Chapter 22

The residence of the three Yun brothers was in a small village at the foot of the mountain, with less than twenty households, all of whom made a living by hunting.

The three brothers lived with their elderly mother. Only Yun Dalì had taken a wife and had a pair of children. Their house was very simple, built with grass and wood, consisting of three rooms connected together. Fortunately, they hunted year-round, so the house was filled with furs, and living at the foot of the mountain meant they never lacked firewood, making the house quite warm.

The three brothers were very hospitable. They cleaned and skinned the game they had hunted and asked Yun Dalì’s wife to cook it. They also took out the wine they had saved for special occasions to entertain their guests. The table was full of wild game, which was much more delicious than the wolf meat Chu Huan had grilled earlier.

When they heard that Chu Huan and his companion were heading to Yunshan Prefecture, Yun Dalì advised them to stay a few more days, as Su Linlang’s leg injury had not fully healed, and it was not suitable for a long journey. However, Su Linlang, worried about her family, asked if there were any carriages available for hire nearby.

Yun Dalì replied, "There are carriage drivers, but the journey to Yunshan Prefecture is long, and he might not be willing to go. Even if he agrees, the fare will not be cheap!"

Su Linlang took off her bracelet and handed it to Yun Dalì, saying, "This is a jade bracelet, worth some silver. I hope Brother Yun can help negotiate. If he is willing to make the trip, I will have more to offer when we reach Yunshan Prefecture!"

She knew Chu Huan had no money, so she took off the bracelet first.

Yun Dalì took the bracelet, looked at it, and recognized it as a valuable item. He said, "Since that’s the case, I’ll go to the market tomorrow to exchange it for silver and try to negotiate a lower fare. Any extra silver will be returned to you!" As he spoke, he suddenly heard the sound of hooves outside, and a rough voice called out, "Are the Yun brothers here? Lu Jingcheng has come in person, so come out quickly!"

Hearing the voice, the three Yun brothers changed color. Yun Sanli got up and ran to the wall, picking up an iron fork, his face full of anger.

Yun Erli was also angry, but Yun Dalì looked serious, glanced at Yun Sanli, and said sternly, "Sanli, don’t act rashly!" He got up, bowed to Chu Huan and his companion, and said, "Please continue eating, I’ll be right back!" He then whispered to his two brothers, "Don’t act rashly!" and stepped out the door, followed by his two brothers.

Chu Huan frowned, got up, and walked to a window, peering through the cracks. He saw bright firelight outside, with five horses parked at the door. Four men dressed as bailiffs were surrounding a middle-aged man in gray. The man was very thin and looked quite imposing on his horse.

Yun Dalì stepped out, glanced at the men, frowned, and bowed, saying, "I am Yun Dalì, a commoner. What does the gentleman need?"

The thin middle-aged man was Lu Jingcheng. As a clerk, he was not an official but a minor functionary in the county government.

Though a minor functionary, he was still a government employee, which made him superior to ordinary people. Lu Jingcheng, upon seeing the Yun brothers, rolled his eyes and said in a high-pitched voice, "Yun Dalì, I heard that when the tax collectors came the other day, you three brothers refused to pay. Is that true?"

Yun Dalì said sternly, "Sir, we have never failed to pay a single copper coin in recent years. We have never been late in paying our taxes. However, the government has sent people to collect taxes five or six times this year, and the amount we have paid is more than double what we paid last year!" He clenched his teeth and said, "I really don’t know when this will end."

Lu Jingcheng rolled his eyes and scolded, "Last year, the county magistrate was Zhang, and this year it’s Wang. How can they be the same? The amount of tax to be collected is decided by the court. Can you control it? The court has many expenses, and silver is needed everywhere. If you don’t provide the silver, who will?" He pointed at Yun Dalì and said coldly, "Listen to me. If you don’t pay the outstanding tax within three days, don’t blame me for being ruthless. Also, the county magistrate has ordered that you must deliver two tiger skins this month before winter sets in!"

Yun Sanli, with his fiery temper, couldn’t help but say, "Why not just rob us? Do you want us to live or not?"

Lu Jingcheng’s face darkened, and he shouted, "What did you say?"

Yun Dalì pulled Yun Sanli behind him and said seriously, "Sir, tiger skins are not something that can be found easily. The wild animals in Qinglong Mountain are decreasing, and tigers are rarely seen. It’s not like it used to be!"

"Stop talking nonsense!" Lu Jingcheng said coldly. "This time, I came in person to speak to you nicely. If you don’t pay on time, next time it won’t be so easy!" He didn’t say more, snorted, turned his horse, and led his men away.

Seeing them leave, Yun Sanli spat at their backs and then returned to the house, sat down, and drank a bowl of wine in one gulp.

Yun Dalì and Yun Erli also returned to the house and sat down. The atmosphere was no longer as lively as before. Chu Huan picked up the wine jar and refilled the cups for the three brothers, frowning, "Brother Yun, do they really bully the people like this?"

Yun Dalì picked up his cup, drank half, and smiled bitterly, "Brother, to speak boldly, if it weren’t for our elderly mother and my wife and children, I would really want to become a bandit and kill all these corrupt officials!"

Yun Sanli said, "Brother, I’ve said it before. We should find a mountain and become bandits. If we continue like this, we’ll be forced to death."

Yun Erli clenched his fists and said, "Tiger skins... that old man is really addicted. From the beginning of the year to now, we have already delivered three tiger skins, two of which were from our previous stock. Does he think Qinglong Mountain is full of tigers?" He paused, gritted his teeth, and said, "Zheng Laowu went up the mountain to hunt tigers to get the skins, but he didn’t get the skins and was bitten in the head by a tiger... The government is forcing us to our deaths!"

Su Linlang frowned, and Chu Huan’s expression was also stern.

Yun Dalì sighed, "Ten years ago, the taxes were not heavy. After paying the taxes, we could still live a good life. But in recent years, the taxes have become heavier and heavier. They say the Western Liang people are constantly invading, and the Guanxi army is increasing, and fortresses are being built to drive out the Western Liang people... Ha, do they really think we are deaf and blind? I heard that the Guanxi army is not increasing but decreasing. The government is increasing taxes not to resist the Western Liang people but... to make our emperor immortal!"

"Immortal?" Chu Huan’s face showed a strange expression.

Yun Dalì nodded, "I heard this from someone, and I think it’s probably true. You know, in recent years, Daoist temples have been built all over the Great Qin, and the Daoists who come out of these temples are arrogant and tyrannical. Sometimes even the government dares not provoke them. I also heard that in the capital, Daoists can go anywhere, and even high officials dare not offend them!"

Yun Sanli sighed, "In the past, our Great Qin cavalry was invincible, and the country was full of vigor. But in just ten years, the once mighty lion has been reduced to being repeatedly invaded by the Western Liang people and unable to resist... The emperor who once led an army of ten thousand to conquer the world is now...!" He said this, picked up his cup, and drank it in one gulp.

Seeing the three men vent their frustrations in front of him, Chu Huan knew they were straightforward and honest men.

Yun Dalì suddenly waved his hand and said, "Forget it, let’s not talk about this anymore!" He smiled at Chu Huan, "Brother, I apologize for the unpleasantness. You look very tired, so rest early. I’ll go look for a carriage at dawn tomorrow. If everything goes well, the carriage should arrive by noon!"

Chu Huan bowed, "Thank you, Brother Yun!"

In the three small rooms, Yun Dalì let Su Linlang sleep with his wife, and the men slept together.

The next morning, Yun Dalì went to look for a carriage. By noon, a carriage stopped at the door. The driver was in his forties and was known as Liu the Driver, who was very skilled at driving.

The journey to Yunshan Prefecture was long, and it would take at least seven or eight days to make a round trip. Liu the Driver was initially unwilling to make such a long journey, but he finally agreed, partly out of respect for Yun Dalì and partly because of the high fare.

Su Linlang’s jade bracelet was indeed valuable. Yun Dalì first sold it at a good price at a jade shop in the market, then returned.

The jade bracelet sold for twenty-five taels of silver, and the carriage fare was fifteen taels. Yun Dalì returned the remaining ten taels to Su Linlang, but she refused to take it, insisting on giving it as a gift. Yun Dalì, being stubborn, refused to accept it, saying that if he took the money, he wouldn’t be a good man. Su Linlang, seeing this, gave Yun Dalì’s wife a hairpin instead. After some hesitation, Yun Dalì finally accepted it. He didn’t know that the hairpin was worth at least forty or fifty taels of silver, and the jade bracelet was worth a hundred taels. Yun Dalì, unaware of the true value, was taken advantage of.

The Yun brothers also prepared some dry food and water for the journey. After bidding farewell to the Yun brothers, Su Linlang and Chu Huan got on the carriage and left the village, heading south toward Yunshan Prefecture.

The journey was smooth, and they would set out at sunrise and find an inn to rest at sunset. With the ten taels of silver, Su Linlang had enough for the expenses.

After two days of travel, they entered the territory of Yunshan Prefecture. On the third day, as they approached Yunshan City, Su Linlang felt a sense of loss, as if she was about to lose something. Her heart felt empty, and she seemed distracted.

Chu Huan lifted the curtain and looked outside, then turned to Su Linlang and smiled gently, "We’re almost there. In another two miles, I’ll get off the carriage."

Su Linlang felt a tremor in her heart. For some reason, she felt a deep pain and exclaimed, "You... you’re getting off?"

Chu Huan nodded. As the parting moment approached, he paused, then smiled, "If I’ve offended you in any way, please don’t take it to heart." He paused, thought for a moment, and finally said, "Life has its ups and downs. It’s good to get through them. You will forget this incident..."

"Forget?" Su Linlang’s beautiful face was filled with sadness. She sighed and finally remembered something, bit her lip, and asked softly, "I... I don’t even know your name!"

"Don’t know it!" Chu Huan said calmly. "Forget... Forgetting some things will be better for you." He knew that during their time together, he had been forced to have physical contact with Su Linlang, which would damage her reputation.

He hoped Su Linlang would forget everything so that she wouldn’t carry the burden.

Su Linlang felt a mix of emotions and didn’t know what to say.

Chu Huan lifted the curtain and called out, "Brother Liu, stop under the big tree. I’ll get off there..." The carriage arrived at a large locust tree, and the driver stopped.

Chu Huan looked at Su Linlang and smiled, "Thank you for the ride!" He picked up his bag, looked at the rolled-up wolf skin, and thought about leaving it for Su Linlang but decided it would only make her remember. He picked it up, wanting to say something, but finally said, "Farewell, take care!" He got out of the carriage, jumped down, and smiled at Liu the Driver, "Brother Liu, thank you for the ride."

Liu the Driver, who had become familiar with him during the journey, was a simple and honest man. He smiled, "No problem, have a safe trip. Don’t worry, I’ll take the lady to her destination."

Chu Huan nodded, glanced at the carriage, and finally said nothing. He threw the wolf skin over his shoulder and walked down a small path beside the locust tree.

After a few steps, he heard Su Linlang’s voice, "Wait... wait a moment!"

Chu Huan stopped, hesitated, and finally turned around, smiling like the spring breeze.

Su Linlang lifted the curtain, her eyes red, and her voice trembling, "Can we... can we meet again?"

"Better not to meet," Chu Huan smiled. "We are different people. Go back, and have a safe journey!" Without saying more, he turned and walked away, singing loudly, "Don’t worry about not having friends on the road ahead... Who in the world doesn’t know you...!"

Su Linlang watched Chu Huan’s figure slowly disappear. Though his clothes were worn, he came and went with grace. In the golden light of the setting sun, the returning traveler was bathed in a golden glow.

The ancient tree, the small path, the golden sunset, and the returning traveler formed a serene picture.

Two tears rolled down Su Linlang’s pale, smooth cheeks. She softly repeated Chu Huan’s words, "Don’t worry about not having friends on the road ahead... Who in the world doesn’t know you...!" Her voice trembled, and her beautiful eyes gazed at Chu Huan’s lonely and desolate back, reluctant to leave.

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PS: This book has a large framework, and the word count will not be less than that of "The Minister of Power." So please be patient and enjoy the story. I promise the story will be full of ups and downs and grandeur.

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