Steward Qian sat barefoot with folded hands on the couch in the middle of the main room. Beside him rested a low armrest, and tucked into the corner of the couch was a bolster cushion—the equivalent of an opulent high-backed armchair complete with armrests and plush cushions.
On the low table before him, the mistress of the house had thoughtfully placed several pastries patterned in yellow and white, though it was impossible to tell whether they were made of rice or wheat flour.
One could only say that this man had truly learned high-class habits in his master's household, even if he had yet to master the dignified bearing, leaving one unsure of how to rate his performance.
As for the two Lius, they sat politely below on folding stools placed to his left and right, watching him without even removing their shoes. Their posture gave the impression that Steward Qian was a wealthy aristocrat, while they were lowborn gentry paying a visit and suffering discrimination on account of their status.
Yet all three present knew full well that this was not the case. Steward Qian himself was acutely aware of how absurd the scene was.
He knew he was nothing more than a bondservant. Even as a bondservant of the Xie clan, he was still just a servant, whereas the two men opposite him were genuine scions of aristocratic houses. No matter how impoverished they were, they were beings who could exchange polite bows and words on equal terms with the young masters and young ladies of the Xie family. He also knew these two possessed the strength to slay a tiger, had dozens of desperate Northern Chu braves answering to them, and likely commanded thousands of refugees and an entire refugee camp behind them. Furthermore, considering the crimson headcloths they wore, they might genuinely hold sway with the Celestial Masters. Above all, he knew that they had discovered his private nest and caught him red-handed hauling goods home—they had him by the balls.
Yet he was not entirely without leverage. He was, after all, the Xie clan's steward of expenditures, having attended them since before their rise to prominence; otherwise, how could he have attained the post of inner-quarter steward, holding charge of all their funds and expenses? With the Xie clan's current might and authority, if these fallen nobles truly tried to use brute force, even if he threw away his life and fortune, could they possibly come out unscathed?
His only fear was that these men were young and reckless, lacking a sense of propriety and driven to push things to extremes.
Say what one would, Steward Qian was indeed one of the rare high-level managers of his era. Despite the swirl of complex thoughts, he managed to seize upon a crucial point and suddenly spoke: "Gentlemen, if you have business with me, please speak plainly. I must return to Wuyi Lane before sunset to arrange supplies, or the young masters and young ladies in the inner quarters will grow anxious."
Yet the moment the words left his mouth, the steward realized he had misspoken. While the remark seemed intended to remind them of his backing, it simultaneously laid bare his vulnerability.
"No matter," the tall, hunchbacked youth named Liu Lang replied with a half-smile upon hearing this. "You go ahead, Steward Qian. We will watch the house for you, and we can just as easily talk tomorrow."
Steward Qian glanced out into the courtyard at his young wife, who had no idea what was transpiring and was currently sorting goods after serving the pastries. His chest felt as if it were about to burst, and he was on the verge of shouting for her to leave him be and flee with the porters to summon help.
"Come now," spoke the young, money-minded lad—Liu Cheng, if he remembered correctly—stepping in at the right moment. "Brother Jili, why speak like that? Why would this take so much time? If Grandfather Qian is willing to give us face, a small matter of business can be settled in mere moments..."
Steward Qian nodded at once, but his mind was made up. His wife was so young when she followed him; on no account could he allow her to fall into the tiger's den. At worst, he would endure a heavy extortion today. Once he brushed these men off, he would immediately arrange a house for his wife under the walls of the commandery seat across from Wuyi Lane. Let them see what he would have to fear then!
"Look here, Grandfather Qian." Seeing this, Liu Cheng stepped out into the courtyard, carried a bundle of firewood into the main room, pointed at it, and spoke in a clear, resonant voice as though genuinely presenting a product. "This bundle of firewood is no ordinary kindling. It is prime peachwood, and we have had Grand Libationer Lu Song, Preceptor Lu of the Celestial Masters, perform a ritual of blessing and disaster averting upon it. If used to cook in the kitchen during the New Year festival, it will ward off evil, dispel sickness, and turn misfortune into fortune! Nor need you fear the Xie masters questioning it. If they doubt it, they may send someone with us to Master Du's manor to see Preceptor Lu with their own eyes and request a talisman to bring back... Though Preceptor Lu is an eminent Daoist master, he came south from the north with us this year just the same. We know each other well, so we would never use this to deceive you."
At these words, not only did Steward Qian's mouth fall open in momentary speechlessness, but even Liu Jili's eyelids twitched. Outside the door, the woman, having caught words like "warding off evil and dispelling sickness," peered curiously into the room several times.
Liu Cheng sat back down on his folding stool and continued with unhurried ease: "As the inner-quarter steward of the Xie estate, you naturally know the prices of goods, Grandfather... Take mixed firewood: one load consists of two bundles weighing fifty jin, worth five sheng of rice. Pine, though it burns hot and long, produces heavy smoke; good as it is, it can only serve the military settlements or the bondservants of great families, trading for seven sheng of rice. Then there is sawtooth oak wood, far superior to pine because it gives off little smoke; this is the finest ordinary firewood, and to those who know its value, a load fetches one dou of rice."
"Steward Qian," Liu Jili interjected, "are we not correct?"
"If you can truly guarantee the wood is dry and free of adulteration, that price is indeed accurate," Steward Qian replied after a long silence.
"Then what does Steward Qian think this peachwood firewood, blessed by a Celestial Masters preceptor to ward off disaster, ought to be worth?" Liu Jili pressed on.
"How much do you two young masters wish to sell it for?" Hearing this, Steward Qian actually felt somewhat relieved. Extortion, after all—that was all this was.
Liu Jili instinctively looked toward Liu Cheng.
And the latter gave an answer that caught both other men completely off guard: "In my view, even with rarity driving up the price, ten times the ordinary rate is the limit. One load of peachwood firewood trading for five dou of rice would already be quite extraordinary."
Steward Qian was no fool. He did not immediately call his wife in from the courtyard to fetch two bolts of cloth to send these two packing... What a joke! As a steward, if anyone knew, he knew: just the bolts of cloth abandoned at the site of the tiger hunt had been logged in the accounts as one hundred bolts, and in reality there were over ninety.
These men were refugee commanders; would they truly come to threaten a chief bondservant just for two bolts of cloth?
With this thought, he ventured cautiously, "How much peachwood firewood do you have, young masters? And how much sawtooth oak wood? Let me speak candidly... The Xie household will never burn mixed kindling or pine, and even sawtooth oak is used only in modest quantities... As for peachwood firewood, novel as it is, an explanation would still be required for the young masters of the estate. And you must know that the young masters and young ladies of our Xie clan are sharp-witted. If there is too much peachwood firewood, even if you can produce a talisman from Preceptor Lu, they are bound to ask why this Preceptor Lu does nothing all day but bless firewood to avert disaster."
"Indeed," Liu Cheng nodded. "I know well in my heart that the Xie household primarily uses charcoal on ordinary days; there is no reason to use much firewood. As for this peachwood firewood, we will trouble you to speak with them, Grandfather. If the Xie master in charge is willing to use it, delivering two loads every three to five days would already be remarkable. If he does not believe in the Dao and refuses, then so be it."
By this point, Liu Jili had caught the drift. Far from objecting, he did not even spare a glance at his companion, acting as though the two had prepared this script all along.
"If that is the case, why would two young masters of your standing condescend to come in person to my home?" Unable to hold back any longer, Steward Qian asked, "For a mere few bundles of firewood, sending an eloquent Daoist would have sufficed..."
"If we sent just anyone, how could we demonstrate our sincerity?" Liu Cheng smiled, resting his hands on his knees. "Grandfather Qian, let us speak plainly. This business may look simple and straightforward, but someone who procures goods on your scale naturally understands the real secret.
"Take this firewood. It is far too common, and the labor required to sort it is worth next to nothing... If you so wished, Grandfather Qian, a single shout to the firewood sellers in the market would bring dozens of vendors eagerly sorting and delivering bundles of neat, uniform sawtooth oak. Why, then, must you buy from us? Or to put it more bluntly, if you return to the manor and have your own bondservants sort it, they could easily pick out pine and sawtooth oak from a pile of mixed kindling. Why must you purchase it at all?"
From his seat of honor, the steward opened his mouth once more, yet no words came.
"Therefore," Liu Cheng concluded, "the crux of this business lies not in whether the firewood is good or bad, but in the person willing to buy from us... Grandfather Qian, we came here specifically for you. We hope you will grant us an opportunity to supply whatever firewood, charcoal, pottery, ironware, textiles, or livestock you need, procuring them from us whenever possible."
Steward Qian's expression changed slightly.
Although Liu Jili had grasped Liu Cheng's train of thought, he still stole another glance at his partner, as if trying to discern something remarkable in the youth's face. Yet Liu Cheng merely smiled, pleasant without being overly sweet.
"Isn't your appetite far too large?" Steward Qian finally countered slowly after a long silence.
Liu Jili opened his mouth to speak at once.
"Hold on," Liu Cheng intervened, rising to his feet and raising a hand to halt the discussion. Turning toward the doorway, he called out loudly, "Young mistress in the courtyard, we have reached the crucial details of a major venture. Might I trouble you to take the young fellow outside and sit at the lane entrance for a while? There are matters here truly unfit for outside ears."
Hearing him address her as a young lady, the woman outside could not help but cover her mouth and giggle. "Young brother, how could I possibly be a young mistress?"
Even so, seeing Steward Qian give a firm nod, she turned and exited with the young bondservant, not forgetting to pull the courtyard gate shut behind them.
"Rest assured, Grandfather Qian, we will never let you suffer a loss." Seeing the courtyard gate close, Liu Cheng turned back. Instead of sitting down, he narrowed his eyes at the old man, one hand behind his back and three fingers raised before him. "I make three guarantees here...
"First, there will be no forced buying or selling. When the time comes, we will draw up a list. Whatever you find useful, Grandfather Qian, you may place an order with us, and we will deliver upon receiving it. Conversely, whatever your household cannot purchase from us, you may proceed through your usual channels.
"Second, we guarantee both quality and quantity. Just as we can take someone to meet Preceptor Xu should this peachwood firewood be questioned, any other goods that fail to meet standard will never be sent. You may return them at any time, and we will sell them in the streets ourselves.
"Third, we will give you a twenty-percent cut. Whatever money, grain, or cloth you pay us, we will calculate your share with utmost clarity and have someone deliver it here that very day. If there is ever a single error or shortfall, you may halt the business immediately."
By now, Liu Jili had pieced together Liu Cheng's entire scheme.
How had this come about? At the very beginning, when the two of them were stranded at the end of their rope, sitting despondently on their mats in Wuyi Lane talking about how they did not know how to dig charcoal kilns, Liu Cheng must have already thought of borrowing their neighbors' kilns at the Celestial Masters manor—sending their own wood there to be burned into charcoal and then sold. But at that time, they had no buyers, making it awkward to approach them. Then they spotted this steward. Liu Jili had merely thought of using the man to secure the exclusive sale of firewood to the Xie estate, but Liu Cheng must have already conceived the idea of having charcoal burned by the Celestial Masters and taking over the Xie estate's charcoal supply as well; otherwise, he would not have shouted those bold claims right at the steward's door. And now, the rascal had clearly shifted gears again. Since they could borrow the Celestial Masters' kilns to burn charcoal and use this steward's channel to sell it, why not take things a step further?
After all, this steward had purchased a dazzling assortment of goods along the way! Even if the refugee camp lacked the skill to burn charcoal, they were already preparing to borrow the Celestial Masters' kilns to produce and sell it; why not simply act as middlemen?
To do anything less would truly waste this steward's status.
On the other side, Steward Qian naturally had no idea these two were trying to snare a white fox bare-handed. His Adam's apple bobbed, and he could not help but ask in earnest: "So, you two truly intend to pursue a long-term business? A major enterprise?"
"Of course we want a long-term business!" Liu Cheng shook his head and laughed heartily. "Yet we have no wish to conceal anything from you, Grandfather. Our band only arrived south early this year; otherwise, we wouldn't have been so destitute that three brothers went up the mountain to chop firewood and ran into a tiger. Now that winter is here, Grand Commander Chu Pou happens to be gravely ill, and the Wang, Xie, Xi, Xun, and Yuan families are locked in open and covert strife around the Prince of Kuaiji and the Empress Dowager, leaving no basic relief in sight... You must know of this, Grandfather?"
*How the devil should I know? I spend every day procuring and arranging supplies in the inner quarters!*
Steward Qian was thoroughly speechless, yet he nodded. "Living within the Xie manor, one inevitably overhears such talk, though I never imagined it would one day affect me directly."
"In short, we have reached the end of our rope. If we have no income, people will starve to death this winter," Liu Jili chimed in, sounding unexpectedly sincere. "However, among those who crossed south alongside us is Preceptor Xu, an esteemed master of the Celestial Masters. The moment Master Du met him, he granted him the estate behind Mount Hua and arranged for him the post of Civil Affairs Clerk in Langya Commandery. This allows us to draw upon the Celestial Masters' influence and live under their wing. The charcoal kilns, iron forges, and weaving workshops of their estate have all been opened for our use, and among our thousands of people, we do not lack skilled artisans... Therefore, our business today is fundamentally to address an emergency. Yet we know full well that ruining our long-term prospects for the sake of temporary greed would be reckless folly."
Having delivered this blend of truth and falsehood, Liu Jili actually rose to his feet and bowed deeply to the old man:
"Grandfather Qian, please forgive my earlier brashness. We wish to conduct long-term business, but we must also survive the perils of this winter. For the sake of thousands of lives, I implore you to assist us as best you can."
Steward Qian fell silent, offering no immediate reply.
"Do not misunderstand, Steward," Liu Cheng spoke up suddenly, his expression turning cold as he remained standing. "You must understand that we have not come as stray dogs wagging our tails for pity, but as cornered tigers who burst into the silk canopies that day! Today is no polite negotiation; we are asking for your cooperation so that we may live! If we live, we will naturally be grateful to you; but if we cannot survive, there will be no way out for you either! The only reason I left our attendants at Jianchu Temple and came in person with Brother Jili was to show our sincerity. So, Steward Qian, let us dwell no longer on the rights and wrongs of our coming here today. Simply weigh the benefits and harms, and give me a swift reply! Otherwise, I shall open the gate right now, call our men, and invite your young mistress to be a guest in our camp!"
"With both young masters employing both the carrot and the stick like this, what choice do I have?" Steward Qian pulled his gaze back from the empty courtyard, letting it rest upon the youth's shoulders. With an ashen face, he shook his head. "Then please return here two days from now, young masters, and draw up a list with me."
"Splendid, Steward Qian is a decisive man!" Liu Cheng exchanged a glance with Liu Jili and gestured with his chin. "In that case, let us depart."
With that, he bent down and hoisted the bundle of peachwood firewood.
"I shall not see you off," Steward Qian said, waving his hands as if granted an imperial pardon.
"Grandfather Qian has misunderstood. I meant that we shall make a trip to the Xie manor together," Liu Cheng said with a cold smile. "For this first run of two loads of firewood, we must deliver it to the Xie estate with you in person. When we collect one shi of rice, we will certainly bring two dou back here first as an auspicious beginning... Not only that, but for every future delivery of peachwood firewood, the two of us will personally bring it over... Conversely, if you ever feel things are amiss, Grandfather Qian, or feel coerced by us, you may cry out at any time in Wuyi Lane and have us beaten to death! How does that sound?"
Steward Qian stared blankly at the two young men before giving a dry chuckle. "Why must you two go to such lengths? I naturally trust you."
"Steward Qian has misunderstood once more. We do this not to win your trust, but to demonstrate our resolve. To you, this is merely an ordinary transaction, but to us, it is truly a matter of life and death. Please understand what is at stake and do not push things to extremes," Liu Jili added coldly. "Well then, shall we go? Or do you need to explain things to the mistress of the house? If so, we can call her back for you and wait outside the gate!"
"No need, no need! A brief word as we leave will suffice; let us not involve her," Steward Qian said, hopping down from the couch and shaking his head repeatedly. "I underestimated your courage, young masters. In that case, I will lead the way, and we shall make the trip to Wuyi Lane."
And so the three walked out together. Steward Qian drove the cart while the two Lius shouldered the peachwood firewood, heading toward the entrance of the lane. Before they reached the mouth, the young bondservant met them. Upon emerging into the lane entrance, they saw the woman standing there, chatting and laughing with the neighborhood children. Seeing Steward Qian, she did not forget to remind him to keep warm in the evening as the weather turned cold. Steward Qian pointed at Liu Cheng and his companion, mentioning that the two would deliver two dou of rice later.
By this time, Liu Cheng was all smiles, showing none of the fierce air of a cornered tiger from moments earlier. He nodded politely to the woman, addressing her as "Elder Sister," and greeted the children, promising to see them next time. Only then did he follow the ox cart out of Changganli. Passing Jianchu Temple, they reunited with the remaining bondservants who had been idling there. Steward Qian made a point of explaining clearly to them that this was special, high-grade firewood sent by the Celestial Masters, requiring payment settled on the spot.
Thereupon, the party entered Wuyi Lane from the western back road, nodding and greeting the lightly armored warriors and blade-and-axe retainers along the way. They turned into a narrow side alley and entered a thresholdless corner gate leading into the Xie estate's rear courtyard.
Arriving there, matters proceeded without any superfluous trouble. The two Lius merely unloaded the peachwood firewood at a kitchen. By the time they stepped out, Steward Qian had already instructed his men to prepare one shi of freshly bundled new rice.
Taking the new rice onto their shoulder poles, the two Lius expressed their thanks, departed the Xie estate, and exited Wuyi Lane. True to their word, they returned straight to Grandfather Qian's home in Changganli and delivered the two dou of rice. Yet unexpectedly, a slight twist occurred.
The widow returned the two dou of rice, brought out a handful of coins, and asked them to bring her a fertility talisman.
The two accepted neither the coins nor the rice, but readily agreed to her request. Only then was the matter settled.
Toward dusk, the two returned to their camp, where they had new rice cooked into porridge. Early the next morning, before dawn broke, they led seven or eight men straight toward the Celestial Masters' fortified manor, intercepting Lu Song just as he prepared to mount his horse and ride to the commandery office on official business.
This time, Liu Jili had stated beforehand that he would conduct the negotiations, and Liu Cheng naturally raised no objection.
"Brother Lu, just half a moment of your time," Liu Jili said, clasping his hands respectfully before the horse. "Many of our people fled south earlier, so you must know about our hunting the tiger and inadvertently stumbling into the Xie clan's silk canopy, yes?"
"Fortunately, you handled that affair properly; otherwise, even Ren Gong would have had to continue fleeing south," Lu Song sneered from atop his horse. "Rest assured, I am no petty scoundrel who takes advantage of others in distress. I will not use that as leverage to extort you, nor will I use it to curry favor with the Xie clan of Chen Commandery... Even if I wished to curry favor, I have no avenue to do so."
"We naturally trust your integrity, Brother Lu," Liu Jili continued boldly. "To be candid, we were driven to desperation with nowhere else to turn, and had no choice but to rely on the favor from that tiger hunt to seek out the Xie clan at Wuyi Lane. Though the Xie clan looked down on us, they took pity on our helplessness this winter and specifically granted us the estate's winter procurement rights... And we know full well that we owe our survival to this day to the care of you and the Celestial Masters... That is why we have come unbidden today to repay this kindness!
"May we ask if this private estate has any surplus goods for sale? Firewood, charcoal, ironware, pottery, textiles, furniture, livestock... Please draw up a list for us without fail, and we will do our utmost to resell them into Wuyi Lane on your behalf."
Lu Song was stunned for a moment.
At that moment, Liu Cheng chimed in to remind him: "And we will also need a fertility talisman."
"Right," Liu Jili echoed, snapping back to the matter. "We will also need a fertility talisman."
***
*Initially, when Taizu was a commoner, none recognized his worth, save for Xie Ju of Chen Commandery, who alone held him in extraordinary esteem. Xie Ju once said to him, 'You shall become a hero of this generation.' When Taizu was down on his luck in Jingkou, Xie Ju often provided him with financial support and introductions.*
*—Old Book of Qi, Biographies, Volume 34*
Chapter 29