Chapter 999: The Petty Townsman

"Judging by your accent, you're not from the north—could you be from Jinghu?" Liu Chengyou said to the stall keeper. Though phrased as a question, his tone was unusually certain.

The stall keeper's rough face immediately took on a flattering expression, saying: "You must be a noble person of exceptional discernment, to pinpoint my accent so accurately. I am indeed from the south, but not from Jinghu—I'm from Puqi County."

"Puqi County!" Liu Chengyou was somewhat surprised, and chuckled lightly: "That still belongs to Ezhou!"

Under ordinary circumstances, Liu Chengyou could hardly remember every prefecture and county across the realm, but recently he had been studying the Jiangnan region. And as a key target of the southern campaign, Ezhou had naturally entered his field of vision, while Puqi was a small county southwest of Ezhou, bordering Yuezhou, named for the dense cattails growing within its borders.

"You're truly remarkable, sir—even knowing a small place like Puqi!" The stall owner was just short of giving Liu Chengyou a thumbs-up.

Taking stock of this man—around forty years old, rough skin, hands covered in calluses, plainly dressed, with exposed muscles that looked quite sturdy.

Liu Chengyou continued asking with curiosity: "If you're from Puqi, how did you come to the Eastern Capital?"

Seeing Liu Chengyou pressing him about his personal affairs, the old man dared not refuse to answer, nor even dare to meet his gaze, and could only speak truthfully: "About seven years ago, I suppose, the court dispatched a great army to pacify Hunan, fighting at Baling, and conscripted laborers from the surrounding prefectures and counties. I was unfortunately... ah, fortunately selected, and went beneath the walls of Baling to serve the court's great army..."

From his words, Liu Chengyou could imagine just how overwhelming the imperial army's pacification of Hunan had been—even the people of Puqi, which belonged to the Southern Tang, fell within the scope of conscription. At the time, Han Tong seemingly had no fear of provoking a diplomatic incident. Of course, afterward the Tang general Liu Renshan expressed great indignation, while the Southern Tang court didn't dare let out so much as a fart.

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou's interest grew even stronger, and he laughed: "So by that account, the court's victory at the Battle of Baling owes something to your contribution too, old brother!"

"You jest, noble sir! Breaking the city and slaying the enemy was the merit of the soldiers—I only helped chop firewood, fell timber, and haul supplies. What merit could I possibly claim!" The old man waved his hands.

"Eh, the soldiers earned battle merits, while you earned toil merits—both served the court, each with their own role to play!" Liu Chengyou also laughed.

As they talked, Liu Chengyou had already walked over to stand beside him. The man, reading the situation, stood up and offered his low stool. Liu Chengyou didn't stand on ceremony, sitting down directly, and looking at the old man who sat cross-legged on the ground, continued: "According to the court's regulations, you should have received rewards after the war!"

Hearing this, the old man sighed and said: "For common folk like us, to survive that brutal battlefield with our lives intact was already a stroke of luck."

"Old brother, with all your limbs intact, your luck was indeed good!" Liu Chengyou nodded, acknowledging his point.

"I must also thank the blessings of gods and Buddhas, and thank my luck at being assigned to fill the moat!" The old man said: "So how could we dare to hope for rewards from the court? I was fortunate enough to return home safely, but many who went with me, alas..."

Hearing his lament, Liu Chengyou immediately asked: "From your tone, it seems there's something more? Could it be that the court's subsequent compensation wasn't properly implemented?"

As he posed this question, Liu Chengyou's tone suddenly turned stern, giving the old man a great fright. Seeing this, he became somewhat flustered—he'd been so focused on answering that he seemed to have said something he shouldn't have. His eyes flickered a few times, and he instinctively lowered his head, saying: "I've spoken out of turn! I don't know anything!"

Clearly, this old man had some discernment—he knew this was likely a high-ranking official of the court, perhaps even one of those legendary imperial envoys investigating the people's condition. However, judging by this bearing, it was different from the rumors—overbearing and too ostentatious.

But regardless, he shouldn't keep talking, lest he invite trouble.

Noting his reaction, Liu Chengyou resumed his warm smile and said: "Old brother, you needn't be so guarded. I'll be frank with you—I am an official charged with hearing the people's grievances, conducting my inquiries in plain clothes. Since we've started, you may as well continue..."

Hearing this, the old man's face changed dramatically, and he instinctively looked around, his face taking on a bitter expression as he said: "I truly don't wish to court trouble!"

Liu Chengyou remained all smiles: "But you've already courted it! Let me put it this way—what you said just now, perhaps the court didn't know before, but as long as the court wants to investigate, the truth will absolutely come to light, crystal clear. I simply want to learn some things from your mouth, to save unnecessary trouble..."

The old man was tempted to retort—then go investigate it yourself, why make things difficult for a nobody like him. But noting Liu Chengyou's gaze, he hesitated for a moment, then volunteered: "It's really not a big matter. After the war, most of the frontline laborers received rewards, but those of us registered in Jiangnan's territory were only given some rations and sent home."

"The authorities said we should ask the Jiangnan court for compensation. I suppose that's understandable—after all, we weren't subjects of the Great Han at the time!" The old man sighed: "Those like me with good luck, able to return home safely, were already content. But some died, some were crippled, leaving their families short of a strong laborer—and asking the Jiangnan court for compensation was clearly impossible..."

"Despicable!" Hearing this, Liu Chengyou barked in anger: "All under heaven is the king's land—the people of Jiangnan are also the Great Han's subjects, the Son of Heaven's people. Moreover, since they served the imperial army and bled and sacrificed for the Great Han, compensation should be fully delivered!"

Seeing Liu Chengyou's fury, the old man was also startled, but since the words were out, he cautiously echoed: "This sir, what you say makes sense."

Clearly, his words were somewhat insincere—perhaps in his heart he still thought Liu Chengyou was being idealistic.

Liu Chengyou's mood wasn't so easily affected, however. He quickly calmed down, resumed his smile, and seeing the old man's discomfort, reverted to a relaxed tone, saying: "See, we've drifted off track, haven't we? By rights, after the war you should have returned to Puqi—so how did you end up making your way to the Eastern Capital?"

Hearing Liu Chengyou ask this, the old man visibly relaxed somewhat and replied: "While I was in the army, I came to know my son-in-law. At the time he was a soldier of the imperial army on campaign, serving as a squad leader. After the fighting ended, I married my daughter to him. When the army marched north, after some consideration, the whole family simply came back to the Eastern Capital with him, and we've settled here ever since..."

Nodding slightly, Liu Chengyou looked at the old man's stall and said: "A squad leader who took part in the Battle of Yuezhou—by now, even if he hasn't become a battalion officer, he should at least be a centurion with room to spare! Why would he let his father-in-law hawk cattail fans in this summer heat? Has something gone wrong?"

Hearing this, the old man was slightly startled, then said in a tone of lament: "You're truly clever, sir. My son-in-law had indeed been promoted to centurion, but he was killed in battle during the northern campaign, alas..."

"So you're the family of a martyr of the northern campaign—worthy of respect!" Liu Chengyou clasped his hands in salute.

"I dare not! I dare not!" Seeing this, the old man hurriedly replied.

"As for your family's compensation, the Ministry of War hasn't skimmed any off, has it?" Liu Chengyou asked again.

"No, it was paid in full and promptly!" The old man replied: "The Son of Heaven's generous treatment of soldiers is well known to all. Besides, my son-in-law was at least a military officer—they wouldn't dare shortchange someone like him."

Hearing this, Liu Chengyou pondered briefly, then said: "With your worthy son-in-law fallen, the family has lost its pillar. These past three years, making ends meet must have been difficult."

The old man said: "The Eastern Capital is the capital after all. Still, my family has been fortunate—we have a bit of ground to stand on and a tile over our heads, so we have a place to live. The compensation my son-in-law left behind is set aside for raising the children. The family still needs income for daily expenses, and my son has grown up and needs to marry. Back in Puqi, I had some skill at weaving, so I wove some cattail fans and brought them here to sell..."

These scattered trifles, Liu Chengyou listened to with great seriousness, and continued asking: "You only sell these cattail fans?"

"Naturally not!" The old man shook his head, a shrewd look appearing on his face once more: "It's just that summer's coming, the weather's hot, and every household needs fans to cool off, so I specialize in cattail fans to catch the season. Normally, I also sell baskets, hampers, and bamboo wares..."

One could say this was a very ordinary small handicraftsman of the Eastern Capital.

Liu Chengyou smiled too: "It seems your craft, old brother, must be quite good. How's business now—how much can you earn in a day?"

The old man replied: "To be honest with you, sir, with the scorching heat approaching, on the best days recently I can make over a hundred coppers, and on slower days forty to fifty. Alas, summer always passes, and I'm not the only one selling fans..."

"That's not a small amount!" Liu Chengyou's mood turned cheerful again, and he asked: "What's the price of grain for you folks now?"

"A dou of rice costs thirteen or fourteen coppers!"

"Thirteen coppers—isn't the court's set price twelve?" Liu Chengyou asked.

"..."

Liu Chengyou chatted with the old man for a full two hours before rising, smiling at him: "In conversing with you, old brother, I have gained much. I am a man who always rewards and punishes with clarity—I've taken up so much of your time, so I should compensate you, and since your words have been of service, you deserve a reward as well."

Before Liu Chengyou could finish speaking, the old man hurriedly said: "This sir, I'd be satisfied just to avoid trouble—how could I dare accept a reward!"

Liu Chengyou smiled: "Rest assured, I promise you—as long as you mind your own business, no one will cause you trouble. The reward money is well deserved! How about this—since your best days bring in over a hundred coppers, I'll give you a hundred and ten."

Hearing this, Zhang Dejun, who had been attending nearby, hurriedly took out his money pouch to pay.

"I'll take my leave now! I hope you'll forgive the intrusion! May your business prosper—until we meet again!" With one more smile at him, Liu Chengyou turned and strolled leisurely away.

Watching the figures of Liu Chengyou and his party, the old man was sweating profusely. He nimbly pocketed the money, then packed up his stall, and ignoring the probing questions of the curious onlookers around him, went straight home.

After that, the old man never sold his wares at the Eastern Market again, instead moving to the Southern Market. This was perhaps the shrewdness of the petty townsman—though it seemed somewhat naive.

And from beginning to end, Liu Chengyou never asked his name. In Liu Chengyou's eyes, this old man represented a type of person.