Chapter 160: Marriage Lies in Mutual Profit

In early May, after returning to Huyou Township, Heifu first distributed the reward money to the soldiers who had been stationed there in his absence, and then without pause paid a visit to the Zhang Fu household.

With Zhang Bo now ill from anger, all clan and township affairs were being managed by Zhang Fu.

Heifu first informed Zhang Fu that the one thousand dan of millet provided by the Zhang clan could be used to purchase a rank of nobility, securing one rank for a member of the Zhang clan, and that the matter he had promised to handle was done.

After delivering this good news, he immediately stated the purpose of his visit: "I wish to act as matchmaker for Chen Ping..."

Upon learning that Chen Ping wished to marry his granddaughter, Zhang Fu was first stunned, then overjoyed beyond measure!

Setting aside everything else, his granddaughter's marriage had become a major vexation for him; five men had been wed to her and all five had died. Although none of the deaths were directly linked to the Zhang clan's young lady, it was far too uncanny, and word had spread, damaging her reputation. Now that Chen Ping was willing to take on this burden, how could he not be ecstatic?

Moreover, Chen Ping, as a handsome youth of the township, had already caught Zhang Fu's attention after clearing his name of the "seducing his sister-in-law" suspicion.

Ever since Heifu recruited Chen Ping into the Qin camp as a clerk, his several proposals had won unanimous praise from the Qin officials. What impressed Zhang Fu most was Chen Ping's "lend grain to the people" strategy, which created a triple win for the Qin officials, the Zhang clan, and the town's commoners, earning Zhang Fu's deep admiration and convincing him that this young man's future prospects were limitless.

To gain such an excellent grandson-in-law, how could he not be delighted?

Zhang Fu mused inwardly, "With Chen Ping's looks and talent, and with our clan's support, given time, he may well command a county and make his name renowned throughout the commandery."

And so, Heifu's first attempt at matchmaking was an instant success. Without even consulting his granddaughter, Zhang Fu hastily agreed to the marriage. However, the Zhang young lady's previous husband had only died in March, and the mourning period was not yet over, so the wedding date was set for around March or April of the following year...

The matter was thus settled in a muddled fashion. Afterwards, to express his gratitude, Chen Ping made a point of using the money Heifu had previously given him to host Heifu at the best tavern in the township.

When Chen Ping announced he would reserve the entire tavern, the tavern keeper looked him up and down in astonishment, nearly blurting out a sarcastic remark out of habit, but then immediately recalled that this was no longer the idle, despised Chen Ping who lived off his elder brother and sister-in-law.

The Chen Ping of today had cleansed the slander and stigma of his past and was now working under the Qin officials, making him a man no one dared to slight.

"Chen Ping has money now. I fear he'll soon become a rich old gentleman of this township," the tavern keeper said flatteringly, but Chen Ping inwardly dismissed the remark.

"A rich old gentleman? Truly the words of a petty schemer. He underestimates me far too much."

After the tavern keeper, with a fawning smile, had laid out the food and wine, Heifu arrived. The two exchanged formal salutes across the low table and sat down facing each other. This matter had brought their relationship considerably closer. When the wine had warmed them to a tipsy state, Heifu could not help but ask curiously why Chen Ping was so set on marrying that Zhang clan young lady...

"Did Master Chen take a fancy to her beauty?"

After all, she was the foremost beauty of the township. Heifu even imagined a scenario where Chen Ping had secretly admired the Zhang young lady since childhood, standing by the roadside watching her wedding procession, and the moment the wind lifted the gauze curtain of the bride's carriage, the youth was stunned, and never forgot the sight...

"Patrolman, please stop!"

Chen Ping burst into loud laughter upon hearing this, thoroughly amused by Heifu's imagined scenario.

He glanced left and right; only the two of them were in the tavern, and the tavern keeper was busy with his own tasks far away. He then leaned in close and said in a low voice, "The reason I want to marry the virtuous lady of the Zhang clan is for the Zhang clan's wealth, and for Zhang Fu's reputation and influence in this township..."

Chen Ping's eyes became intensely utilitarian, yet utterly candid.

"Patrolman, just think. That Zhang Er was originally a fugitive murderer, utterly destitute. He married the daughter of a wealthy Waihuang magnate, and with the financial support of his rich in-laws, he transformed overnight into a great knight-errant of Wei, even entering government office to become the Prefect of Waihuang."

"The same goes for Chen Yu. Had he not won the favor of the Gongcheng clan of Kuxing in Zhao, who took him as a son-in-law, where would he have gotten the money to travel and socialize, eventually becoming a famed local scholar?"

After hearing this, Heifu understood. In Chen Ping's eyes, a successful marriage was not about mutual love and affection between husband and wife, but about a complementary union.

To sum it up with a famous saying from some sage Heifu had long forgotten:

"Heaven's principles and human sentiment need no lengthy exposition; marriage lies in mutual profit!"

The collapse of Daliang and the destruction of Wei had profoundly shaken Chen Ping. He had truly felt the momentum of the era, and thus began to ponder his own future path.

Although he was now working as a clerk in the Qin camp, receiving three dan of grain a month, it was only a temporary position. The war was over, and Heifu and his men would leave sooner or later. Would he then revert to unemployment?

Chen Ping certainly would not sit idly waiting for that day. Based on his understanding of Qin laws and institutions over the past two months, once Heifu and his men withdrew, military rule would end, and a formal County Magistrate, County Commandant, and County Assistant would take office in Yangwu County.

Should he go to Yangwu, or seek a clerk position in a neighboring county? After all, he had the advantage of knowing Qin script, and by now he could understand the Guanzhong dialect.

But after some thought, Chen Ping abandoned this plan.

Though the Qin army had swept through Wei and destroyed the Wei altars of state, Chen Ping's identity as a "man of Wei" had not yet completely faded in his heart. Moreover, his elder brother and sister-in-law were still in Huyou. Chen Ping intended to prioritize developing locally and observe the situation before deciding.

The Qin government had strict native-place restrictions for appointing officials. The chief officers of commanderies and counties were never locals, but were directly appointed from Xianyang elsewhere. However, the subordinate clerks of commandery and county offices, as well as the salaried and assistant officials at the township level, all used locals.

Therefore, Chen Ping estimated that the future Huyou Township would still be under the sway of the local gentry. His relationship with the Zhang clan, his reputation among the township community, and his own wealth would still be the foundation for establishing himself locally.

So far, Chen Ping had only cleansed his past stigma, caught the Zhang clan's attention, and earned a bit of money to prove he could "support himself." However, this was still far from the "great ambition" he kept hidden in his heart, which he dared not tell anyone.

Naturally, he dared not speak of that ambition to anyone, for no matter whom he told, they would laugh their teeth out.

Chen Ping did not lack talent; he only lacked a stage on which to perform. While Heifu was here, for reasons Chen Ping still did not understand, he had provided him many opportunities to showcase his abilities. But Chen Ping could not leave his home and follow Heifu to Nan Commandery, so he needed to find a new powerful patron for his future development...

His heart could aim high, but his feet must stay on solid ground; this was Chen Ping's principle for building his career.

After hearing Chen Ping's true intentions, Heifu could not help but sigh. This was indeed Chen Ping, calculating even his own marriage with such meticulous utilitarianism.

He expressed understanding for Chen Ping's choice. Indeed, for a talented man as poor and isolated as Chen Ping, gaining the support of the wealthy and powerful Zhang clan was the swiftest path to success!

But Heifu also asked with some concern, "That virtuous lady of the Zhang clan has a reputation for bringing death to her husbands. Aren't you afraid..."

"Afraid of what? In my view, the deaths of those five men were all accidents, and they simply lacked the fortune to enjoy a beauty."

Chen Ping was already drunk, and in a rare display of unrestrained abandon, he laughed heartily, his eyes brimming with confidence.

He patted his chest and declared loudly, "Patrolman, rest assured. Chen Ping's fate is tough enough!"

In mid-June, at the hottest time of the year, Huyou Township was buffeted by waves of heat and gusts of valley wind. Lotus leaves spread lushly across the ponds, and the incessant drone of cicadas came from the trees along the roadside.

A contingent slowly emerged from the Qin army garrison camp outside the township and proceeded southward at a measured pace. It was Heifu and his men.

By now, about a month had passed since Heifu acted as matchmaker for Chen Ping. During this month, Huyou Township had been peaceful and uneventful. Aside from stepping up patrols to prevent refugees from Daliang from running amok, there was nothing else to do, and everything locally remained as before.

The destruction of Wei seemed to have no bearing whatsoever on this township.

By early June, as formal Qin officials were transferred to Yangwu, the time for Heifu and his men to withdraw drew ever closer. The conscripts from Anlu and Yan County, who had been away from home for over half a year, had long been impatient to leave.

After half a month of preparation, Heifu handed over local defense duties to the new Patrolman—who, just as Chen Ping had predicted, was indeed a local township magnate. Then, leading his men, who were all eager to return home, he departed the camp they had garrisoned for several months.

Although under Heifu's strict control, the Qin soldiers had practically committed "no offense against a single blade of grass" locally, the locals felt little gratitude toward him. There was absolutely no scene like in the dramas, where an upright official is transferred and the common people, supporting the elderly and carrying the young, come to plead with him to stay and see him off. The only ones who came to send them off were Zhang Fu and his son, along with Chen Ping and a few others.

"For what the Patrolman has done for this township, this old man will remember on behalf of the townsfolk. As for the great kindness the Patrolman showed in preserving the Zhang clan, this old man will also ensure my descendants remember it in their hearts and never dare forget."

Zhang Fu had his servants prepare meat and wine to toast Heifu, and also had Zhang Zhong and his other sons and grandsons toast Heifu's squad leaders and squad deputies one by one. This prompted the outspoken Dongmen Bao to mutter, "Old Master Zhang of West Zhang still has some human warmth, far better than that old fossil of East Zhang."

When it was Chen Ping's turn to offer Heifu a toast, Heifu sighed:

"It seems I won't have the chance to see Master Chen marry the virtuous lady of the Zhang clan. Those two taels of gold are my early wedding gift."

Chen Ping cupped his hands and said, "The Patrolman not only promoted me but also gifted me much gold and money. Chen Ping truly has no way to repay this."

Perhaps it was this feeling of "having no way to repay the kindness" — Heifu and the others had already traveled over ten li from the village, yet Chen Ping still rode the horse borrowed from the Zhang family, accompanying them all the way to the border of Huyou Township.

Looking ahead, the next step would be the boundary of Waihuang County. Though the war had ended, traveling alone on the road was still not very safe, so Heifu urged Chen Ping to stop.

"Master Chen, this is far enough."

"The reason I've accompanied you this far is that there is one question I have always wanted to ask the Patrolman."

Chen Ping dismounted and bowed deeply to Heifu. Raising his head, he voiced the doubt that had been hidden in his heart for months.

"That day when the wine flowed freely, the Patrolman said that from then on, he would regard Chen Ping as a friend. Then Chen Ping dares to ask the Patrolman: before this, we were complete strangers to each other. Why did you deliberately help me clear my name of that false charge?"

"I have already asked my sister-in-law. The Patrolman sent men to investigate thoroughly, and only after learning the truth of the matter did you come to find me. Afterward, you brought me into the Qin camp as a clerk, gave me grain, shared your reward gold with me, and treated me like a trusted confidant. What virtue or ability does Ping possess to deserve such painstaking effort from the Patrolman?"

Chen Ping was a pragmatic man and had never believed in things happening without reason. Heifu's attention and patronage toward him had gone beyond normal bounds.

At first, he had even worried that Heifu harbored ill intentions, or was perhaps a man of Longyang tastes, but later he discovered this was a misunderstanding.

This only made Chen Ping more perplexed. He racked his brains to no avail. If he could not learn the reason, his heart would never be at ease.

Heifu was silent for a moment, then, no longer brushing the question aside as he had in the past, laughed and said, "Perhaps it is because, the very first moment I laid eyes on Master Chen, I felt you were different from ordinary men?"

"I am but a poor scholar from a village lane. What difference is there?"

Heifu pointed at himself. "You may not believe this, but when I saw you, a sentence suddenly flashed through my mind."

Chen Ping pressed him: "What sentence?"

"This gentleman — might he one day govern all under Heaven?"

With these words, Heifu burst into hearty laughter. He clasped his hands toward Chen Ping in farewell, and without lingering, spurred his horse away, leaving only a distant sentence behind.

"Men meet in this life at appointed times. Though one may escort a friend a thousand li, a parting must come at last. Chen Ping, here we bid farewell. Until we meet again!"

The horse's hooves swept up dust as they swiftly receded into the distance, leaving Chen Ping standing rooted to the spot, dumbstruck, his face even more filled with shock than before.

"Govern all under Heaven! How — how does he know the ambition in my heart!?"

(End of Chapter)