Chapter 6: Xiong Tingbi

“She does not seem like a well-bred young lady from a noble family!”

Yang Xin stood on the deck, looking at Miss Wang from the ship to their right front, who was leaning out of her window.

She glared at him.

She was Vice Minister Wang Keshou’s granddaughter, coming from her hometown in Huangmei, Huguang. She looked about fifteen or sixteen, a beautiful and charming young girl, though a bit silly and cute. She traveled with only an Elder Steward, six armed Household Servants, one old maid, and two maidservants. They had been traveling for three whole months, starting this long journey at the beginning of spring. The young girl, nearing her destination, seemed in high spirits. Yesterday’s fall into the water did not leave any psychological shadow on her. However, what surprised Yang Xin was that he could not see any bindings of feudal ethics on her. Along the way, she often bounced out of her cabin like a happy little sparrow…

“What should a well-bred young lady be like?”

Huang Ying said from the side, her tone icy.

“Well, shouldn’t she stay within the inner quarters, not showing her teeth when smiling, walking with a sway, usually holding an embroidery hoop to mend flowers and birds, occasionally looking up at falling leaves and coughing twice, sighing ‘Who pities the fading red and broken fragrance?'”

Yang Xin said.

For the last line, he even put on a sorrowful posture and sang it in an opera tune, which immediately made Huang Ying break into a bright smile.

“That really does sound a bit like it!”

Huang Zhen said with a laugh.

“But southerners, especially those along the Yangtze River like in Yingtian, women from wealthy families are not so strict about rituals. Many show their faces in public. On the other hand, wealthy families in the north have stricter rules. But to say they never leave the inner quarters is still a bit exaggerated. As for Vice Minister Wang, he was a disciple of Li Zhi, who was arrested and imprisoned for promoting heresy and later committed suicide. Their school is especially lax on such rituals. Miss Wang’s behavior likely comes from her family upbringing.”

He continued.

“A disciple of Li Zhi?”

Yang Xin was shocked.

He truly did not expect a disciple of Li Zhi could rise to such a high official position.

“Yes, a disciple of Li Zhi. The tombstone at Li Zhi’s grave in Tongzhou was even erected by Vice Minister Wang.”

Huang Zhen nodded and said.

“Brother Huang really knows everything!”

Yang Xin looked at Huang Zhen with a meaningful gaze.

“Call him Uncle!”

Huang Ying said unhappily from the side.

“Uncle Huang really knows everything!”

Yang Xin obediently changed his address immediately.

“You young people have never seen the grand scene of Li Zhi’s lectures back in the day. Even a chief minister’s inspection tour could not compare. When he lectured, people from all walks of life—scholars, farmers, artisans, merchants, regardless of gender or age—gathered like worshiping Buddha. Not only Vice Minister Wang, many high officials and nobles treated him as a teacher. What he said made sense, but it was too rebellious. As a result, the Ministry of Rites arrested him for promoting heresy, and he took a razor and slit his own throat. Since his death, few have dared to openly preach such ideas these years. Everyone follows the rules now, but the Great Ming Dynasty has become like a stagnant pond.”

Huang Zhen sighed.

Clearly, this was also a man with stories.

Ahead, Miss Wang was still leaning out the window, watching them curiously…

“One laugh across the sea, waves surge along both shores…”

Yang Xin suddenly burst into song.

And it was the original Cantonese version.

Huang Zhen and his daughter turned in surprise, looking at him as if he had gone mad. The Elder Steward on the opposite ship also turned his head in astonishment. However, they clearly did not understand Cantonese, all wearing blank expressions. Amid Yang Xin’s Cantonese singing, the two ships sailed forward with the wind. On both sides, merchant ships, shallow Grain Tribute Boats and small lighter boats, even the yellow boats specifically for transporting goods to the Imperial Palace, also sailed forward with the wind…

The next day, Yang Xin could not sing anymore.

The wind stopped!

Yangcun Relay Station.

“Elder Steward, have the women prepare to stay out of sight!”

Huang Zhen said, looking at the almost unmoving flag.

The Elder Steward nodded, then went into the cabin. Yang Xin looked at Huang Ying with a puzzled expression.

“The trackers don’t wear clothes!”

The latter said.

After saying that, she climbed into her own room.

Huang Zhen called out to Yang Xin. By then, the Elder Steward also came out. The three of them went ashore together. The Elder Steward went straight to the station master, who immediately bowed humbly and led him to a tracker village. Calling it a village was an overstatement; it was basically countless shacks. These kinds of small settlements, much like slums, were scattered all along the Grand Canal banks from Yangcun to Tongzhou. This section of the canal had no tidal assistance at all and was against the current. Unless they were lucky enough to have a tailwind, they had to rely on trackers. For this entire stretch, there were a hundred thousand trackers. In theory, they were managed by military garrisons, but in reality, they were just gathered refugees from various places.

But these trackers had no share in prosperous times.

“They are truly poor!”

Yang Xin sighed sincerely.

Between the shacks made of rotten wood, dry grass, and any scrap materials they could find, women in rags held skinny children, stepping over flowing sewage, watching them with numb eyes.

And the men were truly naked.

They only tied a piece of ragged cloth around their waists to cover the front, but the back had no coverage at all. Their profession and income determined that wearing clothes was a luxury. However, these men were very strong, each with muscular bodies. Not the kind of muscles built in a gym, but not overly prominent ones that nonetheless felt like iron. No one stood straight; they all had a slight hunch, carrying tracking bows—wooden tools similar to small Carrying Poles—to prevent the towrope from chafing their bodies. Everyone’s face bore the gloom of severe life exhaustion. They did the most hopeless job. For them, life was just day after day of suffering.

Living just for the sake of living.

Like a group of walking dead mechanically repeating each day.

“A few years ago, there was a famine in Shandong. Many starving people came along the Grand Canal to seek a living. With more trackers and not enough work to go around, life naturally became harder.”

Huang Zhen said.

“What do they do in winter?”

Yang Xin asked.

“Endure it. Save up more during the canal-opening period. In winter, they survive on thin porridge. If they cannot endure, they starve to death. The court also gives some relief, after all, if too many trackers starve, there will be a shortage next year. But don’t expect too much; it’s just to try and reduce starvation. In short, as long as it doesn’t affect next year’s Grain Transport System. Ultimately, living is a struggle for survival. We are the same. They live harder lives, but their days are stable. We eat meat and drink wine, but we have to risk our necks.

It’s just each one’s fate!”

Huang Zhen patted his shoulder and said.

“My fate is in my hands, not Heaven’s!”

Yang Xin suddenly blurted out.

“Huh?”

Huang Zhen was confused.

“Just joking!”

Yang Xin said with a laugh.

This was a cruel natural law.

When there were too many trackers, they could not earn enough money. When the canal froze in winter, a bunch would starve to death or seek other livelihoods. Then the next year, with fewer people, earnings would improve, and new refugees would join, continuing the cycle.

Just like the beasts on the African savannah.

They did not need to handle price negotiations. The station master practically treated the Elder Steward like an ancestor. Yangcun Relay Station was also under Wang Keshou’s jurisdiction. The station master was merely a clerk without even an official rank. Although the Elder Steward was just a steward, one entrusted by his master with such important tasks must be a close confidant.

He had to be treated like an ancestor.

Although Wang Keshou definitely would not remember his flattery over such a small matter.

But…

But he was just servile!

Soon, he came back humbly with over a dozen trackers. The leader was a middle-aged man who did not seem very happy. Clearly, the station master had not given them a fair price; in fact, whether they were paid at all was questionable. The station master was indeed a minor official and not the chief administrator here. There were actually a River Management Secretary and a Patrol Officer here, but he could easily deal with these trackers. However, this job was not too heavy. Although the Wang family’s ship was large, it carried very little cargo; otherwise, they could not have entered the river section above Yangcun. Huang Zhen’s was a small shallow boat, also very light.

These were not like those Grain Tribute Boats.

Even the shallow Grain Tribute Boats were fully loaded with hundreds of dan of grain. When encountering shallow water, they relied entirely on trackers pulling hard. The upper section of the Northern Canal had very shallow water levels, often with silted shallows; otherwise, there would not be so many shallow stations set up.

Having solved the tracker issue, Yang Xin and his party quickly returned to the relay station.

But just as they reached the station entrance, more than ten riders came galloping up ahead. The leader was an official in a blue robe. As these people reined in their horses, the station master’s face changed. He hurried forward and bowed in salute…

“Han Xin, Station Master of Yangcun Relay Station, greets Your Honor!”

He said.

The Elder Steward and Huang Zhen followed with salutes. Yang Xin imitated them, but unlike the others who bowed their heads, he kept his head up during his salute, looking at the other party without much respect.

The official did not look at the station master but turned his gaze to Yang Xin.

Yang Xin met his gaze calmly.

He did not know this person.

The official’s rank badge on his chest had a bird, meaning he was a civil official. The bird looked like a white pheasant, with a red beak and red legs, wings spread and a long tail trailing. However, Yang Xin did not know much about such things; he did not understand the meaning of this rank badge.

The official suddenly smiled…

“Seize him!”

He pointed his horsewhip at Yang Xin and said.

The more than ten soldiers behind him, who had already dismounted, hurried forward.

Reacting extremely fast, Yang Xin leaped up without hesitation. He then stepped on the hunched back of the station master, who was bent like a shrimp. With the station master’s miserable cry, Yang Xin leaped again. Having risen to about three meters in two leaps, he almost pounced down on the official from mid-air. A cold glint flashed beside the official as his sword was immediately drawn, but it was ultimately a bit late. Yang Xin’s right hand shot out like lightning in mid-air and grabbed the wrist holding the sword. As he landed beside the horse, he pressed down and then sprang up a third time, pulling the official’s wrist and landing behind him. At the same time, he lifted the sword and placed it horizontally against the official’s neck.

Only then did screams erupt.

The soldiers were in chaos. The station master lay on the ground, continuing to wail. Huang Zhen and the Elder Steward cried out and retreated in shock…

“Do you know what you are doing?”

The official calmly glanced at the sword blade at his neck, then sneered without changing expression.

“Um, Your Honor, what is this white pheasant on your chest called?”

Yang Xin asked humbly.

“This is a silver pheasant, meaning a fifth-rank civil official. I am Xiong Tingbi, a Secretary of the Court of Judicial Review and concurrently a Censorate Official of the Henan Circuit, entering the capital by imperial decree for an audience with His Majesty. Aren’t you afraid this act will bring extermination of your nine clans upon you!”

The official said.