Chapter 115: Thieves on the Night Road

With Xu Mingli on site, Wei Renshi no longer needed to worry about the river embankment. Since Xu had a keen interest in the machinery used there and possessed a pragmatic, industrious nature, Wei was content to let him study the construction and operation of the tools. This served a dual purpose: it ensured Xu’s dedication to the project, and it acted as a hedge for the future. Should Xu ever rise to prominence, this would prove to be a most valuable connection.

Calculating that the laborers sent to harvest coal were likely settled by Jiao Haiqing, Wei Renshi took his leave of Xu Mingli. After giving final instructions to Sun Peng and Liang Yuxi regarding the next steps, he set off for Fuchang with Shi Laoda and Gou Er. This trip to Luoyang had taken longer than expected; if they did not return soon, it would be too late to sow the crops in the greenhouses.

A mountain of tasks awaited him in Fuchang. First, the greenhouses needed to be planted with vegetables to ensure a harvest of fresh greens once winter set in. He also needed to inspect the progress of the improved fields and check on the newly completed breeding farm. He wondered if Village Head Zheng had followed the methods he had left behind. As he tallied these responsibilities, Wei Renshi felt overwhelmed by the sheer volume of work.

"Young Master, the city gates are about to close. Shall we stay the night in Fuchang, or press on through the dark?" Shi Laoda’s voice drifted in from outside.

Wei Renshi looked out; the sky was already darkening, and in a few moments, night would fully descend.

"A few months ago, the sun wouldn't have even set by now," Gou Er remarked, peering out as well.

Wei Renshi pondered for a moment before deciding, "Changgu is not far from Fuchang. I say we push through and head back. What do you think, Uncle Shi?"

"That works for me. I’ve been missing my little rascal back home," Shi Laoda replied with a chuckle from the driver’s seat. Wei Renshi knew he was referring to his grandson, Shi Qingye.

"Uncle Shi," Wei said, "Qingye is eight years old now. It’s no good for him to spend his days just playing. Let him come study reading and writing with me."

"Reading and writing?" Shi Laoda was visibly delighted. "Thank you for the favor, Young Master! Thank you!"

"It’s nothing. I’ll teach him when I’m home, and if I’m busy, Xier and my mother are both literate; they can teach him too," Wei said, then added, "If you yourselves wish to learn, it’s not too late. You are welcome to join."

"Young Master, could I really?" Gou Er asked from the side.

Wei Renshi nodded. "Of course."

Gou Er beamed. "Heh, if I’d known how to read when I was in the army, I might have made something of myself." He laughed at his own words.

Just as Wei Renshi was about to reply, the carriage lurched to a sudden halt. Shi Laoda’s voice dropped to a tense, authoritative whisper: "Quiet!"

Before Wei could react, Gou Er sprang up, crouching low behind the curtain to shield Wei with his body. In a swift motion, a cold glint flashed as Gou Er produced a broken blade from nowhere.

Voices drifted from outside—many of them, muttering and chanting in a rhythmic, eerie drone that grew closer, sounding chillingly ominous. Wei Renshi pulled back the curtain of the small window to peer out. Through the trees, he saw flickering pinpricks of light drifting like ghost fires. But these were no spirits; they were clusters of torches swaying through the woods, drawing ever nearer to the carriage.

"Likely bandits," Shi Laoda whispered. "Gou Er, protect the Young Master."

"Young Master, sit tight and hold on!" Gou Er whispered, his eyes locked on the darkness outside without turning his head. "If we are intercepted by bandits, do exactly as we tell you."

"Understood," Wei Renshi replied.

"Hold on!" Shi Laoda suddenly commanded. With a sharp crack of the whip and a neigh from the horses, the carriage bolted forward at full speed. Shouts erupted from behind, followed by the thunder of pursuit. As Shi Laoda urged the horses on, the carriage raced through the night, the sound of the pursuers growing louder.

"Why would bandits be out here?" Gou Er asked inside the carriage. "Are they not afraid of being wiped out by the prefecture?"

"Perhaps they aren't bandits," Shi Laoda muttered. "I vaguely heard someone mention that a man from the Fufang garrison is dying and they need to hurry. This looks bad. If we are stopped, we must insist they are bandits and that we heard nothing!"

The Fufang garrison? Wei Renshi frowned. He and Gou Er had not heard the conversation in the woods. Before long, the sound of hooves caught up to them. Wei felt a sinking dread, and Shi Laoda confirmed his fears: "This is bad. They have warhorses. They aren't bandits after all, and we can’t outrun them!"

Soon, the riders surrounded them, and the carriage was bathed in the harsh glare of torches.

"Good men of the woods!" Shi Laoda called out, pulling the horses to a halt. "I am merely a traveler passing through the night. If you want money, take it all! Surely there is no need to take our lives!"

"Where are you from, and where are you going?" a man demanded, stepping forward.

"Just a local, sir. I haul goods to make a living. It got late, and I couldn't bear the cost of an inn in town, so I was heading home!" Shi Laoda replied.

The man stared at him. Inside the carriage, Gou Er adjusted his grip on his blade, crouching low, ready to spring.

"Is there anyone else in the carriage?" the leader asked, approaching the vehicle.

"Just my two sons," Shi Laoda said. "I am willing to surrender all my coin, and you may take the carriage itself—just spare our lives!"

The man reached the side of the carriage and reached out to pull back the curtain. Halfway there, he suddenly lunged for Shi Laoda’s throat. Shi Laoda dodged instinctively, grabbing a wood-chopping knife from the side of the seat, eyeing the man with grim vigilance.

A moment later, he lowered the knife and spoke calmly: "Sir! I am a veteran of the army; I have seen my share of battles. If you truly intend to kill us, I know I cannot defeat all of you, but I could certainly take a few of your men with me. Trading my life and a few coins for your brothers' lives is a poor bargain. Why not take the money and let us go?"

"Heh, you have a point," the man sneered. "But since you've seen our faces, we cannot let you leave."