Book 23 Chapter 11 – Appointment with A Beauty

Smiling wryly, Zheng Shiru said, “I knew you would have this kind of understanding. The fact is that although I do have a close relationship with Yin Gui Pai, I am not a Yin Gui Pai man. It’s just that in all his life, my humble father managed Yin Gui Pai’s business affairs and traveled all over the country to acquire all kinds of supplies for them, so I have been in contact with Yin Gui Pai people since I was little, and thus have become someone that they trust.”

Xu Ziling was dumbstruck. For a long time now he has always thought that Yin Gui Pai stood outside of the real world like Ci Hang Jingzhai, that they were detached from Jianghu and society, that they were another kind of people who did not eat the food of common mortals. Yet, listening to Zheng Shiru now, he realized that they still need to earn money and make a living, just like everybody else. [Translator’s note: all ‘they’ referring to Yin Gui Pai are feminine.]

He said, “What Zheng Xiong revealed just now could be considered Yin Gui Pai’s big secret. Zheng Xiong is not afraid Zhu Yuyan won’t be happy?”

Zheng Shiru replied, “My humble father has passed away many years ago. Yin Gui Pai already has someone else to take my father’s place. I myself no longer have a direct relationship with them. Only because of my relationship with Bai Qing’er that I was helping Qian Duguan to manage Xiangyang. But now that my business with Bai Qing’er has come to a close, I don’t want to care about Yin Gui Pai’s affairs anymore.”

Puzzled, Xu Ziling asked, “Since that’s the case, Zheng Xiong do not need to explain everything to Xiaodi either; this will not bring you any benefit.”

“But it won’t bring any harm to me either,” Zheng Shiru replied with rueful smile, “For Xu Xiong, what I was just telling you can’t be considered a secret at all. The reason I explained the situation was that I really don’t want to stand as Xu Xiong’s enemy; even more, I don’t want Shuming to misunderstand me, thinking that I am a Yin Gui Pai man.”

Xu Ziling suddenly saw the light. But naturally he must not believe Zheng Shiru’s words that easily. Because if Zheng Shiru really gained control over the Yangtze River Alliance via Zheng Shuming, and Lin Shihong was really a Yin Gui Pai demon, then it would be catastrophic to their major undertaking.

It’s just that for the time being, it was difficult to find a way to verify whether what Zheng Shiru said was the truth or a lie. This extremely charming man was absolutely not simple.

Sighing, he said, “Time will tell whether Zheng Xiong is telling me the truth. It’s late! Zheng Xiong, please go back!”

Zheng Shiru smiled and said, “Xu Xiong must be extremely annoyed by my bothering you. Yuelai Inn is just around the corner ahead, how could Zaixia abandon you midway? Come!”

※ ※ ※

After three rounds of wine, Kou Zhong’s heart was moved; he asked Chen Changlin about the Song Family of Lingnan, “Where exactly is Lingnan? Is Changlin Xiong familiar with the Song Family over there?”

The five were sitting in a circle in the small garden at the rear courtyard; this house was one of Bu Tianzhi’s secret nests, it was not far from the Great River and was hidden deep in a small valley, a very good place to escape from the world.

The bright moon was hanging high in the sky, stirring up in Kou Zhong his wounded feeling of ‘round moon does not mean the person is round’ [not sure, 月圓人未圓], so that he was suddenly dying to know more about Song Yuzhi, who, by this time, had been returning to Lingnan.

Chen Laomou, showing off his seniority, answered instead, “Lingnan actually refers to Yuecheng, Dupang, Mengzhu, Qitian, and Dayu, these five ranges [separating Hunan and Jiangxi from south China, mainly Guangdong and Guangxi] encompassing a vast area in the south. My, Chen Laomou’s own mother was an outstanding beauty from the Zhuang ethnic group in Lingnan. Ha! At least my Die often bragged about her, ha!”

Everybody just smiled.

Chen Changlin said, “Lingnan is the Song Family’s territory. The Song Family operates beast of burden, jadeite, pearl and precious stones, rhinoceros and elephant, and other businesses involving local products. They started at Xiongqu and then grew into local political power. Because the mountain is high, the emperor is far, for the last five dynasties, no matter who the emperor is, he has to give the Song Family enough face. By the time the ‘Heavenly Saber’ Song Que took leadership, the Song Family reputation has already grown a hundredfold, and they enjoy majestic position in Jianghu. Within the Wulin world south of the Great River, no one dares to doubt his qualification as the number one saber expert in the world.”

“What about that Huang Gongcuo?” Kou Zhong asked, “What kind of ‘thing’ is he?”

With a cold snort Chen Laomou said, “Huang Gongcuo is not a ‘thing’, but a big

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[orig. confused ball]. His natural disposition is that he always shields his shortcomings, and is very temperamental. Although his martial art skill is quite high, no one in southern Wulin likes him. Potentially, he and the Song Family are like water and fire. However, after Song Que defeated Yue Shan, Nanhai Pai [South China Sea Sect] became silent even until today.”

Chen Changlin continued, “During the eighth year of Emperor Wen of Sui, the Sui Army captured Jiankang [old name for Nanjing], but the Song Family was unwilling to realign their allegiance to the new Emperor. Yang Jian then sent his great general Wei Xian to lead the troops to the foot of the mountain range, but he did not dare to enter Lingnan even for half a step. Later on, Sing Que observed the situation and formed a judgment; realizing that resisting the Sui would bring more harm than good, he changed his mind and went out of the mountain range to meet him, and accepted the title ‘Qiao Guo Gong’ [lit. duke of the Qiao State] the Sui dynasty conferring to him. Yang Jian personally granted him the right to form his own government, to set up his own government officials of Zhangshi [chief official historian] level and below. He gave him his seal, a right to develop his own military forces, and so on, just short of proclaiming him a ‘king’. It could be considered a very generous treatment.”

Bu Tianzhi said, “Ever since Yang Jian ascended the throne, all along Song Que was unwilling to enter the imperial court to present himself [to a superior], Yang Jian was helpless to deal with his steadfastness in resisting the enemy relying on inaccessible territory, and with his autonomy.”

“What a courageous spirit,” Kou Zhong praised.

Chen Laomou sneered and spoke sharp and unkind words, “Using pleasant words, we call him steadfast, but using unpleasant words, we call him stubborn. Song Que’s appearance is very handsome; in the past he enchanted countless beautiful women, yet evidently he had a heart of stone. At first, he wanted to remain single and did not want to get married, afterwards, due to the family pressure, he had no choice but to marry, but unexpectedly he picked an ugly woman to be his wife, so that the woman who loved him the most more or less nearly killed herself to give vent to the grievance in her heart. Ha! This man’s action is really unpredictable.”

Kou Zhong jumped in fright, thinking that fortunately Song Yuzhi took after her father, otherwise it would be terrible.

Luo Qifei was amused, “Mou Gong is really funny,” he said with a laugh.

Kou Zhong pondered, “I understand how Song Que’s prestige could rise over the southern sky. The reason he married an ugly woman as his wife must be so that he could devote his aspiration to the way of the saber. Otherwise, if he indulged himself in the delight of the lady’s chamber, it could naturally weaken his will to fight.”