Chapter 144 Returning Home to Pay Respects to Ancestors

Zhen Qian did not like the cold of winter, but he loved its palette. When everything was covered by pristine white snow, the entire world grew pure and simple, leaving behind only white as monotony became the sole constant.

Ju Niang walked over to Zhen Qian carrying a basin of icy water, took a deep breath, and plunged her entire face straight into the freezing liquid.

Rubbing his hands together, Zhen Qian helped her count from the side. When he reached ninety, Ju Niang lifted her face, which was frozen bright red, out of the water.

"You're torturing yourself... Why do you always have to make things so hard for yourself?"

Ju Niang vigorously rubbed her face with her hands. "What is Big Brother practicing martial arts for, then?"

"To keep fit and strengthen the body!"

"Me too!"

Zhen Qian waved his hand dismissively; there was no reasoning with a female martial arts fanatic. He had already formulated black powder, and matchlock as well as flintlock firearms were currently undergoing trials. A single bullet could kill a martial arts master, and he really did not want to crush Ju Niang's worldview.

Seeing that he was speechless, Ju Niang glanced around and lowered her voice. "The He family went to the county yamen yesterday to report a case, saying that Peng Le died at home the night before the day before yesterday. Does this matter have anything to do with you?"

Zhen Qian jumped up like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "Don't talk nonsense! Peng Le died of poisoning on his own, and this has nothing to do with me!"

Ju Niang said with a sinister tone, "What are you panicking for? I didn't say how Peng Le died. How did you know?"

"I heard it from the coroner!"

"A poor excuse! You went to the county yamen yesterday morning, came straight back, and didn't go out again. The coroner only returned to the county seat from the He family yesterday afternoon. You're lying!"

"Oh dear! I still need to visit County Magistrate Zhang today, and I'm running out of time!"

Ju Niang blocked Zhen Qian's path. "Half a year ago, wealthy Zhang fell into a ditch and drowned after drinking. Three months ago, landowner Peng jumped from his small tower in the middle of the night and fell to his death. A few days ago, Peng Le just came to the estate to impose a thousand shi of public grain, turning the entire Luquan County upside down, and then died of poisoning as soon as he got home—isn't that too much of a coincidence? Everyone says wealthy Zhang and landowner Peng were cursed by evil spirits, but both of them had conflicts with Big Brother before they died. Wealthy Zhang monopolized the upstream water source, causing the commoners to have a bad harvest so he could seize their fields. Landowner Peng drove down grain purchase prices, forcing people to sell their sons and daughters, and even wanted to drag Big Brother into committing heinous crimes. Which of these people isn't a pest to Luquan County? What Big Brother did was out of chivalrous loyalty to rid the people of harm..."

Zhen Qian discovered that Ju Niang possessed the innate buff of a detective. Her reasoning was detailed and plausible, sounding surprisingly solid at first glance. A woman's intuition truly could not be underestimated. "Why is a young lady poking around into such matters when she has nothing better to do? If you're that idle, you might as well go back to the Zhen Estate in Zhending with Wang Peng and help me deliver some things."

"Trying to get rid of me? In your dreams!" Ju Niang akimbo, striking the posture of Sun Ernian. "I watched you grow up. Do you really think I don't even know what's going on in that head of yours? Believe it or not, I'll go tell my mother!"

Zhen Qian burst out laughing. "Go ahead and tell her, and let's see whose side Nurse Wang takes!"

"You...!" Ju Niang grew somewhat exasperated, but the moment she turned around, she immediately switched expressions. "Big Brother, why didn't you tell me when there was something so fun going on? From now on, I'll cook delicious meals for you every day!"

"Forget it! Your cooking skills were all taught by me. You'd better pick something else!"

"How about I accompany you in your martial arts practice every day from now on?"

"Didn't I already say? I'm not practicing martial arts; I'm just keeping fit and strengthening my body. Fighting and killing are not the actions of a gentleman. Don't think of me the same way you think of yourself, alright?"

Ju Niang stamped her foot in anger. Ten Ju Niangs could not best one Zhen Qian; neither threats nor temptations worked on him. "Fine... I'm going to scream! You're assaulting me!"

Zhen Qian smiled bitterly. "My good ancestor... Why on earth would I assault you? Would anyone believe it?"

Ju Niang put on the expression of an obedient child. "Of course nobody would believe it!"

Zhen Qian asked in bewilderment, "Then why are you going to scream?"

"For fun! At least it can make the girl you just coaxed into bed sad and upset for half a day. What do you think Xiao He would make of this?"

"I must say, you've reached the pinnacle of boredom!"

"I am bored..." A sharp glint flashed in Ju Niang's eyes. "You're acting all mysterious from day to night. Did you really think I wouldn't find out?"

"You win!" You could pull the wool over people's eyes regarding many things, but you simply could not hide things from those closest to you. Why else would people say that eunuchs could master the innermost thoughts of the emperor? "The county yamen has already agreed to form a local militia, and we're going to recruit some refugees in Luquan County over the next few days. I plan to have Tiezhu serve as a squad leader, and I want you to lend a hand when needed. I might have to take a long trip soon, so I'll leave the affairs of the county seat in your hands from now on!"

"Wonderful!" Hearing that she was actually going to be managing the local militia, Ju Niang was so happy she wanted to shout out loud. But before her excitement could fade, something felt off. "Big Brother, what did you just say? What long trip? Are you going back to Zhending?"

"This matter hasn't been finalized yet. You'll know when the time comes!" Zhen Qian did not want to elaborate further. In any case, An Lushan had just entered the capital, and at the earliest, he wouldn't be able to return to Fanyang until after the spring thaw. He still had a month. He would only resort to this last resort if he truly could not avoid it.

"Then if you go on a long trip, I won't be able to manage the shops in the county seat!"

"You don't need to worry about the operations and management of the shops. What worries me is that someone might covet the shops and the farmstead after I leave, which is why I plan to slip Tiezhu into the militia to provide an extra layer of protection!"

Even with Ju Niang's carefree and cheerful personality, she sensed that something was seriously wrong. This felt like preparations to make a run for it. "Big Brother, don't scare me. What on earth is going on?"

"It's nothing. An Lushan has taken a liking to our brewing techniques, but I wouldn't hand them over. I'm afraid An Lushan won't let the matter rest..." Zhen Qian did not want to keep it from Ju Niang, speaking in a light, casual tone. "This time a prince helped us block the blow, but next time it probably won't be so easy. I plan to lie low outside for a while. The brewery will remain open, but I'm going to send the core craftsmen to Chang'an first, so even if An Lushan comes to seize it, he won't get the complete technology. Don't worry, I've already prepared a fallback plan for you. If worst comes to worst, we'll abandon Luquan County and head elsewhere..."

Ju Niang's mouth fell open in shock, unable to utter a word. Ordinary people trembled at the mere sight of a county magistrate, let alone An Lushan, a Military Commissioner of three districts wielding real military power. The mere thought of it made one feel utterly helpless.

"I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to worry. This matter is of great consequence, but what An Lushan wants is our brewing technology, so under normal circumstances he wouldn't dare act too recklessly. I'm just preparing for the worst-case scenario..." Zhen Qian comforted her.

Zhen Qian truly did not dare to offer any absolute guarantees. In history, An Lushan's image always appeared as crafty, greedy, and that of an ambitious overlord in troubled times. History was merely a young girl waiting to be dressed up. Analyzing history rationally, if An Lushan lacked meticulous observational skills, iron-fisted methods to control the overall situation, and the political maneuvering to win over subordinates, how could he have won the trust of Emperor Xuanzong of Tang? How could he have controlled the arrogant and fierce generals under his command? If one were to follow the victors' arbitrary tampering with the defeated, Zhen Qian wouldn't even know how he was played to death by An Lushan!

Fujiwara Brushou stretched his back and walked in from outside. "Brother Zhen, we need to arrive in Yangzhou before the end of January next year. Setting off on the Lantern Festival will probably be cutting it too close. Do you think we could move it forward by a few days? I hear that the Lantern Festival in Yangzhou is no less lively than the one in the capital. Why don't we go to Yangzhou to celebrate the Lantern Festival?"

Zhen Qian had told Fujiwara Brushou that he was considering the possibility of traveling to Japan, which had kept Fujiwara Brushou overjoyed for a whole day, practically itching to drag Zhen Qian to Japan immediately.

"I have to return to Zhending for ancestral worship on New Year's Day. If time permits, I would certainly love to experience Yangzhou's Lantern Festival!"