Chapter 19: Half New, Half Old, Also Three Zhang

Amidst the surging waters, Han Gang sat at the bow of the boat, listening to the splashing of the water. A sense of tragic grandeur, akin to the wind howling over the Yi River, quietly grew in his heart. But upon reflection, even after entering the city, his home was only four li away. What kind of Jing Ke was he? However, the red, swollen eyes of the little girl before his departure stirred his heart, and the earnest instructions of his parents made his mood heavy.

After all, what Han Gang possessed was only confidence, while Chen Ju and Huang Daliu had real power. It was natural for his three close relatives to be deeply worried. But as Han Gang sat on the deck, dipping his hand into the river, he felt the bone-chilling cold of early winter, yet he did not take Huang Daliu and Li Laizi to heart. The real obstacle was Chen Ju, who stood behind Huang Daliu.

As a tributary of the Yellow River, the Jishui was not wide, and after the dry autumn, the low water level was very calm. The journey on the ferry boat took only a short while. After disembarking, he looked back and could still see his family standing on the opposite bank, watching him across the river. He raised his right hand and waved vigorously, then turned and walked resolutely towards the city of Qin Prefecture, five li away.

As a strategic stronghold on the northwestern frontier of the Song Dynasty, Qin Prefecture was a key point, strategically located at the crossroads of the east, west, south, and north. The city of Qin Prefecture was home to a large number of merchants from various ethnic groups. Like the Li General Temple, the city of Qin Prefecture was expanded under the supervision of Han Qi, the governor of Qin Prefecture, over twenty years ago. At that time, the grass markets outside the east and west gates were thriving, and the number of households living near the city approached ten thousand.

Qin Prefecture's prosperity was renowned in the northwest, but the markets and households outside the city were completely defenseless, often attacked by the Western Xia. To address this, Han Qi recruited civilian workers to expand the city walls, taking several months to enclose the households and shops on both sides of the city within the walls. The people of the city were grateful for his kindness and named it Han Gongcheng.

Thus, Qin Prefecture was wider from east to west and narrower from north to south, forming a rectangular structure. From the north and south, the city walls were two new sections flanking an old section.

As the half-new, half-old, three-and-a-half-zhang-high city wall grew larger in his field of vision, the official road on both sides of Han Gang became increasingly lively. Countless vendors crowded around the road, occupying more than half of the four-zhang-wide road.

On both sides of the road, there were vendors carrying baskets, those with backpacks, and many more driving large herds of livestock. Camels and horses were used to carry goods, while sheep were sold directly. If these vendors wanted to enter the city, they had to pay a two percent transit tax, and when selling goods inside the city, they had to pay a three percent residence tax. Since making money was not easy, they often gathered outside the city to do business, forming a large grass market.

As Han Gang walked, the cries of vendors never ceased, and tea houses and wine shops lined both sides of the road. Not only Han people but also many ethnic minority merchants, who could not enter the city due to their status, set up stalls at the edge of the grass market.

If one were to stroll through the grass market, one might find many interesting things. However, Han Gang had no intention of stopping to browse. When he reached the south gate of Qin Prefecture, the loyal gate guards were inspecting each person planning to enter the city. Each person had to pat their body to show they were not carrying goods, which could take half a day to complete.

The long queue slowly moved forward until it was Han Gang's turn. Standing under the gate, the guard only glanced up and down at Han Gang a few times, did not even touch his package, and simply waved him through.

"Why didn't you even check him?" a teenage guard asked in surprise.

"He's a scholar! Searching him from head to toe would be a disgrace to his dignity!" the gate guard defended himself.

Although Han Gang did not reveal his identity and his eyes were slightly sharp, when he stood with his hands behind his back, a gentle breeze lifted the corner of his robe, and the aura of a scholar was unmistakable, far beyond the demeanor of a Western Xia spy.

Passing through the dark gate, the view suddenly opened up. Large and small roads crisscrossed like fields, and there were thousands of shops and residences. Pedestrians were constant, though far from the cities of the future, but compared to the Jingzhao Prefecture in Han Gang's memory, it was not inferior. The only difference from Jingzhao was the presence of iron cavalry patrolling the streets and archers guarding the city walls. Seeing them, one could understand that Qin Prefecture was still a heavily fortified stronghold, and no matter how prosperous the commercial activities, the city's stern atmosphere could not be dispelled.

Commercial prosperity and military solemnity—this was the mighty city of Qin Prefecture!

While eating, a piece of news that greatly surprised Huang Deyong made him put down his chopsticks and bowl: "It's not Han Qianliu who came, but his son?"

The person reporting to Huang Deyong was only five feet tall, as thin as a bamboo pole, with no flesh on his cheeks, making his eyes look like those of a cow. He looked more like a starving monkey than a human. He was a constable under the head of the constabulary, surnamed Liu, and known as Liu San. Liu San was quick on his feet and well-informed, making him the first person Huang Deyong would send on errands. Within half a day of Han Gang's arrival in the city, Liu San had already gathered all the information about Han Gang's movements:

"Indeed, it's Han San, the scholar, not Han Qianliu. After entering the city, Han San went straight to the county office, submitted his documents to the registrar Liu, and registered his name. Now he's heading to Puxiu Temple at the east gate, perhaps to rent a room. I saw him enter the temple and hurried back to report."

"Substituting for his father? This scholar has filial piety!" Huang Deyong praised. With the decline of morals, it was rare to see such filial piety nowadays, and his own two sons were not as good as him.

"Upon entering the city, Han San went straight to the county office. I thought he might be there to beat the drum of injustice. Who would have thought he would submit and go to the registrar to submit his documents? My brothers and I wasted a whole day waiting under the drum of injustice."

"It's good that he submitted." Huang Deyong smiled. If the Han family had not submitted, though they had a plan, it would have been troublesome. Now that they submitted, it saved him a lot of trouble.

Since Han Gang had fallen into the trap, the land and people of the Han family would definitely change hands. Two months ago, without at least thirty to fifty guan, one could not expect a good life. The vegetable fields by the river would go to his in-law Li Laizi, but the people would be sent to Huang Deyong's house.

Licking his dry lips, Huang Deyong stood up excitedly, "Let's go. I want to meet Han San, the scholar!"

In Puxiu Temple, Han Gang had already tidied up his room, and even the books he carried with him were neatly arranged at the head of the bed. Even away from home, if he had free time, he still wanted to read more. To make a name for himself at this time, he needed to have something in his head, which was impossible without knowledge.

Puxiu Temple was a small temple in Qin Prefecture, with only three monks and two courtyards. The main hall, dedicated to the Buddha, was less than two zhang high, and the incense offerings were not abundant. Large temples had their own land and could hire tenant farmers to grow grain and vegetables. Small temples like Puxiu Temple could only rely on incense offerings for their sustenance.

Monks had to observe the precepts and not eat meat, but they still needed vegetables. Puxiu Temple's vegetable supply was partly provided by the Han family. Han Qianliu believed in Buddhism and did not want to make too much money from the temple. Every time he sold vegetables to Puxiu Temple, he would set a lower price. Over the years, the monks of Puxiu Temple had developed a good relationship with the Han family and were familiar with Han Gang. When Han Gang said he wanted to borrow an empty room, the abbot Daoan readily agreed.

---

End of Chapter 19