Chapter 10: The Female Thief
On the way to Jin Prefecture, many tenant farmers could be seen toiling in the fields.
Calling them tenant farmers didn’t change the fact that these lowest-class Chinese people were practically serfs.
Large families or wealthy landowners like those in Small Han Mountain City, who maintained a certain degree of autonomy, certainly existed.
After all, the barbarian court couldn’t kill all the Chinese landlords and gentry. For the sake of stability, they still needed to appease them to some extent.
Thus, the truly pitiable ones were these helpless common people at the bottom.
Shi Hao had also considered taking advantage of Small Han Mountain City’s remote location to develop agriculture and secretly accumulate strength.
However, this was a world of supernatural abilities and martial arts. Even ten years of secret development wouldn’t be enough to withstand a single blow from the barbarian court’s chancellor, let alone the barbarian “Supreme Emperor” who had lived for three hundred years.
In this world where power resided in the individual, personal strength was paramount.
As the city gates came into view, a large troop of soldiers suddenly charged out.
They rode their horses, recklessly pushing through the people outside the city gates, causing chaos.
Shi Hao saw the mounted soldiers split into several groups, one of which was heading towards them.
They moved to the side of the road, and the captain leading the group stopped in front of them, arrogantly demanding, “Where are you from?”
Master Lu cupped his hands and said, “We are from Small Han Mountain City, summoned by the Marquis to Jin City.”
The captain quickly scanned them, took out a wanted poster from his bosom, and unfurled it before them, “Have you seen this woman on your way?”
Shi Hao, Master Lu, and the others looked at the poster. It depicted a young woman, seemingly a girl, with her face covered, a five-petaled flower tucked into her hair.
Master Lu smiled, “Sir, this girl’s face is covered. Even if we did see her on the road, it’s unlikely she would still be dressed like this. How would we recognize her?”
The captain flipped the wanted poster over, chuckling at his own words, “You’re right. With a drawing like this, where are we supposed to find her? It would be better if they didn’t give us a drawing at all and just told us to ask around for a girl with a flower in her hair and a covered face. Once she takes off her mask and removes the flower, we wouldn’t know who she is anyway.”
He shook his head and continued on with his men, clearly aware he was wasting time, but his superiors had ordered the search, so he couldn’t disobey.
As Shi Hao and the others entered the city gates, they saw the same wanted poster displayed on the notice board. Many soldiers were scattered throughout the city, comically holding the drawings and asking from door to door.
“As if they’ll find her like this!” one of the hunters whispered beside Shi Hao.
Master Lu said, “I wonder what this girl did to cause such a commotion. To commit such a serious crime and escape, prompting a citywide search, she must be no ordinary person.”
The Small Han Mountain City also had a residence in Jin City. After settling in, Shi Hao took a visiting card and headed to the Marquis’ residence.
Along the grand avenue, the surrounding buildings were imposing and magnificent, with colorful palanquins passing by.
Across the river, however, the houses were low and shabby, the area dirty and impoverished, as if the two sides of the river belonged to different worlds.
And the wealthy young masters and noble ladies on this grand avenue never saw the other side.
The verse “Behind vermilion gates, wine and meat go to waste; out on the road lie the bones of the frozen dead” seemed eternally relevant.
Arriving at the resplendent Marquis’ residence, he presented his visiting card and was quickly led inside, but made to wait in a corner before the main hall.
After a quarter of an hour, Shi Hao vaguely sensed someone secretly observing him.
He couldn’t figure out who was watching him from the shadows, but he simply stood there, motionless, pretending to be completely unaware…
“Is that the young master of Small Han Mountain City?” A girl’s voice came from a corner atop the high wall. “He’s not bad looking, but he’s a commoner.”
The voice was sharp and tinged with displeasure, “Why do I have to marry someone like that?”
The Marquis’ residence was vast, divided into inner and outer sections by a high wall with watchtowers on either side.
Three girls stood near one of the watchtowers. The one who had spoken was called Wusu Ya Nu.
Although her appearance was ordinary, she was still of “royal” blood.
Now, because of the Jin-Xia Family Harmony decree, she was about to be married off to the young master of Small Han Mountain City, which filled her with resentment.
One of the other girls smiled, “He looks quite handsome, and you’ll be the young mistress of Small Han Mountain City.”
Wusu Ya Nu spat, “Who cares about being the young mistress of some backwater mountain stronghold? Marrying a commoner makes me a commoner too. Look at the difference between people.
“Look at Wusu Li Tong. She’s the same age as me, and the Marquis is holding this Red Tong Banquet specifically to find her a suitable husband, inviting young masters from prominent families in neighboring prefectures so she can choose for herself. Why don’t I get a choice?”
The other girl whispered, “That’s different. She’s a county mistress.”
Wusu Ya Nu snorted, looking at the young man in the distance with disdain and resentment.
She had no complaints about his looks, only his background. If she married him, their children would be considered commoners.
Ignoring her companions’ attempts to persuade her, she angrily flung her sleeves and left.
“Jin and Xia as one family. It’s easy to say, but not so easy to do,” Marquis Wusu Baoteng said, setting down his teacup in the luxurious hall. “Since the founding of the dynasty by the Supreme Emperor, the entire Jin clan has been royalty, other races are considered middling, and the Chinese are considered lowly. Although official documents don’t use the term ‘commoners,’ after so many years, we’ve all gotten used to it.
“The royal clan has been on top for so long. Now the chancellor wants to promote family harmony, and the major families are all dissatisfied. Except for the Yue Ke Tai clan, who fully supports the chancellor, the other families are all secretly resisting. I wonder what will become of the chancellor in the future.”
Wusu Baoteng sighed, “But it has to be done. I met Young Master Chong Liang of the Yue Ke Tai family a few days ago, and he told me something. The Jin-Xia Family Harmony policy must continue, and even now, it’s too late. It should have been done a hundred years ago.”
His brother, Wusu Bao Di, was listening beside him.
Wusu Bao Di asked, “Brother, why do you say that?”
Wusu Baoteng said, “You know yourself how corrupt the so-called royalty has become, abusing their power. Where does their power come from? It’s all bestowed by the Supreme Emperor. Without the Supreme Emperor’s formidable martial arts, there would be no Great Jin Dynasty.”
“But, to put it bluntly, how much longer can the Supreme Emperor protect us? Those people don’t understand. We, the ‘royalty,’ are sitting on a volcano that could erupt at any moment. We may seem high and mighty, but once the volcano erupts, we’ll be blown to smithereens, with no place to be buried.”
“Suppressing the Central Plains martial world, destroying their laws and traditions, eradicating their martial arts scriptures, uprooting their foundations… These measures have indeed been effective. But as we can see, one wave subsides, and another rises. The resistance never ends.”
“On the other hand, the major families of the royal clan, relying on the Supreme Emperor’s favor, possess powerful martial arts manuals and formidable magical weapons. But over the years, eroded by power and status, their roots have rotted, their will has weakened, and the spirit of their ancestors who followed the Supreme Emperor to conquer the world is long gone.”
“The Chinese resistance, though scattered and unorganized, has never truly ceased in these three hundred years. They have never compromised.”
“The purpose of the Jin-Xia Family Harmony policy is to win over the local gentry, divide the Chinese, and use the Chinese against themselves. They don’t understand the chancellor’s good intentions, saying he’s ruining the royal clan, polluting the royal bloodline, and weakening royal authority.”
“They just don’t understand that the chancellor is helping us descend from this volcano that could erupt at any moment. Lowering our stance a little, treating the Chinese better, showing sincerity to those in the Central Plains martial world willing to join us, this is for the good of all of us.”
Wusu Bao Di smiled wryly, “Brother, the reasoning is sound, but it’s not that simple. Take Small Han Mountain City, for example. I have three daughters, and none of them are willing to marry there. I have to choose someone from the clan and force her to ‘marry down.’
“They consider themselves royalty. How can they marry a commoner? Some even say…”
He hesitated and stopped.
Wusu Baoteng picked up his teacup and snorted, “Are they saying that if I want to follow the chancellor’s decree and promote this Jin-Xia Family Harmony, why don’t I marry Li Tong off myself?”
Wusu Bao Di said, “Brother…”
Wusu Baoteng set down his teacup again and waved his hand, “Forget it. Their complaints are not entirely unfounded. Although I speak eloquently about this policy, I wouldn’t be willing to marry Li Tong off either.”
“It’s not that I disagree with the decree, but I have to consider my daughter’s happiness… and everyone else thinks the same way.”
“Let’s not talk about this anymore. Have they caught that female thief from last night?”
Wusu Bao Di said irritably, “Catch who? The Ming Kun Monastery hasn’t even said what was stolen. In the middle of the night, that female thief, with her exceptional light-foot skills, slipped in and out. The Daoists didn’t even see her face, only that she had a mask and a flower in her hair.”
“Because of the Yue Ke Tai family’s order, I’ve distributed her portrait and ordered a prefecture-wide search, but I doubt we’ll find her.”
Wusu Baoteng frowned, “What exactly did the Ming Kun Monastery lose? Why did it alarm the Yue Ke Tai family, yet they refuse to explain clearly?”
Wusu Bao Di said, “Brother, since they’re not being clear, let’s just go through the motions. We can’t be blamed if we don’t catch her, can we? The abbot of Ming Kun Monastery has plenty of men; let him handle it.”
Wusu Baoteng nodded, sitting back in his luxurious sandalwood chair, “Have Shi Hao come in. Although Small Han Mountain City isn’t a martial arts sect, they have a large population and provide a significant amount of grain and taxes every year. They represent the hearts of the people in West Shu, so we should try to win them over.”
Wusu Bao Di went out and had the steward invite the young master of Small Han Mountain City in.
Soon, Shi Hao entered the hall and paid his respects to the Marquis.
Wusu Baoteng nodded, inquired about Small Han Mountain City, and offered some words of comfort.
He then said, “Tomorrow, there will be a banquet at Red Mountain, north of the city. Several young masters from prominent families in the prefecture have also been invited. You should come too.” He had the steward write an invitation for Shi Hao.
Shi Hao accepted the invitation and took his leave. After he left, Wusu Bao Di said, “Brother, you invited him to the Red Tong Banquet as well?”
Wusu Baoteng said, “After he marries Ya Nu, he will be your son-in-law, a member of our Wusu family. Besides, I’ve heard that although Shi Hao is just a scholar, he’s quite capable. He’s achieved remarkable results in developing Small Han Mountain City in the past few years.”
“Since he has the talent to govern, he might become a valuable asset to our Wusu clan in the future. Have Ya Nu attend the banquet tomorrow as well. By the way, since we’ve invited the young master of Small Han Mountain City, what about Deng… Deng… from the Yuan Rong Merchant Guild?”
The steward beside him said, “Are you referring to Deng Liang of the Yuan Rong Merchant Guild, my lord?”
Wusu Baoteng said, “Yes, him. Write an invitation and have it delivered to the Yuan Rong Merchant Guild. They’re all young people; the more the merrier.”
The steward replied, “Yes, my lord!”
Shi Hao left the Marquis’ residence, invitation in hand.
He opened the red invitation and looked at it, thinking, “Red Tong Banquet?”
Red Mountain, north of the city, was a famous scenic spot in Jin Prefecture, but it had long been occupied by the Wusu clan, who had built a pleasure palace there. It was practically a “no commoners or dogs allowed” zone, and to the so-called royalty, the Chinese people were “commoners.”
He hadn’t expected Wusu Baoteng to invite him to the Red Tong Banquet. It seemed the barbarian court was truly determined to implement the “Jin-Xia Family Harmony” policy.
While at the Marquis’ residence, he had suppressed his inner energy, not wanting to reveal his martial arts skills.
Now, walking outside, the Immortal Ice Technique and the Mysterious Charm Technique circulated within him simultaneously, allowing him to cultivate even while walking.
He thought to himself, “I need an opportunity to break free from the Wusu clan without implicating Small Han Mountain City.”
Back at his residence, he took out the Jade Clarity Stone and placed it on the roof, allowing it to absorb the essence of the sun and moon as instructed by the Holy Jade Immortal and the Enchanting Fire Witch. After half an hour, he retrieved it.
Not wanting to attract too much attention, he stayed in for the night.
The next day, after calculating the time, he changed into new clothes, took the invitation, and headed to the banquet…
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