Chapter 34: Bestowing Silver

  In the city of Luoyang, there were only a few people who knew Liu Ziqiu, and in order to avoid drawing attention, neither Li Jing nor his wife came to see him off at the dock. It just so happened that this person, who had rushed over on horseback, was not only someone Liu Ziqiu knew, but also someone he had dealings with.

  This man wore armor and rode his horse as if flying, it was indeed Qin Shubao.

  Liu Ziqiu's heart tightened, and he looked back at him again, only to find that there were no soldiers following behind, and then he was slightly relieved.

  As he hesitated, Qin Shubao had already arrived nearby, and with a loud whinny, the horse stood up on its hind legs. On the horseback, Qin Shubao bowed to Zhang San with his fists clenched and asked urgently: "Boatman, are you heading south?"

  Zhang San hastily accompanied with a smile: "Returning to General Jun, this boat is heading to Jiangdu."

  Qin Shubao dismounted his horse and cupped his hands, saying: "May I have the pleasure of your company for a short distance? My mother is seriously ill, and I hope you can make an exception."

  Liu Ziqiu then realized it was just a false alarm.

  That day, on the cliff, Liu Ziqiu remembered Qin Shubao's appearance, but he himself covered his face, and how could Qin Shubao recognize him. Besides, the case of Shanglin Garden had already been settled, and Qin Shubao would not associate this merchant in front of him with the assassin.

  This year, the weather in the north is particularly cold. It's just early winter, and a thin layer of ice has already formed on the small river. Many boats have stopped running, and Zhang San also plans to return to Jiangdu and not go north again. Unless someone offers an irresistible high price, no one wants to navigate in the harsh winter, which is why Qin Shubao is especially anxious.

  Before Zhang San could speak, Liu Ziqiu had already waved his hand and said, "Let him come aboard."

  Qin Shubao was extremely grateful, and hastily led his horse to Liu Ziqiu's presence, paying respects by saying: "I am Qin Shubao, a guard under the great general's command. Today I came from the army in a hurry and didn't bring any valuables with me. May I ask your esteemed surname and name? I will certainly thank you heavily another day!"

  "It's just a small effort, what's there to make a fuss about!" Liu Ziqiu didn't even mention his name, and turned around to lead Gao Xiuer onto the boat.

  This is exactly where Liu Ziqiu's cleverness lies. Peddlers and soldiers all belong to the lower levels of society, but Qin Shubao is now just a soldier, not even a general. But Liu Ziqiu has already entered the ranks of wealthy merchants, and if he wants to, he can buy houses and land at any time, becoming a local tyrant. In this situation, if he deliberately makes friends, it would only arouse suspicion.

  It's very impolite not to know someone's name, but it also fits the characteristic of "nouveaux riches". If it falls into the eyes of petty people, they can't help but feel that Liu Ziqiu is a bit arrogant. But Qin Shubao didn't think so, he knew that others were doing favors without expecting anything in return.

  The boat slowly sailed away from the dock, and Liu Ziqiu and his family members all entered the cabin. Ah An and Ah Fu stood guard at the entrance of the cabin, one on the left and one on the right, while Ah Fu and Ah Gui stood at the bow and stern of the boat, watching the sailors work. Qin Shubao didn't dare to enter the cabin, so he took the opportunity to ask Ah Fu. However, these few family slaves all kept their mouths shut and refused to reveal any information about their master. Qin Shubao had no choice but to go ask Zhang San again. Zhang San also knew nothing in particular, only that this household was surnamed Liu and came from Yuhang County, Saltern Township.

  A northwest wind picked up, and the boat traveled very quickly, with a feeling of covering a thousand miles in one day. As it gradually approached dusk, the snow stopped and the sky cleared, with a red sun hanging in the western hills. Suddenly, Zhang San loudly shouted orders, and the sailors busied themselves, hauling in the sails and docking the boat.

  Qin Shubao's heart was like an arrow, and he asked repeatedly: "Boatman, the sun is still early, why haven't you set off yet?"

  "For tens of miles ahead, there is no sign of human habitation, I'm afraid there might be bandits lurking around, how can we proceed?"

  "There is someone here, what's to fear from a few bandits!"

  Zhang San sneered, "This boat is my life and livelihood, how can I afford to lose it? The employer's family has a daughter following them, what can you do compared to me, a lone widower?"

  Qin Shubao was momentarily speechless, but then heard a "splash" sound. Everyone became tense and looked around, only to see Ah Gui taking off his shirt and shouting loudly: "Don't worry, boatman, my brother will go catch some fish and shrimp for the master's midnight snack."

  After finishing speaking, Ah Kwei also plunged into the water.

  A cup of tea's work, Ah Fu first emerged from the water with his head raised high, holding a big fish in his hands that was frantically waving its tail, over two feet long. Then came a "splash" sound, and Ah Gui also rushed out of the water, looking rather disheartened. He too held a big fish in his hand, slightly smaller than Ah Fu's.

  Kunlun slaves came from the South China Sea, having crossed over from the turbulent waves. A small canal was naturally no problem for them. But precisely because they were from the south, it was difficult for them to adapt to the harsh cold of the north. Every year in Luoyang City, there would be quite a few Kunlun slaves who died due to the unsuitable climate and water conditions. At this time, although the canal had not yet frozen over, the river water was still bitterly cold, but these two Kunlun slaves seemed completely unaffected, clearly both possessing martial arts skills.

  Two Kunlun slaves intentionally showed off in front of their master, making Zhang San's eyes burn with desire. He secretly calculated that once he had saved up enough money, he would also buy a few such Kunlun slaves, and then he could even save the cost of hiring sailors. But soon he lost his enthusiasm. Such young and strong Kunlun slaves were worth at least fifty taels or more, which was equivalent to the price of a boat. If it weren't for the fact that Zhang Wuji had given him a silver ingot earlier, he wouldn't have been able to afford a boat until now. It was unknown how many years and months it would take for him to save up enough money to buy Kunlun slaves.

  Qin Shubao had been in the capital for a long time and knew that many wealthy families liked to use Kunlun slaves, but such skilled Kunlun slaves were rare and their prices were astonishing. The two Kunlun slaves guarding the cabin door could gain their master's trust, and they might even be more skilled than them.

  These four Kunlun slaves were originally warriors of a small tribe in the South China Sea. In a war with a much stronger tribe, they became prisoners due to being outnumbered and were brought to the Great Sui along with many other captives, sold as slaves. The four of them used to have an astonishing appetite, but from the day they became prisoners of war, they had never eaten their fill, so much so that they became pale and thin, and were unable to be sold for half a year under the human trafficker's hands. However, these Kunlun slaves were extremely intelligent, mastering Chinese and various skills as soon as they learned them, but the trafficker was unwilling to lower the price.

  Liu Ziqiu bought the Kunlun slaves, and suddenly found that although they were weak and listless, their eyes were exceptionally sharp. So he spent money to buy them down. Who would have thought that after a few meals, they came back to life. This was purely a coincidence, and Liu Ziqiu later strolled through the slave market several times, but couldn't find the fifth one again.

  Qin Shubao didn't know the story behind it, but just by looking at Kunlun's movements, he felt that Liu Ziqiu was not a simple merchant, and should be a powerful figure. Such a person would not care about a few boat fares, Qin Shubao couldn't help but put away his idea of paying for the fare later, but his intention to repay kindness did not decrease in the slightest.

  After several more days, the boat arrived at the border of Qi Commandery. Qin Shubao felt that his status was far below Liu Ziyu's and he didn't have the qualifications to bid him farewell, so he just greeted Zhang San and others and led his horse ashore.

  "Wait a minute!" Just then, Ah Fu, who was guarding the cabin door, rushed over with a bundle in his hands and bowed, saying: "My master heard that your mother is seriously ill and General has no money. Here are one hundred taels of silver, given to General, also good for replacing medicine for your mother. Hope General will not decline."

  Qin Shubao's eyes flashed with surprise for a moment, then he casually took the bundle and nodded towards the boat before mounting his horse and galloping away.

  "What a person, he can't even say thank you!" Zhang San disdainfully curled his lip and used the long bamboo pole to push the boat away from the shore. But he didn't know that in Qin Shubao's heart, such kindness couldn't be repaid with just a "thank you".

  Liu Ziqiu and Gao Xiuer also walked out of the cabin, standing shoulder to shoulder at the bow. That day on the cliff, Gao Xiuer didn't get a clear look at Qin Shubao's face, but she remembered his name. These past few days in the cabin, Gao Xiuer was extremely cautious, not daring to mention this matter, fearing that if the secret got out, Qin Shubao would discover their identities.

  At this time, Qin Shubao's figure gradually disappeared into the dust, and Gao Xiuer only whispered: "That day, the first one to chase up the cliff was him. If he hadn't pursued us relentlessly, we might not have had to jump off the cliff. Why did Lang Jun give him gold and silver?"

  "He was just doing his duty." Liu Ziqiu smiled and said, "If you didn't jump off the cliff, where would your grandfather come from?"

  The boat continued south, and as soon as it passed Tongji Canal, it would be Hangou. Zhang San began to loudly tell the sailors the story of Liu Ziqiu's fierce battle with the water bandits a few months ago. Of course, the story also included his own bravery and decisive command. Every time he passed by here, he had to tell this story, and the sailors listened with relish. What Zhang San didn't know was that the protagonist of the story was standing right behind him.

  There are many exaggerated and absurd places in the story. Liu Ziqiu and Gao Xiuer just smiled at each other after listening to it, without pointing out anything.

  After a few more days, the boat arrived at Jiangdu. One thing that didn't bother two masters, Liu Ziqiu added some money and asked Zhang San to take them across the Yangtze River, abandoning the boat in Yeling County. Yeling is now Zhenjiang, from here to Yan Guan still needs to pass through Piling Prefecture and Wu Prefecture, it's inevitable to hire some carriages. Liu Ziqiu is now rich and arrogant, so he bought a few good horses in the city, set up a horse-drawn carriage, and then started southward journey.

  Early winter, the north has already started snowing, and the leaves in Jiangnan have just begun to wither, a vast expanse of golden yellow. Gao Xiuer lifted the curtain and looked out. Now far away from Dongdu, Gao Xiuer had also restored her original appearance, her delicate face always radiant with a happy smile, she had completely walked out of the pain of her father's unjust death.

  Liu Ziqiu suddenly thought of something and said, "Xiuer, you've grown up in the north since childhood, I'm afraid you won't like the climate here in the south. After meeting Yuan Tianhang and clearing my mind, let's go to Luoyang City to buy a house, how about it?"

  "My mother is a true Jiangnan native." Gaixiu'er only thought about being with Liu Ziqiu, and didn't care whether it was the south or north, "However, wherever you say to go, I'll follow."

  Liu Ziqiu was hearing Gao Xiuer mention her mother for the first time, and just as she wanted to ask what it was all about, she saw Gao Xiuer put down the curtain and didn't bother with it anymore.

  ……

  Traveling by day and lodging at night, the convoy finally arrived at Changshan Village on the banks of the Qiantang River. It was now the third day of the first month of winter, and the cold wind from the north had finally blown here, the newly planted trees around the village were bare and leafless.

  Liu Ziqiu suddenly remembered that when he first arrived, it was only the end of summer, but now winter had already begun. In just four months' time, many things had happened, and he had experienced joy and life-and-death struggles, yet here he was again.

  "Drive!" Liu Ziqiu couldn't help but feel a wave of emotion, and led his horse into the village. However, he felt that the atmosphere in the village was somewhat strange, and faintly heard the sound of crying coming from somewhere.