In the darkness, Chen Lao’s eyes glimmered like a wolf hidden in the night, glaring menacingly at Zhang Fang. He couldn’t help but think that this young man was a fool; given the current situation, who knew if they would escape safely? Yet, he chose to distribute supplies.
When Zhang Fang approached Chen Lao, he asked him, “How are you feeling? Do you have a fever?”
Despite Zhang Fang’s friendly demeanor, Chen Lao scoffed and turned his head in disdain. To him, others’ kindness was merely hypocrisy. With no immediate danger, Zhang Fang could still afford to be nice. But when the danger arose, this kid would regret being kind to these people when he was abandoned.
Zhang Fang did not leave; instead, he crouched down and said to Chen Lao, “Don’t think about making trouble and escaping at night. In the face of natural disasters, life is fragile, and there’s nowhere to run. Only by uniting can we hope for survival.”
Chen Lao paused for a moment, his gaze fixed intently on Zhang Fang. This young man was no fool; he had guessed they were planning to escape at night!
Zhang Fang placed a bag of dry food in front of him and continued, “You still haven’t told me about the situation in Mei County.”
Looking at the bag of dry food, Chen Lao found it amusing and indeed chuckled, tauntingly saying to Zhang Fang, “What if you know about the situation in Mei County?”
The mountainous region was far from the emperor’s reach, and Mei County was deeply troubled. Over the past decade, it had been shrouded in darkness. No matter how many officials were appointed to govern, they rarely lasted six months. At least seven officials had died at the hands of Chen Lao!
“I just enjoy a good story,” Zhang Fang said as he offered a water-soaked flatbread to Chen Lao.
Chen Lao reached out to take it but did not eat immediately, his expression complex as he regarded Zhang Fang. Realizing that this young man might not live long, he decided to share information about Mei County. “Mei County has a gold mine. Because of this news, all the recently appointed officials here have met untimely ends. They’ve all died by my hand.”
Zhang Fang remained calm, not surprised at all. Behind him, Hao Zhuang and Shi Hou De changed their expressions, shocked, and rebuked Chen Lao angrily, “You’re so bold! How dare you murder imperial officials!”
Chen Lao smiled wickedly and provocatively replied, “What of it? As long as Xu Chang stands strong, this place will never see the light of day!”
Hao Zhuang and Shi Hou De looked furious, gripping their knives tightly, wishing they could stab Chen Lao right then and there.
Zhang Fang’s tone was undeterred, and he continued to ask, “What forces support Xu Chang?”
“I don’t know,” Chen Lao answered nonchalantly, taking a big bite of the flatbread.
Zhang Fang pondered; indeed, this matter ran deep. He needed to send a message to his father, the Prime Minister, to inform the emperor and have someone sent to investigate Xu Chang’s backing.
“Thank you for the information,” Zhang Fang said, not pressing further, then stood up to leave.
Chen Lao shook his head as he watched Zhang Fang’s retreating figure. He opened the bag of dry food and divided half of it among his subordinates. The other bandits, swallowing their saliva, noticed that there were still supplies left and couldn’t help but ask, “Boss, isn’t there more? Why not divide the rest among us?”
“Finish what you have today; will you eat again tomorrow?” Chen Lao barked fiercely. In this predicament, he was already generous to share some rations with them; to expect him to distribute all was absurd!
The others lowered their heads in silence, not daring to ask again. Four people sharing one flatbread meant it was gone in just two or three bites, leaving them feeling as if they had eaten nothing.
Someone inquired, “Boss, should we make a move tonight? While they sleep, we could kill them all and take their belongings, then leave on a raft in the morning.”
This had originally been Chen Lao’s plan, but unfortunately, Zhang Fang had figured it out. He realized they must be on guard, and it was best to avoid direct conflict. Preserving their strength was paramount for escape.
“Just sleep quietly!” Chen Lao said, finding a comfortable position to lie down and sleep.
The others, looking helpless, could only obey and go to sleep.
Some, greedily eyeing the remaining half bag of dry food in Chen Lao’s arms, felt their hunger giving birth to covetous desires, breeding malice.
Meanwhile, Zhang Fang returned to the resting spot with Hao Zhuang and Shi Hou De. The expressions of the three were heavy.
Zhang Fang’s mind was occupied with thoughts of the forces behind Xu Chang, while Hao Zhuang and Shi Hou De were worried that with only one month left, they were uncertain if they could safely escort Zhang Fang to the border as planned.
Mu Qing and Chang Bao stood guard outside. Seeing Zhang Fang in deep thought, Yuan Quan asked quietly, “Young Master Zhang, what troubles you?”
Shaking his head, Zhang Fang sighed lightly, gazing at the light rain still falling, and absentmindedly said, “I miss my home.”
Yuan Quan paused, suddenly unsure how to respond.
After a moment, he spoke again, “It seems those bandits are likely to be restless tonight. We must be on guard.”
“I’ve already warned them,” Zhang Fang replied, feeling his forehead, which was slightly warm. He took two pills from a bottle and swallowed them.
“Warning them won’t help; we need to use some harsh measures to suppress them,” Yuan Quan said, still not feeling reassured.
Zhang Fang, looking fatigued, responded, “In times like this, the more polarized things become, the deeper the hatred, and the greater the conflict; it will only escalate.”
Seeing wisdom in Zhang Fang’s words, Yuan Quan asked, “Why did you give them supplies? Did you intend to win their favor?”
The surrounding people did not understand Zhang Fang’s actions. Presenting them with food at night when there was a chance of leaving, knowing that the bandits were unreliable, seemed like inviting danger.
Zhang Fang did not respond and simply closed his eyes to rest.
In the night, Chen Lao’s furious shout awakened everyone.
“Bastard! You dare to steal my things! Watch me kill you!”
“Ah! Boss! I’m sorry! I won’t do it again! Please spare my life!”
Zhang Fang instantly opened his eyes, emerged from the cart, and asked Mu Qing, “What happened?”
Mu Qing gleefully informed Zhang Fang, “One of our own stole something and got caught!”