Chapter 0009: Pieces
The arrangements for their reception were all personally handled by that governor from years past. Even the assistant magistrate whom Yang Fan found was unaware of the details. The fact that the resettlement of a mere dozen households required the direct involvement of a governor, who did not even dare to delegate the task to others, reveals an abundance of strangeness in this matter
In Shaozhou, he still had little to show for his efforts. Over the years, various factions within the court had been embroiled in mutual strife, sometimes losing power and at other times gaining it. Too many officials had lost their positions, been dismissed, or even lost their lives. The Shaozhou governor who issued the announcement declaring an outbreak of plague in Huanshan Village had already been implicated in Xu Jingye's rebellion case and was executed by beheading
Xiao Jie Gan Jiao tapped the rice bowl twice and began to chat
During the Tang Dynasty, societal customs dictated that the bride's dowry was substantial. For daughters from poor families, marriage was difficult; even if one was exceptionally beautiful, unless marrying a destitute rustic man, a meager dowry would inevitably lead to disdain from the husband's family, resulting in numerous difficulties.
Because the drivers encounter a variety of customers every day and are well-informed, every day, Xu Xiaojie always has some new anecdotes to share with everyone. Each day, he is the first to recount the various experiences he heard the day before: "Ahem! Yesterday, during a ride, I heard an interesting story..."
The thin-skinned girl tightened her face and shot him a reproachful glance
What left the deepest impression on him was that scholar in the blue robe, but the people he could interact with were limited, and their status was not high. It was impossible for him to rely on memory to depict the appearance of that unforgettable official and ask people on the street. The more reliable investigative lead, on the contrary, was the army he knew nothing about at the time, the Longwu Army.
The nameless valley seems to conceal an abundance of secrets; his parents, his neighbors in the village, each person's background is shrouded in mystery. Regrettably, it appears that the household registrations of every elder in the village have been tampered with, and Yang Fan is unable to trace their earlier origins based on those registration materials. Their identities, backgrounds, and even names are all fabricated.
Yang Fan did not regard the noodles as something foreign; he gladly accepted his sister's heartfelt intentions. However, he recently learned from Ma Qiao that the reason Ning Jie worked so hard, getting up every morning to make snacks, was to save up for her dowry
Mianpianer and Ma Qiao were the first two people Yang Fan met after arriving in Luoyang. He settled in Luoyang, purchased a residence, and found employment as a craftsman, all thanks to the assistance of these two individuals. Therefore, Yang Fan shares the most amicable relationship with them. Mianpianer treats him as if he were her own younger brother, and Yang Fan seems to faintly see a resemblance to his deceased sister in Mianpianer, genuinely regarding her as an elder sister.
As for the origins of the eleven surnames of the residents of Huanshan Village, Yang Fan's family never mentioned it to him during his childhood, and he had no doubts about it. He had never left his small village, so he did not feel that his village was any different from other mountain villages. He always considered himself to be an ordinary mountain dweller
Xu Xiaojie is a "ganjiaoer" (a term referring to someone who drives a donkey). He has a donkey at home. Every day, he leads the donkey to bustling and lively places or the city gate, waiting for someone to hire his donkey. The hirer either rides the donkey or uses it to transport goods and luggage, while he walks behind, which is why it is called "ganjiaoer".
Zhang Bao came and went without a trace, appearing carefree, yet he was held back by a small beggar named Yang Fan. Although Zhang Bao was hot-tempered and chivalrous, rough and generous, the scholar Pinghe valued his reputation above all. He did not wish to endanger the life of this young man due to his own affairs, so he had no choice but to take him to Nanyang. Yang Fan lived in Nanyang for several years, learning martial arts from his master. Once he had made some progress in his studies, he could hardly wait to bid farewell to his master and return to the Tang Dynasty.
Pepper powder is still a relatively rare item at this time, and its price is quite high. Not everyone can enjoy it at these street food stalls, which makes the nearby Japanese person eye it with great desire
Amei resides in a wealthy family, free from worries about food and clothing. Although she is treated as a servant, it seems that Madam Pei and her son do not appear to be harsh masters to their subordinates. It is likely that for the time being, she is safe and cannot be found, which is quite convenient, as he has another matter to attend to—the blood debt from the massacre in the village that occurred in the second year of Yongchun
The mother and daughter were both afraid that a meager dowry would lead to disdain from the groom's family. Therefore, they began a small snack business three years ago to earn money, all so that the daughter could have a reasonably decent dowry when she married. Running a small business was not easy, and Yang Fan could not take advantage of her any longer. He deliberately spoke loudly to attract the attention of Jiang's mother, to prevent his sister from being modest and declining.
Thus, he arrived. He spent money to obtain a household registration and moved into Xiuwenfang, where many court officials resided, becoming a resident of this area. Over the past six months, he adapted to his identity and became familiar with the environment of Luoyang, yet the information he sought remained elusive.
She said one thing but still added another helping of noodles to her bowl, garnishing it with some chopped scallions and chives. After drizzling a few drops of chili oil made from prickly ash, she quickly glanced at her mother, who was tending to the fire under the stove, ensuring she wasn't paying attention. Then, she swiftly pulled out a small gourd from her blue cloth apron, removed the stopper, and sprinkled in a bit of pepper.
A military force dispatched from Luoyang, traveling a thousand miles to Shaozhou to massacre a village, must have a significant reason, an ulterior motive, and certainly a high-ranking instigator behind it. However, it is strange that after more than half a year of investigation, he has not found a single clue, as if this group of people had never existed or committed such a heinous act.
Yang Fan, as a craftsman, has a limited salary. Being a single man, he lives without anyone to take care of him, and without a spending plan, his life is even more frugal. Therefore, Jiang Xuning often takes care of him. Yang Fan makes do with whatever he can for his three meals a day and frequently comes to her stall to eat noodles. Whenever Jiang Xuning sees that her mother is not paying attention, she does not charge him for the meal
In recent days, he has been investigating both officially and through grassroots channels. Many matters concerning officials cannot be uncovered through official means, yet they are well known among the common people. Although these individuals may hold lowly status, some of them work as servants in wealthy households, others serve as guards for influential families, and some have relatives managing accounts in affluent households, or their wives work as cooks or midwives in such families. Therefore, many matters that are not suitable for public discussion cannot be heard from other sources, but can be learned from their accounts. Although these individuals may hold lowly status, some of them work as servants in wealthy households, others serve as guards for influential families, and some have relatives managing accounts in affluent households, or their wives work as cooks or midwives in such families. Therefore, many matters that are not suitable for public discussion cannot be heard from other sources, but can be learned from their accounts.
However, as Yang Fan grew older and experienced more, he gradually realized that the small mountain village where he was raised and lived indeed had many peculiarities that were not typical. This was not only due to the sudden massacre of the village but also because the residents of his mountain village differed in many ways from those of ordinary mountain villages
Under the tree lay numerous stones, and the snack stall was not a dining area; those eating noodles held their bowls casually here. The noodle eaters were all neighbors, chatting about various topics while they ate. Yang Fan rarely spoke but paid close attention, making him a good listener. In the past, the grandson of the Bearded Guest, Zhang Bao, in a fit of rage, stormed into the governor's office, beheaded the governor of Guangzhou, Lu Yuanrui, and then left with his sword, taking a boat out to sea. This incident caused quite a stir and made him one of the famous wanderers in the history of the Tang Dynasty. The noodle eaters were all neighbors, chatting about various topics while they ate. Yang Fan rarely spoke but paid close attention, making him a good listener. In the past, the grandson of the Bearded Guest, Zhang Bao, in a fit of rage, stormed into the governor's office, beheaded the governor of Guangzhou, Lu Yuanrui, and then left with his sword, taking a boat out to sea. This incident caused quite a stir and made him one of the famous wanderers in the history of the Tang Dynasty, yet no one knew his name. Later historical records referred to this event simply as the tale of the Kunlun child without naming him.
Those who are in the officialdom, adhering to the principle that it is better to avoid trouble than to seek it, do not take the initiative to inquire about these matters. Yang Fan learned almost nothing from that prefect's mouth. The only useful information he obtained was about the origin of that army; it was the Longwu Army, the only fully cavalry unit within the imperial guard of the Great Tang.
Yang Fan, feeling helpless, had no choice but to give up searching for Niu Niu and went to Shaozhou Prefecture instead
After Yang Fan returned to the Tang Dynasty, he first visited Guangzhou Prefecture, where he found several clerks who had worked at the Guangzhou Governor's Office back in the day. Unfortunately, the identity of Madam Pei was too mysterious. Although some people remembered this woman because the Governor had personally escorted her out of the office on the very day he lost his head to Kunlun Er, they were still unaware of her true identity.
As soon as the young lady from Jiang heard the voice, she knew who had arrived. Without raising her head, she playfully scolded, "You little rascal, waiting a bit longer to eat won't kill you. Why do you insist on coming when it's busy to cause trouble for your sister? Are you a starving ghost reincarnated?"
The only clue he had from that year was the appearance of the cruel official who coldly issued the order to massacre the village, standing on the high slope. The man had deep lines of authority on his face and a hawk-like nose with sunken eyes.
He once doubted whether the massacre at www.hetushu.com was orchestrated by the court, but as he conducted his investigation step by step, this suspicion gradually dissipated. All traces had been completely erased, and any possible clues had been wiped away. With the determination of the reigning Empress Wu, among the numerous princes of the Li Tang royal family, if she ordered a killing, it would be done without hesitation. Entire families were exterminated, and women and children were slaughtered, without ever showing a hint of reluctance or pretense. Why would there be such a need for concealment? All traces had been completely erased, and any possible clues had been wiped away. With the determination of the reigning Empress Wu, among the numerous princes of the Li Tang royal family, if she ordered a killing, it would be done without hesitation. Entire families were exterminated, and women and children were slaughtered, without ever showing a hint of reluctance or pretense. Why would there be such a need for concealment?
The dough quickly completed the process of stealthily adding pepper. Seeing that her mother was focused on adding firewood and did not notice her little action, she playfully stuck her tongue out at Yang Fan and pushed the large bowl over. Yang Fan took the large bowl, thanked Miss Jiang, and heavily slapped three coins onto the table, exclaiming: "Three wen!"
Yang Fan, understanding his sister's good intentions, smiled apologetically at Jiang Xuning. He then picked up the bowl of fragrant, steaming noodle soup, walked to a tree nearby, and sat on a stone to eat the noodles.
Miss Jiang swiftly served a bowl of noodles to that foreigner, and before any condiments were added, a clear voice said: "Sister Ning, please serve me a bowl first, with plenty of chili oil. My stomach is about to growl with hunger."
The deputy magistrate of Shaozhou had already been implicated in the matter and had retired to his hometown. Yang Fan pursued him to the deputy magistrate's place of origin, but the deputy magistrate was completely unaware of the details of the incident. The only information he possessed was that those individuals came from Luoyang and had significant influence, to the extent that even the governor of that year had to cater to them. Although it was well known that the victims of the Huanshan Village massacre had been slaughtered, they could only cover it up by attributing it to an outbreak of plague, fearing to report the truth to the court.
Since the passing of her father, Ning has been living in poverty with her mother, depleting their resources. Their family situation is not good. At the end of this year, she is to be married to the Liu family of Yongkangfang. Although they have no official titles, they are still a family of scholarly reputation.