gnovel Chapter 47 Zengtou City
Chapter 47 Zengtou City
Yang Zhi rode his horse along the official road.
Behind him were five hundred soldiers, infantrymen with guns and archers with bows, marching in two columns, kicking up clouds of dust.
The lieutenant rode behind Yang Zhi, holding a map in his hand and glancing up at the road signs every now and then.
"Commander," the lieutenant urged his horse forward, "after another twenty li, we will reach the territory of Zengtou City."
Yang Zhi hummed in agreement, without turning around.
The wound on his left shoulder had scabbed over, but it still ached faintly on cloudy days.
That was caused by the tip of Lin Chong's spear.
He touched his shoulder, then lowered his hand.
"Who is Elder Zeng of Zengtou City?" Yang Zhi asked.
The lieutenant thought for a moment and replied, "Reporting to the Commander, that Elder Zeng is named Zeng Nong. He was originally a Jurchen. In his early years, he made his fortune doing business in the Song Dynasty and then acquired land in Zengtou City. He has five sons, known as the Five Tigers of the Zeng Family, all of whom are highly skilled in martial arts. The area within a hundred li of Zengtou City is under his family's control, and even the government treats him with respect."
Yang Zhi frowned: "Jurchens?"
"Yes. However, he lived in the Song Dynasty for decades, speaking Han language and wearing Han clothing, just like any other wealthy household. But..."
The lieutenant lowered his voice, "I heard that he still has some dealings with the Jin Kingdom in the north. He's secretly buying horses and stockpiling grain for the Jin people."
Yang Zhi's brows furrowed even more.
He was ordered to come to Jeju Prefecture to suppress bandits and confiscate the property of powerful families who were illegally hoarding grain and recruiting soldiers.
However, Zengtou City has a complicated background and has dealings with officials from Daming Prefecture and Jeju Prefecture.
Liang Zhongshu's order to him was to "act as one sees fit," but he did not specify that he should take action against Zengtou City.
"Commander," the lieutenant asked cautiously, "shall we go directly to Zengtou City, or set up camp nearby first?"
Yang Zhi thought for a moment and said, "First, send two scouts to survey the terrain around Zengtou City. The main force will set up camp at the edge of the woods five miles away."
"Yes."
The lieutenant turned his horse and rode away.
Yang Zhi continued walking, his gaze sweeping over the fields beside the road.
The crops were growing well, but the farmers working in the fields all fled in panic when they saw the government troops.
They didn't seem to have encountered government troops; they seemed to have encountered bandits.
Yang Zhi felt troubled.
He was the grandson of Yang Linggong, one of the Five Marquises, and a descendant of three generations of generals.
Now, however, he is leading government troops to engage in the business of apprehending thieves and robbers in this rural area.
The birthday tribute was lost, Liangshan was wiped out, but Lin Chong was not captured, and the tribute silver was not recovered.
When will he be able to clear his name of this guilty conscience?
"drive."
He urged his horse to gallop faster.
……
Before sunset, five hundred soldiers set up camp at the edge of the forest.
Yang Zhi stood outside the camp gate, gazing in the direction of Zengtou City in the distance.
As dusk fell, a row of houses and several tall watchtowers could be vaguely seen.
Lanterns hung on the arrow tower, making it brightly lit.
The scout has returned.
The two dismounted and knelt on one knee.
"Reporting to the Commander, Zengtou City is surrounded by three earthen walls, each with an arrow tower behind it. The main gate is guarded by barricades and sentries. It is heavily fortified, unlike an ordinary manor, and resembles a military camp."
Yang Zhi asked in a deep voice, "Have you seen the Five Tigers of the Zeng Family?"
"Reporting to the Commander, I saw several men on horseback going in and out of the manor. The one in the lead was a young man in his twenties, wearing iron armor and with a long sword at his waist. The people in the manor call him 'Zeng Kui,' the third of the Zeng family's Five Tigers."
Yang Zhi nodded.
The lieutenant leaned closer and whispered, "Commander, Zengtou City is so on guard; they must have something to hide. Should we...?"
Yang Zhi raised his hand to stop him from speaking.
"Without Lord Liang's explicit order, we cannot act rashly. First, send someone to deliver a visiting card, saying that this Commander is on the orders of Lord Liang of Daming Prefecture to inspect the area. I am passing through your esteemed place and would like to invite Elder Zeng for a chat."
"Yes."
……
The next morning.
Yang Zhi changed into a clean set of iron armor, and led twenty personal guards, riding his horse to the main gate of Zengtou City.
The earthen wall was filled with farmhands, each holding a spear and a crossbow.
The archers on the watchtower had their arrows nocked and were pointing downwards.
A burly young man stood in the center of the main entrance, followed by four equally tall men.
Yang Zhi reined in his horse, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "I am Yang Zhi, and I have been ordered by Liang Zhongshu of Daming Prefecture to inspect the territory of Jizhou Prefecture. I have long admired Elder Zeng's reputation and have come to pay my respects."
The young man sized Yang Zhi up and down, his gaze lingering for a moment on the blue birthmark on his face, before returning the greeting with clasped hands: "My name is Zeng Kui. My father is advanced in years and unable to come out to greet me. Please come in, Commander Yang."
He turned to the side and made a "please" gesture.
Yang Zhi dismounted and, with his personal guards, entered Zengtou City.
The manor was very large, with three courtyards in total.
Stacks of grain and hay were piled up in the courtyard, and more than a dozen tall horses were tethered there.
Several farmhands were sharpening their knives when they saw Yang Zhi and his group. They stopped and watched them warily.
Zeng Kui led Yang Zhi through two courtyard gates to the main hall.
Sitting in the main hall was an elderly man with gray hair, wearing a silk robe with floral patterns, and leaning on a sandalwood cane.
He saw Yang Zhi come in, slowly stood up, and put on a smile.
"Supervisor Yang, I've long admired you. My legs are weak and I couldn't come from afar to greet you; please forgive me."
This is the elder Zeng Nong.
Yang Zhi clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Elder Zeng, you are too kind."
The two took their seats as host and guest, respectively.
Zeng Kui stood behind his father, with his other four sons standing on either side.
Yang Zhi's personal guards remained outside the hall.
Zeng Nong instructed his servants to serve tea, then asked with a smile, "What brings Supervisor Yang here today?"
Yang Zhi picked up his teacup, blew away the foam, and said, "Lord Liang has heard that the area around Jizhou Prefecture is not peaceful, with some powerful figures hoarding grain and recruiting soldiers with ill intentions. He has specially ordered me to come and investigate. Zengtou City is the largest estate in this area, so I naturally have to pay my respects."
Zeng Nong's smile remained unchanged, but his eyes turned slightly cold.
"Supervisor Yang is joking. I have lived here for many years and have always been law-abiding and have never done anything against the laws of the court. As for the servants on the estate, they are just tenants who guard the house and property. How could I possibly be recruiting soldiers or buying horses?"
Yang Zhi put down his teacup and looked into Zeng Nong's eyes: "Elder Zeng, are you a Jurchen?"
Zeng Nong's smile froze for a moment, then returned to normal: "I was indeed of Jurchen origin in my early years, but I have been in the Song Dynasty for over thirty years and have long regarded this place as my home. My sons all speak Han language and read Han books. If Governor Yang does not believe me, he is free to check."
Yang Zhi did not speak.
The atmosphere in the hall was somewhat oppressive.
Zeng Suo, the fourth of the five Zeng brothers, was young and impetuous and couldn't help but ask, "Supervisor Yang, are you interrogating us?"
"Fourth brother!" Zeng Nong shouted to stop him.
Zeng Su snorted and turned his head away.
Yang Zhi stood up, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Elder Zeng, please don't take offense. This humble general was merely performing his duties and had no other intentions. Since you say you are upholding the law, this humble general naturally believes you. However..."
He paused, then continued, "I've heard that horse traders from the north have been frequently visiting Zengtou City lately. Where are these horses being transported to?"
Zeng Nong's expression finally changed.
He stood up, leaning on his cane, his voice turning cold: "Supervisor Yang, I have treated you kindly out of respect for your official position. If you are here to investigate a case, please produce an official letter from the government. If not, I cannot keep you company."
Yang Zhi looked at him, remained silent for a moment, and then smiled.
"Elder Zeng, please calm down. I was just asking casually, why should you get angry? Since you don't want to say more, I won't bother you any further."
He turned and walked out of the hall.
Zeng Kui followed and saw him out.
As they reached the gate, Yang Zhi suddenly stopped and turned to look at Zeng Kui: "Young Master Zeng, please convey this to your father. The world is not at peace these days. Doing business is fine, but please be careful not to take the wrong path. Once you take the wrong path, there's no turning back."
Zeng Kui remained expressionless, clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Thank you for the reminder, Supervisor Yang. My father understands."
Yang Zhi mounted his horse, led his personal guards, and rode away.