NOVPUBThe day before the wedding, Jian Yong finally returned with Liu Biao’s envoy Yi Ji, and Gan Ning and Taishi Ci also raced back overnight, dragging a cart full of local specialties like pearls, corals, and ivory. On the road, they even ran into Wuu Anguo, who was just returning to Qingzhou after escorting Liu Yu to Chang’an.
Had it not been for Liu Yu’s business, Wuu Anguo should have arrived at Mount Tai much earlier. However, Kong Rong, fearing accidents on the road, had no choice but to send Wuu Anguo to personally escort Liu Yu, especially since Yongzhou was now in such chaotic disarray.
By the time Liu Yu was safely delivered to Chang’an, he had completely calmed down. However, upon seeing the group of raggedy ministers, Liu Yu clearly twitched, but alas, he was still taken away by Grand Commandant Yang Biao. After watching Liu Yu for a few hundred meters, Wuu Anguo quickly left the dangerous place.
After that, Wuu Anguo rushed all the way and finally arrived in Fenggao before Chen Xi’s wedding. Wuu Anguo was an acquaintance of Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Hua Xiong, so naturally, Hua Xiong couldn’t miss the chance to personally greet them.
"Hahaha, Anguo, Xingba, Ziyi, if you had been one day later, the strategist would have been furious," Hua Xiong laughed heartily as he greeted the three travel-weary men.
"Hmph, we went to get gifts," Gan Ning said dissatisfiedly, and throwing a pearl the size of a small chicken egg to Hua Xiong, he declared, "You’ll see the gifts we got."
Gan Ning had become completely vulgar, but the way he splurged money also left many shocked, including Hua Xiong. Although pearls the size of small chicken eggs had been found in Yuzhou before, he had never seen a military general, with whom he was not very familiar, casually throw one to him.
"Zijian, take it. It’s not worth much," Taishi Ci said with a wave of his hand. "Although it’s quite big, it really isn’t valuable." As he spoke, Taishi Ci took out an even bigger, round pearl from the pouch hanging on his waist. "In that place, every household has them, it’s only us country bumpkins who think they’re valuable."
Hua Xiong nearly spat out a mouthful of old blood. Where could you find a place where every household has pearls? Was he being forced into becoming a robber?
"So, I’ve prepared a bushel of colorful pearls in a very vulgar fashion," Gan Ning said with a smug look on his face.
"Colorful pearls?" Hua Xiong’s eyes almost bulged out of his head.
"Yeah, colorful ones. That bushel is half mine," Taishi Ci admitted, feeling that the once refined demeanor he possessed had become vulgar after following Gan Ning. However, such a sight was quite staggering—a bushel of multicolored pearls.
As he spoke, Gan Ning pulled out a few pearls of different colors. "I’ll take you there sometime in the future; things are cheap where they’re usually expensive."
"It’s a deal then, I’d like to see such a place too," Hua Xiong laughed heartily, clearly interested in the sort of place Gan Ning mentioned.
"Let’s get going. We need to deliver the gifts first. Can I borrow a few men, Gan Lan? Go to the Mi Family and get me a few gift boxes. They need to be delivered by today at the latest; it would be embarrassing to send them tomorrow," Gan Ning looked up at the sun then turned to ask Hua Xiong.
"No problem at all, the Mi Family has been ready with gift boxes these past days. Come with me. Take a bath, get cleaned up. Oh, and are you two delivering together or separately?" Hua Xiong nodded. It was already getting late for the gift delivery, and as colleagues, Hua Xiong wanted to help out.
Dragging Wuu Anguo along to the Mi Family shop, they started to package all the gifts. Gazing at the dazzling array of jewels, Hua Xiong couldn’t help feeling envious. Had Gan Ning pillaged someplace? Indeed, a bushel of multicolored pearls, although more than half were white, there were truly various colors.
"Carry them away," Gan Ning ordered after he had the gifts packed, writing a gift list and then directing Hua Xiong’s men to carry the boxes toward Chen Xi’s Family.
"Which small kingdom did you guys rob?!" Hua Xiong, observing the nine pieces of ivory wrapped in red cloth, each over three feet long, the eight pearl-like goose eggs in size, and the nearly eight-foot-long gigantic fire-red coral, was simply star-struck, his eyes shining brightly. Hua Xiong, dwelling far inland, had never seen such things before.
"These items are very precious in that place, but here, tsk tsk tsk, you understand," said Gan Ning, still damp from his bath, with a hearty laugh. "If only I had more time, I could have looted a bit more, pity there wasn’t enough time."
"If you continued looting, we wouldn’t have made it back in time," Taishi Ci, who had just finished his bath, said disdainfully, glancing at Gan Ning. "If we were late, it would have completely devalued the congratulatory gift for the military advisor upon our return."
"Let’s go, let’s go, or we’ll miss the deadline," said Gan Ning, who had finished grooming himself and changed clothes; a blast of Inner Qi left him dry and refreshed.
"I’m ready as well," Wuu Anguo sighed, his gifts seemed modest compared to the vulgar ones from Gan Ning. There were no jewels, but Kong Rong had given him a few bamboo slips from the era of Confucius, two white jade bi discs, one jade ruyi, and one coiling dragon incense burner. Although these were all ancient artifacts with some history, aside from these, the rest were just the heaviest gold and silver from the bottom of his chest.
From a certain perspective, Kong Rong might be considered the true local tyrant, worthy of being a Saint’s Descendant. His family’s heritage ran deep, and it seemed he could casually select a few things to serve as a gift.
In the past few days, Chen Xi, who had developed back pain from bowing and greeting people, could leave some visitors to Butler Chen, but others definitely required Chen Xi’s personal reception. Now, Chen Xi realized that Guo Jia, who always cried poverty, and Jia Xu and Li Ru, who basically never changed out of their blue clothes, weren’t poor at all.
Maybe it was the official-oriented mindset of this era, and those that followed, that ensured they always had extra money, regardless of how poor they claimed to be. As for how they came by this money, Chen Xi wasn’t bothered to check; matters like these were managed by Mann Chong. With Mann Chong’s upstanding and unwavering spirit, as long as someone dared to cross his line, he would relentlessly grapple with them, utterly disregarding their status.
[I suddenly feel that getting married isn’t easy at all.] Chen Xi sighed, looking towards the place where Fan Liang lived. The envoys from Li Que and Guo Si brought an unexpected touch to the proceedings, delivering the Imperial Edict the moment they arrived, bestowing the title of Marquis of Yingshang Pavilion upon him. The documentation for his wives also reached Chen Lan and Fan Jian. Unlike Chen Lan, who was ecstatic, Fan Jian seemed noticeably unwilling.
"It’s been a long time, military advisor," said Gan Ning, dressed in a brocade robe, greeting Chen Xi with a bow and then bursting into laughter. "I didn’t let you down with my performance, hahaha!"
"I have seen the military advisor," greeted Taishi Ci with a bow.
"Zichuan, since we parted at Hulao, we meet again," Wuu Anguo said, bowing to Chen Xi.
"I’m very satisfied," Chen Xi said, a bit helpless against Gan Ning’s exuberance but still nodding in approval. Then, he returned Taishi Ci’s greeting and turned to Wuu Anguo, "Indeed, Brother Anguo, have you considered taking a post at Mount Tai?"
"Wen Ju has instructed me to stay here and await Lord Xuande’s orders," Wuu Anguo stated calmly. He and Kong Rong were not master and servant, but Kong Rong had saved his life, and he was willing to repay that debt with his own life.
"Very well, very well," Chen Xi said, his face full of joy. This was a master who had only been bested after thirty moves against Lyu Bu, a guarantee of considerable martial force.
Butler Chen, taking the list of gifts, was shocked once more. Over the past few days, he had been startled by the gift lists from various families multiple times, but the list from Gan Ning and Taishi Ci still took him by surprise.
"Nine feet of ivory, nine pieces; a peck of five-colored precious pearls..." Butler Chen’s rigid voice drifted out of Chen Family’s entrance.
Chen Xi looked up at Gan Ning, who was all smiles, "You’ve been to Zhuya County already, haven’t you. It does seem necessary to do business there, doesn’t it?"
"One’s own business, rightly described as ’Local Tyrant’ fits well, just as the military advisor said. The prosperity of Qingzhou can indeed rely on that place," Gan Ning said, shedding his previous playful demeanor.
"That place can only serve as a temporary moneybag, but that’s sufficient. Thank you for your hard work," Chen Xi shook his head. "Come early for the wedding tomorrow; there is something that requires your testimony. Don’t forget," (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets; your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
