Chapter 94: Zhang Xianzhong’s Revenge

Page (1/3)
At the Ai family estate in Guanzhuang, Ai Wanhua stormed into the courtyard in a fury.
“Father, Li Yi has led people to dig through our irrigation canal.”
Ai Yingjia’s face darkened as he sat quietly in his reclining chair, silent for a long while.
Ai Wanhua, full of anger, said, “Although the county government initiated the construction of this canal, our Ai family contributed the most money. Those muddy peasants dared to dig through it without permission—this is an open act of defiance against our family. Father, won't you do something about it?”
“To do what?” Ai Yingjia looked at his son with impatience and replied coldly, “Li Yi is a ruthless killer; who in Mizhi County dares to provoke him now? Not to mention, since he established that farmers’ association, all the villagers follow him blindly.”
Ai Wanhua widened his eyes, furious but powerless. “So are we just going to let that bastard Li Yi defile us like that?”
Ai Yingjia took a deep breath, his face grim as he pondered.
After a long pause, he said, “We absolutely cannot intervene directly. If we anger Li Yi, the consequences will be unimaginable. You go find Yan Zibin and have him use the constables against the villagers. Then write a letter to Wu Zimian to expedite the transfer of He Renlong here.”
He thought for a moment more and added, “Also, send someone to notify your elder brother to return home.”
Hearing that his father wanted to recall his elder brother, Ai Wanhua shrank back slightly, somewhat fearful of this brother.
His elder brother was also exceptionally brave and fierce, aggressive in combat. With the Ai family’s influence, he had already risen from captain to guard commander, and it wouldn’t be long before he was promoted to battalion commander or deputy general.
Having made his decision, Ai Yingjia looked irritably at Ai Wanhua and scolded, “I have arranged for you to become a candidate for this year’s provincial examination. For now, study diligently and do not provoke Li Yi. Passing the exam and becoming a scholar is what matters.”
A provincial candidate studied at the Imperial Academy and could directly participate in the county-level exams; passing would grant the title of juren, qualifying one for official positions.
Admission to the Imperial Academy could be secured either through ancestral privilege or through financial influence.
The Ai family chose the latter.
Ai Yingjia said with hardship in his voice, “Once you become a juren, I will use my connections to help you secure an official post as soon as possible. Within a few years, achieving a seventh-rank civil official position won’t be difficult. Then that brute Li Yi will be nothing.”
Ai Wanhua nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, Li Yi dug open the canal, allowing villagers to draw water from it without traveling so far.
The grateful villagers thanked him repeatedly, but Li Yi urged them to hurry and water the fields.
Li Zicheng watched the happy villagers nearby but worriedly said, “Brother Yi, by doing this, aren’t you inviting the Ai family’s wrath?”
Li Yi sneered, “While I was in prison, the Ai family tried to kill me repeatedly. Now this is just paying back some interest.”
He looked at the mud-clogged canal and shook his head. “Second brother, if we want to irrigate the fields properly, we still need to dredge the canal, and as the water level falls, we’ll need water wheels.”
Li Zicheng sighed helplessly. “Both dredging and building water wheels require silver. Even with the reward money, it probably won’t be enough.”
Li Yi thought for a moment and said, “Actually, with the ongoing famine, there are many displaced people. As long as you provide food, there will be no shortage of labor. Here’s what we’ll do: I’ll put up 200 taels of silver; you recruit displaced people and villagers to dredge the canal, and have third brother find some carpenters to build the water wheels.”
“That’s a good idea,” Li Zicheng said with a smile. With that, the problem that had troubled him for days was solved.
Li Yi stayed in the fields for a while before returning to Li family village.
Although disasters continued, if they farmed well, they could still manage some harvest.
The villagers in Ganquan treated him well, and since they were willing to take a chance, he would support them a bit.
Even if they couldn’t survive the next year, at least they could store extra grain to last a couple of months longer.
Li Yi entrusted this matter to Li Zicheng and Li Zijing.
One was the village chief, the other a carpenter, and both were brothers, so they should handle it well.
What Li Yi needed to focus on now was a different matter: resettling the Wuliangha Mongols, including Buyan.
During his stay in Mizhi County, his great-grandfather had hidden the Mongols in the hills outside Li family village.
This place was once a small village but had fallen into ruin, making it suitable for resettling these Mongols.
With the able-bodied carrying food and drink, Li Yi climbed over a ridge and saw a few dilapidated cave dwellings not far away.
The Wuliangha people, wearing fur coats, were gathered together whispering, seemingly discussing something.
Li Yi called out loudly, “Brother Buyan, I’ve come to see you.”
From the crowd, Buyan suddenly stood up and hurried over to greet him.
“Respected Brother Li Yi, we’ve been waiting for you a long time.”
“I’ve run into some trouble recently and had to deal with the officials, so I came back late.”
Page (2/3)
Li Yi offered a brief explanation.
Buyan didn’t know what had happened in Mizhi County, but judging by Li Yi’s expression, the troubles had been resolved.
“By the way, what were you just discussing?” Li Yi asked with a smile.
Buyan replied somewhat ashamed, “My people aren’t used to life in the Ming lands; they all want to return to the grasslands.”
Li Yi nodded and smiled, “That’s normal. You Mongols are accustomed to life on the steppe; it’s only natural that living here feels unfamiliar.”
Buyan was moved and said, “Brother Li Yi, rest assured, we agreed to follow you for three years and will not leave.”
Li Yi waved his hand, “We Han say, ‘A man without stable property has no stable heart.’ Your people are restless because they have nothing to occupy themselves. Here’s what I’ll do: I’ll send someone to buy dozens of sheep and then build a corral. Half of these things will belong to you. In the future, with lambs and foals, we’ll split the profits seventy-thirty. You get seventy; I take thirty.”
Before Buyan could respond, a middle-aged Wuliangha man joyfully asked, “Sir, is this true? We can have private property?”
“Of course it’s true. I told you, you’re no longer slaves. Following me means I’m training you as my cavalry archers, which is essentially an advance payment for your services,” Li Yi smiled.
The Wuliangha had lived poorly as slaves.
Now having private property settled their minds; they planned to raise sheep and horses, save money, and gradually return to Mongolia after three years to reclaim their tribe.
Li Yi waved his hand, and the able-bodied brought out a sumptuous meal.
The Wuliangha ate greedily, their faces dripping with oil, clearly delighted.
Buyan followed Li Yi closely and respectfully said, “Brother Li Yi, you’ve been too good to us Wuliangha. You gave us sheep, horses, food, and water. We can’t repay you, but we will make your troops like eagles on horseback.”
Li Yi patted Buyan’s shoulder and smiled, “Don’t rush, Buyan. We still have three years. Your first task is to get used to life among the Han.”
He then sat down with Buyan and tore off a chicken leg for him.
“Our Wuliangha have always supported the Ming army in battle. There are many Han on the steppe, and we are accustomed to dealing with them.”
Buyan glanced at Li Yi and devoured the chicken eagerly.
“Ah?” Li Yi was a bit surprised.
Buyan found the chicken meat more tender than mutton, with salt and soy sauce adding rich flavor, and immediately liked Han food.
“Not just the old lands outside Xifengkou, even in Kuku and Tun, I’ve seen many Han. They farm in Fengzhou and have reclaimed much good farmland.”
Li Yi hadn’t expected so many Han settlers already in Mongolia.
He knew Kuku and Tun were called Guihuacheng by the Ming, later Hohhot.
Fengzhou lay south of the Yin Mountains and north of the Great Wall, with many Yellow River tributaries, creating vast fertile fields.
It was by relying on these fertile lands that Anda Khan repeatedly prevailed against the Ming, ultimately defeating the Qinghai Tartar rebels, forcing the Mongol Great Khan to appoint him deputy Khan, and the Ming to grant him the title King of Shunyi and open trade.
Li Yi then inquired about the situation in Mongolia.
Buyan explained that after the Mongol ruler Lindan Khan ascended at thirteen, besides his base in Chahar, the Right Wing Tumet, Ordos, and Yongxiebu tribes defied orders. The Khalkha and Khorchin tribes were cozying up to the Later Jin.
Lindan Khan sought to unify Mongolia and restore the empire’s glory by first attacking the Khalkha internally.
But the Khalkha were backed by the Later Jin, and when cornered, they fled to Nurhaci. After Nurhaci’s death, Huang Taiji’s tactics were even more cunning, and Chahar tribes began defecting to the Later Jin.
Lindan Khan, having suffered losses under Huang Taiji, planned to first absorb the Right Wing Mongols before turning to fight Huang Taiji.
Thus, last year, Lindan Khan and the Right Wing Mongol tribes clashed repeatedly south of the Yin Mountains. Coupled with drought, many Mongols starved to death.
Because of this, last month the Tumet and Ordos tribes jointly invaded the Ming, hoping to seize supplies to survive.
At the same time, Lindan Khan suffered heavy losses, led his troops from Datong on a southern raid, nearly breaching the city defenses, frightening the Ming court.
Li Yi and Buyan talked as they ate, and after the meal, Li Yi understood Mongolia’s current situation.
Once everyone was full, Li Yi had his men bring the warhorses and weapons and distributed them.
Trust those you use; don’t suspect those you don’t.
Having won over the Wuliangha, Li Yi began arming them as an elite force.
After settling them, Li Yi called Buyan.
“I have some trouble these days. Come with me.”
Buyan nodded and called a middle-aged Wuliangha, “Biligen Dalai, take care of the horses while I’m gone. Don’t cause trouble.”
The bald-headed Biligen Dalai nodded.
Li Yi and Buyan returned to Li family village, packed their belongings, told Yun Niang, and left the courtyard.
As salt refining progressed, Li Yi’s private salt business was expanding steadily.
Thanks to Li Zicheng’s connections, the quality-and-price advantageous private salt trade was thriving, quickly generating stable profits.
Page (3/3)
Recently, however, Sun Kewang sent word that Zhang Xianzhong was unwilling to sell salt blocks cheaply.
Without salt blocks, refining salt was impossible.
Li Yi planned to meet Zhang Xianzhong personally.
Without delay, he and Buyan went to Mizhi County that evening, stayed overnight, and then headed east towards Zhang Xianzhong’s mountain hideout.
Traveling along mountain paths on horseback, they often saw shadows peering out from cave dwellings among hills and ravines.
These ragged, emaciated figures were not ordinary villagers but bandits in hiding.
The bandits did not indulge in drunken feasts or carnage; most were ordinary people hiding in the mountains, clearing wasteland and enduring hunger.
If war broke out, these people would be cannon fodder, risking their lives for a piece of bread.
The two entered a valley, where a gatehouse of earth bricks and wooden fences stood, and the bandits shouted loudly.
Li Yi stopped and explained his purpose: to see Sun Kewang.
Soon, Sun Kewang hurried out of the valley and, surprised to see Li Yi, said, “Benefactor, why have you come?”
Li Yi smiled, “Your weapons you sent recently are good; thank you. Today I come to continue buying salt blocks.”
Sun Kewang forced a smile, “Benefactor, my godfather has learned you’re selling private salt. This time he won’t easily agree.”
So that was it—no wonder Zhang Xianzhong suddenly refused to sell salt blocks, apparently wanting a share of the profits.
“I’ll negotiate with him. You help me deliver the message.”
Sun Kewang nodded and led Li Yi into the valley.
Li Yi carefully examined the terrain: a cluster of earthen houses in the valley, rudimentary cave dwellings on the slopes, some gaunt bandits sharpening weapons, others listlessly sunbathing.
Sun Kewang entered a courtyard to report, then emerged shortly.
“My godfather invites you in.”
Li Yi entered the courtyard, passed several burly men, and stepped into a room.
Zhang Xianzhong was casually dressed, sitting on a worn stool with his legs crossed, watching Li Yi.
“Brother Li, no one visits the Three Treasures Hall without reason. So, you, a great Buddha, have come to pay homage to this poor man.”
Li Yi saw Zhang’s smug face and felt irritated.
But the private salt business was crucial to his plans, so he could not give up easily.
He sat down and smiled, “Eighth King, we’re acquainted through conflict. Cooperation benefits both; rivalry harms both. Now we must work together.”
Zhang Xianzhong scoffed, crossing his legs.
“Damn cooperation now. When you Li Yi forced me to pay two thousand taels in compensation, you didn’t think so then.”
Li Yi frowned; his smile faded.
“But killing requires compensation. You burned my estate and killed my men. Settling the debt with two thousand taels is fair.”
Zhang suddenly stood, pointing at Li Yi, shouting, “Li, since you say that, you won’t get a single salt block from me ever again!”
Li Yi coldly stared at him.
“Eighth King, the grudge is settled. What you’re doing is unjust.”
“Bullshit justice. I can’t swallow this. Either pay me back the two thousand taels or get lost,” Zhang snarled, pointing angrily.
Li Yi clenched his fist, slightly tightening his grip, his gaze sharp. “Say that again, I dare you.”
Zhang’s finger hurt. Seeing Li Yi’s fury, he backed down immediately.
Facing such a killer, he did not want to take risks.
“Eighth King, I came today to buy salt blocks for cooperation. Don’t put on airs. I’ll ask you once: will you sell the salt blocks or not?”
Zhang’s expression twisted in pain but his eyes glared fiercely. He gritted his teeth, “You want salt blocks? Fine. Kneel and kowtow three times; maybe then I’ll sell to you.”
“Zhang Xianzhong, don’t be unreasonable. Selling salt blocks benefits you too.”
Zhang sneered, “I’m just messing with you. Li Yi, I tell you, if I can’t vent this anger, I’d rather not make money nor let you have a good time.”