“Say that again!”

In a golden silk tent as magnificent as a palace hall, at the very center sat a tiger-skin chair. The tiger skin had been personally stripped by the chair’s owner, and the tiger had also been killed by his own hands. Though tigers are fierce, when encountering this man, they too met their doom. At this moment, the tiger-slayer wore a cowhide vest and sat in the chair, his muscled arms bulging, his large hands with prominent knuckles, his body leaning forward, his sharp eyes fixed deadly on the person before him, looking exactly like a great golden eagle on the grasslands capable of snatching up a sheep.

Sitting to one side, Liao Xuezheng also felt an invisible pressure. He shifted uneasily and glanced at the person kneeling on the ground.

After nightfall today, this man called Gu Pingyuan had come to pay respects, presenting a painting by Dong Qichang as a generous gift, then speaking eloquently and analyzing the pros and cons in detail. Not to mention other matters, just his description of how Xi’an city was now in complete chaos, with Green Standard troops openly insulting women in the streets – this was truly harmful to moral education. Moreover, the Northwest’s scholarly atmosphere was already weak, and he himself planned to carefully cultivate some top-ranked scholars. Now hearing that the scholars planned to gather and petition, if that unreasonable prince treated them as rebels to be suppressed, all previous efforts would be wasted. So he was persuaded by this young man who claimed to “have a solution” and brought him overnight to see the prince. Who knew that as soon as this man opened his mouth, he would anger Prince Seng, and now how to resolve this situation?

If Liao Xuezheng felt this way, then Gu Pingyuan, who was being questioned, naturally felt the atmosphere in the tent was almost suffocating. He had originally kept his head lowered, but suddenly raised it and said to the prince neither humbly nor arrogantly: “Your Highness, please see clearly – even if you kill all the merchants in the city, confiscate all their shops, and appropriate all their silver for the government, where will you find provisions and supplies? Without provisions and supplies, what will you use to suppress the bandits? Unable to dispatch troops to suppress bandits, Your Highness’s lifelong reputation will flow away like water, and the court will surely impose severe punishment. Then where will Your Highness place your dignity?”

Hearing this, Sengge Rinchen’s face grew dark. These were precisely the causes of his recent inner turmoil, and now having a Han person say them to his face made him feel even more furious.

“I request Your Highness temporarily set aside this ‘treason’ case full of doubts and release those merchants’ family members. This commoner promises Your Highness that within ten days, I will definitely transport provisions and supplies for the great army, allowing Your Highness to successfully dispatch troops to suppress the Nian rebels.” Gu Pingyuan looked directly at Sengge Rinchen, his tone sincere and words earnest. “When Your Highness returns victorious, I also hope you will release Manager Kang and all the Shanxi merchants’ managers. By then the market will be peaceful, the common people will live and work in peace, and the Nian rebels will not be able to stir up trouble.”

Listening from the side, Liao Xuezheng nodded repeatedly – Gu Pingyuan’s words really hit the mark. Since ancient times, “officials forcing the people to rebel” – as long as commoners have a bowl of porridge to drink, they’re unwilling to rebel. Unless they truly cannot survive, rebellion means death anyway, so fighting desperately might still leave a way to live – why not rebel! Right now in Xi’an city, everyone lives in fear, the people cannot make a living. If Sengge Rinchen continues tormenting them like this, without waiting for the Nian rebels to attack the city, all the city’s people will likely become Nian rebels themselves.

Gu Pingyuan spoke until his mouth was dry, but Sengge Rinchen flew into a rage. In his view, this was accusation – a mere commoner daring to speak to him this way was intolerable beyond endurance. But he wasn’t entirely rash; Gu Pingyuan had indeed said one thing that reached his heart – provisions and supplies!

“Fine, I agree!” Once Sengge Rinchen spoke these words, not only Liao Xuezheng but even Gu Pingyuan couldn’t believe it. How could this fierce, demon-like Prince Seng be so reasonable?

Sengge Rinchen left his seat and walked to Gu Pingyuan, giving him two cold laughs, then suddenly shouted: “Guards! Drag him out and give him forty military rod strikes!”

This sudden change of face was quick as lightning. Before Gu Pingyuan understood what was happening, he was dragged out by two personal guards, leaving only the dumbstruck Liao Xuezheng in the tent.

It was already deep into the night, but the great camp was brightly lit like daylight. Outside the tent, someone was sitting restlessly, pacing back and forth. Seeing Gu Pingyuan being dragged out, his heart went cold, but when he realized it wasn’t execution but military rod strikes, this person quickly rushed over, saying: “Let me, let me…” and took the rod from one of the men’s hands.

Gu Pingyuan turned his head and saw it was Deng Tieyi, who had been waiting outside the tent after seeing Gu Pingyuan enter the camp. He shook his head at Gu Pingyuan, meaning not to acknowledge their relationship, then shouted loudly and swung the rod down.

His shout was loud and the rod swung with a whooshing sound, looking like this strike would certainly break bones and tear tendons, but at the last moment Deng Tieyi lifted the rod slightly, removing nine-tenths of the force and striking with only one-tenth of his strength.

Military rod strikes are administered by two people, counted alternately. The soldier opposite had no relationship with Gu Pingyuan and struck him solidly twenty times, beating Gu Pingyuan until his skin split and flesh tore, blood flowing freely. But Gu Pingyuan didn’t make a sound, clenching his teeth and enduring stoically. When the beating was finished, he couldn’t stand up and was again dragged back into the tent by the two personal guards.

“Do you know why I had you beaten?” Sengge Rinchen paced back and forth in front of him. The candles on the hanging lamp at the tent’s peak flickered from the wind stirred by his broad frame, and Sengge Rinchen’s shadow loomed over Gu Pingyuan prostrate on the ground like a demon.

Gu Pingyuan gritted his teeth and shook his head.

“Because you are Han Chinese. A Han dog is not permitted to speak with such backbone before this prince! Remember, if you cannot produce provisions and supplies within ten days, I’ll grind you to powder and feed you to my blue stallion!” With that, Sengge Rinchen turned and left the tent.

“Manager Gu,” though Liao Xuezheng was dissatisfied with Prince Seng, he was helpless. “The prince is not bluffing. Since you’ve said these words, if you cannot accomplish it when the time comes…”

“Rest assured, sir, this commoner will definitely accomplish it!” Gu Pingyuan endured the pain and looked toward the tent entrance where Sengge Rinchen had just exited, his eyes filled with anger.

“You can accomplish it?” Qiao Zhiyong looked completely incredulous. “If it could be accomplished, Master Kang would have done it long ago. Not just buying – even robbing, he would have robbed it, with his whole family’s lives hanging in the balance.”

He had servants fetch golden wound medicine from Xi’an’s Ningde Hall pharmacy. This old shop’s secret formula was indeed extraordinary – Gu Pingyuan immediately felt coolness on his posterior and the burning pain subsided.

“Liao Xuezheng doesn’t handle civil administration, so he doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation and rashly brought you to see Prince Seng. But you’re a businessman – how could you make such an unreliable promise?” Qiao Zhiyong was greatly displeased.

Lying on the bed, Gu Pingyuan managed a weak smile. He had sought out Liao Xuezheng firstly because this man still dared to plead for the people, and secondly because he valued that the man didn’t understand economics. A knowledgeable official would never dare bring him before Prince Seng for such an encounter.

After venting his anger, Qiao Zhiyong sat down heavily in front of him and said: “Military supplies are manageable – provinces at war and provinces not at war exist, and military supplies always have stockpiles that can be transferred. I heard the Ministry of War has already arranged this and will transport supplies to Xi’an within two or three days. But provisions and supplies – no one can manage that. Provinces not at war also need to eat grain. With the current great drought, even having silver cannot buy grain. You told Prince Seng ten days – are you confused or don’t you want to live? Even gods cannot accomplish this!”

Seeing Qiao Zhiyong’s extremely agitated state, Gu Pingyuan knew he was worried for him and felt grateful, so he had Qiao Zhiyong lean close to hear him whisper detailed plans.

When he finished speaking, Qiao Zhiyong’s originally flushed red face instantly turned ashen gray, as if stung by wasps, and he sprang to his feet.

He paced back and forth twice on the ground, and when he turned back, he had already calmed down and said to Gu Pingyuan: “There are several areas that haven’t been thoroughly considered.”

Gu Pingyuan looked at him strangely. “Boss Qiao, you’re not blaming me anymore?”

“Your scheme has less than a ten percent chance of success. If it fails, it means mutual destruction.” Qiao Zhiyong looked at him and said.

Gu Pingyuan nodded in acknowledgment.

“If you want to do it, I won’t stop you, but you must promise me one thing.” Qiao Zhiyong’s voice suddenly became extremely solemn, and Gu Pingyuan couldn’t help but struggle to lift his head to look at him.

“Sell this life for a good price!”

Gu Pingyuan’s scheme required finding many people to cooperate, one of whom was the horse teams to transport provisions and supplies. Qiao Zhiyong happened to know that Xi’an’s famous Chengjiang Horse Caravan was currently in difficulty – tempting them with profit would surely move them. So they went to find Boss Xu of the caravan, heard he had gone to the Great Wild Goose Pagoda Temple, and followed there, encountering the scene described at the beginning of this text.

Boss Xu’s tragic death unexpectedly made things easier to handle. He had a good temper and excellent relationships, was generous with money, and though he didn’t manage affairs, he was much beloved by the caravan members. Now having died indirectly at Sengge Rinchen’s hands, the caravan’s several leaders were furious but helpless.

Gu Pingyuan went to the mourning hall to pay respects to Boss Xu, then invited several leaders to discuss behind closed doors. These were half-Jianghu people who valued loyalty most. Their unanimous response was: “Not to mention being able to both make money and vent anger – as long as we can vent this evil anger, we’ll do it.”

Returning to the inn, Qiao Zhiyong calculated carefully: “The Chengjiang Horse Caravan alone is insufficient to supply this great army’s provisions and supplies. We need to find others.”

“I’ve already found them.” Gu Pingyuan was confident. As soon as he finished speaking, they heard the sound of camel bells outside the main gate. He smiled: “The people have probably arrived.”

When they went out to look, a large camel caravan was outside the gate. The leader, seeing Gu Pingyuan, laughed heartily and came forward: “Manager Gu, how have you been?”

“Well. How about you, Leader Sun?” This summoned person was naturally Sun the Second Leader. Now operating independently, he had become the leader of a large camel caravan.

“Very well. Not to mention you leading us to make a big profit, just the reputation of having crossed the Black Water Marsh has made our business extremely good.”

“This business may not be easier than crossing the Black Water Marsh.”

“No matter.” Leader Sun waved toward the camel caravan: “The brothers all said, as long as we’re following Manager Gu, we dare storm even the King of Hell’s palace.”

Watching from the side, Qiao Zhiyong nodded admiringly. He knew this group of unruly camel drivers always sold to the highest bidder. Gu Pingyuan must have paid tremendous courage and made extraordinary sacrifices to earn their complete submission.

Gu Pingyuan immediately assigned tasks, ordering Leader Du of the horse caravan and Leader Sun of the camel caravan to each lead their teams out of the city. As for what they were going to do, only a few people knew.

Next, Gu Pingyuan planned to withdraw two thousand taels of silver from their accounts, but Wang Chi refused, and no amount of persuasion worked. Gu Pingyuan knew he couldn’t see eye to eye with him on this matter. Since it wasn’t yet time to reveal everything, he couldn’t tell him the truth, so he had to borrow one thousand taels from Qiao Zhiyong. Though the Qiao family’s silver was all tied up in the tea route, this amount was readily available.

Then Gu Pingyuan sent an invitation to summon someone. When this person arrived at the inn, both the staff and manager were astonished, having never heard of anyone sending invitations to him, let alone someone of Manager Taiyufeng’s status.

The summoned person was also confused and puzzled. Upon entering Gu Pingyuan’s guest room, he first went weak in the knees, fell to the ground with a thud, and stared dumbfounded at what lay before him.

Before him was a mountain of silver ingots – twenty-tael standard Beijing ingots with full marks, one hundred total, stacked layer upon layer on the table, gleaming with glazed green light, utterly mesmerizing.

“Yang Si, this time I’m picking you to get rich.” Gu Pingyuan said unhurriedly. “Aren’t you without heir? This silver is enough for you to purchase an official position and request honors for your ancestors – that would fulfill your filial duty.”

Hearing these words, Yang Si’s belly lit up with understanding – his heart was completely bright. Without getting up, he kowtowed on the ground: “Whatever you say, I’ll do it even if it costs my life.”

Gu Pingyuan helped him up: “Just accompany me on a trip to this loess plateau, and this silver is yours.”

Deng Tieyi had been inspecting the camp for several consecutive days and finally got some free time to visit Gu Pingyuan.

Gu Pingyuan was just looking for him. Seeing him arrive, he invited him to the grape arbor behind the inn, and borrowing the shade, the two conversed. After a few words, Gu Pingyuan suddenly asked him:

“How big is big brother’s courage?”

“Big! Being a soldier means licking blood from knife edges – without big courage, it won’t work!”

“Compared to mine – whose courage is bigger, big brother’s or mine?”

“Hey, brother, you’re a businessman, I’m a military officer – how can we compare?”

“We can compare! For instance, there’s something I want to do together with big brother, but I’m worried big brother’s courage isn’t big enough and he won’t dare go with me.”

“Heh.” Deng Tieyi laughed. “Not to mention there’s nothing you dare that I don’t dare – even if it’s climbing mountains of knives or descending into seas of fire, we’re brothers. We don’t seek to be born on the same year, month, and day, but we seek to die on the same year, month, and day. At worst, it’s just one life. Brother, tell me – what do you want big brother to accompany you in doing?”

Gu Pingyuan inwardly felt ashamed – deceiving this honest man truly troubled his conscience, but there was no other way. So he steeled himself and added: “Well, big brother, I’ve spoken. If you want to back down now, there’s still time.”

“Speak quickly! You’re killing me with suspense. If I do anything disgraceful, from now on I’ll write ‘Deng’ backwards!”

Gu Pingyuan smiled apologetically and held nothing back – like pouring beans from a bamboo tube, he revealed everything.

After hearing it all, Deng Tieyi collapsed into the chair, staring dumbfounded at Gu Pingyuan.

“Brother, you’re joking, right?”

“With so many lives at stake, how could I joke?”

“What about yourself? What about your own life!”

Gu Pingyuan smiled with three parts bitterness and seven parts nonchalance: “I don’t know what Heaven is thinking. Since I started doing business, I always encounter these life-threatening deals. Each time I could avoid them, but avoiding them leaves my conscience uneasy for life. Later I realized that doing business means having a conscience – only with conscience can you do big business. Perhaps Heaven deliberately uses this method to make me understand this principle.”

He sighed and continued: “Just like this time, I could ignore this matter and hide back in Shanxi, but with so many people about to die, if I can save them but don’t, could I ever do business with peace of mind again? Could I take people’s money and then pat my chest saying my conscience is clear?”

“Tsk, tsk.” Deng Tieyi also felt his reasoning was sound, but thinking of the current danger: “This is playing with life! But brother, I gave my word earlier, so this matter – I agree.”

Gu Pingyuan never liked forcing others – forced melons aren’t sweet. Seeing that reasoning had shown effect, he next moved him emotionally.

“Big brother, how much silver have you saved these years?”

“I don’t take bribes, living entirely on military pay and rewards – probably over a thousand taels.”

“Too little.” Gu Pingyuan said bluntly. “It’s enough to build a house or buy land, but if you want your old mother wearing silk and satin, eating delicacies, with many maids and servants attending her, several daughters-in-law showing filial piety, grandchildren around your knees, taking the head seat wherever you go – I’m afraid it’s far from enough.”

“Naturally. To live as you describe would require tens of thousands of taels in hand.”

“This time, if big brother partners with me in this business, when it succeeds you can receive twenty thousand taels as your share.”

“How much?” Deng Tieyi nearly choked on his wine.

“Twenty thousand, only more, not less.”

Deng Tieyi’s mind immediately conjured the scene Gu Pingyuan had just painted. He swallowed his wine: “I never imagined our Deng family would have such a day.”

Deng Tieyi had already reached the doorway when he stuck his head back to say: “Brother, I admit it – your courage is bigger than mine!”

News spread quickly. First people discovered that the merchants’ family members had all been released, and except for Master Kang Suyuan being detained, the Kang family wasn’t being harassed further. People inevitably inquired about the truth, so through Liao Xuezheng’s mouth, the agreement between Gu Pingyuan and Prince Sengge Rinchen spread.

People in the streets and alleys all discussed this Gu Pingyuan, wondering what kind of immortal he was to dare reason with the demon king and actually get through to him. So through repeated telling, Gu Pingyuan immediately became as towering as Weituo the Guardian King. But some worried that he lacked such ability and couldn’t obtain grain. If he then angered the prince, things might become even worse. Many merchants held this view – their relatives had finally been released for family reunions, so they simply closed their doors and fled. Thus Xi’an’s markets became even more desolate.

Su Zixuan naturally also received the news and was greatly shaken, her brow furrowed tightly: “This is bad. I never expected that all my efforts would end up benefiting Gu Pingyuan. If he establishes connections with Prince Seng and gets military business, won’t he soar to the heavens?”

“Miss, he may not successfully obtain grain. Didn’t you say even Fan Li reborn would be helpless?”

“That’s what I said, but…” Thinking of Gu Pingyuan crossing the Black Water Marsh, establishing the Buddhist pawnshop, being bold and careful with endless clever schemes, Su Zixuan began to waver.

“That’s simple enough. We’ll pull the rug out from under him – prevent him from buying grain. Then Sengge Rinchen will surely behead him.” Li Qin had been thinking for a long time when he suddenly had an idea. These days he’d been fooling around with Ruyi, but he hadn’t missed a single business matter. He knew everything about the major banks, especially Gu Pingyuan’s affairs.

“How do we pull the rug out?” Su Zixuan knew Li Qin came from a scholarly merchant family, had heard abacus sounds since birth, and grown up among merchants – even she couldn’t match this.

When Li Qin revealed his plan, even Sixi nodded admiringly. Su Zixuan smiled slightly and clapped her hands: “We’ll do as you suggest.”

Having completed his arrangements, Gu Pingyuan came to the branch to find Wang Chi. This time he planned to be completely honest and reveal his entire plan, but when he arrived at the branch, the manager said: “Manager Gu, didn’t you know? Wang Chi left overnight last night.”

“Left?” Gu Pingyuan was shocked. “Where did he go?”

“Back to Taigu. Manager Wang Da sent an urgent message by carrier pigeon, telling him to bring banknotes and return immediately, saying business there had problems and funds couldn’t flow.”

“Aiya!” Gu Pingyuan stamped his foot, crying inwardly: “Disaster! His leaving ruins everything – that’s the money for buying provisions and supplies!”

Gu Pingyuan had to find Qiao Zhiyong to discuss this. After hearing everything, Qiao Zhiyong was also stunned. The Qiao family’s treasury was currently empty, with all money invested in tea mountains, and this couldn’t be revealed. Though Gu Pingyuan was someone worthy of complete trust, if this matter leaked, it concerned the Qiao family’s safety and absolutely couldn’t be told to outsiders unless absolutely necessary.

So he blinked silently. Seeing Gu Pingyuan repeatedly looking at him, knowing he wanted to borrow money, but being called Shanxi’s richest man while actually empty-handed – their friendship had reached this point where he couldn’t play dumb, but this urgency made his forehead immediately break out in sweat.

“What? A single coin stumps the great hero?” Someone suddenly pushed through the door. “Are you here to laugh at my predicament?” Gu Pingyuan said flatly.

Su Zixuan smiled, still extending her hand to produce that silk bundle, dropping it on the table. “You’ve got it backwards. I’ve come to resolve your urgent crisis. This time with Boss Qiao present, I won’t even require you to write an IOU. Take it and use it.”

“What is this?” Qiao Zhiyong grew curious and opened the bundle. He raised his eyebrows. “Yihe Bank promissory notes, twenty thousand each, there’s approximately… hehe, one million taels of silver without requiring an IOU? Friend, what generous terms! I, Qiao Zhiyong, bow in defeat.”

“Boss Qiao jests. This bit of silver is nothing but a drop in the bucket in your eyes.” Su Zixuan turned her gaze to Gu Pingyuan. “How about it? This time will you borrow or not?”

Gu Pingyuan was one hundred and twenty percent unwilling to borrow, but had no choice. The terms needed to be clear though: “Borrowing silver, repaying silver – this business has nothing to do with you.”

“Agreed!” Su Zixuan remained impassive.

Seeing him like this, Gu Pingyuan felt even more uneasy. “I’ll pay you double the highest interest rate of any bank – a full ten percent!”

“No need. Just calculate at ordinary interest – four percent. However, I have one condition: you must take me with you on this trip.”

Gu Pingyuan knew he harbored no good intentions, but could only take things one step at a time. He reluctantly nodded.

After Su Zixuan left, Qiao Zhiyong came over and asked: “This fellow surnamed Su wouldn’t produce one million taels for no reason. This person has seen all manner of things – you must be careful.”

Though Gu Pingyuan had unexpectedly obtained the money, he felt his chest heavy with foreboding. If there was anything about this affair he still couldn’t understand, it was this mysterious and unpredictable Young Master Su.

Outside on the street, Sixi was completely bewildered. Even after returning to the inn, she still couldn’t believe it: “Miss, Li Qin’s scheme had already succeeded. Manager Zhang struck early, forcing Wang Tiangui to transfer the silver back. But why did you then make up this sum for Gu Pingyuan? Why?”

Su Zixuan smoothed the stray hairs at her temple, like teasing a kitten: “What do you think?”

“I can’t guess.” Sixi looked distressed.

Su Zixuan didn’t plan to go out again today, so she loosened her chest bindings and changed into a white dolos robe, loosely tying a silk cord around her waist. She arranged her long hair and secured it with a slender jade hairpin, then sat barefoot on a bamboo stool, having Sixi soak her hands in warm water before coming over to massage her shoulders.

She closed her eyes. Only after Sixi had massaged one shoulder and moved to the other did she speak: “Though Li Qin’s scheme was good, it could only kill one Gu Pingyuan. Using his scheme as foundation, I’ll build upon it and kill them all.”

“Them all? Who?”

Su Zixuan smiled lazily, about to speak when Li Qin suddenly burst in from outside in great agitation.

“Don’t you understand proper conduct? Get out!” Sixi scolded with a darkened face.

This was Li Qin’s first time seeing Su Zixuan dressed as a woman. He was so stunned by her extraordinary beauty that he stood frozen, tongue-tied, forgetting what he’d come to do.

Sixi couldn’t stand his appearance and pushed him. Only then did Li Qin startle awake.

“I ask you – did you lend one million taels to Gu Pingyuan?”

“Correct.” Su Zixuan knew she couldn’t hide it from him and spoke frankly.

“Slap!” Li Qin struck the table with his palm, shaking the basin of warm water to the floor. “How dare you! You…”

“Li Qin!” Su Zixuan stood up, her eyes like autumn waters, naturally commanding without anger. “Listen well – this one million taels is my own money. I lend it to whomever I please. Furthermore, Daping Bank was opened jointly by your father and me. Zhang Guangfa is my employee. You’re merely here in Shanxi as a spectator – don’t meddle in affairs that don’t concern you!”

Li Qin trembled with rage. Realizing he had nowhere to vent his anger, he kicked the water basin far away and strode out the door. Thinking it over and feeling unwilling to let it go, he turned back and roared: “Whether I’m here as a spectator or not – we’ll see!”

By the tenth day, all of Xi’an was in uproar. Early that morning, as soon as the west gate opened, an endless stream of horse teams and camel caravans poured into the city carrying provisions and supplies. Load after load of grain and horse feed was packed full, the sacks bulging. Several carts had loosely tied sack mouths that spilled some sorghum when jostled, attracting groups of children to weave through the convoy, bending to gather the grain.

Gu Pingyuan stood steadily beneath the bell tower. When the convoy leaders Du and Sun had assembled, he strode over. Under the gaze of all, Leader Du cupped his fists: “Manager Gu, everything’s accomplished. I bought all the winter grain stores of tens of thousands of lamas from the Qinghai Lama Temple. However, we spent quite a bit of silver.”

“No matter. As long as we obtained the grain, that’s a great achievement. Silver – I have plenty!” Gu Pingyuan reached into his robe and pulled out a large handful of colorful banknotes, causing the surrounding crowd to gasp in amazement.

News also reached the military camp: “So he bought grain from the Qinghai Lama Temple – quite remarkable.” The Qinghai Living Buddha had always been lukewarm toward the court. His willingness to sell winter grain stores must have required considerable effort. Sengge Rinchen ordered: “Have the newly appointed grain supervisor inspect and warehouse the supplies. All armies prepare – the great army departs in three days.”

“Yes sir!” The staff officer accepted the order, thinking this fellow Deng was indeed fortunate. The grain supervisor position was clearly a lucrative post, but four previous appointees had been executed in succession, leaving no one willing to take it. Just as he obtained this assignment, the grain arrived – his turn to profit had come.

“Military sir, all the grain is here, sufficient for the great army’s use for three months. Please inspect it, sir.” Gu Pingyuan respectfully addressed the stern-faced Deng Tieyi.

“This is the army’s lifeline – you must examine it carefully! After inspection, transport it to the supply depot.” Deng Tieyi waved his hand as dozens of soldiers behind him responded in unison. These were all his old comrades from the Hunan Army, bound by life-and-death friendship.

The grain was still stored at the Epang Palace ruins on the city’s outskirts. This time it was heavily guarded – three layers of troops surrounded it impenetrably. Night patrols were forbidden to use torches, only wind lanterns. Prince Seng had ordered that if anything went wrong again, all three thousand soldiers guarding the grain, along with their officers, would lose their heads.

After a busy day of grain delivery, Gu Pingyuan still walked with a slight limp. As he rested against a hitching post, he noticed Chang Yu’er watching him with worry from nearby.

“Elder Brother Gu, don’t work so desperately. Your injuries haven’t healed yet.” Seeing him notice her, Chang Yu’er walked over.

“Walking around activates blood circulation – it’s also good for healing injuries.” Gu Pingyuan smiled gently.

“Mm.” Chang Yu’er lowered her head, not knowing what to say. Gu Pingyuan suddenly remembered: “I always see you alone lately. That Ruyi…”

“Don’t mention her.” Chang Yu’er’s face reddened as she spat.

Gu Pingyuan understood. Ruyi and Li Qin had gotten a taste for pleasure and presumably spent all their time together. What they were doing was obvious without asking.

“Elder Brother Gu, are you going to risk your life again?” Chang Yu’er asked abruptly.

Gu Pingyuan was startled. Fearing Chang Yu’er would worry, he had always hidden the truth from her. The city’s residents saw only what everyone else saw – how could she ask such a question?

“Your expression is identical to before crossing the Black Water Marsh – as if you’ve abandoned everything.” Women are naturally observant, especially regarding men they care for. One look at Gu Pingyuan’s eyes and Chang Yu’er’s heart kept sinking.

Gu Pingyuan was momentarily speechless. In the setting sun, he walked slowly through the wild flowers and grass among the ruins, with Chang Yu’er following beside him, until they reached the now indistinct boundary walls of Epang Palace. Here stood a high platform built of man-tall giant stones, three zhang high. The wooden stairs that once allowed ascent had long rotted away, leaving only the stone platform standing for a thousand years.

“Do you see those stone edges?” Gu Pingyuan suddenly pointed. In the sunset’s remaining light, Chang Yu’er could see clearly and nodded.

“Those were cut by rope. Two people working together for a full year might not cut such a cross-section. This platform looks crude, but who knows how much manpower and time it consumed.”

“Ah!” Chang Yu’er truly hadn’t imagined this. She couldn’t help walking two steps closer to touch the rough stone, hearing Gu Pingyuan recite softly behind her: “Five steps to a tower, ten steps to a pavilion; corridors wind like sashes, eaves soar like beaks; each embracing the terrain, competing in splendor… Long bridges lie like waves – what dragons emerge from no clouds? Elevated walkways cross the sky – what rainbows appear without clearing skies?… A single Chu torch – pitiful scorched earth!”

This was Du Mu’s “Rhapsody on Epang Palace.” Reading it now was truly like a long song lamenting, stirring the heart. Chang Yu’er listened entranced.

“Miss Chang, you’re right – I’m going to risk my life again, but not for money! No matter how much money I earn, at most I could rebuild another Epang Palace – but what would be the use?” He gestured around them. In the dusk, wind suddenly rose, and the long grass swayed mournfully, concealing all past glory.

“I’m going to fight for dignity! Master Kang has spent his life doing good, Elder Chang Si has spent his life being cautious – both are proper merchants. Now what? Arrested and imprisoned, their fate uncertain! I, Gu Pingyuan, was once a scholar, now a merchant. Helping them is helping myself – showing the world that merchants cannot be lightly insulted!”

This was actually the ancient Qin state’s military review platform. Qin armies departing Xianyang for campaigns east and west all passed before this platform, with the Qin Emperor standing atop, watching these wolf-like troops march past with mountain-shaking roars. Now Gu Pingyuan stood with noble bearing, calling out to the wind, faintly displaying a king’s proud spirit.

“Elder Brother Gu, I’ll go with you! Wherever you go, I’ll accompany you!” Chang Yu’er finally spoke the words she’d long wanted to say – so suddenly, so directly, so recklessly.

Gu Pingyuan lowered his gaze and his head, picking a long blade of grass and folding it repeatedly, speaking slowly: “Miss Chang, I must return to Huizhou eventually. There’s a woman there I once swore to marry – she may still be waiting for me…”

Chang Yu’er didn’t hear the rest. Her tears not only blurred her eyes but also the path she ran along. Gu Pingyuan sighed. He didn’t wish to hurt others, especially this kind and lovely girl, but his heart had been left in his hometown years ago – how could he seek another love?

Feeling guilty toward Chang Yu’er and not knowing how to face her if they met again, while also worrying about the grain supplies, Gu Pingyuan simply informed Deng Tieyi and stayed to guard the supply depot rather than returning to the city. He couldn’t sleep well, rising every hour to walk around and check, until just before dawn when exhaustion finally overcame him and he closed his eyes for proper rest.

At that moment, shouts and battle cries suddenly erupted from the depot’s north side like a hurricane: “The Nian rebels are attacking!”

Gu Pingyuan sprang up alertly, hearing sentries and camp officers shouting urgent commands on all sides – some continuing to deploy guards while others dispatched reinforcements north. The clash of weapons and urgent movement of men and horses created chaos outside the depot. After about half an hour, the battle cries gradually subsided, and Gu Pingyuan’s tense heart began to relax.

“The Nian rebels probably didn’t expect so many guards and retreated when their surprise attack failed,” he was thinking when several figures flashed past nearby, stopping beside a storage rack.

One person lit a fire starter, shielding it from the wind, about to set fire to the grain sacks.

“Stop!” Gu Pingyuan shouted. “Someone…”

He’d only called out half a word when a small man leaped over and covered his mouth, drawing a dagger from his waist to stab toward his chest and abdomen.

“Slap!” – the small man’s hand was grabbed by a companion. “Captain Huang, wait!”

“What?” The man was startled.

“Gu, Gu Pingyuan.” The man who stopped him stared at Gu Pingyuan’s face, murmuring in disbelief.

The man called “Captain Huang” also blinked: “Well, younger brother, how is it you?”

Gu Pingyuan could now see clearly – one was Huang Yiding, the Nian rebel he’d saved at Evil Tiger Ravine, and the other was Liu Heita, who had joined the Nian rebels!

Huang Yiding released his grip: “Brother Gu, you’re… helping the government troops?”

Gu Pingyuan had much to say to Liu Heita, but this wasn’t the place for conversation. He said urgently: “You can’t burn the grain!”

“Don’t interfere!” Liu Heita pushed him away.

“I must complete this business deal to return and save your father. Otherwise, by the time you lead troops back, Elder Chang Si will be dead!” Knowing the situation was urgent and couldn’t be tangled in complications, Gu Pingyuan cut straight to the point with several crucial sentences.

“Why is this?”

“No time to explain – just don’t burn the grain!” Gu Pingyuan looked around. “You should leave quickly. If you’re surrounded soon, you won’t escape.”

“Having come, we never planned to leave.” Huang Yiding didn’t care about any Elder Chang Si. “Over three hundred brothers sacrificed their lives to get us few inside. How can we leave based on your word alone? This grain burns today! Liu Heita, light the fire!”

“This… this…” Liu Heita stared wide-eyed, his mind in chaos. Looking at Gu Pingyuan then at Huang Yiding, he didn’t know what to do.

“You dare disobey military orders!” Huang Yiding glared and snatched the fire starter to do it himself.

“Don’t you Nian rebels fight for the poor? If you burn this grain, Sengge Rinchen will take his anger out on the entire city’s population. Last time it was Nian rebels who burned the grain, wasn’t it? Do you know how many people have already died because of it?”

Huang Yiding hesitated briefly: “We travel everywhere with our families and can’t outrun Mongol cavalry. If he sends troops, we Nian rebels are doomed. Sorry, Brother Gu!” He prepared to throw the fire starter onto the sacks.

“Then burn me along with it!” Gu Pingyuan threw himself onto the rack, spreading his arms to block them.

Liu Heita moved forward to pull him away, but Gu Pingyuan said urgently: “Brother Liu, your sister is also in the city.”

“Yu’er…” Liu Heita unconsciously released his grip, scratching his head and spinning in circles. “Captain Huang, we really can’t burn this grain.”

Huang Yiding’s eyes bulged with anxiety: “If we don’t burn the grain, how do I face the Liang King when I return?”

Gu Pingyuan heard a squad of soldiers approaching from far to near. Knowing time was short, he gripped Huang Yiding’s collar tightly: “When you see the Liang King, tell him I guarantee Sengge Rinchen won’t catch up to you!”

He shoved Huang Yiding hard and added: “Go west – fewer people there.”

Three days later, Sengge Rinchen’s army departed as scheduled. The city’s people lined the roads to see them off, ostensibly wishing the great army swift victory, but actually breathing great sighs of relief. Some even hoped they’d all die on the yellow earth slopes.

Gu Pingyuan watched the last Mongol cavalryman exit the city gate, then led over his chrysanthemum-colored horse, mounted it, and cupped his hands to Qiao Zhiyong: “Save the Da Hong Pao tea for me – I’ll savor it carefully when I return.”

With that, he spurred his horse from the city to meet Leaders Du and Sun waiting outside. At the far end of the long street, Chang Yu’er watched with reddened eyes, staring at his figure on horseback: “Elder Brother Gu, may you return safely soon.”

Su Zixuan’s carriage followed closely behind Gu Pingyuan: “He’s delivered all his grain – why is he still following the army?” Sixi shook her head, feeling both Gu Pingyuan and her young miss acted mysteriously and unpredictably.

“Things certainly won’t be this simple. This million taels will definitely buy quite a spectacle. Let’s wait and see.” Su Zixuan bit her lower lip lightly, her face showing excitement.

Su Zixuan was absolutely right. The Qing army followed intelligence reports, pursuing northwest. These soldiers had been restrained too long – without orders from their commanders, by the third day they’d passed Fengxiang Prefecture, then Pingliang. This border region between Shaanxi and Gansu was most desolate, with yellow earth whirlwinds spinning yellow earth in endless, vast emptiness.

Small Nian army units appeared ahead intermittently – all light cavalry on fast horses. When Qing soldiers pursued, they wheeled their horses and fled. The main force couldn’t catch them while guarding against being deliberately led astray, so their march pace unknowingly slowed.

The accompanying dozen generals felt that dragging hundreds of thousands of troops behind the Nian rebels’ tails wasn’t the solution. They agreed to jointly petition Prince Seng, hoping to divide forces – heavy and light cavalry with separate duties, horse and foot soldiers with distinct roles, using flanking maneuvers and blocking tactics as the proper approach. This showed the difference between Mongol and Han commanders: the former relied on horse speed, hoping to catch the Nian rebels in one burst for decisive battle, while the latter excelled in military strategy, advocating surrounding without attacking until the time was right to annihilate the Nian rebels completely.

The two sides argued back and forth in the great tent, irritating Sengge Rinchen. He still favored letting the Mongols achieve merit and didn’t want to hear Han advice. Just as he slapped the table to make his decision, the mess sergeant entered trembling to request audience.

“Your Highness, this… I don’t know why…” Facing a tent full of generals and Prince Sengge Rinchen himself, the small sergeant could barely speak coherently.

“Speak!”

“We’re out of grain.”

“Nonsense! Provisions and supplies were fully prepared when the great army departed. It’s only been a few days – how could we be out of grain!” Standing beside Prince Seng, Tie Haqi immediately scolded.

“It’s true.” The sergeant was drenched in sweat, barely able to stand. “This subordinate ordered men to bring a grain sack for Your Highness to see.”

The grain was placed in the tent’s center. When the sack was opened and its contents poured out, the gathered officers crowded around and immediately cried out in shock. Where was grain? There was tree bark, sand, and torn cotton padding – not a single grain of food.

Sengge Rinchen was both shocked and furious, repeatedly calling: “Summon the grain supervisor!”

Soon, Grain Supervisor Deng Tieyi entered the tent. He glanced at the pile of “grain,” his expression flickering before returning to normal. He stood in place awaiting the prince’s questions.

Sengge Rinchen immediately saw this grain supervisor knew the inside story. He rose from his seat, approached Deng Tieyi, and sneered: “You transferred from the Hunan Army to my command, correct?”

“Yes!”

“I heard the Hunan Army took considerable empty pay. Is this true?”

No army in the realm didn’t take empty pay. Deng Tieyi didn’t answer.

“So you brought this practice to me. I ask you – where is the grain?” Sengge Rinchen’s voice carried heavy pressure. Though Deng Tieyi was prepared, he still shuddered.

“Reporting to Your Highness – the grain is outside the great camp.”

This answer was unexpected to everyone: “What did you say? Outside the great camp?”

Before Deng Tieyi could respond further, camp guards reported: “Someone outside the great camp with a grain convoy requests audience with Your Highness.”

Sengge Rinchen looked darkly at Deng Tieyi: “Bring him in.”

When the person entered the tent, he bowed respectfully without servility: “Commoner Gu Pingyuan greets Your Highness.”

“It’s you. What trick are you playing?” Sengge Rinchen narrowed his eyes, shooting two cold beams directly at Gu Pingyuan.

“Before Your Highness, how would this commoner dare play tricks? Truly, Your Highness pressed too urgently, leaving this commoner no choice but to use these things to substitute for grain. Actually, I feared disrupting Your Highness’s military morale.”

“Ha ha ha!” Sengge Rinchen laughed toward the sky. After laughing, he wiped his face: “Such audacity, daring to deceive this prince. Guards! Drag this Deng Tieyi out together and behead them both.”

“Wait, Your Highness. Though the military camp has no grain, this commoner has means to supply the great army’s provisions. The grain carts are right outside.”

“Hmm.” Sengge Rinchen hesitated.

“However, only three days’ worth.” Gu Pingyuan completed his statement, enraging Sengge Rinchen until his face turned liver-colored.

“Three days!” The assembled officers whispered among themselves.

“Yes, three days. Moreover, this grain was difficult to obtain – it’s not given freely but must be sold to Your Highness.”

Sengge Rinchen knew the situation was grave. Now the great army’s provisions likely depended entirely on this small merchant: “Hmph! The grain money was used to offset equipment losses – we’re even, so where’s the buying and selling?”

“Your Highness is mistaken!” With this one sentence, all the tent’s officers changed color. No one had ever heard anyone dare say Prince Seng was wrong – yet this mere merchant dared, truly having eaten a bear’s heart and leopard’s gall.

“Your Highness surely knows that southern lychees transported north immediately cost ten times more. Why is this?”

Gu Pingyuan acted as if this were his own shop, strolling leisurely as he spoke slowly: “The goods haven’t changed, but the location has. Doing business means bringing things that don’t exist locally and selling them at good prices. Merchants work hard precisely to earn this price difference.”

“What’s the point of saying all this!” Sengge Rinchen had been listening in a daze, snapping back to furious awareness.

“This is the loess plateau – look around, where is there grain? It all depends on my horse teams and camel caravans going village by village, household by household, buying grain at high prices, sometimes traveling dozens of li just to reach a tiny village of barely ten households to collect grain. The price of this grain cannot be calculated by Xi’an city standards.”

“Then according to you, how should it be calculated?”

Gu Pingyuan turned his back to Sengge Rinchen and raised one finger: “Ten taels per shi!”

“Bullshit!” Tie Haqi’s eyes bulged. “Market price is two taels per shi – you dare extort the prince’s money!”

“Though this is grain, I’m selling it at lychee prices. Otherwise, Your Highness can go buy elsewhere!”

Sengge Rinchen raged: “Hmph! This prince will now confiscate this grain for military provisions!”

“Excellent!” Gu Pingyuan spun around abruptly, gritted his teeth, and said: “This is Your Highness’s great camp – naturally Your Highness’s word is absolute. You can take the grain, and you can also take Gu’s life.” He forcefully tore open his clothing, exposing his chest.

Gu Pingyuan had truly thrown caution to the wind. He thought: Sengge Rinchen! Don’t you look down on merchants? You want to use force – well, I insist on doing business with you. I’ll show you what a merchant is and make you remember it for life!

“However, Your Highness must remember – there’s only one life, but more than one batch of grain. If you kill me and seize this grain, there won’t be a second shipment. Your great army will be without provisions in three days! What will you use to pursue the Nian rebels? Forget fighting – even retreating to Xi’an will be difficult! Without provisions, military morale will collapse. If the Nian rebels attack, your entire army will be annihilated! Don’t you believe it? Don’t you?” Gu Pingyuan roared in suppressed fury. Usually gentle and refined, he now acted completely out of character, venting all his accumulated grievances, glaring fiercely at Sengge Rinchen.

The command tent fell silent as a grave. So many bloodthirsty generals stood frozen on both sides, staring dumbly at a small merchant thundering before Prince Sengge Rinchen. They would never forget this scene for the rest of their lives. Several officers wondered if they were dreaming, pinching their thighs hard. Even the usually fierce Tie Haqi gaped in stunned amazement.

Having led troops for many years, Sengge Rinchen knew well that without provisions and water, no one could command an army. Even if Genghis Khan were reborn or Kublai Khan resurrected, it would be useless. Forget fighting – within three days there would certainly be mutiny. Military pay could be owed, but soldier’s rations could not. And the war horses – without fodder, their hooves would soften and they couldn’t enter battle. It seemed he had no choice but to bow to this man. He suddenly realized something: this man called Gu Pingyuan wasn’t afraid to die!

“Clang!” He struck the table with his fist. “Fine! This prince will buy this grain.” Those unafraid of death were qualified to negotiate with him.

“Then please sign this purchase contract, Your Highness.” Gu Pingyuan reached into his robe and gently placed a paper on the table.

Prince Seng exhaled heavily, took up the brush and signed. Gu Pingyuan added: “And Your Highness’s great seal!”

The commander’s seal!

Prince Seng’s nose twisted with rage. In all the Qing dynasty’s history, he was probably the first to stamp a commander’s seal on a commercial contract. Moreover, for a commanding general to be constrained by a merchant – if word got out, he would become a laughingstock. Murderous intent burned in his heart, though his expression remained impassive.

“Since the contract is signed, the grain should arrive now.”

“Your Highness, grain will arrive every three days without fail.”

“What! What if it doesn’t arrive?” Prince Seng was furious beyond measure, not expecting Gu Pingyuan to sell grain this way. Military affairs were no joke – the army being without grain for even one day would cause great disorder in morale.

“At ten taels of silver per shi, such a fine price – I’d risk my life to transport grain. Your Highness need not worry.”

Only then did Sengge Rinchen understand that from beginning to end, Gu Pingyuan had never treated him as a prince, but merely as a business opponent. He couldn’t help but admire such audacity. He thought: Once I suppress the Nian rebels and return to Xi’an, we’ll settle accounts!

Deng Tieyi escorted Gu Pingyuan from the great camp, still feeling dizzy. “Brother, I was wrong that day – your courage isn’t just bigger than mine, it’s bigger than the sky. Do you know? This is the first time I’ve seen Prince Seng glare without killing someone.”

“If he killed me, his hundred thousand troops would accompany me in death. He’s not stupid.” Gu Pingyuan smiled faintly. “I’m not bold or unafraid of death – I’m just fulfilling a merchant’s duty.”

“Yellow earth fills the sky, countless ravines and gullies” – Gu Pingyuan’s pack train was in a ravine ten li away. Leaders Du and Sun, along with the waiter Yang Si, were gazing anxiously toward the ravine mouth. Seeing Gu Pingyuan return with the convoy, everyone cheered spontaneously.

“Ah, Manager Gu, you were gone so long without returning – you really scared us to death!” Leader Du grabbed his arm.

“Haha, that Prince Seng paid a high price for our grain. He had to inspect every sack carefully – otherwise if he’s fooled again, he’d cry himself to death.” Gu Pingyuan laughed heartily, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

Yang Si was delighted: “So our business won’t lack buyers?”

“Now it depends on you. In all the villages and settlements scattered within a hundred li radius, even single households that planted just one ridge of sorghum – you must lead people to find them and buy their grain at high prices. Turn it around for several times the profit.” This Yang Si was truly capable. As he said himself, he was a living map, remembering even caves the size of a palm. Gu Pingyuan’s three thousand taels were well spent.

Su Zixuan and Sixi had been watching from behind. Sixi was tongue-tied: “Who would have thought…”

Su Zixuan interrupted: “There are too many unexpected things about this man. Following the army to sell grain – this business method isn’t brilliant, it’s terrifying. Because it’s unexpected, it’s terrifying.”

“When grain is delivered again in three days, we’ll follow and watch too,” she instructed Sixi.

Three days passed in a flash. At nightfall, Gu Pingyuan again escorted grain carts to the military camp. This day was truly difficult to endure – not just for all camp officers and soldiers, but even Sengge Rinchen’s heart was suspended until Gu Pingyuan arrived and he could finally relax.

The army couldn’t possibly have so much silver – it was all IOUs stamped with the military seal. Gu Pingyuan specified that this silver must be repaid by the Shanxi provincial treasury. With fighting in Shaanxi and Gansu, Shanxi was nearby and already a province providing military subsidies – having Shanxi pay this silver was natural and proper. No one thought much of it, but Gu Pingyuan clutched the IOUs in his hands, his eyes flashing with unusual light.

Su Zixuan stood on a high slope several li from the military camp, facing a panorama of camp lights scattered like stars.

“Sixi, you’ve been gloomy these days – is it because of that beggar?” she suddenly spoke.

Sixi didn’t dare answer. She was indeed troubled by having personally poisoned that beggar. Looking back, she always felt somewhat horrified – this was her first time killing someone.

“That beggar didn’t die unjustly. A twenty-tael banquet – he could never dream of eating such a meal in his lifetime. Having feasted like a glutton, he won’t blame you in the netherworld.”

“Yes, Miss.” Sixi replied dully.

“Just like these hundred thousand troops below – after lording over Xi’an for so long, now they’ll all be buried in yellow earth together. They probably won’t have any complaints either.” Su Zixuan spoke very slowly, but Sixi grew increasingly frightened listening.

“The Nian rebels can’t defeat the government troops, can they?” Sixi managed to squeeze out this question.

“Even if the Nian rebels doubled in number, they couldn’t handle Prince Seng’s cavalry. However…” Su Zixuan’s eyes also flashed with light that, at first glance, remarkably resembled Gu Pingyuan’s. “Since these hundred thousand have left Xi’an, don’t expect to return alive!”

Gu Pingyuan’s arrangements were thorough. He divided the camel and horse teams into twelve groups, with Yang Si as general coordinator and Leaders Du and Sun commanding from the center. Day and night without rest, they rushed to surrounding areas to purchase grain and fodder, loudly proclaiming wherever they went that any grain and fodder delivered would be bought at thirty percent above market price. Common people living day to day would split a copper coin in half if they could. Hearing of this opportunity, word spread from ten to a hundred like wind sweeping across the loess plateau. Within days, villagers from over a hundred li away were chasing the pack trains to sell grain, and their numbers kept growing. Gu Pingyuan had initially worried about grain sources but now felt completely at ease.

This again proved the saying “one rises as another falls.” With Gu Pingyuan buying up grain in large quantities, the Nian rebels racing across the same yellow earth couldn’t obtain provisions. Learning the inside story, many Nian commanders advocated attacking the pack trains. Liang King Zhang Zongyu was a man of great loyalty. Hearing from Huang Yiding and Liu Heita that the pack train leader was Gu Pingyuan, who had saved his life, he hesitated several times without striking. But how could men fight without grain and horses without grass? Hearing families in the rear crying from hunger – adults weeping and children wailing – Huang Yiding devised a desperate strategy: raid the Qing army’s scout patrols. Scouts operated far from the main force and certainly carried rations. Though limited, it could ease the famine somewhat.

This was Huang Yiding’s plan. Success once, success twice, but on the third attempt, the Qing army set an ambush. To help his brothers escape, Huang Yiding took an arrow in the thigh and was captured alive.

When Sengge Rinchen interrogated him, demanding he reveal Nian rebel movements, Huang Yiding cursed endlessly. Sengge Rinchen didn’t torture him. The next evening, when Gu Pingyuan again escorted grain carts to supply the Qing army, he discovered a rope tied to the camp’s watchtower with a kite flying at the other end.

“What’s this? Does Prince Seng have such refined interests?” Gu Pingyuan asked Deng Tieyi.

“Brother, look carefully.” Deng Tieyi’s face showed unbearable sorrow.

Gu Pingyuan focused his gaze and suddenly cried out: “That’s…”

“It’s a human skin kite – hands, feet, head, face all there, even the hair is flying. They buried a living person in iron pot-heated sand, then immersed him in cold water…”

“Don’t continue.” Gu Pingyuan felt waves of nausea. “A Nian rebel?”

“Indeed. According to his own testimony, he called himself ‘Ghost Hard to Catch.'”

Huang Yiding! Learning the full story, Gu Pingyuan slapped his thigh, feeling greatly that he hadn’t killed Boren but Boren died because of him. He remained gloomy all day.

The next day at midnight, the pack train’s perimeter reported two men specifically requesting to meet Gu Pingyuan. Upon meeting, Gu Pingyuan immediately recognized the spirited general in front as Zhang Zongyu, with the tall, angry-faced man behind being Liu Heita.

“Manager Gu, could we borrow a place to speak privately?”

Once inside the tent, Zhang Zongyu smiled: “I hear Manager Gu has become quite wealthy lately.”

“Not at all.” Gu Pingyuan vaguely guessed their purpose and was considering how to respond while answering vaguely.

“Since you’re openly conducting business, could Manager Gu sell some grain to me? I won’t write IOUs – I’ll pay in silver.” Zhang Zongyu named an amount.

“This…” Gu Pingyuan was in a difficult position. Zhang Zongyu’s grain request wasn’t large – just enough for daily rations for men and horses. With current broad supply sources and some inventory, supplying them posed no problem. But this was aiding rebels, tantamount to treason. If exposed, it meant beheading – so many people outside would be implicated. Gu Pingyuan had to consider carefully.

Liu Heita wouldn’t let him consider. Seeing Gu Pingyuan pondering silently, he burst into curses: “Surname Gu! Do you know how miserably Big Brother Huang died? If you hadn’t bought up all the grain, would he have taken such desperate risks? Now the troops are nearly out of provisions. Women who just gave birth have no milk, and over ten children have starved to death. Tell me, aren’t you lacking in virtue!”

Gu Pingyuan was provoked by his scolding and stood up straight: “Haven’t I helped the Nian rebels? Why do I sometimes deliver grain at noon, sometimes at dusk? It’s to see whether Prince Seng’s cavalry pursue you closely. When they pursue closely, I deliver late – without stored provisions, they naturally don’t dare advance fully.”

So that was it! Zhang Zongyu bowed deeply: “Thank you, Manager Gu, for your righteous assistance.”

“I don’t dare claim credit. I once promised that Commander Huang – I’m just keeping my word.” Gu Pingyuan only spoke half the truth. Promising Huang Yiding was true, but his decision to act this way came earlier. Strict Immortal’s phrase “profit comes from grain” gave Gu Pingyuan the idea of doing business with provisions, while “if weapons are removed, profit will be great” provided another inspiration.

If government forces and Nian rebels couldn’t fight, that was “removing weapons.” The longer Prince Seng pursued, the more grain he sold – that was “great profit.” With this wonderful insight, Gu Pingyuan manipulated matters, using grain to control government troop movements. If Sengge Rinchen knew of this, regardless of grain availability, he would certainly capture and flay him alive.

Returning to the grain sale matter, Gu Pingyuan remained undecided. The grain delivery matter was covert, without concrete evidence – even if someone suspected, they couldn’t prove anything. But selling grain to Nian rebels was concrete – once caught in the act, the crime couldn’t be denied.

Liu Heita was about to lose his temper when Zhang Zongyu, knowing he and Gu Pingyuan were old friends and had brought him for this reason, hadn’t expected their friendship to be strained. He quickly stopped Liu Heita: “We can’t force others into difficulty. Let’s think of another way.”

“Why seek other ways when grain is right here!” The tent flap lifted as Su Zixuan entered. Liu Heita was stunned and unconsciously reached out to touch Su Zixuan’s face. Sixi drew her concealed sword partway: “Black Giant, what do you think you’re doing!” She forcefully knocked his hand away with the sword sheath.

“I, I want to see if this is a real person or a fake one molded from powder.”

Su Zixuan smiled gracefully, ignoring him, and said to Zhang Zongyu: “Liang King, I’ve long admired your great name.”

“I wouldn’t dare. And you are?”

“I’m called Su Zixuan, and I suppose I’m the financial backer of this pack train. I can make decisions about what you mentioned.”

“Young Master Su, we agreed – lend silver, repay silver. You cannot interfere with business matters.” Gu Pingyuan said urgently.

“Correct, I cannot interfere. But I can always intercede. I heard everything outside the tent just now. I’ll say only one thing: Manager Gu, if you don’t sell grain to the righteous army, children will starve to death tonight. Will you truly watch them die? Will you truly bear to hear those mothers’ cries?” Su Zixuan’s eyes reddened slightly as she spoke.

All three men in the tent fixed their gazes on Gu Pingyuan. Gu Pingyuan’s face flushed red, realizing Su Zixuan’s words had cornered him completely. With things said to this point, refusing to sell would make him inhuman.

“Very well.” Gu Pingyuan reluctantly agreed. “I’ll sell to you, but you can only collect grain at midnight and cannot wear Nian rebel colors.”

“It’s agreed. Manager Gu, this is a great merit.” Zhang Zongyu thanked him repeatedly while Gu Pingyuan responded with a bitter smile.

“Young Master Su, your enthusiastic help – if the Nian rebels can ever be of use, please speak freely.” Zhang Zongyu was even more grateful to Su Zixuan. Su Zixuan skillfully showed sympathy for the righteous army and admiration for the Liang King personally. In just a few words, Liu Heita thought this Young Master Su was a rare good person in the world, and though Zhang Zongyu was cautious, he was also pleased to make such a good friend.

Gu Pingyuan knew Su Zixuan certainly had other motives but couldn’t yet fathom them. After seeing off Zhang and Liu, he noticed Su Zixuan heading toward his tent and followed.

Just as Su Zixuan was about to bend and enter the tent, Gu Pingyuan called: “Young Master Su, may I have a word?”

Su Zixuan was slightly startled, thought briefly, nodded, and followed Gu Pingyuan outside the camp, with Sixi following closely behind.

Gu Pingyuan walked silently along the edge of loess ravines until reaching a massive crevasse where no path continued, and he slowly stopped.

This was where seven or eight ravines converged. In the center, yellow earth formed a tall, solitary pillar several zhang high. Atop it grew a jujube tree. Though jujubes are normally small trees, this one grew enormous, its crown as large as a yellow silk umbrella canopy. Below, its roots intertwined in complex patterns, some extending beyond the earth pillar, reaching like claws apparently straight into the ground.

This was a rare spectacle, and Su Zixuan stared transfixed.

“If this earth pillar weren’t held by these roots, it would have collapsed thunderously long ago, and the jujube tree couldn’t survive.” Gu Pingyuan turned to glance at Su Zixuan. “Without skin, how can hair exist? Young Master Su, what do you think?”

Su Zixuan remained silent for a long moment, then suddenly burst into laughter: “Perhaps I just want to hear that thunderous collapse! Manager Gu, you’re just a small merchant – mind your own business. Why try to be like Lu Nu worrying about the state?”

With her quick and clever mind, she immediately understood Gu Pingyuan suspected her motives in courting the Nian rebels. The earth pillar represented the state, the jujube tree the people. Gu Pingyuan’s analogy clearly showed he saw Su Zixuan’s intention to befriend Nian rebels against government forces.

“That’s not how to put it. The rise and fall of the world…”

“Times of rise and fall are times of chaos!” Before Gu Pingyuan finished, Su Zixuan interrupted. “People like you can best display their talents in chaotic times.”

“People like me… what kind of person am I? How do you know!” Gu Pingyuan stood on the slope, western wind whipping his robes, his smile tinged with bitterness.

“I know – you’re the type who never accepts defeat!” Su Zixuan took the concealed sword from Sixi and tossed it to land at Gu Pingyuan’s feet.

“I can see you harbor hatred, have enemies!” Su Zixuan pointed at the sword. “If no one were around and your enemy stood before you, would you unhesitatingly draw the sword and stab him to death?”

Gu Pingyuan was startled, looking down at the sword. Images of Zhang Guangfa and Wang Tiangui appeared before his eyes. He imagined these men all present, himself sword in hand… He slowly shook his head.

Su Zixuan gazed at him, a trace of smile appearing at her lips: “Manager Gu, I was right, wasn’t I? Actually, you don’t care about your enemies’ life or death – what you want to win is that breath of pride, to see enemies admit defeat before you!”

This statement struck Gu Pingyuan’s heart like a thunderbolt. He swayed as if blown by wind, his body shaking as he stared at Su Zixuan in a daze.

Su Zixuan stepped forward two paces, as if fearing someone might eavesdrop in this vast wilderness, whispering softly between the howling wind: “I’m like you – I also have vengeance to repay.”

Gu Pingyuan’s body trembled as he looked in amazement at Su Zixuan’s eyes, where suddenly flashed a deeply hidden fury that seemed ready to burn the entire world to ashes.

“I hope you won’t become my enemy!” Su Zixuan left this statement and turned away with Sixi.

“Miss, didn’t you want him to help us? Why pass up this good opportunity?” Sixi retrieved the concealed sword and ran to catch up.

Su Zixuan shook her head silently. Tonight she finally understood why she felt vaguely afraid of Gu Pingyuan. Because this man was like her yet not entirely the same – this “similarity” and “difference” seemed like rotating yin-yang, unconsciously making her somewhat attracted to him.

“I can’t let him get too close – I fear my intentions might be changed by him.” Su Zixuan’s words were lost in the howling wind, and Sixi didn’t hear clearly. But the next statement was very clear: “When I achieve my wish someday, I definitely won’t immediately kill that pair of dogs, but will make them kneel before this daughter of Ama, bowing their heads in defeat!”