Chapter 315: Encountering Danger

"Shopkeeper, settle the bill!" At Zhao Laosan's shout, the shopkeeper came trotting over.

"Two guests, that comes to thirty-five wen in total!"

Zhao Laosan reached into his bosom, pulled out a small piece of broken silver and slapped it on the table. "Give me the change!"

The shopkeeper gave him a puzzled look, then picked up the silver and went to the counter. After weighing it on a small scale, he took a cloth pouch from beneath the counter, counted several times, put a dozen or so wen into the drawer, and came trotting back with the small pouch: "Guest, this establishment has no more silver on hand. Here is your change of one hundred and fifteen wen—all copper coins, not iron ones. If you don't believe me, you may look for yourself!"

"We've got it! Liuzi, grab the bag and let's go!"

Zhao Laosan waved his hand with a look of impatience, stood up, and headed straight for the shop door. Xu Liuzi picked up the money pouch and followed.

After the two had left, Feng Yucheng stood up, called out to the shopkeeper, fished a piece of broken silver from his sleeve and set it on the table, then stepped out to trail behind the pair. Behind him came the shopkeeper's shout: "Guest! Guest! Wait, let me give you your change!"

Once outside the door, Feng Yucheng saw Zhao Laosan and Xu Liuzi walking one behind the other toward the southern end of the alley. The Sucheng dock on the Grand Canal lay to the south of the city—it seemed the two had no intention of spending the night in town, but rather wanted to leave the city while the sky was still light and the gates still open, and return to their boat.

Summer days were long. Though it was already the end of the shen hour, the sky remained bright, and few pedestrians passed through the alley where the small tavern stood. Since the two men ahead were chatting and laughing with each other as they walked, their pace was not fast. Feng Yucheng likewise slowed his steps, following at a distance of a dozen or so paces behind them.

The narrow alley was not very long. Seeing the two men ahead exit the alley and turn to the right, Feng Yucheng, afraid of losing them, lifted the hem of his cloth robe with one hand and quickened his pace.

When he hurried to the mouth of the alley and turned right, just as he was about to step forward, he saw Zhao Laosan and Xu Liuzi standing in the street a few paces before him, staring at him coldly.

Feng Yucheng froze for a moment and was about to pretend to be a passerby and leave, when Zhao Laosan and Xu Liuzi flanked him left and right and, as if they were old friends roughhousing, carried him back into the alley they had just left. Since it was mealtime, there were few pedestrians on the street to begin with, and no one noticed what was happening—and even if someone had seen it, they would have taken it for three acquaintances fooling around.

"You blind thief! Saw my money on display and followed me, did you? Today I'll cripple your paws! Liuzi! Pin this bastard's hand against the wall!"

As Zhao Laosan spoke, he drew a short blade with its sheath from his bosom. Xu Liuzi had long since tied the money pouch to his waist. He pressed Feng Yucheng against the wall, pinned his legs with the knees of his two thick thighs, then spread Feng Yucheng's arms flat against the wall, arranging him in the shape of Christ on the cross.

Though Feng Yucheng struggled with all his might, his frame was no match for Xu Liuzi, who was used to hard labor year-round. From Zhao Laosan's words, he had been taken for a thief, and today they meant to teach him a lesson.

Feng Yucheng watched as Zhao Laosan drew the gleaming short blade from its sheath with his right hand and stepped forward to slice down at his right hand. In desperation, Feng Yucheng shouted: "I am a court official! Do you two not value your lives? Xu Liuzi, think of your family!"

At Feng Yucheng's shout, both men's faces changed drastically. The strength in Xu Liuzi's body slackened at once, and Zhao Laosan's right arm, raised with the blade, froze in midair, his eyes showing shock and uncertainty.

"I am an imperial Censor! If I am harmed, His Majesty will order the authorities to conduct a city-wide search! The fact that you and I entered and left that tavern will soon be discovered by the constables. With the two of you having made no effort to conceal your tracks, you will quickly be arrested and interrogated! Under the three boards, can the two of you hold out and not confess the truth? Murdering a court official is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your families!"

Feng Yucheng's words utterly shattered the two men's resolve.

Upon hearing that Feng Yucheng was a court official, Zhao Laosan had still been thinking—since he had offended an official, letting him go might mean Feng Yucheng would seek revenge however he pleased, so why not just finish him with one stroke? But Feng Yucheng's speech struck straight at the heart of the matter.

In the tavern, Zhao Laosan had not paid attention to Feng Yucheng, but when the drink had gone to his head and he had lowered his voice to instruct Xu Liuzi, he had noticed Feng Yucheng very obviously leaning sideways to listen. When settling the bill, Zhao Laosan had also seen Feng Yucheng looking at the silver on the table and the copper coins returned as change. He had immediately concluded that after he had spoken of money and goods and shown his wealth, this thief Feng Yucheng had set his sights on him. So when he left the tavern he had tipped off Xu Liuzi—which led to the scene just now.

Xu Liuzi released Feng Yucheng and retreated to Zhao Laosan's side, his face full of fear as he hung his head and stared at the ground. Zhao Laosan, who had already tucked the knife back into his bosom, appeared composed. He clasped his fists toward Feng Yucheng and said: "Honored sir, we two common folk took you for a thief. We have been most offensive, and we beg that you, honored sir, not hold it against us! If you are angered by our rudeness, then beat us soundly to vent your anger, and afterward we shall owe each other nothing. What do you say, honored sir?"

Feng Yucheng reached out to smooth the wrinkles in his robe and said with a smile: "One cannot blame those who did not know! I am hardly such an unreasonable person! That was merely a misunderstanding!"

"We thank you, honored sir, for your great magnanimity! Then we humble folk shall take our leave!"

Zhao Laosan clasped his fists and bowed again as he spoke. Beside him, Xu Liuzi was clearly greatly relieved and likewise clasped his fists and bowed to Feng Yucheng, though he dared not speak.

"Wait!"

The two had just turned to leave when Feng Yucheng called out to stop them.

Looking at the smile on Feng Yucheng's face, Zhao Laosan was momentarily baffled. This rather young official had a kindly countenance—though his eyes were sharp, they carried no malice.

"You are Zhao Laosan, and he is Xu Liuzi—am I right? And if I have not guessed wrong, you two are grain transport boatmen, are you not? Zhao Laosan, I ask you a question, and you must answer truthfully. If I am satisfied, I will give the two of you a future!"

Feng Yucheng clasped his hands behind his back and looked at Zhao Laosan as he spoke.

"A future? What kind of future? If you have questions, honored sir, just ask—I'll answer truthfully! Future or no future doesn't matter much!"

Zhao Laosan was not moved by the pie Feng Yucheng was offering, and still bowed with a calm expression.

Feng Yucheng could see right through Zhao Laosan's thoughts. He reached into his bosom and drew out an exquisite purple sandalwood plaque, holding it up: "I am the imperial Censor for grain transport inspection! Whether it be your Governor-General of grain transport or the military officers of the transport army, if any violate the court's laws, I may memorialize the court to impeach them! Zhao Laosan, I ask you—as a transport boatman, how much military pay and provisions do you receive each month?"

As Feng Yucheng tucked the plaque back into his bosom, fear appeared on Zhao Laosan's face, while Xu Liuzi dropped straight to his knees.

"To answer you, honored sir, each month I can draw one dan of white rice from the transport officer, but every time it comes to only about seven dou!"

Zhao Laosan still had not knelt, only lowering his eyelids to avoid meeting Feng Yucheng's gaze.

"If I take the two of you on as personal attendants, with a monthly wage of one tael of silver, increased once every three years thereafter, and your families—old and young alike—enter my household as servants with monthly wages on par with my other attendants, would the two of you be willing?"

Feng Yucheng asked unhurriedly, continuing on.

The Feng family was a great clan of the Jingxiang region. Many of Feng Yucheng's ancestors had served as officials, the family wealth was considerable, and their clan business was not small.

Having learned their names, he could simply have let the two go and then had the local authorities arrest them. But Zhao Laosan's conduct in the tavern had earned his regard—he found the man loyal and reliable. Better to do a good deed than play the villain. Besides, he truly lacked a few trustworthy servants at his side.

With Zhao Laosan and Xu Liuzi following him as personal attendants, their families could be sent to his home in Xiangyang—a great clan could easily arrange places for a few people. If the two proved diligent and reliable, they would stay by his side in the future; if they proved useless, he could simply send them off to Xiangyang as well.

Feng Yucheng had in fact made inquiries into the condition of the transport army, knowing that most transport soldiers and their families lived in great hardship. In his personal memorial to the Emperor, he had also touched upon the matter briefly.

For people of this era, being able to have one's entire family enter an official's household as servants was a matter of great prestige and real benefit—a good position one could hardly find even searching with a lantern. Feng Yucheng believed that once he offered these terms, the two would absolutely not refuse.

"Is the honored sir speaking the truth?"

"I would never deceive you! After the two of you have delivered the grain and returned, you may come to the grain transport Censor's yamen in Huai'an Prefecture to find me. After that, we need only sign the documents. I am Feng Yucheng!"

"Your humble servants Zhao Laosan and Xu Liuzi pay respects to Master Feng!"

"Very good! Rise and answer my questions!"

"Thank you, Master!"

"Zhao Laosan, when will the grain fleet head north from Sucheng dock?"

"To answer you, Master, your servant heard the transport officer say that several boats in the fleet are leaking and need a few days for repairs. He estimates it will take five or six days before they can set out!"

"What was the matter concerning Jining Prefecture that you spoke of in the tavern?"

"To answer you, Master, this batch of grain we are shipping is relief grain to be delivered to the Yongji Granary in Jining Prefecture for distribution to the disaster victims! Someone is playing tricks with it!"