“In that case, I’d better stick to crouching in my Sky City that I’m building. If you kill everyone off, I won’t have enough manpower or financial resources to construct and maintain my divine palace.”
Yun Ye glanced at Han Zhe. This fellow’s ambitions had expanded to such an extent that he was actually thinking about conquering the Central Plains. There was nothing much to say about this—cutting off extended hands and chopping off extended legs was the bare minimum that needed to be done. As for the matters Yun Ye had just mentioned, Li Er was already having people proceed with them. It was merely a proxy; as for what this proxy could accomplish, Li Er didn’t care, and the civil and military officials of the entire court didn’t care either. The only thing that needed to be done was to ensure continuous warfare on the Tibetan plateau—this was a long-term policy. After a hundred years or so, it would be far more terrifying than releasing a plague on the plateau.
Han Zhe’s indifferent attitude had its roots. He had always categorized people based on the depth of their emotional connections. As for those people with whom he had no emotional ties, whether they were Tibetans or Tang people, he generally didn’t consider them human.
“You can’t just want to kill everyone in the world because you’ve had bad luck. Han Zhe, what’s really going on with the child you fathered? If he’s not excessively stupid, I have a method here that can gradually nurture that child into a normal person. Though he might be a bit slow, self-care shouldn’t be a problem.”
Yun Ye recalled some educational methods from the later generations for children with intellectual disabilities and wanted to help Han Zhe. If this fellow continued like this, he would definitely turn into a madman. But with a child, he wouldn’t be able to go crazy as freely as he pleased.
Han Zhe put down the wine jar in his hands and said to Yun Ye with a smile, “I killed him!”
Neither Dan Ying nor Yun Ye were too surprised. They just nodded silently and didn’t inquire further. That process hadn’t been easy for Han Zhe; it wasn’t a pleasant memory. Asking too much would only make him sad.
Han Zhe took a sip of wine and said with a laugh, “Actually, it’s nothing. That way was fairer to the child. My surname is Pang, so I gave that child a name—Pang Zhi. Remember, my eldest son was called Pang Zhi, and he died young.”
“Having had an eldest son, I didn’t dare have any more children, nor did I want to.”
Yun Ye put down his wine jar, looked at Han Zhe with a smile, and said, “It seems there’s still another one.”
Han Zhe suddenly stood up and roared angrily at Yun Ye, “Do you want me to act again?”
“I stood in the heavy snow waiting for you all this time—not because you were coming, but because I have good news to tell you. The Court of the Imperial Waterways told me something a few days ago. They said that you purchased over a dozen poisonous snakes in Yongzhou and killed several people there. The local constables had no way to deal with you, so they issued a warrant for your arrest.”
“After learning that you were Han Zhe, the small matter of a few thugs dying became a major incident. The Court of the Imperial Waterways got involved. They didn’t let go of anyone you had contact with. The court has never relaxed its vigilance regarding the aftereffects of the Divine People. As a result, they unexpectedly discovered that you actually have a child in Yongzhou—an infatuated courtesan actually bore you a daughter.”
Han Zhe’s body began to tremble, his eyes turning red once again. He said to Yun Ye word by word, “I’m going to Yongzhou to kill everyone who knows about this. If you dare to stop me, we’ll be mortal enemies!”
Yun Ye chuckled and said, “A man who’s been a libertine all his life, leaving romantic entanglements everywhere—you left an illegitimate child in a brothel, so naturally you should destroy all evidence. However, I heard that child has already grown to be eleven years old. Her needlework and appearance are both quite good. I heard she’s also studied some books. She and her mother make a living through embroidery in Yongzhou. Although their days are impoverished, they’re still peaceful.”
Han Zhe asked in bewilderment, “Needlework? Studies?”
Yun Ye ignored him and continued on his own, “Ever since you used Yongzhou snakes to eliminate your grandfather and father, I also sent people to Yongzhou to purchase them. Now the price of poisonous snakes there has been driven up by the Yun family—one snake costs more than gold. The Yun family’s steward in Yongzhou, seeing that their mother and daughter were pitiful, specifically purchased their embroidery. Look at this handkerchief embroidered with a ‘Magpie on a Branch’ pattern—the workmanship is quite good. Chengxin said it was acceptable to the eye, which means it’s truly very good.”
After Han Zhe took the cloth handkerchief from Yun Ye and examined it carefully, he said coldly, “If this child isn’t mine, Yun Ye, what then?”
“What’s it to me? If there’s a problem, you should go cause trouble for the Court of the Imperial Waterways. I’m just telling you about this matter. As for whether it’s true or not, you need to verify it yourself. Don’t tell me the White Stone Palace doesn’t have methods to verify bloodlines. The Yongzhou steward told me that the woman’s features vaguely resemble yours. That steward has seen you before—it’s Old Qi who served you in Guangzhou. He said he’s about sixty percent certain; otherwise, I wouldn’t have told you about this.”
“When I came, I couldn’t contact any Divine People from Hexi onward. Yun Ye, does this have anything to do with you?” Han Zhe crouched down again, lifted the wine jar, took a big gulp, and then asked Yun Ye.
“It has nothing to do with me, but it probably has something to do with Bai Yujing. Someone has now inherited Bai Yujing. I don’t manage these matters. If Xiao Wu and the others have gotten hold of it, given Xiao Wu’s methods, the possibility of you getting it back is almost nil.”
Yun Ye grinned, extremely pleased with himself. He discovered that after jumping out of that whirlpool, the path before him had become incomparably broad. Speaking such shameless words to Han Zhe yet being able to do so righteously—it was truly wonderful.
Han Zhe looked at Wang Cai behind him, who was eating beans intermittently, and said to Yun Ye, “Can I ride Wang Cai away now?”
“No. You want to go to Changsha right now, and you’re anxious. Wang Cai would be tortured to death by you. Don’t even think about it. I can’t even bear to ride Wang Cai myself now. In Chang’an City, the rumors about the Four Great Wastes list ‘Marquis Yun’s horse’ as number one. If you want to quickly get to Changsha and Yongzhou, the fastest method is to take a dozen horses and ride them in rotation, traveling day and night without stopping. An eight-hundred-li express needs four days to get there; you’d probably need three days.”
Wang Cai, hearing his name appear in others’ conversation, seemed to sense that something was amiss. He quickly hid beside Yun Ye, blinking his eyes and watching Han Zhe warily.
Han Zhe drained the last gulp of wine, patted his belly, and said, “Perfect—full of food and drink. Going three days without eating is no problem. Yun Ye, if that girl truly is my bloodline and hasn’t been cursed, Han Zhe owes you a lifetime of gratitude. Through water and fire, I’ll go wherever you command. Even if you want to kill all the Tibetans, I’ll help you!”
Yun Ye grinned and laughed heartily, “I’m not that cruel, nor will I use my junior as leverage to threaten you. I’m simply happy for you. Promise me, Han Zhe, if by chance you discover that child isn’t yours, don’t harm that child. This is my only request of you.”
Han Zhe pulled his horizontal blade from the wooden plank, picked up the scabbard, sheathed the blade, and hung it on himself. He raised his head to look at the gray, overcast sky, took a long breath, pointed at the sky, and said, “This is the last time I’ll believe you still have a compassionate heart… Please, please don’t let me down!”
Dan Ying closed the gate again and walked to Yun Ye’s side, saying softly, “Can this fellow really produce a normal child?”
Yun Ye said worriedly, “I’m also very concerned. The probability is too small. His family has practiced incest for many generations. Marriages between blood relatives have caused deformities in his family’s bloodline. Children born from such bloodlines, if they’re not exceptionally intelligent, can only be idiots and fools. But the problem isn’t too big. Even in the Great Expansion Number, there is the one that escapes—this is Heaven’s merciful side. I hope that after he finds that child, there will be a good outcome. Having one more good person in this world is always better than having one more vicious and evil person.”
“Han Zhe is already trying hard to be a good person. I’ve never believed in Heaven, but this time I’ll also help him pray. Otherwise, his fate is really too damned tragic.”
Dan Ying nodded and also looked up at the sky above, saying proudly, “My six children are each clever and quick-witted—they’re just terribly mischievous. Daya has exhausted herself over this, shouting that schooling requires this old man to personally step in. Now the eldest’s skills are already quite good. You know Mount Funiu, right? Some fool set up a bandit operation there, conducting business without capital. Hong Hua’er took three servants and tied up the bandit chief called ‘Thunder on Dry Land’ behind a horse’s rear and brought him back to Luoyang. He’s now a stable hand at home.”
Yun Ye’s eyes nearly popped out. Hong Hua’er was only fourteen this year—this was clearly another Dan Ying.
“Don’t set your sights on the Dan family children. The Dan family doesn’t serve as officials. Since our ancestor was a bandit, our family’s children not becoming bandits is already the limit. Don’t even think about having Dan family descendants sell their lives for that filthy emperor.”
Dan Ying spoke very firmly, and Yun Ye had no recourse. The wine was finished, and Dan Ying chased him out. Wang Cai had also just drunk a big gulp of wine, so now the two brothers were both feeling warm all over. They talked and laughed as they returned home. Yun Ye knew about Wang Cai’s habit of enjoying dirty jokes.
When nearing the family gate, Yun Ye gazed far into the distance at the wilderness. He didn’t see Han Zhe and didn’t know at what speed this fellow was racing. For a journey of three thousand li, a round trip would take at least ten days. Exchanging the remaining Divine People in Chang’an for a daughter—he had no reason not to make the exchange. He hoped Xiao Wu’s methods would be effective and could completely control the discovered servants of the White Stone Palace in Chang’an within ten days.
He sent Wang Cai to the stable and watched as this fellow burrowed into the hay pile. He added more straw to cover his exposed legs, patted his big head, and only then returned to the inner quarters.
When Xiao Wu saw his master return, his expression was somewhat nervous. Seeing Yun Ye nod, he finally patted his chest and sat down in a chair, gulping tea. It looked like he’d been waiting for quite a long time.
“Han Zhe has left. No one will know that you intercepted the White Stone Palace’s Divine Servants or that you found his daughter. In the future, don’t do things so ruthlessly. You can’t control people like Han Zhe and Xi Tong through threats alone.”
“Regarding the understanding of heroes, you’re still far behind. Emotional bonds are perhaps the best method. Force? They themselves are the source of force. Even if you control them for a time, the future backlash will make you suffer deeply.”