Great Song Dynasty Writer

Chapter 329 Grass Snake Gray Line
After Lu Beigu calmed down a bit, Fan Xiang continued.

"As for the second matter, it is to discuss the 'purchase' with you."

Seeing Lu Beigu's confusion, Fan Xiang asked, "You know about the Zhou case, right?"

"know."

Lu Beigu nodded. The Armory Case was one of the seven cases under the Salt and Iron Bureau, and it was also the most important military equipment management department in the Song Dynasty.

However, the Zhou An was not directly responsible for the production of military equipment. The specific production of military equipment was handled by institutions such as the North and South Workshops, the Bow and Arrow Academy, and the Guangbei Siege Workshop. The Zhou An was responsible for matters such as the planning, standard setting, technical review, material collection, budget accounting, and finished product acceptance of military equipment manufacturing throughout the Song Dynasty.

Historically, the Military Equipment Bureau did not replace the Armory Case until after the Xining Reforms.

"Han Shumi noticed the hot air balloon that you guys released during this year's Lantern Festival."

Fan Xiang explained, "Privy Councilor Han felt that this object could be used for battlefield observation, replacing the function of the high platform. Therefore, the Privy Council sent a document to the State Affairs Bureau, ordering the State Affairs Bureau to 'purchase' the relevant technology for hot air balloons."

Lu Beigu was quite surprised to hear this. It seems that Han Qi is quite astute in military matters. As an important official who has been in charge of the defense of the Northwest front, others may only see this as a big lantern, but he saw the military value of the hot air balloon at a glance.

The so-called "harmonious purchase" refers to a system established by the Song Dynasty government to regulate procurement behavior and avoid forced buying and selling. Initially, it was mainly used to purchase materials other than grain, but over time, it was extended to the technical field.

"No wonder Fan Xiang came to find me. On the one hand, Zhang Fangping didn't want to contact me immediately to avoid suspicion; on the other hand, the matter of the hot air balloon 'purchase' was indeed handled by Fan Xiang, the deputy commissioner of salt and iron."

After thinking it through, Lu Beigu simply said, "I'll leave it all to Lord Fan's arrangements."

Zhang Fangping had given him a hand, so Lu Beigu couldn't argue with the three officials about money anymore.

Regardless, he will definitely recoup his initial investment in hot air balloon manufacturing; however, how much he will earn is another matter.

But Fan Xiang waved his hand and said, "The country's 'agreement purchase' system has long been established. The project will assess the value of the hot air balloon technology before making an offer. You also have the right to refuse. It's not a forced sale."

"Moreover, the Three Departments are not short of money. The reason I called you here is that it's best if you don't collect the money. Don't you have a friend named Shen Kuo? Is he reliable? If he is, go back and talk to him, have him sign for it, and then hand over the blueprints and related precautions to the Secretary. As for how to divide it, that's your business. In this way, no matter if it's the Privy Council or anywhere else, if there's any trouble in the future, they won't be able to find you."

Fan Xiang spoke cryptically, but Lu Beigu understood almost instantly.

— Jia Changchao was also a Privy Councilor, and his ranking was even higher than Han Qi's.

While there are regulations governing the "purchase" of military technology, it is difficult to determine whether the price is too high or too low, which makes it easy for people to accuse them of privately passing on the technology.

However, the Salt and Iron Bureau had no choice but to handle this matter, since it was directly assigned by the Privy Council.

Therefore, it would be best for Shen Kuo to transfer the hot air balloon manufacturing technology, so that Jia Changchao would not be able to use this as an excuse to make trouble, since he was only targeting Lu Beigu.

“Okay, I’ll go back and discuss it with Shen Kuo. He’s reliable.”

"Row."

Fan Xiang wrote another note, directly filling in Shen Kuo's name on it.

"Once the agreement is reached, have him bring the blueprints to the Three Departments and go to the Bureau of Justice to complete the 'purchase' process."

After taking his leave, Lu Beigu walked out of the Three Departments Office and headed south along the street, intending to hire a carriage at the street corner.

The streets were bustling with carriages and people, and the shouts of vendors and the noise of restaurants and teahouses filled the air. Yet, the prosperity of Tokyo left Lu Beigu feeling somewhat bewildered.

As they approached a fork in the road, they suddenly saw a group of people gathered on the roadside ahead.

When Lu Beigu looked up, he saw a group of guards escorting a prisoner. They were probably tired from walking and had stopped to rest in front of a drink shop by the roadside.

The prisoner wore heavy shackles, the shackles were thick and the edges were also wrapped with old cloth to prevent the skin from being chafed, but the cloth strips were already filthy, and the iron shackles on his feet dragged on the ground, making a dull "clattering" sound when he moved.

Lu Beigu's gaze swept over the prisoner's sallow face, and a sudden thought struck him.

He vaguely recognized that face.

After a moment of concentration, he remembered that it was the yellow-faced man he had met briefly a year ago at a post station north of Luzhou on his way to Chengdu with Li Pan!

At that time, it was known that he had been sentenced to death for killing the entire family who had given money to the farmers. Later, it was heard from Zhao Bian that he had escaped. Now he had been caught and escorted back to the capital.
After a year apart, the man looked even more emaciated, his face sallow with a deathly pallor, his lips cracked and white from thirst, but his eyes still held a calm yet fierce spirit, like a sick tiger that was exhausted but still retained its wild nature.

He had clearly been traveling for a long time and was extremely exhausted. At this moment, he was being roughly forced to squat down and rest on the ground outside the drink shop by the police.

Lu Beigu paused slightly.

He recalled that after arriving in Kaifeng last autumn, Zhao Bian had mentioned some details of the case to him during a casual conversation.

Zhao Bian said that although this man was ruthless and committed a heinous crime, the root cause was that he had borrowed money from a local bully to pay for his mother's medical treatment. The bully took advantage of his illiteracy and ended up making it a "debt of the King of Hell".

This man was driven to the point of losing his family and home, and with nowhere else to turn, he took revenge in anger, and then went to the yamen to turn himself in.

"His plight is pitiful, and although his actions are unforgivable under the law, he can still be considered to have some filial piety and righteousness."

These were Zhao Bian's original words at the time.

As for why the yellow-faced man escaped, what he did after escaping, and why he was caught again, Zhao Bian had already left office and no longer knew.

Seeing the sallow-faced man's cracked lips move and his eyes look at the beverage bucket in the shop, but he lowers his head in disappointment under the impatient scolding of the constable, Lu Beigu couldn't help but feel a pang of pity.

He hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, cupped his hands in greeting to the leading constable, and took out some copper coins.

"You've all worked hard, and it's still chilly. Have a hot drink to warm yourself up. This is on me, and please have this one too."

He pointed to the sallow-faced man.

The officials were all thirsty and tired, so why wouldn't they drink when it was offered for free?
Seeing that Lu Beigu was dressed in a silk robe and had an extraordinary demeanor, unlike ordinary people, they assumed he was a kind-hearted young master who couldn't bear to see prisoners suffer, so they were happy to do him a favor.

The leading official took the money and called out to the shopkeeper to bring him a few bowls of drinks.

Lu Beigu then personally carried a bowl of warm cardamom water to the sallow-faced man.

The man initially kept his head down, but when he saw the ceramic bowl being handed to him, he slowly raised his eyelids.

The moment their eyes met, a very subtle ripple flashed in the man's cloudy eyes. He looked closely at Lu Beigu's face, his chapped lips parted with difficulty, and his voice was as hoarse as sandpaper: "Your Excellency... are you...?"

He probably didn't say everything because he was afraid of causing trouble for Lu Beigu.

Lu Beigu knew that he had recognized him and understood his meaning, so he simply nodded and then changed the subject in his Sichuan accent: "Judging from your accent, you are also from Sichuan. I didn't expect to run into you in Kaifeng. Come on, let's have a drink."

Even if the guards responsible for escorting the goods understood everything, they only thought that Lu Beigu was marveling at the fact that he could still encounter people from Shu in Kaifeng.

The phrase "we might run into each other again" confirmed the sallow-faced man's suspicions.

Both of them only said half of what they were saying. A glimmer of light flickered in his eyes, as if it were a bitter smile, or perhaps a sense of relief.

Then the sallow-faced man greedily and hurriedly sipped several mouthfuls of boiled water from the bowl that Lu Beigu handed him, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.

The clear water soothed his almost parched throat, and he exhaled a long breath of stale air carrying the scent of herbs.

"Thank you, sir."

He changed his form of address and said in a low voice.

His voice was still hoarse, but much smoother: "I know that my journey to the capital will lead me to the underworld, and I will have no chance of survival. I should not ask for too much from you, sir, since we are just strangers meeting. But I dare to ask you for something."

"Please speak." Lu Beigu had already vaguely guessed what was going on.

The sallow-faced man's eyes were earnest, filled with the last hope of a dying man: "I am from Jiaozhou, named Huang Shi, and I live in Zhige Town by the Qingyi River. Now I have committed such a heinous crime, bringing shame upon my family. I dare not ask for anything else, I only beg that if you have the opportunity in the future, you could ask someone from the village to pass on a message to my old mother. Tell her that I am unfilial and have passed away before her, unable to care for her in her old age. I beg her to take good care of herself and not to worry about me."

He spoke haltingly, but his tone was unusually calm, as if he were recounting an ordinary matter. Only the deep sorrow in his eyes revealed the turbulent emotions surging within him.

Looking at his emaciated appearance, bound by heavy shackles yet still concerned for his elderly mother, Lu Beigu felt a pang of sympathy and solemnly nodded in agreement: "The Zhige Town north of Mount Emei, right? Don't worry, I've remembered this. If it's convenient, I'll definitely ask a fellow villager to deliver the message."

Upon hearing this, the sallow-faced man's tense shoulders and back seemed to relax suddenly. The last bit of obsession in his eyes, which were like those of a sick tiger, dissipated, leaving them empty and blank, yet strangely revealing a calmness free of all worries.

He said nothing more, only giving Lu Beigu a very slight nod as a thank you, before lowering his head again and silently staring at the ground, as if everything around him was no longer relevant.

Lu Beigu sighed inwardly, knowing that this man was determined to die and that once his wish was fulfilled, he had no more worries.

He put down his bowl of drink, nodded slightly to the leading official, and without lingering, turned and merged into the endless stream of people.

Behind him, the faint steam rose from the beverage shop and a death row inmate squatted on the ground.

The sunlight still shone brightly on the streets and alleys of Kaifeng, as if it had never seen the joys and sorrows of this mortal world.

Lu Beigu hired a donkey cart and arrived at Hongqiao in no time, intending to discuss with Shen Kuo the matter of "purchasing" hot air balloon technology.

However, Shen Kuo's courtyard was locked, so he had probably gone out for dinner. Great scientists don't cook, and they don't have a wife to take care of the household, so they never cook at home, which is why the kitchen is full of his various research tools.

Fortunately, the area around Hongqiao is a commercial hub with a wide variety of food options. Even if Shen Kuo ate three different dishes a day, he could manage to eat something different every day for a year. However, his living costs were inevitably much higher than those of ordinary city dwellers.

"Never mind, let's go to my sister's first."

Amidst the enthusiastic greetings from his neighbors, Lu Beigu arrived at his sister's tofu shop.

Since most of the people who were supposed to come to buy things during the day had already done so, there weren't many customers at this time. Lu Nanzhi was bending over and wiping the nearly empty cutting board.

Hearing footsteps, she looked up and saw her younger brother. She immediately grinned, though she still looked a little tired.

"coming?"

She straightened up, habitually wiped her hands on her apron, and hurriedly went to pour him some water.

Lu Beigu took the rough pottery bowl; the water temperature was just right.

As the last customer left the shop carrying tofu, Lu Nanzhi closed the door halfway, effectively shutting down the business.

She turned around, leaned against the table, and remained silent for a moment, seemingly considering her words.

"Brother."

She finally spoke, her voice softer than usual, with a cautious probing tone: "There's something on my mind for several days, but I haven't known how to tell you."

Lu Beigu put down his bowl: "Sister, is there anything we can't say openly between us? Or is someone trying to cause trouble again?"

His first thought was that someone was bullying his sister.

"No," Lu Nanzhi quickly shook her head. "It's about our old home. I don't know if you still remember it?"

The Lu family had an old residence in Kaifeng, located on Chenzhoumen Inner Street.

To the north is Tianqing Temple, where Lu Beigu briefly stayed when he first came to Kaifeng. To the south, extending to the southern city wall of Kaifeng, and to the east, extending to the eastern city wall of Kaifeng, lies the granary area in the southeast corner of the outer city of Kaifeng, including Yanfeng Granary, Guangying Granary, and Fuguo Granary. The grain transport boats that traveled along the Bian River, passing the Rainbow Bridge to the East Water Gate, would transfer grain here for storage.

However, Lu Beigu's memories of the Lu family's old residence were very vague; he only remembered that he could see a tall Buddhist pagoda from the house.

Lu Nanzhi's voice pulled him back from his brief reverie: "I overheard some old neighbors talking about the house a few days ago. It seems the current owner is looking for a buyer and wants to sell it."

She paused, observing her brother's expression, before continuing.

“I secretly went to see it once. The house was obviously neglected for a long time. The walls were mottled and the stone steps in front of the door were covered with moss. It looked very desolate.”

Her voice suddenly became somewhat melancholic.

That house held her carefree childhood, but it also witnessed the sudden separation of her family. It was the softest and most painful corner of her heart.

Back in that family, she could play carefree every day, and even if she got into trouble, her parents would protect her.

Later, when no one was there to protect her anymore, she had to start doing laundry, cooking, managing the household, and even running a stall. Her slender fingers became rough, her ethereal voice became shrill, and her back became difficult to bend.

If possible, she really wanted to go back and see it again, even though there was no one there anymore.

"I know it may be inappropriate to say this now, and I have no money left."

Seeing her younger brother remain silent, Lu Nanzhi's voice grew even lower, clearly embarrassed, but still carrying a faint glimmer of hope: "I was just thinking that you are now the provincial champion and about to take the palace examination, so your future is naturally bright. If you have the ability in the future, perhaps you can find a way to buy that old house back?"

After she finished speaking, she quickly lowered her eyelids, not daring to look at Lu Beigu again, as if she had made an extremely excessive and unrealistic request.

"That is, after all, the root left by our parents. It is the root of our Lu family. My elder sister has no ability and earns only this meager income. Even if she saves for a lifetime, she probably won't be able to redeem even a corner of the house. She can only hope for you."

She almost murmured the last few words.

Looking at his sister's expression, Lu Bei felt a pang of sadness.

He originally wanted to ask about the grudges between Lu's father and the Pei family of Kaifeng before his death, but after hearing his sister's words, he couldn't help but think of Fan Xiang's words.

After the palace examination, his future was in sight, but even if he entered officialdom, would Pei Degu, Jia Changchao and others let him rise to prominence so easily?
However, seeing his sister's careful and cautious manner, as if afraid of adding to his burden, all his complicated emotions eventually turned into an even more determined resolve.

"Don't worry, I will find a way."

(End of this chapter)