Chapter Nine, Thunderous Clatter of Chopsticks
He guessed quite accurately; it turns out that the county's secretary had just sent someone across the Liel River to inform the Shi family, and shortly thereafter, they were captured by Governor Zhang. Immediately, Governor Zhang ordered the captain to lead troops ahead to search for the Shi family and their son, while he personally led the main army to follow the next day
The shipowner with the surname Qian came over and asked, "Your face looks unfamiliar, may I ask your name?" A Fei casually replied, "My surname is Yang, given name Guo, courtesy name Gai Zhi, I am from Ledu and wish to travel to the Central Plains for further studies"
He has considered all aspects very clearly. Firstly, Lelang is located in a remote corner, and Beihai is in Qingzhou. During this era, the frequency of personnel exchanges is extremely low, to the point of being shocking. As long as he stays hidden in the Beihai clan and does not casually meet people, it is unlikely that his lies will be exposed. Secondly, Shixun was only a little over one year old when his father brought him to Lelang. Apart from that letter, Shiyi did not provide any other tokens, and no one back home should be able to discern the truth.
Le Du is the northeasternmost county of Le Lang, and he does not believe that this fellow, who runs around the sea all day, can have a clear understanding of all the scholars in Le Du
The development thereafter can be described by an ancient poem: "When the mountains are exhausted and the waters are blocked, one doubts there is no way out; yet amidst the dark willows and bright flowers, there lies another village."
At this moment, Ah Fei was in the cabin drinking with Captain Qian when a sudden clap of thunder echoed. Feeling somewhat uneasy, he jolted and accidentally dropped his chopsticks. Captain Qian comforted him, saying, "Storms at sea are a common occurrence; Young Master Yang need not be alarmed." Ah Fei bent down to pick up the chopsticks and casually quoted a later saying of Liu Huangshu, replying, "The might of a single tremor can lead to this." However, he was secretly praying, "Oh, heavens, please do not let any more misfortunes befall me; just allow me to reach the North Sea safely—consider this thunder as your farewell to me, and bless me to escape like Liu Bei from the cage, so that I may roam freely in the deep forest and swim in the vast ocean!"
According to A Fei and Lun Jia's perspective, the lord is well-prepared and should find it easy to escape. The young master should still follow the prearranged plan and set sail back to his hometown. Moreover, our side is weak and isolated, facing several hundred county soldiers, akin to three small ants. Even if we return, it would be of no help; it would be better to go back to Beihai to find relatives and seek another way.
At this moment, Shi Xun was completely flustered. He, like a thief ringing a bell to cover his tracks, barely convinced himself of the fabricated reasons provided by A Fei. Emotions such as anger, panic, and worry intertwined and brewed within him. Ultimately, he decided to wait until after midnight to sneak into the manor to investigate. "The night is already late, and the county soldiers will not leave the manor. I am familiar with the layout of the estate, so I will quietly sneak in. If I can rescue my father, it would be best if we could escape together. If things do not go as planned, then I shall die alongside my father."
More importantly, over the years that A Fei has spent living in the Shi family estate, his inquisitive nature has flourished, allowing him to uncover a comprehensive understanding of various matters both inside and outside the household. This includes details such as the birth dates of the Shi family father and son, the absence of any birthmarks on Shi Xun, and the height, weight, and family background of Shi Xun's deceased mother. There is nothing he is unaware of. To put it this way, the servants of the Shi family may not know much about their master's private affairs, and the Shi father and son have limited knowledge of their numerous maids. Throughout the entire estate, including several other estates, A Fei possesses the most information related to the Shi family's servants. He acknowledges himself as the second, and no one dares to claim the first position.
However, Shi Xun was resolutely unwilling to comply—returning to Beihai first? The opportunity has long passed; even if some clever scheme could be devised, it would be impossible to bring his father back to life! Thus, he ultimately took two servants, temporarily abandoned their mounts, and cautiously crept behind the soldiers, turning back to the vicinity of the manor. From a distance, he saw the local soldiers shout and then disperse to surround the Shi family manor completely. Soon, a commotion arose from a corner of the manor, as if someone were shouting: "Do not let the traitor escape!" From a distance, he saw the local soldiers shout and then disperse to surround the Shi family manor completely. Soon, a commotion arose from a corner of the manor, as if someone were shouting: "Do not let the traitor escape!"
Ah Fei had followed Shi Xun for several years, and he had fully adopted the demeanor of a wealthy tycoon. He was also literate and had some foundation in classical literature, which set him apart from the general populace. Therefore, he was not suspected in the slightest and engaged in lively conversation with the money boat owner along the way. The money boat owner thought to himself: "This Young Master Yang has no airs of a scholar and does not look down on us merchants; he seems to be a friend worth making."
Ah Fei still clings to that baseless argument, convinced that as long as his son does not throw himself into danger, his own life can be preserved—this is a statement he does not even believe himself. Shi Xun is not some renowned hero; does Governor Zhang really need to spare his father’s life out of fear of him? However, if he does not say this, seeing Shi Xun struggle desperately, he will inevitably rush back to the manor. It does not matter if he seeks death, but as a servant, I cannot possibly follow him closely. In that case, it is inevitable that we will both perish—this piece of synthetic jade from two thousand years later does not wish to accompany this ancient stubborn stone to its demise.
Before long, a sudden cheer erupted among the soldiers: "We have captured that old thief!" Shi Xun's eyes widened in fury as he drew his sword, ready to rush forward to rescue the person, but was firmly held back by someone pressing down on his shoulder.
Shixun immediately thought of riding a horse along the shortcut back to the manor to warn his father, but he was forcibly held back by Afei and Lunjia. According to Lunjia's reasoning, even if one had wings or the ability to ride the wind at that moment, it would likely be too late; the young master was clearly walking into a trap. Afei concocted excuses to hinder him further, saying: "The governor intends to trap the master and his son. If the young master does not return, it will always be a great worry. As the saying goes, 'If the roots are not removed, the grass will grow again in spring.' It should not harm the master; if the young master returns, that is when the master will be in danger!"
A Fei mainly inquired about the situation in the counties of Donglai and Beihai in Qingzhou. According to Captain Qian, in recent years, the Yellow Turban bandits have frequently invaded Qingzhou, making the local area quite unstable. However, the Governor of Donglai, Cai Boqi, and the Prime Minister of Beihai, Kong Wenju, are both virtuous officials, each holding the rank of two thousand stones. They have managed to pacify the displaced people and encourage agriculture and weaving, achieving relatively good results.
During this season, the northwest wind is at its strongest. Logically, the sea vessels should raise their sails high, navigating sideways with the wind, and within two days, they would reach the Shandong Peninsula. After that, by continuing eastward along the coast for about another day, they could dock within the territory of Huang County. However, unexpected changes in the weather occurred. Just as the destination was in sight, a sudden southeast wind blew in from an unknown direction, and with a loud 'whoosh,' it swept the ship away from the coast. Following that, a thunderclap sounded, and torrential rain poured down.
The saying "sincerity brings efficacy" suggests that for someone who does not believe in heaven at all, it is unlikely that heaven will offer them any protection. After the thunder comes the fierce wind and torrential rain; a large ship in the vast ocean resembles dumplings boiling in water, constantly rolling and tossing, going up and down. In less than half an hour, it simply capsizes beautifully, throwing everyone into the sea.
Only one Ah Fei remains, unable to be of much help due to night blindness, he can only wait outside the village, hoping to escape with his life. Following this, the time traveler, after repeated deliberation, finds that the desire to survive is gradually overshadowed by the desire to live better. He finally decides to take a risk, thus transforming himself, planning to adopt the name of Shi Xun and head to Beihai to swindle and deceive.
Fortunately, Ah Fei did not have any extravagant hopes for this treacherous situation. He had securely tied his belongings to himself in advance and tightly embraced the mast. Before the ship could capsize, the mast broke first, and Ah Fei plunged into the water with a splash, then he began to watch as he sank down...
The results of the investigation revealed that they had fallen into an ambush, likely a case of reaping what one sows, as they perished alongside his father. The governor harbored a deep-seated hatred for the two, making it highly unlikely that he would spare their lives. During the process of protecting the young master, the individual sustained multiple spear wounds, becoming a bloodied figure. He managed to escape not far before reporting to A Fei the simultaneous demise of the Shi family father and son, only to collapse on the ground and soon breathe his last.
Indeed, the shipowner Qian repeatedly bowed and said, "So it is Young Master Yang, a pleasure to meet you. However, the Central Plains are not very peaceful these days, and Young Master Yang's journey of study may be quite arduous."
That is not correct; for the era in which A Fei currently finds himself, it cannot be considered ancient poetry, but rather future poetry
Thus, although there was no mount, A Fei quickened his pace, traveling by day and resting by night, and just in time arrived at Nanpu before dawn on the fourth day. He boarded the sea vessel mentioned by Shi Yi. Although the shipowner recognized Shi Xun, A Fei did not need to impersonate anyone at this moment, so he did not care at all.
According to the introduction by Captain Qian, at the beginning of this year, the Guandong Province raised troops to attack Dong Zhuo. The two sides fought fiercely on several battlefields in the Central Plains, and in the end, Dong Zhuo simply set Luoyang on fire and took the emperor hostage to Chang'an. However, this was an event from the first half of the year. Regarding the situation in the second half of the year, Captain Qian's information is relatively outdated, and he knows almost nothing—A Fei must know much more than he does.
After changing his disguise, he ran all the way towards Nanpu. Logically speaking, although Governor Zhang intended to capture the entire Shi family, which is why he secretly dispatched troops to surround them, he should not have cared about just one escaped barbarian servant and would not have sent anyone to pursue. However, one must always prepare in advance; if not, things may fall apart. It should be considered that if someone were to inform, the barbarian servant was carrying a personal letter from Master Shi, intending to go inland to seek relatives. It is quite possible that Governor Zhang, in order to avoid complications, would relentlessly pursue this unfortunate little servant.
In summary, a master and two servants rode away from the Shi family estate. They had not traveled more than three miles when the sky began to darken slightly, the afterglow spreading across the land—estimating it to be around 7:15 PM—when suddenly a fire dragon appeared in the distance, winding its way along the main road. Shi Xun, already troubled by hidden matters, felt alarmed and quickly dismounted, pulling his companions into a small grove by the roadside to take cover. The three of them cautiously peeked out and saw that it was a troop of soldiers, at least five or six hundred strong, all armed with long spears, halberds, curved sabers, and iron swords, hastily making their way toward the Shi family estate.
Oh? Ah Fei knowingly asks, "What is not quite peaceful? The shipowner travels between Qing and You provinces, and what he sees and hears must be extensive; I still need to inquire."
Oh no! Shi Xun gritted his teeth and said, "Could it be that the county has sent troops in advance?"
Shi Xun glanced at A Fei, but fortunately, over the past few years, A Fei had made strange remarks more than once or twice. Shi Xun took it as a saying of the foreign people and did not pursue the matter further