【The Song of the Six Dynasties】(Episode 18, Chapter 6)

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Chapter Six

Old Zhu's face was as black as ink. After returning with Cheng Zongyang, he buried himself in the woodshed, listlessly huddled in the straw pile, sighing deeply.

Cheng Zongyang returned to the room excitedly and called out, "You brat! Go grind the ink! This young master needs to write a business plan!"

"What business plan?" Yun Ruyao asked, bringing out paper and inkstone.

"It's about the commercial development of Wudu." Cheng Zongyang hugged Yun Ruyao and kissed her, then asked, "Where's the brat?"

Xiao Zi's soft voice came from inside the egg-shaped house, "She's reading."

"You only know a few words, don't make me laugh!" Cheng Zongyang peeked out and saw that Xiao Zi was indeed reading something—the words Yun Ruyao had handwritten.

Yun Ruyao blushed and said, "Little Zi is so clever, she has a photographic memory! I only taught her once and she recognized it."

Cheng Zongyang felt ashamed. Living in the Southern Wilderness, Old Man Zhu had never considered the need to teach Little Zi to read. Not to mention Old Man Zhu, even after she'd been with him for so long, he hadn't thought of it. Little Zi only knew a few characters by chance from Qin Huizhi and others; she hadn't received any systematic training.

But was it really okay to show this thing to that brat? What Yao wrote was far more than bold and unrestrained; it was completely unsuitable for children! But then again, that brat had done plenty of things unsuitable for children, let alone seen them. One had imagination, the other had practice; who knew what kind of reaction would occur when they met?

As Yun Ruyao spread out the papers, she asked curiously, "Commercial development?"

"I've discovered that trade in Wudu is almost nonexistent, so I'm seizing this opportunity to develop commerce. Oh, did I tell you, my Panjiang Cheng family is also in business?"

"I heard about it from Little Zi," Yun Ruyao smiled, then added with some concern, "but people in Wudu rarely buy things. I remember my brother also ran a shop in the city, but business was slow, so he had to close it down."

"Even the most self-sufficient society can't make everything itself, and the more closed the social structure, the lower its resistance to commerce," Cheng Zongyang said confidently. "For example, every household in Wudu needs furniture. Making a table by themselves might take a month and waste a lot of wood. I open a furniture workshop, hire skilled craftsmen, and buy large quantities of wood. I can make a table in less than three days, and the labor cost is only one or two silver coins.

Even if a wooden table sells for three silver coins, the people of Wudu can sell me the wood used to make the table, and for just one more silver coin, they can get a beautiful and durable wooden table, saving a month's work."

Yun Ruyao shook her head. "That's not how it's calculated." She ground ink as she spoke. Bian recalled, "When I was a child, my brother once bought a batch of tables, desks, chests, and cabinets to sell to wealthy families in Wudu. Later, I heard that the Du family in the city really liked those furniture pieces and bought one of each. The Du family didn't have any mountains or forests, but they had a lot of land. So they found a hill, dug ditches, planted thousands of saplings and lacquer trees, and sent hundreds of servants to learn carpentry. Ten years later, when the trees were mature, the Du family sent their servants to cut them down into planks and then crafted each piece according to the designs. Even the lacquer was from their own lacquer trees. The Pi family, the Marquis of Pingting, had ready-made timber. They didn't even buy samples; they just had their carpenters look at them once, and then went back and made them exactly as they were, without spending a single penny."

Cheng Zongyang was stunned. What kind of style was this? Seeing furniture they liked, instead of buying it, they went back to dig ditches and plant trees. Were the powerful families of Han deliberately trying to show off why they were called powerful?

Yun Ruyao said, "Ordinary people want to buy, but they don't have much extra money. After all, they can grow their own grain, but they can't grow money. Although the powerful have money, they are content with what they have, and they hoard most of their surplus money. Not only the powerful, but even the imperial court does this. The granaries are piled high with grain, and the strings binding the money have rotted away, yet they still think it's a prosperous age. Little do they know that money is like a spring; if it's hoarded but not used, it's just stagnant water. It only has its use when it circulates."

"That's right, that's the point," Cheng Zongyang said. "The essence of commerce is to use what you have to exchange for what you don't have. Money is the medium of exchange, not the end goal. It's not that people don't have money, but that they lack channels for circulation.

The powerful have money but nowhere to spend it; the common people have no money and can't spend it either, creating a stalemate. How to break this stalemate and get money circulating..."

Cheng Zongyang fell into deep thought under the lamp.

Suddenly, the lamp flame burst open, and Cheng Zongyang was startled to realize that he was lost in thought. The night was already deep, and it was pitch black outside the window.

The biggest difference between the Six Dynasties and modern times lies in the monotony of nightlife. People worked at sunrise and rested at sunset; very few people lived like modern people, whose lives only began at night. After all, not every household had lamp oil available at will. In fact, those wandering swordsmen who robbed people in the middle of the night were among the few night owls in the Six Dynasties.

At this moment, a voice murmured, "My lord..."

Cheng Zongyang turned around and saw Yun Ruyao, dressed lightly, looking at him with a shy yet joyful expression, like a delicate orchid.

He took Yun Ruyao's hand, "You're wearing so little, don't catch a cold. Huh?"

Cheng Zongyang lifted her collar, revealing a semi-transparent black gauze bra. Her snow-white skin was faintly visible beneath the thin fabric, and her nipples were a delicate pink, like budding flowers.

Yun Ruyao blushed and said, "Little Zi gave it to me."

She had left the Yun family practically penniless, wearing only her undergarments and a fox fur coat for warmth. Xiao Zi had some clothes nearby, but they were all from the Taiquan Ancient Array. Wearing such sexy clothes would be too tempting.

Cheng Zongyang picked up Yun Ruyao and strode into the small house. Xiao Zi was lying on the ground looking at the papers. Hearing the two of them come in, she looked up with a smile.

Cheng Zongyang said, "You brat, go back to your room."

Xiao Zi laughed, "It's fine here. Sister Yao doesn't mind."

Yun Ruyao said, "Xiao Zi..."

Xiao Zi chuckled and reached out, pulling down her skirt to reveal two fair, jade-like legs and a thin pair of black silk panties. Yun Ruyao screamed as Xiao Zi picked her up around the waist and placed her on the table. Then, Xiao Zi stuck out her fragrant tongue and gently licked her ear. Yun Ruyao's body immediately went limp.

"You brat, don't do anything reckless!" Cheng Zongyang was a little nervous. This girl was actually quite jealous. Yun Ruyao being with her was almost like a baby being with a tigress.

Xiao Zi ignored him and instead said to Yun Ruyao in a coquettish tone, "Sister Yao, can I take a look?"

"No..."

"Hey! Hey! You brat, what are you doing?"

Xiao Zi laughed, "I'm Sister Yao's matchmaker."

"What matchmaker? I found Yao'er myself, okay?"

Yun Ruyao blushed and whispered, "It's all because of that book she took..."

Cheng Zongyang remembered, that's right! Xiao Zi had deliberately put that "Jin Ping Mei" booklet there, otherwise none of this would have happened. Xiao Zi

said coquettishly, "Sister, please?"

Yun Ruyao couldn't argue with her, so she turned to Cheng Zongyang and said, "My love..."

Cheng Zongyang thought to himself: You brat, be careful you don't get burned while playing with fire, or you'll get burned too! He generously said, "You guys decide what to do! Anyway, I don't mind."

Yun Ruyao said shyly, "I will share a husband with my sister sooner or later, so it is only right that we share a bed and serve each other."

Although Yun Ruyao was very bold in bed, Cheng Zongyang did not expect her to be so open. He even suspected that the brat had put a curse on her.

Xiao Zi chuckled, "Sister Yao's lower body is so beautiful."

Yun Ruyao scolded, "You naughty girl, don't say that..."

"Hey, what are you two doing behind my back?"

"Reading a book!" Xiao Zi laughed, "Sister Yao was so engrossed in her book that I accidentally took advantage of her."

"You naughty girl Zi," Yun Ruyao said shyly, "while I was reading, you groped me all over, making me climax!"

"Really?"

"I was thinking about last night with my husband... and I lost my mind... oh dear!"

Xiao Zi pulled Yun Ruyao's panties down to her knees, revealing her smooth lower body, and laughed, "Sister's lower body is so light in color, like ice jade." Xiao Zi's fair fingers teased between her thighs for a moment, then slipped into her flower lips. Yun Ruyao barely managed to grasp Xiao Zi's wrist, her jade body trembling, and soon her heart was wet with desire.

The alluring scene before him sent a surge of heat through Cheng Zongyang's lower body. He had initially worried about how to manage his daughter, who slept with him every night, now that Yun Ruyao was there. The two of them were now as close as family, a situation he had longed for. After all, for a pampered young lady like Yun Ruyao, maids served her every need from childhood. It was customary in wealthy families for a personal maid to serve her husband as a concubine upon marriage. Even during intimacy, it was common to have maids present. What he considered impossible became understandable in her environment.

Cheng Zongyang discovered that beneath Yun Ruyao's delicate exterior lay an indescribable beauty. Her years of seclusion hadn't made her withdrawn; instead, it had fueled her yearning for a normal life and an extraordinary passion. She never refused his requests, instead responding with even greater enthusiasm.

In just a few days, they had explored over a dozen different positions. On the bed, Yun Ruyao, unlike her usual timid self, became incredibly alluring, satisfying him completely each time. Having tasted the sweetness for the first time, Yun Ruyao was deeply moved, and for several days they fell asleep in passionate embrace. With each union, the cold poison within Yun Ruyao's body weakened, her hands and feet gradually warmed, and her fair cheeks regained some color; her girlish naiveté faded, replaced by the graceful charm of a mature woman.

Yun Ruyao and Xiao Zi's friendship also rapidly deepened. Yun Ruyao was amazed by Xiao Zi's intelligence, and Xiao Zi showed her considerable kindness. Cheng Zongyang realized that Xiao Zi wasn't intolerant, but rather displayed blatant discrimination against those with lower intelligence. However, in Cheng Zongyang's eyes, the two were not only equal sisters, but also like-minded playmates.

Besides their nightly wedding nights, Cheng Zongyang had spent these days getting to know Fu An and the Imperial Guards he had brought. Since these soldiers were all trusted confidants of Gao Qiu, and now registered under the Merchant Guild, Cheng Zongyang didn't treat them as outsiders, directly paying each of them a wage from the guild.

Liu Zhao and the others, sent on official business but receiving only their salaries without doing anything, felt a little embarrassed by the extra pay. Liu Zhao asked for work several times, but Cheng Zongyang laughed, "There's a lot to do; I'll need your help again in a few days." Liu Zhao patted his chest and said, "Young Master, just give the order! We brothers may not be good at much else, but we're certainly strong!"

They arrived in Wudu in mid-June. By the end of the month, Gao Zhishang, Feng Yuan, and the others returned from the mountains, having bought over five hundred hemlock trees for less than a thousand gold coins.

The man with high intelligence chuckled and said, "The steward, Brother Lü, is a retainer of Marquis Pingting. I gave him fifty gold coins to change the top-grade timber to inferior grade, saving him about a thousand gold coins." "

Well done," Cheng Zongyang said, handing the ledger to Yun Ruyao.

The high-IQ man smirked, "This is... Master's wife? She's absolutely gorgeous! Even the fairies of heaven can't compare! Only a beauty like her is worthy of a hero like my master! Oh my! Sister Xiao Zi!

You've become even more beautiful in just a few days! Even Chang'e in the moon palace can't compare to a single eyebrow of yours—,"

"Shut up!" Cheng Zongyang took out two small strings of silver coins. "One percent commission, this is for you."

"Thank you, Master!" The high-IQ man used to slip through his fingers more than this, but this money was his hard-earned wages, and it felt different in his hands. He held the silver coins and called out, "Fu An! Fu An! You scoundrel! Come here!"

Fu An scurried over. "Young master, what do you need me for?"

"Give this string of coins to my father and tell him that I can earn money on my own now."

Cheng Zongyang couldn't help but laugh, "Alright! Is this string of coins even worth sending back? The travel expenses alone are several times that amount."

"That's different, this is money I earned! By the way, the vinegar in Wudu is quite good, Fu'an, buy a few more jars and send them back.

Tell the cook at home to make a dish of vinegar-braised fish for lunch and dinner every day, so that my father will remember that it was his son who brought him this. He might even eat a few more bowls of rice if he's happy."

"Understood, sir." Yi Yunruyao suppressed a laugh, her shoulders shaking. Xiao Zi asked, "What about the other string of coins?"

Gao Zhishang made a dice-throwing motion. "I made an appointment with Yi Zong to play a few rounds in Qilifang tonight." He lowered his voice and said, "I heard that the wandering knights in the city have made an appointment to give the new prefect a big surprise when he takes office tomorrow. Let's have some fun tonight."

Cheng Zongyang's heart skipped a beat. "What kind of place is Qilifang?"

Gao Zhishang said, "West of Shucheng. The place is full of lowly professions and very chaotic."

Cheng Zongyang stood up and said, "I'll go take a look too."

Qilifang is in the southwest corner of Wudu. It seems that it has not been repaired since the war, and even the walls of the ward are dilapidated. Most of the original houses in the neighborhood were in ruins, with the remaining pillars and walls still faintly showing a hint of their

former grandeur, but now many crooked thatched huts stood in their wake. Occasionally, a few eyes would peek through the cracks in the wooden walls, all with the ruthlessness of desperate criminals. Gao Zhi's other abilities weren't apparent, but his courage had certainly grown considerably. He walked ahead with his shirt open, revealing his thin chest, and swaggered about. Cheng Zongyang walked in the middle, with Ao Run and Liu Zhao following on either side. With these two burly men with him, those eyes only glanced at him a few times before retreating.

Cheng Zongyang had a mustache stuck to the corner of his mouth, and his eyebrows had been thickened with charcoal by Xiao Zi. Going to Qilifang would inevitably lead to encountering Yi Zong; Cheng Zongyang had met him before, even being robbed by him personally. Being recognized would be troublesome. This disguise, though simple, was enough to blend into the crowd at night.

A man crouched by a dilapidated courtyard wall. Seeing the group approach, he put his finger to his mouth and whistled, whispering, "Little Gao's here!"

A head popped out from a gap in the wall, looked around, and then lowered a ladder. "Hurry up!"

Gao Zhishang climbed up, laughing and scolding, "Liu Tiebi, you still owe me money, when are you going to pay me back?"

Liu Tiebi said, "Why did you bring strangers?" "

Don't worry! These are my good friends. They just committed murder and swam here from Yunshui." "

Killed someone?" Liu Tiebi clasped his hands in a fist salute. "Good man! Come in!"

The group passed through a pile of collapsed bricks and wooden pillars. In the courtyard, a bonfire burned, and dozens of strong men and youths gathered, occasionally cheering.

Two men were wrestling beside the bonfire; one had piercing eyes and a wolfish gaze—it was Yi Zong; the other was a burly man with a full beard. The two men grappled for a moment, arms crossed, before Yi Zong let out a low shout, twisted his waist, and flung the burly man aside.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

Gao Zhishang looked puzzled. "Weren't we supposed to be betting?"

Yi Zong, his scars mostly healed, wiped the sweat from his neck with his jacket as he approached Gao Zhishang and said, "I heard you've killed someone?"

High IQ, who usually boasts and brags, couldn't afford to falter this time. He puffed out his chest and declared, "Kill them!"

"Good! There's a lucrative business opportunity, are you in?"

High IQ patted his chest and said, "Brotherly loyalty is paramount! Brother! I'll do it with you!"

High IQ agreed without even asking what it was about, his unwavering loyalty earning Yi Zong's admiration. "A true hero! I, Yi Zong, was right about you!" He turned and said, "Brothers! All the heroes and chivalrous warriors of Wudu are here now," he waved his hand, "Tonight we'll plot something big!"

Everyone responded, "Brother! We'll all listen to you!"

"Wudu's chivalrous heroes, a promise is paramount, life is light!"

someone sang with great passion: "Young chivalry, father and son, heroes of the five capitals! Hearts and souls open, hair standing on end, in a single conversation, life and death are shared! A promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold!"

"Good!" Yi Zong said, "Everyone knows that a new prefect has arrived in Wudu. That old scoundrel imprisoned all the local heroes when he was the commander in Jinan, and killed nearly a hundred good men in one go. If he comes to Wudu, how will we survive?"

"That's right!" someone shouted, "I heard that Hero Tian was wiped out by that old scoundrel for taking in a few heroes who came to seek refuge!"

someone said angrily, "Hero Tian was a man of great loyalty! He was actually killed by this dog!"

The crowd's angry curses were endless. Some people drew their swords and slashed wildly at the ground, while others tore open their clothes and slashed their chests, wailing loudly. "High IQ's legs were trembling slightly. He whispered, "Master, I just went up there against my will. These people would kill someone at the drop of a hat. I... I need to pee right now..."

"Don't pee in your pants." Cheng Zongyang thought for a moment and stopped High IQ, who was about to unzip his pants. "Go up and pee in front of the fire. Just say..." He whispered a few words.

With a determined look, Gao Zhishang thought, "I'll go for it!"

He rushed to the campfire, pulled down

his pants, and coughed and peed into the fire, yelling, "You old thief! I'll pee in your face!" The crowd cheered and gave Gao Zhishang a thumbs up. Gao Zhishang seemed to have gained a hundred times more courage. He didn't even bother to pull up his pants, and with his bare bottom exposed, he clasped his hands in a fist salute to the crowd. After showing off for a while, he came down triumphantly.

The knights-errant talked loudly, occasionally brandishing their long swords to display their bravery. Cheng Zongyang listened from the side and gradually became suspicious. Yi Zong knew a lot about the prefect's actions along the way. It would be understandable if the knights-errant along the way were watching the prefect's caravan and informing each other, but he even knew that the prefect had met privately with the local powerful Du family last night and had received a pair of jade discs from the Du family. That was something the knights-errant couldn't possibly find out.

"The heroes from the outer prefectures will lend us a hand, delaying that old thief's caravan for an hour on the road. By the time he reaches the Wuyang River, it will be dusk. We've tampered with the ferry boats on the river. Once the old thief boards and reaches the middle of the river, we'll pull the plug. Although that old thief has many guards, at most only half will cross first. When they go down to the river to help, we'll rush out of the forest!"

Yi Zong made a fierce "kill" gesture, then laughed, "That old thief is fond of accepting bribes, and his baggage is quite abundant. He has six large carts just for transporting money and silk. I, Yi Zong, won't take a single penny! Half of the money will be used to help the weak and needy, and the other half will be divided equally among us!"

The group of heroes were stirred up by him and roared, wishing they could rush out and fight right then and there.

After Yi Zong finished speaking, he chatted with the crowd along the way, occasionally bursting into laughter and pounding each other's chests with his fists. When he reached Cheng Zongyang, he praised him, "Good man! You can tell you've killed before! May I ask your name, brother?"

"Cheng Zongyang," Cheng Zongyang clasped his hands in a fist salute, "I had to flee for my life because I killed an enemy."

"Well done!" Yi Zong said, "We men of blood should settle scores quickly! Come! Drink this bowl!" Cheng Zongyang took the earthenware bowl and drank it down in one gulp, then said, "Brother, just tell me what to do tomorrow! My two brothers are both ruthless killers."

"Brother Cheng, you've come from afar, how could I let you go and fight? Just follow me then."

Cheng Zongyang frowned secretly. He would be crazy to kidnap the new prefect with a group of strangers. He originally wanted to use the excuse of setting up an ambush and then leave with his men. He didn't know if this kid was doing it intentionally or unintentionally, but he actually wanted him to come along. He stroked his beard. Had this kid figured out he was an imposter?

The crowd had been boisterous all night, only gradually falling asleep as dawn approached. The courtyard was filled with thunderous snoring. Cheng Zongyang patiently leaned against a pillar, pretending to sleep. Guards were stationed all around the courtyard, prohibiting entry and exit, clearly to prevent leaks.

Gao Zhishang crawled over. "Master, what should we do?"

Cheng Zongyang, eyes closed, replied, "What do you think?"

Gao Zhishang steeled his resolve. "Master, I have an idea. Why don't we take a big gamble…"

Gao Zhishang shared his idea, but the hemlock logs bundled together were something he hadn't considered. Cheng Zongyang didn't say, "You think the same way I do," but deliberately said, "What if we mess it up? The goods are one thing, but what about your life?"

Gao Zhishang replied, "Fortune favors the bold! If things don't work out, we'll just run! It's like gambling; if we lose, at most those logs are gone, but if we win, we'll have more than just a few pieces of wood."

This kid has some insight, but he's too much of a gambler. Cheng Zongyang asked, "Anything else?"

Gao Zhishang said, "I'm just worried about how to get this message out. These people are watching too closely."

"Don't worry, someone will pass on a message." Cheng Zongyang raised his voice slightly, "Did you hear that?"

Old Zhu snorted from the shadows, afraid this kid would recklessly use his true energy again, but who knew this kid would treat him like a messenger.

The sky was overcast, as if it were about to rain. At Chenshi (7-9 AM), a man in blue hurried over and whispered a few words to Yi Zong. Yi Zong nodded, and after the man left, he shouted, "Brothers! Wake up! Time to work!"

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【The Song of the Six Dynasties】(Episode 18, Chapter 6)

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