Chapter 29: Returning to Xingyang (Part I)

Planning Xu Shiji’s future?

That was nonsense!

Zheng Yanqing knew very well that the Sui dynasty would not last more than ten years. Ten years from now, Xu Shiji would only be in his twenties. What use would any promising future be then?

Although Xu Shiji had a good relationship with him, Zheng Yanqing needed a stronger bond—one that would firmly tie Xu Shiji to him.

With Li Ji around, Zheng Yanqing knew that he was already connected to the Li clan.

But that was not enough!

When Li Er grew up, he would become ruthless and merciless, sparing not even his own brothers. How could he possibly spare the student of a clan member?

Zheng Yanqing wanted to cling firmly to Li Er’s influence while weaving a network of connections strong enough to protect himself.

Xu Shiji was one point in that vast web. Du Ruhui and Fang Xuanling, whom he had befriended earlier, were also part of it. As long as such a network protected him, he could safely rely on Li Er and live as freely and comfortably as he pleased.

Speaking of which, Yanqing still felt some regret.

Li Yuan had come to Luoyang twice, yet both times they had missed each other.

It was truly frustrating… But Zheng Yanqing also knew that Li Yuan’s current identity and position were extremely awkward—highly delicate.

At the end of last year, a folk song had appeared in the streets of Luoyang.

It went:

“Peach and plum, the empire shall be won;
The empress circles Yangzhou, winding through the gardens.
Speak not rashly—who can say whom Heaven has chosen…”

The appearance of this ballad, later known throughout the ages as the “Peach and Plum Chapter,” had caused Yang Guang to grow suspicious. Who had composed it? From where had it spread? No one could say.

Yet not long after the ballad appeared, Li Yuan was stripped of his post as Governor of Loufan. Overnight, he went from a powerful provincial ruler to a palace vice-supervisor with barely any authority.

To claim that the “Peach and Plum Chapter” had played no part in it—

Even Yang Guang himself probably would not have believed that.

Thus, when Li Yuan arrived in Luoyang at the end of last year, he did not visit Zheng Yanqing. He merely called upon a few old friends before hurrying out of Luoyang early on the second day of the first lunar month.

Still, things had turned out reasonably well. He had left Ma Sanbao behind, giving Yanqing and the Li clan an official link between them.

The night was deep, and everyone else was already asleep.

Yanqing could not sleep. He sat beneath the veranda, wholly absorbed in brewing tea and simmering a pot of soup.

The faint fragrance of tea drifted through the woods, sometimes present and sometimes vanishing, slowly dispersing amid the rustle of bamboo leaves. Two young mastiffs lay beside him with their eyes half closed, seemingly asleep. Yet their sharply erect ears twitched constantly. At the slightest disturbance in the grass or wind, they would react at once.

The Zheng clan’s internal feud?

Yanqing paid it no mind.

Given his current status, reputation, and wealth, regardless of whether Zheng Renji could take control of Anyuantang, the Zheng clan would not dare lay a finger on him.

He was, after all, an honored Cloud Cavalry Commandant of the imperial court.

He was also Changsun Sheng’s student. In time, becoming a general or entering the court as a minister would be perfectly natural for him. Whether Zheng Shanyuan or Zheng Shiji, even if they truly wished to move against Zheng Yanqing, they would have to consider the consequences carefully.

Therefore, Zheng Yanqing was not afraid.

What occupied his thoughts now was how to secure greater benefits for himself and his grandfather.

If Zheng Shian could enter the council of clan elders, then Zheng Yanqing would possess a channel through which he could speak within the Zheng clan.

No one should underestimate such a council. In this age, a single clan could sometimes influence an entire dynasty.

A seemingly small council of elders contained immense power. For Zheng Yanqing, having a voice within it would bring tremendous advantages. It was much like the standing committee of a later prefecture or county: merely possessing such a title could have immeasurable influence.

His birth parents had yet to leave behind the slightest clue.

Yan Hu’s fate was unknown, and even a figure as powerful as Changsun Sheng had been unable to locate him.

Zheng Yanqing had stopped wondering who his biological father was. If he could not find his parents, then he would have to establish himself within the Zheng clan and secure his position there.

Returning to the Zheng clan alongside Zheng Shian was merely the first step.

Gaining the right to speak in the council of elders was the second.

His ultimate goal was to infiltrate and eventually control the Xingyang Zheng clan.

Through the Zheng clan, he could place himself in an invincible position. Even if Li Jiancheng and Li Er fought over the position of Crown Prince, he would only need to maintain strict neutrality.

Once the struggle for the succession ended, he would have his opportunity to make inroads into the imperial court.

With Li Er’s support, the Zheng clan behind him, and the enormous web of connections he was weaving…

Ha! Who would dare lay a finger on him?

At the thought, the corners of Zheng Yanqing’s mouth lifted slightly, forming a handsome arc.

He set down the tea bowl and picked up the wooden case beside him.

Inside lay the plans for the curved-beam plow he had drawn three years earlier.

Compared with the straight-beam plows commonly used during the Sui and Tang eras, the curved-beam plow incorporated several important improvements. First, the straight beam and long shaft had been replaced by a curved beam and short shaft. A freely rotating plow disk had been installed at the front, making the plow frame smaller and lighter while allowing it to turn and change direction more easily. Compared with the straight-beam plow, it was far more flexible and saved both human labor and animal strength.

Drawing on his memories, Zheng Yanqing had also added a plow gauge and a plow pin.

Pushing the plow gauge forward would drive the plowshare deeper into the soil. Raising the gauge would lift the plow pin, causing the plowshare to cut more shallowly.

This structure, which combined the plow gauge, plow pin, and plowshare in a rational and integrated design, could meet the differing demands of deep and shallow plowing. The ability to regulate the depth of cultivation also made intensive farming more practical.

At the same time, the plow wall would turn with the furrow and push the overturned soil aside, reducing resistance.

Historically, the emergence of the Jiangdong plow greatly accelerated the development of agriculture. Its rational design was so effective that even after passing through the Song, Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties—and even after the founding of the Republic—it underwent no major transformation.

Later generations merely made minor adjustments to refine its structure further.

The curved-beam plow designed by Zheng Yanqing was already close to the plows of later ages. The entire machine was divided into eleven major components.

After designing it, Yanqing had asked Xiong Dazhui to forge one himself.

But he had made only that single example. He needed an appropriate opportunity to introduce it.

By giving Zhang Zhongjian the methods for producing white sugar and rock sugar, he had won the friendship of the Zhang family of Wu County and obtained enormous profits.

Now he needed influence within the Zheng clan.

It was time for the curved-beam plow to make its appearance.

With that thought, he gathered the plans, placed them back in the case, and secured the lid.

After taking a sip of tea, Yanqing closed his eyes and let the gentle night breeze wash over him. A long while later, he slowly exhaled a breath of stale air.

……………………………………

The next morning, Yanqing rose early.

Although he had gone to bed rather late the night before, his biological clock had long since become accustomed to the routine. Shortly after the third watch, while the sky was still dark, he awoke.

With the two young mastiffs at his side, he ran through the bamboo garden.

Four-eyed mastiffs possessed astonishing speed. They were still young, so their full potential had not yet emerged, but even so, they could already keep pace with Yanqing. After running three laps, his entire body had warmed, and Zheng Yanqing began practicing in an open space among the trees.

First he completed a set of guiding exercises for health and longevity, then he settled his mind through stance training.

The stance was called the Primordial Unity Stance, and it had been taught to him by Changsun Sheng. It could effectively calm the circulation of blood and vital energy while strengthening the growth of kidney essence. As an auxiliary technique to the health exercises, it was highly effective. It also improved eyesight and fortified the body.

This was the foundation for learning the Changsun clan’s archery. Yanqing’s eyesight was already better than that of ordinary people, and with the assistance of the Primordial Unity Stance, he achieved twice the result with half the effort.

By the time he finished, the hour of the rabbit had passed.

Dawn was just beginning to break, and the people in the bamboo garden were also rising one after another to begin their daily activities.

Mao Wang swept the paths through the bamboo garden, while Aunt Mao began preparing breakfast. Under Shen Guang’s direction, the three brothers of the Dang family practiced martial arts and tempered their strength. Xu Shiji and Wang Zheng practiced saber techniques for a while, then mounted their horses to train in the basic techniques of the horse lance.

While Xu Shiji practiced, Wang Zheng changed into a loose robe and strolled leisurely through the woods.

Zheng Yanqing summoned Ma Sanbao and handed him a letter.

“Sanbao, I have a very important task for you.

“Take my waist token. Set out at noon and travel to the Zhang residence in Jiangdu. Hand this letter directly to Third Brother Zhang. Tell him that this is my request and that he must settle the matter properly within ten days. I will owe him a favor.”

Ma Sanbao nodded solemnly. After accepting the letter, he went to prepare his belongings.

The journey from Luoyang to Jiangdu would take roughly five days. Fortunately, Zheng Yanqing was not short of fine horses. Xue Ju had once sent him more than a dozen superb steeds from the Western Regions, all of them exceptionally strong and enduring.

After giving Ma Sanbao his instructions, Aunt Mao had breakfast ready.

By then Shen Guang, Xu Shiji, and the others had also returned. Everyone sat together in the reception hall beneath the veranda and ate.

This was one of the special features of the bamboo garden.

In other households, servants were not merely forbidden from sitting down to eat with their masters; even guaranteeing them two adequate meals a day could be difficult.

But in the bamboo garden, they received three meals a day, and Yanqing himself maintained none of the usual airs.

The three brothers of the Dang family lived here in great comfort, and so they devoted themselves wholeheartedly to every task.

“Brother Shen, I have something to entrust to you.”

“What is it?”

“I want you to travel secretly to Xingyang. Remember—secretly.”

As he spoke, Zheng Yanqing took another letter from inside his robe.

“Deliver this letter to Little Nian and have her travel to my grandfather at once.”

Secretly meant that no one was to know.

Shen Guang had never met Zheng Shian, but he had met Mao Xiaonian.

He immediately accepted the letter.

“Master, rest assured. Shen Guang will see this done properly.”

Wang Zheng and the others were bewildered.

They had no idea what medicine Zheng Yanqing was selling in his gourd this time. Xu Shiji, however, had already guessed part of the truth the previous night, and his heart was filled with excitement.

He was excited for no other reason than that Yanqing had told him the night before that he would seek a promising future for him—and now he had taken action immediately. This proved that Yanqing’s words had not been empty.

Zheng Yanqing regarded him so highly and valued him so greatly…

For Xu Shiji, who came from a merchant’s family, this firmly cemented his gratitude and friendship toward Yanqing.

He said nothing. He merely glanced at Zheng Yanqing, then silently took a sip of soybean milk.

“Yanqing, is there anything you need me to do?”

“Brother Xu, your task is the most important one!” Zheng Yanqing said with a smile. “The examinations are about to begin. During this period, you must study diligently and achieve an excellent result. As for everything else, I will do my utmost to arrange it for you.”

Warmth flooded Xu Shiji’s heart, and he nodded vigorously.

“Little Yanqing, are you planning something?”

Unable to restrain his curiosity, Wang Zheng asked the question.

Zheng Yanqing took a bite of one of Aunt Mao’s meat buns and chuckled.

“If my guess is correct, the Eldest Young Master will soon send someone to summon me back to Xingyang… And with the Qingming Festival approaching, it has already been a long time since I returned to Luoyang four years ago. I have not yet gone home to pay respects to my ancestors.”

Paying tribute to one’s forebears was no trivial matter.

Zheng Yanqing was now listed in the Zheng clan genealogy, so there was nothing improper about returning home to perform the ancestral rites.

Xu Shiji smiled faintly, while inwardly sighing with admiration.

Yanqing was younger than he was, yet he had already planned everything so thoroughly. He would have to work even harder. Otherwise, the distance between him and Yanqing would only grow wider. When that time came, how could he possibly be worthy of being addressed by Yanqing as “Brother Xu”?

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There will be another chapter before ten tonight.

It is the weekend today. I wish all my fellow readers an enjoyable time reading!

@!!