Chapter 56

The Meaning of Weakness

After parting ways with the figures of the Tang family, we traveled along the main road for several days and finally arrived in Suizhou. Given that Hubei is a region composed of numerous rivers and lakes, we were able to reach Ezhou (Wuhan) much more comfortably by boat along the river than by walking.

Ezhou, starting with the largest lake in Central China, Donghu, was a lakeside city surrounded by many lakes and the Yangtze River. As a result, countless boats were navigating the rivers and lakes, creating a magnificent sight.

We spent a night in Ezhou and looked for a boat to the capital, Dongjing. Surprisingly, it was easier to find a boat to the capital than we had expected.

Most of the cargo moving to the capital used the waterways, so there were a wide variety of regular boat services.

“Sir, I'm worried. This is my first time on a boat. Sister Yingying said I might get seasick...”

While preparing to board the passenger ship to Dongjing, Zhuge Qing asked with a trembling voice. She seemed very concerned about seasickness on her first boat trip.

“Don’t worry, Madam. If you feel unwell, I will take care of you.”

I had often used boats instead of planes when traveling to and from China, so I confidently smiled at Zhuge Qing.

However, within half a day, I ended up lying in the cabin, needing constant care from Zhuge Qing, contrary to my boastful promise.

“Ugh... Oh, I’m going to die.”

“Sir, Sir, are you alright?”

‘Ah, this body is not mine, yet it is mine...’

Unlike my robust body from my previous life, this frail body in my current life had no resistance to seasickness. Moreover, I had thought that a few boat rides in my past life meant I wouldn’t get seasick, but the passenger ships on the Yangtze River in this era were much smaller compared to those in my previous life. Being smaller meant they were more susceptible to the river's currents.

I had to vomit everything inside me due to the boat's rocking, like a roller coaster in an amusement park.

“Ugh...”

“Sir!”

‘Oh, my honeymoon... I really wanted to recreate a scene from Titanic...’

My groans and regrets flowed along the winding, long river of the Yangtze. Despite the severe seasickness, the consolation was the fast travel speed and the security.

The boat moved very quickly downstream with the current. I had thought that various bandits, such as the Yangtze River's famous eighteen water bandit camps (Changjiang Shuilu Shiba Zhai) and the Dongting Eighteen Zhai, would be active in the waterways, but it seemed the government was very concerned about the security of the waterways, as they were even better than the main roads.

However, there were still some bandits like the ones we encountered.

After entering the Tongji Canal, which leads to the capital Dongjing from the Yangtze River, about two days had passed when we met some crazy bandits operating on the canal in the early morning mist.

As our journey had extended beyond ten days, my seasickness had somewhat improved, so Zhuge Qing and I had stepped out of the cramped cabin to enjoy the fresh air. That's when we noticed something strange.

According to the captain, we had already traveled about a third of the Tongji Canal, but through the dense morning mist, several small boats seemed to be chasing our passenger ship. A few bandits, resembling Somali pirates, began to climb aboard.

Then, someone from one of the small boats leaped onto the deck with a light step and shouted loudly to the passengers, swaying slightly.

“You have to pay a toll to pass through the Tongji Canal! Otherwise, what’s the point! Hah, if you pay the toll to me, Pichu, the water ghost of the Tongji Canal, I’ll let you pass with your heads still attached! Hahaha! Hah,”

He carried a saber slung over his shoulder and wore only a pair of shorts, looking like a skinny Somali pirate. He swayed as he walked out of the dissipating fog and smiled.

‘What kind of bandits are up so early...’

I couldn’t help but marvel at their diligence, starting so early in the morning.

Just as I was admiring their diligence, the leader of the Heavenly Strategy Team, Majing'an, and over a dozen other warriors from the Zhuge family rushed out in response to the bandit's shout.

“Who are you!”

Majing'an, the leader of the Heavenly Strategy Team and a powerful warrior of the Zhuge family, glared at the bandit. The bandit, upon seeing the warriors' attire, flinched and exclaimed in a shocked voice.

“Zhuge family?!”

Bandits usually check who is on board before attacking, but perhaps they only operated on foggy days to avoid being caught by the government. They seemed to have attacked without realizing we were on board.

A tense silence began to fill the deck as the two groups faced off.

Then, the silence was broken by Majing'an.

“What should we do with these guys, Sir?”

‘No, if you’re supposed to protect us, you should handle it yourself, not ask me.’

I shook my head and stepped forward, trying to recall the memories of my past life with Tang Yingying.

Since most bandits were equipped with large knives, as Tang Yingying had taught me, they were mostly blackened peasants. From Majing'an’s expression, it seemed he was waiting for an order to massacre them. However, even if they were minor bandits, they were still human, and I felt a strong aversion to taking someone’s life by my command.

There seemed to be only one bandit who had trained in martial arts, so we could fight if necessary, but I decided to try to resolve the situation through words first.

“Since there are people from the Zhuge family on this boat, I hope you will consider our reputation and let us pass, gentlemen.”

Even though I tried to diplomatically say that we couldn’t pay the toll to bandits while traveling with the Zhuge family, the bandit became angry and shouted.

“Even a dog gets treated like a master at home! I, Pichu the water ghost, have my reputation too! I can’t just let you pass through my territory, the Tongji Canal!”

He treated the national canal as his own and demanded money. How important was his reputation that he compared it to the Zhuge family’s?

Given that they operated on the waterways, they seemed to be quite far from normal. They should have backed off when they heard the name of the Zhuge family.

‘Shouldn’t they back off now? Are bandits and water bandits different?’

When I had dealt with bandits in the past with Tang Yingying, they usually backed off after a few words. But the sticky response from the water bandits made me turn back to look at my wife and the leader.

‘What is this?’

I asked the bandit again.

“If we pay the toll to the bandits, wouldn’t people mock the Zhuge family?”

‘We have our dignity; we can’t be extorted by you.’

“Hmph! If the rumor spreads that I, Pichu, let the Zhuge family pass, I’ll be mocked too!”

‘If I let the Zhuge family pass in my territory, I’ll have to quit my business. Understand?’

“Can’t we just pretend we didn’t see each other and pass without bloodshed?”

‘Bro, if you keep this up, you’ll die. You know, die. Let’s just pretend we didn’t see each other.’

“Hmph! Who can guarantee that everyone here will keep quiet!”

‘It’s not just a matter of keeping quiet; it’s a matter of trust.’

The two sides were on parallel lines.

‘Yes, this is Central China.’

After a long time, I nodded at the face attack. It wasn’t a matter of logic but of reputation. This was a place where even minor bandits could challenge the top local gangsters by invoking their reputation.

“So, how much do you want for the toll?”

When I asked how much he wanted, the bandit grinned and said.

“Just give me ten taels of gold, and I’ll make sure no other bandits bother you until Kaifeng. Hehe.”

‘Is he crazy?’

When the bandit demanded ten taels of gold, which is equivalent to two hundred taels of silver, Majing'an shouted in anger.

“Such a crazy guy! Sir, let us take care of them.”

The amount was far beyond the usual toll. We weren’t weak, but dealing with the bodies and reporting to the authorities would be troublesome, and we didn’t want anyone from our group to get hurt. However, ten taels of gold was way over the line.

The bandits behind the leader, who seemed to be just blackened peasants, swallowed their fear and looked at us nervously.

But as I was about to forget, my father-in-law was a doting father. To him, his daughter, who weighed over 200 kilograms, was as light as a feather, and even though Zhuge Qing could blow someone’s head off, her martial arts were considered weak.

“Is this how it is?”

When I asked about the power, she blushed and replied.

“I, I almost died several times due to a strange illness, so I received my grandfather’s internal energy through body transmission. I only know light step and the skill of shooting fat, but this is the first time I’ve used it on a person...”

My wife, who was considered weak by my father-in-law’s standards but strong by ordinary people’s standards, was my wife.

***

When we arrived in Dongjing and the boat docked at the port, the captain, whom we had befriended by dealing with the bandits during the journey, recommended some sights to see in Kaifeng.

“Since it’s your first time in Dongjing, you must visit the imperial palace, the iron pagoda of Kaibao Temple, the lantern pagoda of Tianqing Temple, and Daxiangguo Temple. They are the famous landmarks of Bian.”

As the captain started introducing the landmarks like a travel guide, I finally began to feel the honeymoon vibe, having recovered from seasickness. It felt like we had come from a rural area to Seoul for our honeymoon, giving me a nostalgic 70s or 80s vibe.

“I understand. I will definitely visit them with my wife.”

The docking facilities at the port were enormous, befitting a city built along the Yellow River. As soon as we disembarked, the capital, even in the Song dynasty, was bustling with people and sights.

After about twenty days of sailing, we headed to the residence of Zhuge Qing’s uncle, Zhuge Jue, as soon as we landed at the port.

Zhuge Qing’s uncle lived in a wealthy neighborhood near the imperial palace. After traveling for a while along the street lined with magnificent pavilions, we found a house guarded by warriors in familiar Zhuge family uniforms. Before we could say anything, the guards at the entrance recognized us and greeted us with respect.

“Oh, Miss, how did you come here?”

“Inform the inside that Miss has arrived!”

The commotion at the entrance ended, and as we entered, a middle-aged woman ran out to greet us.

“Qing!”

“Aunt!”

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t attend your wedding, but how did you manage to come from such a distance?! Let me see your face. I heard you had your face fixed.”

The woman, who seemed to be Zhuge Qing’s aunt, lifted the veil Zhuge Qing was wearing to hide her identity and examined her face, then stroked her face with a very happy expression.

“Truly, your face is as beautiful as it was when you were young!”

“Yes, it’s all thanks to Sir.”

Zhuge Qing blushed and looked at me, and her aunt quickly came forward, grabbed my hand, and expressed her gratitude.

“Since you saved the only bloodline of our family, you are our benefactor. Please come in. Welcome.”

“I am Liu Qingyun. Nice to meet you.”

After my introduction, the aunt shouted to the servants.

“Oh, my, you must be tired from the long journey. Please come inside. Prepare baths and accommodations for the warriors who came with us. And send someone to inform the Chief of Guests that our only daughter has arrived and that he should retire early today.”

“Yes, Lady Nangong!”

After bathing and resting with Zhuge Qing, we were visited by her uncle, Zhuge Jue, who rushed in without changing his clothes in the early evening.

A dignified and refined middle-aged man.

“Qing! Our daughter!”

“Uncle!”

Before we arrived, I had heard from Zhuge Chang that the uncle and aunt had no children and had treated Zhuge Qing almost like their own daughter. Therefore, their affection for her was almost like that of parents.

“Did you have a safe journey from such a distance?”

“Yes, Uncle.”

“This is not the time for that! Let’s catch up on the stories we’ve missed. Bring tea!”

A short while later, I formally introduced myself to Zhuge Qing’s uncle, who was still in his travel clothes, while drinking tea.

“I am Liu Qingyun, Uncle.”

“You’ve done well. I heard you saved Qing and treated her strange illness, but I haven’t heard much about you from my brother. Can you tell me more?”

Thus, I briefly introduced myself to Zhuge Qing’s aunt and uncle. When they heard I was a chef, Uncle Zhuge Jue seemed lost in thought.

“Uncle?”

Zhuge Qing called out to her uncle, who then snapped out of his daze and replied apologetically.

“Oh, I was just thinking about something else.”

“What is it? You look troubled.”

“Do you think so? I have a friend who loves cooking, but we’ve been at odds over some political issues... Hearing that you are a chef made me think of him.”

Zhuge Jue smiled awkwardly and explained, and Zhuge Qing, clapping her hands, said excitedly.

“Then why don’t you invite him? My Sir is an excellent chef. If he cooks something delicious for him, perhaps they can reconcile. Sir, is that okay?”

Zhuge Qing’s face, eager to show off her husband.

“It’s fine. I’ll do anything for your request.”

My answer made Zhuge Qing’s face glow with joy, and her aunt and uncle also looked pleased.

‘In this era, someone who loves cooking? Could it be... that person?’

A name was quietly floating in my mind.