【The Song of the Six Dynasties】(Episode 18, Chapter 1)

Chapter 1

Although he had avoided the midday heat, the sun was still scorching. Cheng Zongyang drew his knife, cut down a clump of brambles, tore it off, and threw it aside before straightening up. The

endless mountain range stretched as far as the eye could see, its vastness filling his chest with a surge of energy, making him want to roar out. From the Southern Wilderness to Canglan, Cheng Zongyang had seen many mountains, but the mountains before him were completely different from any he had ever seen before. The massive mountains possessed a majestic and rugged grandeur, their hard ridges like blades, exposing large expanses of rock. The valleys appeared as if cleaved by an axe, deep and vast. The mountains were mostly rocky with few trees; the vegetation was concentrated in the valleys. Although the trees were far less dense than in the Southern Wilderness, they were tall and straight, each one piercing the blue sky, seemingly about to fill the entire valley from afar.

Old Zhu, hands clasped in his pockets, said in a condescending tone, "Young Cheng, you've never seen this before, have you? Young man, you lack experience. Unlike me, I've traveled all over the country, I've crossed more bridges than you've walked roads!"

Cheng Zongyang said, "From what you're saying, you know what mountain this is?"

"Of course!" Old Zhu gestured wildly, "I could tell at a glance that this is the mountain to the north! Look at this mountain... tsk tsk! It's so big... it must be the Tang Dynasty, the Han Dynasty, or the Qin Dynasty!

Let me tell you, we've arrived in the north of Yunshui, no doubt about it! Absolutely right!"

Cheng Zongyang said with a dark face, "You only mentioned three of the six dynasties, dare you be a little more generous?"

Old Zhu smiled and said, "Young Cheng, don't be impatient! There's a village down there, just go ask and you'll know."

At this moment, a dog barked, and a small dog emerged from the thorns like a torpedo, its tail held high, its white fur covered with burrs and thorns, excitedly jumping and trying to crawl into its mistress's arms. Little Purple put her hands on her hips and scolded, "You're filthy! Don't come any closer!"

Xuexue rolled over, tail drooping, and lay on her back on the mountain path, her belly heaving rapidly. She panted heavily, her red tongue lolling out, and turned her head to look at her mistress with a pitiful expression.

"You little rascal, don't you know a good dog doesn't block the way?" Cheng Zongyang grabbed the little rascal by the ears and threw it onto Old Zhu's back.

Old Zhu ignored her, stretching his neck and sniffing hard, saying, "We made it! We made it! The village is stewing meat... Oh! It's chicken..."

"Old man, your nose is even more sensitive than a dog's, you can smell it across a mountain ridge?"

"Go! Go! Hurry!" Old Zhu shouted urgently, "If we're any later, there will only be soup left!"

Old Zhu's feet moved like the wind, and he hurried down the mountain, leaving a trail of dust.

With Old Zhu anxiously leading the way, the three of them finally reached the foot of the mountain before sunset. Amidst the roar of rushing water, a great river bursts forth from between the mountain rocks, its channel strewn with stones of all sizes. The swift current splashes white spray against the reefs. Blocked by the mountains, the river bends at their foot, its current abruptly slowing downstream, carving out a rocky shoal on the bank where the village lies. A dike, though not high, is over two zhang wide and appears extremely sturdy.

Cheng Zongyang had initially thought this was just a small mountain village, but upon closer inspection, he found it bustling with activity, teeming with mules and horses. If it weren't for the dozen or so thatched huts with rammed earth walls and thatched roofs, it would have resembled a lively little town.

"Finally here after all that rushing! Tonight I can finally get a good night's sleep..."

"Brother Zhang, you've arrived too!" "

This Brother Zheng is from the Fuping Marquis's family..." "

This one is surnamed Yang, from the Yang family of Sizhitang..."

"A pleasure to meet you..."

The village was a cacophony of greetings and pleasantries. Amidst the clamor, a sharp voice rang out, "Place your bets now! Place your bets now!"

A gaunt young man squatted on the ground, his sleeves rolled up high, one hand pressing against an overturned ceramic bowl on the table, shouting with spittle flying, "Whether it's a dragon or a snake, we'll find out in one go!"

A group of burly youths surrounded the table, one of them boldly declaring, "I'll bet! Big!" He tossed out a money pouch, dozens of silver coins rolling out instantly.

"Alright!" The youth lifted the ceramic bowl, his face instantly turning extremely ugly, cursing loudly, pinching his wrist and saying hatefully, "This stinking hand! It deserves to be chopped off!"

"Brother, what a skill!" The surrounding youths cheered, as if they had won a battle.

Cheng Zongyang thought the gaunt man looked somewhat familiar and couldn't help but take a few more glances. The game they were playing was a dice game of betting on big or small, a simple game of flipping a die and having two people stare at each other, nothing too simple, and before long they had played several rounds. The skinny guy won a few rounds, then lost a big one, and pounded his chest in frustration. The boys' excitement grew even higher, while Cheng Zongyang, an observer, had a clearer perspective. Although the skinny guy had wins and losses, he won more than he lost. However, he won very cautiously, winning a big one and then losing an even bigger one, making the boys think he was on a winning streak and even more excited. In this way, he won a dozen or so silver coins in a short while, making a small profit without making a fuss.

The skinny guy lost another round and was grimacing when someone suddenly burst in from outside, shouting, "High IQ! Aren't you going to eat?! If you gamble again, watch your legs!" The skinny guy quickly jumped off the stool, looking miserable, and said, "Brother Feng, I'm losing right now. You take a break and catch your breath, then I'll play one more round to win back some money..."

"Win back some money?! Get out of here!" The man grabbed the skinny guy by the ear and dragged him out.

The surrounding youths burst into laughter, their laughter devoid of malice. They found the young man, though not particularly skilled at gambling, to be a straightforward and honest fellow, and someone they clicked with.

Cheng Zongyang stared in disbelief. Although the skinny boy Ma Yuan had called away looked somewhat familiar, he never imagined he was the same fat, balloon-like Gao Yanei! Back then, seeing how spoiled Gao Qiu was, he'd kicked him out of Lin'an to suffer, never expecting him to suffer like this! He was emaciated, a completely different person. If the fiercely protective Gao Qiu saw him, he'd probably want to devour him alive!

Gao Zhishang and Feng Yuan, pulling and tugging at each other, walked to a secluded spot. Feng Yuan stamped his foot and said, "My dear! Get to work! I just turned around and you sneak out to gamble."

Gao Zhishang pulled out some coins from his sleeve and said with a grin, "Brother Feng, this is for you."

Feng Yuan shook his head vigorously, "I don't want it."

"Brother Feng, this money is what I earned myself, I didn't steal or rob, it's clean."

"You, you should use the money to buy yourself some food, look how thin you are..." Feng Yuan added, "Don't let Uncle Ha see this!"

A low cough came from behind, and a tall, aged, beast-like old man came out of the hut, saying dryly, "Food money."

Gao Zhishang quickly pulled out the coins, and Ha Michi took them slowly, saying, "No meat allowed."

Gao Zhishang stood as straight as a stick, "Uncle Ha, don't worry! I won't even drink the soup! All vegetarian! I dare to eat a single bite of meat!" He pulled up his clothes and gestured on his thigh, saying, " "You can break my legs! From here!"

Suddenly someone laughed, "If you keep going higher, they'll be up to your waist."

Feng Yuan was stunned for a moment, then exclaimed incredulously, "Boss Cheng! You... what are you doing here!"

Gao Zhishun turned around abruptly, his face filled with surprise and joy, "Master!"

Cheng Zongyang smiled at Hamichi, "Uncle Ha, you've had a hard time. Did this kid cause you any trouble?"

Hamichi's thin face was expressionless as he said, "He behaved himself after a couple of days. He's been leading the horse and chopping wood along the way, quite obedient."

Feng Yuan suppressed a laugh and said, "The young master was rolling around on the ground for the first two days, yelling that he wanted to go home. Master Ha made him drink a bowl of laxatives, and he had diarrhea for several days before he finally behaved himself."

Hearing his own embarrassing situation, Gao Zhishun didn't care at all and said with a smirk, "That laxative was sweet. After drinking one bowl, I wanted another. Master, you don't know, my poop was all oily those days! I was all white and chubby, weighing at least ten pounds, enough for a mountain person to cook vegetables for two months."

"Damn it... kid, could you be any more disgusting?"

As he spoke, a burly, beast-like man crawled out of the thatched hut, his massive body nearly crushing the doorframe. The blue spots on his face throbbed, revealing a twisted and terrifying smile. He shouted in a rough

voice, "My lord!" Cheng Zongyang's hair stood on end. He roared, "Shut up!" and quickly said, "Old beast, what are you doing in there?"

The blue-faced beast honestly replied, "Watching the chickens." He then pointed at Gao Yanei, "So he won't steal any."

Old Zhu squeezed in, clutching a broken bowl, his eyes blazing with fire. "So it's your own? No wonder it smells so good! Come on! Let me taste it first..." He didn't stand on ceremony and picked up a ladle to ladle out the soup.

Suddenly, the blue-faced beast roared like thunder. Old Zhu's ladle had been a bit too forceful, scooping out the whole chicken.

"Waaah! Put it down!"

"Let me see if it's cooked..."

"Let go!"

The two argued loudly in the house. Cheng Zongyang turned around and said, "How long has it been since we've had meat?"

Xiao Zi laughed, "It seems like a few days."

Feng Yuan said, "Boss Cheng, what happened to you two on the way here? Why is Uncle Zhu so anxious?"

"That old man is like a weasel." Cheng Zongyang took out some coins, "Let's go buy two more chickens."

Feng Yuan shook his head and said, "No, no, there's nothing to buy here. We can't even spend our money. These are wild chickens we just caught on the road."

"There aren't even chicken sellers? Isn't this a town?"

"This is the mountain hut where the Pi family's servants live. There's usually no one here."

"What's going on? What is this place? What are you doing here?"

"Shouyang Mountain! Boss Cheng, didn't you send us to see..." Feng Yuan lowered his voice, "That business?"

Cheng Zongyang remembered, "Shouyang Mountain? In the Han Kingdom?"

Feng Yuan asked cautiously, "Boss Cheng, is something wrong? I heard you went south, how did you end up here?" Cheng Zongyang

's mind was in turmoil, and he didn't speak for a moment. It was actually Shouyang Mountain? Jian Yuji had said that Yun Ruyao had been sent to Wudu City at the foot of Shouyang Mountain, but one could hardly believe even a tenth of what that woman said, so he decided to go to Jiankang himself, first to meet with the heads of the Yun family and kowtow to admit his mistakes, and then propose marriage. However, he dared not ignore the Shouyang Mountain that Jian Yuji mentioned. Taking advantage of the copper mine business that Shi Chao mentioned, he first sent Feng Yuan and Gao Zhishang over to scout out the way, and then transferred Ao Run to join them, but he never expected that the teleportation portal of the Taiquan Ancient Formation would be here.

Cheng Zongyang calmed down. "I went to the Taiquan Ancient Array. Don't ask for details; just tell me about your experience."

"Okay!" Feng Yuan started talking, beginning with leaving Lin'an and going on and on about entering the mountains. Cheng Zongyang had instructed that Gao Zhishang not to ride a horse, to give the kid some good training. As a result, everyone's pace was based on Gao Zhishang's speed. The first half month was miserable; they couldn't even walk ten miles a day. Cheng Zongyang had already circled Canglan and returned, while they had only been at Shouyang Mountain for a few days.

They had inquired about the copper mine. It was said that the government was arguing with the Pi family, the Marquis of Pingting. The Pi family produced land deeds, claiming that tens of thousands of acres of hillside land on the mountain belonged to the Pi family. But the government also produced laws, stating that the law clearly stipulated that mountains, forests, ponds, and lakes belonged to the emperor, and they wanted to reclaim ownership of the mountain land. The Pi family also claimed to be marquises, and their properties belonged to the Pingting Marquisate, a fiefdom granted by the emperor, meaning even the prefect had no jurisdiction over its affairs. The government, however, argued that the marquisate only had the right to collect taxes; actual management was the government's responsibility, and the marquisate had no right to interfere. This led to a bitter dispute, and as for the copper mine, it was nowhere to be found.

Feng Yuan and Hamichi discussed the matter and decided to put Gao Zhishang (the high-IQ man) in charge of the decision. But Gao Zhishang had no ideas. Forced into a corner, he spent a few days loitering somewhere and learned that the Pi family sent people to the mountains to cut timber every summer during the floods. Besides using it themselves, they would sell the rest locally. The hemlock wood from Shouyang Mountain was a superior material for shipbuilding. The Pi family occupied several valleys and cut tens of thousands of logs annually, attracting merchants and even coastal prefectures to purchase them during the logging season. Gao Zhishang, abandoning the copper mine, suggested that since everyone had come all this way, they shouldn't leave empty-handed. Selling some timber wouldn't be a wasted trip, so they headed into the mountains.

The Pi family had built thatched huts in the mountains for their logging slaves, but now that the slaves were all out logging, the empty huts were left for visiting merchants. Compared to the strong commercial atmosphere of the Jin and Song kingdoms, the Han kingdom was much more simple. Since the huts were empty, they didn't charge a penny, letting the merchants stay for free, but there were no corresponding facilities; the merchants had to bring their own.

Cheng Zongyang specifically instructed that Gao Zhishang wouldn't get any of the money or goods they brought; he had to earn his own food each day. Gao Zhishang was indeed a bachelor. He initially stubbornly resisted for a few days, throwing tantrums and acting unreasonably, but after being given a bowl of laxatives by Hami Chi, he immediately realized he couldn't fight against the powerful beastman. He then obediently led horses and chopped wood every day to earn enough for his food.

Gao Qiu had even abandoned his own son for this adopted son, and upon hearing that he had gone to the Han Kingdom, he was extremely worried.

As a compromise, Cheng Zongyang agreed to let him send men to secretly protect him, but Ha Ye refused. The old beastman, in a fit of temper, beat Fu An and his men away with a beating, and told the unfortunate Gao Zhishang that because he had traveled too slowly, he had even

spent all his return fare, leaving only his capital for business, not a single copper coin to be touched. From now on, not only would he have to earn his own food, but he would also have to pay for the entire group's rations.

Driven to desperation, Gao Zhishang simply gave up and, with the young master's face buried in his pants, tried every possible way to get money. This kid wasn't stupid; although he had gone hungry and full intermittently along the way, he had managed to survive until now.

A chicken was divided into six portions, and each person received a bowl of soup. Although it was far from a feast, it was the most reassuring meal Cheng Zongyang had had in days. Old Zhu got the chicken butt and two chicken feet, and he was happily gnawing on them in the corner.

The Blue-Faced Beast stuffed his share into his mouth, swirled it on his tongue, and spat out the chicken bones like fish bones, smacking his lips with lingering satisfaction. The worst off was High IQ; he didn't even get a taste of chicken soup, just ate cornbread with plain water, and had to listen to the others smacking their lips.

Cheng Zongyang stood up and patted High IQ on the shoulder, "Disciple, come for a walk with your master."

High IQ quickly stuffed the cornbread into his mouth, "Sure! I'm stuffed, this is a good opportunity to digest."

Cheng Zongyang remained silent, leading High IQ along the riverbank until they reached the edge of the village before stopping. Gao Zhishang rolled up his sleeves and wiped them on the stone, saying ingratiatingly, "Master, please sit!"

Cheng Zongyang sized him up in the dim moonlight. "Why are you so thin?"

"Right? I think you look quite handsome." Gao Zhishang grinned. "Uncle Ha said I'm all fat and my blood circulation is poor, so he told me to only eat vegetables and radishes to get rid of the fat."

Cheng Zongyang said, "Uncle, Uncle, you're quite affectionate."

"I call him Grandpa, isn't he a generation above my dad?" Gao Zhishang said, "Calling him Uncle won't hurt my dad finding a brother."

"Alright, kid, you know how to think about your dad now."

Gao Zhishang chuckled a few times. "I was young and ignorant back then, always making my father angry. It wasn't until I came out that I realized how hard it was for him to raise me." "

You've learned something new."

"Of course." Gao Zhishang said, "Master, I have to thank you. If I hadn't come out, I would still be living a muddled life. These past few months, I feel like I've grown several years older. Sometimes when I think about the past, I want to slap myself." Cheng Zongyang laughed and said, "Really?"

"Yes! Of course!" Gao Zhishang said, "Let me put it this way, before, silver coins weren't money to me. A casual drink at a brothel would cost several hundred. Now I know that one silver coin can buy a chicken, two catties of meat, five catties of rice, and a small bundle of firewood—enough for a family for a day. In Lin'an, a decent prostitute would cost at least a hundred silver coins. But after coming out, I learned there are cheaper options. A brothel on the street can be visited for just a dozen copper coins. There's also Guanpu, which we call gambling here. We brothers roll dice..." "They could win or lose tens of thousands of silver coins in a single night without batting an eye. It wasn't until I got outside that I saw how some people would fight tooth and nail for a few silver coins.

Just thinking about it makes my heart pound." High IQ rubbed his chest, still shaken. "I was desperate for some money. People say small bets are harmless, big bets are for riches, so I thought I'd try my luck. But I got caught cheating on my first try. If it weren't for Brother Feng, my legs would have been broken."

Cheng Zongyang patted his head. "Kid, you know you were wrong, right?"

"That's right!" the high-IQ man said through gritted teeth. "I learned my lesson. I went out and found a dice seller. I took out all the money I had and bought a few that had been tampered with. Then I practiced every day, while walking and while sleeping. Now I can't say I can roll any number I want, but I'm about 70 or 80 percent sure." He flipped his hand and pulled out a few dice, shouting, "A triple!"

The three dice landed on the ground, spun a few times, and finally landed two sixes and a three.

Although he fell a little short, Gao Zhishang was still smug. "Master, not bad, right?"

Cheng Zongyang felt that his expectations of him were not quite right with reality. "Besides eating, drinking, gambling, and whoring, you have nothing else to do?"

"Yes! Yes! Of course I do!" Gao Zhishang quickly replied, "Every day I lead the horse, chop wood, and train my muscles and bones as Uncle Ha instructed." He bent his arm. "Look! I'm thin, but all muscle! Oh, Master, you don't know,"

he lowered his voice, "that old man Ha is a pervert! He's addicted to beating me! If I chop even one less piece of wood, he'll catch me and beat me to death!"

"Didn't you not kill him?" Cheng Zongyang scolded, reminding him, "He's doing this for your own good, don't be angry with old man Ha."

Gao Zhishen grinned, "Master, look at what you're saying! I'm sensible now, I know who really cares about me. To be honest, for the first few days, I dreamed of skinning Uncle Ha alive, grinding him into powder, throwing him in the latrine, and then pooping on top of him. After half a month, I found that I had more energy, slept better, and everything tasted delicious. Don't laugh at me, Master, but before, I needed two maids to help me with sex, but now I can walk for miles without getting out of breath. Uncle Ha said I have insufficient qi and blood, and if I don't strengthen my muscles and bones, I'll be ruined, so he forced me to do this and that...

Although it's tiring, I know he's doing it for my own good."

Cheng Zongyang took out a chocolate bar from his sleeve, "Eat this."

"What is this? Mmm! Mmm... Delicious!" The high-IQ wolfed down the chocolate, smacking his lips happily. After a while, he said, "This bite is heavenly."

Cheng Zongyang couldn't bear to see this and took out another piece. "Here you go."

The high-IQ sniffed it with the tip of his nose and then carefully put it away.

"Why aren't you eating?"

"My dad's never eaten this before, I'm saving this piece for him."

Cheng Zongyang looked at him in shock. "Kid, you've finally come to your senses? You know how to be filial to your father?"

This time, Gao Zhishang didn't grin. He lowered his head and said after a while, "One day, we passed through a town and came across a family where the man had just died. They had nothing, so they had to sell their child for a burial. The child was only six or seven years old, and he was being led away by a rope, crying all the way..." He took a few breaths. "I was thinking then, what if that child met a godfather like my dad?"

He looked at Cheng Zongyang expectantly. "Master, do you think it's possible?"

Cheng Zongyang was silent for a long time before changing the subject. "Let's get down to business. What do you think about the copper mine?"

Gao Zhishang wiped his eyes and said, "I've thought about this. We still need to rely on the government." "

This place is the fiefdom of the Marquis of Pingting. The government can't easily interfere, can they?"

"I met a group of young men in the city, all well-known wandering knights in the area. They say the prefecture is getting a new governor and they're planning to give the new one a hard time."

"What does this have to do with the copper mine?"

"These knights hunt by day and rob travelers at night, but they rely on the power of the Pi family, so no one in the prefecture dares to offend them. They've heard the new governor is strict in enforcing the law, which makes them wary, so they want to accuse him of rampant banditry within their territory to get him dismissed and punished. But in my opinion, it's better if they don't commit any crimes. Once they do, not only will the Pi family be unable to protect them, but they might even offend the entire Pi family. If things escalate, the Pi family will definitely be the ones to suffer."

"So you're betting on the new governor?"

"That's right! Pijialong is a local powerful family with close ties to the major clans in the prefecture. If the new prefect offends these local powerful families too much, he'll definitely need to rely on outside merchants. That'll be an opportunity for our Cheng Clan Chamber of Commerce."

Gao Zhishen, who used to be so fat his face was almost unrecognizable, now looked increasingly familiar to Cheng Zongyang. Could this kid be Gao Qiu's son? Where did this clueless playboy get such a talent for political intrigue?

"I told you, you're in charge here. Just go for it." Cheng Zongyang took out his money pouch. "You need money to make friends with those wandering knights. Here's some gold coins for you."

"No need," Gao Zhishang chuckled. "If I really lose money to them, they'll look down on me. Those knights are men of their word, brave and courageous. I'll just wait and see when they make their move."

Cheng Zongyang had his own plans for the Shouyang Mountain copper mine, but seeing Gao Zhishang's confidence, he smiled and said, "Alright, I'll watch what you do."

Gao Zhishang said sincerely, "Master, thank you."

"Kid, you already said that."

"I was thanking you for what happened earlier, but this time I'm thanking Master for giving me this opportunity." Gao Zhishang said, "My godfather is really good to me, afraid I'll be exposed to the elements; Master is good to me because he dares to let me handle things on my own. Master, I'm truly impressed by you. You didn't even blink at such a big matter, not afraid at all that I'd do a good job."

"I'm telling you now, if you mess this up, get back to Lin'an immediately and never come out again.

Kid, feeling the pressure?"

Gao Zhishang smiled bitterly, "I really do..." He puffed out his chest and shouted, "Don't worry, Master, I will never let you down!"

The village was crowded and noisy, so Cheng Zongyang didn't bring out his egg-shaped hut and spent the night in a thatched hut with Feng Yuan and the others. Just as dawn broke, someone ran through the village, shouting, "Release the trees! Be careful!" while banging on a wooden clapper.

Accompanied by the deafening sound of the clapper, a group of people came down from the mountains. They were all servants of the Pi family, dressed in coarse cloth, their shoulder muscles deformed and bulging like fleshy balls. These people carried hooks and ropes, and squatted down behind the dike to wait.

The village merchants also came out, watching from a distance.

A deep rumble came from upstream, followed by a log, thicker than a man, leaping from the rocks and flying several meters into the air before crashing into the water, splashing everywhere. Carrying the momentum from its descent, the log slammed downstream towards the crescent-shaped dam. The stone dam crashed with a deafening roar, sending a shower of rubble flying; the immense impact even made the ground tremble slightly.

The servants immediately used hooks to grab the log, using the current to quickly drag it to the rocky beach downstream of the dam. Then, they tied ropes to the log and pulled it to an open area on the bank.

One after another, massive logs continued to pound down the river; each log was over three meters long and weighed over a thousand pounds, like countless battering rams striking the stone dam. At first, Cheng Zongyang had wondered why the stone dam was so wide; now he realized that if the dam hadn't been so sturdy, it would have collapsed long ago from the successive onslaught of these giant logs.

The servants, all seasoned loggers, swiftly swung their hooks during lulls in the cascading logs, dragging ever-increasing amounts of timber downstream. Another group tied ropes to the trees, pulling the trunks like boat trackers. Crouching low, their bodies almost touching the ground, the ropes digging deep into their shoulder muscles, they chanted low calls as they dragged the trunks ashore.

A middle-aged man, resembling a minor official, held a ledger, noting the length and size of the timber while directing his servants to move it to different locations; the longest and largest logs were piled closest to the riverbank, decreasing in size as they moved further in.

The most skilled were the craftsmen who sorted the timber with hooks, needing to precisely hook the trunk the instant it struck the embankment and bounced off. Too early, and the trunk, propelled by the upstream force, would send both man and hook flying; too late, and the trunk would lose momentum, floating against the embankment, requiring ten times the effort to drag it back. Sometimes four or five trees drift downstream at a time. Preventing them from colliding and finding the right angle to cast the hook requires precise eyesight and skill.

Trees drifting downstream have roots in front and branches behind, maximizing the impact area and reducing the risk of slippage during dragging. As more and more trunks drift downstream, the craftsmen move faster and faster. The massive trunks, carrying a thunderous force, collide and tumble back and forth in the small bay. They are shirtless, soaked to the bone by the waves, but each one is quick and agile, never missing a hook. Amidst the surging water, the violent giants, once hooked, immediately become docile, like whales being pulled ashore by bamboo poles. The better the skill, the more the trunk's own momentum can be used to make the timber slide as far as possible on the rocky beach, saving the dragging companions effort.

Cheng Zongyang had originally planned to leave at dawn to meet Ao Run in the city, but he found himself lost in thought. Although it was just lumberjacks using the river to transport timber, the rushing giant logs, accompanied by waves crashing against the embankment, possessed the imposing force of a thousand troops. The lumberjacks, like warriors wielding spears, stood firm against the impact of the giant logs, firmly guarding the embankment beneath their feet, their skillful techniques breathtaking.

Suddenly, an unexpected event occurred: two hemlock logs flew down from upstream, collided in mid-air, and one of them suddenly stood upright. Its roots struck the embankment, and the massive trunk violently leaped over the embankment and flew onto the bank. A lumberjack, unable to dodge in time, was swept away by the tree, the trunk sliding several feet across the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust, almost crashing into a thatched hut.

A few cries rang out from among the craftsmen hooking the timber: "Heiwa! Heiwa! Hook tight! Don't let go!"

"Don't run around! Hold on! Hold on!" The timber was constantly drifting down, and any delay would cause it to pile up below the dam. Once the dam was filled with trees, the timber drifting down would be thrown back, with unpredictable consequences. Therefore, no matter how anxious the craftsmen were, they could only stay on the dam and wait to

collect their quota for the day. The onlookers gasped in shock. When the dust settled, they found the craftsman trapped under a tree, his form unrecognizable, with only a stream of muddy blood flowing out. The minor official shook his head, "Someone died on the first day of logging this year, what bad luck." He then took out a bamboo slip and carved a few lines.

The crowd screamed again. The craftsman was still holding the hook, which had been flung out when the tree trunk struck him, piercing through the chest of a bystander. The merchant didn't even utter a sound before he was dead.

Several teenagers burst forth, stripping the merchant naked before anyone could react, then snatching his belongings and riding off out of the village.

The minor official stamped his foot and cursed, "You scoundrel! You even steal from the dead! Have you no conscience?!"

The teenager who had gambled with the high-IQ man the night before shouted, "If Heaven gives something and you don't take it, you'll suffer the consequences! This is a windfall from heaven; the quickest to act should claim it!" Before he finished speaking, the group of teenagers had already rushed into the forest, leaving behind only a string of unrestrained laughter.

The merchants finally realized what had happened and angrily surrounded the minor official, demanding an explanation. The minor official remained expressionless, simply recording the events as they were, ignoring their demands.

Cheng Zongyang said, "This clerk doesn't look like a government official."

Feng Yuan replied, "He's an official appointed by the marquisate itself; he's actually a retainer of the Pi family."

After asking around, Cheng Zongyang learned that the kings and marquises of the Han state could appoint their own officials and manage their own fiefdoms. Compared to the titles in the Song state, their power was immense, which explained why marquises were so highly valued in the early Han dynasty.

Cheng Zongyang had no interest in watching any further. Their timber purchase was just a pretext, and he had no desire to observe the transaction. He gave Feng Yuan a few instructions and then hurried to Wudu.

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【The Song of the Six Dynasties】(Episode 18, Chapter 1)

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