piratefiction Chapter 18 The Curtain Rises
Chapter 18 The Curtain Rises
Feng Xiu remained silent.
The Golden Wheat incident involved too many high-ranking officials in the city; no one believed that there was no tacit approval from the government behind it, only that no specific individuals were implicated.
Feng Ao's tone softened somewhat.
"But you did a good job this time, joining forces with the Fan and Lin families to create momentum and force them to back down. At least they know that we are not pushovers."
"But the three of us alone are not enough."
Feng Ao looked at him and slowly said, "Take some time to see Fan Ling and Lin Che and tell them that the grand ceremony will proceed as planned. I will go and talk to the other grain merchants."
"If the government wants us to bow down, they have to ask us if we agree."
Looking into his father's aggressive eyes, which seemed to hold the power of a tiger, Feng Xiu suddenly realized that he had underestimated his father.
"Yes." Feng Xiu stood up, bowed, and said, "I understand."
"Go."
Feng Xiu pushed open the door and left.
As we left the main hall, it was nearly dusk.
Feng Xiu stood under the corridor, his mind racing.
Feng Ao's attitude was even tougher than he had expected, and he sought to unite more grain merchants to form a larger alliance of interests.
They're going to confront the government head-on again; it looks like they're about to have a major showdown.
"Uncle Zheng, prepare the carriage." Feng Xiu stepped out. "To the Fan residence."
"Now?" Zheng Bo was stunned. "It's getting dark."
"We need to take advantage of the darkness." Feng Xiu continued walking. "Tomorrow is the grand ceremony, and there are some things that need to be settled tonight."
Zheng Bo responded and quickly went to arrange the carriage.
Half an incense stick later, the carriage stopped in front of the Fan residence.
Fan Ling had just finished dinner when he heard that Feng Xiu had arrived, so he personally went out to greet him.
Without any formalities, the two went straight to the study. Lin Che arrived shortly after, still waving his bamboo folding fan, but his expression was more serious than during the day.
"Brother Wenzheng, why are you in such a hurry? What happened?" Lin Che asked as soon as he sat down.
Feng Xiu cut to the chase, "Master Huanglong has arrived."
Their eyes lit up.
"When did you arrive? Where are you?" Fan Ling pressed.
"This morning, we were familiarizing ourselves with the procedures in the courtyard in the east of the city." Feng Xiu looked at the two of them. "I'm here to give you a heads-up. Tomorrow's grand ceremony will proceed as scheduled, but there are a few things I need to discuss."
Lin Che closed his folding fan and gently tapped his palm. "Tell me about it."
Feng Xiu briefly recounted his conversation with Feng Ao during the day, omitting only the part about Feng Ao wanting to unite with other grain merchants.
Finally, he looked at the two of them and said slowly.
"Tomorrow's grand ceremony will be officially presided over by me, but in reality, it will be a joint effort by the three of us. You two should both be aware of this."
Fan Ling raised an eyebrow. "Is that even a question? We've been studying together since we were kids, how could I let you take the blame all by yourself?"
Lin Che didn't speak, but nodded, though his eyes held a thoughtful expression.
Feng Xiu saw this but didn't point it out, and continued speaking:
"I will have the news of Huanglong Zhenren's arrival spread. By tomorrow morning, the whole city will know. Those who come will not only be ordinary people, but also spies from various families, and even government officials."
He paused, his gaze sweeping across the two faces.
"We have to be prepared. No matter what the outcome of the rainmaking, this show has to go on."
Fan Ling slapped his thigh and said, "Don't worry, the manpower and supplies provided by my Fan family will arrive first thing tomorrow morning. The sacrificial offerings, gongs and drums, and ceremonial processions will all be prepared to the highest standards."
Lin Che nodded, "My team is all ready. Twenty Taoist priests, fully equipped, will be waiting in Bailiu Village before dawn tomorrow."
Feng Xiu nodded, then changed the subject.
"There's one more thing I need to mention beforehand."
The two looked at him.
"The Feng family may make some moves next, and it's not just about the grain shop." Feng Xiu said calmly, as if he were talking about something ordinary.
"I hope that you two will remember the friendship we shared tonight."
The study was quiet for a moment.
Fan Ling was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, patting Feng Xiu on the shoulder. "Wenzheng, you're being too polite. Our three families are closely connected; would we let someone stab us in the back?"
Lin Che remained silent, gently waving his folding fan. His gaze lingered on Feng Xiu's face for a moment before he slowly nodded.
Feng Xiu smiled and said nothing more.
Some things are better left unsaid.
The three discussed some details for tomorrow and set a time and place to meet.
Feng Xiu got up to say goodbye, and Fan Ling saw him to the door. Lin Che also came out.
Just before getting into the car, Feng Xiu turned back to look at Lin Che.
"Wen Yuan, you'd better not bring your folding fan tomorrow."
Lin Che was taken aback. "Why?"
"Tomorrow is the grand ceremony, there will be many people and distractions." Feng Xiu looked at him calmly, "If you stand there waving your fan, people will easily think you're just watching a show."
Lin Wenyuan and Feng Wenzheng were both given their courtesy names by Master Jingzhai, indicating a close relationship between them.
Feng Xiu was also willing to give him some pointers on the details.
"After all, we're the performers, not the audience."
Lin Che's expression changed slightly, then he put away his folding fan, clasped his hands in a respectful gesture, and said, "Thank you for your recommendation, Brother Wenzheng."
Feng Xiu nodded and got into the carriage.
The carriage curtain fell, the sound of horses' hooves rang out, and gradually disappeared into the night.
...
...
The next day, at the first light of dawn.
After getting up and washing up, Feng Xiu was preparing to go to Bailiu Village to preside over the Ganlin Grand Ceremony.
Unexpectedly, they bumped into Zhou Gang and his group, who were walking from the direction of the back dormitory.
The group was dressed in tight-fitting short outfits, and some even wore waist buckles to secure their weapons, with a large sword slung across their backs.
Feng Xiu greeted him with a smile, "Uncle Zhou, how's it going? Have you taken good care of the courtyard?"
"Very good, six hundred taels of silver is not expensive, and the place is spacious." Zhou Gang laughed heartily and said loudly.
"I'm glad you're satisfied. Has the property deed been signed?"
"There's no rush. I can come back to them to sign after I've finished dealing with your matter," Zhou Gang said, waving his hand.
Having heard Zhou Gang travel all over Qingyan City, he naturally knew the market value of a good courtyard.
The new escort agency's base costs 600 taels of silver, and it's located in the inner city. To be honest, this price is ridiculously cheap.
Needless to say, Ya Xing must have accepted this favor out of respect for Feng Xiu.
Since Feng Xiu has spoken up, this matter must be handled perfectly for him.
"Don't worry, I'll handle this," Zhou Gang assured him, patting his chest, before preparing to leave with his men.
"Then I'll wait for Uncle Zhou's good news."
Feng Xiu smiled and cupped his hands in greeting to the crowd.
They had only taken a few steps when they encountered Uncle Zheng walking towards them.
Zheng Bo was taken aback, but immediately understood and quickly stepped aside.
After Zhou Gang left, Zheng Bo stepped forward, bowed, and reported, "Young Master, shall we depart now?"
Feng Xiu nodded. "Let's go."
The two then boarded the carriage.
Half an hour later.
At this moment, the entrance to Bailiu Village is packed with people.
Feng Xiu stood beside an inconspicuous carriage in the distance.
At the center of the village entrance, a three-zhang-high altar has been erected, with green bamboo as the frame and yellow curtains as the canopy. Five-colored flags hang on all four sides, fluttering in the morning breeze.
In the very center of the altar, there was a huge sandalwood table, on which sacrificial offerings of three kinds of animals were neatly arranged.
The entire head of a pig, a sheep, and a cow, each holding a bright red fruit in its mouth.
On either side of the wooden table stood a row of bronze tripods, from which wisps of sandalwood incense rose straight up.
On the open ground on both sides of the altar, twenty Taoist priests were already in place, dressed in red and yellow robes, holding copper bells, wooden fish, cymbals, and handbells.
The leader, Huanglong Zhenren, had white hair and beard, a solemn face, and sat on a futon with his eyes closed, without saying a word.
Feng Xiu's gaze lingered on him for a moment before shifting away.
The people gathered around the altar, a dense, dark mass, numbering at least several thousand.
Some people carried incense and candles, some carried offerings, and many more came empty-handed, their eyes full of anticipation.
The closest person to him was an old farmer kneeling on the ground, with a small dish of coarse grains in front of him, muttering to himself.
Among the crowd were many well-dressed faces: wealthy residents and merchants from the city, as well as managers and informants from various families.
There were even a few sharp-looking men dressed in plain clothes, but who were clearly government officials.
Feng Xiu withdrew his gaze and sighed inwardly.
These people are truly hoping for rain.
What a pity~
Fan Ling walked up to him at some point and whispered, "There are more people than expected. I just glanced around and there are at least seven or eight families here."
Feng Xiu nodded without saying a word.
Lin Che also came over. As expected, he didn't bring his folding fan today. His hands were tucked into his sleeves, and his expression was much calmer than last night.
"The prayer team is all ready; they're just waiting for the auspicious time."
Feng Xiu looked up at the sky.
The sky was cloudless, and the sun blazed fiercely.
"Let's begin," Feng Xiu ordered.
After saying that, he retreated back into the crowd.
At 3:45 AM, the auspicious time has arrived.
The drums suddenly sounded.
Twenty Taoist priests simultaneously struck their ritual implements. The clear, melodious sound of copper bells, the tinkling of wooden fish, and the clanging of cymbals blended together, creating a sense of solemnity and reverence.
Huanglong Zhenren slowly rose and walked onto the altar.
Today he changed into a crimson robe, embroidered with the sun, moon, stars, clouds, and cranes, with a five-colored silk sash around his waist and cloud-patterned shoes on his feet.
With his white hair and long beard, he really did have an air of otherworldly elegance, except for the black hat on his head.
He walked to the sandalwood table, burned three sticks of incense, and placed them in the cauldron.
Then he took out a piece of yellow paper with a memorial written in cinnabar, unfolded it, and read it aloud.
"In this world where heaven and earth are clear and the sun and moon shine brightly, the people of Qingyan are suffering from a severe drought. Their fields are cracked and their crops are withered. We humbly offer them sacrifices, wine, incense, candles, and money."
"We pray to Heaven above and Earth below, and humbly beseech the Golden Palace to bestow its power, so that the winds and clouds may gather and the sweet rain may fall."
"To save the people from their dire straits and relieve their suffering."
Master Huanglong's voice was old, but every word was clear and carried far on the wind.
The people held their breath, looking up at the old man on the altar with eyes full of awe.