Zhang Jue's Son
Thud, thud…
I started walking along the mountain foothills once more. Whether the Yellow Turban remnants fully believed my words was still unclear.
But once I had revealed an identity of that caliber, they had no choice but to take me to their Dafang—their leader of ten thousand or more.
Are you really Zhang Jue’s son?
Fear clung thickly to Yuan Huan’s voice. Dragged here in the middle of the night after a clubbing binge, only to discover the man who had taken her was supposedly the son of the Yellow Turban ringleader who had tried to overturn the realm—of course she was stunned.
For now?
‘For now’…? Does that mean you’re lying?
If you stop making such a fuss, no one will ever know. Just understand that from this point on I can’t guarantee your life either.
…
The wine and drugs must have finally worn off; Yuan Huan simply nodded in silence. Before long we reached the mountain stronghold. Huts of every sort dotted the rolling hills—hardly different from the Taihang bandit camps.
Murmur, murmur…
The men who had dragged us in immediately reported the news to their superior. Eyes wide as saucers, they bustled toward the largest tent at the center.
Thud, thud…
Soon a man who appeared to be their Dafang emerged. He looked thoroughly furious at the absurd claim that had crashed down on him in the dead of night.
“I hear you’ve been spouting some truly fearless nonsense?”
He strode straight up to me and glared. I had no reason to flinch, so I met his eyes with equal force.
“How about you start with your name?”
“A dead man walking sure is curious about a lot of things.”
“If you’re going to kill me anyway, we can at least exchange names, can’t we? You’ve already heard, but I am Zhang Ye, son of Zhang Jue—the man once called the Great Virtuous Teacher.”
“Ha Yi. Even a man about to die doesn’t get to claim he’s the Great Virtuous Teacher’s son. That I will not forgive.”
“Since when has the Way of Great Peace forbidden calling a father a father and a brother a brother?”
“Cut the crap! I’ve lived in the Way of Great Peace for years and never once heard that he had a son.”
“Of course you never heard. Six years ago you were a nameless foot soldier. How much could a nobody like you possibly know about my father?”
Shing!
Speaking so freely before their exalted Dafang had the men thoroughly enraged; weapons flashed free. Ha Yi flicked a hand and stopped them cold.
“Fine, you bastard. Let’s hear just how far you’ll run your mouth. What exactly do you know about the Great Virtuous Teacher?”
“My father was originally a fallen scholar of Julu. To rebuild the ruined family he cultivated ties with famous men, studied the classics, and aimed for recommendation as Filial and Incorrupt. Then—bang!—the Proscription of the Partisans slammed the door on every path to office. Enraged, he turned his back on the world and lived by gathering herbs. One day at the foot of a mountain he chanced upon the Immortal of the Southern Flower and received the three volumes of the Taiping Magic scripture. From that awakening he inherited the Way of Great Peace and resolved to topple the corrupt empire. The rest, I trust, you all already know.”
“I-I’ve never heard that story before…”
Ha Yi plunged into sudden confusion the moment he heard my account. Of course he had never heard it—Luo Guanzhong invented the whole thing.
But Luo Guanzhong has been one of the greatest novelists of the past two thousand years. Even modern readers, immune to every cliché, still produce endless Romance of the Three Kingdoms fanatics.
So how could men living in a barren world with nothing to enjoy resist? A story so entertaining it could kill you with acute dopamine overdose was bound to hook them.
Ooooh…
The awed murmurs rising around us proved it. Six years ago Ha Yi had been too lowly even to share a table with Zhang Jue; he had no grounds to contradict me.
“Th-that alone isn’t enough. How do I know you’re not lying?”
“Even if I am lying, does it matter?”
“What kind of talk is that? Then you deserve to die.”
“There’s no reason to kill me at all. Didn’t you see your men’s eyes change the moment they heard ‘son of the Great Virtuous Teacher’? Just the rumor of my existence will bring tens of thousands of men who will gladly dye their own turbans yellow. And I walked in of my own free will. You’re going to throw that chance away? How the hell did a head like yours ever earn the Dafang’s hat?”
“…”
For the record, I currently had my Martial set to 90. The change of season had raised my limit by five, yet I could still put only 25 into Intelligence.
Ordinary grunts might be fooled, but a named figure like Ha Yi would not be easy to deceive. That was why I had chosen the specialization [Yellow Turban] and even borrowed Zhang Jue’s special ability, [Yellow Heaven Rises].
Yellow Heaven Rises
Against Yellow Turbans: base affinity 50
Affinity gain doubled
Pat, pat…
I clapped Ha Yi’s shoulder for a touch more familiarity. He looked faintly displeased, yet he could no longer reject me outright the way he had moments before.
“Of course I’m not lying. I truly am the Great Virtuous Teacher’s son, and I came looking for you to avenge him.”
“How exactly do you plan to take revenge?”
“How else? I’ll help you paint the whole of Chen State yellow. That’s why I ordered that woman to sell the leaves, isn’t it?”
“…”
Ha Yi could give no answer. I had not come here empty-handed and unprepared either.
After leaving Sanzhao I had sensed something suspicious the moment I arrived. King Liu Chong of Chen and Chancellor Xu Chang of Chen State had been too busy joining the coalition to notice, but my eyes were not so easily fooled.
Following that trail had led me to the aristocrats’ pleasure house earlier. There had been several possible targets, but I chose the one where I could also meet Yuan Huan.
“How do you intend to help?”
“See the woman behind me? She is the celebrated young lady of the Yuan clan of Chen State.”
“What?”
Murmur, murmur!
The moment Yuan Huan’s identity was revealed, everyone began whispering in shock. Her father Yuan Fang had held one of the Three Excellencies—an absolute giant. Naturally the clan’s power within Chen State was formidable.
W-what are you doing?
Yuan Huan herself jabbed my side in alarm at having her identity exposed without permission. I firmly took her hand, silently telling her to trust me.
“Bringing such a high-born woman is impressive. I’ll demand a ransom at once.”
“Ransom won’t work. She’s on the verge of being cast out of the clan; no one will care. Send men to check if you don’t believe me.”
That too was fact, so I had no need to worry about the Intelligence gap. Ha Yi bit his lower lip in disappointment.
“Then the bitch is useless except as a cum-dump for the boys, isn’t she? Well, even shit-water has its ranks, so I’ll keep her for a few days of fun myself, heh heh…”
“She’s my woman, so don’t even think about touching her. And Yuan Huan here isn’t completely useless. The clan may have abandoned her, but her name alone still draws swarms of noble young masters who would love a single conversation. In other words, she can expand the market for the leaves without limit.”
“…”
I already knew exactly what they intended to do with the hemp leaves. I had laid this plan when my Intelligence was at 100.
There was no way it would fail.
“Fine… I still can’t trust you completely, but I’ll take you in for now. The second you try anything suspicious, though, your head comes off. Remember that.”
“That will never happen, so stop fretting. Yaaawn… We’re going to sleep. Give us an empty hut.”
Ha Yi ordered his men to clear out a hut for us. One family was driven out into the night, but it was all for the sake of the disguise; they could endure a little cold dew for a while.
“What are you planning to do?”
The moment we returned to the hut, Yuan Huan asked. I laid a finger to my lips—shh—and whispered against her ear.
They might be listening, so for now we speak only in whispers.
Are you insane, bringing me here?
You weren’t exactly sane yourself. Or do you have some disease that only wrecks you when it’s convenient and clears up the second your life is in danger?
That’s not what I mean. These people are Yellow Turbans, aren’t they? They’re going to use this chance to raise another rebellion, right?
Then your lot of politicians should have put a little more effort into governing. But don’t worry. These ones will fail in the end.
So you deliberately walked in here too? Just who are you?
I can’t tell you yet. So it would be best if you cooperate for a while. They still don’t fully trust me, so they’ll keep watchers on us.
What am I supposed to do?
She was frightened, yet fundamentally intelligent and once a recipient of the state’s salary, so she understood quickly. Yuan Huan decided to join my disguise for the time being.
Starting tomorrow we’ll go around the pleasure houses in the county together. Then we sell those leaves from earlier.
Those leaves aren’t normal. And there are plenty of people there who know me. If word spreads that I’m selling that stuff, what happens to the clan’s reputation?
You’ve been talking nonsense from the start. The moment you were carousing so filthily in that villa, your reputation already sailed far out to sea, didn’t it?
That’s not true! I-I’ve been there a few times, yes, but I never did anything shameful in front of others. Today I just drank too much…
Yuan Huan was freely confessing that she had only been cosplaying as a problem child. Looking at her usual character, it had never made sense anyway.
You saw those people earlier. The so-called scholar-officials aren’t setting any example; in the middle of this chaos they’re drowning in pleasure. You’re going to throw away hundreds of thousands of commoners for the sake of bastards like that?
…
According to the records, Yuan Huan was a politician who cherished the people more than anyone. The fact that she had gone to that villa to destroy herself meant she already knew how thoroughly it had rotten.
In the end Yuan Huan agreed to my plan. From the next day we went out into the county together, touring the pleasure houses and selling hemp leaves.
Of course the watchers were so numerous that escape never even entered our dreams. Several days passed that way.
“…”
Today Yuan Huan’s face was especially dark. She sat crouched at the far end of the hut, eyes vacant as if her mind had been beaten senseless.
I’m sorry for making you do something so hard.
Is ‘sorry’ enough to end it? Those leaves are something no one should go near. If every scholar-official in Chen State ends up high on the stuff, what then?
High on drugs or high on wine—what’s the difference? If even you, the only one still capable of functioning properly, have ended up like this, hasn’t the country already caught the scent of ruin?
Are you joking right now? Why me of all people? Why force me to do this?
Pure coincidence. I was tailing them, ended up at that villa, and you just happened to be in trouble, so I helped—and here we are. I really don’t want to say this, but isn’t everything your own doing?
…
Nothing to say, is there, girl? If you hadn’t been cosplaying the rebel, you never would have come here. Yuan Huan hung her head in self-loathing.
I never wanted to do that either…
Then why did you?
Because I found myself disgusting. The country was being plundered by thieves and I could do nothing. I couldn’t bear to look at myself…
So you refused the magistrate’s post and came home? You should have gone there and changed something, anything.
What would that have changed? The realm is already turbid and the Han’s lifespan is spent. Alone I can do nothing…
…
Hearing her confess her sins and show remorse, I felt a twinge of pity. I moved beside her, pressed close, and crouched the same way.
Even that is your arrogance. If you couldn’t do it alone, you should have asked someone for help.
Whom? The former Son of Heaven was driven out and murdered by his own subjects, and the new one is held captive by Dong Zhuo, able to do nothing.
The Son of Heaven is not truly doing nothing. She has already issued the command to set the realm right. The one carrying out that command simply lacks the ability to achieve the goal yet.
…?
Had I revealed too much about myself? Yuan Huan lifted her head and stared at me with eyes full of suspicion.
Ha Yi seems to be starting to trust me. Tomorrow he’ll probably let the two of us go alone, so let’s visit your house.
W-why there? They’re already thoroughly disappointed. If they learn I’ve been doing this…
That’s exactly why we’re going. The only way to clean a ruined face is to look into a bronze mirror and diligently wipe away every tiny flaw without missing one. So tomorrow go and face it yourself.
…
What they call mirror therapy. Yuan Huan seemed to have no strength left even to speak; she leaned against my shoulder and fell asleep.
The next morning Yuan Huan and I headed early for the Yuan clan compound.
Hesitate… hesitate…
Yet when we reached the great gate, Yuan Huan could not bring herself to knock and simply stood wavering. Frustrated, I called to her.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going in?”
“I need to prepare my heart…”
“What heart is there to prepare? Standing here fretting for a hundred days won’t erase what you’ve done.”
“I know that, but…”
Yuan Huan answered in a voice without confidence. This was hardly the time for an argument—
Creeeak…
Just then the gate opened and a young woman of roughly Yuan Huan’s age stepped out. The moment their eyes met, both of them froze like stone.
“S-sister? What are you doing here?”
“M-Min?”
It was Yuan Huan’s younger sister, Yuan Min. Afraid someone might see, she immediately seized Yuan Huan’s hand and pulled her into the shade of a nearby tree.
“Where have you been all this time and what have you been doing? Do you know how hard Father has been looking for you?”
“I… got tangled up in one thing and another…”
“There’s a strange rumor going around the county. They’re saying you’re selling some unidentified herb. It’s not true, right? It’s all just empty talk, isn’t it?”
“Th-that’s…”
“Why… can’t you answer? Then it’s real? Have you gone mad, Sister? Why on earth are you doing this?”
“…”
Yuan Huan could give no reply. Even if she had not wanted the work, the fact that she had ended up here was entirely her own fault.
“Don’t scold her too hard. There were circumstances.”
“And who are you?”
Seeing Yuan Huan so thoroughly crushed, I stepped in—and immediately got asked for my identity. I could hardly answer “son of Zhang Jue” here.
“Lady Yuan Huan will return home soon. Tell them not to worry; she will once again become the proper eldest daughter of the Yuan clan and take up office.”
“You’re the most suspicious one here, you know that? Just who are you to be going around with my sister—”
Scramble!
They didn’t need to know that much. I immediately grabbed Yuan Huan’s hand and fled.
Stagger… stagger…
Another pleasure house on the outskirts of the county. A young scholar high on hemp, robe half-slipping from his shoulders, came shambling toward us like a zombie.
“Just one leaf… please, just one more…”
“Five coins a leaf.”
“I’ll pay next time. I’m completely out of wushu right now, so please, just one…”
“Sorry, no credit.”
I cut him off cleanly. The man let out a weird “uooo…” and this time turned to plead with Yuan Huan beside me.
“Yaojing? Didn’t we meet once before? You know our families have been close to the Yuan clan for generations. For the sake of that old connection, couldn’t you spare just one leaf?”
“I-I…”
Yuan Huan could not bear to look at his face and turned her head away. The man slumped, shoulders drooping, and shambled off again like a zombie.
“What are you doing, Yuan Huan? If you don’t sell the leaves more diligently, Ha Yi will grow suspicious.”
“Stop! How much longer do we have to do this? The watchers are gone—let’s just run. Let’s stop this filth and the two of us flee somewhere far, like Jing Province…”
“Does that make any sense? You think I’m selling this because I want to? Ha Yi will soon raise the Yellow Turbans and paint all of Chen State yellow. The addicts here are one thing, but your whole family will become targets. Run where, exactly?”
“Then what are you planning? What the hell are you waiting for?”
Yuan Huan could no longer contain her frustration. Waiting? I’m waiting for you to come to your senses.
But if words alone could make her realize it, I would have done it long ago. So I needed to play with her conscience a little longer.
Then, once she was sobbing and admitting her wrongs, I would finally unleash my hidden power…
“I wish to purchase some leaves.”
“…?”
A clear, refined woman’s voice reached us. Yuan Huan and I both turned; there stood a woman of unmistakable grace, eyes sparkling as she sought hemp leaves.
“Ah… this is a little funny coming from a peddler, but you really don’t look like the sort of person who would be looking for something like this.”
“W-what are you saying? I have toured every pleasure house in Chen State and never missed one. I have played so filthily that ordinary things no longer catch my eye!”
“…”
Starting with the excessively polite speech, the sheer poise and dignity made it clear she was no ordinary scholar-official’s daughter.
Yuan Huan had at least forced herself to drink until she reeked of wine; this woman carried only the fragrance of powder so thick it could make a man lose his mind.
“Five coins a leaf.”
“Could you not sell in larger quantities? Ideally I would like you to take me directly to your master.”
“…?”
I’ve heard that line somewhere before. Just who are you, that you’re trying to use the exact same method as me?