The Yan Lineage
After finishing the meal at Guo Wei's home, Zhang Da took Chen Sanshi back to Zhang Family Gully that same day.
Zhang Lingfeng had cultivated Ming Jin and successfully become Guo Wei's disciple, leaving Chen Sanshi afraid to harbor even the slightest disloyalty. Besides, Zhang Pingping had indeed taught his younger sister needlework and taken fairly good care of her. Chen Sanshi had completely abandoned any thoughts of rebellion and devoted himself wholeheartedly to working for the Zhang Clan.
Two days later.
Xu Laiyi drove an ox cart over from Zhang Family Gully, bringing a letter from Master Zhang.
Zhang Lingfeng and Zhang Pingping read it together.
"Lingfeng, Master Wang has agreed that if you can find the connections to get Wang Biao out of prison, he is willing to exchange three hundred and sixty mu of prime irrigated farmland below Little Moon Mountain."
"If even you cannot rescue Wang Biao, Master Wang will give Wang Fang to Young Master Yan so that the Yan Lineage will spare Wang Biao's life."
That was what Master Wang said in the letter.
Below those words were the reasons Wang Biao had gotten into trouble and whom he had offended.
It turned out that Wang Biao had angered a legitimate son of the county town's Yan Lineage over a woman at a restaurant. The man's brother-in-law was a constable captain at the yamen, and had Wang Biao bound and hauled into the dungeon that very night.
He was imprisoned on charges of trafficking in illicit salt.
Salt, iron, alcohol, and overseas trade were industries strictly controlled by the Great Qing Dynasty. Trafficking in illicit salt in particular could, at the lighter end, lead to the entire household being confiscated by the state, and at the heavier end, implicate all nine degrees of kinship.
Being detained on charges of trafficking in illicit salt meant Wang Biao already had less than half his life left. No wonder the Wang Family could find no one to pull strings for them.
Ordinary households would keep a respectful distance upon hearing such a charge.
Who would dare take such a desperate risk?
Had he not broken through to Ming Jin and become Guo Wei's disciple, giving the Wang Family hope, they might already have sent Wang Fang to the Yan Lineage to secure Wang Biao's life.
"What an old fox."
Zhang Pingping cursed.
"Grandfather helped me break off the engagement. Master Wang wants to exchange Wang Fang for Wang Biao mainly to provoke me into acting."
Zhang Lingfeng spoke.
"Exactly. That old fox knows that if Wang Fang is sent to the Yan Lineage, it will affect your reputation in the future. That's why he's using this to threaten you."
Zhang Pingping spoke indignantly.
"Ah, if we hadn't broken off this engagement, Master Wang wouldn't dare treat Wang Fang this way."
Zhang Lingfeng sighed.
The Great Qing Dynasty valued men over women. A married daughter was water poured away. In Master Wang's eyes, even ten Wang Fangs could not compare to one spoiled wastrel like Wang Biao.
Now that he had cultivated Ming Jin and become Guo Wei's disciple, if he had not broken off the engagement, Master Wang would not dare give Wang Fang to someone else even with ten times the courage.
"What do you plan to do?"
Zhang Pingping asked.
"I've been to see that land at Little Moon Mountain. The irrigated fields there really do make one's mouth water."
Zhang Lingfeng spoke.
Three hundred and sixty mu of prime irrigated farmland was worth half the Zhang Clan's current holdings. It could provide him with considerable cultivation resources and strengthen the entire Lineage.
"We need to consider this carefully."
Zhang Pingping deeply agreed.
"A mere constable captain can decide whether someone lives or dies at will. This world..."
Zhang Lingfeng was filled with emotion.
A constable captain held an official post and commanded a large group of constables, cutting an even more imposing figure when out and about than gang members. Wang Biao really was unlucky to have offended a constable captain's younger brother-in-law over a brothel woman.
Had he not been Master Wang's only son, the Wang Family would not have been willing to pay such a steep price to rescue him.
Zhang Lingfeng knew that although he had entered the inner courtyard, he had yet to establish a firm footing. Pulling the necessary strings and finding someone to rescue Wang Biao would still be somewhat difficult.
He could only proceed step by step. He could not rush things, much less make people resent him.
He had no intention of asking Guo Wei for help.
For one thing, he had only just become his disciple, and their master-disciple relationship existed in name rather than substance. Even if Guo Wei reluctantly helped rescue Wang Biao on account of that relationship, he would still have to be rewarded afterward.
And given Guo Wei's status.
The Wang Family might not be able to afford that reward.
So Wang Biao had to be rescued, and rescued neatly. Not only did his family need to obtain those three hundred and sixty mu of fertile farmland, but the Wang Family and everyone else also had to be left with nothing to say.
Most importantly, rescuing Wang Biao must not offend that constable captain or even the county town's Yan Lineage. At least for now, he could not take that risk.
"First, have Hei Hu and Sun Yan ask around about what that young master of the Yan Lineage usually does. Ask Liu Feng whether any senior brothers at the martial hall can help."
Zhang Pingping spoke.
"Mm, that's all we can do for now."
Zhang Lingfeng nodded.
Now that he had cultivated Ming Jin, Sun Yan and Hei Hu, who had already obeyed his every word, followed him with even more unwavering loyalty. The outer courtyard apprentices were also trying every means to forge ties with him.
If he told them to ask around about something, plenty of people would scramble to do it.
When afternoon training ended, Zhang Lingfeng treated Liu Feng to a meal at a restaurant and got straight to the point. "To be frank, Senior Brother Liu, something has happened in my family recently. My elder brother-in-law offended a young master surnamed Yan. That man has a brother-in-law who serves as a constable captain at the yamen, and my elder brother-in-law has been imprisoned on charges of trafficking in illicit salt. Do you happen to know of any connections to the Yan Lineage?"
Liu Feng set down his wine cup.
After a moment's thought, he said, "Junior Brother Wu received support from the Yan Lineage after cultivating Ming Jin. Not long ago, he cultivated Dark Force and took a post with the Yan Lineage. He should be able to help. But Junior Brother Wu is aloof and proud. Getting him to help you won't be that simple."
The figure of someone focused on practicing martial arts in the inner courtyard appeared in Zhang Lingfeng's mind.
Over the years, Guo Wei had taken fifty or sixty disciples.
Some had completed their training and gone out to establish their own ventures, usually returning to visit Guo Wei only during the New Year or other festivals. Others guarded homes and estates or joined gangs, and had all manner of duties on their hands, returning only occasionally.
Fewer than twenty senior brothers and sisters still remained in the inner courtyard to train under Guo Wei.
Zhang Lingfeng had met all of them.
The Junior Brother Wu whom Liu Feng mentioned was named Wu Yun.
He had upper-middle-grade aptitude.
He was only a year older than Zhang Lingfeng. Guo Wei had once stated that if Wu Yun could not cultivate Transforming Jin before thirty, making a breakthrough afterward would be exceptionally difficult.
Because of this, he trained diligently and earnestly. The money he earned from going out on missions also went toward purchasing cultivation resources, and he rarely associated with fellow disciples at the Ming Jin level.
Getting someone like that to help was indeed no easy matter.
But no matter what, he finally had an opening.
Next, Zhang Lingfeng learned from Liu Feng that Wu Yun held a post with the Yan Lineage and received a hundred taels of silver each month, along with some meat allowances.
Judging by that rate, unless they could offer at least several times Wu Yun's monthly stipend, it would be difficult to persuade him to plead with the Yan Lineage.
But considering that the Wang Family would bear this expense, Zhang Lingfeng decided to give it a try. As long as the Wang Family could afford the price, along with those three hundred and sixty mu of land, Wang Biao's life would be safe.
The next day, after fist training ended.
Zhang Lingfeng stopped Wu Yun.
"Senior Brother Wu, my family has sent over some cultivation support. Perhaps it could help you. Would you be interested in taking a look?"
Wu Yun studied Zhang Lingfeng curiously.
Zhang Lingfeng had high-grade aptitude, but unfortunately, he had only begun practicing martial arts after his bones had fused. Although he had luckily cultivated Ming Jin, it would be difficult for him to make further progress. Perhaps the limit of his entire life would be merely the peak of Ming Jin.
"Sure!"
But remembering that Zhang Lingfeng came from a small landowning family, Wu Yun wanted to see just what Zhang Lingfeng intended to show off.