Bohai Commandery straddled the river, but only a thin strip lay south of the Great River. Putai County's seat, for instance, stood just across the water, yet a dozen or so li out of town brought one to the border between Dengzhou and Qi Prefecture. Within this plainly artificial administrative triangle, in a region closely bound together economically, culturally, and geographically, lived a powerful family much like those of Xu Dalang, Dan Dalang, and Fifth Wang Lang. Their surname was Cheng.
The Cheng family's history followed much the same pattern, except that Cheng Dalang was somewhat older. Thus, his great-grandfather's and grandfather's generations had still been independently commanding military warlords under Eastern Qi, and only his father had become a high official governing a region... which had forced Cheng Dalang himself to shoulder the dual roles of great philanthropist and young bully.
He belonged to the older one-and-a-half generation.
In fact, because of Qin Bao, Zhang Xing had heard plenty about this man. Supposedly, he had helped Qin Er along in Dengzhou in his early years, and even Qin Er's much earlier encounter with Xu Dalang had been thanks to him. At Fifth Wang's estate, Zhang Xing had heard of him still more often.
But Cheng Dalang, who was older than Fifth Wang Lang, Xu Dalang, and Qin Bao, had emerged very late this time.
The reason went without saying. His family lived in Dengzhou, and Dengzhou Garrison Camp lay at the other end of Dengzhou. However thoroughly the Third Dongyi Campaign had collapsed without a fight, however steadily hearts had scattered along the march, the Sage's imperial carriage and hundreds of thousands of troops were right there, were they not? Who dared stir up trouble?
Was he not afraid someone would trample him to death with a single step?