Chapter: The Fish-Kissed Bronze Paperweight

Having stayed up all night, Cao Peng felt somewhat fatigued.

However, instead of going to sleep, he sat on the porch, repeatedly turning over and examining the carp-shaped bronze ruyi he had lifted from Chen Sheng’s study.

This bronze paperweight definitely had a problem!

Driven by instinct, Cao Peng was firmly convinced that his judgment was not mistaken.

This should be no ordinary bronze paperweight; it seemed to conceal an unknown secret within. Cupping the bronze piece in his palm, he faced the morning light and narrowed his eyes. The early winter morning sun carried a touch of chill, casting its light upon the deep-blue bronze paperweight and setting off a series of strange, cold glimmers. The sunlight meandered along the texture of the fish scales, flashing with halos and shifting into a kaleidoscope of colors, as illusory and mesmerizing as a mirage.

Yet, what secret did this bronze paperweight actually hold?

Cao Peng took a deep breath, lowered his hand, and stared unwaveringly at the bronze piece.

After studying it for quite a while, he still could not figure out where its mechanism was hidden... Or perhaps, was he simply being a bit too paranoid?

"Ah-Fu!"

Just as he was deep in thought, a boisterous voice snapped Cao Peng back to reality.

He looked up to see Dian Man and Xu Yi marching gallantly through the moon gate of the side courtyard. Right behind the two of them were Pan Zhang and Feng Chao.

Originally, Pan Zhang had not wanted to stay.

The reason was very simple...

Deng Ji had just arrived in Haixi, and his future was unpredictable.

Besides, what kind of future development prospects could a tiny Magistrate of Haixi possibly have?

To say that Pan Zhang possessed grand ambitions was correct; but to call him mercenary and realistic was also true.

In short, he was a very pragmatic man. He harbored ambitions and hoped to accomplish great deeds, yet he was equally pragmatic, and his personal character could hardly be considered lofty.

Historically, it was precisely because of his greed for wealth that he was impeached by several people in Eastern Wu.

Had it not been for Sun Quan's deep favor and trust, he probably would have lost his head long ago. Shortly after Pan Zhang died, his son immediately fell into misfortune and was implicated.

Cao Peng had no idea how Pan Zhang actually died!

In the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, the episode where Lord Guan's ghost scared Pan Zhang to death was pure nonsense...

However, Cao Peng had his own methods.

He pulled Dian Man and Xu Yi in front of Pan Zhang and said with utmost solemnity, "Do you know who they are?"

"I don't know!"

"Then let me tell you. This is my second brother, Xu Yi. His father is Xu Chu, the Fierce and Valiant Colonel under Chancellor Cao, also known as Xu Zhongkang; this is my third brother, Dian Man, and his father is the current Commandant of the Feathered Forest, Dian Wei, also known as Dian Junming. If you stay and help me, I dare not guarantee that it will instantly lead to your meteoric rise, but I can offer you countless opportunities. Don't look down on my brother-in-law as merely the Magistrate of Haixi; he is also a fellow disciple of Guo Jia, the Chief Advisor to the Chancellor's military campaigns. I have another elder brother who seized the right opportunity and now holds the official rank of Commandant of Qinqiu and Chief Commandant of Runan..."

"Pan Zhang, do you want to make a name for yourself?"

"Do you want to gain rank and fortune... Even if you cannot reach a position above everyone else except one, wouldn't you still be a dignified and proper official of the imperial court?"

"Stay! As long as you have the ability, staying will bring you numerous opportunities. Chancellor Cao is the hero of our era, thirsting for talent... After gaining some experience and contributing a few meritorious services, I can recommend you in good conscience. My connections are very extensive, you see."

Under Cao Peng's persuasion, Pan Zhang was tempted!

It was not as though he had no desire to pledge allegiance to Cao Cao. Pan Zhang was not one of those gentry scholars from Yanzhou; although born in Dongjun, he held no deep-seated animosity toward Cao Cao.

To put it bluntly, Pan Zhang came from ordinary origins, possessed exceptional martial prowess, but suffered from a lack of anyone to recommend him.

If...

After deep deliberation, Pan Zhang finally agreed to stay.

However, he attached one condition: if Deng Ji failed to gain a firm foothold in Haixi, he would leave, and he hoped Cao Peng would not try to stop him at that time.

If Deng Ji could not establish himself in Haixi, Cao Peng wouldn't need Pan Zhang to ask; he wouldn't stop him anyway.

Deep down, Cao Peng didn't hold Pan Zhang's character in high regard. Yet under the current circumstances, having such a fierce tiger-general of the Jiangnan region assist them seemed to be the best choice. At least, a man like this was an open villain. Motivating him with fame and fortune was all it took; he was much easier to handle than those pedantic gentry scholars.

Cao Peng put down the bronze paperweight and stood up.

"Second brother, third brother... You've worked hard!"

"Ha, what hard work is there to speak of?"

Dian Man waved his hand dismissively, laughing heartily, "Last night's slaughter was thoroughly satisfying."

"Has Chen Sheng's country estate been taken?"

Xu Yi nodded, dropped heavily onto the porch, picked up a bowl of warm water, and gulped it down to the last drop.

"Taken... Those bastards still attempted to resist, but Old Pan rushed up and chopped down a dozen or so people with a flurry of blows, and then the rest all behaved. Chen Sheng's wife and children were also killed by Old Pan, only Chen Sheng's eldest son, Chen Kui, is currently unaccounted for."

"Oh?"

"According to the people on the estate, Chen Kui did not return last night."

"That kid usually idles about and nobody knows where he went. He often stays away from home for two or three days, and when he does return, he just pulls the blanket over his head and sleeps..."

Cao Peng could not help but furrow his brow.

Was there actually a fish that slipped through the net?

Yet, upon second thought, what kind of threat could a spoiled prodigal son pose?

He smiled and said, "My brothers have all worked hard... Old Pan, Feng Chao, you've both worked hard as well!"

Pan Zhang no longer maintained his previous arrogance and hurriedly cupped his fists in a polite bow, "The Young Master's strategic planning behind the scenes is the true hard work!"

He had, after all, participated in last night's operation from beginning to end.

Toward Cao Peng and Deng Ji, he inevitably felt a trace of awe. Cao Peng's strategy, Deng Ji's plan—everything seemed absurd at first glance, yet they were interlinked and tightly locked together. At the very least, every single move Chen Sheng made had been calculated by these two.

The thunderous methods employed made Pan Zhang feel even more shocked. Moreover, the subordinates under Deng Ji and Cao Peng were none of them ordinary individuals. Dian Man and Xu Yi could not strictly be considered subordinates, yet they treated Cao Peng as a sworn brother; while Zhou Cang and Xiahou Lan, though perhaps inferior to Pan Zhang in martial arts, were not far behind.

One-on-one, Pan Zhang was confident he could eliminate either of those two.

However, two-on-one... Zhou Cang and his companion could finish Pan Zhang off within twenty moves.

Feng Chao possessed astonishing archery skills, capable of piercing a willow leaf from a hundred paces; while Wang Mai and Deng Fan, though not yet top-tier experts, were still formidable opponents whom ordinary men could not rival.

As for Cao Peng, he gave Pan Zhang an even more unfathomable feeling.

With so many people willing to stay by these two individuals' side, perhaps staying here would turn out to be a wise choice!

Cao Peng waved his hand, exchanged a few polite pleasantries with Pan Zhang, and then invited everyone to sit down. After a night of slaughter, a mental weariness was inevitable. As the few of them chatted, they suddenly heard a light exclamation from Feng Chao.

"Young Master, where did you acquire this fish-mouth bronze paperweight?"

Cao Peng was startled and looked in the direction of Feng Chao's finger, realizing it was the bronze ruyi.

"Oh, I took this from Chen Sheng's study... What, do you recognize it?"

Feng Chao wore a somewhat excited expression and nodded repeatedly.

"This is called the fish-mouth bronze paperweight. However, it has an alternative name: the 'Surplus Wealth' Ruyi. Look at the fish scales on the back of this bronze fish—do they not resemble stacks of ancient bronze coins?"

Hearing this, Cao Peng picked it up and observed it closely for a moment. "Now that you mention it! If you hadn't pointed it out, I truly wouldn't have noticed that detail. With you putting it this way... Heh, it really does look like copper coins. Splendid, splendid, truly splendid! The person who crafted this bronze paperweight was certainly extraordinary."

"Let me take a look too!"

Dian Man said hastily, snatching the bronze piece from Cao Peng's hand.

"Mn, it really does look very similar."

"A fish carrying wealth, surplus wealth... Ha, what a truly auspicious omen." Xu Yi also took it, glanced at it for a moment, and then passed it to Pan Zhang.

"Old Feng, is there a backstory to this item?"

Feng Chao nodded and said with a serious expression, "The fish-mouth bronze paperweight was reportedly custom-crafted by skilled artisans commissioned by Li Guangli, the Marquis of Haixi during the reign of Emperor Wu."

"Li Guangli?"

For Dian Man, Xu Yi, and even Pan Zhang, Li Guangli's life story was entirely unfamiliar to them.

Feng Chao smiled bitterly and said, "Li Guangli was the elder brother of Lady Li, the favorite concubine of Emperor Wu... Have you ever heard the poem: 'In the north there is a peerless beauty, cast apart from the world and independent. A single glance could topple a city, a second glance could topple a state. Though cities and states may fall, such a beauty is hard to find again'? That is the very Lady Li."

"Ah, so he was the beauty's brother."

Pan Zhang suddenly understood, though the expression on his face was somewhat lewd.

As for Dian Man and Xu Yi, they both wore expressions of disappointment...

Feng Chao was left speechless by these three men.

"Alright, continue the story."

"Actually, there has always been a legend in Haixi: back when Li Guangli held the noble title of Marquis of Haixi and enjoyed the utmost favor and trust of Emperor Wu, his wealth could rival a nation. It is said that he gathered the wealth of the realm to build an underground labyrinth within the Marquis of Haixi's estate, concealing all his riches within that maze... Later, when Li Guangli surrendered to the Xiongnu, his entire household was confiscated. Yet that underground treasury was never found and remains a mystery to this day."

"Then what does that have to do with this fish-mouth bronze paperweight?"

"It doesn't have much to do with it directly, except that it is rumored the fish-mouth bronze paperweight was an item from Li Guangli's estate, which was later acquired by a Magistrate of Haixi and has been passed down ever since. My late father was extremely fond of this fish-mouth bronze paperweight, but after his passing, it mysteriously vanished without a trace."

As Feng Chao spoke, a look of sudden, bitter hatred appeared on his face.

"Yet I was unable to kill the old scoundrel Chen Sheng with my own hands... Since this fish-mouth bronze paperweight was in his possession, my father must have died at his hands back then."

Cao Peng, however, had fallen into silence!

After a long while, he slowly raised his head and softly said, "Feng Chao, I think you might have misunderstood Chen Sheng; he is probably not your father's killer."

"Ah?"

Feng Chao stared blankly at Cao Peng, unable to comprehend.

Taking the bronze paperweight back from Pan Zhang, Cao Peng cradled it in his palm, remaining silent for a long time.

After a moment, he said, "When I discovered this bronze paperweight, Chen Sheng had it displayed right in his study, using it to weight down paper. If he were truly your father's murderer, he would never dare to flaunt it so openly... I asked around the Chen household, and Chen Sheng frequently received wealthy merchants in his study during his lifetime. Even though he was a tyrant in Haixi, he wouldn't be so brazen. By doing this, wouldn't he essentially be proclaiming himself as the murderer of your honorable father?"

"But..."

"Listen to me, my second reason for believing Chen Sheng is not the culprit is because of how he operated. According to the official case records submitted to the imperial court, when your late father was murdered, a band of violent outlaws broke into Haixi... If Chen Sheng had truly orchestrated it, he could easily have used the exact same methods this time instead of hastily gathering a mob. I previously thought your father's death was linked to Chen Sheng. But later I realized that while Chen Sheng was tyrannical, he wasn't that reckless... The fact that he mobilized men last night proves he had not colluded with bandits."

Feng Chao could not help but shiver involuntarily.

"The Young Master means..."

"That murderer is still hiding in Haixi County."

Cao Peng raised his head, his gaze burning intensely.

"Although I haven't figured out the full rationale yet, I am certain Chen Sheng was not the man who murdered Magistrate Feng. I have a hunch that Magistrate Feng's death had nothing to do with Chen Sheng. Most likely, he offended certain individuals, or..."

Cao Peng trailed off, gently biting his fingernail.

"Or perhaps, the problem lies entirely within this fish-mouth bronze paperweight?"

"Forgive my humble stupidity, Young Master, but your meaning is..."

Cao Peng waved his hand, "Don't ask just yet, let me think this through carefully."

Fish-mouth bronze paperweight—Chen Sheng—Magistrate Feng—

No, there should be an important missing link in all of this!

"Feng Chao, after your late father passed away, did anyone ever inquire about the fish-mouth bronze paperweight?"

"As for that... I didn't pay much attention. After my father passed away, my sole focus was on seeking revenge. But the subsequent two magistrates seemed to have no interest in it, and out of anger, I left Haixi, gathered a band of men, and became an outlaw, so I didn't keep track of it."

"If someone was deeply interested in this fish-mouth bronze paperweight, but couldn't locate you... What would they do?"

"This... Your humble subordinate doesn't quite understand."

"They would stay in the county office!"

Cao Peng suddenly stood up and began pacing back and forth within the courtyard.

Dian Man and Xu Yi were left completely bewildered by the conversation, unable to fully process it.

Pan Zhang, on the other hand, seemed to have an epiphany.

"The Young Master means that if someone was interested in the fish-mouth bronze paperweight and didn't know where to look for it, the best method would be to plant someone inside the county office to search slowly? Which means, the suspicious deaths of the subsequent two magistrates... were also connected to this fish-mouth bronze paperweight? This person needed to keep the county office vacant so they could search it at will."

"Now that you mention it, I remember something."

Feng Chao slapped his thigh in realization, "The two magistrates who succeeded my father didn't make any major moves upon taking office. Yet both of them died under extremely bizarre circumstances..."

"Mai Cheng!"

Cao Peng suddenly uttered softly.

"Mai Cheng?"

Dian Man recalled—wasn't that the jailer he had taught a lesson to on the very night Deng Ji arrived in Haixi County?

He belonged to the Mai family...

Cao Peng felt his heart skip a beat, sending a chill running down his spine.

He had originally thought that eliminating Chen Sheng would make the situation somewhat clearer.

Yet now it seemed the situation in Haixi remained as murky and confounding as ever!

Cao Peng suddenly felt a surge of anxiety and paced around the courtyard.

Feng Chao's expression also turned exceptionally grim. All along, he had assumed the person who murdered his father was Chen Sheng; but to think...

"This matter must not be spread outside."

Cao Peng halted his steps, looking at the four men with a grave expression.

"Furthermore, we must recruit men as quickly as possible. I don't know who the murderer is, but if their goal is the fish-mouth bronze paperweight, the moment they realize it is in our hands, they will definitely move against us. The reason they haven't made a move yet is because they don't know we've acquired the fish-mouth bronze paperweight. Or rather, they assume the bronze paperweight has been lost elsewhere, so they haven't paid attention to us... Mai Xiong, Mai Ren, Mai Cheng!"

Cao Peng asked, "Feng Chao, if I were to levy troops right now, is there any hope?"

Feng Chao thought for a moment, shook his head, and said, "Although the Young Master eliminating Chen Sheng is indeed a fortunate event, to the people of Haixi, sea raiders and outlaws don't concern them much. As long as they don't provoke them, those bandits won't come looking for trouble... Because to a certain extent, Haixi County provides the bandits with a channel to dispose of stolen goods, and the people of Haixi also profit considerably from the bandits... Chen Sheng being killed might allow Magistrate Deng to establish a foothold in Haixi and gain the goodwill of the locals."

"However, if Magistrate Deng levies troops right now... furthermore, once the bandits learn of our actions, they will take immediate action. Your humble subordinate does not believe a group of newly recruited Haixi locals could defeat those fierce and ruthless bandits. Therefore, if the Young Master wishes to levy troops, it must be done with caution."

"Damn it!"

Cao Peng could not help letting out a vulgar curse.

"Alright, let's leave this matter at that for now!"

"Then the murderer..."

"We will investigate this slowly. Our top priority is to maintain stability in Haixi... Feng Chao, find a way to recall the patrol guards; don't recruit too many, a hundred will suffice. Presumably, a hundred patrol guards won't provoke the bloodlust of those bandits. You and Wengui will lead them."

Feng Chao and Pan Zhang exchanged glances, bowed, and replied, "We obey your command!"

Grain prices in Haixi finally began to drop.

Although the majority of merchants maintained a wait-and-see attitude, the injection of five thousand shi of grain and rice into the Haixi markets still created a massive impact.

Chen Sheng's estate was still undergoing inventory, and all his shops and commercial storefronts had been completely sealed up.

Then, on the third day following Chen Sheng's death, the county office issued another official announcement.

Chen Gui in Guangling stripped Chen Sheng of his status as a member of the Chen clan. Furthermore, he solemnly declared his support for Deng Ji's actions in Haixi County, explicitly stating that no Chen clan member was permitted to violate the laws.

The issuance of this proclamation immediately caused an uproar throughout Haixi County.

"I told you so, I told you we should have gone to pay a visit to Magistrate Deng."

A group of merchants gathered together, arguing heatedly.

"I knew all along that Magistrate Deng was no ordinary man. Look, look, now even Elder Chen has personally spoken out... This, this, what are we to do now?"

"You damned bastard!"

One merchant stood up and cursed, "You were the one who said we shouldn't pay any attention to Magistrate Deng."

"As a result, we were all led astray by your instigation... And now, you're turning around to blame us? How is it that every argument always favors you, and whatever you say is always right?"

"I..."

"Alright, alright, stop arguing, all of you!"

An elderly merchant finally spoke up, "Things have reached this point, and arguing is useless. Our top priority is to find a way to mend our relationship with Magistrate Deng. First, we must roll back market prices to let Magistrate Deng witness our goodwill. If we continue to defy Magistrate Deng's orders, I'm afraid the next Chen Sheng will be someone among us... Furthermore, we must find a way to establish contact with Magistrate Deng."

"Previously, Magistrate Deng invited us to a banquet at the county office, but not a single one of us went. Now, I'm afraid it won't be so easy for us to invite him... We must find a suitable person to speak on our behalf before Magistrate Deng."

"Wang Cheng!" one merchant blurted out.

"Right, Mr. Wang!"

"Mr. Wang still has foresight, far more than any of us... On the day Magistrate Deng hosted the banquet, only Mr. Wang and Old Master Mai attended. It's unlikely Old Master Mai would speak on our behalf, so why don't we go find Mr. Wang? He is a good man and will certainly not sit idly by and watch us get implicated by that scoundrel Chen Sheng."

"Right, we are honest folk after all; it was all trouble stirred up by that scoundrel Chen Sheng."

People often say that merchants are heartless.

A few days ago, Deng Ji was merely a "corrupt official" in their mouths, but now, Chen Sheng had become the "scoundrel" in their speech.

How the world changes—truly wondrous!

The old merchant sighed, "Since that's the case, I will go pay a visit to Mr. Wang and ask him to put in a good word for us..."