Chapter 14

On the ferry, Taishi Ci frankly told Afei about his past experiences. It turned out that four years ago, when Taishi Ci was just twenty-one, he served as a clerk in the Donglai commandery. The governor of Donglai was Cai Feng from Xiangyang, and the Inspector of Qingzhou was Zhang Yan from Nanzheng. The two had a conflict over a certain matter, each submitting memorials to the imperial court. The provincial memorial was sent first, so Cai Feng recruited someone to chase after it, and the young and strong Taishi Ci took on this task. He traveled day and night and finally caught up with the provincial official at the gate of the public office in the capital Luoyang, just as the official was about to submit the memorial.

The provincial official did not recognize Taishi Ci, but Taishi Ci recognized him. So Taishi Ci approached him and asked, "Are you here to submit a memorial? Where is it?" The official casually replied, "It's in the carriage." Taishi Ci then asked, "Is there any error in the title or format of the memorial? Let me take a look." The official, thinking Taishi Ci was a gatekeeper, foolishly handed over the memorial. Taishi Ci, who had hidden a small knife in his hand, took the memorial and slashed it to pieces with two quick cuts.

The provincial official, now furious, grabbed Taishi Ci's collar and shouted, "Someone has destroyed my memorial!" Taishi Ci quickly leaned in and whispered, "Don't shout, don't shout! If you hadn't given me the memorial, I couldn't have destroyed it, right? We both have responsibility for this. If they investigate, neither of us can escape. Let's just leave and go our separate ways. Don't make a fuss, or we'll both be punished."

By this time, the provincial official had figured out who Taishi Ci was and asked, "You've destroyed the provincial memorial and completed your mission for the commandery. You're satisfied, so why should I go with you?" Taishi Ci smiled bitterly and said, "I was only sent to check if the provincial memorial had been submitted. In the end, I got greedy and destroyed your memorial. Do you think the governor will not punish me when he hears about this? So it's better for both of us to disappear and not tell anyone."

The provincial official believed his lies and left Luoyang with Taishi Ci. However, no one expected that Taishi Ci would quickly ditch the official and sneak back into the city to submit the commandery's memorial. When the truth came out, the province quickly sent someone to submit a supplementary memorial, but the relevant department had already accepted the commandery's opinion and refused to accept it.

Without a doubt, since only the Donglai commandery's memorial was accepted, the matter was ultimately handled according to Donglai's opinion. When the news reached Qingzhou, Inspector Zhang Yan was furious and declared that he would catch Taishi Ci, rip him open, and cut him into pieces. To avoid trouble, Taishi Ci had no choice but to change his name and flee to Liaodong...

Finally, he said, "My mother is still alive, but I don't know if she is well. Thinking of her truly pierces my heart. I was visiting a friend in Korea when I heard that Zhang Gong had left his post last year, so I took a ship to return to my hometown of Donglai."

"Is that so," Afei couldn't help but clap, "Brother Taishi, you are both brave and wise, truly a hero of this era!" He had forgotten this part of history, perhaps having seen it before but quickly forgotten. Influenced by historical novels, he had thought Taishi Ci was a rash person, similar to Zhang Fei, but never expected him to have such cunning, deceiving the provincial official and lying with ease. "One cannot judge a person by their appearance," he reflected, "Don't assume that a rough-looking person has a rough mind. I need to be more cautious when dealing with this guy."

Taishi Ci, now more relaxed and cheerful, took Afei's hand and said, "We are close friends, so don't keep calling me Brother Taishi. You can call me by my courtesy name." "I'll do that, Ziyi, hahaha~" Afei suggested, "Since we're so close, why don't we cut a chicken's head, burn yellow paper, and swear to be brothers?" But he thought better of it, realizing that this was a common scene in historical novels, and he wasn't sure if real scholars and officials did such things.

Indeed, Taishi Ci was a scholar and official. According to him, his family had served in the commandery for three generations, with a modest estate of several dozen acres and a few hired workers. How else could he have become a clerk in the commandery at the age of twenty-one? He was a local magnate in Donglai!

They set out in the morning and finally reached the shore in the afternoon, which was already within the territory of Huang County in Donglai commandery. As soon as Taishi Ci got off the boat, Afei noticed that this big man seemed more spirited, his chest puffed out and his chin raised, exuding a sense of "I'm back!" He suggested to Afei, "My home is outside the south gate of Huang County. Let's go into the city first to meet Governor Cai, stay overnight, and then go to my home tomorrow. There's no need to rush to the north."

Meeting a governor, who had the power of a prefecture, was a significant opportunity, and Afei had no reason to refuse. In the Han dynasty, a governor had extensive authority, overseeing both civil and military affairs, as well as finance and the judiciary. They were equivalent to modern provincial or vice-provincial officials.

Taishi Ci led Afei through the port, and after a short walk, he knocked on a door. An old man with a cane came out and, upon seeing Taishi Ci, his eyes widened like copper bells: "Ziyi, you're back!" It felt like the people of a liberated area welcoming their returning soldiers. He called out, and a crowd of people suddenly appeared, surrounding Taishi Ci, asking about his well-being, and some even shed tears.

Afei thought he should find out what the case four years ago was about, as it seemed that Taishi Ci's help in winning the case for the commandery had made him a hero.

Taishi Ci finally managed to break free from the crowd and asked the old man for a set of formal clothes and two fast horses to go see the governor. The old man agreed without hesitation. An hour later, Afei and Taishi Ci proudly rode into Huang County.

The crowd was in an uproar, and Afei thought, "If I could have such a grand entrance one day, I would die a happy man!" They finally reached the commandery office, and it was already dark.

Upon hearing the news, Governor Cai personally came out to greet them, holding Taishi Ci's hand and saying with tears in his eyes, "I failed to protect you, Ziyi, and let you flee to another place. I am truly ashamed!"

Taishi Ci introduced Afei to Governor Cai. Afei, meeting a high official for the first time, was a bit nervous and didn't dare to speak much, focusing on proper etiquette. The governor then led them into the living room, where they were treated to a bath and a banquet.

During the banquet, Afei kept quiet, only speaking when the governor asked a question, to avoid making any mistakes. However, he listened carefully to the conversation between the governor and Taishi Ci. They mostly discussed the current political situation, and Afei, who had more detailed knowledge of the events surrounding the coalition against Dong Zhuo, found it interesting.

The governor offered Taishi Ci the position of chief clerk in the commandery, but Taishi Ci declined, saying, "My mother is still alive, and I have not been able to serve her for years. It is not right for a son to do so. Let me return home and take care of her for a while before responding to your call." Afei thought, "He's already calling you 'lord,' you two are really close!"

However, Afei didn't know that the term "lord" in the Han dynasty was used not only for the emperor and his subjects but also for all superior-subordinate relationships, especially between governors and inspectors and their appointed officials. Taishi Ci simply called the governor "lord" because he had been privately appointed by Cai as a clerk and had not served under anyone else, which didn't imply any special emotional bond.

The next day, Taishi Ci took Afei to the south gate of Huang County, about three miles outside the city, and returned home. Upon seeing his mother, Taishi Ci knelt and wept, saying, "Mother, I have been unfilial..."

This act of bringing Afei home and introducing him to the family signified a close relationship. Afei was thrilled to become such a close friend of this brave warrior, and he used his smooth tongue to make the old lady smile and feel lighter.

The old lady comforted her son, saying, "I have not suffered in these years. Kong Beihai often sends medicine and food. You should thank him properly." The "Kong Beihai" she referred to was Kong Rong, the governor of Beihai, whose courtesy name was Wenju. Taishi Ci planned to go to Beihai with Afei to meet Kong Rong, but Afei, who intended to deceive people in Beihai, felt that having a brave warrior by his side and immediately trying to ingratiate himself with the governor might cause complications. He said, "Ziyi has been away for years and has not been able to serve your mother. Now that you have just reunited, how can you leave so soon? Kong Beihai's kindness cannot be repaid by just a visit. With the current unrest and bandits, there will surely be an opportunity to repay him later."

Taishi Ci found his reasoning sound and decided to postpone the trip to Beihai. Afei stayed at Taishi Ci's home for three days, during which Taishi Ci gave him a strong donkey and a fine bow. Afei then rode the donkey to Beihai.

The capital of Beihai, Juxian, was southwest of Huang County, and Afei's destination, Yingling, was southeast of Juxian, about 400 miles away. Although there was a main road, the recent Yellow Turban uprisings in Guandong made the journey uncertain. Fortunately, although Afei had lost his soft bow in the shipwreck, the bow Taishi Ci gave him was even better (Taishi Ci said it was one he used before the age of ten, which made Afei feel a bit humiliated). The arrows were sharp and made of goose feathers and wolf teeth, and Afei's natural caution ensured a safe journey. Three days later, he entered Yingling.

Before entering the city, Afei deliberately abandoned the donkey, threw dirt on himself, and pretended to be weary. He asked a passerby for directions to the Shi family's residence. Fortunately, the family was a prominent clan with no branches, and he quickly found the right place.

It was a large complex with a wide gate adorned with colorful cloud patterns and two door rings, indicating the family's noble status and wealth. Afei approached the gate, reached for the door ring, and instinctively looked up. He saw a new brick on the wall above the door, with two large clerical script characters: "This House."

Afei was shocked. Before his hand touched the door ring, he took three steps back, his mind racing—Oh my, it's him!

——————————Honest Divider——————————

Some friends are worried that this book might be abandoned. I want to make it clear that it definitely won't be.

Those who know me understand that I don't abandon projects lightly... Well, many of the projects I started in the past were for entertainment, and I could start and stop as I pleased. Even if it was a bit unfair to readers who liked them, it didn't cause any serious problems. I am a very honest person, and I never go back on my word. If I promise to write something, I will finish it on time and to a high standard. I have never been late on a manuscript by more than a day.

So, as you can see, this book is under contract, meaning I have promised the editor to complete it on time and to a high quality. Therefore, it will not be abandoned, and theoretically, it won't be discontinued. Unless something truly beyond my control happens, I will not stop updating.

So, I hope those who like this book will collect it, recommend it, and leave comments. I won't let you down. I also ask you to pray for my family's health and safety, and for the country to avoid major wars and the capital to avoid major epidemics... These are the factors that might cause me to delay.

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