Chapter 476

"I beg you, Lord Xiao, save Liu Ji!"

Xiao He, who was presiding over the wedding feast, had just wiped his face when Liu Ji burst in. He shut the door, threw himself to his knees before Xiao He, and poured out every detail of his grudge against the Commandery Governor of Jiaodong.

He started from their first encounter eight years ago at the Battle of Waihuang, all the way to last winter's corvée labor in Xianyang City — the reunion, the manhunt, the cutting of his beard — he laid everything bare.

"I said it was strange that Governor Wei would send you money for no reason!"

The water Liu Ji had prepared for him was still hot, but now Xiao He felt only a bone-deep chill.

Though Heifu was merely the head of a commandery, an imperial minister, the fact that he could find this nobody in the vast realm — while Liu Ji was in disguise and his place of origin unknown — was truly terrifying!

Or perhaps that so-called manhunt was only meant to startle the snake? Liu Ji had been discovered long ago during his corvée service in Xianyang, but this Governor Wei had kept silent, ordering men to shadow him in secret, following the vine to find the melon — all the way to Pei County...

The less Xiao He understood Heifu's intentions, the more meticulous and brilliant his methods seemed in Xiao He's imagination.

But at Heifu's level, if he wanted Liu Ji dead, a single word — even a hint — would be enough, and countless men would gladly do the deed for him. Take, for example, the Pei County Magistrate, Assistant, and Commandant who had spent last night's banquet fawning over Heifu. Qin law? In Guanxi or Nan Commandery it might hold sway, but east of the Pass, especially deep in the villages and hamlets, there was plenty of room to maneuver — Xiao He, as a man inside the system, knew this better than anyone.

Why would he go to such trouble, take such an interest in Liu Ji? Xiao He could not fathom it.

Liu Ji filled in the blanks himself: "Could it be that the Qin soldier I killed at Waihuang was a comrade or friend of the Governor?"

Xiao He shook his head. "I have heard that this Governor places great weight on ties to his home village. If you had killed his friend, those two retainers outside would not have brought money — they would have brought government men to arrest you. Or perhaps the Governor means to use you to find the fugitive Zhang Er..."

According to Liu Ji's account, Zhang Er and this Governor Wei had a feud. But even so, once Liu Ji was found, the proper procedure would be to have Pei County seize and interrogate him. A charge of being a Zhang Er rebel accomplice would be enough to flay a layer off Liu Ji's hide — why play all these elaborate games?

At this moment, Liu Ji showed not a trace of his usual arrogance or roguishness. Fearful yet composed, he kowtowed to Xiao He and pleaded, "Lord Xiao, things have come to this — what is to be done?"

Xiao He had a splitting headache — a headache that Liu Ji had such a history with Heifu, and a headache that his years of investment were about to vanish like a stone dropped into water. Irritated, he said, "He is a two-thousand-bushel official, you are a petty village chief. This is like weighing gold against a feather — what do you think you should do?"

"His power reaches the heavens! He can send me money, and he can send me to my grave!"

The gap in status was too vast; a small man had no way to resist. Liu Ji understood this well. He raised his head and said resolutely, "What if I flee?"

Liu Ji's first instinct was to run. A few dozen li west of Fengyi lay the Fengxi Marshes, a place of dense forests and bogs, crawling with snakes and insects. After Chu fell, plenty of remnant soldiers and bandits had taken refuge there. Join them, and he might survive — it was only a shame about his fine marriage. He hadn't even slept with the bride yet...

Xiao He looked at Liu Ji and thought to himself, Governor Wei's mind is unfathomable, his methods impossible to predict. He knew I was coming to preside over Liu Ji's wedding, so he deliberately sent two retainers along with a gift of ten thousand cash — perhaps to frighten Liu Ji. If Liu Ji flees out of fear of punishment, that is a crime. And if he flees right under my nose, wouldn't I become an accomplice?

At this thought, Xiao He shuddered. Unlike Liu Ji, that lone drifter, he had an entire clan of several hundred people counting on him.

Just then, Liu Ji shook his head repeatedly, rejecting his own idea. "No. If he could find me among all those commanderies, counties, and post stations, he must have eyes watching me! And his two retainers are right outside — the moment I step out the door, they'll be tailing me."

A savage look crossed his face. Better to steel his heart, take his companions and friends, kill those two retainers, and then flee — spend the rest of his life as an outlaw in the wild marshes!

Xiao He immediately picked up the thread. "Exactly. Perhaps Governor Wei deliberately wants to frighten you into fleeing, so his men can follow behind and find Zhang Er."

Liu Ji stamped his foot in frustration. "Ever since we parted ways at Shanfu, I haven't seen Zhang Er in eight years! How would I know where he's gone?"

"But Governor Wei believes you do. Right now, you are like a fish trapped in a net. Even if you flee, if Governor Wei wants to catch you, it's still as easy as turning over his hand. And even if you can escape — what about your parents, your brothers, and your new wife?"

Xiao He thought for a moment, then offered Liu Ji a suggestion. "Since Governor Wei has not directly sent men to seize or kill you, perhaps he does not wish to deal with you through the law of the land. Perhaps he wants you to go to him of your own accord and beg forgiveness..."

"Isn't that just delivering myself to his door to die?" Liu Ji's scalp still tingled at the thought of that black face; he was utterly unwilling.

"Not necessarily."

Xiao He analyzed the situation for Liu Ji. "Governor Wei is on his way to take up his post in Jiaodong. He wants to stretch his limbs and accomplish things, and for that he needs the local gentry to serve him. If you, an old adversary, go openly to beg forgiveness, and the Governor kills you, it will make him look petty and intolerant. If he releases you, he gains a reputation for magnanimity, which will draw the gentry east of the Pass to pledge themselves to him. So compared to fleeing, going to Jiaodong in person to offer a thorned branch and beg pardon actually gives you a better chance of keeping your life."

"Lord Xiao, please allow me to think it over..." Liu Ji had been driven into a corner, or he would never have begged Xiao He for help.

"Your life hangs in the balance — you had better think it through clearly. Rest assured, I, Xiao He, will request leave from the County Magistrate and travel with you to Jiaodong to plead your case!"

Xiao He appeared loyal, honest, and sincere, considering Liu Ji's interests at every turn — but in the final analysis, it was all for himself.

I originally thought the world was descending into chaos, that the Qin empire might not hold firm, and planned to lie low in Pei County, watching how the times would change. Once chaos broke out, I would push Liu Ji forward, rally the local heroes and swordsmen as his aides, and thereby protect my clan. But now it seems that path is no longer viable.

Liu Ji, this little fish, had long ago been marked by a giant whale. He would either die or flee. Even if he followed Xiao He's advice and went to Jiaodong to "offer a thorned branch and beg pardon," he would likely never be able to return to Pei County easily again.

Liu Ji away from Pei County was like a fish out of water, stranded on a sandbank, stripped of all his ability to stir up wind and rain in his old home.

No matter which path he chose, Liu Ji — Xiao He's investment of many years — was already finished. Thinking of it this way, could this also be Governor Wei's two-birds-with-one-stone scheme to recruit Xiao He to serve as an official in Jiaodong?

The more Xiao He thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed. A man like this was best not offended.

He paced with his hands behind his back, pondering. I will accompany Liu Ji on a trip to Jiaodong. First, to plead his case, which can be considered fulfilling the bond of these ten-odd years. Second, I can use Liu Ji as bait to test Governor Wei. If he kills Liu Ji, it shows he is a petty man who seeks only momentary satisfaction. If he releases him, then he is a man who understands the greater picture, a man of deep stratagem...

Depending on the man's character, Xiao He would then make different plans for his own future and that of his clan.

As for Liu Ji? He could only apologize to him.

When Xiao He saw promise in Liu Ji, he could spend effort drawing him in, cultivating their bond, making Liu Ji trust him. But when his own interests and those of his clan were at stake, he could also, without a moment's hesitation, sell Liu Ji out!

Just as in history, Han Xin rose through Xiao He's recommendation and fell through Xiao He's deception...

And Liu Ji, after a bout of hesitation, made the same resolution he had made in history when, urged by his advisors, he resolutely went to the Feast at Swan Gate!

"Fine! Whether I stick my neck out or pull it in, it's death either way. Better to take the initiative and go to Jiaodong. First, to beg forgiveness; second, to give thanks for this weighty gift of ten thousand cash; and third — your old man wants to see for himself just what he intends to do with me!"

Xiao He clapped his hands. "Good! When do we leave?"

Liu Ji said fiercely, "The fish dies or the net breaks — we leave tonight!"

Xiao He asked, "You're not going to fetch your bride? Not going to the bridal chamber?"

"My life is about to be gone — what marriage? I may die on this journey, so I won't hold up that daughter of the Lü family."

With that, Liu Ji cupped his hands and bowed to Xiao He. "Lord Xiao, wait a moment. I will go right now and tell Old Lü the marriage is off!"

Afraid that this unreliable fellow Liu Ji was tricking him and would bolt the moment he stepped outside, Xiao He hurried after him, wanting to keep an eye on him.

But to his surprise, Liu Ji's mind truly was as changeable as the weather in the fourth or fifth month.

Liu Ji had spoken of canceling the marriage, but after stepping out the door, he stamped his foot, then went straight to the bustling main hall. He found the two retainers Heifu had sent, who were drinking there, and bowed deeply to them, saying:

"You two stalwart men — Governor Wei is a great two-thousand-bushel official, a figure of immeasurable nobility, while I, Liu Ji, am merely a petty village chief on a meager salary. The Governor bestowed upon me a congratulatory gift of ten thousand cash, and I, Liu Ji, am deeply grateful. I should have immediately set out to catch up with the Governor's carriage and thank him in person. But tonight is my wedding night, and as village chief, leaving my post without authorization is a grave crime. I beg you two stalwart men to wait two days for me. Once Liu Ji has completed the wedding, tomorrow morning I will immediately resign my post as village chief, prepare my travel documents, and then travel with you two stalwart men to Jiaodong to personally thank the Governor for his grand gift!"

The words "grand gift" were practically ground out through gritted teeth, but to anyone listening, it sounded as if he were moved to tears of gratitude.

The two retainers looked utterly baffled. Heifu had only instructed them to deliver the money and stay in Fengyi a few days to observe Liu Ji's reaction — they had never expected this little village chief to pull something like this. They exchanged glances, then could only nod.

The wedding guests, unaware of the truth, all cheered, "That's Liu Ji for you! To give thanks, he quits being village chief just like that — what a bold spirit!"

Liu Ji was like a mute eating bitter herbs — he could not speak of his suffering. He could only wave his arm and shout, "My friends, the hour is late! Old Liu still has a whole night of... exertion ahead. If you've eaten and drunk your fill, then come with me to fetch the bride!"

"Brother Ji, at your age, a whole night — can you manage?"

Lu Wan and the others began to jeer loudly. Fan Kuai, his hands still greasy, came out from the back kitchen. Xiahou Ying said he had already prepared the carriage. Ren Ao stayed behind to entertain the guests, while Xiao He was pulled by Liu Ji onto the wedding carriage — whether the main carriage or the secondary one, both were borrowed by Liu Ji.

Once the main carriage had taken the lead, Xiao He asked Liu Ji softly, "Weren't you afraid of holding up the virtuous daughter of the Lü family, and planning to cancel the marriage and leave tonight?"

"Bah! That was just hogwash I spouted when my mind was clouded by lard!"

Liu Ji drove the carriage on while laughing: "Marry her, and I might hold her back. But if I don't marry her, the one I'm holding back is myself!"

His logic in life was: better to let others down than to let himself down!

"That's right — I'm heading off now, life or death unknown. But never mind that I've made an enemy of a commandery governor. Even if Mount Tai crumbled before my eyes and the sky came crashing down, so what? A man dies with his prick pointing skyward. While I'm still not dead, your old man here is going to sleep with a woman one last time. If luck is on my side, I might even leave an extra seed for my old Liu clan! No loss even if I die!"

In Xiao He's eyes, Liu Ji's face at this moment had gone from its initial terror and fear to that of a dead pig unafraid of boiling water — he was even humming a risqué local folk tune...

"Fine Liu Ji, worthy of your reputation as a man of boundless daring!" Xiao He nodded, a smile appearing on his face too.

Later ages have a saying: To endure what others cannot — when an ordinary man is insulted, he draws his sword, rises, and throws himself into a fight; this does not count as true courage. The man of great courage in this world is one who, when it suddenly befalls him, is not startled, and when it is imposed on him without cause, does not grow angry. This is because what he carries within him is vast, and his ambition reaches far!

Though Xiao He did not know this passage, he grew ever more certain that his earlier assessment of Liu Ji had not been wrong. He was indeed the sort of man of great courage who dares to act and can accomplish great things. It was just a pity, such a pity...

Xiao He sighed and raised his head to look at the stars gradually emerging on the horizon. They seemed dazzling, yet compared to the boundless night that enveloped them, they were still not worth mentioning!

Several days later, just as Cao Can learned that Xiao He and Liu Ji would also be heading to Jiaodong with him and stood there utterly bewildered, Heifu's convoy had already arrived at Linzi, the second-largest city under heaven, and met his former superior, the Marquis of Guannei, Wang Ben...

(End of chapter)