Chapter 233: Zhang Baolin

Chapter 233: Zhang Baolin

Since there was now an additional matter to attend to, it could not simply be approached with a leisurely mindset. Before leaving, Meng Wan sent Xue Sheng to the Miao family to fetch A Xun.

Fearing that the county magistrate of Heiye County might outwardly comply but secretly resist, he also summoned a dozen or so yamen runners from the prefectural office to accompany him. They would serve both as escorts and to bolster their presence.

Heiye County was renowned for its lychees, making it one of the wealthier counties in Xiwu Prefecture—at least, it was before Meng Wan went to Heshan County. Now, in comparison to Heshan County, the other counties were mere novices.

Meng Wan’s purpose this time was also to negotiate several lychee deals in Heiye County. He planned to settle prices directly with the fruit farmers, not to monopolize the market, but simply to keep the prices within cost margins. After accounting for transportation, labor, glass, materials, and other expenses, and ensuring a profit, he intended to raise the local farmers’ prices slightly.

Other merchants, out of deference to him, would be forced to raise their prices as well, though they might grumble silently. Meng Wan now had the confidence to back such moves.

Since his trading posts needed to transport goods, most were built near the city gates, making it convenient to reserve ample open space for loading carriages.

Meng Wan figured that upon entering the city, he should first check on his own territory and ask the local manager if he had heard anything about the infighting among the nearby Yao people. To his surprise, just as they entered the city at dusk, their carriage was stopped.

“Who are you? Everyone in the carriage, get out for inspection!”

“Furen, something’s not right.” Xue Sheng’s voice came from outside.

Meng Wan lifted a corner of the carriage curtain and saw that the soldiers guarding the city gate were dressed in standard guard uniforms, but oddly wore black hats with blue rims. Their official speech was tinged with a Yao accent, much like Lan Duo’s.

Meng Wan silently let the curtain fall. After they had entered the city, the gate behind them had already been shut. It appeared the Yao people had taken control of the county—a difficult situation…

“Die!” A Yan called out curiously, “Why aren’t we moving? Have we arrived?”

Meng Wan pressed a finger to his lips. “Shh~ A Yan, don’t call me ‘die’ for now.”

A Yan looked at him with lively eyes, clearly puzzled. “Then what should A Yan call you?”

“Call me ‘ge’.” Meng Wan let down his thick black hair, used a silver hairpin to separate it into two layers, then coiled the upper half into a youthful bun, securing it with the pin.

A Yan stared blankly at his smooth series of movements. “…Ge?”

“Very clever.” Meng Wan patted his smooth little cheek in praise. Then he gave quick instructions to Huang Ye and A Xun, leaving them with A Yan in the carriage, and stepped down himself.

The first thing he did was signal the lead yamen runner with a look, then smoothly addressed the gatekeepers: “May I ask what this means, officer? Our Yu family has been doing business in Heiye County for years without ever being stopped.”

The yamen runners instantly understood Meng Wan’s intent, and Xue Sheng stood silently behind him.

Sensing that this group was not to be trifled with, the gatekeepers’ demeanor softened slightly, though their tone remained rude. “What Yu family? Never heard of it. Tell us clearly which shop you’re heading to for business.”

Meng Wan pointed to a trading post not far ahead, which had a banner reading “Shijian Inn.” “We have a batch of goods to transport and want to discuss rates inside.”

“Aren’t you from the prefectural city? Why are you shipping things from Heiye County?” one of the gatekeepers asked. Their group numbered thirteen or fourteen, matching Meng Wan’s party in size.

But atop the battlements, at least three squads of archers were patrolling in rotation. In the dim light, it was hard to make out their attire, but their bows didn’t look like standard military issue—more like hunting bows used for game.

Meng Wan calmly withdrew his gaze and explained in a composed tone: “You misunderstand, officer. We’re not shipping goods out of the prefectural city; we want to transport goods from Heiye County to the prefectural city.”

The gatekeepers knew nothing of merchant affairs, and seeing that Meng Wan spoke logically without any sign of panic, they waved him off. “Alright, go on through.”

A faint smile finally appeared on Meng Wan’s face. As his party passed the gatekeepers, he cast a sharp glance at the yamen runners, signaling them to hold back and not act.

The runners exchanged uncertain looks but kept their long knives hidden beside their horses, following the carriage woodenly toward the trading post.

The further they walked down the street, the more abnormal the situation became. It wasn’t yet curfew, yet there wasn’t a single person on the streets. Only occasionally did patrols pass by at intersections, all wearing Yao clothing.

Meng Wan climbed back into the carriage, lifted the curtain to check on A Yan, who was lying inside eating dried fruit. The boy gave him a soft smile.

Meng Wan smiled gently in return, then let the curtain fall and turned his gaze toward the trading post’s gate. “Xue Sheng, go knock.”

“Yes, Fu… Young Master.” Xue Sheng caught himself mid-sentence, mentally practicing the new title, then jumped off the carriage shaft to knock.

At first, there was no response from inside. Fearing that lingering too long would arouse suspicion from the gatekeepers and patrols, Xue Sheng lowered his voice and added, “Master Meng, open up!”

A faint reply came from within: “Which Master Meng?”

Xue Sheng answered, “From the prefectural city.”

The door cracked open slightly, and in the darkness, Xue Sheng pressed his dagger into the gap.

The person inside the Shijian Inn didn’t notice his stealthy move but peered cautiously through the crack. Seeing Meng Wan with his hair half down, the man’s eyes instantly filled with tears. “Master, you’ve come!”

Meng Wan felt a chill at the man’s overly emotional reaction, his eyes practically sparkling like stars. Suppressing his disgust, he rubbed the back of his hand and hissed, “Keep your voice down. Let us in first.”

The manager quickly opened the door and ushered everyone inside. The inn was a large compound with two courtyards. Besides the gatehouse, the second courtyard had a row of rooms, and the central hall had been cleared to create space wide enough for three carriages to pass side by side. The rear courtyard consisted entirely of warehouses, with wide doors and windows, and ceilings higher than ordinary rooms.

The inn’s layout was designed by Meng Wan himself, and all his other inns followed the same pattern.

The manager of Heiye County was named Liang Shouzhen, a trusted aide of Meng Wan who had been transferred from the Glaze Workshop to temporarily oversee Heiye County and train new managers. He was supposed to return to the Glaze Workshop by year’s end, but fate had it that only half a month after his arrival, the county had fallen into chaos.

It was still early in the season, and the fruit from the countryside hadn’t begun to be collected yet, so the inn wasn’t too busy. Only about twenty workers were present, all huddled in a warehouse in the back corner, peering nervously through the window cracks at the street.

Huang Ye first took Lan Duo and her son to find a clean, tidy room in the second courtyard. Lan Shan was too young and desperately needed rest after the long journey.

A Yan, meanwhile, followed Meng Wan and curiously surveyed his surroundings. The manager led the group to a hall in the second courtyard, which served as a reception area.

Meng Wan took the seat of honor. Unlike his usual demeanor at home, he rested one hand on the table and played with the jade pendant at his waist with the other. His peach-blossom-like eyes were as resolute as a drawn sword, radiating an intimidating authority. “Speak. What’s going on?”

A Yan had never seen Meng Wan like this and looked at his father curiously, then glanced again.

Afraid the boy would cause trouble, A Xun took him aside and quietly coaxed him.

Manager Liang, now that Meng Wan had arrived, felt as if he had found his backbone. He poured out the entire story of what had happened in Heiye County.

It turned out that the Yao internal conflict had initially been rumored in the county because of its proximity to Heiye County, but no one had taken it seriously. Some had even watched the spectacle with amusement, never imagining that the fighting would spill into the city.

Heiye County had no county troops; its defense relied solely on about a hundred yamen runners and bailiffs, who were utterly powerless. These runners and bailiffs were intimidating enough to ordinary folks, but against Yao people who had tasted blood in battle, they were virtually useless.

The county magistrate had been caught off guard and imprisoned before he could even send a distress signal to the prefectural office.

“The magistrate was captured, the Yao took over the county offices, and the city fell into chaos. No one dares to go out.” Even now, Manager Liang shuddered at the memory.

Meng Wan frowned, his handsome brows knitting together, his lips pressed into a thin line. “They should have been on alert as soon as they heard of the Yao infighting. To only realize the danger when it reached their doorstep—these county magistrates have grown too complacent. Not a single one is reliable.”

Song Tingzhou had gone to Deqing County to handle a case, and no one knew when he would return. At this point, the county magistrate of Heiye County was unlikely to survive. The Yao matter absolutely could not be allowed to spread from Heiye County; otherwise, Song Tingzhou would also be held accountable.

He dismissed Manager Liang, instructing him to first calm the people’s fears. Since the Yao had taken the city but only closed the gates, they probably wouldn’t harm the citizens. Everyone should stay put in the inn, wait for things to settle, and then go home. Under no circumstances should they act rashly.

Meng Wan speculated that these Yao people, drunk on bloodlust, might have lost their senses in the tribal fighting and now thought they could become mountain kings. They wouldn’t even need the local garrison to be mobilized; the prefectural troops could drive them back into the mountains.

What worried him was that if they, emboldened by their easy capture of Heiye County, attacked other places, that would spell real trouble. He had to hold out until Song Tingzhou arrived with the prefectural troops.

“Xue Sheng, you…” Meng Wan intended to send Xue Sheng to the prefectural city to report the situation. Xue Sheng was light on his feet and fast. But then he thought better of it—if both he and A Yan were stuck in the county without a trusted skilled fighter nearby, that wouldn't do.

Xue Sheng looked at Meng Wan expectantly, waiting for his order.

Meng Wan rose from his chair. “Never mind. If I go without news for seven or eight days, my husband will surely sense something’s wrong and come with men. We’ll settle in for now. Stay alert tonight.”

"Don't worry, husband. I will protect you and the young master," Xue Sheng said, his plain face showing his usual reliable demeanor.

The room Meng Wan was to stay in had already been prepared by Huang Ye, right next to Lan Duo and her son. It contained two wooden plank beds pushed together to form a large bed, with bedding brought from home already laid out by Huang Ye.

The room was spacious, divided into an inner and outer section. Near the door, two more beds had been brought in from other rooms, one for Huang Ye and one for A Xun.

With limited conditions, after everyone had washed up, Huang Ye simply steamed a pot of plain rice porridge and stir-fried two plates of greens. They made do with this simple meal.

During dinner, Lan Duo hesitated to speak. She wanted to bid farewell to Meng Wan and take Lan Shan back to Ping Tian Stockade.

"Don't rush. I'll find a way to accompany you back to the Yao stockade to see what's happening," Meng Wan said, setting down his chopsticks and wiping A Yan's mouth with a handkerchief.

"But we still don't know what's going on in our stockade," Lan Duo said. She was willing, but she feared that Meng Wan might get hurt because of her.

Meng Wan smiled reassuringly at her anxious face. "Don't worry. Since I said I would help you, I won't go back on my word. Let's wait until we have a chance to enter the stockade before we talk further."

In the middle of the night, Xue Sheng went out with the waist pass Meng Wan had given him. Before dawn, he returned with a piece of news.

"Husband, Magistrate Huang of Black Leaf County is indeed locked in the dungeon. The Yao guards are lax, and he should be safe for now," Xue Sheng said, pulling off the black cloth from his face and stuffing it into his bosom as he reported to Meng Wan.

Meng Wan sneered. "Even if the Yao people don't kill him this time, the imperial court will convict him."

If he could hold out until Song Tingzhou came with reinforcements, Magistrate Huang might keep his life; being fired would be the best-case scenario. If the situation got out of control, the first to die would be Magistrate Huang. So right now, he was definitely the most worried.

"What did he say?" Meng Wan asked Xue Sheng and at the same time instructed Huang Ye to quickly prepare some food for him. Going out this late was pretty tiring, so Xue Sheng should eat something and rest.

Xue Sheng was indeed a bit tired. He sat on the chair opposite Meng Wan and said, "Magistrate Li said the ones who broke into the county town were people from Feng Tong Stockade in Baiyun Mountain."

Meng Wan stared at Xue Sheng without blinking. After five breaths, he said in disbelief, "That's it? Nothing else?"

Xue Sheng nodded. "Magistrate Li only knows this much."

"Oh, and the headman of Feng Tong Stockade is named Na Tuo," Xue Sheng added.

Meng Wan's mouth twitched. "It's no wonder he got captured." A total waste.

"Did you get any useful information from others?" Meng Wan pressed on.

Xue Sheng brought back news even more ridiculous than what Magistrate Li had said. "I heard from some arrested jailers that Magistrate Li's brother-in-law, Zhang Baolin, is now a favorite of the Feng Tong Stockade headman." They didn't know if they'd survive, and they couldn't even understand what the Yao people said every day. When they saw Xue Sheng asking about their magistrate, they thought there was hope and almost drew the Yao people with all that crying.

A Yan might have been woken by their voices, whimpering and about to cry. Meng Wan walked over and patted him lightly, murmuring, "Magistrate Li's brother-in-law? Zhang Baolin? Why does that sound familiar?"

Huang Ye reminded him, "Husband, wasn't it back when we were still in He Shan County that someone came to the lotus root workshop to cause trouble? Those people seemed to be from Black Leaf County."

Meng Wan suddenly remembered. Back then, Zhang Baolin had been locked up by Song Tingzhou for nearly half a year. Magistrate Li came with a flattering smile to plead, but it was no use. He was only released after his sentence was served.

Leaning by the bed, Meng Wan watched Xue Sheng eat noodles from a bowl with small sips and deduced, "That kind of thug has actually gotten mixed up with the Yao people? Could it be that he colluded with them to break into Black Leaf County this time?"

Huang Ye had just made the noodles, with two poached eggs in the bowl. Xue Sheng ate each egg in one bite, feeling full. He disagreed with Meng Wan. "No. The jailers said that Zhang Baolin only latched onto Na Tuo after the county town was occupied by the Feng Tong Stockade people."