Chapter 18: Xie Shudu and Xie Shufang

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Wanqiu City.

As a city with a history spanning over a millennium, its ancient background is often easily overlooked in later generations. Many only speak of Chang’an and Luoyang, yet few realize that as early as the era of Taihao Fuxi, the very first of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors, Taihao Fuxi made Wanqiu his capital. Thus, Wanqiu is also one of the earliest cradles of civilization.

Later, during the Western Zhou, King Wu of Zhou enfeoffed Gui Man, a descendant of Shun, as the ruler of the State of Chen, also establishing the capital here.

During the Warring States period, the State of Chu, the Zhang Chu regime during the peasant uprising at the end of the Qin dynasty, and the State of Chen in the Three Kingdoms era, all bestowed this capital with extraordinary significance.

“Where are you coming from?”

Beneath the city gate, Sui dynasty soldiers were interrogating the townsfolk entering and leaving the city, their eyes full of impatience and their tone far from kind.

Faced with these gatekeepers, the people could only bow humbly, nodding repeatedly as they explained their purpose, fearing they might offend the soldiers. If they did, not only would they be denied entry, but they might even be arrested.

At the edge of the crowd waiting to enter, the Zhao brothers arrived with the Fu family. The Fu family was about to queue up, not expecting the Zhao brothers to wave them forward, saying there was no need. Since they knew the soldiers at the gate, they could just follow.

Seeing this, and unwilling to be delayed on a long journey, the Fu family did not decline.

As Fu Zihou walked, he glanced at the long line of people waiting to enter, stretching out in four dense rows for several hundred paces.

“Why are there so many people today?”

“Who knows! It's been like this the whole day…”

As the Zhao brothers approached with their attendants, the guards at the gate, recognizing them, greeted them. When the brothers asked in confusion, a soldier shook his head helplessly.

Hearing their exchange, Fu Zihou frowned.

“What’s wrong, young master?” Old Liu noticed Fu Zihou’s grave expression and glanced around, seeing nothing amiss.

“It’s nothing,” Fu Zihou replied, shaking his head at Old Liu.

But Old Liu, familiar with Fu Zihou, realized he must be uneasy about the large crowd, and so suppressed his questions, staying close at his side.

“Where are they headed?” a soldier inquired, seeing the Fu family’s large bundles and hearing the Zhao brothers explain that they were villagers.

“We’re traveling far to seek refuge with distant relatives! Times are hard these days,” Zhao Han explained with a smile.

The soldier looked at the Fu family’s elders and the women accompanying them, noting the forced smiles, and glanced again at the young woman among them. For a reason he could not pinpoint, he found something subtly off in the expressions of the old man and the women. Still, since the Zhao brothers spoke for them, he did not press further and let them through.

After all, who among the guards didn’t know the Zhao brothers were related to the prefect? Besides, today was the Xie family’s wedding banquet; the Zhao brothers were surely invited guests. To make things difficult for them would bring only trouble upon oneself.

“Thank you!” the elder said gratefully, and, supported by the young woman, headed into the city.

Tao and Old Liu, along with Fu Zhi and Fu Zihou, hurried to follow.

The happiest of all was Zhang, who brought up the rear. Glancing at the crowd still waiting to enter, her face shone with joy. Ever since the Fu family’s fortunes declined, she had forgotten the last time she was looked upon with such envy.

Perhaps it was the day she married into the Fu family, the day of the wedding feast—only then had she received such looks. After that, when Erlang Fu Rui went into business, even the villagers’ eyes toward her grew strange. Zhang always harbored grievances, but had nowhere to vent them.

Soon after, the Fu family passed through the city gate. Tao and the old man exchanged a glance and finally breathed a sigh of relief. The sight of the guards at the gate had made them uneasy, especially with the memory of the corpse at home. Only now did the young woman dare to relax her grip.

“Zihou, later we brothers will go with you to get your travel pass!” Zhao Han and Zhao Gu, walking behind, said to Fu Zihou.

Fu Zihou nodded gratefully. Remembering the guards’ comments, he meant to ask further, but before he could, their party stepped into the city proper and the bustling streets stunned his aunt, mother, and cousin’s wife, filling their eyes with wonder.

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“This city is enormous!”

Tai, unable to help herself, exclaimed in awe. Fu Zihou, too, was surprised as he looked down the endless stretch of shops and streets.

No wonder it was called an ancient city! Seeing the dense houses and bustling commerce, he finally understood why no other city in Huaiyang could overtake Wanqiu.

There was simply no comparison.

“Hey! Isn’t that Uncle Fang and Uncle Du from the Xie family?”

“Uncle Fang!”

Suddenly, hearing the Zhao brothers’ excited conversation, Fu Zihou followed Zhao Gu’s gaze to a pavilion not far away, where a group sat, the leaders dressed in fine silk, among them two youths about his own age.

“Elder Fu, Aunt, please wait a moment. My brother and I will go greet them,” Zhao Han said, both excited and apologetic. After Fu Zihou’s grandfather nodded, the brothers hurried to the pavilion.

“Members of the Xie family?” Zhang asked curiously as the Zhao brothers walked away.

Tai was also intrigued. Married young into the Fu family, she seldom saw scions of noble families dressed in silk, and so she couldn’t help but look twice.

Fu Zihou, however, paid little attention to the Xie family. He knew well enough the Fu family was now beneath even the Zhao family, let alone the illustrious Xies. Instead of focusing on such lofty figures, it was better to pay attention to the people entering the city today.

“Zihou, what are you looking at?” Tao asked, seeing her son scanning the crowd and gazing back toward the gate.

“It’s nothing, Mother,” Fu Zihou replied, shaking his head.

“He’s probably just curious, seeing such a large city and such high walls for the first time. Leave him be,” Zhang said, reassuring Tao.

Only Old Liu kept his eye on Fu Zihou. Though he didn’t know why, he sensed the boy had noticed something.

Standing just inside the city gate, Fu Zihou watched the flow of people for a long time and finally noticed something unusual.

Among the townsfolk, some men seemed timid and nervous being questioned by the guards. After passing inspection and entering the city, they fell silent, their steps a little off.

The guards outside the gate were busy checking documents and didn’t notice, but Fu Zihou saw it clearly. Occasionally, after entering, a man would instinctively glance back at the soldiers.

To most, these actions meant nothing—just as others saw Fu Zihou standing there and assumed he was waiting for relatives from outside.

But Fu Zihou was different. If he remembered correctly, in this very year and month, aside from Wei Qilin of Pengcheng, there was another who also gathered followers and rebelled, causing an uproar several times greater than Wei’s.

And the location was here in Xiangcheng Commandery and Huaiyang Commandery.

“Could it really be?” Fu Zihou frowned, scanning the crowd.

Last December, a rebel force over a hundred thousand strong camped at Zhu’a, confronting the renowned Sui general Zhang Xutuo and his ten thousand troops for over ten days. When provisions ran low, Zhang set a trap, luring the rebels to attack. In the end, the rebels fell for it and were routed; only their leader escaped with several hundred elite cavalry.

Fu Zihou had always thought that, after rising again, that rebel leader would first attack Xiangcheng to the west. But now, it seemed the true target could be Huaiyang Commandery itself—and Wanqiu City.

And they had chosen the very day of the Xie family’s great celebration!

“To dare to raise troops—none of them are timid,” Fu Zihou muttered. The Xie family, as the leading clan of the commandery, and their marriage alliance with the Yang family, would surely attract the congratulations of other noble houses.

That rebel leader likely would not dare, nor intend, to kill any of those prominent nobles, but capturing Huaiyang Commandery would send a message to all, displaying his might and drawing more influential supporters to his banner.

“I hope I’m mistaken; otherwise, this city will soon be in chaos,” Fu Zihou whispered, gazing at the bustling streets behind him, the countless houses, the crowds everywhere.

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Not long after, the Zhao brothers returned, bringing Fu Zihou back to his senses—only now did he notice they brought two young men with them.

“This is Zihou! Our father often praised him. Zihou, this is Xie Shudu, son of the Minister Xie, and Xie Shufang, son of Lord Xiayang!”

Zhao Han introduced the two youths with a smile.

“Zihou greets you both,” Fu Zihou said seriously, raising his hand in salute.

“Shudu greets Zihou,” said Xie Shudu, stepping forward to return the gesture.

As soon as Xie Shudu finished, the other youth from the Xie family also offered a salute.

“Shufang greets Zihou.”

Though similar in age, Xie Shufang was a sturdier figure than Xie Shudu. Even at his young age, he had begun to grow a sparse, if untidy, beard, lending him a rugged air.

After the brothers returned the salute, they began to size up this peer of theirs.

The Zhao family might not rival the Xies, but the two brothers respected Zhao Han’s father. Even their own fathers had said that, but for the lack of family background and for his upright character, Zhao Han’s father would have achieved no less than Prefect Zhao Tuo.

Alas, Zhao Han’s father lacked the backing and couldn’t abide Sui corruption; he saved those he shouldn’t have, nearly landed in prison, and only the family’s efforts spared him. Since then, he lived in seclusion.

Hearing the Zhao brothers speak of Fu Zihou, the Xie brothers were curious about this peer who had won such praise.

“Today the Xie family is hosting a banquet. Since you know the Zhao family and happen to be in Wanqiu, why not join us at the Xie residence?” Xie Shudu invited, confident that anyone would leap at the chance—after all, even the city’s prominent families would be honored by an invitation to the Xie household.

Even the young ladies of their clan lamented to their cousins that many noble girls hoped to attend but lacked invitations.

“Thank you for your kindness, Brother Xie! But I have elderly and young family to care for, and the journey is long. If there is an opportunity in the future, I shall have the audacity to call and beg a cup of water,” Fu Zihou replied, politely declining, using the phrase “beg a cup of water” to express the Xie family’s honor.

The Xie brothers were surprised by the refusal, but at his final words, both couldn’t help but smile.

“Then I will await you with fine wine, Zihou!” Xie Shudu said, raising his hand.

With these simple words, the young Xie brothers’ opinion of Fu Zihou improved greatly. From the Zhao brothers’ earlier words, they knew the Fu family was now impoverished, and their invitation was out of curiosity. Yet Fu Zihou’s tact made it impossible to dislike him.

After some small talk, the Xie brothers were called away by their elders at the pavilion and took their leave.

Fu Zihou returned their gesture.

“Shufang has long trained in Chang’an with his uncle, and Shudu as well. That’s why, at today’s Xie family banquet, the two of them are welcoming distinguished guests from other regions,” Zhao Han explained, admiration filling his eyes, especially when mentioning Shufang’s uncle.

“Let’s go! We brothers will accompany you to collect your travel pass,” Zhao Han said, turning to Fu Zihou.

“Thank you!” Fu Zihou replied gratefully.