Chapter 46: A Golden Finger Isn't So Easy to Cheat

"Sanniangzi, it really is you!" Zhang Zhao had not expected that the second time the Cao family came to negotiate with him, it would be Cao Sanniang herself, so he simply received her at Qi Xiahu's mountain stronghold.

Cao Sanniang once again entered the stronghold hall where she had first encountered Ge Duo. She glanced behind Zhang Zhao.

That was the very spot where, back then, she had cautiously hidden behind Zhang Zhao, her heart full of despair about her future fate — a world of difference from today.

"This is my younger brother, Cao Liulang, Cao Yanlu. This time the Military Governor's office plans to send an envoy to the Golden Kingdom of Khotan, precisely to seek a marriage for Liulang with the third daughter of the Great Sage and Great Enlightened Son of Heaven of the Golden Kingdom of Khotan, the Princess Tiansheng."

After a brief moment of distraction, Cao Sanniang introduced the man behind her to Zhang Zhao.

Cao Yanlu — if Zhang Zhao remembered correctly, this fellow would later become Military Governor of the Guiyi Army, and his descendants even held offices under the Western Xia.

"Yanlu greets Zhang Erlangjun!" Cao Yanlu was tall and big. Unlike his grandfather Cao Yijin, who still had a beard faintly tinged with purple-red, perhaps because the Sogdian blood had been diluted almost away, Cao Yanlu looked more like a Han scholar from the interior.

"No need to call me Zhang Erlangjun. Zhang Erlang is fine!" Zhang Zhao waved his hand. Cao Yanlu was older than him yet still called him Erlangjun, clearly treating him as an elder.

"The Lady of Guangping Commandery is my aunt. You and I can address each other as brothers."

Hearing Zhang Zhao say this, Cao Yanlu had no particular reaction, but Cao Yanming, who was roasting charcoal in the corner, immediately looked thoroughly displeased.

His grandmother, Lady Suo, was Zhang Zhao's paternal cousin-aunt, so he had to call Zhang Zhao "Cousin-Uncle," whereas Cao Yanlu's mother and Zhang Zhao's mother were sisters, so he could address Zhang Zhao as a brother.

"Er... Erlang!" Cao Yanlu was still somewhat unaccustomed to calling a man of his father's and grandfather's generation — especially one his eldest sister described as having the bearing of a hero — "Erlang."

"His Excellency the Great King has already agreed to your demands. The pardon for the descendants and subordinates of the former Yumen Army Garrison Commander Qi Jiarun has been stamped and completed. Her Highness Princess Fengtian of the Golden Kingdom has also entrusted someone to bring two letters for Erlang."

As he spoke, Cao Yanlu handed over two letters. Princess Fengtian of the Golden Kingdom was Zhang Zhao's nominal mother — the empress of Zhang Chengfeng, the White-Clad Son of Heaven of the Jinshan Kingdom, the elder sister of Li Shengtian of the Golden Kingdom of Khotan, Princess Fengtian of the Yuchi clan.

When Zhang Zhao saw that the first letter was addressed "Respectfully submitted for the perusal of My King, the Great Sage and Great Enlightened Son of Heaven of the Golden Kingdom," he knew it was for Li Shengtian. Zhang Zhao skipped that one and directly opened the letter whose cover read "For Zhao'er to open personally."

This Princess Fengtian of the Yuchi clan had actually treated Zhang Zhao quite well. If not for her threatening death back then, Zhang Zhao reckoned that at age two he would not have been carried out of the palace in Cao Yijin's arms, but would have been thrown into the moat and drowned by some Cheng Ji-like figure.

This Princess Fengtian was no weak woman like Zhang Zhao's birth mother, who only knew how to chant Buddha's name. When her husband Zhang Chengfeng was pulled from the throne and her own son Zhang Geng died of dysentery from fright, she could still keep a clear head and think of a way to preserve Zhang Zhao — that absolutely required great wisdom, and even greater fortitude.

One must understand: after Zhang Geng's death, Zhang Zhao was Zhang Chengfeng's only bloodline. Only by preserving Zhang Zhao could she preserve her one remaining hope.

"I have already read Mother's letter. She asked me to return a gold vessel that the Son of Heaven of the Golden Kingdom once gave her, to fulfill her longing for her younger brother and her homeland, and she also entrusted my uncle the Son of Heaven to look after me well." After reading the letter, Zhang Zhao's face immediately relaxed.

This letter was the best evidence that the Cao family had agreed to his conditions and reconciled with him. Without Cao Yijin's approval, this letter could never have been sent out.

For this was not as simple as a sister married far away writing a letter to her younger brother. Although Zhang Zhao kept calling Li Shengtian "uncle the Son of Heaven," Li Shengtian had not the slightest blood relation to him. How reliable this uncle-nephew relationship was remained unknown.

But with this letter from his own elder sister Princess Fengtian and the gold vessel symbolizing the siblings' bond, his identity as Li Shengtian's nephew became somewhat more credible.

"Furthermore, having heard that Erlang intends to go to the Golden Kingdom of Khotan to make his mark, my father had me select twenty brave men from the Shouchang Garrison. All are assault troops skilled in riding and archery, men of courage and strength.

Erlang is a descendant of the Grand Guardian's line, a noble of our Guiyi Army. They are all willing to follow Erlang west to the Golden Kingdom of Khotan to seek their fortune!"

Hmm? Zhang Zhao turned his head slightly toward Cao Sanniang. What was the meaning of this?

Zhang Zhao had seen the Shouchang Garrison that day and naturally knew the quality of these elite troops. By rights, such elite soldiers were a treasure no matter where they were. Would the Cao family be willing to simply give them to him?

"To be precise, it is my grandfather His Excellency the Great King's intention. He said he thanks Erlangjun for his assessment and understanding of him. Whether the Cao family or the Zhang family, we are all one. Deputy Yan and the other twenty men have all had their families settled. They are all sincerely following Erlangjun west."

Strange! Cao Sanniang's expression was perfectly normal. Zhang Zhao picked up the letter his mother Princess Fengtian had written him again and read it through carefully, but found nothing amiss!

Why had the Cao family suddenly become so kind-hearted? Not only did they send him twenty elite veteran soldiers, they even sent an expert like Deputy Yan, and settled all their worries about home as well.

"Erlangjun, my Cao family's sincerity has been fully displayed." As Cao Yanlu spoke, he glanced at Cao Yanming in the distance, still single-mindedly "doing hard labor." Indeed — the dignified Fourteenth Young Master of the Cao family roasting charcoal in a corner, what was that if not hard labor?

"May I ask when the Fourteenth Young Master may return to Dunhuang? Erlangjun's aunt, the Lady of the Commandery, Lady Suo, longs day and night for the Fourteenth Young Master's return. In secret, who knows how many times she has wept."

It was indeed time to let Cao Yanming go back, but Zhang Zhao suddenly felt somewhat reluctant. In just these two or three days, Cao Yanming had already established a set of standards for the charcoal — including to what degree it should be roasted and the fineness of the granules, all summarized.

This fellow truly did not seem like a hostage in the stronghold at all, but rather like a researcher. These past days he had become utterly absorbed in gunpowder formulas, unable to extricate himself.

A few days earlier he had even innovated by adding honey, realgar, even arsenic and other strange things into the mixture. At Zhang Zhao's reminder, he had also kept records, repeatedly testing various gunpowder formulas and their effects.

To be honest, Zhang Zhao was somewhat reluctant to let Cao Yanming leave. As a profligate second-generation heir, he was unqualified, but as a 996 beast-of-burden researcher, this fellow was absolutely qualified!

Heaven only knew why he loved researching gunpowder so much.

"Well, about that, hmm...!" Zhang Zhao was just trying to think of an excuse to keep Cao Yanming a while longer when Cao Yanming spoke up himself.

"Third Sister, Sixth Brother, go back and tell Father for me — I'll return on my own in a few days. There are still some things here I haven't finished researching!"

At these words, Cao Sanniang and Cao Yanlu were both dumbfounded! My dear young master, do you think this is a casual visit to relatives? They kidnapped you! Kidnapped! With any other kidnapper, your head would already be on the ground!

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