Qiao Chu

The evening wharf was at its busiest time of day.

Whether the Grand Tutor and the Empress were quarreling, officials were being arrested, or even the Western Liang war—none of these could make the people here stop their livelihoods.

In fact, they might even become busier because of it.

For example, when officials were convicted and had to sell their assets to pay fines, merchants would gather at the wharf, sorting through the confiscated properties and shipping them to various places.

Or when the Western Liang war caused shortages of northwestern goods, trade routes would become even more bustling.

After finally unloading a ship, a few men squatting at the bow to cool off spotted a short, stout man hurriedly approaching—wearing a hat and wrapped in a scarf despite the summer heat—and immediately stood up to greet him. "Old Yu! Old Yu—" "Old Yu, what treasure are you hiding this time?"

Yu Shang walked over with a cheerful laugh, tossing a jug of wine that the men caught.

"You've got sharp eyes. I just got my hands on a fine bottle of wine," he said.

The men examined the wine bottle, which looked rather ordinary. "Old Yu, were you swindled?" "If it's really that good, would you be willing to share it with us?"

Yu Shang paid no mind to their teasing and said cheerfully, "This is Immortal Brew." "I, Yu Shang, am generous with everything—the finer something is, the more I want to share it with others." He then gestured for them to hurry and taste it.

Teasing aside, everyone was familiar with Yu Shang's character and temperament. They opened the wine bottle, and after one of them took a sip, he immediately exclaimed in admiration. The others quickly snatched it away, and the exclamations drew a crowd from all around.

The men didn't hoard it either, fetching wine bowls and cups. "Come quickly and taste the Immortal Brew Old Yu brought back!"

For a moment, the wharf was filled with noise and excitement.

For a moment, everyone knew Old Yu.

Yu Shang was indeed very popular. Though he wasn't a wealthy magnate, he was diligent, honest, and dependable, maintaining good relationships with everyone at the wharf.

Even the laborers loading and unloading goods gathered around him.

"Boss Yu, are you heading out again?" someone asked.

Yu Shang nodded. "I've rested long enough. It's time to go out and make some money."

A familiar merchant asked, "Still going to Yunzhong County?"

Yu Shang smiled and nodded.

"Business can be done anywhere. Why do you always travel so far?" someone shook their head. "It's remote, out-of-the-way, and unsafe now."

Yu Shang laughed. "Business can be done anywhere, and even though it's remote, out-of-the-way, and dangerous, it's my hometown. I can make money and visit home—what better business is there in the world?"

As he spoke, he glanced at the carts and horses on the wharf, spotted his own, and hurried over with a wave.

Someone unfamiliar asked curiously, "Is Old Yu from Yunzhong County?"

"Yes, he left when he was young, started a family and built a career in the capital, with a wife and children, but he never gave up his business in Yunzhong County," a familiar person sighed.

"Why bother?" the younger ones wondered. "The money earned is spent on travel, turning big business into small business."

But the older ones understood well. "Money can never be fully earned. It's hard to leave one's homeland, and the older you get, the more you miss it."

Regardless of the chatter, Yu Shang loaded two ships full of goods and, under the watchful eyes of his wife, children, and the crowd, surrounded by his household guards and attendants, set sail into the night.

"By autumn, Yu Shang will return laden with goods," the men on the wharf holding the empty wine bottle counted on their fingers. "Then we'll get to enjoy fine wine again."The commotion brought by a small merchant soon faded away, as the dock erupted into a new round of bustle. Leaving the hustle and bustle of the capital behind, the small merchant journeyed through sunrises and sunsets, disembarking from boats to ride horses and carts, enduring wind and rain, until he finally arrived at Yunzhong Commandery.

When passing through the checkpoint, the goods of the merchants ahead were thoroughly inspected, their travel permits and identities scrutinized repeatedly. The bribes they slipped in were thrown back out. Yu Shang was somewhat surprised and asked the person beside him, "Are the inspections this strict now? Has the war intensified again?"

The merchant beside him chuckled softly, "The war hasn’t intensified—that’s precisely why the inspections are so strict."

What did that mean? Yu Shang was puzzled.

"Because the war isn’t intense, the generals are busy feuding among themselves," a bystander watching the scene was happy to explain. "The court has sent a supervisor to enforce some kind of discipline, strictly cracking down on corruption and bribery among the soldiers."

Yu Shang understood but shook his head. "The supervisor is overthinking it. The soldiers in Yunzhong Commandery are already quite disciplined."

"Whether they’re disciplined or not, we wouldn’t know. All we know is that the new rules have made traveling more troublesome," the earlier merchant remarked, shaking his head. He then glanced at Yu Shang’s cart, noticing it was piled high with small items like needles and thread. "You’ll have it even harder. Your travel is slow, and it takes a long time. When will you ever sell all these goods?"

Yu Shang grinned cheerfully. "I’ll sell them slowly. These are small items, very popular in villages and small towns. I just need to travel a bit farther and cover more ground."

As they chatted, the line moved forward, and it was their turn to pass through the checkpoint. The group stopped talking and queued up separately.

Yu Shang stepped forward but didn’t offer a bribe. Instead, he took a few water pouches from his cart. "Officers, these are for carrying water. The weather is hot, and these are the latest styles from the capital. They’re not worth much."

The water pouches were indeed inexpensive, and the soldiers raised their hands to knock them away. But an officer seated nearby noticed, squinted to get a better look, and laughed. "Isn’t that Old Yu? Back from your trading run?"

Yu Shang quickly smiled and acknowledged, "Yes, sir."

The officer introduced him to the soldiers, "This is Yu Bo, a traveling merchant from Mayi. He’s been in small-scale trade for decades and often brings our brothers essential items—umbrellas and water pouches in summer, warm sleeves in winter. Once we started using them, the soldiers in the camp all went to buy from him." Raising his voice, he added, "I say, Old Yu, are you using us to help sell your goods?"

Yu Shang smiled humbly. "Thank you for your patronage, officers."

The officer waved to the soldiers. "Take them. We’ll help spread the word for Old Yu later." Then, he beckoned, "Old Yu, give me one more."

Since the officer had spoken, the soldiers accepted the pouches. Yu Shang cheerfully handed an extra one to the officer.

The officer examined it briefly and waved him off. "Alright, hurry along."

The soldiers didn’t bother with further inspections and let Yu Shang pass directly.

"Is this pattern popular in the capital now?" the officer discussed with the soldiers. "I’ll give this to Fu the Supervisor’s attendants. They should be pleased—coming all the way from the capital to this place, they must be feeling quite out of sorts. This might ease their homesickness a bit."

The soldiers all laughed.

Yu Shang sat at the front of his cart, leaving the lively scene behind as the horse-drawn vehicle sped away. He passed through checkpoint after checkpoint, traversing cities and towns, venturing into increasingly remote areas. The goods on his cart dwindled until, one late night, only a single cart remained parked in a desolate mountain valley, with no sign of the man or his horse.

…

…

As the morning sun cast its light over the wilderness, Yu Shang removed his hat and the scarf around his neck, tossing them aside. He then faced the sunlight and stretched, his expression relaxed.

He let out a fierce howl.Simultaneously, a dozen or so howls erupted beside him.

Yu Shang turned his head to see over ten men clad in cloth robes. Though they wore the latest styles of clothing he had brought from the capital, something about them seemed off—perhaps it was their distinct facial features and bone structure, different from the people of Great Xia.

Yu Shang reached up and touched his own face. Upon closer inspection, he realized he shared those same traits—

"Qibo, change into our robes," the leader of the men shouted strangely, tossing a robe over. "The General specifically had this brought for you."

Yu Shang caught it and laughed heartily, "Qibo thanks the General." With that, he spread his arms wide on the galloping horse, shed his original luxurious robe embroidered with clustered flowers, and donned the new one with fur lining at the shoulders and cuffs, stretching his arms out into the wind.

"I'm home—"

...

...

"Just in time," a man in the large tent said, trimming his beard with a small knife. "We've run out of the grain from last time."

Yu Shang furrowed his brow. "So quickly?"

The man trimming his beard slammed the knife into the ground and roared, "It wasn't just my Chinu tribe that consumed it! I'm now supporting two—no, three forces. I've barely had a few bites of that grain myself."

Yu Shang paid no attention to the knife embedded near his feet and showed no fear at the man's outburst. Instead, he asked with slight surprise, "Three forces? Besides the Great King, has the First Prince also demanded provisions from you, General?"

The General was the son-in-law of the King of Xiliang and the chief of the Chinu tribe. This time, the King of Xiliang led his three sons on the campaign, with the First Prince holding the fort in Xiliang City, while summoning the Chinu tribe as the left flank.

"This is truly excessive," Yu Shang shook his head. "The First Prince enjoys peace in the rear, yet he still demands provisions from you. General, you have it tough."

He then chuckled.

"Such merit isn't worth just one princess. When it's time to reward achievements, remember to ask the Great King for two more."

The Chinu chief's face darkened. "What use are so many women? My troops have suffered heavy losses." At this, he looked at Yu Shang. "Since he once said that everything under heaven is a business, besides grain, can we buy people?"

Yu Shang shook his head helplessly. "General, you jest. People aren't inanimate objects; they can't be transported over."

The Chinu chief clearly knew this too—he had only spoken offhand. He kicked the table in frustration and grumbled, "What merit is there? In this war so far, all we've earned is the Great King's scorn. Instead, he only praises the First Prince, saying he secures the rear firmly." He glanced around, and his personal guards immediately withdrew.

The Chinu chief stepped closer and whispered to Yu Shang.

"The Third Prince said, using the words of the Great Xia people, we're all just 'sewing a wedding gown for the First Prince.'"

Did this mean the Third Prince was also dissatisfied? Even harboring ambitions toward the First Prince's position? That person truly foresaw everything, Yu Shang marveled inwardly, though his expression remained neutral. He nodded and said, "In the words of the Great Xia people, the First Prince isn't wrong either. As the eldest son, you're all meant to play supporting roles for him."

The Chinu chief cursed foully. "You've been among the Great Xia for so long, have you forgotten our rules? Whoever has the greatest strength becomes the Great King!"

Yu Shang touched his face again. "Truthfully, I don't even know where I belong—half Great Xia, half Western Liang, and thus not fully either." After a moment of reflection, he smiled. "General, don't be angry. I came here precisely to do business according to these rules."

The Chinu chief was puzzled. "What business?"Yu Shang took out a command token from his chest and extended his hand to pass it over, saying, "Victory or defeat is business."