead, she turned to Shi Kefa. “Lord Shi, does the Qin King Mansion seizing the fertilizer remind you of something?”
Shi Kefa’s heart jolted. Immediately, terms like “advanced productive forces” and “outdated political institutions” flashed terrifyingly into his mind. He shook his head vigorously, trying to dislodge the thought.
Gao Yiye didn’t press him. Her attention shifted back to Wu Shen. “Lord Wu, if I were to advance you another batch of fertilizer on credit… could you guarantee it won’t be seized again?”
It was a thorny problem!
Wu Shen pondered carefully. “I could muster more hands—station guards at the fertilizer store. Utterly prevent anyone from the Qin King Mansion from meddling again.”
Gao Yiye smiled faintly. “Useless. You are a civil official. You have no soldiers of your own. You can only deploy the yamen runners and garrison troops. But those men are locals of Xi’an. Which local dares oppose the Qin King Mansion? If the Qin King Mansion sends men again to seize the fertilizer, those guards will only help deliver it right over. They won’t risk their necks to defend it for you.”
Wu Shen: “!!!”
Shi Kefa: “!!!”
The two men were truly at a loss. Merely thinking about the situation gave them a headache.
Gao Yiye said, “Unless… we use my people.”
Wu Shen asked, “What do you mean?”
Gao Yiye explained, “My people aren’t from Xi’an. They don’t fear the Qin King Mansion. If they guard the fertilizer, and the Qin King Mansion dares to send men to take it… my people dare to fight them.”
As she uttered the word “fight,” her tone involuntarily softened slightly. She was, after all, a young woman who had never truly been in a fight. Her command of the word’s fierce aura was somewhat lacking.
However, at the very moment she spoke that word, Ground Rabbit, standing behind her, grinned fiercely and chimed in darkly, “Fight them!”
Mr. Rabbit’s untimely interjection was highly irregular. When a superior spoke, when was it a bodyguard’s turn to chime in? Yet Ground Rabbit had always been known for his disregard of rules. Within all of Gaojia Village, only he would dare such impropriety. Others wouldn’t dare speak out of turn, but he did. And in this instance, his interruption perfectly compensated for the ferocity lacking in Gao Yiye’s voice.
Wu Shen said, surprised, “Oh? You truly dare to strike men from the Qin King Mansion?”
Ground Rabbit chuckled grimly. “For those who engage in illegal activities, who bully the innocent common folk, there is none this Rabbit dares not flog. This Rabbit treads the mortal realm precisely to punish the wicked and bestow justice upon this land.”
Wu Shen murmured, “Hmph.”
He could tell this man was a foolhardy roughneck with a streak of recklessness.
Shi Kefa lowered his voice. “If he dares to strike, this humble official dares to shield him.”
Wu Shen harbored pretty much the same thought. Though the Qin King Mansion wielded immense power, the civil officials did not fear them. The officials’ only headache was their lack of private soldiers; clashing directly with the Prince’s estate risked physical harm on the spot. But if they avoided that immediate danger and could battle it out later in court with words… well, the scholarly officials would never lose to the Qin King Mansion.
Putting it more bluntly: if the Steward of Qin King Mansion beat an official’s subordinate, the civil official might be powerless against the Prince. But if the official’s subordinate beat one of the Qin King Mansion’s servants? The Qin King Mansion was equally powerless against the civil official! As long as they refrained from deploying regular troops and stuck to using personal retainers… the worst outcome would be a messy dispute, nothing more.
Wu Shen and Shi Kefa exchanged a meaningful glance. Seeing mutual affirmation in each other’s eyes, their apprehension faded. There was nothing left to fear.
Wu Shen turned back to Gao Yiye. “Madam, then let’s settle this matter thus. Your people shall guard the store, ensuring the fertilizer reaches the ordinary people’s hands. Should any conflict erupt with the Qin King Mansion… this official will bear full responsibility.”
Gao Yiye smiled. “Then there is no problem.”
…
Early in the very next morning, another large batch of fertilizer was prepared.
These days, Shaanxi and Shanxi provinces were experiencing rain—even snow. As the saying goes, auspicious snow heralds a bountiful year. The coming year might well be prosperous. More land would likely become arable compared to the drought years. Naturally, the demand for fertilizer would surge.
Thus, Gaojia Village readied dozens of carts of fertilizer. A mighty transport team set off toward Xi’an Prefecture.
Leading this team were, naturally, Ground Rabbit and Zheng Gouzi.
They brought along one hundred soldiers of the Gaojia Village Militia. Naturally, they couldn’t enter Xi’an Prefecture in armor or carrying firearms. Therefore, these hundred soldiers were the most skilled wielders of cold weapons.
Ground Rabbit stood at the head of the column, laughing heartily. “Xi’an, this Rabbit Master has arrived! Hahaha! The first stage of my righteous journey shall be the ancient capital Xi’an! Right from the start, my stage must be the grandest!”
Zheng Gouzi rolled his eyes skyward, exasperation etched on his face. “No armor. No new-style firearms. Our advantage is slim. Don’t get cocky. Be careful the Qin King Mansion butchers you before you can even plead your case.”
Ground Rabbit roared with laughter. “No armor or firearms? That predicament only troubles the likes of you. For this Rabbit Master, a grand chivalrous hero of the rivers and lakes, such trifles are immaterial! Ever heard of a gallant hero strutting about in armor brandishing a firearm? A chivalrous soul needs only humble cloth robes and his three-foot legendary sword, the ‘Qing Feng.’ That suffices.”
Zheng Gouzi buried his face in his hand.
Ground Rabbit lovingly stroked his sword, crowing, “Today, this Rabbit Master employs his three-foot Qing Feng to guard the bright, uncorrupted world beneath heaven!”
Zheng Gouzi growled, “Can I just… punch you?”
At that very moment, a figure sitting atop one of the fertilizer carts, face hidden by a bamboo hat, lifted his head and announced cheerfully, “Xi’an is in sight!”
Ground Rabbit and Zheng Gouzi hadn’t noticed this hat-wearer previously. Only now, focusing their gaze, did they realize it was a manifestation of the Deity.
Both men jumped in fright. “Whoa! We pay respects to the exalted Deity! Honored Deity… why have you come as well?”
The silicone Deity chuckled. “Eh… for fun.”
Well, the Deity’s love for amusement was common knowledge. He was the most playful, world-roaming god the people of Gaojia Village had ever encountered. Without exception.
Of course, his trip to Xi’an held deeper purposes beyond mere play. It just wasn’t convenient to explain them to Ground Rabbit and the others right now.
Li Daoxuan’s field of vision drew ever closer to Xi’an.
He could already discern the area destined to become the Yanliang District in future Xi’an. He was now a mere hundred li from the prefecture’s central city. Just a little more—just an increase in common folk finding contentment, just a slight rise in the Rescue Index—and Xi’an Prefecture would loom into view within his grasp.
This was an ancient, colossal capital city of unparalleled historical weight. Li Daoxuan was deeply intrigued to finally behold it.