Due to her father’s case, her grandfather’s escort agency had been hounded by the families of the dead scholars from the academy incident, who constantly came to vandalize and make a scene.
Her father was dead, and all their property was confiscated. So these grieving families turned to her grandfather for compensation.
After her grandfather filled the huge financial hole left by her dead father and, by unfortunate coincidence, lost a major escort job, he couldn’t pay compensation quickly enough. This damaged the agency’s reputation, and business plummeted.
If Lu Xian hadn’t taken risks behind his ill father’s back, the Shen Wei Escort Agency’s sign would have been taken down for good.
But that money wasn’t easily earned, with most of it going into Yangshan’s accounts. Even so, because Mian Tang’s uncle had led the Northwestern mining operation, remnants of the Eastern Palace faction were relentless, accusing Mian Tang of using public office for private gain!
Upon hearing of Mian Tang’s disappearance, Lu Xian and Lu Mu lost interest in the ore business, deploying large numbers of people to search along the riverbanks. It took a full year before they finally gave up hope.
But the easy money from the Northwest was no longer available. Internal strife among the barbarians changed everything, and they were replaced by others.
Mian Tang knew her grandfather and uncle valued loyalty, willing to eat thin porridge themselves to keep their escort guards fed. They especially couldn’t abandon the older guards who had no other skills.
But now, with the Northwestern finances dried up, Mian Tang didn’t want to return empty-handed and become another burden on the family.
So before crossing the river, she planned to use her dowry to buy goods for resale.
With the Northwestern war at a stalemate, the entire Northwestern line was blocked. Even now, with the situation greatly improved, the three passes in the Northwest remained sealed.
Many merchants who had prepared to transport goods to the Northwest were stranded in Jin Tuo Town along the river.
One step forward meant facing the fierce barbarian troops; turning back meant losing money on transportation costs.
So many merchants, caught in this dilemma, chose to stay in town and sell their goods at low prices.
They didn’t ask for much, just hoping to recoup their costs, as the return transportation fees would only increase their losses.
However, with the ongoing war blocking north-south trade routes, Jin Tuo Town saw little traffic, and many merchants struggled to sell their goods.
After arriving in Jin Tuo Town, Mian Tang planned to stay for a few days, leading Liu Kun and the others around town to inquire about prices.
After this round of inquiries, Mian Tang felt more confident.
Liu Kun, sensing the young lady’s intentions, asked, “Miss, are you planning to buy goods? These things will be worth even less across the river. What’s the point of buying them?”
Mian Tang smiled slightly, “That’s why we won’t cross the river. We’ll buy the goods and sell them at the barbarian border.”
Hearing Liu Mian Tang’s words, Liu Kun’s eyes widened, “Miss, have you gone mad? We just escaped from the tiger’s den, how can we rush towards death again? Even if Prince Sui isn’t hunting us anymore, that A Gu Shan is no easy customer!”
While her uncle was resting at the inn, Mian Tang took the opportunity to fully convince Liu Kun to change his mind. She pulled out a map she had drawn over the past two days and showed it to Uncle Liu.
“The Northwestern war hasn’t stopped, but the barbarians have started a strategic defensive retreat. If we go to the border now, we won’t encounter A Gu Shan’s troops. Most checkpoints are guarded, but there’s a shortcut through Tie Bei Mountain. It’s loose going in, and strict coming out. If we catch a foggy day, we can move in and out freely…”
Liu Kun, who had spent so long in barbarian territory, didn’t know about this shortcut. After hearing her explanation, he asked with surprise how Mian Tang knew about it.
Mian Tang’s lips twitched, almost like a smile, and she slowly said, “To break through barbarian territory, the Prince of Huaiyang ordered his troops to resurvey the border, especially the rugged peaks. They accidentally discovered a narrow cliff face that couldn’t be passed. He later ordered it widened to use for surprise attacks on the barbarians guarding the three passes.”
Back then, even when he came to Wuning Pass, he often got up at night to draw maps. He didn’t guard against her, and she hadn’t intentionally looked. But with her naturally good eyesight, she remembered this spot while bringing him tea.
Now that Cui Xingzhou had recaptured the three passes, this shortcut’s military value must have decreased significantly. Mian Tang was certain the guards there would be reduced. If they could enter from there, transporting goods to the resource-scarce three passes would surely find a ready market.
There was no way around it – even during the war, people still needed clothes and medicine!
Mian Tang wanted to make a big profit before returning to Xi Prefecture with dignity.
This was too big a decision for Liu Kun to make alone; he wanted to tell the master. But Mian Tang said, “I’m determined to do this. If you tell my uncle, won’t he want to come along? In his current condition, can he handle such a journey?”
As Liu Kun tried to speak again, Mian Tang said seriously, “There are so many mouths to feed at Shen Wei Escort Agency now, all waiting for money to buy rice. You and my uncle once dared to smuggle ore, why are you so hesitant now with common goods like rice and oil? Are you waiting for my uncle to come up with ways to make money from his sickbed?”
These words struck Liu Kun’s pride! For people of the jianghu, life was always hanging by a thread. What was there to fear? Was he less bold than a nineteen-year-old girl?
Moreover, Mian Tang’s words resonated with him.
Recently, news from Xi Prefecture said the old master was ill but couldn’t afford medicine. Thinking of Old Master Lu, Liu Kun wished he could sell himself to make money.
Mian Tang understood Liu Kun’s temperament well. Seeing his hesitation, she knew she had a chance, so she elaborated on her plan in detail.
Although Liu Kun didn’t know about Mian Tang’s earth-shattering deeds in Yangshan, he knew this girl had real skills. The coal mine route arrangements had all been planned by Miss Liu for the master.
So hearing her detailed explanation, he felt increasingly confident, resolving to make this one big score and return to Xi Prefecture in grand style with a large sum of money.
Seeing Liu Kun relent, Mian Tang couldn’t help but add one last push: “Now that’s the Qiankun Hand Liu Kun, the great hero I know!”
Liu Kun glanced sideways at his young miss, thinking her smiling expression as she lured him in was exactly like the young Master Lu!
So the next day, when the Lu family caravan set out, Liu Mian Tang, supposedly ill with a cold, covered her face with a headscarf and only boarded the carriage after it entered the courtyard.
Long after the caravan had left, Liu Kun led two subordinates following Mian Tang, now dressed as a man, as they slipped out through the inn’s kitchen back door.
They had stayed hidden, watching Fan Hu and his men follow the caravan from across the street.
Mian Tang’s plan was this: With Fang Xie wearing her clothes and covering her face, pretending to be her, and using the excuse of cold to stay in the carriage, they should be able to maintain the deception along the way. Not knowing she had deliberately stayed behind, Fan Hu would surely protect her uncle diligently back to Xi Prefecture.
Now, free of all burdens, Mian Tang felt she had no worries and could finally spread her wings.
As for the goods to buy, she had already made her selection, choosing only fabrics and dried medicinal herbs – items unlikely to be damaged by jostling.
Having run a pharmacy at the border for so long, she knew the market for medicinal herbs by heart, so when bargaining for goods, she was ruthless, precise, and steady.
Moreover, with some herb merchants eager to recoup some capital before leaving, they finally gritted their teeth and sold at low prices to this unfamiliar young man.
As a result, Mian Tang’s banknotes filled three large cargo wagons.
She didn’t dare buy too much, wanting to test the waters first. So she arranged with other eager-to-sell merchants to discuss the remaining goods when she returned.
Next came transporting the goods to the three passes.
Liu Kun had never known that Miss Liu could read maps so accurately. The barbarian lands were full of treacherous mountains and confusing paths, but Liu Mian Tang’s intuition was excellent, and they smoothly arrived at the shortcut path that had been opened up.
Mian Tang didn’t rush to cross. She first sent a guard to scout the surroundings. The guard reported finding a patch of charcoal halfway up the mountain, indicating someone had camped there, though they were long gone based on the age of the charcoal marks.
Mian Tang nodded. This result was as she expected. The Prince of Huaiyang’s troops were eager to advance, so this shortcut had lost its military value, and local people didn’t know about it, which was greatly convenient for her.
If she wasn’t mistaken, the border would be reopened before long. By then, she would lose the advantage of having rare goods, and this batch wouldn’t fetch a good price.
The opportunity to make good money was just in this narrow window of a few days.
She had to use it wisely, earn enough from this venture to have capital for bigger deals, and then her path forward would be smoother…
At the mere mention of making money, Liu Mian Tang’s eyes lit up. Honestly, when her uncle vaguely mentioned that she had once helped Zi Yu with affairs in Yangshan, she couldn’t understand why.
With so many money-making businesses in the world, why would she have to wholeheartedly join a rebellion to make a living? Had she and Zi Yu been in love back then? She really couldn’t remember, and she thought Zi Yu had probably forgotten just as thoroughly.
After all, Cui Jiu had specifically informed her about Zi Yu’s marriage to General Shi’s daughter… Although Cui Jiu’s intentions weren’t kind, it showed that her relationship with Zi Yu was completely over.
But why cut the tendons in her hands and feet? Mian Tang’s instinct told her this probably had nothing to do with the sickly young master Zi Yu.
In any case, whoever cut her tendons had better stay alive. If she didn’t avenge such a great grudge, she, Liu Mian Tang, would change her name to Liu Guisun!
In Liu Mian Tang’s heart, there was so much to do that it temporarily dulled the sorrow of parting. That kind of abandoned wife’s resentment was only suitable for privileged ladies who had no worries about food and drink.
Liú Miántáng had over a hundred people to support and an ailing grandfather to care for. Even if she wanted to reminisce about sweet moments with her handsome fake husband, she had to wait for spare time.
Now, Miántáng traveled by day and planned the next leg of the journey by night. When she crawled into her small tent to sleep, her legs ached, and she fell asleep as soon as she closed her eyes. The overwhelming sorrow she had expected never had time to trouble her.
By the time they reached the Three Passes, Miántáng’s group was travel-worn. She felt sour and smelly, but their cartloads of goods needed to be sold quickly. So after settling in, without time to freshen up, Miántáng found a street corner to display her wares. Customers came immediately.
At first, there weren’t many, but gradually repeat customers brought others. Even barbarians of uncertain status came to buy. Miántáng, no longer a military dependent, fully embraced her role as a profiteering merchant, and her moral standards significantly lowered.
As long as the barbarians weren’t buying swords or wound medicine, weren’t barbarian soldiers or bandits, and could pay in real silver – willing to pay three times the price Han people paid – she sold to them! She even offered buy-one-get-one-free deals, and for minor ailments, the half-trained doctor would throw in a free prescription!
Thanks to Liú Niángzi’s previous coaching, Miántáng had become quite adept at understanding barbarian accents. She noticed that several of the barbarians buying her medicines spoke with the accent of the Wang Qi tribe, different from A’gushan’s tribe. They were buying medicines for colds and flu, suggesting someone important was ill, driving them to risk coming to the Three Passes for medicine.
However, on the second day, a familiar face appeared among the buyers. When Miántáng saw Lín Niángzi approach her cart with several tall attendants, she couldn’t help but look up in surprise.
Miántáng was dressed as a man, her face not particularly clean. She wondered if Lín Niángzi would recognize her.
Unexpectedly, Lín Niángzi chuckled and said, “Young man, I see you’ve been busy all day. How about joining me for a cup of tea?”
This comment drew sideways glances from several old women buying medicine, who thought this barbarian woman too indecent, inviting a man for tea on the street.
No wonder people said barbarians had no manners; even their women would snatch handsome Han men into their tents!
But the young man being invited was equally lacking in propriety, nodding in agreement and following the barbarian woman.
Upon reaching a residence, Miántáng noticed several familiar faces among the men respectfully following Lín Niángzi – some had bought medicine from her earlier.
Miántáng asked, “It seems you’ve found your relatives, Lín Niángzi? I didn’t expect to see you in the Three Passes.”
Lín Niángzi replied, “My reasons for being here are too complex to explain briefly. Let’s talk inside.”
She led Miántáng into the house, where two barbarian women were playing with little Hétao on the kang bed.
Seeing Liú Miántáng enter, Hétao froze, staring wide-eyed at this dirty shepherd-like uncle.
Miántáng wanted to hug her godson but felt too embarrassed, fearing she might overwhelm the child with her odor.
Lín Niángzi instructed the two old women, “Go prepare a bath for our esteemed guest, and bring various delicacies as well.”
The two women immediately obeyed and left. Lín Niángzi, not minding Miántáng’s state, affectionately held her hand and sat on the kang, saying, “Time flies; it’s been several months since we last met. If I hadn’t gone to the street today and heard my servants mention buying medicine from you yesterday, we might have passed each other by!”
Miántáng examined Lín Niángzi and asked, “Are you unwell?”
Lín Niángzi shook her head, pointing at the child now crawling onto Miántáng. “It’s my son. He’s had a high fever for days, worrying me sick. I brought him here with others to seek medical help. But the Three Passes have been sealed off for days, and we couldn’t find medicine anywhere. I was about to send people to break through the blockade to buy herbs when you arrived. Your prescription was excellent; my son’s fever broke after just one dose. Look at him now, full of energy to make mischief again!”
Indeed, little Hétao was now earnestly trying to clean Miántáng’s hand with his tiny finger, making her both amused and touched.
Next, Lín Niángzi recounted what had happened after she and Miántáng parted ways.
It turned out that shortly after Fán Hǔ had settled her, her father’s loyal subordinates had found her. Her father was the leader of their tribe.
Though her father was gone, his influence remained. Their tribe had fallen on hard times, oppressed by outsiders, and urgently needed someone to rally them and restore their former glory.
As the new leader of their tribe, Lín Sīyuè embodied all their hopes, bringing renewed cohesion to the scattered tribespeople.
Lín Niángzi spoke vaguely, not revealing their tribe’s name, and Liú Miántáng didn’t press for details. After all, it was an internal barbarian matter, and as a mere medicine seller, she shouldn’t pry too much.
However, Lín Niángzi was curious about why Miántáng, formerly a military dependent, was now in this situation. Not wanting to reveal the Northwestern Commander’s identity to the barbarians, Miántáng simply said she and Cuī Jiǔ couldn’t get along, so they had parted ways and were no longer living together.
If it were another woman, she might have inquired further about the reasons. But to Lín Sīyuè, discarding a man or two was perfectly normal.
She just nodded and said, “If it weren’t necessary for bearing children, men would hardly have any use. I only married that Han merchant to escape our tribe’s misfortunes. Even if his family hadn’t driven me out, my child and I wouldn’t have stayed long… But Commander Cuī is handsome; you haven’t lost out by leaving him. You can always find someone better in the future.”
Miántáng chuckled, realizing that her shocking thoughts were perfectly normal in the eyes of barbarian women. It seemed that when Lín Sīyuè had chosen that Hú family’s second son, she had also been attracted by his looks, using him to bear a son! After all, barbarian customs didn’t distinguish between grandsons and maternal grandsons.
Lín Sīyuè’s son was the little prince of their tribe.
Afterward, Miántáng enjoyed a hot bath at Lín Sīyuè’s place, who even lent her clean undergarments.
After his godmother was clean and fragrant, little Hétao became even more clingy, shyly smiling at her beautiful face and insisting on planting wet, slobbery kisses on her cheeks.
However, when Miántáng was well-fed and ready to leave with Liú Shū and the others, she still smeared some ash from the stove on her delicate face.
Liú Shū and the others had finished selling their goods and were resting at an inn. Seeing Miántáng arrive with food boxes, they all ate ravenously.
With the patronage of wealthy customers, Miántáng’s medicines sold out quickly, with those who couldn’t buy asking when they’d return.
However, the fabric Miántáng had brought didn’t sell well. Most inquiries were for scraps to patch clothes. With the war not yet over, the people of the Three Passes had just begun to recover from the barbarian invasion and couldn’t afford to think about beauty.
Miántáng made a mental note, jotted down a list, calculated what goods to bring next time, and then inquired about the location of the largest local ranch.
She took the cart of fabric there and, after much haggling with the ranch owner, agreed to exchange the entire cart of fine fabric for five sheepskins.
On the return journey, Miántáng sat in the empty cart, cutting the sheepskins. Liú Shū helped her punch holes with an awl and sew with thick thread. They made a simple, oversized sheepskin jacket and ear-flap hats for Liú Shū and the others.
Autumn had arrived, and the Northwest grew cold faster than other regions. At night, it felt like deep winter.
When she left, besides leaving behind the house deed, she had also left her exorbitantly priced sable-lined cloak.
While preserving her unyielding integrity, Miántáng was also freezing, especially when traveling through the countryside at night. Her longing for that sable cloak was endless…
So all along the way, she had made do with one of Liú Shū’s half-worn fur coats.
Now that she had her own-sewn sheepskin coat, she returned the fur coat to Liú Shū. The sheepskin coat was very large, allowing for thick cotton padding underneath. Tied with a coarse hemp rope at the waist, it was snug and protected against the cold wind.
Miántáng was, after all, a beauty-loving young girl. Wearing her new clothes, she stood on the cart board as usual and asked if she looked good.
Liú Shū adjusted his sheepskin melon-hat, looked at her somewhat dirty little face and bulky attire, and said honestly, “You look like a shepherd…”
Seeing Miántáng’s face fall, Liú Shū quickly added, “But you look warm!”
Miántáng nodded, somewhat satisfied. At least her new clothes were pleasing to others’ eyes.
The return journey wasn’t as rushed as the outbound trip. For instance, now she leaned back on the flatbed cart, watching the red sun gradually set on the horizon. The scene of the “long river, setting sun” was particularly magnificent in the vast wilderness.
In the glow of the setting sun, Miántáng had time to think about the war news she had heard in the Three Passes – reportedly, the Prince of Huaiyang’s 130,000-strong army had assembled, led by the commander himself, advancing deep into barbarian territory.
It was said that at the oath-taking ceremony in Zhēn Prefecture, Prince of Huaiyang Cuī Xíngzhōu took the lead, and his soldiers all cut their hair and swore to drive the barbarians north of Zhǐqíyīn Mountain, ensuring they would not dare to invade the Central Plains for a hundred years.
Some of the commoners saying this had personally gone to Jīnjiǎ Pass to see and had joined others in sending off the army for ten li.
They said the Prince of Huaiyang, in his golden armor, looked heroic and handsome, moving the crowd to tears and hoarse cheers… The scene was so stirring that even old men felt the hot blood of youth surging in their veins!
Miántáng sighed, half-closing her eyes to imagine… A man with his long legs and broad shoulders looked so good in a chiliarch’s armor; how much more majestic he must look in shining golden armor!
As she thought, Miántáng softly hummed a tune. It was a marching song soldiers sang to boost morale. She had heard him hum it absent-mindedly while they bathed in the hot springs. The melody was low and deep, not suited for a woman’s voice.
But when Miántáng deliberately lowered her voice, she sang this military tune with a thousand turns of desolation, accompanying the creaking of the cartwheels, moving forward without looking back…
Such moments of idle melancholy were rare for Miántáng, more precious than bathwater.
When she returned to Jīntuó Town, her purse was full, and she was busy as a spinning top again. This time, with more confidence, she organized a caravan of ten carts. Besides transporting medicines, she also carried iron pots, salt, oil, and flour – all in high demand.
However, after some calculations, Miántáng still felt the profit wasn’t enough.
She thought for a while and remembered what she had seen at the ranch when exchanging sheepskins. So she crossed the river and, after some haggling with the sheep merchants on the other side, agreed on a price. If she could bring back the unique black-tailed fat sheep from the Three Passes grasslands, the merchants were willing to pay a high price.