Chapter 138: Journey to Luoyang

Chai Shao left, and Yun Hao wore a fox-like smile. For a family like the Li family, suspicion was almost an instinct. Anyone entering their circle had to be vetted, tested, and vetted again. The more they scrutinized you, the more weight you carried within the family. If Li Yuan lacked this caution, he would have been dead eight times over, and his bones used as drumsticks.

Without needing to ask, this trip to Luoyang was clearly a test. What kind of test remained unknown, though it was likely connected to the letter delivered by Hou Junji.

Having hurriedly finalized the stove business with Luo Cheng, Yun Hao hit the road with Chai Shao. According to Chai Shao, the gifts had already been sent ahead to Luoyang, and they only needed to make the journey themselves. Heaven knew what kind of arrangements the Lis had made, but with Qin Qiong accompanying him, Yun Hao figured he wouldn't suffer any losses.

The gifts sent from Beiping Prefecture to Duke of Chu Yang Su were extremely generous, filling a full five large carriages. Yun Hao noticed that most of them consisted of furs native to the northern regions. Lai Shun had sneaked a peek and later reported to Yun Hao that the pearls in the box were larger than ox eyes. Could they be the legendary Eastern Pearls?

There was no time to worry about such matters; enjoying the comfort of his own spacious ox-cart was the proper priority. Who cared what kind of nonsense Luo Yi was sending to Yang Su? Yun Hao knew that Yang Su did not have long to live, nor could the Yang family's influence hold out much longer. Yang Su's son, Yang Xuangan, would launch a massive rebellion, the most direct consequence of which would be costing every member of the family their heads.

What drove Yun Hao to make this trip to Luoyang was the need to face the Li family's test. In the turbulent twilight of the Sui Dynasty, the Li family would emerge as the ultimate victor. Yun Hao was like a gamer running a cheat code; he knew how to maximize his own interests and survive better in this man-eat-man world. He did it for himself, and even more so for his foster mother and his wife.

Dark clouds stretched from overhead all the way to the horizon, and when the fierce northern wind blew past, it carried a whistling sound. Not long after leaving the city of Beiping, sleet began to pelt the carriage windows with a sharp patter. Yun Hao poked his head out, only to pull it back instantly. This wasn't mere sleet; it was practically ice pellets, stinging painfully against the face.

"My little ancestor, hurry back inside. What will you do if you catch a cold!" As soon as his body retreated into the carriage, Xin'er's nagging followed. There was a stove inside, and calling it warm as spring was not an exaggeration in the slightest. Going out with a head full of sweat made it very easy to fall ill. In this era, a common cold could easily kill a person. There were certainly no modern antibiotics to escort you safely through it.

"Relax, I'm fine." Yun Hao burrowed back under the warm woolen blanket, and the warmth enveloped him in an instant. It was comfortable—truly, damnably comfortable. Especially knowing that Chai Shao was still outside bidding farewell to the Luo family members, his heart felt all the more at ease. Having glanced outside just a moment ago, that fellow had been frozen stiff like a turtle. Beiping in this era was far colder than the imperial capital of later generations!

Just as his voice trailed off, the door curtain was lifted, and Chai Shao burst in amidst a gust of cold wind. "I'm freezing to death, freezing to death!" He thrust his hands nearly right into the stove while continuing to complain about the cold.

"Done seeing them off?" Yun Hao handed his hand-warmer to Chai Shao, who immediately clutched it to his chest.

"The Prince's Mansion officials were seeing us off, so why didn't you crawl into a carriage to hide like you did? You're young, so people can say you don't know any better. Am I supposed to not know any better either?" Chai Shao pulled a small copper flask from his chest, filled to the brim with Yun family distilled liquor. Ever since he had tasted the liquor brewed by the Yun family, Chai Shao refused to drink anything else from anywhere else, disdainfully referring to other alcohol as dishwater.

Just as he took a sip, the curtain was flicked aside, and Qin Qiong squeezed in. "You brat, you're living in such sinful luxury. Where did you even get an ox-cart like this? I doubt even the current Emperor's imperial carriage is as comfortable as your setup."

"Brother Qin, traveling with this brat is the ultimate luxury. I have no idea how his brain is wired; none of us would ever think to install a stove inside an ox-cart. Prepare to spend this whole journey in absolute comfort." Chai Shao waved a hand and handed the copper flask to Qin Qiong. Qin Qiong unscrewed the cap and downed it in one long gulp like a whale swallowing the sea.

Yun Hao looked at the two of them. Just the day before yesterday, they had been formally addressing each other as "Captain Qin." Now they were already sworn brothers; their network was developing quickly enough.

In Yun Hao's view, sending Chai Shao on this errand was a perfect match of man and task. During his days in Beiping, Yun Hao had witnessed Chai Shao's formidable public relations skills firsthand. Whether it was Luo Cheng or the banner guards of the Prince's Mansion, everyone got along exceptionally well with Chai Shao. If they stayed another two days, they would probably be burning paper incense and kowtowing to become sworn brothers.

"This kid is an absolute goblin, with such a little head. You couldn't grow another one like it in ten thousand years." Qin Qiong patted Yun Hao's head and studied it closely.

"You couldn't grow one in ten thousand years? Could it be, Uncle Qin, that you've lived for ten thousand years?" A common saying immediately popped into Yun Hao's head: the thousand-year turtle, the ten-thousand-year tortoise. Of course, saying that in this era wasn't an insult; the turtle symbolized longevity during these times. Even when giving gifts, presenting a painting of a turtle was considered quite fashionable. Yun Hao guessed that the gift list from the Beiping Prince's Mansion very likely included a painting of a turtle.

"What mischief are you plotting now?" Seeing Yun Hao's eyes blinking rapidly, Qin Qiong knew the boy was up to something bad.

"Nothing, just thinking about what we're going to eat tonight," Yun Hao replied casually.

"Brother Qin, he's got beef jerky in that little pouch of his. He usually treasures it like a precious treasure; why doesn't Brother Qin try some?" Chai Shao was no good guy, winking and glancing at the small bag by Yun Hao's side. Inside were pieces of beef jerky, of which Yun Hao hadn't left many.

"Stop winding people up. It's just a bag of beef jerky. If you want to eat some, come get it yourself!" Yun Hao tossed the bag of beef jerky over, but Chai Shao hesitated. Things Yun Hao gave away so easily weren't so simple to accept. Hadn't they seen when Qi Biao fell victim to it, suffering from diarrhea until he was half-dead?

"The food this brat concocts is absolute heaven on earth. I didn't expect you to have the means to get your hands on beef; I definitely have to taste this." Qin Qiong didn't care about such things; Yun Hao might harm anyone, but he wouldn't harm him. With his many years of experience as a constable, Qin Qiong had at least that much confidence.

Eating beef jerky, drinking distilled liquor, and chatting away, Yun Hao gradually felt his eyelids growing heavier and heavier.

When he woke up, the ox-cart was empty of other people, and Xin'er was busy adding honeycomb briquettes to the stove!

"What time is it? Where did they go?" Yun Hao muttered.

"My lord, it's already noon, and you're just waking up now. How much did you drink last night? Master Qin and Lord Chai are something else, force-feeding liquor to a child like you!" Xin'er complained while bringing over a bowl of hangover tea.

It was already noon? Yun Hao chugged a mouthful of the hangover tea and stared at the ceiling. After enduring for a long time, he finally sprang up in one swift motion, dashed over to the car window in a few steps, pulled back the curtain, and started to pee.