Duan Yan and Song Fengsui arrived at the medicinal herb farm on the outskirts of the prefectural city. Having already gone through the experience of buying old-root plants, they found the place fairly easy to navigate this time.
After the autumn harvest, the farm had taken in a large quantity of herbs. The prices were somewhat lower than usual, since newly harvested stock still had to be sorted and prepared for sale. Naturally, the farm welcomed merchants like Duan Yan and Song Fengsui who came in person to make purchases, and thus offered them fairly good rates.
With that in mind, Song Fengsui selected the herbs they often needed, especially those that did not grow around their own town, and purchased a full thousand jin or so.
At the usual market rate, the herbs would have cost nearly three thousand taels of silver. But drawing on their previous experience trading pest-repelling medicinal liquid with the old farmer for his wild fruit, the two managed to bargain with the farm owner and cut the price by nearly half.
In other words, herbs worth more than three thousand taels cost them less than two thousand in the end.
On the eve of troubled times, being able to exchange those so-called secret recipes for silver and goods was already the best arrangement they could hope for. If they had not possessed one or two formulas capable of attracting interest, they truly would not have had enough money to spend.
With the herbs so cheap, they bought somewhat more than planned. The two empty carts they had brought were not enough, so they bought another horse and added a cart, finally loading all the herbs aboard.
Before they knew it, the end of the tenth month had arrived, and the rainy days had grown more frequent. The group did not dare linger. Once the medicinal business was settled, they immediately set off for Fuyang County to purchase other goods.
Back in Yan Town, Song Wushen waited and waited. At last, toward the end of October, he finally saw Town Inspector Kong Youhua leave.
The weather around the town had been exceedingly strange that year. First came a scorching summer, followed by an unusually hot autumn. Autumn itself seemed to stretch on and on, making people feel as though the season were still young. Yet after two bouts of rain, the temperature plunged, and only then did everyone realize that winter had arrived.
Seeing the sudden change in weather, and knowing that the roads leading out of Yan Town were steep and difficult to travel, Kong Youhua feared that waiting any longer would make the journey even harder. He therefore hurriedly completed the handover of official duties and headed south to take up his new post.
But Kong Youhua had barely left, and Song Wushen had not even caught his breath, when Lin Er came rushing back to town, having nearly run his horse to death.
Then Song Wushen heard about the two youngsters purchasing illicit salt. His heart gave a slight jolt, but he quickly calmed down. Salt was of such vital importance, and funds were so limited at present, that most people would probably have taken the same shortcut.
He had no time to judge right or wrong. He only knew that there were too many urgent matters demanding attention.
He first instructed Lin Er to return at once, take stock of the situation, and arrange for Duan Yan’s people to receive the illicit salt. As for himself, he had to seek out Qin Cheng and bring him into the plan.
With Kong Youhua gone, Tax Officer Qin temporarily became the town’s highest-ranking official.
After spending so many years subordinate to others, Qin Cheng naturally felt proud when he suddenly rose to the top position. Yet humility and caution remained fundamental to his character.
During the time he had worked with Song Wushen, he had experienced the man’s abilities firsthand. Thus, after Kong Youhua’s departure, although many matters appeared to be handled at his own discretion, Qin Cheng would actually discuss them with Song Wushen in private before taking action.
He had come to rely on him heavily.
That day, after settling the tax accounts, Qin Cheng rubbed his palms together in delight. With Song Wushen’s help, this year’s tax affairs had been completed quickly and smoothly. In previous years, they had always been among the last to submit the taxes to the county, but this year they might even be among the first.
When he saw Song Wushen arrive, he happily shared the news.
“Now that the tax work is finished, the yamen should have little left to do this year. Lord Song, why not come to my humble home later for a couple of drinks?”
Then he sighed. “Ah, I wonder whether we’ll get any word from Xiao Duan. That boy said he was going beyond the pass to buy medicinal herbs, and it’s been over a month already, hasn’t it? Yet he still hasn’t returned. I’m still waiting for the roast mutton he promised me when the weather turned cold.”
Song Wushen’s brows drew tight. He opened his mouth, then closed it again before answering, “He should be back soon. The weather has cooled, after all.”
Tax Officer Qin noticed that Song Wushen’s expression was far from pleasant. Ever since they had begun working together, Song Wushen had always been composed and amiable. Today, however, it was obvious that some grave matter weighed on his mind. He was trying to appear calm, but could not fully conceal it.
Qin Cheng wondered what could possibly have happened to make even Song Wushen act this way. After some hesitation, he cautiously tested the waters.
“Have things gone poorly for Xiao Duan and the others? We’ve worked together for some time now. If Lord Song is facing any difficulty, please feel free to speak. If there is anything within my limited ability that I can do, I certainly won’t refuse.”
After hesitating several times, Song Wushen glanced around. Seeing that no one was nearby, he took Qin Cheng into an inner private chamber.
“We’ve spent a good deal of time together these days, and I know you to be an upright and reliable man, Tax Officer Qin. I’ve received news of the utmost importance, but it is truly difficult to keep it buried in my heart. I’m telling you now so that perhaps we can think of a way to save ourselves from this calamity.”
Qin Cheng’s heart gave a heavy thump. Though he had not yet heard the matter, he could already sense that it was no small thing. He steadied himself and motioned for Song Wushen to speak slowly.
Song Wushen leaned close and whispered two sentences into Qin Cheng’s ear.
Qin Cheng’s eyes flew open. His entire body stiffened, and his heart pounded so violently it seemed ready to leap from his chest.
“……This—this! Lord Song, is it truly so?!”
“How could I dare speak falsely about a matter like this?”
For a long while, Qin Cheng could not calm himself. The world was already in chaos, with war breaking out on all sides. Such earth-shattering news was like a bolt of thunder exploding in a clear sky right before him.
Had anyone else said those words, he would have thought them treasonous nonsense. But they had come from Song Wushen. What sort of family was the Song family? Though they had fallen into hardship now, their connections outside had not been completely severed.
Otherwise, Kong Youhua would never have risked offending others to personally invite him to take charge of matters here before leaving.
Once he accepted that the news was reliable, Qin Cheng was even more shaken. He had never encountered a catastrophe of such magnitude before. Struck by the sudden disaster, he felt cold all over and was utterly at a loss.
“The Town Inspector has only just left, and the new official won’t be arriving for some time. We can’t report this to the county yet………”
Qin Cheng looked helplessly at Song Wushen. “Lord Song, what do you think we should do?”
Song Wushen said, “Once war breaks out, roads will be cut off and the region sealed off. Even food and daily necessities will become difficult to obtain. Fortunately, this is a small place, and the terrain is rugged enough that it is unlikely to become a battlefield. But if we want to preserve some peace and safety, we must make preparations in advance, Commissioner Qin.”
“If we simply wait around, then even if the new Town Inspector arrives, there may no longer be time to make arrangements. And to put it bluntly, once the situation descends into chaos, there’s no guarantee the new Town Inspector will be able to come at all.”
In troubled times, no one had the luxury of worrying about anyone else. Qin Cheng understood that perfectly well.
And because he did, he became even more flustered. “Then—then what can we do?”
Song Wushen composed himself, then once again leaned close and spoke to Qin Cheng in a low voice.
Qin Cheng was frightened nearly out of his wits at first, but the more he listened, the more reasonable the plan seemed. His heart steadied somewhat.
“Commissioner Qin, this matter is of tremendous importance. Think it over carefully. If you believe it can be done, put it into action as quickly as possible. But if you still have concerns……”
Song Wushen let out a faint sigh, looking somewhat resigned to leaving matters in the hands of fate.
Qin Cheng did want to investigate and gather more information himself. But this was such a closely guarded secret that, unless the turmoil had already begun, how could his connections possibly have uncovered even the slightest hint of it?
After giving it some thought, Qin Cheng immediately said, “We’ll do as Lord Song suggested. In any case, temporarily waiving the customs duties will encourage the merchants in town to go out and stock up on goods. It isn’t exactly a violation of regulations.
“Let’s put it into effect first. No matter how bad things are outside, at least we’ll have done something to put our minds at ease.”
Reducing the duties at the pass was not a bad idea in itself. It all came down to whether the person in charge was willing to act. Besides, Qin Cheng could not think of any benefit Song Wushen might gain from this beyond helping the town.
Thus, he readily agreed. More importantly, he had a feeling that if he refused, disaster would follow.
“Commissioner Qin is truly righteous,” Song Wushen praised him with a cupped-fist salute. As he discreetly observed Qin Cheng’s expression, he gained a clearer understanding of the situation. Fortunately, this man was sensible and knew how to go along with things. That would make matters much easier.
If Qin Cheng could not be made an ally, Song Wushen’s eyes darkened slightly. He would simply have to use other methods.
Before long, the new order was announced throughout the town. The merchants reacted with both delight and worry, but one after another they complied, raising funds and leaving through the pass to purchase and stockpile goods.
Having taken the first step, Song Wushen next took over the tax affairs under the pretext that the customs duties were too complicated. He then assumed control of the pass, making it convenient for the private salt to enter the town.
Qin Cheng watched as the official road leading into and out of the town, which had been deserted for years, suddenly filled with carriages and riders. For a moment, he was dazed.
He had no time to remain lost in thought for long. Uneasy, he immediately took advantage of the merchants’ departure to write a letter home. Using their long separation as an excuse, he urged his family to quickly pack up their gold, silver, valuables, children, and servants, and bring the entire household to Rock Town to spend the New Year.
Another ten or so days passed. Song Wushen received word that Lin Er had successfully obtained the private salt in the county seat and finally breathed a little easier. Calculating when the shipment would arrive in town, he replaced every person stationed at the pass with men under Duan Yan’s command who could be mobilized by the patrol inspector.
There was a great deal of cargo, so it had to be brought into town over the course of three days. Song Wushen personally led a group of men to guard the pass and receive it.
Not long after Duan Yan left, Old Third Qian had recovered and started moving about again. When he returned to the yamen, he felt that things had changed. Not only did Qin Cheng no longer treat him with the same intimacy as before, but Song Wushen had also been given charge of affairs, leaving him with even less influence.
He tried several times to make things difficult for Song Wushen, but the man handled everything so flawlessly that Old Third Qian could find no opening. All he could do was swallow his frustration, and he spent his days feeling stifled and resentful.
With little work left to do at the yamen, his thoughts once again turned to his own estate and meat business.
During this period, the yamen suddenly reduced the customs duties to encourage merchants to leave the town and purchase goods. Quite a few people departed, leaving the town much quieter than usual. Old Third Qian sensed that something was strange, but he could not put his finger on what it was.
That rascal was a shrewd one. He secretly set people to making inquiries. Then, one day, he saw Song Wushen managing affairs at the pass and even ordering several yamen runners about. At once, he felt that something was wrong.
Although Song Wushen did not officially hold an office, he was serving in a temporary capacity, and his position was still higher than Old Third Qian’s. Naturally, Old Third Qian did not dare challenge him openly.
Instead, he secretly stationed men at the pass to keep watch. At first, he merely suspected that the town’s recent developments were peculiar and feared that the Song fellow was abusing his authority. He had not expected that, by snooping around, he would actually catch something far more serious!
Excited but afraid that the matter might slip away, Third Son Qian hurried to find Qin Cheng.
“I told you there was something suspicious about that man. Otherwise, why would he have been sent to this remote place? Now he’s gone back to his old tricks. With you overseeing the town, how can you allow someone like him to take advantage of his position and commit such lawless acts?”
“We must catch him in the act and report him to the imperial court. Not only will we be able to purge this poisonous vermin from the town with decisive action, but you’ll also earn a great merit. Just give the word, my lord, and I’ll immediately lead men out. I swear I’ll capture that Song fellow for you, even if it costs me my life!”
Tax Officer Qin’s temples throbbed violently, but he did his best to steady himself.
Song Wushen had actually brought a huge shipment of private salt into town! How dared he commit such an act of rebellion? Qin Cheng’s first thought was to have him arrested. But after he calmed down a little, he felt that the matter was not so simple.
Qianzhou produced no salt and had always depended on saltworks in other provinces. Private salt had long since run rampant there.
His husband’s family had a brother who dealt in the salt trade. In the past, he had been nothing more than a poor scholar. Had he not married Qin Cheng’s husband, and had his father-in-law’s family not supported him by donating a considerable sum of money, he would never have had the opportunity to become a minor tax official in a remote place like Rock Town.
Those old matters were not important. What mattered was that Qin Cheng understood some of the twists and turns of the salt trade. Although private salt was rampant in Qianzhou, there were only a handful of people truly running the business behind the scenes. Newcomers could not force their way into the trade.
Song Wushen had been trapped in these mountains. If he could still manage to traffic in private salt, then he could not possibly be a newcomer. And if he was not a newcomer, how could Qin Cheng afford to provoke him?
If Song Wushen was not trafficking in private salt, then perhaps he was making preparations because of what he had discussed with Qin Cheng earlier. Qianzhou did not produce salt in the first place. Once the routes were sealed off, where would people in a town as remote as theirs obtain salt to eat?
Qin Cheng’s thoughts churned like stormy seas. In the end, he reached a conclusion: this was not something he should interfere with.
“What nonsense are you spouting? The yamen has its own arrangements. Don’t stick your nose into matters that do not concern you. Slandering a superior is a grave act of disrespect!”
Old Third Qian had been rubbing his fists and waiting to seize this opportunity to bring Song Wushen down. After waiting half a day for Tax Officer Qin to give the order, he received this reply instead. It was as if a basin of cold water had been poured over his head.
“My lord, but that Song fellow clearly—”
“Shut up! Can you not understand what I’m saying? I’ll let it go this once because you merely made a few careless remarks here today. But if you take any further action, don’t blame me for refusing to protect you!”
Qin Cheng’s fierce rebuke made Old Third Qian tremble all over, and he immediately fell silent.
Qin Cheng continued, “For the next few days, stay out of the yamen’s affairs. There are many arrangements being made here. Remember, you’re a meat merchant. Before the New Year, smoke and stockpile more cured meat.”
Old Third Qian was somewhat baffled, but he still replied, “When the time comes, I’ll choose the finest cuts and send them to you, my lord, for entertaining guests and your own use during the New Year.”
Qin Cheng waved a hand. “How much can I possibly eat with only one mouth?”
“You’re a prominent figure in this area of the town, and you’re not short of money. Since the customs duties have been reduced, take advantage of the opportunity and leave the pass to purchase some food and other necessities to keep in storage. If you can understand what I’m telling you, hurry and get it done. Stop meddling in matters that do not concern you, or you may end up bringing trouble upon yourself.”
Even after leaving, Old Third Qian was still confused and did not quite understand what Qin Cheng meant.
Then he suddenly recalled that, some time ago, his father had told him that Duan Yan’s father had been borrowing money from relatives and friends everywhere, claiming that Duan Yan was deep in debt. Father and son had even made a great joke of the matter.
Thinking about it now, there had been something strange at every turn.
No matter how much of a wastrel Duan Yan was, the ironworks made such good money that how could he possibly have been reduced to losing face by borrowing from relatives and friends? Yet after borrowing the money, he had immediately taken his men out through the pass, and he had been gone for so long without returning.
A sudden unease seized Old Third Qian. He could already smell that something bad had happened. At once, he lost all interest in meddling with Song Wushen’s private salt and hurried home. He summoned his people and immediately began discussing how to gather money and leave the pass.
After this minor setback passed, Song Wushen successfully received all the salt.
Qin Cheng even went to seek out Song Wushen for a talk.
“My friend, why didn’t you give me some warning beforehand? We nearly had a mess on our hands because of those ignorant underlings. We’re both in the same town, after all. It’s best that we discuss things before taking action.”
Song Wushen was rather surprised that Qin Cheng, who had always been timid and afraid of trouble, had actually managed to suppress the incident. Whatever his reasons might have been, it seemed the man had at least a little sense in his head.
He replied kindly, “This matter is ultimately not something that can be brought into the open. I was a convicted official to begin with. Even if the truth comes to light, it won’t matter much to me. There’s no reason for you to be dragged into the mess and punished as well, my lord.”
Qin Cheng’s heart stirred. “With dark clouds covering the sky, how can Lord Song build a shelter by yourself? We must work together if we want to keep the rain out. If we’re afraid of getting our sleeves wet and refuse to put in the effort, then once the rain comes, we’ll only end up soaked through.”
After exchanging these words, the two men became closer and more trusting of each other.
With Song Wushen’s guidance, Qin Cheng temporarily held back the tax silver and grain that had originally been due to be urgently sent to the county. He intended to wait and see how the situation developed. If the dark clouds dispersed and there were signs of clear skies, they could still hand over all the tax silver and grain later. But if circumstances changed, the grain would remain in the town, with the gates closed, for the local people to use.
Once the grain had left their hands, if the heavens truly changed, those above might not care whether those below lived or died. Even if the officials were upright and wished to help, they might not have the ability to do so. Before reaching that critical juncture, it was better to make plans for themselves.
While the situation in the town was undergoing its changes, Duan Yan, Song Fengsui, and the others safely arrived in Fuyang County. On the first day after entering the city, Duan Yan met up with Lin Er, who had come to join him after finishing the salt business.
“The salt is exactly the same as what we saw in the prefectural city. Nothing is missing, and none of it has been replaced with inferior goods. Those illegal salt merchants really do have some skill. Following your arrangements, Big Brother, we paid Nine-Beard the remaining balance, then paid another hundred taels as a deposit to purchase a second shipment of salt.”
“They said the roads leading to our county were steep and treacherous, but as soon as they heard there would be a second deal, they agreed without saying a word.”
Lin Er then told Duan Yan about the latest developments in the town.
“Kong Youhua has already left the town. Lord Song has made arrangements with the local offices, and Tax Officer Qin issued an order reducing the customs duties. Many of the merchants in town have already left.”
Duan Yan and Song Fengsui were both relieved to hear that everything there seemed to be proceeding smoothly. As long as the salt arrived safely, that was already good news.
Still, they did not dare waste too much time talking. Duan Yan spent one night resting at the residence Lin Er had arranged in advance. The next day, he visited every escort agency in the city. After comparing their prices, he chose the most economical one and had several cartloads of goods sent on to Kang County.
Lin Er accompanied the escort agency and guarded the shipment back to Kang County, where he could meet up with the people there.
After sending off the goods, Duan Yan and Song Fengsui immediately began visiting shops throughout the city to compare prices and purchase supplies.
They bought sugar, tea, oil, and anything else they found at a good price. Along the way, they also purchased ingredients used in food production, such as yeast, starter dough, and brewing yeast.
They had never neglected stocking up on food, and they could not afford to be careless about using those supplies either. Song Fengsui also carefully selected items such as soap beans, scented balm, and tooth powder.
Since they had to compare prices, running all over the city to make their purchases was hardly easy. On the third day, Duan Yan and Song Fengsui were waiting at their lodging for a batch of compressed tea bricks they had ordered. They planned to inspect the goods when they were delivered before heading out again.
But they waited and waited. The agreed-upon time had long passed, yet the tea still had not arrived.
Growing impatient, Song Fengsui sent Gou San'er to the shop to ask about it. They already had plenty of matters to attend to; how could they tolerate someone wasting their time like this?
“That shameless shopkeeper said the people under him had made a mistake. He claimed they were out of the tea bricks we ordered, so there wasn’t enough stock, and he returned our deposit.”
Gou San'er came running back, cursing angrily. “Yesterday, everything was fine. How could the goods suddenly be gone? I asked around, and it turns out the shopkeeper raised the price of the tea. He thought the price he’d promised us was too low, so he simply went back on the deal!”
Duan Yan was furious when he heard this. “What kind of way is that to do business? I’ll go find him!”
Gou San'er hurriedly waved him off. “Master, don’t waste time arguing with him over this. We’ll only be delaying ourselves.”
Just as they were about to quarrel with the shopkeeper, a traveling merchant who had come to deliver goods to them happened to mention that fighting had broken out in the east and several trade routes had been cut off. Any goods coming from the east were bound to rise in price.
Song Fengsui’s brow tightened. “Fighting has already begun in the east?”
“Yes. And it’s not only that traveling merchant saying so. When I was out, I heard people at the teahouses along the street talking about chaos in the east too.”
The sweat on Gou San'er’s face had not yet been wiped away. “I wanted to ask around a little more, but I was worried that Master and Young Sir would be waiting impatiently at the residence, so I came back first to report.”
Duan Yan and Song Fengsui immediately left the residence. Instead of going straight to the shop, they first headed toward the area where traveling merchants gathered.
“What east? It’s clearly the south. His Highness the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace is dead, and the Empress’s maternal relatives are demanding accountability. They’ve ordered troops to march north, but the imperial court refuses to let them pass and has set up checkpoints everywhere. That’s where the clashes began.”
“That’s all hearsay. The rebel forces in the east have already killed several generals, and their momentum is fierce. The imperial court hasn’t even sent troops to suppress them. At this rate, I’m afraid the entire Dongjiang Prefecture will fall into the rebels’ hands.”
“Don’t exaggerate so shamelessly. I don’t know what’s happening in the east or south, but I came from the north, and the inspections around the capital are extremely strict…”
Duan Yan and Song Fengsui sat in a teahouse frequented by traveling merchants for less than half an hour, yet they heard no fewer than six or seven versions of where fighting had broken out.
Some said war had begun in the east. Others claimed there had been clashes in the south. Still others said the capital region in the north was already tense and on edge.
Fuyang County was a strategic stronghold in Qianzhou, with roads leading in every direction. Though it was not a prefectural city, it was hardly less bustling. Most importantly, its convenient transportation drew merchants from far and wide, making it a place where news traveled quickly.
These traveling merchants came from all over the country. Some drank and chatted, boasting about strange things they had witnessed on the road. Some came to make friends, while others took the opportunity to buy and sell goods.
Each person had a different story. Yet this time, hardly anyone discussed business. Instead, they all spoke of wars and disturbances, talking themselves into making it sound as though the whole realm were about to descend into chaos.
The more wildly the stories spread, the more everyone seemed to relax. They felt that with so many people mixing truth and rumor together, it was best to treat the whole thing as entertainment.
Only Duan Yan and Song Fengsui grew colder and more uneasy the longer they listened.
Among them, there were certainly local merchants deliberately fanning the flames, perhaps to drive up prices or for some other purpose, creating panic among the people.
But the two of them knew that these disturbances had not arisen from nothing. The seemingly contradictory rumors were actually proof that smoke was rising from all directions.
They had known this outcome was likely. Otherwise, they would not have come here in the first place. Even so, the speed at which the flames of war were spreading still caught them somewhat off guard.
Song Fengsui pinched the corner of Duan Yan’s robe and looked up at him anxiously.
“It’s all right. Don’t be afraid.”
Duan Yan gently stroked Song Fengsui’s back and comforted him. “We’ll hurry, finish buying what we need, and return to the town.”
