Chapter 159: Receiving Gold

"The Master instructs that, after I finish my official duties, I am to return to Xianyang at once and explain this matter clearly before him in person."

Chen Wujiu sighed. His letter had gone unanswered for two months, and just when he thought it had sunk like a stone into the sea, the Master had finally replied — only to summon him back to Xianyang for a face-to-face talk.

This was more or less what Heifu had expected. Who was Xia Wuju, after all? He would never, just because an ordinary disciple had sent him a letter from the war front — the "proposal" of a mere platoon leader from Anlu — rush off eagerly to present a remonstrance to King Zheng of Qin, that ruler whom Wei Liao had described as "sparing in grace but with the heart of a tiger or wolf."

Such a rash act was not something Xia Wuju would do.

The person who understood the King of Qin's physical condition best was neither his most favored consort nor his children, but the imperial physician who attended him day in and day out, regulating his diet and taking his pulse.

This post seemed glorious but was in truth perilous, much like inspecting a tiger's teeth — the slightest lapse in attention and one's life could be lost in the tiger's jaws. Every year, no small number of imperial physicians were put to death for angering the King of Qin.

Yet Xia Wuju had been singled out by the King of Qin and kept constantly in attendance at his side, rising all the way to Chief of the Imperial Physicians, "Director of the Grand Physicians," of the Qin palace. He owed this not only to that medicine basket he hurled at Jing Ke, but also to his prudence in word and deed.

And so Chen Wujiu could only say to Heifu, "Once I have settled the Wei people assigned from Daliang to Waihuang, I must depart with the army and return to Xianyang. When the time comes, I will certainly demonstrate that method of bandaging wounds before the Master in person, and then earnestly request that the Master submit a memorial on my behalf, so that this excellent measure may be adopted throughout the Qin army. Naturally, I will not omit Heifu's contribution in the slightest."

"In that case, I must trouble you, Physician Chen." Heifu was not overly disappointed. Matters that could only be accomplished through another's hand could not be rushed. Gain was his fortune; loss was his fate. In any case, in another month or so, the rank of Grandee would be within his grasp — that was the proper path to promotion. Merits stood there plain to see; he need not curry favor with anyone.

Just as Chen Wujiu was speaking with Heifu here, the first batch of refugees from Daliang arrived. Chen Wujiu could only cup his hands toward Heifu, say that they would speak at length when the chance arose, and then go over to direct the Qin soldiers to halt the refugees and inspect them one by one…

By now the sky had darkened to evening. Heifu and his men were to rest the night in Waihuang, quartered in the army camp.

That night, the Waihuang camp was celebrating the victory in the campaign to destroy Wei, holding a feast for the troops. Wine, ordinarily forbidden, was openly distributed to every tent, and there was even meat…

Heifu also went to Colonel Yang Xiong's great tent to join the revelry. By the time he returned to his own tent, having drunk much weak wine and patting his belly, the others had already finished their evening meal.

Ji Ying, however, was somewhat restless. He kept standing up to peer outside, and when he saw Heifu return, he was overjoyed and said to him, "Heifu… Patrol Chief, I hear that tonight, this city of Waihuang is positively bustling — especially the women's quarter!"

The moment Ji Ying wagged his tail, Heifu knew exactly what he was after: a full belly and warm clothes stir thoughts of lust.

And indeed, it was just as he said. After Zhang, the county gallant, became Prefect of Waihuang, he had used that gangland mentality of his to recruit wandering gallants and draw in merchants, making the markets of Waihuang even more prosperous. Even the pleasure trade was run with flair. Quite a few women from Zheng, Wei, and Daliang made their living here, earning coin from the roving gallants.

The gallant-errant style required not only wine and meat, but also the complement of beautiful women. This was precisely why Waihuang so attracted the wandering gallants.

After the Qin army arrived, the wandering gallants within the city had nearly all fled, but the women's quarter had merely gone quiet for a few days before reopening once more. This time, their new patrons were Qin soldiers, far from home and without sight of a woman for many months…

To the women's quarter, whose coin was not coin?

The women's quarter of Waihuang had a reputation far and wide, and Ji Ying had long yearned for it. Rubbing his hands together, he said, "Back in the second month, the fighting had just ended and there was no chance to go. A few days ago, when we passed through here, we had to prepare the decoy operation and still couldn't go. Now the fighting is truly over, Wei is destroyed, and we've received no small amount of reward money at Daliang. Would it be possible, do you think…"

"If you want to go, then go."

Heifu smiled and did not scold him as he usually would. The war was over, and everyone's spirits had relaxed considerably. Besides, the reason his men had been practically "guiltless of the slightest offense" in Huyou Village was not only their military discipline and self-awareness, but also that Heifu had let them go to the village women's quarter to amuse themselves every half month.

So he pulled out a thin little gold cake, weighing about one tael, and tossed it to Ji Ying. "Take a few comrades with you. This round is my treat. Return quickly once you're done, and by all means avoid quarrels and causing trouble with others!"

Ji Ying was overjoyed at these words and immediately called for several other men, but Heifu did not rise.

"The Patrol Chief isn't coming?"

"Someone has to stay and watch the reward money." Heifu pointed to the several large wooden chests inside the tent.

The reason their group had stayed on a few extra days in the Daliang army camp was precisely to wait for the reward money to be distributed. According to the figures on the earlier wanted notice, the slaying of Zhou Shi was worth one hundred gold. Because it had been a joint operation by four platoons, Heifu's group had ultimately received forty gold. Added to the twenty gold for capturing Zhang Er's wife and son, this was an enormous sum.

Apart from the twenty gold that Heifu could claim alone, which he kept on his person, the remaining forty gold had all been converted into banliang coins — over twenty thousand coins in total, loaded onto an entire cart, to be distributed to the soldiers of his platoon once they returned.

Besides needing someone to watch this money, there was another reason: Heifu's temperament in his former life had a streak of spiritual fastidiousness. He would rather take matters into his own hands than have any dealings with the women's quarter.

"Is Chen Sheng not going either?"

Ji Ying looked again at Chen Ping, who hastily waved his hand in refusal.

And so, a short while later, only Heifu and Chen Ping remained in the tent.

"Just in time to help me figure out how to divide the money."

Heifu had Chen Ping serve as an accountant for a spell and help him work out the sums.

"Of these twenty thousand-odd coins, I intend to give five thousand to our fallen comrades."

Heifu's platoon had borne the heavy task of storming the defenses during the Battle of Waihuang. Five men had died in action, and two more had later died of their wounds. A few days ago, during the ruse to lure Zhou Shi and the pursuit through the woods, three more had fallen in battle.

As early as two months ago, Heifu had agreed with everyone that the platoon's headcount of kills would be apportioned first to those who died in battle. Thus these ten men had all been posthumously awarded noble ranks, allowing their families to enjoy the benefits of land and homesteads. Yet Heifu still resolved to give each of them an additional five hundred reward coins!

This was not state compensation, but a gift from him as their platoon leader. Though the families would receive land and homesteads, they had, after all, lost a primary laborer. This sum of money might perhaps help those households get through the hardship a little sooner, and serve as a small comfort from him.

"The Patrol Chief is truly benevolent and righteous."

Chen Ping noted this down and expressed his admiration. If sharing money with the soldiers during wartime could still be seen as buying their hearts so they would fight to the death, then now, with the fighting over and everyone about to return home, for Heifu to still do this showed it was truly his nature. Such a military officer was one whom any soldier would be willing to follow.

"If word of this spreads, the Patrol Chief will surely be praised by ten thousand voices in his home county…"

The remaining money would be divided among the remaining forty men. Those with higher rank and those who had taken part in the decoy operation would receive a bit more. All told, it came to no more than three or four hundred per person.

"Of course, there is also a share for you."

As he spoke, Heifu brought out five taels of gold and placed them before Chen Ping.

Chen Ping started, and hurriedly pushed the gold back. "What is the Patrol Chief doing?"

"The scheme to lure the Waihuang gallants was one you and I devised together. Afterward, you were unwilling to share the merit and receive a rank, but this reward gold — I cannot keep it all to myself. I hope that Chen Sheng will accept it."

Chen Ping still wished to refuse, but Heifu said, "I can guess a little of what was in Chen Ping's mind that day. If you had gained a rank from this, you feared the slander of your fellow villagers, that they would say you aided Qin in its cruelty and slaughtered Wei people, making it hard for you to hold your place in the village thereafter. But as for how this bit of reward gold is divided — you know and I know, and no third person will ever see it. Chen Sheng might as well accept it. It can help with household expenses, and also express my gratitude…"

Looking at the gleaming yellow gold cakes on the table, Chen Ping wanted to refuse, but in the end the words stuck in his throat.

When faced with the temptation of a noble rank, Chen Ping had been very level-headed, first considering his reputation in his home village. But when faced with money, he grew somewhat unsettled.

Like most children from poor families, Chen Ping still placed considerable importance on money. If he could return home with so much gold, he would have truly fulfilled the words he had spoken to his elder brother and sister-in-law that day about "earning his own keep"!

He was no hypocrite. Since Heifu spoke with sincerity, Chen Ping no longer declined. Cupping his hands, he said, "Since the Patrol Chief says so, Chen Ping will accept it frankly."

He placed the five small gold cakes in his hand and said with emotion, "With this sum of money, I can also gather enough coin and silk to make a proposal of marriage…"

"A proposal?" Heifu's eyes lit up. "Could it be that Chen Ping already has someone in mind? Is that why you also did not wish to go to the women's quarter just now?"

Chen Ping smiled and said, "Indeed. In Chen Ping's heart there is already a fine match. Now I have the coin and silk for the proposal, but I still lack a person of high virtue and great prestige to act as my go-between."

With that, he bowed to Heifu and said, "Would the Patrol Chief be willing to hew the axe-handle for me?"

"Hew the axe-handle?" Heifu, whose learning was shallow, did not understand.

Chen Ping hastily switched to a different phrase. "That is, to act as my matchmaker."

In this age, one could not make a marriage proposal in person; a matchmaker had to be found. As the poem says: "How does one hew an axe-handle? Without an axe it cannot be done. How does one take a wife? Without a matchmaker it cannot be won." The meaning is: how does one cut that tree? Without an axe it is impossible; how does one marry that wife? Without a matchmaker it will not do.

The person serving as matchmaker was best an official or an elder, so as to show the importance placed on the marriage, and to make it harder for the other party to refuse.

This was something Heifu had not anticipated, but on second thought, to act as someone's matchmaker required a very close relationship — either as an elder or a friend. Although their future paths might not be the same, with this bond of having served as Chen Ping's matchmaker, perhaps it could prove useful someday…

The world is in turmoil and the future uncertain — besides doing his duty as this Qin clerk, making more friends and building goodwill can only help.

So Heifu readily agreed, then asked curiously, "May I ask which family's virtuous daughter has caught your eye, Chen Ping?"

Chen Ping smiled. "The granddaughter of the Zhang clan of this district."

"The Zhangs…" Heifu shook his head. He knew that Zhang Bo did have two granddaughters — one already married, the other still a maiden waiting at home. The problem was, though only sixteen, that girl was just as tall and stout as her grandfather Zhang Bo.

And after that last incident, Heifu had made an enemy of Zhang Bo. Him, go play matchmaker? It would almost certainly fall through.

So Heifu shook his head. "If you send me to propose on your behalf to Zhang Bo, I fear it would do more harm than good."

Chen Ping burst out laughing. "The patrolman misunderstands. The granddaughter I wish to marry is not Zhang Bo's."

He stopped laughing, his gaze steady as he declared, "It is the granddaughter of Zhang Fu!"

"Zhang Fu's granddaughter?"

Heifu instantly recalled the gossip Zhong Ming had mentioned — that tale of "one woman who killed five husbands." Somewhat astonished, he couldn't help sizing Chen Ping up all over again.

This man's tastes are unique, his nerve colossal — truly beyond the measure of ordinary men…

(End of chapter)