Chapter Sixty-Three: I Believe in Your Integrity

Yan Ming was already half drunk and pondering how best to bid farewell to Zhen Qian. Words of gratitude had just reached his lips when he heard Zhen Qian ask about his future plans. A wave of sorrow welled up in his heart, and he missed the latter part of Zhen Qian’s words. His face darkened and, with a heavy heart, he replied, “What else can I do? Someone like me is soon to be a useless man. I dare not hope for more—if I can live out the rest of my days in peace, that would be enough.”

“Brother Yan, are you planning to give up on yourself? Why not let me finish? I, Zhen Qian, may not be the warmest of men, but I cannot stand idly by while old soldiers who have bled and wept for the Great Tang are left without help. There are some things I wish to ask you.”

Zhen Qian exchanged a glance with Wang Qun beside him. Understanding his meaning, Wang Qun said, “Brother Yan, allow me to speak as an elder. Though you are unversed in farming and have been away from home for many years, and though the home you return to is now unrecognizable, that is no reason to give up. Just now you mentioned there are many old comrades returning home with you—surely this is not a misfortune unique to yourself. Since we have met today, I cannot let the matter pass in silence. If you are willing, perhaps you might consider what I am about to say?”

Yan Ming did not expect Wang Qun to offer any remarkable solution, but the mention of his fellow soldiers stirred something within him. He replied, “Please, Brother Wang, speak candidly. Whether your suggestion works or not, I and my comrades thank you for your kindness.”

The reason Yan Ming struggled so much upon returning home was, in truth, his pride. Whether it was guarding doors for others or acting as someone’s hired muscle, none of it sat well with his heart, which was why he had fallen into such straits.

“Brother Yan, the strong liquor served in this tavern was supplied by Zhen Lang. You’ve already tasted it,” Wang Qun said, sidestepping the topic of the tavern itself. What Yan Ming thought was unimportant. He shifted the conversation: “Since you have nothing else occupying you at the moment, perhaps I can offer a suggestion. This liquor is only being sold in Zhending for now; nowhere else offers anything like it. Why not consider working with us?”

“I… help you? You want me to be a partner?” Yan Ming was momentarily confused, his speech slurred. “You want me to sell your liquor… but I have no capital.”

Wang Qun patted the bewildered Yan Ming on the shoulder. “No need to rush! We know your circumstances, and we understand your difficulties. We wouldn’t speak without due consideration. As for capital, it’s not necessarily required—we could even lend you some.”

Yan Ming could hardly believe his ears. He shook his head vigorously to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. He had nothing and no one; there was no reason to suspect any ulterior motives, nor fear being taken advantage of. He pressed eagerly, “Brother Wang, please continue.”

Wang Qun smiled gently. “I won’t hide it from you. We hope to sell this liquor throughout the region, but have struggled to find the right people in different places. When I heard that many of your comrades were returning home with you, I thought of your connections. If you’re willing to help us reach out to your fellow soldiers, they could sell our liquor in their hometowns. This would both resolve your current predicament and help your old comrades find steady work. It’s a mutually beneficial arrangement. What do you think?”

Not only was Yan Ming stunned, but even Zhen Qian was taken aback at first. He hadn’t expected Wang Qun’s idea to involve Yan Ming’s fellow veterans. Yet, after a moment’s surprise, he saw the great business opportunity and urged Wang Qun to ask Yan Ming directly.

In later times, it was said there were four iron bonds: having fought side by side, studied together, visited brothels together, and split spoils together. The Tang era was no different—brothers who had risked their lives together were bound by iron ties. Though these comrades scattered across the land had little real power, the bonds they shared were real and not to be dismissed.

Yan Ming was moved, yet the thought of such good fortune falling from the sky made him wary. He might be a rough soldier, but he wasn’t a fool. The bait Wang Qun dangled was enormous, and after a brief excitement, Yan Ming sobered. Was there some hidden trap?

From another angle, even Zhen Qian, seeing such a windfall, couldn’t help but wonder why such luck should fall to him.

Wang Qun remained silent; all eyes turned to Yan Ming. After a moment of thought, Yan Ming said, “I have nothing now. Why are you seeking me out?”

He kept another thought to himself: the offer was so tempting, it was hard even to feign indifference.

“If I said we’re helping you out of pity for your difficult circumstances, you wouldn’t believe me,” Zhen Qian interjected. “So I’ll be honest. You have connections—scattered comrades in Hebei and elsewhere. If we did this ourselves, we’d have to find trustworthy people in many places, and we’re strangers there. It would take much time and effort. To be frank, before you, we sought out some traveling merchants. They weren’t interested in the liquor, didn’t want the risk, and weren’t satisfied with the price. So nothing came of it. Today, meeting you and hearing that many comrades returned home with you gave us this idea—it would save us much trouble. It’s mutually beneficial. You can take your time to consider and reply.”

Zhen Qian had laid everything bare. Yan Ming realized there was no need to deceive him, but he couldn’t understand why such luck had come his way. Dazed, he replied, “As I said before, I have nothing. I can certainly contact my comrades for you, but whether this will work, I can’t say.”

Zhen Qian saw Yan Ming still had doubts, so he let Wang Qun continue. “Brother Yan, as long as you agree to work with us, even just running messages to reach out to your comrades, we will see that you are not shortchanged.”

This time, Yan Ming stayed silent, waiting for Wang Qun to elaborate. “You must wonder why we’re seeking out old soldiers rather than local merchants. Let me be clear: those merchants are too greedy—they want no risk but keep trying to force our prices down. We simply couldn’t reach an agreement.”

Yan Ming didn’t know if Wang Qun was hiding anything, but he had no doubt about the merchants’ greed—people would travel a thousand miles just for profit, after all.

Seeing Yan Ming nod, Wang Qun now revealed his trump card. “You also mentioned your situation, and I imagine your comrades are much the same. So I have three proposals. The first: we provide the liquor and some funds to open a small tavern in their hometowns, employing your comrades to manage and sell. In addition to wages, there would be year-end dividends. The second: your comrades pay a small amount up front for the liquor, with the balance due upon the next order—so, with little money, they can open a tavern of their own. The third: we invest together to open a tavern, splitting profits according to investment. I know most of your comrades have no business experience and are unwilling to make long journeys to Zhending to buy and resell liquor. We can offer additional support. If you have other ideas, we can discuss them further. What do you think of these proposals?”

Zhen Qian could hardly keep from applauding. To devise so many partnership models in so short a time was no small feat—such acumen required years of experience.

Yan Ming hesitated. He had never done business before, but in Anxi, where merchants gathered from all directions, he had heard tales of their dealings. They haggled over every coin, schemed and connived, each afraid of being cheated.

He wanted to accept at once, but worried there might be a trap. Yet, what if he misunderstood their good intentions? For a time, Yan Ming was torn. After a moment, he steeled himself. “I can agree for now, but I can’t promise success. Let me speak with my old comrades first, then I’ll give you an answer.”

Such generous terms, and Yan Ming still hesitated. Nearby, Chrysanthemum scowled fiercely at him, thinking, “Such kindness, wasted on a dog!”

Zhen Qian, however, showed not the slightest displeasure. He turned to Song Yi. “Give Brother Yan twenty strings of cash from the account. Rent a cart and load three jars of our liquor onto it for him to take home.”

“This…” Now even Song Yi was stunned. Money, liquor, a rented cart—all together worth forty or fifty strings of cash—handed over to a man they had just met. Song Yi wanted to protest, but seeing the sharp look Zhen Qian gave him, swallowed his words and went to carry out the orders with a sigh.

Yan Ming too was shocked, wondering if he had misheard. He had only agreed to help make inquiries, yet they were already providing money and goods. That was no small sum—did they not fear he might renege on his word?

Seeing Yan Ming’s puzzled gaze, Zhen Qian raised his cup and said, “Before something is done, people make grand promises. Afterwards, they make excuses or deny everything. But I can tell that you are not such a man, Brother Yan. I trust in your character, just as I trust my own judgment.”