C35. The Price of Forgiveness.

C35. The Price of Forgiveness.

The Wuhuan people would take seven or eight days to travel from Pan County to Zhuolu County. During this period, Yuan Li received a group of trusted aides who had come from Bohai.

The group consisted of about three people, all of whom were the elite guards that Yuan Li had taken to Luoyang.

Their expressions were determined, their skin exposed to the sun was peeling and burnt, but they had come without stopping to deliver the refined salt weighing three hundred catties to Yuan Li.

The leader of the group was none other than Guard Meng, the guard Yuan Li had not seen for a long time, who respectfully said, "I have not failed in my duty."

When Yuan Li arrived in Youzhou, he brought three hundred troops with him.

These troops were cultivated by him using modern military training methods. Yuan Li had taught them how to read, basic farming, and medical knowledge. Each of them was grateful to Yuan Li and remained extremely loyal to him.

Yuan Li supported Guard Meng, saying, "You have all worked hard."

He immediately ordered food and drinks to be brought to Guard Meng and the others, had a doctor tend to their sunburns, and arranged for ice cubes to cool their room. Everything was taken care of.

Once the aides had settled in and started to rest, Yuan Li summoned Chu Hechao and Yang Zhongfa.

These two happened to be together, and when they heard Yuan Li calling them, they looked at each other with anticipation before heading over.

Upon entering, Yang Zhongfa curiously asked, "Young Master Yuan, do you have something good again?"

Inside, Yang Zhongfa noticed a sack on the table that had been torn open to reveal a white powdery substance similar to snow.

Yang Zhong asked, "Did you grind ice into powder?"

Upon closer inspection, it did not seem like powdered ice.

Chu Hechao approached the table, took a bit of the substance, sniffed it, and then tasted it. He was stunned by what he experienced.

Surprised and disbelieving, Chu Hechao looked at the bag closely.

Curious, Yang Zhongfa hurried over and tasted it as well. The salty taste quickly spread in his mouth, melting quickly without any bitterness.

Wide-eyed, he looked at Yuan Li and exclaimed in a hushed voice, "This is salt?!"

Is there salt so pure and white like snow in this world?!

Chu Hechao and Yang Zhongfa locked eyes with Yuan Li.

Without keeping them in suspense, Yuan Li nodded and confirmed, "Yes, this is salt!"

Chu Hechao swallowed and said, "Very good."

He stared at the refined salt and suddenly a smile spread across his face.

Yang Zhongfa took a sharp breath and was momentarily speechless. But then a wave of excitement washed over him, and he laughed heartily, clapping the table and causing his face to flush as if he had been drinking.

He took a pinch of salt and put it in his mouth, his expression contorted by the salty taste, but his eyes shining brighter and brighter. He exclaimed, "Great salt! This refined salt is much better than coarse salt, and it has no bitterness. I have never tasted salt like this before!"

Yuan Li handed him a cup of tea and said, "Sir Yang, rinse your mouth."

Yang Zhongfa waved his hand hurriedly, saying, "No need to rinse, Young Master Yuan, I want to savor this salt. I can't bear to rinse my mouth!"

Meanwhile, Chu Hechao was carefully observing a bit of the salt.

The salt was delicate, pure white, free of impurities, and the grains were distinct, resembling tiny grains of white rice.

Salt was not just a daily necessity but also a crucial strategic resource, equally important as iron, if not more so.

Chu Hechao paid close attention to the salt mines in Youzhou, considering himself well-informed due to his high status and access to good items. However, he had never seen salt like this before. Yang Zhongfa was right; he hadn't either.

"Brother's wife," Chu He spoke slowly, a faint smile on his lips, "How much of this salt do we have? Is it mined from salt pits, wells, or the sea? Where does it come from?"

He looked at Yuan Li, determined, "If this area is not in Youzhou, we should seize this salt at all costs."

Yuan Li replied, "Because we have just started, we only have around three hundred catties. This salt was refined on the southern coast of Bohai under my orders, using a new method. The taste and appearance of this salt are different from traditional coarse salt. The southern coast of Bohai is within the General's domain, so there is no need for seizing."

The southern coast of Bohai had abundant shallow subterranean brine water resources, with a flat terrain and sufficient sunlight, allowing for large daily evaporative salt production.

Chu He expressed surprise, "It's sea salt..."

Yuan Li smiled and asked, "What do you think of this sea salt in terms of value, General?"

"It is definitely valuable currency," Yang Zhongfa responded first, "Once sold, it will drive the people crazy. But..."

He hesitated, "Is this white salt very expensive?"

In Northern Zhou, the price of salt was one and a half to two times that of grain, specifically in inland areas during times of peace. In remote areas or among minority groups like Youzhou, salt prices could soar to five times that of grain.

Citizens often resorted to eating bland food due to the high cost of salt, resulting in malnutrition.

During times of conflict, salt prices could skyrocket to eight to twelve times that of grain.

Yang Zhongfa was worried that Yuan Li's salt would be sold at an even higher price.

However, Yuan Li said, "If we sell it, this salt will be priced the same as grains."

Yang Zhongfa looked up in astonishment.

Yuan Li continued, "Earning money from the people is meaningless. If we want to profit, we should take it from outsiders."

With a hint of coldness in his tone, Yuan Li added, "This salt will not be sold to the people for now. We will acquire enough gold, silver, treasures, and livestock from outsiders at high prices before selling the refined salt in Youzhou at a lower rate."

Chu Hechao suddenly understood, "Are you planning to exchange this salt for goods with the Dada people, and then plunder Pan County and Xiayue County for their spoils?"

"Not exactly," Yuan Li raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile playing on his lips, he said aloud, "Sir Liu, please bring me some coarse salt."

After Liu Ji Xin brought the coarse salt, Yuan Li mixed it with the refined salt in a 1.5 ratio, creating a second-grade salt that was much better than coarse salt.

Yuan Li nodded in satisfaction, wiped his hands and said, "This second-grade salt is superior to what's currently available in the market. The Wuhuan people lack salt, and they have just seized a large number of treasures, so they are likely to be wealthy now. Sir Yang, what do you think if we present this second-grade salt to them? Will they buy it?"

"They absolutely will," Yang Zhongfa laughed heartily, his eyes sparkling, "The Wuhuan people are eager to impress, and Dada is particularly arrogant and proud. Though I feel a bit reluctant to sell them this good salt, making a profit from them makes me happy. Master Yuan, let General and me handle this!"

Yuan Li responded, "Thank you both for taking on this task. Besides trading salt for their treasures, it would be best to exchange for some livestock and captured slaves for labor, as well as rice the Wuhuan people have looted."

Yang Zhongfa was a little puzzled, "There are cattle and sheep, but the Wuhuan people would rather sell horses to horse traders than give them to us. And one more thing, Young Master Yuan, why exchange white rice prisoners?"

"Even if these prisoners are guilty, they are still people from the Central Plains. How can people from the Central Plains be enslaved by barbarians?" Yuan Li's voice was cold. "Sir Yang, I entrust this matter to you. With this fine salt mixed with coarse salt, we have a total of six stones. Let's see how much we can get from the Wuhuan people in the coming days."

Yang Zhongfa could only solemnly agree.

After that, they began discussing how to deceive the Wuhuan people.

Once the discussion was over, Yang Zhongfa and Chu Hechao left.

On their way, Yang Zhongfa marveled at the magic of fine salt, then suddenly chuckled and said, "General, don't you think Young Master Yuan seems to be more enthusiastic towards me than towards you?"

Chu Hechao pinching his finger bones, couldn't help but make a "crack" sound, looking at Yang Zhongfa with a smile that wasn't quite a smile, "Is that so?"

Unaware of the implication, Yang Zhongfa continued to show off, "If you noticed, Young Master Yuan called me 'Sir Yang' and even handed me water to drink. But as for you, General, he only called you once and exchanged a few words. General, I'm not saying this to flatter, but it seems like Young Master Yuan is closer to me than to you."

Chu Hechao chuckled, "Yang Zhongfa, why do you talk so much?"

Yang Zhongfa realized his mistake and, upon seeing Chu Hechao's expression, he shook and tried to amend, "General, forgive me for speaking nonsense. You and Young Master Yuan have a genuine in-law relationship. I am just an outsider, how can I compare to you in Young Master Yuan's heart?"

Chu Hechao didn't react positively to his words, his tone mocking, devoid of laughter.

He also felt that Yuan Li was excessively polite towards him.

It was not frosty, nor was it friendly, just business-like, with a perfect balance in attitude.

Chu Hechao pursed his lips.

In reality, this was just a typical in-law relationship in any family. How could the relationship between brother-in-law and sister-in-law be so intimate?

Yang Zhongfa stole a glance at Chu Hechao repeatedly, feeling intimidated by his somewhat frightening demeanor as if he was on the brink of rage, which made him a little scared.

He didn't dare to speak, and the two of them continued to walk in silence.

That night, Guard Meng and the other guards woke up. Yuan Li took them to soak in the hot springs in Zhuolu County, chatting and laughing along the way.

On their way back, they met Chu Hechao, Yuan Li nodded at him and exchanged greetings before passing by.

When Yuan Li was about to go to bed in the evening, Chu Hechao came and asked him for some clothes that he had left with Yuan Li a few days ago.

Confused, Yuan Li got up, rummaged around for a while, and finally found his dark shirt with many scars on the back. He draped it over his arm and walked out of the tent.

The night breeze carried a warm breeze, and Yuan Li smiled awkwardly, "I thought General no longer needed this shirt, I haven't had it repaired yet."

Chu Hechao took the shirt, "No problem."

Yuan Li waited politely for Chu Hechao to leave, but to his surprise, Chu Hechao remained motionless. The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, and Yuan Li's hair was tousled by the wind, appearing like dancing strands of gold in the flickering torchlight.

The prolonged standoff made the atmosphere extremely awkward. Finally, Yuan Li cleared his throat and asked, "General, do you have something on your mind?"

Chu Hechao tilted his mouth slightly and asked, "Isn't Sister-in-law's current mood very good?"

Although Yuan Li didn't understand why he asked this, he didn't want to prolong the uncomfortable situation with Chu Hechao. He shook his head and hinted, "Not really, not in the mood for much conversation."

"Oh," Chu Hechao replied indifferently, "I saw you laughing and chatting with your confidants earlier, and thought you were in a good mood."

Yuan Li: "..."

Chu Hechao continued, "Are they your confidants, the ones who brought you the salt?"

Yuan Li nodded.

Chu Hechao chuckled, "I see."

Yuan Li's mouth twitched, not understanding his intentions and feeling that the conversation was getting cryptic. "General, if you have nothing else to say, I'll go to sleep."

Just as Chu Hechao was about to speak, Yuan Li exaggerated a yawn, opened the curtain, waved at him, and said, "Good night, General."

Good night?

Chu Hechao clenched his jaw tightly and stood alone for a while. Suddenly, he sneered, "Did I agree to have a good night with you?"

The next day, Chu Hechao woke up early, trained, and bathed, spending the day outside training soldiers. Despite occasionally glancing around nonchalantly, he waited until the moon rose, but Yuan Li's promised "good night" never came.

Later on, the Wuhuan leader from Shàngǔ County, Dàdàn, arrived with ten thousand cavalry in Zhuolu County.

The county had prepared a banquet for their arrival, with bonfires lit, and plates of food brought out. Chu Hechao sat in the central seat, with Yuan Li and several military leaders on his left.

Dàdàn toured the banquet and sat with his entourage on the right side behind a row of low tables.

Upon sitting down, Dàdàn placed his sword beside him, laughed loudly, and said, "Haha, it's been a long time since I met the Grand General. After several years, you still look so heroic and fierce."

Yuan Li, sitting diagonally across from Dàdàn, observed him in the firelight.

Dàdàn, a burly man in his forties or fifties, dressed like a Hú person along with his companions, had an ordinary appearance, his face full of muscles. However, his voice was loud and ear-piercing, indicating he was skilled in battle challenges.

Chu Hechao also laughed. He poured himself a drink, raised his cup towards Dàdàn, and rubbed the cup with his finger wrapped in a black leather glove. "I remain the same as before, but you, Dàdàn, have aged quite a bit."

After saying this, he drained his cup.

Dàdàn's face momentarily darkened, but he quickly recovered and maliciously remarked, "I can't compare to the Grand General. I wonder if the Grand General's hands have fully healed? It's been so long, the burns shouldn't be hurting anymore, right?"

If not, Dàdàn wouldn't dare to provoke Chu Hechao in a boastful manner. However, as the Wuhuan people were now vassals of the Northern Zhou court and heroes who had helped subdue the enemy, Dàdàn felt confident in his accomplishments and seemed to have forgotten his fear when facing Chu Hechao.

The several leaders on the left side were immediately enraged, their faces turning red and their necks swelling. Yang Zhongfa slammed the table and sternly rebuked, "Dadan, how dare you show such disrespect to the General? It seems like you don't intend to leave Zhuolu County today!"

With that said, the row of leaders stood up in unison, the sound of their movement crisp and uniform, drawing their steel swords halfway out of their waist. The cold, gleaming blades threatened the Wuhuan people opposite them.

All the surrounding soldiers also drew their weapons, glaring fiercely at the Wuhuan people.

Chu Hechao did not stop them and continued pouring himself wine with ease.

Dadan's face turned red and then pale.

He knew he had ten thousand cavalry outside, and Chu Hechao wouldn't dare to kill him here.

However, he only had a few subordinates with him at the moment. If these angry generals decided to attack him directly, his few men would have no chance to resist.

Chu Hechao was a person that Dadan tried to figure out. Dadan was old and valued his life. He didn't dare to take that one-in-a-thousand chance.

Dadan stood up reluctantly, bowed deeply to Chu Hechao and muttered, "I spoke out of turn, please forgive me, General."

Chu Hechao took a dagger from his waist and threw it at Dadan's feet, coldly saying, "If you realize you spoke out of turn, then use that blade to apologize to me."

Dadan exclaimed, "Chu Hechao, you are pushing it too far!"

Chu Hechao stood up abruptly, walked quickly to where Dadan was, looming over him.

Dadan was already quite muscular, but Chu Hechao was taller by a head. Dadan's back was already hunched, and compared to Chu Hechao, he felt suddenly aged and weak. As he looked up at the expressionless Chu Hechao, his buried fear and timidity towards him started resurfacing.

"Dadan," the firelight danced on Chu Hechao's side, casting shadows on his face, and he suddenly smiled, lowering his voice coldly, "Do you remember the time your Wuhuan chieftain Bone Red almost lost his head to my blade?"

Dadan's facial muscles twitched.

Five years ago, the year of Jianyuan Third or Fourth.

Chu Hechao led an army of ten thousand to defeat the Wuhuan, causing them to submit to the Northern Zhou court in Youzhou. The battle was brutal, with heavy casualties, a strategy that almost backfired on Chu Hechao. But there was no other way.

It was a brutal war, where Chu Hechao had too few cavalry. The once eighty-thousand-strong army in the Northern Frontier was reduced to only thirty thousand, with hundreds of his men dead.

The Wuhuan chieftain, Bone Red, almost had his head severed by Chu Hechao.

Bone Red had managed to escape but lost an arm in the process.

In the end, Dadan submitted and reluctantly picked up the dagger from the ground, trembling as he took it out of the sheath, preparing to cut off his own finger.

His subordinates on the side exclaimed, "My lord, no!"

Chu Hechao looked on indifferently.

At the critical moment, Yang Zhongfa intervened, adopting a conciliatory tone, "Wait—"

The fierce look on his face suddenly softened as he clasped his hands and said to Chu Hechao, "General, let's forget this. The feast is ready, let's not spoil our appetite with blood and dirty deeds."

Dadan stopped his hand, hopeful eyes fixed on Chu Hechao, hoping he would show mercy.

Chu Hechao stood up slowly, walked to the head seat, lifted his robe, and sat down gracefully. "Let it go, Dadan. Sit down and punish yourself with three cups of wine."

Dadan quickly sat down, heaving a sigh of relief.

A warm breeze blew, and Dadan realized that he had broken out in a sweat without even realizing it.