Mo Sang – CH 096

Chapter 96. The Grand Boss

Lu Hepeng had just left when Ru-Yi arrived. His Shizi had invited Lady Li to Liu Tower for dinner and conversation.

Liu Tower was near Jinliang Bridge, not exactly close to Shunfeng Express, so Ru-Yi considerately brought an extra horse.

By the time Li Sangrou dismounted at the side gate of Liu Tower, it was already dark.

Liu Tower was right next to the Bian River, its short, stout lanterns lying on the ground.

Gu Xi had already arrived, standing outside the warm pavilion, hands behind his back, watching the shimmering lights on the Bian River.

Hearing footsteps, Gu Xi turned and glanced back, gesturing for Li Sangrou to come over.

Li Sangrou stood beside Gu Xi, looking at the bustling scene on the Bian River and the distant opposite bank in the darkness.

“Brother did not say anything, did he?” After a moment, Gu Xi finally looked at Li Sangrou and asked.

“What did he say? What was it?” Li Sangrou asked cautiously.

“You killed fourteen in one go in Linhuan County.” Gu Xi raised an eyebrow, then chuckled. “Zhihe heard about this and said he definitely did not realize you were someone with connections everywhere. If there’s even a shred of justice, you should reason with people, not resort to violence.”

Li Sangrou raised her eyebrows, then chuckled.

She still had not realized she was someone with connections everywhere, but Master Wen was right; now, she truly did.

“If I am as Master Wen says, then what’s the difference between the Wang family of Liuzi Town and Magistrate Luo and me? Is it about who has the bigger hands, who has the higher aspirations?” Li Sangrou laughed.

“It’s no different from who has the fastest knife, is it?” Gu Xi replied with a smile.

“That’s true. In the end, humans and beasts are no different; it’s all about who’s the strongest, in various ways,” Li Sangrou sighed.

“Not entirely. Let’s go inside and sit down to talk. I am alright, but you must be exhausted,” Gu Xi said with a smile, gesturing to Li Sangrou.

The two entered the warm pavilion. Gu Xi poured a cup of tea and pushed it towards Li Sangrou before continuing with a smile, “People have loves, hates, sorrows, and joys. When they see the suffering of others, they feel empathy, feel indignation, and have a heart inclined towards good.

Regarding the matter in Linhuan County, even if Miss Qi was not a good person, even if she had no connection whatsoever, if you had seen it while passing by, even if you had only heard about it, I think, given your temperament, you would not have simply ignored it and turned away.”

Li Sangrou was silent for a moment, then gave a soft “Mmm.”

She truly could not remain indifferent to such a tragedy in Liuzi Town and simply turn away.

“I cannot do it either? Shouzhen is the most rigid, but even he cannot do it.

Many people? Ignored it? Not because they did not care, but because they were powerless.

If they were beasts, people would not have such compassion for them, such a beast that could not bear to be ignored, right? Otherwise, they would not have started cursing, calling people ‘two-legged beasts’ or ‘worse than beasts.'” Gu Xi looked at Li Sangrou, who was sipping her tea with her eyes downcast.

“The matter in Linhuan County? Was I indeed too impulsive? And as Master Wen said? I never imagined I was someone with such connections. Like,” Li Sangrou paused, looking at Gu Xi with a smile, “that time I accompanied Princess Ninghe to see the winding stream party, after leading her around in circles and skipping across the stream to sneak in, I realized I was with the princess and should have used the main gate!”

Gu Xi glared at Li Sangrou, then slammed his hand on the table and burst into laughter.

“My brother is furious. He says Luo Lingyan is a lazy bum and an ignorant scoundrel and should be reported to the Fuli Prefecture or directly to the Yangzhou Prefecture’s Censorate.

Neither the Fuli Prefecture nor the Censorate is as ignorant as Luo Lingyan. Seeing the word ‘Shunfeng,’ they certainly would not dare to disobey and investigate impartially.

What should have been a case demonstrating to the people how to seek justice through various levels of government when faced with injustice in the county has been turned into a martial world feud, as if we are in the final days of a dynasty, in gloom and darkness, and have no other choice.

My brother keeps slamming his fist on the table, saying how he had never noticed such a scoundrel before.

I just thought so; he definitely did not think of it.”

“I really did not expect it. Between the lowest of gangs, who goes through the government? They all do it themselves,” Li Sangrou said with a dry laugh, spreading her hands.

“Brother’s furious! I’ve never seen him so angry before.

Shouzhen has been busy all day with the Linhuan County matter, cleaning up the mess. Sigh.” Gu Xi shook his head with a smile. “Forget it; let’s not talk about it anymore. It’s all in the past anyway.

I will have them pick their specialties and cook a lot of dishes to bring up. You must be exhausted from these past few days in Linhuan County; you need to replenish your energy.”

Li Sangrou nodded with a smile.

Ru-Yi, along with several servants, laid out a table laden with food.

Li Sangrou was indeed hungry. She never held back, picking out her favorite dishes, eating more than a bowl of rice, and drinking half a bowl of shrimp soup, letting out a satisfied sigh.

“Their homemade wine is quite good, too. Shall we go over there, enjoy the view, and have a few cups? The Golden Beam Dawn Moon is a beautiful sight. Although it’s still far from dawn, we can still appreciate it.” Gu Xi pointed to a spot near the Bian River for moon viewing.

“Alright,” Li Sangrou replied with a smile, and she and Gu Xi left the warm pavilion one after the other.

Two comfortable chairs and a small table were placed under the evergreen osmanthus tree. On the table, a glass cup and a silver pot gleamed in the moonlight.

Li Sangrou sat down, leaned forward to pour herself a cup of wine, took a sip, and squinted her eyes in satisfaction.

This wine was excellent.

“I’ve accompanied my Elder Brother to see this Golden Beam Dawn Moon many times,” Gu Xi said, stretching his long legs comfortably, sipping his wine, and looking up at the crescent moon.

“Does the First Prince often come out?” Li Sangrou asked, somewhat surprised.

She had been in Jianle City for almost two years and had never heard of that gentleman leaving the imperial city.

“A long time ago,” Gu Xi paused, remained silent for a moment, and then continued, “Back then, my aunt had just passed away, and my Elder Brother began cultivating Taoism. He was very devout, and he often had me push him here to see the dawn moonlight, saying it was the essence of heaven and earth.”

Li Sangrou listened in silence.

The elder man’s leg, that illness, and everything else—she could not think about it. She did not want to touch it; she did not even want to get close.

The further away she was from such things, the safer she would be. Besides, getting involved in such matters was pointless.

“My Elder Brother liked to sit on the Golden Beam Bridge, right there, looking up at the cold moon in the sky, motionless. Back then, he was very thin. I would wait under the bridge, and often, watching him, I would burst into tears.”

Li Sangrou sighed softly.

Those standing on the clouds and those deep in the mud share certain joys and sorrows.

“When my aunt passed away, my Elder Brother and I were both there. Ah Yue was not there. My aunt said Ah Yue must have been crying uncontrollably. She said she wanted to leave peacefully, without hearing any crying.”

“The late Empress Zhang, she was only in her early thirties, right?” Li Sangrou thought about Gu Xi’s and Gu Jin’s ages.

“Yes, thirty-five. In her prime.” Gu Xi leaned back in his chair, slowly sipping his wine. After finishing his glass, he leaned forward and refilled it before continuing, “Among the Zhang family, there are some who live long lives, but very few.”

“The Wen family has many young generals in the army. What about the Zhang family? Who are they?” Li Sangrou thought about the character “Zhang” and could not help but ask.

She could not recall ever hearing of any civil or military officials with the surname Zhang—not a single one!

“The Zhang family…” Gu Xi drawled, then chuckled. “It’s a long story. Anyway, we do not have anything else to do today, so let’s just chat.

The world has largely stabilized since the Yang family of Southern Liang, using a wedding as a pretext, slaughtered the Wen clan and unified Jiangnan. That was only about a century ago, less than a hundred years ago.

For the seventy or eighty years before that, the world was in turmoil, with warlords vying for power and the people suffering.

About one hundred and twenty years ago, in the Yizhou-Huaiyang area, there was a bodyguard surnamed Fang. He led his fellow villagers and clansmen, raised a banner, and built a fortified city for self-defense. Fang was brave and resourceful and quickly became a powerful force, attracting many followers.

Three years after Fang established his own power, Zhu Yanwang, who was then based in Shandong, attacked Yizhou with ten times the number of troops.

In the first battle between the two armies, Fang was killed by an arrow. He was only twenty-three or twenty-four years old when he died.

Fang, the bodyguard, had only one sister, and this sister was no less capable than her brother. From the day Fang began his rebellion, she had always been by his side, advising him in battle.

After Fang’s death, his sister was chosen as the leader, also known as the Grand Boss, Fang the Grand Boss.

The Grand Boss was even more capable than her brother, Fang the bodyguard.

Taking over in a life-or-death situation, she immediately concealed her brother’s death, donned his armor, flew his banner, and went to war as usual, proving even more courageous and skilled in battle than her brother.

Originally, the two sides were vastly outnumbered, but the Grand Boss was also luckier than her brother. The day after Fang’s death, torrential rain fell, lasting for four or five days, accumulating more than a foot of water outside the city, forcing Zhu Yanwang to retreat.

For the next twenty years, the Grand Boss controlled most of the eastern part of Jingdong Road and most of the eastern part of Huainan Road. Wherever she conquered, she did her utmost to protect it, ensuring the local people lived in peace and prosperity.

Jingdong East Road and Huainan East Road had enjoyed peace and prosperity for over a decade or two longer than any other place in the world.

Grand Boss Fang was extremely shrewd, bordering on ruthless.

Once, when Grand Boss Fang was only twenty-five or twenty-six years old, and her daughter was not yet a year old, Grand Boss Fang was attacked from two sides. Her husband, leading troops to resist the enemy on Jingdong East Road, fell into a trap and was surrounded; his fate was unknown. Cao Xianmin, entrenched on Huainan West Road, took advantage of the situation and attacked Chuzhou.

Grand Boss Fang wrote to Cao Xianmin, saying that her husband and most of his troops had been lost on Jingdong East Road, and she was powerless to continue. She wished to go alone to General Cao’s camp to meet him and discuss the future.

Cao Xianmin naturally agreed.

Grand Boss Fang was extremely beautiful and had an even more outstanding demeanor. Upon meeting her, she said she wanted to marry Cao Xianmin. Cao Xianmin was immediately infatuated; how could he refuse? That very day, with great fanfare, he married Grand Boss Fang.

In just half a month, Grand Boss Fang had gathered Cao Xianmin’s men under her control, killed Cao Xianmin in the middle of the night, and brought out his head, thus gaining control of Cao Xianmin’s army and half of Huainan West Road.

Li Sangrou could not help but whistle.

Gu Xi glanced at her sideways and, after a moment, continued, “Later, according to the Emperor’s will, he gathered forces from all sides. By the time he reached Huainan, Grand Boss Fang was nearly fifty years old, riddled with injuries and illnesses from years of fighting. Alas.”

Gu Xi sighed softly.

“After a long talk with Emperor Taizu, Grand Boss Fang decided to submit. After handing over all the territories in Huainan, she set off for Jianle City. Before that, Grand Boss Fang summoned her old subordinates who had followed her for decades or even just a few years. After a banquet, she committed suicide by poison.

I read Grand Boss Fang’s last letter to Emperor Taizu when I was very young.

My aunt often spoke of Grand Boss Fang, saying that she was selfless, a true hero, and truly compassionate.”

Li Sangrou sighed softly, slowly spilling the wine she had just filled onto the ground, and then poured herself another cup.

“In her last testament, Grand Boss Fang said she felt extremely at ease entrusting everything to a hero like the founding Emperor.

While she was alive, countless people worried about her, wanting to take revenge on her, to imagine her unimaginable grievances, to fight for this and that, or to use her for their own gain. These thoughts troubled her greatly.

Besides, she suffered greatly from illness and longed for liberation even before meeting the founding Emperor, but her heavy responsibilities prevented her from leaving. Now, she wanted to depart sooner; her brother and husband were waiting for her.

My aunt said that with Grand Boss Fang’s passing, the true liberation was for her old subordinates. With her gone, these people would all be useful.

Two years before Grand Boss Fang’s death, her only daughter married into the Zhang family of Taizhou.”

Li Sangrou’s eyes widened suddenly.

Gu Xi smiled. “My aunt is the bloodline of Grand Boss Fang.

Grand Boss Fang’s husband’s surname is He. This He family’s great-grandmother, who married into the Zhang family, was a woman of considerable insight. After marrying into the Zhang family, she never mentioned her past.

The Zhang family is a scholarly and farming family. Starting with the He family’s great-grandmother, after three generations, the Zhang family left Taizhou and migrated to various places, only gathering in Taizhou every five years to commemorate their ancestors.

My aunt’s branch of the family is sparsely populated. My aunt is an only child, alas.” Gu Xi sighed softly. “Speaking of which,” Gu Xi raised his voice, “the remaining members of the Wen family made Taizhou their home, also because of the He family’s great-grandmother.

Although the Wen and Zhang families rarely intermarried, they were very close friends.

My mother grew up in the Zhang family and was regarded as a younger sister by the late Empress Zhang.”

“This Grand Boss Fang…” Li Sangrou wanted to say something, but found herself speechless. This Grand Boss Fang was someone to be looked up to, yet also someone to be pitied.

In the midst of chaos, she protected the peace of her region—how difficult that must have been! Her final liberation was true liberation, and indeed, she was. The Huainan area, ​​east of the capital, continued to live in peace and prosperity.

“My aunt wrote a biography for Grand Boss Fang, which she took with her when she passed away. I did not see it, but my Elder Brother did.”

“Aunt,” Gu Xi choked up, and after a long while, he continued, “I was young then. In the first two years after my aunt passed away, my Elder Brother often talked about her, and he would talk about her for hours on end.

My aunt was no ordinary woman. She married the Emperor because he would one day ascend the throne and rule the world. My aunt said that the Emperor was someone she could assist, and she wanted to help him unify the world and become a great ruler worthy of the title of Ancestor.

Unfortunately…”

Li Sangrou looked at Gu Xi, leaned forward, and clinked her glass against Gu Xi’s. “Let’s not talk about this anymore; let’s drink.”

“Alright.” Gu Xi raised his glass to Li Sangrou, tilted his head back, and drank it all in one gulp.

“I never imagined there was such a person as Grand Boss Fang in this world.” Li Sangrou filled her glass and sighed several times. “After Grand Boss Fang, sigh, who is worthy of the title ‘Boss’?

I’d better change my title; I cannot let them call me ‘Boss’ anymore.

I am not worthy of the title ‘Boss.’ But what should I call myself? Leader? Manager? Eldest Sister?”

Gu Xi paused for a moment, then burst into laughter. “There are plenty of people who don’t deserve this title; it’s not their turn.”