Chapter 41

Li You's words were too inciting; Wu Zhuge had been half-clear-headed, but the phrase "Rui Prince's Mansion" tipped the balance—what luxury and grandeur could that be?

Yet, could a vassal prince's mansion truly be so easily seized?

In the seventh year of Chongzhen, Li and Zhang's combined forces were mighty, yet they never even reached the Han River.

In the eighth year of Chongzhen, Li Chuang returned with renewed force, advancing from Madao to Chenggu and Yangxian, only to be defeated again by Sichuan troops led by Hou Liangzhu's reinforcements—without even glimpsing Hanzhong Fucheng, they retreated once more.

In September of the tenth year of Chongzhen, Li Zicheng, Guo Tianxing (Zhang Tianlin), Hun Tianxing (Hui Dengxiang), and over a dozen peasant armies set out from Qinzhou, took the route through Huizhou and Lueyang, and marched toward Hanzhong Fucheng; their "momentum was fierce," their ranks "over forty li wide," and "two days passed before the tail had even passed." Yet on the twenty-sixth, they were utterly routed by General Cao Bianjiao and fled in panic.

Later, when they broke out of Sichuan, Little Red Wolf (Sun Tianfu) seized the chance to besiege Hanzhong Fucheng; Hong Chengchou, upon hearing this, immediately led He Renlong and Zu Dabi to rush to its relief.

So many big players rushed to Hanzhong precisely because of the Rui Prince—so to plot for the Rui Prince's mansion's wealth could only remain a fantasy.

As they spoke, they had already reached the foot of Mao'erba, where a sloping stretch near the official road was uneven; Wu Zhuge's group feared damaging their horses and thus led them up on foot.

Li You had no choice but to fall silent—he truly wanted to know how this "official bandit" outfit operated.

Especially regarding the sale of iron and fine salt—to which guild or merchant association were they directly sold? Or to gentry and officials?

Of the inner workings, Wa Qingyun only knew of the Cao family of Mian County; the rest was vague—this was precisely what Li You wanted to know, for this was the very foundation of Longmen Fortress.

Just as they led their horses onto the official road, a large group of riders and carts came rushing toward them.

"Business coming?"

Wu Nai exclaimed excitedly.

Wu Zhuge raised his hand to halt, squinting ahead.

A convoy approached—six or seven tall, powerful horses led the way, followed by uniform, heavy-wheeled carts with deep ruts; on each cart's frame flew a triangular red flag, embroidered in black silk with gold trim: an "An" character.

The draft horses up front were uniformly sleek and well-fed; each cart had a sturdy, sword-wielding driver, and armed cavalry patrolled the perimeter.

Li You estimated: the convoy had about twenty-plus riders, dressed in two distinct colors—half wore identical leg bindings, wrist guards, black robes, horseman's pants, and crimson sashes.

The other half wore more varied attire, yet their aura was even more formidable.

When Li You's dozen riders halted, the convoy noticed and instantly stopped.

From the central, luxurious carriage, a jade-green hand lifted the curtain, revealing half a face that peered out, then the curtain dropped again.

Four riders up front surged forward at breakneck speed, like arrows loosed—just these four charging gave the impression of a hundred cavalry; Wu Nai could barely hold himself, gripping his saber's hilt tightly…

But those four riders reined in sharply, ten paces away.

All four were young, around twenty-two or twenty-three, each wearing a ten-thousand-character headcloth, red sash, yellow leather boots with clawed soles, and carrying twin daggers slung on their backs with broadswords in hand.

The eldest among them, a round-faced, big-eared man, bowed from horseback: "Which gang are you from? I'm Pei Liangwei—this is the Great An Trading Association. May we pass?"

His tone was sharp—he clearly didn't regard Li You's group as anything.

"Great An Trading Association?"

Wu Zhuge's heart jolted—the Great An Trading Association was a branch of the An family.

In the late Ming, merchant guilds and banking houses had flourished, giving rise to various associations, merchant cliques, and financial institutions; among the most renowned were the Qin-Shan merchant guild, whose prominent clans included Cao, Kang, Wang, Fan, and Jin; among the Huizhou merchants, the illustrious lineages included An, Zou, Cha, Ruan, Fang, and Wang.