Chapter Five, Huai River and Chu Mountain Military Camp

Xu Huai could tell that Xu Xin'an was somewhat captivated, but at this moment, unable to find an excuse to linger here, he hurriedly asked about Xu Wujiang's whereabouts

The stone fortress, measuring three hundred steps on each side, has the words "Huaiyuan Inspection Office" engraved on the gate facing the river; locally, it is commonly referred to as the military stronghold, and in official documents, it is also referred to as the Huaiyuan Inspection Stronghold.

At this moment, Xu Xinan walked over from the side courtyard and saw Xu Huai, who was looking puzzled, and asked him.

Xu Huai then realized who Wang Bing had offended to be demoted to Tangzhou

Huaiyuan Town is closer to Guangzhou and Xinyang, but in contemporary times, there are checkpoints established between different states and counties for tax collection, and it is strictly prohibited for rural households to casually cross county lines. Therefore, Huaiyuan Town usually maintains a closer connection with the governing Bi County.

Crossing the market on the east bank of the Baijian River, Xu Wujiang called for the ferry, carefully loading the cart onto the boat, preparing to cross the Baijian River, which is over 30 zhang wide

"Do you still want more wine?" the station attendant asked somewhat reluctantly

This basin is located on the steep terrain of the northern bank of the Huai River, with nearly one thousand households in the town of Huaiyuan, primarily distributed along the open valley on both sides of the Baijian River above the Huai River

Xu Huai also knew that the funds for the post station came from the allocation by the Bi Yang County government, and there were usually no other expenses. They even had to cut some out to provide for Cheng Yi's drinking. At this time, receiving Wang Bing with such extravagance was no wonder that the subordinates were unwilling.

He felt puzzled in his heart

The Baijian River gathers numerous streams from the deep valleys of the southern ridge of the Tongbai Mountains, flowing downstream through a gentle and expansive valley basin, ultimately merging into the Huai River, which flows from west to east, traversing gorges and valleys among the Tongbai Mountains

The station officer Cheng Yi was not in the courtyard; only two elderly postmen, who had come from the ranks of the escort soldiers, were sitting in the corridor basking in the sun. Xu Xinan found the postmen too slow on their feet, so he left Xu Huai to help unload the cart while he went to look for Cheng Yi

On both sides of the ferry crossing, in addition to seven or eight ferries, there are also quite a few ragged laborers clustered in groups of three to five waiting for work

Different officials passing through the relay stations have corresponding reception standards

The post station is just ahead, Xu Xinan, you and Xu Huaixian accompany Lord Wang and the others there. After I return to the office to report, I will come to pay my respects to Lord Wang.

At this time, just past noon, Xu Xinan had already taken Wang Bing and others to a small side courtyard in the northeast corner of the post station to rest. The postmaster Cheng Yi was instructing an elderly post attendant to arrange meals for Wang Bing and the others

As Cai Ting holds the reins of the court and military affairs, if he truly intends to eliminate his political rivals through brutal means, the number of assassins at his disposal will undoubtedly exceed that of the prime minister

Cheng Yi is a minor official of little repute, yet he stands among the scholars

... ...

It is no wonder that Deng Gui had to leave the military camp in such a hurry

Wang Bing, before his demotion, held the position of Deputy Censor, and was one of the very few individuals in his time qualified to be referred to as "Xiang Gong". In principle, apart from the sovereign seated on the dragon throne, even if he were to offend the current ruling officials and various princes, he would not be labeled as "disrespectful".

In addition to the inspection office and barracks, the post station is also located within the military camp

The correspondence between various regions must be transmitted through the relay stations, and he is more aware of Wang Bing's demotion to Tangzhou than the lower-ranking martial figures like Xu Wujiang.

The post station occupies a small area, approximately three acres, with weeds growing on the top of the courtyard wall

Even if there is a large quantity of goods to be transported from the mountains to the counties of Huainan West Road in the east, it is usually done after the Huai River rises in late spring, using boats for transportation, as this saves more manpower

The station master Cheng Yi is responsible for the matters of arrival and departure, being a minor official of no significant standing. Those officials and gentry passing through at this time all flaunt their power, and he must endure it; moreover, he will not neglect the officials who have been demoted and are staying at the post station

This primarily involves traveling west to places such as Tangzhou and Dengzhou along Jingxinan Road, where there are no waterways. The western section is rugged and difficult to traverse on horseback, and large quantities of goods can only be transported using animal power, or even by hiring local able-bodied laborers to carry them on their shoulders.

Upon entering through the main gate, the first courtyard is the official residence of the postmaster.

Deng Gui, this inspector, usually works in the Huaiyuan Inspection Office, under the jurisdiction of Tangzhou and Biyang County. However, the selection and promotion of all inspectors and other military officials across the country are directly controlled by the Privy Council

When a person of high rank and great power passes through, local officials and gentry will rush to host banquets to curry favor; however, those who are looked down upon, when staying at the post station, are provided with nothing more than coarse grain to fill their stomachs, and at most, a small bowl of pickles to accompany their meal

Wang Bing can only be punished for the crime of "disrespect" if he has offended the officials or the Empress Dowager in his words or actions

... ...

Crossing the river to the west bank is where the military camp is located

With a mind full of thoughts, Xu Huaicai led the horse to the stable and added some fodder before returning to the front courtyard

Where in Huaiyuan Town can one find a young lady as stunningly beautiful and possessing an ethereal grace as Wang Xuan

Xu Huai spread his hands, but Xu Xinan did not expect him to answer anything. He complained, "Lord Deng has instructed us to properly entertain Lord Wang and his companions. Why has Uncle Seventeen not shown up?" He pulled Xu Huai back to the inspection office to look for Xu Wujiang.

Why hasn't Uncle Seventeen arrived yet

Xu Xinian is two years older, Xu Huai is still two months away from turning sixteen, but Xu Wujiang is always by their side

Huaiyuan has not established a county; apart from a small military outpost built at the western end of the street market, there are no city walls constructed to enclose the outskirts of the market.

Wang Bing held no official position, yet he was demoted to stay in Tangzhou, which implied a local surveillance intent; after all, it was not an exile or military conscription

After leaving Beijing, he must arrive in Tangzhou to report within the stipulated time, and the local authorities in Tangzhou are responsible for supervising him and taking care of his daily needs; furthermore, during his journey to Tangzhou, the relay stations are also required to provide shelter and reception.

Xu Huai spread his hands, indicating that he had no idea.

Lord Wang has offended the Chief Minister Cai Ting and has been demoted to Tangzhou. Scholars across the land are filled with regret. You, this scoundrel with your dog-like eyes, are stingy with a pot of wine? Fine, I will just abstain from drinking for a couple of days to allow you to settle the accounts.

The lunch arranged by the station manager Cheng Yi for Wang Bing and others included not only a bowl of cured meat, a bowl of vegetables, and half a fat goose, but also required an additional pot of warmed wine to be sent over. How could the old soldier not be surprised by this?

Privy Councillor Cai Ting

In addition to the horse path that crosses through the Tongbai Mountains and passes through the market of Huaiyuan Town, there are also four or five dirt roads extending into the deep valleys and ridges on either side; the Baijian River converges with the Huai River at the bottom of the valley, where the water surface is relatively broad, totaling six or seven ferry docks connecting the roads interrupted by the river.

Xu Huai unloaded the cart and parked it in the front yard. Just as he was about to lead the horse to the stable behind the post station, he caught a glimpse of an official notice stating that Wang Bing had been dismissed from his position and demoted due to the crime of "disrespect" and was to be expelled from Tangzhou.

However, upon careful consideration, it is not difficult to understand

The girl Wang Xuan sat in the carriage as it entered the market, observing the dense flow of people on the main street paved with bluestone, with shops lining both sides. Only then did she believe that Lu Xiong's words during the journey, that Huaiyuan Town's prosperity was not inferior to that of Xinyang City, were not unfounded. It was hard to imagine that they had set out from Xinyang and had not encountered many merchants along the way.

Although most of the memories in his mind have been forgotten, Xu Huai is currently able to consider issues in this way, and he does not believe that this should be the thinking of a sixteen-year-old boy

Deng Gui hurriedly left, as it turned out, he did not want to have any connection with Wang Bing and the library

In contrast, Cheng Yi, as a courier officer, was an official of Biyang County and was not affiliated with the system of the Privy Council. He respected Wang Bing's character and did not hesitate to extend generous treatment to him

The inspection of various matters relies on the localities, and Deng Gui would not be too harsh on his subordinates such as Xu Wujiang, as there is no shortage of food for Xu Huaiyi within the military camp

In other words, under normal circumstances, Deng Gui would have no chance of associating with a person like Cai Ting. However, if he were to gain the favor of Wang Bing, it could draw Cai Ting's attention. With just a stroke of his pen, Cai Ting could assign Deng Gui to a remote and impoverished area plagued by bandits or severe border issues, which would be enough to make his life worse than death.

Cheng Yiping enjoys sipping a little wine in his daily life, regardless of the time. The wine is poured into a teapot, and he reads, writes, and paints. Whenever he has a moment to spare, he takes a sip. He asked Xu Xinan to come over and first received the official notice from Wang Bing.

However, Xu Huai did not believe that the current emperor would send assassins to pursue Wang Bing. If he truly wanted to kill him, there would be no need for such unnecessary actions. Upon further reflection, it seemed that Wang Bing had offended a powerful figure in the court, who had seized upon his misdeeds to expel him from Bianjing.

Perhaps I am truly a solitary spirit from a bygone era, inexplicably arriving in today's world

At this moment, Xu Wujiang arranged for Xu Xinan and Xu Huaixian to escort Wang Bing and others to the post station

Xu Huai cannot be said to be familiar with the affairs of the current court, but having heard Xu Wujiang and the patrol officers boast, and occasionally picking up hearsay, he knows that the Chief of the Privy Council can stand alongside the positions of the Vice Chancellor and the Chancellor, and Cai Ting is undoubtedly a figure of immense power in the current court