xymnovel Chapter 51 Meeting
Chapter 51 Meeting
On the outskirts of Zengtou City, Yang Zhi's camp was set up on a high ground.
The camp gate was nailed together from a tree trunk, and it was crooked and askew. Two soldiers were dozing against the gate frame, their spears stuck in the ground, their tassels fluttering wildly in the wind.
Zhou Fu, who had traveled all the way by carriage, immediately gave Wang Cheng's name and waited for about half an hour before being led inside.
Wang Cheng's tent was in the northwest corner of the camp. It wasn't big, and the ground was covered with a layer of dry grass. He had just returned from patrolling the camp, and his boots were covered in mud. He was squatting at the tent entrance, using a twig to scrape the mud off the soles of his shoes.
"Brother-in-law? What brings you here?"
Wang Cheng was twenty-five or twenty-six years old, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and a short but sturdy build. When he saw Zhou Fu, he was first taken aback, and then his expression changed.
"Has something happened at home?"
Zhou Fu pulled him into the tent and lowered his voice.
"Everything's fine at home. Chao Baozheng sent me."
"Chao Baozheng? Which Chao Baozheng?"
"From Yuncheng County. The Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King, Chao Gai."
Wang Cheng frowned. He had heard of this name before, but what did it have to do with him?
Zhou Fu took the silver ingot out of his pocket and stuffed it into Wang Cheng's hand.
"Chao Baozheng said he is willing to help you and your brothers, as well as your families."
Wang Cheng looked at the silver in his hand, then at Zhou Fu's face.
"What does he mean?"
"Everyone knows about your current predicament. You're starving, unable to fight, and unable to go home. Chao Baozheng says he'll find you a way to survive."
Wang Cheng remained silent for a long time.
He tucked the silver into his pocket and stood up.
"You wait here. I'll go find the military supervisor."
……
Yang Zhi's tent was in the center of the camp.
It was called a tent, but it was actually a makeshift shelter pieced together from several pieces of old cloth, letting in drafts from all sides. There was a field table, a chair, and a bed covered with dry straw. On the table sat an oil lamp, its flame flickering in the wind.
Yang Zhi sat at the table, a map spread out in front of him. He had looked at it countless times; he knew every road and village on it by heart. But he didn't know which way to go.
Wang Cheng lifted the curtain and entered, kneeling on one knee.
"Commander."
Yang Zhi didn't look up: "What is it?"
"Commander, I have something to report."
Yang Zhi looked up and glanced at him. Wang Cheng was usually a man of few words, but he was never careless when patrolling the camp and checking sentries. He was one of the men Yang Zhi relied on.
"explain."
Wang Cheng took two steps closer and lowered his voice.
"Commander, Chao Baozheng of Yuncheng County sent someone to say that he is willing to help us."
Yang Zhi's finger stopped on the map.
"Chao Baozheng? Which Chao Baozheng?"
"Chao Gai, nicknamed the Pagoda-Bearing Heavenly King."
Yang Zhi frowned. He had heard of Chao Gai in the martial arts world; he was a generous and righteous man. But Chao Gai was in Yuncheng County, hundreds of miles away from Daming Prefecture, and had no connection with Zengtou City.
"What does he mean?"
Wang Cheng repeated Zhou Fu's words: "He said he was willing to help us and our family."
Yang Zhi didn't speak. He stood up and took a few steps inside the tent.
"Did he really say that?"
Wang Cheng nodded: "Absolutely true. If my brother-in-law brought it personally, there's no doubt about it."
Yang Zhi still didn't believe it. He had seen too many江湖人 (jianghu people) who spoke sweet words but turned their backs on him the moment they saw them. Why would a complete stranger, a village head, help him?
"Supervisor." The old supervisor's voice came from outside the tent.
Yang Zhi turned around, and the old steward lifted the curtain and came in. He was old and slept little; he had overheard a few words outside the tent.
"Supervisor, if I may be so bold as to speak," the old supervisor's voice was hoarse but steady, "at this point, what can't we try? The news has been released, but whether the Privy Council has responded or not, nobody knows. If the court were truly involved, they would have sent someone long ago."
Yang Zhi's face darkened.
The old steward continued, "How many more days can our provisions last? Seven or eight days? Ten days? And even if they last longer, Zengtou City won't attack us, but Liang Zhongshu won't let us go. Commander, all five hundred of us are facing certain death."
He didn't finish speaking, but his meaning was already very clear.
"Since Chao Baozheng is willing to help, the Commander might as well go there himself. Yuncheng County is more than 200 li away from here. At a fast horse, it can be a round trip in a day. Even if it doesn't work out, it will only delay you by a day."
Wang Cheng added, "Commander, my brother-in-law is still waiting outside the camp. He said that Chief Chao said we should talk face to face."
Yang Zhi remained silent for a moment.
"Prepare the horses."
……
Yang Zhi only brought Wang Cheng with him.
Two horses, one in front of the other, galloped south along the official road. Yang Zhi rode his usual chestnut horse, while Wang Cheng rode an old horse that had carried grain and fodder before; it wasn't fast, but it was steady.
Yang Zhi only rested once during the more than two hundred li journey. He drank a bowl of cold tea and ate a couple of bites of dry rations at a roadside tea stall, then mounted his horse and continued on his way.
As dusk fell, he saw the city walls of Yuncheng County.
……
The official granary in the west of the city.
The lights in the back room were on.
Yang Zhi stood outside the gate, first surveying the courtyard. The walls were high, and two burly men stood at the entrance, short knives tucked into their waistbands. Inside the courtyard, over a hundred people were practicing, their movements synchronized, their swords flashing.
He was no ordinary farmhand.
He recalled what Wang Cheng had said. This Chao Baozheng was indeed no ordinary person.
Wu Yong came out to greet him.
"Commander Yang, I've heard so much about you. Please come in."
Yang Zhi followed him into the back room.
Liu Bei sat in the main seat, with a teacup in front of him. When he saw Yang Zhi enter, he stood up and clasped his hands in a respectful greeting.
"Commander Yang, you must be tired from your journey."
Yang Zhi returned the greeting with clasped hands, his gaze falling on Liu Bei's face.
That face—a bushy beard, a dark complexion, thick eyebrows, and tiger-like eyes.
I feel like I've seen this somewhere before.
But he couldn't remember. He had seen too many people and fought too many battles along the way, perhaps just a fleeting encounter in some tavern.
"Chao Baozheng," Yang Zhi said, bowing slightly.
"Please sit down."
The two took their seats. Wu Yong sat to one side, while Wang Cheng stood behind Yang Zhi.
Liu Bei poured a bowl of tea and pushed it in front of Yang Zhi.
"The military commander has been stationed outside Zengtou City for several days. Do you still have enough provisions?"
Yang Zhi did not offer the tea, but stared straight at Liu Bei.
"Chao Baozheng, let's not beat around the bush. You sent Wang Cheng to tell me you're willing to help me and my brothers. I want to know, why are you helping us?"
Liu Bei picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it down.
"Because I respect the Commander as a good man. He comes from a military family, and three generations of his family have been clean of conduct. He was framed and lost the tribute of precious stones; he was also plotted against and lost the tribute of birthday gifts. Now he is being sent to redeem himself through meritorious service, but instead he has been assigned to tackle a bone that is too tough to chew."
His tone was calm, as if he were talking about something ordinary.
"People like that shouldn't die."
Yang Zhi's fingers trembled slightly.
Liu Bei continued, "Moreover, the five hundred brothers under the Commander are all innocent. They were following orders and should not be made scapegoats for others."
Yang Zhi remained silent for a moment.
"What does the village head want me to do?"
Liu Bei did not answer directly. He leaned forward.
"Commander, I have a question for you. Have you sent anyone to the Privy Council in Tokyo to deliver a message?"
Yang Zhi was startled.
How do you know?
"Everyone knows it now." Liu Bei's tone remained calm. "The news that Zengtou City colluded with the Jurchens has spread throughout Shandong. Only the Commander-in-Chief could spread such news."
Yang Zhi fell silent.
Liu Bei sighed.
"Commander, send someone to the Privy Council; this matter has probably gone wrong."
Yang Zhi frowned: "How is it broken?"
"When the Privy Council receives a letter, the first thing they do isn't report it to the court, but rather check who signed it. The Commander-in-Chief is a convicted criminal; it's against protocol for him to submit a letter beyond his rank. Even if the Privy Council doesn't recognize the Commander-in-Chief, they'll recognize a letter from Daming Prefecture. What will they do?"
Yang Zhi's heart sank.
Liu Bei extended one finger.
"They will forward the letter to Cai Jing."