Chapter Thirty-One: Trouble Arises Again

Page 1 of 3

The day after cheating a huge loan out of his stingy old father, Zhao Dezhao’s wicked, fat, swarthy body appeared once again on the bustling Imperial Street, packed with sightseers. At his side were two accomplices, Liang Zhouhan and Song Qi, along with Ma Laifu and the other attendants and lackeys. Wang Zhifa, who was normally inseparable from Zhao Dezhao, was conspicuously absent this time, having suffered minor injuries and needing to rest.

Zhao Dezhao had come to the Imperial Street in search of a suitable storefront for opening a bank. His requirements were extremely strict. Not only did the premises need to be spacious, they also had to possess sufficiently secure facilities for storing cash. Thus, although the streets on both sides were lined with lively shops, he still failed to find a place that satisfied him in the short time available. The main problem was that he considered all the shops too small.

After searching without success, Song Qi, who had recently been transferred back to the capital from a provincial post, offered a suggestion.

“My lord, why don’t we take a look around Chongming Gate or Tianbo Gate? Those places may not be as bustling as the Imperial Street, but they are much more spacious and less crowded. It should be far easier to find a large shop there, and the rent is considerably cheaper as well.”

“Master Shubao, you haven’t thought this through,” Zhao Dezhao said with a smile, showing off his knowledge of business. “What is a bank for? It is for storing money. If a bank deliberately chooses a remote and deserted location merely to save on rent, what will people think when they see it? Won’t they suspect that the bank lacks financial strength? And how could they feel comfortable entrusting their money to it?”

After explaining why a bank’s premises had to be chosen without regard for expense, Zhao Dezhao continued, “Besides, we are the first to establish a bank and the first to create this sort of institution. We must choose the busiest and most prosperous location so that the world can see and understand what a bank is for. Otherwise, although we may save on rent, the effect of our publicity will certainly be much weaker.”

“My lord is absolutely right. That is indeed the truth.”

After thinking it over and realizing that Zhao Dezhao was correct, Song Qi offered a sincere compliment. He then suggested, “My lord, why don’t we take a look near the Grand State Temple? It is every bit as lively as the Imperial Street, yet the area is far more spacious. Finding a large shop there may be easier.”

The suggestion was exactly what Zhao Dezhao wanted to hear. He no longer wasted time examining the shops one by one and led everyone directly to the area around the famous Grand State Temple in search of a suitable storefront. Their efforts were eventually rewarded. To the southwest of the temple’s main gate, south of the Bian River and relatively close to the Imperial Street, Zhao Dezhao and the others actually found a shop that could barely satisfy his requirements.

Knowing that every inch of land in Kaifeng was worth its weight in gold, Zhao Dezhao understood that finding premises that perfectly met all his demands would be nearly impossible. He therefore did not hesitate. He personally approached the shop’s owner and, at the astonishing price of sixteen hundred strings of cash a year, secured a two-year lease on the property. He paid the deposit on the spot and had Liang Zhouhan serve as the intermediary to sign the rental contract.

At last, he had found a shop that basically satisfied him. Yet even as he rejoiced, his greed remained unsated.

“Brother Yuanbao, Master Shubao, it is still early. Accompany me to the Purest Heaven Palace. Let us see whether we can find a suitable artisan skilled in miniature carving.”

“What do you need a miniature-carving artisan for?” Liang Zhouhan asked in confusion.

“To carve the printing plates for our paper currency, of course,” Zhao Dezhao replied. “Once we establish the bank, the paper money we issue must not only be beautiful in appearance, but also possess anti-counterfeiting features. I want to find a craftsman skilled in miniature carving to help us with this task, leaving certain secret marks on the plates so that the authenticity of the banknotes can be identified.”

“My lord, we had better take carriages,” Song Qi suggested once again. “It is a long way. If we walk there, even if we reach the Purest Heaven Palace before the craftsmen pack up for the day, we will have very little time left to choose a suitable miniature-carving artisan.”

Zhao Dezhao readily agreed. He immediately had Ma Laifu hire several carriages, then traveled with the others toward the Purest Heaven Palace, located in the southeastern part of the inner city, to search for a suitable craftsman in the market where engravers gathered.

Unexpectedly, when they passed a tavern near Qingyu Market, Zhao Dezhao first noticed great disorder on the upper floor. Shouts rang out, followed by the crashing of bowls and plates. Then, accompanied by a tremendous noise, a figure suddenly plunged from the sky and crashed heavily onto the street directly below the tavern.

The street erupted in an uproar. The hired coachmen hurriedly reined in their horses. At first, Zhao Dezhao thought the fallen figure looked somewhat familiar. He rose from the carriage and took a closer look, only to be startled.

The man who had fallen from the tavern was none other than Zhao Dezhao’s only maternal cousin, He Lingt u.

“Cousin, what happened?”

He was related to Zhao Dezhao by blood, and Zhao Dezhao also owed his uncle’s family a tremendous debt of gratitude over the previous metropolitan examination. He naturally dared not neglect him. He quickly leaped from the carriage and rushed forward to examine He Lingt u’s injuries.

He Lingt u’s head was bleeding profusely, and his right arm was visibly deformed, having been broken on the spot.

“Cousin, what happened? What happened? It’s me, Dezhao. Dezhao! Wake up, wake up!”

Fortunately, after Zhao Dezhao placed He Lingt u’s head on his thigh and shook him vigorously for a while, He Lingt u opened his eyes despite the blood trickling from the corner of his mouth and slowly regained consciousness.

Greatly relieved, Zhao Dezhao hurriedly asked, “Cousin, what happened? How did you end up like this?”

“He brought it upon himself.”

A cold voice that seemed faintly familiar suddenly rang out. Zhao Dezhao quickly turned his head and saw Wang Hanzhong, the trusted enforcer of Zhao Guangyi who had once sent him flying through the air with a single charge of his abdomen and waist. Wang Hanzhong was wearing the uniform of a Kaifeng constable and had appeared at the tavern entrance with several officers from the Kaifeng Prefecture behind him.

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

By then, Song Qi and Liang Zhouhan had hurried to the scene. Song Qi angrily demanded, “How dare you! In broad daylight, under the clear heavens, you actually threw someone from the second floor of a tavern! Who did it?”

“I did.”

Wang Hanzhong admitted it without expression, then said coldly, “But he got what he deserved. He caused a disturbance in this tavern and injured other patrons while fighting over a courtesan. I happened to be passing by on patrol and stepped in to stop him. Not only did he refuse to listen, he even tried to strike me. I kicked him from the second floor in self-defense.”

Song Qi froze, but he was still unwilling to give up.

“Nonsense! How could Young General He possibly be such a person?”

“Then investigate the matter yourself, Imperial Censor Song.” Wang Hanzhong retained his icy, arrogant expression. “If I am making wild accusations and framing an innocent man, you may submit an impeachment memorial and have me receive the punishment I deserve.”

Song Qi naturally refused to take his word for it. He immediately strode into the tavern to investigate the circumstances. A short while later, however, when he returned to Zhao Dezhao, he looked thoroughly disheveled and humiliated. One glance was enough for Zhao Dezhao to understand that his cousin truly had brought the matter upon himself.

Even then, Wang Hanzhong maintained his cold and haughty expression.

“My lord, will you first take Young General He home for treatment and then send him to the Kaifeng Prefecture to be sentenced, or shall I take Young General He to the prefecture and have the physicians there treat him while sentencing him at the same time?”

Since his own side was clearly in the wrong, Zhao Dezhao could not lose his temper. He could only order, “Ma Laifu, come help me carry him into the carriage. We are taking General He home for treatment.”

Ma Laifu and the other attendants promptly came over and helped lift He Lingt u into the carriage. Zhao Dezhao then turned to Wang Hanzhong.

“Constable Wang, my cousin is seriously injured. I will take him home for treatment first. Once his condition improves somewhat, I will have him report to the Kaifeng Prefecture to receive his punishment.”

“Please do as you wish, my lord.”

Only then did a trace of satisfaction appear at the corner of Wang Hanzhong’s mouth. He knew that Zhao Guangyi, who had suffered one setback after another lately, would finally have something to be happy about. Zhao Dezhao, meanwhile, expressionless, ordered the coachmen to hurry and take his cousin home as quickly as possible for treatment and for his bones to be set.

Fortunately, there were many medical clinics along the road to the He residence. Zhao Dezhao found one specializing in fractures and bruises, had He Lingt u’s bones set and medicine applied, then personally escorted him home.

There, Zhao Dezhao immediately saw his maternal uncle, He Huaipu, in a state of furious agitation.

“You bastard! How dare you beat my son into this state! I will fight you to the death! Someone, prepare my horse! I am going to the Kaifeng Prefecture to avenge my son personally!”

“Uncle, Uncle, calm down, calm down. We have already asked about the matter, and this time we truly were in the wrong. If you insist on making it a major dispute, we will be the only ones to suffer.”

“General He, please restrain your anger. The young general was indeed at fault. If you insist on making a scene, the consequences will certainly be even more disastrous.”

Through the combined efforts of Zhao Dezhao, Liang Zhouhan, and the others, and after much persuasion, they finally managed to talk He Huaipu out of immediately going after Wang Hanzhong.

His anger still unsatisfied, however, He Huaipu turned his fury toward his own beloved son and roared, “You useless fool! What were you doing? How could you let a patrol officer from the Kaifeng Prefecture beat you into this state? You have completely disgraced the He family!”

He Lingt u replied in deep grievance, “I did everything I could. I simply never expected that country bumpkin to be so formidable. After only four or five exchanges, he kicked me off the second floor.”

“General He, you really cannot blame the young general for that,” Liang Zhouhan added in He Lingt u’s defense. “You may not know this, but ever since Wang Hanzhong became a disciple of the Second Prince, he has exchanged blows many times with famous warriors of the Imperial Guard and wrestling champions from among the common people. He has never lost a single match. After witnessing his martial skills with their own eyes, both of my uncles agreed that he truly possesses extraordinary abilities and would be difficult to match.”

“He is really that formidable?” He Huaipu asked skeptically. Then, a sudden idea struck him, and he shouted, “Someone, go to the Iron Cavalry Army at once and invite that commander named Yu Jinsheng here. Tell him I have a favor to ask.”

A servant acknowledged the order and hurried away. Zhao Dezhao asked warily, “Uncle, why are you summoning this man?”

“To help avenge your cousin!” He Huaipu said with a ferocious expression. “That bastard Wang Hanzhong likes competing in wrestling, doesn’t he? I will find a wrestling champion to challenge him and give your cousin a proper and honorable revenge in the ring!”

“Uncle, I really must advise against this. If you take one step back, the world becomes wide. Why persist over such a minor matter?”

Page 2 of 3

Page 3 of 3

Unwilling to let their side’s wrongdoing escalate, Zhao Dezhao tried once again to persuade him. But He Huaipu had made up his mind and refused to let the matter rest, no matter what anyone said. When Zhao Dezhao and the others failed to dissuade him, they could only take their leave. The important task of finding a qualified miniature-carving artisan was consequently delayed for an entire day.

Now let us return to He Huaipu’s side.

Not long after Zhao Dezhao and the others departed, Yu Jinsheng, a famous wrestling champion of the Iron Cavalry Army, arrived at the He residence at He Huaipu’s invitation. He Huaipu wasted no time. He briefly explained the circumstances, then asked Yu Jinsheng, “My worthy nephew, your father has been an old friend of mine, and you yourself are close friends with Lingt u. He has suffered such a humiliating loss today. Are you willing to step in and avenge him?”

“Uncle, rest assured. Leave it to me!”

Yu Jinsheng slapped his chest with absolute confidence.

“I have heard of Wang Hanzhong for a long time and have always wanted to test him, to see whether he truly deserves his reputation. Since he dared to bully Brother Lingt u today, I will certainly avenge him and beat Wang Hanzhong until he is crawling around on the ground looking for his teeth!”

“Excellent. Once the deed is done, your uncle will reward you handsomely. Tomorrow, you and I will go to the Kaifeng Prefecture and avenge this humiliation against that bastard surnamed Wang!”

They were men of action. By noon the next day, He Huaipu and Yu Jinsheng had arrived outside the Kaifeng Prefecture, demanding by name to challenge Wang Hanzhong, Zhao Guangyi’s trusted general, to a wrestling match.

Unfortunately, Wang Hanzhong not only refused to accept Yu Jinsheng’s challenge, Zhao Guangyi could not even be bothered to concern himself with his elder brother’s wife’s brother. He merely arranged for Chen Congxin to negotiate with He Huaipu.

Chen Congxin had been slapped by He Huaipu’s nephew in full view of the public only two days earlier. Thus, when he faced He Huaipu, his tone was especially caustic.

“My apologies, General He, but Patrol Officer Wang has been unavailable these past few days. He has no desire to waste his strength on small fry, so I suggest you return home.”

“Wang Hanzhong dared to injure my cousin. Does that mean he does not dare to wrestle me?” Yu Jinsheng demanded furiously.

Chen Congxin smiled.

“That is not the reason. The main issue is that His Majesty has personally issued an edict ordering Patrol Officer Wang to enter the palace the day after tomorrow and participate in the imperial Qixi Festival banquet. He is to wrestle publicly against one of the palace attendants serving at His Majesty’s side. Patrol Officer Wang is busy preparing for this important event and has no time to compete against other nobodies.”

“Nobodies?” Yu Jinsheng roared. “I, Yu Jinsheng, am the Iron Cavalry Army’s—”

“Yes, yes, we know,” Chen Congxin interrupted with a cold laugh. “We know you are acknowledged as the finest wrestler in the Iron Cavalry Army. Unfortunately, Patrol Officer Wang has already met many wrestlers even more famous than you, and he truly has no interest in continuing to entertain challengers.”

After taunting them with deliberate malice, Chen Congxin added, “If you insist on having your worthy nephew, General Yu, compete against Patrol Officer Wang, there is still a way. You can ask His Highness to plead with His Majesty and have General Yu admitted to the palace for the Qixi banquet the day after tomorrow. Then he can wrestle Patrol Officer Wang in front of everyone.”

Chen Congxin’s words struck exactly where he intended. Blinded by anger, He Huaipu did not even blink.

“Excellent idea! I will go see His Highness at once and ask him to plead with His Majesty for us!”

And so, disaster descended upon a man sitting peacefully at home.

After finally locating a highly skilled miniature-carving artisan among the common people and hiring him as an employee, Zhao Dezhao returned home exhausted. He had barely settled into his seat when his maternal uncle rushed up to him, seized him by the clothes, and forced him to enter the palace immediately to secure Yu Jinsheng a place in the Qixi wrestling competition.

His uncle rarely asked him for a favor, and Zhao Dezhao naturally found it difficult to refuse. He could only turn helplessly toward Yu Jinsheng.

“General Yu, are you truly confident? Wang Hanzhong possesses genuine skill. If you insist on entering the palace to wrestle him and happen to lose, you will suffer a tremendous loss of face.”

“My lord, rest assured!”

Yu Jinsheng’s reply was decisive, his confidence absolute.

“If I cannot win after entering the palace this time, and thereby cause Your Highness and Uncle He to lose face, I am willing to take my own life in atonement!”

Since Yu Jinsheng had gone so far as to make such a solemn declaration, Zhao Dezhao could hardly say anything more. He could only order, “Someone, prepare the carriage. I am going to the palace to pay my respects to His Majesty, my father.”

“That is more like it. Your uncle has not spoiled you for nothing!”

He Huaipu burst into laughter, filled with confidence in his plan to avenge his son.

Page 3 of 3